bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Academic achievement of adolescents born with extremely low birth weight
Authors: Litt Jonathan S , Gerry Taylor H , Margevicius Seunghee , Schluchter Mark , Andreias Laura , Hack Maureen 
Published: July 2012

AbstractAim:  To assess academic achievement, rates of learning disabilities (LD) and special education in extremely low birth weight (ELBW <1 kg) adolescents relative to normal birth weight (NBW) controls and to identify cognitive weaknesses.Methods:  Compared 181 ELBW adolescents born from 1992 to 1995 (mean age 14.8 years, mean BW 809 g, mean GA 26.4 weeks) and 115 NBW term controls. Measures included tests of IQ, reading and math achievement and executive function. Analyses included ANCOVA and logistic and linear regression. Covariates were sex, race and socioeconomic status.Results:  Extremely low birth weight adolescents had significantly lower scores on tests of IQ (87.1 vs. 96.4), achievement (88.6 vs. 95.5 reading; 81.3 vs. 93.2 math) and executive function than the NBW group (all p‐values <0.001). ELBW also had higher rates of math LD, 51(50%) vs. 26 (28%), OR (95% CI) = 3.10 (1.65, 5.84), p < 0.001, and need for special education, 88 (49%) vs. 11(10%), OR (95% CI) = 11.78 (5.67, 24.47), p < 0.001. Measures of executive function were related to math independent of IQ.Conclusions:  Extremely low birth weight adolescents born in the 1990s have poorer achievement and higher rates of math LD than NBW peers. The findings suggest a need for more intensive interventions addressing the specific cognitive vulnerabilities in this population.
Biodegradation Property of Beta‐Tricalcium Phosphate‐Collagen Composite in Accordance with Bone Formation: A Comparative Study with Bio‐Oss Collagen® in a Rat Critical‐Size Defect Model
Authors: Kato Eiji , Lemler Jeffery , Sakurai Kaoru , Yamada Masahiro 
Published: July 2012

ABSTRACTPurpose: The objective of this study was to compare osteoconductivity and biodegradation properties of an in‐house fabricated beta‐tricalcium phosphate (b‐TCP)‐collagen composite with those of Bio‐Oss Collagen® (Osteohealth, Shirley, NY, USA) using a rat calvarial critical‐size defect model.Materials and Methods: b‐TCP–collagen composite material was fabricated by mixing b‐TCP granules having a particle size of 0.15 to 0.8 mm and 75% porosity, with bovine dermis‐derived soluble collagen sponge. The dry weight ratio of b‐TCP granules‐to‐collagen ratios was 4:1. Bio‐Oss Collagen or the b‐TCP–collagen composite was used to fill a 5.0 mm–diameter calvarial defect in rats. The defects were evaluated by histological and histomorphological analyses of decalcified histological sections with hematoxylin and eosin staining 6 and 10 weeks, respectively, after surgery.Results: The defect implanted with the b‐TCP composite contained immature bone structures with dense connective tissue in contrast to the abundant fibrous tissue, but no trabecular structure was observed within the defect implanted with Bio‐Oss Collagen at 6 weeks postoperatively. Eventually, the defect filled with the b‐TCP composite was covered with dense, continuous, mature bone tissue with complete replacement of the graft material. However, in defects filled with Bio‐Oss Collagen, only dense connective tissue, containing limited amounts of immature trabecular bone and abundant remnant Bio‐Oss particles, was observed. Histomorphological analysis revealed that the b‐TCP composite caused greater tissue augmentation with a larger volume of bone tissue observed in the defect and greater bioabsorption of remnant material than Bio‐Oss Collagen.Conclusion: These results indicated that the b‐TCP composite has greater osteoconductivity and better biodegradation properties than Bio‐Oss Collagen; these properties of the b‐TCP–collagen composite complimented bone formation and remodeling.
Increased Phosphodiesterase Type 5 Levels in a Mouse Model of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Ellati Riyad T. , Dokun Ayotunde O. , Kavoussi Parviz K. , Steers William D. , Annex Brian H. , Lysiak Jeffrey J. 
Published: July 2012

ABSTRACT

Introduction
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major risk factor for developing erectile dysfunction (ED) and men with DM are often less responsive to phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors than ED due to other causes.

Aims
The aim of this study was to explore potential mechanisms whereby PDE5 inhibitors may have reduced efficacy in type 2 DM.

Methods
At 4 weeks of age, mice were either fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 22–36 weeks or fed regular chow (control). An additional group of mice in the same genetic background had a genetic form of type 1 DM.

Main Outcome Measures
Glucose tolerance testing, intracorporal pressures (ICPs), oxidative stress (OS), apoptotic cell death (active caspase-3 and apostain), PDE5, p53, and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) levels, and histological examination of inflow arteries were performed in mice fed a HFD and control mice. A group of mice with type 1 DM were studied for PDE5 expression levels.

