bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Incorporation of Essential Oils and Nanoparticles in Pullulan Films to Control Foodborne Pathogens on Meat and Poultry Products
Authors: Morsy Mohamed K. , Khalaf Hassan H. , Sharoba Ashraf M. , El‐Tanahi Hassan H. , Cutter Catherine N. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractThe incorporation of essential oils and nanotechnology into edible films has the potential to improve the microbiological safety of foods. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of pullulan films containing essential oils and nanoparticles against 4 foodborne pathogens. Initial experiments using plate overlay assays demonstrated that 2% oregano essential oil was active against Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella Typhimurium, whereas Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O157:H7 were not inhibited. Two percent rosemary essential oil was active against S. aureus, L. monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7, and S. Typhimurium, when compared with 1%. Zinc oxide nanoparticles at 110 nm were active against S. aureus, L. monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7, and S. Typhimurium, when compared with 100 or 130 nm. Conversely, 100 nm silver (Ag) nanoparticles were more active against S. aureus than L. monocytogenes. Using the results from these experiments, the compounds exhibiting the greatest activity were incorporated into pullulan films and found to inhibit all or some of the 4 pathogens in plate overlay assays. In challenge studies, pullulan films containing the compounds effectively inhibited the pathogens associated with vacuum packaged meat and poultry products stored at 4 °C for up to 3 wk, as compared to control films. Additionally, the structure and cross‐section of the films were evaluated using electron microscopy. The results from this study demonstrate that edible films made from pullulan and incorporated with essential oils or nanoparticles may improve the safety of refrigerated, fresh or further processed meat and poultry products.
Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activities in Extracts of Fully Grown Cladodes of 8 Cultivars of Cactus Pear
Authors: Sánchez E. , Dávila‐Aviña J. , Castillo S. L. , Heredia N. , Vázquez‐Alvarado R. , García S. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractThe antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of some cultivars of the nopal cactus have not been determined. In this study, 8 cultivars of nopal cacti from Mexico were assayed for phenolic content, antioxidant activities, and antimicrobial activities against Campylobacter Jejuni, Vibrio cholera, and Clostridium Perfringens. Plant material was washed, dried, and macerated in methanol. Minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) were determined using the broth microdilution method. Antioxidant activities were quantitatively determined using spectrophotometric methods. The MCBs of the nopal cacti ranged from 1.1 to 12.5 mg/mL for c. jejuni, 4.4 to 30 mg/mL for V. cholera, and 0.8 to 16 mg/mL for C. perfringens in the cultivars Cardon Blanco, Real de Catorce, and Jalpa, respectively. High quantities of total phenols and total flavonoids were found in the Jalpa cacti (3.80 mg of gallic acid equivalent GAE/g dry weight [DW] and 36.64 mg of quercetin equivalents [QE]/g DW, respectively). 2,2‐Diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activities (RSA) were correlated to bioactive compound contents. The Villanueva cacti had the highest %RSA at 42.31%, and the lowest activity was recorded in Copena V1 at 19.98%. In conclusion, we found that some of the 8 cactus pear cultivars studied may be used for their antioxidant compounds or antimicrobials to control or prevent the contamination of foods.
The Effect of pH and Chloride Concentration on the Stability and Antimicrobial Activity of Chlorine‐Based Sanitizers
Authors: Waters Brian W. , Hung Yen‐Con 
Published: March 2014

