bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Relationship Between Gender and Postconcussion Symptoms After Sport‐Related Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Preiss‐Farzanegan Sarah J. , Chapman Benjamin , Wong Tony M. , Wu Joanne , Bazarian Jeffrey J. 
Published: March 2009

ObjectiveThe authors sought to define the relationship between gender and postconcussion symptoms (PCSx) at 3 months after sport‐related mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and, further, to examine whether age (minors vs. adults), source of PCSx reporting (self‐reported vs. proxy), previous head injury or loss of consciousness, or the sport type in which the mTBI was incurred explain any observed gender differences in PCSx.DesignProspective nested cohort study.SettingRegional trauma center emergency department.PatientsA total of 260 patients who presented with sport‐related mTBI, as defined by American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine criteria, began the study. The participants who lacked litigation concerning the mTBI and had participated in the follow‐up assessment completed the study (n = 215).Assessment of Risk FactorsSelf, proxy, and interviewer report of age, gender, previous head injury or loss of consciousness, and sport in which injury was sustained.Main Outcome MeasurementsRivermead Post Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ).ResultsAdult females are at greater risk for elevated RPQ scores (odds ratio [OR] = 2.89, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 1.25‐6.71;P= .013) but not female minors (OR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.45‐1.71];P= .695), as compared with male subjects. Adjustment for empirically identified confounders in each age group revealed persisting elevated risk for adult females (OR = 2.57, 95% CI = 1.09‐6.08;P= .031), but not minor females (OR = 1.07, 95% CI = 0.52‐2.19,P= .852). The risk associated with female gender in adults could not be explained by characteristics of the sports, such as helmeted versus not, or contact versus no contact, in which women incurred mTBIs. No sport characteristics were associated with increased risk of PCSx after mTBI.ConclusionsAdult females, but not female minors, are at increased risk for PCSx after sport‐related mTBI as compared with male patients. This increased risk cannot be explained by self‐report, rather than proxy report, of symptoms, previous head injury or loss of consciousness, age, or sport characteristics. Further research is needed to elucidate the processes of age‐differential recovery from mild brain injury in women and on how to most effectively incorporate appropriate follow‐up after emergency department evaluation.
THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE AND THE DETENTION OF REFUGEES
Authors: Edwards Alice 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture entered into force on 22 June 2006. It establishes a Sub-Committee for the Prevention of Torture that has authority to visit places of detention and to assess the conditions of that detention as a way to reduce the incidence of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Additionally, States parties are required to set up complementary national preventive mechanisms. This article explores both how these mechanisms established under the Optional Protocol could operate in the context of the detention of refugees and/or asylum-seekers, which is an increasingly common occurrence in many parts of the world, as well as whether they add value to existing international mechanisms that are already available in this field. It examines the purported applicability of the Optional Protocol to four refugee/asylum situations, namely detention at airports and other border zones; immigration (or administrative) detention, including semi-open (or semi-closed) asylum centres; closed refugee camps; and extraterritorial processing or holding centres. Reviewing definitional, jurisdictional, and practical issues that may impact on the success or otherwise of these new preventive mechanisms, this article concludes by making a number of recommendations to aid their work in the refugee/asylum context.
The place and date of James Weddell's birth
Authors: Verlinden Jozef 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTIt has long been suspected that James Weddell was born in Ostend, Belgium. However, no record of his birth was found during earlier searches in the Belgian archives. New searches in the parish registers of Ostend reveal that he was born in that town on 24 August 1787. The Weddell family is recorded in these archives under the name of Waddle, and it was as such that father Waddle signed documents. The parish registers of Ostend are in Latin and James's name was Latinised to Jacobus. The first record of James Weddell thus refers to Jacobus Waddle. In the parish registers are two other documents relating to the Weddell family: the birth of a brother Charles in 1782 and the death of another brother who was also called Jacobus in 1787. Therefore, the family lived in Ostend at least from 1782 to 1787.
FUNCTIONAL PEARL. Proof-directed debugging – Corrigendum
Authors: Harper Robert 
Published: March 2009

There is a minor error in Section 3 wherein it is stated that ∖acc 0_ _ k loops in_nitely, even if k succeeds on input _.” This statement is not correct, and should be replaced by ∖If k returns false on input cs, then acc 1_ cs k loops in_nitely.”The author is grateful to Derek Dreyer for pointing out this mistake, and suggesting the above-mentioned correction.
