bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Threshold shift: Effects of cochlear implantation on the risk of pneumococcal meningitis
Authors: Wei Benjamin P. C. , Shepherd Robert K. , Robins‐Browne Roy M. , Clark Graeme M. , O'Leary Stephen J. 
Published: April 2007

ObjectivesThe study goals were to examine whether cochlear implantation increases the risk of meningitis in the absence of other risk factors and to understand the pathogenesis of pneumococcal meningitis post cochlear implantation.Study Design and SettingFour weeks following surgery, 54 rats (18 of which received a cochleostomy alone, 18 of which received a cochleostomy and acute cochlear implantation using standard surgical techniques, and 18 of which received a cochlear implant) were infected with Streptococcus pneumoniae via three different routes of bacterial inoculation (middle ear, inner ear, and intraperitoneal) to represent all potential routes of bacterial infection from the upper respiratory tract to the meninges.ResultsThe presence of a cochlear implant reduced the threshold of bacteria required to cause pneumococcal meningitis from all routes of infection in healthy animals.ConclusionThe presence of a cochlear implant increases the risk of pneumococcal meningitis regardless of the route of bacterial infection.SignificanceEarly detection and treatment of pneumococcal infection such as otitis media may be required, as cochlear implantation may lead to a reduction of infectious threshold for meningitis.
Undernutrition in early life and body composition of adolescent males from a birth cohort study
Authors: Gigante Denise P. , Victora Cesar G. , Horta Bernardo L. , Lima Rosângela C. 
Published: April 2007

The evidence for an association between poor nutrition in early life and subsequent obesity is inconclusive. In the present study, we investigated the associations between stunting, wasting and underweight at 2 and 4 years of age, and body composition in adolescence in male subjects studied since birth. The 1982 Pelotas Birth Cohort Study included all children born in maternity hospitals and living in the urban area of the city of Pelotas, Southern Brazil. All males born in 1982 were legally required to enlist in the army between January and April 2000. We were thus able to track 2250 subjects in 2000 (78·9 % of the original cohort). Anthropometric measurements were collected in 1984 and 1986, and body composition was assessed in 2000. In the present analysis, we used as predictors the nutritional indices height-for-age, weight-for-height and weight-for-age presented in six categories. Outcomes included fat, lean and body mass indices and fat:lean mass ratio, derived from anthropometric and bioimpedance measurements. ANOVA and linear regression were used in the analyses to adjust for confounding. All predictors were positively associated with fat and body mass indices. Height-for-age Z score at age 2 or 4 years was not associated with lean mass index, but all other predictors were associated. Fat:lean mass ratio was associated only with weight-for-height Z score. Our results suggest that undernutrition is not a risk factor for overweight and obesity in our population and may partially protect against fatness in adolescence.
Plasma concentrations of carotenoids and vitamin C are better correlated with dietary intake in normal weight than overweight and obese elderly subjects
Authors: Vioque Jesús , Weinbrenner Tanja , Asensio Laura , Castelló Adela , Young Ian S. , Fletcher Astrid 
Published: April 2007

Carotenoid and vitamin C intakes, assessed by FFQ, have been positively associated with plasma concentrations in different populations. However, the influence of BMI on these associations has not been explored in detail. We explored in a cross-sectional study the relation between dietary carotenoid and vitamin C intakes, using a 135-item FFQ, with their plasma concentrations by BMI categories in 252 men and 293 women, 65 years and older. For men and women combined, significant (P < 0·05) Pearson correlations were observed between energy-adjusted dietary intakes and plasma concentrations (carotenoids adjusted for cholesterol) for: α-carotene 0·21, β-carotene 0·19, lycopene 0·18, β-cryptoxanthin 0·20 and vitamin C 0·36. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that the intake of carotenoids and vitamin C were significant predictors of their respective plasma concentration (P < 0·01), and that BMI was inversely associated with plasma concentration of carotenoids (P ≤ 0·01) but not with plasma vitamin C. In addition, we observed significant interactions between BMI and the intakes of α-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin, and to a lower extent β-carotene, suggesting that these intakes in subjects with high BMI were not good predictors of their plasma concentration. The present data suggest that plasma carotenoids and vitamin C may be good markers of dietary intake in elderly subjects, but not so for α-carotene, β-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin in obese subjects.
The minor allele of the PPARγ2 Pro12Ala polymorphism is associated with lower postprandial TAG and insulin levels in non-obese healthy men
Authors: Helwig Ulf , Rubin Diana , Kiosz Julia , Schreiber Stefan , Fölsch Ulrich R. , Nothnagel Michael , Döring Frank , Schrezenmeir Jürgen 
Published: April 2007

