bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Labelling fashion markets
Authors: Aspers Patrik 
Published: August 2008

AbstractThe present article discusses how an ethical and environmental labelling system can be implemented in fashion garment markets. Consumers act in markets that provide them with more information than their limited cognitive capacity allows them to handle. Ethical and environmental labelling in markets characterized by change, such as the fashion garment market, makes decision‐making even more complicated. The ethical and environmental labelling system proposed here is designed to alleviate firms' administrative burden and give consumers more choice. It proposes that information on ethical and environmentally friendly production should be combined to enable consumers to decide whether they want to contribute an extra sum for the item they purchase in the store, which would then be transferred to the workers or an environmental organization. The beneficiaries – garment workers in developing countries and environmental organizations – would decide what to do with the money. This is a simpler and more direct solution than those suggested by scholars and activists trying to solve the problems of ‘sweatshops’ and the environmental consequences of the production of fashion garments. It also reduces administration compared with existing systems. At the same time, it can be implemented alongside systems based on strict regulation of production.
Family and nation: Brazilian national ideology as contested transnational practice in Japan
Authors: GREEN PAUL 
Published: August 2008

AbstractStudies of Brazilian Nikkeis (Japanese emigrants and their descendants) living in Japan tend to conceptualize ‘family’ and ‘nation’ as two distinct entities. Such distinctions are filtered through mutually exclusive discourses and understandings of national and ethnic identity. In this article, however, I view national attachments and migrant experiences in Japan through the lens of ideology, embodied experience and kinship relations. Treating national ideology as lived process sheds fresh light on the dynamics of state—society relations in transnational social spaces. I suggest that the ability of Brazilian state actors to impose social, moral and economic regulation on its citizens in Japan is compromised by the extent to which such discourses are ontologically grounded in the social relations of migrant family life. It is through these kin ties, I argue, that people set the tone and rules of play for state interests to encroach or otherwise on their everyday lives in these transnational social spaces.
Distant warriors, distant peace workers? Multiple diaspora roles in Sri Lanka's violent conflict
Authors: ORJUELA CAMILLA 
Published: August 2008

AbstractThis article provides a critical, empirically based analysis of the multiple ways in which diaspora communities participate in transnational politics related to their war‐affected former home countries. The case of Sri Lanka — and the Tamil and Sinhalese diasporas in the West — is used to illustrate how contemporary armed conflicts are increasingly waged in an international arena. Active diaspora groups have enabled an extension of nationalist mobilization, hostilities and polarization across the globe. Diaspora actors take part in propaganda work and fundraising in support of the belligerent parties in Sri Lanka, while the polarization between Sinhalese and Tamils is to a large extent replicated in the diaspora. However, there are also examples of diaspora groups that challenge war and militarism, for instance by calling for non‐violent conflict resolution, condemning atrocities by both sides, and engaging in cross‐ethnic dialogue. The article also argues that diaspora engagement in reconstruction of war‐torn areas can be a double‐edged sword, as it can reproduce — or reduce — grievances and inequalities that fuel the conflict. By discussing the many ways in which diasporas engage in homeland politics, the article challenges simplified understandings of diasporas as either‘warriors’or‘peace workers’ in relation to their homeland conflicts.
Occlusal Plane Orientation: A Statistical and Clinical Analysis in Different Clinical Situations
Authors: Jayachandran Sivakumar , Ramachandran C. R. , Varghese Ranjith 
Published: August 2008

