bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Genetic Epidemiologic Study of Social Support in a Chinese Sample
Authors: Ji Wen-yan , Hu Yong-hua , Huang Yue-qin , Cao Wei-hua , Lu Jun , Qin Ying , Peng Zeng-chang , Wang Shao-jie , Lee Li-ming 
Published: February 2008

AbstractAccumulated evidence suggests that social support is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. However, there are little data that examine this issue from Asian samples. We reported results from a preliminary study that examined familial effects on social support in a Chinese adult twin sample. We administered a 10-item social support instrument that measures three dimensions of social support (i.e., objective support, subjective support, and utilization of support) developed for the Chinese population. Two hundred forty-two same-sex twin pairs, where both members of the pair completed the personal interview, were included in the final analysis. Structural equation modeling was used to estimate additive genetic (A), shared environmental (C), and nonshared environmental (E) effects on each dimension of social support. Familial factors (A+C) explained 56.63% [95% CI = 45.48–65.72%] and 42.42% [95% CI = 29.93–53.25%] of the total phenotypic variances of subjective support and utilization of support, respectively. For the objective support, genetic effects did not exist, but common environmental effect explained 37.56% [95% CI = 26.17–48.28%] of the total phenotypic variances. Neither gender nor age effects were seen on any dimension of social support. Except for objective support, genetic factors probably influence variation in subjective support and utilization of support. Shared environmental factors may influence all dimensions of social support.
Psychological Vulnerability of Singleton Children After the ‘Vanishing’ of a Co-Twin Following Assisted Reproduction
Authors: De Pascalis Leonardo , Monti Fiorella , Agostini Francesca , Fagandini Piergiuseppina , La Sala Giovanni B. , Blickstein Isaac 
Published: February 2008

AbstractWe test the hypothesis that parents who conceived twins by assisted reproduction technology (ART), but experienced loss of one twin, have a different parental–child relationship compared with ART parents following a singleton pregnancy. We used the 1994–2005 ART database of the Centre for Infertility of the Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova in Reggio Emilia, Italy to identify families of 53 singleton births after the ‘vanishing’ twin syndrome. The controls comprised 106 families who conceived and delivered singletons, matched for gestational age (≥ 28 ≤ 31, ≥ 32 ≤ 36, ≥ 37 weeks), maternal age (< 35, ≥ 35 ≤ 40, > 40 years), child's age (1–3, 4–6, and 7–11 years) and child's gender. We completed 3 tests: a sociodemographic questionnaire, the QUIT — Italian Questionnaires of Temperament — motor scale, and the Child Vulnerability Scale. We found that children in the study had significantly more difficulties at the beginning of nursery school (p= .002) and kindergarten (p= .0005), with more frequent anxiety of separation from the parents (nursery school,p= .009; kindergarten,p= .001). We found a lower mean QUIT motor score for the 7- to 11-year-old children when compared to the general Italian normative values, suggesting that parents perceived their children as having more motor difficulties. In contrast, analysis of the Child Vulnerability Scale showed that significantly more parents (15.1%) from the controls perceived their child as vulnerable compared to those from the study group (3.8%),p= .034. We conclude that despite the perceived motor difficulties and the difficulties in the process of individuation–separation that appear at the beginning of the different educational circumstances, parents of singletons following the ‘vanishing’ twin syndrome perceive their children as ‘invincible’, and thus less vulnerable compared to controls.
Statistical Genetics: Gene Mapping Through Linkage and AssociationBenjamin M. Neale, Manuel A. R. Ferreira, Sarah E. Medland, and Danielle Posthuma (Eds.). (2007). London: Taylor and Francis. ISBN: 978041541040
Authors: Hewitt John K. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractThis book was conceived at the 2005 methodology workshop in Boulder, Colorado. Its purpose was to provide background reading and a working text for students and researchers being introduced to the principles and practice of linkage and association analysis in the context of twin and family studies of complex traits, including behavioral and psychological traits. It is edited by four of the most interesting and dynamic young researchers in the field, and authored by them and a roster of 25 additional world class experts in statistical, behavioral, and psychiatric genetics.
Standards Versus Recommended Practice: Separating Process and Prescriptive Measures from Building Performance
Authors: Trusty Wayne 
Published: February 2008

