bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Separate or shared metamorphic histories of eclogites and surrounding rocks? An example from the Bohemian Massif
Authors: ŠTÍPSKÁ P. , PITRA P. , POWELL R. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractEclogite boudins occur within an orthogneiss sheet enclosed in a Barrovian metapelite‐dominated volcano‐sedimentary sequence within the Velké Vrbno unit, NE Bohemian Massif. A metamorphic and lithological break defines the base of the eclogite‐bearing orthogneiss nappe, with a structurally lower sequence without eclogite exposed in a tectonic window. The typical assemblage of the structurally upper metapelites is garnet–staurolite–kyanite–biotite–plagioclase–muscovite–quartz–ilmenite ± rutile ± silli‐manite and prograde‐zoned garnet includes chloritoid–chlorite–paragonite–margarite, staurolite–chlorite–paragonite–margarite and kyanite–chlorite–rutile. In pseudosection modelling in the system Na2O–CaO–K2O–FeO–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2–H2O (NCKFMASH) using THERMOCALC, the prograde path crosses the discontinuous reaction chloritoid + margarite = chlorite + garnet + staurolite + paragonite (with muscovite + quartz + H2O) at 9.5 kbar and 570 °C and the metamorphic peak is reached at 11 kbar and 640 °C. Decompression through about 7 kbar is indicated by sillimanite and biotite growing at the expense of garnet. In the tectonic window, the structurally lower metapelites (garnet–staurolite–biotite–muscovite–quartz ± plagioclase ± sillimanite ± kyanite) and amphibolites (garnet–amphibole–plagioclase ± epidote) indicate a metamorphic peak of 10 kbar at 620 °C and 11 kbar and 610–660 °C, respectively, that is consistent with the other metapelites. The eclogites are composed of garnet, omphacite relicts (jadeite = 33%) within plagioclase–clinopyroxene symplectites, epidote and late amphibole–plagioclase domains. Garnet commonly includes rutile–quartz–epidote ± clinopyroxene (jadeite = 43%) ± magnetite ± amphibole and its growth zoning is compatible in the pseudosection with burial under H2O‐undersaturated conditions to 18 kbar and 680 °C. Plagioclase + amphibole replaces garnet within foliated boudin margins and results in the assemblage epidote–amphibole–plagioclase indicating that decompression occurred under decreasing temperature into garnet‐free epidote–amphibolite facies conditions. The prograde path of eclogites and metapelites up to the metamorphic peak cannot be shared, being along different geothermal gradients, of about 11 and 17 °C km−1, respectively, to metamorphic pressure peaks that are 6–7 kbar apart. The eclogite–orthogneiss sheet docked with metapelites at about 11 kbar and 650 °C, and from this depth the exhumation of the pile is shared.
The Effect of Age on Lower Urinary Tract Function: A Study in Women
Authors: Pfisterer Mathias H.‐D. , Griffiths Derek J. , Schaefer, PhD Werner , Resnick Neil M. 
Published: March 2006

OBJECTIVES: To identify age‐associated changes in female lower urinary tract function across a wide age spectrum, controlling for detrusor overactivity (DO).DESIGN: Secondary analysis of a cross‐sectional study of DO and aging. Eligible volunteers were stratified by age group and presence of DO.SETTING: Community‐based volunteers, evaluated in research laboratory.PARTICIPANTS: Eighty‐five ambulatory, nondemented, community‐dwelling female volunteers, with and without bladder symptoms suggestive of DO, recruited by advertising, mean age 54 (range 22–90); 75% Caucasian, 21% African American.MEASUREMENTS: Comprehensive assessment included bladder diary, uroflowmetry, and detailed videourodynamics. Predefined urodynamic and diary variables were examined for association with age and DO. Mean values of these variables were calculated for subgroups aged 20 to 39, 40 to 59, and 60 and older (14 subjects ≥70).RESULTS: Maximum urethral closure pressure, detrusor contraction strength, and urine flow rate declined significantly with age (P<.001, P<.001, P=.006, respectively), regardless of whether DO was present. Most elderly individuals continued to empty their bladder almost completely, with normal voiding frequency. Mean number of nocturnal voids was less than one in all age groups. Bladder capacity did not decrease with age (mean 522 mL in oldest group) but was smaller in subjects with DO. Bladder sensation diminished significantly with age (P<.001) but was stronger in subjects with DO.CONCLUSION: Female bladder and urethral function appear to deteriorate throughout adult life, whether DO is present or not. Specifically, detrusor contractility, bladder sensation, and urethral pressure decline. The common belief that bladder capacity shrinks with age may be related to DO rather than to aging itself.
Higher Vulnerable Elders Survey Scores Predict Death and Functional Decline in Vulnerable Older People
Authors: Min Lillian C. , Elliott Marc N. , Wenger Neil S. , Saliba Debra 
Published: March 2006

