bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Towards safer level crossings: existing recommendations, new applicable technologies and a proposed simulation model
Authors: Khoudour Louahdi , Ghazel Mohamed , Boukour Fouzia , Heddebaut Marc , El-Koursi El-Miloudi 
Published: December 2008

Abstract
Every year, more than 400 people are killed in over 1,200 accidents at road-rail level crossings in the European Union. Together with tunnels and specific road black spots, level crossings have been identified as being a particular weak point in road infrastructure, seriously jeopardizing road safety. In the case of railway transport, level crossings can represent as much as 29% of all fatalities caused by railway operations. Up to now, the only effective solution appears to involve upgrading level crossing safety systems even though in more than 90% of cases the primary accident cause is inadequate or improper human behavior rather than any technical, rail-based issue. This article provides results of research done on possible technological solutions to reduce the number of accidents at level crossings and demonstrate the effectiveness of the latter. Elements of these recommendations and related research activities constitute the main focus of the research work described in this paper. It is organized as follows: In Section 2, we consider statistical data related to LX accidents in certain given European countries. These statistics as well as a European Commission Directive related to safety targets are analyzed and the main trends are drawn. The study was carried out on the basis of the classification by the European Railway Agency of active LXs and passive LXs. These results form the foundation for the work described in Section 3. Section 3 focuses on advanced technology to improve LXs safety. The main thrust of the study is to evaluate low-cost, standard technology that can contribute to a direct decrease in the number of accidents, at an affordable cost. Existing surveillance technologies already used in rail or road transport are first considered. To facilitate LX bi-modality, special emphasis is put on technical solutions which have already demonstrated high efficiency in both environments. In Section 4, the mode of operation of each potential solution is modeled and evaluated considering several operational scenarii, in order to evaluate the aggregate benefits of all the input. Setting models to describe the dynamics surrounding the LX environment will prepare a basis to support the decision making process of a joint rail and road sector strategy on how to control LXs. Finally, section 5 brings the study to a close with a list of the main areas in which to concentrate our future work.
Genetic transfer of PNAS‐4 induces apoptosis and enhances sensitivity to gemcitabine in lung cancer
Authors: Hou Shengyan , Zhao Zhiwei , Yan Fei , Chen Xiancheng , Deng Hongxin , Chen Xiang , Wang Yongsheng , Wei Yuquan 
Published: December 2008

AbstractPNAS‐4 has been demonstrated to induce apoptosis in U2OS cells. To evaluate its feasibility as a new strategy for cancer therapy, we analyzed its anti‐tumor effect with or without gemcitabine in A549 lung cancer cells. MTT assay, Hoechst 33258 staining and flow cytometric analysis were used to determine the cytotoxicity of PNAS‐4 alone or plus gemcitabine. The anti‐tumor efficacy was further investigated in vivo with nude mice. PNAS‐4 plasmid/liposome complexes were injected by tail vein every 4 days. Gemcitabine was given ip on a weekly schedule for 4 weeks. PNAS‐4 alone and plus gemcitabine induced apoptosis in A549 cells in vitro. The xenograft lung cancer treated with PNAS‐4 retarded growth compared with the empty vector. The combination of PNAS‐4 with gemcitabine induced anti‐tumor activity accompanied by an increase in apoptotic cells compared with PNAS‐4 or gemcitabine alone. No other obvious toxicity was found. PNAS‐4 therefore suppresses tumor growth in vivo and enhances sensitivity to gemcitabine. This suggests that the PNAS‐4 gene could be a potential candidate for lung cancer therapy alone or in combination with gemcitabine.
