bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Key Foresight Attributes of Tourism Companies in the City of Krakow and the Region
Authors: Borodako Krzysztof 
Published: December 2012

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this paper is to understand differences in tourism companies' potential participation in foresight projects (regional or tourism policy‐oriented) by focusing on companies' attitudes towards participation, cooperation and the culture of future‐oriented thinking. This study used an email survey sent out to tourism companies in the Malopolska region (Poland), and in particular its capital city, Krakow. The data received were statistically analysed using the cluster analysis method and the Mann–Whitney U test. The statistically significant results generated in the study made it possible to determine and understand the differences in the foresight orientation of tourism enterprises. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Recovery of Soil C and N in a Tropical Pasture: Passive and Active Restoration
Authors: Roa‐Fuentes L. L. , Martínez‐Garza C. , Etchevers J. , Campo J. 
Published: December 2012

AbstractSoil degradation by deforestation and introduction of exotic grasses is a grave consequence of land‐use change in tropical regions during the last decades. Soil restoration following natural succession (i.e., passive restoration) is slow because of low tree establishment. Introduction of tree plantings by human intervention (i.e., active restoration) results in a promising strategy to accelerate forest succession and soil recovery in tropical region. The present research was carried out to explore the restoration of soil properties after cattle exclusion and of grazing combined with native tree planting introduction (legumes and nonlegumes) in a tropical pasture in Veracruz, southeast Mexico. Results indicate that land‐use changes decreased soil C and N pools in both litter and mineral soil. In addition, soil heterogeneity increased by land‐use changes at both temporal and spatial scales. In the short term, passive succession (i.e., cattle exclusion) favors the recovery of C and N content in labile soil pools, indicated by the increase in litter C and N masses as well as C and N concentrations in soil microbial biomass. Soils under active restoration showed trends to recover the N cycling, such as a greater accumulation of N in litter, in soil total N concentrations, soil microbial biomass N concentrations, rates of net N transformations, and extractable water and microbial biomass C:N ratios mainly under legumes species. Active restoration including legume introduction is a key factor for rapid recovery of soil fertility. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
High‐Throughput Screening of Substrate Chemistry for Embryonic Stem Cell Attachment, Expansion, and Maintaining Pluripotency
Authors: Zonca Michael R. , Yune Philip S. , Heldt Caryn L. , Belfort Georges , Xie Yubing 
Published: December 2012

AbstractAppropriate surface attachment is essential for growing embryonic stem (ES) cells in an undifferentiated state. It is challenging to identify the optimal surface chemistry of the substrata for ES cell attachment and maintenance. Using a rapid, high‐throughput polymerization and screening platform with a comprehensive library of 66 monomer‐grafted membrane surfaces, the optimal substrate, N‐[3‐(dimethylamino)propyl] methacrylamide (DMAPMA) has been identified to support strong attachment, high expansion capacity, and long‐term self‐renewal of ES cells (up to 7 passages). This monomer‐based, chemically defined, scalable, sustainable, relatively inexpensive, covalently grafted, and controllable polymeric substrate provides a new opportunity to manipulate surface chemistry for pluripotent stem culture. magnified image
Enzyme‐Catalyzed Crosslinking in a Partly Frozen State: A New Way to Produce Supermacroporous Protein Structures
Authors: Kirsebom Harald , Elowsson Linda , Berillo Dmitriy , Cozzi Séverine , Inci Ilyas , Piskin Erhan , Galaev Igor Yu. , Mattiasson Bo 
Published: December 2012

AbstractIn this study a new way to produce supermacroporous protein structures was investigated. Enzyme‐mediated crosslinking of gelatin or casein was performed in a partly frozen state, which yielded stable, protein‐based cryogels. The reaction kinetics for the formation of cryogels were found to be fairly slow, most likely due to the low temperature (−12 °C) used or due to an increased viscosity owing to the cryo‐concentration taking place. The produced cryogels were characterized with regards to their physical properties and in vitro degradation. Furthermore, cryogels produced from gelatin and casein were evaluated as potential scaffolds by fibroblast cultivation to confirm their in vitro biocompatibility. Gelatin‐ and casein‐based scaffolds both supported cell proliferation and migration through the scaffold. magnified image
Volume Oscillation of Microphase‐Separated Gel
Authors: Maeda Shingo , Hashimoto Shuji 
Published: December 2012

