bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Total oxidant‐scavenging capacities of plasma from glycogen storage disease type Ia patients as measured by cyclic voltammetry, FRAP and luminescence techniques
Authors: Koren E. , Lipkin J. , Klar A. , Hershkovitz E. , Ginsburg I. , Kohen R. 
Published: August 2009

SummaryIt has been suggested that the very low incidence of atherosclerosis in glycogen storage disease type Ia (GSD Ia) subjects might be attributed to elevated levels of uric acid, one of the potent low‐molecular‐weight antioxidants found in plasma. The present communication describes a use of two analytical methods—cyclic voltammetry and ferric reducing ability of plasma—and also two chemiluminescence methods to evaluate the total oxidant‐scavenging capacities (TOSC) of plasma from GSD Ia patients. Our results verified the elevation of TOSC in GSD Ia patients and we propose the inclusion of luminescence and cyclic voltammetry assays as reliable methods for estimating TOSC in a variety of clinical disorders. Our findings with the cyclic voltammetry method add support to the assumption that the elevated uric acid levels might be the main contributor to plasma antioxidant capacity and possible protection against atherosclerosis.
Factors determining whether Ethiopian women support continuation of female genital mutilation
Authors: Masho Saba W. , Matthews Lindsey 
Published: August 2009

AbstractObjectiveTo examine the factors influencing the opinions of women about whether female genital mutilation (FGM) should continue in Ethiopia.MethodsData from questionnaire surveys of women (n = 11 375) collected during the Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey were analyzed. Factors influencing the opinions of women concerning whether FGM should continue as a practice in Ethiopia were examined using multiple logistic regression.ResultsWomen who believed that FGM should continue were more likely to be aged 15–24 years (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.21; 95% confidence interval [CI],1.05–1.41); rural residents (OR, 2.73; CI, 2.38–3.12); Muslim (OR, 1.98; CI,1.80–2.17); married (OR, 1.26; CI, 1.09–1.46); uneducated (OR, 2.85; CI, 2.51–3.23); circumcised (OR, 3.46 CI, 2.94–4.06); and to have had no exposure to mass media (OR,1.57; CI,1.41–1.75).ConclusionTo change the opinions of women regarding FGM, specific education and prevention programs should be designed to target these demographic groups of women.
Efficiency of fat deposition from non-starch polysaccharides, starch and unsaturated fat in pigs
Authors: Halas Veronika , Babinszky László , Dijkstra Jan , Verstegen Martin W. A. , Gerrits Walter J. J. 
Published: August 2009

The aim was to evaluate under protein-limiting conditions the effect of different supplemental energy sources: fermentable NSP (fNSP), digestible starch (dStarch) and digestible unsaturated fat (dUFA), on marginal efficiency of fat deposition and distribution. A further aim was to determine whether the extra fat deposition from different energy sources, and its distribution in the body, depends on feeding level. A total of fifty-eight individually housed pigs (48 (sd4) kg) were used in a 3 × 2 factorial design study, with three energy sources (0·2 MJ digestible energy (DE)/kg0·75per d of fNSP, dStarch and dUFA added to a control diet) at two feeding levels. Ten pigs were slaughtered at 48 (sd4) kg body weight and treatment pigs at 106 (sd3) kg body weight. Bodies were dissected and the chemical composition of each body fraction was determined. The effect of energy sources on fat and protein deposition was expressed relative to the control treatments within both energy intake levels based on a total of thirty-two observations in six treatments, and these marginal differences were subsequently treated as dependent variables. Results showed that preferential deposition of the supplemental energy intake in various fat depots did not depend on the energy source, and the extra fat deposition was similar at each feeding level. The marginal energetic transformation (energy retention; ER) of fNSP, dStarch and dUFA for fat retention (ERfat:DE) was 44, 52 and 49 % (P>0·05), respectively. Feeding level affected fat distribution, but source of energy did not change the relative partitioning of fat deposition. The present results do not support values of energetic efficiencies currently used in net energy-based systems.
Redeeming Lost Honor: Shakespeare'sRape of Lucrece
Authors: Blits Jan H. 
Published: August 2009

