bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Determining the main and interactive effect of age and clone on wood density, microfibril angle, and modulus of elasticity for Pinus radiata
Authors: Watt Michael S. , Sorensson Charles , Cown Dave J. , Dungey Heidi S. , Evans Robert 
Published: August 2010

Detailed radial measurements of wood properties, taken at breast height, were obtained from control pollinated seedlings and a selection of 13 year old radiata pine ( Pinus radiata D. Don) clones. Using these data the key objectives of this study were to determine (i) the magnitude of mean clonal variation in modulus of elasticity (MOE) and properties affecting MOE (density and microfibril angle (MFA)) and (ii) whether there is a significant age × clone interaction for these traits. All wood properties were significantly affected by the main and interactive effects of age and clone. There was a relatively linear increase in both MOE and density with tree age, while MFA declined linearly with tree age. Values of density and MOE diverged between the clonal extremes from age 3 to age 12. After diverging markedly up to age 6, differences in MFA between clonal extremes remained relatively constant to age 12. At age 12, values for density, MFA, and MOE varied between clonal extremes by, respectively, 194 kg·m–3 (465–659 kg·m–3), 11.3° (9.6–20.9°), and 11.2 GPa (10.4–21.6 GPa). The seedling material had a relatively intermediate ranking, across the age range, for all traits considered.
Intra-annual density fluctuations of Pinus pinaster are a record of climatic changes in the western Mediterranean region
Authors: Vieira Joana , Campelo Filipe , Nabais Cristina 
Published: August 2010

Climate projections for the Mediterranean area estimate a decline in total precipitation, warmer temperatures, and a higher frequency of extreme drought events. It is important to understand how trees respond to these climatic changes and which wood anatomical structures best document the trees’ response to those changes. The present work investigates the climatic signal of tree-ring width, latewood width, and the frequency of intra-annual density fluctuations (IADFs) during the last 100 years for Pinus pinaster Aiton growing in the western Mediterranean region. Based on meteorological data, it was observed that since the 1950s, average annual temperature and autumn and winter precipitation increased. Tree-ring width and latewood width of P. pinaster were positively correlated with winter and summer precipitation and negatively correlated with spring and summer temperatures. The frequency of latewood IADFs showed a positive and time-stable correlation with September and October precipitation. However, after the 1970s, the frequency of IADFs also became correlated with climatic conditions later in the year, specifically with the temperatures of November and December, probably because of the recent climate changes. IADFs chronologies, besides being very useful to reconstruct autumn precipitation, can add new climatic information to ring-width chronologies.
An inventory-based approach for modeling single-tree storm damage — experiences with the winter storm of 1999 in southwestern Germany
Authors: Schmidt Matthias , Hanewinkel Marc , Kändler Gerald , Kublin Edgar , Kohnle Ulrich 
Published: August 2010

Based on individual tree damage data dating back to the gale “Lothar” (winter 1999) in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, a statistical model was developed to estimate the risk of storm damage for individual trees. The data were compiled from the National German Forest Inventory. The model attempts to separate the effects of tree-specific variables, topography, site conditions and flow field related effects on damage probability. The crucial problem of missing information on the actual flow field parameters was solved by applying a generalized additive model that enables the simultaneous fit of a spatial trend function. The geographical location of risk hotspots as predicted by the model correspond well to the actual distribution pattern of storm damage as assessed by the forest service. Tree height proved to be one of the most important factors affecting the level of damage, while height to diameter at breast height ratio influences damage probability to a much lesser extent. The Norway spruce ( Picea abies (L.) Karst.) group has the highest potential to be damaged followed by the silver fir ( Abies alba Miller) – Douglas-fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) group and the Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris L.) – larches ( Larix spp.) group. Predicted probabilities for deciduous trees are generally lower than those of conifers. West- to south-exposed locations bear a considerably higher damage risk and waterlogged soils show an increased predicted probability compared with slightly or not waterlogged soils.
Development of a model describing modulus of elasticity across environmental and stand density gradients in plantation-grown Pinus radiata within New Zealand
Authors: Watt Michael S. , Zoric Branislav 
Published: August 2010

Modulus of elasticity (E) is an important property in plantation grown softwoods that describes resistance of timber to deformation under load and is a key criterion in machine stress grading. This paper presents an accurate (R2 = 0.96) site-level model of E for radiata pine ( Pinus radiata D. Don) that is applicable across a wide range of tree ages and broad environmental gradients and sensitive to a wide variation in stand density. In the final model, E increased sigmoidally with age and increased linearly with both stem slenderness (height/diameter at 1.4 m) and mean minimum autumn air temperature. For a given age, the model shows stem slenderness to be the main determinant of environmental variation in E, with variation in E ranging approximately 10 GPa across the range in slenderness. Given the simple formulation, this model could be readily used by managers to gain greater understanding of how they can manipulate stands to achieve desired end-use products and maximize crop value. Further research should extend the developed framework so that it can be used to account for intratree, intertree, and clonal variation in E.
Dynamic feeding habits: efficiency of frugivory in a nectarivorous bat
Authors: Becker Nina I. , Rothenwöhrer Christoph , Tschapka Marco 
Published: August 2010

