bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Dietary compliance and life style of children with coeliac disease
Authors: Roma E. , Roubani A. , Kolia E. , Panayiotou J. , Zellos A. , Syriopoulou V. P. 
Published: February 2010

AbstractBackground:  Coeliac disease (CD) is common and requires a permanent strict gluten‐free diet (GFD). However, data concerning how the situation is experienced by children are limited. The present study aimed to investigate the compliance with a GFD and the impact of CD and GFD on the lifestyle of patients and their families, together with proposed recommendations for improvement of quality of life.Methods:  Children with biopsy confirmed CD were recruited consecutively from the outpatient gastroenterology clinic. Participants were evaluated by a special questionnaire for compliance with the GFD, patients’ knowledge about CD, and the well‐being and lifestyle of children and their families. Comparisons between discrete variables were performed by a chi‐square test.Results:  Seventy‐three children of median age 9.4 (interquartile range = 5–14.5) years were evaluated. Compliance to diet was reported by 58%. Reasons for noncompliance were: poor palatability (32%), dining outside home (17%), poor availability of products (11%), and asymptomatic disease diagnosed by screening (11%). The acceptance of the GFD was reported as good in 65%, whereas avoidance of travelling and restaurants was stated by 17% and 46% of families, respectively. Most families experienced difficulties detecting gluten from the food label. Proposed factors for improvement of quality of life were: better labelling of gluten‐containing ingredients (76%) and more gluten‐free (GF) foods in supermarkets (58%) and restaurants (42%).Conclusions:  Children with CD have low compliance with the GFD. Better education about the disease, the availability of GF products, and appropriate food labelling could improve compliance and quality of life.
Differential Response of Southern US Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Cultivars to Ultraviolet‐B Radiation
Authors: Mohammed A. R. , Tarpley L. 
Published: February 2010

AbstractElevated ultraviolet‐B (UV‐B; between 290 and 320 nm) radiation, because of depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer, is one of the major environmental factors influencing plant metabolic processes and yield. The southern US rice cultivars contribute greatly towards US rice production, but the effects of elevated UV‐B radiation on these cultivars are not well known. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of elevated UV‐B radiation on leaf photosynthetic rate (Pn), membrane stability, pollen viability, phenolic concentration and yield of eight commercially popular southern US rice cultivars (five inbred cultivars and three hybrids). Plants were grown in a temperature‐controlled greenhouse in Beaumont, TX, USA, and were exposed to UV‐B radiation of 0, 8 or 16 kJ m−2 day−1 for 90 days. For most of the cultivars, plants grown under 8 or 16 kJ UV‐B radiation showed significant decreases in Pn, membrane stability, pollen viability, and yield compared with the plants grown under an UV‐B‐free environment, whereas there was a significant increase in leaf phenolic concentration under 16 kJ UV‐B radiation. The hybrid ‘Clearfield XL729’ performed best among the selected southern US rice cultivars under 16 kJ UV‐B radiation.
Capsule endoscopy in small bowel tumors: A multicenter Korean study
Authors: Cheung Dae Young , Lee In‐Seok , Chang Dong Kyung , Kim Jin Oh , Cheon Jae Hee , Jang Byung Ik , Kim Yong‐Sik , Park Cheol Hee , Lee Kwang Jae , Shim Ki‐Nam , Ryu Ji‐Kon , Do Jae‐Hyuk , Moon Jeong‐Seop , Ye Byong Duk , Kim Kyung‐Jo , Lim Yun Jeong , Choi Myung‐Gyu , Chun Hoon‐Jai 
Published: February 2010

AbstractBackground and Aim:  Capsule endoscopy (CE) has proven to be highly effective at detecting small bowel lesions in a variety of clinical conditions, but studies concerning the practical impact of CE on small bowel tumors are still scarce, especially in the Asian population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutic impact of CE in the field of small bowel tumors.Methods:  CE records consecutively pooled from the beginning of use of CE in Korea, October 2001 until April 2008, in 14 centers throughout Korea were reviewed. Clinical information and CE video images of small bowel tumors were analyzed.Results:  A total of 1332 cases undergoing CE were reviewed with all clinical indications. Small bowel tumors were diagnosed with CE in 57 (4.3%) of 1332 patients. The tumors were malignant in 33 cases, and included three adenocarcinomas, eight lymphomas, 20 gastrointestinal stromal tumors, and two metastatic cancers. The most frequent indications for CE in malignant tumors were obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, followed by abdominal pain and weight loss. Thirty of 57 tumors were identified exclusively by CE (diagnostic impact = 30/57), and they were smaller in size (mean, range: 14.3 mm, 2–35 mm) compared to the other tumors detected in radiological studies (48.7 mm, 10–110 mm). Seven patients underwent surgical resection (therapeutic impact = 7/57).Conclusion:  CE effectively identifies small bowel tumors that are undetectable by conventional radiological studies (diagnostic impact = 52.6%) and can critically change the therapeutic course (therapeutic impact = 12.3%).
Phylogenetic diversity and metagenomics of candidate division OP3
Authors: Glöckner Jana , Kube Michael , Shrestha Pravin Malla , Weber Marc , Glöckner Frank Oliver , Reinhardt Richard , Liesack Werner 
Published: February 2010

