bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sustainability in Development Cooperation: Preliminary Findings on the Carbon Footprint of Development Aid Organizations
Authors: Almeida Joana , Verbist Bruno , Achten Wouter M. J. , Maertens Miet , Muys Bart 
Published: November 2012

ABSTRACTThis study assesses for the first time the environmental sustainability of development organizations involved in North–South cooperation by quantifying the carbon footprint as a widely adopted indicator. Our objectives are to (1) analyze the criteria that should be met for correct greenhouse gas accounting of development organizations, (2) gain insight into the emission profile for a limited sample of development organizations from Belgium and Germany, and (3) set forward policy options for more sustainable practices. Carbon footprints are calculated following official guidelines and include available data from different institutions. Mobility of staff is on average responsible for 60% of total annual emissions of the organizations under study, mainly owing to air travel (40%), followed by electricity and heating of offices. These emissions may be partially offset through voluntary carbon market transactions or within development projects themselves. Either approach requires the adoption of high standards of carbon accounting by development organizations. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Activation of alpha‐smooth muscle actin‐positive myofibroblast‐like cells after chemotherapy with gemcitabine in a rat orthotopic pancreatic cancer model
Authors: Yamao Jun , Toyokawa Hideyoshi , Kim Songtae , Yamaki So , Satoi Sohei , Yanagimoto Hiroaki , Yamamoto Tomohisa , Hirooka Satoshi , Matsui Yoichi , Kwon A‐Hon 
Published: November 2012

AbstractBackgroundTo investigate the behavior of activated pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs), which express alpha‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA), and pancreatic cancer cells in vivo, we examined the expression of α‐SMA‐positive myofibroblast‐like cells in pancreatic cancer tissue after treatment with gemcitabine (GEM) using a Lewis orthotopic rat pancreatic cancer model.MethodsThe effect of GEM on DSL‐6A/C1 cell proliferation was determined by cell counting method. The orthotopic pancreatic cancer animals were prepared with DSL‐6A/C cells, and treated with GEM (100 mg/kg/weekly, for 3 weeks). At the end of treatment, α‐SMA expression, fibrosis, transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β1 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were evaluated by histopathological and Western blot analyses.ResultsDSL‐6A/C1 cell proliferation was significantly reduced by co‐culturing with GEM in vitro. Survival time of pancreatic cancer animals (59.6 ± 13.4 days) was significantly improved by treatment with GEM (89.6 ± 21.8 days;p = 0.0005). Alpha‐SMA expression in pancreatic cancer tissue was significantly reduced after treatment with GEM (p = 0.03), however, there was no significant difference in Sirius‐red expression. Expression of VEGF was significantly reduced by GEM treatment, but the expression of TGF‐β1 was not inhibited.ConclusionGEM may suppress not only the tumor cell proliferation but also suppress PSCs activation through VEGF reduction.
A model to explain at‐risk/problem gambling among male and female adolescents: Gender similarities and differences
Authors: Donati Maria Anna , Chiesi Francesca , Primi Caterina 
Published: November 2012

ABSTRACTThis study aimed at testing a model in which cognitive, dispositional, and social factors were integrated into a single perspective as predictors of gambling behavior. We also aimed at providing further evidence of gender differences related to adolescent gambling. Participants were 994 Italian adolescents (64% Males; Mean age = 16.57). Hierarchical logistic regressions attested the predictive power of the considered factors on at‐risk/problem gambling ‐ measured by administering the South Oaks Gambling Screen‐Revised for Adolescents (SOGS‐RA) ‐ in both boys and girls. Sensation seeking and superstitious thinking were consistent predictors across gender, while probabilistic reasoning ability, the perception of the economic profitability of gambling, and peer gambling behavior were found to be predictors only among male adolescents, whereas parental gambling behavior had a predictive power in female adolescents. Findings are discussed referring to practical implications for preventive efforts toward adolescents' gambling problems.
Nursing students' perceptions toward the nursing profession from clinical practicum in a baccalaureate nursing program—A qualitative study
Authors: Tseng Hui‐Chen , Wang Hsiu‐Hung , Weng Wei‐Che 
Published: November 2012

