bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Study on the 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methyl‐glutaryl CoA reductase inhibitory properties of Agaricus bisporus and extraction of bioactive fractions using pressurised solvent technologies
Authors: Gil‐Ramírez Alicia , Clavijo Cristina , Palanisamy Marimuthu , Ruiz‐Rodríguez Alejandro , Navarro‐Rubio María , Pérez Margarita , Marín Francisco R , Reglero Guillermo , Soler‐Rivas Cristina 
Published: February 2013

AbstractBACKGROUNDAgaricus bisporus mushrooms were able to lower cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolaemic rats and it was suggested that dietary fibre might inhibit cholesterol absorption. However, A. bisporus extracts were also able to inhibit the 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methyl‐glutaryl CoA reductase (HMGCR, the key enzyme in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway) and this might also contribute to the observed lowering of cholesterol levels in serum.RESULTSThe methanol–water extracts obtained from A. bisporus were able to inhibit up to 60% the HMGCR activity using an in vitro assay. The HMGCR inhibitory capacities depended on cultivation conditions, strains, etc. The potential inhibitors were not statins, they might be β‐glucans able to scavenge the substrate and impair the enzymatic reaction. They were present during all mushroom developmental stages and similarly distributed through all the tissues including the parts discarded as a by‐product. Accelerated solvent extractions using 1:1 ethanol–water as pressurised solvent (10.7 MPa, 25°C, five cycles of 5 min) were more effective in the extraction of the HMGCiR inhibitor(s) than supercritical fluid extractions (9 MPa, 40°C) using CO2 with 10% ethanol.CONCLUSIONA mushroom cultivation and two extraction procedures were optimised to obtain fractions from A. bisporus with high HMGCR inhibitory activities to design novel ingredients for hypocholesterolaemic functional foodstuffs. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry
Impact of placebo assignment in clinical trials of tic disorders
Authors: Cubo Esther , González Miguel , Singer Harvey , Mahone E. Mark , Scahill Lawrence , Müller‐Vahl Kirsten R. , de la Fuente‐Fernández Raul , Armesto Diana , Kompoliti Katie 
Published: February 2013

ABSTRACTBackgroundUnderstanding the impact of placebo treatment is pivotal to the correct interpretation of clinical trials. The aim of present study was to examine the placebo effect in tic disorders.MethodsRaw data were obtained for 6 placebo‐controlledparallel and cross‐over trials that involved medical interventions for tic disorders. Tic severity was measured using the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale. Placebo effect was defined as an improvement of at least 30% over baseline scores in the total tic score and was considered clinically relevant when at least 10% of patients in the placebo‐arm met that benchmark.ResultsIn total, 91 placebo‐treated patients (80% males; mean age, 16.5 years; standard deviation, 10.5 years) were included. Although there was a trend toward improvement in the total tic scores after placebo administration (P=0.057), the magnitude of the placebo effect was small (Cohen's d=0.16) but relevant (19% of the sample). Females were more likely than males to have a placebo effect.ConclusionsThe magnitude of the placebo effect in tic disorders appeared to be small. Further longitudinal studies using objective assessments for tic disorders are warranted to confirm the current results. © 2013 Movement Disorder Society
Barriers to research utilization by registered nurses in Taiwan
Authors: Chen Su‐Hui , Shao Jung‐Hua , Hsiao Ya‐Chu , Lee Hsiang‐Chun 
Published: February 2013

