bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Endoluminal gastroplication for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease: A 2‐year prospective pilot study from Taiwan
Authors: Liao Chien‐Chung , Lee Chia‐Long , Lin Bor‐Ru , Bai Chyi‐Huey , Hsieh Yu‐Hsia , Wu Chi‐Hwa , Gostout Christopher J 
Published: March 2007

AbstractBackground and Aim:  Endoluminal gastroplication (ELGP) offers a minimally invasive option for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in Western countries. However, long‐term outcomes of ELGP in Asian populations have not been investigated. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the long‐term benefits of ELGP in Asian patients with GERD.Methods:  Taiwanese patients diagnosed with GERD were enrolled and had the procedure performed with EndoCinch. The assessment included symptom scoring, validated GERD questionnaires, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, esophageal manometry and 24‐h pH monitoring before and after the procedure over a 2‐year period.Results:  Twenty‐one consecutive patients were recruited and underwent ELGP. Patients reported improved heartburn symptom score (mean 64.0 vs 21.1, P < 0.001), regurgitation frequency score (mean 2.4 vs 1.3, P < 0.001), and GERD health‐related quality of life (mean 23.1 vs 10.1, P < 0.001) at 24 months. The mean total time of pH < 4 reduced from 121.7 min to 67.1 min (P = 0.008) and mean DeMeester score reduced from 32.9 to 17.6 (P = 0.011) at 3 months. Antisecretory drug discontinuation rate was 81%, 57%, 52% and 48% at 1, 6, 12 and 24 months, respectively. Of the patients who had a favorable initial response to ELGP at 1 month, 41% resumed antisecretory medications at 24 months follow‐up. All adverse events were mild and transient.Conclusions:  Endoluminal gastroplication is a safe and modestly effective endotherapy for patients with GERD. It significantly improved symptoms in an Asian population. Approximately one in two patients continues to be off medication at 24 months follow‐up. However, the long‐term efficacy and durability are still to be determined.
Adult intussusception in Asians: Clinical presentations, diagnosis, and treatment
Authors: Chang Chun‐Chao , Chen Yang‐Yuan , Chen Yung‐Fa , Lin Chun‐Nan , Yen Hsu‐Heng , Lou Horng‐Yuan 
Published: March 2007

AbstractBackground:  Adult intussusception is a rare clinical entity. The presentations and optimal management of adult intussusception in Asians have seldom been reported. The purpose of this study was to determine the causes and management of adult intussusception in Taiwan.Methods:  A retrospective review performed at four medical centers in Taiwan identified 46 patients, at least 18 years old, with a diagnosis of intestinal intussusception from January 1992 to December 2005. Data related to presentations, diagnosis, treatment, and pathology were analyzed.Results:  There were 28 men and 18 women with a mean age of 58 (range 19–83) years. Twenty‐five patients were diagnosed with enteric intussusception and 21 patients with colonic intussusception. Disease in 35 (76.1%) patients was caused by a benign lead point. The most common symptom was abdominal pain, which was seen in all patients. Twenty‐five patients presented with acute symptoms that they experienced over a period of less than 3 days. The preoperative diagnosis was 89.1% because of the wide use of abdominal computed tomography (CT). The most sensitive diagnostic modality was abdominal CT (88.6%). For all patients, 76% with enteric intussusception and 28.6% with colonic intussusception underwent operative reduction. At the time of writing, 71.7% patients were still alive. Only two patients died of postoperative complications.Conclusions:  Most patients with adult intussusception in our series were men, and most intussusceptions were benign and of enteric origin. The most sensitive diagnostic modality is abdominal CT scan. Operative reduction is recommended for enteric intussusceptions but not for colonic intussusceptions. The prognosis of adult intussusception after surgery is good except for malignant intussusception.
Poisson's ratio as a sensitive indicator of (fatigue) damage in fibre‐reinforced plastics
Authors: VAN PAEPEGEM W. , DE BAERE I. , LAMKANFI E. , DEGRIECK J. 
Published: March 2007

