bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Process Modelling of Combined Degumming and Bleaching in Palm Oil Refining Using Artificial Neural Network
Authors: Morad Noor Azian , Mohd Zin Rohani , Mohd Yusof Khairiyah , Abdul Aziz Mustafa Kamal 
Published: July 2010

AbstractCombined degumming and bleaching is the first stage of processing in a modern physical refining plant. In the current practice, the amount of phosphoric acid (degumming agent) and bleaching earth (bleaching agent) added during this process is usually fixed within a certain range. There is no system that can estimate the right amount of chemicals to be added in accordance with the quality of crude palm oil (CPO) used. The use of an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) for an improved operating procedure was explored in this process. A feed forward neural network was designed using a back‐propagation training algorithm. The optimum network for the response factor of phosphoric acid and bleaching earth dosages prediction were selected from topologies with the smallest validation error. Comparisons of ANN predicted results with industrial practice were made. It is proven in this study that ANN can be effectively used to determine the phosphoric acid and bleaching earth dosages for the combined degumming and bleaching process. In fact, ANN gives much more precise required dosages depending on the quality of the CPO used as feedstock. Therefore, the combined degumming and bleaching process can be further optimised with savings in cost and time through the use of ANN.
Fatty Acid Profiling of the Main Tissues of Spanish Olive Fruit: Effect of the Oil Extraction Method
Authors: Gómez‐González S. , Ruiz‐Jiménez J. , Luque de Castro M. D. 
Published: July 2010

AbstractThe aims of the present study were as follows: (1) study of the extraction efficiency of the methods to obtain extra virgin olive oil and pomace oil, and the fatty oil composition provided by each tissue and the whole fruit using both methods; (2) characterisation of the oil obtained by each extraction method according to quality parameters; and (3) development of chemometric models able to explain the differences between the oils obtained from the different extraction procedures, olive varieties or fruit tissues. With these objectives in mind, eight fruit varieties (i.e. arbequina, frantoio, hojiblanca, lechín from Sevilla, manzanilla, ocal, picual and picudo) from the same geographical area, harvested when the maturation was complete and the fatty acids content was at a maximum, were used. Oils from the whole fruit and from each of its main tissues (i.e. ectocarp, mesocarp, endocarp, and kernel) were sequentially extracted by the two methods based on principles similar to those used in the oil industry: pressure + centrifugation for extra virgin oil extraction and organic solvents for pomace oil. The oils thus obtained were weighed to know the oil richness of the fruit and that of each separate tissue, and also to determine the efficiency of each extraction method. Then, the fatty acids were subject to derivatisation, individual separation of the products by gas chromatography and identification–quantitation by tandem‐mass‐spectrometry. The results thus obtained (fatty‐acid profile of the oil from each tissue obtained with each oil‐extraction method and from each olive‐fruit variety) were subject to statistical studies to fulfill the aims of the research.
Developmental changes in cerebral grey and white matter volume from infancy to adulthood
Authors: Groeschel S. , Vollmer B. , King M.D. , Connelly A. 
Published: July 2010

AbstractIn order to quantify human brain development in vivo, high resolution magnetic resonance images of 158 normal subjects from infancy to young adulthood were studied (age range 3 months–30 years, 71 males, 87 females). Data were analysed using algorithms based on voxel‐based morphometry (VBM) (an objective whole brain processing technique) to generate global volume measures of whole brain, grey matter (GM) and white matter (GM). Gender‐specific development of WM and GM volumes is characterised using a piecewise polynomial growth curve model to account for the non‐linear nature of human brain development, implemented using Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation.The statistical method employed in this study proved to be successful and robust in the characterisation of brain development. The resulting growth curve parameter estimates lead to the following observations: total brain volume is demonstrated to undergo an initial rapid spurt. The total GM volume peaks during childhood and decreases thereafter, whereas total WM volume increases up to young adulthood. Relative to brain size, GM decreases and WM increases markedly over this age range in a non‐linear manner, resulting in an increasing WM‐to‐GM ratio over much of the observed age range. In addition, significant gender differences are found. In general, brain volume and total white and grey matter volume are larger in males than in females, with a time‐dependent difference over the age range studied. Over part of the observed age range females tend to have more GM volume relative to brain size and lower WM‐to‐GM ratio than males.The presented findings should be taken into account when investigating physiological and pathological changes during brain development.
Long-Term Care in the St. John's Region: Impact of Single Entry and Prediction of Bed Need
Authors: McDonald Jacqueline , Hibbs Jennette , Reddy Madhuri , Stuckless Susan , O'Reilly Daria , Barrett Brendan J. , Parfrey Patrick S. 
Published: July 2010

