bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Structure Development in the Melt Spinning of Polypropylene/Ethylene Butene Copolymer Blends and Birefringence Suppression Effect
Authors: Yang J. , Jiang Q. , White J. L. 
Published: November 2010

Abstract
Polypropylene (PP)/ethylene butene copolymer (EBM) blends were melt-spun into fibers. The fiber orientation was determined by wide angle diffraction (WAXS) and birefringence. The birefringence of the blend fibers was much lower than that of the pure PP or EBM filaments spun at the same stresses. WAXS study showed that the PP phase had the same orientation versus stress relationship in its blends and in its pure state. However, EBM phase demonstrated much lower birefringence in its blends than in its pure state. The mechanism was explained as following. In melt spinning of the blends, the PP phase crystallized first. Before the PP phase crystallized, both PP and EBM phase had comparable modulus leading uniform stress distribution. After the PP phase crystallized, the modulus of PP phase became much larger than that of the EBM melt. Thus it would take most of the stress if it was the continuous phase leaving the EBM phase crystallizing at much lower stresses. This led to a large birefringence suppression of the EBM phase. In melt spinning of the blends with only 1 to 10 wt.% of PP, the dispersed PP phase could coalesce into a continuous surface layer. Thus small amount of PP could largely decrease the birefringence of EBM fibers.
Activation of the Interferon Pathway in Peripheral Blood of Patients with Sjögren’s Syndrome
Authors: KIMOTO OSAMU , SAWADA JIN , SHIMOYAMA KUMIKO , SUZUKI DAISUKE , NAKAMURA SATOKI , HAYASHI HIDEHARU , OGAWA NORIYOSHI 
Published: November 2010

Objective.DNA microarray analysis and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were performed to identify key target genes in peripheral blood from patients with Sjögren’s syndrome (SS).Methods.DNA microarray analysis was performed in 19 patients with SS (all women) and 10 healthy controls (5 men and 5 women) using a low-density DNA microarray system with 778 genes. For confirmation, the expression of upregulated genes was analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR in another 37 SS patients (35 women and 2 men) and 9 healthy controls (8 women and 1 man). Relationships between gene signatures and various clinical measures, such as disease duration, symptoms and signs, complications, immunological findings, and salivary and lacrimal functions, were analyzed.Results.Interferon-α (IFN-α)-inducible protein 27 (IFI27) showed the most significant difference between SS patients and controls in the microarray screening. We performed quantitative RT-PCR for IFI27. IFI27 gene expression level was increased in patients with SS compared with controls (p < 0.01) by real-time PCR, supporting our observations from the microarray data. The level of IFI27 was significantly correlated with serum IgG levels (r = 0.462, p < 0.01) and ß2-microglobulin (r = 0.385, p < 0.05), soluble interleukin 2 receptor (r = 0.473, p < 0.01), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r = 0.333, p < 0.05), and antinuclear antibody titer (speckled pattern; r = 0.445, p < 0.01).Conclusion.Our results suggest that upregulation of IFN-inducible genes in SS patients is a systemic phenomenon, and IFN may play an important role in the pathogenesis of SS. The expression level of IFI27 could be an effective and specific biomarker associated with SS.
Improvement of Thyroid Function in Hypothyroid Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis After 6 Months of Adalimumab Treatment: A Pilot Study
Authors: RATERMAN HENNIE G. , JAMNITSKI ANNA , LEMS WILLEM F. , VOSKUYL ALEXANDRE E. , DIJKMANS BEN A.C. , BOS WOUTER H. , SIMSEK SUAT , LIPS PAUL , van de STADT ROB J. , de KONING MARGRET H.M.T. , NURMOHAMED MICHAEL T. 
Published: November 2010

