bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Relict sand dredging for beach nourishment in the central Tyrrhenian Sea (Italy): effects on benthic assemblages
Authors: La Porta Barbara , Targusi Monica , Lattanzi Loretta , La Valle Paola , Paganelli Daniela , Nicoletti Luisa 
Published: September 2009

AbstractThe aim of this study is to analyse the effects in space and time of relict sand‐dredging activities on macrobenthic assemblages, in an area situated offshore Montalto di Castro (central Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy), and to analyse the recolonisation processes of macrobenthos in the dredged areas. The area in question is characterised by relict sand deposits (Holocenic paleo‐beaches), used for beach nourishment along the Latium coast. The effects of sand extraction on benthic assemblages were investigated before, during and after three dredging operations. The sites analysed are located within the dredged areas (inside stations) and in neighbouring, not dredged, areas (outside stations). The results showed that the impact of sand extraction was confined to the dredged stations and to the areas in proximity to the dredged areas. During dredging activities, the structure of benthic assemblages within the impacted stations was characterised by low species richness and diversity. Both the direct removal of sediment and the re‐suspension and consequent deposition of fine sediment affected benthic assemblages of the impacted stations. A few months after the dredgings, a recolonisation process was still observed at all the impacted stations. A gradual recolonisation process was observed at those stations affected by only one dredging, whereas a different recolonisation was observed at those stations affected by two dredgings over time. This study suggests that differences of re‐colonisation processes of benthic assemblages are related to the intensity of dredging operations in terms of dredging frequency.
Taxonomic sufficiency in two case studies: where does it work better?
Authors: Bacci Tiziano , Trabucco Benedetta , Marzialetti Sara , Marusso Veronica , Lomiri Serena , Vani Danilo , Virno Lamberti Claudia 
Published: September 2009

AbstractIn marine macrobenthos studies the identification of organisms at species level is the best entry to ecological and biological information about the animals. An accurate identification requires excellent conservation of the organisms, reliable fauna description, experts and lengthy work in the laboratory. The aim of this work is to test taxonomic sufficiency (TS) in two deliberately selected different case studies to understand whether and how the taxonomic complexity of a benthic assemblage influences the results of TS and where it works better. The first benthic settlement was collected in an area characterized by homogeneous depth and grain size composition (case study A) around an off‐shore gas platform, while the second one was collected along a coast‐wide transect in an area with human pressure limited to fishing activities (case study B). Univariate and multivariate statistical analysis was used to assess differences in the taxonomic structure of benthic assemblages and to test TS on the two different datasets. TS seems to work in both sites, from species to higher taxonomic levels, and the family taxonomic level appears the best compromise for taxonomic resolution when an accurate identification is not achievable. The application of TS does not indicate a significant difference between the two datasets and appears therefore to be a valid instrument to analyse and describe the structure of benthic settlements in the case of taxonomically complex communities.
Effect of baicalin and octreotide on the expression levels of P‐selectin protein in multiple organs of rats with severe acute pancreatitis
Authors: Zhang Xiping , Feng Guanghua , Jiang Jun , Tian Hua , Chen Li , Cai Yang , Shou Yuemin , Ma Jin , Ma Meili , Zhu Feibo 
Published: September 2009

