bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) substitution treatment for severe fatigue in DHEA‐deficient patients with primary Sjögren's Syndrome
Authors: Virkki Liisa M. , Porola Pauliina , Forsblad‐d'Elia Helena , Valtysdottir Sigridur , Solovieva Svetlana A. , Konttinen Yrjö T. 
Published: December 2009

AbstractObjectivePrimary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is characterized by fatigue and low levels of serum dehydroepiandrosterone/dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA/DHEAS). Our aim was to study whether SS patients with severe fatigue and low serum DHEAS values benefit from DHEA substitution (50 mg/day).MethodsA multicenter, investigator‐based, powered, randomized controlled clinical trial (crossover, washout design) using fatigue as the primary outcome measure was performed on patients with primary SS (n = 107) who had a general fatigue score ≥14 on the 20‐item Multiple Fatigue Inventory (MFI‐20), combined with age‐ and sex‐adjusted serum DHEAS values below the mean. Fatigue was assessed using MFI‐20 subscales, i.e., general fatigue, physical fatigue, mental fatigue, reduced motivation, and activity (scale 4–20), and with a visual analog scale (VAS; scale 0–100).ResultsIn an intent‐to‐treat analysis, a 50‐mg DHEA substitution dose and placebo similarly improved fatigue. All of the MFI‐20 subscales and the fatigue VAS improved from the baseline levels as a result of treatment (P < 0.001), but with negligible differences between these 2 treatments. The mean between‐treatment difference was −0.1 for general fatigue (the primary outcome measure), 0.0 for physical fatigue, 0.0 for mental fatigue, 0.0 for reduced motivation, 0.3 for reduced activity, and 2.2 for the fatigue VAS. None of these differences was statistically significant.ConclusionSimilar to earlier results using pharmacologic doses, substitution treatment with 50 mg of DHEA in DHEA‐deficient and severely tired primary SS patients does not help against fatigue better than placebo. This may relate to the prohormone nature of DHEA and its recently described defective intracrine tissue‐specific conversion to active sex steroids in SS.
Are tall people at higher risk of low back pain surgery? A discussion on the results of a multipurpose cohort
Authors: Coeuret‐Pellicer Mireille , Descatha Alexis , Leclerc Annette , Zins Marie 
Published: December 2009

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate whether height is associated with low back pain (LBP) and surgery, taking into account personal and socioeconomic risk factors in a general population.MethodsIn 2001, 13,680 participants of the Gazel cohort completed a self‐reported questionnaire on LBP and surgery interventions. Three groups were compared according to their body height: no LBP (reference group, participants who declared they never had LBP), LBP without surgery (participants who ever had LBP but without surgery), and back surgery (participants who ever had surgery for LBP). Adjusted variables were sex, age, educational level, marital status, height, and body mass index.ResultsMean height was significantly higher in men in the back surgery group than in the reference group and the LBP group. The proportion of surgically‐treated LBP was higher for people whose height was ≥4th quartile (P < 0.0001). Being in the highest quartile for height was a stronger risk factor for surgery (adjusted odds ratio [ORadj] = 2.01, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.61–2.51) than for LBP without surgery (ORadj = 1.29, 95% CI 1.18–1.40).ConclusionThe results suggest that being tall is a predictor for back surgery.
Fault detection for a class of nonlinear networked control systems
Authors: Mao Zehui , Jiang Bin , Shi Peng 
Published: December 2009

AbstractIn this paper, an observer‐based fault detection (FD) method is presented for a class of nonlinear networked control systems (NCSs) with Markov transfer delays. Firstly, based on Euler approximate method, a nonlinear NCS model with uncertainty is proposed using the Takagi‐Sugeno (T‐S) fuzzy model. Some geometric conditions are given to transfer the NCS model into an output‐feedback form. Then, the H∞ FD observer is designed such that the estimation error (residual) converges to zero, if there exist no fault and uncertainty in the system, or the residual is minimized in the sense of H∞ norm, when system contains fault and uncertainties. Furthermore, to simplify the model, the approximate model without uncertainty is considered. Then, sufficient conditions for the existence of FD observer gain and the sampling time of NCSs are given to achieve the semiglobal practical property. An inverted pendulum example is used to illustrate the efficiency of the developed techniques. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reactive Imprint Lithography: Combined Topographical Patterning and Chemical Surface Functionalization of Polystyrene‐block‐poly(tert‐butyl acrylate) Films
Authors: Duvigneau Joost , Cornelissen Stijn , Bardají Valls Núria , Schönherr Holger , Vancso G. Julius 
Published: December 2009

