bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Primary Surgery in Rural Areas of Southern Sudan
Authors: Cometto Giorgio , Belgrano Edoardo , De Bonis Umberto , Giustetto Guido , Kiss Alberto , Taliente Peter , Meo Giuseppe 
Published: January 2012

AbstractBackgroundWe report through a retrospective analysis our experience of providing surgical care and on‐the‐job training through mobile surgical missions in southern Sudan during the post conflict period between 2005 and 2009.MethodsThree surgical teams conducted 23 missions in 5 primary health care centers sited in remote areas of southern Sudan. King’s analytical framework for surgical care in developing countries is adopted to evaluate the appropriateness of services rendered. Exact logistic regression was performed to investigate differences in mortality depending on the level of training of the operators and anesthetists.ResultsA total of 1,543 patients were operated on during a 5 year period, of which 9 (0.58%) died. The majority of operations were elective surgery cases (which may help contextualize the exceptionally low mortality rate). Several adaptations to surgical techniques adopted and preoperative and postoperative care were required. There were no statistically significant differences in mortality between operations performed by expatriate specialists and local midlevel providers with lower level training.ConclusionsThis experience in southern Sudan demonstrates that surgical services can be established utilizing simple facilities and equipment and employing local personnel selected and trained on‐the‐job by teams composed of a consultant surgeon, anesthetist, and scrub nurse. Delegation of tasks relating to anesthesia and surgery to midlevel health providers is an appropriate approach in developing countries facing shortage and maldistribution of more qualified health workers.
Pathways to Asian Civilizations: Tracing the Origins and Spread of Rice and Rice Cultures
Authors: Fuller Dorian Q. 
Published: January 2012

AbstractModern genetics, ecology and archaeology are combined to reconstruct the domestication and diversification of rice. Early rice cultivation followed two pathways towards domestication in India and China, with selection for domestication traits in early Yangtzejaponicaand a non-domestication feedback system inferred for ‘proto-indica’. The protracted domestication process finished around 6,500–6,000 years ago in China and about two millennia later in India, when hybridization with Chinese rice took place. Subsequently farming populations grew and expanded by migration and incorporation of pre-existing populations. These expansions can be linked to hypothetical language family dispersal models, including dispersal from China southwards by the Sino-Tibetan and Austronesian groups. In South Asia much dispersal of rice took place after Indo-Aryan and Dravidian speakers adopted rice from speakers of lost languages of northern India.
Family Structure Transitions and Changes in Maternal Resources and Well-being
Authors: Osborne Cynthia , Berger Lawrence M. , Magnuson Katherine 
Published: January 2012

Abstract
This article uses data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to examine whether family instability is associated with changes in perceived social support, material hardship, maternal depression, and parenting stress among mothers of young children. In addition to accounting for the number of transitions that a mother experiences during the first five years of her child’s life, we pay close attention to the type and timing of these transitions. We find that mothers who transition to cohabitation or marriage with their child’s biological father experience declines in material hardship and that those who transition to cohabitation or marriage with another man exhibit modest declines in both material hardship and depression. Mothers who exit cohabiting or marital relationships encounter decreases in perceived social support and increases in material hardship, depression, and parenting stress. Overall, our results suggest that both the type and, to a much lesser degree, the timing of family structure transitions may influence maternal well-being.
Effect of vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy on neonatal mineral homeostasis and anthropometry of the newborn and infant
Authors: Kalra Pramila , Das Vinita , Agarwal Anjoo , Kumar Mala , Ramesh V. , Bhatia Eesh , Gupta Sarika , Singh Swati , Saxena Priya , Bhatia Vijayalakshmi 
Published: January 2012