OBJECTIVES: To examine whether the Vulnerable Elders Survey (VES‐13) score predicts risk of death and functional decline in vulnerable older adults.DESIGN: Longitudinal evaluation with mean follow‐up of 11 months (range 8–14 months).SETTING: Two managed care organizations in the United States.PARTICIPANTS: Four hundred twenty community‐dwelling older people identified as having moderate to high risk of death and functional decline based on a VES‐13 score of 3 or higher. These older people were enrolled in the Assessing Care of Vulnerable Elders observational study.MEASUREMENTS: Baseline: VES‐13 score, sex, income, cognitive score, and number of medical diagnoses. Outcome measures: functional decline and death.RESULTS: VES‐13 scores strongly predicted death and functional decline (P<.001, area under the receiver operating curve=0.66). The estimated combined risk of death and decline rose with VES‐13 score, increasing from 23% for older people with a VES‐13 score of 3 to 60% for those with a score of 10. Other measures (sex, comorbidity) were not significant predictors of death or decline over this period after controlling for VES‐13 score.CONCLUSION: The VES‐13 score is useful as a screening tool to detect risk of health deterioration in already vulnerable older populations, and higher scores reflect greater risk over a short follow‐up period.
Understanding Basis Risk in Insurance Contracts
Authors: Kerr Dana A. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractThere is a tremendous amount of resources being tied up in litigation between insurance companies and policyholders over things like the extent of coverage for various loss scenarios or allegedly bad faith delays in settlement payments. The fact that policyholders formally dispute insurer coverage positions or claims payment strategies gives credibility to the idea that mismatches exist between what policyholders expect insurance policies to cover and what the insurance contracts actually provide as loss indemnification. This mismatch essentially represents insurance basis risk, the analysis of which can more accurately reflect the value and overall efficiency of insurance contracts and suggest factors that may influence policyholder dissatisfaction and consequently insurance contract disputes. This article takes a detailed look at insurance basis risk and finds that subjectivity plays a prominent role in its definition. Using Bayesian inference, it is shown how factors can affect the magnitude of insurance basis risk depending on the individual situation in which the mismatch between losses and coverage exists.
An Examination of Alternative Approaches to Risk Management and Insurance Research
Authors: Dorfman Mark S. , Tippins Steven C. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractMuch current risk management and insurance research follows a pattern prescribed by the science paradigm. This article discusses some well‐recognized problems associated with the science paradigm, and then presents several alternatives that can supplement the science paradigm, thereby broadening and deepening the scope of risk management and insurance research and education.
The Investment Portfolio of the Life Insurance Industry in China: Peculiar Constraints and the Specialist Problem
Authors: Li Desmond W.P. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractThis article describes the particular investment and legal constraints on the life insurance investment portfolio in China (the “Portfolio”) and investigates the specialist problem. The “specialist problem” is here defined as an agency problem as in information economics. In September 2004, the China Insurance Regulatory Commission (“CIRC”) announced that three of the four largest life insurance companies in China could not meet the mandatory capital adequacy requirement. The author found that although it is harder to manage the Portfolio because of the peculiar constraints, the main characteristic of the poor performance of the Portfolio—failing to meet the capital requirement—is due to the specialist problem, which is mainly due to the controlled economic system. In conclusion, the author suggests specialists and risk management strategies that can be implemented in China with immediate effect, taking into consideration data deficiency and the difficulty of contract enforcement in China.
Three‐Dimensional Surface Topography Acquisition and Analysis for Firearm Identification
Authors: Senin Nicola , Groppetti Roberto , Garofano Luciano , Fratini Paolo , Pierni Michele 
Published: March 2006