First-class patterns
Authors: JAY BARRY , KESNER DELIA 
Published: March 2009

AbstractPure pattern calculus supports pattern-matching functions in which patterns are first-class citizens that can be passed as parameters, evaluated and returned as results. This new expressive power supports two new forms of polymorphism. Path polymorphism allows recursive functions to traverse arbitrary data structures. Pattern polymorphism allows patterns to be treated as parameters which may be collected from various sources or generated from training data. A general framework for pattern calculi is developed. It supports a proof of confluence that is parameterised by the nature of the matching algorithm, suitable for the pure pattern calculus and all other known pattern calculi.
Awareness and the demand for environmental quality: survey evidence on drinking water in urban India
Authors: JALAN JYOTSNA , SOMANATHAN E. , CHAUDHURI SARASWATA 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTThe demand for environmental quality is often presumed to be low in developing countries due to poverty. Less attention has been paid to the possibility that lack of awareness about adverse health effects of environmental pollution could also keep the demand low. We use a household survey from urban India to estimate the effects of schooling, exposure to mass media, and other measures of awareness on home water purification. We find that these measures of awareness have statistically significant effects on home purification and, therefore, on willingness to pay. These effects are similar in magnitude to the wealth effects. Average costs of different home purification methods are used to generate partial estimates of willingness to pay for better drinking water quality.
Progesterone receptor polymorphism is associated with pelvic organ prolapse risk
Authors: CHEN HUEY‐YI , CHUNG YA‐WEN , LIN WEI‐YONG , CHEN WEN‐CHI , TSAI FUU‐JEN , TSAI CHANG‐HAI 
Published: March 2009

AbstractProgesterone and progesterone receptors (PGR) are known to play important roles in the pathophysiology of pelvic organ prolapse (POP). We investigated whether the PGR gene polymorphisms were associated with POP by conducting a case–control association study in 87 women with POP and 150 women without POP. Genotypes of the PGR gene polymorphisms (rs500760 and rs484389) were determined by polymerase chain reaction, followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. There was significant difference between women with and those without POP in the distribution of the PGR rs484389 genotypes evaluated. Using multivariable logistic regression, older age, increased body mass index, menopausal status, and PGR rs484389 genotype CT were significantly associated with POP. The present study shows that PGR genotype may be associated with POP.
Use of Tannic Acid as Dough Oxidizing and Vitamin C Protective Agent
Authors: Mendes da Silva Claudio Ernani , da Fonseca Sabóia Amorim Mariza Vieira , Leal de Medeiros Márcia Maria , de Morais Selene Maia 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTTrials with tannic acid in three concentrations (0.1, 0.2, and 0.3%) in a wheat flour dough were run to test its property to preserve the ascorbic acid degradation during baking and its performance in the dough viscoelasticity measured by its extensigraphic properties. The addition of tannic acid to the dough in the cited concentrations increased its resistance to extension (RE) and consequently reduced its extensibility (E) in the same way that ascorbic acid performed but using concentrations 10× smaller. In a dough containing ascorbic acid 0.02% and tannic acid 0.3%, the ascorbic acid retention after 10 days of storage was 34.8%, which represents 154% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C by FAO/WHO (2002) for an adult (19–65 years old). The addition of tannic acid to the dough also increased the bread specific volume.