AbstractChlorinated water and electrolyzed oxidizing (EO) water solutions were made to compare the free chlorine stability and microbicidal efficacy of chlorine‐containing solutions with different properties. Reduction of Escherichia coli O157:H7 was greatest in fresh samples (approximately 9.0 log CFU/mL reduction). Chlorine loss in “aged” samples (samples left in open bottles) was greatest (approximately 40 mg/L free chlorine loss in 24 h) in low pH (approximately 2.5) and high chloride (Cl−) concentrations (greater than 150 mg/L). Reduction of E. coli O157:H7 was also negatively impacted (<1.0 log CFU/mL reduction) in aged samples with a low pH and high Cl−. Higher pH values (approximately 6.0) did not appear to have a significant effect on free chlorine loss or numbers of surviving microbial cells when fresh and aged samples were compared. This study found chloride levels in the chlorinated and EO water solutions had a reduced effect on both free chlorine stability and its microbicidal efficacy in the low pH solutions. Greater concentrations of chloride in pH 2.5 samples resulted in decreased free chlorine stability and lower microbicidal efficacy.
When can noninvasive samples provide sufficient information in conservation genetics studies?
Authors: Smith O. , Wang J. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractNoninvasive sampling, of faeces and hair for example, has enabled many genetic studies of wildlife populations. However, two prevailing problems common to these studies are small sample sizes and high genotyping errors. The first problem stems from the difficulty in collecting noninvasive samples, particularly from populations of rare or elusive species, and the second is caused by the low quantity and quality ofDNAextracted from a noninvasive sample. A common question is therefore whether noninvasive sampling provides sufficient information for the analyses commonly conducted in conservation genetics studies. Here, we conducted a simulation study to investigate the effect of small sample sizes and genotyping errors on the precision and accuracy of the most commonly estimated genetic parameters. Our results indicate that small sample sizes cause little bias in measures of expected heterozygosity, pairwiseFSTand population structure, but a large downward bias in estimates of allelic diversity. Allelic dropouts and false alleles had a much smaller effect than missing data, which effectively reduces sample size further. Overall, reasonable estimates of genetic variation and population subdivision are obtainable from noninvasive samples as long as error rates are kept below a frequency of 0.2. Similarly, unbiased estimates of population clustering can be made with genotyping error rates below 0.5 when the populations are highly differentiated. These results provide a useful guide for researchers faced with studying the conservation genetics of small, endangered populations from noninvasive samples.
Effect of Switch to the Highest Dose of Rosuvastatin Versus Add‐on‐Statin Fenofibrate Versus Add‐on‐Statin Nicotinic Acid/Laropiprant on Oxidative Stress Markers in Patients with Mixed Dyslipidemia
Authors: Kei Anastazia , Tellis Constantinos , Liberopoulos Evangelos , Tselepis Alexandros , Elisaf Moses 
Published: March 2014

SummaryIntroductionOxidative stress plays an important role in atherosclerosis. Both F2‐isoprostane (8‐iso‐PGF2a) and oxidized low‐density lipoprotein (ox‐LDL) have emerged as biomarkers of oxidative stress and have been proposed as useful biomarkers that could potentially be used as indicators of cardiovascular disease.MethodsThis is a prespecified analysis of a prospective, randomized, open‐label, blinded endpoint (PROBE) study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01010516). Patients (N = 100) with mixed dyslipidemia on a standard statin dose (10–40 mg simvastatin or 10–20 mg atorvastatin or 5–10 mg rosuvastatin) who had not achieved lipid targets were randomized to switch to the highest dose of rosuvastatin (40 mg/day) or to add‐on‐statin extended release nicotinic acid (ER‐NA)/laropiprant (LRPT) (1000/20 mg/day for the first 4 weeks followed by 2000/40 mg/day for the next 8 weeks) or to add‐on‐statin micronized fenofibrate (200 mg/day) for a total of 3 months. Levels of plasma and urine F2‐isoprostane and plasma ox‐LDL were assessed at baseline and 3 months later.ResultsPlasma F2‐isoprostane levels decreased similarly in all groups. On the other hand, both ox‐LDL and urine F2‐isoprostane levels decreased similarly in the add‐on ER‐NA/LRPT and rosuvastatin monotherapy group, while a less pronounced decrease was observed in the add‐on fenofibrate group.ConclusionsAll treatment interventions reduced the concentration of the assessed oxidative stress markers, but the reduction was more pronounced in the add‐on ER‐NA/LRPT and rosuvastatin monotherapy groups, compared with add‐on fenofibrate. Specifically designed studies should address the abovementioned risk factors modulation in terms of cardiovascular risk.
Low insulin‐like growth factor‐1 level predicts survival in humans with exceptional longevity
Authors: Milman Sofiya , Atzmon Gil , Huffman Derek M. , Wan Junxiang , Crandall Jill P. , Cohen Pinchas , Barzilai Nir 
Published: March 2014

