bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
GENDER AND RURAL–URBAN DIFFERENCES IN THE NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF IN-SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS IN SOUTH-WESTERN NIGERIA
Authors: OMIGBODUN OLAYINKA O. , ADEDIRAN KOFOWOROLA I. , AKINYEMI JOSHUA O. , OMIGBODUN AKINYINKA O. , ADEDOKUN BABATUNDE O. , ESAN OLUYOMI 
Published: June 2010

SummaryThis study assessed gender and rural/urban differences in height and weight, and the prevalence of stunting, underweight and overweight of school-going adolescents in south-west Nigeria, using 2007 WHO reference values for comparison. The influence of sexual maturity and the socio-demographic correlates of growth performance were also examined. In this cross-sectional study, 924 male (51.4%) and 875 female (48.6%) students (1799 in total) aged 10–19 years from eighteen schools in Ibadan (five rural, nine urban public and four urban private) were interviewed and examined. Although males were significantly taller than females (p<0.05), stunting was more pronounced for males, who were 7.5 cm shorter than the 2007 WHO reference, compared with females who were 3.5 cm shorter. Body mass index (BMI) for girls was also greater than for boys (p<0.05). Rural adolescents had lower heights and BMIs compared with those in urban areas. The mean height of male adolescents in rural schools fell below 2 SDs of the 2007 WHO reference between 14 and 17 years, while heights of males and females in private schools were similar to the median 2007 WHO standard. Low height-for-age was observed in 282 adolescents (15.7%), which, after multivariate analysis, was significantly associated with school type, gender, number of mother's children and puberty onset. Adolescents in rural schools were much more likely to be stunted than those in urban private schools (AOR 13.1; 95% CI 5.2–33.2) and males were three times more likely to be stunted compared with females (AOR 3.3; 95% CI 2.4–1.4). Low BMI-for-age was observed in 240 adolescents (18.9%), with correlates similar to stunting. Adolescents at the pre-puberty stage were twice as likely to have low BMI-for-age (OR 2.0; 95% CI 1.6–2.5) than those with signs of puberty. There were 2.3% overweight adolescents, who were significantly more likely to be female, in private school and post-pubertal. Innovative interventions for Nigerian adolescents, especially rural inhabitants and males, are needed to reduce the prevalence of stunting and underweight.
Memory performance in acute and weight-restored anorexia nervosa patients
Authors: Nikendei C. , Funiok C. , Pfüller U. , Zastrow A. , Aschenbrenner S. , Weisbrod M. , Herzog W. , Friederich H.-C. 
Published: June 2010

BackgroundAnorexia nervosa (AN), at the stage of starvation and emaciation, is characterized by abnormalities in cognitive function, including memory performance. It is unclear whether memory impairment persists or is reversible following weight restoration, and whether memory function differs between AN subtypes. The aim of the present study was to investigate general memory performance in currently ill and fully weight-restored patients of different AN subtypes.MethodMemory performance was assessed using the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) in a total of 99 participants, including 34 restricting-type AN patients (AN-RESTR), 19 binge-eating/purging-type AN patients (AN-PURGE), 16 weight-restored AN patients (AN-W-R) and 30 healthy controls (CONTROL). Cognitive evaluation included a battery of standardized neuropsychological tasks for validating the findings on memory function.ResultsDeficits were found with respect to immediate and delayed story recall in currently ill AN patients irrespective of AN subtype. These deficits persisted in weight-restored AN patients. Currently ill and weight-restored AN patients did not differ significantly from healthy controls with respect to working memory or other measures of neuropsychological functioning.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that impaired memory performance is either a stable trait characteristic or a scar effect of chronic starvation that may play a role in the development and/or persistence of the disorder.
Abnormal cortisol awakening response predicts worse cognitive function in patients with first-episode psychosis
Authors: Aas M. , Dazzan P. , Mondelli V. , Toulopoulou T. , Reichenberg A. , Di Forti M. , Fisher H. L. , Handley R. , Hepgul N. , Marques T. , Miorelli A. , Taylor H. , Russo M. , Wiffen B. , Papadopoulos A. , Aitchison K. J. , Morgan C. , Murray R. M. , Pariante C. M. 
Published: June 2010