Objective.Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by high levels of cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF). TNF appears to have an etiologic role in thyroid dysfunction, and thyroid dysfunction is a common comorbidity in RA. Anti-TNF treatment might limit thyroid dysfunction. Thus, changes in thyroid hormones were studied during TNF-blocking therapy in patients with RA.Methods.At baseline and after 6 months’ treatment with adalimumab, thyroid function [thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (fT4), and antibodies against thyroid peroxidase (TPOabs)] were assessed in 138 consecutive adalimumab-treated patients with RA who were naive for TNF-blocking agents. Patients were categorized as hypothyroid, hyperthyroid, or euthyroid. In these groups, changes in thyroid function were determined.Results.Prevalences of hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and TPOabs were 13%, 5%, and 15%, respectively. After 6 months, TPOabs decreased from 267 to 201 IU/ml (p = 0.048). In hypothyroid patients without concomitant L-thyroxine, a trend for declining levels of TSH was observed. Subgroup analysis revealed that in patients who were hypothyroid and TPOabs-positive and L-thyroxine-naive, TSH levels decreased significantly, from 12.5 (interquartile range 6.7–18.4) to 7.1 (interquartile range 4.9–13.8) mU/l (p = 0.043).Conclusion.Anti-TNF treatment improves thyroid function in hypothyroid patients with RA (especially in those who are L-thyroxine-naive and TPOabs-positive), providing further evidence that inflammatory cytokines such as TNF have a pathogenic role in thyroid dysfunction.
Les inégalités mondiales : une réalité plurielle
Authors: Boutaud Aurélien 
Published: November 2010

Résumé Qu’entend-on par inégalités mondiales ? Les indicateurs traditionnels – PIB, indice de Gini – sont-ils pertinents pour mesurer ces dernières ? Aurélien Boutaud présente un état des lieux de ces inégalités, en montrant qu’on ne saurait les appréhender sans insuffler une dimension écologique et politique au regard que l’on peut porter sur elles. C’est en effet sous l’angle des inégalités écologiques que se donne à lire la persistance du rapport colonial que le Nord entretient avec le Sud.
Heterogeneity between Ducts of the Same Nuclear Grade Involved by Duct CarcinomaIn Situ(DCIS) of the Breast
Authors: Miller Naomi A. , Chapman Judith-Anne W. , Qian Jin , Christens-Barry William A. , Fu Yuejiao , Yuan Yan , Lickley H. Lavina A. , Axelrod David E. 
Published: November 2010

PurposeNuclear grade of breast DCIS is considered during patient management decision-making although it may have only a modest prognostic association with therapeutic outcome. We hypothesized that visual inspection may miss substantive differences in nuclei classified as having the same nuclear grade. To test this hypothesis, we measured subvisual nuclear features by quantitative image cytometry for nuclei with the same grade, and tested for statistical differences in these features.Experimental design and statistical analysisThirty-nine nuclear digital image features of about 100 nuclei were measured in digital images of H<E stained slides of 81 breast biopsy specimens. One field with at least 5 ducts was evaluated for each patient. We compared features of nuclei with the same grade in multiple ducts of the same patient with ANOVA (or Welch test), and compared features of nuclei with the same grade in two ducts of different patients using 2-sided t-tests ( P ≤ 0.05). Also, we compared image features for nuclei in patients with single grade to those with the same grade in patients with multiple grades using t-tests.ResultsStatistically significant differences were detected in nuclear features between ducts with the same nuclear grade, both in different ducts of the same patient, and between ducts in different patients with DCIS of more than one grade.ConclusionNuclei in ducts visually described as having the same nuclear grade had significantly different subvisual digital image features. These subvisual differences may be considered additional manifestations of heterogeneity over and above differences that can be observed microscopically. This heterogeneity may explain the inconsistency of nuclear grading as a prognostic factor.
Blasted Cell Line Names
Authors: Wang Jing , Byers Lauren A. , Yordy John S. , Liu Wenbin , Shen Li , Baggerly Keith A. , Giri Uma , Myers Jeffrey N. , Ang K. Kian , Story Michael D. , Girard Luc , Minna John D. , Heymach John V. , Coombes Kevin R. 
Published: November 2010

