bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Behavioral Syndrome in the Adzuki Bean Beetle: Genetic Correlation Among Death Feigning, Activity, and Mating Behavior
Authors: Nakayama Satoshi , Miyatake Takahisa 
Published: January 2010

AbstractWhen studying animal behavior, it is often necessary to examine traits as a package, rather than as isolated units. Evidence suggests that individuals behave in a consistent manner across different contexts or over time; that is, behavioral syndromes. We compared locomotor activity levels and mating success between beetles derived from two regimes artificially selected for the duration of death‐feigning behavior in the adzuki bean beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis. The two selection regimes comprised strains with higher (L) and lower (S) intensity (frequency and duration) of death‐feigning behavior, respectively. We found that S strains had higher activity levels than L strains for both sexes, i.e., there is a negative genetic correlation between death feigning and activity. In addition, we found that S strains had higher mating success than L strains, presumably due to higher activity, in males but not in females. We thus demonstrate that death feigning is genetically correlated to mating behavior in males but not females in this species, suggesting that behavioral correlations may not always reflect in the same way in both sexes.
Dual metal crankshaft for heavy‐duty engines by cast‐joining of DCI and forged steel
Authors: HAN S. , HUH H. , HAN G. T. , LEE J. S. 
Published: January 2010

ABSTRACTAn alternative design of a crankshaft applicable for heavy‐duty diesel engines up to 5000 horsepower has been introduced to achieve cost effectiveness and manufacturing efficiency simultaneously not sacrificing its reliability. Because it is expensive and time consuming to make full‐scale prototype and run a test, analytical feasibility study has been made in this paper. From the point of material, cast‐joined dual metal for a crankshaft is totally unprecedented and will be realized by virtue of the latest dual metal cast joining of ductile cast iron (DCI) and forged steel, which consequently reduces the manufacturing lead time dramatically. The strength of the dual metal interface is experimentally investigated to make sure its possibility and soundness. The key features of the new crankshaft include crankpins and journals made of forged steel and crankwebs of DCI. Prior to actual manufacturing of the new conceptual crankshaft, the design is analytically examined to verify its reliability in an existing heavy‐duty engine. Both conventional and the new dual metal crankshafts are investigated and compared to each other in terms of the stress and fatigue using comprehensive multi‐body dynamic analysis. The results demonstrate that the new dual metal approach is likely to provide higher reliability than the conventional monometallic crankshafts. In addition, it is shown that the inferior mechanical properties of DCI for a crankweb are effectively countered by the superior characteristics of forged steel for a crankpin and journal in the dual metal crankshaft.
Dietary and lifestyle interventions for weight management in adults from minority ethnic/non‐White groups: a systematic review
Authors: Osei‐Assibey G. , Kyrou I. , Adi Y. , Kumar S. , Matyka K. 
Published: January 2010

SummaryMinority ethnic/non‐White populations are more prone to weight gain and more susceptible to obesity‐related complications. The objective of this study was to systematically review dietary and lifestyle interventions for weight management in minority ethnic groups. Electronic databases and reference lists of original studies and reviews were searched for studies on dietary and lifestyle weight management interventions published. Randomized clinical trials with ≥6‐month duration were included. Nineteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Fourteen studies involved African–Americans, one in non‐White Hispanics, one in Japanese Americans and three in both African–Americans and non‐White Hispanics. Most of the interventions proved relatively effective. However, significant drawbacks were noted for several of these studies, such as small sample size, high attrition rates and lack of follow‐up data. Better quality and long‐term trials are required in order to investigate in detail the effectiveness of lifestyle changes for weight management in these populations and eventually support evidence‐based recommendations.
Adipokines and dietary interventions in human obesity
Authors: Klimcakova E. , Kovacikova M. , Stich V. , Langin D. 
Published: January 2010

