bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
TPM‐based protection for mobile agents
Authors: Muñoz Antonio , Maña Antonio 
Published: January 2010

AbstractMobile agent is a promising paradigm for emerging ubiquitous computing and ambient intelligent scenarios. We believe that security is the most important issue for the widespread deployment of applications based on mobile agent technology. Indeed, community agrees that without the proper security mechanisms, use of mobile agent‐based applications will be impossible. From our perspective, the security problem in mobile agents is the gathering of two subproblems; the problem of the agent protection and the problem of the host protection. This paper presents a hardware‐based mechanism focused on solving the protection of the agent problem, which is a well known problem named the ‘malicious host’. The solution presented in this paper bases its security in the trust and the security functionalities provided by the trusted platform module (TPM). Thus, migration process of mobile agents is protected when it actually takes place. A complete description of the secure migration can be found in the secure migration protocol section of this paper. Moreover, a validation of this protocol was performed by means of the AVISPA tool suite. Additionally, a first study about the use of an alternative protocol as the direct anonymous attestation protocol was done. Finally, the result of this work is the Secure Migration Library for agents (SecMiLiA), which is completely described in following sections. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Protective effects of eicosapentaenoic acid on genotoxicity and oxidative stress of cyclophosphamide in mice
Authors: Li Mei , Zhu Qin , Hu Changwei , Giesy John P. , Kong Zhiming , Cui Yibin 
Published: January 2010

AbstractThe aim of this article is to elucidate the mechanism by which eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) acts against cyclophosphamide (CP)‐induced effects. The prevalence of micronuclei, the extent of lipid peroxidation, and the status of the antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) in both liver and serum of mice were used as intermediate biomarkers of chemoprotection. Lipid peroxidation and associated compromised antioxidant defenses (CAT and GPX) in CP treated mice were observed in the liver, serum, and were accompanied by increased prevalence of micronuclei in bone marrow. The number of MN was significantly different (p < 0.01) between the groups treated with CP (group III, IV, V, VI) and the solvent control (group II) (3.2 ± 0.7‰). There was a dose‐dependent reduction in formation CP induced micronuclei by treatment with 100, 200, or 300 mg EPA/kg BW mice. Activities of SOD, CAT, and extent of lipid peroxidation were statistically different in liver cells of mice exposed to EPA only with CP compared with the CP group (group III). The present findings imply that EPA may be a potential antigenotoxic, antioxidant and chemopreventive agent and could be used as an adjuvant in chemotherapeutic applications. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2011.
Biomarker analyses in caged and wild fish suggest exposure to pollutants in an urban area with a landfill
Authors: Hanson Niklas , Larsson Åke 
Published: January 2010

AbstractAn unexpectedly high frequency of skeletal deformations in brown trout has previously been observed in the brook Vallkärrabäcken in southern Sweden. Environmental pollutants from storm water and leachate from an old landfill have been suggested as responsible for the observed deformations. Biomarkers in farmed rainbow trout, placed in tanks with water supplied from the brook, were used to investigate if exposure to pollutants may induce toxic responses in fish. Furthermore, biomarkers were also measured in wild brown trout that were caught in the brook. The most important finding was that the hepatic ethoxyresorufin‐O‐deethylase (EROD) activity was five to seven times higher for rainbow trout and brown trout in exposed areas compared to reference sites (P < 0.001). Analyses of bile in rainbow trout showed that the concentration of PAH‐metabolites was two to three times higher (P < 0.001) in the exposed areas. However, due to their smaller size and the feeding status, only insufficient amounts of bile could be retrieved from the wild brown trout. The study provides evidence for pollution in parts of Vallkärrabäcken. It is therefore possible that the previously observed high frequency of skeletal damage have been caused by pollutants. The methodology with farmed rainbow trout in flow through tanks worked well and provided more information about the occurrence of pollutants in Vallkärrabäcken than the data from brown trout. The main reasons for this were that the size and the feeding status of the fish could be controlled. This allowed a total of 21 biomarkers to be analyzed in farmed rainbow trout compared to only five in wild brown trout. Furthermore, the use of farmed fish eliminates the risk of migration, which may otherwise bias the data when wild fish are used. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2011.
Effectiveness of cerclage according to severity of cervical length shortening: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Berghella V. , Keeler S. M. , To M. S. , Althuisius S. M. , Rust O. A. 
Published: January 2010