AbstractAim:  To investigate the effect of baicalin and octreotide on the expression levels of P‐selectin protein in multiple organs of rats with severe acute pancreatitis and explore the underlying mechanism.Methods:  Rats were randomly divided into sham‐operated, model control, baicalin‐treated and octreotide‐treated groups. At 3, 6 and 12 h after operation, the mortality rates of rats, the contents of plasma endotoxin as well as serum NO and ET‐1, the pathological changes in multiple organs, and the expression levels of P‐selectin protein in each group were observed.Results:  At 12 h after operation, the mortality rates of rats in treated groups were significantly lower than that in the model control group (P < 0.05), and the pathological severity scores in multiple organs in treated groups were also significantly lower than those in the model control group (P < 0.05). The contents of plasma endotoxin, serum PLA2 (at 6 and 12 h after operation), ET‐1 and NO (at 3 and 12 h after operation) in treated groups were significantly lower than those in the model control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01 or P < 0.001). In the baicalin‐treated group, the expression levels of P‐selectin protein in liver (at 3 h after operation), kidney (at 3 and 6 h after operation), pancreas, lung and spleen were significantly lower than those in the model control group (P < 0.01). In the octreotide‐treated group, the expression levels of this protein in lung, intestinal mucosa (at 6 and 12 h after operation), lymph nodes (at 3 and 6 h after operation), spleen and thymus were significantly lower than those in the model control group (P < 0.05). Additionally, the products of the staining intensity and positive rate of P‐selectin protein in pancreas, spleen (at 3 h after operation), intestinal mucosa (at 6 h after operation), thymus (at 6 h after operation) and lung (at 6 h after operation) in treated groups were significantly lower than those in the model control group (P < 0.05).Conclusion:  Both baicalin and octreotide can exert some protective effects on multiple organs and the former is superior to the latter in protecting pancreas. Furthermore, decreasing the expression levels of P‐selectin protein in these organs is one of the possible mechanisms.
Intraductal ultrasonography combined with percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy for the preoperative evaluation of longitudinal tumor extent in hilar cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Kim Hee Man , Park Jeong Youp , Kim Kyung Sik , Park Mi‐Suk , Kim Myeong‐Jin , Park Young Nyun , Bang Seungmin , Song Si Young , Chung Jae Bock , Park Seung Woo 
Published: September 2009

AbstractBackground and Aim:  In hilar cholangiocarcinoma, an accurate assessment of preoperative resectability is important to optimize surgical resection. We investigated the accuracy of the combination of intraductal ultrasonography (IDUS) and percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy (PTCS) for evaluating longitudinal extent in hilar cholangiocarcinoma.Methods:  Patients diagnosed with hilar cholangiocarcinoma underwent multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and magnetic resonance cholangiography (MRC) for tumor staging and Bismuth type. Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage was performed at the left or right bile duct of the liver section that was anticipated to be preserved in the surgical treatment. After tract dilation, PTCS with cholangioscope‐directed biopsy and IDUS were sequentially performed to evaluate Bismuth type. Surgical treatment was executed according to tumor staging and longitudinal tumor extent. Postoperative histological Bismuth types were compared to preoperative Bismuth types based on MDCT, MRC, PTCS with biopsy, and IDUS.Results:  From June 2006 to November 2008, 25 patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma were enrolled, with 20 of these patients evaluable. The accuracy of MDCT, MRC, PTCS with biopsy, and IDUS for the evaluation of Bismuth type was 80%, 84.2%, 90%, and 85.0%, respectively, in 20 patients, and 82.4%, 82.4%, 94.1%, and 88.2%, respectively, in 18 patients with Bismuth type IIIa, IIIb, or IV cancer. The accuracy of the combination of IDUS and PTCS with biopsy was 95% in 20 patients, and 100% in 18 with Bismuth type IIIa, IIIb, or IV cancer.Conclusions:  The combination of IDUS and PTCS with biopsy was highly accurate for assessing Bismuth type and may help in the identification of an optimal surgical plan for the treatment of hilar cholangiocarcinoma, especially in Bismuth type IIIa, IIIb, or IV.
Protective effects of resveratrol on small intestines against intestinal ischemia–reperfusion injury in rats
Authors: Yildiz Fahrettin , Terzi Alpaslan , Coban Sacid , Celik Hakim , Aksoy Nurten , Bitiren Muharrem , Çakir Hale , Ozdogan Mustafa K 
Published: September 2009