SummaryExcept for environmental 16S rRNA gene sequences, no information is available for members of the candidate division OP3. These bacteria appear to thrive in anoxic environments, such as marine sediments, hypersaline deep sea, freshwater lakes, aquifers, flooded paddy soils and methanogenic bioreactors. The 16S rRNA phylogeny suggests that OP3 belongs to the Planctomycetes/Verrucomicrobia/Chlamydiae (PVC) superphylum. Metagenomic fosmid libraries were constructed from flooded paddy soil and screened for 16S rRNA gene‐containing fragments affiliated with the PVC superphylum. The screening of 63 000 clones resulted in 23 assay‐positive fosmids, of which three clones were affiliated with OP3. The 16S rRNA gene sequence divergence between the fragments OP3/1, OP3/2 and OP3/3 ranges from 18% to 25%, indicating that they belong to different OP3 subdivisions. The 23S rRNA phylogeny confirmed the membership of OP3 in the PVC superphylum. Sequencing the OP3 fragments resulted in a total of 105 kb of genomic information and 90 ORFs, of which 47 could be assigned a putative function and 11 were conserved hypothetical. Using BLASTP searches, a high proportion of ORFs had best matches to homologues from Deltaproteobacteria, rather than to those of members of the PVC superphylum. On the fragment OP3/3, a cluster of nine ORFs was predicted to encode the bacterial NADH dehydrogenase I. Given the high proportion of homologues present in deltaproteobacteria and anoxic conditions in the natural environment of OP3 bacteria, the detection of NADH dehydrogenase I may suggest an anaerobic respiration mode. Oligonucleotide frequencies calculated for OP3/1, OP3/2 and OP/3 show high intraphylum correlations. This novel sequence information could therefore be used to identify OP3‐related fragments in large metagenomic data sets using marker gene‐independent procedures in the future. In addition to the OP3 fragments, a single metagenomic fragment affiliated with the candidate division BRC1 was obtained and analysed.
Questioning the wisdom of tubeless percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL): a prospective randomized controlled study of early tube removal vs tubeless PCNL
Authors: Mishra Shashikant , Sabnis Ravindra B. , Kurien Abraham , Ganpule Arvind , Muthu Veeramani , Desai Mahesh 
Published: February 2010

