bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Acceptability and effectiveness of a strategy for the communication of the diagnosis of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures
Authors: Hall‐Patch Lindsey , Brown Richard , House Allan , Howlett Stephanie , Kemp Steven , Lawton Gemma , Mayor Rebecca , Smith Phil , Reuber Markus ,   for the NEST collaborators
Published: April 2009

SummaryPurpose:  Communicating the diagnosis of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) is a challenging task. This study was carried out to assess the acceptability and effectiveness of a new communication procedure consisting of a patient information leaflet and a communication strategy for neurologists.Methods:  In a multicenter prospective study, 50 patients newly diagnosed with PNES were informed about the diagnosis by 10 different neurologists using the communication procedure. Follow‐up data were gathered by telephone interview and completion of a questionnaire about symptom attributions (psychological/physical) and illness cognitions (Illness Perception Questionnaire‐Revised, IPQ‐R).Results:  Ninety‐four percent of patients found the leaflet easy to understand. Ninety‐four percent stated their questions were answered by the doctor; 70% got what they wanted from the consultation; only 4% reported feeling angry during the consultation. Eighty‐six percent of patients acknowledged that psychological factors were at least contributing to their seizures. On the IPQ‐R, “emotional” causes for the seizures were endorsed more commonly than “nonemotional” causes (p < 0.001). After 3 months, 14% of patients were seizure‐free and 63% reported a >50% reduction in seizure frequency.Discussion:  We conclude that our procedure is acceptable and effectively communicates a psychological etiologic model for PNES.
Cerebral lesions can impair fMRI‐based language lateralization
Authors: Wellmer Jörg , Weber Bernd , Urbach Horst , Reul Jürgen , Fernandez Guillen , Elger Christian E. 
Published: April 2009

SummaryPurpose:  Several small patient studies and case reports raise concerns that the reliability of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) may be impaired in the vicinity of cerebral lesions. This could affect the clinical validity of fMRI for presurgical language lateralization. The current study sets out to identify if a systematic effect of lesion type and localization on fMRI exists.Methods:  We classify lesions typically occurring in epilepsy patients according to (1) their potential to disturb blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD)–effect generation or detection or to disturb spatial brain normalization, and (2) the proximity of lesions to protocol‐specific volumes of interest (VOIs). The effect of lesions is evaluated through the examination of 238 epilepsy patients and a subgroup of 37 patients with suspected unilateral left‐language dominance according to the Wada test.Results:  Patients with fMRI‐critical lesions such as cavernomas, gliomas, and mass defects close to VOIs, or with severe atrophy, show lower lateralization indices (LIs) and more often discordant language lateralization with the Wada test than do patients without such lesions.Discussion:  This study points seriously toward fMRI‐language lateralization being sensitive to cerebral lesions. Some lesion types and locations are more critical than others. Our results question the noncritical application of fMRI in patients with cerebral lesions.
Small–Business Group Formation as an Entrepreneurial Development Model
Authors: Lechner Christian , Leyronas Christophe 
Published: April 2009

Why do small–business groups in developed countries exist? Research has shown the strong economic impact of business groups throughout the world but remains heavily focused on large–business groups and on emerging economies. Theoretical approaches to explain the existence of highly diversified business groups range from market power to the resource–based view and include market failure, transaction costs, agency theory, and cultural embeddedness. These approaches, however, are not very appropriate to explain the existence of small to medium–size firms in developed countries. What we know is that these smaller groups exist and that they are largely the outcome of related diversification. We investigate relatively small and young–business groups organized in a holding structure. What are the perceived benefits of this kind of group for entrepreneurs and how can we explain the phenomenon theoretically? Based on case study research, we argue that the small–business group is both the outcome and the antecedent of growth. It enables, and helps to realize and manage the growth of entrepreneurial firms. The enabling function consists in increasing reputation, attracting complementary resources that facilitate the exploitation of new opportunities, overcoming overembeddedness, and dealing with coopetition (concurrent cooperative and competitive relationships with another company). The group is also the outcome of realized internationalization and related diversification. Interestingly, for the emergence of the small–business group, just as important as diversification is the integration of activities as well as the separation of closely linked activities. Finally, the small–business group corresponds to an entrepreneurial management style. The main contribution of this article is to link organizational structure to the management and growth of entrepreneurial firms.
Bactrocera dorsalis preference for and performance on two mango varieties at three stages of ripeness
Authors: Rattanapun Wigunda , Amornsak Weerawan , Clarke Anthony R. 
Published: April 2009

