bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Elastic fields due to a rectangular inclusion with uniform antiplane eigenstrains in a bimaterial consisting of two orthotropic quarter planes
Authors: Wang X. , Pan E. 
Published: September 2008

AbstractThe Green's function method is employed to derive closed‐form solutions for displacement, strains, and stresses due to a rectangular inclusion with uniform antiplane eigenstrains in an orthotropic quarter plane and in a bimaterial composed of two orthotropic quarter planes bonded together. It is observed that both the strains and stresses exhibit logarithmic singularity near the four vertices of the rectangular inclusion. Numerical results are also presented to show the distribution of the eigenstrain‐induced displacement and stress fields in the quarter planes.
An improved 2‐thiobarbituric acid (TBA) procedure for the measurement of autoxidation in fish oils
Authors: Yu T. C. , Sinnhuber R. O. 
Published: September 2008

AbstractAn improved 2‐thiobarbituric acid (TBA) method suitable for routine testing of autoxidative changes of fish oil and other polyunsaturated lipids has been developed. Air oxidation of the lipid during the TBA reaction was found to produce misleading results. The air oxidation may be controlled by addition of antioxidants to the reaction system. Other factors causing inconsistent TBA results and methods of prevention are also described. A comparison of peroxide and TBA values in autoxidized menhaden oil is presented.
The Major Glycerophospholipids of the Predatory and Parasitic Bacterium Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus HID5
Authors: Nguyen Nhu‐An T. , Sallans Larry , Kaneshiro Edna S. 
Published: September 2008

AbstractBdellovibrio are small motile bacteria that attack and parasitize larger Gram‐negative bacteria and since they might have practical applications, these organisms are attracting the attention of researchers as indicated by the sequencing of the B. bacteriovorus genome. There is an earlier report showing that B. bacteriovorus scavenges fatty acids from the host cell during its parasitic phase otherwise the biochemical nature of its lipids, particularly its complex lipids, remains unknown. We here report on the phospholipid classes of an axenically cultured host‐independent strain (HID5). Phospholipids and fatty acids were identified by a variety of chromatographic procedures and high‐resolution mass spectrometric techniques. Phosphatidylethanolamine was the major phospholipid and phosphatidylserine, cardiolipin, phosphatidylglycerol, and N‐acylphosphatidylethanolamine were also identified. The major fatty acids were 16:0, 16:1, 18:1, and 9,10‐Mt C16:0 (cyC17:0). Unlike another predatory bacterium, Bacteriovorus stolpii strain UKi2, sphingolipids were not detected in B. bacteriovorus by the procedures used in this study. This is consistent with the apparent lack of genes coding for sphingolipid biosynthesis enzymes in the B. bacteriovorus genome database. The results are consistent with the separation of Bdellovibrio and Bacteriovorus into separate genera.
Telomere biology in heart failure
Authors: Wong Liza S.M. , de Boer Rudolf A. , Samani Nilesh J. , van Veldhuisen Dirk J. , van der Harst Pim 
Published: September 2008

AbstractThe incidence and prevalence of cardiovascular disease increases progressively with advancing age. Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Western Countries. In the near future, as the population ages, it is expected that the population prevalence of cardiovascular disease will increase dramatically, imposing a major social and economical burden on society. Not only is age closely related to the development and progression of cardiovascular disease, but genetic and environmental factors also play an important role. Recently, a chromosomal mechanism, telomere shortening, has been considered a driving force by which genetic and environmental factors jointly affect biological aging, and possibly the risk for developing age‐associated diseases. Telomeres are the extreme ends of chromosomes and shorten progressively during every cell cycle and therefore can be considered an indicator of biological age. In heart failure, telomere length is severely reduced. In the current review, we will discuss the emerging role of telomere biology in the pathophysiology of heart failure.
Cigarette smoke‐induced left ventricular remodelling is associated with activation of mitogen‐activated protein kinases
Authors: Gu Lianzhi , Pandey Vikas , Geenen David L. , Chowdhury Shamim A.K. , Piano Mariann R. 
Published: September 2008