AbstractThis cross‐sectional study was designed to identify barriers to research utilization among registered nurses (N = 510) in clinical settings in Taiwan. Data were collected by mailed survey. Barriers were measured by the Barriers to Research Utilization Scale‐Chinese version, which has four subscales: characteristics of the adopter (nurse), organization (setting barriers and limitations), innovation (research qualities), and communication (presentation/accessibility of the research). Research utilization was predicted by frequency of reading professional literature, years of research experience, hospital classification, and the barriers of communication, innovation, and adopter characteristics. These findings indicate the need to enhance Taiwanese nurses' research efficacy, research‐based information, and research experiences. Nursing administrators should create a research‐friendly climate and support implementing research findings. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 36:191–202, 2013
Linking RN workgroup job satisfaction to pressure ulcers among older adults on acute care hospital units
Authors: Choi JiSun , Bergquist‐Beringer Sandra , Staggs Vincent S. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractWe examined the relationship between registered nurse (RN) workgroup job satisfaction and hospital‐acquired pressure ulcers (HAPUs) among older adults on six types of acute care units. Random‐intercept logistic regression analyses were performed using 2009 unit‐level data from the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators® (NDNQI®) and the NDNQI RN Survey. Overall, RN workgroup job satisfaction was negatively associated with HAPU rates, although the relationship varied by unit type. RN workgroup satisfaction was significantly associated with HAPU rates on critical care, medical, and rehabilitation units. No significant association was found on step‐down, surgical, and medical‐surgical units. Findings provide evidence that higher RN workgroup job satisfaction is related to lower HAPU rates among older adult patients in acute care hospitals. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 36:181–190, 2013
Psychosocial factors associated with diet quality in a working adult population
Authors: Ferranti Erin Poe , Dunbar Sandra B. , Higgins Melinda , Dai Jun , Ziegler Thomas R. , Frediani Jennifer K. , Reilly Carolyn , Brigham Kenneth L. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractThe associations between specific intra‐ and inter‐personal psychosocial factors and dietary patterns were explored in a healthy, working adult sample of university and health center employees (N = 640) who were enrolled in a prospective predictive health study. Participants had a mean age of 48 (SD = 11) years and were 67% women and 30% minority. Baseline psychosocial measures of perceived stress, depressive symptoms, social support, and family functioning were examined for their relationships with three diet quality indices—AHEI, DASH, and the Mediterranean. Dietary intake was of moderate quality in this high‐income, well‐educated, psychosocially healthy population. Social support was positively associated with better diet quality for all three indices (p < .01). Further research should focus on socio‐environmental factors associated with diet quality. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 36:242–256, 2013
Improving statistical analysis of matched case–control studies
Authors: Conway Aaron , Rolley John X. , Fulbrook Paul , Page Karen , Thompson David R. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractMatched case–control research designs can be useful because matching can increase power due to reduced variability between subjects. However, inappropriate statistical analysis of matched data could result in a change in the strength of association between the dependent and independent variables or a change in the significance of the findings. We sought to ascertain whether matched case–control studies published in the nursing literature utilized appropriate statistical analyses. Of 41 articles identified that met the inclusion criteria, 31 (76%) used an inappropriate statistical test for comparing data derived from case subjects and their matched controls. In response to this finding, we developed an algorithm to support decision‐making regarding statistical tests for matched case–control studies. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 36:320–324, 2013
Dispersion optimization of exfoliated graphene nanoplatelet in polyetherimide nanocomposites: Extrusion, precoating, and solid state ball milling
Authors: Wu Huang , Rook Brian , Drzal Lawrence T. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractPolyetherimide (PEId) nanocomposites reinforced with exfoliated graphite (graphene) nanoplatelets (GNP) were fabricated by various processing methods to achieve good dispersion including: melt‐extrusion, precoating, solid state ball milling (SSBM) as well as combinations of these methods. As a result of the precoating approach, the electrical conductivity is greatly increased with a percolation threshold as low as 2 wt% as compared to 10 wt% for melt‐extrusion, with the cost of lower mechanical properties. SSBM was investigated as an alternative process to enhance dispersion, adhesion and to reduce GNP size. High electrical conductivity and improved modulus were achieved by this approach. Further improvements to the mechanical properties could be made by combining the extrusion and SSBM approaches. Examination of the nanocomposite morphology explains the effect of these combined compounding approaches on GNP particle dispersion and their relation to the improved GNP/PEId nanocomposite performance. POLYM. COMPOS., 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers
A study of the deformation‐induced whitening phenomenon for cavitating and non‐cavitating semicrystalline polymers
Authors: Farge Laurent , Andre Stéphane , Pawlak Andrzej , Baravian Christophe , Irvine Sarah C. , Philippe Adrian‐Marie 
Published: February 2013

