bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A DFT study of transformation of nitrosothiol isomers and their decomposition to nitric oxide in gas phase
Authors: Ruangpornvisuti Vithaya 
Published: August 2008

AbstractThe structures of nitrosothiol isomers were obtained by geometry optimizations using the density functional theory calculations. Two cis‐isomeric, 2 trans‐isomeric, and 1 zwitterionic species of the HSNO isomers were found and the most stable species is the trans‐isomer. Energetics, thermodynamic properties, rate constants, equilibrium constants of all transformation reactions, and their energy profiles were obtained. Decomposition of the HSNO trans‐isomer to nitric oxide was investigated and its rate constant was obtained. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2009
Simulations of Xe@C60 collisions with graphitic films
Authors: Albert Victor V. , Sabin John R. , Harris Frank E. 
Published: August 2008

AbstractCollisions between Xe@C60 and sheets of graphite of various dimensions were simulated. A Tersoff many‐body potential modeled the interactions between carbon atoms and a Lennard‐Jones potential simulated the xenon‐carbon interactions. The simulations were compared to experiment and with simulations which implemented other potentials. The results indicate that a relatively small graphite film can be an accurate approximation for a nearly infinite sheet of graphite. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2008
A DFT study of infrared spectrum of sphingomyelin lipid molecule with calcium cation
Authors: Sugimori K. , Kawabe H. , Nagao H. , Nishikawa K. 
Published: August 2008

AbstractOne of the phospholipids, sphingomyelin (SM) is the most abundant component of mammalian membranes in brain and nervous tissues. It plays an important role for apoptosis, aging, and signal transduction with cations. Recently, Yappert and co‐workers have shown that human lens sphingomyelin and its hydrogenated derivative, dihydrosphingomyelin (DHSM) are interacted with Ca2+ ions to develop human cataracts. In this study, we investigate conformational differences between an isolated SM/DHSM molecule and Ca2+‐coordinated form by using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. B3LYP functional and 6‐31G(d,p) double‐ζ split‐valence basis set is used for geometry optimization and normal mode analysis. One of resultant conformers of SMs has hydrogen bonding between hydroxyl and phosphate group, whereas another conformer has hydrogen bonding between hydroxyl and amide group. The red shift of calculated vibrational frequencies of amide band due to Ca2+ is compared with experimental infrared spectrum. Finally, we discuss the Ca2+‐induced effects from conformational and spectroscopic point of view to compare the experimental results. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2008
Robust stability andH∞control for uncertain discrete Markovian jump singular systems with mode‐dependent time‐delay
Authors: Ma Shuping , Zhang Chenghui 
Published: August 2008

AbstractThe robust stochastic stability, stabilization andH∞control for mode‐dependent time‐delay discrete Markovian jump singular systems with parameter uncertainties are discussed. Based on the restricted system equivalent (r.s.e.) transformation and by introducing new state vectors, the singular system is transformed into a standard linear system, and delay‐dependent linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) conditions for the mode‐dependent time‐delay discrete Markovian jump singular systems to be regular, causal and stochastically stable, and stochastically stable with γ‐disturbance attenuation are obtained, respectively. With these conditions, robust stabilization problem and robustH∞control problem are solved, and the LMIs sufficient conditions are obtained. A numerical example illustrates the effectiveness of the method given in the paper. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Quality of life evaluation in patients affected by osteoarthritis secondary to congenital hip dysplasia after total hip replacement
Authors: Tellini Alessandra , Ciccone Vincenza , Blonna Davide , Rossi Roberto , Marmotti Antongiulio , Castoldi Filippo 
Published: August 2008

Abstract

Background
The aim of the study was to evaluate the quality of life (QoL) in patients affected by osteoarthritis (OA) secondary to congenital hip dysplasia (CHD) and treated by hip arthroplasty.