AbstractMost tropical fruit flies only lay into mature fruit, but a small number can also oviposit into unripe fruit. Little is known about the link between adult oviposition preference and offspring performance in such situations. In this study, we examine the influence of different ripening stages of two mango, Mangifera indica L. (Anacardiaceae), varieties on the preference and performance of the Oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae), a fly known to be able to develop in unripe fruit. A series of laboratory‐based choice and no‐choice oviposition experiments and larval growth trials were carried out. The results demonstrated a general preference by B. dorsalis for mango variety Oakrong over variety Namdorkmai, but in most cases the single largest dependent variable influencing results was fruit ripening stage. Ripe and fully‐ripe mangoes were most preferred for oviposition by B. dorsalis. In contrast, unripe mango was infrequently used by ovipositing females, particularly in choice trials. Consistent with the results of oviposition preference, ripe and fully‐ripe mangoes were also best for offspring survival, with a higher percentage of larval survival to pupation and shorter development times in comparison to unripe mango. Changes in total soluble solids and pericarp toughness correlated with changing host use across the ripening stages. Regardless of the mango variety or ripeness stage, B. dorsalis had difficulty penetrating the pericarp of all fruits offered in experiments. Larval survival was also often poor in all experiments. We discuss the possibility that there may be differences in the ability of laboratory and wild flies to penetrate fruit for oviposition, or that in the field flies more regularly utilize natural fruit wounds as oviposition sites.
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor activation mediates nicotine‐induced enhancement of experimental periodontitis
Authors: Breivik T. , Gundersen Y. , Gjermo P. , Von Hörsten S. , Opstad P. K. 
Published: April 2009

Background and Objective:  Smokers have an increased risk of developing periodontitis as well as showing more rapid progression and resistance to treatment of the disease, but the biological mechanisms are poorly understood. This study was designed to investigate putative biological mechanisms by which nicotine may enhance the susceptibility and thus the course of periodontitis in an animal model.Material and Methods:  Ligature‐induced periodontitis was applied in periodontitis‐susceptible Fischer 344 rats. The animals were either given daily intraperitoneal injections of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist mecamylamine (1 mg/kg) 45 min before subcutaneous injections in the neck skin of nicotine (0.8 mg/kg), or treated with the same amount of saline intraperitoneally and nicotine subcutaneously, or treated with mecamylamine and saline. Control animals received intraperitoneal and subcutaneous injections of saline only. Periodontal bone loss was assessed when the ligatures had been in place for 3 wk. Two hours before decapitation, all rats received lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 100 μg/kg, intraperitoneally) to induce a robust immune and stress response.Results:  Compared with saline/saline‐treated control animals, saline/nicotine‐treated rats developed significantly more periodontal bone loss, and LPS provoked a significantly smaller increase in circulating levels of the cytokines tumour necrosis factor‐α, transforming growth factor‐1β and interleukin‐10. Mecamylamine pretreatment of nicotine‐treated rats abrogated the increased periodontal bone loss and the LPS‐induced decrease in tumour necrosis factor‐α, but had no significant effects on the levels of transforming growth factor‐1β and interleukin‐10, or the stress hormone corticosterone.Conclusion:  The results indicate that nicotine enhances the susceptibility to periodontitis via nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, which may act by suppressing protective immune responses through the cholinergic anti‐inflammatory pathway.
Obesity and metabolic syndrome in Brazilian patients with bipolar disorder
Authors: de Almeida Karla Mathias , de Macedo-Soares Márcia B. , Kluger Issler Cilly , Antonio Amaral José , Caetano Sheila C. , da Silva Dias Rodrigo , Lafer Beny 
Published: April 2009