BackgroundCognitive impairment, particularly in memory and executive function, is a core feature of psychosis. Moreover, psychosis is characterized by a more prominent history of stress exposure, and by dysregulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. In turn, stress exposure and abnormal levels of the main HPA axis hormone cortisol are associated with cognitive impairments in a variety of clinical and experimental samples; however, this association has never been examined in first-episode psychosis (FEP).MethodIn this study, 30 FEP patients and 26 controls completed assessment of the HPA axis (cortisol awakening response and cortisol levels during the day), perceived stress, recent life events, history of childhood trauma, and cognitive function. The neuropsychological battery comprised general cognitive function, verbal and non-verbal memory, executive function, perception, visuospatial abilities, processing speed, and general knowledge.ResultsPatients performed significantly worse on all cognitive domains compared to controls. In patients only, a more blunted cortisol awakening response (that is, more abnormal) was associated with a more severe deficit in verbal memory and processing speed. In controls only, higher levels of perceived stress and more recent life events were associated with a worse performance in executive function and perception and visuospatial abilities.ConclusionsThese data support a role for the HPA axis, as measured by cortisol awakening response, in modulating cognitive function in patients with psychosis; however, this association does not seem to be related to the increased exposure to psychosocial stressors described in these patients.
Genetic origins of the association between verbal ability and alcohol dependence symptoms in young adulthood
Authors: Latvala A. , Tuulio-Henriksson A. , Dick D. M. , Vuoksimaa E. , Viken R. J. , Suvisaari J. , Kaprio J. , Rose R. J. 
Published: June 2010

BackgroundCognitive deficits in alcohol dependence (AD) have been observed, poorer verbal ability being among the most consistent findings. Genetic factors influence both cognitive ability and AD, but whether these influences overlap is not known.MethodA subset of 602 monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins from FinnTwin16, a population-based study of Finnish twins, was used to study the associations of verbal ability with DSM-III-R diagnosis and symptoms of AD, the maximum number of drinks consumed in a 24-h period, and the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index (RAPI) scores. These twins, most of them selected for within-pair discordance or concordance for their RAPI scores at age 18.5 years, were studied with neuropsychological tests and interviewed with the Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism (SSAGA) in young adulthood (mean age 26.2 years, range 23–30 years).ResultsAll alcohol problem measures were associated with lower scores on the Vocabulary subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale – Revised (WAIS-R), a measure of verbal ability. In bivariate genetic models, Vocabulary and the alcohol problem measures had moderate heritabilities (0.54–0.72), and their covariation could be explained by correlated genetic influences (genetic correlations −0.20 to −0.31).ConclusionsPoorer verbal ability and AD have partly overlapping biological etiology. The genetic and environmental influences on the development of cognitive abilities, alcohol problems and risk factors for AD should be studied further with prospective longitudinal designs.
Vainglory, Modesty, and Political Agency in the Political Theory of Thomas Hobbes
Authors: Cooper Julie E. 
Published: June 2010

AbstractHistories of political theory have framed the story of the emergence of sovereign states and sovereign selves as a story about secularization—specifically, a story that equates secularization with self-deification. Thomas Hobbes's investment in modesty and humility demonstrates the need for, and the possibility of, an alternative secularization narrative. Scholars have long insisted that “vainglory” is a key term for the interpretation ofLeviathan. But Hobbes's task is not complete once he has discredited vainglory. Hobbes must also envision, and cultivate, contrary virtues—and modesty is one virtue that Hobbes would cultivate. An analysis of Hobbes's attempt to redefine and rehabilitate the virtues of modesty shows that Hobbes warns against the temptation to self-deification. InLeviathan, the political task is not to enthrone humans in sovereign invulnerability, but rather to achieve the right balance between bodily security and consciousness of finitude.
Political Philosophy in Borges: Fallibility, Liberal Anarchism, and Civic Ethics
Authors: Salinas Alejandra 
Published: June 2010

