bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
What Is Being Learned About Starch Properties from Multiple‐Level Characterization
Authors: Gilbert Robert G. , Witt Torsten , Hasjim Jovin 
Published: April 2013

ABSTRACTA survey is given of methods to characterize the lowest three levels of starch structural features: individual chains, branched molecules, and the arrangement of branched molecules in a sample (e.g., crystalline and amorphous lamellae of starch granules in grain). The survey also covers ways of treating the results so as to understand starch structure–property correlations: for example, the structural characteristics that control the rate of digestion of a starch‐containing food. A number of studies are then examined not only to show how these techniques have been used to discover correlations between these structural characteristics and properties of importance but also to deduce reasonable causal explanations for the correlations. An overview of problems that have not yet been solved in each of these starch structural levels is also given. The applications of these characterization methods have considerable potential as tools to choose and process native starches with improved functional properties for human food, animal feed, and industrial uses, including biomaterials.
The biodiscovery potential of marine bacteria: an investigation of phylogeny and function
Authors: Mühling Martin , Joint Ian , Willetts Andrew J. 
Published: April 2013

SummaryA collection of marine bacteria isolated from a temperate coastal zone has been screened in a programme of biodiscovery. A total of 34 enzymes with biotechnological potential were screened in 374 isolates of marine bacteria. Only two enzymes were found in all isolates while the majority of enzyme activities were present in a smaller proportion of the isolates. A cluster analysis demonstrated no significant correlation between taxonomy and enzyme function. However, there was evidence of co‐occurrence of some enzyme activity in the same isolate. In this study marine Proteobacteria had a higher complement of enzymes with biodiscovery potential than Actinobacteria; this contrasts with the terrestrial environment where the Actinobacteria phylum is a proven source of enzymes with important industrial applications. In addition, a number of novel enzyme functions were more abundant in this marine culture collection than would be expected on the basis of knowledge from terrestrial bacteria. There is a strong case for future investigation of marine bacteria as a source for biodiscovery.
Arterial Tissue Regeneration for Pediatric Applications: Inspiration From Up‐to‐Date Tissue‐Engineered Vascular Bypass Grafts
Authors: Cittadella Giorgio , de Mel Achala , Dee Ryan , De Coppi Paolo , Seifalian Alexander M. 
Published: April 2013

AbstractThe need for a valid replacement for autologous tissues in vascular surgery has led to the development of tissue‐engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs). Currently, only three kinds of TEVG have been used in clinical trials: synthetic scaffold‐based TEVGs, self‐assembled grafts, and decellularized exogenous tissues. This review presents the current options in the construction of TEVG and the changes that have occurred in the design following the clinical experience while focusing on the potential for pediatric applications. The emerging trend in the field, which is also pertinent for pediatric applications, is a shift from the development of vascular analogues to implants composed of scaffolds with autologous cellular components. Designs of such implants are currently being fine‐tuned so that a natural, functional tissue can gradually take over the role of scaffolds to stimulate the host's regenerative capacity and maintain the physiological homeostasis.
From ‘wannabe’ Silicon Valley to global back office? Examining the socio‐spatial consequences of technopole planning practices in Malaysia
Authors: Brooker Daniel 
Published: April 2013

Abstract: Cyberjaya is one of a long line of aspiring science and technology parks in the Asia‐Pacific region that have attempted to create a successful technopole, and in doing so become the ‘Silicon Valley of Asia’. The paper attends to the place‐making strategies through which Cyberjaya was positioned as a new ‘global hub’ for information communication technology and multimedia industries, framed as an extremely ‘sticky place’ (Markusen, 1996). That is, a place within a global economic system where local skills, infrastructure and capital attracts and makes research and development and corporate headquarters reluctant to leave. The paper considers that despite considerable infrastructural investment and state‐led urban boosterism to ‘sell’ Cyberjaya to prospective investors, more than 10 years after its completion in 1999 the development has become little more than a zone of disconnected business process outsourcing industries comprising low value‐added outsourcing activities.
Urokinase‐type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) as a promising new imaging target: potential clinical applications
Authors: Persson Morten , Kjaer Andreas 
Published: April 2013

