bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ultrasonic Characterization of Pork Fat Crystallization during Cold Storage
Authors: Corona Edith , García‐Pérez José V. , Santacatalina Juan V. , Ventanas Sonia , Benedito José 
Published: April 2014

AbstractIn this work, the feasibility of using ultrasonic velocity measurements for characterizing and differentiating the crystallization pattern in 2 pork backfats (Montanera and Cebo Iberian fats) during cold storage (0 °C, 2 °C, 5 °C, 7 °C, and 10 °C) was evaluated. The fatty acid profile, thermal behavior, and textural properties (hardness) of fat were also determined. Both fats became harder during cold storage (average hardness increase for both fats, 11.5 N, 8 N, and 1.8 N at 0, °C 2 °C, and 5 °C , respectively), showing a 2‐step pattern related with the separate crystallization of the different existing triacylglycerols, which was well described using a modified Avrami equation (explained variance > 99%). Due to a greater content of saturated triacylglycerols, Cebo fat (45.1%) was harder than Montanera (41.8%). The ultrasonic velocity followed a similar 2‐step pattern to hardness during cold storage, being found an average increase for both fats of 184, 161, and 150 m/s at 0 °C 2 °C, and 5 °C, respectively. Thus, ultrasonic measurements were useful both to characterize the textural changes taking place during cold storage and to differentiate between fats with different composition.Practical ApplicationThe cold storage of dry‐cured meat products during their distribution and retail sale exert an important effect on their textural properties and consumers’ acceptance due to the crystallization of the fat fraction, which is greatly influenced by the type of fat. In this work, a nondestructive ultrasonic technique was used to identify the textural changes provoked by the crystallization during cold storage, and to differentiate between fats, which could be used for quality control purposes.
Transformation of Salvianolic Acid B to Salvianolic Acid A in Aqueous Solution and the In Vitro Liver Protective Effect of the Main Products
Authors: Kan Shidong , Chen Zhouzhou , Shao Lei , Li Ji'an 
Published: April 2014

AbstractSalvianolic acid A (Sal A) was considered to be the compound with highest activity in Salvia miltiorrhiza (danshen). Due to its low content in raw materials, many studies reported its preparation from salvianolic acid B (Sal B). However, the process of this transformation is still unknown. Our objective was to find the chemical change of the transformation from Sal B to Sal A. The results showed that Sal B was hydrolyzed to lithospermic acid (LA) first, and the latter was transformed into Sal A in thermal aqueous solution. The radical scavenging ability of Sal A, Sal B, and LA was tested through DPPH, and Sal A showed higher radical elimination ability compared to Sal B and LA. In vitro liver damage was induced by CCl4 in human hepatic WRL68 cell line. Sal A, Sal B, and LA showed liver protective ability in a dose‐dependent manner, while Sal A possessed a much higher ability compared to Sal B and LA.
General Regression Neural Network Model for Behavior of Salmonella on Chicken Meat during Cold Storage
Authors: Oscar Thomas P. 
Published: April 2014

AbstractA study was undertaken to investigate and model behavior of Salmonella on chicken meat during cold storage at constant temperatures. Chicken meat (white, dark, or skin) portions (0.75 cm3) were inoculated with a single strain of Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 (2.8 log) followed by storage for 0 to 8 d at –8, 0, 8, 12, 14, or 16 °C for model development and at –4, 4, 10, or 14 °C for model validation. A general regression neural network model was developed with commercial software. Performance of the model was considered acceptable when the proportion of residuals (observed – predicted) in an acceptable prediction zone (pAPZ) from –1 log (fail‐safe) to 0.5 logs (fail‐dangerous) was ≥0.7. Growth of Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 on chicken meat was observed at 12, 14, and 16 °C and was highest on dark meat, intermediate on skin, and lowest on white meat. At lower temperatures (–8 to 10 °C) Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 remained at initial levels throughout 8 d of storage except at 4 °C where there was a small (0.4 log) but significant decline. The model had acceptable performance (pAPZ = 0.929) for dependent data (n = 482) and acceptable performance (pAPZ = 0.923) for independent data (n = 235). Results indicated that it is important to include type of meat as an independent variable in the model and that the model provided valid predictions of the behavior of Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 on chicken skin, white, and dark meat during storage for 0 to 8 d at constant temperatures from –8 to 16 °C.Practical ApplicationA model for predicting behavior of Salmonella on chicken meat during cold storage was developed and validated. The model will help the chicken industry to better predict and manage this risk to public health.
Loop‐Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assays for Detecting Yersinia pseudotuberculosis in Milk Powders
Authors: Zhang Hongwei , Feng Jinsong , Xue Rui , Du Xin‐Jun , Lu Xiaonan , Wang Shuo 
Published: April 2014