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to explore senior nursing students' perceptions toward the nursing profession and their experiences in clinical practicum in Taiwan. This study used semistructured interview guides and unstructured face‐to‐face dialogue with the participants based on a qualitative method. A purposive sample with a snowball method from a baccalaureate nursing program in Southern Taiwan was used to recruit participants. A total of 30 senior nursing students participated in this study. Data were collected from February to May 2011. The interviews were transcribed verbatim, and data were analyzed based on the phenomenological approach of qualitative methodology. Data were categorized into three major themes: in‐depth recognition of nursing, recognition of the meaning and value of life, and decision conflicts for being a nurse. The findings of the study not only help nursing educators further understand the educational effects of clinical practicum, but also provide information for managers of medical organizations to recruit and train newly graduated nurses.
The Lomonosov Ridge as a natural extension of the Eurasian continental margin into the Arctic Basin
Authors: Poselov V.A. , Avetisov G.P. , Butsenko V.V. , Zholondz S.M. , Kaminsky V.D. , Pavlov S.P. 
Published: November 2012

Abstract
The inregrated geological and geophysical studies carried out in recent years in the Lomonosov Ridge and at its junction with the Eurasian shelf revealed evidence for thinned (reduced) crust in the ridge (20–25 km) and its relationship with shelf structures. We compared the parameters of deep seismic cross-sections of the shelf and Lomonosov Ridge, thus proving the existence of continental crust in the latter. Also, we analyzed the deep structure of the junction between the Lomonosov Ridge and the shelf and established a genetic geologic relationship, with no evidence that the Lomonosov Ridge moved as a terrane with respect to the shelf. In addition, seismological studies independently confirm the relationship between the Lomonosov Ridge and the adjacent shelf.
The Lomonosov Ridge is a continental-crust block of a craton. The craton was reworked during the Caledonian tectonomagmatic activity with the formation of a Precambrian–Caledonian seismically unsegmented basement (upper crust) and an epi-Caledonian platform cover. Afterward, the block subsided to bathyal depths in the Late Alpine. This block and the adjacent areas of the Eastern Arctic shelf developed in the platform regime till the Late Mesozoic.
Metasomatic parageneses in deep-seated xenoliths from pipes Udachnaya and Komsomol’skaya-Magnitnaya as indicators of fluid transfer through the mantle lithosphere of the Siberian craton
Authors: Solov’eva L.V. , Yasnygina T.A. , Egorov K.N. 
Published: November 2012

Abstract
The petrography, major element, and trace element (TE) compositions of minerals from two types of modal metasomatites (metasomatized peridotites and pyroxenites) from kimberlite pipes Udachnaya and Komsomol’skaya-Magnitnaya, Yakutia, have been studied. It is shown that texturally and chemically equilibrated metasomatites A consist of a set of superimposed minerals: phlogopite + diopside ± ilmenite ± apatite ± sulfides ± graphite. Their major and trace element compositions have specific features. The contents of TEs in garnet and clinopyroxene from these metasomatites are close to those in garnet and clinopyroxene from low-temperature coarse-grained peridotites richest in TEs. The distribution of a significant portion of TEs between garnet and clinopyroxene from A-type metasomatites and from coarse-grained lherzolites rich in TEs is close to experimental values reported for minerals coexisting with carbonatitic and basaltic fluids. We assume that this metasomatic process was nearly synchronous with the global metamorphism and cratonization of the mantle lithosphere and that high-density silicate–carbonate fluidmelts were metasomatizing agents.
Another large mantle metasomatism process in the lithosphere of the Siberian craton was associated with the Middle Paleozoic kimberlite magmatic event, induced by the Yakutian thermochemical plume. Metasomatic minerals (Mg phlogopite + Cr diopside + chromite ± sulfides ± graphite) intensely replaced the minerals of the primary paragenesis, particularly, garnet. These reaction metasomatites show a sine-shaped REE pattern in garnet and disequilibrium between garnet and clinopyroxene. It is supposed that the reaction metasomatism in the mantle lithosphere of the Siberian craton was associated with ingress of reduced asthenospheric fluids at early stages of the kimberlite formation cycle. Metasomatic graphite formed in metasomatites of both types, and this fact evidences for two diamond formation epochs in the history of the mantle lithosphere of the Siberian craton.
THE WATER RELATIONS AND IRRIGATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE DATE PALM (Phoenix dactyliferaL.): A REVIEW
Authors: CARR M. K. V. 
Published: November 2012

