bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Astronomy and ceremony at Chankillo: an Andean perspective
Authors: Malville J. McKim 
Published: July 2011

AbstractThe towers, plazas, and fortified temple of Chankillo are analyzed within the context of Central Andean culture. Throughout the cultural area, staircases were apparently the scenes of ritual procession, perhaps mimicking shamanic-like movement between the three worlds. The double stairways of the thirteen towers of Chankillo may have been designed for ritual movement. The gradual rotation of the successively higher towers suggests shamanic ascent between the terrestrial and solar realms. The major astronomical feature of Chankillo is its solar axis, oriented to December solstice sunrise and June solstice sunset. Along this axis, to the east and west of the towers, there are prominent plazas in which public ceremonies may have been staged, particularly at the time of June solstice sunset. Celebrants who reached the highest tower on sunset of June solstice would have been silhouetted by the setting sun as viewed by spectators in the eastern plaza just below the tower. In the large plaza west of the towers, a similar public ceremony could have been associated with setting of the June solstice sun over the Temple of the Pillars to the west of the towers. The thirteen towers may have been stations of the moon for public ceremonies during the bright half of the lunar cycle. The presence of Spondylus shells suggests lunar ritual. The duality of private/public ritual, evident at Chavín and elsewhere, may have been present at Chankillo where public ceremonies may been observed from the plazas, while more restricted ceremonies may have occurred behind the walls of the fortified temple. If a horizon calendar had been developed using the profiles of the thirteen towers, it appears to have been an unintended consequence of the initial design of the towers. The monumental size of the towers is incommensurate with the small putative observing stations. The June solstice sun misses the lowest tower by 7 solar diameters, which would have been an unacceptable error if the tower had been built originally to mark June solstice. Another unsatisfactory feature would have been the equal spacing of the towers. If a meaningful calendar had been desired that marked divisions of the year perhaps based upon the moon, it would have involve variable spacing of the towers, with the largest spacing around equinox.
The 2012 phenomenon: Maya calendar, astronomy, and apocalypticism in the worlds of scholarship and global popular culture
Authors: Carlson John B. , Van Stone Mark 
Published: July 2011

AbstractThis essay introduces the papers from the specially organized session on the theme ‘The 2012 phenomenon: Maya calendar, astronomy, and apocalypticism in the worlds of scholarship and popular culture’. The papers that follow address this topical theme in the contexts of Maya and Western cultures as well as academic and popular cultures.
Measuring deep time: the Sidereal Year and the Tropical Year in Maya inscriptions
Authors: Grofe Michael J. 
Published: July 2011

AbstractMaya inscriptions contain numerous examples of long intervals of time that count both backward and forward from a fixed point of historical reference to specific mythological dates, often thousands of years in the past or future. This paper considers the evidence that these intervals incorporated precise calculations of both the sidereal year and the tropical year. Furthermore, it outlines a specific methodology for assessing the likelihood that these distance numbers were either intentionally calculated to incorporate these astronomical measurements, or if these results are merely coincidental.
The 2012 Mayan calendar prophecies in the context of the western millenarian tradition
Authors: Campion Nicholas 
Published: July 2011

AbstractThe 2012 Mayan calendar prophecies have attracted considerable popular interest, thought little academic attention. Following the papers presented in the 2012 Session at the conference, I suggest that the ‘2012 phenomenon’ is the latest in a historic series of millenarian movements that form an established part of Christian culture. The 2012 prophecies, while Christian in neither tone nor affiliation, may be contextualised within secularised versions of western millenarianism as a whole. My purpose is to create a framework for analysis, placing the 2012 phenomenon within a wider cultural milieu and analysing its texts. I suggest that Karl Popper's paradoxical theory of historicism and activism, and the model of pre-versus post-millenarianism, may both provide means of analysing competing forms of 2012 prophecy.
Interpretations of the Pleiades in Australian Aboriginal astronomies
Authors: Johnson Dianne 
Published: July 2011