ABSTRACT: In the last decade, computer‐based systems for the comparison of microscopic firearms evidence have been the subject of considerable research work because of their expected capability of supporting the firearms examiner through the automated analysis of large amounts of evidence. The Integrated Ballistics Identification System, which is based on a two‐dimensional representation of the specimen surface, has been widely adopted in forensic laboratories worldwide. More recently, some attempts to develop systems based on three‐dimensional (3D) representations of the specimen surface have been made, both in the literature and as industrial products, such as BulletTRAX‐3D, but fundamental limitations in achieving fully automated identification remain.This work analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of a 3D‐based approach by proposing an approach and a prototype system for firearms evidence comparison that is based on the acquisition and analysis of the 3D surface topography of specimens, with particular reference to cartridge cases. The concept of 3D virtual comparison microscope is introduced, whose purpose is not to provide fully automated identification, but to show how the availability of 3D shape information can provide a whole new set of verification means, some of them being described and discussed in this work, specifically, visual enhancement tools and quantitative measurement of shape properties, for supporting, not replacing, the firearm examiner in reaching the final decision.
Missing Persons–Missing Data: The Need to Collect Antemortem Dental Records of Missing Persons
Authors: Blau Soren , Hill Anthony , Briggs Christopher A. , Cordner Stephen M. 
Published: March 2006

ABSTRACT: The subject of missing persons is of great concern to the community with numerous associated emotional, financial, and health costs. This paper examines the forensic medical issues raised by the delayed identification of individuals classified as “missing” and highlights the importance of including dental data in the investigation of missing persons. Focusing on Australia, the current approaches employed in missing persons investigations are outlined. Of particular significance is the fact that each of the eight Australian states and territories has its own Missing Persons Unit that operates within distinct state and territory legislation. Consequently, there is a lack of uniformity within Australia about the legal and procedural framework within which investigations of missing persons are conducted, and the interaction of that framework with coronial law procedures. One of the main investigative problems in missing persons investigations is the lack of forensic medical, particularly, odontological input. Forensic odontology has been employed in numerous cases in Australia where identity is unknown or uncertain because of remains being skeletonized, incinerated, or partly burnt. The routine employment of the forensic odontologist to assist in missing person inquiries, has however, been ignored. The failure to routinely employ forensic odontology in missing persons inquiries has resulted in numerous delays in identification. Three Australian cases are presented where the investigation of individuals whose identity was uncertain or unknown was prolonged due to the failure to utilize the appropriate (and available) dental resources.In light of the outcomes of these cases, we suggest that a national missing persons dental records database be established for future missing persons investigations. Such a database could be easily managed between a coronial system and a forensic medical institute. In Australia, a national missing persons dental records database could be incorporated into the National Coroners Information System (NCIS) managed, on behalf of Australia's Coroners, by the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine. The existence of the NCIS would ensure operational collaboration in the implementation of the system and cost savings to Australian policing agencies involved in missing person inquiries. The implementation of such a database would facilitate timely and efficient reconciliation of clinical and postmortem dental records and have subsequent social and financial benefits.
Pyrotechnic Reaction Residue Particle Analysis
Authors: Kosanke Kenneth L. , Dujay Richard C. , Kosanke Bonnie J. 
Published: March 2006