Fluctuations in food availability may result in drastic changes of main dietary habits in some animals despite the lack of adaptations to alternative food types. We compared feeding efficiency between the nectarivorous bat Glossophaga commissarisi Gardner, 1962 (Phyllostomidae) that switches during nectar shortages to frugivory and the specialized frugivore Carollia brevicauda (Schinz, 1821) in a combination of behavioural experiments and HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) analysis of fruit and faecal samples. We assessed feeding duration and employment of different bite types while animals were feeding on fruits from their natural diet. Although both bat species employed predominantly mechanically more efficient bite types, feeding efficiency (mg of fruit ingested/s) was significantly lower in G. commissarisi. Our study showed that the two bat species employed distinctly different handling and feeding strategies when feeding on the same fruits. “Frugivorous” G. commissarisi consume mostly fruit juices, but fruit anatomy seems to influence feeding efficiency. In an ecological context, the trophic shift of G. commissarisi from nectar to fruits may have implications for plant species that coevolved with bats, as well as for niche partitioning of coexisting bat species. In a more general context, our study highlights a dynamic nature of feeding niches, which might be rather common for animals living in habitats with changes in resource availability.
Reproduction management affects breeding ecology and reproduction costs in feral urban Pigeons (Columba livia)
Authors: Jacquin Lisa , Cazelles Bernard , Prévot-Julliard Anne-Caroline , Leboucher Gérard , Gasparini Julien 
Published: August 2010

Reproduction management of natural popsulations can have long-term consequences that have to be examined to avoid unwanted side effects. Management policies of urban Pigeons ( Columba livia Gmelin, 1789) include the set up of public Pigeon houses that aim at limiting hatching rate by egg removal. However, long-term consequences of this management method on the ecology of this species are still unknown. In this study we examined how egg removal affected egg-laying cycles of Pigeons by using a powerful method of time-series analysis, the wavelet method. We compared egg-laying cycles in Pigeon houses exposed to different management treatments and found that egg-laying cycles were shorter (4 weeks) in Pigeon houses with egg removal compared with control Pigeon houses without egg removal (11 weeks), suggesting that Pigeons respond to egg-removal pressure by multiplying reproduction attempts. Furthermore, we found that egg quality, an important index of female condition, was negatively affected by egg removal. This result suggests that the observed increase of egg production can lead to an increase of reproductive physiological costs and to a decrease of female condition. This study raises issues about potential consequences of such a management procedure on parasite resistance and health status of urban bird populations.
Predicting the effectiveness of queries and retrieval systems
Authors: Hauff Claudia 
Published: August 2010

We consider users' attempts to express their information needs through queries, or search requests and try to predict whether those requests will be of high or low quality. The second type of methods under investigation are those which attempt to estimate the quality of search systems themselves. Given a number of search systems to consider, these methods estimate how well or how poorly the systems will perform in comparison to each other.
First, pre-retrieval predictors are investigated, which predict a query's effectiveness before the retrieval step and are thus independent of the ranked list of results. Such predictors base their predictions solely on query terms, collection statistics and possibly external sources. Twenty-two prediction algorithms are categorized and their quality is assessed on three different TREC test collections. A number of newly applied methods for combining various predictors are examined to obtain a better prediction of a query's effectiveness.
Building on the analysis of pre-retrieval predictors, post-retrieval approaches are then investigated, which estimate a query's effectiveness on the basis of the retrieved results. The thesis focuses in particular on the Clarity Score approach and provides an analysis of its sensitivity towards different variables such as the collection, the query set and the retrieval approach. Adaptations to Clarity Score are introduced which improve the estimation accuracy of the original algorithm.
The utility of query effectiveness prediction methods is commonly evaluated by reporting correlation coefficients, such as Kendall's Tau. Largely unexplored though is the question of the relationship between the current evaluation methodology for query effectiveness prediction and the change in effectiveness of retrieval systems that employ a predictor. We investigate this question by examining how the observed quality of predictors (with respect to Kendall's Tau) affects the retrieval effectiveness in two adaptive system settings: selective query expansion and meta-search.
The last part of the thesis is concerned with the task of estimating the ranking of retrieval systems according to their retrieval effectiveness without relying on costly relevance judgments. Five different system ranking estimation approaches are evaluated on a wide range of data sets which cover a variety of retrieval tasks and test collections. It is shown that under certain conditions, automatic methods yield a highly accurate ranking of systems.
Available online at http://www.cs.utwente.nl/~hauffc/phd/thesis.pdf.
The construction of mental models of information-rich web spaces
Authors: Zhang Yan 
Published: August 2010