SUMMARYDate palm is a crop suited to hot, arid regions. It originated in Mesopotamia and the centres of production are in West Asia and North Africa. Despite its regional and international importance, and its dependence on irrigation or a shallow water table for survival, relatively little research has been published on the water relations and irrigation need of date palm. Following early work in California, the majority of the recent research reported in the literature has been conducted in Saudi Arabia and Tunisia. The date palm has a terminal crown of 100–120 leaves. At the base of each leaf is an axillary bud, most of which develop in the winter as flower buds. It takes 150–200 days from pollination to fruit maturity. Stomata occur on both leaf surfaces. Different techniques have been used to measure the water use of date palm, including micrometeorological and sap flow methods. In Syria, mean actual evapotranspiration rates varied between 0.5 mm d−1(winter) and 3.5 mm d−1(summer), in Saudi Arabia from 2–3 to 8–11 mm d−1depending on location and in Jordan from 2 to 8–10 mm d−1respectively. In Tunisia, there was some (limited) evidence of stomatal control of transpiration rates (seasonal range 0.5 to 3.5 mm d−1) when temperatures exceeded 32 °C. Experimentally determined values of the crop coefficient were inconsistent, varying from 0.6–0.7 to 1.18. In the vicinity of an oasis, advection may increase potential water use substantially above that of a reference crop. In the absence of a shallow water table, roots can extract water from soil depths greater than 2 m. There is little published information on the water productivity of date palm. A target benchmark figure is probably about 1.3-kg fresh fruit m−3of irrigation water applied. Under controlled conditions, phenotypes differed in their responses to water stress. The date palm is traditionally considered to be relatively salt-tolerant, with a threshold electrical conductivity value for the saturated soil extract of 4.0 dS m−1, but recent evidence from Israel suggests that this view may be mistaken. Since early times, flood irrigation has been used to irrigate date palm and it is still probably the most common method in many countries. Since the 1980s, farmers have been encouraged by governments to use localised irrigation methods (e.g. micro-sprinklers, drip and bubbler) as a means of saving water. Since water is a scarce resource in the West Asia and North Africa region, research should focus on developing ways to improve the water productivity of this high value crop.
Sensitivity to information status in discourse: Gesture precedes speech in unbalanced bilinguals
Authors: SO WING-CHEE , LIM JIA-YI , TAN SEOK-HUI 
Published: November 2012

ABSTRACTThis paper explores whether English–Mandarin bilingual children have mastered discourse skills and whether they show sensitivity to the discourse principle of information status of referents in their speech and gestures. We compare the speech and gestures produced by bilingual children to those produced by English- and Mandarin-speaking monolingual children. Six English-speaking and six Mandarin-speaking monolingual children, and nine English–Mandarin bilingual children (who were more dominant in English) were videotaped while interacting with their caregivers. Monolingual Mandarin- and English-speaking children produced null arguments and pronouns respectively to indicate given third-person referents, and nouns to indicate new third-person referents. They also gestured new third-person referents more often than given third-person referents. Thus, monolinguals’ speech and gestures followed the discourse principle. English–Mandarin bilingual children's speech and gestures also followed the discourse principle but only when they were speaking in English. They produced nouns more often to indicate given third-person referents than to indicate new third-person referents in Mandarin, indicating the violation of the discourse principle. It is interesting that they gestured new third-person referents more often than given third-person referents in Mandarin. Thus, our findings suggest that gesture precedes language development at discourse level in the less-dominant language in bilinguals.
Comparing the effect of skewed and balanced input on English as a foreign language learners’ comprehension of the double-object dative construction
Authors: McDONOUGH KIM , NEKRASOVA-BECKER TATIANA 
Published: November 2012