AbstractObjectivesTo estimate the effectiveness of cerclage according to degree of cervical length (CL) shortening.MethodsA meta‐analysis was carried out of trials of women with singleton gestations and second‐trimester transvaginal sonographic CL < 25 mm randomized to cerclage or no cerclage. The degree of CL shortening was correlated to the efficacy of cerclage in preventing preterm birth.ResultsThere was a significant reduction in preterm birth < 35 weeks in the cerclage compared with no cerclage groups in 208 singleton gestations with both a previous preterm birth and CL < 25 mm (relative risk, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.40–0.92). In these women, preterm birth < 37 weeks was significantly reduced with cerclage for CL ⩽ 5.9 mm, ⩽ 15.9 mm, 16–24.9 mm and < 25 mm. None of the analyses for 344 women without a previous preterm birth was significant.ConclusionsCerclage, when performed in women with a singleton gestation, previous preterm birth and cervical length < 25 mm, seems to have a similar effect regardless of the degree of cervical shortening, including CL 16–24 mm, as well as CL ⩽ 5.9 mm. Copyright © 2010 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Placental growth factor in the first trimester: relationship with maternal factors and placental Doppler studies
Authors: Kasdaglis T. , Aberdeen G. , Turan O. , Kopelman J. , Atlas R. , Jenkins C. , Blitzer M. , Harman C. , Baschat A. A. 
Published: January 2010

AbstractObjectivePlacental growth factor (PlGF) is a potent angiogenic factor that impacts on early placental vascular development. It was our aim to clarify relationships between PlGF and first‐trimester maternal/placental factors that are related to placental development.MethodsProspectively enrolled patients at 11–14 weeks' gestation had serum PlGF measurement by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Results were related to maternal age, parity, race, body mass index, mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), smoking/caffeine use and parameters of placental blood flow resistance.ResultsIn 110 consecutive patients PlGF levels ranged between 1.0 and 176.1 pg/mL, showing a linear relationship with gestational age (GA) (PlGF = (1.4251 × GA) −74.951, r2 = 0.0765, F = 8.941, P = 0.03). PlGF did not relate to maternal demographics but negatively correlated with MAP (Spearman rho = −0.191, P < 0.05). Bilateral uterine artery notching was associated with lower PlGF (40.7 (range, 1.01–131.6) vs. 51.1 (range, 6.4–176.1) pg/mL; Mann–Whitney P = 0.034.). A trend to lower levels was also observed when umbilical artery end‐diastolic flow was absent (37.1 (range, 6.8–95) vs. 49.3 (range, 1.01–176.1) pg/mL; P = 0.05).ConclusionPlGF in the first trimester is related to maternal cardiovascular factors and placental Doppler findings that are associated with subsequent placental dysfunction. The utility of this parameter as a first‐trimester screening tool on a population basis requires further investigation. Copyright © 2010 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A new case of GABA transaminase deficiency facilitated by proton MR spectroscopy
Authors: Tsuji Megumi , Aida Noriko , Obata Takayuki , Tomiyasu Moyoko , Furuya Noritaka , Kurosawa Kenji , Errami Abdellatif , Gibson K. Michael , Salomons Gajja S. , Jakobs Cornelis , Osaka Hitoshi 
Published: January 2010