AbstractYersinia pseudotuberculosis is a Gram‐negative foodborne pathogen that causes several diseases, such as enteritis, septicemia, and reactive arthritis. Loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay targeting the 16S‐23S rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region was developed to detect Y. pseudotuberculosis in milk powder. The DNA amplification could be completed in 1 h, and detected by produced white precipitate visible to naked eyes. The detection limit of LAMP assay was 100 fg/reaction for genomic DNA, and 100 CFU/100 g milk powder coupled with 12 h enrichment. LAMP assay is 100 times more sensitive than conventional polymerase chain reaction method for detecting Y. pseudotuberculosis, and correctly identified 18 cases of Y. pseudotuberculosis contaminations from 236 commercial milk powder products. In conclusion, the developed LAMP assay may facilitate rapid detection of Y. pseudotuberculosis contaminations in agricultural and food products.Practical ApplicationRapid and accurate detection of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis in milk products.
Population validity for educational data mining models: A case study in affect detection
Authors: Ocumpaugh Jaclyn , Baker Ryan , Gowda Sujith , Heffernan Neil , Heffernan Cristina 
Published: April 2014

AbstractInformation and communication technology (ICT)‐enhanced research methods such as educational data mining (EDM) have allowed researchers to effectively model a broad range of constructs pertaining to the student, moving from traditional assessments of knowledge to assessment of engagement, meta‐cognition, strategy and affect. The automated detection of these constructs allows EDM researchers to develop intervention strategies that can be implemented either by the software or the teacher. It also allows for secondary analyses of the construct, where the detectors are applied to a data set that is much larger than one that could be analyzed by more traditional methods. However, in many cases, the data used to develop EDM models are collected from students who may not be representative of the broader populations who are likely to use ICT. In order to use EDM models (automated detectors) with new populations, their generalizability must be verified. In this study, we examine whether detectors of affect remain valid when applied to new populations. Models of four educationally relevant affective states were constructed based on data from urban, suburban and rural students using ASSISTments software for middle school mathematics in the Northeastern United States. We found that affect detectors trained on a population drawn primarily from one demographic grouping do not generalize to populations drawn primarily from the other demographic groupings, even though those populations might be considered part of the same national or regional culture. Models constructed using data from all three subpopulations are more applicable to students in those populations than those trained on a single group, but still do not achieve ideal population validity—the ability to generalize across all subgroups. In particular, models generalize better across urban and suburban students than rural students. These findings have important implications for data collection efforts, validation techniques, and the design of interventions that are intended to be applied at scale.
Loss of function tp53 mutations do not accelerate the onset of myc‐induced T‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in the zebrafish
Authors: Gutierrez Alejandro , Feng Hui , Stevenson Kristen , Neuberg Donna S. , Calzada Oscar , Zhou Yi , Langenau David M. , Look A. Thomas 
Published: April 2014

