bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Opportunities for improving irrigation efficiency with quantitative models, soil water sensors and wireless technology
Authors: GREENWOOD D. J. , ZHANG K. , HILTON H. W. , THOMPSON A. J. 
Published: November 2009

SUMMARYIncreasingly serious shortages of water make it imperative to improve the efficiency of irrigation in agriculture, horticulture and in the maintenance of urban landscapes. The main aim of the current review is to identify ways of meeting this objective. After reviewing current irrigation practices, discussion is centred on the sensitivity of crops to water deficit, the finding that growth of many crops is unaffected by considerable lowering of soil water content and, on this basis, the creation of improved means of irrigation scheduling. Subsequently, attention is focused on irrigation problems associated with spatial variability in soil water and the often slow infiltration of water into soil, especially the subsoil. As monitoring of soil water is important for estimating irrigation requirements, the attributes of the two main types of soil water sensors and their most appropriate uses are described. Attention is also drawn to the contribution of wireless technology to the transmission of sensor outputs. Rapid progress is being made in transmitting sensor data, obtained from different depths down the soil profile across irrigated areas, to a PC that processes the data and on this basis automatically commands irrigation equipment to deliver amounts of water, according to need, across the field. To help interpret sensor outputs, and for many other reasons, principles of water processes in the soil–plant system are incorporated into simulation models that are calibrated and tested in field experiments. Finally, it is emphasized that the relative importance of the factors discussed in this review to any particular situation varies enormously.
Cultural Preferences and Economic Constraints: The Living Arrangements of Elderly Canadians
Authors: Kaida Lisa , Moyser Melissa , Park Stella Y. 
Published: November 2009

RÉSUMÉUtilisant les donnés du recensement canadien de 2001, nous examinons le rôle des préférences culturelles et des contraintes économiques sur la situation domestique des personnes âgées (vivre avec son enfant et/ou une personne apparentée versus vivre de façon autonome). Nos analyses révèlent que les membres de groupes ethniques partageant des valeurs familialistes (italien, chinois, sud-asiatique, et indien d’Asie) sont plus susceptibles que leur homologues individualistes (britannique, allemand, et néerlandais) de vivre avec un proche parent. Toutefois, l’importance des préférences culturelles et des contraintes économiques dépendent en grande partie de l’état matrimonial. Pour les personnes mariées, les préférences culturelles expliquent une grande proportion de la variation des situations domestiques. Pour ce qui est des personnes célibataires, les contraintes économiques sont plus importantes. En comparaison avec les études antérieures, où celles-ci négligent le rôle de l’état matrimonial, cette recherche contribue à une compréhension plus nuancée de la situation domestique des personnes âgées.
Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus outbreak in a school in London, April–May 2009: an observational study
Authors: CALATAYUD L. , KURKELA S. , NEAVE P. E. , BROCK A. , PERKINS S. , ZUCKERMAN M. , SUDHANVA M. , BERMINGHAM A. , ELLIS J. , PEBODY R. , CATCHPOLE M. , HEATHCOCK R. , MAGUIRE H. 
Published: November 2009

SUMMARYOn 29 April 2009, an imported case of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus infection was detected in a London school. As further cases, pupils and staff members were identified, school closure and mass prophylaxis were implemented. An observational descriptive study was conducted to provide an insight into the clinical presentation and transmission dynamics in this setting. Between 15 April and 15 May 2009, 91 symptomatic cases were identified: 33 were confirmed positive for pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus infection; 57 were tested negative; in one the results were unavailable. Transmission occurred first within the school, and subsequently outside. Attack rates were 2% in pupils (15% in the 11–12 years age group) and 17% in household contacts. The predominant symptoms were fever (97%), respiratory symptoms (91%), and sore throat (79%). Limited spread in the school may have been due to a combination of school closure and mass prophylaxis. However, transmission continued through household contacts to other schools.
Ocean acidification reduces sperm flagellar motility in broadcast spawning reef invertebrates
Authors: Morita Masaya , Suwa Ryota , Iguchi Akira , Nakamura Masako , Shimada Kazuaki , Sakai Kazuhiko , Suzuki Atsushi 
Published: November 2009