In 1996, the St. John's region had a population of 8,435 ≥ 75 years, with 996 nursing home (NH) beds and 550 supervised care (SC) beds. A single entry system to these institutions was implemented in 1995. To determine the impact of the single entry system, the demographic and clinical characteristics of NH residents were assessed in 1997 (N = 1,044) and in 2003 (N = 963). To determine the efficiency of placement and the need for long-term care beds, two incident cohorts requesting placement were studied in 1995/96 (N = 467) and in 1999/2000 (N = 464). Degree of disability was determined using the Residents Utilization Groups III classification (RUG-III) and the Alberta Resident Classification Score (ARCS), and time to placement and to death was measured. In prevalent NH residents, the percentage without RUGS-III disability decreased from 18.5% in 1997 and to 9.9% in 2003. The proportion recommended for NH was 75% in 1995/96 and 72% in 1999/2000, despite the fact that the proportion with RUGS-III disability was 64% in both periods. Using a decision tree, optimal placement for the 1999/2000 cohort was 36% to SC, 20% to SC for the cognitively impaired, and 44% to NH. Predicted need for long-term care beds in 2004 matched poorly with current provision of NH and SC beds, and the mismatch will be worse in 2014. It was concluded that the single entry system was associated with improved appropriateness of NH bed utilization. However, there was a mismatch in need for and provision of institutional long-term care. Investment in the reconfiguration of long-term care beds by case mix and by geography is necessary.
Taurine supplementation: involvement of cholinergic/phospholipase C and protein kinase A pathways in potentiation of insulin secretion and Ca2+handling in mouse pancreatic islets
Authors: Ribeiro Rosane A. , Vanzela Emerielle C. , Oliveira Camila A. M. , Bonfleur Maria L. , Boschero Antonio C. , Carneiro Everardo M. 
Published: July 2010

Taurine (TAU) supplementation increases insulin secretion in response to high glucose concentrations in rodent islets. This effect is probably due to an increase in Ca2+handling by the islet cells. Here, we investigated the possible involvement of the cholinergic/phospholipase C (PLC) and protein kinase (PK) A pathways in this process. Adult mice were fed with 2 % TAU in drinking water for 30 d. The mice were killed and pancreatic islets isolated by the collagenase method. Islets from TAU-supplemented mice showed higher insulin secretion in the presence of 8·3 mm-glucose, 100 μm-carbachol (Cch) and 1 mm-3-isobutyl-1-methyl-xanthine (IBMX), respectively. The increase in insulin secretion in response to Cch in TAU islets was accompanied by a higher intracellular Ca2+mobilisation and PLCβ2protein expression. The Ca2+uptake was higher in TAU islets in the presence of 8·3 mm-glucose, but similar when the islets were challenged by glucose plus IBMX. TAU islets also showed an increase in the expression of PKAα protein. This protein may play a role in cation accumulation, since the amount of Ca2+in these islets was significantly reduced by the PKA inhibitors:N-[2-(p-bromocinnamylamino)ethyl]-5-isoquinoline sulfonamide (H89) and PK inhibitor-(6–22)-amide (PKI). In conclusion, TAU supplementation increases insulin secretion in response to glucose, favouring both influx and internal mobilisation of Ca2+, and these effects seem to involve the activation of both PLC–inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate and cAMP–PKA pathways.
Can the historical Jesus teach ethics? In response to Richard Burridge, Imitating Jesus
Authors: Watson Francis 
Published: July 2010