Abstract
Rating systems in North America are experiencing a fundamental shift in the way they approach sustainable design, away from a prescriptive methodology toward one that emphasizes quantifiable performance. They are maturing, placing more importance on issues such as life cycle assessment and how to strengthen the link between design forecasts and actual building performance over the long-term. But, they remain an inherent mix of objective and subjective elements—of process, prescriptive measures, and performance—which makes it difficult for them to evolve in their entirety into sustainable building standards. This paper will focus on fundamental issues related to the standardization of sustainable design principles in the context of assessment and rating systems, drawing on the experience of the Green Building Initiative (GBI) American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Technical Committee for Green Globes™. The GBI is the first national organization to take a green building rating system through the consensus-based ANSI process, and its technical committee will examine how process, prescriptive, and performance measures fit in a standard of this nature. For example, experience shows that an integrated design process tends to result in higher performance buildings. However, while it is recommended practice, can it be mandated as part of a standard if it isn’t a measure of the building’s actual worth? Indeed, can any process be dictated, or would this risk penalizing an exceptional building for something that has nothing to do with sustainability? Likewise, prescriptive measures such as favoring building materials with recycled content do not always deliver the benefits they are widely assumed to have. They are means to an end and should not be treated as objectives in their own right. It is tempting to include prescriptive measures in a standard because they are easy to verify. But do we not then risk perpetuating points of view that, while deeply entrenched, do not contribute positively to actual building performance?
Effect of Active Elements on the Oxidation Behavior of a FeCrAl Alloy Produced by Co-Rolling and Annealing
Authors: Pilone D. , Felli F. , Bernabai U. 
Published: February 2008

Abstract
The choice of a metal alloy for supporting catalytic converter bodies depends on the mechanical, thermal, and chemical resistance of the alloy under operative conditions. The demand for providing a more efficient conversion instigated the development of improved substrate technologies. In this paper, a thin foil of FeCrAl alloy was produced by diffusion alloying of aluminum clad ferritic stainless steel containing very small amounts of active elements (Hf, Y, Zr). The effect of the active elements on the oxidation behavior of such an alloy has been evaluated. Isothermal tests carried out in air at 900°C, 1000°C, and 1100°C showed kinetics representing a very protective behavior. The oxide scale always appeared very flat and adherent to the substrate. The beneficial effect of active elements on scale protectiveness was apparent also during cyclic oxidation tests carried out in air over the 800–1000°C temperature range. Breakaway oxidation was never observed. Active elements are believed to limit diffusion processes through the scale, and this leads to the formation of a flat and adherent alumina scale that can withstand additional stress due to the thermal expansion mismatch between the oxide and the metal.
The Greening of American Catholicism: Identity, Conversion, and Continuity
Authors: Warner Keith Douglass 
Published: February 2008

AbstractEnvironmental concern is emerging in all major American religious denominations, a process known as the “greening of religion.” The dynamics of a greening process illustrate how individuals incorporate emergent social concerns into their existing moral worldviews and show the ways in which religious identities shape that process. Analyzing the dynamics of this phenomenon reveals much about how a community understands the meaning of religious conversion, demonstrates the stability of religious identities, and illustrates how leaders use new problems to reframe religious identities. The greening of American Catholicism builds upon prior efforts to extend a practical theology of social justice (conversion) but articulates new moral responsibilities for future generations while reinforcing identity (continuity). Pope John Paul II opened a new domain for Catholic social teaching by his numerous teachings about environmental stewardship. U.S. Catholic greening efforts built organically upon the Catholic social teaching initiatives of the 1980s, addressing peace and economic justice, and the emergence of what some refer to as a “distinctly Catholic” contribution to environmental ethics should be interpreted in light of these efforts. This term is not precisely defined, but it suggests a concern for cultivating environmental values within the framework of a Catholic identity and for not subverting Catholic religious identity to conventional “secular” environmental values. The rhetorical framing of environment concerns by an ethic of justice was drawn from the biblical vision of justice, but it was influenced by the American environmental justice movement that emerged during this period. The most innovative expression of the greening of American Catholicism has been a set of regional initiatives, bringing Catholic social vision to bear on local issues through lay civic engagement. The lessons from this study speak to the broad evolution of religious environmental ethics in American culture and can inform future studies of this transreligious phenomenon.
Framing Catholicism: Jack Chick's Anti-Catholic Cartoons and the Flexible Boundaries of the Culture Wars
Authors: Borer Michael Ian , Murphree Adam 
Published: February 2008

AbstractIn order to understand the practice of “culture wars work,” we examined the claims of a particularly vocal evangelist, Jack T. Chick. Chick is a writer and cartoonist known both positively and negatively for his “Chick tracts.” Chick tracts are small twenty-four-page black-andwhite comic books that attempt to convert the reader to Chick's particular brand of “Bible-believing” Protestant Christianity. We focused on Chick's claim about Catholicism in order to show how theological and ideological boundaries can be constructed between presumably allied religious populations. Chick presents his anti-Catholicism using three main frames: (1) the associative frame—Catholicism is not only one of many social problems but is also cause of a number of them, (2) the subversive frame—the Catholic church is a political villain, and (3) the hidden agenda frame—Catholicism has not remained true to the authoritative teachings of Christianity and has embraced a secretly progressive worldview. Investigating a culture war claims maker like Chick, who purposely disrupts what presumably would be an orthodox or conservative alliance, reveals the process of symbolic boundary making within cultural/ moral/religious conflicts.
Clinical Evidence for Second- and Third-Line Treatment Options in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: de Marinis Filippo , Grossi Francesco 
Published: February 2008