AbstractAs there are so many Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait astronomies and cosmologies, commonalities are unusual. However one of the ‘things belonging to the sky’ that seems common to all groups across the continent is the open star cluster of the Pleiades. Yet interpretations of this cluster vary. So far I have tentatively identified four different cultural areas, the first being most of mainland Australia; the second being the islands south of mainland Australia known as Tasmania; the third being the cultural area of north-eastern Arnhem Land; and the fourth being the cultural area of the Torres Strait Islands. Within these areas, versions of the stories vary as contemporary circumstances change.
Archaeoastronomy and ethnoastronomy in the Ryukyu Islands: a preliminary report
Authors: Goto Akira 
Published: July 2011

AbstractThe Ryukyu (Okinawa) Islands are situated in sub-tropical zone between the Japanese Archipelago and Taiwan. Although Okinawan people have a rich tradition of star lore, few studies have been undertaken on its relevance to subsistence, religion and the socio-political system. This paper is a first attempt to explore a systematic relationship between star lore (e.g. relating to the Pleiades) with agriculture, fishing, navigation and religious practice. This paper also considers the possibility of interpreting the nature of prehistoric and historical stone structures from the viewpoint of archaeoastronomy. This kind of analysis is likely to be fruitful, since the kingship of the Ryukyu Islands was strongly associated with sun worship.
Masters-level education in archaeoastronomy at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David
Authors: Campion Nicholas , Malville J. McKim 
Published: July 2011

AbstractThe class in Archaeoastronomy at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David is taught as part of the MA in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology, within the University's School of Archaeology, History and Anthropology. This paper will present and review some of the postgraduate work produced in the course, reporting on its findings as examples of the level of work that may be expected on a taught MA course at a UK University.
Overview of BioSharing
Authors: Sansone Susanna-Assunta 
Published: July 2011

AbstractResearch communities, funding agencies, and journals participate in the development of reporting standards for the bioscience domain to ensure that shared experiments are reported with enough information to be comprehensible and (in principle) reproducible, compared or integrated (Field, Sansone et al., Science, 2009). Similar trends in both the regulatory arena and commercial science.Proliferation of standards is a positive sign of stakeholders’ engagement, but how much do we know about these standards? Which ones are mature and stable enough to use or recommend? Which tools and databases implement which standard? Etc...The BioSharing catalogue (www.biosharing.org) aims to1. centralize community-developed bioscience standards, linking to policies, other portals, open access resources and lists of tools and databases implementing the standards;2. develop and maintain a set of criteria for assessing the usability and popularity of the standards, also the interoperability and relations among them;3. foster interoperability, addressing overlaps and duplication of efforts that hamper their wider uptake and interfere with the creation of standards-compliant systems.
1. MIRIAM Identifiers and Resources / 2. Existing Identifier Schemes
Authors: Juty Nick , Laibe Camille , Le Novere Nicolas 
Published: July 2011

Abstract(1) An overview of the MIRIAM identifier scheme is presented, together with a description of the supporting tools and resources which allow its use as a robust cross-referencing framework.(2) An overview of existing identifier schemes within the life sciences is presented, describing the status of each scheme, the prerequisites that a user must meet to use them, and their limitations.
The BPI-like/PLUNC family proteins in cattle
Authors: Wheeler Thomas T. , Haigh Brendan J. , Broadhurst Marita K. , Hood Kylie A. , Maqbool Nauman J. 
Published: July 2011