Results
All mice fed a HFD had impaired glucose tolerance compared with the age-matched mice fed on standard chow diet (control). HFD fed mice had reduced maximum ICPs following in vivo cavernous nerve electrical stimulation and increased apoptotic cell death, OS, and p53 levels in the corporal tissue. Interestingly, PDE5 levels were increased and cGMP levels were decreased. In contrast, mice with type 1 DM did not have increases in PDE5.

Conclusions
Taken together, our results suggest that type 2 DM-induced ED is associated with findings that could lead to reduced cGMP and may account for reduced efficacy of PDE5 inhibitors.
Texture of Bread Crust: Puncturing Settings Effect and Its Relationship to Microstructure
Authors: Altamirano‐Fortoul R. , Hernando I. , Rosell C.M. 
Published: July 2012

AbstractThe effect of the puncturing settings (crosshead speed and punch cross‐section) on the crust mechanical parameters was investigated using breads with two different crust thickness. Results showed that, greater punch cross‐section was associated to compression behavior, which reduced the sensibility to detect changes in the crust structure. Moreover, low crosshead speed (0.5 mm/s) puncture test provided information about the cellular structure of the crust. The relationship between the puncturing parameters and the water activity and moisture content together with the crust microstructure analysis revealed that for obtaining reliable information about the structural ruptures related to crispiness texture, it is necessary to use low crosshead speeds (0.5 mm/s) and low punch cross‐section (3 mm2). Crust microstructure observations indicate that the crust layers and the size and shape of the air cells are responsible of the puncturing behavior.Practical ApplicationsTexture of the bread crust is an important parameter used to define the quality of crispy breads and their freshness. Consequently, the extension of crust crispiness is still a priority for the baking industry. Different methods have been proposed for assessing the mechanical properties of the bread crust, although punching is a common feature in all of them. However, there is no information about the incidence of punching settings on the bread crust mechanical parameters. Water activity and moisture content of the crust, besides scanning electron microscopy of the crust section, were used to confirm the reliability of the mechanical parameters. The study allows defining the best conditions to study the crust's mechanical properties providing information about the internal cell structure. Results could be very useful at research level and also for the baking industry when investigating crust freshness.
New Corporate Forms: One Viable Solution to Advancing Environmental Sustainability
Authors: Mac Cormac Susan , Haney Heather 
Published: July 2012

There is a clear trend in corporate governance toward increased attention to the environmental and social impacts of business operations. Major consulting firms are advising Fortune 500 companies on how to become more environmentally sustainable, private equity and “impact” investors are measuring environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors, and voluntary reporting and shareholder resolutions on issues of environmental sustainability are on the rise. While traditional corporate forms allow companies to embrace social and environmental responsibility with some measure of success, various real and perceived risks encourage directors to focus on short‐term profitability. Even if a company has a strong social mission at inception, founders often have difficulty “anchoring their mission” over time. And the lack of required disclosure of social and environmental performance makes it more difficult for investors to evaluate and compare companies. Many believe that the institutionalized mispricing of natural resources and the continued failure to price externalities, combined with the progressive nature of climate change, require the transformation of both business and law.This article discusses social and environmental sustainability within the traditional corporate form and then explores three emerging alternatives that are now being used by businesses in California: limited liability corporations (LLCs); benefit corporations (B corps); and flexible purpose corporations (FPCs). Of these three alternatives, FPCs—a corporate form that requires shareholders to agree on one or more social missions with management and the board—may be best suited to meet the needs of the many small private firms (as well as some large public companies) that, whether for purely economic or altruistic reasons, plan to integrate ESG into their operations.
Private Landowners Cooperate to Sustain Wildlife Habitat: The Case of the Sabi Sand Game Reserve*
Authors: Schmidtz David , Willott Elizabeth 
Published: July 2012

Now over 60 years old, the Sabi Sand Game Reserve is a cooperative “for‐profit” arrangement among a group of private landowners in South Africa that has succeeded in protecting wildlife and wildlife habitat while substantially increasing the economic value of the landowners' property. On a per acre basis, the Sabi Sand's wildlife populations are at least as large and healthy as those of the adjoining Kruger National Park.The lands that make up the reserve were once several fenced‐off properties that were managed unsuccessfully as cattle ranches in the early 20th century. The founding members concluded they would be better off using their land as a game reserve. To do that, they had to pool their landholdings to accommodate populations of large animals such as elephant, rhino, and buffalo that required more room than any one property could provide.The authors describe how the rules governing Sabi Sand evolved in ways similar to those in other successful cases of common resource management that have been studied by, among others, the late Nobel laureate Elinor Ostrom. The asset is managed by a local community where those with a right to its use are clearly identified and others are clearly excluded. The reserve's private property owners use a mix of collective and individual decision‐making procedures, have procedures for resolving conflict, and have ways to punish those who would abuse the land or wildlife.
Association between the Amount of Right-to-Left Shunt and Infarct Patterns in Patients with Cryptogenic Embolic Stroke: A Transcranial Doppler Study
Authors: Kim Ji Won , Kim Suk Jae , Yoon Cindy W , Park Chang-Hyun , Kang Kun Woo , Kim Soo Kyoung , Kim Yun-Hee , Bang Oh Young 
Published: July 2012

