bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Adélie penguin population changes at Stranger Point: 19 years of monitoring
Authors: Juáres Mariana A. , Santos Mercedes , Negrete Javier , Mennucci Jorge A. , Perchivale Pablo J. , Casaux Ricardo , Coria Néstor R. 
Published: May 2015

AbstractThe Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) breeding population at Stranger Point, King George Island (25 de Mayo), increased in number from 1965/66 until 1980/81 after which it started to decrease almost continuously up to the present. A significant decrease in the number of breeding pairs and chicks crèched was observed between 1995/96 and 2013/14 (75% and 78%, respectively), although the rate of this decrease has slowed since 2006/07. Over the last seven years, larger interannual fluctuations were recorded in the number of breeding pairs and chicks in crèches, as well in the breeding success. The values for the index of breeding success during 2007/08, 2009/10 and 2012/13 were low and this parameter showed higher temporal fluctuation in the period 2007/08 to 2013/14. The reduction in breeding success and the number of chicks reared to crèche will unfavourably impact on future population size at Stranger Point through the reduction of new recruits. Although Adélie penguin population trends on the Antarctic Peninsula are linked to the marine environment variability (i.e. reduction in sea ice affecting the availability of prey), breeding success is also influenced by the amount of snow fall which has increased in recent years.
Waist circumference to height ratio and left ventricular mass in children and adolescents
Authors: Mehta Sudhir Ken 
Published: May 2015

AbstractObjectivesWaist circumference to height ratio, a measure of central obesity, is a better predictor of cardiovascular risk than body mass index in the paediatric population. Increased left ventricular mass secondary to obesity and hypertension increases the risk for death and cardiovascular disease in adults. Similar data on left ventricular mass are lacking among young patients with central obesity, as defined by waist circumference/height. The present study evaluates left ventricular mass in young patients with central obesity as defined by waist circumference/height.MethodsA total of 156 patients, 2- to 20-years old, without evidence of structural heart disease were studied. As the left ventricular mass is related to age and gender, 52 patients with central obesity – waist circumference/height ⩾0.55 – were randomly matched for age and gender with 52 patients at risk for central obesity – waist circumference/height ⩾0.5 to <0.55 – and 52 patients with no central obesity – waist circumference/height <0.5. The left ventricular mass parameters measured by echocardiography were compared across the three groups.ResultsPatients with central obesity had significantly (p<0.05) increased Z scores for left ventricular mass, left ventricular mass/height2.7, and left ventricular mass/height1.7 compared with patients at risk for central obesity and patients with no central obesity. Z scores for left ventricular mass were higher among patients at risk for central obesity compared with patients with no central obesity.ConclusionsLeft ventricular mass data of the present study support maintaining an ideal waist circumference/height <0.5. Aggressive efforts to identify and manage patients with central obesity are warranted.
History and legend in the Jāmi` al-tawārikh: Abraham, Alexander, and Oghuz Khan
Authors: KAMOLA STEFAN 
Published: May 2015

AbstractThis article explores the historical writings of Rashid al-Din Tabib (d. 1318) as part of a programme of political legitimisation for the Mongol Ilkhans of Iran. By considering both volumes of the Jami` al-tawārikh alongside one another and in their political context, it reveals aspects of the text that get lost when the dynastic and world history are treated in isolation. Rashid al-Din's presentation of legendary figures of communal identity from Perso-Islamic and Turko-Mongol traditions responds to immediate political conflicts between his patrons and their neighbours, the Jochid Mongols of the Volga region and the Mamluks of Egypt. In the relative absence of documentary evidence, court-sponsored narrative chronicles can in this way inform our understanding of ruling ideology during the period.
Dishware size and snack food intake in a between-subjects laboratory experiment
Authors: Robinson Eric , Sheen Florence , Harrold Jo , Boyland Emma , Halford Jason CG , Masic Una 
Published: May 2015