This study investigated the dynamic process of people constructing mental models of an information-rich web space during their interactions with the system and the impact of task complexity on model construction. In the study, subjects' mental models of MedlinePlus were measured at three time points: after subjects freely explored the system for 5 minutes, after the first search session, and after the second search session. During the first search session, the 39 subjects were randomly divided into two groups; one group completed 12 simple search tasks and the other group completed 3 complex search tasks. During the second search session, all subjects completed a set of 4 simple tasks and 2 complex tasks. Measures of the subjects' mental models included a concept listing protocol, a semi-structured interview, and a drawing task.
The analysis revealed that subjects' mental models were a rich representation of the cognitive and emotional processes involved in their interaction with information systems. The mental models consisted of three dimensions (structure, evaluation and emotion, and (expected) behaviors); the structure and evaluation/emotion dimensions consisted of four components each: system, content, information organization, and interface. The construction of mental models was a process coordinated by people's internal cognitive structure and the external sources (the system, system feedback, and tasks) and a process distributed through time, in the sense that earlier mental models impacted later ones. Task complexity also impacted the construction of mental models by influencing what objects in the system were perceived and represented by the user, the specificity of the representations, and the user's feelings about the objects.
Based on the study results, recommendations for employing mental models as a tool to assist designers in constructing user models, eliciting user requirements, and performing usability evaluations are put forward.
A New Iterative Method for Solving Equilibrium Problems and Fixed Point Problems for Infinite Family of Nonexpansive Mappings
Authors: Wang Shenghua , Cho YeolJe , Qin Xiaolong 
Published: August 2010

AbstractWe introduce a new iterative scheme for finding a common element of the solutions sets of a finite family of equilibrium problems and fixed points sets of an infinite family of nonexpansive mappings in a Hilbert space. As an application, we solve a multiobjective optimization problem using the result of this paper.
Inhibition of Carboplatin-Induced DNA Interstrand Cross-link Repair by Gemcitabine in Patients Receiving these Drugs for Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Ledermann Jonathan A. , Gabra Hani , Jayson Gordon C. , Spanswick Victoria J. , Rustin Gordon J.S. , Jitlal Mark , James Lindsay E. , Hartley John A. 
Published: August 2010

Abstract
Background: The potential of gemcitabine to interact with carboplatin was explored in a phase II trial in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. Peripheral blood lymphocytes were sampled after drug administration to measure DNA interstrand cross-link formation and repair.
Patients and Methods: Forty patients received carboplatin target area under concentration-time curve (AUC 4) followed by gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 with a second dose of gemcitabine on day 8. Peripheral blood lymphocytes were obtained in 12 patients before and at intervals during the first cycle of chemotherapy. DNA cross-link formation and repair (unhooking) were measured by the single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet) assay following ex vivo incubation.
Results: The global response rate was 47% (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors rate, 29%; CA125 rate, 63%). Delays in treatment were seen in 24% of cycles largely due to myelosuppression; 15% of day 8 administration was omitted. Peak carboplatin-induced DNA cross-linking was seen by 24 hours. Significant reduction was seen in the repair of in vivo carboplatin-induced DNA cross-links following administration of gemcitabine.
Conclusion: An enhanced activity of carboplatin in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer may be due to synergy with gemcitabine through inhibition of repair of DNA cross-links. Future studies should explore coadministration of these drugs, as this may be a more effective schedule. Clin Cancer Res; 16(19); 4899–905. ©2010 AACR.
Defining a New Paradigm for Human Arrhythmia Syndromes
Authors: Ackerman Michael J. , Mohler Peter J. 
Published: August 2010

Abstract:Over the past 15 years, gene mutations in cardiac ion channels have been linked to a host of potentially fatal human arrhythmias including long QT syndrome, short QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome, and catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. More recently, a new paradigm for human arrhythmia has emerged based on gene mutations that affect the activity of cardiac ion channel- and transporter- associated proteins. As part of theCirculation Researchthematic series on inherited arrhythmias, this review focuses on the emerging field of human arrhythmias caused by dysfunction in cytosolic gene products (including ankyrins, yotiao, syntrophin, and caveolin-3) that regulate the activities of key membrane ion channels and transporters.
The Reconstruction of Islamic Social Thought in the Modern Period: Nursi’s Approach to Religious Discourse in a Changing Society
Authors: Özervarli M. Sait 
Published: August 2010

