bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Association of homocysteine with ventricular dilatation and brain atrophy in Parkinson's disease
Authors: Sapkota Shraddha , Gee Myrlene , Sabino Jennifer , Emery Derek , Camicioli Richard 
Published: January 2014

ABSTRACTParkinson's disease (PD) patients are treated with levodopa (l‐dopa) to help stabilize their impaired motor abilities; however, l‐dopa leads to increased homocysteine (Hcy) levels, which may have a deleterious effect on brain structure and function. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of increased Hcy concentration on global brain atrophy as determined by magnetic resonance imaging in PD patients and controls. The effect of high Hcy level on ventricular dilatation (percentage of intracranial volume [%ICV]) and total tissue volume (%ICV) was examined at baseline and longitudinally at 36 months. Age, sex, education, and l‐dopa duration (in PD patients) were included as covariates. Elevated Hcy levels correlated positively with ventricular dilatation (%ICV) in the whole sample (P = 0.004) and in the PD group (P = 0.008). At baseline, adults with a high Hcy level (>14 μmol/L) had higher ventricular volume (%ICV) than adults with a low Hcy level (≤14 μmol/L) in the whole sample (P = 0.006) and in the PD group (P = 0.03), which persisted over 36 months in both the whole sample (P = 0.004) and the PD group (P = 0.03). PD patients with high Hcy concentrations had a greater rate of ventricular enlargement (%ICV) over time compared with those with low Hcy concentration (P = 0.02). Elevated Hcy concentration was associated with increased ventricular dilatation (%ICV) in PD patients. A larger sample with a broader age range and longer follow‐up is needed to establish the consequences of high Hcy level, including interactions with genetic and environmental risk factors, in PD. © 2014 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
An improved approximation algorithm for the capacitated TSP with pickup and delivery on a tree
Authors: Xu Zhou , Lai Xiaofan , Lim Andrew , Wang Fan 
Published: January 2014

AbstractIn this research, we study the capacitated traveling salesman problem with pickup and delivery (CTSPPD) on a tree, which aims to determine the best route for a vehicle with a finite capacity to transport amounts of a product from pickup points to delivery points on a tree network, such that the vehicle's total travel distance is kept to a minimum. It has several applications in logistics and is known to be NP‐hard. We develop a 2‐approximation algorithm that is a significant improvement over the best constant approximation ratio of 5 derived from existing CTSPPD literature. Computational results show that the proposed algorithm also achieves good average performance over randomly generated instances. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, Vol. 63(2), 179–195 2014
Scheduling unit time arc shutdowns to maximize network flow over time: Complexity results
Authors: Boland Natashia , Kapoor Reena , Kaur Simranjit , Kalinowski Thomas 
Published: January 2014

AbstractWe study the problem of scheduling maintenance on arcs of a capacitated network to maximize the total flow from a source node to a sink node over a set of time periods. Maintenance on an arc shuts down the arc for the duration of the period in which its maintenance is scheduled, making its capacity zero for that period. A set of arcs is designated to have maintenance during the planning period, which will require each to be shut down for exactly one time period. In general this problem is known to be NP‐hard. Here we identify a number of characteristics that are relevant for the complexity of instance classes. In particular, we discuss instances with restrictions on the set of arcs that have maintenance to be scheduled; series‐parallel networks; capacities that are balanced, in the sense that the total capacity of arcs entering a (nonterminal) node equals the total capacity of arcs leaving the node; and identical capacities on all arcs. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, Vol. 63(2), 196–202 2014
Revisiting deadlock prevention: A probabilistic approach
Authors: Oliveira Fabiano de S. , Barbosa Valmir C. 
Published: January 2014

AbstractWe revisit the deadlock‐prevention problem by focusing on priority digraphs instead of the traditional wait‐for digraphs. This has allowed us to formulate deadlock prevention in terms of prohibiting the occurrence of directed cycles even in the most general of wait models (the so‐called AND‐OR model, in which prohibiting wait‐for directed cycles is generally overly restrictive). For a particular case in which the priority digraphs are somewhat simplified, we introduce a Las Vegas probabilistic mechanism for resource granting and analyze its key aspects in detail. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, Vol. 63(2), 203–210 2014
In Brief: Genomic imprinting and imprinting diseases
Authors: Horsthemke Bernhard 
Published: January 2014