The PPARγ Pro12Ala polymorphism has been associated in several studies with a decreased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. Weak hints are available about the influence of PPARγ Pro12Ala on postprandial metabolism. In 708 men, aged 45 to 65 years the PPARγ2 Pro12Ala genotypes were determined and postprandial TAG, insulin, glucose and NEFA after a standardized mixed fat meal and insulin and glucose after a glucose load (oral glucose tolerance test; OGTT) were assessed. Using the total sample, we did not find a significant impact of the genotype on the postprandial metabolism. In the subgroup with BMI < 30 kg/m2, fasting and postprandial TAG and insulin levels as well as homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA) were significantly lower in the Ala12Ala group than in the Pro12Pro group after the mixed meal. In contrast, the groups did not differ in insulin levels and HOMA after the OGTT. To investigate if differences between a fat-containing meal and OGTT are caused by adiponectin, we examined a BMI- and age-matched subgroup. No differences were found between the genotypic groups. The effects of the PPARγ2 polymorphism on insulin sensitivity are mediated by affluent dietary fat. We did not find evidence that adiponectin as a fatty-acid-dependent adipocyte factor is a causative factor for this phenomenon.
Effects of avermectin residues in cattle dung on yellow dung flyScathophaga stercoraria(Diptera: Scathophagidae) populations in grazed pastures
Authors: Webb L. , Beaumont D.J. , Nager R.G. , McCracken D.I. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThe effects of avermectin exposure on natural populations of the yellow dung fly,Scathophaga stercorariaLinnaeus, were investigated at the field scale on farms in south-west Scotland. Pastures forming the focus of the study were grazed with either untreated cattle or cattle receiving standard, manufacturer-recommended treatment regimes of an avermectin product. Flies were sampled between April and July in 2002 and 2003 using dung-baited pitfall traps. Abundance and wing asymmetry inS. stercorariapopulations were examined in relation to a range of environmental and management variables (including avermectin exposure, pasture management intensity, weather and season). Data used for abundance analyses were collected in fields where treated cattle had been dosed with either doramectin or ivermectin, while the data for the asymmetry analyses were from a subset of fields where treated cattle had been dosed with doramectin only. While abundance ofS. stercorariavaried significantly between years and with season, there was no difference in their abundance between fields grazed by avermectin-treated or untreated cattle. Asymmetry was significantly higher in fly populations in fields grazed by doramectin-treated cattle, suggesting that exposure to doramectin during development could have imposed some degree of environmental stress. While these results suggest that exposure to doramectin residues in dung on grazed pastures may have sublethal effects on the insects developing in that dung, there was no evident avermectin effect on the abundance of adultS. stercorariaoccurring in the pastures.
Influence of temperature, photoperiod and humidity on oviposition and egg hatch of the root-feeding flea beetleLongitarsus bethae(Chrysomelidae: Alticinae), a natural enemy of the weedLantana camara(Verbenaceae)
Authors: Simelane D.O. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThe root-feeding flea beetleLongitarsus bethaeSavini & Escalona, was introduced into South Africa as a candidate biological control agent for the noxious and invasive weed,Lantana camaraL. As part of the study to predict the beetles' survival in its new range, the influence of climatic conditions on its egg development and reproductive performance were investigated in the laboratory. The threshold temperature (T°) and degree-days (DD) required for egg hatch were determined after exposing the eggs to various constant temperatures (12, 17, 22, 27 and 32°C) in separate growth chambers. The DD required for egg hatch was 178.6, and the temperature threshold required for egg hatch was 11.3°C. Survival of eggs varied from 27 to 56% at 32 and 17°C, respectively, and was optimum between 17 and 25°C. Oviposition was examined under high and low relative humidity (RH) regimes while egg hatch was determined at six RH levels, each maintained in a separate controlled growth chamber set at a constant temperature (25°C). Whilst RH had no influence on oviposition, eggs were highly susceptible to aridity, and continuous exposure to relative humidity below 63% for more than three days was wholly lethal at 25°C. Optimum egg hatch occurred at RH between 85 and 95% for up to 12 days. The effect of day length on oviposition and subsequent egg hatch was investigated under two photoperiod regimes. Neither oviposition nor subsequent egg hatch was influenced by photoperiod. The knowledge obtained will be useful for mass rearing as well as field release programmes forL. bethae.
Water stress augments silicon-mediated resistance of susceptible sugarcane cultivars to the stalk borer Eldana saccharina (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)
Authors: Kvedaras O.L. , Keeping M.G. , Goebel F.-R. , Byrne M.J. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractSilicon (Si) can improve resistance of plants to insect attack and may also enhance tolerance of water stress. This study tested if Si-mediated host plant resistance to insect attack was augmented by water stress. Four sugarcane cultivars, two resistant (N21, N33) and two susceptible (N26, N11) to Eldana saccharina Walker were grown in a pot trial in Si-deficient river sand, with (Si+) and without (Si−) calcium silicate. To induce water stress, irrigation to half the trial was reduced after 8.5 months. The trial was artificially infested with E. saccharina eggs after water reduction and harvested 66 days later. Silicon treated, stressed and non-stressed plants of the same cultivar did not differ appreciably in Si content. Decreases in numbers of borers recovered and stalk damage were not associated with comparable increases in rind hardness in Si+ cane, particularly in water-stressed susceptible cultivars. Overall, Si+ plants displayed increased resistance to E. saccharina attack compared with Si− plants. Borer recoveries were significantly lower in stressed Si+ cane compared with either stressed Si− or non-stressed Si− and Si+ cane. Generally, fewer borers were recovered from resistant cultivars than susceptible cultivars. Stalk damage was significantly lower in Si+ cane than in Si− cane, for N21, N11 and N26. Stalk damage was significantly less in Si+ combined susceptible cultivars than in Si− combined susceptible cultivars under non-stressed and especially stressed conditions. In general, the reduction in borer numbers and stalk damage in Si+ plants was greater for water-stressed cane than non-stressed cane, particularly for susceptible sugarcane cultivars. The hypothesis that Si affords greater protection against E. saccharina borer attack in water-stressed sugarcane than in non-stressed cane and that this benefit is greatly enhanced in susceptible cultivars is supported. A possible active role for soluble Si in defence against E. saccharina is proposed.
Space-form and the acousmatic image
Authors: Smalley Denis 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThe analytical discussion of acousmatic music can benefit from being based on spatial concepts, and this article aims to provide a framework for investigation. A personal experience of soundscape listening is the starting point, and uncovers basic ideas relating to the disposition and behaviour of sounding content, and listening strategy. This enables the opening out of the discussion to include source-bonded sounds in general, giving particular consideration to how experience of sense modes other than the aural are implicated in our understanding of space, and in acousmatic listening. Attention then shifts to a source-bonded spatial model based on the production of space by the gestural activity of music performance, prior to focusing in more detail on acousmatic music, initially by delving into spectral space, where ideas about gravitation and diagonal forces are germane. This leads to concepts central to the structuring of perspectival space in relation to the vantage point of the listener. The final section considers a methodology for space-form investigation.
The effects of a middle-school healthy eating intervention on adolescents' fat and fruit intake and soft drinks consumption
Authors: Haerens Leen , De Bourdeaudhuij Ilse , Maes Lea , Vereecken Carine , Brug Johannes , Deforche Benedicte 
Published: April 2007

