bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Physical and cooking characteristics of black gram (Phaseolus mungoo L.) cultivars grown in India
Authors: Wani Idrees A. , Sogi Dalbir S. , Gill Balmeet S. 
Published: August 2013

SummaryPulses are important component of diet, and information on their physical properties is needed for designing machines while cooking quality is important for consumer acceptance. Three black gram cultivars grown in India were evaluated for physical and cooking properties. Proximate composition revealed that three cultivars contained 24.5–26.7% protein, 1.1–1.3% fat, 2.8–3.7% ash and 60.4–63.3% carbohydrates. Length, breadth and thickness of seeds were in the range of 4.66–5.11 mm, 3.71–3.79 mm and 3.20–3.29 mm, respectively. True density and porosity varied from 1.25–1.29 g mL−1 to 33.43–36.09%, respectively. Hydration and swelling capacities of the seeds varied from 0.036–0.041 g per seed to 0.037–0.042 mL per seed, respectively. Cooking time of unsoaked seeds varied significantly from 35.3 to 42.7 min. Hardness and adhesiveness of the cooked seeds varied from 2.12–2.55 kg to 0.02–0.99 kg s, respectively. The black gram cultivars are rich in protein, and soaking treatment improved their cooking quality.
Evaluation of interrater reliability assessing oral health in acute care settings
Authors: Konradsen Hanne , Trosborg Ingelise , Christensen Linda , Pedersen Preben Ulrich 
Published: August 2013

Oral health is increasingly important in relation to illness prevention, treatment and rehabilitation.The aim of this study was to test interrater reliability nurses in‐between of Revised Oral Assessment Guide (ROAG) among patients acutely admitted to hospital with a medical condition. All patients were assessed twice. Percent agreement and Cohen's Kappa coefficient was calculated. Substantial differences were found between observers' ratings. If ROAG is to be implemented, it must be preceded for example by specific education, visual guidance or selection of most important elements in the screening tool.
Recent status of the treatment of stress urinary incontinence
Authors: Verghese Tina , Latthe Pallavi 
Published: August 2013

AbstractThe therapeutic options for management of stress urinary incontinence can be conservative, pharmacological or surgical. The treatment of patients with stress urinary incontinence should be tailored to the individual to optimize care. A multitude of surgical techniques have emerged to treat this condition in recent years. The objective of the present review was to present an overview of current practice in the management of stress urinary incontinence while considering the evidence supporting the clinical effectiveness of these procedures.
A multiple objective stochastic portfolio selection problem with random Beta
Authors: Abdelaziz Fouad Ben , Masmoudi Meryem 
Published: August 2013

AbstractWhen selecting a portfolio, we need to consider, in general, the portfolio return and portfolio risk. Many risk measures have been used in portfolio selection problems as the Beta risk measure, introduced by the capital asset pricing model. Most of the existing research papers suppose that security's Beta has a deterministic value. Recently, many researchers argued that in selecting the optimal portfolio, securities’ Beta should be considered as an uncertain parameter. In this paper, we set up fundamentals to model the portfolio's Beta as a random variable and propose a multiple objective stochastic portfolio selection model with random Beta. To solve the proposed model, we apply a stochastic goal programming approach. A numerical example from the US stock exchange market is reported.
Plasticity in reproduction and growth among 52 range‐wide populations of aMediterranean conifer: adaptive responses to environmental stress
Authors: Santos‐del‐Blanco L. , Bonser S. P. , Valladares F. , Chambel M. R. , Climent J. 
Published: August 2013