AbstractGenomic imprinting is an epigenetic process by which the male and the female germline confer different DNA methylation marks and histone modifications onto specific gene regions, so that one allele of an imprinted gene is active and the other one is silent. Since the dosage of imprinted genes is important for normal development, growth and behaviour, the loss or duplication of the active allele can cause disease. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. www.pathsoc.org.uk
Effects of Adenosine Monophosphate Used in Combination with L-Arginine on Female Rabbit Corpus Cavernosum Tissue
Authors: Stücker Olivier , Pons Catherine , Neuzillet Yann , Laemmel Elisabeth , Lebret Thierry 
Published: January 2014

Abstract

Introduction
Sexual dysfunction is significantly more prevalent in women than in men. However, to date, no satisfactory oral treatment is yet available.

Aim
The aim of this study was to study the effects of adenosine monophosphate (AMP) alone or its combination with L-Arginine on the relaxation of the female rabbit corpus cavernosum.

Methods
Cylinder strips from the corporal body of the excised clitoris from female New Zealand White rabbits were incubated in Krebs solution. Phenylephrine (PE) precontraction was achieved, then the drugs AMP and L-Arginine were administered either independently or in sequential combinations to the strips under precontracted conditions.

Main Outcome Measures
Contraction percentages were compared.

Results
When precontraction was induced by PE 8 μM or 20 μM, AMP was shown to induce relaxation up to 25% in a dose-dependent manner. The relaxation induced by L-Arginine reached 15.6% at 5.10−4 M vs. 16.5% at AMP 5.10−4 M under the same experimental conditions. Nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor N-nitro-L-arginine strongly inhibited the relaxing effect provoked by AMP, suggesting that the action mechanism of this nucleotide is related to the NO pathway. The combination of L-Arginine at 5.10−4 M with AMP at different doses ranging from 5.10−4 M to 10−3 M significantly amplified the relaxing response up to 40.7% and 58%, respectively.

Conclusions
Our results demonstrate that AMP induces a relaxing effect on the female rabbit corpora. They also show that L-Arginine and AMP can potentiate each other and that a synergistic effect can be obtained by their combined use. Because only slight differences exist between both sexes in response to NO donors and/or nucleotide purines or in their use together, it is very likely that close biochemical mechanisms, although not to the same degree and not quite similar, are involved in the engorgement of the penis and the clitoris of New Zealand White rabbits.
A safer net propelled device to capture wild turkey
Authors: Lavoie Maxime , Blanchette Pierre , Tremblay Jean‐Pierre , Larivière Serge 
Published: January 2014

ABSTRACTWe compared 2 net‐propelled devices to capture eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris). One device, the rocket‐net, employs explosives for propulsion and is currently the most effective and widespread method used to capture this species. The second device, the net blaster, works with compressed air instead of explosives. During 2009–2012, we captured 344 wild turkeys using rocket‐nets (n = 30 attempts) and net blasters (n = 15 attempts). Both devices had a similar capture success rate; but malfunctioning was twice as common with the rocket‐net as with the net blaster, as was the rate of injuries to captured wild turkeys. However, rocket‐nets did not have a higher rate of capture‐related mortality. The net blaster was more difficult to handle, more expensive, and did not work when temperatures were below −20°C. Overall the net blaster proved to be more efficient capturing wild turkeys and was safer than the rocket‐net. © 2014 The Wildlife Society.
Chitosan-zinc chelate improves intestinal structure and mucosal function and decreases apoptosis in ileal mucosal epithelial cells in weaned pigs
Authors: Han Xin-Yan , Ma Yuan-Fei , Lv Meng-Yuan , Wu Zhi-Peng , Qian Li-Chun 
Published: January 2014