ABSTRACT: Pyrotechnic reaction residue particle (PRRP) production, sampling and analysis are all very similar to that for primer gunshot residue. In both cases, the preferred method of analysis uses scanning electron microscopy to locate suspect particles and then uses energy dispersive x‐ray spectroscopy to characterize the particle's constituent chemical elements.There are relatively few times when standard micro‐analytical chemistry performed on pyrotechnic residues may not provide sufficient information for forensic investigators. However, on those occasions, PRRP analysis provides a greatly improved ability to discriminate between materials of pyrotechnic origin and other unrelated substances also present. The greater specificity of PRRP analysis is the result of its analyzing a large number of individual micron‐sized particles, rather than producing only a single integrated result such as produced using standard micro‐analytical chemistry. For example, PRRP analyses are used to demonstrate its ability to successfully (1) discriminate between pyrotechnic residues and unrelated background contamination, (2) identify that two different pyrotechnic compositions had previously been exploded within the same device, and (3) establish the chronology of an incident involving two separate and closely occurring explosions.
Changes in the volume and density of calvarial split bone grafts after alveolar ridge augmentation
Authors: Smolka Wenko , Eggensperger Nicole , Carollo Vincenzo , Ozdoba Christoph , Iizuka Tateyuki 
Published: March 2006

AbstractObjectives: One main problem occurring after bone grafting is resorption, leading to insufficient bone volume and quality, and may subsequently cause dental implant failure. Comparison of graft volume and bone density of iliac crest and calvarial transplants determined by animal studies demonstrates significantly lower resorption of bone grafts harvested from the skull. This paper is the first clinical study evaluating bone volume and density changes of calvarial split bone grafts after alveolar ridge reconstruction.Material and methods: Bone volume and density were determined using CT scans and the software program Dicom Works© in a total of 51 calvarial grafts after alveolar ridge augmentation in 15 patients. CT scans were taken in all 15 patients immediately after grafting (T0) and before implantation after a postoperative period of 6 months (T1). In five patients (26 calvarial grafts), a 1‐year follow‐up was performed (T2).Results: A mean volume reduction of 16.2% at T1 (15 patients) and 19.2% at T2 (five patients) was observed. Bone density was high – about 1000 Hounsfield units – and did not change during the 1‐year period. At the time of implantation, 41 transplants were classified as quality 1 bone and 10 as quality 2–3 bone. Grafting area and the technique used for grafting (inlay or onlay graft) did not affect the postoperative bone volume reduction. Generalized osteoporosis did not increase the resorption rate of calvarial transplants.Conclusion: Based on these findings, calvarial split bone grafts are a promising alternative for alveolar ridge reconstruction in dental implantology.
Dental implants placement in conjunction with osteotome sinus floor elevation: a 12‐year life‐table analysis from a prospective study on 588 ITI®implants
Authors: Ferrigno Nicola , Laureti Mauro , Fanali Stefano 
Published: March 2006

AbstractObjectives: The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate the clinical success of placing ITI dental implants in the posterior maxilla using the osteotome technique.Material and methods: All implants were placed following a one‐stage protocol (elevating the sinus floor and placing the implant at the same time). Five hundred and eighty‐eight implants were placed in 323 consecutive patients with a residual vertical height of bone under the sinus ranging from 6 to 9 mm. The mean observation follow‐up period was 59.7 months (with a range of 12–144 months). This prospective study not only calculated the 12‐year cumulative survival and success rates for 588 implants by life‐table analysis but also the cumulative success rates for implant subgroups divided per implant length and the percentage of sinus membrane perforation were evaluated.Results: The 12‐year cumulative survival and success rates were 94.8% and 90.8%, respectively. The analysis of implant subgroups showed slightly more favourable cumulative success rates for 12 mm long implants (93.4%) compared with 10 and 8 mm long implants (90.5% and 88.9%, respectively). During the study period, only 13 perforations of the Schneiderian membrane were detected with a perforation rate of 2.2% (13 perforations/601 treated sites). Ten perforations out of 13 were caused during the first half of the study period and of these, seven were detected during the first 3 years of this prospective study.Conclusion: Based on the results and within the limits of the present study, it can be concluded that ITI implant placement in conjunction with osteotome sinus floor elevation represents a safe modality of treating the posterior maxilla in areas with reduced bone height subjacent to the sinus as survival and success rates were maintained above 90% for a mean observation period of ≈60 months. Shorter implants (8 mm implants) did not significantly fail more than longer ones (10 and 12 mm implants): the differences were small compared with the number of events; hence, no statistical conclusion could be drawn. But, from the clinical point of view, the predictable use of short implants in conjunction with osteotome sinus floor elevation may reduce the indication for complex invasive procedures like sinus lift and bone grafting procedures.
The in vitro effect of different PRP concentrations on osteoblasts and fibroblasts
Authors: Graziani Filippo , Ivanovski Saso , Cei Silvia , Ducci Francesco , Tonetti Maurizio , Gabriele Mario 
Published: March 2006