SummaryAttenuated growth hormone and insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (GH/IGF‐1) signaling is associated with extended lifespan in several animal models. However, the effect of diminished GH/IGF‐1 activity on survival in humans has not been confirmed. We tested the hypothesis that IGF‐1 levels in nonagenarians (n = 184), measured at study enrollment, predict the duration of their incremental survival. In the Kaplan–Meier analysis, females with IGF‐1 levels below the median (≤ 96 ng mL−1) had significantly longer survival compared with females with levels above the median, P < 0.01. However, this survival advantage was not observed in males (P = 0.83). On the other hand, in both males and females with a history of cancer, lower IGF‐1 levels predicted longer survival (P < 0.01). IGF‐1 level remained a significant predictor of survival duration in linear regression models after multivariable adjustment in females (P = 0.01) and individuals with a history of cancer (P < 0.01). We show for the first time that low IGF‐1 levels predict life expectancy in exceptionally long‐lived individuals.
Target Capital Structure and Adjustment Speed in Asia
Authors: Getzmann André , Lang Sebastian , Spremann Klaus 
Published: March 2014

AbstractStudies on the capital structure of Asian corporations are rare, and most of those studies support different explanations of financing decisions compared to the ones accepted for theUSAand Europe. We test relationships that are typical of the Tradeoff Theory and the Pecking Order Theory, and analyze the speed of adjustment toward target capital structures for 1239 companies with capitalizations of more thanUS$1 billion listed on 11 Asian stock exchanges and belonging to eight industrial sectors. Our results are based on generalized method of moments (GMM) estimations for the determinants of capital structures and system‐GMMestimations for the speed of adjustment, and robustness is checked using book leverage and market leverage on the basis of ordinary least squares estimations and two‐stage least squares estimations. We contribute to the literature by finding strong evidence that companies in Asia pursue target capital structures, as predicted by the Tradeoff Theory. Only in one respect does the Pecking Order Theory demonstrate superior explanatory power. We further show that the convergence to target capital structures is consistent with international evidence, estimated at an annual adjustment speed of 24–45% of original leverage levels. Finally, our comparison among eight industries shows that the capital structure choice in Asia is influenced by fixed effects.
Informational Frictions, Syndicate Structure, and Loan Pricing: New Evidence from International Lending
Authors: Bae Sung C. , Chong Byung‐Uk , Kim Yura 
Published: March 2014

AbstractWe examine how syndicate structure affects loan pricing in international syndicated lending. Using extensive syndicated loan data across 103 countries from 1982 to 2012, we find that both measures of syndicate structure, the proportional number of lead arrangers, and the proportion of loan amount retained by lead arrangers in syndication, are significantly negatively related to loan risk premiums after controlling for contract and country characteristics. These findings indicate that, under informational frictions, as the riskiness of a borrower increases, the syndicate structure becomes more diversified in a way that lead arrangers and participating banks share the loan amount and the associated credit risk in syndication. Hence, syndicate participants collaboratively determine higher loan spreads to align higher compensation for active commitments and greater risk sharing of participating banks in syndication. Our results offer new evidence strongly supporting the diversified nature of syndicate structure but contradicting the concentrated nature of syndicate structure prevailing in existing studies.
Proton pump inhibitor use may not prevent high‐grade dysplasia and oesophageal adenocarcinoma in Barrett's oesophagus: a nationwide study of 9883 patients
Authors: Hvid‐Jensen F. , Pedersen L. , Funch‐Jensen P. , Drewes A. M. 
Published: March 2014