SummaryOcean acidification is now recognized as a threat to marine ecosystems; however, the effect of ocean acidification on fertilization in marine organisms is still largely unknown. In this study, we focused on sperm flagellar motility in broadcast spawning reef invertebrates (a coral and a sea cucumber). Below pH 7.7, the pH predicted to occur within the next 100 years, sperm flagellar motility was seriously impaired in these organisms. Considering that sperm flagellar motility is indispensable for transporting the paternal haploid genome for fertilization, fertilization taking place in seawater may decline in the not too distant future. Urgent surveys are necessary for a better understanding of the physiological consequences of ocean acidification on sperm flagellar motility in a wide range of marine invertebrates.
Definición de razas en llamas y alpacas
Authors: Renieri C. , Frank E.N. , Rosati A.Y. , Antonini M. 
Published: November 2009

ResumenLa raza representa un concepto central de la zootecnia y se usa para definir cualquier subdivisión dentro de una especie doméstica. En este trabajo se analiza el nacimiento y la evolución del concepto de raza a lo largo del tiempo y el impacto de la ciencia originada en su entorno. Se discuten los efectos de la domesticación desde un punto de vista genético y se clasifican las razas como: mendelianas, primarias, secundarias y sintéticas. Se analiza el concepto dentro de los camélidos domésticos y se llega a la conclusión que solo existen razas primarias. Se aclaran también conceptos desvirtuados sobre la alpaca Suri, las llamas-alpacas blancas y el concepto de pureza. Se concluye finalmente que se debería seguir el esfuerzo de empresas privadas y organizaciones publicas y privadas para organizar y establecer acciones de seleccion por llegar a la creación de razas estandarizadas.
Leicester Longwool sheep in the United States: saving an international rarity
Authors: Sponenberg D.P. , Henry J. , Smith-Anderson K. , Shirley E. 
Published: November 2009

SummaryLeicester Longwool sheep are pivotal in the history of standardised sheep breeds. The breed was imported into the United States in 1990, and it was never imagined as more than a minor sideline to the array of breeds in the United States. Eighteen sheep were originally imported from Tasmania, with further contributions via semen from 12 rams in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. In subsequent years the population of this breed in those source countries has plummeted, leaving the United States with the largest national flock (800). The decline in numbers worldwide have made the genetic management of the North American population increasingly important. The wool is sought by handcrafters and brings a premium price. Attention to maintaining the breed with its original fleece characteristics is an important priority, especially given the breed's role in the development of multiple longwool breeds. One divergence of the American flock from the other countries is the registration of coloured animals, and these make up 6% of the current flock.
Evidence for biodegradation products in the interstellar medium
Authors: Rauf Kani , Wickramasinghe Chandra 
Published: November 2009

AbstractThe interstellar absorption band centred on 2175 Å that is conventionally attributed to monodisperse graphite spheres of radii 0.02 μm is more plausibly explained as arising from biologically derived aromatic molecules. On the basis of panspermia models, interstellar dust includes a substantial fraction of biomaterial in various stages of degradation. We have modeled such an ensemble of degraded biomaterial with laboratory spectroscopy of algae, grass pigments, bituminous coal and anthracite. The average ulrtraviolet absorption profile for these materials is centred at 2175 Å with a full width at half maximum of 250 Å, in precise agreement with the interstellar extinction observations. Mid-infrared spectra also display general concordance with the unidentified interstellar absorption features found in a wide variety of astronomoical sources.
Mitigating Absenteeism in Hospital Workers During a Pandemic
Authors: Garrett Andrew L. , Park Yoon Soo , Redlener Irwin 
Published: November 2009

