bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Robot‐Assisted Pediatric Surgery: How Far Can We Go?
Authors: Alqahtani Aayed , Albassam Abdullrahman , Zamakhshary Mohammed , Shoukri Mohammed , Altokhais Tariq , Aljazairi Ayman , Alzahim Abdullrhman , Mallik Mohammed , Alshehri Abdullah 
Published: February 2010

AbstractBackgroundThe purpose of this study was to assess the safety and feasibility of performing robot‐assisted pediatric surgery using the da Vinci Surgical System in a variety of surgical procedures.MethodsA retrospective review of 144 robot‐assisted pediatric surgical procedures performed in our institution between June 2004 and December 2007 was done. The procedures included the following: 39 fundoplications; 34 cholecystectomies; 25 gastric bandings; 13 splenectomies; 4 anorectal pull‐through operations for imperforate anus; 4 nephrectomies; 4 appendectomies; 4 sympathectomies; 3 choledochal cyst excisions with hepaticojejunostomies; 3 inguinal hernia repairs; two each of the following: liver cyst excision, repair of congenital diaphragmatic hernia, Heller’s myotomy, and ovarian cyst excision; and one each of the following: duodeno‐duodenostomy, adrenalectomy, and hysterectomy.ResultsA total of 134 procedures were successfully completed without conversion; 7 additional cases were converted to open surgery, and 3 were converted to laparoscopic surgery. There were no system failures (e.g., setup joint, arm, or camera malfunction; power error; monocular or binocular loss; metal fatigue or break of surgeon’s console hand piece; software incompatibility). There was one esophageal perforation and two cases of transient dysphagia following Nissen fundoplication. The mean patient age was 8.9 years, and the mean patient weight was 57 kg.ConclusionsRobot‐assisted surgery appears to be safe and feasible for a number of pediatric surgical procedures. Further system improvement and randomized studies are required to evaluate the benefits, if any, and the long‐term outcomes of robotic surgery.
Quality of Biodiesel Prepared from Phorbol Ester Extracted Jatropha curcas Oil
Authors: Devappa Rakshit Kodekalra , Maes Jeroen , Makkar Harinder Paul Singh , De Greyt Wim , Becker Klaus 
Published: February 2010

AbstractJatropha curcas seeds are rich in oil (28–32%), which can be converted to high quality biodiesel. The oil is non‐edible due to the presence of toxic compounds, namely, phorbol esters (PEs). PEs have a number of agricultural/medicinal/pharmaceutical applications and hence their recovery generates a value added co‐product towards the biodiesel production chain. This study aims to assess the effects of PE extraction on quality of both the residual oil and the biodiesel production from it. Two Approaches (1, use of an Ultra‐turrax; and 2, use of a magnetic stirrer) were used with an effective treatment time of 2 and 5 min, resulting in 80 and 78% extraction of PEs, respectively. The phosphorus content was reduced by 70.2 and 75.8%, free fatty acids by 55.3 and 55.6%, and the fatty acid composition did not change in the residual oils. The peroxide value increased from 2.69 (untreated oil) to 3.01 and 3.49 mequiv O2/kg in the residual oils following Approach 1 and Approach 2, respectively. The biodiesel prepared from both residual oils met European (EN 14214:2008) and American biodiesel standard (ASTM D6751‐09) specifications. Oxidative stability indices for both the biodiesels were well within the permitted limit. It is concluded that PEs could be isolated in active forms for various applications by either of the two methods with a high yield and the residual oil can be processed to produce high quality biodiesel.
Alteration of selective neurotransmitters in fetal brains of prenatally alcohol‐treated C57BL/6 mice: quantitative analysis using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Sari Youssef , Hammad Loubna A. , Saleh Marwa M. , Rebec George V. , Mechref Yehia 
Published: February 2010