SummaryBackgroundProton pump inhibitors (PPI) may potentially modify and decrease the risk for development of oesophageal adenocarcinoma in Barrett's oesophagus (BO).AimTo investigate if the intensity and adherence of PPI use among all patients with BO in Denmark affected the risk of oesophageal adenocarcinoma.MethodsWe performed a nationwide case–control study in Denmark among 9883 patients with a new diagnosis of BO. All incident oesophageal adenocarcinomas and high‐grade dysplasias were identified, and risk ratios were estimated on the basis of prior use of PPIs. Sex‐ and age‐matched BO patients without dysplasia or malignancies in a 10:1 ratio were used for comparison. Conditional logistic regression was used for analysis, adjusting for low‐grade dysplasia, gender and medication.ResultsWe identified 140 cases with incident oesophageal adenocarcinomas and/or high‐grade dysplasia, with a median follow‐up time of 10.2 years. The relative risk of oesophageal adenocarcinoma or high‐grade dysplasia was 2.2 (0.7–6.7) and 3.4 (95% CI: 1.1–10.5) in long‐term low‐ and high‐adherence PPI users respectively.ConclusionsNo cancer‐protective effects from PPI's were seen. In fact, high‐adherence and long‐term use of PPI were associated with a significantly increased risk of adenocarcinoma or high‐grade dysplasia. This could partly be due to confounding by indication or a true negative effect from PPIs. Until the results from future studies hopefully can elucidate the association further, continuous PPI therapy should be directed at symptom control and additional modalities considered as aid or replacement.
Parametric modulation of neural activity during face emotion processing in unaffected youth at familial risk for bipolar disorder
Authors: Brotman Melissa A , Deveney Christen M , Thomas Laura A , Hinton Kendra E , Yi Jennifer Y , Pine Daniel S , Leibenluft Ellen 
Published: March 2014

ObjectivesBoth patients with pediatric bipolar disorder (BD) and unaffected youth at familial risk (AR) for the illness show impairments in face emotion labeling. Few studies, however, have examined brain regions engaged in AR youth when processing emotional faces. Moreover, studies have yet to explore neural responsiveness to subtle changes in face emotion in AR youth.MethodsSixty‐four unrelated youth, including 20 patients with BD, 15 unaffected AR youth, and 29 healthy comparisons (HC), completed functional magnetic resonance imaging. Neutral faces were morphed with angry or happy faces in 25% intervals. In specific phases of the task, youth alternatively made explicit (hostility) or implicit (nose width) ratings of the faces. The slope of blood oxygenated level‐dependent activity was calculated across neutral to angry and neutral to happy face stimuli.ResultsBehaviorally, both subjects with BD (p ≤ 0.001) and AR youth (p ≤ 0.05) rated faces as less hostile relative to HC. Consistent with this, in response to increasing anger on the face, patients with BD and AR youth showed decreased modulation in the amygdala and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG; BA 46) compared to HC (all p ≤ 0.05). Amygdala dysfunction was present across both implicit and explicit rating conditions, but IFG modulation deficits were specific to the explicit condition. With increasing happiness, AR youth showed aberrant modulation in the IFG, which was also sensitive to task demands (all p ≤ 0.05).ConclusionsDecreased amygdala and IFG modulation in patients with BD and AR youth may be pathophysiological risk markers for BD, and may underlie the social cognition and face emotion labeling deficits observed in BD and AR youth.
Exploring the process of writing about and sharing traumatic birth experiences online
Authors: Blainey Sarah H. , Slade Pauline 
Published: March 2014

ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the experience of writing about a traumatic birth experience and sharing it online.MethodTwelve women who had submitted their stories about traumatic birth experiences to the Birth Trauma Association for online publication were interviewed about their experiences. Women were interviewed shortly after writing but before posting and again 1 month after the story was posted online. All participants completed both interviews. These were transcribed and analysed using template analysis.ResultsWomen described varied reasons for writing and sharing their stories, including wanting to help themselves and others. The process of writing was described as emotional, however was generally seen as a positive thing. Aspects of writing that were identified as helpful included organizing their experiences into a narrative, and distancing themselves from the experience.ConclusionWriting and posting online about a traumatic birth is experienced positively by women. It may be a useful self‐help intervention and is worthy of systematic evaluation. The mechanisms through which writing is reported to have impacted as described in the interviews link to the mechanisms of change in cognitive‐behavioural approaches to post‐traumatic symptoms.
Statement of contribution

What is already known on this subject?

Some women develop post‐traumatic stress disorder‐like symptoms following birth. These can impact on both themselves and their family, yet these women may not seek professional help. Writing about a traumatic event may be a useful approach for reducing post‐traumatic stress symptoms, but the impact of online sharing is unknown.

What does this study add?

This study demonstrates that women report benefits from writing about their birth experiences.

Writing enabled organizing the experience into a narrative and distancing from the trauma, which was helpful.