ABSTRACTObjectives: An influenza pandemic, as with any disaster involving contagion or contamination, has the potential to influence the number of health care employees who will report for duty. Our project assessed the uptake of proposed interventions to mitigate absenteeism in hospital workers during a pandemic.Methods: Focus groups were followed by an Internet-based survey of a convenience sample frame of 17,000 hospital workers across 5 large urban facilities. Employees were asked to select their top barrier to reporting for duty and to score their willingness to work before and after a series of interventions were offered to mitigate it.Results: Overall, 2864 responses were analyzed. Safety concerns were the most frequently cited top barrier to reporting for work, followed by issues of dependent care and transportation. Significant increases in employee willingness to work scores were observed from mitigation strategies that included preferential access to antiviral medication or personal protective equipment for the employee as well as their immediate family.Conclusions: The knowledge base on workforce absenteeism during disasters is growing, although in general this issue is underrepresented in emergency planning efforts. Our data suggest that a mitigation strategy that includes options for preferential access to either antiviral therapy, protective equipment, or both for the employee as well as his or her immediate family will have the greatest impact. These findings likely have import for other disasters involving contamination or contagion, and in critical infrastructure sectors beyond health care. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2009;3(Suppl 2):S141–S147)
Genetic Resources for Maize Cell Wall Biology
Authors: Penning Bryan W. , Hunter Charles T. , Tayengwa Reuben , Eveland Andrea L. , Dugard Christopher K. , Olek Anna T. , Vermerris Wilfred , Koch Karen E. , McCarty Donald R. , Davis Mark F. , Thomas Steven R. , McCann Maureen C. , Carpita Nicholas C. 
Published: November 2009

AbstractGrass species represent a major source of food, feed, and fiber crops and potential feedstocks for biofuel production. Most of the biomass is contributed by cell walls that are distinct in composition from all other flowering plants. Identifying cell wall-related genes and their functions underpins a fundamental understanding of growth and development in these species. Toward this goal, we are building a knowledge base of the maize (Zea mays) genes involved in cell wall biology, their expression profiles, and the phenotypic consequences of mutation. Over 750 maize genes were annotated and assembled into gene families predicted to function in cell wall biogenesis. Comparative genomics of maize, rice (Oryza sativa), and Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) sequences reveal differences in gene family structure between grass species and a reference eudicot species. Analysis of transcript profile data for cell wall genes in developing maize ovaries revealed that expression within families differed by up to 100-fold. When transcriptional analyses of developing ovaries before pollination from Arabidopsis, rice, and maize were contrasted, distinct sets of cell wall genes were expressed in grasses. These differences in gene family structure and expression between Arabidopsis and the grasses underscore the requirement for a grass-specific genetic model for functional analyses. A UniformMu population proved to be an important resource in both forward- and reverse-genetics approaches to identify hundreds of mutants in cell wall genes. A forward screen of field-grown lines by near-infrared spectroscopic screen of mature leaves yielded several dozen lines with heritable spectroscopic phenotypes. Pyrolysis-molecular beam mass spectrometry confirmed that several nir mutants had altered carbohydrate-lignin compositions.
Patients with sporadic duodenal adenoma are a high‐risk group for advanced colorectal neoplasia: results of a case–control study
Authors: PEQUIN P. , MANFREDI S. , QUENTIN V. , HERESBACH D. , BOYER J. , SIPROUDHIS L. , BRETAGNE J.‐F. 
Published: November 2009