AbstractIn this study, The volume oscillation of the microphase‐separated, self‐oscillating gel above the volume phase transition temperature is discussed. The self‐oscillating gel is composed of N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) with a metal catalyst for the Belousov–Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction, which is known as the oscillating reaction. The influence of temperature on the period and the self‐oscillating behavior is clarified. The volume change of the gel is explained by a change of the Flory–Huggins interaction parameter, χ, which is induced by the hydration and dehydration of the polymer chain due to a valance change of the metal catalyst (Ru(bpy)32+ ↔ Ru(bpy)33+) below the volume phase‐transition temperature. In contrast, the volume change of the gel is explained by a change of the Donnan osmotic pressure.
In‐Depth Investigation of Ethylene Solution Polymerization Kinetics With rac‐Et(Ind)2ZrCl2/MAO
Authors: Mehdiabadi Saeid , Soares João B. P. 
Published: December 2012

AbstractThe kinetics of ethylene polymerization with rac‐Et(Ind)2ZrCl2/methylaluminoxane (MAO) in a semibatch solution reactor are investigated. The effects of ethylene concentration, polymerization temperature, and MAO concentration are studied to determine the polymerization and chain‐transfer rate constants, including the activation energies for the main polymerization steps. The ethylene polymerization kinetics with rac‐Et(Ind)2ZrCl2/MAO are first order with respect to the ethylene concentration. Catalyst deactivation also follows first‐order kinetics. Chain transfer to the monomer is the dominant chain‐transfer reaction in this system; transfer to MAO also happens to a lesser extent, but β‐hydride elimination is negligible for the conditions investigated in this study.
Can the Structures of Semicrystalline Polymers be Controlled Using Interfacial Crystallographic Interactions?
Authors: Zhou Haixin , Yan Shouke 
Published: December 2012

AbstractPolymer epitaxy defines the crystallographic orientation of overgrowing polymer. It controls several aspects of the structure of semicrystalline polymers, such as fixed mutual chain orientation, certain crystal structures of polymorphic polymers, and the spatial arrangement of planar backbone molecular chains. Therefore, epitaxial crystallization provides a simple and efficient way to fabricate special structures with improved properties and even introduce new functionality for polymeric materials. Besides achieving structural control of single polymer systems, technical development in the field of structural and morphological manipulation of multiphase and multicomponent polymer systems is another important and challenging issue for the advanced application of polymeric materials.
Facile Synthesis of p‐type Perovskite SrTi0.65Fe0.35O3–δ Nanofibers Prepared by Electrospinning and Their Oxygen‐Sensing Properties
Authors: Choi Seung‐Hoon , Choi Seon‐Jin , Min Byoung Koun , Lee Woon Young , Park Jin Seong , Kim Il‐Doo 
Published: December 2012

AbstractQuaternary p‐type SrTi0.65Fe0.35O3–δ (STFO) nanofibers with diameters ranging from 70 to 500 nm were synthesized via electrospinning and subsequent calcination at 750 °C. The STFO fibers showed single perovskite structure and polycrystalline fiber morphologies composed of small nanocrystallites in the range of 10–12 nm. The semiconducting oxygen sensor using STFO fiber network exhibited a wide temperature‐independence of resistance (≈12 ± 4 kΩ) that exceeded the range of 600–950 °C, high oxygen response (${{R_{{\rm O}_{{\rm 2}} } } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{R_{{\rm O}_{{\rm 2}} } } {R_{{\rm N}_{{\rm 2}} } }}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {R_{{\rm N}_{{\rm 2}} } }}$ = 4.08 at 20% O2), and a fast response time (t = 2.1 s at 20% O2) upon cyclic oxygen exposure. These superior properties were attributed to the high surface‐to‐volume ratio of STFO fiber network and the effective diffusion of oxygen gas onto highly porous STFO‐sensing layers. magnified image
A Novel Approach to Population Balance Modeling of Reactive Polymer Modification Leading to Branching
Authors: Kryven Ivan , Iedema Piet D. 
Published: December 2012

