bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Warwickshire Group (Pennsylvanian) red-beds of the Canonbie Coalfield, England–Scotland border, and their regional palaeogeographical implications
Authors: JONES NEIL S. , HOLLIDAY DOUGLAS W. , McKERVEY JOHN A. 
Published: June 2010

AbstractLate Carboniferous red-beds, < 700 m thick, at outcrop and in the subsurface of the Canonbie Coalfield can be assigned to the Warwickshire Group. They are preserved within the axial part of the Solway Syncline and are divisible into the Eskbank Wood, Canonbie Bridge Sandstone and Becklees Sandstone formations. Sedimentation largely took place on a well-drained alluvial plain, characterized mainly by early, primary oxidation of the strata. Large, northerly-flowing braided river systems were common, with overbank and floodplain fines deposited lateral to the channels; soils formed during intervals of low sediment aggradation. The Canonbie succession includes some of the youngest Carboniferous rocks preserved in the UK. Correlation of the Eskbank Wood Formation is equivocal, but using petrographical, heavy mineral, zircon age dating and palaeocurrent data, the Canonbie Bridge Sandstone Formation can be unambiguously correlated with the Halesowen Formation of Warwickshire, the Pennant Sandstone Formation of South Wales and the offshore Boulton Formation. This suggests that southerly-derived detritus travelled considerable distances from the Variscan highlands of Brittany and/or central Germany across the southern North Sea and UK areas, to a position some hundreds of kilometres north of that previously recognized. The Becklees Sandstone Formation has much in common with the Salop Formation of the English Midlands. It appears to have no preserved equivalent elsewhere in the UK or in the UK sector of the southern North Sea but resembles stratigraphically higher parts of the southern North Sea succession seen in the Dutch sector.
AGE AT MENARCHE OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN BANGLADESH: SECULAR TRENDS AND ASSOCIATION WITH ADULT ANTHROPOMETRIC MEASURES AND SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS
Authors: HOSSAIN MD. GOLAM , ISLAM SAIMA , AIK SAW , ZAMAN TUNKU KAMARUL , LESTREL PETE E. 
Published: June 2010

SummaryAge at menarche has been shown to be an important indicator for diseases such as breast cancer and ischaemic heart disease. The aim of the present study was to document secular trends in age at menarche and their association with anthropometric measures and socio-demographic factors in university students in Bangladesh. Data were collected from 995 students from Rajshahi University using a stratified sampling technique between July 2004 and May 2005. Trends in age at menarche were examined by linear regression analysis. Multiple regression analysis was used to assess the association of age at menarche with adult anthropometric measures and various socio-demographic factors. The mean and median age of menarche were 13.12±1.16 and 13.17 years, respectively, with an increasing tendency among birth-year cohorts from 1979 to 1986. Menarcheal age was negatively associated with BMI (p<0.01), but positively associated with height (p<0.05). Early menarche was especially pronounced among students from urban environments, Muslims and those with better educated mothers. Increasing age at menarche may be explained by improved nutritional status among Bangladeshi populations. Early menarche was associated with residence location at adolescence, religion and mother's education.
MEASURING THE USEFULNESS OF FAMILY PLANNING JOB AIDS FOLLOWING DISTRIBUTION AT TRAINING WORKSHOPS
Authors: TUMLINSON KATHERINE , HUBACHER DAVID , WESSON JENNIFER , LASWAY CHRISTINE 
Published: June 2010

SummaryA job aid is a tool, such as a flowchart or checklist, that makes it easier for staff to carry out tasks by providing quick access to needed information. Many public health organizations are engaged in the production of job aids intended to improve adherence to important medical guidelines and protocols, particularly in resource-constrained countries. However, some evidence suggests that actual use of job aids remains low. One strategy for improving utilization is the introduction of job aids in training workshops. This paper summarizes the results of two separate evaluations conducted in Uganda and the Dominican Republic (DR) which measured the usefulness of a series of four family planning checklists 7–24 months after distribution in training workshops. While more than half of the health care providers used the checklists at least once, utilization rates were sub-optimal. However, the vast majority of those providers who utilized the checklists found them to be very useful in their work.
Tunable dual-band resonators for communication systems
Authors: Girbau David , Lázaro Antonio , Pérez Albert , Martínez Esther , Pradell Lluís , Villarino Ramón 
Published: June 2010