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of chitosan (CS)-Zn on intestinal morphology, mucosal epithelial cell apoptosis and mucosal immune function in weanling pigs. A total of 150 weanling barrows with a body weight of 7·2 kg were randomly allocated into five groups. A basal diet without Zn supplementation was used as the control and other four groups were fed the control diet supplemented with 50 or 100 mg/kg of Zn as CS-Zn, 100 mg/kg of Zn as ZnSO4 and 3000 mg/kg of Zn as ZnO, respectively. The feeding trial lasted for 28 d. The results showed that serum diamine oxidase activities, d-lactate levels and endotoxin contents were lower in pigs fed dietary 100 mg/kg of Zn as CS-Zn or 3000 mg/kg of Zn as ZnO than in pigs fed the control or 100 mg Zn/kg as ZnSO4 diet. The ratios of the villus height:crypt depth of the duodenum, jejunum and ileum were higher in pigs that received 100 mg/kg of Zn as CS-Zn or a high level of Zn as ZnO than in pigs fed the control diet. Moreover, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end labelling (TUNEL)-stained ileal epithelial cells were found in the control group, and apoptotic cells did not appear prominently in pigs that received the 100 mg/kg of CS-Zn or ZnO diet. Secretory IgA concentration in ileal mucus was increased in the dietary group that received 100 mg/kg of CS-Zn or ZnO. These results indicated that dietary 100 mg CS-Zn/kg had similar biological effects to dietary 3000 mg ZnO/kg on intestinal morphology, mucosal epithelial cell apoptosis and mucosal immune function.
The Sexual Policies and Sexual Realities of the German Occupiers in Poland in the Second World War
Authors: RÖGER MAREN 
Published: January 2014

AbstractSexual policies were a core component of the National Socialist racial policies, both in the Altreich (territories considered part of Nazi Germany before 1938), as well as in the occupied territories. In occupied Poland the Germans imposed a ‘prohibition of contact’ (Umgangsverbot) with the local Polish population, a restriction that covered both social as well as sexual encounters. But this model of absolute racial segregation was never truly implemented. This paper attempts to show that there existed a wide range of sexual contacts between the occupiers and the local inhabitants, with the focus here being on consensual and forced contacts (sexual violence) as seen against the backdrop of National Socialist policies. This article positions itself at the intersection of the history of everyday life (Alltagsgeschichte), the history of sexuality and the gender history of the German occupation of Poland – perspectives that have rarely been used with regard to this region.
Fascism and Political Religion in Italy: A Reassessment
Authors: ADAMSON WALTER L. 
Published: January 2014

AbstractThis article challenges the currently dominant understanding of Italian Fascism as a ‘political religion’, arguing that this view depends upon an outdated model of secularisation and treats Fascism's sacralisation of politics in isolation from church–state relations, the Catholic Church itself and popular religious experience in Italy. Based upon an historiographical review and analysis of what we now know about secularisation and these other religious phenomena, the article suggests that only when we grasp Italian Fascist political religion in relation to secularisation properly understood, and treat it in the context of religious experience and its history as a whole can the nature of Italian Fascism be adequately grasped.
Autonomy and Ideology: Brezhnev, Ceauşescu and the World Communist Movement
Authors: STANCIU CEZAR 
Published: January 2014

AbstractOne of Leonid Brezhnev's primary goals when he acceded to party leadership in the Soviet Union was to restore Moscow's control over the world communist movement, severely undermined by the Sino-Soviet dispute. Nicolae Ceauşescu of Romania was determined to prevent this, in order to consolidate his country's autonomy in the Communist bloc. The Sino-Soviet dispute offered the political and ideological framework for autonomy, as the Romanian Communists claimed their neutrality in the dispute. This article describes Ceauşescu's efforts to sabotage Brezhnev's attempts to have China condemned by an international meeting of Communist parties between 1967 and 1969. His basic ideological argument was that unity of world communism should have a polycentric meaning.
State Ceremony and Music in Meiji-era Japan
Authors: Tsukahara Yasuko 
Published: January 2014

