bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Global Implications of the Middle Eastern Environment
Authors: Mikhail Alan 
Published: December 2011

AbstractThrough a discussion of the burgeoning literature related to environmental topics in the Middle East, this article explains what both environmental historians and historians of the Middle East stand to gain from a consideration of Middle East environmental history. After an examination of the limitations and possibilities of the available source base, the article addresses three main areas of research: climate, energy, and disease. It is meant to serve as an introduction to a new field and to suggest some possible avenues for future research.
Targeting PDGFR‐β in Cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Fingas Christian D. , Mertens Joachim C. , Razumilava Nataliya , Bronk Steven F. , Sirica Alphonse E. , Gores Gregory J. 
Published: December 2011

AbstractBackgroundCholangiocarcinomas (CCAs) are highly desmoplastic neoplasms with a tumour microenvironment plentiful in myofibroblasts (MFBs). MFB‐derived PDGF‐BB survival signalling is a mediator of CCA cell resistance to apoptotic stimuli. This raises the concept that targeting PDGFR‐β, a cognate receptor of PDGF‐BB, represents a potential strategy for the treatment of human CCA.AimsHerein, we examine a role for inhibiting PDGFR‐β in restoring CCA cell sensitivity to apoptotic stimuli in vitro and in vivo.MethodsWe employed human CCA samples from 41 patients (19 intrahepatic and 22 extrahepatic CCA samples), the human CCA cell lines KMCH‐1 and HUCCT‐1 as well as shPDGFR‐β‐KMCH‐1 and human myofibroblastic LX‐2 cells for these studies. In vivo‐experiments were conducted using a syngeneic rat orthotopic CCA model.ResultsOf several MFB‐derived growth factors profiled, PDGF‐BB and CTGF were most abundantly expressed; however, only PDGF‐BB attenuated tumour necrosis factor‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand (TRAIL) cytotoxicity. Co‐culturing CCA cells with PDGF‐BB‐secreting MFBs significantly decreased TRAIL‐induced CCA cell apoptosis when compared with monoculture conditions; this cytoprotective effect was abrogated in the presence of the tyrosine kinase inhibitors imatinib mesylate or linifanib, which inhibit PDGFR‐β. Consistent with these findings, MFB‐imparted cytoprotection also was abolished when PDGFR‐β was knocked down as demonstrated in shPDGFR‐β‐KMCH‐1 cells. Finally, administration of imatinib mesylate increased CCA cell apoptosis and reduced tumour growth in a rodent in vivo‐CCA model that mimics the human disease.ConclusionsTargeting PDGFR‐β sensitizes CCA cells to apoptotic stimuli and appears to be therapeutic in vivo.
Impact of Mitral Regurgitation on the Outcome of Patients Treated with CRT‐D: Data from the InSync ICD Italian Registry
Authors: BORIANI GIUSEPPE , GASPARINI MAURIZIO , LANDOLINA MAURIZIO , LUNATI MAURIZIO , BIFFI MAURO , SANTINI MASSIMO , PADELETTI LUIGI , MOLON GIULIO , BOTTO GIANLUCA , DE SANTO TIZIANA , VALSECCHI SERGIO ,   on behalf of the InSync/InSync ICD Italian Registry Investigators
Published: December 2011

