bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Changes in the acquisition and consumption of food plants and their relationship with indigenous perceptions of health in a Guarani village, São Paulo, Brazil
Authors: Scalco Nayara , Rodrigues Eliana 
Published: October 2012

AbstractObjectiveThe present study investigated Guarani village interviewees’ diet changes over time, their perceptions about the changes and the effects of these changes on their health.DesignThe study employed qualitative methods with a sample of Guarani Indians selected by snowball sampling. Ethnographic methods and techniques included field diaries, informal and unstructured interviews and participant observation.SettingThe Tenondé Porã Guarani village is located in the district of Parelheiros, São Paulo, Brazil. Interviews were conducted from July 2008 to December 2009.SubjectsFifteen Guarani Indians, males and females in age categories ranging from youths to elders, took part in the study.ResultsThe interviewees reported changes in how food was obtained, the occurrence of food substitutions and food species abandonment, recipe changes and the introduction of new foods. Some ritual use of plants was maintained. Disease frequency was found to increase because of this change and a lack of obedience to Nhanderu (the Guarani God). A lack of space for daily traditional activities (e.g. farming, hunting) was found to result in sedentary lifestyles.ConclusionsThe village location was a key factor in the Guarani diet change, although some rituals related to available plants were preserved.
Detection of Biofilm-Grown Aspergillus fumigatus by Means of Atomic Force Spectroscopy: Ultrastructural Effects of Alginate Lyase
Authors: Papi M. , Maiorana A. , Bugli F. , Torelli R. , Posteraro B. , Maulucci G. , De Spirito M. , Sanguinetti M. 
Published: October 2012

AbstractAspergillus fumigatus has become a leading cause of fungal morbidity and mortality, especially in immunocompromised patients. This fungus is able to grow as a multicellular community and produce a hydrophobic extracellular matrix (ECM), mainly composed of galactomannan and α-1,3 glucans, to protect itself from host defenses and antimicrobial drugs. This matrix envelops the fungus hyphae, binding them into a contiguous sheath on the colony surface, forming a biofilm and increasing the fungal resistance to adverse environmental factors. Adherence to host cells and resistance to physical removal play a key role in fungal colonization and invasion of the host and in a wide range of infections. Here we show that, by using atomic force spectroscopy, it is possible to exploit the peculiar hydrophobicity of the biofilm components (i.e., cell walls, ECM) to detect the biofilm spread, its growth, and lysis on rough surfaces. By means of this approach, we demonstrate that alginate lyase, an enzyme known to reduce negatively charged alginate levels in microbial biofilms, reduces the biofilm adhesion forces suggesting a loss of ECM from the biofilm, which could be used to enhance pharmacological treatments.
Fast Amplitude Modulation Detector for Scanning Force Microscopy with High Q Factor
Authors: Shi Yizhi , Lu Qingyou 
Published: October 2012

AbstractAmplitude modulation (AM) scanning force microscopy (SFM) is superior to frequency modulation SFM in simplicity, sensitivity, and stability, but is still replaced by the latter because it is too slow when the Q factor is high (bandwidth < 0.5 Hz for Q > 50,000 and resonant frequency ω0 < 50 kHz). We report a close-loop AM detector that has an 18 Hz bandwidth, better than 1 mHz frequency resolution and excellent response to step frequency changes even for Q ∼ 60,000 and ω0 ∼ 32 kHz. Its superiority is well shown by the comparison of magnetic force microscope images taken under the new and old AM detection modes with the tip and scan area (videotape sample) being unchanged. Also important is that shifting the driving frequency from near the resonance peak to further away from the peak does not decrease the frequency resolution as much as we expect (but can increase the response speed).
Gas seepage and seismogenic structures along the North Anatolian Fault in the eastern Sea of Marmara
Authors: Gasperini L. , Polonia A. , Del Bianco F. , Etiope G. , Marinaro G. , Favali P. , Italiano F. , Çağatay M. N. 
Published: October 2012