AbstractThe political philosophy latent in Borges's works rests on the belief in a self-sufficient individual, the preeminence of liberty, a distrust of government, and nostalgia for anarchy understood as a self-organized order. Yet Borges also emphasizes the fallibility of individuals and warns against the civic indifference brought about by an isolated individualism. A paradox seems to emerge from these simultaneous convictions: would anarchy work if individuals are unable to do much in and by themselves? Can an individualistic disposition be conducive to a rich and orderly civic life? Borges's notion of fallibility is consistent with his defense of liberal anarchism because fallibility carries less pernicious effects under liberal anarchism than it does under alternative political arrangements. Thus, his notion of liberal anarchism is compatible with his concern for civic order if we look at the ethics of self-restraint that sustains Borges's simultaneous advocacy of a self-organized order and a stable civic life.
Sintéiseoir 1.0: a multidialectical TTS application for Irish
Authors: Lochlainn Mícheál Mac 
Published: June 2010

AbstractThis paper details the development of a multidialectical text-to-speech (TTS) application,Sintéiseoir, for the Irish language. This work is being carried out in the context of Irish as a lesser-used language, where learners and other L2 speakers have limited direct exposure to L1 speakers and speech communities, and where native sound systems and vocabularies can be seen to be receding even among L1 speakers – particularly the young.Sintéiseoiressentially implements the diphone concatenation model, albeit augmented to include phones, half-phones and, potentially, other phonic units. It is based on a platform-independent framework comprising a user interface, a set of dialect-specific tokenisation engines, a concatenation engine and a playback device.The tokenisation strategy is entirely rule-based and does not refer to dictionary look-ups. Provision has been made for prosodic processing in the framework but has not yet been implemented. Concatenation units are stored in the form of WAV files on the local file system.Sintéiseoir’s user interface (UI) provides a text field that allows the user to submit a grapheme string for synthesis and a prompt to select a dialect. It also filters input to reject graphotactically invalid strings, restrict input to alphabetic and certain punctuation marks found in Irish orthography, and ensure that a dialect has, indeed, been selected.The UI forwards the filtered grapheme string to the appropriate tokenisation engine. This searches for specified substrings and maps them to corresponding tokens that themselves correspond to concatenation units.The resultant token string is then forwarded to the concatenation engine, which retrieves the relevant concatenation units, extracts their audio data and combines them in a new unit. This is then forwarded to the playback device.The terms of reference for the initial development ofSintéiseoirspecified that it should be capable of uttering, individually, the 99 most common Irish lemmata in the dialects of An Spidéal, Músgraí Uí Fhloínn and Gort a’ Choirce, which are internally consistent dialects within the Connacht, Munster and Ulster regions, respectively, of the dialect continuum. Audio assets to satisfy this requirement have already been prepared, and have been found to produce reasonably accurate output. The tokenisation engine is, however, capable of processing a wider range of input strings and when required concatenation units are found to be unavailable, returns a report via the user interface.
From action research to the implementation of ICT pedagogical tools: taking into account students’ needs to propose adjusted online tutorial practice
Authors: Brudermann Cédric 
Published: June 2010

AbstractThis paper deals with the implementation of an “online pedagogical assistant” in a blended learning device for English for Special Purposes (ESP) students in a French university (UPMC, Paris VI). As it is now, it comprises a customized website designed to serve as a guide through the development of the students’ work.The architecture of this website and the way it is meant to be used are parameters derived from the conclusions of action research carried out in 2007–2008 in another French university (Perpignan) amongst B1/B2 ESP students.1 The perspective of that study was to examine their needs when performing off site aural and written tasks. The data collected showed that the problems encountered were always the same – outlining a typology – and that most obstacles derived from A2/B1 elements they had already been through during their secondary education.This application has been named an “online pedagogical assistant” because, by targeting the problems from the typology, it aims at leading students take care of their needs by themselves before emailing their productions to their tutor(s), particularly by pushing them into reflecting on a certain number of aspects they are already acquainted with but which they nonetheless tend to forget when working on their own.From the typology of problems, a system of semi-automatic correction meant to help students proceed to self-corrections – notably through online references to relevant online help and exercises – has also been developed. In the correction phase of the students’ tasks, the purpose is therefore no longer for the tutor to correct their productions but to help them do it themselves.Action research is in progress to evaluate the potential of those adjusted online tutorial practices in terms of second language (L2) acquisition.
Effects of topic interest and prior knowledge on text recall and annotation use in reading a hypermedia text in the L2
Authors: Erçetin Gülcan 
Published: June 2010