Members of the protein family having similarity to BPI (bactericidal/permeability increasing protein) (the BPI-like proteins), also known as the PLUNC (palate, lung and nasal epithelium clone) family, have been found in a range of mammals; however, those in species other than human or mouse have been relatively little characterized. Analysis of the BPI-like proteins in cattle presents unique opportunities to investigate the function of these proteins, as well as address their evolution and contribution to the distinct physiology of ruminants. The present review summarizes the current understanding of the nature of the BPI-like locus in cattle, including the duplications giving rise to the multiple BSP30 (bovine salivary protein 30 kDa) genes from an ancestral gene in common with the single PSP (parotid secretory protein) gene found in monogastric species. Current knowledge of the expression of the BPI-like proteins in cattle is also presented, including their pattern of expression among tissues, which illustrate their independent regulation at sites of high pathogen exposure, and the abundance of the BSP30 proteins in saliva and salivary tissues. Finally, investigations of the function of the BSP30 proteins are presented, including their antimicrobial, lipopolysaccharide-binding and bacterial aggregation activities. These results are discussed in relation to hypotheses regarding the physiological role of the BPI-like proteins in cattle, including the role they may play in host defence and the unique aspects of digestion in ruminants.
Are beta2‐agonists responsible for increased mortality in heart failure?
Authors: Bermingham Margaret , O'Callaghan Eleanor , Dawkins Ian , Miwa Saki , Samsudin Shazzarina , McDonald Kenneth , Ledwidge Mark 
Published: July 2011

AimsPrevious large‐scale, retrospective studies have shown increased mortality in heart failure (HF) patients using β2‐agonists (B2As). We further examined the relationship between B2A use and mortality in a well‐characterized population by adjusting for natriuretic peptide levels as a measure of HF severity.Methods and resultsThis was a retrospective cohort study of patients attending an HF Disease Management Programme with mean follow‐up of 2.9 ± 2.4 years. Chart review confirmed B2A use, dose and duration of use, and documented pulmonary function evaluation. The primary endpoint was the effect of B2A use compared with no B2A use on mortality using unadjusted and adjusted Kaplan−Meier survival curves. Data were available for 1294 patients (age 70.6 ± 11.5 years) of whom 64% were male and 22.2% were taking B2As. β2‐Agonist users were older, more likely to be male, to have smoked, to have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, and less likely to take beta‐blockers. Multivariable associates of mortality included: B‐type natriuretic peptide (BNP), coronary artery disease, age, and beta‐blocker use. Unadjusted mortality rates for B2A users were found to be significantly higher than non‐B2A users [hazard ratio (HR) 1.304, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.030–1.652, P= 0.028]. However, when adjusted for age, sex, medication, co‐morbidity, smoking, COPD, and BNP differences, overall mortality rates were similar [HR 1.043, 95% CI (0.771–1.412), P= 0.783].ConclusionUnlike previous reports, this retrospective evaluation of B2A therapy in HF patients shows no relationship with long‐term mortality when adjusted for population differences including BNP. Large, prospective studies are required to define the risk/benefit ratio of B2As in patients with heart failure.
The burden of proof in co-management and results-based management: the elephant on the deck!
Authors: Fitzpatrick Mike , Graham Norman , Rihan Dominic J. , Reid Dave G. 
Published: July 2011

Abstract
Fitzpatrick, M., Graham, N., Rihan, D. J., and Reid, D. G. 2011. The burden of proof in co-management and results-based management: the elephant on the deck! – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 1656–1662. Results-based management requires that outcomes can be demonstrated by industry and verified by managers on behalf of society. The core questions are: what outcomes, and how can they be proved? Existing fishery approaches to reversing the burden of proof are examined with focus on how proof is demonstrated. Outcomes can be measured in situ (on the vessel) or ex situ (at the stock or ecosystem level). In situ measures are preferable because they give direct measurements, although they can be invasive and costly. Ex situ results are only observable on scales that make it difficult to attribute them to specific management measures, or they may be influenced by external factors. Three main environmental impacts caused by fishing are assessed with respect to how industry can assume the burden of proof. The combined use of vessel-monitoring systems and benthic-impact models may offer a practical solution to the problem of managing fishery impacts on the benthos. Three Irish fisheries are assessed in terms of the feasibility of reversing the burden of proof. There are limits to the extent to which industry can assume the burden of proof, and the concept of sharing the burden of proof could be more realistic.
First Report of Rust on Osmorhiza Longistylis Caused by Puccinia Pimpinellae in India
Authors: Singh B. , Kalha C. S. , Razdan V. K. , Maheswari C. Uma 
Published: July 2011

