bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Genotypic variation of cell wall composition and its conversion efficiency in Miscanthus sinensis, a potential biomass feedstock crop in China
Authors: Zhao Hua , Li Qian , He Junrong , Yu Jiangyan , Yang Junpin , Liu Chunzhao , Peng Junhua 
Published: September 2013

AbstractPlant cell walls are composed of cellulose microfibrils embedded in a cross‐linked‐net of matrix polysaccharides and co‐polymerized with lignin. The study presented the genotypic variations of cell wall composition, biohydrogen production, and lignocellulose degradation ratio in a collection of 102 Miscanthus sinensis (M. Sinensis, hereafter) accessions collected from a wide geographical range in China. Significant variations were observed for the determined traits, cellulose content, hemicellulose content, cellulose and hemicellulose degradation efficiency, and biohydrogen yield. The cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin contents ranged from 30.20–44.25, 28.97–42.65, and 6.96–20.75%, respectively. The degradation ratio of cellulose and hemicellulose varied from 2.08% to 37.87% and from 14.71% to 52.50%, respectively. The feedstock was fermented to produce biohydrogen, and the production varied from 14.59 to 40.66 ml per gram of Miscanthus biomass. The expression profile of three cellulose synthase (MsCesA) genes was initially established to indicate the genotypic difference among the M. sinensis accessions. Pearson's correlations were conducted to reveal the perplexing relationship between the tested traits, biohydrogen yield, cell wall composition and their degradation efficiency. In addition, the relationship pattern, between the test traits and the geographic factors corresponding with the original place, was investigated. The result showed that the significant variation among the M. sinensis genotypes is the result of natural selection in different environments of their original habitats. Improvement in cell wall composition and structure and enhancement of lignocellulose degradation ratio could significantly increase sustainable bioenergy production.
Leisure reading collections in academic health sciences and science libraries: results of visits to seven libraries
Authors: Watson Erin M. 
Published: September 2013

AbstractObjectiveTo visit leisure reading collections in academic science and health sciences libraries to determine how they function and what role they play in their libraries.MethodsThe author visited seven libraries with leisure reading collections and carried out a semistructured interview with those responsible either for selection of materials or for the establishment of the collection.ResultsThese collections contained a variety of materials, with some libraries focusing on health‐science‐related materials and others on providing recreational reading. The size of the collections also varied, from 186 to 9700 books, with corresponding differences in budget size. All collections were housed apart, with the same loan period as the regular collection. No collections contained electronic materials. Although there was little comparable statistical data on usage, at the six libraries at which active selection was occurring, librarians and library staff felt that the collection was well used and felt that it provided library users with benefits such as stress relief and relaxation and exposure to other perspectives.ConclusionLibrarians and library staff at the libraries that undertook active selection felt that their leisure reading collection was worthwhile. It would be interesting for future work to focus on the user experience of such collections.
Glomerular filtration rate estimated using creatinine, cystatin C or both markers and the risk of clinical events in HIV‐infected individuals
Authors: Lucas GM , Cozzi‐Lepri A , Wyatt CM , Post FA , Bormann AM , Crum‐Cianflone NF , Ross MJ ,   INSIGHT SMART Study Group
Published: September 2013