Richard Burridge is best known for his book, What are the Gospels?, which argues convincingly that the gospels belong within the broad generic category of the Graeco-Roman biography. The consensus that ‘the gospels are not biographies’ rests on a set of modern assumptions about what a biography should contain; measured against the yardstick of ancient biographies, however, the gospels clearly represent the same kind of literature. Of course, that does not mean that they are in every respect like other Graeco-Roman bioi or vitae. The gospels remain distinctive. One indication of this distinctiveness is that the title attached to them is not bios tou Iesou or the like, but euaggelion kata . . . followed by an evangelist's name. The gospels intend to be more than just a further contribution to the biographical literature of the ancient world. Burridge allowed that ‘gospel’ might represent a distinctive and new ‘subgenre’ within the broader biographical genre; there is no difficulty about such a move if we understand genre as a dynamic concept rather than a static one. Perhaps we might want to qualify the claim that ‘the gospels are biographies’ by stating instead that ‘the gospels represent a new development within the biographical genre’.
Seismological constraints on ice properties at Dome C, Antarctica, from horizontal to vertical spectral ratios
Authors: Lévêque Jean-Jacques , Maggi Alessia , Souriau Annie 
Published: July 2010

AbstractThe French-Italian Concordia (CCD) seismological station at Dome C is one of two observatories setup on the ice cap in the interior of the Antarctic continent. We analysed the seismic signal due to ambient noise at this station and at three temporary stations 5 km away from Concordia, in order to specify the ice properties beneath them. A method based on the horizontal to vertical (H/V) spectral ratio, commonly used to analyse soil response in seismic regions, was applied to the Antarctic stations. The main peak in the spectral ratios is observed at frequencies 6.7–8 Hz at the Dome C stations, but it is not observed at another station on the ice cap, QSPA, where the sensor is buried at 275 m depth. This peak can be explained by a 23 m thick unconsolidated snow or firn layer with a low S-wave velocity of 0.7 km s-1, overlying a consolidated layer with S-wave velocity 1.8 km s-1. Despite the non-uniqueness of the solutions obtained by fitting the H/V spectra, this model is preferred because the depth of the velocity contrast coincides with the density at which ice particles arrange themselves in a continuous, dense lattice. A small variability of this structure is observed around Dome C.
Elementary theory of valued fields with a valuation-preserving automorphism
Authors: Azgin Salih , van den Dries Lou 
Published: July 2010

AbstractWe consider valued fields with a value-preserving automorphism and improve on model-theoretic results by Bélair, Macintyre and Scanlon on these objects by dropping assumptions on the residue difference field. In the equicharacteristic 0 case we describe the induced structure on the value group and the residue difference field.
A DEFINITIVE SURVEY FOR LYMAN LIMIT SYSTEMS AT z ∼ 3.5 WITH THE SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY
Authors: Prochaska J. Xavier , O'Meara John M. , Worseck Gabor 
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT
We perform a semi-automated survey for τ912 ⩾ 2 Lyman limit systems (LLSs) in quasar spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Data Release 7. From a starting sample of 2473 quasars with z
em = 3.6–5.0, we analyze 429 spectra meeting strict selection criteria for a total redshift path Δz = 93.8 and identify 190 intervening systems at z
LLS ⩾ 3.3. The incidence of τ912 ⩾ 2 LLSs per unit redshift, ℓτ⩾2(z), is well described by a single power law at these redshifts:

, with z
* ≡ 3.7, C
LLS = 1.9 ± 0.2, and γLLS = 5.1 ± 1.5 (68% c.l.). These values are systematically lower than previous estimates (especially at z < 4) but are consistent with recent measurements of the mean free path to ionizing radiation. Extrapolations of this power law to z = 0 are inconsistent with previous estimations of ℓ(z) at z < 1 and may indicate a break at z ≈ 2, similar to that observed for the Lyα forest. Our results also indicate that the systems giving rise to LLS absorption decrease by ≈50% in comoving number density and/or physical size from z = 4 to 3.3, perhaps due to an enhanced extragalactic ultraviolet background. The observations place an integral constraint on the H i frequency distribution f(N
H i
, X) and indicate that the power-law slope

is likely shallower than β = −1 at

. Including other constraints on f(N
H i
, X) from the literature, we infer that β is steeper than β = −1.7 at

, implying at least two inflections in f(N
H i
, X). We also perform a survey for proximate LLSs (PLLSs) and find that ℓPLLS(z) is systematically lower (≈25%) than intervening systems. Finally, we estimate that systematic effects impose an uncertainty of 10%–20% in the ℓ(z) measurements; these effects may limit the precision of all future surveys.
MIReNA: finding microRNAs with high accuracy and no learning at genome scale and from deep sequencing data
Authors: Mathelier Anthony , Carbone Alessandra 
Published: July 2010