AbstractObjectiveThe use of smaller dishware as a way of reducing food consumption has intuitive appeal and is recommended to the general public. Recent experimental studies have failed to find an effect of plate size on food intake, although the methods used across studies have varied. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect that bowl size had on snack food consumption in a ‘typical’ snacking context (snacking while watching television).DesignBetween-subjects.SettingLaboratory experiment.SubjectsSixty-one adult participants served themselves and ate popcorn while watching television. Participants were randomly assigned to serve themselves with and eat from either a small or a large bowl.ResultsThe use of a smaller bowl size did not reduce food consumption. Unexpectedly, participants in the small bowl condition tended to consume more popcorn (34·0 g) than participants in the large bowl condition (24·9 g; 37 % increase, d=0·5), although the statistical significance of this difference depended on whether analyses were adjusted to account for participant characteristics (e.g. gender) associated with food intake (P=0·02) or not (P=0·07).ConclusionsCounter to widely held belief, the use of a smaller bowl did not reduce snack food intake. Public health recommendations advising the use of smaller dishware to reduce food consumption are premature, as this strategy may not be effective.
Consumption of fruits and vegetables and probabilistic assessment of the cumulative acute exposure to organophosphorus and carbamate pesticides of schoolchildren in Slovenia
Authors: Blaznik Urška , Yngve Agneta , Eržen Ivan , Hlastan Ribič Cirila 
Published: May 2015

AbstractObjectiveAdequate consumption of fruits and vegetables is a part of recommendations for a healthy diet. The aim of the present study was to assess acute cumulative dietary exposure to organophosphorus and carbamate pesticides via fruit and vegetable consumption by the population of schoolchildren aged 11–12 years and the level of risk for their health.DesignCumulative probabilistic risk assessment methodology with the index compound approach was applied.SettingSlovenia, primary schools.SubjectsSchoolchildren (n1145) from thirty-one primary schools in Slovenia. Children were part of the PRO GREENS study 2009/10 which assessed 11-year-olds’ consumption of fruit and vegetables in ten European countries.ResultsThe cumulative acute exposure amounted to 8·3 (95 % CI 7·7, 10·6) % of the acute reference dose (ARfD) for acephate as index compound (100 µg/kg body weight per d) at the 99·9th percentile for daily intake and to 4·5 (95 % CI 3·5, 4·7) % of the ARfD at the 99·9th percentile for intakes during school time and at lunch. Apples, bananas, oranges and lettuce contributed most to the total acute pesticides intake.ConclusionsThe estimations showed that acute dietary exposure to organophosphorus and carbamate pesticides is not a health concern for schoolchildren with the assessed dietary patterns of fruit and vegetable consumption.
Evaluation outcomes of a long-running adult nutrition education programme
Authors: Pettigrew Simone , Moore Sarah , Pratt Iain S , Jongenelis Michelle 
Published: May 2015

AbstractObjectiveFor more than 20 years, the FOODcents adult nutrition education programme has been delivered to Western Australians. The aim of the programme is to provide disadvantaged individuals with the knowledge, skills and motivation to buy healthy foods on a limited budget. The present study evaluated whether the FOODcents curriculum and the way it is delivered are effective in improving participants’ nutrition-related knowledge and behaviours.DesignEvaluation data were collected via in-session pre–post questionnaires and a post-course online questionnaire.SettingWestern Australia.SubjectsData were collected from participants attending just over one-half (54 %) of the FOODcents courses conducted over the two-year evaluation period. In total, 927 course participants provided usable data.ResultsAfter exposure to the course, respondents demonstrated an improved ability to: (i) categorize foods according to the frequency with which they should be consumed and the proportion of the food budget that should be allocated to them; (ii) correctly interpret nutrition labels on food products; and (iii) appreciate the link between diet/obesity and a range of diseases. Improvements in the latter were especially pronounced among participants of low socio-economic status. In terms of behaviour change, significant improvements in fruit and vegetable consumption were reported, along with reductions in the consumption of fast food. Participants of low socio-economic status reported the greatest changes.ConclusionsThe results indicate that the FOODcents nutrition education programme improves participants’ nutrition-related knowledge and behaviours.
A Refined Single-Particle Reconstruction Procedure to Process Two-Dimensional Crystal Images from Transmission Electron Microscopy
Authors: Kuang Qie , Purhonen Pasi , Pattipaka Thirupathi , Ayele Yohannes H. , Hebert Hans , Koeck Philip J.B. 
Published: May 2015