Cost‐effectiveness of misoprostol and prenatal iron supplementation as maternal mortality interventions in home births in rural India
Authors: Sutherland Tori , Bishai David M. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractObjectiveTo determine the cost‐effectiveness of prenatal iron supplementation and misoprostol use as interventions to prevent maternal mortality in home births in rural India.MethodsA cost‐effectiveness analysis depicted three hypothetical cohorts of 10 000 pregnant women delivering at home in rural India: one with no intervention, one receiving standard prenatal iron supplements, and 1 receiving 600 µg of misoprostol in the third stage of labor.ResultsMisoprostol used to prevent postpartum hemorrhage resulted in a 38% (95% CI, 5%–73%) decrease in maternal deaths, while prenatal iron supplementation resulted in a 5% (95% CI, 0%–47%) decrease. Misoprostol cost a median US $1401 (IQR US $1008–$1848) prenatal iron supplementation cost a median US $2241 (IQR No Lives Saved–$3882) per life saved compared with the standard care outcome.ConclusionMisoprostol is a cost‐effective maternal mortality intervention for home births. Iron supplementation may be worthwhile to improve women's health, but it is uncertain whether it can prevent mortality after hemorrhage.
The Influence of Minority Status on Job Stability After Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Arango‐Lasprilla Juan Carlos , Ketchum Jessica M. , Gary Kelli W. , Kreutzer Jeffrey S. , O'Neil‐Pirozzi Therese M. , Wehman Paul , Marquez de la Plata Carlos , Jha Amitabh 
Published: December 2008

ObjectiveTo determine the influence of minority status on job stability after traumatic brain injury (TBI).SettingTBI Model Systems Centers.Participants633 individuals (414 Caucasians vs. 219 Minorities) with primarily moderate to severe TBI hospitalized at one of the TBI Model Systems Centers between 1988 and 2001 with 3 years of continuous follow up employment data after discharge.Main Outcome MeasuresJob stability was defined as “stable” (competitively employed at all three follow‐up visits), “unemployed” (not competitively employed at all three visits), and “unstable” (any other mixture of competitively employed and not competitively employed over the three follow‐up visits).MethodsA multinomial logistic regression model was used to model the effect of ethnicity on job stability post TBI after adjusting for injury and demographic characteristics.ResultsCompared to Caucasians, the adjusted odds for minorities were 3.587 times greater for being unemployed versus being stably employed (95% CI = 1.930, 6.668), 1.911 times greater for being unstably employed versus being stably employed (95% CI = 1.006, 3.628), and 1.878 times more greater for being unemployed versus being unstably employed (95% CI = 1.157, 3.046) after adjusting for preinjury employment status, age, marital status, education, cause of injury, total length of stay in acute and rehabilitation hospitals, and DRS at discharge.ConclusionsMinority status is an independent predictor of short‐term job stability after TBI. Minority TBI survivors were more likely than Caucasians to be unemployed or unstably employed. Rehabilitation professionals should develop employment interventions that will address the specific needs of these racial/ethnic groups and facilitate optimal employment outcomes for minority TBI survivors.
Effect of the metabolic inhibitor, methimazole on the drug susceptibility of a triclabendazole-resistant isolate of Fasciola hepatica
Authors: DEVINE C. , BRENNAN G. P. , LANUSSE C. E. , ALVAREZ L. I. , TRUDGETT A. , HOEY E. , FAIRWEATHER I. 
Published: December 2008

SUMMARYA study has been carried out to investigate whether the action of triclabendazole (TCBZ) is altered in the presence of a metabolic inhibitor. The flavin monooxygenase system (FMO) was inhibited using methimazole (MTZ) to see whether a TCBZ-resistant isolate could be made more sensitive to TCBZ action. The Oberon TCBZ-resistant and Cullompton TCBZ-sensitive isolates were used for these experiments. The FMO system was inhibited by a 2-h pre-incubation in methimazole (100 μm). Flukes were then incubated for a further 22 h in NCTC medium containing either MTZ; MTZ+nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) (1 nm); MTZ+NADPH+TCBZ (15 μg/ml); or MTZ+NADPH+triclabendazole sulphoxide (TCBZ.SO) (15 μg/ml). Morphological changes resulting from drug treatment and following metabolic inhibition were assessed using scanning electron microscopy. After treatment with either TCBZ or TCBZ.SO alone, there was greater surface disruption to the triclabendazole-susceptible than -resistant isolate. However, co-incubation with MTZ and TCBZ/TCBZ.SO lead to more severe surface changes to the TCBZ-resistant isolate than with each drug on its own; this was not seen for the TCBZ-susceptible Cullompton isolate. Results of this study support the concept of altered drug metabolism in TCBZ-resistant flukes and this process may play a role in the development of drug resistance.