AbstractA plastic response towards enhanced reproduction is expected in stressful environments, but it is assumed to trade off against vegetative growth and efficiency in the use of available resources deployed in reproduction [reproductive efficiency (RE)]. Evidence supporting this expectation is scarce for plants, particularly for long‐lived species. Forest trees such as Mediterranean pines provide ideal models to study the adaptive value of allocation to reproduction vs. vegetative growth given their among‐population differentiation for adaptive traits and their remarkable capacity to cope with dry and low‐fertility environments. We studied 52 range‐widePinus halepensispopulations planted into two environmentally contrasting sites during their initial reproductive stage. We investigated the effect of site, population and their interaction on vegetative growth, threshold size for female reproduction, reproductive–vegetative size relationships andRE. We quantified correlations among traits and environmental variables to identify allocation trade‐offs and ecotypic trends. Genetic variation for plasticity was high for vegetative growth, whereas it was nonsignificant for reproduction. Size‐corrected reproduction was enhanced in the more stressful site supporting the expectation for adverse conditions to elicit plastic responses in reproductive allometry. However,REwas unrelated with early reproductive investment. Our results followed theoretical predictions and support that phenotypic plasticity for reproduction is adaptive under stressful environments. Considering expectations of increased drought in theMediterranean, we hypothesize that phenotypic plasticity together with natural selection on reproductive traits will play a relevant role in the future adaptation of forest tree species.
The impact of reproductive investment and early‐life environmental conditions on senescence: support for the disposable soma hypothesis
Authors: Hammers M. , Richardson D. S. , Burke T. , Komdeur J. 
Published: August 2013

AbstractSeveral hypotheses have been put forward to explain the evolution of senescence. One of the leading hypotheses, the disposable soma hypothesis, predicts a trade‐off, whereby early‐life investment in reproduction leads to late‐life declines in survival (survival senescence). Testing this hypothesis in natural populations is challenging, but important for understanding the evolution of senescence. We used the long‐term data set from a contained, predator‐free population of individually marked Seychelles warblers (Acrocephalus sechellensis) to investigate how age‐related declines in survival are affected by early‐life investment in reproduction and early‐life environmental conditions. The disposable soma hypothesis predicts that higher investment in reproduction, or experiencing harsh conditions during early life, will lead to an earlier onset, and an increased rate, of senescence. We found that both sexes showed similar age‐related declines in late‐life survival consistent with senescence. Individuals that started breeding at a later age showed a delay in survival senescence, but this later onset of breeding did not result in a less rapid decline in late‐life survival. Although survival senescence was not directly related to early‐life environmental conditions, age of first breeding increased with natal food availability. Therefore, early‐life food availability may affect senescence by influencing age of first breeding. The disposable soma hypothesis of senescence is supported by delayed senescence in individuals that started breeding at a later age and therefore invested less in reproduction.
Phenotypic integration in flowers of neotropical lianas: diversification of form with stasis of underlying patterns
Authors: Alcantara S. , de Oliveira F. B. , Lohmann L. G. 
Published: August 2013

AbstractPhenotypic integration is essential to the understanding of organismal evolution as a whole. In this study, a phylogenetic framework is used to assess phenotypic integration among the floral parts of a group of Neotropical lianas. Flowers consist of plant reproductive organs (carpels and stamens), usually surrounded by attractive whorls (petals and sepals). Thus, flower parts might be involved in different functions and developmental constraints, leading to conflicting selective forces. We found that Bignonieae flowers have very similar patterns of variance/covariance among traits and that such patterns are uncorrelated with the phylogenetic relationships between species. However, in spite of pattern stasis, our results also indicate that diversification of floral morphology in this group has occurred throughout the evolution of magnitudes of correlation among traits. Thus, we suggest that stabilizing selection has played an important role in phenotypic integration, resulting in the long‐term stasis of covariance patterns underlying flower diversification during the ca. 50 Myr of evolution of Bignonieae. This is the first report of long‐term stasis in the phenotypic integration of angiosperms, suggesting that patterns of floral morphology can be recognizable as specific attributes of distinct botanical families.
An initial assessment of haptics in preclinical operative dentistry training
Authors: Koo Samuel , Kim Aram , Donoff Robert Bruce , Karimbux Nadeem Yakub 
Published: August 2013