Hypovitaminosis D is common in India. In the present prospective partially randomised study of vitamin D (D3) supplementation during pregnancy, subjects were randomised in the second trimester to receive either one oral dose of 1500 μg vitamin D3(group 1,n48) or two doses of 3000 μg vitamin D3each in the second and third trimesters (group 2,n49). Maternal 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) at term, cord blood (CB) alkaline phosphatase (ALP), neonatal serum Ca and anthropometry were measured in these subjects and in forty-three non-supplemented mother–infant pairs (usual care). Median maternal 25(OH)D at term was higher in group 2 (58·7, interquartile range (IQR) 38·4–89·4 nmol/l)v. group 1 (26·2, IQR 17·7–57·7 nmol/l) and usual-care group (39·2, IQR 21·2–73·4 nmol/l) (P = 0·000). CB ALP was increased (>8.02 μkat/l or >480 IU/l) in 66·7 % of the usual-care groupv. 41·9 % of group 1 and 38·9 % of group 2 (P = 0·03). Neonatal Ca and CB 25(OH)D did not differ significantly in the three groups. Birth weight, length and head circumference were greater and the anterior fontanelle was smaller in groups 1 and 2 (3·08 and 3·03 kg, 50·3 and 50·1 cm, 34·5 and 34·4 cm, 2·6 and 2·5 cm, respectively)v. usual care (2·77 kg, 49·4, 33·6, 3·3 cm;P = 0·000 for length, head circumference and fontanelle andP = 0·003 for weight). These differences were still evident at 9 months. We conclude that both 1500 μg and two doses of 3000 μg vitamin D3had a beneficial effect on infant anthropometry, the larger dose also improving CB ALP and maternal 25(OH)D.
Dietary arginine supplementation alleviates immune challenge induced bySalmonella entericaserovar Choleraesuis bacterin potentially through the Toll-like receptor 4-myeloid differentiation factor 88 signalling pathway in weaned piglets
Authors: Chen Yu , Chen Daiwen , Tian Gang , He Jun , Mao Xiangbing , Mao Qian , Yu Bing 
Published: January 2012

The present study evaluated whether dietary arginine (Arg) supplementation could attenuate immune challenge induced bySalmonella entericaserovar Choleraesuis C500 (S.C500) through the Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4-myeloid differentiation factor 88 (Myd88) signalling pathway in weaned piglets. A total of thirty-six weaned pigs were randomly allocated into six groups with six replicates per group. Pigs were subjected to three dietary treatments (namely two groups per treatment) in the first week (0–7 d) and fed with diets containing 0, 0·5 and 1·0 %l-Arg, respectively. On day 8, pigs were injected intramuscularly either with S.C500 or sterile saline. Serum samples were collected at day 8 (before injection), and at 1, 3 and 10 d post-injection, pigs were killed for evaluation of tissue gene expression following the last blood collection. Piglets fed the diets with 0·5 or 1·0 % Arg supplementation had a higher concentration of serum Arg (P < 0·05). S.C500-challenged piglets had higher (P < 0·05) serum antibody levels during the days 9–18. Weight gain and feed intake were decreased remarkably (P < 0·01) after the injection of S.C500, and 0·5 or 1·0 % Arg supplementation tended to alleviate the inhibition. The S.C500 challenge significantly enhanced (P < 0·05) serum C-reactive protein (CRP), interferon-γ and IL-12 concentrations, but Arg supplementation attenuated (P < 0·05) the increase in CRP level. The mRNA expression of TLR4, TLR5, Myd88, p65 NF-κB and TNF-α was up-regulated (P < 0·05) by the S.C500 challenge in different tissues, but was down-regulated (P < 0·05) by Arg supplementation. In conclusion, Arg supplementation could inhibit the excessive activation of the TLR4-Myd88 signalling pathway and thus attenuated the negative effects caused by the immune challenge of S.C500.
Role of hepaticde novolipogenesis in the development of fasting-induced fatty liver in the American mink (Neovison vison)
Authors: Rouvinen-Watt Kirsti , Harris Lora , Dick Morag , Pal Catherine , Lei Sha , Mustonen Anne-Mari , Nieminen Petteri 
Published: January 2012