ObjectivesThe accuracy and precision of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimating equations based on plasma creatinine (GFRcr), cystatin C (GFRcys) and the combination of these markers (GFRcr‐cys) have recently been assessed in HIV‐infected individuals. We assessed the associations of GFR, estimated by these three equations, with clinical events in HIV‐infected individuals.MethodsWe compared the associations of baseline GFRcr, GFRcys and GFRcr‐cys [using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD‐EPI) equations] with mortality, cardiovascular events (CVEs) and opportunistic diseases (ODs) in the Strategies for the Management of Antiretroviral Therapy (SMART) study. We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate unadjusted and adjusted hazard ratios per standard deviation (SD) change in GFR.ResultsA total of 4614 subjects from the SMART trial with available baseline creatinine and cystatin C data were included in this analysis. Of these, 99 died, 111 had a CVE and 121 had an OD. GFRcys was weakly to moderately correlated with HIV RNA, CD4 cell count, high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein, interleukin‐6, and D‐dimer, while GFRcr had little or no correlation with these factors. GFRcys had the strongest associations with the three clinical outcomes, followed closely by GFRcr‐cys, with GFRcr having the weakest associations with clinical outcomes. In a model adjusting for demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, HIV‐related factors and inflammation markers, a 1‐SD lower GFRcys was associated with a 55% [95% confidence interval (CI) 27−90%] increased risk of mortality, a 21% (95% CI 0−47%) increased risk of CVE, and a 22% (95% CI 0−48%) increased risk of OD.ConclusionsOf the three CKD‐EPI GFR equations, GFRcys had the strongest associations with mortality, CVE and OD.
New SHRIMP U–Pb zircon ages of granitic rocks in the Hida Belt, Japan: Implications for tectonic correlation with Jiamushi massif
Authors: Zhao Xilin , Mao Jianren , Ye Haimin , Liu Kai , Takahashi Yutaka 
Published: September 2013

AbstractGranitoids in the Hida region of Japan encompass two main rock types: younger type‐1 granites and older type‐2 granites. Sensitive high mass‐resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) U–Pb zircon dating of older type‐2 granites collected from the Tateyama area show similar ages of 245 ± 2 Ma and 248 ± 5 Ma for two gneissose granites, while a significantly younger intrusion age of 197 ± 3 Ma was determined for the younger type‐1 granites collected from the Hayatsukigawa River which belongs to the Okumayama pluton. A felsic gneiss sample (07HI‐3) collected from the right bank of the Hayatsukigawa River yielded multiple complex ages at 330 ± 6 Ma, indicating the timing of the Hida regional tectono‐thermal events that formed the Hida gneisses; 243 ± 8 Ma, representing the timing of intrusion of the augen granite; and 220 Ma, indicating the timing of regional dextral ductile shearing that caused a repeated recrystallization of metamorphic rocks in the study area. Considering the geochronological data, the rock types and assemblages, basement, and Sr–Nd isotopic constraints, we propose that the Hida Belt separated from the Jiamushi massif, which is located in the eastern margin of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt.
Problems experienced by older people when opening medicine packaging
Authors: Philbert Daphne , Notenboom Kim , Bouvy Marcel L , van Geffen Erica C G 
Published: September 2013

Abstract

Objective
Medicine packages can cause problems in daily practice, especially among older people. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of problems experienced by older people when opening medicine packaging and to investigate how patients manage these problems.

Methods
A convenience sample of 30 community pharmacies participated in this study. They selected a systematic sample of 30 patients over 65 years old with a recent omeprazole prescription, and a questionnaire was administered by telephone for at least 10 patients per pharmacy.

Key findings
A total of 317 patients completed the questionnaire. They received their omeprazole in a bottle (n = 179, 56.5%), push-through blister pack (n = 102, 32.2%) or peel-off blister pack (n = 36, 11.4%). Some 28.4% of all patients experienced one or more problems with opening their omeprazole packaging; most problems occurred with peel-off blisters (n = 24, 66.7% of all respondents using peel-off blisters), followed by push-through blisters (n = 34, 33.3%) and finally bottles (n = 32, 17.9%). The risk of experiencing problems with peel-off blisters and push-through blisters was higher [relative risk 3.7 (95% confidence interval 2.5–5.5) and 1.9 (1.2–2.8), respectively] than the risk of experiencing problems with opening bottles. Two-thirds of respondents reported management strategies for their problems. Most were found for problems opening bottles (n = 24, 75%), followed by push-through blisters (n = 24, 70.6%) and peel-off blisters (n = 14, 58.3%).