Time-dependent neutral-plasma isothermal expansions into a vacuum
Authors: Huang Y. , Duan X. , Lan X. , Tan Z. , Wang N. , Tang X. , He Y. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractA time-dependent solution for neutral-plasma isothermal expansions into a vacuum in a special-transformation coordinate system is obtained. In this new coordinate system, the special self-similar solutions of it were given by Huang and co-workers (Appl. Phys. Lett. 92, 031501). Combining the time-dependent solution and the quasi-linear increase of the electron density due to the hot-electron recirculation, an analytic model is proposed to reveal the influence of the hot-electron recirculation on the increase of electric field and on the acceleration of ions of different masses and charges.
The emergence of Dutch connectives; how cumulative cognitive complexity explains the order of acquisition
Authors: EVERS-VERMEUL JACQUELINE , SANDERS TED 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACTBefore they are three years old, most children have started to build coherent discourse. This article focuses on one important linguistic device children have to learn: connectives. The main questions are: Do connectives emerge in a fixed order? And if so, how can this order be explained? In line with Bloomet al.(1980) we propose to explain similarities in the development in terms of cumulative cognitive complexity: complex relations are acquired later than simple ones. Following a cognitive approach to coherence relations, we expect positive relations to be acquired before negatives and additives before temporals and causals. We develop a multidimensional approach to the acquisition process in order to account for the variation among children. Hypotheses were tested by analyzing data from children aged 1 ; 5–5 ; 6 on the emergence of Dutch connectives. The multidimensional approach of cognitive complexity describes both the uniformity and the diversity in the developmental sequences of Dutch-speaking and English-speaking children.
21 Tesla MRI Microimaging of Rat Heart by Superparamagnetic Antimyoglobin Bound Nanoparticles
Authors: Sharma Rakesh 
Published: December 2008

AbstractSuperparamagnetic iron-oxide bound antimyoglobin (SPIOM) characteristics were analyzed at different pH. After injecting SPIOM in heart, ex vivo magnetic resonance microimaging (MRM) technique was used to visualize microvasculature of rat heart including cardiac arteries, veins, cordate tendons attached with valves. The measurement accuracy of ventricles, aorta, vasculature and dimensions of cordate tendons were close to coregistered histology measurements.
Sputtering and heating of Titan's upper atmosphere
Authors: Johnson Robert E 
Published: December 2008

Titan is an important endpoint for understanding atmospheric evolution. Prior to Cassini's arrival at Saturn, modelling based on Voyager data indicated that the hydrogen escape rate was large (1–3×10
28
amu s
−1
), but the escape rates for carbon and nitrogen species were relatively small (5×10
26
amu s
−1
) and dominated by atmospheric sputtering. Recent analysis of the structure of Titan's thermosphere and corona attained from the Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer and the Huygens Atmospheric Structure Instrument on Cassini have led to substantially larger estimates of the loss rate for heavy species (0.3–5×10
28
amu s
−1
). At the largest rate suggested, a mass that is a significant fraction of the present atmosphere would have been lost to space in 4 Gyr; hence, understanding the nature of the processes driving escape is critical. The recent estimates of neutral escape are reviewed here, with particular emphasis on plasma-induced sputtering and heating. Whereas the loss of hydrogen is clearly indicated by the altitude dependence of the H
2
density, three different one-dimensional models were used to estimate the heavy-molecule loss rate using the Cassini data for atmospheric density versus altitude. The solar heating rate and the nitrogen density profile versus altitude were used in a fluid dynamic model to extract an average net upward flux below the exobase; the diffusion of methane through nitrogen was described below the exobase using a model that allowed for outward flow; and the coronal structure above the exobase was simulated by presuming that the observed atmospheric structure was due to solar- and plasma-induced hot particle production. In the latter, it was hypothesized that hot recoils from photochemistry or plasma-ion-induced heating were required. In the other two models, the upward flow extracted is driven by heat conduction from below, which is assumed to continue to act above the nominal exobase, producing a process referred to as ‘slow hydrodynamic’ escape. These models and the resulting loss rates are reviewed and compared. It is pointed out that preliminary estimates of the composition of the magnetospheric plasma at Titan's orbit appear to be inconsistent with the largest loss rates suggested for the heavy species, and the mean upward flow extracted in the one-dimensional models could be consistent with atmospheric loss by other mechanisms or with transport to other regions of Titan's atmosphere.