AbstractIn this work, we used two techniques to study the deformation‐induced whitening phenomenon that occurs when certain semicrystalline polymers (SCPs) are subjected to tensile drawing: (1) IPLST (Incoherent Polarized Steady Light Transport) was used for characterizing the light scatterers and in particular for determining their size. (2) SRXTM (Synchrotron Radiation X‐Ray Tomographic Microscopy) was used to visualize the internal structure of the deformed SCPs. In particular, with this technique the possible presence of micrometric cavities can be detected. In the early whitening stage of a cavitating polypropylene (PP), the IPLST technique was found to show that the size of the light scatterers is larger than 1 μm. At the same time, the SRXTM measurements showed that no void larger than 1 μm was present in the material. The micrometric light scatterers responsible for the whitening phenomenon may thus not be simple cavities. In fact, this experimental study suggests that they correspond to areas where smaller objects (possibly nanovoids) are highly confined. At the scale of visible wavelengths, these regions could scatter visible light like individual entities of micrometric size. The study also showed that the size of cavities observable using SRXTM for a very deformed PP is dependent on the initial dimensions of the spherulites. Results previously obtained for a non‐cavitating high density polyethylene are also briefly presented in this article to confirm the theory that deformation‐induced‐whitening phenomenon may have various origins for such complex microstructuring. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys., 2013
Confined glassy properties of polymer nanoparticles
Authors: Zhang Chuan , Guo Yunlong , Priestley Rodney D. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractFor nearly the past two decades, significant effort has been devoted to pursuing an understanding of the glass transition temperature and associated dynamics of polymers confined to the nanoscale. Without question, we know more about the glassy properties of confined polymers today than we knew two decades ago or even a decade ago. Much of our understanding has been obtained via studies on thin polymer films, as they are facile to process and are of substantial technological importance. Nevertheless, studies on polymers confined to other geometries are becoming increasingly more important as we pursue questions difficult to address using thin films and as technology demands the use of confined polymers beyond thin films. In this feature article, we highlight the impact of nanoscale confinement on the glassy properties of polymer nanoparticles. Although the emphasis is placed on contributions from our work, a discussion of the related literature is also presented. Our aim is to elucidate commonalities or fundamental differences in the deviations of glassy properties from the bulk for polymers confined to different geometries. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2013
Modeling cellular compartmentation in one‐carbon metabolism
Authors: Scotti Marco , Stella Lorenzo , Shearer Emily J. , Stover Patrick J. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractFolate‐mediated one‐carbon metabolism (FOCM) is associated with risk for numerous pathological states including birth defects, cancers, and chronic diseases. Although the enzymes that constitute the biological pathways have been well described and their interdependency through the shared use of folate cofactors appreciated, the biological mechanisms underlying disease etiologies remain elusive. The FOCM network is highly sensitive to nutritional status of several B‐vitamins and numerous penetrant gene variants that alter network outputs, but current computational approaches do not fully capture the dynamics and stochastic noise of the system. Combining the stochastic approach with a rule‐based representation will help model the intrinsic noise displayed by FOCM, address the limited flexibility of standard simulation methods for coarse‐graining the FOCM‐associated biochemical processes, and manage the combinatorial complexity emerging from reactions within FOCM that would otherwise be intractable. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2013, 5:343–365. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1209This article is categorized under:

Analytical and Computational Methods > Dynamical Methods
Biological Mechanisms > Metabolism
Physiology > Mammalian Physiology in Health and Disease
In vivo magnetic resonance imaging of mice liver tumors using a new gadolinium‐based contrast agent
Authors: Chen Shih‐Hsien , Kuo Yu‐Ting , Cheng Tian‐Lu , Chen Chiao‐Yun , Chiu Yen‐Yu , Lai Jui‐Jen , Chang Chih‐Ching , Jaw Twei‐Shiun , Wang Yun‐Ming , Liu Gin‐Chung 
Published: February 2013