Conclusions
One in four patients over 65 experienced difficulties opening their omeprazole packaging and not all of them reported a management strategy for their problems. Manufacturers are advised to pay more attention to the user-friendliness of product packaging. In addition, it is important that pharmacy staff clearly instruct patients on how to open their medicine packaging, or assist them in choosing the most appropriate packaging.
Models of representation, Mobilization and Turnout: The Election of the Foreign Citizens' Council of the Province of Bologna
Authors: Sredanovic Djordje 
Published: September 2013

AbstractThe Foreign Citizens' Council of the Province of Bologna is a consultative, elected body that the Province has implemented to give representation to the non‐EU population, given the absence of local voting rights for these migrants in Italy. This work analyses the models of political representation implicit in the electoral rules of the council and in the organization of the main competing lists in the election, and, through the analysis of electoral data and 32 in‐depth interviews with the candidates, the effect the different models had. While the vote seems to have been mostly intra‐national, cross‐national lists were the most successful. The different levels of turnout among the electorate suggest that the vote was based on mobilization rather than on trust in the political system, and that the analyses that link associational density with electoral participation pose some theoretical and methodological problems in this field.
Policy Implications

Migrants' participation policy is always based on implicit political models of participation that should always be made explicit and examined before implementation.

There is always a plurality of political preferences for different models of participation in the migrant population, that should be explored and accommodated.

The number of associations in existence should not be used as an indicator of a strong civil society as largely as it is presently.
How to diagnose amyloidosis
Authors: Mollee P. , Renaut P. , Gottlieb D. , Goodman H. 
Published: September 2013

AbstractAmyloidosis is a rare but devastating condition caused by deposition of misfolded proteins as aggregates in the extracellular tissues of the body, leading to impairment of organ function. High clinical suspicion is required to facilitate early diagnosis. Correct identification of the causal amyloid protein is absolutely crucial for clinical management in order to avoid misdiagnosis and inappropriate, potentially harmful treatment, to assess prognosis, and to offer genetic counselling if relevant. This review summarises the current evidence on which the diagnosis and subtyping of amyloidosis is based, outlines the limitations of various diagnostic techniques, particularly in an Australian and New Zealand context, and discusses optimal strategies for the diagnostic approach to these patients. Recommendations are provided for when particularly to suspect amyloidosis, what investigations are required, as well as an approach to accurate subtyping of amyloidosis.
The importance of larval eyes in the polychaete Capitella teleta: effects of larval eye deletion on formation of the adult eye
Authors: Yamaguchi Emi , Seaver Elaine C. 
Published: September 2013

AbstractIn many marine invertebrates with biphasic life cycles, juvenile/adult traits begin to develop before metamorphosis. For structures that are present at multiple developmental stages, but have distinct larval and adult forms, it is unclear whether larval and adult structures have shared or distinct developmental origins. In this study, we examine the relationship between the larval and adult eyes in the polychaete Capitella teleta. In addition, we describe a novel marker for larval and juvenile photoreceptor cells. Infrared laser deletion of individual micromeres in early embryos suggests that the same micromeres at the eight‐cell stage that are specified to generate the larval eyes also form the adult eyes. Direct deletion of the larval eye, including the pigment cell and the corresponding photoreceptor cell, resulted in a lack of shading pigment cells in juveniles and adults, demonstrating that this structure does not regenerate. However, a sensory photoreceptor cell was present in juveniles following direct larval eye deletions, indicating that larval and adult photoreceptors are separate cells. We propose that the formation of the adult eye in juveniles of C. teleta requires the presence of the pigment cell of the larval eye, but the adult photoreceptor is either recruited from adjacent neural tissue or arises de novo after metamorphosis. These results are different from the development and spatial orientation of larval and adult eyes found in other polychaetes, in which two scenarios have been proposed: larval eyes persist and function as adult eyes; or, distinct pigmented adult eyes begin developing separately from larval eyes prior to metamorphosis.
Mitigating the Effects of Landscape Development on Streams in Urbanizing Watersheds
Authors: Hogan Dianna M. , Jarnagin S. Taylor , Loperfido J.V. , Van Ness Keith 
Published: September 2013