AbstractThe mathematical treatment of polymer modification systems, described by population balances containing convolution is discussed. The two‐dimensional case (molecular weight vs. number of branch points) was considered by utilizing approximations of distributions, expanding them in terms of Gaussian basis functions. Three branching reactions were addressed: chain backbone to chain end point coupling; three‐functional coupling of chain ends; and crosslinking. The results were compared to those of Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. Good agreement was observed, although the quality of a distribution as generated by the numerical approach is much better in view of the strong scatter in the MC data. magnified image
Modeling and Predicting the Glass Transition Temperature of Polymethacrylates Based on Quantum Chemical Descriptors by Using Hybrid PSO‐SVR
Authors: Pei Jun‐Fang , Cai Cong‐Zhong , Zhu Yi‐Ming , Yan Bin 
Published: December 2012

AbstractBased on six quantum chemical descriptors (|L‐1.356|, Etotal, qC6, α, q−, and Etherm), the hybrid PSO‐SVR is proposed to establish a model for predicting the glass transition temperature (Tg) of 37 polymethacrylates. The prediction performance of SVR was compared with those of reported MLR and ANN models. The results show that the RMSE, MAPE, and R2 calculated by SVR are superior to those achieved by MLR or ANN model for the identical training set and test set. This investigation reveals that the SVR model is more suitable to be used for prediction of the Tg values for unknown polymethacrylates possessing similar structure than the conventional MLR or ANN model, and provides a clue that the method proposed in this study may be useful in computer‐aided design of new polymethacrylates with desired Tg. magnified image
Unimpaired postprandial pancreatic polypeptide secretion in Parkinson's disease and REM sleep behavior disorder
Authors: Unger Marcus M. , Ekman Rolf , Björklund Anna‐Karin , Karlsson Gösta , Andersson Chatarina , Mankel Katharina , Bohne Katharina , Tebbe Johannes J. , Stiasny‐Kolster Karin , Möller Jens C. , Mayer Geert , Kann Peter H. , Oertel Wolfgang H. 
Published: December 2012

Background:Pancreatic polypeptide is released immediately after food ingestion. The release is operated by vagal‐abdominal projections and has therefore been suggested as a test for vagal nerve integrity. Pathoanatomical and clinical studies indicate vagal dysfunction in early Parkinson's disease (PD).Methods:We assessed the postprandial secretion of pancreatic polypeptide and motilin in healthy controls (n = 18) and patients with idiopathic rapid‐eye‐movement sleep behavior disorder (iRBD, n = 10), a potential premotor stage of PD, as well as in drug‐naive (n = 19) and treated (n = 19) PD patients.Results:The postprandial pancreatic polypeptide secretion showed a physiological pattern in all groups and even an enhanced response in drug‐naive PD and iRBD. Motilin concentrations correlated with pancreatic polypeptide concentrations.Conclusions:Postprandial pancreatic polypeptide secretion is not a suitable test for vagal nerve integrity in PD. The unimpaired pancreatic polypeptide response in iRBD and PD might be explained by partially intact vagal‐abdominal projections or compensatory mechanisms substituting a defective neuronal brain–gut axis. © 2012 Movement Disorder Society
Anti‐tumorigenicity of dietary α‐mangostin in an HT‐29 colon cell xenograft model and the tissue distribution of xanthones and their phase II metabolites
Authors: Chitchumroonchokchai Chureeporn , Thomas‐Ahner Jennifer M. , Li Jie , Riedl Kenneth M. , Nontakham Jannarin , Suksumrarn Sunit , Clinton Steven K. , Kinghorn A. Douglas , Failla Mark L. 
Published: December 2012