Study Type – Therapy (RCT) Level of Evidence 1bOBJECTIVETo establish the efficacy of early removal of a nephrostomy tube after percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), to challengethe wisdom of tubeless PCNL, as we hypothesized that it would result in a shorter hospital stay, comparable benefit and safety, while maintaining the option of check nephroscopy ensuring far superior stone clearance.PATIENTS AND METHODSIn all, 22 patients were prospectively randomized equally into two groups, group 1 (early nephrostomy removal) or group 2 (tubeless) during a 1‐month study period. Inclusion criteria for the study were: a simple stone of <3 cm, no significant bleeding, no perforation, single‐tract access and ‘on‐table’ complete stone clearance. In group 1, a 20 F nephrostomy, 6 F retrograde ureteric catheter and a Foley catheter were used, while in group 2 only a 6 F retrograde ureteric catheter and Foley catheter were placed at the end of the procedure. Computed tomography (CT) with no contrast medium was done on the first morning after surgery before removing all catheters/tubes, and patients discharged subsequently. The variables assessed were stone clearance, hospital stay, analgesic requirement, postoperative complications and auxiliary procedures.RESULTSThe mean (sd) stone bulk was similar between the groups, at 2737 (946.9) and 2934.2 (2090.7) µL, respectively. Despite an on‐table complete clearance, clearance assessed by CT was nine of 11 vs eight of 11 in groups 1 and 2, respectively. CT showed a 6 mm stone in one patient in group 1, while the remaining patients had stones of <4 mm. The mean (sd) analgesic requirement, haemoglobin decrease, urine leak and hospital stay in the two groups were 72.7 (51.8) vs 68.2 (46.2) mg of tramadol (P= 0.25), 1.6 (0.7) vs 1.6 (0.9) g/dL (P= 0.39), 13.9 (6.3) vs 7.1 (14.2) h (P= 0.018) and 72.8 (2.1) vs 70.2 (18.5) h (P= 0.09), respectively. Complications noted were early haematuria in none vs three (P= 0.21), urinoma none vs one, and fever in two vs one, respectively; one patient in group 1 required a check nephroscopy for a residual fragment. Overall clearance including re‐treatment was 10/11 vs eight of 11 (P= 0.009), respectively.CONCLUSIONEarly tube removal after PCNL results in an equivalent analgesic requirement, decrease in haemoglobin and hospital stay as tubeless PCNL. It has a significantly lower incidence of early haematuria, better clearance rates and preserves the option of check nephroscopy. It can be considered as an accepted standard of care, with the preserved advantages of tubeless PCNL.
The Contribution of Women on Boards of Directors: Going beyond the Surface
Authors: Nielsen Sabina , Huse Morten 
Published: February 2010

ABSTRACTManuscript Type:EmpiricalResearch Question/Issue:The increased attention to women on corporate boards presents new challenges to governance research. In this paper we go beyond demography and open the “black box” of board behavior by drawing upon theories of gender differences and group effectiveness.Research Findings/Insights:A unique survey of 201 Norwegian firms is used. The findings suggest that the ratio of women directors is positively associated with board strategic control. In addition, we find that the positive effects of women directors on board effectiveness are mediated through increased board development activities and through decreased level of conflict. However, our results show no evidence for a positive association between women directors and open debate. Nonetheless, open debate enhances board's strategic and operational control.Theoretical/Academic Implications:Recognizing the limitations of traditional governance theories to explain the role and contributions of women on corporate boards, this paper draws upon group effectiveness and gender differences theories to shed some light on whether and how women make a difference to board effectiveness in strategic and operational control.Practitioner/Policy Implications:Women's ability to make a contribution to the board may be attributable to their different leadership styles. The presence of women on corporate boards seems to increase board effectiveness through reducing the level of conflict and ensuring high quality of board development activities.
The (non) use of prioritisation protocols by surgeons
Authors: Dew Kevin , Stubbe Maria , Macdonald Lindsay , Dowell Anthony , Plumridge Elizabeth 
Published: February 2010

AbstractPriority setting and rationing is a dominant feature of contemporary health policy. In New Zealand, clinical priority assessment criteria (CPAC) tools have been developed to make access to elective surgery more equitable and efficient. Research was undertaken to identify how surgeons used these tools in the consultation. Forty‐seven consultations with 15 different surgeons have to date been video‐ and audio‐recorded. There were no instances where CPAC tools were explicitly used in the consultation. Drawing on the methodology of conversation analysis and the concept of news delivery as developed by Maynard, this paper argues that the delivery of diagnoses and treatment plans can usefully be seen in part as the delivery of bad or good news. Using three case studies to illustrate the argument, it is suggested that the interactional work required in the delivery of such news challenges the ability of clinicians to use protocols such as CPAC. The analysis sheds light on important consultation processes that need to be more carefully considered when designing interventions to influence clinician behaviour. In order to influence the behaviour of clinicians to achieve policy goals, greater attention needs to be paid to the interactional demands of the consultation process.
From the December Youth Uprising to the Rebirth of Urban Social Movements: A Space–Time Approach
Authors: PETROPOULOU CHRYSSANTHI 
Published: February 2010