AbstractAimThe purpose of this study was to assess novice student perception of haptic‐based manual dexterity training. The short‐term impact of haptic training in the early phase of preclinical operative dentistry education was also investigated.MethodsDental students performed a class II amalgam and a class III resin tooth preparation in a typodont model at baseline. The experimental group performed exercises on the manual dexterity module of the IDEA™ software using a haptic device. The exercises required removing the maximum amount of three‐dimensional geometric shapes within a predetermined width and depth. Tooth preparations were repeated 2 weeks later. A questionnaire survey was given to assess the subjective evaluation of the haptic simulation exercise.ResultsTooth preparations were scored regarding external outline, internal form, and integrity of adjacent tooth. Improvement of overall tooth preparation scores post‐haptic use was not statistically significant compared to controls (P > 0.05). However, students found the game‐feature of the haptic device made the learning experience more fun and interesting.ConclusionThe haptic exercises with the manual dexterity module software were not superior in improving the dexterity of students for tooth cavity preparations in short‐term. Benefits of ease of use and fun learning experience can be further investigated in future studies.
Mandatory single embryo transfer policy dramatically decreases multiple pregnancy rates
Authors: Esinler Ibrahim , Bozdag Gurkan , Karakoc Sokmensuer Lale 
Published: August 2013

AbstractAimThe aim of this study is to determine the effect of a mandatory single embryo transfer (SET) policy on pregnancy rates and multiple pregnancy rates in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles.MethodsOne hundred and twenty‐eight patients (154 cycles) underwent ICSI before the Turkish Ministry of Health's legislation, 55 patients (69 cycles) underwent ICSI after the legislation (day‐3 embryo transfers only) and 35 patients (39 cycles) who underwent ICSI after the legislation (day‐5 embryo transfers only).ResultsGroups were comparable regarding the women's mean age and body mass index. The number of embryos transferred (2.7 ± 0.5 vs 1.0 ± 0.0 vs 1.0 ± 0.0) was significantly higher in group I, compared to group II and group III. Clinical pregnancy per embryo transfer (40.8% vs 15.1% vs 36.1%) and live birth rate (37.7% vs 13.2% vs 30.6%) were significantly lower in group II when compared to group I and group III. Multiple pregnancy rates (39.6% vs 0.0%, vs 0.0%) were significantly higher in group I when compared to group II and III. Implantation rates were significantly higher in group III when compared to group I and group II. Miscarriage rates were comparable among the groups.ConclusionThe mandatory SET policy caused a dramatic decrease of multiple pregnancy rates. Mandatory SET with only day‐3 embryo transfers decreased the pregnancy rates but this detrimental effect was not seen in cycles with day‐5 embryo transfers.
Ribavirin suppresses erythroid differentiation and proliferation in chronic hepatitis C patients
Authors: Ronzoni L. , Aghemo A. , Rumi M. G. , Prati G. , Colancecco A. , Porretti L. , Monico S. , Colombo M. , Cappellini M. D. 
Published: August 2013

SummaryCombination therapy with pegylated interferon (pegIFN) plus ribavirin (RBV) is the standard of care for chronic hepatitis C. One of the major treatment‐related side effects is anaemia, attributed to RBV‐induced haemolysis. However, haemolysis biomarkers are not present in all patients supporting the existence of other pathogenetic mechanisms. We studied the role of RBV in inducing haemolysis and its effects on erythropoiesis. In 18 hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 2 patients treated with pegIFN‐alpha‐2a (180 mcg/week) plus RBV (800 mg/day) for 24 weeks and in 10 hepatitis B virus (HBV) patients treated with pegIFN‐alpha‐2a (180 mcg/week) for 48 weeks, haemolysis was assessed by serum LDH, haptoglobin and reticulocyte count. Erythropoiesis was evaluated both ex vivo, analysing the clonogenic activity of patients' erythroid progenitors, as well as in vitro adding pegIFN and RBV to liquid cultures obtained from CD34+ cells of healthy volunteers. The majority of patients developed anaemia; the week 4 mean haemoglobin decrease was greater in HCV than in HBV patients (1.7 vs 0.47 g/dL, P = 0.01). Only three HCV patients (17%) and no HBV patients showed signs of haemolysis. The 15 nonhaemolytic HCV patients and all HBV patients showed a delay in erythroid differentiation, with a reduction in colony number and a relative increase in undifferentiated colony percentage. Haemolytic HCV patients had an increase in colony number at week 4 of therapy. In vitro, erythroid cell proliferation and differentiation were inhibited by both pegIFN and RBV. Both pegIFN and RBV have an inhibitory effect on erythroid proliferation and differentiation.
Performance of Enhanced Liver Fibrosis test and comparison with transient elastography in the identification of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection
Authors: Trembling P. M. , Lampertico P. , Parkes J. , Tanwar S. , Viganò M. , Facchetti F. , Colombo M. , Rosenberg W. M. 
Published: August 2013