ScopeThis study investigated the in vivo and in vitro activity of α‐mangostin (α‐MG), the most abundant xanthone in mangosteen pericarp, on HT‐29 cell tumorigenicity, proliferation, and several markers of tumor cell activity, as well as the profile and amounts of xanthones in serum, tumor, liver, and feces.Methods and resultsBalb/c nu/nu mice were fed either control diet or diet containing 900 mg α‐MG/kg. After 1 week of acclimation to diet, mice were injected subcutaneously with HT‐29 cells and fed the same diets ad libitum for an additional 2 or 4 weeks. After 2 and 4 weeks, tumor mass and the concentrations of BcL‐2 and β‐catenin in tumors of mice fed diet with α‐MG were significantly less than in mice fed control diet. Xanthones and their metabolites were identified in serum, tumor, liver, and feces. In vitro treatment of HT‐29 cells with α‐MG also inhibited cell proliferation and decreased expression of BcL‐2 and β‐catenin.ConclusionOur data demonstrate that the anti‐neoplastic effect of dietary α‐MG is associated with the presence of xanthones in the tumor tissue. Further investigation of the impact of beverages and food products containing xanthones on the prevention of colon cancer or as complementary therapy is merited.
Estrus synchronization and ovarian hyper‐stimulation treatments have negligible effects on cumulus oocyte complex gene expression whereas induction of ovulation causes major expression changes
Authors: Agca Cansu , Yakan Akin , Agca Yuksel 
Published: December 2012

AbstractThe effects of exogenous hormones, used for estrus synchronization and ovarian hyper stimulation, on cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) gene expression in sexually mature rats were determined using microarrays. Gene expression in COCs collected from GnRH (Gtrt), GnRH + eCG (G + Etrt), and GnRH + eCG + hCG (G + E + Htrt) treatments were compared to COCs from naturally cycling (NC) rats before the preovulatory luteninizing hormone surge. There was no significant difference in gene expression among NC, Gtrt, and G + Etrt; however, over 2,600 genes were significantly different between NC and G + E + Htrt (P < 0.05). Genes upregulated in G + E + Htrt encode for: proteins that are involved in prostaglandin synthesis (Ptgs2, Pla2g4a, and Runx1) and cholesterol biosynthesis (Hmgcr, Sc4mol, and Dhcr24); receptors that allow cholesterol uptake (Ldlr and Scarb1), regulate progesterone synthesis (Star), and inactivate estrogen (Sult1e1); and downstream effectors of LH signal (Pgr, Cebpb, Creb3l1, Areg, Ereg, and Adamts1). Conversely, G + E + Htrt downregulated genes encoding proteins involved in: DNA replication and cell cycle progression (Ccne2, Orc5l, Rad50, and Mcm6); reproductive developmental process; and granulosa cell expansion (Gdf9, Bmp15, Amh, Amhr2, Bmpr1b, Tgfb2, Foxl2, Pde3a, Esr2, Fshr, Ybx2, Ccnd2, Ccnb1ip1, and Zp3); maternal effect genes required for embryo development (Zar1, Npm2, Nlrp5, Dnmt1, H1foo, and Zfp57); amino acid degradation; and ketogenesis (Hmgcs2, and Cpt1b). These results from the rat show that hormones used for estrus synchronization (Gtrt) and ovarian hyper stimulation (G + Etrt) had minimal effects on gene expression, whereas induction of ovulation (G + E + Htrt) caused major changes in gene expression of rat COCs. This study provides comprehensive information about regulated genes during late follicle development and ovulation induction. Mol. Reprod. Dev. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Effect of Pure Component Characteristic Parameters on Sanchez–Lacombe Equation‐of‐State Predictive Capabilities
Authors: Bashir Muhammad Ahsan , Al‐haj Ali Mohammad , Kanellopoulos Vasileios , Seppälä Jukka , Kokko Esa , Vijay Sameer 
Published: December 2012

AbstractThe dependence of predictive capabilities of SL EOS on the pure characteristic parameters of monomers and polymers is investigated. A sensitivity analysis study is carried out to understand the effect of these parameters on the predictive capability of SL EOS for different α‐olefin/polyolefins systems. Among all pure component characteristic parameters, the monomer characteristic temperature (T*monomer) has the largest impact on SL EOS predictive capability; whereas the polymer characteristic density (ρ*polymer) is found to have the smallest impact. magnified image
Recognizing Global Burden of Cardiovascular Disease and Related Chronic Diseases
Authors: Kelly Bridget B. , Narula Jagat , Fuster Valentín 
Published: December 2012

AbstractCardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, affecting not only high‐income but also low‐ and middle‐income countries. Nearly 80 percent of all estimated cardiovascular disease–related deaths worldwide now occur in low‐ and middle‐income countries, where nearly 30 percent of all deaths are attributable to cardiovascular disease. The health burden of cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases is also accompanied by a significant deleterious economic impact at the level of both national economies and households. The global trends in the health and economic burden of cardiovascular disease provide a compelling argument in support of prioritizing urgent yet carefully planned efforts to prevent and control cardiovascular disease worldwide—and especially in low‐ and middle‐income countries. After decades of escalating efforts to draw attention to the high burden of cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases, this critically important issue is now emerging as a more central part of the global health and development agenda. The breadth of behavioral, biological, social, environmental, and systems‐level factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease necessitates multisectoral approaches across the lifecourse that promote healthful lifestyles, reduce risk, and reduce cardiovascular‐disease morbidity and mortality through the delivery of quality health care services. Given that the complex interactions among the determinants of cardiovascular disease vary in different contexts, real progress in control efforts will come through approaches that are driven by a country's disease burden and risk profile, capacities, resources, and priorities—approaches that are led by a country's key decision‐makers and stakeholders, including governments, civil society, the private sector, and communities. Many countries are already establishing efforts to address chronic diseases. In addition to these locally driven efforts, success will require active engagement and sustained action from a wide array of stakeholders operating at global and regional levels. Mt Sinai J Med 79:632–640, 2012. © 2012 Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Should Your Family History of Coronary Heart Disease Scare You?
Authors: Prabhakaran Dorairaj , Jeemon Panniyammakal 
Published: December 2012

AbstractTraditional risk factors explain most of the risk associated with coronary heart disease, and after adjustment for risk factors family history was believed to contribute very little to population‐attributable risk of coronary heart disease. However, the INTERHEART study demonstrated an independent association of family history of coronary heart disease with acute myocardial infarction. To assess this relationship more comprehensively in multiple datasets in different populations, we carried out a detailed review of the available evidence. Case‐control studies involving 17,202 cases and 30,088 controls yielded a pooled unadjusted odds ratio (random‐effects model, overall I2 = 64.6%, P = 0.000) of 2.03 (95% confidence interval: 1.79–2.30), whereas cohort studies that included 313,837 individuals yielded an unadjusted relative risk for future coronary heart disease (random‐effects model, overall I2 = 88.7%, P = 0.000) of 1.60 (95% confidence interval: 1.44–1.77). Although the presence of family history of coronary heart disease indicates a cumulative exposure of shared genes and environment, the risk estimates for family history did not attenuate significantly after adjustment for conventional coronary heart disease risk factors in several studies. It is probably an oversimplification to dichotomize the family history variable into a simple “yes” or “no” risk factor, as the significance of family history is influenced by several variables, such as age, sex, number of relatives, and age at onset of disease in the relatives. Moreover, a quantitative risk‐assessment model for the family history variable, such as the “family risk score,” has a positive linear relationship with coronary heart disease. More studies are warranted to assess the benefits and risks of intensive interventions, both targeted individually and at the family level, among individuals with a valid family history and borderline elevated risk factors. Mt Sinai J Med 79:721–732, 2012. © 2012 Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Omnipresent Atherosclerotic Disease: Time to Depart From Analysis of Individual Vascular Beds
Authors: Otsuka Fumiyuki , Fuster Valentin , Narula Jagat , Virmani Renu 
Published: December 2012

AbstractAtherosclerotic vascular disease not only remains the leading cause of death in the Western countries, but it has become the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in the low‐ and middle‐income countries as well. Therefore, better understanding of the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic disease and its prevention are of fundamental importance. It is well known that it affects sequentially the aorta followed by coronary, carotid, peripheral, and intracerebral arteries, with some individual variability. The mechanisms of progression are similar in each of the beds, with increasing lipid accumulation in the arterial wall along with macrophages and T‐cell infiltration, paucity of smooth‐muscle cell proliferation and collagen deposition, and endothelial‐cell dysfunction and hypercoagulability playing an important role at the time of acute manifestations of the disease. Fundamental to this inflammatory process is the presence of classic risk factors, regardless of the involved territory. Therefore, the concept of palliative treatment must be reserved for only those who have progressed beyond preventive measures. Mt Sinai J Med 79:641–653, 2012. © 2012 Mount Sinai School of Medicine