American mink (Neovison vison) develop fatty liver quickly in response to food deprivation, which results in preferential mobilisation ofn-3 PUFA. The alteredn-3:n-6 PUFA ratio in the liver may activate the endocannabinoid system resulting in increased lipid synthesis. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of feeding intensity (80 or 120 % RDA), dietary fat source (n-3,n-6 orn-9 fatty acids (FA)) and short-term fasting (1–7 d) on hepaticde novolipogenesis (DNL) and the development of fatty liver in mink. Significantly elevated expression of mRNA encoding for acetyl-CoA carboxylase-1 (ACC-1) and FA synthase (FAS) was observed in the liver of mink fasted for 5–7 d, while upon re-feeding for 28 d after a 7 d food deprivation, DNL returned to pre-fasting levels. The females had a higher expression of ACC-1 and FAS mRNA than the males. In the non-fasted animals, dietary fat source and feeding intensity had significant effects on ACC-1 mRNA. The highest levels were observed in the mink fed the rapeseed oil (n-9) diet at 80 % RDA, while the lowest levels were seen when the same diet was fed at 120 % RDA. For FAS, the highest gene expression was seen in the fasted mink fed at 80 % RDA and the lowest in the non-fasted mink fed at 80 %. It is concluded that short-term food deprivation induces hepatic lipidosis in mink and that during this process, hepatic DNL further exacerbates liver fat accumulation.
INCOME INEQUALITY AND OBESITY PREVALENCE AMONG OECD COUNTRIES
Authors: SU DEJUN , ESQUEDA OMAR A. , LI LIFENG , PAGÁN JOSÉ A. 
Published: January 2012

SummaryUsing recent pooled data from the World Health Organization Global Infobase and the World Factbook compiled by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States, this study assesses the relation between income inequality and obesity prevalence among 31 OECD countries through a series of bivariate and multivariate linear regressions. The United States and Mexico well lead OECD countries in both obesity prevalence and income inequality. A sensitivity analysis suggests that the inclusion or exclusion of these two extreme cases can fundamentally change the findings. When the two countries are included, the results reveal a positive correlation between income inequality and obesity prevalence. This correlation is more salient among females than among males. Income inequality alone is associated with 16% and 35% of the variations in male and female obesity rates, respectively, across OECD countries in 2010. Higher levels of income inequality in the 2005–2010 period were associated with a more rapid increase in obesity prevalence from 2002 to 2010. These associations, however, virtually disappear when the US and Mexico have been excluded from the analysis. Findings from this study underscore the importance of assessing the impact of extreme cases on the relation between income inequality and health outcomes. The potential pathways from income inequality to the alarmingly high rates of obesity in the cases of the US and Mexico warrant further research.
The ‘patient journey’ of adults with sudden-onset acquired hearing impairment: a pilot study
Authors: Manchaiah V K C , Stephens D 
Published: January 2012

AbstractObjective:A previous study examined the ‘patient journey’ of adults with gradual-onset acquired hearing impairment. This study examined the same for adults with sudden-onset acquired hearing impairment, and assessed differences.Study design:Data were collected from 16 audiologists, using the Ida Institute template, and from four adults with sudden-onset acquired hearing impairment, through semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using thematic analysis and presented using a process mapping model.Results:A patient journey template for sudden-onset acquired hearing impairment was developed based on the professionals' and patients' perspectives. The main difference between these two groups' perspectives was seen in the self-evaluation phase: some stages within this phase were recognised by the patients but not by the professionals. The main difference between the current and the previous study was the absence of a pre-awareness phase in the journey described by patients with sudden-onset acquired hearing impairment, compared with that described by patients with gradual-onset acquired hearing impairment.Conclusion:Patient journey templates could be useful counselling tools for ear and hearing healthcare specialists. However, such templates should be used only as a baseline; it is important to take a detailed case history to understand each patient's unique experience, including the psychosocial impact of hearing impairment.
Bacterial response to a weak 2006 El Niño condition in an upwelling area of the Humboldt Current System
Authors: Fuentes Marcelo , Escribano Rubén , Cuevas L. Antonio 
Published: January 2012