We carried out a combined geophysical and gas‐geochemical survey on an active fault strand along the North Anatolian Fault (NAF) system in the Gulf of İzmit (eastern Sea of Marmara), providing for the first time in this area data on the distribution of methane (CH4) and other gases dissolved in the bottom seawater, as well as the CH4isotopic composition. Based on high‐resolution morphobathymetric data and chirp‐sonar seismic reflection profiles we selected three areas with different tectonic features associated to the NAF system, where we performed visual and instrumental seafloor inspections, including in situ measurements of dissolved CH4, and sampling of the bottom water. Starting from background values of 2–10 nM, methane concentration in the bottom seawater increases abruptly up to 20 nM over the main NAF trace. CH4 concentration peaks up to ∼120 nM were detected above mounds related probably to gas and fluids expulsion. Methane is microbial (δ13CCH4: −67.3 and −76‰ versus VPDB), and was found mainly associated with pre‐Holocene deposits topped by a 10–20 m thick draping of marine mud. The correlation between tectonic structures and gas‐seepages at the seafloor suggests that the NAF in the Gulf of İzmit could represent a key site for long‐term combined monitoring of fluid exhalations and seismicity to assess their potential as earthquake precursors.
The decadal modulation of coupled bred vectors
Authors: Ham Yoo‐Geun , Rienecker Michele M. , Schubert Siegfried , Marshak Jelena , Yeh Sang‐Wook , Yang Shu‐Chih 
Published: October 2012

This study investigates the nature of a decadal modulation in the coupled bred vectors (BVs) developed to capture the dominant instabilities related to seasonal‐to‐interannual variability in the Equatorial Pacific using the GEOS‐5 atmosphere‐ocean general circulation model. It is found that the coupled BVs, with a monthly rescaling period, successfully reflect the observed decadal modulation of zonal location in the El Niño action center over the equatorial Pacific. By dividing the 30 years of BVs into two epochs, it is shown that the leading Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) of BV oceanic temperature shifts from the eastern Pacific during 1981–1999 to the central Pacific during 2000–2010, consistent with decadal changes in the location of the El Niño action center. By performing a budget analysis for BV temperature, it is found that the westward shift of the BV temperature is due to the strengthening of the mean zonal temperature gradient, which acts to amplify the BV temperature growth due to the zonal advection of background temperature by the BV current.
Monitoring the effects of adult psychotherapy in routine practice in Switzerland: A feasibility trial
Authors: Kramer Ueli , Berthoud Laurent , Koch Nathalie , Michaud Laurent , Guex Patrice , Despland Jean-Nicolas 
Published: October 2012

AbstractBackground: Several studies have been published on the effects of psychotherapy in routine practice. Complementing traditional views summarised as ‘dose‐effect models’, Stiles et al. put forward data consistent with the responsive regulation model underlining the importance of the client's active participant role in defining length of treatment. One may ask what level of change reached by a patient is considered to be the ‘good enough level’ (GEL) and if it is related to the duration of psychotherapy. Aims: The main objective of the present feasibility trial was to monitor the patient's session‐by‐session evolution using a self‐report questionnaire in order to define the GEL, i.e. the number of sessions necessary for the patient to reach significant change. Method: A total of N=13 patients undergoing psychotherapy in routine practice participated in the study, completing the Outcome Questionnaire – 45.2 (OQ‐45), which assesses the symptom level, interpersonal relationships and social role after every psychotherapy session. The data was analysed using multi‐level analyses (HLMs). Results: High feasibility of fine‐grained assessment of effects of psychotherapy in routine practice in Switzerland was shown; response rates being acceptable; however, detailed analysis of the GEL was not feasible within the short study time‐frame. Conclusions: Reflections on the political context of monitoring in the specific case of routine psychiatric practice in Switzerland are discussed.
Cervical dilation at the time of cesarean section for dystocia – effect on subsequent trial of labor
Authors: ABILDGAARD HELLE , INGERSLEV MARIE DINESS , NICKELSEN CARSTEN , SECHER NIELS JOERGEN 
Published: October 2012

