bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Exciton Effects in Optical Absorption Spectra of Boron-Nitride Nanotubes
Authors: Harigaya Kikuo 
Published: October 2009

AbstractExciton effects are studied in single-wall boron-nitride (BN) nanotubes. Linear absorption spectra are calculated with changingthe chiral index of the zigzag nanotubes. We consider the extended Hubbard model with atomic energies at the boron and nitrogen sites.Exciton effects are calculated using the configuration interaction technique. The Coulomb interaction dependence of the band gap,the lowest exciton energy, and the binding energy of the exciton are discussed. The optical gap of the (5,0) nanotube is about 6 eVat the onsite interaction U=2t with the hopping integral t=1.1 eV. The binding energy of the exciton is 0.50 eV for these parameters.This energy agrees well with that of other theoretical investigations. We find that the energy gap and the binding energy are almostindependent of the geometries of the nanotubes. This novel property is in contrast with that of the carbon nanotubes which show metallicand semiconducting properties depending on the chiral index. Comparison with recent experiments will be discussed.
Providing Continuity of Care for Chronic Diseases in the Aftermath of Katrina: From Field Experience to Policy Recommendations
Authors: Arrieta Martha I. , Foreman Rachel D. , Crook Errol D. , Icenogle Marjorie L. 
Published: October 2009

ABSTRACTThis study sought to elicit challenges and solutions in the provision of health care to those with chronic diseases after Hurricane Katrina in coastal Alabama and Mississippi. In-depth interviews with 30 health and social service providers (key informants) and 4 focus groups with patients with chronic diseases were conducted. Subsequently an advisory panel of key informants was convened. Findings were summarized and key informants submitted additional feedback. The chronic diseases identified as medical management priorities by key informants were mental health, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, respiratory illness, end-stage renal disease, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. The most frequently mentioned barrier to providing care was maintaining continuity of medications. Contributing factors were inadequate information (inaccessible medical records, poor patient knowledge) and financial constraints. Implemented or suggested solutions included relaxation of insurance limitations preventing advance prescription refills; better predisaster patient education to improve medical knowledge; promotion of personal health records; support for information technology systems at community health centers, in particular electronic medical records; improved allocation of donated medications/medical supplies (centralized coordination, decentralized distribution); and networking between local responders and external aid. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2009;3:174–182)
Clinical trial: the effects of a fermented milk containing three probiotic bacteria in patients with irritable bowel syndrome – a randomized, double‐blind, controlled study
Authors: SIMRÉN M. , ÖHMAN L. , OLSSON J. , SVENSSON U. , OHLSON K. , POSSERUD I. , STRID H. 
Published: October 2009

SummaryBackground  The effects of probiotic bacteria in IBS remain controversial.Aim  To study the effects of a probiotic product on IBS symptoms.Methods  We randomized 74 IBS patients to receive 8 weeks of daily treatment with 400 mL milk fermented with the yoghurt bacteria and containing Lactobacillus paracasei, ssp. paracasei F19, Lactobacillus acidophilus La5 and Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12 (Cultura; active) or acidified milk without these bacteria (control). The primary endpoint was the proportion of subjects reporting adequate relief of their IBS symptoms at least 50% of the weeks. IBS symptom severity, psychological symptoms and quality of life were assessed.Results  The proportion of responders was 38% (14/37 patients) in the active group and 27% (10/37 patients) in the control group (P = 0.3). IBS symptom severity improved significantly in both groups during the treatment period. This change was greater in the active group during the first 2 weeks, but thereafter, no significant group differences were seen.Conclusions  We could not detect a clearly positive effect of fermented milk containing three probiotic bacteria on GI symptoms in IBS patients compared with the control treatment. However, a trend towards a more favourable effect during the first weeks was seen in the active group. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 31, 218–227
Thermotectonic evolution of the Ukrainian Donbas Foldbelt revisited: new constraints from zircon and apatite fission track data
Authors: Danišík M. , Sachsenhofer R. F. , Frisch W. , Privalov V. A. , Panova E. A. , Spiegel C. 
Published: October 2009

