bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Improving bioethanol production by increasing sugar beet crop yield.
Authors: Belboom S. , Léonard A. 
Published: March 2012

Abstract
This review presents a summary of published papers on the improvement of sugar beet yield and its transformation into bioethanol. After describing the current political and economic context of sugar beet production, the influence of factors during crop growth is considered. The main factor influencing the crop yield and consequently the bioethanol yield is weather variability. Other parameters such as climate change, fertilizer and crop management are noted and explained in further paragraphs. Irrigation is required in semi-arid countries and plays a role in the different results achieved. After the overview of the crop growth conditions, sugar beet transformation into bioethanol is outlined with reference to the most critical steps, the different raw materials derived from sugar beet and the optimal parameters for obtaining the highest possible yield in terms of bioethanol. With regard to the economics on bioenergy production, the goal is to obtain the highest yield possible in terms of sugar beet, sugar and then bioethanol. Some savings can be made via energy reduction during the fermentation or distillation steps. There is no single way to reach this goal because of the variability of the parameters, depending on the location and on the variability of weather.
Transgenesis in animal agriculture and zoonotic disease resistance.
Authors: Greger M. 
Published: March 2012

Abstract
In 2009, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released guidelines for the commercialization of genetically engineered (GE) farm animals. Numerous applications for approval of transgenic species are currently pending. Anthropocentric concerns raised to date have tended to neglect the impact of the physiological trade-off between production efficiency and immune function. Given animal agriculture's track record of prioritizing productivity - even at the expense of animal health - the incorporation of biotechnological tools to further stress production towards biological limits may continue to undermine immunocompetence. Regulatory schemata to avert adverse public health outcomes are discussed. Given the rising incidence of zoonotic disease associated with livestock industry intensification noted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, increased scrutiny should be given to any technology that may further erode farm animal disease resistance.
Pathology of Ocular Lesions Associated with Gas Supersaturation in White Seabass
Authors: Smiley Jeffrey E. , Okihiro Mark S. , Drawbridge Mark A. , Kaufmann Ronald S. 
Published: March 2012

Abstract
Cultured juvenile white seabass Atractoscion nobilis (WSB) can suffer from intraocular emphysemas and exophthalmia in the hatchery environment. To identify the cause, two size-groups of WSB were exposed to five gas saturation levels, ranging from 98% to 122% total gas pressure (TGP), over a 96-h exposure period in 18°C and 23°C seawater. Histological examination revealed that the gross and subgross lesions associated with gas supersaturation included corneal and orbital emphysema, along with subretinal, optic nerve, and iridial hemorrhage. Corneal emphysema was the most prominent gross lesion, with the severity and prevalence increasing between size-groups and water temperatures as TGP increased. Following the same pattern was orbital emphysema, which affected more than 93% of the fish examined and caused hemorrhage in the subretinal space, around the optic nerve, in the iris, or a combination thereof. Iridial hemorrhage occurred in 91% of the fish examined and decreased significantly with fish size. The prevalence and severity of hemorrhage in the subretinal space increased significantly with TGP and fish size but not with temperature. Optic nerve hemorrhage was absent in small fish exposed at 18°C but increased significantly with temperature and fish size. The reverse was true for the large fish.
Received January 28, 2011; accepted October 16, 2011
New approach for sustaining energetic, efficient and scalable non-equilibrium plasma in water vapours at atmospheric pressure
Authors: Malik Muhammad Arif , Schoenbach Karl H 
Published: March 2012

Abstract
Energetic and scalable non-equilibrium plasma was formed in pure water vapour at atmospheric pressure between wire-to-strip electrodes on a dielectric surface with one of the electrodes extended forming a conductive plane on the back side of the dielectric surface. The energy deposition increased by an order of magnitude compared with the conventional pulsed corona discharges under the same conditions. The scalability was demonstrated by operating two electrode assemblies with a common conductive plane between two dielectric layers. The energy yields for hydrogen and hydrogen peroxide generation were measured as ∼1.2 g H2/kWh and ∼4 g H2O2/kWh.
Porous ZnO nanonetworks grown by molecular beam epitaxy
Authors: Lee W C T , Kendrick C E , Millane R P , Liu Z , Ringer S P , Washburn K , Callaghan P T , Durbin S M 
Published: March 2012

Plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy was employed to create porous nanonetworks of ZnO directly on GaN epilayers without the use of catalysts or templates. Detailed analysis of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of both as-grown and etched samples reveals that the typical porous nanonetwork structure is multilayered, and suggests that dislocations originating at the GaN/sapphire heterointerface and/or defects characterizing an unusually rough GaN surface are responsible. The pore size distribution of the nanonetwork was measured using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) cryoporometry. A bimodal pore size distribution centred at 4 nm and 70 nm, respectively, was observed, consistent with the existence of small nanoscale pores in the bulk of the sample, and large open pores on the surface of the porous nanonetwork as observed by SEM.
Hexagonal boron nitride nanowalls: physical vapour deposition, 2D/3D morphology and spectroscopic analysis
Authors: BenMoussa B , D'Haen J , Borschel C , Barjon J , Soltani A , Mortet V , Ronning C , D'Olieslaeger M , Boyen H-G , Haenen K 
Published: March 2012

Abstract
Hexagonal boron nitride nanowalls were synthesized using reactive radio-frequency magnetron sputtering in combination with a hexagonal BN target. The nanowall formation is purely governed by addition of hydrogen to the nitrogen/argon gas mixture, and leads to a decreased incorporation of carbon and oxygen impurities. The surface morphology is assessed with scanning electron microscopy, while stoichiometry and reduced impurity content of the material was evidenced using Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy. Transmission electron microscopy confirms the hexagonal nature of the nanowalls, whose luminescent properties are studied with cathodoluminescence spectroscopy, shedding more light on the location and nature of the excitonic emission and crystalline quality of the h-BN nanowalls.
Real-time PCR Detection of Rhodococcus fascians and Discovery of New Plants Associated with R. fascians in Pennsylvania
Authors: Nikolaeva Ekaterina V. , Kang Seogchan , Olson Tracey N. , Kim SeongHwan 
Published: March 2012

Rhodococcus fascians is a gram-positive bacterium that causes bacterial fasciation on a wide range of ornamental plants. To address the need for a reliable, sensitive, and specific method for detecting R. fascians in infected plant materials, a real-time (RT) PCR assay was developed. The target for detection was fas-1, a plasmid-borne gene that is essential for virulence. DNAs from all confirmed pathogenic strains of R. fascians consistently tested positive, with detection limit of 30 fg of R. fascians DNA. In repeated PCR experiments with R. fascians pure culture, as few as 2.5 CFU were tested positive. Direct detection of R. fascians from clinical samples of Coreopsis was successful, whereas detection of R. fascians in Chrysanthemum, Pelargonium, Phlox, and Veronica required enrichment on modified D2 (mD2) medium. In the case of geraniums, as few as 102 CFU/100 mg plant tissues were successfully detected after 72 h enrichment on mD2. In total, 115 strains, isolated from 41 different kinds of flowering crops in Pennsylvania greenhouses during 1984-2010, were confirmed to be R. fascians by RT PCR. Geraniums and speedwell were the most frequently submitted clinical samples to Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. The following are the first report of plants associated with R. fascians in PA: Ajania pacifica, Anemone sp., Aruncus sp., Baptisia sp., Eutrochium maculatum, Helianthemum sp., Lewisia sp., Monarda sp., Osteospermum ecklonis, Rudbeckia nitida, and Saponaria ocymoides. Accepted for publication 30 November 2011. Published 27 February 2012.
Peanut Genotype and Seeding Rate Effects on Spotted Wilt
Authors: Culbreath A. K. , Branch W. D. , Beasley J. P. , Tubbs R. S. , Holbrook C. C. 
Published: March 2012