Background Paradoxical embolism has been documented as a mechanism of cryptogenic embolic stroke. We investigated the frequency of right-to-left shunt in patients with cryptogenic embolic stroke and evaluated the factors associated with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) lesion pattern. Methods We analyzed data on 157 consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke because of presumed cryptogenic embolism. Agitated saline transcranial Doppler study was conducted in all patients to detect right-to-left shunt. We evaluated the association of the amount (microemboli ≥20 vs. ≥20) and activity (spontaneous vs. after Valsalva maneuver only) of right-to-left shunt with diffusion-weighted imaging lesion patterns. Results Right-to-left shunt was observed in 96 (61·1%) patients. The multiplicity and distribution of diffusion-weighted imaging lesions did not differ depending on the amount and activity of right-to-left shunt. However, the size of diffusion-weighted imaging lesions differed depending on the amount of right-to-left shunt ( P = 0·019). Right-to-left shunt was more frequently observed in patients with small (<1 cm) infarcts than in those with a large infarct (66·7% vs. 45·9%), and most patients with a larger amount of right-to-left shunt were found to have small infarcts on diffusion-weighted imaging (80%). The clinical characteristics, including Framingham stroke risk strategy, did not differ between the groups. Conclusions Our results indicate that the amount of right-to-left shunt determines the Diffusion-weighted imaging lesion patterns and suggest that mechanisms of stroke other than paradoxical mechanism may play an important role in patients with large cryptogenic embolic stroke.
Treatment of landfill leachate using Fenton process and coagulation/flocculation
Authors: Boumechhour Fatima , Rabah Kerbachi , Lamine Chikbouni , Said Benmenni Med 
Published: July 2012

AbstractCoagulation/flocculation process, Fenton oxidation and combinations between them were studied, aiming to provide an efficient method for the treatment of partially stabilized leachates. Leachates were collected from a municipal landfill site, samples containing around 3800 mg/L COD, BOD5/COD ratio about 0.11 and pH around 8. The sequence of stages implemented was: (a) coagulation/flocculation; (b) Fenton oxidation; (c) coagulation/flocculation followed by Fenton oxidation which resulted in a best COD removal (63.62%) and (d) Fenton oxidation followed by coagulation/flocculation.
A fast, highly sensitive double‐nested PCR‐based method to screen fish immunobiomes
Authors: BOUTIN SÉBASTIEN , SEVELLEC MAELLE , PAVEY SCOTT A. , BERNATCHEZ LOUIS , DEROME NICOLAS 
Published: July 2012

AbstractEfficient methods for constructing 16S tag amplicon libraries for pyrosequencing are needed for the rapid and thorough screening of infectious bacterial diversity from host tissue samples. Here we have developed a double‐nested PCR methodology that generates 16S tag amplicon libraries from very small amounts of bacteria/host samples. This methodology was tested for 133 kidney samples from the lake whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis (Salmonidae) sampled in five different lake populations. The double‐nested PCR efficiency was compared with two other PCR strategies: single primer pair amplification and simple nested PCR. The double‐nested PCR was the only amplification strategy to provide highly specific amplification of bacterial DNA. The resulting 16S amplicon libraries were synthesized and pyrosequenced using 454 FLX technology to analyse the variation of pathogenic bacteria abundance. The proportion of the community sequenced was very high (Good’s coverage estimator; mean = 95.4%). Furthermore, there were no significant differences of sequence coverage among samples. Finally, the occurrence of chimeric amplicons was very low. Therefore, the double‐nested PCR approach provides a rapid, informative and cost‐effective method for screening fish immunobiomes and most likely applicable to other low‐density microbiomes as well.
Music Perception and Cognition: A Review of Recent Cross‐Cultural Research
Authors: Stevens Catherine J. 
Published: July 2012

AbstractExperimental investigations of cross‐cultural music perception and cognition reported during the past decade are described. As globalization and Western music homogenize the world musical environment, it is imperative that diverse music and musical contexts are documented. Processes of music perception include grouping and segmentation, statistical learning and sensitivity to tonal and temporal hierarchies, and the development of tonal and temporal expectations. The interplay of auditory, visual, and motor modalities is discussed in light of synchronization and the way music moves via emotional response. Further research is needed to test deep‐rooted psychological assumptions about music cognition with diverse materials and groups in dynamic contexts. Although empirical musicology provides keystones to unlock musical structures and organization, the psychological reality of those theorized structures for listeners and performers, and the broader implications for theories of music perception and cognition, awaits investigation.
A multi‐criteria based review of models that predict environmental impacts of land use‐change for perennial energy crops on water, carbon and nitrogen cycling
Authors: Thomas Amy R. C. , Bond Alan J. , Hiscock Kevin M. 
Published: July 2012