AbstractHere, reactive imprint lithography (RIL) is introduced as a new, one‐step lithographic tool for the fabrication of large‐area topographically patterned, chemically activated polymer platforms. Films of polystyrene‐block‐poly(tert‐butyl acrylate) (PS‐b‐PtBA) are imprinted with PDMS master stamps at temperatures above the corresponding glass transition and chemical deprotection temperatures to yield structured films with exposed carboxylic acid and anhydride groups. Faithful pattern transfer is confirmed by AFM analyses. Transmission‐mode FTIR spectra shows a conversion of over 95% of the tert‐butyl ester groups after RIL at 230 °C for 5 minutes and a significantly reduced conversion to anhydride compared to thermolysis of neat films with free surfaces in air or nitrogen. An enrichment of the surface layer in PS is detected by angle‐resolved X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In order to demonstrate application potentials of the activated platforms, a 7 nm ± 1 nm thick NH2‐terminated PEG layer (grafting density of 0.9 chains nm−2) is covalently grafted to RIL‐activated substrates. This layer reduces the non‐specific adsorption (NSA) of bovine serum albumin by 95% to a residual mass coverage of 9.1 ± 2.9 ng cm−2. As shown by these examples, RIL comprises an attractive complementary approach to produce bio‐reactive polymer surfaces with topographic patterns in a one‐step process.
Compact and Light Supercapacitor Electrodes from a Surface‐Only Solid by Opened Carbon Nanotubes with 2 200 m2 g−1 Surface Area
Authors: Hiraoka Tatsuki , Izadi‐Najafabadi Ali , Yamada Takeo , Futaba Don N. , Yasuda Satoshi , Tanaike Osamu , Hatori Hiroaki , Yumura Motoo , Iijima Sumio , Hata Kenji 
Published: December 2009

AbstractAn approach is presented to make a “surface‐only solid” with a surface area of 2 240 m2 g−1 (1 310 m2 cm−3), corresponding to 85% of the atoms constituting a surface, by opening single‐walled carbon nanotube forests and solids via controlled oxidation. The controllability of the approach is demonstrated by tailoring the hole size to match the guest molecule, for example, nitrogen, fullerene, or solvated ions. These features make the surface‐only solid an ideal vessel for material and energy storage, as demonstrated by its use for electrodes to realize a light and compact supercapacitor with high energy (24.7 W h kg−1) and power (98.9 kW kg−1) densities, exceeding those of activated carbon (16.9 W h kg−1 and 35.7 kW kg−1).
Nonspherical Noble Metal Nanoparticles: Colloid‐Chemical Synthesis and Morphology Control
Authors: Sau Tapan K. , Rogach Andrey L. 
Published: December 2009

AbstractMetal nanoparticles have been the subject of widespread research over the past two decades. In recent years, noble metals have been the focus of numerous studies involving synthesis, characterization, and applications. Synthesis of an impressive range of noble metal nanoparticles with varied morphologies has been reported. Researchers have made a great progress in learning how to engineer materials on a nanometer length scale that has led to the understanding of the fundamental size‐ and shape‐dependent properties of matter and to devising of new applications. In this article, we review the recent progress in the colloid‐chemical synthesis of nonspherical nanoparticles of a few important noble metals (mainly Ag, Au, Pd, and Pt), highlighting the factors that influence the particle morphology and discussing the mechanisms behind the nonspherical shape evolution. The article attempts to present a thorough discussion of the basic principles as well as state‐of‐the‐art morphology control in noble metal nanoparticles.
One‐Pot Thioetherification of Aryl Halides Using Thiourea and Alkyl Bromides Catalyzed by Copper(I) Iodide Free from Foul‐Smelling Thiols in Wet Polyethylene Glycol (PEG 200)
Authors: Firouzabadi Habib , Iranpoor Nasser , Gholinejad Mohammad 
Published: December 2009