ABSTRACTAccording to usage-based approaches to acquisition, the detection of a construction may be facilitated when input contains numerous exemplars with a shared lexical item, which is referred to as skewed input. First language studies have shown that skewed input is more beneficial for the acquisition of novel constructions than balanced input, in which a small set of lexical verbs occurs an equal number of times. However, a second language (L2) study of datives found no advantage for skewed input compared to balanced input. The present study compared the effectiveness of skewed and balanced input at facilitating the comprehension of the double-object dative construction in L2 English. Over a 2-week period, Thai English as foreign language learners (N = 78) completed comprehension tests and a treatment activity that provided either skewed first, skewed random, or balanced input. The results indicated that balanced input was most effective at promoting comprehension of double-object datives. The implications are discussed in terms of the benefits of different types of input for L2 learners.
Stability of biped robotic walking with frictional constraints
Authors: Zhou Xuefeng , Guan Yisheng , Jiang Li , Zhu Haifei , Cai Chuanwu , Wu Wenqiang , Zhang Hong 
Published: November 2012

SUMMARYTipping-over and slipping, which are related to zero moment point (ZMP) and frictional constraint respectively, are the two most common instability forms of biped robotic walking. Conventional criterion of stability is not sufficient in some cases, since it neglects frictional constraint or considers translational friction only. The goal of this paper is to fully address frictional constraints in biped walking and develop corresponding stability criteria. Frictional constraints for biped locomotion are first analyzed and then the method to obtain the closed-form solutions of the frictional force and moment for a biped robot with rectangular and circular feet is presented. The maximum frictional force and moment are calculated in the case of ZMP at the center of contact area. Experiments with a 6-degree of freedom active walking biped robot are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the stability analysis.
Fruit removal by hornbills in a semi-evergreen forest of the Indian Eastern Himalaya
Authors: Sethi Pia , Howe Henry F. 
Published: November 2012

Abstract:We tested the hypothesis that seed size influences which frugivores eat fruits, and the size and nature of disperser assemblages in Pakke Tiger Reserve, India. Four tree species had large seeds (> 18 mm width) that could be handled by birds with large gape widths, while two tree species had smaller seeds (< 7 mm width) falling within the gape size range of many frugivores. We tested whether (1) disperser assemblage and activity reflected seed size, and (2) large-gaped hornbills were more effective at fruit removal of tree species with large seeds, than of those with smaller seeds and many dispersers. Day-long watches were conducted in 2005 at trees ofDysoxylum binectariferum(three in 2005 and nine in 2006),Chisocheton cumingianus(nine),Aglaia spectabilis(seven),Polyalthia simiarum(nine),Litsea monopetala(four) andCinnamomum bejolghota(two in 2005 and six in 2006) to determine which frugivores visited trees and ate fruit. Disperser visitation and species diversity per tree to species with medium-sized seeds averaged 85 visits and 10 species d−1, contrasted with five visits by one frugivore species to large-seeded tree species. Seed removal rates per tree averaged 486 seeds d−1from medium-seeded tree species, but 10 seeds d−1from large-seeded species. Hornbills (Bucerotidae) andDucula badia(Columbidae) removed large seeds from capsules ofAglaia spectabilis,Chisocheton cumingianusandDysoxylum binectariferum(Meliaceae). Primates, civets and bats also consumed drupes of large-seededPolyalthia simiarum(Annonaceae).Anthracoceros albirostrishornbills were important dispersers ofLitsea monopetala(Lauraceae), a medium-seeded tree with a large disperser assemblage. Conversely, hornbills were quantitatively inconsequential forCinnamomum bejolghota(Lauraceae), another medium-seeded tree species with several dispersers. Results suggest that the size and activity of disperser assemblages accurately reflects seed size. While hornbills were quantitatively important dispersers of large-seeded tree species, their effectiveness for trees with small- to medium-sized seeds depended on the tree species.
Selecting key areas for conservation at the regional level: the case of the globally ‘Near Threatened’ Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus in south-east Portugal
Authors: LOURENÇO PEDRO M. , CURADO NUNO , LOUREIRO FILIPA , GODINO ALFONSO , SANTOS EDUARDO 
Published: November 2012