AbstractBackgroundDeficiency of 4‐aminobutyrate aminotransferase (GABA‐T) is a rare disorder of GABA catabolism, with only a single sibship reported. We report on a third case, a Japanese female infant with severe psychomotor retardation and recurrent episodic lethargy with intractable seizures, with the diagnosis facilitated by proton magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy (1H‐MRS).MethodsNeuroimaging was performed at the first episode of lethargy. For 1H‐MRS, locations were placed in the semioval center and the basal ganglia. Quantification of metabolite concentrations were derived using the LCModel. We confirmed the diagnosis subsequently by enzyme and molecular studies, which involved direct DNA sequence analysis and the development of a novel multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification test.Results1H‐MRS analysis revealed an elevated GABA concentration in the basal ganglia (2.9 mmol/l). Based on the results of quantitative 1H‐MRS and clinical findings, GABA‐T deficiency was suspected and confirmed in cultured lymphoblasts. Molecular studies of the GABA‐T gene revealed compound heterozygosity for a deletion of one exon and a missense mutation, 275G>A, which was not detected in 210 control chromosomes.ConclusionsOur results suggest that excessive prenatal GABA exposure in the central nervous system (CNS) was responsible for the clinical manifestations of GABA transaminase deficiency. Our findings suggest the dual nature of GABA as an excitatory molecule early in life, followed by a functional switch to an inhibitory species later in development. Furthermore, quantitative 1H‐MRS appears to be a useful, noninvasive tool for detecting inborn errors of GABA metabolism in the CNS.
Phytoplankton community similarity in a semiarid floodplain under contrasting hydrological connectivity regimes
Authors: Angeler David G. , Alvarez‐Cobelas Miguel , Rojo Carmen , Sánchez‐Carrillo Salvador 
Published: January 2010

AbstractIn this study we compare phytoplankton community similarity between sites in a semiarid floodplain wetland over a 6‐year period with variable hydroperiod and connectivity regimes. Phytoplankton communities showed a relatively high site idiosyncrasy during most parts of the study; however, during situations of low connectivity when individual sites were highly fragmented, phytoplankton communities occasionally became more similar between sites. This suggests that mass effects related to dispersal‐mediated processes could be important. Viewed from a metacommunity perspective, phytoplankton community assembly at the wetland scale involves complex hierarchical processes that can act independently at different spatial extents. The main conclusion of this study is that the well‐known effects of environmental variability associated with hydrological disturbance alone may not be sufficient for explaining, and by extension predicting, community assembly in this wetland. Other processes, perhaps involving overland dispersal, may eventually add a new dimension to, and complicate our understanding of, community processes in fluctuating wetlands.
Dispersal of four fritillary butterflies within identical landscape
Authors: Fric Zdenek , Hula Vladimir , Klimova Martina , Zimmermann Kamil , Konvicka Martin 
Published: January 2010

AbstractBoth species‐specific traits and landscape configuration, such as area and connectivity of habitat patches plus the character of uninhabitable matrix, affect animal movements in fragmented landscapes. Difficulties with disentangling species‐specific and landscape effects have obscured comparisons among species, hindering the understanding of dispersal in metapopulations. To circumvent this complication, we performed a mark–recapture study of four related nymphalid butterflies within identical landscape and in single season. The studied species were three Melitaeinae checkerspots (Euphydryas aurinia,Melitaea athalia,Melitaea diamina) and one Argynnini fritillary (Brenthis ino). Applying the Virtual Migration model revealed that (1) except for mortality within habitat, model parameters differed from those found for the studied species elsewhere; (2) the three Melitaeinae species were more akin in movement parameters than the Argynnini representative (i.e.,B. ino); (3) within Melitaeinae, differences between sexes were more prominent than differences among species; (4) Melitaeinae males left natal patches more readily than females, while the opposite applied toB. ino; (5) males ofM. diaminaand both sexes ofB. inoexhibited highest values of dispersal mortality; (6) except for females ofM. diaminaand both sexes ofB. ino, immigration and emigration scaled with area in females but not in males. Finding (1) demonstrates that geometry of habitat network affects mobility considerably and that transferring dispersal parameters across systems is unwarranted. Still, (2–6) demonstrate that within identical networks, related species follow similar dispersal patterns, suggesting that conservation scenarios suitable for a well‐studied model species would suite related species as well.
Estimating peer effects in sexual behavior among adolescents
Authors: Ali Mir M. , Dwyer Debra S. 
Published: January 2010