AbstractBackground and Aim:  The aim of this study was to determine whether resveratrol could prevent intestinal tissue injury induced by ischemia–reperfusion (I/R).Methods:  Intestinal I/R was induced in rats' intestines by 60‐min occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery, followed by a 60‐min reperfusion. Thirty rats were divided into three groups as follows: sham (group 1), control (group 2), and the treatment groups (group 3). The rats in the treatment group received resveratrol both before ischemia and before reperfusion. In all groups, serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase levels were determined. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC), catalase, total oxidative status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in the intestinal tissue were measured. Intestinal tissue histopathology was also evaluated by light microscopy.Results:  The levels of liver enzymes in group 3 were significantly lower than those in group 2 (P < 0.05). TAC in the intestinal tissue was significantly higher in group 3 than in group 2 (P < 0.05). TOS, OSI, and MPO in the intestinal tissue were significantly lower in group 3 than in group 2 (P < 0.05 for all). Histological tissue damage was milder in the resveratrol treatment group than in the control group.Conclusions:  The results of this study indicated that resveratrol treatment limits the oxidative injury of the small intestine induced by I/R in rats. However, more precise investigations are required to evaluate the antioxidative effect of resveratrol on small intestine tissue damage in clinical and experimental models.
Presence of hepatitis C virus in syringes confiscated in prisons in Australia
Authors: Dolan Kate , Larney Sarah , Jacka Brendan , Rawlinson William 
Published: September 2009

AbstractBackground and Aims:  Needlestick injuries are an occupational hazard for prison officers. This study aimed to assess the presence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in syringes found in prisons.Methods:  Sixty‐nine syringes found in prisons were tested for HCV RNA using previously published methods.Results:  Three syringes tested positive for HCV RNA.Conclusion:  Compared to the prevalence of HCV among injecting drug users in prisons, few syringes were found to contain HCV RNA. It is likely that conditions under which syringes are kept in prisons are not favorable for survival of detectable HCV RNA. Further work is needed to establish the risk of HCV transmission posed by needlestick injuries in prison settings.
Second Asia–Pacific Consensus Guidelines for Helicobacter pylori infection
Authors: Fock K Ming , Katelaris Peter , Sugano Kentaro , Ang Tiing Leong , Hunt Richard , Talley Nicholas J , Lam Shiu Kum , Xiao Shu‐Dong , Tan Huck Joo , Wu Chun‐Ying , Jung Hyun Chae , Hoang Bui Huu , Kachintorn Udom , Goh Khean‐Lee , Chiba Tsutomu , Rani Abdul Aziz 
Published: September 2009

AbstractThe Asia–Pacific Consensus Conference was convened to review and synthesize the most current information on Helicobacter pylori management so as to update the previously published regional guidelines. The group recognized that in addition to long‐established indications, such as peptic ulcer disease, early mucosa‐associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) type lymphoma and family history of gastric cancer, H. pylori eradication was also indicated for H. pylori infected patients with functional dyspepsia, in those receiving long‐term maintenance proton pump inhibitor (PPI) for gastroesophageal reflux disease, and in cases of unexplained iron deficiency anemia or idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. In addition, a population ‘test and treat’ strategy for H. pylori infection in communities with high incidence of gastric cancer was considered to be an effective strategy for gastric cancer prevention. It was recommended that H. pylori infection should be tested for and eradicated prior to long‐term aspirin or non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drug therapy in patients at high risk for ulcers and ulcer‐related complications. In Asia, the currently recommended first‐line therapy for H. pylori infection is PPI‐based triple therapy with amoxicillin/metronidazole and clarithromycin for 7 days, while bismuth‐based quadruple therapy is an effective alternative. There appears to be an increasing rate of resistance to clarithromycin and metronidazole in parts of Asia, leading to reduced efficacy of PPI‐based triple therapy. There are insufficient data to recommend sequential therapy as an alternative first‐line therapy in Asia. Salvage therapies that can be used include: (i) standard triple therapy that has not been previously used; (ii) bismuth‐based quadruple therapy; (iii) levofloxacin‐based triple therapy; and (iv) rifabutin‐based triple therapy. Both CYP2C19 genetic polymorphisms and cigarette smoking can influence future H. pylori eradication rates.
Epidemiology of irritable bowel syndrome in Asia: Something old, something new, something borrowed
Authors: Gwee Kok‐Ann , Lu Ching‐Liang , Ghoshal Uday Chand 
Published: September 2009