Osmorhiza longistylis (Torr.) DC., commonly known as sweet cicely, is a dominant plant species in the wastelands of the Bhaderwah Valley of District Doda in the states of Jammu and Kashmir (India). The plant is a perennial herb found abundantly near water streams and irrigation channels. The herb has medicinal value and is being used to treat digestive disorders and used as an antiseptic wash. During a disease survey in July 2010, leaf samples collected from Bhaderwah (Gwari Research Farm of Regional Horticulture Research Substation-Bhaderwah (Doda), SKUAST-Jammu) had symptoms of a rust disease. Rust symptoms appeared as small, cream colored flecks on the lower surfaces of leaves. Numerous hypophyllous, narrow, linear lesions were observed. These lesions slowly enlarged and formed light brown, erumpent, and seriately arranged sori surrounded by yellow haloes. Sori originated beneath the epidermis but ruptured through the host epidermis on sporulation. In later stages, infection extended to the stem, flowering buds, inflorescence, and fruit seeds (1,3). Teliospores were uniformly two celled, reticulate with a yellowish brown wall, obovoid-ellipsoid or oblong-ellipsoid, and 30 to 40 × 20 to 27 μm. Aeciospores were subglobose and verrucose. Urediniospores were subglobose with a yellowish brown color and 23 to 30 × 21 to 27 μm. Uredia, telia, and aecia were observed on infected leaves (2). Infected plant material has been deposited and identified at the Herbarium Crytogamae Indiae Orientalis (HCIO 50095), New Delhi. To our knowledge, this is the first report of rust on O. longistylis caused by Puccinia pimpinellae from India. References: (1) K. M. Ghoneem et al. Plant Pathol. J. (Faisalabad) 8:165, 2009. (2) W. E. I. A. Saber et al. Afr. J. Microbiol. Res. 3:153, 2009. (3) W. I. A. Saber et al. Plant Pathol. J. (Faisalabad) 8:32, 2009.
Guidelines for the laboratory investigation of heritable disorders of platelet function
Authors: Harrison Paul , Mackie Ian , Mumford Andrew , Briggs Carol , Liesner Ri , Winter Mark , Machin Sam ,   British Committee for Standards in Haematology
Published: July 2011

SummaryThe guideline writing group was selected to be representative of UK‐based medical experts. MEDLINE was systematically searched for publications in English up to the Summer of 2010 using key words platelet, platelet function testing and platelet aggregometry. Relevant references generated from initial papers and published guidelines/reviews were also examined. Meeting abstracts were not included. The writing group produced the draft guideline, which was subsequently revised and agreed by consensus. Further comment was made by members of the Haemostasis and Thrombosis Task Force of the British Committee for Standards in Haematology. The guideline was then reviewed by a sounding board of approximately 40 UK haematologists, the British Committee for Standards in Haematology (BCSH) and the British Society for Haematology Committee and comments incorporated where appropriate. Criteria used to quote levels and grades of evidence are as outlined in appendix 7 of the Procedure for Guidelines Commissioned by the BCSH [http://www.bcshguidelines.com/BCSH_PROCESS/EVIDENCE_LEVELS_AND_GRADES_OF_RECOMMENDATION/43_GRADE.html]. The objective of this guideline is to provide healthcare professionals with clear guidance on platelet function testing in patients with suspected bleeding disorders. The guidance may not be appropriate to patients receiving antiplatelet therapy and in all cases individual patient circumstances may dictate an alternative approach.
The role of inflammatory markers in assessing disease severity and response to treatment in patients with psoriasis treated with etanercept
Authors: Kanelleas A. , Liapi C. , Katoulis A. , Stavropoulos P. , Avgerinou G. , Georgala S. , Economopoulos T. , Stavrianeas N. G. , Katsambas A. 
Published: July 2011