AbstractObjective. To investigate the effect of cervical dilation at the time of cesarean section due to dystocia and success in a subsequent pregnancy of attempted vaginal delivery. Design. Retrospective study. Setting. University hospital in Copenhagen capital area. Population. All women with a prior cesarean section due to dystocia who had undergone a subsequent pregnancy with a singleton delivery during 2006–2010. Methods. Medical records were reviewed for prior vaginal birth, cervical dilation reached before cesarean section and induction of labor, gestational age, use of oxytocin, epidural anesthesia and mode of birth was collected. Results. A total of 889 women were included; 373 had had a trial of labor. The success rate for vaginal birth among women with prior cesarean section for dystocia at 4–8 cm dilation was 39%, but 59% for women in whom prior cesarean section had been done at a fully or almost fully dilated cervix (9–10 cm) (p < 0.001). Among the women with a previous vaginal delivery prior to their cesarean section, the success rate for vaginal birth was 76.2%, in contrast to 48.9% in the group without a previous vaginal delivery (p < 0.01). Conclusion. Women who had a trial of labor after a prior cesarean section for dystocia done late in labor and women with a vaginal delivery prior to their cesarean section had a greater chance of a successful vaginal birth during a subsequent delivery.
Guest Authors in An Iranian Journal
Authors: Ghajarzadeh Mahsa 
Published: October 2012

AbstractBackgroundAlthough most biomedical journals have adopted the authorship criteria established by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) in 1985, little is known about the extent Iranian researchers are familiar with these criteria.ObjectivesThe study seeks to evaluate the number of authors fulfilling ICMJE authorship criteria (considering the names mentioned in the byline of 12 issues of the Archives of Iranian Medicine (AIM) journal), and to determine the type of contribution made by each author.Materials and MethodsThe fulfilment of authorship criteria and contribution percentage of each researcher were evaluated according to their position in the bylines of 12 issues of the Archives of Iranian Medicine (AIM) journal published from January 2005 to October 2007. We asked corresponding authors to answer our questionnaire which was designed to assess authorship criteria and contribution.ResultsA total of 576 researchers' names were in the studied article bylines. The ratio of authors to articles was 3.48 in 2005, 4.06 in 2006, and 5.59 in 2007. Sixty three out of 128 corresponding authors (49.21%) responded to our questionnaire, so we evaluated 296 researchers' names, from which 186 authors (62.83%) met the authorship criteria; 110 authors (37.17%) were identified as guest authors, 97 of which deserved to be mentioned in the acknowledgement section. The major criteria used for authors order was their participation in research projects in addition to article writing, mostly determined by the corresponding author.Two authors (0.67%) whose names were not mentioned in the articles were considered to be ghost writers as the articles were based on the results of their thesis.ConclusionIt is essential to make Iranian researchers familiar with ICMJE authorship criteria and to encourage applying the criteria in scientific writing.
The light microscope on its way from an analytical to a preparative tool
Authors: Greulich Karl Otto , Weber Gerd 
Published: October 2012

SUMMARYLight intensities of up to 1013 W/cm2 can be generated by focusing light, particularly laser pulses, into a microscope. Such power densities can be used to cut, perforate, or fuse microscopic objects with submicrometre accuracy. Suitable light sources for such a ‘microbeam’ are nitrogen lasers with a working wavelength of 337 nm, frequency‐multiplied Neodym YAG lasers (266 or 355 nm) or excimer lasers (308 nm). In combination with dye lasers, tunable microbeams covering the wavelength range from the ultraviolet to the infra‐red can be constructed. Such laser microbeams can be used to modify microchip substrates. Micro‐injection of materials into biological cells or fusion of selected cell pairs under total microscopic control is also possible. Using the same equipment, elongated biological objects can be microdissected with submicrometre precision, for example in attempts to isolate DNA from a specific region of the human genome.In addition to the use of high‐power pulsed lasers, the light of a continuous‐wave infra‐red laser can be used for the transport of microscopic objects. There, light pressure and the inhomogeneity of the electric field in a light pulse are used to trap microscopic objects in the focused laser beam, using the beam as ultrafine non‐mechanical tweezers. Unlike mechanical microtools the optical trap is gentle and absolutely sterile.A combined laser microbeam and optical trap (a microbeam‐trap) converts the light microscope, which is usually regarded as an analytical instrument, into a universal preparative instrument that allows micromanipulation of microscopic objects without mechanical contact. In contrast to any other micromanipulator, the microbeam‐trap can work in the depth of an object without opening it.
Fixation induces differential polarized translocations of organelles in hyphae of Saprolegnia ferax
Authors: Kaminskyj Susan G. W. , Jackson Sandra L. , Heath I. Brent 
Published: October 2012

