bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Low prevalence of iron-deficiency anaemia among Inuit preschool children: Nunavut Inuit Child Health Survey, 2007–2008
Authors: Pacey Angela , Weiler Hope , Egeland Grace M 
Published: October 2010

AbstractObjectiveTo report the prevalence rates and correlates for anaemia, iron deficiency (ID) and iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA) among Inuit preschool-aged children.DesignA cross-sectional study assessed iron intake, demographic information, medical history, anthropometrics, Hb, ferritin, C-reactive protein and antibodies toHelicobacter pylori.SettingSixteen selected Inuit communities in Nunavut Territory, Canada.SubjectsInuit (n388) aged 3–5 years randomly recruited from communities.ResultsAnaemia (3–4 years: Hb < 110 g/l; 5 years: Hb < 115 g/l) was prevalent in 16·8 % of children. The prevalence of ID (ferritin < 12 μg/l) was 18·0 % and that of IDA was 5·4 %. When ID was defined as ferritin <10 μg/l, 10·8 % of children were iron deficient and 3·3 % had IDA. In multiple logistic regression, boys were more likely to be iron deficient (OR = 2·28, 95 % CI 1·17, 8·25), but no other risk factor emerged for ID. Three- to 4-year-olds were less likely than 5-year-olds to have anaemia from causes other than ID (OR = 0·11, 95 % CI 0·08, 0·58). Anaemia from other causes was more common among children residing in crowded homes (OR = 2·30, 95 % CI 1·37, 12·31) and those treated for past-year ear infection (OR = 1·35, 95 % CI 1·05, 7·21).ConclusionsThe low prevalence of ID and IDA is encouraging, but efforts are still needed to reduce rates as they continue to be higher than general population rates. Household crowding and infections may contribute to anaemia and warrant further research.
Sugar-sweetened beverage intake and overweight in children from a Mediterranean country
Authors: Valente Hugo , Teixeira Vitor , Padrão Patricia , Bessa Mariana , Cordeiro Tânia , Moreira André , Mitchell Vanessa , Lopes Carla , Mota Jorge , Moreira Pedro 
Published: October 2010

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the association between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and overweight in children from a Mediterranean country.DesignThe children’s dietary intake was measured using a semi-quantitative FFQ completed by the parents. Overall, 2512 questionnaires were returned and 837 children were removed, leaving a final sample of 1675 children, aged between 5 and 10 years. Height and weight were measured according to international standards, and BMI was calculated. The definition of overweight and obesity was based on average centiles according to the International Obesity Task Force cut-offs. To determine the magnitude of the association between SSB consumption and overweight, OR estimates, including CI, were computed using unconditional logistic regression, adjusting for confounders.SettingElementary schools throughout the city of Porto, Portugal.SubjectsWe invited 5867 children, randomly selected, and their parents to participate in the study. Of those schools that agreed to take part, 3391 parents signed and returned the fully filled out consent form.ResultsThe prevalence of overweight (including obesity) was 36·6 % for girls and 38·8 % for boys. With regard to SSB consumption (serving/d), no differences between with overweight and non-overweight children were found even after adjustment for confounders (1–2 servings/d: OR = 1·67, 95 % CI 0·76, 3·66, in girls; OR = 1·63, 95 % CI 0·76, 3·47, in boys; and >2 servings/d: OR = 0·63, 95 % CI 0·33, 1·22, in girls; OR = 0·64, 95 % CI 0·33, 1·52, in boys).ConclusionsThe intake of SSB was not associated with increased risk of overweight in Portuguese schoolchildren.
Waist circumference percentiles for Kuwaiti children and adolescents
Authors: Jackson Robert T , Al Hamad Nawal , Prakash Prassana , Al Somaie Mona 
Published: October 2010