Abstract Purpose: Orientation of the occlusal plane is important in a number of clinical situations. Using the reported soft and hard tissue landmarks is difficult and requires experience, as the landmarks are located on the face or by use of a cephalometric radiograph. Improper use of these landmarks may compromise the functional and esthetic result of prosthetic restorations. This study evaluated the reliability of the hamular notch/incisive papilla plane (HIP) in establishing the occlusal plane. Materials and Methods: Ninety healthy, Indian adults (60 dentate, 30 edentulous) participated in this study. The occlusal plane of the subjects was compared with their HIPs. In dentate subjects, the maxillary stone cast was mounted on the Wills surveyor with HIP, which was made parallel to the horizontal plane using the tripoding method. The vertical distance between the occlusal plane and floor of the surveyor was measured at four points. When the measured values were equal, the two planes were confirmed to be parallel for that situation. In turn, this relation confirmed the parallelism between the occlusal plane and HIP. In the edentulous subjects, the occlusal plane, established clinically using the ala tragal line, was compared with the HIP radiographically using lateral cephalograms. Paired t‐test was used to test the equality of the mean differences at a 0.05 significance level. Results: The mean differences from the right canine were: 0.055 cm at the left canine, 0.05 cm at the right molar, and 0.065 cm at the left molar in dentate subjects and 0.001 cm between the incisive papilla and hamular notch in edentulous subjects. The HIP appeared parallel to the occlusal plane as the paired t‐test showed no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05). Conclusion: In the population tested, the HIP was parallel to the occlusal plane. Therefore, this may be a viable reference in complete denture prosthodontics.
Heart Rate Turbulence and Heart Rate Variability in Patients with Atrial Synchronous Ventricular Pacing
Authors: KILIC HARUN , KARAKURT OZLEM , AKDEMIR RAMAZAN , DOGAN MEHMET , BICER ASUMAN , ACIKEL SADIK , CAGIRCI GOKSEL , GUNDUZ HUSEYIN 
Published: August 2008

Background:

Heart rate turbulence (HRT) and heart rate variability (HRV) have been shown to be independent and powerful predictors of mortality in a specific group of cardiac patients.
Pacing has unfavorable effects on autonomic function. Our aim is to investigate autonomic responses to atrial synchronous ventricular pacing (VDD) by evaluating HRT and HRV parameters.
Methods and Results:

The study groups comprised 12 control and 12 patients without organic heart disease and with normal sinus function who were implanted with a permanent VDD pacing system for high‐degree atrioventricular block. The HRV and HRT analysis were assessed from a 24‐hour Holter recording. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups for HRV parameters. When HRT parameters were compared, turbulence onset was significantly higher in the cardiac paced group than the controls group (2.729 ± 8.818 vs –1.565 ± 8.301, P = 0.006), but no statistically significant difference was found between the two groups for turbulence slope (11.166 ± 10.034 vs 31.675 ± 28.107, P = 0.68). The number of patients who had abnormal HRT onset was significantly higher in the paced group than controls (9 vs 2, P = 0.004).
Conclusion:

Atrial synchronous pacing has unfavorable effects on autonomic function. Altered ventricular depolarization sequence may lead to changes in autonomic response. Although we found no difference in HRV parameters between the control and VDD patient groups, the HRT onset and number of patients with abnormal HRT onset was significantly higher in VDD patients. HRT onset can be a better way of noninvasive autonomic response predictor in VDD patients.
Effect of Atrial Lead Position on Atrial Automatic Capture Verification
Authors: BUTTER CHRISTIAN , ZHANG GENG , SEIFERT MARTIN , MINDEN HANS‐HEINRICH , KÖNIG ANDREAS , FLECK ECKART 
Published: August 2008

Introduction: Optimizing atrial automatic capture verification based on atrial‐evoked response (AER) detection requires maximizing the signal artifact ratio (SAR), that is, AER to stimulation artifact (ART). This study evaluated the effect of bipolar atrial lead position on sensed AER, ART, and SAR.
Methods and Results: A custom‐made external research system (INSIGNIAAC, Boston Scientific Corp. St Paul, MN, USA) was used to perform an automatic voltage step‐down atrial pacing protocol at three different right atrial lead positions (A‐appendage, L‐lateral wall, and S‐septal wall) in each studied patient. The atrial pacing and the AER sensing configurations were independent. The pacing was unipolar in an Atip‐Can configuration while sensing was in Aring‐Indiff. Data from 16 patients (mean age 71.1 ± 9.6 years) and six‐lead models from five different manufacturers were analyzed. Study results show that with all lead types, the atrial lead placement had no significant effect on AERmin, ARTmax, and SARmin and only one patient had an SAR that was not sufficient to support successful automatic capture verification at all tested atrial pacing sites.
Conclusion: The atrial pacing site has minimal effect on AER sensing when using an independent pace/sense configuration. The leads placed at all tested sites were found to have the parameters sufficient to support the atrial automatic capture verification in all but one patient.
Hemodynamics Changes after Tilting and the Efficacy of Preventive Drugs
Authors: MINOURA YOSHINO , ONUKI TATSUYA , ITHO HIROYUKI , WATANABE NORIKAZU , ASANO TAKU , TANNO KAORU , KOBAYASHI YOUICHI 
Published: August 2008