ABSTRACTEven if the extent of damage in fibre‐reinforced plastics is limited, it already affects the elastic properties. Therefore, the damage initiation and propagation in composite structures is monitored very carefully. Beside the use of nondestructive testing methods (ultrasonic inspection, optical fibre sensing), the follow‐up of the degradation of engineering properties such as the stiffness is a common approach.In this paper, it is investigated if the Poisson's ratio can be used as a sensitive indicator of (fatigue) damage in fibre‐reinforced plastics. Static, cyclic and fatigue tests have been performed on [0°/90°]2s glass/epoxy laminates, and axial and transverse strain were measured continuously. The evolution of the Poisson's ratio νxy versus time and axial strain ɛxx is studied. It is concluded that the degradation of the Poisson's ratio can be a valuable indicator of damage, in combination with the stiffness degradation.
Influence of Ramberg–Osgood fitting on the determination of plastic displacement rates in creep crack growth testing
Authors: HUH NAM‐SU , KIM YUN‐JAE , YOON KEE‐BONG 
Published: March 2007

ABSTRACTThis paper investigates the effect of the Ramberg–Osgood (R‐O) fitting procedures on plastic displacement rate estimates in creep crack growth testing, via detailed two‐dimensional and three‐dimensional finite‐element analyses of the standard compact tension specimen. Four different R‐O fitting procedures are considered: (i) fitting the entire true stress–strain data up to the ultimate tensile strength, (ii) fitting the true stress–strain data from 0.1% strain to 0.8 of the true ultimate strain, (iii) fitting the true stress–strain data only up to 5% strain and (iv) fitting the engineering stress–strain data. It is found that the first two fitting procedures can produce significant errors in plastic displacement rate estimates. The last two procedures, on the other hand, provide reasonably accurate plastic displacement rates and thus should be recommended in creep crack growth testing. Several advantages of fitting the engineering stress–strain data over fitting the true stress–strain data only up to 5% strain are discussed.
Proposed life prediction model for laser‐formed high‐strength low‐alloy curved components
Authors: McGRATH P. J. , HUGHES C. J. 
Published: March 2007

ABSTRACTTechniques employed for material processing using laser technology are progressing at a rapid pace. One such technique is that of forming sheet metal plates. This high‐intensity localized heating process allows for forming of metallic sheet materials without the need for expensive tools and dies or any mechanical assistance. The fundamental mechanisms related to this process are reasonably well understood and documented but there remain areas that require further research and development. One such area is the fatigue behaviour of sheet materials manufactured by this novel process. Hence, the proceeds of this paper deal with fatigue life prediction of sheet metal components laser‐formed to a radius with a curvature of approximately 120 mm. The approach to this proposed model considers the mean stress relationship as given by Gerber and a prediction model derived from combining the aspects of life prediction models according to Collins and Juvinall & Marshek.
Daily inhibition of postprandial hyperglycaemia with JTT‐608, a novel oral antidiabetic agent, ameliorates pancreatic function in neonatally streptozotocin‐treated rats
Authors: Ohta T. , Sasase T. , Miyajima K. , Matsui K. , Matsushita M. , Furukawa N. , Yonemori F. 
Published: March 2007

Aim:  Chronic glycaemic control, in particular, the control of postprandial hyperglycaemia, is essential for preventing the development of diabetic complications. We therefore evaluated the chronic treatment effect of a new antidiabetic agent, JTT‐608 [trans‐4‐(methylcyclohexyl)‐4‐oxobutyric acid], in neonatally streptozotocin‐treated rats.Methods:  The rats were maintained with liquid meal three times a day and treated orally with JTT‐608 10 min before each meal for 12 weeks. Haemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) and fasting blood glucose levels were measured at 4‐week intervals, and effects of JTT‐608 on pancreatic function and diabetic complications were examined after dosing period.Results:  The postprandial hyperglycaemia was suppressed by JTT‐608 administration, and both HbA1C levels and fasting blood glucose levels were reduced during the experimental period. After the treatment period of 12 weeks, JTT‐608 further improved the early insulin secretion and the impaired glucose tolerance after meal loading in the diabetic rats. Also, pathological examination revealed that JTT‐608 reduced the incidence of the decrease in immunoreactivity of insulin. In examination of other diabetic complications, JTT‐608 ameliorated the reduced motor nerve conduction velocities observed in diabetic rats and inhibited the incidence of cataracts with diabetes.Conclusions:  We conclude that a newly developed antidiabetic agent, JTT‐608, improves the pancreatic function and prevents the development of diabetic complications by inhibition of daily postprandial hyperglycaemia and could be useful for the treatment of diabetic subjects with impaired insulin secretion.
The preferred magnetic resonance imaging planes in quantifying visceral adipose tissue and evaluating cardiovascular risk
Authors: Liu K. H. , Chan Y. L. , Chan J. C. N. , Chan W. B. , Kong M. O. , Poon M. Y. 
Published: March 2007