AbstractObjectiveAbdominal obesity is a major risk factor for chronic diseases. Yet there are no waist circumference (WC) cut-offs for children in the Arabian Gulf. We developed smoothed WC percentiles for 5–19-year-old Kuwaiti children and adolescents, which could be used in clinical and public health practice. We also examined the percentages of children who had WC ≥ 90th percentile, a value commonly associated with an elevated risk of CVD.DesignThis is a cross-sectional study that was conducted by the Kuwait National Nutrition Surveillance System.SettingData were collected from representative primary-, intermediate- and secondary-school children as part of the yearly nutrition and health monitoring. Least mean square regression was used to develop smoothed WC curves.SubjectsA total of 9593 healthy 5·0–18·9-year-old children of both sexes were studied from all areas of Kuwait. Age, gender, residency, education level, weight, height and WC were collected for all participants.ResultsWe developed the first smoothed WC curves for Kuwaiti children. Male children had higher WC than female children. WC increased with age in both genders, but larger percentages of male children had WC ≥ 90th percentile. Male children aged >10 years have higher WC percentiles than do female children at the 50th, 75th, 90th and 97th percentiles.ConclusionsMale children (especially those aged >10 years) are at higher risk than female children. Few health-care professionals routinely measure WC. WC measurement should be promoted as an important tool in paediatric primary care practice. The use of these age- and gender-specific percentiles can impact public health recommendations for Kuwaiti and other Arab children from the Gulf.
Recruitment of genes and enzymes conferring resistance to the nonnatural toxin bromoacetate
Authors: Desai Kevin K. , Miller Brian G. 
Published: October 2010

Microbial niches contain toxic chemicals capable of forcing organisms into periods of intense natural selection to afford survival. Elucidating the mechanisms by which microbes evade environmental threats has direct relevance for understanding and combating the rise of antibiotic resistance. In this study we used a toxic small-molecule, bromoacetate, to model the selective pressures imposed by antibiotics and anthropogenic toxins. We report the results of genetic selection experiments that identify nine genes from
Escherichia coli
whose overexpression affords survival in the presence of a normally lethal concentration of bromoacetate. Eight of these genes encode putative transporters or transmembrane proteins, while one encodes the essential peptidoglycan biosynthetic enzyme, UDP-
N
-acetylglucosamine enolpyruvoyl transferase (MurA). Biochemical studies demonstrate that the primary physiological target of bromoacetate is MurA, which becomes irreversibly inactivated via alkylation of a critical active-site cysteine. We also screened a comprehensive library of
E. coli
single-gene deletion mutants and identified 63 strains displaying increased susceptibility to bromoacetate. One hypersensitive bacterium lacks
yliJ
, a gene encoding a predicted glutathione transferase. Herein, YliJ is shown to catalyze the glutathione-dependent dehalogenation of bromoacetate with a
k
cat
/
K

m

value of 5.4 × 10
3
M
-1
s
-1
. YliJ displays exceptional substrate specificity and produces a rate enhancement exceeding 5 orders of magnitude, remarkable characteristics for reactivity with a nonnatural molecule. This study illustrates the wealth of intrinsic survival mechanisms that can be exploited by bacteria when they are challenged with toxins.
Interleukin 1 receptor antagonist is associated with changes in body composition during physiological GH substitution in patients with adult‐onset growth hormone deficiency
Authors: Ueland Thor , Jørgensen Anders P. , Godang Kristin , Fougner Kristian J. , Aukrust Pål , Burman Pia , Bollerslev Jens 
Published: October 2010