This paper proposes the design of tunable dual-band resonators for multi-band multi-standard systems. The main objective is to provide frequency tunability in the second resonance while maintaining the first resonance fixed. To this end, two tunable resonators are proposed: the capacitive-loaded stepped-impedance resonator and the capacitive-loaded hole resonator. The work is divided into two main parts. In the first part, an in-depth analysis of the capacitive-loaded stepped-impedance resonator (SIR) structure is done; it provides analytical closed-form design equations that ease the resonator design in contrast to the several approaches available in the literature to date. The analysis is also particularized to the case of the capacitive-loaded constant-section resonator and extended to the capacitive-loaded hole resonator. In addition, a study of the quality factor in capacitively tuned SIRs is also provided. In the second part, resonators are integrated in three dual-band tunable filters, one based on the capacitive-loaded constant-section resonator, another one on the capacitive-loaded SIR, and finally on the capacitive-loaded hole resonator. Two of these filters demonstrate operation in wireless local-area network frequency bands, with a fixed first band at 2.45 GHz and a second band which can be tuned between 5.75 and 5.25 GHz.
A molecular approach to identifying the prey of cephalopod paralarvae
Authors: Roura Álvaro , González Ángel F. , Pascual Santiago , Guerra Ángel 
Published: June 2010

Abstract
Roura, Á., González, Á. F., Pascual, S., and Guerra, Á. 2010. A molecular approach to identifying the prey of cephalopod paralarvae. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 1408–1412. A molecular method was developed to detect Artemia franciscana within Octopus vulgaris paralarvae, as a first step towards understanding the diet of octopus during this life stage. Wild eggs were collected from a spawning female in the Ría de Vigo (northwestern Spain) in late summer, and brought to the laboratory. After hatching, paralarvae were reared in 30 l rectangular tanks with an open seawater filtered system. Paralarvae were fed Artemia, then immediately fixed in 80% ethanol and preserved at −20°C. Primers specific to A. franciscana were designed for the gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit I. A nested polymerase chain reaction was necessary to detect A. franciscana within octopus paralarvae. This molecular method provides a new framework for resolving the diet of cephalopod paralarvae in the wild, essential for ecological understanding and increasing survival rates in aquaculture.
Effect of Outer Bran Layers from Germinated Wheat Grains on Breadmaking Properties
Authors: Seguchi M. , Uozu M. , Oneda H. , Murayama R. , Okusu H. 
Published: June 2010

ABSTRACTWheat grains were germinated in the dark at room temperature (24°C) for 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8 days. Germinated wheat grains were pearled in a Waring blender, and the outer bran layers were separated from the pearled grains. Breadmaking was performed with wheat flour and 10% of the outer bran layer. Breadmaking properties (bread height [mm] and specific volume [cm3/g]) were gradually enhanced by blending the germinated outer bran layers, and maximum specific volume was obtained after 5 days of germination. However, the improvement was lost after 8 days of germination. Rapid ViscoAnalyser (RVA) and Brabender Farinograph profiles of wheat flour and outer bran layers (10%) indicated that the maximum decrease of peak viscosity and increase of angle of tail were obtained after 3 and 5 days of germination, respectively. Those changes are presumed to be due to the action of enzymes found in the outer bran layers. Activities of α‐ and β‐amylase, lipase, protease, and xylanase in the outer bran layers were measured, and correlation coefficients (r) between breadmaking properties and peak viscosity (RVA), angle of tail (farinograph), and enzyme activities were calculated. These data suggest that xylanase and α‐amylase activities in the outer bran layers were highly related to the enhancement of the breadmaking properties.
MRP14 is elevated in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of fibrosing interstitial lung diseases
Authors: Korthagen N M , Nagtegaal M M , Van Moorsel C H M , Kazemier K M , Van Den Bosch J M M , Grutters J C 
Published: June 2010