Background:  Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a well‐accepted non‐invasive method in the quantification of visceral adipose tissue. However, a standard method of measurement has not yet been universally agreed.Objectives:  The objectives of the present study were 2‐fold, firstly, to identify the imaging plane in the Chinese population which gives the best correlation with total visceral adipose tissue volume and cardiovascular risk factors; and secondly to compare the correlations between single‐slice and multiple‐slice approach with cardiovascular risk factors.Methods:  Thirty‐seven Chinese subjects with no known medical history underwent MRI examination for quantifying total visceral adipose tissue volume. The visceral adipose tissue area at five axial imaging levels within abdomen and pelvis were determined. All subjects had blood pressure measured and fasting blood taken for analysis of cardiovascular risk factors. Framingham risk score for each subject was calculated.Results:  The imaging plane at the level of ‘lower costal margin’ (LCM) in both men and women had the highest correlation with total visceral adipose tissue volume (r = 0.97 and 0.99 respectively). The visceral adipose tissue area at specific imaging levels showed higher correlations with various cardiovascular risk factors and Framingham risk score than total visceral adipose tissue volume. The visceral adipose tissue area at ‘umbilicus’ (UMB) level in men (r = 0.88) and LCM level in women (r = 0.70) showed the best correlation with Framingham risk score.Conclusions:  The imaging plane at the level of LCM is preferred for reflecting total visceral adipose tissue volume in Chinese subjects. For investigating the association of cardiovascular risk with visceral adipose tissue in MRI‐obesity research, the single‐slice approach is superior to the multiple‐slice approach, with the level of UMB in men and LCM in women as the preferred imaging planes.
Association between Pro12Ala polymorphism of the PPAR‐γ2 gene and insulin sensitivity in Brazilian patients with type‐2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Tavares V. , Hirata R. D. C. , Rodrigues A. C. , Monte O. , Salles J. E. N. , Scalissi N. , Speranza A. C. , Hirata M. H. 
Published: March 2007

Aim:  Peroxisome‐proliferator‐activated receptor‐γ2 (PPAR‐γ2) is a nuclear receptor that plays an important role in lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity. The purpose of this study is to investigate the association of Pro12Ala polymorphism at the PPAR‐γ2 gene in Brazilian patients with type‐2 diabetes mellitus (T2Dm) and controls (CG).Methods:  Genomic DNA was obtained from 207 unrelated white people presenting with T2Dm and from 170 controls. Anthropometric data included body mass index and waist to hip ratio. Biochemical parameters included fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol, high‐ and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, glycated haemoglobin and insulin. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures were also measured. Screening for mutations in the entire coding region of the PPAR‐γ gene was performed by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR), single‐strand conformational polymorphism and sequencing. Pro12Ala polymorphism was analysed by using PCR‐RFLP (restriction fragment‐length polymorphism).Results:  One base substitution was identified – a C to G substitution in exon B of the PPAR‐γ2 gene. The frequency of the Ala12 allele in T2Dm (0.09) was similar to that found in CG (0.06, p = 0.185). In the T2Dm group, Ala12 allele was associated with lower fasting plasma insulin levels (p = 0.036) and higher insulin sensitivity (p = 0.049) by means of homeostasis model assessment. Among obese people, there was no association between any of the T2Dm or obesity‐related traits and the Pro12Ala polymorphism.Conclusions:  The results of our study suggest that people with the Ala12 allele of the PPAR‐γ2 gene could be more sensitive to insulin than those carriers of the Pro12 allele among Brazilian Caucasians.
A comparison of the cellular and biological properties of DPP‐IV‐resistant N‐glucitol analogues of glucagon‐like peptide‐1 and glucose‐dependent insulinotropic polypeptide
Authors: Green B. D. , Gault V. A. , O'Harte F. P. M. , Flatt P. R. 
Published: March 2007