SummaryObjective  We examined the effect of GH substitution on adipose tissue–derived hormones and cytokines and sought to identify predictors for changes in body composition during therapy. Long‐standing adult‐onset GH deficiency (AO‐GHD) is associated with increased body fat mass (FM) which, through production of hormones and inflammatory cytokines from adipose tissue, may contribute to different manifestations of the metabolic syndrome.Design, Patients and Measurements  Fifty‐five patients with AO‐GHD (24 women, 31 men, mean age 49 years) were enrolled in a placebo‐controlled, double‐blind crossover study. GH therapy was individually dosed to obtain an IGF‐I concentration within the normal range for age and sex. GH and placebo were administered for 9 months each, separated by a 4‐month washout period. Adipose tissue–derived cytokines were measured by enzyme immunoassay.Results  GH treatment was associated with a significant decrease in IL‐1 receptor antagonist (IL‐1Ra) compared to placebo, which correlated with declining body FM (truncal and total) after GH substitution. The change in IL‐1Ra was the strongest predictor of the variation in BFM in regression models. No changes were observed for leptin, adiponectin, soluble TNF receptor 1 or interleukin (IL)‐8.Conclusion  The data indicate a possible unrecognized association between IL‐1Ra and changes in body composition during GH substitution and suggest further research on the interaction between the GH‐IGF axis and the IL‐1 system.
The tolerance of island plant–pollinator networks to alien plants
Authors: Kaiser‐Bunbury Christopher N. , Valentin Terence , Mougal James , Matatiken Denis , Ghazoul Jaboury 
Published: October 2010

Summary1.Invasive alien plant species pose a severe threat to native plant communities world‐wide, especially on islands. While many studies focus on the direct impact of alien plants on native systems, indirect effects of plant invaders on co‐flowering natives, for example through competition for pollination services, are less well studied and the results are variable.2.We used six temporally and taxonomically highly resolved plant–pollinator networks from the island of Mahé, Seychelles, to investigate the indirect impact of invasive alien plant species on remnant native plant communities mediated by shared pollinators. We employed fully quantitative network parameters and information on plant reproductive success, and pollinator diversity and behaviour, to detect changes in plant–pollinator networks along an invasion gradient.3.The number of visits to and fruit set of native plants did not change with invasion intensity. Weighted plant linkage and interaction evenness, however, was lower at invaded sites than at less invaded sites. These patterns were primarily driven by shifts in interactions of the most common pollinator, the introduced honey beeApis mellifera, while weak interactions and strong native interactions remained unchanged.4.Synthesis.The implications of these findings are twofold: first, quantitative network parameters are important tools for detecting underlying biological patterns. Secondly, alien plants and pollinators may play a greater role in shaping network structure at high than low levels of invasion. We could not show, however, whether the presence of invasive plants result in a simplification of plant–pollinator networks that is detrimental to native plants and pollinators alike.
Evaluating service delivery for speech and swallowing problems following paediatric brain injury: an international survey
Authors: Morgan Angela T. , Skeat Jemma 
Published: October 2010

AbstractRationale, aims and objectives  Little is documented about contemporary management of speech and swallowing disorders associated with paediatric acquired brain injury (ABI). It is therefore challenging for clinicians in this field to benchmark their clinical management against current evidence or practices undertaken in other centres. To address this issue, we aimed to provide much‐needed baseline data on speech and language pathology management of speech and swallowing disorders associated with childhood ABI. Key objectives were to: (i) determine whether clinicians use formalized referral criteria, clinical guidelines, protocols or care pathways; and (ii) to document the specific assessment and treatment approaches used.Methods  Speech and language pathology managers and clinicians at 31 major paediatric rehabilitation centres across Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Ireland were invited to participate in an online survey.Results  Fifty‐one speech and language pathologists responded representing 26 centres (84% response rate). Routine referrals of ABI patients to speech and language pathology occurred relatively infrequently in these centres (12%). Centres utilized assessment protocols (23%) and guidelines (35%) more frequently than treatment guidelines (8%). Multidisciplinary care pathways were applied by 31%. Most centres used adult‐based motor speech assessments and informal (‘in‐house developed’) swallowing assessment tools.Conclusions  The limited use of referral criteria, protocols, care pathways and guidelines invites the possibility of unequal care, and less than optimal outcomes. Reliance on adult‐based or in‐house assessments is inappropriate, yet frequently a necessity due to an absence of paediatric‐specific tools in this field. Further research is required in parallel with the formation of consensus groups to support the development of: (i) paediatric‐specific assessment tools and management approaches; and (ii) clinical protocols and guidelines.
NATIONALIZING HISTORY AND THE CHALLENGE OF DISCORDANT TEMPORALITIES1
Authors: Harootunian Harry 
Published: October 2010