SUMMARYSaprolegnia hyphal tips were examined during fixation, and living or freeze‐substituted tips were quantitatively compared with those fixed in commonly employed formulations of paraformaldehyde and glutaraldehyde. Treating hyphae with fixatives induced extensive longitudinal translocations of the cytoplasm and organelles, usually beginning with contractions toward the tip. These translocations were minimal in the extreme apex (~10 μm) and more extensive subapically. Hypertonic media or hypotonic buffers seldom or never induced translocations, respectively; in contrast, hypotonic buffers containing detergents or the Ca2+ ‐ionophore, A23187, frequently induced contractions. All fixations caused net nucleus movement away from the tip, with the amount of displacement depending on the pre‐fixation distance from the tip. Similarly, all fixations moved the most‐apical of saltatory vesicles away from the tip, but the total number in the apex increased or decreased depending on the fixative used. The patterns of these results suggest that nucleus and vesicle distribution controls may be related (with respect to most‐apical organelles) but also at least partially independent (with respect to organelle populations in hyphal tips). Hyphal diameter was reduced by some, but not all fixations; this variability did not correlate with displacements of either organelle, nor with fixative osmotic pressure. Evidently fixative‐induced changes are more complex and systematic in highly polarized tip‐growing cells than previously reported in other, less polarized, cell types. These results also suggest that hyphae contain multiple and complex organelle distribution and hyphal diameter control systems which can be readily altered, often subtly, by fixation protocols commonly and uncritically employed in immunocytochemical and ultrastructural analyses, and that fixation can cause serious cellular reorganization.
SEM studies of surfaces hidden within bulk tissue: A simple technique to control the position and orientation of dry fracture planes
Authors: Hirst Elizabeth M. A. , Howard James E. 
Published: October 2012

SUMMARYA simple, reliable method for the exposure of specific structures hidden within bulk tissue for viewing by SEM is described. The method employs dry fracture after critical‐point drying and differs from other dry fracture methods in that the fracture plane is ‘engineered’ by the experimenter, thus overcoming the tendency for natural planes of weakness within the specimen exclusively to define the fracture plane. The technique retains the simplicity of the very high‐quality in situ cellular relationships normally associated with random dry fracture. Attention is given to novel means of circumventing the artefacts that are normally a problem with dry fracture techniques.
Validation of cord blood split products prepared by an automated method
Authors: Gutensohn K. , Odendahl M. , Kersten J. F. , Tonn T. 
Published: October 2012

SUMMARYObjectivesIn this study, we studied whether the contents of the two compartments of automatically processed cord blood (CB) units are comparable with respect to cell counts and viability and therefore suitable for clinical therapy.BackgroundCB‐derived stem cells are increasingly used for allogeneic transplantation. Many centres prepare the transplants by automated methods allowing to split the product into two portions.MethodsCB was collected at different sites in Germany and transported to a single centre for processing. Before and after cryopreservation laboratory analyses were performed to compare the quality of the two CB segments.ResultsIn total, 33 products were processed [mean collection volume: 18·6 ± 1·2 mL (range 15·2–20·2 mL) segment A; mean: 4·7 ± 0·3 mL (range 4·2–5·2 mL) segment B]. CD34+ cell counts, viability of CD34+ cells and many other haematological parameters showed a good comparibility between the two segments. However, lymphocyte counts and results of clonogenic assays were significantly different between the two segments of the split product.ConclusionWe conclude that the preparation of the cord blood unit by the automated process results in a homogenous distribution of stem and progenitor cells. However, our findings show that the clonogenic capacity differs between the two segments.
Epigenetics and the Environment in Bioethics
Authors: Dupras Charles , Ravitsky Vardit , Williams‐Jones Bryn 
Published: October 2012