Aim:  The two major incretin hormones – glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) and glucose‐dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) – are being actively researched by the pharmaceutical industry because of their glucose‐lowering and potential anti‐diabetic properties. Unfortunately, the inactivation of GLP‐1 and GIP in the circulation brought about by dipeptidyl‐peptidase‐IV (DPP‐IV) degradation makes their biological actions short‐lived. This study directly compares the cellular and biological properties of GLP‐1, GIP and their N‐terminally modified counterparts, with glucitol extension at positions His7 and Tyr1, respectively, to confer DPP‐IV resistance.Methods:  Using both the glucose‐responsive pancreatic beta‐cell line, BRIN BD11, and the obese diabetic (ob/ob) mouse, we assessed adenosine 3′,5′‐cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) production and insulinotropic action in vitro as well as in vivo glucose‐lowering and insulin‐releasing actions.Results:  The results reveal that glycation of the N‐terminus of GLP‐1 or GIP stabilized both peptides against DPP‐IV degradation. However, N‐glucitol‐GLP‐1 displayed reduced cAMP production, insulinotropic activity and glucose‐lowering potency, compared to native GLP‐1. By contrast, N‐glucitol‐GIP exhibited substantially improved biological activities, compared to native GIP, and possessed similar or enhanced in vivo potency to GLP‐1. N‐terminal extension by means of glucitol addition is more beneficial to bioactivity of GIP than it is to GLP‐1.Conclusions:  N‐terminal glycation generates a super GIP agonist, which possesses acute in vivo glucose‐lowering and insulinotropic actions superior to native GLP‐1. Therefore, N‐glucitol‐GIP is a particularly attractive potential candidate molecule for drug therapy of type 2 diabetes.
An Automated GIS Procedure for Delineating River and Lake Boundaries
Authors: Merwade Venkatesh M 
Published: March 2007

AbstractDigitization of river and lake boundaries is an essential task in several hydrologic studies, which, in most cases, is performed manually by using aerial photographs. This paper presents an automatic geographic information system (GIS) procedure for delineating river and lake boundaries using aerial photographs. The GIS procedure is based on supervised classification of aerial photographs by using the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) for creating training areas. Four study areas – Lake Palestine in Texas, Brazos River in Texas, Neuse River in North Carolina, and Snake River in Idaho – are used to demonstrate the approach. The results from the automatic boundary delineation process are evaluated by comparing them to manually digitized boundaries. The boundaries delineated by the automatic procedure matched the manually digitized boundaries with an overall difference of less than five percent in terms of area measurement. Besides saving about 85 percent of manual labor, the GIS procedure provides a consistent way of delineating water bodies, and provides estimation of river channel widths, which, in conjunction with existing NHD data, can be used to estimate average flow depths. Supplementing the regional scale NHD data with local scale attributes such as channel width and depth may lead to increased use of NHD in local scale studies.
Knowledge Discovery in the Environmental Sciences: Visual and Automatic Data Mining for Radon Problems in Groundwater
Authors: Demšar Urška 
Published: March 2007

AbstractEfficiently exploring a large dataset with the aim of forming a hypothesis is one of the main challenges in environmental research. The exploration of georeferenced environmental data is usually performed by established statistical methods. This paper presents an alternative approach. The aim of this study was to see if a visual data mining system and an integrated visual‐automatic data mining system could be used for data exploration for a particular environmental problem: the occurrence of radon in groundwater. In order to demonstrate this, two data mining systems were built, one consisting of visualisations and the other including an automatic data mining method – a Self‐Organising Map (SOM). The systems were designed for exploration of a large multidimensional dataset representing wells in Stockholm County.
User Assessment as Input for Useful Geospatial Representations within Mobile Location‐Based Services
Authors: Wealands Karen , Benda Peter , Miller Suzette , Cartwright William E 
Published: March 2007