SummaryAim To evaluate colorectal cancer risk among patients with sporadic duodenal neoplasia using a case–control protocol.Methods Cases were 35 patients referred for the management of sporadic duodenal adenoma and who underwent colonoscopy. Colonoscopy findings among cases were compared with those from a control group matched for age and sex (two controls per case) without duodenal adenoma. Colonoscopy findings were categorized as adenoma, advanced adenoma, cancer or advanced neoplasia. The two groups were compared using the chi‐squared test. Odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals were calculated.Results Colorectal adenoma was present in 31% of cases vs. 24% of controls, advanced neoplasia in 29% vs. 4%, advanced adenoma in 23% vs. 3% and adenocarcinoma in 6% vs. 1%. The relative risks of advanced colorectal adenoma and advanced colorectal neoplasia in cases were 10.1 (95% CI: 1.8–100.1, P = 0.003) and 8.9 (95% CI: 2.1–53.3, P = 0.001), respectively.Conclusions The relative risk of advanced colorectal adenoma and advanced neoplasia in cases was nine‐ to 10‐fold that among controls. Patients with sporadic duodenal adenoma represent a high‐risk group for advanced colorectal neoplasia and should therefore undergo complete colonoscopy.
MMX Multi Matrix System® mesalazine for the induction of remission in patients with mild‐to‐moderate ulcerative colitis: a combined analysis of two randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trials
Authors: SANDBORN W. J. , KAMM M. A. , LICHTENSTEIN G. R. , LYNE A. , BUTLER T. , JOSEPH R. E. 
Published: November 2009

SummaryBackground  MMX™ mesalazine [LIALDA™ (US), MEZAVANT™ XL (UK and Ireland) MEZAVANT™ (elsewhere)] utilizes MMX Multi Matrix System® (MMX) technology which delivers mesalazine throughout the colon. Two phase III studies have already evaluated MMX mesalazine in patients with active, mild‐to‐moderate ulcerative colitis.Aim To provide more precise estimates of the efficacy of MMX mesalazine over placebo by combining the patient populations from the two phase III studies.Methods  Combined data from two 8‐week, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trials were analyzed. Patients randomized to MMX mesalazine 2.4 g/day (once daily or 1.2 g twice daily), 4.8 g/day (once daily) or placebo were reviewed. The primary end point was clinical and endoscopic remission (modified Ulcerative Colitis‐Disease Activity Index of ≤1 calculated as: rectal bleeding and stool frequency scores of 0, a combined Physician’s Global Assessment and sigmoidoscopy score of ≤1, no mucosal friability and a ≥1‐point reduction in sigmoidoscopy score from week 0).Results  Data from 517 patients were analysed. 8‐week remission rates were 37.2% and 35.1% in the MMX mesalazine 2.4 g/day and 4.8 g/day groups, vs. 17.5% on placebo (P < 0.001, both comparisons). 8‐week complete mucosal healing rates were 32% in both MMX mesalazine groups compared with 16% on placebo. Adverse event frequency was similar in all groups.Conclusion  MMX mesalazine is effective and generally well tolerated for inducing clinical and endoscopic remission of active, mild‐to‐moderate ulcerative colitis.
Review article: nutrition, obesity and colorectal cancer
Authors: JOHNSON I. T. , LUND E. K. 
Published: November 2009

SummaryBackground The age‐adjusted incidence of colorectal cancer is higher in prosperous industrialized countries than elsewhere. Dietary factors may account for 75% of sporadic colorectal cancer in the west, but the mechanisms remain obscure.Aim To review evidence for the effects of overweight and obesity, physical activity and specific dietary components on colorectal neoplasia.Methods English language papers cited on MEDLINE, obtained using search terms related to colorectal cancer, physical activity and body mass and specific food components were reviewed.Results There is evidence for adverse effects of overweight and obesity and protective effects of high physical activity against colon, but not for rectal cancer. These effects may reflect metabolic stress and chronic low‐grade inflammation. There are also modest adverse effects of red and processed meat. There is evidence for protective effects of dietary fibre, but for fruits and vegetables the evidence remains weak and inconclusive. There is some evidence for protective effects of n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids from fish, some micronutrients and possibly phytochemicals. The effects of many dietary constituents may depend upon genetic polymorphisms affecting a variety of genes.Conclusion Further research should focus particularly on the effects of insulin‐resistance, impaired glucose tolerance and chronic low‐grade inflammation on the colonic mucosa.
The burden of constipation on quality of life: results of a multinational survey
Authors: WALD A. , SCARPIGNATO C. , KAMM M. A , MUELLER‐LISSNER S. , HELFRICH I. , SCHUIJT C. , BUBECK J. , LIMONI C. , PETRINI O. 
Published: November 2009