Objective:We aimed to determine the prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome (O/MetS) in a sample of Brazilian outpatients with bipolar disorder.Methods:Eighty-four patients with bipolar disorder were evaluated. We used the definition of MetS established in the Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults, modified by the American Heart Association (AHA). Patients were classified as obese if their body mass index (BMI) was ≥ 30 kg/m2.Results:We found that 28.6% of our sample met the AHA criteria for MetS and 35.7% were obese. The percentage of patients meeting each criterion of the AHA was as follows: 46% for abdominal obesity; 44% for hypertriglyceridemia or cholesterol-lowering medication use; 26% for low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol or being on a lipid-lowering medication; 45% for hypertension; and 20% for high fasting glucose or anti-diabetic medication use.Conclusions:The prevalence of obesity in our sample of outpatients with bipolar disorder was higher than that observed for the general population of Brazil. The rate of MetS was similar to that observed for the general population. Our data indicate the need for prevention, early detection and treatment of O/MetS in patients with bipolar disorder.
Visuospatial encoding deficits and compensatory strategies in schizophrenia revealed by eye movement analysis during a working memory task
Authors: Cocchi Luca , Bosisio Francesca , Berchtold André , Orita Alina , Debbané Martin , Wood Stephen J. , Schenk Françoise 
Published: April 2009

Objective:To investigate scanpath abnormalities during the encoding of static stimuli in schizophrenia and their interaction with visuospatial working memory (VSWM) dysfunction.Methods:Outpatients with schizophrenia and control subjects were asked to encode a static pattern for subsequent recognition after a short delay. We measured the number of correct and incorrect choices. We also assessed the number and the distribution of fixations, the scanning time in specific regions of interest (ROIs) and the head movements during the encoding of the stimuli. The distributions of fixations and scanning time in definite ROIs during the discrimination of the correct pattern from the foils were also measured.Results:Patients recognised fewer correct patterns than controls. Correct trials in patients were characterised by a specific exploration of the central part of the stimulus during its presentation, whereas this feature was absent in incorrect trials. However, the scanning time and the numbers of fixations and head movements during encoding were similar in both groups and unrelated to recognition accuracy. In both groups, correct trials were associated with a selective exploration of the correct pattern amongst the six possibilities during recognition. Furthermore, patients gave more attention to incorrect patterns with a leftmost element identical to that of the correct response and also those approximating its global structure.Conclusion:Patients showed a VSWM deficit independent of oculomotor dysfunctions and head movements during encoding. Patients’ correct trials were related to specific scanning during encoding and discrimination phases. Analysis of these patterns suggests that patients try to compensate for reduced VSWM ability by using specific encoding strategies.
Early‐life nutritional and environmental determinants of thymic size in infants born in rural Bangladesh
Authors: Moore SE , Prentice AM , Wagatsuma Y , Fulford AJC , Collinson AC , Raqib R , Vahter M , Persson LÅ , Arifeen SE 
Published: April 2009