Influence of High Molecular Weight Glutenins on Viscoelastic Properties of Intact Wheat Kernel and Relation to Functional Properties of Wheat Dough
Authors: Figueroa J. D. C. , Maucher Tanja , Reule W. , Peña R. J. 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTHigh and low molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW‐GS and LMW‐GS, respectively) are the main factors determining the viscoelastic properties of wheat dough. The mechanical and viscoelastic properties of 29 samples of wheat kernels differing in HMW‐GS were evaluated with load‐compression tests. Samples were grouped by genotypes differing in HMW‐GS composition (allelic variants: Glu‐A1: null, 1, 2*; Glu‐B1: 7, 7+8, 7+9, 13+16, and 17+18; Glu‐D1: 5+10, 2+12). Groups representing Glu‐A1 1 and 2*; Glu‐B1 7, 7+9 and 17+18; and Glu‐D1 5+10 generally possessed hard grain and showed the largest kernel elasticity values, while those representing subunits Glu‐A1 null; Glu‐B1 7+8; and Glu‐D1 2+12 had soft kernels and showed lower elastic work values. Genotypes possessing HMW‐GS 1, 17+18 and 5+10 gave large SDS‐sedimentation values and better dough viscoelastic properties than those with allelels: null, 7+8, and 2+12. Kernel hardness showed significant correlation with the dough‐strength‐related parameters: SDS‐sedimentation; dough mixing time; and the alveographic parameters, W and P. There was a negative correlation between kernel plastic work and dough mixing time and the dough tenacity/extensibility parameters, P/L. The significant relationship between sedimentation tests and kernel elastic work seems to indicate that elastic work is related to genotype (protein composition). The general tendency was that higher values in kernel elastic work and size corresponded to better dough rheological quality. Mechanical properties of the kernel were significantly related to the elastic behavior measured in a single wheat kernel. The use of the compression test on individual kernels is easy, rapid and nondestructive and therefore seems to show potential use as a rapid tool in breeding to improve wheat quality.
Comparison of Waxy vs. Nonwaxy Wheats in Fuel Ethanol Fermentation
Authors: Zhao R. , Wu X. , Seabourn B. W. , Bean S. R. , Guan L. , Shi Y.‐C. , Wilson J. D. , Madl R. , Wang D. 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTFermentation performance of eight waxy, seven nonwaxy soft, and 15 nonwaxy hard wheat cultivars was compared in a laboratory dry‐grind procedure. With nitrogen supplements in the mash, the range of ethanol yields was 368–447 L/ton. Nonwaxy soft wheat had an average ethanol yield of 433 L/ton, higher than nonwaxy hard and waxy wheat. Conversion efficiencies were 91.3–96.2%. Despite having higher levels of free sugars in grain, waxy wheat had higher conversion efficiency than nonwaxy wheat. Although there was huge variation in the protein content between nonwaxy hard and soft wheat, no difference in conversion efficiency was observed. Waxy cultivars had extremely low peak viscosity during liquefaction. Novel mashing properties of waxy cultivars were related to unique pasting properties of starch granules. With nitrogen supplementation, waxy wheat had a faster fermentation rate than nonwaxy wheat. Fermentation rates for waxy cultivars without nitrogen supplementation and nonwaxy cultivars with nitrogen supplementation were comparable. Ethanol yield was highly related to both total starch and protein content, but total starch was a better predictor of ethanol yield. There were strong negative relationships between total starch content of grain and both yield and protein content of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS).
Isolation and Characterization of High‐Purity Starch Isolates from Regular, Waxy, and High‐Amylose Hulless Barley Grains
Authors: Gao Jun , Vasanthan Thava , Hoover Ratnajothi 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTRecovering starch from barley is problematic typically due to interference from β‐glucan (the soluble fiber component), which becomes highly viscous in aqueous solution. Dry fractionation techniques tend to be inefficient and often result in low yields. Recently, a protocol was developed in our laboratory for recovering β‐glucan from barley in which sieving whole barley flour in a semiaqueous (50% ethanol) medium allowed separation of the starch and fiber fractions without activating the viscosity of the β‐glucan. In this report, we investigate an aqueous method which further purifies the crude starch component recovered from this process. Six hulless barley (HB) cultivars representing two each of waxy, regular, and high‐amylose cultivars were fractionated into primarily starch, fiber, and protein components. Starch isolates primarily had large granules with high purity (>98%) and yield range was 22–39% (flour dry weight basis). More importantly, the β‐glucan extraction efficiency was 77–90%, meaning that it was well separated from the starch component during processing. Physicochemical evaluation of the starch isolates, which were mainly composed of large granules, showed properties that are typical of the barley genotypes.