AbstractThe December youth uprising in Greece took on a new form, one that has generated in its turn other uprisings and new kinds of social and radical urban movements. Led by a broad spectrum of people of different ages and socio‐economic backgrounds, it became the call for the ‘right to the city’, conceived as the right to free space and free expression, especially for the young who live in cities that have been designed to accommodate neoliberal capitalist expansion. This essay discusses the manifestations of globalization that the uprising attacked. It shows that the targets of the uprising were the symbols of neoliberal consumption and consumerism, especially in the rich city centres. It then discusses the novelty of this uprising in terms of its organization, networking, composition and resources, and the means it used to further its goals. It further describes how it differs from, and has transcended, previous social movements and has influenced, and will continue to influence, subsequent ones. It concludes that the new urban movements go beyond simple rejection and confrontation in order to enter into the collective creation and radical changes of space and of everyday life in the city.Résumé En Grèce, le soulèvement des jeunes de décembre a pris une forme nouvelle, celle‐ci ayant généréà son tour d’autres émeutes et des types nouveaux de mouvements urbains radicaux et sociaux. Mené par un large éventail de personnes d’âges et de milieux socio‐économiques différents, il s’est transformé en appel au ‘droit à la ville’, en tant que droit à la liberté d’espace et d’expression, notamment au profit des jeunes qui vivent dans des villes conçues pour répondre à un essor capitaliste néolibéral. Ce travail analyse les manifestations de la mondialisation visées par le soulèvement. Il montre que les cibles de celui‐ci étaient les symboles de la consommation néolibérale et du consumérisme, en particulier dans les centres‐villes aisés. Il analyse ensuite le caractère nouveau de cette insurrection en termes d’organisation, de construction de réseau, de composition et de ressources, ainsi que les moyens employés pour atteindre les objectifs. Il décrit également la façon dont le soulèvement s’écarte, et va au‐delà, des mouvements sociaux antérieurs, et dont il influencera les suivants. La conclusion affirme que les nouveaux mouvements urbains dépassent le rejet et la confrontation purs et simples pour passer à la création collective et à des transformations radicales de l’espace et de la vie quotidienne dans la ville.
What do childhood anxiety disorders predict?
Authors: Bittner Antje , Egger Helen L. , Erkanli Alaattin , Jane Costello E. , Foley Debra L. , Angold Adrian 
Published: February 2010

Background:  Few longitudinal studies of child and adolescent psychopathology have examined the links between specific childhood anxiety disorders and adolescent psychiatric disorder. In this paper we test the predictive specificity of separation anxiety disorder (SAD), overanxious disorder (OAD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and social phobia.Methods:  Data come from the Great Smoky Mountains Study (GSMS). A representative population sample of children – ages 9, 11, and 13 years at intake – was followed to age 19. Diagnoses of both childhood (before age 13 years) and adolescent psychiatric disorders (age 13 to 19 years) were available from 906 participants.Results:  Childhood SAD predicted adolescent SAD, whereas OAD was associated with later OAD, panic attacks, depression and conduct disorder (CD). GAD was related only to CD. Social phobia in childhood was associated with adolescent OAD, social phobia, and attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).Conclusions:  Anxiety disorders in childhood are predictors of a range of psychiatric disorders in adolescence. It appears that children meriting a well‐defined diagnosis are missed by the current rules for the diagnosis of GAD. Future studies should examine whether OAD deserves reconsideration as a nosological entity.
Feeling anxious: a twin study of panic/somatic ratings, anxiety sensitivity and heartbeat perception in children
Authors: Eley Thalia C. , Gregory Alice M. , Clark David M. , Ehlers Anke 
Published: February 2010

Background:  Little is known about mechanisms of genetic influence on panic, particularly in childhood. Cognitive theories of panic disorder highlight threatening interpretations of physical sensations, and increased awareness of such sensations. Specifically, anxiety sensitivity (AS) and heartbeat perception (HBP) have been associated with panic in adults and children. We examined genetic and environmental influences on childhood AS, HBP, panic/somatic ratings, and their associations.Methods:  Self‐ratings of AS and DSM‐based anxiety (including panic/somatic items) were obtained from 300 eight‐year‐old twin pairs (600 individuals), selected for mother‐rated child anxiety at age 7. HBP was also assessed.Results:  Panic/somatic ratings were significantly correlated with both AS (r = .55) and continuous HBP error scores (r = −.13). AS and HBP scores showed significantly greater correlations with panic/somatic ratings than with all other anxiety scales, except for HBP and school anxiety. Genetic influences on panic/somatic ratings were modest (15%), and moderate for both AS (37%), and HBP (30%). Non‐shared environmental influences were substantial. The genetic correlations between panic/somatic ratings and both AS and HBP error scores were .98 (95% CI: .74–1.00) and −.46 (95% CI: −1.00–1.00) respectively.Conclusions:  Self‐ratings of panic and AS overlap genetically. Future research should consider whether AS mediates genetic risk for panic disorder.
Walking ability and predictors of performance on the 6‐minute walk test in adults with spastic cerebral palsy
Authors: MAANUM GRETHE , JAHNSEN REIDUN , FRøSLIE KATHRINE F , LARSEN KERSTIN L , KELLER ANNE 
Published: February 2010