SummaryUrokinase‐type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) has been shown to be of special importance during cancer invasion and metastasis. However, currently, tissue samples are needed for measurement of uPAR expression limiting the potential as a clinical routine. Therefore, non‐invasive methods are needed. In line with this, uPAR has recently been identified as a very promising imaging target candidate. uPAR consists of three domains attached to the cell membrane via a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor and binds it natural ligand uPA with high affinity to localize plasminogen activation at the cell surface. Due to the importance of uPAR in cancer invasion and metastasis, a number of high‐affinity ligands have been identified during the last decades. These ligands have recently been used as starting point for the development of a number of ligands for imaging of uPAR using various imaging modalities such as optical imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, single photon emission computer tomography (SPECT) and positron emission topography (PET). In this review, we will discuss recent advances in the development of uPAR‐targeted imaging ligands according to imaging modality. In addition, we will discuss the potential future clinical application for uPAR imaging as a new imaging biomarker.
New species of Lonchaeidae (Diptera: Schizophora) from Japan and a re‐evaluation of genus Setisquamalonchaea Morge
Authors: MacGowan Iain , Okamoto Tomoko 
Published: April 2013

AbstractThree new species of Lonchaeidae are described from material reared from fig syconia in Japan: Silba inubiwa sp. nov., S. ishigaki sp. nov. and S. japonica sp. nov. Based on the taxonomy of these and similar species the boundaries of the genus Silba are re‐evaluated, and, as a result, it is considered that Setisquamalonchaea Morge is synonymous with Silba Macquart. A revised key and generic notes on the tribe Lonchaeini are provided.
Altered expression of hyaluronan synthase and hyaluronidase mRNA may affect hyaluronic acid distribution in keloid disease compared with normal skin
Authors: Sidgwick Gary P. , Iqbal Syed A. , Bayat Ardeshir 
Published: April 2013

AbstractKeloid disease (KD) is a fibroproliferative disorder characterised partly by an altered extracellular matrix (ECM) profile. In fetal scarring, hyaluronic acid (HA) expression is increased, but is reduced in KD tissue compared with normal skin (NS). The expression of Hyaluronan Synthase (HAS) and hyaluronidase (HYAL) in KD and NS tissue were investigated for the first time using a range of techniques. Hyaluronan synthase and HYAL mRNA expression were significantly increased in NS tissue compared with KD tissue (P < 0.05). Immunohistological analysis of tissue indicated an accumulation of HAS and HYAL protein expression in KD compared with NS due to the thicker epidermis. No differences were observed in mRNA or protein expression in KD and NS fibroblasts. Reduced expression of HAS and HYAL may alter HA synthesis, degradation and accumulation in KD. Better understanding of the role of HA in KD may lead to novel therapeutic approaches to address the resulting ECM imbalance.
Initial nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, and methane costs of converting conservation reserve program grassland to row crops under no‐till vs. conventional tillage
Authors: Ruan Leilei , Philip Robertson G. 
Published: April 2013

AbstractAround 4.4 million ha of land in USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts will expire between 2013 and 2018 and some will likely return to crop production. No‐till (NT) management offers the potential to reduce the global warming costs of CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions during CRP conversion, but to date there have been no CRP conversion tillage comparisons. In 2009, we converted portions of three 9–21 ha CRP fields in Michigan to conventional tillage (CT) or NT soybean production and reserved a fourth field for reference. Both CO2 and N2O fluxes increased following herbicide application in all converted fields, but in the CT treatment substantial and immediate N2O and CO2 fluxes occurred after tillage. For the initial 201‐day conversion period, average daily N2O fluxes (g N2O‐N ha−1 d−1) were significantly different in the order: CT (47.5 ± 6.31, n = 6) ≫ NT (16.7 ± 2.45, n = 6) ≫ reference (2.51 ± 0.73, n = 4). Similarly, soil CO2 fluxes in CT were 1.2 times those in NT and 3.1 times those in the unconverted CRP reference field. All treatments were minor sinks for CH4 (−0.69 ± 0.42 to −1.86 ± 0.37 g CH4–C ha−1 d−1) with no significant differences among treatments. The positive global warming impact (GWI) of converted soybean fields under both CT (11.5 Mg CO2e ha−1) and NT (2.87 Mg CO2e ha−1) was in contrast to the negative GWI of the unconverted reference field (−3.5 Mg CO2e ha−1) with on‐going greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation. N2O contributed 39.3% and 55.0% of the GWI under CT and NT systems with the remainder contributed by CO2 (60.7% and 45.0%, respectively). Including foregone mitigation, we conclude that NT management can reduce GHG costs by ~60% compared to CT during initial CRP conversion.
Intention to adhere to HIV treatment: a patient‐centred predictor of antiretroviral adherence
Authors: Nelsen A , Gupta S , Trautner BW , Petersen NJ , Garza A , Giordano TP , Naik AD , Rodriguez‐Barradas MC 
Published: April 2013