Background:

We investigated whether hemodynamics changes during head‐up tilt test (HUT) predict the efficacy of preventive drugs in neurally mediated syncope (NMS) patients, in order to clarify the differences between drug responders and nonresponders.
Method:

In 402 patients with syncope, we examined HUT. In 66 patients with induced NMS, we administered propranolol when heart rate (HR) > 60 and systolic blood pressure (SBP) > 100 mmHg. When HR ≤ 60 or SBP ≥ 100, we administered disopyramide. After administration of each drug we examined HUT test again.
Results:

Propranolol prevented NMS in 9/20 patients (propranolol responder group (pro‐res group)). In pro‐res group, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), and total peripheral resistance (TPR) at upright position (UP) before propranolol were significantly increased as compared to those at supine position (SP) (P < 0.05). But in propranolol nonresponder (pro‐nonres group) SBP was not increased. After propranolol, DBP and TPR at UP was not increased in pro‐nonres group. Propranolol inhibited the increase of low‐frequency/high‐frequency ratio (LF/HF) after tilting in pro‐res group. Disopyramide prevented NMS in 14/32 patients (disopyramide responder group (dis‐res group)). In dis‐res group, DBP and TPR at UP before disopyramide was significantly increased as compared to that at SP (DBP P < 0.0001, TPR P < 0.05). But in disopyramide nonresponder group (dis‐nonres group), DBP and TPR were not increased. After disopyramide, DBP and TPR at SP were significantly increased as compared to that before disopyramide in dis‐res group (P < 0.05).
Conclusion:

The hemodynamics changes after tilting during HUT predict the efficacy of two preventive drugs for NMS induced by HUT.
Challenges to reduce the ‘10/90 gap’: mental health research in Latin American and Caribbean countries
Authors: Razzouk D. , Gallo C. , Olifson S. , Zorzetto R. , Fiestas F. , Poletti G. , Mazzotti G. , Levav I. , Mari J. J. 
Published: August 2008

Objective:  To analyze the status of mental health research in 30 Latin American and Caribbean countries (LAC).Method:  Medline and PsycInfo databases were searched to identify the LAC authors. Their publications were classified according to the topic, type of research and target population studied. Scientific indicators of these countries were assessed in other two different databases: Essential Scientific Information and Atlas of Science Project, both from Institute for Scientific Information.Results:  Indexed‐publications were concentrated in six countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela. Most studies dealt with the burdensome mental disorders but neglected important topics such as violence and other mental health priorities.Conclusion:  Mental health research is mostly concentrated in a few LAC countries, but these countries would contribute to reduce the research gap, if they provide research training to their neighbors and engage in bi‐ or multi‐lateral research collaboration on common region priorities.
Investigation of the neural substrates of voice recognition in Chinese schizophrenic patients with auditory verbal hallucinations: an event‐related functional MRI study
Authors: Zhang Z‐J. , Hao G‐F. , Shi J‐B. , Mou X‐D. , Yao Z‐J. , Chen N. 
Published: August 2008

Objective:  Auditory hallucinations (AVHs), like real auditory perceptions, are often perceived as familiar voices. Given that neural correlates of AVHs involve the auditory cortex, it is likely that those brain regions responsible for recognition of voice identity are invoked during AVHs.Method:  Schizophrenic patients with (n = 13) and without (n = 13) auditory hallucinations, and 13 healthy subjects performed a voice recognition task during functional magnetic resonance imaging at 1.5 T. In the task using prerecorded vocal stimuli, they classified voice as familiar and unfamiliar.Results:  Under the familiar minus unfamiliar contrasts, cerebral activation pattern is different in the three groups and patients with auditory hallucinations showed less activation in the right temporal lobe than controls.Conclusion:  Voice recognition was impaired in patients with AVHs. Our results support that auditory association cortices play a role in the perception of AVHs.
Neuropsychological profile in bipolar disorder: a preliminary study of monotherapy lithium‐treated euthymic bipolar patients evaluated at a 2‐year interval
Authors: Mur M. , Portella M. J. , Martínez‐Arán A. , Pifarré J. , Vieta E. 
Published: August 2008