AbstractThe essay examines Shakespeare'sRape of Lucrece, which portrays the love of honor animating political life in early Rome. Demonstrating the relation of the soul and the city, the poem depicts the psychology of honor, envy, and shame; the near identity of moral worth and public reputation; the close connection between deeds and truth, action and speech; the insufficiency of moral intention; the city as an association of fathers; the relation between the inner and the outer man, soul and body; manly courage as proof of feminine chastity; the private effects of a fully public life; and, generally, the simultaneously self-denying, self-affirming core of Rome's political life. The essay concludes by considering why Shakespeare, in presenting a historically accurate portrait of early Rome, puts it in the mouth not of a Roman, but of a medieval or Renaissance narrator.
Predictors of Cognitive Decline After Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: VEARNCOMBE KATHARINE J. , ROLFE MARGARET , WRIGHT MARGARET , PACHANA NANCY A. , ANDREW BROOKE , BEADLE GEOFFREY 
Published: August 2009

AbstractThe objective of this study is to identify whether decline in cognitive functioning after chemotherapy in women with breast cancer is associated with health/disease, treatment, and psychological variables. Neuropsychological performance, health/disease, and treatment-related information of 136 women with breast cancer (age M = 49.38; SD = 7.92; range = 25.25–67.92) was assessed pre-chemotherapy and 1-month post-chemotherapy. The Reliable Change Index corrected for practice (RCIp) identified women whose performance significantly declined, while Pearson correlations assessed the relationship between cognitive change and predictor variables. A total of 16.9% of women showed significant decline post-chemotherapy, with affected domains including verbal learning and memory, abstract reasoning, and motor coordination. Decline in hemoglobin levels and increased anxiety over the course of chemotherapy was found to significantly predict impairment in multiple cognitive measures. Change in specific cognitive measures was significantly associated with baseline fatigue, depression, and functional well-being (r = 0.23 to 0.33; p = .01 to < .001). Although the effects are small, there is evidence that psychological and health factors may increase vulnerability to cognitive dysfunction after chemotherapy for breast cancer. Significant associations reported in this study may be useful in the identification and treatment of at-risk individuals. (JINS, 2009, 15, 951–962.)
Memory score discrepancies by healthy middle-aged and older individuals: The contributions of age and education
Authors: ECONOMOU ALEXANDRA 
Published: August 2009

AbstractThe aim of this study was to examine discrepancies between immediate/delayed recall and recall/working memory in middle-aged and older persons by age and education. Participants were 322 healthy individuals from the community who were stratified into three age and three education groups. Immediate and delayed recall distributions of WMS-III Logical Memory (LM) scores approximated normal curves, and LM savings scores showed a significant, but small, effect of age. LM (immediate, delayed) and Letter-Number Sequencing (LNS) discrepancies varied as a function of age and education. The difference between LM and LNS was not significant in the younger and less educated participants, but increased with age in the most educated group, and in the oldest group LNS exceeded LM (immediate and delayed). The results indicate deterioration in encoding and retrieval, rather than storage, with age, and show a differential, but small, effect of age and education on the memory measures. Working memory was resistant to age-related decline relative to immediate and delayed recall in the oldest, most educated group. Delayed recall–working memory discrepancy is relatively stable with age and education and may be a useful index of the onset of memory pathology across different ages and levels of education.(JINS, 2009,15, 963–972.)
A Method for Observing Silver-Stained Osteocytes In Situ in 3-μm Sections Using Ultra-High Voltage Electron Microscopy Tomography
Authors: Kamioka Hiroshi , Murshid Sakhr A. , Ishihara Yoshihito , Kajimura Naoko , Hasegawa Toshiaki , Ando Ryoko , Sugawara Yasuyo , Yamashiro Takashi , Takaoka Akio , Takano-Yamamoto Teruko 
Published: August 2009