Abundance and production of the pelagic heterotrophic bacteria community were studied at northern Chile during winter and summer periods of 2006–2007 in relation to seasonal changes in physical and chemical variables, including the influence of a weak El Niño event. Bacterial abundance was estimated by flow cytometry and secondary bacterial production by protein synthesis after bacterial uptake of14C-isoleucine. Bacterial biomass showed high values in the range of 2.84 at 96.6 µ g C l−1d−1with a bacterial growth efficiency (BGE) of 37.4% in the summer of 2007, and 2.7% in the winter of 2006. High amounts of C (~1.2 to 1.8 g C m−2d−1) were used for bacterial respiration in the upper 20 m. Environmental impact on bacterial abundance and BGE was reflected in a positive correlation with phytoplankton biomass (r2 > 0.40P < 0.05), and a lack of correlation with temperature (P > 0.05). Seasonal differences in abundance and BGE were mainly attributed to an ‘abnormally’ warm winter of 2006, which caused a greater stratification of the water column—a weaker and much deeper oxycline. The oxycline is normally shallower (<20 m) in the zone because of the ascent of the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) upon upwelling. Winter 2006 conditions indicated presence of a weak El Niño event. Bacteria abundance increased during this warming event, but their metabolic activity was drastically reduced, resulting in a very low BGE. Our study suggests that changes from a prevailing sub-oxic to a highly oxygenated water column could have impacted the bacterial community, thus reducing its productive capacity. Therefore, variation in vertical distribution of the OMZ forced by upwelling variability and the El Niño impact might play an important role in the dynamics of the microbial component in this highly productive upwelling system.
A bidirectional study on the acquisition of plural noun phrase interpretation in English and Spanish
Authors: IONIN TANIA , MONTRUL SILVINA , CRIVOS MÓNICA 
Published: January 2012

ABSTRACTThis paper investigates how learners interpret definite plural noun phrases (e.g., the tigers) and bare (article-less) plural noun phrases (e.g., tigers) in their second language. Whereas Spanish allows definite plurals to have both generic and specific readings, English requires definite plurals to have specific, nongeneric readings. Generic readings in English are expressed with bare plurals, which are ungrammatical in Spanish in preverbal subject position. Two studies were conducted in order to investigate the role of first language transfer in this domain in both English → Spanish and Spanish → English directions. Study 1 used a meaning-focused task to probe learners’ interpretation of definite plural nour phrases, whereas Study 2 used a form-focused task to examine learners’ judgments of the acceptability of definite and bare plurals in generic versus specific contexts. First language transfer was attested in both directions, at lower proficiency levels, whereas more targetlike performance was attested at higher proficiency levels. Furthermore, learners were found to be more successful in learning about the (un)grammaticality of bare plurals in the target language than in assigning the target interpretation to definite versus bare plurals. This finding is shown to be consistent with other studies’ findings of plural noun phrase interpretation in monolingual and bilingual children.
A qualitative comparison of cognitive-behavioural and evidence-based clinical supervision
Authors: Milne Derek L. , Reiser Robert P. , Cliffe Tom , Breese Lauren , Boon Annabel , Raine Rosamund , Scarratt Phillippa 
Published: January 2012

AbstractDespite the acknowledged importance of clinical supervision, controlled research is minimal and has rarely addressed the measurement or manipulation of clinical supervision, hampering our understanding and application of the different supervision methods. We therefore compared two related approaches to supervision, cognitive-behavioural (CBT) and evidence-based clinical supervision (EBCS), evaluating their relative effectiveness in facilitating the experiential learning of one supervisee. Drawing on a multiple-baselineN= 1 design, we gathered mostly qualitative data by means of an episode analysis, a content analysis, a satisfaction questionnaire, and interviews with the supervisor and supervisee. We found that the EBCS approach was associated with higher supervision fidelity and increased engagement in experiential learning by the supervisee. This case study in the evaluation of supervision illustrates the successful application of some rarely applied qualitative methods and some potential supervision enhancements, which could contribute to the development of CBT supervision.
Acquiring Knowledge of Derived Nominals and Derived Adjectives in Context
Authors: Marinellie Sally A. , Kneile Lynn A. 
Published: January 2012

Purpose
This research investigated children’s ability to acquire semantic and syntactic knowledge of derived nominals and derived adjectives in the context of short passages. The study also investigated the relation of morphological awareness and the ability to acquire knowledge of derived words in context.

Method
A total of 106 children in Grade 4 were given an author-created evaluation, the Derivational Acquisition in Context Evaluation (DAICE), which consisted of several short passages. Each passage contained two instances of a target base word followed by one instance of a derived form of the base word. A multiple-choice measure was administered to assess the children’s knowledge of 12 derived words (6 nominals and 6 adjectives). A measure of morphological awareness was given to assess the children’s relational knowledge between root words and their suffixes.

Results
No significant differences were found for overall performance on derived nominals and derived adjectives. However, the acquisition of semantic and syntactic knowledge was dependent on target word type. A significant relation was found between performance on the measure of morphological awareness and performance on derived nominals.