Methods
We prospectively treated 40 patients admitted to our hospital between 2001 and 2006. Each patient was asked to answer to two questionnaires: WOMAC and MOS SF-36. Patients were evaluated four months before surgery and once they had achieved postoperative rehabilitation. Pre- and postoperative results were analyzed and compared with the international literature on patients affected by OA and also with a healthy population.

Results
Pre- and post-operative results: WOMAC: pain 14.06–0.84; stiffness 4.26–0.52; function 42.68–5.39. SF-36: physical function 18.55–84.52; role physical 28.33–87.10; body pain 23.26–83.39; general health 55.19–81.74; vitality 32.74–72.10; social function 43.55–84.66; role emotional 68.82–93.55; mental health 48.77–79.35. All results were statistically significant.

Conclusions
The study reports an important QoL improvement in patients affected by arthritis secondary to CHD that underwent hip surgery, and underlines differences with respect to primary OA. QoL evaluation cannot replace either clinical and instrumental evaluation or the physician’s experience, but it can give weight to the patient’s expectations, and may be considered an efficient test for medical and surgical treatments.
Segond fracture with anterior cruciate ligament tear in an adolescent
Authors: Falciglia F. , Mastantuoni G. , Guzzanti V. 
Published: August 2008

Abstract
The authors report a case of acute knee injury in a 14-year-old teenager. The X-ray showed a so-called Segond’s fracture: a small avulsed bone fragment, elliptical in shape, lying immediately below the external tibial plateau, a few millimeters from the lateral tibial cortex. The fracture site was in the portion of the tibial condyle which is linked to the middle third of the lateral capsule by meniscal tibial fibers. Clinical examination under anesthesia and subsequent arthroscopy revealed a total intrasubstance ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) tear close to the proximal insertion. The authors confirm Segond’s report of a possible association of this avulsion fracture with ACL injuries, even in adolescence.
Hyperlipidemia in glycogen storage disease type III: Effect of age and metabolic control
Authors: Bernier A. V. , Sentner C. P. , Correia C. E. , Theriaque D. W. , Shuster J. J. , Smit G. P. A. , Weinstein D. A. 
Published: August 2008

SummaryWhile the presence of hyperlipidaemia in glycogen storage disease (GSD) type Ia and Ib is generally accepted, few investigators have adequately assessed lipid profiles of GSD III in children, in whom the presence of hyperlipidaemia may be most prominent. We analysed the lipid profiles in 44 GSD III patients from 6 months to 30 years of age. Hypertriglyceridaemia and hypercholesterolaemia were common in children younger than 3 years of age. Hypertriglyceridaemia correlated negatively with age, and may reflect increased severity of hypoglycaemia in this younger population. The presence of hyperlipidaemia during childhood in these patients identifies another GSD population that could be at risk for early cardiovascular disease (CVD). Consequently, the outcome of clinical trials investigating the vascular effect of hyperlipidaemia in GSD applies to types other than GSD I.
Effect of Aspect Ratio on Field Emission Properties of ZnO Nanorod Arrays
Authors: Qian Xuemin , Liu Huibiao , Guo Yanbing , Song Yinglin , Li Yuliang 
Published: August 2008

Abstract
ZnO nanorod arrays are prepared on a silicon wafer through a multi-step hydrothermal process. The aspect ratios and densities of the ZnO nanorod arrays are controlled by adjusting the reaction times and concentrations of solution. The investigation of field emission properties of ZnO nanorod arrays revealed a strong dependency on the aspect ratio and their density. The aspect ratio and spacing of ZnO nanorod arrays are 39 and 167 nm (sample C), respectively, to exhibit the best field emission properties. The turn-on field and threshold field of the nanorod arrays are 3.83 V/μm and 5.65 V/μm, respectively. Importantly, the sample C shows a highest enhancement of factorβ, which is 2612. The result shows that an optimum density and aspect ratio of ZnO nanorod arrays have high efficiency of field emission.
The impact of supply chain complexity on manufacturing plant performance
Authors: Bozarth Cecil C. , Warsing Donald P. , Flynn Barbara B. , Flynn E. James 
Published: August 2008