AbstractOsteocytes are surrounded by hard bone matrix, and it has not been possible previously to directly observe the in situ architecture of osteocyte morphology in bone. Electron microscope tomography, however, is a technique that has the unique potential to provide three-dimensional (3D) visualization of cellular ultrastructure. This approach is based on reconstruction of 3D volumes from a tilt series of electron micrographs of cells, and resolution at the nanometer level has been achieved. We applied electron microscope tomography to thick sections of silver-stained osteocytes in bone using a Hitachi H-3000 ultra-high voltage electron microscope equipped with a 360° tilt specimen holder, at an accelerating voltage of 2 MeV. Osteocytes with numerous processes and branches were clearly seen in the serial tilt series acquired from 3-μm-thick sections. Reconstruction of young osteocytes showed the 3D topographic morphology of the cell body and processes at high resolution. This morphological data on osteocytes should provide useful information to those who study osteocyte physiology and the several models used to explain their mechanosensory properties.
Effect of thenardite on the direct detection of aromatic amino acids: implications for the search for life in the solar system
Authors: Doc Richardson C. , Hinman Nancy W. , Scott Jill R. 
Published: August 2009

AbstractWith the discovery of Na-sulphate minerals on Mars and Europa, recent studies using these minerals have focused on their ability to assist in the detection of bio/organic signatures. This study further investigates the ability of thenardite (Na2SO4) to effectively facilitate the ionization and identification of aromatic amino acids (phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan) using a technique called geomatrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization in conjunction with a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. This technique is based on the ability of a mineral host to facilitate desorption and ionization of bio/organic molecules for detection. Spectra obtained from each aromatic amino acid alone and in combination with thenardite show differences in ionization mechanism and fragmentation patterns. These differences are due to chemical and structural differences between the aromatic side chains of their respective amino acid. Tyrosine and tryptophan when combined with thenardite were observed to undergo cation-attachment ([M+Na]+), due to the high alkali ion affinity of their aromatic side chains. In addition, substitution of the carboxyl group hydrogen by sodium led to formation of [M-H+Na]Na+ peaks. In contrast, phenylalanine mixed with thenardite showed no evidence of Na+ attachment. Understanding how co-deposition of amino acids with thenardite can affect the observed mass spectra is important for future exploration missions that are likely to use laser desorption mass spectrometry to search for bio/organic compounds in extraterrestrial environments.
The case against choice and competition
Authors: HUNTER DAVID J. 
Published: August 2009

Abstract:Choice and competition are central planks of the English government’s health reforms and modernisation programme. Wales and Scotland have chosen a different path, which calls into question the suggestion that in an age of consumerism there is no other way to secure overdue changes in the provision and management of health care to improve their quality and responsiveness to user preferences. Yet pro-market enthusiasts pursue their agenda in the face of evidence that calls into question the claims they make. It is a curious position for a government that is wedded to evidence-based policy to find itself in. The policy puzzle is why, despite the contested nature of the alleged virtues of choice and competition, policy-makers persist with introducing a set of reforms which appear to threaten the very values and principles they profess to uphold. An alternative reform paradigm exists which acknowledges what makes public services public. This paper sets out the key features of what rediscovering public service entails adopting the notion of co-production as a means of bringing about a new relationship between professionals and the public that remains true to the National Health Service’s social purpose.
Does competition among general practitioners increase or decrease the consumption of specialist health care?
Authors: Tjerbo Trond 
Published: August 2009

AbstractStudies of the effects of capacity and competition among general practitioners (GPs) on the use of specialist health care services are inconclusive. Some studies indicate that an increase in the number of GPs leads to increased consumption of specialist health care, while other studies point in the opposite direction. This article adds to the literature in two ways; first by testing out different operationalization of capacity and competition among GPs, and then by testing out effects of capacity and competition on use of specialist health care services as this is disaggregated into ambulatory and inpatient activities. The empirical tests indicate that GP capacity in itself does not affect use of specialist health care services. Increased competitions among GPs do, however, reduce the use of ambulatory care while the effects on the use of inpatient services are unaffected.
A corpus-driven approach to formulaic language in English
Authors: Biber Douglas 
Published: August 2009

