bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Averaged shifted histogram
Authors: Scott David W. 
Published: December 2009

AbstractThe averaged shifted histogram or ASH is a nonparametric probability density estimator derived from a collection of histograms. The ASH enjoys several advantages compared with a single histogram: better visual interpretation, better approximation, and nearly the same computational efficiency. The ASH provides a bridge between the histogram and advanced kernel methods; moreover, the ASH provides a method of choice for kernel implementation. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.This article is categorized under:

Statistical and Graphical Methods of Data Analysis > Density Estimation
Erratum to: Quantitative Adjustment of the Influence of Depression on the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) Questionnaire
Authors: Lozano-Calderón Santiago A. , Zurakowski David , Davis James S. , Ring David 
Published: December 2009

Please note these corrections. The institution where the investigation was performed should be “Hand and Upper Extremity Service, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Yawkey Center Suite 2100, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA” and not “Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, New York Medical College, Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, NY, USA”. The last name of the first author is “Lozano-Calderón” not “Calderón”.
Transcriptional Profiling of Rice Leaves Undergoing a Hypersensitive Response Like Reaction Induced by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae Cellulase
Authors: Jha Gopaljee , Patel Hitendra Kumar , Dasgupta Madhumita , Palaparthi Ramesh , Sonti Ramesh V. 
Published: December 2009

Abstract
A secreted cellulase of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae induces innate immune responses in rice including a hypersensitive response (HR) like reaction. Microarray analysis was conducted using RNA isolated 12 h following ClsA treatment of leaves. BLAST searches were performed for the 267 (152 up- and 115 downregulated) differentially expressed (≥2-fold) genes. A number of defense and stress-response functions are upregulated while a number of functions involved in metabolism and transport are downregulated following induction of HR. A significant proportion of the differentially expressed genes (41/267) are predicted to encode transcription factors. Co-infiltration of X. oryzae pv. oryzae suppresses ClsA-induced expression of two transcription factors, OsAP2/ethylene response factor (ERF) and OsRERJ1, that are predicted to be involved in the jasmonic-acid-mediated defense pathway. Transient transfer of OsAP2/ERF via Agrobacterium results in the induction of callose deposition, programmed cell death, and resistance against subsequent X. oryzae pv. oryzae infection.
The effect of a multispecies probiotic on the composition of the faecal microbiota and bowel habits in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients treated with antibiotics
Authors: Koning Catherina J. M. , Jonkers Daisy , Smidt Hauke , Rombouts Frans , Pennings Herman-Jan , Wouters Emiel , Stobberingh Ellen , Stockbrügger Reinhold 
Published: December 2009

Short-term antibiotic treatment profoundly affects the intestinal microbiota, which may lead to sustained changes in microbiota composition. Probiotics may restore such a disturbance. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of a multispecies probiotic on the faecal microbiota during and after antibiotic intake in patients with a history of frequent antibiotic use. In this randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind study, thirty chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients treated with antibiotics for a respiratory tract infection received 5 g of a multispecies probiotic or placebo twice daily for 2 weeks. Faecal samples were collected at 0, 7, 14 and 63 d. Changes in the composition of the dominant faecal microbiota were determined by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Changes in bacterial subgroups were determined by quantitative PCR and culture. Bowel movements were scored daily according to the Bristol stool form scale. During and after antibiotic treatment, DGGE-based similarity indices (SI) were high ( ≥ 84 %) and band richness was relatively low, both remaining stable over time. No difference in SI was observed between patients with and without diarrhoea-like bowel movements. The multispecies probiotic had a modest effect on the bacterial subgroups. Nevertheless, it affected neither the composition of the dominant faecal microbiota nor the occurrence of diarrhoea-like bowel movements. The dominant faecal microbiota was not affected by antibiotics in this COPD population, suggesting an existing imbalance of the microbiota, which may also have contributed to the lack of effect by probiotic intake.
The Indian Version of First among Equals – Executive Power during the First Decade of Independence
Authors: KUMARASINGHAM H. 
Published: December 2009

AbstractWhen India gained independence in August 1947 the world watched with excitement as well as trepidation as to what would happen following this unique and major event. The political destiny of the world's largest democracy would lie in the hands of an infinitesimal portion of the population – the political executive. India's new institutions had new operators to act in new conditions. There were few precedents. Within this Westminster system, refounded in India with its emphasis on executive flexibility and ambiguity, the leading political figures often had conflicting opinions and interpretations as to their powers. The relationship between Nehru as Prime Minister and other leading political figures, such as Patel as deputy Prime Minister, Prasad as President, and their definitions of their roles, would forge a new India. This paper revisits those debates and ideas in the first decade following independence, which allow greater understanding of the workings and conventions of today's Indian executive.
A Charge delivered to the Grand Jury of Norfolk, at the General Quarter Sessions held on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 1793, at the Shire-House on the Castle-Hill, Norwich
Authors: Jodrell Henry 
Published: December 2009