The music culture of Japan following the Meiji Restoration of 1868 is characterized by the coexistence and interdependent development of three types of music: (1) traditional music passed down from the Edo period (1603–1867) as exemplified by gagaku (court music); (2) the Western music that entered the country and became established after it was opened to the outside world; and (3) modern songs that were the first to be created in East Asia, such as shōka and gunka (school and military songs). These three types of music each played the role required of them by the Meiji state, and they became indispensable elements of the music culture of modern Japan. Traditional music is an irreplaceable fund of original musical expression intrinsic to Japan, Western music offers a common language facilitating musical contact in international society, especially with countries of the West, and modern songs are an essential tool for unifying the Japanese people through the act of ‘singing together in Japanese’.This article examines the way in which the coexistence of these three types of music began, from the perspective of the musical expression of national identity in the state ceremonies of the Meiji era, namely imperial rites, military ceremonies and school ceremonies. Gagaku was reorganized and strengthened in the 1870s as the music of Japan's imperial rites, and it was given priority both within Japan and overseas, as the most intrinsic of Japan's genres of traditional music. The gagaku scales, defined clearly only from 1878 onwards, were used to amalgamate the musical language of Japan's state ceremonies by their use in ceremonial pieces for military and school ceremonies. This article clarifies the special role played by gagaku in post-Restoration nineteenth-century Japan.
A Lost Opportunity for Tradition: The Violin in Early Twentieth-Century Japanese Traditional Music
Authors: Kajino Ena 
Published: January 2014

Less than a century after the introduction of the violin to Japan, in the late nineteenth century, Japan offers the highest level of training on the instrument and has produced many internationally successful violinists. Although one can hardly imagine it from the current role of the violin in modern Japan, in the early twentieth century the instrument played a significant role, not in the development there of Western classical music, but in the survival of the indigenous Japanese music that we call today ‘traditional Japanese music’.With the flood of Western culture into Japan after the Meiji Restoration, of 1868, the Japanese government reconsidered whether their native music was worthy of Japan as a civilized country. In fact, except for court music, native Japanese music was held in low esteem by society and the government alike. The music of theshamisenwas particularly problematic, due to the vulgar texts ofshamisensongs and the low class status ofshamisenconsumers.Shakuhachihad until recently been restricted to Fuke monks, and was still establishing a new role in the musical culture. Thus, the whole world of ‘traditional Japanese music’ was entering a new age.It was during this period that many Japanese became acquainted with the violin, by playing it in ensemble withkoto, shamisenandshakuhachi.Young Japanese professional musicians began to learn the violin. The principles of Western music they learned in this way gradually made their way into Japanese music. At one time, the ‘traditional Japanese music’ ensemble of violin with Japanese instruments seemed to have become firmly rooted in Japan as ‘home music’; but this has not turned out to be the case. As Japanese violinists have become increasingly dedicated to Western classical music, traditional Japanese music has once again become the exclusive use of native instruments.
Characterisation of the Galactic thick disk
Authors: Bensby Thomas 
Published: January 2014

AbstractThick disks appear to be common in external large spiral galaxies and our own Milky Way also hosts one. The existence of a thick disk is possibly directly linked to the formation history of the host galaxy and if its properties is known it can constrain models of galaxy formation and help us to better understand galaxy formation and evolution. This brief review attempts to highlight some of the characteristics of the Galactic thick disk and how it relates to other stellar populations such as the thin disk and the Galactic bulge. Focus has been put on results from high-resolution spectroscopic data obtained during the last 10 to 15 years.
Moving Groups in the Galactic Disc
Authors: Ramya P. , Reddy B. E. 
Published: January 2014

AbstractWe present results of chemical abundance study of a few representative stellar streams of Galactic thick and thin discs. Arcturus stream, which was proposed to have an extragalactic origin, and a recently detected stream called AF06 were studied. Results show a range of metallicity, age and abundance pattern that are consistent with those of Galactic thick disc component. We found similar results for AF06. The abundance and age results unambiguously rule out the possibility that the member stars are vestiges of open clusters. Abundance results of a sample of stars of Sirius and Hercules streams combined with the kinematics show that both the streams belong to the thin disc component. Also, results rule out these are remnants of open clusters. It is likely these streams formed insitu due to perturbations caused by non-axisymmetric components such as bar or spirals.
A comprehensive tool for the statistical comparison of Large Surveys to Models of the Galaxy
Authors: Ritter Andreas 
Published: January 2014