SummaryPulmonary fibrosis is defined by an overgrowth of fibroblasts and extracellular matrix deposition, and results in respiratory dysfunction that is often fatal. It is the end stage in many chronic inflammatory interstitial lung diseases (ILD) such as sarcoidosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The myeloid-related proteins (MRPs) belong to the S100 family of calcium-binding proteins and are highly expressed by neutrophils, macrophages and epithelial cells during chronic inflammation. MRP14 stimulates fibroblast proliferation in vitro and is expressed in granulomas from sarcoidosis patients. We hypothesized that MRP14 may be a biomarker for fibrotic interstitial lung diseases. The objective of this study was to investigate whether levels of MRP14 in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of patients with sarcoidosis and IPF correlate with clinical parameters. We used an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to measure MRP14 in BALF of 74 sarcoidosis patients, 54 IPF patients and 19 controls. Mean BALF levels of MRP14 were elevated significantly in IPF (P &lt; 0·001) and sarcoidosis (P &lt; 0·05) patients compared to controls. MRP14 levels were associated linearly with sarcoidosis disease severity based on chest radiographic stage. Moreover, BALF MRP14 levels were correlated inversely with diffusion capacity and forced vital capacity in sarcoidosis patients. In IPF patients, a correlation with BALF neutrophil percentage was found. In conclusion, BALF MRP14 levels are elevated in IPF and sarcoidosis and are associated with disease severity in sarcoidosis. The results support the need for further studies into the role of MRP14 in the pathogenesis of lung fibrosis.
Prenatal dexamethasone use for the prevention of virilization in pregnancies at risk for classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia because of 21‐hydroxylase (CYP21A2) deficiency: a systematic review and meta‐analyses
Authors: Mercè Fernández‐Balsells M. , Muthusamy Kalpana , Smushkin Galina , Lampropulos Julianna F. , Elamin Mohamed B. , Abu Elnour Nisrin O. , Elamin Khalid B. , Agrwal Neera , Gallegos‐Orozco Juan F. , Lane Melanie A. , Erwin Patricia J. , Montori Victor M. , Murad M. Hassan 
Published: June 2010

SummaryContext  Prenatal treatment with dexamethasone to prevent virilization in pregnancies at risk for classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) remains controversial.Objective  To conduct a systematic review and meta‐analyses of studies that evaluated the effects of dexamethasone administration during pregnancies at risk for classical CAH because of 21‐hydroxylase deficiency (CYP21A2).Data Sources  We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane CENTRAL from inception through August 2009. Review of reference lists and contact with CAH experts further identified candidate studies.Study Selection  Reviewers working independently and in duplicate determined trial eligibility. Eligible studies reported the effects on either foetal or maternal outcomes of dexamethasone administered during pregnancy compared to a control group that did not receive any treatment.Data Extraction  Reviewers working independently and in duplicate determined the methodological quality of studies and collected data on patient characteristics, interventions, and outcomes.Data Synthesis  We identified only four eligible observational studies (325 pregnancies treated with dexamethasone). The methodological quality of the included studies was overall low. Meta‐analysis demonstrates a reduction in foetus virilization measured by Prader score in female foetuses treated with dexamethasone initiated early during pregnancy (weighted mean difference, −2·33, 95% CI, −3·38, −1·27). No deleterious effects of dexamethasone on stillbirths, spontaneous abortions, foetal malformations, neuropsychological or developmental outcomes were found although these data are quite sparse. There was increased oedema and striae in the mothers treated with dexamethasone. There were no data on long‐term follow‐up of physical and metabolic outcomes in children exposed to dexamethasone.Conclusions  The observational nature of the available evidence and the overall small sample size of the whole body of the literature significantly weaken inferences about the benefits and harms of dexamethasone in this setting. Dexamethasone seems to be associated with reduction in foetus virilization without significant maternal or foetal adverse effects. However, this review underscores the current uncertainty and further investigation is clearly needed. The decision about initiating treatment should be based on patients’ values and preferences and requires fully informed and consenting parents.
The effect of spironolactone upon corticosteroid hormone metabolism in patients with early stage chronic kidney disease
Authors: Hammer Fabian , Edwards Nicola C. , Hughes Beverly A. , Steeds Richard P. , Ferro Charles J. , Townend Jonathan N. , Stewart Paul M. 
Published: June 2010