Background: We assessed the influence of clinically significant mitral regurgitation (MR) on clinical‐echocardiographic response and outcome in heart failure (HF) patients treated with a biventricular defibrillator (cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator [CRT‐D]).
Methods and Results: A total of 659 HF patients underwent successful implantation of CRT‐D and were enrolled in a multicenter prospective registry (median follow‐up of 15 months). Following baseline echocardiographic evaluation, patients were stratified into two groups according to the severity of MR: 232 patients with more than mild MR (Group MR+: grade 2, 3, and 4 MR) versus 427 patients with mild (grade 1) or no functional MR (Group MR−). On 6‐ and 12‐month echocardiographic evaluation, MR was seen to have improved in the vast majority of MR+ patients, while it remained unchanged in most MR− patients. On 12‐month follow‐up evaluation, a comparable response to CRT was observed in the two groups, in terms of the extent of left ventricular reverse remodeling and combined clinical and echocardiographic response. During long‐term follow‐up, event‐free survival did not differ between MR+ and MR− patients, even when subpopulations of patients with ischemic heart disease and with dilated cardiomyopathy were analyzed separately. On multivariate analysis, the only independent predictor of death from any cause was the lack of β‐blocker use.
Conclusions: This observational analysis supports the use of CRT‐D in HF patients with clinically significant MR; MR had no major influence on patient outcome. (PACE 2012; 35:146–154)
Low‐Temperature Processing of High‐Performance 0.74Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–0.26PbTiO3 Thin Films on La0.6Sr0.4CoO3‐Buffered Si Substrates for Pyroelectric Arrays Applications
Authors: Tang Yanxue , Zhou Dan , Tian Yue , Li Xia , Wang Feifei , Sun Dazhi , Shi Wangzhou , Tian Li , Sun Jinglan , Meng Xiangjian , Chu Junhao 
Published: December 2011

To prepare high‐performance ferroelectric thin films on Si substrates for pyroelectric arrays applications, 0.74Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–0.26PbTiO3 (PMN–PT) thin films, with composition beyond morphotropic phase boundary, were deposited by radio‐frequency magnetron sputtering. Conductive perovskite La0.6Sr0.4CoO3 with resistivity of about 20 μΩ cm was used as a buffer layer between PMN–PT and Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates to promote perovskite phase formation for the PMN–PT thin films. The PMN–PT thin films with pure perovskite phase have been obtained at temperatures as low as 500°C, which is compatible with integrated circuits. The ferroelectric, dielectric, and pyroelectric properties of the films were investigated. It is found that the films exhibit a large remnant polarization of 29.2 μC/cm2 and a high pyroelectric coefficient of 9.4 × 10−4 C/m2 K at room temperature. The calculated figures of merit for current responsivity, voltage responsivity, and detectivity are 3.76 × 10−10 m/V, 0.02 m2/C, and 1.29 × 10−5 Pa−1/2, respectively. These features suggest the film a promising material for thermal imaging applications based on silicon technology.
Effects of thermophotoperiod on growth parameters of Helicoverpa armigera
Authors: Mironidis G. K. , Savopoulou‐Soultani M. 
Published: December 2011

AbstractThe effects of photoperiod and temperature on growth parameters of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) were investigated under laboratory conditions by exposing its larvae to fluctuating and alternating temperature regimes. Our data made evident that the interplay between photoperiod and temperature has a direct effect on growth parameter responses of H. armigera. However, the type of temperature regime (fluctuating or alternating) may enhance or diminish the effects of photoperiod. With fluctuating temperature, larval developmental time was significantly reduced with increasing photophase, irrespective of the diapause status later in the pupal stage; the lowest value was observed under continuous light conditions. With alternating temperature, larval developmental time was significantly decreased with the reduction in temperature amplitude, and with the coincidence of the thermophase with the scotophase. At both temperature regimes, no significant differences in pupal weight were observed between diapausing and non‐diapausing individuals, although, in most treatments, the diapausing pupae tended to be heavier than the non‐diapausing ones. The increased pupal weight of individuals destined for diapause is probably related to their longer larval developmental time. Knowing the effects of these factors on the variation of H. armigera growth is necessary in explaining phenomena associated with immature stages, and can lead to a more profound understanding of the potential for this insect to evolve in response to environmental changes.
Adverse mood symptoms with oral contraceptives
Authors: POROMAA INGER SUNDSTRÖM , SEGEBLADH BIRGITTA 
Published: December 2011