SummaryBackground. Psoriasis is a chronic, systemic, inflammatory disease. Inflammatory markers are used in clinical practice to detect acute inflammation, and as markers of treatment response. Etanercept blocks tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, which plays a central role in the psoriatic inflammation process.Aim. To reveal any possible association between disease severity [measured by Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI)] and the inflammatory burden (measured by a group of inflammatory markers), before and after etanercept treatment.Methods. In total, 41 patients with psoriasis vulgaris, eligible for biological treatment with etanercept, were enrolled in the study. A set of inflammatory markers was measured, including levels of white blood cells and neutrophils, fibrinogen, ferritin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), haptoglobin, ceruloplasmin and α1-antitrypsin, before and after 12 weeks of etanercept 50 mg twice weekly.Results. All markers were reduced after treatment (P &lt; 0.001). PASI correlated with fibrinogen and hs-CRP. Of the 41 patients, 19 (46.3%) achieved reduction of 75% in PASI (PASI75). An increase in hs-CRP and ESR difference (values before minus values after treatment) was related to higher likelihood of achieving PASI75.Conclusions. Inflammatory markers, particularly hs-CRP and to a lesser extent, fibrinogen and ESR, can be used to assist in assessing disease severity and response to treatment in patients with psoriasis. A combination of selected inflammatory factors (which we term the Index of Psoriasis Inflammation) in combination with PASI might reflect inflammatory status in psoriasis more accurately than each one separately.
Inhibitory effect of sericin on polyphenol oxidase and its application as edible coating
Authors: Thongsook Tipawan , Tiyaboonchai Waree 
Published: July 2011

SummarySericin, a water‐soluble globular protein derived from silk industry wastewater, was investigated for food industrial applications. The results proved that sericin retarded polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity. However, the degree of inhibition varied depending on the enzyme origins, the types of substrate, sericin content and sericin molecular size. Using catechol as a substrate, under the conditions studied, sericin lowered purified mushroom PPO and apple extract PPO activity by 40% and mango extract PPO by 75%. Kinetic studies on purified mushroom PPO indicated that the type of inhibition of sericin was dependent on the substrates used. Inhibitory effects of sericin increased as the sericin content increased. The reduction in sericin molecular size by enzymatic hydrolysis produced sericin hydrolysate with ability to decrease PPO activity approximately three times greater than that of sericin. Fresh‐cut Red Delicious apples coated with sericin showed significant reduction in weight loss and improvement in the colour and texture.
Spray‐drying encapsulation of citral in sucrose or trehalose matrices: physicochemical and sensory characteristics
Authors: Sosa Natalia , Zamora María C. , Chirife Jorge , Schebor Carolina 
Published: July 2011

SummaryThe potential of the disaccharide trehalose as carrier for producing spray‐dried citral was examined. Some physical and sensory characteristics of citral encapsulated in matrices containing either trehalose or sucrose and maltodextrin (MD) were analysed. They included water sorption, glass transition temperatures (Tg), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation and citral retention during spray‐drying. The glassy state at room temperature (25 °C) was maintained as far as 33% relative humidities (RH) for the spray‐dried trehalose formulation and 43% RH for trehalose–MD; however, for sucrose–MD and for sucrose formulations, the glassy state was limited to RHs lower than 33% and 22%, respectively. Sensory evaluation and gas chromatographic analysis indicated that citral retention after spray‐drying was similar for matrices containing either trehalose or sucrose. However, trehalose formulations had improved physical stability as compared to sucrose.
Investigation into the interaction between resveratrol and whey proteins using fluorescence spectroscopy
Authors: Hemar Yacine , Gerbeaud Marie , Oliver Christine M. , Augustin Mary Ann 
Published: July 2011

SummaryFluorescence spectroscopy was used to investigate the interaction between resveratrol and whey proteins. The whey proteins examined were lactoferrin, holo‐lactoferrin, apo‐lactoferrin, whey protein isolate (WPI) and the β‐lactoglobulin‐ and α‐lactalbumin‐rich fractions of WPI. Both an analytical‐grade and food‐grade resveratrol were examined. In all the systems studied, it was found that resveratrol interacted with the whey proteins to form a 1:1 complex. The binding constant, Ks, for the protein–resveratrol complex for all the proteins examined varied from 1.7 × 104 to 1.2 × 105 m−1. Furthermore, the interaction between the whey proteins and resveratrol did not affect the secondary structure of the proteins.