SummarySince the resources available for nature conservation tend to be very limited, localised conservation actions are often the only feasible management option. Therefore, we must select key areas where these actions will be most effective. Here we used Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) to integrate various variables in a GIS environment and identify key areas for implementing conservation actions benefiting Cinereous Vultures Aegypius monachusin south-east Portugal. Through a bibliographic search, we selected four main variables and sub-variables related to land use, food availability, disturbance and topography. These were weighted for their relative importance using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and combined using WLC to obtain suitability maps for the best nesting and foraging sites for Cinereous Vultures. Overall, the study areas show moderate to high suitability as foraging areas for the species, but only a few small patches seem suitable as nesting sites. The use of GIS-based decision support systems, such as WLC, together with an objective method for weighting variables, like the AHP, allows for the integration of large amounts of cartographic information into suitability maps that can easily be used to select key areas for conservation at the regional level.
Structural analysis of toad oviductal mucosa in relation to jelly components secretion throughout the reproductive cycle
Authors: Crespo Claudia Alejandra , Ramos Inés , Medina Marcela Fátima , Cisint Susana Beatriz , Iruzubieta Villagra Ana Lucrecia , Fernández Silvia Nélida 
Published: November 2012

SummaryIn amphibians, the components of the jelly coats that surround the oocytes at the time of fertilization and coordinate gamete interaction are secreted by the oviduct. We analysed the histological variations in the mucosa of the oviductal pars convoluta (PC) of Rhinella arenarum during the reproductive cycle and its relationship with secretion. During the preovulatory period, the mucosa reaches a high degree of morphological and functional development, with a large number of epithelial (ESC) and glandular secretory cells (GSC) loaded with contents that are secreted into the oviductal lumen. During the ovulatory period, the secretory cells (SC) of both layers present maximum secretory activity through apocrinia and merocrinia. While the ESC located at the tips of the folds release their content directly in contact with the oocytes, the GSC secrete material from the bottom of the epithelial folds that, by interaction with the secretion of the ESC in the lateral faces, form a product with a certain degree of organization. Secretion is a continuous process with formation of coats of increasing complexity from the intermediate proximal zone (IPZ) to the pars convoluta (pc) itself, and the passage of the oocyte is a requisite for the organization of the jelly coats around the gamete.During the early postovulatory period, although there is a marked decrease in the number and volume of the SC, the ESC still release material into the oviductal lumen. In the late postovulatory period the morphological characteristics of the PC begin to recovery although there is no evidence of secretion.
DNA methylation pattern in mouse oocytes and theirin vitrofertilized early embryos: effect of oocyte vitrification
Authors: Liang Ying , Fu Xiang-Wei , Li Jun-Jie , Yuan Dian-Shuai , Zhu Shi-En 
Published: November 2012

SummaryThis study was conducted to investigate the pattern of DNA methylation in vitrified–thawed mouse oocytes and theirin vitrofertilized early embryos. Firstly, mouse oocytes at metaphase II (MII) stage of meiosis were allocated randomly into three groups: (1) untreated (control); (2) exposed to vitrification solution without being plunged into liquid nitrogen (toxicity); or (3) vitrified by open-pulled straw (OPS) method (vitrification). Oocytes from all three groups were fertilized subsequentlyin vitro. The level of DNA methylation in the MII oocytes and their early embryos was then examined by immunofluorescence using an anti-5-methylcytosine (anti-5-MeC) monoclonal antibody and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated goat anti-mouse IgG. Developmental rates to 2-cell embryos (62.28%) and blastocysts (43.68%) of the vitrified–thawed oocytes were lower (P< 0.01) than those of fresh oocytes (81.47%, 61.99%) and vitrification solution treated (79.20%, 60.04%) oocytes. DNA methylation (as reflected by 5-MeC fluorescence intensity) in the vitrification group was less (P< 0.01) for MII oocyte and 2- to 8-cell stages compared with that in the control and toxicity groups. Accordingly, a reduction in global genomic methylation due to vitrification of MII oocytes may result in compromisedin vitrodevelopmental potential in early mouse embryos.