AbstractSingle-particle reconstruction (SPR) and electron crystallography (EC), two major applications in electron microscopy, can be used to determine the structure of membrane proteins. The three-dimensional (3D) map is obtained from separated particles in conventional SPR, but from periodic unit cells in EC. Here, we report a refined SPR procedure for processing 2D crystal images. The method is applied to 2D crystals of melibiose permease, a secondary transporter inEscherichia coli. The current procedure is improved from our previously published one in several aspects. The “gold standard Fourier shell correlation” resolution of our final reconstruction reaches 13 Å, which is significantly better than the previously obtained 17 Å resolution. The choices of different refinement parameters for reconstruction are discussed. Our refined SPR procedure could be applied to determine the structure of other membrane proteins in small or locally distorted 2D crystals, which are not ideal for EC.
Can eco-labels reduce carbon emissions? Market-wide analysis of carbon labeling and locally grown fresh apples
Authors: Onozaka Yuko , Hu Wenjing , Thilmany Dawn D. 
Published: May 2015

AbstractDespite the heightened efforts to implement eco-labeling schemes as the market-based vehicle for improving environmental quality, the overall effectiveness of eco-labels are still uncertain due to complex and sometimes unexpected market responses. In this paper, we assess the overall changes in carbon emissions resulting from two types of labeling on fresh apples, carbon labels and location designation labels (e.g., locally grown), both of which can have mixed implications for carbon emissions due to fluctuating supply chain factors. We employ an equilibrium displacement model that integrates existing estimates of differences across production systems, and our own estimates of consumer responses to labels in order to simulate the changes in prices, trade flows and estimate carbon impacts across several scenarios in the US fresh apple market. We find that both labels ultimately affect market outcomes and overall carbon emissions. With location designation labels, consumers’ preference for local products leads to a net decrease in carbon emissions during the local growing season, while the interaction of various market dynamics results in a subsequent net increase in carbon emissions during the local off-season. The interaction of a carbon label with the location label lowers the overall attractiveness of products and reduces the quantity demanded, and thus, reduces the carbon emissions in both seasons. Overall, providing the location designation label increases annual carbon emissions, whereas providing both the location designation and carbon labeling decreases annual emissions. In short, the dynamics and interdependency of labeling strategies are important to consider in the context of eco-labeling.
Coping with food poverty in cities: The case of urban agriculture in Glen Norah Township in Harare
Authors: Masvaure Steven 
Published: May 2015

AbstractThe focus of this study is on urban agriculture which is a common informal sector activity across most sub-Saharan African cities. Urban agriculture is more common among poor urban households, and acts as a poverty coping mechanism. Poor households often spend more than 60% of their income on food alone. The major thrust of this study was to understand the underlying mechanisms driving farming in cities. A mixed method research approach was adopted and data was collected from 103 households in Glen Norah Township in Harare, Zimbabwe through semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and observations. Arising from analysis of the data, the Urban Livelihoods Coping Model (ULCM) is proposed in order to explain the phenomenon of urban agriculture in African cities. This model acknowledges the fact that the socio-economic conditions and the socio-historical context of Zimbabwe and other African countries today is as a result of the influence of ‘Western leaning’ development policies influenced by modernization and associated theories. These theories combined with cultural factors and the impact of Structural Adjustment Policies resulted in the present situation where urban agriculture plays a critical role in the survival of the urban poor as a coping mechanism against food poverty. The ULCM ascribes the emergence of urban agriculture to necessity, ability and opportunity. The significance of this study is that it will contribute to understanding the socio-economic role of urban agriculture and how it can be factored into the urban planning systems of developing countries.
Winter legume cover-crop root decomposition and N release dynamics under disking and roller-crimping termination approaches
Authors: Jani Arun D. , Grossman Julie , Smyth Thomas J. , Hu Shuijin 
Published: May 2015