Abstract In spite of combined oral contraceptives (COCs) having been available for more than 50 years, surprisingly little is known about the prevalence of truly COC‐related adverse mood symptoms and about the underlying biological mechanisms of proposed changes in mood and affect. Precise estimates of COC‐related adverse mood symptoms are not available due to the lack of placebo‐controlled trials. In prospective trials the frequency of women who report deteriorated mood or deteriorated emotional well‐being varies between 4 and 10%, but it can be assumed that the causal relation in these prevalence rates is overestimated. Adverse mood symptoms and somatic symptoms are most pronounced during the pill‐free interval of the treatment cycles, but whether extended COC regimens would be more favorable in this respect is not known. COCs with anti‐androgenic progestagens, such as drospirenone and desogestrel, appear more favorable in terms of mood symptoms than progestagens with a more androgenic profile. Available data suggest that lower doses of ethinylestradiol could be beneficial.
Lip cancer: retrospective analysis of 181 cases
Authors: Géraud Cyrill , Koenen Wolfgang , Neumayr Ludwig , Doobe Gunnar , Schmieder Astrid , Weiss Christel , Goerdt Sergij , Faulhaber Jörg 
Published: December 2011

SummaryBackground: In Germany little data on the epidemiology and histology of lip cancers are available, as lip cancers are commonly pooled together with head and neck tumors.Patients and methods: Retrospective analysis of 181 patients with malignant tumors of the lips with respect to gender, location, histology, risk factors and comorbidity.Results: There were 90 women and 91 men with a mean age of 71 years. 98 had a tumor on the upper lip and 83 patients on the lower lip. Tumors of the upper lip showed a slight female preference (61%). In contrast lower lip cancer was more common (64%) in men. Histological analysis revealed that in both regions nodular basal cell carcinomas as well as squamous cell carcinomas (NOS) are the most common subtypes. Vertical tumor thickness of squamous cell carcinomas was in most cases smaller than 6 mm (n = 71) and only in 4 cases was a tumor thickness of >6 mm detected. Altogether, 57% of the patients reported a high to very high sun exposure.Conclusions: In comparison to previous studies we found a weaker preference for women for tumors of the upper lip and also a weaker preference for men for tumors of the lower lip. The causes remain unclear, but could be causally related to an increased life expectancy and/or changed risk profile.
Effect of persistent patent ductus arteriosus on mortality and morbidity in very low‐birthweight infants
Authors: Tauzin Laurent , Joubert Corinne , Noel Anne‐Claire , Bouissou Antoine , Moulies Marie‐Eve 
Published: December 2011

AbstractAim:  Because New Caledonia is geographically isolated from the nearest cardiac surgical centre, surgical closure of ductus arteriosus is not performed in very low‐birthweight (VLBW) infants who have a persistent patent ductus in spite of having undergone treatment with ibuprofen. This study aimed at investigating the possible effect of persistent patent ductus in VLBW infants.Methods:  The study included 177 VLBW infants born at 25–31 weeks of gestation from January 2006 to May 2011. Mortality and major morbidities were compared between infants with a persistent patent ductus (n = 33) and those without it (n = 104). Statistical associations between potential neonatal risk factors and significant morbidities were identified using multivariate regression analyses.Results:  Rates of mortality and major morbidities, including the rate of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotizing enterocolitis, intraventricular haemorrhage grades I–II and III–IV, periventricular leucomalacia, late‐onset infections and failure of hearing screening, were insignificantly higher in VLBW infants with a persistent patent ductus than in those without it.Conclusion:  This study adds further evidence that persistent patent ductus arteriosus has no significant effect on mortality and morbidity in VLBW infants born at ≥25 weeks’ gestational age.
Prevalence of overweight and obesity in Danish preschool children over a 10‐year period: a study of two birth cohorts in general practice
Authors: Larsen Lone Marie , Hertel Niels Thomas , Mølgaard Christian , Christensen René dePont , Husby Steffen , Jarbøl Dorte Ejg 
Published: December 2011