Aim To describe walking ability and identify factors predicting walking capacity in adults with spastic cerebral palsy (CP) assessed with the 6‐minute walk test (6MWT).Method A cross‐sectional clinical study as part of the recruitment process for a randomized controlled trial on the effects of botulinum toxin A. Data analysed were the 6MWT, Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, Borg Scale, spasticity, muscle strength, popliteal angle, pain, fatigue, type of CP, foot deformity, Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels, Functional Mobility Scale (FMS) scores, a gait questionnaire, interview, and demographic data.Results In total, 126 persons were included (53 males, 73 females; mean age 39y [SD 12y]; 59 with unilateral and 67 with bilateral spastic CP; GMFCS level I,n=12; level II,n=94; level III,n=20). Mean distance on the 6MWT was 485m (SD 95m) with FMS scores reflecting independent walking performance in daily life. Multiple regression analysis identified sex, type of CP, popliteal angle, pain, and TUG values as significant predictors, with TUG values as the strongest predictor (standardized regression coefficient =−0.57,p<0.001).Interpretation Our results demonstrate that 39% of the participants had declined one GMFCS level from adolescence to their present age, and that the TUG was the strongest predictor for the 6MWT. This implicates the importance of focusing specifically on the different elements of functional mobility in further studies.
DILP‐producing median neurosecretory cells in the Drosophila brain mediate the response of lifespan to nutrition
Authors: Broughton Susan J. , Slack Cathy , Alic Nazif , Metaxakis Athanasios , Bass Timothy M. , Driege Yasmine , Partridge Linda 
Published: February 2010

SummaryDietary restriction extends lifespan in diverse organisms, but the gene regulatory mechanisms and tissues mediating the increased survival are still unclear. Studies in worms and flies have revealed a number of candidate mechanisms, including the target of rapamycin and insulin/IGF‐like signalling (IIS) pathways and suggested a specific role for the nervous system in mediating the response. A pair of sensory neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans has been found to specifically mediate DR lifespan extension, but a neuronal focus in the Drosophila nervous system has not yet been identified. We have previously shown that reducing IIS via the partial ablation of median neurosecretory cells in the Drosophila adult brain, which produce three of the seven fly insulin‐like peptides, extends lifespan. Here, we show that these cells are required to mediate the response of lifespan to full feeding in a yeast dilution DR regime and that they appear to do so by mechanisms that involve both altered IIS and other endocrine effects. We also present evidence of an interaction between these mNSCs, nutrition and sleep, further emphasising the functional homology between the DILP‐producing neurosecretory cells in the Drosophila brain and the hypothalamus of mammals in their roles as integration sites of many inputs for the control of lifespan and behaviour.
Declining expression of a single epithelial cell‐autonomous gene accelerates age‐related thymic involution
Authors: Sun Liguang , Guo Jianfei , Brown Robert , Amagai Takashi , Zhao Yong , Su Dong‐Ming 
Published: February 2010

SummaryAge‐related thymic involution may be triggered by gene expression changes in lymphohematopoietic and/or nonhematopoietic thymic epithelial cells (TECs). The role of epithelial cell‐autonomous gene FoxN1 may be involved in the process, but it is still a puzzle because of the shortage of evidence from gradual loss‐of‐function and exogenous gain‐of‐function studies. Using our recently generated loxP‐floxed‐FoxN1(fx) mouse carrying the ubiquitous CreERT (uCreERT) transgene with a low dose of spontaneous activation, which causes gradual FoxN1 deletion with age, we found that the uCreERT‐fx/fx mice showed an accelerated age‐related thymic involution owing to progressive loss of FoxN1+ TECs. The thymic aging phenotypes were clearly observable as early as at 3–6 months of age, resembling the naturally aged (18–22‐month‐old) murine thymus. By intrathymically supplying aged wild‐type mice with exogenous FoxN1‐cDNA, thymic involution and defective peripheral CD4+ T‐cell function could be partially rescued. The results support the notion that decline of a single epithelial cell‐autonomous gene FoxN1 levels with age causes primary deterioration in TECs followed by impairment of the total postnatal thymic microenvironment, and potentially triggers age‐related thymic involution in mice.