ABSTRACTA rich literature in public health has demonstrated that health is strongly influenced by a host of environmental factors that can vary according to social, economic, geographic, cultural or physical contexts. Bioethicists should, we argue, recognize this and – where appropriate – work to integrate environmental concerns into their field of study and their ethical deliberations. In this article, we present an argument grounded in scientific research at the molecular level that will be familiar to – and so hopefully more persuasive for – the biomedically‐inclined in the bioethics community. Specifically, we argue that the relatively new field of molecular epigenetics provides novel information that should serve as additional justification for expanding the scope of bioethics to include environmental and public health concerns. We begin by presenting two distinct visions of bioethics: the individualistic and rights‐oriented and the communitarian and responsibility‐oriented. We follow with a description of biochemical characteristics distinguishing epigenetics from genetics, in order to emphasize the very close relationship that exists between the environment and gene expression. This then leads to a discussion of the importance of the environment in determining individual and population health, which, we argue, should shift bioethics towards a Potterian view that promotes a communitarian‐based sense of responsibility for the environment, in order to fully account for justice considerations and improve public health.
Randomized Controlled Trials of Maternal‐Fetal Surgery: A Challenge to Clinical Equipoise
Authors: Rodrigues H.C.M.L. , van den Berg P.P. 
Published: October 2012

ABSTRACTThis article focuses on maternal‐fetal surgery (MFS) and on the concept of clinical equipoise that is a widely accepted requirement for conducting randomized controlled trials (RCT). There are at least three reasons why equipoise is unsuitable for MFS. First, the concept is based on a misconception about the nature of clinical research and the status of research subjects. Second, given that it is not clear who the research subject/s in MFS is/are, if clinical equipoise is to be used as a criterion to test the ethical appropriateness of RCT, its meaning should be unambiguous. Third, because of the multidisciplinary character of MFS, it is not clear who should be in equipoise. As a result, we lack an adequate criterion for the ethical review of MFS protocols. In our account, which is based on Chervenak and McCullough's seminal work in the field of obstetric ethics, equipoise is abandoned. and RCT involving MFS can be ethically initiated when a multidisciplinary ethics review board (ERB), having an evidence‐based assessment of the risks involved, is convinced that the value of answering the research hypothesis, for the sake of the health interests of future pregnant women carrying fetuses with certain congenital birth defects, justifies the actual risks research participants might suffer within a set limit of low/manageable.
Registration Based Non‐uniform Motion Deblurring
Authors: Cho Sunghyun , Cho Hojin , Tai Yu‐Wing , Lee Seungyong 
Published: October 2012

AbstractThis paper proposes an algorithm which uses image registration to estimate a non‐uniform motion blur point spread function (PSF) caused by camera shake. Our study is based on a motion blur model which models blur effects of camera shakes using a set of planar perspective projections (i.e., homographies). This representation can fully describe motions of camera shakes in 3D which cause non‐uniform motion blurs. We transform the non‐uniform PSF estimation problem into a set of image registration problems which estimate homographies of the motion blur model one‐by‐one through the Lucas‐Kanade algorithm. We demonstrate the performance of our algorithm using both synthetic and real world examples. We also discuss the effectiveness and limitations of our algorithm for non‐uniform deblurring.
Improving Photo Composition Elegantly: Considering Image Similarity During Composition Optimization
Authors: Guo Y. W. , Liu M. , Gu T. T. , Wang W. P. 
Published: October 2012

AbstractOptimization of images with bad compositions has attracted increasing attention in recent years. Previous methods however seldomly consider image similarity when improving composition aesthetics. This may lead to significant content changes or bring large distortions, resulting in an unpleasant user experience. In this paper, we present a new algorithm for improving image composition aesthetics, while retaining faithful, as much as possible, to the original image content. Our method computes an improved image using a unified model of composition aesthetics and image similarity. The term of composition aesthetics obeys the rule of thirds and aims to enhance image composition. The similarity term in contrast penalizes image difference and distortion caused by composition adjustment. We use an edge‐based measure of structure similarity which nearly coincides with human visual perception to compare the optimized image with the original one. We describe an effective scheme to generate the optimized image with the objective model. Our algorithm is able to produce the recomposed images with minimal visual distortions in an elegant and user controllable manner. We show the superiority of our algorithm by comparing our results with those by previous methods.