Systematic review: impaired drug absorption related to the co‐administration of antisecretory therapy
Authors: LAHNER E. , ANNIBALE B. , DELLE FAVE G. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryBackground  Due to suppression of gastric acidity during antisecretory therapy, an impaired absorption of co‐administered drugs may occur.Aim  To review evidence of impaired drug absorption related to the use of co‐administered PPIs or H2RAs.Methods  Systematic search of MEDLINE/EMBASE/SCOPUS databases (1980–September 2008) for English articles with keywords: drug malabsorption and absorption, stomach, anti‐secretory/acid inhibitory drugs, histamine H2 antagonists, PPIs, gastric acid, pH, hypochlorhydria, gastric hypoacidity. From 2126 retrieved articles, 16 randomized crossover studies were identified investigating impaired absorption of nine different drugs in association with co‐administration of PPIs or H2RAs. Information on investigated drug, study type, features of investigated subjects, study design, type of intervention, and study results were extracted.Results  The identified studies investigated the absorption kinetics of nine drugs. Acid suppression reduced absorption of ketoconazole, itraconazole, atazanavir, cefpodoxime, enoxacin and dipyridamole (median Cmax reduction by 66.5%). An increased absorption of nifedipine and digoxin (median AUC increase by 10%) and a 2‐fold‐increase in alendronate bioavailability were observed.Conclusions  Gastric pH appears relevant for absorption of some cardiovascular or infectious disease agents. Antisecretory treatment may significantly modify the absorption of co‐administered drugs.
Small‐intestinal bacterial overgrowth in cirrhosis is related to the severity of liver disease
Authors: PANDE C. , KUMAR A. , SARIN S. K. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryBackground  Small‐intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is known to be present in patients with cirrhosis, predisposing to various complications.Aim  To determine the frequency of SIBO in cirrhotics and correlate with severity of cirrhosis.Methods  Small‐intestinal bacterial overgrowth was determined by glucose–hydrogen breath test (GHBT). A basal breath‐hydrogen >20 ppm or a rise by ≥12 ppm above baseline following glucose administration was taken as positive test. Prevalence of SIBO in cirrhotics was compared with healthy controls and correlated with severity of cirrhosis.Results  Of the 53 cirrhotics, 26 (49%) had SIBO, compared to one (8%) control (P = 0.010). The prevalence of SIBO increased with severity of cirrhosis (Child–Pugh A 20%, B 52% and C 73%; P = 0.013). On multivariate analysis, SIBO was independently associated with serum bilirubin and ascites. The best cut‐off of serum bilirubin was ≥2 mg/dL [AUROC 0.77 (95% CI 0.64–0.90)] predicting SIBO with sensitivity 65%, specificity 81%, positive predictive value 77%, negative predictive value 71% and accuracy 74%. Patients having combination of ascites and serum bilirubin ≥2 mg/dL had 82% chance, while patients having neither had only 10% chance of having SIBO.Conclusions  Small‐intestinal bacterial overgrowth was prevalent in about half of cirrhotics. Its frequency increased with increase in severity of cirrhosis. Ascites and raised serum bilirubin reliably predicted presence of SIBO.
Targeted inhibition of interleukin‐6 with CNTO 328 sensitizes pre‐clinical models of multiple myeloma to dexamethasone‐mediated cell death
Authors: Voorhees Peter M. , Chen Qing , Small George W. , Kuhn Deborah J. , Hunsucker Sally A. , Nemeth Jeffrey A. , Orlowski Robert Z. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryInterleukin (IL)‐6‐mediated signalling attenuates the anti‐myeloma activity of glucocorticoids (GCs). We therefore sought to evaluate whether CNTO 328, an anti‐IL‐6 monoclonal antibody in clinical development, could enhance the apoptotic activity of dexamethasone (dex) in pre‐clinical models of myeloma. CNTO 328 potently increased the cytotoxicity of dex in IL‐6‐dependent and ‐independent human myeloma cell lines (HMCLs), including a bortezomib‐resistant HMCL. Isobologram analysis revealed that the CNTO 328/dex combination was highly synergistic. Addition of bortezomib to CNTO 328/dex further enhanced the cytotoxicity of the combination. Experiments with pharmacologic inhibitors revealed a role for the p44/42 mitogen‐activated protein kinase pathway in IL‐6‐mediated GC resistance. Although CNTO 328 alone induced minimal cell death, it potentiated dex‐mediated apoptosis, as evidenced by increased activation of caspases‐8, ‐9 and ‐3, Annexin‐V staining and DNA fragmentation. The ability of CNTO 328 to sensitize HMCLs to dex‐mediated apoptosis was preserved in the presence of human bone marrow stromal cells. Importantly, the increased activity of the combination was also seen in plasma cells from patients with GC‐resistant myeloma. Taken together, our data provide a strong rationale for the clinical development of the CNTO 328/dex regimen for patients with myeloma.