SummaryObesity is a multisystem disorder associated with cardiovascular and metabolic complications. According to recent studies, it is characterized as a condition of low‐grade inflammation with altered adipose tissue function and secretion of various adipokines. One of the strategies in obesity treatment is dietary intervention (DI) that could modulate cytokine levels in a favourable way. The aim of this review was to summarize the results of studies performed in the last 13 years investigating DI programmes accompanied with weight loss in relation to profile of adipokines at different level (adipose tissue mRNA, adipose tissue secretion and circulating level) and identify whether modulations of adipokines are implicated in the positive effects of DIs. The overall finding is that DIs leading to 5–10% weight loss modulate production of certain adipokines and generally induce improvement of clinical parameters, e.g. insulin sensitivity, but the amelioration of obesity complications is not coherent with the pattern of adipokine regulation, except maybe for leptin. Global analysis of the adipose tissue secretome and measurement of panels of adipokines may prove more informative than studies on individual molecules.
Direct medical cost of overweight and obesity in the USA: a quantitative systematic review
Authors: Tsai A. G. , Williamson D. F. , Glick H. A. 
Published: January 2010

SummaryTo estimate per‐person and aggregate direct medical costs of overweight and obesity and to examine the effect of study design factors. PubMed (1968–2009), EconLit (1969–2009) and Business Source Premier (1995–2009) were searched for original studies. Results were standardized to compute the incremental cost per overweight person and per obese person, and to compute the national aggregate cost. A total of 33 US studies met review criteria. Among the four highest‐quality studies, the 2008 per‐person direct medical cost of overweight was $266 and of obesity was $1723. The aggregate national cost of overweight and obesity combined was $113.9 billion. Study design factors that affected cost estimates included use of national samples vs. more selected populations, age groups examined, inclusion of all medical costs vs. obesity‐related costs only, and body mass index cut‐offs for defining overweight and obesity. Depending on the source of total national healthcare expenditures used, the direct medical cost of overweight and obesity combined is approximately 5.0% to 10% of US healthcare spending. Future studies should include nationally representative samples, evaluate adults of all ages, report all medical costs and use standard body mass index cut‐offs.
Ordering and Selecting Components in Multivariate or Functional Data Linear Prediction
Authors: Hall Peter , Yang You-Jun 
Published: January 2010

SummaryThe problem of component choice in regression-based prediction has a long history. The main cases where important choices must be made are functional data analysis, and problems in which the explanatory variables are relatively high dimensional vectors. Indeed, principal component analysis has become the basis for methods for functional linear regression. In this context the number of components can also be interpreted as a smoothing parameter, and so the viewpoint is a little different from that for standard linear regression. However, arguments for and against conventional component choice methods are relevant to both settings and have received significant recent attention. We give a theoretical argument, which is applicable in a wide variety of settings, justifying the conventional approach. Although our result is of minimax type, it is not asymptotic in nature; it holds for each sample size. Motivated by the insight that is gained from this analysis, we give theoretical and numerical justification for cross-validation choice of the number of components that is used for prediction. In particular we show that cross-validation leads to asymptotic minimization of mean summed squared error, in settings which include functional data analysis.
Sexual Quality of Life of Individuals with 46,XY Disorders of Sex Development
Authors: Schönbucher Verena , Schweizer Katinka , Rustige Lisa , Schützmann Karsten , Brunner Franziska , Richter-Appelt Hertha 
Published: January 2010