ObjectivesDespite the effectiveness of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), HIV remains a major cause of mortality in the USA, largely as a result of poor HIV treatment adherence. In this study we assessed the association between five patient‐centred factors and adherence to HIV treatment.MethodsWe surveyed 244 adults at two HIV clinics in Houston, Texas between October 2009 and April 2010. Participants were given a questionnaire and their charts were reviewed for clinical data. Survey items assessed the following factors: self‐assessed HIV knowledge, awareness of disease biomarkers, intention to adhere to HIV treatment, health literacy and decision‐making style. The primary outcome measure was HAART adherence during the previous month. Logistic regressions were performed to calculate the effect of each factor on adherence.ResultsAll participants had HIV/AIDS and were on HAART at enrolment. Eight per cent of participants were female, 57% were African‐American and 16% were Hispanic. Mean age was 58.1 years. Sixty‐eight per cent were adherent to HAART during the last month. On univariate analysis, a preference for wanting choices, correct knowledge of recent HIV viral load level, and intention to adhere to HIV treatment were significantly associated with adherence. On multivariate analysis, only intention to adhere to HIV treatment remained statistically significant after adjusting for other factors (odds ratio 2.2; 95% confidence interval 1.1 to 4.3).ConclusionsIntention to adhere to HIV treatment was significantly associated with self‐reported adherence to HAART. Interventions that bolster patients' intentions to adhere to HIV treatment during clinical encounters may improve adherence to HAART and HIV control.
Assessing salivary osmolality as a caries risk indicator in cerebral palsy children
Authors: Santos Maria Teresa Botti Rodrigues , Ferreira Maria Cristina Duarte , Mendes Fausto M. , de Oliveira Guaré Renata 
Published: April 2013

BackgroundSalivary osmolality reflects the hydration status of individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) necessary for an adequate unstimulated salivary flow rate.AimTo investigate whether salivary osmolality could serve as a potential indicator of caries risk in children with spastic CP by displaying a stronger association with caries occurrence than salivary flow rate.DesignThe convenience sample consisted of 65 children with CP aged 6–13 years old. Unstimulated whole saliva was collected using cotton roll, and salivary osmolality was measured using a freezing point depression osmometer. The children's oral motor performance was evaluated during the feeding process using the Oral Motor Assessment Scale. Caries occurrence was also evaluated according the World Health Organization criteria.ResultsMotor skills were significantly associated with caries experience. Regarding the salivary parameters, osmolality presented a stronger association with caries experience than did the salivary flow rate. Children with worse oral motor performance presented a higher rate of caries occurrence.ConclusionOsmolality exhibited a stronger association with caries occurrence than did salivary flow rate. This parameter, therefore, could be a potential caries risk indicator for spastic cerebral palsy children.
Margins, Liquidity, and the Cost of Hedging
Authors: Mello Antonio S. , Parsons John E. 
Published: April 2013

Recent financial reforms, such as the Dodd‐Frank Act in the U.S. and the European Market Infrastructure Regulation, encourage greater use of clearing and therefore increased margining of derivative trades. They also impose margining requirements on noncleared derivative trades. Such requirements have sparked a debate about whether a margin mandate increases the cost of hedging by nonfinancial corporations—the so‐called end‐users of derivatives.The authors argue that it does not. They show that a nonmargined derivative is equivalent to a package of (1) a margined derivative and (2) a contingent line of credit. The main effect of a margin mandate is to require that this package be marketed as two distinct products. But it does not change the total financing or capital required to hedge. Nor does it raise the cost to banks or other dealers of offering the package, at least not directly.Nevertheless, there may be indirect effects if, for example, the clearing mandate succeeds in lowering total counterparty exposures and therefore systemic risk. Although the authors do not explore these effects, they do offer one explanation for the popularity of over‐the‐counter, and thus noncleared, derivatives: accounting rules and bank regulations that treat the implicit lines‐of‐credit embedded in nonmargined derivatives differently from explicit lines of credit used to fund margins.
The Effects of Cash, Debt, and Insiders on Open Market Share Repurchases
Authors: Feng Liang , Pukthuanthong Kuntara , Thiengtham Dolruedee , Turtle H. J. , Walker Thomas J. 
Published: April 2013

The findings of the authors' recent study suggest, on balance, that stock repurchases function much like tax‐efficient special dividends, increasing when free cash flow is large and when debt levels are low, but not replacing regularly scheduled dividends. Repurchasing companies experience median event returns of about 2% around the repurchase announcements, with a related mean effect of roughly 3%. Companies with greater free cash flow and less debt are more likely than otherwise comparable companies to repurchase their shares. Furthermore, repurchasing companies that exhibit substandard preannouncement stock price returns and seek to buy back higher percentages of shares tend to elicit more positive stock price reactions.At the same time, the study provides some evidence that corporate managers attempt to use their inside information to profit from buybacks. For example, managing insiders in repurchasing firms decrease their selling activity and increase their buying activity two weeks before repurchase announcements to a greater extent than non‐managing insiders. But perhaps the most remarkable finding from this part of the study is how little insiders as a group seem to profit from their short‐term trading behavior—a finding that suggests that the market appears to anticipate much of this behavior.
Transparency, Value Creation, and Financial Crises
Authors: Silva Ana C. , Chavez Gonzalo A. , Lopez‐Lubian Francisco J. 
Published: April 2013