AbstractWe previously demonstrated that prenatal alcohol exposure results in brain defects at different embryonic stages. This study is aimed at characterizing the influence of prenatal alcohol exposure on the levels of several neurotransmitters at early embryonic stage 13 (E13). Pregnant C57BL/6 mice were exposed to either a 25% ethanol derived calorie diet (ALC) or pair‐fed (PF) liquid diet from E7 to E13. At E13, fetal brains were collected from dams of the ALC and PF groups. Liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS) was then used to evaluate neurotransmitter levels. This approach involved the use of an LC column in conjunction with multiple‐reaction monitoring mass spectrometry. Quantitative analyses of catecholamines, idolamine, and amino acid neurotransmitters revealed significant reductions in the levels of dopamine (p= 0.004), norepinephrine (p= 0.0009), epinephrine (p= 0.0002), serotonin (p= 0.004), and GABA (p= 0.002) in the ALC group compared to the PF group. However, there was no significant change in the levels of glutamate in E13 fetal brains. These findings demonstrate that prenatal alcohol exposure reduces the concentrations of some catecholamines, idolamine, and amino acid neurotransmitters in E13 fetal brains. This study suggests that alterations of selective neurotransmitters may be the cause of abnormalities in brain function and behavior found in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
The impact of relative humidity, genotypes and fertilizer application rates on panicle, leaf temperature, fertility and seed setting of rice
Authors: YAN C. , DING Y. , WANG Q. , LIU Z. , LI G. , MUHAMMAD I. , WANG S. 
Published: February 2010

SUMMARYA series of field and plant growth chamber experiments were conducted in 2006 and 2007 to study how relative humidity (RH), genotypes and nitrogen application rates affect organ temperatures and spikelet fertility rates in rice. It was observed that organ temperatures varied with air temperature, RH, genotype and nitrogen application rate. Increases in RH at constant air temperature and increasing air temperature with a constant RH both increased organ temperatures significantly. Cultivars also exhibited differences in organ temperatures; those cultivars with erect panicles recorded lower organ temperatures than those with droopy panicles under similar climatic conditions. Similarly, cultivars with panicles above the flag leaf had lower temperatures at the panicle when compared to those plants with the panicle below the flag leaf. It was also found that panicle temperature showed a significant negative correlation with both grain filling rate and seed setting rate. Spikelet fertility could be maintained by reducing spikelet temperature under decreasing RH in a high-temperature environment. Panicle fertilizer application rates had a significant effect on the organ and canopy temperatures. The canopy temperature of rice grown with an ample supply of nitrogen was generally cooler than the canopy temperature of a nitrogen-deficient treatment.
Entropy, horseshoes and homoclinic trajectories on trees, graphs and dendrites
Authors: KOČAN ZDENĚK , KORNECKÁ-KURKOVÁ VERONIKA , MÁLEK MICHAL 
Published: February 2010

AbstractIt is known that the positiveness of topological entropy, the existence of a horseshoe and the existence of a homoclinic trajectory are mutually equivalent, for interval maps. The aim of the paper is to investigate the relations between the properties for continuous maps of trees, graphs and dendrites. We consider three different definitions of a horseshoe and two different definitions of a homoclinic trajectory. All the properties are mutually equivalent for tree maps, whereas not for maps on graphs and dendrites. For example, positive topological entropy and the existence of a homoclinic trajectory are independent and neither of them implies the existence of any horseshoe in the case of dendrites. Unfortunately, there is still an open problem, and we formulate it at the end of the paper.
Dixmier traces and coarse multifractal analysis
Authors: FALCONER KENNETH , SAMUEL TONY 
Published: February 2010

AbstractWe show how multifractal properties of a measure supported by a fractal F⊆[0,1] may be expressed in terms of complementary intervals of F and thus in terms of spectral triples and the Dixmier trace of certain operators. For self-similar measures this leads to a non-commutative integral over F equivalent to integration with respect to an auxiliary multifractal measure.
Indian International Law: From a Colonized Apologist to a Subaltern Protagonist
Authors: SINGH PRABHAKAR 
Published: February 2010