SummaryThe TP53 tumour suppressor is activated in response to distinct stimuli, including an ARF‐dependent response to oncogene stress and an ATM/ATR‐dependent response to DNA damage. In human T‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T‐ALL), TP53‐dependent tumour suppression is typically disabled via biallelic ARF deletions. In murine models, loss of Arf (Cdkn2a) or Tp53 markedly accelerates the onset of Myc‐induced lymphoblastic malignancies. In zebrafish, no ARF ortholog has been identified, but the sequence of ARF is very poorly conserved evolutionarily, making it difficult to exclude the presence of a zebrafish ARF ortholog without functional studies. Here we show that tp53 mutations have no significant influence on the onset of myc‐induced T‐ALL in zebrafish, consistent with the lack of additional effects of Tp53 loss on lymphomagenesis in Arf‐deficient mice. By contrast, irradiation leads to complete T‐ALL regression in tp53 wild‐type but not homozygous mutant zebrafish, indicating that the tp53‐dependent DNA damage response is intact. We conclude that tp53 inactivation has no impact on the onset of myc‐induced T‐ALL in the zebrafish, consistent with the lack of a functional ARF ortholog linking myc‐induced oncogene stress to tp53‐dependent tumour suppression. Thus, the zebrafish model is well suited to the study of ARF‐independent pathways in T‐ALL pathobiology.
Quality of life and satisfaction of patients wearing implant‐supported fixed partial denture: a cross‐sectional survey of patients from Araçatuba city, Brazil
Authors: Goiato Marcelo Coelho , Torcato Leonardo Bueno , dos Santos Daniela Micheline , Moreno Amália , Antenucci Rosse Mary Falcón , de Carvalho Dekon Stefan Fiuza 
Published: April 2014

AbstractObjectivesThe aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of life and satisfaction of patients wearing implant‐supported fixed partial dentures.Materials & methodsA total of 106 patients were selected and submitted to clinical examination and collection of the demographic data for evaluation of the implant‐supported fixed dentures conditions. All participants agreed to answer to the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP‐EDENT) questionnaire and another questionnaire about satisfaction with the implant‐supported prostheses. The patients were classified into the following three groups for statistical analysis: patients wearing splinted implant‐supported prosthesis (E), patients wearing single implant‐supported prosthesis (U), and patients wearing single implant‐supported prosthesis associated with splinted prosthesis (E + U). Kruskal–Wallis test was used to compare the answers between the groups, and a logistic regression model was measured to verify the relation between variables of the patients and the questionaries’ items.ResultsThere were significant differences among groups (P = 0.006) for discomfort during surgery itself of the satisfaction questionnaire. The marital status, groups, and hygiene condition were significant mainly for physical pain item.ConclusionsIt was concluded that the patients presented high level of satisfaction and quality of life for the most of the items evaluated as well as the groups showed similar results.
Cobalt release from earrings and piercing jewellery – analytical results of a German survey
Authors: Uter Wolfgang , Schmid Matthias , Schmidt Oliver , Bock Constance , Wolter Jörg 
Published: April 2014

SummaryBackgroundContact sensitization to cobalt is common. Some industrial exposures have been identified, but cobalt allergy is also often diagnosed in ‘non‐occupational’ patients. Exposure of consumers is largely unexplained.ObjectiveTo present the analytical results on cobalt release from earrings and piercing jewellery sampled in a German Federal surveillance scheme.MethodsTwo German state laboratories analysed cobalt release, after immersion in artificial sweat according to EN 1811, along with nickel release in 87 pieces of jewellery, which were mostly taken apart for separate examination of piercing posts (n = 139), clasps (n = 51), and/or decorative items (n = 52). The distribution of cobalt release was described by the use of Kaplan–Meier analysis, taking into account that the majority of measurements were left‐censored, that is, below the limit of quantification.ResultsThirty‐eight of 87 earrings and piercing jewellery items had at least one part releasing cobalt. The median cobalt release was estimated as 0.013 µg/cm2/week, and 75% of parts released up to 0.085 µg/cm2/week. Release varied somewhat between the three parts, with, for example, 22.1% of posts releasing ≥ 0.2 µg/cm2/week.ConclusionsCobalt release from earrings and piercing jewellery, in particular from piercing posts, is considerable. Scientifically based exposure limits should be set, as in the case of nickel.
Circulating YKL‐40 in myelofibrosis a potential novel biomarker of disease activity and the inflammatory state
Authors: Bjørn Mads Emil , Andersen Christen Lykkegaard , Jensen Morten Krogh , Hasselbalch Hans C. 
Published: April 2014