Objective:  To investigate the cognitive impairment of a sample of euthymic bipolar patients treated with lithium monotherapy at baseline in a 2‐year longitudinal study.Method:  Fifteen DSM‐IV‐TR bipolar out‐patients and 15 healthy‐matched controls were cognitively assessed twice over a 2‐year follow‐up. All patients underwent lithium monotherapy on the first evaluation, and they were euthymic in both evaluations. Cognitive assessment was performed by means of a neuropsychological test battery tapping into the main cognitive domains (executive function, attention, processing speed, verbal memory and visual memory).Results:  Repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance showed that the bipolar disorder group was cognitively impaired in the executive domain, attention and processing speed, and such deficits were maintained over time.Conclusion:  Our results showed that executive dysfunction is the main long‐term neuropsychological deficit of bipolar disorder. Also, the persistence of these deficits did not seem to be influenced by any clinical or pharmacological variables.
Primary Photophysical Properties of Moxifloxacin— A Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic
Authors: Lorenzo Fernando , Navaratnam Suppiah , Edge Ruth , Allen Norman S. 
Published: August 2008

AbstractThe photophysical properties of the fluoroquinolone antibiotic moxifloxacin (MOX) were investigated in aqueous media. MOX in water, at pH 7.4, shows two intense absorption bands at 287 and 338 nm (ɛ = 44 000 and 17 000 dm3 mol−1 cm−1, respectively). The absorption and emission properties of MOX are pH‐dependent, pKa values for the protonation equilibria of both the ground (6.1 and 9.6) and excited singlet states (6.8 and 9.1) of MOX were determined spectroscopically. MOX fluoresces weakly, the quantum yield for fluorescence emission being maximum (0.07) at pH 8. Phosphorescence from the excited triplet state in frozen ethanol solution has a quantum yield of 0.046. Laser flash photolysis and pulse radiolysis studies have been carried out to characterize the transient species of MOX in aqueous solution. On laser excitation, MOX undergoes monophotonic photoionization with a quantum yield of 0.14. This leads to the formation of a long‐lived cation radical whose absorption is maximum at 470 nm (ɛ470 = 3400 dm3 mol−1 cm−1). The photoionization process releases hydrated electron which rapidly reacts (k = 2.8 × 1010 dm3 mol−1 s−1) with ground state MOX, yielding a long‐lived anion radical with maximum absorption at 390 nm (ɛ390 = 2400 dm3 mol−1 cm−1). The cation radical of MOX is able to oxidize protein components tryptophan and tyrosine. The bimolecular rate constants for these reactions are 2.3 × 108 dm3 mol−1 s−1 and 1.3 × 108 dm3 mol−1 s−1, respectively. Singlet oxygen sensitized by the MOX triplet state was also detected only in oxygen‐saturated D2O solutions, with a quantum yield of 0.075.
Photodynamic therapy with verteporfin to induce regression of aggressive retinal astrocytomas
Authors: Eskelin Sebastian , Tommila Petri , Palosaari Tapani , Kivelä Tero 
Published: August 2008