AbstractThis collaborative study examined urbanization and impacts on area streams while using the best available sediment and erosion control (S&EC) practices in developing watersheds in Maryland, United States. During conversion of the agricultural and forested watersheds to urban land use, land surface topography was graded and vegetation was removed creating a high potential for sediment generation and release during storm events. The currently best available S&EC facilities were used during the development process to mitigate storm runoff water quality, quantity, and timing before entering area streams. Detailed Geographic Information System (GIS) maps were created to visualize changing land use and S&EC practices, five temporal collections of LiDAR (light detection and ranging) imagery were used to map the changing landscape topography, and streamflow, physical geomorphology, and habitat data were used to assess the ability of the S&EC facilities to protect receiving streams during development. Despite the use of the best available S&EC facilities, receiving streams experienced altered flow, geomorphology, and decreased biotic community health. These impacts on small streams during watershed development affect sediment and nutrient loads to larger downstream aquatic ecosystems such as the Chesapeake Bay.
Interplay between human microglia and neural stem/progenitor cells in an allogeneic co‐culture model
Authors: Liu Jia , Hjorth Erik , Zhu Mingqin , Calzarossa Cinzia , Samuelsson Eva‐Britt , Schultzberg Marianne , Åkesson Elisabet 
Published: September 2013

AbstractExperimental neural cell therapies, including donor neural stem/progenitor cells (NPCs) have been reported to offer beneficial effects on the recovery after an injury and to counteract inflammatory and degenerative processes in the central nervous system (CNS). The interplay between donor neural cells and the host CNS still to a large degree remains unclear, in particular in human allogeneic conditions. Here, we focused our studies on the interaction of human NPCs and microglia utilizing a co‐culture model. In co‐cultures, both NPCs and microglia showed increased survival and proliferation compared with mono‐cultures. In the presence of microglia, a larger subpopulation of NPCs expressed the progenitor cell marker nestin, whereas a smaller group of NPCs expressed the neural markers polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule, A2B5 and glial fibrillary acidic protein compared with NPC mono‐cultures. Microglia thus hindered differentiation of NPCs. The presence of human NPCs increased microglial phagocytosis of latex beads. Furthermore, we observed that the expression of CD200 molecules on NPCs and the CD200 receptor protein on microglia was enhanced in co‐cultures, whereas the release of transforming growth factor‐β was increased suggesting anti‐inflammatory features of the co‐cultures. To conclude, the interplay between human allogeneic NPCs and microglia, significantly affected their respective proliferation and phenotype. Neural cell therapy including human donor NPCs may in addition to offering cell replacement, modulate host microglial phenotypes and functions to benefit neuroprotection and repair.
A multivariate view of the evolution of sexual dimorphism
Authors: Wyman M. J. , Stinchcombe J. R. , Rowe L. 
Published: September 2013

AbstractSexual differences are often dramatic and widespread across taxa. Their extravagance and ubiquity can be puzzling because the common underlying genome of males and females is expected to impede rather than foster phenotypic divergence. Widespread dimorphism, despite a shared genome, may be more readily explained by considering the multivariate, rather than univariate, framework governing the evolution of sexual dimorphism. In the univariate formulation, differences in genetic variances and a low intersexual genetic correlation () can facilitate the evolution of sexual dimorphism. However, studies that have analysed sex‐specific differences in heritabilities or genetic variances do not always find significant differences. Furthermore, many of the reported estimates of are very high and positive. When monomorphic heritabilities and a high are present together, the evolution of sexual dimorphism on a trait‐by‐trait basis is severely constrained. By contrast, the multivariate formulation has greater generality and more flexibility. Although the number of multivariate sexual dimorphism studies is low, almost all support sex‐specific differences in the G (variance‐covariance) matrix; G matrices can differ with respect to size and/or orientation, affecting the response to selection differently between the sexes. Second, whereas positive values of the univariate quantity only hinder positive changes in sexual dimorphism, positive covariances in the intersexual covariance B matrix can either help or hinder. Similarly, the handful of studies reporting B matrices indicate that it is often asymmetric, so that B can affect the evolution of single traits differently between the sexes. Multivariate approaches typically demonstrate that genetic covariances among traits can strongly constrain trait evolution when compared with univariate approaches. By contrast, in the evolution of sexual dimorphism, a multivariate view potentially reveals more opportunities for sexual dimorphism to evolve by considering the effect sex‐specific selection has on sex‐specific G matrices and an asymmetric B matrix.
Multiple infections, kin selection and the evolutionary epidemiology of parasite traits
Authors: Lion S. 
Published: September 2013