AbstractSeveral approaches can be used to terminate legume cover crops in the spring prior to planting summer crops, but the effect that these methods have on decomposition and nitrogen (N) release dynamics of legume cover-crop roots is poorly understood. The main objectives of this study were to: (i) quantify decomposition and N release of roots from pea (Pisum sativum), clover (Trifolium incarnatum) and vetch (Vicia villosa Roth); (ii) determine if roots decompose and release N faster when cover crops are terminated by disking compared with roller-crimping; and (iii) determine if roots decompose and release N faster under higher soil inorganic N levels. Two field experiments were conducted in Goldsboro and Kinston, North Carolina in the summer of 2012. Cover crops at these sites were terminated in spring by disking or roller-crimping and planted to unirrigated corn. Air-dried roots placed in litterbags were buried in their corresponding cover-crop plots and in plots where cover crops had not been grown that had either synthetic N fertilizer added at burial or had no fertilizer addition. Root litterbags were collected over 16 weeks at both sites. Cover-crop plots terminated by disking had up to 117 and 49% higher soil inorganic N than roller-crimped plots in Goldsboro and Kinston, respectively. However, roots did not appear to contribute significantly to these increases, as measured root decomposition and N release was not affected by termination approach at either site. Roots decomposed rapidly at both sites, losing up to 65% of their original biomass within 4 weeks after burial. Root N release was also rapid at both sites, with vetch generally releasing N fastest and clover slowest. It was estimated that cover-crop roots supplied 47–62 and 19–33 kg N ha−1 during the corn cycle in Goldsboro and Kinston, respectively. Our results indicate that under the warm, humid summer conditions of the Southeastern USA, legume cover-crop roots decompose and release N rapidly.
A Portuguese Version of the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale – Short Form
Authors: Patrício Joana Nunes , Barata M. Clara , Calheiros M. Manuela , Graça João 
Published: May 2015

AbstractResearch consistently demonstrates that positive student-teacher relationships are fundamental to the healthy development of all students. However, we lack a Portuguese-validated measure of student-teacher relationships. In this article we present the adaptation procedures and the psychometric properties of a Portuguese version of the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale – Short Form (Pianta, 1992). Five hundred and thirty five teachers from 127 schools completed the STRS-SF. The results demonstrate that this adapted version of the STRS-SF has good psychometric properties, namely high reliability (α = .84 to .87) and expected construct validity, which were tested through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (χ2/df= 1.65, CFI = .96, GFI = .93, RMSEA = 0.05). This study also showed that the correlations of student-teacher relationship with students' demographic variables are consistent with the evidence in the literature about this construct. Finally, the study indicated that female teachers reported more closeness,t(530) = 4.06,p< .001 and better overall student-teacher relationships,t(530) = 4.90,p< .001. In the discussion, we analyze the implications of these results.
miR-23b-3p regulates the chemoresistance of gastric cancer cells by targeting ATG12 and HMGB2
Authors: An Y , Zhang Z , Shang Y , Jiang X , Dong J , Yu P , Nie Y , Zhao Q 
Published: May 2015

AbstractChemotherapy is an important treatment modality for gastric cancer (GC); however, it usually fails because of drug resistance, especially multidrug resistance (MDR). Previously, we found a novel subset of MDR-associated microRNAs (miRNAs) through high-throughput functional screening. In this report, we investigated the exact roles and mechanisms of miR-23b-3p in the MDR of GC. Using gain or loss-of-function in in vitro and in vivo experiments, we found that overexpression of miR-23b-3p reversed cancer cell resistance to multiple chemotherapeutics in vitro and sensitize tumors to chemotherapy in vivo. Reporter gene assay and western blot analysis showed that ATG12 and HMGB2 were the direct targets of miR-23b-3p. Meanwhile, ATG12 and HMGB2 were positively associated with the occurrence of autophagy. Reducing the expression of these target genes by siRNA or inhibition of autophagy both sensitized GC cells to chemotherapy. These findings suggest that a miR-23b-3p/ATG12/HMGB2/autophagy-regulatory loop has a critical role in MDR in GC. In addition, miR-23b-3p could be used as a prognostic factor for overall survival in GC. In conclusion, our data demonstrated that miR-23b-3p inhibited autophagy mediated by ATG12 and HMGB2 and sensitized GC cells to chemotherapy, and suggested the potential application of miR-23b-3p in drug resistance prediction and treatment.
Drosophila glucome screening identifies Ck1alpha as a regulator of mammalian glucose metabolism
Authors: Ugrankar Rupali , Berglund Eric , Akdemir Fatih , Tran Christopher , Kim Min Soo , Noh Jungsik , Schneider Rebekka , Ebert Benjamin , Graff Jonathan M. 
Published: May 2015