ABSTRACTIn this paper we seek to empirically quantify the role of peer social networks in influencing sexual behavior among adolescents. Using data of a nationally representative sample of adolescents we utilize a multivariate structural model with school‐level fixed effects to account for the problems of contextual effects, correlated effects and peer selections to purge the potential biases from the estimates of peer influence. Our peer group measures are drawn not only from the nomination of close friends, but also from classmates. Controlling for parent level characteristics, and other demographic parameters, we find that a 10% increase in the proportion of close friends who initiates sex increases the probability that an individual chooses to initiate sex by 5% and a 10% increase in number of sexual partners among close friends increases an individual's sexual partner by 5%. The influence of classmates however, diminishes in magnitude after accounting for unobserved environmental confounders.
Cognitive functioning in chronic fatigue syndrome: a meta-analysis
Authors: Cockshell S. J. , Mathias J. L. 
Published: January 2010

BackgroundCognitive problems are commonly reported in persons with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and are one of the most disabling symptoms of this condition. A number of cognitive deficits have been identified, although the findings are inconsistent and hindered by methodological differences. The current study therefore conducted a meta-analysis of research examining cognitive functioning in persons with CFS in order to identify the pattern and magnitude of any deficits that are associated with this condition.MethodA comprehensive search of the PubMed and PsycINFO databases for studies that examined cognitive functioning in CFS between 1988 and 2008 identified 50 eligible studies. Weighted Cohen's d effect sizes, 95% confidence intervals and fail-safe Ns were calculated for each cognitive score.ResultsEvidence of cognitive deficits in persons with CFS was found primarily in the domains of attention, memory and reaction time. Deficits were not apparent on tests of fine motor speed, vocabulary, reasoning and global functioning.ConclusionsPersons with CFS demonstrate moderate to large impairments in simple and complex information processing speed and in tasks requiring working memory over a sustained period of time.
Home Literacy Experiences and Early Childhood Disability: A Descriptive Study Using the National Household Education Surveys (NHES) Program Database
Authors: Breit-Smith Allison , Cabell Sonia Q. , Justice Laura M. 
Published: January 2010

Purpose
The present article illustrates how the National Household Education Surveys (NHES; U.S. Department of Education, 2009) database might be used to address questions of relevance to researchers who are concerned with literacy development among young children. Following a general description of the NHES database, a study is provided that examines the extent to which parent-reported home literacy activities and child emergent literacy skills differ for children with (a) developmental disabilities versus those who are developing typically, (b) single disability versus multiple disabilities, and (c) speech-language disability only versus other types of disabilities.

Method
Four hundred and seventy-eight preschool-age children with disabilities and a typically developing matched sample (based on parent report) were identified in the 2005 administration of the Early Childhood Program Participation (ECPP) Survey in the NHES database. Parent responses to survey items were then compared between groups.

Results
After controlling for age and socioeconomic status, no significant differences were found in the frequency of home literacy activities for children with and without disabilities. Parents reported higher levels of emergent literacy skills for typically developing children relative to children with disabilities.

Conclusions
These findings suggest the importance of considering the home literacy experiences and emergent literacy skills of young children with disabilities when making clinical recommendations.
A Review of Developmental and Applied Language Research on African American Children: From a Deficit to Difference Perspective on Dialect Differences
Authors: Stockman Ida J. 
Published: January 2010

Purpose
The contemporary practices of delivering speech, language, and hearing services in schools reflect palpable gains in professional sensitivity to linguistic and cultural diversity.

Method
This article reviews the dominant research themes on the oral language of African American preschoolers who contribute to such diversity in the United States. Specifically, it contrasts the historical and current frameworks that have guided studies of (a) such children’s acquisition and use of English and (b) the strategies used to assess and modify their language.

Conclusion
Research initiatives that can expand knowledge about this group are proposed.
Shallow‐lacustrine sand‐rich deltaic depositional cycles and sequence stratigraphy of the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation, Ordos Basin, China
Authors: Caineng Zou , Xingyang Zhang , Ping Luo , Lan Wang , Zhong Luo , Liuhong Liu 
Published: January 2010