ABSTRACTThe Donbas Foldbelt (DF) is the compressionally deformed segment of a large Late Palaeozoic rift cross‐cutting the southern part of the East European Craton and is traditionally described as a classic example of an inverted intracratonic rift basin. Proposed formational models are often controversial and numerous issues are still a matter of speculation, primarily due to the lack of absolute time constraints and insufficient knowledge of the thermal evolution. We investigate the low‐temperature thermal history of the DF by means of zircon fission track and apatite fission track (AFT) thermochronology applied to Upper Carboniferous sediments. In all samples, the AFT chronometer was reset shortly after deposition in the Early Permian (∼275 Ma). Samples contained kinetically variable apatites that are sensitive to different temperatures and using statistic‐based component analysis incorporating annealing characteristics of individual grains assessed by Dpar , we identified several distinct age populations, ranging from the Late Permian (∼265 Ma) to the Late Cretaceous (∼70 Ma). We could thus constrain the thermal history of the DF during a ∼200 Myr long period following the thermal maximum. We found that earliest cooling of Permian and Permo‐Triassic age is recorded on the basin margins whereas the central parts were residing in or slowly cooling through the apatite partial annealing zone during Jurassic and most of Cretaceous times, and then finally cooled to near‐surface conditions latest around the Cretaceous/Palaeogene boundary. Our data show that Permian erosion was less significant and Mesozoic erosion more significant than generally assumed. Inversion and pop‐up of the DF occurred in the Cretaceous and not in the Permian as previously thought. This is indicated by overall Cretaceous AFT ages in the central parts of the basin.
Feedbacks of sedimentation on crustal heat flow: New insights from the Vøring Basin, Norwegian Sea
Authors: Theissen S. , Rüpke L. H. 
Published: October 2009

ABSTRACTBasement heat flow is one of the key unknowns in sedimentary basin analysis. Its quantification is challenging not in the least due to the various feedback mechanisms between the basin and lithosphere processes. This study explores two main feedbacks, sediment blanketing and thinning of sediments during lithospheric stretching, in a series of synthetic models and a reconstruction case study from the Norwegian Sea. Three types of basin models are used: (1) a newly developed one‐dimensional (1D) forward model, (2) a decompaction/backstripping approach and (3) the commercial basin modelling software TECMOD2D for automated forward basin reconstructions. The blanketing effect of sedimentation is reviewed and systematically studied in a suite of 1D model runs. We find that even for moderate sedimentation rates (0.5 mm year−1), basement heat flow is depressed by ∼25% with respect to the case without sedimentation; for high sedimentation rates (1.5 mm year−1), basement heat flow is depressed by ∼50%. We have further compared different methods for computing sedimentation rates from the presently observed stratigraphy. Here, we find that decompaction/backstripping‐based methods may systematically underestimate sedimentation rates and total subsidence. The reason for this is that sediments are thinned during lithosphere extension in forward basin models while there are not in backstripping/decompaction approaches. The importance of sediment blanketing and differences in modelling approaches is illustrated in a reconstruction case study from the Norwegian Sea. The thermal and structural evolution of a transect across the Vøring Basin has been reconstructed using the backstripping/decompaction approach and TECMOD2D. Computed total subsidence curves differ by up to ∼3 km and differences in computed basement heat flows reach up to 50%. These findings show that strong feedbacks exist between basin and lithosphere processes and that resolving them require integrated lithosphere‐scale basin models.
Strengthening conflict‐of‐interest policies in medicine
Authors: Cosgrove Lisa , Bursztajn Harold J. 
Published: October 2009

AbstractRationale, aims and objectives  Conflict‐of‐interest (COI) policies have played a vital role in protecting the integrity of science as well as protecting patients' welfare. However, the usefulness of these policies could be enhanced by addressing gaps in disclosure requirements, especially insofar as these gaps may impede the intended neutrality of COI policies. For example, current COI policies have not addressed potential conflicts created by indirect industry funding, such as when pharmaceutical companies provide general funding to researchers' academic departments or to medical educational programmes. Nor do they address the consequent creation of climates of opinion, which may marginalize important criticisms and undermine progress on this important policy issue.Methods  The authors used a critical thinking approach to analyze the gaps in existing COI policies.Conclusion  Taking the position that a more adequate system of checks and balances is needed, the authors offer specific recommendations for improving current policies and for addressing the issue of indirect support.
Social cognition in children with Down's syndrome: challenges to research and theory building
Authors: Cebula K. R. , Moore D. G. , Wishart J. G. 
Published: October 2009