AbstractObjectivesTo evaluate the effects of a middle-school healthy eating promotion intervention combining environmental changes and computer-tailored feedback, with and without an explicit parent involvement component.DesignClustered randomised controlled trial.SettingFifteen West-Flemish (Belgian) middle schools.SubjectsA random sample of 15 schools with 2991 pupils in 7th and 8th grades was randomly assigned to an intervention group with parental support (n = 5), an intervention group without parental support (n = 5) and a control group (n = 5). In these 15 schools an intervention combining environmental changes with computer-tailored feedback was implemented. Fat and fruit intake, water and soft drinks consumption were measured with food-frequency questionnaires in the total sample of children.ResultsIn girls, fat intake and percentage of energy from fat decreased significantly more in the intervention group with parental support, compared with the intervention alone group (allF>3.9,P < 0.05) and the control group (allF>16.7,P < 0.001). In boys, there were no significant decreases in fat intake (F = 1.4, not significant (NS)) or percentage of energy from fat (F = 0.7, NS) as a result of the intervention. No intervention effects were found in boys or in girls for fruit (F = 0.5, NS), soft drinks (F = 2.6, NS) and water consumption (F = 0.3, NS).ConclusionsCombining physical and social environmental changes with computer-tailored feedback in girls and their parents can induce lower fat intake in middle-school girls. However, to have an impact on the consumption of soft drinks and water, governmental laws that restrict the at-school availability of low-nutritive products may be necessary.
Dietary intake and development of a quantitative food-frequency questionnaire for the Barbados National Cancer Study
Authors: Sharma Sangita , Cao Xia , Harris Rachel , Hennis Anselm JM , Leske M Cristina , Wu Suh-Yuh ,   The Barbados National Cancer Study Group
Published: April 2007