Gentlemen, As the Grand Jury of this County you are now assembled for the purpose of discharging a weighty and considerable trust; it has therefore been usual for the Court to point out to you the general outlines of your duty.Gentlemen, the inquest now established in your persons is one of those institutions which we owe to the wisdom of our ancestors, particularly calculated to the free spirit of the English Law, and the peculiar policy of this country. You are invested with an absolute, and also a discretionary superintending, power; the former in respect to the finding or reject-[4] ing of such bills of indictment as may be brought before you, the latter in presenting to the Court such crimes, misdemeanors, and other offences, as may have been committed, and should be the subject of public notice and observation.
Toward a new information infrastructure in health technology assessment: Communication, design, process, and results
Authors: Neikter Susanna Allgurin , Rehnqvist Nina , Rosén Måns , Dahlgren Helena 
Published: December 2009

Objectives: The aim of this study was to facilitate effective internal and external communication of an international network and to explore how to support communication and work processes in health technology assessment (HTA).Structure and Methods: European network for Health Technology Assessment (EUnetHTA) connected sixty-four HTA Partner organizations from thirty-three countries. User needs in the different steps of the HTA process were the starting point for developing an information system. A step-wise, interdisciplinary, creative approach was used in developing practical tools.Results: An Information Platform facilitated the exchange of scientific information between Partners and with external target groups. More than 200 virtual meetings were set up during the project using an e-meeting tool. A Clearinghouse prototype was developed with the intent to offering a single point of access to HTA relevant information. This evolved into a next step not planned from the outset: Developing a running HTA Information System including several Web-based tools to support communication and daily HTA processes. A communication strategy guided the communication effort, focusing on practical tools, creating added value, involving stakeholders, and avoiding duplication of effort.Conclusions: Modern technology enables a new information infrastructure for HTA. The potential of information and communication technology was used as a strategic tool. Several target groups were represented among the Partners, which supported collaboration and made it easier to identify user needs. A distinctive visual identity made it easier to gain and maintain visibility on a limited budget.
Glutathione half-cell reduction potential and α-tocopherol as viability markers during the prolonged storage of Suaeda maritima seeds
Authors: Seal Charlotte E. , Zammit Rosa , Scott Peter , Flowers Timothy J. , Kranner Ilse 
Published: December 2009

AbstractAntioxidants protect seeds from oxidative damage during storage, supporting the maintenance of seed viability and the ability to germinate post-storage. No data on antioxidants during long-term storage are available for the seeds of the halophyte Suaeda maritima. Therefore, changes in lipid-soluble antioxidants in the tocopherol family (α-, γ-, δ-tocopherol), were investigated in seeds stored for up to 16 years at 4°C at a seed moisture content of 10–13%, as well as changes in the water-soluble antioxidant glutathione (GSH) and electrolyte leakage. Seed oil content was also measured and determined to be 22%. During the first 3 years of storage, seed viability remained high and the concentration of total tocopherol was stable. Thereafter, both seed viability and α-tocopherol concentration rapidly decreased and electrolyte leakage increased, while γ-tocopherol and δ-tocopherol concentrations did not correlate with seed viability. Although the concentrations of neither GSH nor glutathione disulphide (GSSG) alone were correlated with seed viability, the glutathione half-cell reduction potential (EGSSG/2GSH) was strongly correlated with viability throughout storage and increased before the onset of viability loss. Hence, in this species EGSSG/2GSH appeared to be an ‘early warning’ system preceding viability loss while α-tocopherol concentration changed concomitantly with viability.
FEAR OF JOB LOSS
Authors: Wilson George , Mossakowski Krysia 
Published: December 2009

AbstractSociologists have not attempted to explain the causes of higher levels of perceived job insecurity among racial/ethnic minorities than those of Whites in privileged occupations. This study examines two possible explanations for this finding among White, African American, and Latino professionals and managers. The first emphasizes the discrimination-induced, structural marginality experienced by minorities in the workplace (the marginalized-worker perspective), and the second emphasizes learned dispositions—i.e., fatalism and mistrust—that are brought to the workplace (the dispositional perspective). Using data from the General Social Survey (GSS) and ordered probit regression analyses for both men and women, our findings provide greater support for the marginalized-worker perspective. Results reveal African Americans and Latino men and women have a greater fear of job loss than their White counterparts, regardless of their human capital credentials (e.g., education, work experience) and job/labor market advantages (e.g., job authority, job autonomy, unionized status, favorable market sector). Along these lines, these traditional, stratification-based predictors provide greater insulation from perceived job insecurity for Whites than racial/ethnic minorities. Less support is found for the dispositional perspective: one disposition—fatalism—is associated with greater fear of job loss for African American men and women compared to Whites.
THE RACIAL UNCONSCIOUS OF ASSIMILATION THEORY1
Authors: Jung Moon-Kie 
Published: December 2009