Establishing high plant populations helps suppress epidemics of spotted wilt, caused by Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.). However, seed costs make it desirable to minimize seeding rates used. To determine whether new resistant genotypes can allow use of reduced seeding rates, field experiments were conducted at Tifton, GA, in 2008-2009 in which seven genotypes were combined factorially with two seeding rates, 9.8 and 19.7 seed/m of row. Genotypes included three cultivars (Georgia Green, Georgia-01R, and Georgia-02C) and four advanced breeding lines (GA 052524, GA 052527, GA 052529, and C724-19-25). Across years and genotypes, final incidences of spotted wilt and standardized areas under the spotted wilt disease progress curves were lower, and yields were higher in all other cultivars and breeding lines than in the moderately TSWV-resistant cultivar Georgia Green. Final incidence of spotted wilt was lower in GA 052527 and GA 052529 than in any of the cultivar standards, and yields of all four breeding lines were higher than for any of the three cultivars. Across genotypes, final incidence of spotted wilt and standardized areas under the spotted wilt disease progress curves were lower and yield was higher for the 19.8 seed/m treatment than the 9.8 seed/m. Accepted for publication 30 November 2011. Published 27 February 2012.
Different incidences of epigenetic but not genetic abnormalities between Wilms tumors in Japanese and Caucasian children
Authors: Haruta Masayuki , Arai Yasuhito , Watanabe Naoki , Fujiwara Yuiko , Honda Shohei , Ohshima Junjiro , Kasai Fumio , Nakadate Hisaya , Horie Hiroshi , Okita Hajime , Hata Jun‐Ichi , Fukuzawa Masahiro , Kaneko Yasuhiko 
Published: March 2012

Epidemiological studies show that the incidence of Wilms tumor (WT) in East‐Asian children is half of that in Caucasian children. Abnormalities of WT1, CTNNB1, WTX, and IGF2 were reported to be involved in Wilms tumorigenesis in Caucasians, although none of the studies simultaneously evaluated the four genes. WTX forms the β‐catenin degradation complex; however, the relationship between WTX abnormality and CTNNB1 mutation was uncertain in WTs. We examined abnormalities of the four genes in 114 Japanese with WTs to clarify the relationship between genetic and epigenetic factors and the incidence of WTs. We found that abnormalities of WTX and CTNNB1 were mutually exclusive, and that although CTNNB1 mutation was frequent in WTs with WT1 abnormality, but rare in WTs without, the incidences of WTX abnormality were similar between WTs with or without WT1 abnormality. These findings were consistent with those reported in Caucasian populations, and indicate multiple roles of WTX abnormality. Abnormalities of WT1, WTX and CTNNB1, and loss of IGF2 imprinting (LOI) were detected in 31.6%, 22.8%, 26.3%, and 21.1% of the 114 WTs, respectively. When we selected 101 sporadic WTs, the incidences of WT1, CTNNB1, or WTX abnormality were generally comparable between the two populations, whereas the incidence of IGF2 LOI was lower in Japanese than that of IGF2 LOI reported in Caucasians (P = 0.04). This is the first comprehensive study of the four genes, and the results supported the hypothesis that the lower incidence of IGF2 LOI contributes to the lower incidence of WTs in Japanese children. (Cancer Sci 2012; 103: 1129–1135)
Associations between self‐reported illness and non‐drinking in young adults
Authors: Ng Fat Linda , Shelton Nicola 
Published: March 2012

ABSTRACTAims  This study investigated associations between self‐reported illness, social factors and health behaviours and non‐drinking among young people aged 18–34 years.Design  Logistic regression analysis of cross‐sectional national survey data, collected from the Health Survey for England 2006 and 2008. Data were collected through face‐to‐face interviews and are self‐reported.Participants and settings  A total of 2826 male and 3618 females aged 18–34 years drawn from a nationally representative multi‐stage stratified probability sampling design across England.Measurements  Non‐drinkers were based on those who reported ‘no’ to drinking alcohol currently. Exposure measures included self‐reports of having a limiting long‐standing illness, long‐standing illness or self‐reported poor health. We adjusted for ethnicity, income, education, general physical activity and other factors.Findings  Having a limiting long‐standing illness during early adulthood increased the odds of being a non‐drinker 1.74 times for men (P < 0.01) and 1.45 times for women (P < 0.01). In both men and women belonging to the lowest income quintile or having no qualifications was associated with increased odds of being a non‐drinker (P < 0.001), indicating that the social gradient in non‐drinking begins at an early age. Men and women aged 18–34 years with the lowest activity levels were also more likely to be non‐drinkers (P < 0.01).Conclusion  Young adults who have a limiting long‐standing illness are more likely not to drink alcohol even after adjusting for a range of social and demographic measures. Studies on the putative health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption later in life need to take account of early life history.
Quantitative trait loci analysis of a Duroc commercial population highlights differences in the genetic determination of meat quality traits at two different muscles
Authors: Gallardo D. , Pena R. N. , Quintanilla R. , Ramírez O. , Almuzara D. , Noguera J. L. , Amills M. 
Published: March 2012