AbstractAim:To determine the effects of cigarette smoke (CS) exposure on the expression/activation of mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs) (extracellular signal‐regulated kinase [ERK1/2], p38‐kinase [p38] and c‐Jun NH2‐terminal protein kinase [JNK]), norepinephrine (NE) and myocardial structure and function.Methods:Rats were randomised to two groups: CS‐exposed (n= 12) or room air (CON) (n= 10). After 5 weeks, the animals underwent echocardiography with pulse‐wave Doppler flow measurements. Hearts were removed for microscopy and Western blot analysis.Results:CS exposure was associated with significant increases in NE urinary levels and larger ventricular dimensions (mm) (CON = left ventricular end diastolic dimension [LVEDD] 7.99±0.10, LV end systolic dimension [LVESD] 4.55±0.20, CS=LVEDD 8.3±0.10, LVESD 5.3±0.09,p=0.026,p=0.003). There was also evidence of systolic dysfunction in the CS‐exposed group compared to the CON (fractional shortening %, CON=43±2, CS=36±.09,p=0.010). In CS‐exposed hearts, significant increases in phosphorylated p38/total (0.975±0.05) and phosphorylated ERK1/2/totalERK1/2 (1.919±0.050) were found compared to CON hearts (0.464±0.008, 0.459±0.050, respectively). No significant differences were found in JNK levels between the groups.Conclusions:Increased NE levels and MAPK activation are associated with CS‐related left ventricular remodelling. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of European Society of Cardiology.
Kinesiophobia among physiological overusers with musculoskeletal pain
Authors: Lundberg Mari , Styf Jorma 
Published: September 2008

ABSTRACTBackground: Kinesiophobia has been established as an important factor among patients with musculoskeletal pain. Most research has been performed among patient groups described in terms of disuse. Little, however, is known about the impact of affective factors among patients with overuse injuries caused by exercise.Aim: The aims were to investigate the occurrence of kinesiophobia among patients with exercise induced pain (overuse group) as compared to a reference group (chronic low back pain, CLBP), and to investigate kinesiophobia in relation to the type of pain and levels of exercise in the overuse group.Methods: All patients were referred with unspecific pain to the orthopaedic clinic in order to make a specific diagnosis. The overuse group consisted of 146 patients with exercise induced leg pain, and the reference group consisted of 154 patients with CLBP. All patients completed questionnaires regarding age, pain duration, severity of pain and subjective rating of kinesiophobia (TSK). The overuse group was subgrouped verified by an exercise test and diagnostic criteria and completed questionnaires about the level of exercise.Results: More than 60% of the overusers presented with kinesiophobia, but they did not differ as compared to the reference group. No difference in kinesiophobia was found in the overuse subgroups divided after type of pain. The highest level of kinesiophobia was found among the non‐exercisers.Conclusions: The results of this study point out the need for further elaborating on the concepts of use, overuse and disuse in relation to the fear‐avoidance model.
d‐Glucose sensing by a plasma membrane regulator of G signaling protein, AtRGS1
Authors: Grigston Jeffrey C. , Osuna Daniel , Scheible Wolf-Rüdiger , Liu Chenggang , Stitt Mark , Jones Alan M. 
Published: September 2008

MINT‐6743118:
RGS1 (uniprotkb:Q8H1F2) and
GPA1 (uniprotkb:P18064) physically interact (MI:0218) by bimolecular fluorescence complementation (MI:0809)
Use of a preoperative bleeding questionnaire in pediatric patients who undergo adenotonsillectomy
Authors: Licameli Greg R. , Jones Dwight T. , Santosuosso Jodi , Lapp Catherine , Brugnara Carlo , Kenna Margaret A. 
Published: September 2008

ObjectiveTo determine the efficacy of a preoperative bleeding questionnaire (POBQ) and coagulation screening in predicting hemorrhage associated with adenotonsillectomy.Study DesignRetrospective study.Subjects and MethodsBetween January 1998 and December 2003, 7730 tonsillectomy and adenotonsillectomy patients were administered the POBQ preoperatively. Further coagulation screening was based on POBQ responses.ResultsA total of 232 (3.0%) of 7730 had postoperative bleeding; 184 (3.2%) of 5782 patients who had negative questionnaires bled postoperatively compared with 48 (2.5%) of 1948 patients with positive questionnaires (P = 0.126). Of 1948 patients with positive questionnaires, 141 (7.2%) had abnormal preoperative coagulation screens and 9 (6.4%) of 141 bled; of the 1807 (92.8%) with negative coagulation screens, 39 (2.2%) bled (P = 0.005).ConclusionThe POBQ is an effective tool for identifying patients who are at potential risk for post‐tonsillectomy bleeding. Patients with both a positive POBQ and coagulation screen had a statistically higher likelihood of postoperative bleeding than other patients. The POBQ allowed the identification of individuals with bleeding disorders to be treated before surgery, likely decreasing the risk of bleeding in these patients.
Evaluation of HLA‐A, ‐B, ‐Cw, and ‐DRB1 alleles frequency in Turkish patients with nasal polyposis
Authors: Keles Bahar , Cora Tülin , Acar Hasan , Arbag Hamdi , Inan Ziya , Ozturk Kayhan , Ozer Bedri 
Published: September 2008