AbstractIn the past two decades, migration scholars have revised and revitalized assimilation theory to study the large and growing numbers of migrants from Latin America, Asia, and the Caribbean and their offspring in the United States. Neoclassical and segmented assimilation theories seek to make sense of the current wave of migration that differs in important ways from the last great wave at the turn of the twentieth century and to overcome the conceptual shortcomings of earlier theories of assimilation that it inspired. This article examines some of the central assumptions and arguments of the new theories. In particular, it undertakes a detailed critique of their treatment of race and finds that they variously engage in suspect comparisons to past migration from Europe; read out or misread the qualitatively different historical trajectories of European and non-European migrants; exclude native-born Blacks from the analysis; fail to conceptually account for the key changes that are purported to facilitate “assimilation”; import the dubious concept of the “underclass” to characterize poor urban Blacks and others; laud uncritically the “culture” of migrants; explicitly or implicitly advocate the “assimilation” of migrants; and discount the political potential of “oppositional culture.” Shifting the focus fromdifferencetoinequalityanddomination, the article concludes with a brief proposal for reorienting our theoretical approach, fromassimilationto thepolitics of national belonging.
Group behavioural activation and mindfulness therapy for the well-being of non-clinical adults: a preliminary open trial
Authors: Mazzucchelli Trevor G. , Rees Clare S. , Kane Robert T. 
Published: December 2009

AbstractUsing 16 non-clinical adults from the community, this study examined the effects on well-being of a group intervention consisting of a 4-week behavioural activation component followed by a 3-week mindfulness component, finishing with an integrating closure session. Results from intention-to-treat analyses showed moderate and significant improvements in psychological distress and several indices of well-being after the behavioural activation component. These improvements continued through the mindfulness component of the intervention such that effects were greater after participants had received the complete intervention. Half of the participants reported reliable and clinically significant improvement in the amount of time they felt happy after the intervention and a quarter of participants reported improvement at follow-up. Behavioural activation and mindfulness interventions may provide a useful framework for further research with non-clinical populations who wish to enhance their well-being and learn skills that may protect them against depression and other mental health problems.
Overcoming merohedral twinning in crystals of bacteriorhodopsin grown in lipidic mesophase
Authors: Borshchevskiy Valentin , Efremov Rouslan , Moiseeva Ekaterina , Büldt Georg , Gordeliy Valentin 
Published: December 2009

Twinning is one of the most common crystal-growth defects in protein crystallography. There are neither efficient rational approaches for the growth of nontwinned protein crystals nor are there examples of systematic studies of the dependence of the twinning-ratio distribution on crystallization conditions. The description of the twinning phenomenon has been covered even less for membrane-protein crystals and is non-existent for crystals grown using lipidic phases (in meso). In the present work, possibilities for overcoming merohedral twinning are investigated for crystals of the membrane protein bacteriorhodopsin (bR) grownin meso. It is shown that traditional crystallization additives are not effective in the case of thein mesocrystallization of bR. The twinning ratio was determined for 310 crystals grown under different crystallization conditions. A correlation of the twinning ratio with the growth rate of the crystals was observed. Slow growth indicated that crystals had a noticeable chance of avoiding twinning. Model calculations were performed in order to rationalize this observation. The calculations confirmed the experimental observation that most crystals consist of two twin domains and showed that under this condition small changes in the probability of twin-domain formation lead to dramatic changes in the number of nontwinned crystals, which explains why slow crystal growth results in a considerable number of nontwinned crystals.
Pim‐3 protects against hepatic failure in D‐galactosamine (D‐GalN)‐sensitized rats
Authors: Liu L.‐M. , Zhang J.‐X. , Wang X.‐P. , Guo H.‐X. , Deng H. , Luo J. 
Published: December 2009