ABSTRACTIntroductionThere has recently been a growing acceptance that it is not only heterosexual functioning of surgically adjusted genitalia which should be considered when measuring the treatment outcome of persons with disorders of sex development (DSD) but also their overall sexual quality of life (SexQoL).AimA comprehensive cross-sectional investigation of SexQoL of persons with 46,XY DSD.MethodsForty-seven persons with 46,XY DSD (age 17–60 years) were examined by means of a questionnaire on various aspects of SexQoL. Scores were compared to a nonclinical convenience sample consisting of 145 women. Data were analyzed separately for diagnostic subgroups. Furthermore, persons whose external genitalia had been surgically corrected were compared with persons whose genitalia had been left unaltered.Main Outcome MeasuresThe Multidimensional Scale of Sexuality, the German Questionnaire on Feelings of Inadequacy in Social and Sexual Situations (FUSS), items on sexual dysfunctions according to DSM-IV-TR and self-constructed measures on sexual-activity history (e.g., previous sexual experience), sexual anxieties, and satisfaction with overall sex life and sexual function comprised the standardized assessment instruments.ResultsCompared with the nonclinical group, persons with 46,XY DSD had more often no partner (P = 0.056), felt more insecure in social (MdnDSD = 17.0, Mdncomparison = 12.0, P = 0.001) and sexual situations (MdnDSD = 17.0, Mdncomparison = 11.0, P = 0.006), had more sexual problems (MdnDSD = 4.0, Mdncomparison = 3.0, P = 0.001), and were less satisfied with overall sex life (MdnDSD = 3.0, Mdncomparison = 4.0, P = 0.000) and sexual function (MdnDSD = 4.0, Mdncomparison = 4.0, P = 0.000). Results were inconsistent with regard to sexual-activity history (e.g., previous sexual experience). Participants who underwent genital surgery showed less dyspareunia (P = 0.027) but more fear of injuries during intercourse (P = 0.019) than those whose genitals were left unaltered.ConclusionSexQoL of persons with 46,XY DSD may be impaired. Differences in SexQoL between diagnostic subgroups, effect of corrective genital surgery, and the influence of gender assignment will have to be further investigated in future studies.
Estimation of monthly diffuse nutrient loads for a watershed in Turkey
Authors: Gurel Melike , Erturk Ali , Seker Dursun Z. , Tanik Aysegul , Ekdal Alpaslan , Avsar Cigdem , Ozturk Izzet 
Published: January 2010

AbstractDiffuse pollution has a complex nature depending on various land‐use activities like agriculture, livestock breeding and forestry. In this study, an alternative methodology is applied for decreasing the spatial uncertainty of diffuse nutrient load estimations. It is applied in the Melen Watershed, Turkey, which is an important watershed from where additional water will be supplied for the megacity Istanbul via interbasin water transfer. Monthly diffuse nutrient loads were estimated for each subwatershed by utilizing remote sensing (RS) and geographical information systems (GIS). Estimated nutrient loads were considerably different in various months due to the temporally irregular fertilizer application and meteorological conditions. Temporal differences were also predicted in the spatial distribution of the nutrient loads. The methodology is applicable in watershed protection studies, especially where necessary etudes should be conducted in the short term and with limited data. Such efforts in identifying and determining the diffuse loads are important for sustainable management of the watershed.
Photochemistry of Bacteriochlorophylls in Human Blood Plasma: 2. Reaction Mechanism Investigated by Product Analysis and Deuterium Isotope Effect
Authors: Dandler Jörg , Wilhelm Brigitte , Scheer Hugo 
Published: January 2010

AbstractTransmetalated (Pd) bacteriochlorophyll derivatives are currently being clinically tested as sensitizers for photodynamic therapy. Protocols using short delay times between injection and irradiation generate interest in the photochemistry of these pigments in the blood. Using near‐infrared irradiation where these pigments absorb strongly, we have studied the mechanism of photo‐oxidation in two lipoprotein fractions, low‐ and high‐density lipoproteins, derived from human blood plasma that preferentially accumulate these pigments (Dandleret al.[2009]Photochem. Photobiol.,85, in press). Using quenchers of reactive oxygen species, and chemical reporters, in particular peroxides generated from cholesterol as an inherent component of the lipoproteins, a Type II mechanism generating singlet oxygen has been demonstrated for Pd‐ and Zn‐bacteriopheophorbides. In homogeneous systems, accelerated bleaching in D2O, compared with H2O, supports this mechanism. An unusual deuterium isotope effect was observed, by contrast, in heterogeneous amphiphilic‐water systems. In the early phase, and under high oxygen concentrations, again a positive D‐isotope effect is observed which later, in a second phase, is reversed to a negative D‐isotope effect. The latter cannot be explained by heterogeneous pigment populations in the amphiphilic system; we, therefore, conclude a mechanistic switch, and discuss a possible mechanism.
Solar UV Geometric Conversion Factors: Horizontal Plane to Cylinder Model†
Authors: Pope Stanley J. , Godar Dianne E. 
Published: January 2010