AbstractIn this review we have unearthed epidemiological data that; support the ‘old’ concept of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as a disorder of civilization, build a ‘new’ symptom profile of IBS for Asia, and persuade us against the use of ‘borrowed’ Western diagnostic criteria and illness models by Asian societies. In the 1960s, IBS was described as a disorder of civilization. Early studies from Asia suggested a prevalence of IBS below 5%. Recent studies from Asia suggest a trend for the more affluent city states like Singapore and Tokyo, to have higher prevalence of 8.6% and 9.8%, respectively, while India had the lowest prevalence of 4.2%. Furthermore, there was a trend among the better educated and more affluent strata of society in several urban Chinese populations for a higher prevalence of IBS, as well as a trend for a higher consultation rate. Across Chinese and Indian predominant populations, a majority of patients with IBS criteria report upper abdominal symptoms such as epigastric pain relieved by defecation, bloating and dyspepsia. Bloating and incomplete evacuation appear to be more important determinants of consultation behavior, than psychological factors. The failure of the Rome criteria to recognize the relationship to meals, may have led to a substantial misclassification of IBS as dyspepsia. The relevance of the Western model of psychological disturbance as a determinant of consultation behavior is questionable because of the accessibility and acceptability of medical consultation for gastrointestinal complaints in many Asian communities.
Adiponectin knockout mice on high fat diet develop fibrosing steatohepatitis
Authors: Asano Takeharu , Watanabe Kiyotaka , Kubota Naoto , Gunji Toshiaki , Omata Masao , Kadowaki Takashi , Ohnishi Shin 
Published: September 2009

AbstractBackground and Aim:  Low levels of serum adiponectin have been reported to be associated with obesity, diabetes, and non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), as well as several malignancies. Adiponectin knockout (KO) mice have been reported to cause insulin resistance and neointimal formation of the artery. We used adiponectin KO mice fed a high fat (HF) diet, and investigated the effect of adiponectin on the progression of steatohepatitis and carcinogenesis in vivo.Methods:  Adiponectin KO mice and wild type (WT) mice were fed a HF diet or normal chow for the periods of 24 and 48 weeks. The HF diet contained 60% of calories from fat.Results:  The adiponectin KO mice on the HF diet showed obesity, marked elevation of serum transaminase levels, and hyperlipidemia. At 24 weeks, hepatic expression of tumor necrosis factor‐α and procollagen α (I) was higher in KO mice as compared with WT mice. At 48 weeks, liver triglyceride contents in KO mice on normal chow were significantly higher than those in WT mice. Hepatocyte ballooning, spotty necrosis, and pericellular fibrosis around central veins were observed in KO mice on the HF diet. The pericellular fibrosis was more severe in KO mice on the HF diet than that in WT mice (1.62% vs 1.16%, P = 0.033). Liver adenoma and hyperplastic nodules developed in a KO mouse on the HF diet at 48 weeks (12.5%, n = 1/8), whereas no tumor was detected in WT mice (n = 10).Conclusions:  Adiponectin may play a protective role in the progression of NASH in the early stages by suppressing tumor necrosis factor‐α expression and liver fibrosis.
Oral analgesia by non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drug zaltoprofen to manage cystoscopy‐related pain: A prospective study
Authors: Komiya Akira , Endo Takumi , Kobayashi Masayuki , Kim Woojin , Araki Kazuhiro , Naya Yukio , Suzuki Hiroyoshi , Tobe Toyofusa , Ichikawa Tomohiko , Fuse Hideki 
Published: September 2009

Objectives:  To examine the pre‐emptive analgesic effect of the non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drug zaltoprofen against rigid cystoscopy‐associated pain, and compare it with the effect of an anesthetic gel.Methods:  Forty men periodically undergoing follow‐up office cystoscopy were enrolled in this prospective study. The effects of lidocaine gel alone or in combination with zaltoprofen, were examined. The following parameters were assessed using an 11‐point numerical rating scale: pain during injection of gel into the urethra, insertion of rigid cystoscope, and the endoscopic examination of the urinary bladder, pain at the first urination after cystoscopy, and at the first urination in the following morning at home.Results:  Pain scores with pre‐emptive zaltoprofen plus lidocaine gel were significantly lower than the ones with lidocaine gel alone at the time points of inserting rigid cystoscope into the urethra, viewing inside the urinary bladder and the first urination after cystoscopy. The efficacy of zaltoprofen was more significant in the patients with higher baseline pain score. There was no correlation between pain scores and bladder cancer grading, number of tumors, and time from surgery.Conclusions:  Pre‐emptive zaltoprofen is able to control cystoscopy‐associated pain, which translates into better quality of life for patients. Thus, its use is recommended in the management of these patients.
Individual transferable quotas and ecosystem‐based fisheries management: it’s all in the T
Authors: Gibbs Mark T. 
Published: September 2009