Eur J Clin Invest 2010; 40 (2): 127–138AbstractBackground  Fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) has a high mortality resulted from massive hepatic apoptosis and haemorrhage necrosis; it is required to develop a valid therapy directed towards hepatocyte protection and regeneration. Pim‐3, a hepatic growth stimulator, belongs to the serine/threonine kinase Pim‐family that has been implicated in gp130‐mediated induction of cell proliferation, protection from apoptosis downstream of Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and vascular endothelial growth factor‐A‐dependent vasculogenesis and angiogenesis, thus is suggested to possibly play a role in the tissue repair of FHF.Materials and methods  Male Wistar rats received simultaneous intraperitoneal injections of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (100 μg kg−1) and D‐galactosamine (D‐GalN) (600 mg kg−1). One day prior to LPS/D‐GalN administration, naked plasmid or Ringer’s solution was injected via tail vein by hydrodynamics‐based procedure.Results  Exogenous Pim‐3 gene protected against LPS/D‐GalN‐induced lethality with survival rate of more than 80% and improved the hepatic pathomorphism. The fractions of hepatic apoptotic‐positive cells and the levels of caspase‐3 activity were markedly lower in Pim‐3‐pretreated rats. Furthermore, exogenous Pim‐3 significantly inhibited expression of tumour necrosis factor‐α and interleukin‐1β in the liver, declined p53 and inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNAs levels, but elevated levels of Bcl‐2 protein, an anti‐apoptosis member of Bcl‐2 family, in the liver. Exogenous Pim‐3, however, showed little effect on expression of Bax, a pro‐apoptosis member of Bcl‐2 family.Conclusions  Pim‐3 gene could protect rats from FHF by inhibiting liver apoptosis and improving inflammatory response of liver tissues, which could be associated with inhibiting expression of inflammatory mediators and promoting expression of anti‐apoptosis protein Bcl‐2.
Defining and measuring ecological specialization
Authors: Devictor Vincent , Clavel Joanne , Julliard Romain , Lavergne Sébastien , Mouillot David , Thuiller Wilfried , Venail Patrick , Villéger Sébastien , Mouquet Nicolas 
Published: December 2009

Summary 1.  Ecological specialization is one of the main concepts in ecology and conservation. However, this concept has become highly context‐dependent and is now obscured by the great variability of existing definitions and methods used to characterize ecological specialization. 2.  In this study, we clarify this concept by reviewing the strengths and limitations of different approaches commonly used to define and measure ecological specialization. We first show that ecological specialization can either be considered as reflecting species’ requirements or species’ impacts. We then explain how specialization depends on species‐specific characteristics and on local and contingent environmental constraints. We further show why and how ecological specialization should be scaled across spatial and temporal scales, and from individuals to communities. 3.  We then illustrate how this review can be used as a practical toolbox to classify widely used metrics of ecological specialization in applied ecology, depending on the question being addressed, the method used, and the data available. 4.
Synthesis and applications. Clarifying ecological specialization is useful to make explicit connections between several fields of ecology using the niche concept. Defining this concept and its practical metrics is also a crucial step to better formulate predictions of scientific interest in ecology and conservation. Finally, understanding the different facets of ecological specialization should facilitate to investigate the causes and consequences of biotic homogenization and to derive relevant indicators of biodiversity responses to land‐use changes.
Quantifying aphid predation: the mealy plum aphid Hyalopterus pruni in California as a case study
Authors: Latham Daniel R. , Mills Nicholas J. 
Published: December 2009

Summary 1. Generalist insect predators provide an important ecosystem service in the regulation of agricultural pests. However, the role of predation in the dynamics of aphid populations has been difficult to quantify as any change in aphid density results from a balance between two opposing processes, aphid recruitment through reproduction and aphid mortality through predation. 2. Our goal in this study was to determine the degree to which aphid consumption by naturally occurring densities of aphidophagous predators is responsible for observed seasonal changes in aphid densities. We quantified consumptive predation using a mechanistic approach that incorporates the balance between aphid recruitment and mortality. We used the mealy plum aphid Hyalopterus pruni in Prunus domestica plum orchards as a model system. 3. Our approach was to compare two quantities: a demographic‐based estimate of predation and an observation‐based estimate of predation. The demographic‐based estimate used a simple model of aphid population growth and predation. It estimates the mortality that must have occurred to give rise to observed changes in aphid densities between sample dates. The model uses independent estimates of aphid population growth rate in the absence of predation. The observation‐based estimate combined field data on predator densities in plum orchards with stage‐ and species‐specific per capita predation rates estimated from field observation. 4. Predation may have reduced the rate at which mealy plum aphid populations increased early in the season and rebounded from mid‐season declines, but was not sufficient to prevent high aphid densities or to accelerate rates of decline later in the season. Moreover, predation at naturally occurring densities did not appear sufficient to drive the directional changes in mealy plum aphid densities at any point through the season. 5.
Synthesis and applications. Our study shows that natural densities of generalist predators can be too low to provide effective biological control services for an aphid pest. Generalist aphid predators could provide more effective control if early‐season densities were increased through augmentative releases or encouragement of crop colonization, but the commercial viability of these options remains to be tested.