bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A TLC bioautographic method for the detection of α‐ and β‐glucosidase inhibitors in plant extracts
Authors: Simões‐Pires Claudia A. , Hmicha Bouchra , Marston Andrew , Hostettmann Kurt 
Published: October 2009

AbstractIntroduction – Bioautographic assays using TLC play an important role in the search for active compounds from plants. A TLC assay has previously been established for the detection of β‐glucosidase inhibitors but not for α‐glucosidase. Nonetheless, α‐glucosidase inhibition is an important target for therapeutic agents against of type 2 diabetes and anti‐viral infections.Objective – To develop a TLC bioautographic method to detect α‐ and β‐glucosidase inhibitors in plant extracts.Methodology – The enzymes α‐ and β‐d‐glucosidase were dissolved in sodium acetate buffer. After migration of the samples, the TLC plate was sprayed with enzyme solution and incubated at room temperature for 60 min in the case of α‐d‐glucosidase, and 37°C for 20 min in the case of β‐d‐glucosidase. For detection of the active enzyme, solutions of 2‐naphthyl‐α‐D‐glucopyranoside or 2‐naphthyl‐β‐D‐glucopyranoside and Fast Blue Salt were mixed at a ratio of 1 : 1 (for α‐d‐glucosidase) or 1 : 4 (for β‐d‐glucosidase) and sprayed onto the plate to give a purple background colouration after 2–5 min.Results – Enzyme inhibitors were visualised as white spots on the TLC plates. Conduritol B epoxide inhibited α‐d‐glucosidase and β‐d‐glucosidase down to 0.1 µg. Methanol extracts of Tussilago farfara and Urtica dioica after migration on TLC gave enzymatic inhibition when applied in amounts of 100 µg for α‐glucosidase and 50 µg for β‐glucosidase.Conclusion – The screening test was able to detect inhibition of α‐ and β‐glucosidases by pure reference substances and by compounds present in complex matrices, such as plant extracts. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ethnic differences in considerations whether or not to participate in prenatal screening for Down syndrome
Authors: Fransen Mirjam P. , Wildschut Hajo I. J. , Vogel Ineke , Mackenbach Johan P. , Steegers Eric A. P. , Essink‐Bot Marie‐Louise 
Published: October 2009

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate ethnic differences in considerations whether or not to participate in prenatal screening for Down syndrome and to relate these to differences in participation.MethodThe study population consisted of 270 pregnant women from Dutch, Turkish and Surinamese (African and South Asian) ethnic origin, attending midwifery or obstetrical practices in the Netherlands. Women were interviewed after booking for prenatal care. Considerations were assessed by one open‐ended question and 18 statements that were derived from focus group interviews. Actual participation was assessed several months later.ResultsWomen from ethnic minorities were less likely to participate in prenatal screening, which could be attributed to differences in age and religious identity. They more often reported acceptance of ‘what God gives’, low risk of having a child with Down syndrome and costs of screening as considerations not to participate in prenatal screening. They also reported many considerations in favour of participation, which did not differ from those of Dutch women but were less often consistent with actual participation in screening.ConclusionsWomen from ethnic minorities should not be stereotyped as being uninterested in prenatal screening, but should be better informed about the consequences of prenatal screening and Down syndrome. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Maternal serum screening marker levels in women with a previous aneuploidy pregnancy
Authors: Spencer Kevin , Staboulidou Ismini , De Jesus Cruz Jader , Karagiannis George , Nicolaides Kypros H. 
Published: October 2009