Abstract
Motivation: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenes derived from a precursor (pre-miRNA) and involved in post-transcriptional regulation. Experimental identification of novel miRNAs is difficult because they are often transcribed under specific conditions and cell types. Several computational methods were developed to detect new miRNAs starting from known ones or from deep sequencing data, and to validate their pre-miRNAs.
Results: We present a genome-wide search algorithm, called MIReNA, that looks for miRNA sequences by exploring a multidimensional space defined by only five (physical and combinatorial) parameters characterizing acceptable pre-miRNAs. MIReNA validates pre-miRNAs with high sensitivity and specificity, and detects new miRNAs by homology from known miRNAs or from deep sequencing data. A performance comparison between MIReNA and four available predictive systems has been done. MIReNA approach is strikingly simple but it turns out to be powerful at least as much as more sophisticated algorithmic methods. MIReNA obtains better results than three known algorithms that validate pre-miRNAs. It demonstrates that machine-learning is not a necessary algorithmic approach for pre-miRNAs computational validation. In particular, machine learning algorithms can only confirm pre-miRNAs that look alike known ones, this being a limitation while exploring species with no known pre-miRNAs. The possibility to adapt the search to specific species, possibly characterized by specific properties of their miRNAs and pre-miRNAs, is a major feature of MIReNA. A parameter adjustment calibrates specificity and sensitivity in MIReNA, a key feature for predictive systems, which is not present in machine learning approaches. Comparison of MIReNA with miRDeep using deep sequencing data to predict miRNAs highlights a highly specific predictive power of MIReNA.
Availability: At the address http://www.ihes.fr/˜carbone/data8/
Contact: alessandra.carbone@lip6.fr
Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Intrauterine Growth Restriction Not Only Modifies the Cecocolonic Microbiota in Neonatal Rats But Also Affects Its Activity in Young Adult Rats
Authors: Fança‐Berthon Pascale , Hoebler Christine , Mouzet Elodie , David Agnès , Michel Catherine 
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACTObjective:Elucidating why intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) predisposes to some intestinal pathologies would help in their prevention. Intestinal microbiota could be involved in this predisposition; its initial setup is likely to be altered by IUGR because IUGR delays perinatal intestinal development and strongly interacts with intestinal physiology. Furthermore, because initial colonization determines adult intestinal microbiota, an IUGR‐induced defect in initial microbiota would have long‐term consequences. Thus, to characterize the effect of IUGR on intestinal microbiota, we compared the composition and activity of cecocolonic microbiota from birth to adulthood in rats with and without IUGR.Materials and Methods:IUGR was induced by gestational isocaloric protein restriction. Pups were fed by unrestricted lactating mothers. At different ages (days 5, 12, 16, 22, 40, and 100), cecocolonic contents from rats with IUGR and controls were analyzed for concentrations of bacterial end products and numbers of main bacterial groups, and submitted to in vitro fermentation tests.Results:IUGR affected gut colonization: bacterial density was increased at day 5 and decreased at day 12. In adulthood, rats with IUGR still differed from controls, harboring fewer Bifidobacterium sp at day 40 and more bacteria related to Roseburia intestinalis at day 100. In vivo, propionate concentration was decreased by IUGR before weaning, whereas the concentrations of other short‐chain fatty acids were decreased at day 40, although the in vitro metabolic capability was unaffected overall.Conclusions:We showed that IUGR induced, per se, some neonatal and long‐lasting alterations of the intestinal microbiota. The physiological consequences of these changes and their relation to the predisposing effect of IUGR to gut pathologies must now be explored.
Intestinal Anastomoses in Small Children: Is There a Higher Risk?
Authors: Weih Sandra , Jung Ve , Romero Philipp , Chmelnik Martin , Holland‐Cunz Stefan 
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACTAim:The aim of the retrospective study was to evaluate complications and outcome of children in whom an intestinal anastomosis had been performed at age younger than 1 year.Patients and Methods:Data were collected both retrospectively and by interviewing the parents. For the retrospective analysis, the underlying disease, biometric data, technical information about the anastomoses, associated illnesses, and complications were evaluated. In the parent interviews, the present quality of life and the state of health of the children were evaluated.Results:From 1997 to 2007, intestinal anatomoses had been performed in 131 children for various reasons. There were no complications in 81.7% of the patients; 17 children received reoperation. In only 5 cases were anastomotic complications the reasons for the reoperation. Only 7.3% of the 77 interviewed families believe that their child has severe or relevant restrictions in daily life.Conclusions:Among 131 children in whom an intestinal bowel anastomosis procedure was performed at age younger than 1 year, only 5 (3.2%) experienced complications associated with the anastomosis. The children are in good physical condition and have an excellent quality of life.
Effect of Kasai Procedure on Hepatic Outcome in Alagille Syndrome
Authors: Kaye Adam J , Rand Elizabeth B , Munoz Pedro S , Spinner Nancy B , Flake Alan W , Kamath Binita M 
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACTObjectives:Alagille syndrome (AGS) frequently presents with neonatal jaundice and can mimic other causes of high γ‐glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) cholestasis, most notably biliary atresia. As a result infants with AGS may undergo intraoperative cholangiogram and even Kasai procedure. The aim of the study was to assess the hepatic outcomes of children with AGS who underwent the Kasai procedure.Patients and Methods:A retrospective review of the AGS clinical database at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was performed to identify clinically defined patients with AGS who underwent a Kasai. A cohort of Alagille control subjects was selected with equivalent symptoms of neonatal jaundice and matched for age and presence of cardiac anomaly. JAGGED1‐mutation analysis was performed on available samples. Clinical courses were reviewed. Fisher exact and t tests were used for analysis.Results:Of the 430 patients with AGS, 19 underwent a Kasai procedure (K). The control cohort (C) consisted of 36 patients. Total bilirubin measured between 6 and 10 weeks of age in each cohort was equivalent (K: 9.6 mg/dL, C: 8.7 mg/dL); GGT levels were higher in the control group (K:493.4 U/L, C:574.4 U/L). Of note, the Kasai cohort had a significantly larger number of liver transplants (K: 9 [47.3%], C: 5 [13.9%], P = 0.01) and sustained higher mortality (K: 6 [31.6%], C: 1 [2.8%], P = 0.005). There was no genotype‐phenotype correlation between the mutations identified and patients who underwent Kasai.Conclusions:These data suggest that the Kasai procedure, although appropriate for children with biliary atresia, does not benefit children with AGS and actually appears to worsen outcome. The current data suggest that the Kasai is not a marker for underlying severe liver disease, but the procedure itself may have a detrimental effect on outcome. An appropriate medical evaluation and particular consideration of AGS is essential before surgical referral in infants with high GGT cholestasis.
Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) Freeze Substitution of Plant Tissues
Authors: Weigel Detlef , Glazebrook Jane 
Published: July 2010