This article reports the findings of the authors' recent study of the impact of the level of corporate transparency on shareholder value creation during periods of financial crisis. Their sample consists of the companies comprising Spain's IBEX 35 stock index during the ten‐year period 2000–2010. The study uses three different measures of earnings management (EM) as inverse indicators of the quality of disclosure and carries out fixed effects regressions that adjust for firm and industry characteristics, two periods of financial crises, and the passage of time. The main findings of the study are that (1) companies with lower disclosure quality have generated less value for their shareholders over long time periods and that (2) the shareholders of companies that were more aggressive in managing their earnings experienced greater wealth destruction during the two financial crises of the last decade.Given the still unfolding impact of the recent global financial crisis, as reflected in the current debt crisis in Western European countries, the authors' study reinforces the importance of the current debate over the benefits and costs of increasing the regulation of financial markets, especially in the areas of transparency and disclosure requirements.
Low‐Dose Dexamethasone Treatment Promotes the Pro‐Survival Signalling Pathway in the Adult Rat Prefrontal Cortex
Authors: Drakulić D. , Veličković N. , Stanojlović M. , Grković I. , Mitrović N. , Lavrnja I. , Horvat A. 
Published: April 2013

Synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone (DEX), a highly potent anti‐inflammatory and immunosuppressive agent, is widely used in the treatment of brain cancer, as well as for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The present study aimed to determine whether low‐dose subchronic DEX treatment (100 μg/kg for eight consecutive days) exerts long‐term effects on apoptosis in the adult rat prefrontal cortex (PFC) by examining the expression of cell death‐promoting molecules [poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase (PARP), p53, procaspase 3, cleaved caspase 3, Bax] and cell‐survival molecules (AKT, Bcl‐2). The results obtained revealed that body, thymus and adrenal gland weights, as well corticosterone levels, in the serum and PFC were reduced 1 day after the last DEX injection. In the PFC, DEX caused activation of AKT, augmentation of pro‐survival Bcl‐2 protein and an enhanced Bcl‐2/Bax protein ratio, as well Bcl‐2 translocation to the mitochondria. An unaltered profile with respect to the protein expression of apoptotic molecules PARP, procaspase 3 and Bax was detected, whereas p53 protein was decreased. Reverse transcriptase ‐polymerase chain reaction analysis showed a decrease of p53 mRNA levels and no significant difference in Bcl‐2 and Bax mRNA expression in DEX‐treated rats. Finally, a DNA fragmentation assay and Fluoro‐Jade staining demonstrated no considerable changes in apoptosis in the rat PFC. Our findings support the concept that low‐dose DEX creates a hypocorticoid state in the brain and also indicate that subchronic DEX treatment activates the pro‐survival signalling pathway but does not change apoptotic markers in the rat PFC. This mechanism might be relevant for the DEX‐induced apoptosis resistance observed during and after chemotherapy of patients with brain tumours.
Differences in the effect of maternal smoking during pregnancy for childhood overweight before and after 5 years of age
Authors: Suzuki Kohta , Sato Miri , Ando Daisuke , Kondo Naoki , Yamagata Zentaro 
Published: April 2013

AbstractAimThis study aimed to clarify the association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and childhood overweight during different periods using two cohort studies from the same population: the birth cohort (the 1st cohort) and the non‐overweight children at 5 years of age cohort (the 2nd cohort) by sex.Material and MethodsThe study population comprised children born between 1 April 1991 and 31 March 1999 in Koshu City, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, and their mothers. The dependent variables were diagnosis of overweight in each cohort. The primary independent variable was maternal smoking during pregnancy. Multiple logistic regression models were applied for these statistical analyses.ResultsMothers who answered the questionnaire during early pregnancy gave birth to a total of 1644 babies during the study period. The 1st cohort consisted of these babies and were followed until 5 years of age. The 2nd cohort consisted of 1131 children who were diagnosed as normal weight at 5 years of age and followed until 9–10 years of age. There was an association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and overweight only in boys in the 1st cohort analysis (adjusted odds ratio, 4.5; 95% confidence interval, 2.0–10.2).ConclusionsThese results suggest that the effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy on childhood overweight tend to appear before 5 years of age, especially in boys. It is necessary for children whose mother smoked during pregnancy, especially in boys, to be careful with their diet and physical activity in order to prevent childhood obesity.