AbstractCharacterising how socio‐cognitive abilities develop has been crucial to understanding the wider development of typically developing children. It is equally central to understanding developmental pathways in children with intellectual disabilities such as Down's syndrome. While the process of acquisition of socio‐cognitive abilities in typical development and in autism has received considerable attention, socio‐cognitive development in Down's syndrome has received far less scrutiny. Initial work in the 1970s and 1980s provided important insights into the emergence of socio‐cognitive abilities in the children's early years, and recently there has been a marked revival of interest in this area, with research focusing both on a broader range of abilities and on a wider age range. This annotation reviews some of these more recent findings, identifies outstanding gaps in current understanding, and stresses the importance of the development of theory in advancing research and knowledge in this field. Barriers to theory building are discussed and the potential utility of adopting a transactional approach to theory building illustrated with reference to a model of early socio‐cognitive development in Down's syndrome. The need for a more extensive model of social cognition is emphasised, as is the need for larger‐scale, finer‐grained, longitudinal work which recognises the within‐individual and within‐group variability which characterises this population. The value of drawing on new technologies and of adapting innovative research paradigms from other areas of typical and atypical child psychology is also highlighted.
Genetic diversity and phylogeography in two diploid ferns, Asplenium fontanum subsp. fontanum and A. petrarchae subsp. bivalens, in the western Mediterranean
Authors: HUNT H. V. , ANSELL S. W. , RUSSELL S. J. , SCHNEIDER H. , VOGEL J. C. 
Published: October 2009

Abstract Asplenium fontanum subsp. fontanum and A. petrarchae subsp. bivalens are diploid rock ferns of limestone outcrops of the western Mediterranean region. Asplenium fontanum subsp. fontanum occurs from Valencia through northeastern Spain to the Alpes‐Maritimes and Swiss Jura. Asplenium petrarchae subsp. bivalens occurs only on Majorca, in Valencia and possibly in southern Spain. We analysed allozyme and chloroplast genetic marker diversity in 75 populations of A. fontanum subsp. fontanum and 12 populations of A. petrarchae subsp. bivalens sampled from across their respective ranges. The two species show similar levels of species and population genetic diversity to one another and to other diploid European Asplenium taxa. Both are predominantly outbreeding, as indicated by FIS = 0.108 and 0.167 respectively. Substantial between‐population differentiation results largely from differentiation between regions. Isolation by distance operates over limited geographic ranges, up to 50 km. In A. fontanum subsp. fontanum, the major geographical differentiation between Valencia and the rest of the taxon range probably represents an ancient range fragmentation. A less pronounced differentiation divides populations in the SW from those in the NE of the range, with evidence for a biogeographic link between the eastern Pyrenees and southeastern France. High diversity in the Pyrenees may either represent ancient population differentiation, or a suture zone. In A. petrarchae subsp. bivalens, populations on Majorca exhibit a subset of the genetic diversity present in Valencia, although the two regions are strongly differentiated by differing allele frequencies. Dispersal from the mainland may have founded Majorcan populations, although a role for in situ island survival cannot be excluded.
Hybridization involving independent gametophytes in the Vandenboschia radicans complex (Hymenophyllaceae): a new perspective on the distribution of fern hybrids
Authors: EBIHARA ATSUSHI , MATSUMOTO SADAMU , ITO MOTOMI 
Published: October 2009

AbstractTo test our hypothesis of hybrid formation involving the ‘independent gametophyte’ phenomenon in ferns, we identified the genomic formulae and ploidy level of gametophytes of the Vandenboschia radicans complex at the periphery of a sporophyte population. We identified haploid gametophytes of V. kalamocarpa (one of the two putative parents of V.×stenosiphon) in a hybrid sporophyte population in Japan that lacks fertile non‐hybrid individuals. Furthermore, diploid sporophytes of the species were not found within a 50‐km radius. This finding supports a hypothesis of hybridization involving the ‘independent gametophyte’ phenomenon and provides a new perspective on the geographical distribution of fern hybrids.
Major mite allergen Der f 1 concentration is reduced in buildings with improved energy performance
Authors: Spertini F. , Berney M. , Foradini F. , Roulet C.‐A. 
Published: October 2009