The present study utilizes a corpus-driven approach to identify the most common multi-word patterns in conversation and academic writing, and to investigate the differing pattern types in the two registers. The paper first surveys the methodological characteristics of corpus-driven research and then contrasts the linguistic characteristics of two types of multi-word sequences: ‘multi-word lexical collocations’ (combinations of content words) versus ‘multi-word formulaic sequences’ (incorporating both function words and content words). 	Building on this background, the primary focus of the paper is an empirical investigation of the ‘patterns’ represented by multi-word formulaic sequences. It turns out that the multi-word patterns typical of speech are fundamentally different from those typical of academic writing: patterns in conversation tend to be fixed sequences (including both function words and content words). In contrast, most patterns in academic writing are formulaic frames consisting of invariable function words with an intervening variable slot that is filled by content words.
Attributable Mortality Rate for Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Bacteremia
Authors: Borer Abraham , Saidel-Odes Lisa , Riesenberg Klaris , Eskira Seada , Peled Nejama , Nativ Ronit , Schlaeffer Francise , Sherf Michael 
Published: August 2009

Objective.To determine the attributable (direct) mortality and morbidity caused by carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteremia.Design.A matched retrospective, historical cohort design, using a stepwise procedure to stringendy match the best control subjects to the best case subjects.Setting.A 1,000-bed tertiary-care university teaching hospital.Patients.Case subjects were defined as adult patients with carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae bacteremia during the period from October 2005 through October 2008. Control subjects were defined as patients who were very similar to case subjects except that they did not have bacteremia.Methods.Matching potential control subjects to case subjects was performed at a 1:1 ratio using a computerized record system. The criteria used included same hospitalization period, similar Charlson comorbidity index, same underlying disease, same age within 10 years, and same sex. Demographic and clinical characteristics were collected from medical records.Results.During the study period, 319 patients developed an infection due to carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae. Of these 319 patients, 39 (12.2%) developed a bloodstream infection, for an overall rate of 0.59 episodes of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae bacteremia per 10,000 patient-days. We excluded 7 patients from our study, leaving a total of 32 case subjects in our cohort. Case subjects were significandy more likely than control subjects (n = 32) to require care in an intensive care unit (12 case subjects [37.5%] vs 3 control subjects [9.4%]), ventilator support (17 case subjects [53.1%] vs 8 control subjects [25%]), and use of a central venous catheter (19 case subjects [59.4%] vs 9 control subjects [28.1%]). For case subjects, the crude mortality rate was 71.9% (ie, 23 of the 32 case subjects died); for control subjects, the crude mortality rate was 21.9% (ie, 7 of the 32 control subjects died) (P < .001. For case subjects, the attributable mortality was 50% (95% confidence interval [CI], 15.3%-98.6%). A mortality risk ratio of 3.3 (95% CI, 2.9-28.5) was found for case subjects with carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae bacteremia.Conclusions.Patients with carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae require more intensive and invasive care. We have shown that the crude and attributable mortality rates associated with carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae bacteremia were striking.
On the syzygies of quasi-complete intersection space curves
Authors: Choi Youngook 
Published: August 2009

In this paper, we discuss minimal free resolutions of the homogeneous ideals of quasi-complete intersection space curves. We show that if

X
X

is a quasi-complete intersection curve in

P

3

\mathbb P^3

, then

I
X

I_X

has a minimal free resolution
\[

0
→

⊕

i
=
1

μ
−
3

S
(

d

i
+
3

+

c
1

)
→

⊕

i
=
1

2
μ
−
4

S
(
−

e
i

)
→

⊕

i
=
1

μ

S
(
−

d
i

)
→

I
X

→
0
,

0\to \oplus _{i=1}^{\mu -3} S(d_{i+3}+c_1)\to \oplus _{i=1}^{2\mu -4}S(-e_i)\to \oplus _{i=1}^\mu S(-d_i)\to I_X\to 0,

\]
where

d
i

,

e
i

∈

Z

d_i,e_i\in \mathbb Z

and

c
1

=
−

d
1

−

d
2

−

d
3

c_1=-d_1-d_2-d_3

. Therefore the ranks of the first and the second syzygy modules are determined by the number of elements in a minimal generating set of

I
X

I_X

. Also we give a relation for the degrees of syzygy modules of

I
X

I_X

. Using this theorem, one can construct a smooth quasi-complete intersection curve