ObjectiveTo evaluate whether there is a relationship between HLA‐A, ‐B, ‐Cw, and ‐DRB1 alleles and developing nasal polyposis (NP).Study DesignData from 66 patients with NP were compared with data from 100 healthy randomly selected controls. Asthma, ASA (acetylsalicylic acid) triad, polyp score, and previous sinonasal surgery were also recorded.Subjects and MethodsGenotyping of the HLA‐A, ‐B, ‐Cw, and ‐DRB1 alleles were performed with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with the sequence‐specific primer (SSP) method. Data were analyzed by using a Pearson χ2 test.ResultsThe HLA‐B*07 and ‐Cw*12 alleles were found to be significantly higher in the NP patients compared with the control group, whereas the HLA‐B*57 and HLA‐Cw*04 alleles were significantly lower (P < 0.05). The HLA‐A*24, HLA‐Cw*12, and HLA‐DRB1*04 alleles were determined to be significantly higher in the NP patients with asthma and ASA triad (P < 0.05).ConclusionsOur results show that some of the HLA alleles seem to be associated with the genetic susceptibility to develop NP in the Turkish population.
The evaluation of physiologic decannulation readiness according to upper airway resistance measurement
Authors: Gao Chunli , Zhou Liang , Wei Chunsheng , Hoffman Matthew R. , Li Cai , Jiang Jack J. 
Published: September 2008

ObjectiveTo measure the upper‐airway resistance in patients with tracheostomies and determine the value representing decannulation readiness.Subjects and MethodsFifty‐six patients with tracheostomies resultant to laryngeal disease participated in this study. Forty patients met clinical criteria for decannulation; 16 did not. Subglottal pressure was measured with a tube connected to the tracheostomy tube, and airflow was monitored simultaneously using a facemask. Upper‐airway resistance measurements were recorded during shallow and deep breathing.ResultsDuring both shallow and deep breathing, the inspiratory and expiratory resistances were significantly higher for the group unsuitable for decannulation (P <. 0001). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves were 0.938 or greater for the four curves, indicating a high sensitivity and specificity of resistance measures for diagnosis.ConclusionsObjective measurement of upper‐airway resistance during shallow and deep breathing may be a useful parameter in determining decannulation readiness of tracheostomized patients.
The effect of neck dissection on quality of life after chemoradiation
Authors: Donatelli‐Lassig Amy Anne , Duffy Sonia A. , Fowler Karen E. , Ronis David L. , Chepeha Douglas B. , Terrell Jeffrey E. 
Published: September 2008

ObjectiveTo determine differences in quality of life (QOL) between patients with head and neck cancer who receive chemoradiation versus chemoradiation and neck dissection.MethodsA prospective cohort study was conducted at two tertiary otolaryngology clinics and a Veterans Administration hospital. Sample: 103 oropharyngeal patients with Stage IV squamous cell carcinoma treated via chemoradiation ± neck dissection. Intervention: self‐administered health survey to collect health, demographic, and QOL information pretreatment and 1 year later. Main outcome measures: QOL via SF‐36 and HNQoL. Descriptive statistics were calculated for health/clinical characteristics, demographics, and QOL scores. t tests evaluated changes in QOL over time.ResultsSixty‐five patients underwent chemoradiation and 38 patients underwent chemoradiation and neck dissection. Only the pain index of the SF‐36 showed a significant difference between groups (P < 0.05) with the neck dissection group reporting greater pain.ConclusionsAfter post‐treatment neck dissection, patients experience statistically significant decrement in bodily pain domain scores, but other QOL scores are similar to those of patients who underwent chemoradiation alone.
Palate implants for obstructive sleep apnea: Multi‐institution, randomized, placebo‐controlled study
Authors: Steward David L. , Huntley Todd C. , Woodson B. Tucker , Surdulescu Victoria 
Published: September 2008