AbstractIndian responses to international law have now seen three generations of scholarship. A decade into its independence, India began playing its role in what has retrospectively been referred to as Third World approaches to international law (TWAIL). The early 1990s witnessed the rise of TWAIL II. Armed with interdisciplinarity and inspired by the subaltern pathology of the state in the 1970s, TWAIL II scholars barged into areas with approaches never seen before. Bhupinder Chimni alone discovered six perspectives of international law from India. My article picks up from where Professor Anand has left off and adds a seventh ‘tribal’ tale to Chimni's six. It is also argued that the category ‘Third World’ needs redefinition, as pockets of poverty are increasingly betraying geography. Indian law schools have also been evaluated vis-à-vis promotion of TWAIL. The paper covers, as comprehensively as possible, approaches and issues, direct or collateral, regarding an international law from India.
Point of No Return: Joint Criminal Enterprise in Brđanin
Authors: FARHANG CLIFF 
Published: February 2010

AbstractIn the Brđanin and Krajišnik judgments, the ICTY Appeals Chamber found that the accused may incur criminal liability for crimes carried out by low-level non-joint criminal enterprise (JCE) physical perpetrators who are used as tools or are otherwise instrumentalized by JCE members other than the accused to carry out the crimes of the common plan. Similarly, the Appeals Chamber held that the accused may also incur liability for crimes of excess committed by non-JCE perpetrators. However, as for the precise nature of liability in such cases, no clarification was provided. From this ambiguity the author detects an inclination on the part of the Appeals Chamber to construe JCE not only as an expression of commission but also of complicity. The author then identifies and elaborates the theoretical difficulties that this construction would instil in the traditional doctrine of JCE as formulated by the Tadić Appeals Chamber and the international law of individual criminal responsibility. He suggests that awareness of these very problems of theory is the reason behind the conspicuous ambiguity in Brđanin and Krajišnik as to the nature of JCE liability.
Prosecuting the Crime of Attack on Peacekeepers: A Prosecutor's Challenge
Authors: BANGURA MOHAMED A. 
Published: February 2010

AbstractThe crime of attack on peacekeepers has gained specific attention in the practice of various international courts and tribunals, including the Special Court for Sierra Leone and the International Criminal Court. This article revisits the historical origins, the foundations, and the main issues from a prosecutorial perspective arising in the interpretation and litigation of this crime. It argues that the crime poses unique challenges in relation to charging practice and evidence.
Investor–State Arbitrations: Can the ‘Fair and Equitable Treatment’ Clause Consider International Human Rights Obligations?
Authors: WYTHES ANNIKA 
Published: February 2010

AbstractThe recent investor–state arbitration claim ofPiero Foresti, Laura De Carli and othersv.Republic of South Africaconsiders the extent to which international human rights obligations might be compromised by investor protections. In this regard, the paper examines the investor protection known as fair and equitable treatment (FET). It addresses this treatment obligation in the context of the South Africa–Italy bilateral investment treaty, and its invocation by investors who feel wronged by South Africa's black economic empowerment policies. It analyses the main interpretative theories of the FET clause, and concludes that it is to be interpreted as a self-contained treaty standard. Thissui generisapproach to interpreting FET clauses more accurately reflects the intentions of the state parties. Such a view supports the conclusion that international human rights should be considered in the interpretation of the FET clause.
Methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) in food production animals
Authors: VANDERHAEGHEN W. , HERMANS K. , HAESEBROUCK F. , BUTAYE P. 
Published: February 2010

SUMMARYUntil recently, reports on methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) in food production animals were mainly limited to occasional detections in dairy cattle mastitis. However, since 2005 a MRSA clone, CC398, has been reported colonizing pigs, veal calves and broiler chickens and infecting dairy cows. Many aspects of its prevalence in pigs remain unclear. In other livestock, colonizing capacity and reservoir status still require elucidation. MRSA CC398 has also been detected in meat, but, as for other MRSA, the risk this poses is somewhat unclear. Currently, the most worrying aspect of MRSA CC398 appears to be its capacity to spread to humans. This might complicate MRSA control measures in human healthcare, urging research into risk factors and transmission routes. Although infections with MRSA CC398 are much less reported than carriage, more investigation into its pathogenic potential is required. Moreover, the origin and evolution of this clone remain unknown.
THE CLUSTER MUNITIONS CONVENTION: AROUND THE WORLD IN ONE YEAR
Authors: van Woudenberg Nout , Wormgoor Wouter 
Published: February 2010