SummaryWe performed a whole‐genome scan with 110 informative microsatellites in a commercial Duroc population for which growth, fatness, carcass and meat quality phenotypes were available. Importantly, meat quality traits were recorded in two different muscles, that is, gluteus medius (GM) and longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL), to find out whether these traits are determined by muscle‐specific genetic factors. At the whole‐population level, three genome‐wide QTL were identified for carcass weight (SSC7, 60 cM), meat redness (SSC13, 84 cM) and yellowness (SSC15, 108 cM). Within‐family analyses allowed us to detect genome‐wide significant QTL for muscle loin depth between the 3rd and 4th ribs (SSC15, 54 cM), backfat thickness (BFT) in vivo (SSC10, 58 cM), ham weight (SSC9, 69 cM), carcass weight (SSC7, 60 cM; SSC9, 68 cM), BFT on the last rib (SSC11, 48 cM) and GM redness (SSC8, 85 cM; SSC13, 84 cM). Interestingly, there was low positional concordance between meat quality QTL maps obtained for GM and LTL. As a matter of fact, the three genome‐wide significant QTL for colour traits (SSC8, SSC13 and SSC15) that we detected in our study were all GM specific. This result suggests that QTL effects might be modulated to a certain extent by genetic and environmental factors linked to muscle function and anatomical location.
Correlation of TSH with the risk of paediatric thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Chiu Harvey K. , Sanda Srinath , Fechner Patricia Y. , Pihoker Catherine 
Published: March 2012

SummaryObjectiveRisk factors for the rare and unique entity of paediatric thyroid cancer are becoming more clearly defined. This study investigated the association of thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH) with the diagnosis of differentiated thyroid carcinoma in the paediatric population. No previous studies have correlated the paediatric thyroid cancer risk with TSH levels.DesignRetrospective case‐controlled study.PatientsA total of 116 paediatric patients with an indication for thyroidectomy referred to Seattle Children's Hospital, a major paediatric tertiary medical centre, between January 1997 and January 2011 were assessed. Excluding confounders that would directly affect TSH values, 78 patients (29 patients with and 49 patients without thyroid cancer) between the ages of 3 and 20 years were evaluated.MeasurementsPreoperative TSH values correlated with pathology review of en bloc resected thyroid tissue specimens.ResultsThe diagnosis of paediatric thyroid carcinoma was significantly associated with elevated TSH levels. The average TSH level (2·32 ± 0·51 mIU/l) was significantly greater than the TSH level (1·08 ± 0·14 mIU/l) noted in patients without malignancy (P = 0·03). A rightward skew of TSH was associated with paediatric patients harbouring paediatric thyroid carcinoma, with a TSH level ≥2·50 mIU/l correlating with a significantly increased odds ratio of thyroid cancer (OR 8·05, 95% CI 1·41–81·39, P = 0·0073) relative to a normal TSH range of 0·40–2·49 mIU/l.ConclusionsPaediatric thyroid carcinoma is associated with TSH level ≥ 2·50 mIU/l, which may be useful to identify a higher risk of malignancy in a paediatric patient with a thyroid nodule.
Twenty‐four/seven: a mixed‐method systematic review of the off‐shift literature
Authors: de Cordova Pamela B. , Phibbs Ciaran S. , Bartel Ann P. , Stone Patricia W. 
Published: March 2012

de cordova p.b., phibbs c. s., bartel a.p. & stone p.w. (2012) Twenty‐four/seven: a mixed‐method systematic review of the off‐shift literature. Journal of Advanced Nursing68(7), 1454–1468.AbstractAim.  This article is a report of a review that aimed to synthesize qualitative and quantitative evidence of ‘off‐shifts’ (nights, weekends and/or holidays) on quality and employee outcomes in hospitals.Background.  Healthcare workers provide 24‐hour‐a‐day, 7‐day‐a‐week service. Quality and employee outcomes may differ on off‐shifts as compared to regular hours.Data sources.  Searches for studies occurred between the years 1985–2011 using computerized databases including Business Source Complete, EconLit, ProQuest, PubMed and MEDLINE.Review design and methods.  Design was a mixed‐method systematic review with quantitative and qualitative studies. To be included, studies met the following criteria: (1) the independent variable was an off‐shift; (2) the article was a research study and peer‐reviewed; (3) the article could be obtained in English; and (4) the article pertained to health care. Studies were not excluded on design.Results.  Sixty studies were included. There were 37 quality outcome, 19 employee outcome and four qualitative studies. In the quality outcome studies, researchers often used quantitative, longitudinal study designs with large sample sizes. Researchers found important differences between patients admitted on weekends and mortality. Important differences were also found between nighttime birth and mortality and rotating night work and fatigue, stress and low mental well‐being. Most studies (9 of 12) did not find an important association between patients admitted at night and mortality.Conclusion.  Patient outcomes on weekends and employee outcomes at night are worse than during the day. It is important to further investigate why care on off‐shifts differs from weekly day shifts.
A minor pest reduces yield losses by a major pest: plant‐mediated herbivore interactions in Indonesian cacao
Authors: Wielgoss Arno , Clough Yann , Fiala Brigitte , Rumede Alfianus , Tscharntke Teja 
Published: March 2012