ObjectiveTo determine efficacy of Pillar palate implants for mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome.DesignMulti‐institution, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study.MethodsOne hundred patients with mild to moderate OSA and suspected retropalatal obstruction were randomly assigned treatment with three palatal implants or sham placebo.ResultsFinal apnea‐hypopnea index (AHI) increased for both groups at 3 months, correlating with increased percentage of supine sleep but was less in the implant group (P = 0.05). A clinically meaningful reduction in AHI (≥50% reduction to <20) was more common in the implant group (26% vs 10%, P = 0.05). Significant differences were noted for changes in lowest oxyhemoglobin saturation (P = 0.007) and Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire (P = 0.05). Improvement in Epworth Sleepiness Score did not differ from that of sham (P = 0.62). Partial implant extrusion occurred in two patients (4%).ConclusionPalate implants for mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea demonstrated efficacy over placebo for several important outcomes measures with minimal morbidity, but overall effectiveness remains limited. Further study is needed.
Cutaneous angiosarcoma of the head and neck: Report of 23 cases from a single institution
Authors: Köhler Hugo Fontan , Neves Rogério Izar , Brechtbühl Eduard Rene , Mattos Granja Nara Valeria , Ikeda Mauro Kazuo , Kowalski Luiz Paulo 
Published: September 2008

BackgroundTo report a single‐institution experience in the treatment of cutaneous head and neck angiosarcoma.Study DesignCase series.Patients and MethodsTwenty‐three patients were evaluated: 12 females and 11 males. The primary site of the lesion was the neck in 9 patients, the scalp in 9, and the face in 5. No patient had been submitted to previous treatment but 10 were submitted to incisional biopsy. The lesions' size ranged from 2.5 to 12 cm (median 4 cm).ResultsAll but one patient were submitted to surgical resection as primary treatment. Twenty‐two patients received adjuvant treatment: 8 cases of local recurrence and 12 cases of distant metastasis. Two patients presented synchronous local and distant relapses. The 5‐year survival rate was 21.7 percent. In our series, the only factor affecting survival was histological grade (odds ratio = 6.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.6‐28.9).ConclusionOur results for 5‐year survival are comparable to those in the literature with a treatment based on complete surgical resection. The only significant prognostic factor was tumor histological grade.
Assessment of acute otitis externa and otitis media with effusion performance measures in otolaryngology practices
Authors: Patel Milesh M. , Eisenberg Lee , Witsell David , Schulz Kristine A. 
Published: September 2008

ObjectiveTo evaluate the acute otitis externa and otitis media with effusion performance measure sets in a clinical setting and provide preliminary data on measure compliance.Study Design and SettingQuality improvement study.Subjects and MethodsConvenience sampling (N = 84) was performed at five sites of ENT and Allergy Associates, LLC.ResultsPhysicians reported prescribing topical antibiotic preparations and assessing for auricular or periauricular pain in 98% of acute otitis externa cases (N = 55). In addition, 87% did not prescribe systemic antimicrobials. Pneumatic otoscopy was used by 76% of physicians as a method for otitis media with effusion diagnosis and 10% administered a hearing test within 6 months before tympanostomy tube placement (N = 29). Furthermore, as recommended, 86% did not prescribe decongestants or antihistamines whereas 93% and 90% did not prescribe antimicrobials or systemic steroids, respectively.ConclusionAlthough compliance in this study was generally high across both measure sets, actual use of the face sheet forms for appropriate patients was lower than the 80% reporting mandate by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that allows physicians to receive the monetary bonus. Incentive‐based reporting should be continuously investigated to assess challenges for evaluating current measures.
Spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris) resting habitat in Samadai Reef (Egypt, Red Sea) protected through tourism management
Authors: Notarbartolo-di-Sciara Giuseppe , Hanafy Mahmoud H. , Fouda Moustafa M. , Afifi Ayman , Costa Marina 
Published: September 2008