AbstractAim:  The aim was to assess the impact of nutritional status and environmental exposures on infant thymic development in the rural Matlab region of Bangladesh.Methods:  In a cohort of Nmax 2094 infants born during a randomized study of combined interventions to improve maternal and infant health, thymic volume (thymic index, TI) was assessed by ultrasonography at birth and at 8, 24 and 52 weeks of age. Data on birth weight, infant anthropometry and feeding status were also collected.Results:  At all ages, TI was positively associated with infant weight and strongly associated with the month of measurement. Longer duration of exclusive breastfeeding resulted in a larger TI at 52 weeks. TI at birth and at 8 weeks correlated positively with birth weight, but by 24 and 52 weeks and when adjusted for infant weight this effect was no longer present. Thymic size was not affected by pre‐natal maternal supplementation or by socioeconomic status but was correlated to arsenic exposure during pregnancy.Conclusion:  In this population of rural Bangladeshi infants, thymic development is influenced by both nutritional and environmental exposures early in life. The long‐term functional implications of these findings warrant further investigation.
Family correlates of adolescents’ emotional/behavioural problems: evidence from a Greek school‐based sample
Authors: Giannakopoulos G , Mihas C , Dimitrakaki C , Tountas Y 
Published: April 2009

AbstractAim:  To investigate the associations of some family characteristics with adolescents’ self‐reported emotional/behavioural problems.Methods:  Questionnaires were administered to a Greek nation‐wide random sample of adolescents (N = 1194) aged 11–18 years and their parents (N = 973) in 2003. The present analysis included the questionnaires completed by mothers and their offspring (639 families). Adolescents’ emotional/behavioural problems, as measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, were assessed in relation to family socioeconomic status and residence type, parental marital status, educational attainment and subjective mental health, family cohesion and parent–child relations.Results:  The analysis showed that parental marital status other than being married, poor parent–child relations and low levels of maternal subjective mental health were independently correlated with significantly more adolescents’ emotional/behavioural problems.Conclusion:  Family factors are potential determinants of adolescent emotional/behavioural problems and therefore are potential targets for prevention and/or intervention.
Fairy Tale and Folklore in the Nineteenth Century
Authors: Sumpter Caroline 
Published: April 2009

AbstractFairies and fairy tales continue to intrigue both academic and popular audiences. This article, while exploring the diverse approaches of recent scholars in this field, also raises disciplinary questions. Should the study of folklore and of the literary fairy tale be seen as separate research areas, one the preserve of the cultural historian and folklorist, the other the remit of the literary scholar? Can we even make a clear distinction in the nineteenth century between authored, literary fairy tales and orally collected supernatural folktales? If it is reductive to assume that the fairy tale can always be classified (and potentially dismissed) as children's literature, how might recent trends in Victorian studies suggest new ways of seeing and teaching the genre? Discussing the fairy tale in the context of debates over orality and authenticity, literature and science, all of these questions will be examined below.
Old English Literature and Same‐Sex Desire: An Overview
Authors: Clark David 
Published: April 2009

AbstractThe study of same‐sex desire in the medieval period has been heavily influenced by the work of John Boswell and Michel Foucault, and the debate between essentialism and social constructionism. The year 1990 was a watershed year for queer theory, with the publication of influential work by Sedgwick and Butler. However, work on medieval gender and sexuality has often ignored Old English literature and research in Old English studies has sometimes suffered from an emphasis on the heteronormative. Allen Frantzen's book,Before the Closet, put same‐sex desire in Old English literature on the map, and subsequent and current research draws productively on the insights of gender and queer theory. More work remains to be done in applying more recent queer theoretical writings to an early medieval context, and in researching the representations of female same‐sex interactions.
Continuing Medical Education: The Impact of Mental Illness and Psychotropic Medications on Sexual Functioning: The Evidence and Management (CME)
Authors: Clayton Anita H. , Balon Richard 
Published: April 2009

ABSTRACT

Background
Sexual dysfunction (SD) occurs frequently in patients with psychiatric illness.

Methods
The published literature on SD in patients with a psychiatric illness and/or taking psychotropic medications was reviewed.

Results
SD prevalence and type was found to vary with the specific psychiatric illness and medication treatment. Assessment is complicated by the presence of preexisting or comorbid sexual disorders or medical illness affecting sexual function. Direct questioning about sexual function before treatment and throughout the course of therapy is essential to establish baseline sexual functioning, patient preferences regarding medication side effects, and to identify medication-associated SD. A limited number of management strategies for SD in psychiatric patients have been systematically studied.