AbstractIn this article, we have developed a new protocol for the thioarylation of structurally diverse alkyl bromides such as benzyl, cinnamyl, n‐octyl, cyclohexyl, cyclopentyl, and tert‐butyl bromides with aryl iodides, bromides and an activated chloride using thiourea catalyzed by copper(I) iodide in wet polyethylene glycol (PEG 200) as an eco‐friendly medium in the presence of potassium carbonate at 80 and 100 °C under an inert atmosphere. The process is free from foul‐smelling thiols which makes this method more practical for the thioetherification of aryl halides. Another important feature of this method is the variety of alkyl bromides which are commercially available for the in situ generation of thiolate ions with respect to the existing protocols in which the less commercially available thiols are directly used for the preparation of arylthio ethers.
On the continuum approximation of large reaction mixtures
Authors: Ho Teh C. , White Benjamin S. 
Published: December 2009

AbstractIn analyzing a reaction mixture of very many components, treating the mixture as a continuum can produce results of generality. In many practical situations (e.g., hydrodesulfurization), it is highly desirable to predict the overall behavior of the mixture at large times (high conversions) with minimum information on the mixture property. For irreversible first‐order reactions in a plug‐flow reactor, it was previously shown that the continuum approximation cannot be valid at arbitrarily large times. This work is an investigation of the validity of the approximation for mixtures with complex kinetics. It is found that the approximation can be conditionally or universally valid, depending on kinetics, reactor type, pore diffusion, and mixture properties. The validity conditions for a variety of situations, nontrivial as they may seem, take a power‐law form. Backmixing and pore diffusion widen the range of validity. The underlying physics and some dichotomies/subtleties are discussed. The results are applied to catalytic hydroprocessing in petroleum refining. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2010
Modeling multisystem biological risk in young adults: The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study
Authors: Seeman Teresa , Gruenewald Tara , Karlamangla Arun , Sidney Steve , Liu Kiang , Mcewen Bruce , Schwartz Joseph 
Published: December 2009

AbstractAlthough much prior research has focused on identifying the roles of major regulatory systems in health risks, the concept of allostatic load (AL) focuses on the importance of a more multisystems view of health risks. How best to operationalize allostatic load, however, remains the subject of some debate. We sought to test a hypothesized metafactor model of allostatic load composed of a number of biological system factors, and to investigate model invariance across sex and ethnicity. Biological data from 782 men and women, aged 32–47, from the Oakland, CA and Chicago, IL sites of the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study (CARDIA) were collected as part of the Year 15exam in 2000. These include measures of blood pressure, metabolic parameters (glucose, insulin, lipid profiles, and waist circumference), markers of inflammation (interleukin‐6, C‐reactive protein, and fibrinogen), heart rate variability, sympathetic nervous system activity (12‐hr urinary norepinephrine and epinephrine) and hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal axis activity (diurnal salivary free cortisol). A “metafactor” model of AL as an aggregate measure of six underlying latent biological subfactors was found to fit the data, with the metafactor structure capturing 84% of variance of all pairwise associations among biological subsystems. There was little evidence of model variance across sex and/or ethnicity. These analyses extend work operationalizing AL as a multisystems index of biological dysregulation, providing initial support for a model of AL as a metaconstruct of inter‐relationships among multiple biological regulatory systems, that varies little across sex or ethnicity. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Conservation education in Madagascar: three case studies in the biologically diverse island‐continent
Authors: Dolins Francine L. , Jolly Alison , Rasamimanana Hantanirina , Ratsimbazafy Jonah , Feistner Anna T.C. , Ravoavy Florent 
Published: December 2009