AbstractRecent articles in high‐profile journals advocating the widespread establishment of economic rights‐based approaches for managing fisheries has re‐kindled the debate over the efficacy of incentive‐based vs. regulatory‐based management approaches. Inspection of these works, written from the particular perspectives of economics, fisheries biology, or marine ecology, reveals that advocates of rights‐based regimes such as Individual Transferrable Quotas are sometimes recommending these policy instruments for quite different reasons. Hence, the advantageous attributes of rights‐based approaches from the perspective of one discipline may be quite different when seen from the perspective of another discipline. This is of concern as it exposes a tendency for particular disciplines to consider only the advantages of rights‐based approaches, such as establishing a harvest cap, but to implicitly discount the disadvantages such as less attention being paid to critical ecological and ecosystem issues.
HYSTERESIS IN UNEMPLOYMENT REVISITED: EVIDENCE FROM PANEL LM UNIT ROOT TESTS WITH HETEROGENEOUS STRUCTURAL BREAKS
Authors: Lee Jun‐De , Lee Chien‐Chiang , Chang Chun‐Ping 
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACTThis paper applies the panel LM unit root tests with heterogeneous structural breaks in level by Im et al. (Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, 67 (2005), pp. 393–419) to re‐examine the validity of hysteresis in the unemployment rates of 19 OECD countries. Our empirical findings are favourable to the stationarity of the unemployment rates, i.e., the unemployment hysteresis hypothesis is strongly rejected. Our results suggest that shocks to unemployment rates are temporary and soon converge when we control for breaks. A major policy implication of the study is that a fiscal or monetary stabilization policy would not have permanent effects on the unemployment rates of the 19 OECD countries.
HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS AND THE TRANSITION OUT OF MALTHUSIAN STAGNATION
Authors: Currais Luis , Rivera Berta , Rungo Paolo 
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACTThe central component of most economic models that analyse the transition from the Malthusian regime to self‐sustaining developed economies is education. Improved health is normally envisaged as simply a by‐product of economic growth. Whereas growth does, indeed, tend to improve health status, the reverse is also true, namely that health improvements are a dynamic force capable of driving economic expansion. This paper underlines the importance of health improvements in escaping from Malthusian stagnation. Further, and in contrast to existing literature, which emphasizes the effects of changes in mortality rates, this paper focuses on the relationship between health status and the efficiency of human capital technology. Through this channel, health improvements stimulate investments in child quality in terms of both nourishing and schooling and drive the economy towards the Modern Growth regime.
TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT IN WHOLESALE INTERNATIONAL ROAMING: TOWARDS A MORE EFFICIENT MARKET?*
Authors: Lupi Paolo , Manenti Fabio M. 
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACTDespite a general trend of lower charges for mobile calls, in Europe, prices for international roaming calls have remained at levels that are surprisingly high. The apparent reluctance of mobile network operators to lower roaming tariff is generating many antitrust concerns. This paper presents in a two‐country two‐firm framework the functioning of the current system governing wholesale international roaming agreements based on interoperator tariffs. The focus is on the role of traffic management; thanks to the emergence of traffic direction techniques, mobile network operators are allowed to select the roaming partner. We show that, unless these techniques do not allow for perfect control on traffic flows, traffic management does not improve the market's efficiency. In line with the regulatory mechanism recently adopted by the European Commission, we show that a simple price cap mechanism may restore partial efficiency in the wholesale market. We also show that although cross‐border cooperation at the wholesale level is Pareto efficient, it will not emerge as an equilibrium of a two‐sided matching game.