SummaryAssessment of liver fibrosis is important in determining prognosis, disease progression and need for treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Limitations to the use of liver biopsy in assessing fibrosis are well recognized, and noninvasive tests are being increasingly evaluated including transient elastography (TE) and serum markers such as the Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF) test. We assessed performance of ELF and TE in detecting liver fibrosis with reference to liver histology in a cohort of patients with CHB (n = 182), and compared the performance of these modalities. Median age was 46 and mean AST 70 IU/L. Cirrhosis was reported in 20% of liver biopsies. Both modalities performed well in assessing fibrosis at all stages. Area under receiver operator characteristic (AUROC) curves for detecting METAVIR fibrosis stages F ≥ 1, F ≥ 2, F ≥ 3 and F4 were 0.77, 0.82, 0.80 and 0.83 for ELF and 0.86, 0.86, 0.90 and 0.95 for TE. TE performed significantly better in the assessment of severe fibrosis (AUROC 0.80 for ELF and 0.90 for TE, P < 0.01) and cirrhosis (0.83 for ELF and 0.95 for TE, P < 0.01). This study demonstrates that ELF has good performance in detection of liver fibrosis in patients with CHB, and when compared, TE performs better in detection of severe fibrosis/cirrhosis.
The parasite‐driven‐wedge model of parapatric speciation
Authors: Thornhill R. , Fincher C. L. 
Published: August 2013

AbstractThe parasite‐driven‐wedge model provides a mechanism of parapatric speciation (the evolution of adjacent species across the range of an ancestral species without allopatric separation). Regionally localized coevolutionary races between parasites and their hosts result in three locally adaptive antiparasite behaviors: mating and other social preference for local conspecifics, avoidance of nonlocal conspecifics and philopatry (limited dispersal). These three behaviors comprise behavioral immunity. They become linked within individuals through linkage disequilibrium. Genetic immunity to local parasites also links through the same genetic mechanism with the traits of behavioral immunity. These linked traits are mutually reinforcing in that as any one increases in frequency due to its adaptiveness, the others do as well. Also, preference for locals is self‐reinforcing because both the locals preferred and those preferring them have the same preference. These events create a wedge and associated boundaries that effectively fractionate and diversify the original range of a species, leading to the genesis of contiguous multiple species from one. The higher the parasite stress in a region, the greater the frequency and intensity of the parasite‐driven wedge in splitting species. We do not deny an important role for allopatric speciation, but argue that parasite‐driven parapatric processes will be relatively predominant in regions of high parasite adversity (e.g. low latitudes), leading to the high diversity of species in the regions. The fractionation of host populations through the parasite‐driven wedge also diversifies parasites, leading to even greater geographic localization of host–parasite races. Methods are discussed for empirically distinguishing parasite‐driven parapatric speciation and allopatric speciation. We hypothesize that host coevolution with beneficial symbionts may also be an engine of parapatric speciation by way of a wedge‐like process.
World Health Organization infant and young child feeding indicators and their associations with child anthropometry: a synthesis of recent findings
Authors: Jones Andrew D. , Ickes Scott B. , Smith Laura E. , Mbuya Mduduzi N.N. , Chasekwa Bernard , Heidkamp Rebecca A. , Menon Purnima , Zongrone Amanda A. , Stoltzfus Rebecca J. 
Published: August 2013