Summary1. Herbivores inducing host‐plant trait changes can indirectly affect the performance, distribution, abundance and behaviour of other herbivores, even when they are temporally or spatially separated. However, it is unclear whether this occurs at scales relevant for applied purposes such as pest control in agricultural crops.2. We studied the indirect effects of a minor pest, the mirid bug Helopeltis sulawesi, on the major pest of cacao Theobroma cacao in Southeast Asia, the pod‐boring moth Conopomorpha cramerella. For 2 years, we surveyed herbivore damage and yield in 10 focal trees in each of the 43 cacao plantations and analysed patterns of co‐occurrence of the two herbivores. In a two‐choice experiment, we tested whether gravid females of C. cramerella searching for oviposition sites discriminate against pods damaged by H. sulawesi.3. The proportion of pods affected by both pest species was significantly lower than expected. This pattern could not be ascribed to differential responses to environmental or management variables, but was because of avoidance of H. sulawesi damage by ovipositing C. cramerella females as shown in a two‐choice experiment. The reduction in co‐occurrence of damage by the two herbivores was found at tree and at plot scale and held across three harvest seasons.4. The differential yield impacts by the two herbivores and the avoidance by C. cramerella of pods damaged by H. sulawesi lead to a yield optimum at a H. sulawesi incidence of 51%.5. Synthesis and application. Plant‐mediated indirect interactions between minor and major pest insects can be important drivers of yield loss at agriculturally relevant spatial and temporal scales. In cacao, the mirid bug H. sulawesi, a minor pest, generates conspicuous damage which often triggers pest control with insecticides. This practice may be counterproductive, because decreasing H. sulawesi damage benefits the main pest, the cacao pod borer C. cramerella resulting in a marketable yield optimum at intermediate densities of the minor pest. Pest control recommendations should take into account the relative effect of control measures on interacting herbivores to avoid replacing one pest problem with another, potentially more serious one, during the course of a fruiting season.
Prenatal predictors for father–infant attachment after childbirth
Authors: Yu Ching‐Yun , Hung Chich‐Hsiu , Chan Te‐Fu , Yeh Ching‐Hsueh , Lai Chien‐Yu 
Published: March 2012

Aims and objectives.  This study aims to assess expectant fathers’ social support, marital intimacy and health status during the third trimester of their partners’ pregnancies. Further, we investigate the predictors of father–infant attachment after childbirth.Background.  Becoming a father is a transition. Research has focused more on mothers than on fathers, even though the philosophy of the maternal care system is about providing family‐centred care. The psychological status of first‐time fathers and the attachment they have to their infants have received little attention in the research.Design.  A repeated measures study design.Methods.  A total of 195 first‐time fathers were recruited during the third trimester of their partners’ pregnancies. During that time, they completed the Social Support Scale, the Marital Intimacy Scale and the Chinese Health Questionnaire. After childbirth, they completed the Paternal Attachment Inventory during the one‐week postpartum period.Results.  The fathers who perceived more marital intimacy and support from their partners were more attached to their infants. Moreover, marital intimacy and partner support were important predictors for father–infant attachment.Conclusions.  Future research is warranted to determine the prenatal predictors of father–infant attachment for high‐risk families.Relevance to clinical practice.  The philosophy of maternal care is family oriented; for health professionals, pregnancy is an important time to provide information and counsel couples. Interventions should not only target the health and well‐being of expectant mothers but should also actively invite fathers to participate in prenatal care with their partners to facilitate marital intimacy and father–infant attachment.