Sharing the story online was an emotional experience for participants, however was generally seen positively.
Constructing sexual identities: people with intellectual disability talking about sexuality
Authors: Azzopardi‐Lane Claire , Callus Anne‐Marie 
Published: March 2014

Accessible summary

People with intellectual disability need to be able to talk about the things that are important to them in their lives.

This includes talking about their sexuality and the type of relationships they would like to have.

A self‐advocacy group did research about this subject with our support.

Together we found that sexuality is an important topic for many people with intellectual disability.

There are those who would like to have more opportunities to have sexual relationships.

SummaryThis paper presented research undertaken in collaboration with a self‐advocacy group using inclusive research methods and puts forward the views of people with intellectual disability on the topics of sexuality and relationships. The paper presents the perceptions of sexuality of the people with intellectual disability and how these are influenced by social and cultural norms. Using Judith Bulter's concept of performativity, the analysis of the findings shows how some people with intellectual disability accept the sexual norms that are ascribed to them, while others resist them. The paper also shows how the inclusive research process itself enabled the people with intellectual disability who took part to articulate their acceptance or resistance of these norms.
Biodiversity Funds and Conservation Needs in the EU Under Climate Change
Authors: Lung Tobias , Meller Laura , van Teeffelen Astrid J.A. , Thuiller Wilfried , Cabeza Mar 
Published: March 2014

AbstractDespite ambitious biodiversity policy goals, less than a fifth of the European Union's (EU) legally protected species and habitats show a favorable conservation status. The recent EU biodiversity strategy recognizes that climate change adds to the challenge of halting biodiversity loss, and that an optimal distribution of financial resources is needed. Here, we analyze recent EU biodiversity funding from a climate change perspective. We compare the allocation of funds to the distribution of both current conservation priorities (within and beyond Natura 2000) and future conservation needs at the level of NUTS‐2 regions, using modeled bird distributions as indicators of conservation value. We find that funding is reasonably well aligned with current conservation efforts but poorly fit with future needs under climate change, indicating obstacles for implementing adaptation measures. We suggest revising EU biodiversity funding instruments for the 2014–2020 budget period to better account for potential climate change impacts on biodiversity.
The Value of Larval Connectivity Information in the Static Optimization of Marine Reserve Design
Authors: White J. Wilson , Schroeger Julianna , Drake Patrick T. , Edwards Christopher A. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractMarine reserve design often involves a tradeoff between meeting conservation goals (persistence of fished populations) and minimizing economic costs (lost fishing grounds). Optimization tools such as Marxan navigate that tradeoff by finding reserve configurations that minimize economic costs while protecting some minimum fraction of fish habitat. However, typical Marxan implementations do not account for patterns of larval connectivity among reserves, a factor known to be the key to population dynamics. We show how connectivity information (self‐recruitment and network centrality) can be incorporated into the optimization. We then used a spatially explicit population model to compare the performance of reserves designed using habitat information alone or including connectivity. Incorporating connectivity information improved reserve performance for some species but not others. We conclude that including connectivity information can improve reserve design algorithms, but it is essential to evaluate species’ population dynamics to determine which species will benefit from a given reserve network.
Osteogenic differentiation of adipose‐derived stem cells promoted by quercetin
Authors: Zhou C. , Lin Y. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractObjectivesThe present study aimed to investigate overall effect of quercetin on proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of mouse adipose stem cells (mASCs) in vitro.Materials and methodsMouse adipose stem cells were isolated from subcutaneous fat pads and induced into the osteogenic lineage. Effects of quercetin on cell proliferation were assessed using MTT assay. Then they were treated by quercetin for 3, 7 and 11 days in a range of concentrations. Finally, effects of quercetin on osteogenic differentiation of mASCs were analysed by real‐time PCR.ResultsData of MTT assay showed that quercetin did not enhance mASC proliferation in a dose‐dependent or time‐dependent manner. Results of qPCR indicated that quercetin promoted expressions of Osx, Runx2, BMP‐2, Col‐1, OPN and OCN at the mRNA level in the presence of osteo‐induction medium.ConclusionsOur data demonstrated that quercetin was not active in terms of enhancing mASCs proliferation; however, it increased osteogenesis of mASCs by up‐regulation of genes including Osx, Runx2, BMP‐2, Col‐1, OPN and OCN.