Background While trying to integrate multiple data sets collected by different researchers, we noticed that the sample names were frequently entered inconsistently. Most of the variations appeared to involve punctuation, white space, or their absence, at the juncture between alphabetic and numeric portions of the cell line name. Results Reasoning that the variant names could be described in terms of mutations or deletions of character strings, we implemented a simple version of the Needleman-Wunsch global sequence alignment algorithm and applied it to the cell line names. All correct matches were found by this procedure. Incorrect matches only occured when a cell line was present in one data set but not in the other. The raw match scores tended to be substantially worse for the incorrect matches. Conclusions A simple application of the Needleman-Wunsch global sequence alignment algorithm provides a useful first pass at matching sample names from different data sets.
Estimating Shared Copy Number Aberrations for Array CGH Data: The Linear-Median Method
Authors: Lin Y.-X. , Baladandayuthapani V. , Bonato V. , Do K.-A. 
Published: November 2010

Motivation Existing methods for estimating copy number variations in array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) data are limited to estimations of the gain/loss of chromosome regions for single sample analysis. We propose the linear-median method for estimating shared copy numbers in DNA sequences across multiple samples, demonstrate its operating characteristics through simulations and applications to real cancer data, and compare it to two existing methods. Results Our proposed linear-median method has the power to estimate common changes that appear at isolated single probe positions or very short regions. Such changes are hard to detect by current methods. This new method shows a higher rate of true positives and a lower rate of false positives. The linear-median method is non-parametric and hence is more robust in estimating copy number. Additionally the linear-median method is easily computable for practical aCGH data sets compared to other copy number estimation methods.
State Legislative Support for Parks
Authors: Kruger Judy , Lankford Tina , schmid Tom 
Published: November 2010

Background Parks are important venues that can encourage population-level physical activity, and policy legislation can facilitate or discourage physical activity and other park uses, depending on the type and level of support. This study aims to summarize the status and content of state-level park-related legislation. Methods We searched for eligible legislation from 2001-2007 in two data sources, CDC's Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Legislative Database and Lexis-Nexis, using the key words conservation, growth management/land use, parks, recreation, preservation, path, green space, or open space. State legislation was categorized into seven broad topic areas and analyzed by number introduced and passed (enacted as law), by state and category. Results States varied in the number and type of park-related legislation introduced and passed. Common categories of introduced park-related state legislation were preservation or conservation (n = 26, 9 passed), funding (n = 43, 10 passed), creation or acquisition of park land (n = 53, 9 passed), safety and liability (n = 34, 5 passed), accessibility (n = 20, 2 passed), outreach (n = 15, 2 passed), and outdoor activities (n = 13, 2 passed). Conclusion During 2001 to 2007, 19% of park-related state legislation was enacted. Research on legislative policy is an emerging field, and more information on the content of park-related legislation could assist states in their efforts to promote physical activity in park venues.
Effectiveness of Cheek and Jaw Support to Improve Feeding Performance of Preterm Infants
Authors: Hwang Yea-Shwu , Lin Chyi-Her , Coster Wendy J. , Bigsby Rosemarie , Vergara Elsie 
Published: November 2010