SummaryContext Aldosterone has emerged as an important mediator of disease progression and mortality in patients with chronic heart and kidney disease (CKD). Despite the increasing use of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists in these patients, little is known about the effects on corticosteroid hormone secretion and metabolism.Objective To assess corticosteroid hormone secretion and metabolism in patients with early stage CKD before and after spironolactone (Spiro).Design Randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled interventional study.Setting Single tertiary referral centre.Patients A total of 112 patients with stable stage 2/3 CKD.Interventions Patients were randomized to receive either Spiro 25 mg once daily or placebo for 36 weeks.Main outcome measures Plasma renin activity (PRA), angiotensin II (AngII) and steroid hormones were analysed by standard assays; urinary corticosteroid hormone metabolites (5α+5β‐tetrahydro‐cortisol (5α+5β‐THF), TH–cortisone (THE), 3α5β‐TH‐aldosterone (TH‐Aldo), 5α+5β‐TH‐deoxycorticosterone (5α+5β‐TH‐DOC), TH‐11‐desoxycortisol (THS)) were analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.Results Plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) was inversely correlated with eGFR (r = −0·331,P < 0·001). Urinary 24‐h excretion of TH‐Aldo was correlated with PAC (r = 0·214,P < 0·05) and diastolic blood pressure (BP) (r = 0·212,P = <0·05), whereas total 24‐h urinary cortisol metabolite excretion was correlated with systolic BP (r = 0·316,P < 0·01). In addition, 11β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β‐HSD) type 1 activity (urinary 5α+5β‐THF)/THE) ratio) was correlated with PRA (r = 0·277,P < 0·01). Spiro treatment significantly reduced BP (123 ± 11/76 ± 7vs119 ± 11/73 ± 8 mmHg,P < 0·01) despite renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system induction, reflected by increased urinary 24‐h TH‐Aldo excretion (17·6 (12, 86)vs26 (18, 80) μg/24 h,P < 0·05). By contrast, Spiro had no effect on total urinary cortisol metabolite excretion, 11β‐hydroxylase, 11β‐HSD type 1 and 2 activity.Conclusions Aldo and cortisol are positively associated with BP suggesting that adrenal hyperactivity may in part explain the increased cardiovascular risk in patients with early end‐stage CKD. Addition of Spiro had no effect on glucocorticoid metabolism or total 24‐h corticosteroid production.
Risk of early progression to prediabetes or diabetes in women with recent gestational dysglycaemia but normal glucose tolerance at 3‐month postpartum
Authors: Retnakaran Ravi , Qi Ying , Connelly Philip W. , Sermer Mathew , Hanley Anthony J. , Zinman Bernard 
Published: June 2010

SummaryObjective Both gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and milder glucose intolerance in pregnancy identify women who are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. While some of these women will have prediabetes or diabetes in the early postpartum, most will have normal glucose tolerance (NGT), despite their future diabetic risk. In this context, we sought to evaluate the risk of early progression to dysglycaemia in women with NGT at 3‐month postpartum and identify predictors thereof.Methods Three hundred and twenty‐five women with varying degrees of gestational dysglycaemia but NGT on oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at 3‐month postpartum underwent repeat OGTT at 12‐month postpartum.Results By 12‐month postpartum, 10% of the study population and 17·1% of those with recent GDM had progressed to dysglycaemia (primarily impaired glucose tolerance). At 3‐month postpartum, compared to nonprogressors, the progressors had (i) higher BMI (P = 0·0023), LDL (P = 0·0017), triglycerides (P = 0·0002), leptin (P = 0·0021) and C‐reactive protein (P = 0·043), and (ii) lower HDL (P = 0·0026) and adiponectin (P = 0·045). Notably, although all women had NGT at the time, each of the following glucose‐related parameters from the OGTT at 3‐month postpartum emerged as a significant independent predictor of progression on logistic regression analyses: area‐under‐the‐glucose‐curve (OR = 1·37, 95%CI: 1·13–1·65; P = 0·0012); sum of the glucose values (OR = 1·16, 95%CI: 1·05–1·29; P = 0·0042); and having a delayed blood glucose peak (occurring >30 min postload) (OR = 2·89, 95%CI: 1·29–6·45; P = 0·0097).Conclusions A normal OGTT at 3‐month postpartum does not necessarily provide assurance of a low risk of progression to prediabetes. Glucose‐related measures during this OGTT may identify those women at highest risk for early progression.
Dynamics of GH secretion during incremental exercise in obesity, before and after a short period of training at different work‐loads
Authors: Salvadori Alberto , Fanari Paolo , Marzullo Paolo , Codecasa Franco , Tovaglieri Ilaria , Cornacchia Mauro , Walker Gillian , Brunani Amelia , Longhini Erminio 
Published: June 2010