AbstractObjectiveTo re‐evaluate in a larger cohort of patients if the maternal serum biochemical markers used in first trimester aneuploidy screening have the same marker distributions in pregnancies with a previous history of aneuploidy compared with those that have no previous history.MethodsInformation related to previous pregnancy history is routinely recorded as part of first trimester screening in three centres King George, Kings College and Fetal Medicine Centre, London. From the database, records were extracted for women who had a previous pregnancy diagnosed with trisomies 13, 18 or 21. For each woman with a previous aneuploidy, five unaffected pregnancies in women of the same maternal age and with no previous aneuploidy pregnancy were selected as controls. A comparison was made between the marker distributions for pregnancy associated plasma protein‐A (PAPP‐A) and free β‐human chronic gonadotrophin (β‐hCG) amongst the cases and controls using nonparametric statistical tests.ResultsA series of 8240 controls were compared against group of 1032 cases with a previous trisomy 21, 293 with a previous trisomy 18 and 158 with a previous trisomy 13. Cases with multiple previous trisomies were excluded. There were no significant differences in the level of free β‐hCG; however, in cases of trisomy 21 and trisomy 13 the levels of PAPP‐A were increased by 5 and 16%, respectively.ConclusionRisk calculation algorithms may need to take account of the increased PAPP‐A levels in women with a previous trisomy 21 or trisomy 13. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of nanoclay on the mechanical and damping properties of aramid short fibre‐filled styrene butadiene rubber composites
Authors: Praveen Srinivasan , Chattopadhyay Pijush Kanti , Jayendran Soman , Chakraborty Bikash Chandra , Chattopadhyay Santanu 
Published: October 2009

AbstractThe effect of nanoclay loading on the alteration of tensile and dynamic mechanical properties of aramid short fibre‐filled styrene butadiene rubber composites was investigated. In all the composites, 20 phr of N330 black was used. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis was used to investigate the viscoelastic damping at lower dynamic strains. Compressive hysteresis was evaluated to characterize higher strain static damping properties. Matrix–fibre interaction and filler distribution were investigated using morphological analyses. Matrix–filler interface, estimated by the half height width of the tan δ peak, plays a major role in energy dissipation. The matrix–fibre interaction parameter shows a similar trend with low strain tensile stress values. Nanoclay addition to the composites leads to improved elongation at break and frequency damping properties. Compressive hysteresis reflects no improvement of hysteresis with nanoclay loading. Dynamic storage moduli, matrix–fibre interaction parameter and energy dissipation properties of the short fibre‐filled composites are negatively affected by nanoclay addition. However, ultimate elongation is improved markedly on nanoclay addition. In respect of tensile strength and elongation at break values, two composite samples (KF5NC10 and KF10NC10) offer optimum properties. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry
Selective‐area growth of periodic iron‐garnet thin films
Authors: Zhang Xiwen , Xu Shiyou , Han Gaorong 
Published: October 2009

AbstractA new approach for the fabrication of periodic crystalline iron‐garnet thin films is introduced. Crystalline iron‐garnet planar triangular‐disposed thin film arrays are fabricated on SGGG substrate based on a selective‐area growth process, consisting of electron‐beam lithography patterning, soft ion‐milling, selective‐epitaxy, and chemical etching. Aluminum thin film is utilized in the processing, acting as a conductive layer to overcome any charge build‐up problem for the dielectric substrate. X‐ray diffraction results confirm that a crystalline iron‐garnet film can be deposited on a soft ion‐bombarded (GdCa)3(GaMgZr)5O12 (SGGG) surface by radio frequency (RF) plasma double ion‐beam sputtering. Planar periodic triangular‐disposed films are observed from field emission scanning electron microscope and atom force microscope, with diameters of 200–300 nm, a height of 30 nm, and a spacing interval of 350 nm. A typical hysteresis loop of magnetic materials is obtained. All results show this structure has great potential to be used as two‐dimensional magnetic photonic crystals (2D‐MPCs) and the selectively growth method can also be used to fabricate other 2D‐MPCs.
Building a giant— Bank of America
Authors: Rinzinwangmo Yabshi Pan , Fengming Song , Flavel Peter 
Published: October 2009