SummaryBackground The impact of constipation on quality of life (QoL) may vary in different cultural or national settings.Aim We studied QoL in a multinational survey to compare different social and demographic groups with and without constipation (defined according to Rome III criteria) and to detect country‐specific differences among the groups studied.Methods Health‐related QoL (HRQoL) was assessed with the Short Form 36 (SF‐36) questionnaire in 2870 subjects in France, Germany, Italy, UK, South Korea, Brazil and USA.Results Respondents were mainly middle‐aged, married or living together and part‐ or full‐time employed. General health status, measured by the SF‐36 questionnaire, was significantly worse in the constipated vs. non‐constipated populations. Results were comparable in all countries. QoL scores correlated negatively with age. Constipated women reported more impaired HRQoL than constipated men. Brazilians were most affected by constipation as to their social functioning (35.8 constipated vs. 51.3 non‐constipated) and general health perception (29.4 constipated vs. 54.4 non‐constipated).Conclusions There are significant differences in HRQoL between constipated and non‐constipated individuals and a significant, negative correlation between the number of symptoms and complaints and SF‐36 scores. The study detected a correlation of constipation with QoL and the influence of social and demographic factors on HRQoL in constipated people.
Estimation of lean body weight in older community‐dwelling men
Authors: Mitchell Sarah J. , Kirkpatrick Carl M. J. , Le Couteur David G. , Naganathan Vasi , Sambrook Philip N. , Seibel Markus J. , Blyth Fiona M. , Waite Louise M. , Handelsman David J. , Cumming Robert G. , Hilmer Sarah N. 
Published: November 2009

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT? • Lean mass decreases with age while total body fat increases, leading to changes in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of drugs.• Dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) is a useful reference method to measure lean body weight but may not be readily utilized clinically.• Limited methods for measurement of lean body weight using easily obtainable participant characteristics, such as height and weight, have been validated for use in people aged ≥65 years. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS • This study has shown that lean body weight can be estimated using three different equations from easily obtainable participant characteristics with results comparable to DXA‐derived estimates.• These equations may be useful tools to estimate lean body weight in situations where DXA is not practical.AIMSLean body weight (LBW) decreases with age while total body fat increases, altering drug pharmacokinetics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of the LBW equation to predict dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA)‐derived fat free mass (FFMDXA) in older community‐dwelling males compared with that of two existing FFM equations: the Heitmann and Deurenberg equations.METHODSData were obtained from 1655 older men enrolled in the Concord Health and Ageing in Men Project. The predictive performance of the LBW and FFM equations to predict FFMDXA accurately was assessed graphically using Bland–Altman plots and quantitatively for precision and bias using the method of Sheiner and Beal in all participants and in frailty and body mass index (BMI) subgroups.RESULTSThe LBW and Heitmann equations consistently overestimated FFMDXA for all frailty and BMI subgroups with a mean difference [95% confidence interval (CI)] of 5.5 kg (−0.65, 11.63 kg) and 3.34 kg (−2.84, 9.64 kg), respectively. The Deurenberg equation overestimated FFMDXA for overweight participants but underestimated FFMDXA for not‐frail participants, with a mean difference (95% CI) of 1 kg (−7.23, 5.25 kg) for all participants.CONCLUSIONLBW and FFM estimated using these equations give results comparable to DXA‐derived FFM. The LBW and Heitmann equations provide a more consistent estimate of FFMDXA in all frailty and BMI groups despite the Deurenberg equation having the smallest mean difference. Further studies to determine whether the LBW equation is a clinically useful substitute for weight when determining drug dose in older people appear warranted.