SummaryBackground  Growth hormone (GH) secretion is normally sensitive to physical exercise. Intensity and duration of exercise, fitness and age can all influence the GH response to exercise. In obesity, GH secretion is decreased both in basal conditions and in response to exercise.Objective  To analyse the dynamics of GH response to a progressive cycloergometric test, conducted up to exhaustion, in adult normal subjects and obese patients, after a reconditioning program at different workloads.Design and methods  We studied eight lean subjects (four men, mean age 34·3 years, range 26–47 years, mean body mass index (BMI) 22·1 kg/m2). GH was sampled at baseline and during the last 30 s of each power output increase. Anaerobic threshold (AT) was detected by the V‐slope method. The same test was carried out in 16 obese subjects (seven men, mean age 39·1 years, range 20–59 years, mean BMI 35·8 kg/m2) and repeated after a 4‐week reconditioning program consisting of aerobic workout (Group A, eight subjects, three men, mean age 40·5 years, range 22–59 years, mean BMI 33·6 kg/m2), and aerobic plus anaerobic work (group B, eight subjects, four men, mean age 37·6 years, range 20–56 years, mean BMI 38·0 kg/m2) for 6 days/week, with no dietary restrictions.Results  Mean exercise peak occurred at higher intensity in controls (140 vs 110 W, P < 0·05), and AT exceeded at higher work outputs than in obese subjects (102 vs 74 W, P < 0·05). In controls, GH response to exercise was prompt and further sustained after AT; in obese subjects, GH increased slowly and insignificantly before AT, thereafter it increased to lower levels than in controls (P < 0·001). Following the reconditioning period, both Group A and Group B of obese subjects failed to improve exercise performance as well as GH response to exercise before AT; beyond AT, a greater GH response to exercise occurred in Group B than Group A (7·59 ± 0·32 μg/l at peak of exercise) with significantly different Delta AUCs (Area Under the Curves) following AT: 30·5 ± 12 μg.min/l in Group A vs 124·2 ± 38 μg.min/l in Group B, P < 0·05.Conclusions  Our results confirm the blunted GH response to exercise in obese adults when compared to lean counterparts. With obesity, aerobic training poorly increases the GH response beyond AT, while supplemental anaerobic workload appears to increase GH response beyond AT. These observations may have implications for the prescription of physical exercise, which is one of the recommendations in the management of obesity.
Designing a conservation area network that supports the representation and persistence of freshwater biodiversity
Authors: NEL JEANNE L. , REYERS BELINDA , ROUX DIRK J. , DEAN IMPSON N. , COWLING RICHARD M. 
Published: June 2010

Summary1. The progression of approaches in systematic conservation planning from representation to representation and persistence has greatly enhanced its potential applicability to freshwaters. However, conceptual frameworks that consolidate principles for incorporating persistence into freshwater conservation planning are still lacking.2. We present four key principles to consider when planning for the persistence of freshwater biodiversity: selecting ecosystems of high ecological integrity; incorporating connectivity; incorporating areas important to population persistence; and identifying additional natural processes that can be mapped.3. The practicalities of gathering data and conducting the conservation plan to address these principles are explored here using a case study in the Olifants/Doorn Water Management Area, South Africa. Spatial layers are developed for depicting ecological integrity, sub‐catchment boundaries, riparian zones and wetlands, high water‐yield areas and patterns of groundwater discharge and recharge.4. These data are used to develop a conservation area network that supports both representation and persistence of freshwater biodiversity. Although the planning region is relatively data rich by global standards, several data deficiencies were identified. We suggest ways of using environmental surrogates to address data deficiencies, improving confidence in these surrogates by combining them wherever possible with existing field data and expert knowledge.5. We also recommend methods to achieve spatial efficiency by simultaneously designing for representation and persistence of freshwater biodiversity. Spatial efficiency can be achieved in different ways when using a conservation planning algorithm and a multiple‐use zoning strategy.6. The allocation of multiple‐use zones aligns closely with the objectives of integrated water resources management and land use planning. Given the practicalities at local levels of planning, we recommend using multiple‐use zones in the design phase, rather than merely at the end once the design is complete.