AbstractA long‐term, durable, and well‐executed corporate strategy is essential for any banking institution working to build a world‐class financial firm. Over the course of several decades, Bank of America has set the gold standard with respect to timing, execution, and integration of newly acquired businesses. Bank of America's “Four Cornerstones” corporate strategy is the foundation of the firm's success story. This case study explores the “Four Cornerstones” corporate strategy and investigates whether or not Bank of America's recent bold acquisition of Merrill Lynch demonstrates the firm's hallmark corporate strategy and tactical execution. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effects of different preparation methods on the properties of poly[ethylene‐co‐(vinyl acetate)]/(Standard Malaysian natural rubber)/organoclay nanocomposites
Authors: Munusamy Y. , Ismail H. , Mariatti M. , Ratnam C.T. 
Published: October 2009

AbstractPoly[ethylene‐co‐(vinyl acetate)] (EVA)/(Standard Malaysian natural rubber) (SMR L)/organoclay nanocomposites were prepared by using melt intercalation and solution blending methods. In both preparation methods, the EVA: (SMR L) ratio was prefixed at 50:50, while the organoclay loading was varied from 0 to 10 phr. The effects of two different processing routes and organoclay loading on the morphology, tensile, properties thermal properties, and flammability of the nanocomposites were studied. X‐ray diffraction results and transmission electron microscopy images proved that solution blending promotes better dispersion of organoclay than melt intercalation. Thus, the nanocomposites prepared by the solution‐blending method exhibited higher values of tensile strength, stress at 100% elongation (M100), and thermal stability. The M100 value and thermal stability improved proportionally with the increase of organoclay content, owing to the demobilizing effect and the barrier properties of the organoclay. The optimum tensile strength value was achieved at a 2‐phr organoclay loading. Further increases in loading decreased the strength of the nanocomposites. Tensile fracture surfaces of the nanocomposites prepared by both methods showed different fracture behavior, as evidenced by scanning electron microscopy images. Flammability decreased when the organoclay loading increased for the nanocomposites prepared by both methods. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 2009. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers
A brief overview of theories of PVC plasticization and methods used to evaluate PVC‐plasticizer interaction
Authors: Daniels Paul H. 
Published: October 2009

AbstractThis paper reviews the most widely used models for explaining how plasticizers render PVC flexible. These models include the gel, lubricity, and free volume theories; kinetic theories; and mathematical models which predict on the basis of plasticizer structure how much a plasticizer will lower the polymer glass transition in a flexible PVC compound. Since plasticization results from interactions between plasticizer and polymer, methods which have been used to study either the strength or the permanence (or both) of those interactions are also briefly discussed. Tools which have often been used to study plasticizer‐PVC interactions include infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, compression and humid‐aging tests, dynamic mechanical analysis, torque rheometer tests, plasticizer‐resin clear point temperature measurements, plastisol gelation/fusion by hot stage measurements, and others. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 2009. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers
Moisture absorption properties of wood‐fiber‐reinforced recycled polypropylene matrix composites
Authors: Xu Qi , Cui Yihua , Wang Xinxin , Xia Zhongzhen , Han Chen , Wang Jiabao 
Published: October 2009

AbstractTo reduce the moisture absorption of wood‐fiber‐reinforced recycled plastic composites (WRPCs), a coupling agent (KH550), methyl methacrylate (MMA), and maleic anhydride (MA) were used to modify the wood fibers. The surface‐treated wood fibers were mixed with recycled polypropylene and processing agents to fabricate the WRPCs. The mechanical properties and moisture absorption behavior of the WRPCs were determined. The results showed that the three surface treatment methods could effectively reduce the moisture absorption and thickness swelling of WRPCs. In Comparison to the properties of untreated wood‐fiber‐reinforced WRPCs, the moisture absorption ratio of WRPCs with wood fibers treated by MMA, KH550, and MA was reduced by 31.4%, 49.8%, and 38.2%, respectively, and the tensile strength was increased by 22.1%, 26.3%, and 4.2%, respectively. The impact toughness of the WRPCs was increased by 36.2% KH550 treatment and 19.2% for MMA treatment but was decreased by 4.2% for MA treatment. Coupling treatment of the wood fibers was the best way to reduce the moisture absorption of WRPCs, and this kind of WRPC possessed the best comprehensive properties. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 2010. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers
Effect of Feed Fat By‐Products with Trans Fatty Acids and Heated Oil on Cholesterol and Oxycholesterols in Chicken
Authors: Ubhayasekera Sarojini J. K. A. , Tres Alba , Codony Rafael , Dutta Paresh C. 
Published: October 2009