To cite this article: Spertini F, Berney M, Foradini F, Roulet C‐A. Major mite allergen Der f 1 concentration is reduced in buildings with improved energy performance. Allergy 2010; 65: 623–629.AbstractBackground:  Environmental conditions play a crucial role in mite growth, and optimal environmental control is key in the prevention of airway inflammation in chronic allergic rhinoconjunctivitis or asthma.Objective:  To evaluate the relationship between building energy performance and indoor mite allergen concentration in a cross‐sectional study.Methods:  Major allergen concentration (Der f 1, Der p 1, mite group 2, Fel d 1 and Bla g 2) was determined by quantitative dot blot analysis from mattress and carpet dust samples in five buildings designed for low energy use (LEB) and in six control buildings (CB). Inhabitants had received 4 weeks prior to mite measurement a personal validated questionnaire related to the perceived state of health and comfort of living.Results:  Cumulative mite allergen concentration (with Der f 1 as the major contributor) was significantly lower in LEB as compared with CB both in mattresses and in carpets. In contrast, the two categories of buildings did not differ in Bla g 2 and Fel d 1 concentration, in the amount of dust and airborne mould collected. Whereas temperature was higher in LEB, relative humidity was significantly lower than in CB. Perceived overall comfort was better in LEB.Conclusions:  Major mite allergen Der f 1 preferentially accumulates in buildings not specifically designed for low energy use, reaching levels at risk for sensitization. We hypothesize that controlled mechanical ventilation present in all audited LEB may favour lower air humidity and hence lower mite growth and allergen concentration, while preserving optimal perceived comfort.
Transient neurological symptoms after spinal anaesthesia with levobupivacaine 5 mg/ml or lidocaine 20 mg/ml
Authors: GOZDEMIR M. , MUSLU B. , SERT H. , USTA B. , DEMIRCIOGLU R. I. , KARATAS O. F. , SURGIT O. 
Published: October 2009

Background: Transient neurological symptoms (TNS) after spinal anaesthesia have been reported most commonly in association with lidocaine, but have been observed with other local anaesthetics. The aim of this prospective, randomized, double‐blind study was to investigate the incidence of TNS after spinal anaesthesia with either levobupivacaine or lidocaine.Methods: Patients undergoing inguinal hernia, appendectomy, varicose vein or minor orthopaedic operations were included in the study (60 patients; 47 male, 13 female, overall mean age 30 years). All patients had an American Society of Anesthesiologists score of I or II. The patients were randomly assigned to receive spinal anaesthesia with either 20 mg isobaric levobupivacaine (5 mg/ml) or 80 mg isobaric lidocaine (20 mg/ml). Onset of sensory and motor block and side effects were recorded. On post‐operative days 1, 2, and 3, patients were interviewed by an investigator blinded to the spinal anaesthetic used. The patients were classified as having TNS if, following recovery from anaesthesia, there was pain in the buttocks, thighs and/or lower limbs.Results: In the levobupivacaine group, one patient (3.33%) experienced TNS, whereas in the lidocaine group, eight (26.6%) experienced TNS (P=0.002). Maximum times to arrival of sensory blocks were shorter with lidocaine (P<0.001). The levobupivacaine and lidocaine groups did not differ significantly in terms of the highest dermatome included in sensory block or motor block grade.Conclusion: After spinal anaesthesia with levobupivacaine, the incidence of TNS was much less than after lidocaine. However, it appears that TNS may occur in association with levobupivacaine.
SCHOLARLY PAPER
Authors: Lange Anita , Cheek Julianne 
Published: October 2009