AbstractThe advent of large spectroscopic surveys of the Galaxy offers the possibility to compare Galactic models to actual measurements for the first time. I have developed a tool for the comprehensive comparison of any large data set to the predictions made by models of the Galaxy using sophisticated statistical methods, and to visualise the results for any given direction. This enables us to point out systematic differences between the model and the measurements, as well as to identify new (sub-)structures in the Galaxy. These results can then be used to improve the models, which in turn will allow us to find even more substructures like stellar streams, moving groups, or clusters. In this paper I show the potential of this tool by applying it to the RAdial Velocity Experiment (RAVE, Steinmetz 2003) and the Besançon model of the Galaxy Robin et al. 2003.
Dynamical Structures in the Galactic Disk
Authors: Quillen Alice C. 
Published: January 2014

AbstractResonances with spiral density waves or the Galactic bar can cause structure in local velocity distributions (also known as phase space). Because resonances are narrow, it is possible to place tight constraints on a pattern speed or the shape of the underlying gravitational potential.Interference between multiple spiral patterns can cause localized bursts of star formation and discontinuities or kinks in the spiral arm morphology. Numerical simulations suggest that boundaries between different dominant patterns in the disk can manifest in local velocity distributions as gaps that are associated with specific orbital periods or angular momentum values. Recent studies have detected age gradients that may be associated with the appearance of spiral features such as armlets and spurs.When patterns grow or vary in speed, resonances can be swept through the disk causing changes in the velocity distributions. Evidence of resonance capture or resonance crossing can be used to place constraints on the past history of patterns in the disk. The X-shaped Galactic bulge may have been caused by stars captured into vertical resonance with the Bar.Disturbances in the Galactic disk, such as from a past merger, can cause an uneven distribution of disk stars in action angles. Subsequently the stellar distribution becomes more tightly wound in phase space. Phase wrapping can cause a series of shell like features in either real space or in a local velocity distribution. The spacing between features is dependent on the time since the disturbance.
Constraining dynamical models with observational data
Authors: Bovy Jo 
Published: January 2014

AbstractThe spatial distribution and kinematics of stars in the Milky Way are linked through the gravitational potential. Observations of the positions and velocities of stars can therefore be used to measure the mass distribution of the Milky Way. I review steady-state dynamical modeling approaches and illustrate their use in constraining the local matter distribution and the circular velocity curve from the kinematics of stellar tracers. In a few years, Gaia will increase the number of precise positions and velocities by multiple orders of magnitude. I describe some of the dynamical analyses that will be possible with the Gaia data and discuss some promising avenues for the optimal analysis of dynamical data.
Dynamical Modeling of the Milky Way Bugle
Authors: Shen Juntai 
Published: January 2014

AbstractBulges are commonly believed to form in the dynamical violence of galaxy collisions and mergers. We model the stellar kinematics of the Bulge Radial Velocity Assay (BRAVA) and find no sign that the Milky Way contains a classical bulge formed by scrambling pre-existing disks of stars in major mergers. Rather, the bulge appears to be a bar seen somewhat end-on, as hinted from its asymmetric boxy shape. We construct a simple but realistic N-body model of the Galaxy that self-consistently develops a bar. The bar immediately buckles and thickens in the vertical direction. As seen from the Sun, the result resembles the boxy bulge of our Galaxy. We use the new kinematic constraints to show that the classical bulge contribution cannot be very significant. The model fits the BRAVA stellar kinematic data covering the whole bulge strikingly well with no need for a merger-made classical bulge. Our model contains an intriguing vertical X-shaped structure that resembles the similar structure reported recently in the Galactic bulge. The existence of the vertical X-shaped structure also suggests that the formation of the Milky Way bulge is shaped mainly by internal disk dynamical instabilities.