Abstract
In the U.S. and Europe, the current options for the second- and third-line treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are cytotoxic drugs and targeted agents. Docetaxel was the first drug approved for second-line treatment after two phase III trials demonstrated its superiority over best supportive care (BSC) alone and single-agent chemotherapy. Pemetrexed was also registered for use as second-line therapy after it was demonstrated to have activity comparable with, and a more favorable toxicity profile than, docetaxel. Erlotinib, an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor, is the only biological agent to have been approved in the U.S. and Europe for lung cancer treatment after a study showed its superiority over BSC in recurrent (second-/third-line) NSCLC patients. This review focuses on these drugs, dealing with the results supporting the choice among docetaxel, pemetrexed, and erlotinib in second- and/or third-line treatment.
Conclusion
Authors: Bunn Paul A. , Thatcher Nick 
Published: February 2008

AbstractChemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) can prolong survival and improve quality of life, but the majority of advanced stage patients succumb to disease within 2 years, meaning that there is room for improvement. The standard chemotherapy for NSCLC involves one of a number of chemotherapy doublets that have been shown to improve survival when compared with single agents or best supportive care. These doublets are generally comparable in terms of efficacy, differing primarily in their toxicity profiles. However, encouraging new options may be approaching, including therapies targeted to specific patient subpopulations, and the use of combinations of current and new drugs to produce synergistic effects.Targeted therapies include the anti–epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) erlotinib and gefitinib, EGFR monoclonal antibody cetuximab, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors such as sorafenib, a small molecule TKI, and bevacizumab, a recombinant monoclonal VEGF antibody. Most attempts to combine EGFR-targeted therapies with standard chemotherapy in NSCLC have produced poor results, possibly as a result of antagonism between EGFR TKIs and chemotherapy. Positive results with bevacizumab suggest that VEGF-rather than EGFR-targeted therapies may produce better results when combined with chemotherapy.Other new drugs being tested include enzastaurin, an oral serine threonine kinase inhibitor; vinflunine, a vinca alkaloid; dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors; and thymidylate synthase inhibitors.Combinations of therapies, especially those acting via different mechanisms, hold promise for improvements in survival, but careful testing is required to determine optimum combinations of available drugs and where new drugs fit into the armamentarium.
Cigarette Smoking and Alveolar Bone in Young Adults: A Study Using Digitized Radiographs
Authors: Rosa Guillermo M. , Lucas Gabriela Q. , Lucas Oscar N. 
Published: February 2008

Background: Evidence indicates that cigarette smoking is one of the most significant risk factors for periodontal diseases; however, there have been few radiographic prospective studies of alveolar bone in young populations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of smoking on alveolar bone in young adults.Methods: Eighty‐one dental students (mean age: 20.5 years), considered not to have periodontitis according to clinical criteria, participated in this study. Forty‐two subjects were smokers (mean consumption was 14.1 cigarettes/day for ≥2 years), and 39 subjects had never smoked. A parallel‐arm prospective design was used. All subjects took part in a dental hygiene program (DHP) that included oral hygiene instructions, mechanical debridement, and polishing. The following clinical variables were measured before and after the DHP: plaque index (PI), gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) flow rate, gingival index (GI), probing depth, and clinical attachment level (CAL). Standardized posterior vertical bitewing radiographs were taken and digitized preexperimentally and on days 180, 365, and 545. The following analyses were performed: bone height measurement (BHM), computer‐assisted densitometric image analysis (CADIA), and qualitative analysis of digital subtraction radiography (DSR). Repeated‐measures multiple‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed between the groups, and one‐way ANOVA was performed within the groups.Results: The mean PI and GI were significantly greater in the smokers (P <0.01). The mean GCF flow rate was significantly lower in the smokers (P <0.01). CAL and the number of sites with recession were significantly greater in the smokers (P <0.001). The BHM indicated a significantly lower mean alveolar bone height in the smokers (P <0.01). The smokers showed significantly lower CADIA values, which indicated a lower bone density on days 0 (P <0.05), 180, 365, and 545 (P <0.01). CADIA values decreased during the study in the smokers, with significant differences on day 545 (P <0.05). The smokers had a significantly higher mean percentage of sites that had decreased density, as assessed by DSR (P <0.001). In the smokers, the mean percentage of sites with decreased density, as assessed by DSR, had increased significantly by days 365 (P <0.05) and 545 (P <0.01).Conclusions: Smoking produces an adverse effect on clinical periodontal variables and alveolar bone height and density, acting as a potential risk factor for alveolar bone loss, even at an early age with low tobacco consumption. It is very important to inform young smokers about the risk of this habit in relation to periodontal health.
Maternal Periodontitis as a Potential Risk Variable for Preeclampsia: A Case‐Control Study
Authors: Siqueira Fernanda Mafra , Cota Luís Otávio Miranda , Costa José Eustáquio , Haddad João Paulo Amaral , Lana Ângela Maria Quintão , Costa Fernando Oliveira 
Published: February 2008