Discovering the genetics underlying foetal haemoglobin production in adults
Authors: Thein Swee Lay , Menzel Stephan 
Published: March 2009

SummarySickle cell disease (SCD) and β thalassaemia, caused by lesions that affect the HBB (β globin gene), form the most common human genetic disorders world‐wide, and represent a major public health problem. Inter‐individual variation in foetal haemoglobin (HbF) expression is a known and heritable disease modifier; high HbF levels are correlated with reduced morbidity and mortality in both diseases. This review traces our progress in the understanding of the persistence of HbF in adults as a quantitative trait and the genetic approaches used in teasing out the loci contributing to its variability in normal populations and in patients with haemoglobinopathies. Three major loci – Xmn1‐HBG2 single nucleotide polymorphism, HBS1L‐MYB intergenic region on chromosome 6q, and BCL11A– contribute 20–50% of the trait variance in patients with sickle cell anaemia and healthy European Caucasians. It is likely that the remaining trait variance is due to numerous other loci, many contributing modest effects. Identification of the three major loci has not yet been translated into new therapeutic approaches for HbF reactivation but an immediate application would be an improved prediction of one’s ability to produce HbF, which in turn, may improve prediction of disease severity.
The Germinal centre‐derived lymphomas seen through their cellular microenvironment
Authors: Carbone Antonino , Gloghini Annunziata , Cabras Antonello , Elia Giuliano 
Published: March 2009

SummaryThe human lymph node is a complex tissue resulting from the microenvironmental organisation of different cell populations linked by topographical and/or functional relationships. Germinal centres (GCs) of lymphoid follicles contain a meshwork of follicular dendritic cells in addition to B‐cells and some CD4+ T cells. Moreover, there is a sharp demarcation around the whole follicle centre, which is highlighted by fibroblastic reticulum cells. On the whole, GC exerts a role in B cell physiology and malignancy. In GC‐derived lymphomas, gene expression profiling studies have raised the possibility that survival of the affected patients may be associated with signatures preferentially expressed in non‐malignant T cells and macrophages and/or dendritic cells. Immunohistological analyses in lymphoma biopsy samples have confirmed that the biological behaviour and tumour progression may be influenced by the tumour microenvironment. This review will examine GC‐derived lymphomas, including follicular lymphomas, Hodgkin lymphomas and angioimmunoblastic T‐cell lymphoma, through their integrated cellular microenvironment, highlighting those findings which may serve as a useful surrogate marker for tumour diagnosis or tumour progression, together with key molecules involved in tumour development.
Haemoglobin oxygen saturation is a determinant of cerebral artery blood flow velocity in children with sickle cell anaemia
Authors: Quinn Charles T. , Variste Jennifer , Dowling Michael M. 
Published: March 2009

SummarySteady‐state haemoglobin (Hb) desaturation is a common finding in sickle cell anaemia (Hb SS) that could predispose to stroke by limiting oxygen delivery to the brain. To determine its association with the risk of overt stroke, we examined the relationship between daytime Hb saturation measured by pulse oximetry (SpO2) and cerebral artery blood flow velocity measured by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD), an established risk factor for overt stroke in Hb SS. We studied 181 children using multivariate models to control for known determinants of TCD velocity, including age, haematocrit, and a measure of stenosis. We found that SpO2 correlated significantly and inversely with TCD velocity in both the right and left middle cerebral arteries. Hb desaturation was associated with increased cerebral artery blood flow velocities and increased odds of abnormal TCD velocities, hence increased risk of stroke. About 5% of the variation in TCD velocity could be ascribed to Hb saturation while controlling for other determinants of TCD velocity. In conclusion, Hb saturation is a determinant of TCD velocity and a risk factor for stroke in children with Hb SS.