Abstract.Purpose:  To evaluate the effect of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with verteporfin on symptomatic, aggressive retinal astrocytomas.Methods:  A prospective, interventional study in a tertiary referral centre. Two patients were treated with a single session of PDT using the standard parameters of the Verteporfin in Photodynamic Therapy (VIP) study: a 34‐year‐old man whose previously stationary juxtapapillary retinal astrocytoma, secondary to tuberous sclerosis, progressed within 7 months to involve the foveola; and a 68‐year‐old man whose acquired retinal astrocytoma progressed over 18 months in spite of standard photocoagulation. Both tumours were vascularized and had caused secondary lipid exudation and an exudative retinal detachment. Outcome measures were visual acuity, resorption of subretinal fluid, tumour height and fluorescein angiography.Results:  The progressing, vascularized part of both retinal astrocytomas regressed, with little change in the poorly vascularized, stationary part of the congenital hamartoma. Visual acuity improved in the first patient and was unchanged in the second by 3 months, with stable vision in both and no sign of recurrence at 2 years. The exudative retinal detachments resolved completely. Tumour height reduced a median of 30%. Regression was associated with obliteration of tumour vessels within the progressing part of the lesion, with closure of some of the dilated retinal capillaries over the tumour. Intraretinal microvascular abnormalities and scattered haemorrhages appeared outside the treated area in the first patient.Conclusion:  PDT with verteporfin can induce regression of progressive, vascularized, aggressive retinal astrocytomas and may prevent typical progression to total retinal detachment and enucleation, whether the astrocytoma is associated with tuberous sclerosis or not. PDT may be considered a first‐line treatment for aggressive retinal astrocytomas.
Immunomagnetic Separation and Coagglutination of
Vibrio parahaemolyticus
with Anti-Flagellar Protein Monoclonal Antibody
Authors: Datta S. , Janes M. E. , Simonson J. G. 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

Mice were immunized by injection of
Vibrio parahaemolyticus
ATCC 17802 polar flagellin in order to produce monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). mAbs were analyzed by anti-H enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using
V. parahaemolyticus
polar flagellar cores. The mAb exhibiting the highest anti-H titer was coated onto Cowan I
Staphylococcus aureus
cells at a concentration of 75 μg/ml cell suspension and used for slide coagglutination. Of 41 isolates identified genetically as
V. parahaemolyticus
, 100% coagglutinated with the anti-H mAb within 30 s, and the mAb did not react with 30 isolates identified as
Vibrio vulnificus
. A strong coagglutination reaction with
V. parahaemolyticus
ATCC 17802 was still observed when the
S. aureus
cells were armed with as little as 15 μg of mAb/ml
S. aureus
cell suspension. At this concentration, the mAb cross-reacted with three other
Vibrio
species, suggesting that they share an identical H antigen or antigens. The anti-H mAb was then used to optimize an immunomagnetic separation protocol which exhibited from 35% to about 45% binding of 10
2
to 10
3
V. parahaemolyticus
cells in phosphate-buffered saline. The mAb would be useful for the rapid and selective isolation, concentration, and detection of
V. parahaemolyticus
cells from environmental sources.
Molecular Typing of
Treponema pallidum
Clinical Strains from Lisbon, Portugal
Authors: Florindo C. , Reigado V. , Gomes J. P. , Azevedo J. , Santo I. , Borrego M. J. 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

A molecular system was used to subtype Portuguese
Treponema pallidum
clinical strains isolated from both skin lesions and blood. The study with this system constitutes the first typing study in a European country. Three
T. pallidum
subtypes were found: subtypes 14a (50%), 14d (45.2%), and 14f (4.8%). Further studies are needed to better characterize the isolates involved in syphilis outbreaks.
Identification and Evaluation of New Target Sequences for Specific Detection of
Bordetella pertussis
by Real-Time PCR
Authors: Probert William S. , Ely Janet , Schrader Kimmi , Atwell Jessica , Nossoff Angela , Kwan Stanley 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACT

A comparative analysis of the
Bordetella pertussis
,
B. bronchiseptica
, and
B. parapertussis
genome assemblies permitted the identification of regions with significant sequence divergence and the design of two new real-time PCR assays, BP283 and BP485, for the specific detection of
B. pertussis
. The performance characteristics of these two assays were evaluated and compared to those of culture and an existing real-time PCR assay targeting the repetitive element IS
481
. The testing of 324 nasopharyngeal specimens indicated that, compared to culture, the BP283 assay had a sensitivity and specificity of 100 and 96.8% and the BP485 assay had a sensitivity and specificity of 92.3 and 97.1%. Notably,
B. holmesii
was isolated from two specimens that were positive by the IS
481
assay but negative by the BP283 and BP485 assays. These two assays represent an improvement in specificity over those of PCR assays targeting only IS
481
and may be duplexed or used in conjunction with existing PCR assays to improve the molecular detection of
B. pertussis
.