INTRODUCTIONTransmission electron microscopy (TEM) requires extensive preparation of plant tissues to achieve optimal results. Samples must be fixed to preserve ultrastructure, dehydrated to withstand the high vacuum of an electron microscope, and embedded in a suitable resin to permit very thin sections to be produced. This protocol describes freeze substitution of plant tissues. It provides better conservation of certain intracellular components, including microtubules and membranes, than do the standard sample preparation procedures for TEM.
Enrichment of Poly(A)+ mRNA Using Immobilized Oligo(dT)
Authors: Rio Donald C. , Ares Manuel , Hannon Gregory J. , Nilsen Timothy W. 
Published: July 2010

INTRODUCTIONThis protocol describes a method for enrichment of poly(A)+ messenger RNA (mRNA) using immobilized oligo(dT). It takes advantage of the fact that the vast majority of eukaryotic mRNAs contain a 3′ tail of polyadenylic acid added post-transcriptionally. It relies on the ability of these tails to form stable hybrids with oligo(dT) under high-salt conditions. The hybrids are destabilized when salt is absent, allowing mRNAs to be recovered. This protocol is effective in removing the bulk of non-mRNA RNAs. A drawback of the technique is that it does not enrich for mRNAs that lack poly(A) tails (e.g., normal histone mRNAs or deadenylated mRNAs whose poly[A] tails have been removed during mRNA turnover). Several commercially available kits can be used for selection of poly(A)+ RNAs. However, they are expensive and do not perform any better than “homemade” reagents using (dT) cellulose. One obvious advantage of this method is that mRNAs are enriched ~50-fold. Accordingly, detection by Northern blotting or reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is considerably more sensitive.