AbstractWe compared the enhancement effect between a newly synthesized tissue‐specific contrast agent, [Gd‐DOTA‐FPβG], and a commercially available agent, [Gd(DOTA)]−, in a murine model of liver tumor using a clinical magnetic resonance imaging scanner. The colon cancer cell lines with and without β‐glucuronidase (βG) expression were implanted into the liver of mice. Self‐synthesized gadolinium‐based magnetic resonance contrast agent, [Gd(DOTA‐FPβG)], was administered to measure enhancement on magnetic resonance images using a commercially available agent, [Gd(DOTA)]−, as control in a clinical 3.0 tesla (T) magnetic resonance scanner. In vivo fluorescence imaging and histopathology of the liver were also performed to compare and correlate with the magnetic resonance studies. The in vivo fluorescence imaging failed to depict a sufficiently intense signal for liver or liver tumor of mice without exposure of the liver following an incision on the abdominal wall. The tissue‐specific magnetic resonance agent, [Gd(DOTA‐FPβG)], caused significantly stronger enhancement in tumors expressing βG (CT26/mβG‐eB7) than in tumors not expressing βG (CT26) (p < 0.05). In the magnetic resonance imaging studies using control agent [Gd(DOTA)]−, the tumors with and without βG expression depicted no significant difference in enhancement on the T1‐weighted images. The [Gd(DOTA‐FPβG)] also provided significantly more contrast uptake in the CT26/mβG‐eB7 tumor than in the normal liver parenchyma, whereas the [Gd(DOTA)]− did not. This study confirms that better contrast enhancement can be readily detected in vivo by the use of a tissue‐specific magnetic resonance contrast agent to target tumor cells with specific biomarkers in a clinical magnetic resonance imaging scanner.
THE REGULAR GRAPH OF A NONCOMMUTATIVE RING
Authors: AKBARI S. , HEYDARI F. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractLet $R$ be a ring and $Z(R)$ be the set of all zero-divisors of $R$. The total graph of $R$, denoted by $T(\Gamma (R))$ is a graph with all elements of $R$ as vertices, and two distinct vertices $x, y\in R$ are adjacent if and only if $x+ y\in Z(R)$. Let the regular graph of $R$, $\mathrm{Reg} (\Gamma (R))$, be the induced subgraph of $T(\Gamma (R))$ on the regular elements of $R$. In 2008, Anderson and Badawi proved that the girth of the total graph and the regular graph of a commutative ring are contained in the set $\{ 3, 4, \infty \} $. In this paper, we extend this result to an arbitrary ring (not necessarily commutative). We also prove that if $R$ is a reduced left Noetherian ring and $2\not\in Z(R)$, then the chromatic number and the clique number of $\mathrm{Reg} (\Gamma (R))$ are the same and they are ${2}^{r} $, where $r$ is the number of minimal prime ideals of $R$. Among other results, we show that if $R$ is a semiprime left Noetherian ring and $\mathrm{Reg} (R)$ is finite, then $R$ is finite.
Effects of webcams on multimodal interactive learning
Authors: Codreanu Tatiana , Celik Christelle Combe 
Published: February 2013

AbstractThis paper describes the multimodal pedagogical communication of two groups of online teachers; trainee tutors (second year students of the Master of Arts in Teaching French as a Foreign Language at the University Lumière-Lyon 2) and experienced teachers based in different locations (France, Spain and Finland). They all taught French as a Foreign Language to a group of students from UC Berkeley in 2010. They participated in a project using a desktop videoconferencing platform (VISU1) designed for delivering online courses. The study focuses on the webcam's effects on teaching and learning and tries to answer the following question: how does multimodal interaction affect interactive learning? Our hypothesis is that experienced teachers channel information through the webcam more efficiently and effectively in order to engage learners in knowledge construction. This paper presents the results of research based on an empirical method of collecting ecological data.
Understanding the online informal learning of English as a complex dynamic system: an emic approach
Authors: Sockett Geoffrey 
Published: February 2013