ABSTRACTShallow‐lacustrine delta deposits of the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation form the most important petroleum reservoir sandstone units in the Ordos Basin, China. Recent hydrocarbon exploration and outcrop studies demonstrated that shallow‐lacustrine sand‐rich deltas developed extensively along the gentle flanks and central part of the basin. The vertical succession of facies indicates that the Yanchang Formation records the entire lacustrine life cycle of the Late Triassic Ordos Basin. Four third‐order transgressive–regressive cycles and two larger shallow‐lacustrine deltaic cycles have been recognized. A process‐based depositional model, derived in part from the modern Ganjiang delta in Poyang Lake, China, is used to infer the origins of the sand‐rich lacustrine delta deposits. Slow basin subsidence, abundant sediment supply, autocyclic processes and a hydrologically open (overfilled) lake setting were the four main controls on the development of basin‐wide sand‐rich deltaic sequences. Recognition that inter‐connected delta‐plain sand bodies lying above the lower sequence boundary of the Yanchang Formation act as important migration pathways for oil, gas and other basin fluids, aids in exploration for stratigraphic and diagenetic traps in the delta plain area.
Soil–atmosphere exchange of CH4, CO, N2O and NOx and the effects of land‐use change in the semiarid Mallee system in Southeastern Australia
Authors: GALBALLY IAN , MEYER C.P. (MICK) , WANG YING‐PING , KIRSTINE WAYNE 
Published: January 2010

AbstractThe semiarid and arid zones cover a quarter of the global land area and support one‐fifth of the world's human population. A significant fraction of the global soil–atmosphere exchange for climatically active gases occurs in semiarid and arid zones yet little is known about these exchanges. A study was made of the soil–atmosphere exchange of CH4, CO, N2O and NOx in the semiarid Mallee system, in north‐western Victoria, Australia, at two sites: one pristine mallee and the other cleared for approximately 65 years for farming (currently wheat). The mean (± standard error) rates of CH4 exchange were uptakes of −3.0 ± 0.5 ng(C) m−2 s−1 for the Mallee and −6.0 ± 0.3 ng(C) m−2 s−1 for the Wheat. Converting mallee forest to wheat crop increases CH4 uptake significantly. CH4 emissions were observed in the Mallee in summer and were hypothesized to arise from termite activity. We find no evidence that in situ growing wheat plants emit CH4, contrary to a recent report. The average CO emissions of 10.1 ± 1.8 ng(C) m−2 s−1 in the Mallee and 12.6 ± 2.0 ng(C) m−2 s−1 in the Wheat. The average N2O emissions were 0.5 ± 0.1 ng(N) m−2 s−1 from the pristine Mallee and 1.4 ± 0.3 ng(N) m−2 s−1 from the Wheat. The experimental results show that the processes controlling these exchanges are different to those in temperate systems and are poorly understood.
Geographic variation in growth response of Douglas‐fir to interannual climate variability and projected climate change
Authors: CHEN PEI‐YU , WELSH CEDAR , HAMANN ANDREAS 
Published: January 2010

AbstractWe used 179 tree ring chronologies of Douglas‐fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii(Mirb.) Franco] from the International Tree‐Ring Data Bank to study radial growth response to historical climate variability. For the coastal variety of Douglas‐fir, we found positive correlations of ring width with summer precipitation and temperature of the preceding winter, indicating that growth of coastal populations was limited by summer dryness and that photosynthesis in winter contributed to growth. For the interior variety, low precipitation and high growing season temperatures limited growth. Based on these relationships, we chose a simple heat moisture index (growing season temperature divided by precipitation of the preceding winter and current growing season) to predict growth response for the interior variety. For 105 tree ring chronologies or 81% of the interior samples, we found significant linear correlations with this heat moisture index, and moving correlation functions showed that the response was stable over time (1901–1980). We proceeded to use those relationships to predict regional growth response under 18 climate change scenarios for the 2020s, 2050s, and 2080s with unexpected results: for comparable changes in heat moisture index, the most southern and outlying populations of Douglas‐fir in Mexico showed the least reduction in productivity. Moderate growth reductions were found in the southern United States, and strongly negative response in the central Rocky Mountains. Growth reductions were further more pronounced for high than for low elevation populations. Based on regional differences in the slope of the growth–climate relationship, we propose that southern populations are better adapted to drought conditions and could therefore contain valuable genotypes for reforestation under climate change. The results support the view that climate change may impact species not just at the trailing edges but throughout their range due to genetic adaptation of populations to local environments.