The daily presence of spinner dolphins,Stenella longirostris, inside a small reef offshore the Red Sea coast of southern Egypt was monitored from January 2004 to January 2006. Observations indicated marked seasonal and daily variations in the use of the reef as a resting and socializing area by the dolphins, consistent during the two years of monitoring. Overall, the mean number of dolphins present in the reef at any day was 39.2 (SD = 39.34, range 0–210), with the lowest presence in February to April and the highest in June. Similar to other populations of this species in other oceans, dolphins entered the reef between daybreak and mid-morning, and started exiting during the afternoon hours. Although calves were seen in all seasons, a sharp peak was observed in June. Monitoring data provided indications relevant to governmental management efforts, which were implemented in 2004 to ensure that the dolphins could continue using the reef for their resting needs while a sustainable, respectful tourist activity is allowed in a designated zone of the reef adjacent to the dolphins' core habitat.
The effects of social structure and sex-biased transmission on macroparasite infection
Authors: PERKINS S. E. , FERRARI M. F. , HUDSON P. J. 
Published: September 2008

SUMMARYMathematical models of disease dynamics tend to assume that individuals within a population mix at random and so transmission is random, and yet, in reality social structure creates heterogeneous contact patterns. We investigated the effect of heterogeneity in host contact patterns on potential macroparasite transmission by first quantifying the level of assortativity in a socially structured wild rodent population (Apodemus flavicollis) with respect to the directly-transmitted macroparasitic helminth,Heligmosomoides polygyrus. We found the population to be disassortatively mixed (i.e. male mice mixing with female mice more often than same sex mixing) at a constant level over time. The macroparasiteH. polygyrushas previously been shown to exhibit male-biased transmission so we used a Susceptible-Infected (SI) mathematical model to simulate the effect of increasing strengths of male-biased transmission on the prevalence of the macroparasite using empirically-derived transmission networks. When transmission was equal between the sexes the model predicted macroparasite prevalence to be 73% and infection was male biased (82% of infection in the male mice). With a male-bias in transmission ten times that of the females, the expected macroparasite prevalence was 50% and was equally prevalent in both sexes, results that both most closely resembled empirical dynamics. As such, disassortative mixing alone did not produce macroparasite dynamics analogous to those from empirical observations; a strong male-bias in transmission was also required. We discuss the relevance of our results in the context of network models for transmission dynamics and control.
QUANTIFYING FAIRNESS IN QUEUING SYSTEMS
Authors: Avi-Itzhak Benjamin , Levy Hanoch , Raz David 
Published: September 2008

In this article we discuss fairness in queues, view it in the context of social justice at large, and survey the recently published research work and publications dealing with the issue ofmeasuringfairness of queues. The emphasis is placed on the underlying principles of the different measurement approaches, on reviewing their methodology, and on examining their applicability and intuitive appeal. Some quantitative results are also presented.The article has three major parts (sections) and a short concluding discussion. In the first part we discuss fairness in queues and its importance in the broader context of the prevailing conception of social justice at large, and the distinction betweenfairness of the queueandfairness at largeis illuminated. The second part is dedicated to explaining and discussing three main properties expected of a fairness measure: conformity to the general concept of social justice, granularity, and intuitive appeal and rationality. The third part reviews the fairness of the queue evaluating and measuring approaches proposed and studied in recent years. We describe the underlying principles of the different approaches, present some of their results, and review them in context of the three main properties expected from a measure. The short discussion that follows centers on future research issues.
NOTE ON APPROXIMATIONS FOR THE MULTISERVER QUEUE WITH FINITE BUFFER AND DETERMINISTIC SERVICES
Authors: Tijms Henk 
Published: September 2008

This article shows that very accurate accurate approximations to performance measures in the multiserver M/D/c/c+N queue with finite buffer and deterministic service times can be obtained by replacing the deterministic service time by a two-phase process with exponential sojourn times and branching probabilities outside the interval [0, 1].
Early language and nonverbal representation: a reassessment
Authors: Veneziano Edy 
Published: September 2008

ABSTRACTThe relationship between language development and the development of non-verbal representation was studied longitudinally in six children. Language development is evaluated interactionally by considering not only the form and usage of a child's sounds but also the way a familiar person allows those sounds to function as instances of words belonging to the frequently revised language proper to the child–adult pair. Non-verbal representation, studied in a symbolic play situation, presents different behavioural levels, showing close synchrony with a large increase observed in language development. The results are taken as suggestive of an inter-relational hypothesis between language and non-verbal representation, and an interpretation in terms of reciprocal interaction is proposed.