AbstractOn 3 December 2008, theConvention on Cluster Munitions(hereinafter the Convention), a legally binding instrument on cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians, was signed by 94 states in Oslo. The Convention is the result of a Norwegian initiative of November 2006 which, ultimately led to negotiations conducted in Dublin from 18-30 May 2008 between 111 states. Below, a short overview will be given with regard to the process that led to the Convention, followed by a short explanation of the most relevant Articles of the Convention and the ideas behind it. Finally, a determination will be given with regard to the future role of the Convention in the field of international humanitarian law.
The introduction of a targeted user-pays approach to funding high-level residential aged care in Australia: an empirical investigation of the impact on price
Authors: Gargett Susan 
Published: February 2010

AbstractIn response to predictions that population ageing will increase government spending over the coming decades, in 1997–98, the Australian Government introduced means-tested income fees and accommodation charges for those admitted to nursing homes with income and assets above set threshold levels. Immediately prior, all residents paid the same price for their care and were not required to contribute towards the cost of their accommodation. In addition, in relation to those eligible to pay a higher price, the Government reduced its subsidisation of the cost of their care. The Government anticipated that the initiative would more equitably share the cost of age-related services across the public and private sectors, and result in some cost savings for itself. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of the policy on the average price paid by residents. The findings suggest that the policy may have contributed to an increase in the average price paid, but statistical evidence is limited due to a number of data issues. Results also indicate that the rate of increase in the price was greater after theResidential Aged Care Structural Reformpackage was introduced. The study contributes to the economic analysis of the sector by evaluating time series estimates of prices paid by residents since the early 1970s.
Fundamental signatures of short- and long-range electron transfer for the blue copper protein azurin at Au/SAM junctions
Authors: Khoshtariya Dimitri E. , Dolidze Tina D. , Shushanyan Mikhael , Davis Kathryn L. , Waldeck David H. , van Eldik Rudi 
Published: February 2010

The blue copper protein from
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
, azurin, immobilized at gold electrodes through hydrophobic interaction with alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of the general type [-S - (CH
2
)

n

- CH
3
] (
n
= 4, 10, and 15) was employed to gain detailed insight into the physical mechanisms of short- and long-range biomolecular electron transfer (ET). Fast scan cyclic voltammetry and a Marcus equation analysis were used to determine unimolecular standard rate constants and reorganization free energies for variable
n
, temperature (2–55 °C), and pressure (5–150 MPa) conditions. A novel global fitting procedure was found to account for the reduced ET rate constant over almost five orders of magnitude (covering different
n
, temperature, and pressure) and revealed that electron exchange is a direct ET process and not conformationally gated. All the ET data, addressing SAMs with thickness variable over
ca.
12 Å, could be described by using a single reorganization energy (0.3 eV), however, the values for the enthalpies and volumes of activation were found to vary with
n
. These data and their comparison with theory show how to discriminate between the fundamental signatures of short- and long-range biomolecular ET that are theoretically anticipated for the adiabatic and nonadiabatic ET mechanisms, respectively.
Structural insight into M-band assembly and mechanics from the titin-obscurin-like-1 complex
Authors: Pernigo Stefano , Fukuzawa Atsushi , Bertz Morten , Holt Mark , Rief Matthias , Steiner Roberto A. , Gautel Mathias 
Published: February 2010

In the sarcomeric M-band, the giant ruler proteins titin and obscurin, its small homologue obscurin-like-1 (obsl1), and the myosin cross-linking protein myomesin form a ternary complex that is crucial for the function of the M-band as a mechanical link. Mutations in the last titin immunoglobulin (Ig) domain M10, which interacts with the N-terminal Ig-domains of obscurin and obsl1, lead to hereditary muscle diseases. The M10 domain is unusual not only in that it is a frequent target of disease-linked mutations, but also in that it is the only currently known muscle Ig-domain that interacts with two ligands—obscurin and obsl1—in different sarcomeric subregions. Using x-ray crystallography, we show the structural basis for titin M10 interaction with obsl1 in a novel antiparallel Ig-Ig architecture and unravel the molecular basis of titin-M10 linked myopathies. The severity of these pathologies correlates with the disruption of the titin-obsl1/obscurin complex. Conserved signature residues at the interface account for differences in affinity that direct the cellular sorting in cardiomyocytes. By engineering the interface signature residues of obsl1 to obscurin, and vice versa, their affinity for titin can be modulated similar to the native proteins. In single-molecule force-spectroscopy experiments, both complexes yield at forces of around 30 pN, much lower than those observed for the mechanically stable Z-disk complex of titin and telethonin, suggesting why even moderate weakening of the obsl1/obscurin-titin links has severe consequences for normal muscle functions.
Monoclonal antibody produced in plants efficiently treats West Nile virus infection in mice
Authors: Lai Huafang , Engle Michael , Fuchs Anja , Keller Thomas , Johnson Syd , Gorlatov Sergey , Diamond Michael S. , Chen Qiang 
Published: February 2010