AbstractOBJECTIVE. We examined the effects of cheek and jaw support on the feeding ability of inefficient feeders born prematurely.METHOD. Twenty preterm infants served as their own controls. Each infant received either intervention (feeding with oral support) or control (feeding without oral support) for 2 consecutive feedings per day on 2 consecutive days.RESULTS. Infants displayed a greater intake rate during the intervention feedings, both during the first 5 min (p = .046) and throughout the entire feeding (p = .023). The percentage of leakage during the first 5-min feeding was smaller in the intervention condition than in the control condition (p = .040). No significant differences were found between the two conditions in the sucking, physiological, and alertness variables.CONCLUSION. Findings confirm oral support as a safe and effective strategy to improve the feeding performance of preterm infants who are poor feeders.
Pattern Matching Organisational Cultures
Authors: Burchell Noel , Kolb Darl 
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACTThere are numerous methods of organisational cultural analysis, ranging from quantitative surveys with structured questions that are relatively quick to complete, to in-depth qualitative ethnographic studies that are more thorough, yet very time-consuming. Concept Mapping and Pattern Matching are two research techniques that combine the strengths of interpretive (emic) methods with some of the efficiencies of survey (etic) research. While Trochim's Concept Mapping technique has been previously employed in a study of organisational culture, Pattern Matching has not. The results of a study employing Trochim's Pattern Matching technique suggest that it can be a useful tool for an in-depth analysis of organisational culture. In particular, visual pattern ‘matches’ and ‘mismatches’ of cultural elements were portrayed for interpretation.
Board Structure and Firm Performance: Evidence from Australia
Authors: Bonn Ingrid 
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACTThe influence of corporate governance on firm performance has been discussed for a number of years, but mainly in a United States and European business context. This article investigates the composition of boards of directors in large Australian firms and analyses whether board structure has an impact on performance, as measured by return on equity and market-to-book value ratio. The results showed that outsider ratio and female director ratio were positively associated with firm performance, whereas board size and directors' age had no influence on firm performance.
Introduction to the Theory and Instrumentation for Vibrational Spectroscopy
Authors: Griffiths Peter R. 
Published: November 2010

Abstract
The theory of infrared and Raman spectroscopy is introduced, including factors that control the frequency, intensity, and shape of bands in these spectra. Factors that determine the quantitative aspects of vibrational spectroscopy, including Beer's law, the complex refractive index, and the effect of polarized radiation, are discussed. Finally, the instrumentation for mid‐infrared, near‐infrared, and Raman spectroscopy is discussed.
Vibrational Spectroscopy: Sampling Techniques and Fiber‐Optic Probes
Authors: Chalmers John M. , Griffiths Peter R. 
Published: November 2010

AbstractThis chapter focuses on the sampling techniques, their attributes and limitations, associated with the vibrational spectroscopic analysis and characterization of foodstuffs and beverages. Near‐ and mid‐infrared techniques covered include transmission, internal, external and diffuse reflection, interactance, and photoacoustic spectroscopy. Both macro‐ and micro‐sampling infrared and Raman spectroscopic techniques are discussed, and mapping and imaging approaches for each considered. The chapter closes with a discussion on the use and type of fiber‐optic probes with near‐ and mid‐infrared and Raman spectroscopy.
Chemometrics in Biospectroscopy
Authors: Kohler Achim , Kristian Afseth Nils , Martens Harald 
Published: November 2010

AbstractVibrational spectroscopic techniques have been used for decades for predicting chemical composition of biological samples. For the establishment of prediction models, multivariate calibration techniques are often applied, since the use of single variables or combinations of few variables are not sufficient or robust enough. Multivariate techniques need to handle covariation among variables. We observe an especially high degree of covariation between variables in vibrational spectroscopy: Covariation is present (i) among neighbouring channels providing signals from the same spectral band, (ii) among spectral bands that are due to the same chemical bond, and (iii) finally among chemical bonds that arise from the same biomolecule. Consequently, the underlying dimensions in a given data set are rather few compared to the number of variables (channels) measured, also in cases where the number of samples is quite large. Multivariate methods based on latent variables that relate directly to underlying phenomena and mechanisms, are especially popular in vibrational spectroscopy. By using latent variables, the variations of objects can be studied with respect to these underlying phenomena and variation patterns can be studied in the light of chemical bonds and biomolecules.Another data modeling issue relates to the preprocessing of spectra: Vibrational spectra of biological materials are plagued by unwanted variability effects such as scatter effects in infrared spectroscopy or fluorescence effects in Raman spectroscopy. Calibration models often become simpler and even better when these effects are removed from the spectra before the calibration model is established. In addition, the interpretation of the results in terms of chemical bands is simpler and more reliable when the spectra are preprocessed.In this chapter, several issues related to data analysis of vibrational spectra of biological samples are discussed: (i) model‐based preprocessing techniques based on extended multiplicative signal correction (EMSC) are presented. Different variants of EMSC are discussed and a new extension of EMSC especially suited for the correction of fluorescence effects in Raman spectroscopy is introduced. (ii) Different aspects related to multivariate calibration and classification are discussed with a special focus on partial least squares regression (PLSR) and validation.
Infrared Imaging: Principles and Practices
Authors: Sedman Jacqueline , Ghetler Andrew , Enfield Alexander , Ismail Ashraf A. 
Published: November 2010