AbstractAim:  To determine change in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in preschool children, over a 10‐year period and to identify possible predictors of overweight in 5‐year‐old children.Methods:  Anthropometric data from birth and routine child health examinations at 3 and 5 years of age performed in general practice were collected in 5580 children from two Funen birth cohorts (1992 and 2001, respectively) representing 48% of the total population at similar age. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was classified using the International Obesity Task Force definitions.Results:  In a Danish representative survey of preschool children, the average body mass index (BMI) and prevalence of overweight and obesity did not vary significantly during the 10‐year period. No significant changes in mean birth weight were registered and mean BMI in the group of obese children did not increase. Overweight or obesity at 5 years was strongly associated with overweight and obesity at 3 years and with birth weight and gender.Conclusion:  The prevalence of overweight and obesity was observed to be stable over a decade in Danish preschool children without changes in mean BMI in the group of obese children. A strong association between overweight and obesity at 3 and at 5 years of age was detected.
The potential for endozoochorous dispersal of temperate fen plant species by free‐roaming horses
Authors: Stroh Peter A. , Mountford J. Owen , Hughes Francine M.R. 
Published: December 2011

AbstractQuestionsCan free‐roaming Konik horses digest and subsequently disperse seeds of plant species growing in a temperate fen environment? Which species have the potential to be dispersed internally (endozoochory), and do they share common plant and seed traits? How could potential dispersal via endozoochory impact upon grazing management and the natural recolonization of wetland vegetation at a landscape scale?LocationWicken Fen NNR, Cambridge, UK.MethodsTwelve dung samples were collected for one calendar year (Jun 2009–May 2010) from a free‐roaming herd of Konik horses grazing vegetation at Wicken Fen NNR. Germinable seed content of the dung was determined by means of a seedling emergence study. Species presence and estimated cover/abundance were recorded for the grazed (background) vegetation in spring and summer 2009.ResultsAlmost one‐third of all species present in the background vegetation were also identified in the dung samples. There was an equal split between graminoids and forbs, but substantially more graminoid germinable seeds. Species were dispersed year‐round, with the number of species peaking in Sep and again in Dec. Of the 13 traits measured, there were significant differences between dung and background vegetation for six traits. Mean values for seed release heights (minimum and maximum) and dispersule weight were significantly lower in species found in the dung, whilst dung species had significantly greater numbers of seeds per shoot, inferred Ellenberg nitrogen values and seed bank persistence.ConclusionYear‐round free‐roaming grazing has the potential to make a considerable contribution to the long‐range dispersal of species growing in temperate fen habitats, and is likely to complement alternative dispersal strategies. However, germination and establishment of species post‐dispersal fate will be governed by a wide range of environmental conditions.
THERMAL CHARACTERIZATION OF POULTRY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE DEVICE TO MONITOR SAFE AND PROPER COOKING
Authors: ROBLES HERNANDEZ FRANCISCO C. , NEAL JACK A. , ALDEA ULYSIS S. 
Published: December 2011

ABSTRACTThis work presents a new application of semiautomated technology to monitor temperatures of a wide range of food products, which can be remotely controlled (via Internet) for various cooking operations. The workstation was created as an initial step in developing an automated temperature monitoring device within food containers such as storage pans. The equipment records the thermodynamic/kinetic changes occurring during cooking to precisely determine cooking conditions. As a safety control measurement devise, the workstation can be programmed to automate the heating/cooling cycles and to determine the amount of time food spends in unsafe temperature ranges (5–60C), which may increase the risk of foodborne illness. The workstation records the heating and cooling histories (cooking curves) during and after the cooking procedure, respectively. The cooking curves are analyzed using the Newtonian and baseline models to enhance the thermodynamic and kinetic phenomena taking place during cooking. This allows the precise determination of time and temperatures it takes to reach a desirable cooking stage as a function of the level of dehydration or denaturization.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSThermal analysis can be used to monitor the cooking process of independent pieces of an entire chicken carcass or it can be used to monitor the cooking of individual pieces. The contribution of the individual constituents of the tissue can be deconvoluted and analyzed independently, which, in turn, allows researchers to determine specific characteristics in the final product (e.g., cooking quality and level of moisture).
INTERFACIAL CHARACTERIZATION OF COFFEE MIX USING DYNAMIC SURFACE TENSIOMETER
Authors: MUHAMMAD LATIF , CHOI SHIN SIK , KIM HERN 
Published: December 2011