Over the past decade, West Nile virus (WNV) has spread to all 48 of the lower United States as well as to parts of Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America, with outbreaks of neuroinvasive disease occurring annually. At present, no therapeutic or vaccine is available for human use. Epidemics of WNV and other emerging infectious disease threats demand cost-efficient and scalable production technologies that can rapidly transfer effective therapeutics into the clinical setting. We have previously reported that Hu-E16, a humanized anti-WNV mAb, binds to a highly conserved epitope on the envelope protein, blocks viral fusion, and shows promising postexposure therapeutic activity. Herein, we generated a plant-derived Hu-E16 mAb that can be rapidly scaled up for commercial production. Plant Hu-E16 was expressed at high levels within 8 days of infiltration in
Nicotiana benthamiana
plants and retained high-affinity binding and potent neutralizing activity in vitro against WNV. A single dose of plant Hu-E16 protected mice against WNV-induced mortality even 4 days after infection at rates that were indistinguishable from mammalian-cell-produced Hu-E16. This study demonstrates the efficacy of a plant-produced mAb against a potentially lethal infection several days after exposure in an animal challenge model and provides a proof of principle for the development of plant-derived mAbs as therapy against emerging infectious diseases.
Structure and structural transition of chiral domains in oligo(p-phenylenevinylene) assembly investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy
Authors: Chen Qing , Chen Ting , Wang Dong , Liu Hui-Biao , Li Yu-Liang , Wan Li-Jun 
Published: February 2010

OPV3-CHO molecules are employed to prepare assembly on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite, and the so-prepared assembly is investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy. In the assembly chiral domains are observed with various structures such as linear and windmill. The chiral structural formation, stability, transition, and possible unification are intensively studied. After thermal annealing, linear structure was the only structure. To achieve a unified assembly with a single structure, an efficient method is proposed by coadsorption of OPV3-CHO with selected molecules. For example, an assembly with side-by-side helix structure is formed by a simple coadsorption of OPV3-CHO with alkyl bromide (C

n

H

2
n
+1

Br,
n
= 15–18). The experiments by cocrystallization of OPV3-CHO/C

n

H

2
n
+1

X
(
X
= Cl, Br, and I) show the important role of halogen bonding in formation of the uniform structure. The results are significant in understanding the intermolecular noncovalent interactions that dominate the surface structure and chirality.
The Locus Lookup tool at MaizeGDB: identification of genomic regions in maize by integrating sequence information with physical and genetic maps
Authors: Andorf Carson M. , Lawrence Carolyn J. , Harper Lisa C. , Schaeffer Mary L. , Campbell Darwin A. , Sen Taner Z. 
Published: February 2010

Abstract
Summary: Methods to automatically integrate sequence information with physical and genetic maps are scarce. The Locus Lookup tool enables researchers to define windows of genomic sequence likely to contain loci of interest where only genetic or physical mapping associations are reported. Using the Locus Lookup tool, researchers will be able to locate specific genes more efficiently that will ultimately help them develop a better maize plant. With the availability of the well-documented source code, the tool can be easily adapted to other biological systems.
Availability: The Locus Lookup tool is available on the web at http://maizegdb.org/cgi-bin/locus_lookup.cgi. It is implemented in PHP, Oracle and Apache, with all major browsers supported. Source code is freely available for download at http://ftp.maizegdb.org/open_source/locus_lookup/.
Contact: taner.sen@ars.usda.gov