Age–period–cohort modelling of alcohol volume and heavy drinking days in the US National Alcohol Surveys: divergence in younger and older adult trends
Authors: Kerr William C. , Greenfield Thomas K. , Bond Jason , Ye Yu , Rehm Jürgen 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACTAims  The decomposition of trends in alcohol volume and heavy drinking days into age, period, cohort and demographic effects offers an important perspective on the dynamics of change in alcohol use patterns in the United States.Design  The present study utilizes data from six National Alcohol Surveys conducted over the 26‐year period between 1979 and 2005.Setting  United States.Measurements  Alcohol volume and the number of days when five or more and eight or more drinks were consumed were derived from overall and beverage‐specific graduated frequency questions.Results  Trend analyses show that while mean values of drinking measures have continued to decline for those aged 26 and older, there has been a substantial increase in both alcohol volume and 5+ days among those aged 18–25 years. Age–period–cohort models indicate a potential positive cohort effect among those born after 1975. However, an alternative interpretation of an age–cohort interaction where drinking falls off more steeply in the late 20s than was the case in the oldest surveys cannot be ruled out. For women only, the 1956–60 birth cohort appears to drink more heavily than those born just before or after. Models also indicate the importance of income, ethnicity, education and marital status in determining these alcohol measures.Conclusions  Increased heavy drinking among young adults in recent surveys presents a significant challenge for alcohol policy and may indicate a sustained increase in future US alcohol consumption.
Policy implications of the widespread practice of ‘pre‐drinking’ or ‘pre‐gaming’ before going to public drinking establishments—are current prevention strategies backfiring?
Authors: Wells Samantha , Graham Kathryn , Purcell John 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACTAim  To describe the research, policy and prevention implications of pre‐drinking or pre‐gaming; that is, planned heavy drinking prior to going to a public drinking establishment.Methods  The authors describe the phenomenon of pre‐drinking, motivations for pre‐drinking and its associated risks using available research literature, media and popular internet vehicles.Results  Heavy drinking prior to going out has emerged as a common and celebrated practice among young adults around the world. Apparent motivations are: (i) to avoid paying for high priced drinks at commercial drinking establishments; (ii) to achieve drunkenness and enhance and extend the night out; and (iii) to socialize with friends, reduce social anxiety or enhance male group bonding before going out. Limited existing research on pre‐drinking suggests that it is associated with heavy drinking and harmful consequences. We argue that policies focused upon reducing drinking in licensed premises may have the unintended consequence of displacing drinking to pre‐drinking environments, possibly resulting in greater harms.Conclusions  Effective policy and prevention for drinking in licensed premises requires a comprehensive approach that takes into account the entire drinking occasion (not just drinking that occurs in the licensed environment), as well as the ‘determined drunkenness’ goal of some young people.