AbstractObjectiveTo develop a quantitative food-frequency questionnaire (QFFQ) for the Barbados National Cancer Study (BNCS) that will permit examination of associations of diet with breast and prostate cancer.DesignPopulation intake data from the year 2000 Barbados Food Consumption and Anthropometric Surveys (BFCAS 2000) were used to derive a list of foods consumed by the population. A 192-item draft QFFQ was developed from this list.SettingBarbados, West Indies provides an ideal environment to understand cancer risk in African-origin populations, with high relevance to African-Americans. The BNCS is a population-based case–control study examining risk factors for breast and prostate cancer in such populations.SubjectsA total of 1600 persons, 18 years and older, completed a 24-hour recall in the BFCAS 2000. Fifty of 63 randomly selected residents (79% response rate) gave additional updated information on foods consumed.ResultsThe 50 participants provided a one-time 24-hour recall and completed the draft QFFQ. The final instrument contains 148 items: breads, cakes, cereals = 17; rice, pastas, noodles = 8; dairy = 10; meat, fish, poultry = 42; fruit = 16; vegetables = 26; soft drinks = 14; alcoholic beverages = 5; others = 10. Additional questions include supplement use and food preparation methods such as grilling.ConclusionThe final instrument is concise, complete and the most up-to-date for assessing the food and nutrient intake of African-origin Barbadians and the associations with breast and prostate cancer.
Dietary transition stages based on eating patterns and diet quality among Haitians of Montreal, Canada
Authors: Désilets Marie-Claude , Rivard Michèle , Shatenstein Bryna , Delisle Hélène 
Published: April 2007

AbstractObjectivesTo identify dietary transition stages based on dietary patterns of adult Haitians having lived in Montreal for various lengths of time, and to assess associated dietary quality.SubjectsOne hundred and eighty-one Haitians aged 25–60 years were recruited by the modified random digit dialling method.DesignSocio-economic, diet and lifestyle variables were documented by questionnaire. Three non-consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls were conducted over a 3-month period. Dietary patterns were studied using cluster analysis, and their association with proportion of lifetime in Canada and with socio-economic status (SES) was examined. Diet quality criteria were micronutrient adequacy and healthfulness based on dietary recommendations of the World Health Organization.ResultsFour dietary phenotypes were identified which could roughly represent stages of dietary transition or acculturation (Traditional, Pre-Western, Western and Modern). Subjects in the ‘Traditional’ cluster were older and had lived for a significantly lower proportion of their lifetime in Canada; they also tended to be of lower SES. Diet quality was significantly higher in the ‘Traditional’ than the ‘Western’ type, particularly with respect to healthfulness. A significantly lower proportion of subjects complying with limited intake of total fat ( < 30%) and cholesterol ( < 45%) was observed in the ‘Western’ compared with other diet phenotypes. Less than 15% of all subjects consumed enough dietary fibre, irrespective of diet type.ConclusionDietary transition stages could be identified on the basis of food patterns of Haitians according to the proportion of their lifetime in Canada. Encouraging the youth to retain the traditional food culture in its positive aspects would appear relevant.
Defocused CO2laser therapy in traumatic arthritis of the metacarpophalangeal joint: A randomized clinical study
Authors: Bergh Anna , Nyman Görel , Roepstorff Lars ,  Zhou Qin , Hallberg Mathias , Drevemo Stig , Roethlisberger-Holm Karin 
Published: April 2007