X
X

such that the number of minimal generators of

I
X

I_X

is

t
t

for any given positive integer

t
∈

Z

+

t\in \mathbb Z^+

.
ERNEST: a toolbox for chemical reaction network theory
Authors: Soranzo Nicola , Altafini Claudio 
Published: August 2009

Abstract
Summary: ERNEST Reaction Network Equilibria Study Toolbox is a MATLAB package which, by checking various different criteria on the structure of a chemical reaction network, can exclude the multistationarity of the corresponding reaction system. The results obtained are independent of the rate constants of the reactions, and can be used for model discrimination.
Availability and Implementation: The software, implemented in MATLAB, is available under the GNU GPL free software license from http://people.sissa.it/∼altafini/papers/SoAl09/. It requires the MATLAB Optimization Toolbox.
Contact: altafini@sissa.it
Effect of Hurricane Katrina on the Incidence of Acute Coronary Syndrome at a Primary Angioplasty Center in New Orleans
Authors: Gautam Sandeep , Menachem Jonathan , Srivastav Sudesh K. , Delafontaine Patrice , Irimpen Anand 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACTBackground: In August 2005, New Orleans was hit by Hurricane Katrina, the costliest natural disaster in US history. Previous studies have shown an increase in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the immediate hours to weeks after natural disasters. The goals of our study were to detect any long-term increase in the incidence of AMI after Katrina and to investigate any pertinent contributing factors.Methods: This was a single-center retrospective cohort observational study. Patients admitted with AMI to Tulane Health Sciences Center hospital in the 2 years before Katrina and in the 2 years after the hospital reopened (5 months after Katrina) were identified from hospital records. The 2 groups (pre- and post-Katrina) were compared for prespecified demographic and clinical data.Results: In the post-Katrina group, there were 246 admissions for AMI, out of a total census of 11,282 patients (2.18%), as compared with 150 AMI admissions out of a total of 21,229 patients (0.71%) in the pre-Katrina group (P < 0.0001). The post-Katrina group had a significantly higher prevalence of unemployment (P = 0.0003), lack of medical insurance (P < 0.0001), medication noncompliance (P = 0.0001), smoking (P = 0.001), substance abuse (P = 0.03), first-time hospitalization (P < 0.001), local residents rather than visitors affected (P < 0.0001), and people living in temporary housing (P = 0.003).Discussion: The role of chronic stress in the pathogenesis of AMI is poorly understood, especially in the aftermath of natural disasters. Our data suggest that Katrina was associated with prolonged loss of employment and insurance, decreased access to preventive health services, and an increased incidence of AMI. In addition, it appears that chronic stress after a natural disaster can be associated with tobacco abuse and medication and therapeutic noncompliance.Conclusions: We found a 3-fold increased incidence of AMI more than 2 years after Hurricane Katrina. Even allowing for the loss of some local hospitals after the disaster, this represents a significant change in overall health of the study population and supports the need for further study into the health effects of chronic stress. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2009;3:144–150)
The 10 most important things known about addiction
Authors: Sellman Doug 
Published: August 2009

ABSTRACTIf you were asked: ‘What are the most important things we know about addiction?’ what would you say? This paper brings together a body of knowledge across multiple domains and arranged as a list of 10 things known about addiction, as a response to such a question. The 10 things are: (1) addiction is fundamentally about compulsive behaviour; (2) compulsive drug seeking is initiated outside of consciousness; (3) addiction is about 50% heritable and complexity abounds; (4) most people with addictions who present for help have other psychiatric problems as well; (5) addiction is a chronic relapsing disorder in the majority of people who present for help; (6) different psychotherapies appear to produce similar treatment outcomes; (7) ‘come back when you're motivated’ is no longer an acceptable therapeutic response; (8) the more individualized and broad‐based the treatment a person with addiction receives, the better the outcome; (9) epiphanies are hard to manufacture; and (10) change takes time. The paper concludes with a call for unity between warring factions in the field to use the knowledge already known more effectively for the betterment of tangata whaiora (patients) suffering from addictive disorders.