Lane A & Cheek J. International Journal of Nursing Practice 1997; 3: 2–9 Health policy and the nursing profession: A deafening silence The Australian healthcare system, and those of many other Western countries are experiencing significant shifts in the development of health policy. Many of these shifts are directly related to economic factors that have contributed to the spiralling costs of health care. The trends in health policy appear to be embracing a ‘market driven’ approach to the distribution of resources and health services. Technology and medical developments have contributed to these current economic trends. Over the past 20 years nurses have been faced with significant shifts in the direction of health policy to the extent that many policies have significantly impacted upon their practice without their apparent contribution. Several theoretical positions exist about nurses’ lack of policy participation. This paper examines some of the current health policy changes in Australia that are perceived to have had the greatest impact on the nursing practice, and identifies some of the barriers to the nursing profession’s participation in the formulation of health policy.
Influence of inflammatory cytokine polymorphisms on eradication rates of Helicobacter pylori
Authors: Sugimoto Mitsushige , Furuta Takahisa , Yamaoka Yoshio 
Published: October 2009

AbstractPro‐inflammatory cytokines and anti‐inflammatory cytokines are produced in gastric mucosa from inflammatory cells activated by Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. Of the inflammatory cytokines, interleukin (IL)‐1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α have a potent inhibitive effect on gastric acid production. Polymorphisms in these genes are associated with individual differences in cytokine messenger RNA levels, which result in different gastric mucosal inflammation, different acid inhibition and different gastroduodenal disease risks in response to H. pylori infection. The sustained higher intragastric pH during an eradication therapy is known to be one of the therapeutic determinants of the H. pylori eradication as well as antibiotics resistance and poor compliance. The IL‐1B‐511 polymorphism is related to eradication rate, and, in combined analysis of previous reports, the eradication rate in patients with the IL‐1B‐511 C/C genotype (77.4%, 209/270), low IL‐1β producer genotype, is lower than that of the IL‐1B‐511 C/T and T/T genotypes (87.2%, 631/724) (Odds ratio for eradication failure: 1.98, 95% confidence interval: 1.38–2.84, P = 0.0002). Moreover, the odds ratio of combined CYP2C19 rapid metabolizer‐IL‐1B‐511 C/C type for eradication failure is 11.15 (5.23–23.78) times that of the CYP2C19 poor metabolizer‐IL‐1B‐511 non‐C/C type. However, there is no positive data indicating the role of other inflammatory cytokine polymorphisms (e.g. IL‐1RN, TNF‐A or IL‐10) in eradication therapy. Nevertheless, the studies show that inflammatory cytokine polymorphisms, especially the IL‐1B‐511 T/T genotype, are the determinants of eradication by affecting gastric acid secretion and mucosal inflammation. Therefore, the tailored eradication therapy, considering inflammatory cytokine polymorphisms, may be effective for the higher eradication rates.
Continuous intrathecal baclofen for children with spasticity and/or dystonia: Goal attainment and complications associated with treatment
Authors: Ward Anna , Hayden Suzie , Dexter Mark , Scheinberg Adam 
Published: October 2009

Aim:  To describe complications and outcomes of intrathecal baclofen (ITB) therapy in children with spasticity and/or dystonia.Methods:  A prospective study of goal attainment after ITB therapy and a retrospective review of medical records for complications. The children were described as dystonia‐predominant or spasticity‐predominant and the subgroups were compared. Goals were assessed at baseline and goal attainment at 6 months post‐implant. Data were analysed using Wilcoxon signed‐rank test. The patients' goals were measured with the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) and goal attainment scaling (GAS). Complication rates were calculated by dividing the number of complications by the duration of pump implantation.Results:  Twenty‐five children were included, 16 with complete goal attainment data. The mean age was 10 years and 3 months. Eighty‐eight percent had a diagnosis of cerebral palsy. The most common goals were improved positioning and transfers. A statistically significant increase (P < 0.001) in both domains of the COPM was demonstrated. The mean GAS T‐score was significantly higher at 6 months post implant (P < 0.001). Seventy percent of the subjects achieved their goals at 6 months. The complication rate was 0.38 per year of pump operation, higher in subjects with dystonia (0.71) compared with those with spasticity (0.25).Conclusions:  ITB results in statistically significant levels of satisfaction and goal attainment in children with spasticity and/or dystonia. GAS was a useful measure of goal attainment. While, ITB is effective for children with spasticity and dystonia, those with dystonia have a higher rate of complications.