AbstractInfrared imaging allows the versatility and the vast information content of infrared spectroscopic techniques to be brought to bear on the chemical characterization of a large variety of ”real‐world“ samples, ranging from biological tissue and cells to manufactured products. In this chapter, the ways in which infrared images are acquired, processed, and interpreted are discussed, with a particular focus on FT‐IR imaging microspectroscopy using MCT focal‐plane‐array detectors. Four categories of infrared imaging applications are presented to illustrate the present and future scope of this relatively new and rapidly evolving technology.
Raman Spectroscopic Imaging
Authors: Treado Patrick J. , Priore Ryan J. , Nelson Matthew P. 
Published: November 2010

AbstractRaman imaging instrumentation has advanced significantly since the first Raman images were obtained nearly three decades ago. Substantial improvements have been made in point scan, line scan, and widefield Raman imaging platform designs. The focus of this chapter is on Raman imaging instrumentation with respect to food science applications. Current technological approaches used in Raman imaging instrumentation, Raman instrumentation platform types, signal‐enhanced Raman instrumentation, tandem Raman imaging instruments that benefit from orthogonal information obtained from multiple sensor types, and how to assess performance of a Raman imaging instrument are detailed with food science examples. Raman imaging instruments are the tools used to determine where molecular‐specific Raman scatter arises in highly heterogeneous materials. These instruments are used to generate hundreds, thousands, or even millions of independent, spatially resolved Raman spectra from the material of interest. The resulting hyperspectral data cube consists of a series of wavelength‐specific images where each pixel contains a Raman spectrum associated with the material imaged at that location. The Raman spectra in the hypercube are processed to reveal image contrast that is chemical specific without the need for stains, dyes, or contrast agents. Consequently, there is often a reduced burden or even no need for sample preparation unlike many other material analysis tools.
Surface‐EnhancedRaman Spectroscopy: Theory and Application to the Analysis of Chlorpyrifos in Orange Juice
Authors: Shende Chetan , Inscore Frank , Sengupta Atanu , Farquharson Stuart 
Published: November 2010

AbstractPesticides are required to increase crop yields and volumes to feed the growing world use population. Unfortunately, many developing countries use an excess of pesticides or those which are banned. Nearly half of the fruit consumed in the USA is imported, and it is estimated that 5% exceeds acceptable pesticide levels. Less than 1% of the food is tested because methods are slow and the equipment is restricted to the laboratory. This chapter describes the use of surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy to perform field measurements of pesticides in fruit. Raman spectroscopy provides the necessary specificity to distinguish the numerous pesticides in use, while surface enhancement using silver nanoparticles provides the necessary part‐per‐billion sensitivity. A simple SERS‐active sampling device and field‐usable Raman analyzer were used to measure 50 ppb chlorpyrifos in orange juice within 10 min. This chapter also includes a brief description of SERS theory.
Application of Vibrational Spectroscopy for the Study of Heat‐Induced Changes in Food Components
Authors: Rubio‐Diaz Daniel E. , Rodriguez‐Saona Luis E. 
Published: November 2010

Abstract
Vibrational spectroscopic techniques, including Mid‐IR, NIR, and Raman spectroscopy, are valuable tools for the study of chemical modifications in food constituents. Advances in instrumentation combined with the development of powerful multivariate data analysis make this technology ideal for understanding the effect of heat in major and minor food components. The aim of this review is to compile the current research on applications of spectroscopy to provide detailed information of chemical and structural changes induced by heat treatment based on variations and evolution of vibrational spectra.