ABSTRACTChristopher Hill's National History and the World of Nations reminds us of the conjunctural moment of an emerging world market in the latter half of the nineteenth century and the promise it offered for vitalizing a “world history” yet to be written. More importantly, it supplies the silhouette of a radically different interpretive approach, formed by the force of a centrifugal perspective that—through its concentration on how France, the United States, and Japan were simultaneously motivated to construct representations of self‐identity in national narratives—converged to disclose the possibility of a wider world no longer held hostage to the geopolitical category of the “West.” Hill's account shows that the impulse behind the formation of national history employed different strategies to imagine a singular linear historical narrative of national identity that aimed both to remove the spectacle of coexisting, different, multiple temporalities and to weld large and regionally disparate populations into a single people who, in a new time, would be instructed to recognize themselves in the nation's story. In Hill's reckoning, national history in France, the United States, and Japan appears simply as another name for historical necessity that sought, through processes of naturalization and nationalization, to overcome the unstable and uneven relationship between state and capital but that failed to conceal the deeper reality of determinations demanded by the relations of capital at the local and international levels.
Militant Modern Atheism
Authors: KITCHER PHILIP 
Published: October 2010

abstractMilitant modern atheism, whose most eloquent champion is Richard Dawkins, provides an effective and necessary critique of fundamentalist forms of religion and their role in political life, both within states and across national boundaries. Because it is also presented as a more general attack on religion (tout court), it has provoked a severe reaction from scholars who regard its conception of religion as shallow and narrow. My aim is to examine this debate, identifying insights and oversights on both sides.Two distinct conceptions of religion are in play. For Dawkins and his allies (most notably Dan Dennett) religions are grounded in doctrines, propositions about supernatural entities, events and processes which the devout believe. Their beliefs prompt them to actions, which they support or rationalize by reference to the doctrines. Dawkins and Dennett view the acceptance of the doctrines as resting on cognitive misfiring — these are delusions to be outgrown or spells to be broken.By contrast, the religious scholars who criticize the militant atheists often view religion as centered in social practices that inform and enrich human lives. To the extent that there are doctrines that atheists might subject to epistemic evaluation, these are to be viewed as pieces of scaffolding, that are, in principle, dispensable.I argue that militant modern atheism is incomplete (and likely counter‐productive) so long as it fails to attend systematically to the roles religion fulfills in human lives. Yet it is important to achieve public clarity about the literal falsehood of the doctrines on which fundamentalists rely. The challenge is to develop a well‐articulated and convincing version of secular humanism. Meeting that challenge is, I claim, one of the central problems of philosophy today.
Sex steroid hormones do not enhance the direct stimulatory effect of kisspetin‐10 on the secretion of growth hormone from bovine anterior pituitary cells
Authors: EZZAT AHMED Ahmed , SAITO Hayato , SAWADA Tatsuru , YAEGASHI Tomoyoshi , JIN Jin , SAWAI Ken , YAMASHITA Tetsuro , HASHIZUME Tsutomu 
Published: October 2010

ABSTRACTThe aims of the present study were to clarify the effect of kisspeptin10 (Kp10) on the secretion of growth hormone (GH) from bovine anterior pituitary (AP) cells, and evaluate the ability of sex steroid hormones to enhance the sensitivity of somatotrophic cells to Kp10. AP cells prepared from 8–11‐month‐old castrated calves were incubated for 12 h with estradiol (E2, 10−8 mol/L),progesterone (P4, 10−8 mol/L), testosterone (T, 10−8 mol/L), or vehicle only (control), and then for 2 h with Kp10. The amount of GH released in the medium was measured by a time‐resolved fluoroimmunoassay. Kp10 (10−6 or 10−5 mol/L) significantly stimulated the secretion of GH from the AP cells regardless of steroid treatments (P < 0.05), and E2, P4, and T had no effect on this response. The GH‐releasing response to growth hormone‐releasing hormone (GHRH, 10−8 mol/L) was significantly greater than that to Kp10 (P < 0.05). The present results suggest that Kp10 directly stimulates the release of GH from somatotrophic cells and sex steroid hormones do not enhance the sensitivity of these cells to Kp10. Furthermore, they suggest that the GH‐releasing effect of Kp10 is less potent than that of GHRH.
Significance of Biodiversity to Health
Authors: Herndon Christopher N. , Butler Rhett A. 
Published: October 2010