AbstractFew Malagasy children and adults are aware of the rare and unique fauna and flora indigenous to their island‐continent, including flagship lemur species. Even the Malagasy ancestral proverbs never mentioned lemurs, but these same proverbs talked about the now extinct hippopotamus. Madagascar's geography, history, and economic constraints contribute to severe biodiversity loss. Deforestation on Madagascar is reported to be over 100,000 ha/year, with only 10–15% of the island retaining natural forest [Green & Sussman, 1990]. Educating children, teacher‐training, and community projects about environmental and conservation efforts to protect the remaining natural habitats of endangered lemur species provide a basis for long‐term changes in attitudes and practices. Case studies of three conservation education projects located in different geographical regions of Madagascar, Centre ValBio, Madagacar Wildlife Conservation Alaotra Comic Book Project, and The Ako Book Project, are presented together with their ongoing stages of development, assessment, and outcomes. We argue that while nongovernmental organizational efforts are and will be very important, the Ministry of Education urgently needs to incorporate biodiversity education in the curriculum at all levels, from primary school to university. Am. J. Primatol. 72:391–406, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The species–area relationship and confounding variables in a threatened monkey community
Authors: Marshall Andrew R. , Jørgensbye Helle I.O. , Rovero Francesco , Platts Philip J. , White Piran C.L. , Lovett Jon C. 
Published: December 2009

AbstractThis study investigates the species–area relationship (SAR) for forest monkeys in a biodiversity hotspot. The Udzungwa Mountains of Tanzania are well‐suited to investigate the SAR, with seven monkey species in a range of fragment sizes (0.06–526 km2). We test the relationship between species richness and forest fragment size, relative to human and environmental factors. We distinguish resident and transitory species because the latter have an “effective patch size” beyond the area of forest. Forest area was the strongest (log‐linear) predictor of species richness. However, forest area, elevation range and annual moisture index were intercorrelated. Previous knowledge of the relationship between elevation and tree communities suggests that the SAR is largely a result of habitat heterogeneity. Isolation by farmland (matrix habitat) also had a significant negative effect on species richness, probably exacerbated by hunting in small forests. The effect of area and isolation was less for transitory species. The human influence on species' presence/absence was negatively related to the extent of occurrence. Weaker relationships with temperature and precipitation suggest underlying climatic influences, and give some support for the influence of productivity. A reduced area relationship for smaller forests suggests that fragment sizes below 12–40 km2 may not be reliable for determining SAR in forest monkeys. Further practical implications are for management to encourage connectivity, and for future SAR research to consider residency, matrix classification and moisture besides precipitation. Am. J. Primatol. 72:325–336, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Conservation Education and primates: twenty‐first century challenges and opportunities
Authors: Sherrow Hogan M. 
Published: December 2009

AbstractConservation Education has gone through a transformation since it was originally introduced. Numerous primatologists, working in all regions of the world where primates are endemic, have been extremely proactive in the application of Conservation Education (CE) and CE principles in their work. Here, I discuss the ongoing threats to primate populations around the world. Finally, I introduce a framework that can guide primatologists, as we move forward and face the challenges of the twenty‐first century. Am. J. Primatol. 72:420–424, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effective primate conservation education: gaps and opportunities
Authors: Jacobson Susan K. 
Published: December 2009

AbstractConservation education goals generally include influencing people's conservation awareness, attitudes, and behaviors. Effective programs can help foster sustainable behavior, improve public support for conservation, reduce vandalism and poaching in protected areas, improve compliance with conservation regulations, increase recreation carrying capacities, and influence policies and decisions that affect the environment. Primate conservation problems cut across many disciplines, and primate conservation education must likewise address crossdisciplinary issues. Conservation educators must incorporate both theoretical and practical knowledge and skills to develop effective programs, and the skill set must stretch beyond pedagogy. Expertize needed comes from the areas of planning, collaboration, psychology, entertainment, and evaluation. Integration of these elements can lead to greater program success. Am. J. Primatol. 72:414–419, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effects of reproductive condition and dominance rank on cortisol responsiveness to stress in free‐ranging female rhesus macaques
Authors: Hoffman Christy L. , Ayala James E. , Mas‐Rivera Adaris , Maestripieri Dario 
Published: December 2009