AbstractThis paper puts forth a model of supply chain complexity and empirically tests it using plant‐level data from 209 plants across seven countries. The results show that upstream complexity, internal manufacturing complexity, and downstream complexity all have a negative impact on manufacturing plant performance. Furthermore, supply chain characteristics that drive dynamic complexity are shown to have a greater impact on performance than those that drive only detail complexity. In addition to providing a definition and empirical test of supply chain complexity, the study serves to link the systems complexity literature to the prescriptions found in the flexibility and lean production literatures. Finally, this research establishes a base from which to extend previous work linking operations strategy to organization design [Flynn, B.B., Flynn, E.J., 1999. Information‐processing alternatives for coping with manufacturing environment complexity. Decision Sciences 30 (4), 1021–1052].
Daily supplementation of tocotrienol-rich fraction or α-tocopherol did not induce immunomodulatory changes in healthy human volunteers
Authors: Radhakrishnan Ammu K. , Lee Ai-Ling , Wong Pak-Fong , Kaur Jagmohni , Aung Htin , Nesaretnam Kalanithi 
Published: August 2008

Vitamin E is divided into two subgroups; tocopherols and tocotrienols. Both have protective roles in biological systems. The present study was conducted to compare the effect of short-term supplementation at 200 mg/d of either α-tocopherol or a tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) from palm oil on immune modulation and plasma vitamin E levels in normal healthy Asian volunteers. In a randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled trial conducted, fifty-three healthy volunteers aged 20–50 years were recruited based on the study's inclusion and exclusion criteria. They were randomly assigned into three groups, i.e. two experimental groups that received daily supplementation at 200 mg of either α-tocopherol or the TRF, and the control group that received a placebo. Blood was drawn on days 0, 28 and 56 for several laboratory analyses. Differences in the production of IL-4 or interferon-γ by concanavalin A-stimulated lymphocytes isolated from these volunteers were not significant (P>0·05). There were no significant differences observed in immune parameters between the healthy volunteers who received daily supplementation with either α-tocopherol or the TRF. As these observations were made in the absence of any immunogenic challenge, we feel it would be of benefit to study if there would be any differences observed when an immunogenic challenge such as vaccination were introduced.
Hoarseness due to Mycobacterium kansasii
Authors: Wray D , Oko M O , Boldy D A R , Butt M T 
Published: August 2008