ABSTRACTThe United Nations declared 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity. Despite the magnitude of the global crisis of biodiversity loss, its far‐reaching consequences to human health remain largely unappreciated. The legacy of the natural world to medicine is profound and its potential to yield new therapeutics and advancements in biomedical science undervalued. The enormity of the global crisis underscores a fundamental truth, one that is seemingly obvious but has been tragically overlooked: Our species does not exist in isolation from the biosphere. Rather, our fate depends on it.
Saving Slash‐and‐Burn to Save Biodiversity
Authors: Padoch Christine , Pinedo‐Vasquez Miguel 
Published: October 2010

ABSTRACTSeveral prominent articles have recently revived the debate on how to advance and reconcile two pressing global issues: conservation of biodiversity, and food production for an increasing human population. These discussions contrast a ‘land‐sparing/intensive agriculture’ strategy with a ‘biodiversity‐friendly’ agriculture approach. We propose that swidden or shifting cultivation should be an important component of the latter approach in the tropics because many swidden systems maintain very high levels of biodiversity while providing livelihood for populations in tropical forest areas worldwide. We suggest further that when many swidden systems are viewed without prejudice and in broader spatial and longer temporal perspectives, the conservationist aspects of the systems become evident.
Interpreting Plato’s Republic: Knowledge and Belief
Authors: Lee David C. 
Published: October 2010

AbstractA distinction between knowledge and belief is set out and justified at the end of Book V of Plato’s Republic. The justification is intended to establish the claim of the philosophers to rule in an ideal state. I set out the argument and explain why considerable disagreement remains about the nature of the distinction and the assumptions on which it rests. I discuss the main options for interpreting the justification, briefly assessing their strengths and weaknesses. I conclude with comments on recent developments, and by drawing attention to a neglected aspect of Plato’s distinction.
The Minimalist Theory of Truth: Challenges and Concerns
Authors: Hoffmann Glen 
Published: October 2010

AbstractMinimalism is currently the received deflationary theory of truth. On minimalism, truth is a transparent concept and a deflated property of truth bearers. In this paper, I situate minimalism within current deflationary debate about truth by contrasting it with its main alternative – the redundancy theory of truth (according to which truth is a transparent concept but not a property). I also outline three of the primary challenges facing minimalism, its formulation, explanatory adequacy and stability, and draw some lessons for the soundness of its conception of truth.
Spectral analysis by XANES reveals that GPNMB influences the chemical composition of intact melanosomes
Authors: Haraszti Tamás , Trantow Colleen M. , Hedberg‐Buenz Adam , Grunze Michael , Anderson Michael G. 
Published: October 2010

SummaryGPNMB is a unique melanosomal protein. Unlike many melanosomal proteins, GPNMB has not been associated with any forms of albinism, and it is unclear whether GPNMB has any direct influence on melanosomes. Here, melanosomes from congenic strains of C57BL/6J mice mutant for Gpnmb are compared to strain‐matched controls using standard transmission electron microscopy and synchrotron‐based X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure analysis (XANES). Whereas electron microscopy did not detect any ultrastructural changes in melanosomes lacking functional GPNMB, XANES uncovered multiple spectral phenotypes. These results directly demonstrate that GPNMB influences the chemical composition of melanosomes and more broadly illustrate the potential for using genetic approaches in combination with nano‐imaging technologies to study organelle biology.