AbstractIn this article I will analyse the social aspects of Said Nursi’s thought in the context of late Ottoman and modern Turkish intellectual history within the boundaries of social philosophy and theology. I aim to discuss the outcome of Nursi’s work in formulating a live discourse that corresponds to the needs of modern Muslim society in Turkey and around the world. Nursi’s life and thought comprises interesting evidences to comprehend the transition of Muslims in the traumatic period of the two World Wars in the twentieth century and their resistance to the challenges of a new ‘weltanschauung’ and various philosophical ideas, as well as a new political design that tried to reshape society by pursuing a hard-line modernisation process.
Is Justice Binary?: Absolute and Relative Justice in the Teachings of Said Nursi
Authors: Horkuc Hasan 
Published: August 2010

AbstractDoes absolute justice exist or not? It may be argued that where absolute justice is impossible to realise, it is only reasonable to expect that the concept of partial or relative justice be invoked. Nursi defines justice either in terms of absolute as opposed to relative, or positive as opposed to negative. In this paper, we explore the binary nature of Nursi’s approach to justice, with the aim of elucidating those areas of his thought which have not hitherto been researched. Focusing on the dichotomous nature of justice in Nursian thought may help to sharpen our understanding of existing theories of justice at the very least; it may even force us to rethink our prejudices and give us greater understanding of the concept of justice itself. Particular focus will be on the implications of human free-will for the concept of justice, both in its ‘relative’ and ‘absolute’ state. The paper raises questions about the possibility of absolute justice.
Internet Threats to Hindu Authority: Puja-ordering Websites and the Kalighat Temple
Authors: Scheifinger Heinz 
Published: August 2010

AbstractThis article investigates particular threats to authority within Hinduism as a result of the Internet. It focuses upon websites which allow for pujas (devotional rituals) to be ordered to be carried out at the important Kalighat Temple in Kolkata. The two groups which currently exercise authority at the temple are identified, along with the specific forms of authority which they exercise. The processes which are occurring as a result of the puja-ordering websites and the activities of those responsible for them are then demonstrated. The argument put forward is that, in addition to the puja ordering services being a threat to both the authority of the temple administration and the priests working there, they also have the potential to affect the relationship between these two groups. Findings from the Kalighat Temple case study further suggest that the effects at temples of online puja-ordering services are dependent upon the current situation at respective temples.
Validation of the Evidence-Based Practice Process Assessment Scale
Authors: Rubin Allen , Parrish Danielle E. 
Published: August 2010

Objective: This report describes the reliability, validity, and sensitivity of a scale that assesses practitioners’ perceived familiarity with, attitudes of, and implementation of the evidence-based practice (EBP) process. Method: Social work practitioners and second-year master of social works (MSW) students (N = 511) were surveyed in four sites to assess the scale’s internal consistency reliability and criterion and factorial validity. Additional data on the scale’s criterion validity and sensitivity were gathered in pretests and posttests of 97 social workers participating in EBP continuing education workshops. Results: Findings support the scale’s internal consistency reliability, criterion and factorial validity, and sensitivity. Conclusion: These findings support the use of the scale in surveys or to evaluate efforts to educate students and practitioners in EBP.
Factors influencing left ventricular mass regression in patients with primary aldosteronism post adrenalectomy
Authors: Lin Yen-Hung , Huang Kuo-How , Lee Jen-Kuang , Wang Shuo-Meng , Yen Ruoh-Fang , Wu Vin-Cent , Chung Shiu-Dong , Liu Kao-Lang , Chueh Shih-Chieh , Lin Lian-Yu , Ho Yi-Lwun , Chen Ming-Fong , Wu Kwan-Dun ,   TAIPAI study group
Published: August 2010

Background. Primary aldosteronism (PA) is a type of secondary hypertension with prominent left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Unilateral aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) is the most common subtype that can be cured by adrenalectomy. Objective. To investigate left ventricular structural change after surgery and the factors associated with the degree of LVH regression in patients with PA. Methods. We performed a retrospective analysis in the Taiwan Primary Aldosteronism Investigation (TAIPAI) database, including demography, biochemical data, echocardiography and medication. Results. From July 1994 to January 2007, 20 patients (8 men) with APA receiving adrenalectomy and having pre- and postoperative echocardiography were selected. After 21 ± 19 months post operation, the left ventricular wall thickness and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) decreased significantly. The decrease of LVMI is significant only in patients who had LVH before operation. In analysis of factors associated with net LVMI decrease (ΔLVMI; post-operative LVMI - pre-operative LVMI), only pre-operative LVMI ( r = -.783, p < .001), and ΔSBP ( r = .472, p = .036) significantly correlated with ΔLVMI. In conclusion, LVH in PA could be significantly reversed by adrenalectomy. Pre-operative LVMI and ΔSBP were associated with the degree of LVMI decrease. Conclusion. LVH in PA could be significantly reversed by adrenalectomy. Pre-operative LVMI and ΔSBP were associated with the degree of LVMI decrease.