Conclusions
SD with psychiatric illness and its treatment requires early identification, and incorporation of patient preferences for successful management.
RELATIONSHIP OF PROP (6‐N‐PROPYLTHIOURACIL) TASTER STATUS WITH THE BODY MASS INDEX AND FOOD PREFERENCES OF FILIPINO ADULTS
Authors: VILLARINO BLANCA J. , FERNANDEZ CARLENETH P. , ALDAY JUDIT C. , CUBELO CHRISTLE GRACE R. 
Published: April 2009

ABSTRACTThe study determined the 6‐n‐propylthiouracil (PROP) status of Filipino adults and how it relates to their body mass indices (BMI) and food preferences. Self‐reported food preference checklists were administered to 100 male and female adults aged 18–60, classified according to BMI. Increasing concentrations of PROP and NaCl solutions were rated in labeled magnitude scale to establish the PROP taster status of the selected respondents. The Filipino adult respondents were composed of 12% nontasters, 45% medium tasters and 43% supertasters. No association (P > 0.05) between BMI and PROP taster status was found. Sweet‐tasting foods were the most preferred and bitter‐tasting foods were the least preferred within each taster status. Furthermore, medium tasters and supertasters had the highest acceptance for meats, fish and poultry, and least acceptance for beverages, which were mostly bitter. Decreased preferences for fats and oils, sugars and confectionery, and beverages were correlated (P < 0.05) with responsiveness to PROP.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSThe research provides a general baseline data of the PROP taster status of Filipino adults. The findings from this study can be used as a reference and can be compared to similar studies conducted in other countries. Likewise, the information from the study can add to the scarce data for taste genetics specifically for the Asian population. The relationship of PROP taster status with body mass index and food preferences can be a guide in the design of products and dietary plans. Likewise, the study would be a means to understand why people vary in liking for particular food items and how these can be reflected in their food consumption and nutritional status.
BITTERNESS IN YERBA MATE (ILEX PARAGUARIENSIS) LEAVES
Authors: PAGLIOSA C.M. , PEREIRA S.M. , VIEIRA M.A. , COSTA L.A. , TEIXEIRA E. , AMBONI R.D. DE M.C. , AMANTE E.R. 
Published: April 2009

ABSTRACTYerba mate is traditionally consumed in South America, and it has recently been highly publicized for its health benefits; however, consumers have felt differences in bitterness even in products of the same brand. The aim of this research was to compare the intensity of bitterness in native leaves and in cultivated leaves from 5‐ and 15‐year‐old trees, and determine the content of caffeine, reducing sugars and tannin in yerba mate leaves to explain their influence in bitterness. Bitterness was associated with age and cultivation of the plant, both of which can contribute to different blends of yerba mate. Sensory analysis revealed a significant difference between 5‐year‐old cultivated leaves and leaves from native trees and that bitterness decreases according to the age of the plant. Chemical analysis showed that caffeine and sugar content have no influence on its bitterness. However, tannin concentration is higher in younger plants, which are considered more bitter than older plants.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSConsumption of yerba mate (maté) is a social habit in South America; it is consumed as an infusion of theIlex paraguariensisleaves. The increase of maté consumption has raised the need for the cultivation of this plant in monoculture (cultivated trees) and also the interest of the industries to standardize the flavor of beverages made with yerba mate. Bitterness is the principal sensorial difference between several maté teas,chimarrãoandtereré. There are several practical observations on the relation between the age of the plant and bitter taste. Nowadays, it is common to use yerba mate leaves from cultivated plants, which are considered more bitter than native plants. Tannin, caffeine and sugar are also related to the taste characteristics of yerba mate. In this work, native and cultivated yerba mate leaves from three different farms were used with the objective of explaining those relations with the taste of yerba mate.