AbstractObjective:To present a case of unilateral vocal fold paralysis due to Mycobacterium kansasii induced pressure on the left recurrent laryngeal nerve, a specific aetiology not previously reported in the world literature.Case report:A 57-year-old Caucasian man presented with a short history of productive cough, fever, hoarseness and 14-kg weight loss. He was a smoker, had an abnormal chest X-ray and was human immunodeficiency virus negative. A sputum sample was positive on direct microscopy for acid fast bacilli. Initially, the patient was treated with Rifater (rifampicin, isoniazid and pyrazinamide) and ethambutol. Mycobacterium kansasii was isolated and proved sensitive to this antimycobacterial treatment. Nasoendoscopy revealed diminished movement of the left vocal fold, and a computed tomography scan showed enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes anterior to the aortic arch. After three months of antimycobacterial treatment, the vocal folds were fully mobile at repeat nasoendoscopy, and this coincided with gradual resolution of the patient's hoarseness and weight loss.Conclusions:There are many causes of unilateral vocal fold paralysis. This case illustrates the importance of anatomical knowledge in reaching a diagnosis, and also presents the first reported case of Mycobacterium kansasii creating this clinical picture.
From global language use to local meanings: English in Finnish public discourse
Authors: Taavitsainen Irma , Pahta Päivi 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACTIn 2002, Tom McArthur, then editor of English Today, visited Helsinki and asked Irma Taavitsainen and Päivi Pahta whether the use of English in Finland was becoming more like its Nordic neighbours. In an article in ET76 they answered with a cautious ‘yes’. Now the authors provide us with an update, with examples of how English is currently used in Finnish public communication.
English as an international language? Taiwanese university teachers' dilemma and struggle…
Authors: Lai Hsuan-Yau Tony 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACTThis study aims to explore university English teachers' perceptions of the role of English today in Taiwan from two aspects – the ownership of English and acquiring target language culture in the English language classroom. The concept of English as an international language (EIL) or English as a lingua franca (ELF) has been discussed extensively in the ELT field for many years. Theoretically the concept promotes the idea that English is no longer a possession of any particular English-speaking countries and that there are many different varieties of Englishes. Since teachers are an important – if not the most important – influence in the language classroom, their perceptions are likely to affect the students profoundly. In spite of the theoretical discussion of EIL, in reality, what do university English teachers in Taiwan think about the role of English today? In the study, five experienced teachers were invited for a focus group interview to discuss these issues. The results suggest that university English teachers in Taiwan are facing a dilemma and struggle to follow the notion of EIL (or ELF) in the classroom.
Swiss ‘cool’
Authors: Davidson Keith 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACTThe cachet of English in the Swiss press. Plurlingual Switzerland has three ‘official’ languages, standard forms of German, French, Italian, and a further ‘national’ language, the ancient Latin dialects of Romansh spoken in the eastern Alpine valleys by less than one per cent of the population. But there are problems for the Swiss in learning each other's languages. And, as in other as in other European countries, there is an increasing range of other mother tongues. Little wonder, then, that the Swiss readily resort to English in talking to each other, and little wonder at a marked role for English in the Swiss media.
English as a Lingua Franca: form follows function
Authors: Cogo Alessia 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACTIn this paper I wish to respond to the article published in ET94 by Saraceni while at the same time providing some clarifications concerning the concept of English as a Lingua Franca (henceforth ELF). In his article Saraceni raises three main questions (and a number of related debatable comments which I will quickly deal with in my final remarks) regarding: 1) the nature of ELF and its speakers, 2) the relationship between ELF and the World Englishes (henceforth WE) paradigm, and 3) the distinction between form and function. I will address each of these questions, and in so doing consider a number of notions concerning the ELF research field.
Majority Bootstrap Percolation on the Hypercube
Authors: BALOGH JÓZSEF , BOLLOBÁS BÉLA , MORRIS ROBERT 
Published: August 2008

In majority bootstrap percolation on a graph G, an infection spreads according to the following deterministic rule: if at least half of the neighbours of a vertex v are already infected, then v is also infected, and infected vertices remain infected forever. We say that percolation occurs if eventually every vertex is infected.The elements of the set of initially infected vertices, A ⊂ V(G), are normally chosen independently at random, each with probability p, say. This process has been extensively studied on the sequence of torus graphs [n]d, for n = 1,2, . . ., where d = d(n) is either fixed or a very slowly growing function of n. For example, Cerf and Manzo [17] showed that the critical probability is o(1) if d(n) ≤ log*n, i.e., if p = p(n) is bounded away from zero then the probability of percolation on [n]d tends to one as n → ∞.In this paper we study the case when the growth of d to ∞ is not excessively slow; in particular, we show that the critical probability is 1/2 + o(1) if d ≥ (log log n)2 log log log n, and give much stronger bounds in the case that G is the hypercube, [2]d.
What do babies eat? Evaluation of a food frequency questionnaire to assess the diets of infants aged 12 months
Authors: Marriott Lynne D , Inskip Hazel M , Borland Sharon E , Godfrey Keith M , Law Catherine M , Robinson Sian M ,   The Southampton Women’s Survey Study Group
Published: August 2008