AbstractAs the World Health Organization (WHO) infant and young child feeding (IYCF) indicators are increasingly adopted, a comparison of country‐specific analyses of the indicators' associations with child growth is needed to examine the consistency of these relationships across contexts and to assess the strengths and potential limitations of the indicators. This study aims to determine cross‐country patterns of associations of each of these indicators with child stunting, wasting, height‐for‐age z‐score (HAZ) and weight‐for‐height z‐score (WHZ). Eight studies using recent Demographic and Health Surveys data from a total of nine countries in sub‐Saharan Africa (nine), Asia (three) and the Caribbean (one) were identified. The WHO indicators showed mixed associations with child anthropometric indicators across countries. Breastfeeding indicators demonstrated negative associations with HAZ, while indicators of diet diversity and overall diet quality were positively associated with HAZ in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India and Zambia (P < 0.05). These same complementary feeding indicators did not show consistent relationships with child stunting. Exclusive breastfeeding under 6 months of age was associated with greater WHZ in Bangladesh and Zambia (P < 0.05), although CF indicators did not show strong associations with WHZ or wasting. The lack of sensitivity and specificity of many of the IYCF indicators may contribute to the inconsistent associations observed. The WHO indicators are clearly valuable tools for broadly assessing the quality of child diets and for monitoring population trends in IYCF practices over time. However, additional measures of dietary quality and quantity may be necessary to understand how specific IYCF behaviours relate to child growth faltering.
An Analysis of Sorting and Recycling of Household Waste: A neo‐Ricardian Approach
Authors: Hosoda Eiji B. 
Published: August 2013

AbstractOne of the most interesting but troublesome features of daily recycling is the mixture of different types of household waste and degradation of a recycled material caused by the mixture of different types of waste. This is often seen in recycling of materials such as used papers, plastics and so on. This paper analyses this aspect, and demonstrates how the formation of prices and activity levels is made in a long‐run growing economy, by means of a neo‐Ricardian type of production model. It is proved that a long‐run equilibrium exists under reasonable assumptions. It is also shown how the sorting rate of different types of waste affects the grade of recyclable resources as well as prices.
The Interaction Between Technology Adoption and Trade When Firms are Heterogeneous
Authors: Unel Bulent 
Published: August 2013

AbstractThis paper develops a monopolistic competition model with heterogeneous firms to study the interaction between technology adoption and trade in a world of two countries facing different technology adoption costs. It shows that a reduction in the technology adoption cost in one country increases productivity, induces more firms to adopt advanced technology, and improves welfare in this country, while decreasing productivity, inducing more firms to switch back to old technology, and reducing welfare in the other country. Furthermore, although a reduction in transport costs always makes the country with the lower adoption cost better off, it can hurt the other country.
Clinical and Genetic Features of 5 Chinese Patients with X‐linked lymphoproliferative Syndrome
Authors: Sun J. , Ying W. , Liu D. , Hui X. , Yu Y. , Wang J. , Wang X. 
Published: August 2013

AbstractIn this study, we report the clinical and genetic features of Chinese patients with X‐linked lymphoproliferative syndrome (XLP). Male patients with fulminant infectious mononucleosis (FIM), Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)‐associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) or persistent EBV viremia were enrolled in this study. Direct sequencing was used to detect SH2D1A/XIAP gene mutations. The patients' clinical features were assessed by retrieval of data from medical records. Twenty‐one male patients with FIM, EBV‐associated HLH or persistent EBV viremia were evaluated. Four patients had SH2D1A mutations, and one patient had an XIAP mutation. All five of these patients had symptoms of HLH and EBV infection. Among the five patients, the youngest one was only 1 month old at onset. One patient exhibited hypogammaglobulinemia. Of four patients evaluated for immunological function, all exhibited reduced CD4/CD8 ratios. Three patients had rapid disease progression and died. One patient received haematopoietic stem cell transplantation and is well. The overall clinical phenotypes of Chinese patients with XLP matched previous reports. For patients with severe EBV‐associated HLH, our results indicate the need to examine the possibility of XLP.