AbstractA prospective, blinded, randomized and controlled study was conducted in horses with traumatic arthritis of the metacarpophalangeal joint in order to evaluate the efficacy of defocused carbon dioxide (CO2) laser therapy. Sixteen horses were randomly assigned to two groups: active laser (an output power of 16 W, scanned over 42 cm2, an average dose of 91 J cm− 2) and sham laser (the laser beam directed at the non-reflecting floor). All the horses received a total of five treatments during 1 week. The horses were evaluated with respect to the degree of initial lameness by conventional lameness examination and an objective accelerometer technique before the onset of treatment, and at 1 and 3 weeks. The concentrations of substance P (SP), prostaglandin E2(PGE2) and Met-enkephalin-Arg-Phe (MEAP) in synovial fluid were also assessed. Our study demonstrates that there was no significant difference in lameness score between the laser- and the sham-treated group before the treatment and at 1 and 3 weeks after the initial examination. Moreover, no significant difference in the concentrations of SP, PGE2and MEAP in synovial fluid in the active laser group compared with the sham-treated group was observed. In conclusion, this study suggests that treatment with defocused CO2laser in the management of traumatic arthritis of the metacarpophalangeal joint is not statistically better than sham treatment at reducing the grade of lameness as evaluated by conventional lameness examination and accelerometer technique.
Acute effects of short duration, maximal exercise on cardiac troponin I in healthy horses
Authors: Durando MM , Reef VB , Kline K , Birks EK 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThis study evaluated the effects of exercise on cardiac troponin I (cTnI) concentrations in healthy, adult horses.Fifteen fit, healthy horses determined to have a normal cardiovascular system completed a standardized exercise test on a high-speed treadmill. Heparinized blood was collected for plasma cTnI concentrations before maximal exercise, and 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 24 h post-exercise. The cTnI concentrations were measured with a commercial system (Stratus CS, Dade Behring, Inc.). Results were analysed by a multivariate ANOVA, where indicatedpost hocanalysis was done by Tukey–Kramer HSD and significance was placed atp < 0.05.All horses had elevations in cTnI concentrations after maximal exercise. Values for cTnI trended higher at 3 h (0.066 ± 0.011 ng ml− 1) and 6 h (0.062 ± 0.011 ng ml− 1) post-exercise compared with pre-exercise (0.039 ± 0.007 ng ml− 1), although this did not reach statistical significance. Mean cTnI concentrations were within our normal reference range at all time points, although four individuals were above our normal range after exercise.These data show that short-term, high-intensity exercise induces a small rise in plasma cTnI in normal horses. This should be kept in mind when evaluating cTnI concentrations in horses that have recently completed intense exercise. In addition, these data suggest that 3–6 h after intense exercise may be the optimal time for measurement of cTnI concentrations in horses with suspected exercise-induced myocardial damage.
The Legal Regime for Free Trade in the Commonwealth of Independent States
Authors: Dragneva Rilka , De Kort Joop 
Published: April 2007

AbstractWhether through the framework of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) or outside of it, the former Soviet republics continue to seek and depend on economic cooperation with each other, particularly in the area of trade in goods. This article examines the legal framework for free trade in the post-Soviet space and discusses its role in fostering effective regional cooperation. The focus is on the multiplication of regimes at the bilateral and multilateral (CIS) level—a particular blend of ‘à; la carte multilateralism’ and multiple bilateralism—and their respective features in terms of legal nature, substantive scope, and disciplining mechanisms, as well as the implications of their overlap. We find that both the bilateral and the multilateral regimes have undergone significant (often underestimated) development, and that the multilateral regime has generally sought to be more ambitious both in its substantive and institutional reach. Yet, both regimes can be described as ultimately weak and their overlap confusing. While a higher juridicization and comprehensive consolidation at the multilateral level of the CIS free trade regime may be recommended, we remain sceptical about its likelihood in the short and medium term.