AbstractResearch into the online informal learning of English has already shown it to be a widespread phenomenon involving a range of comprehension and production activities such as viewing original version television series, listening to music on demand and social networking with other English users.Dynamic systems theory provides a suitable framework within which to study informal learning because it emphasises the unique range of resources, strategies and relationships which contribute to non-linear language development for each learner.While research into the impact of these activities for language development has yielded some data regarding vocabulary gains and improvements in fluency and comprehension skills, the mechanisms at work in such language development have proved difficult to study because of the private nature of most online informal learning. In this study, an emic approach is adopted, involving a group of students experienced in second language acquisition research, who used blogs to report on their own online informal learning of English over a three-month period. Extensive examples from these blogs are used to build up a picture of the learning processes at work, within a framework suggested by the literature of complex dynamic systems. These results allow conclusions to be drawn regarding the way in which these processes are used by informal learners in different phases of real communicative tasks.
Practical Aspects of Theoretical Reasoning
Authors: Harman Gilbert 
Published: February 2013

AbstractThis article distinguishes between two uses of the term “logic”: as referring either to the theory of implication or to the theory of reasoning, which are quite distinct. Reasoning is a process that can modify intentions and beliefs. To a first approximation, theoretical reasoning is concerned with what to believe and practical reasoning is concerned with what to intend to do. Practical reasoning differs from theoretical reasoning in allowing arbitrary decisions and a certain sort of wishful thinking. Practical considerations are relevant to whether to engage in theoretical inquiry into a given question, the extent of time and other resources to devote to such inquiry, and whether and when to end such inquiry. Simplicity and conservatism play a role in theoretical reasoning that can be given a practical justification without allowing wishful thinking into theoretical reasoning, a justification that can also be given a nonpractical interpretation.
The Contribution of Developmental Models Toward Understanding Gene-to-Behavior Mapping: The Case of Williams Syndrome
Authors: Elsabbagh Mayada , Karmiloff-Smith Annette 
Published: February 2013

AbstractThis chapter discusses the ways in which research findings about the genetic, developmental, neuroanatomical, and behavioral characteristics of persons with Williams syndrome (WS) are incorporated into theoretical models of gene—environment interactions, and it critically evaluates the rationale and assumptions of each approach. It demonstrates that, despite the wealth of findings from research into WS, developmental questions concerning the link of genes to behavioral outcomes are yet to be resolved. The chapter discusses three approaches to the neurocognitive study of WS, including neuropsychological approaches; bridging gene, brain, and cognition; and developmental approaches. Differences in objectives, assumptions, hypotheses, and consequently, the in methodology of these approaches are addressed. The analysis will focus on how these approaches apply to WS as an illustration of their broader applicability to special populations in general.
Understanding the Development of Attention in Persons with Intellectual Disability: Challenging the Myths
Authors: Iarocci Grace , Porporino Mafalda , Enns James T. , Burack Jacob A. 
Published: February 2013

AbstractThis chapter focuses on the attentional abilities of the persons with specific etiologies. It begins with an extensive review of the literature on attention in persons with the most common organic forms of intellectual disability. It then summarizes the results of a survey of studies on attention in Down syndrome, fragile X, and Williams syndrome, and discusses the implications of these findings for future research in the area. The chapter proposes to apply a framework for understanding developmental change and stability in selective attention, a framework that initially emerged in the course of understanding the role of attention in automobile driving and was later applied to the development of attention over the typical human lifespan.
Short-term Memory and Working Memory in Mental Retardation
Authors: Jarrold Christopher , Brock Jon 
Published: February 2013

AbstractThis chapter provides an overview of the range of working memory impairments associated with learning disability, and the possible consequences of such deficits. In doing so, it raises a number of questions, notably: Are there aspects of short-term or working memory that are particularly vulnerable to mental retardation? Are there any syndrome-specific patterns of working memory impairments? And, how might these relate to educational outcomes and other aspects of cognitive and linguistic development? To properly interpret findings from studies involving individuals with mental retardation, the chapter begins by raising a number of general methodological points about the assessment of working memory, and by emphasizing the theoretical distinction between working memory and short-term memory.