AbstractThis study investigates the effects of topic interest and prior knowledge on text recall and annotation use of second language learners engaged in reading a hypermedia text. The participants were proficient learners of English enrolled in an undergraduate English Language Teaching programme. They were asked to read a hypermedia text that incorporated word-level and topic-level annotations, and complete an immediate recall task. Participants’ interaction with the text was recorded during the reading task. Data collection tools also included a topic interest questionnaire, a prior knowledge test, and semi-structured interviews. Results indicated no meaningful relationship between topic interest and prior knowledge. Moreover, topic interest had a significant main effect on text recall while prior knowledge did not. In other words, topic interest facilitated the number of propositions recalled. Finally, a significant interaction between topic interest and prior knowledge was found in terms of access to annotations. When topic interest was low, the participants with low prior knowledge utilized content-related annotations more frequently than those with high prior knowledge. On the other hand, when topic interest was high, the participants with high prior knowledge accessed content-related annotations more frequently than those with low prior knowledge.
Selected Factors Affecting Crude Oil Analysis of Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) as Compared with Milled Corn
Authors: Liu KeShun 
Published: June 2010

ABSTRACTWith increasing production of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), both fuel ethanol and animal feed industries are demanding standardized protocols for characterizing quality. AOCS Approved Procedure (Am 5‐04) was used for measuring crude oil content in milled corn and resulting DDGS. Selected factors, including sample type (milled corn, DDGS), sample origin (ethanol plant 1, 2, 3), sample particle size (original matrix, <0.71 mm, <0.50 mm mesh opening; the last two materials were obtained by grinding and sieving), solvent type (petroleum ether, hexane), extraction time (30, 60 min), and postextraction drying time (30, 60 min) were investigated by a complete factorial design. For milled corn, only sample origin and extraction time had significant effects (P < 0.05) on crude oil values measured, but for DDGS, besides those two factors, sample particle size, solvent type, and drying time also had significant effects. Among them, the particle size of DDGS had the most effect. On average, measured oil content in DDGS ranged from 11.11% (original matrix) to 12.12% (<0.71 mm) and to 12.55% (<0.50 mm). For measuring the crude oil content of DDGS, particle size reduction, 60 min of extraction, and 60 min of drying are recommended. Regardless of the underlining factors, the method was very repeatable (standard errors <0.05). The observed particle size effect on crude oil analysis of DDGS suggests the need for similar confirmations using other analytical methods.
Induction of glucocorticoid receptor‐β expression in epithelial cells of asthmatic airways by T‐helper type 17 cytokines
Authors: Vazquez‐Tello A. , Semlali A. , Chakir J. , Martin J. G. , Leung D. Y. , Eidelman D. H. , Hamid Q. 
Published: June 2010

SummaryBackground
Corticosteroid insensitivity in asthmatics is associated with an increased expression of glucocorticoid receptor‐β (GR‐β) in many cell types. T‐helper type 17 (Th17) cytokine (IL‐17A and F) expressions increase in mild and in difficult‐to‐treat asthma. We hypothesize that IL‐17A and F cytokines alone or in combination, induce the expression of GR‐β in bronchial epithelial cells.Objectives
To confirm the expression of the GR‐β and IL‐17 cytokines in the airways of normal subjects and mild asthmatics and to examine the effect of cytokines IL‐17A and F on the expression of GR‐β in bronchial epithelial cells obtained from normal subjects and asthmatic patients.Methods
The expression of IL‐17A and F, GR‐α and GR‐β was analysed in bronchial biopsies from mild asthmatics and normal subjects by Q‐RT‐PCR. Immunohistochemistry for IL‐17 and GR‐β was performed in bronchial biopsies from normal and asthmatic subjects. The expression of IL‐6 in response to IL‐17A and F and dexamethasone was determined by Q‐RT‐PCR using primary airway epithelial cells from normal and asthmatic subjects.Results
We detected significantly higher levels of IL‐17A mRNA expression in the bronchial biopsies from mild asthmatics, compared with normal. GR‐α expression was significantly lower in the biopsies from asthmatics compared with controls. The expression of IL‐17F and GR‐β in biopsies from asthmatics was not significantly different from that of controls. Using primary epithelial cells isolated from normal subjects and asthmatics, we found an increased expression of GR‐β in response to IL‐17A and F in the cells from asthmatics (P0.05). This effect was only partially significant in the normal cells. Dexamethasone significantly decreased the IL‐17‐induced IL‐6 expression in cells from normal individuals but not in those from asthmatics (P0.05).Conclusion
Evidence of an increased GR‐β expression in epithelial cells following IL‐17 stimulation suggests a possible role for Th17‐associated cytokines in the mechanism of steroid hypo‐responsiveness in asthmatic subjects. Cite this as: A. Vazquez‐Tello, A. Semlali, J. Chakir, J. G. Martin, D. Y. Leung, D. H. Eidelman and Q. Hamid, Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 2010 (40) 1312–1322.
A multi-centre study of efficacy and safety of Intratect®, a novel intravenous immunoglobulin preparation
Authors: Kreuz W , Erdös M , Rossi P , Bernatowska E , Espanol T , Maródi L 
Published: June 2010