ABSTRACTInstant coffee with different blends and various trades is available all over the world. The brands vary in their composition because of the concentration of basic ingredients, i.e., coffee, sugar and cream. Coffee and other beverages are explained on the basis of three basic properties: taste, foaming and wetting. By using dynamic surface tensiometric analysis, the effects of the basic ingredients are examined by experiments. Different brands and instant coffee sticks were experimented and results were compared.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSDynamic surface tensiometry is an important technology to evaluate the changes in the surface of liquid solutions: stagnant and flowing fluids. This technique is also applied to characterize the biological liquids, waste water treatment and beverages with large and complex molecular weight components.
Antipodean Ummah: Islam and Muslims in Australia and New Zealand
Authors: Pratt Douglas 
Published: December 2011

AbstractIslam first came to Australia in the 17th century and to New Zealand in the late 19th century. However, it was to be many years before distinctive Muslim communities would emerge in either country. Although there are some similarities in terms of historical dynamics, the specific modern history of each of these countries, and so of the Muslim communities within them, is quite different.
Ploughshares into Swords? St. Augustine’s Ethics of Political Violence
Authors: Gorry Jonathan 
Published: December 2011

AbstractSt. Augustine’s efforts to reconcile Christ’s teaching with the requirements of statecraft led him to became the founder of a theory of comparative justice we now call just war. Just war was designed to limit the nature and scope of imperial Roman warfare. Post‐Constantine Christian attitudes to the use of organised political violence have largely been interpreted and guided by this tradition. Over time the term just war has been expanded beyond its specifically Christian component to represent the dominant Western line of moral thinking on war. The key issue in this paper is to review the common conceptual vocabulary that unites just war theorists and claims Augustine as its key progenitor.
Exploring the Milk‐Clotting Properties of a Plant Coagulant from the Berries of S. elaeagnifolium var. Cavanilles
Authors: Néstor Gutiérrez‐Méndez , Dely Rubí Chávez‐Garay , Héctor Jiménez‐Campos 
Published: December 2011

Abstract:  Solanum elaeagnifolium (trompillo or silverleaf nightshade) is an endemic plant from the northeast of Mexico and southwest of United States. This plant is considered as a weed with negative impact on agriculture and livestock production. Nevertheless, in some places of Chihuahua, Mexico, the berries of this plant have been used for decades in the manufacture of artisanal filata‐type asadero cheese. The milk‐clotting enzyme of S. elaeagnifolium has been scarcely studied; for this reason, the aim of this work was to explore some properties of this plant coagulant. Protein extracts (PEs) from ripe berries of S. elaeagnifolium were characterized by sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS‐PAGE) and assessed for milk‐clotting activity. In addition, milk gels and miniature fresh‐type cheeses manufactured with the plant coagulant were analyzed for their texture properties. The PE from the berries of S. elaeagnifolium contained 8 proteins with molecular weights from 22 to 62 kDa. Some bands observed in the PE had similar molecular weights as reported for aspartic proteinases such as chymosin. The extracts from the berries of S. elaeagnifolium had lower milk‐cloting activities than observed with rennin or chymosin, but this plant coagulant produced firm gels under acidic conditions. The mini‐cheeses manufactured with this coagulant were softer than cheeses manufactured with rennin or chymosin. For this reason, the coagulant from the ripe berries of S. elaeagnifolium could be suitable not only for the manufacture of filata‐type cheeses but also for the manufacture of soft cheeses such as cream cheese.Practical Application:  Silverleaf nightshade (trompillo) is a plant that grows in northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. This plant is considered a weed with negative impact on agriculture and livestock production. However, the ripe berries of this plant have been used by ancient Pima Indians as a substitute of rennin in making cheese. In this work, it was observed that this plant coagulant had lower activity and produced softer cheeses than did rennin or chymosin. For this reason, the coagulant from berries of S. elaeagnifolium could be used for the manufacture of soft cheeses such as cream cheese.