AbstractChicken is the most widely consumed meat all over the world due to chickens being easy to rear, their fast growth rate and the meat having good nutritional characteristics. The main objective of this paper was to study the effects of dietary fatty by‐products in low, medium and high levels of oxidized lipids andtransfatty acids (TFAs) on the contents of cholesterol and oxycholesterols in meat, liver, and plasma of chickens. A palm fatty acid distillate, before and after hydrogenation, and a sunflower–olive oil blend (70/30, v/v) before and after use in a commercial frying process were used in feeding trials after adding 6% of the fats to the feeds. Highly oxidized lipid and TFA feeds significantly increased the contents of cholesterol and oxycholesterols in all tissues of chicken (0.01 <p≤ 0.05). The contents of oxycholesterols in chicken meat, liver and plasma obtained from TFA feeding trials varied between 17 and 48 μg/100 g in meat, 19–42 μg/100 g in liver and 105–126 μg/dL in plasma. In contrast, in the oxidized lipid feeding trials, oxycholesterols varied between 13 and 75 μg/100 g in meat, 30–58 μg/100 g in liver and 66–209 μg/dL in plasma. Meat from chickens fed with feeds containing high levels of TFAs or oxidized lipids may contribute to higher ingestion of cholesterol and oxycholesterols by humans.
Die elektronische Gesundheitskarte
Authors: Staemmler Martin 
Published: October 2009

Einleitung
Die elektronische Gesundheitskarte (eGK) soll administrative (z.B. Lesen und Schreiben der Versichertenstammdaten, elektronische Verordnung) und medizinische Anwendungen (z.B. elektronischer Arztbrief, Gesundheitsakte) in Verbindung mit der Telematikinfrastruktur (TI) unterstützen. Zudem dient sie der eindeutigen Identifizierung des Patienten und als Sicherheitstoken für seine persönlichen Daten. Dieser Beitrag zeigt den aktuellen Stand der Umsetzung und weitere Entwicklungen auf.
Personalisierter Technikeinsatz – Zukunftsperspektive gesundheitlicher Prävention?
Authors: Norgall Thomas 
Published: October 2009

Einleitung
Demografische Entwicklungen, Kosten- und Ressourcenprobleme werden die sozialen und gesundheitsbezogenen Sicherungssysteme fundamental verändern. Eine stärkere Gewichtung präventiver Maßnahmen erscheint dabei naheliegend und sinnvoll. Gesundheitliche Prävention in sämtlichen Formen – insbesondere in privater bzw. häuslicher Umgebung – lässt sich durch Technik unterstützen. Konzepte wie “Personal Health”, „Intelligentes Wohnen” und “Ambient Assisted Living” beinhalten entsprechende Optionen.
Automatisierte externe Defibrillatoren in der Ersten Hilfe
Authors: Schneider Kristin , Kugler Joachim , Wolfram Nicole 
Published: October 2009

Einleitung
Automatisierte externe Defibrillatoren (AED) sind Geräte, die einen Herz-Kreislaufstillstand unterbrechen können. Sie sind technisch soweit entwickelt, dass sie sicher von zufällig anwesenden Helfern angewandt werden können und diesen in den Maßnahmen der Wiederbelebung unterstützen. In diesem Beitrag wird auf die Nutzung in Deutschland und auf das Potential dieser Geräte eingegangen.
Polanyi in Brussels: Supranational Institutions and the Transnational Embedding of Markets
Authors: Caporaso James A. , Tarrow Sidney 
Published: October 2009