Background: Association studies between maternal periodontitis and an elevated risk for preeclampsia have shown conflicting results. The aims of the present case‐control study were: 1) to evaluate the association between maternal periodontitis and preeclampsia before and after matching, assessing confounding and interaction; and 2) to evaluate the influence of the extent and severity of periodontal parameters, bleeding on probing (BOP), probing depth (PD), and clinical attachment loss (CAL), in association with preeclampsia.Methods: Initially, 1,206 Brazilian women were included and divided into a control group (1,042 non‐preeclamptic women who gave birth to infants with adequate gestational age and birth weight) and a case group (164 preeclamptic women). Further, 125 preeclamptic women were matched according to age, chronic hypertension, and primiparity to 375 non‐preeclamptic women randomly selected from the control group. Maternal periodontitis was defined as PD ≥4 mm and CAL ≥3 mm at the same site in at least four teeth. The effect of variables of interest and confounding were assessed by univariate and multivariate analysis.Results: After controlling for confounders, maternal periodontitis was included in the multivariate final model (odds ratio [OR] = 1.94; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.37 to 2.77; P <0.001) and remained associated with preeclampsia after matching (OR = 1.52; 95% CI: 1.01 to 2.29; P = 0.045). The odds of preeclampsia were associated with an increase in the number of sites with BOP and PD and CAL ≥4 mm.Conclusion: Maternal periodontitis is a risk factor associated with preeclampsia, emphasizing the importance of periodontal care in prenatal programs.
Non‐Surgical Periodontal Therapy With Adjunctive Chlorhexidine Use in Adults With Down Syndrome: A Prospective Case Series
Authors: Cheng Ronald H.W. , Leung W. Keung , Corbet Esmonde F. 
Published: February 2008

Background: Subjects with Down syndrome (DS) experience a high prevalence of periodontal disease, and the management of this disease in subjects with DS is a challenge for oral health care providers. The purpose of this case series was to follow the periodontal healing response changes over a 12‐month period after non‐surgical mechanical periodontal therapy with the adjunctive use of chlorhexidine and monthly recalls in adults with DS who presented initially with chronic periodontitis.Methods: Twenty‐one subjects with DS (14 males and seven females; 25.3 ± 5.5 years of age) with reported mild‐to‐moderate learning disabilities and chronic periodontitis were recruited and treated by non‐surgical mechanical periodontal therapy (followed by monthly recalls) and the adjunctive use of chlorhexidine gel for toothbrushing and chlorhexidine mouthwash twice daily. Clinical data were recorded.Results: After 12 months of non‐surgical mechanical periodontal therapy, the mean percentage of sites with plaque decreased from 84.1% to 23.6%, and the mean number of sites with bleeding on probing decreased from 82.1% to 29.5%. Mean probing depth decreased from 3.2 to 1.8 mm, with a mean clinical attachment level gain of 0.6 mm.Conclusions: Satisfactory healing responses were achieved following non‐surgical mechanical periodontal therapy with the adjunctive use of chlorhexidine and monthly recalls in adults with DS with chronic periodontitis and mild‐to‐moderate learning disabilities. Such a treatment regimen seems appropriate and beneficial for adults with DS and chronic periodontitis.
Staphylococcus aureusBacteremia Complicating Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Stomatitis: Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Shouval Dror S. , Bilavsky Efraim , Avitzur Yaron , Shapiro Rivka , Amir Jacob 
Published: February 2008

Background:Gingivostomatitis is a common clinical manifestation of primary herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV‐1) infection in children. The most common complication of herpetic gingivostomatitis is dehydration; rarely, it may be complicated by secondary bacteremia, andKingella kingaeand group AStreptococcusinfections have been reported to be responsible for such episodes.Methods:We describe the clinical course of a 4.5‐year‐old girl several years after a liver transplantation, who presented with high fever, vesicular lesions in the buccal region, and cervical lymphadenopathy.Results:Viral culture from the vesicles grew HSV‐1, whereas blood culture and bacterial culture from the vesicles grew methicillin‐sensitiveStaphylococcus aureuswith identical antibiogram. Serology against HSV‐1 confirmed a recent infection. The child was treated with cephalexin and improved gradually.Conclusions:Herpetic lesions of the oral mucosa might serve as a port of entry for pathogens includingStaphylococcus aureus. Pediatricians and dentists should be aware of bacterial complications in children with herpetic stomatitis.