AbstractMobile Location‐Based Services (mLBS) are an increasingly consumer‐based concept borne from, and continually driven by, technology‐centred development; as opposed to the needs of end users. Where users have been made a focus, the research generally concerns issues of overall system appearance, functionality, information content and interaction methods, with little emphasis on the component geospatial representations. This paper describes the initial stages of a research project aimed at filling this void through the application of a qualitative User‐Centred Design (UCD) methodology for optimising geospatial representations within mLBS applications, in order to support a selected user group: Australian ‘leisure‐based travellers’. Presented in this paper is an account of two UCD activities adopted for the research. The first, user profiling, served to define the target user population in terms of their technological, geospatial and travel experiences, using an online questionnaire. The second, user task analysis, involved in‐depth interviews with a subset of users in order to obtain a deeper understanding of the geospatial goals, tasks, needs and preferences within the population, as well as the range of user differences and variability in tasks present. An overall user assessment, through combined analysis of the two result sets, highlighted considerations for the ongoing research, including a set of specific implications for the design of alternative models for geospatial services, representations and interactions. The themes described in this paper represent an initial and necessary component of UCD, which has been largely overlooked in research relating to mLBS. Whilst the focus here is on a specific user group and context of use, it is envisaged that many of the concepts tested and ratified by the resulting models will be relevant to mLBS applications in general.
THE CASTRATION OF SIGNS: CONVERSING WITH AUGUSTINE ON CREATION, LANGUAGE AND TRUTH
Authors: TICCIATI SUSANNAH 
Published: March 2007

AbstractThis article takes as its starting point Nicholas Lash's use of the Buberian distinction between the basic words “I‐It” and “I‐You” to address the question of how the difference between God and creation is “displayed” within the world. Drawing on a rather different discourse—the semiotics developed by Augustine in the distinctions he makes between sign and thing, use and enjoyment—it seeks to explore the concrete shape that might be taken by practices that foster the speaking of the basic word “I‐You”, and which thereby manifest God's redemptive activity within the world, focusing specifically on practices of debate and argument. “What might a redeemed practice of debate look like?” is the question that this article seeks to answer.
EUROPE IN CRISIS: A QUESTION OF BELIEF OR UNBELIEF? PERSPECTIVES FROM THE VATICAN1
Authors: BOEVE LIEVEN 
Published: March 2007

AbstractFor Joseph Ratzinger, elected Pope Benedict XVI in 2005, modernity has transformed Europe into a continent without God. As a result, Europe's self‐understanding is flawed. This outcome puts serious doubts on the Church's resolution, expressed in Gaudium et spes, to dialogue with the modern world. Moreover, the present pope was among the first to warn both church and society against the erosion of modernity. Also more recently, e.g. in his Values in a Time of Upheaval, he argued that only a Europe firmly rooted in Christian faith can survive the nihilism and moral crisis with which it is confronted. As a creative minority Christians should help Europe win back the best of its heritage and use it to the service of all humanity. In this contribution Boeve presents the evolution and primary features of Joseph Ratzinger's thought in this regard and concludes with a number of critical observations.
THE IMPORTANCE OF OVERCOMING METAPHYSICS FOR THE LIFE OF FAITH
Authors: WESTPHAL MEROLD 
Published: March 2007

AbstractThis essay proceeds, first, with an analysis of the theme of overcoming metaphysics in Kant and Heidegger to see just what it is that needs overcoming and how this might be of service to the life of biblical, ecclesial faith. This is followed by an account of how Jean‐Luc Marion sees the right kind of phenomenology as performing this task and of John Milbank's counterclaim that “only theology overcomes metaphysics”. Marion's position is then defended as a genuine, if partial overcoming that needs theology for its completion. Finally, a brief account is offered of the authentically metaphysical dimension of theology.
Neural mechanisms of visual selective attention
Authors: MANGUN GEORGE R. 
Published: March 2007

AbstractVisual selective attention improves our perception and performance by modifying sensory inputs at an early stage of processing. Spatial attention produces the most consistent early modulations of visual processing, which can be observed when attention is voluntarily allocated to locations. These effects of spatial attention are similar when attention is cued in a trial‐by‐trial, or sustained, fashion and are manifest as changes in the amplitudes, but not the latencies, of evoked neural activity recorded from the intact human scalp. This modulation of sensory processing first occurs within the extrastriate visual cortex and not within the striate or earlier subcortical processing stages. These relatively early spatial filters alter the inputs to higher stages of visual analysis that are responsible for feature extraction and ultimately object perception and recognition, and thus provide physiological evidence for early precategorical selection during visual attention. Moreover, the physiological evidence extends early selection theories by providing neurophysiologically precise information about the stages of visual processing affected by attention.