AbstractMost solar UV measurements are relative to the horizontal plane. However, problems arise when one uses those UV measurements to perform risk or benefit assessments because they do not yield the actual doses people get while they are outdoors. To better estimate the UV doses people actually get while outdoors, scientists need geometric conversion factors (GCF) that change horizontal plane irradiances to average irradiances on the human body. Here we describe a simple geometric method that changes unweighted, erythemally weighted and previtamin D3‐weighted UV irradiances on the horizontal plane to full cylinder and semicylinder irradiances. Scientists can use the full cylinder model to represent the complete human body, while they can use the semicylinder model to represent the face, shoulders, tops of hands and feet. We present daily, monthly and seasonally calculated averages of the GCF for these cylinder models every 5° from 20 to 70°N so that scientists can now get realistic UV doses for people who are outdoors doing a variety of different activities. The GCF show that people actually get less than half their annual erythemally weighted, and consequently half their previtamin D3‐weighted, UV doses relative to the horizontal plane. Thus, scientists can now perform realistic UV risk and benefit assessments.
Reducing Photoyellowing of Wool Using Nano TiO2
Authors: Montazer Majid , Pakdel Esfandiar 
Published: January 2010

AbstractWool is the most important animal fiber used in textile industries, but its photostability is very low. Scientists have searched for new ways to increase the photostability of wool. As TiO2 nano particles have features suitable for new applications, the UV‐blocking power of nano TiO2 may be used for protecting fabrics against UV rays. Treatment of wool with TiO2 can be effective for controlling photodegradation. This study focused on protecting wool fabric against UV rays using nano TiO2. To this end, oxidized and raw wool were treated with citric acid as the cross‐linking agent and different concentrations of nano TiO2. The whiteness and yellowness of wool fabric samples were reported. XRD patterns proved the existence of TiO2 nano‐particles on the wool surface. Finally, the results revealed that nano TiO2 is a suitable UV absorber on wool fabric and its effect depends on concentration.
Vibrio vulnificus genome suggests two distinct ecotypes
Authors: Rosche Thomas M. , Binder Eric A. , Oliver James D. 
Published: January 2010

SummaryThe genus Vibrio contains several of the most important pathogens known. One member of this group, Vibrio vulnificus, is an estuarine bacterium which is the causative agent of both food‐borne disease and wound infection. Vibrio vulnificus is ubiquitous in estuarine waters and occurs in molluscan shellfish in high numbers. However, the incidence of disease is relatively low and it has been suggested that not all strains of V. vulnificus are equally virulent. We have previously shown that there is a dimorphism present in the vcg (virulence correlated gene) locus of V. vulnificus, with the vcgC (clinical) and vcgE (environmental) alleles strongly correlating with either clinical or environmental isolation source. In this study, an examination of eight V. vulnificus genes for which there is sufficient data showed that such a C/E dimorphism is present in each gene examined, including housekeeping genes. Additionally, we found that the C and E genotypes of V. vulnificus respond in markedly different ways to environmental conditions. These findings lead us to hypothesize that the C and E genotypes also represent different ecotypes, possibly in the process of diverging into separate species.
Overcoming Barriers To a Cognitive Psychology of Religion
Authors: Mccauley Robert N. 
Published: January 2010