AbstractThe coinfection of a host by several parasite strains is known to affect selective pressures on parasite strategies of host exploitation. I present a general model of coinfections that ties together kin selection models of virulence evolution and epidemiological models of multiple infections. I derive an analytical expression for the invasion fitness of a rare mutant in a population with an arbitrary distribution of the multiplicity of infection (MOI) across hosts. When a single mutation affects parasite strategies in allMOIclasses, I show that the evolutionarily stable level of virulence depends on a demographic average of within‐host relatedness across all host classes. This generalization of previous kin selection results requires that within‐host parasite densities do not vary between hosts. When host exploitation strategies are allowed to vary across classes, I show that the strategy of host exploitation in a focalMOIclass depends on the relative magnitudes of parasite reproductive values in the focal class and in the next. Thus, in contrast to previous findings, lower within‐host relatedness in competitive parasite interactions can potentially correspond to either higher or lower levels of virulence.
Modified Atmosphere Container with Time‐Controlled Gas‐Diffusion Tube for Preserving Fresh Produce
Authors: Kwon Min‐Ji , An Duck Soon , Lee Dong Sun 
Published: September 2013

AbstractThe concept of a fresh produce container equipped with a time‐controlled gas‐diffusion tube was proposed and tested for its effectiveness at modifying the internal atmosphere of the container beneficially, thus preserving the quality of stored spinach. The time‐controlled closing/opening of the properly dimensioned diffusion tube was shown to be useful in attaining a modified atmosphere (MA), which is helpful for quality preservation. A mathematical model of the mass balance of gases in the container, taking care of diffusive gas fluxes through the plastic wall and the tube, convective hydraulic gas flow through the tube and produce respiration, was adopted from the literature and constructed to estimate the gas composition under a variety of design and operation variables, enabling optimization of the system. Cycle time did not affect the averaged container atmosphere at equilibrium, but it did affect the fluctuation levels of the gas composition. Functional relationships between the spinach container atmosphere (i.e., O2 and CO2 concentrations) and independent control variables (i.e., tube dimensions and closed time ratio) were formulated and used to find a container design that gives an MA in the optimal window. A designed prototype container was able to give an optimal MA in agreement with design estimates and offer better spinach quality than the perforated control package, thus verifying the concept and model proposed.Practical ApplicationsA time‐controlled opening of gas‐diffusion tube is an innovative concept to attain a desired MA in a fresh produce container. The time‐controlled opening/closing of a properly dimensioned diffusion tube can be programmed using mathematical modeling to attain an MA that is conducive to the produce quality. Proper combination of the closed time ratio and tube dimension yielding the optimal atmosphere of O2 and CO2 concentrations can be found by the approach given in this study. Use of the developed concept can be applied to the reusable containers or packages keeping the product quality and extending the shelf life in the produce supply chain.
Reclassification of captive chimpanzees as endangered would cost lives
Authors: VandeBerg John L. 
Published: September 2013

AbstractA reclassification of captive chimpanzees as endangered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) would have devastating consequences on critical areas of basic biomedical research for which chimpanzees are uniquely suitable as animal models. It also would have a negative impact on the survival of wild chimpanzees and the preservation of the species.