Summary
We studied the efficacy, safety and pharmacokinetic profiles of Intratect®, a recently developed polyvalent intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) preparation. Fifty-one patients (aged 6–48 years) with primary immunodeficiencies (PID) and established replacement therapy using a licensed IVIG were enrolled and treated for 12 months with Intratect®. Retrospective patient data served as prestudy controls. The primary efficacy variable was the annual rate of acute serious bacterial infection (ASBI) per patient. Secondary parameters were annual rate of acute relevant infection (ARI), days with antibiotic use, fever, absence from school/work and hospitalization. The average IVIG dose was 0·49 g/kg, with an average infusion rate of 2·4 ml/kg/h. The annual ASBI rate/patient was 0·02 and ARIs were detected 128 times during the 630 adverse events in 40 patients, specified mainly as bronchitis, sinusitis, respiratory tract infection, rhinitis and pharyngitis. The annual rate of respiratory ARIs/patient was 2·0 and the rates/patient for days with fever &gt;38°C, school/work absence and hospitalization were 1·81, 3·99 and 0·36, respectively. A total of 630 adverse events (AEs) were observed in 50 of 51 (98·0%) of patients. In 46 of 51 patients the AEs were not related to infusion. Pharmacokinetic studies after the first infusion revealed a mean elimination half-life of 50·8 ± 30·3 days. During this study, 19 of 649 (2·9%) IgG trough levels were below 6 g/l, better than that of reference IVIGs during the 6 months before study start (10 of 201). These data suggest that Intratect® is a well tolerated, safe and effective IgG concentrate for the treatment of patients with PID.
MRI assessment of lean and adipose tissue distribution in female patients with Cushing’s disease
Authors: Geer Eliza B. , Shen Wei , Gallagher Dympna , Punyanitya Mark , Looker Helen C. , Post Kalmon D. , Freda Pamela U. 
Published: June 2010

SummaryObjective  Chronic hypercortisolemia due to Cushing’s disease (CD) results in abnormal adipose tissue (AT) distribution. Whole‐body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to examine lean and AT distribution in female patients with CD to further understand the role of glucocorticoid excess in the development of abnormal AT distribution and obesity.Design  Cross‐sectional and case–control study.Patients  Fifteen women with CD and 12 healthy controls.Measurements  Mass of skeletal muscle (SM) and AT in the visceral (VAT), subcutaneous (SAT), and intermuscular (IMAT) compartments from whole‐body MRI and serum levels of insulin, glucose, and leptin were measured.Results  CD patients had leptin values that correlated to total AT (TAT) and SAT (P < 0·05) but not to VAT. CD patients had higher VAT/TAT ratios (P < 0·01) and lower SAT/TAT ratios (P < 0·05) compared to controls. TAT, VAT, and trunk SAT (TrSAT) were greater in CD patients (P < 0·01). SM was less in CD (P < 0·001) but IMAT was not different.Conclusions  TAT, VAT, trSAT, and the proportion of AT in the visceral depot were greater in CD although the proportion in the subcutaneous depot was less. SM was less but IMAT was not different. These findings have implications for understanding the role of cortisol in the abnormal AT distribution and metabolic risk seen in patients exposed to chronic excess glucocorticoids.