AbstractCirculating carbohydrates are an essential energy source, perturbations in which are pathognomonic of various diseases, diabetes being the most prevalent. Yet many of the genes underlying diabetes and its characteristic hyperglycaemia remain elusive. Here we use physiological and genetic interrogations in D. melanogaster to uncover the ‘glucome’, the complete set of genes involved in glucose regulation in flies. Partial genomic screens of ∼1,000 genes yield ∼160 hyperglycaemia ‘flyabetes’ candidates that we classify using fat body- and muscle-specific knockdown and biochemical assays. The results highlight the minor glucose fraction as a physiological indicator of metabolism in Drosophila. The hits uncovered in our screen may have conserved functions in mammalian glucose homeostasis, as heterozygous and homozygous mutants of Ck1alpha in the murine adipose lineage, develop diabetes. Our findings demonstrate that glucose has a role in fly biology and that genetic screenings carried out in flies may increase our understanding of mammalian pathophysiology.
Microscopic dynamics of synchronization in driven colloids
Authors: Juniper Michael P.N. , Straube Arthur V. , Besseling Rut , Aarts Dirk G.A.L. , Dullens Roel P.A. 
Published: May 2015

AbstractSynchronization of coupled oscillators has been scrutinized for over three centuries, from Huygens’ pendulum clocks to physiological rhythms. One such synchronization phenomenon, dynamic mode locking, occurs when naturally oscillating processes are driven by an externally imposed modulation. Typically only averaged or integrated properties are accessible, leaving underlying mechanisms unseen. Here, we visualize the microscopic dynamics underlying mode locking in a colloidal model system, by using particle trajectories to produce phase portraits. Furthermore, we use this approach to examine the enhancement of mode locking in a flexible chain of magnetically coupled particles, which we ascribe to breathing modes caused by mode-locked density waves. Finally, we demonstrate that an emergent density wave in a static colloidal chain mode locks as a quasi-particle, with microscopic dynamics analogous to those seen for a single particle. Our results indicate that understanding the intricate link between emergent behaviour and microscopic dynamics is key to controlling synchronization.
Protective efficacy of P7C3-S243 in the 6-hydroxydopamine model of Parkinson's disease
Authors: De Jesús-Cortés Héctor , Miller Adam D , Britt Jeremiah K , DeMarco Anthony J , De Jesús-Cortés Mayralis , Stuebing Emily , Naidoo Jacinth , Vázquez-Rosa Edwin , Morlock Lorraine , Williams Noelle S , Ready Joseph M , Narayanan Nandakumar S , Pieper Andrew A 
Published: May 2015

Abstract
Background:
There are currently no therapeutic options for patients with Parkinson's disease that prevent or slow the death of dopaminergic neurons. We have recently identified the novel P7C3 class of neuroprotective molecules that blocks neuron cell death.

AIMS:
The aim of this study was to determine whether treatment with highly active members of the P7C3 series blocks dopaminergic neuron cell death and associated behavioral and neurochemical deficits in the rat 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) model of Parkinson's disease.

Methods:
After unilateral injection of 6-OHDA into the median forebrain bundle, rats were assessed for behavioral function in the open field, cylinder test, and amphetamine-induced circling test. Thereafter, their brains were subjected to neurochemical and immunohistochemical analysis of dopaminergic neuron survival. Analysis was conducted as a function of treatment with P7C3 compounds, with administration initiated either before or after 6-OHDA exposure.

Results:
Animals administered P7C3-A20 or P7C3-S243, two of the most advanced agents in the P7C3 series of neuroprotective compounds, both before and after 6-OHDA exposure showed evidence of protective efficacy in all measures. When P7C3-S243 administration was initiated after 6-OHDA exposure, rats also showed protective efficacy in all measures, which included blocking dopaminergic neuron cell death in ipsilateral substantia nigra pars compacta, preservation of dopamine and its metabolites in ipsilateral striatum, and preservation of normal motor behavior.

Conclusions:
The P7C3 series of compounds may form the basis for developing new therapeutic agents for slowing or preventing progression of Parkinson's disease.