AbstractChronic myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), encompassing essential thrombocythaemia (ET), polycythaemia vera (PV) and myelofibrosis (PMF), are featured by a chronic inflammatory state which is pronounced in myelofibrosis The value of YKL‐40 as a biomarker of disease burden has been demonstrated in several different diseases, including cancer, diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases. A state of chronic inflammation is shared by them all, YKL‐40 also being involved in the severity of chronic endothelial inflammation, which today is considered of crucial importance for the development of atherosclerosis. The MPNs being cancers with a heavy burden of cardiovascular diseases we hypothesised that circulating YKL‐40 might reflect the inflammatory process and potentially serve as a novel disease marker. Using ELISA, we measured YKL‐40 in 15 patients with ET, 16 patients with PV, 17 patients with PMF and 30 healthy controls. YKL‐40 was significantly elevated in PMF vs. control subjects, PMF levels median 43 ng/mL vs. controls median 28 ng/mL, P = 0.033. An increase from ET over PV may reflect the integrated impact of disease processes in MPNs.
Leukodystrophies underlying cryptic spastic paraparesis: frequency and phenotype in 76 patients
Authors: Müller vom Hagen J. , Karle K. N. , Schüle R. , Krägeloh‐Mann I. , Schöls L. 
Published: April 2014

Background and purposeIn chronic progressive spasticity of the legs many rare causes have to be considered, including leukodystrophies due to neurometabolic disorders. To determine the frequency of leukodystrophies and the phenotypic spectrum patients with cryptic spasticity of the legs were screened for underlying neurometabolic abnormalities.MethodsSeventy‐six index patients presenting with adult‐onset lower limb spasticity of unknown cause consistent with autosomal recessive inheritance were included in this study. Screening included serum levels of very long chain fatty acids for X‐linked adrenoleukodystrophy/adrenomyeloneuropathy and lysosomal enzyme activities in leukocytes for metachromatic leukodystrophy, GM1‐gangliosidosis, Tay−Sachs, Sandhoff and Krabbe disease. If clinical evidence was indicative of other types of leukodystrophies, additional genetic testing was conducted. Clinical characterization included neurological and psychiatric features and magnetic resonance imaging.ResultsBasic screening detected one index patient with metachromatic leukodystrophy, two patients with Krabbe disease and four patients with adrenoleukodystrophy/adrenomyeloneuropathy. Additional genetic testing revealed one patient with vanishing white matter disease. These patients accounted for an overall share of 11% of leukodystrophies. One patient with Krabbe disease and three patients with adrenoleukodystrophy/adrenomyeloneuropathy presented with pure spasticity of the lower limbs, whilst one patient each with Krabbe disease, metachromatic leukodystrophy and adrenoleukodystrophy/adrenomyeloneuropathy showed additional complicating symptoms.ConclusionsAdult patients presenting with cryptic spasticity of the legs should be screened for underlying X‐linked adrenoleukodystrophy/adrenomyeloneuropathy and lysosomal disorders, irrespective of the presence of additional complicating symptoms. Leukodystrophies may manifest as late as the sixth decade and hyperintensity of cerebral white matter on magnetic resonance FLAIR images is not obligatory.
Association of ischaemic stroke subtype with long‐term cardiovascular events
Authors: Ntaios G. , Papavasileiou V. , Makaritsis K. , Milionis H. , Michel P. , Vemmos K. 
Published: April 2014

Background and purposeThere is no strong evidence that all ischaemic stroke types are associated with high cardiovascular risk. Our aim was to investigate whether all ischaemic stroke types are associated with high cardiovascular risk.MethodsAll consecutive patients with ischaemic stroke registered in the Athens Stroke Registry between 1 January 1993 and 31 December 2010 were categorized according to the TOAST classification and were followed up for up to 10 years. Outcomes assessed were cardiovascular and all‐cause mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke recurrence, and a composite cardiovascular outcome consisting of myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, acute heart failure, sudden cardiac death, stroke recurrence and aortic aneurysm rupture. The Kaplan–Meier product limit method was used to estimate the probability of each end‐point in each patient group. Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine the independent covariates of each end‐point.ResultsTwo thousand seven hundred and thirty patients were followed up for 48.1 ± 41.9 months. The cumulative probabilities of 10‐year cardiovascular mortality in patients with cardioembolic stroke [46.6%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 40.6–52.8], lacunar stroke (22.1%, 95% CI 16.2–28.0) or undetermined stroke (35.2%, 95% CI 27.8–42.6) were either similar to or higher than those of patients with large‐artery atherosclerotic stroke (LAA) (28.7%, 95% CI 22.4–35.0). Compared with LAA, all other TOAST types had a higher probability of 10‐year stroke recurrence. In Cox proportional hazards analysis, compared with patients with LAA, patients with any other stroke type were associated with similar or higher risk for the outcomes of overall mortality, cardiovascular mortality, stroke recurrence and composite cardiovascular outcome.ConclusionsLarge‐artery atherosclerotic stroke and cardioembolic stroke are associated with the highest risk for future cardiovascular events, with the latter carrying at least as high a risk as LAA stroke.
Deadly hairs, lethal feathers – convergent evolution of poisonous integument in mammals and birds
Authors: Plikus Maksim V. , Astrowski Aliaksandr A. 
Published: April 2014