Abstract Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the biological rationale for the use of platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) by evaluating the effect of different concentrations of PRP on osteoblasts (OB) and fibroblasts (FB) function in vitro.Material and methods: PRP was obtained from volunteer donors using standard protocols. Primary human cultures of oral FBs and OBs were exposed to both activated and non‐activated plasma as well as various concentrations of PRP (2.5 ×, 3.5 × and max (4.2–5.5 ×)). Cell proliferation was evaluated after 24 and 72 h using an MTT proliferation assay. Production of osteocalcin (OCN), osteoprotegerin (OPG) and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF‐β1) was evaluated in OB after 24 and 72 h. Statistical analysis was performed using one‐way ANOVA.Results: PRP‐stimulated cell proliferation in both OBs and FBs. The effect of different PRP concentrations on cell proliferation was most notable at 72 h. The maximum effect was achieved with a concentration of 2.5 ×, with higher concentrations resulting in a reduction of cell proliferation. Upregulation of OCN levels and downregulation of OPG levels were noted with increasing PRP concentrations at both 24 and 72 h. TGF‐β1 levels were stimulated by increasing concentrations of PRP, with the increased levels being maintained at 72 h.Conclusions: PRP preparations exert a dose‐specific effect on oral FBs and OBs. Optimal results were observed at a platelet concentration of 2.5 ×, which was approximately half of the maximal concentrate that could be obtained. Increased concentrations resulted in a reduction in proliferation and a suboptimal effect on OB function. Hence, different PRP concentrations may have an impact on the results that can be obtained in vivo.
Human Decidua‐associated Protein 200 Neutralizes the Detrimental Effect of Serum Containing Antiphospholipid Antibodies on Fetal Survival in the Rat
Authors: Halperin Reuvit , Shinnar Nili , Kronfeld‐Schor Noga , Hadas Eran 
Published: March 2006

Problem  We wanted to examine whether the detrimental effect of serum containing antiphospholipid (APL) antibodies on rat pregnancy outcome can be neutralized by addition of human decidua‐associated protein (hDP) 200, a kind of rheumatoid factor, extracted from decidual tissue.Methods  Fifty microliters of pooled serum, obtained from women having anticardiolipin antibody and lupus anticoagulant and presenting with APL antibody syndrome, added with 100 μL of immunoaffinity purified hDP200 was injected into unilateral uterine horn of each rat on day L5 of rat pregnancy. The contralateral uterine horn was used for injection of 50 μL APL positive serum added with physiologic saline as a control. The rats were killed on day L14, and the uterus of each rat was inspected for the presence of live and resorbed fetuses.Results  The addition of hDP200 to APL positive serum before the intrauterine injection neutralized the detrimental effect of APL serum on fetal resorption rate. Although the neutralizing effect was demonstrated following the addition of hDP200 and immediate intrauterine injection (a decrease in fetal resorption rate, P = 0.004), still the effect was more impressive following the addition of hDP200 and incubation period of 24 hr before the injection, thus causing a significant increase in the number of normal embryos and a significant decrease in fetal resorption rate (P < 0.001).Conclusion  Human decidua‐associated protein 200, extracted from human decidual tissue neutralizes the detrimental effect of serum containing APL antibodies in an experimental rat model. Further studies are needed to prove this finding.