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the relative validity of an FFQ for assessing nutrient intakes in 12-month-old infants.Design and settingThe FFQ was developed to assess the diets of infants born to women in the Southampton Women’s Survey (SWS), a population-based survey of young women and their offspring. The energy and nutrient intakes obtained from an interviewer-administered FFQ were compared with those obtained from 4d weighed diaries (WD).Subjects and methodsA sub-sample of fifty infants (aged 1 year) from the SWS had their diets assessed by both methods. The FFQ recorded the frequencies and amounts of foods and drinks consumed by the infants over the previous 28 d; milk consumption was recorded separately. The WD recorded the weights of all foods and drinks consumed by the infants on 4 d following the FFQ completion.ResultsThe Spearman rank correlation coefficients for intakes of energy, macronutrients and eighteen micronutrients, determined by the two methods, ranged from r = 0·25 to 0·66. Bland–Altman statistics showed that mean differences between methods were in the range +5 % to +60 % except for vitamin D (+106 %). Differences in micronutrient intake were partly explained by changes in patterns of milk consumption between the two assessments.ConclusionAlthough there were differences in absolute energy and nutrient intakes between methods, there was reasonable agreement in the ranking of intakes. The FFQ is a useful tool for assessing energy and nutrient intakes of healthy infants aged around 12 months.
Sociodemographic risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome in a Mediterranean population
Authors: Buckland Genevieve , Salas-Salvadó Jordi , Roure Eulàlia , Bulló Mònica , Serra-Majem Lluís 
Published: August 2008

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the sociodemographic risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS) in the Mediterranean population of Catalonia, Spain.Design and settingData from the cross-sectional, population-based 2002–2003 Health Survey of Catalonia were analysed. The survey used a structured questionnaire to collect information on demographics, lifestyle and medical history. In a sub-sample of the original survey population anthropometrics and blood pressure were measured and blood samples were taken to determine HDL cholesterol, TAG and fasting glucose.SubjectsThe analysis included the 1104 individuals aged 18–74 years from this sub-sample who had complete information on all variables necessary to define MetS using the National Cholesterol Education Program’s Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria.ResultsMetS prevalence was 28·5 % and 24·8 % according to IDF and ATP III criteria, respectively. MetS was significantly (P = 0·05) more common in males than females. MetS prevalence increased significantly (P<0·001) with age and degree of adiposity and as social class decreased. In general, MetS prevalence decreased as physical activity increased, which was significant (P = 0·0253) when applying ATP III criteria. After taking into account important confounders, MetS prevalence was significantly positively associated with male gender, age, BMI, physical inactivity and lower social class. Smoking status, marital status and working situation were not independently associated with MetS.ConclusionsAge, sex, degree of adiposity, physical activity and social class are the sociodemographic risk factors independently associated with MetS in this Mediterranean population. Understanding which factors predict MetS is important considering likely increasing MetS trends, and is useful for determining public health strategies.
A cross-cultural comparison of dietary intakes and physical activity between American and Czech school-aged children
Authors: Humenikova Shriver Lenka , Gates Gail 
Published: August 2008

AbstractObjectiveThe prevalence of child overweight in the Czech Republic is substantially lower than that in the USA. The objective of the present pilot study was to explore dietary intakes, frequency of dining in fast-food establishments, and the amount and intensity of physical activity between a sample of American and Czech children.DesignA cross-sectional correlational pilot study.SettingFour public schools in the USA and four public schools in the Czech Republic.SubjectsNinety-five Czech and forty-four American 4–6th graders from urban public schools participated in the study. Dietary intake and number of fast-food visits were evaluated using two multiple-pass 24 h recalls. Physical activity was measured using the modified Self-Administered Physical Activity Checklist.ResultsAmerican children (mean age 10·8 (se 0·2) years) consumed more energy and fat, less fruits and vegetables, more soft drinks, and visited fast-food establishments more often than Czech children (mean age 11·0 (se 0·1) years). Although no differences were found in vigorous activity by nationality, Czech children spent significantly more time in moderate physical activities than American children.ConclusionsDespite the influx of some negative Western dietary trends into the country, Czech children had a healthier diet and were more physically active than American children. Further research is warranted to determine whether the same differences in dietary intakes, physical activity and fast-food visits exist between nationally representative samples of American and Czech children.