Ketamine use, cognition and psychological wellbeing: a comparison of frequent, infrequent and ex‐users with polydrug and non‐using controls
Authors: Morgan Celia J. A. , Muetzelfeldt Leslie , Curran H. Valerie 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACTIntroduction  Preliminary research has indicated that recreational ketamine use may be associated with marked cognitive impairments and elevated psychopathological symptoms, although no study to date has determined how these are affected by differing frequencies of use or whether they are reversible on cessation of use. In this study we aimed to determine how variations in ketamine use and abstention from prior use affect neurocognitive function and psychological wellbeing.Method  We assessed a total of 150 individuals: 30 frequent ketamine users, 30 infrequent ketamine users, 30 ex‐ketamine users, 30 polydrug users and 30 controls who did not use illicit drugs. Cognitive tasks included spatial working memory, pattern recognition memory, the Stockings of Cambridge (a variant of the Tower of London task), simple vigilance and verbal and category fluency. Standardized questionnaires were used to assess psychological wellbeing. Hair analysis was used to verify group membership.Results  Frequent ketamine users were impaired on spatial working memory, pattern recognition memory, Stockings of Cambridge and category fluency but exhibited preserved verbal fluency and prose recall. There were no differences in the performance of the infrequent ketamine users or ex‐users compared to the other groups. Frequent users showed increased delusional, dissociative and schizotypal symptoms which were also evident to a lesser extent in infrequent and ex‐users. Delusional symptoms correlated positively with the amount of ketamine used currently by the frequent users.Conclusions  Frequent ketamine use is associated with impairments in working memory, episodic memory and aspects of executive function as well as reduced psychological wellbeing. ‘Recreational’ ketamine use does not appear to be associated with distinct cognitive impairments although increased levels of delusional and dissociative symptoms were observed. As no performance decrements were observed in the ex‐ketamine users, it is possible that the cognitive impairments observed in the frequent ketamine group are reversible upon cessation of ketamine use, although delusional symptoms persist.
Smoking, nicotine dependence and mental health among young adults: a 13‐year population‐based longitudinal study
Authors: Pedersen Willy , Von Soest Tilmann 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACTAims  To investigate prospectively the associations between daily smoking and nicotine dependence and anxiety, depression and suicide attempts.Methods  Data were from the Young in Norway Longitudinal Study. A population‐based sample (n = 1501) was followed for 13 years from ages 13–27 years. Data were gathered on smoking patterns and nicotine dependence; and depression, anxiety and parasuicide. Extensive information on socio‐demographic factors, parental and family conditions, parental rearing practices, educational career, conduct problems, alcohol problems and use of illegal substances was also collected.Results  Young adults who were nicotine‐dependent had clearly elevated rates of anxiety, depression and parasuicide. These rates declined after controlling for a previous history of mental health problems and potential confounding factors. After adjustment, nicotine dependence was still associated with anxiety, depression and parasuicide. There was also a significant association with later depression in the group of non‐dependent daily smokers. Measures of reduced mental health did not predict later smoking initiation or the development of nicotine dependence.Conclusions  Mental health was reduced more seriously in nicotine‐dependent smokers than in non‐dependent smokers. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that smoking, in particular nicotine dependence, influences mental health.
Substance use disorder among older adults in the United States in 2020
Authors: Han Beth , Gfroerer Joseph C. , Colliver James D. , Penne Michael A. 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACTAims  This study aimed to project the number of people aged 50 years or older with substance use disorder (alcohol/illicit drug dependence or abuse) in the United States in 2020.Design  Logistic regression models were applied to estimate parameters predicting past‐year substance use disorder using the 2002–06 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data. We applied these parameters to the projected US 2020 population to estimate the number of adults aged 50 or older with substance use disorder in 2020.Setting  Non‐institutionalized US residences.Participants  Representative sample of the US civilian, non‐institutionalized population.Measurements  Substance use disorder is classified based on criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition.Findings  Due to the large population size and high substance use rate of the baby‐boom cohort, the number of adults aged 50 or older with substance use disorder is projected to double from 2.8 million (annual average) in 2002–06 to 5.7 million in 2020. Increases are projected for all examined gender, race/ethnicity and age groups.Conclusions  Our estimates provide critical information for policymakers to allocate resources and develop prevention and treatment approaches to address future needs of the US older adult population with substance use disorder.