AbstractHairs and feathers are textbook examples of the convergent evolution of the follicular appendage structure between mammals and birds. While broadly recognized for their convergent thermoregulatory, camouflage and sexual display functions, hairs and feathers are rarely thought of as deadly defence tools. Several recent studies, however, show that in some species of mammals and birds, the integument can, in fact, be a de facto lethal weapon. One mammalian example is provided by African crested rats, which seek for and chew on the bark of plants containing the highly potent toxin, ouabain. These rats then coat their fur with ouabain‐containing saliva. For efficient toxin retention, the rodents have evolved highly specialized fenestrated and mostly hollow hair shafts that soak up liquids, which essentially function as wicks. On the avian side of the vertebrate integumental variety spectrum, several species of birds of New Guinea have evolved resistance to highly potent batrachotoxins, which they acquire from their insect diet. While the mechanism of bird toxicity remains obscure, in a recently published issue of the journal, Dumbacher and Menon explore the intriguing idea that to achieve efficient storage of batrachotoxins in their skin, some birds exploit the basic permeability barrier function of their epidermis. Batrachotoxins become preferentially sequestered in their epidermis and are then transferred to feathers, likely through the exploitation of specialized avian lipid‐storing multigranular body organelles. Here, we discuss wider implications of this intriguing concept.
Biomineralization ofSchlumbergerella floresiana, a significant carbonate‐producing benthic foraminifer
Authors: Sabbatini A. , Bédouet L. , Marie A. , Bartolini A. , Landemarre L. , Weber M. X. , Gusti Ngurah Kade Mahardika I. , Berland S. , Zito F. , Vénec‐Peyré M.‐T. 
Published: April 2014

AbstractMost foraminifera that produce a shell are efficient biomineralizers. We analyzed the calcitic shell of the large tropical benthic foraminiferSchlumbergerella floresiana. We found a suite of macromolecules containing many charged and polar amino acids and glycine that are also abundant in biomineralization proteins of other phyla. As neither genomic nor transcriptomic data are available for foraminiferal biomineralization yet,de novo‐generated sequences, obtained from organic matrices submitted toms blastdatabase search, led to the characterization of 156 peptides. Very few homologous proteins were matched in the proteomic database, implying that the peptides are derived from unknown proteins present in the foraminiferal organic matrices. The amino acid distribution of these peptides was queried against theuniprotdatabase and the molluskuniprotdatabase for comparison. The mollusks compose a well‐studied phylum that yield a large variety of biomineralization proteins. These results showed that proteins extracted fromS. floresianashells contained sequences enriched with glycine, alanine, and proline, making a set of residues that provided a signature unique to foraminifera. Three of thede novopeptides exhibited sequence similarities to peptides found in proteins such as pre‐collagen‐Pand a group ofP‐typeATPases including a calcium‐transportingATPase. Surprisingly, the peptide that was most similar to the collagen‐like protein was a glycine‐rich peptide reported from the test and spine proteome of sea urchin. The molecules, identified by matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization‐time of flight mass spectrometry analyses, included acid‐solubleN‐glycoproteins with its sugar moieties represented by high‐mannose‐type glycans and carbohydrates. Describing the nature of the proteins, and associated molecules in the skeletal structure of living foraminifera, can elucidate the biomineralization mechanisms of these major carbonate producers in marine ecosystems. As fossil foraminifera provide important paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic information, a better understanding of biomineralization in these organisms will have far‐reaching impacts.