AbstractMany have argued that the success of European integration is predicated on reinforcing market structures and some have gone further to state that the creation of a transnational market results in a decoupling of markets from their national political and social frameworks, thus threatening to unravel historical social bargains. Drawing on the work of Karl Polanyi and John Ruggie and using their insights regarding the social embedding of markets, we dissent from this view by examining how the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has handled a key sector of the emerging European market—labor mobility. We argue that rather than disembedding markets, decisions of the ECJ—just as Polanyi and Ruggie would have predicted—activate new social and political arrangements. We find evidence for the development of a new legal and political structure, largely inspired by the Court but also imbricated in European Union legislation, at the regional level.
D-Minus Elections: The Politics and Norms of International Election Observation
Authors: Kelley Judith 
Published: October 2009

AbstractAs international election monitors have grown active worldwide, their announcements have gained influence. Sometimes, however, they endorse highly flawed elections. Because their leverage rests largely on their credibility, this is puzzling. Understanding the behavior of election monitors is important because they help the international community to evaluate the legitimacy of governments and because their assessments inform the data used by scholars to study democracy. Furthermore, election monitors are also particularly instructive to study because the variety of both intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations that observe elections makes it possible to compare them across many countries and political contexts. This study uses a new dataset of 591 international election-monitoring missions. It shows that despite their official mandate to focus on election norms, monitors do not only consider the elections' quality; their assessments also reflect the interests of their member states or donors as well as other tangential organizational norms. Thus, even when accounting as best as possible for the nature and level of irregularities in an election, monitors' concerns about democracy promotion, violent instability, and organizational politics and preferences are associated with election endorsement. The study also reveals differences in the behavior of intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations and explains why neither can pursue their core objectives single-mindedly.
Making Rules for Global Finance: Transatlantic Regulatory Cooperation at the Turn of the Millennium
Authors: Posner Elliot 
Published: October 2009

AbstractThis article explains a shift in the way transatlantic authorities managed conflicts over the cross-border regulation of securities markets: from cooperation skewed heavily toward the preferences of U.S. officials and accepted grudgingly by European counterparts; to a Euro-American regulatory condominium characterized by close interactions among decision makers and mutual accommodation. In the final decades of the twentieth century, the asymmetric influence wielded by U.S. securities market authorities had few parallels in other regulatory areas. Why, then, did U.S. officials become more accommodating and European authorities more influential, and why did the turning point occur in 2002 and 2003, an unlikely moment for intensified transatlantic sovereignty sharing? My study shows that institutional change inside the EU recast the North Atlantic balance of regulatory leverage and thereby was the primary factor behind the reshaping of transatlantic cooperation. Internal EU regulatory centralization changed the expectations of U.S. and European firms and authorities and generated new incentives in Washington, D.C., for accommodation and closer transatlantic coordination. My explanation differs from models that, accepting U.S. financial pre-eminence as a given, attribute variance in cross-border regulatory cooperation to factors such as incentives derived from the particularities of issue areas or preferences rooted in domestic politics. While resonating with a well-established theme from the realist branch of IPE, my findings have broad theoretical significance, and open new avenues for dialogue between realists and constructivists about the social, political, and institutional foundations of power in global economic affairs. The transatlantic political process set off by financial transformation in Europe reveals contemporary sources of systemic change and raises questions about what the EU's ascendance as a global financial regulator will mean in the aftermath of the late-2000s crisis.
On Acting and Knowing: How Pragmatism Can Advance International Relations Research and Methodology
Authors: Friedrichs Jörg , Kratochwil Friedrich 
Published: October 2009

AbstractThis article moves from deconstruction to reconstruction in research methodology. It proposes pragmatism as a way to escape from epistemological deadlock. We first show that social scientists are mistaken in their hope to obtain warranted knowledge through traditional scientific methods. We then show that pragmatism has grown from tacit commonsense to an explicit item on the agenda of the international relations discipline. We suggest that a coherent pragmatic approach consists of two elements: the recognition of knowledge generation as a social and discursive activity, and the orientation of research toward the generation of useful knowledge. To offer a concrete example of what pragmatic methodology can look like, we propose the research strategy of abduction. We assess various forms of research design to further elucidate how pragmatic research works in practice.