AbstractThe aims of this paper are to identify three barriers to the development of cognitive approaches to the study of religion and to suggest how each might be circumvented. The first of these barriers is methodological and lurks amid two issues that, historically, have dominated anthropologists' reflections on the relationship of their discipline to psychology. The older of the two can be characterized as the "psychic unity" controversy (see Shore 1995). The second issue is the controversy over the "autonomy of culture". Advocates of the latter thesis are usually unsympathetic to psychological explanations of religious phenomena. In the first section, I shall begin by briefly examining each of those issues and then exploring the connections between the two as well as interesting logical tensions that arise in the face of popular responses to each. In section two, I shall consider a pair of barriers to a cognitive psychology of religion rooted in two strategies that have dominated many psychologists' approaches to the study of religion. I will argue that for some purposes, at least, both strategies should be relaxed. Finally, in section three, I shall briefly sketch one sort of cognitive approach to religious phenomena, suggesting how it handles the two strategic barriers in particular.
Reduction and religion: Lessons from eliminative materialism
Authors: Malley Brian E. 
Published: January 2010

AbstractCogmtivist theorizing about religion is promising, and this essay explores the ramifications of eliminative materialism for thinking about religion. First, and contrary to the assumption of eliminative matenalists, it is not obvious that the success of eliminative materialism would compromise the veracity of religious psychologies. Second, the success of eliminative materialism would prove the adequacy of formal theorizing for understanding religious expenence. Third, the success of eliminative materialism would force theories of religion to employ neuroanatomically-realizable psychological models. Finally, a powerful strategy which provides non-propositional, neurally-realizable models of psychological functions (connectiomsm) is currently available and is amenable to modeling religious knowledge.
The Impact of Charismatic Pastoral Leadership On Religious Commitment and Church Growth in the Korean Mega-Churches
Authors:   Young Gi Hong
Published: January 2010

AbstractHow are the Korean mega-churches growing? What distinguishes them from smaller size of churches? To understand the phenomenal growth of the Korean mega-churches, the survey was taken in 1998 to measure the perceptions of members about their pastor, view of church growth, and religious characteristics, based on 1,260 samples (750 for the mega-churches, 265 for the large churches, and 245 for the small/middle-sized churches). The results showed that the members of the mega-churches are more likely to perceive their senior pastor as charismatic, are more likely to attribute the factors of church growth to their senior pastor, and are more likely to exhibit religious commitment than are the members of the smaller size of churches. This paper argues that charismatic pastoral leadership has an immense impact on religious commitment of the members, thereby leading to church growth.
St. Francis and the Sultan
Authors: Johnson Galen K. 
Published: January 2010

AbstractThis paper offers a structuralist reading of the various traditions of the meeting of St. Francis of Assisi with Sultan Malik al-Kamil during the Fifth Crusade in 1219. Although there exist various accounts of the "Francis legend," the author argues that their cumulative purpose was to show that the unique character of Francis evoked a positive response from the sultan that made Muslims potential objects of peaceful conversion rather than hopeless infidels to be violently eradicated. While Francis can never be called the "patron saint of religious pluralism," the story of his encounter with the sultan can certainly be an example of how twenty-first century Christians can respond to Muslims as neighbors in our culturally diverse world. "Although Francis probably believed with his contemporaries that Muslims were cunning and fierce ... , his experiences at Damietta direct Christians to consider the log in their own eyes before poking at the speck in another's.
In Dialogue With African Traditional Religion
Authors: Anekwe Oborji Francis 
Published: January 2010

AbstractAlthough there is some debate, Francis Oborji in this article argues that one should speak of African Traditional Religion (ATR) in the singular. He then reflects on five "essential aspects" of ATR--God and the human being, good and evil, sacrifice, ancestorship, and the afterlife and final end of human beings. After discussing several problems connected with a Christian approach to ATR, the author makes a positive evaluation of the practice of traditional religion as a supernatural reality that is a true preparation for a full understanding of God's grace in Jesus Christ.