AbstractThe hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis modulates individuals' physiological responses to social stress, which is an inevitable aspect of the daily lives of group‐living animals. Previous nonhuman primate studies have reported that sex, age, rank, and reproductive condition influence cortisol levels under stressful conditions. In this study we investigated cortisol responses to stress among 70 multiparous, free‐ranging female rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) on the island of Cayo Santiago, PR. Plasma cortisol samples were collected in two consecutive years under similar conditions. Twenty‐two females were sampled both years, and most of those females were lactating in only one of the years. Individual differences in cortisol levels were stable across years, even though reproductive condition changed for most individuals. No relationship was found between age or social rank and cortisol levels. Of the females that changed reproductive conditions, cortisol levels were higher when they were lactating than when they were cycling, and the amount of change in cortisol from cycling to lactating was greatest for low‐ranking individuals. Heightened reactivity to stress during lactation may be the result of concerns about infant safety, and such concerns may be higher among low‐ranking mothers than among higher ranking mothers. Psychosocial stress and hyperactivation of the HPA axis during lactation can suppress immune function and increase vulnerability to infectious diseases, thus explaining why adult females in the free‐ranging rhesus macaque population on Cayo Santiago have a higher probability of mortality during the birth season than during the mating season. Am. J. Primatol. 72:559–565, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Usefulness of species range polygons for predicting local primate occurrences in southeastern Peru
Authors: Palminteri Suzanne , Powell George , Endo Whaldener , Kirkby Chris , Yu Douglas , Peres Carlos A. 
Published: December 2009

AbstractSpecies distribution maps are widely used in predicting areas of conservation concern, particularly where species distributions are poorly known. However, the accuracy of range maps for regional/local planning is questionable. We compared published putative geographic range polygons of ten primate species to their actual occupancy at 23 survey sites in southeastern Peru to assess the fine‐scale accuracy of these polygons for regional conservation planning. We analyzed the proportion of sites at which each species was detected, both inside and outside of its published NatureServe [Patterson et al., Digital distribution maps of the mammals of the western hemisphere. Version 1.0. Arlington, VA, 2003] and IUCN [2008; Red List, 2008] range polygons. There were mismatches between our line‐transect survey data and range polygon boundaries for nine of the ten species (from 15 to 80% cases), including both false presences and false absences. Each published dataset overestimated the presence of seven primate species and the absence of four species, though errors varied among species. Occupancy patterns of species with larger geographic ranges were no more accurately predicted than those of more narrow‐range species. Regional barriers to dispersal, such as rivers, and finer‐scale ecological specialization may limit the applicability of range map polygons to regional‐scale conservation priority setting, even for relatively well‐studied taxa. Despite the risk of errors, range polygons are still used as baseline data in conservation planning. We suggest some measures that could reduce the error risk. Am. J. Primatol. 73:53–61, 2011. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Die klinische Chemie – Herausforderung der Medizin für die analytische Chemie und die Nanowissenschaften
Authors: Durner Jürgen 
Published: December 2009

AbstractDie klinische Chemie und Laboratoriumsmedizin blickt auf eine über 150jährige, ereignisreiche Geschichte zurück. Das Fach repräsentiert einen Querschnitt zu allen medizinischen Disziplinen und den übrigen Naturwissenschaften. Die klinische Chemie zeigt, wie neue Erkenntnisse aus der biochemischen, biologischen, chemisch‐analytischen, technischen und informationstechnologischen Grundlagenforschung zum Nutzen einer verbesserten Diagnostik, Therapiekontrolle und Prävention in den medizinischen Alltag transferiert werden können. Im vorliegenden Aufsatz wird zunächst die Entwicklung der klinischen Chemie dargelegt. Anschließend werden die einzelnen Schritte von der Blutabnahme bis zum interpretierten Laborwert vorgestellt; hierbei werden sowohl Fallstricke als auch das Qualitätsmanagementsystem beschrieben. Der Einzug neuer Methoden und Trends in die medizinische Analytik wird ebenso erörtert wie Chancen und Probleme der personalisierten Medizin.