Conclusion
This research provided evidence for fast mapping of derived nominals and derived adjectives within the context of short passages. Future directions of related research are suggested.
Survey of High School Students' Perceptions About Their iPod Use, Knowledge of Hearing Health, and Need for Education
Authors: Danhauer Jeffrey L. , Johnson Carole E. , Dunne Aislinn F. , Young Matthew D. , Rotan Suzanne N. , Snelson Tasha A. , Stockwell Jennifer S. , McLain Michelle J. 
Published: January 2012

Purpose
High school students' knowledge about hearing health and their perceptions of how they use personal listening devices (PLDs) including iPods were surveyed to determine the need, content, and preferred format for educational outreach to them.

Method
This study was a descriptive convenience survey of students at a California high school. An 83-item questionnaire was administered in December 2009 to assess students' demographics, knowledge of hearing health, perceived iPod use, and risk activities.

Results
The response rate was 56%. Most of the students perceived that they used iPods safely. However, responses indicated that many of the respondents could be at risk of injury to themselves or others if they became unaware of their surroundings while listening to iPods. Some students were knowledgeable about hearing health and safe iPod use, but most needed information about hearing loss and hearing conservation.

Conclusion
Most of the students needed education (e.g., via health classes or the Internet) about hearing health, the warning signs of hearing loss, and how to prevent hearing loss. Resources for educational audiologists are provided.
Dynamic Assessment of Word Learning Skills: Identifying Language Impairment in Bilingual Children
Authors: Kapantzoglou Maria , Restrepo M. Adelaida , Thompson Marilyn S. 
Published: January 2012

Purpose
Bilingual children are often diagnosed with language impairment, although they may simply have fewer opportunities to learn English than English-speaking monolingual children. This study examined whether dynamic assessment (DA) of word learning skills is an effective method for identifying bilingual children with primary language impairment (PLI).

Method
Fifteen 4- and 5-year-old predominantly Spanish-speaking children with typical language development (TLD) and 13 with PLI each participated in a 30- to 40-min session of DA of word learning skills following a pretest–teach–posttest design.

Results
Results indicated that TLD children made associations between the phonological and semantic representations of the new words faster than children with PLI did, showing greater modifiability. Further, a combination of word learning in the receptive modality and the Learning Strategies Checklist (Lidz, 1991; Peña, 1993) provided the best accuracy in identifying PLI in these children.

Conclusion
Findings suggest that a brief DA is a promising method for accurately differentiating children with TLD from children with PLI.
LhnR and upstream operon LhnABC in Agrobacterium vitis regulate the induction of tobacco hypersensitive responses, grape necrosis and swarming motility
Authors: ZHENG DESEN , HAO GUIXIA , CURSINO LUCIANA , ZHANG HONGSHENG , BURR THOMAS J. 
Published: January 2012

SUMMARYThe characterization of Tn5 transposon insertional mutants of Agrobacterium vitis strain F2/5 revealed a gene encoding a predicted LysR‐type transcriptional regulator, lhnR (for ‘LysR‐type regulator associated with HR and necrosis’), and an immediate upstream operon consisting of three open reading frames (lhnABC) required for swarming motility, surfactant production and the induction of a hypersensitive response (HR) on tobacco and necrosis on grape. The operon lhnABC is unique to A. vitis among the sequenced members in Rhizobiaceae. Mutagenesis of lhnR and lhnABC by gene disruption and complementation of ΔlhnR and ΔlhnABC confirmed their roles in the expression of these phenotypes. Mutation of lhnR resulted in complete loss of HR, swarming motility, surfactant production and reduced necrosis, whereas mutation of lhnABC resulted in loss of swarming motility, delayed and reduced HR development and reduced surfactant production and necrosis. The data from promoter–green fluorescent protein (gfp) fusions showed that lhnR suppresses the expression of lhnABC and negatively autoregulates its own expression. It was also shown that lhnABC negatively affects its own expression and positively affects the transcription of lhnR. lhnR and lhnABC constitute a regulatory circuit that coordinates the transcription level of lhnR, resulting in the expression of swarming, surfactant, HR and necrosis phenotypes.