AbstractReduction in energy sector greenhouse gas GHG emissions is a key aim of European Commission plans to expand cultivation of bioenergy crops. Since agriculture makes up 10–12% of anthropogenic GHG emissions, impacts of land‐use change must be considered, which requires detailed understanding of specific changes to agroecosystems. The greenhouse gas (GHG) balance of perennials may differ significantly from the previous ecosystem. Net change in GHG emissions with land‐use change for bioenergy may exceed avoided fossil fuel emissions, meaning that actual GHG mitigation benefits are variable. Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling are complex interlinked systems, and a change in land management may affect both differently at different sites, depending on other variables. Change in evapotranspiration with land‐use change may also have significant environmental or water resource impacts at some locations. This article derives a multi‐criteria based decision analysis approach to objectively identify the most appropriate assessment method of the environmental impacts of land‐use change for perennial energy crops. Based on a literature review and conceptual model in support of this approach, the potential impacts of land‐use change for perennial energy crops on GHG emissions and evapotranspiration were identified, as well as likely controlling variables. These findings were used to structure the decision problem and to outline model requirements. A process‐based model representing the complete agroecosystem was identified as the best predictive tool, where adequate data are available. Nineteen models were assessed according to suitability criteria, to identify current model capability, based on the conceptual model, and explicit representation of processes at appropriate resolution. FASSET, ECOSSE, ANIMO, DNDC, DayCent, Expert‐N, Ecosys, WNMM and CERES‐NOE were identified as appropriate models, with factors such as crop, location and data availability dictating the final decision for a given project. A database to inform such decisions is included.
Detection of Vibrio cholerae in environmental waters including drinking water reservoirs of Azerbaijan
Authors: Rashid Ahmadov , Haley Bradd J. , Rajabov Mukhtar , Ahmadova Sevinj , Gurbanov Shair , Colwell Rita R. , Huq Anwar 
Published: July 2012

SummaryCholera, a globally prevalent gastrointestinal disease, remains a persistent problem in many countries including the former Soviet republics of the Caucasus region where sporadic outbreaks occurred recently. Historically, this region has experienced cholera during every pandemic since 1816; however, no known comprehensive evaluation of the presence of Vibrio cholerae in surface waters using molecular methods has been done. Here we present the first report of the presence of V. cholerae in surface waters of Azerbaijan and its seasonality, using a combination of bacteriological and molecular methods. Findings from the present study indicate a peak in the presence of V. cholerae in warmer summer months relative to colder winter months. In the Caspian Sea, water temperature when optimal for growth of V. cholerae was significantly associated with detection of V. cholerae. Vibrio cholerae was simultaneously detected at freshwater sites including two water reservoirs. Most importantly, detection of V. cholerae in these water reservoirs, the source of municipal drinking water, poses a potential health risk to the population due to the limited and insufficient treatment of water in Azerbaijan. Routine monitoring of environmental waters used for recreational purposes, and especially drinking water reservoirs, is highly recommended as a measure for public health safety.
Uterine B cell lymphoma in a mare
Authors: Claes A. , Ball B. A. , Liu I. K. M. , Vaughan B. , Highland M. A. , Brown J. A. 
Published: July 2012

SummaryIn this report, we describe the diagnostic findings and outcome of a uterine B cell lymphoma in a mare. A well circumscribed uterine mass with significant peripheral vascularisation was identified by transrectal ultrasonography during the reproductive examination of an 8‐year‐old Thoroughbred mare. Subsequent hysteroscopy revealed that the uterine mass was located intramurally and contained a protruding polyp‐like structure. A diagnosis of uterine B cell lymphoma was established by histopathological examination of a hysteroscopically‐obtained tissue sample. Additional diagnostics demonstrated that the uterus was a site of metastasis. Due to her deteriorating condition, extensiveness of the tumour and poor prognosis, the owner decided that the mare should be subjected to euthanasia.
A sulfate polysaccharide/TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) complex for the long-term delivery of TRAIL in poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres
Authors: Kim Hyemin , Jeong Dooyong , Kang Hee Eun , Lee Kang Choon , Na Kun 
Published: July 2012

Abstract

Objectives
The aim was to develop a long-term delivery system for Apo2 ligand/tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) without chemical modification (such as pegylation).

Methods
A nanocomplex system between the positively charged TRAIL and the negatively charged chondroitin sulfate (CS) (CS/TRAIL) was designed and applied in poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microspheres (MSs).

Key findings
A nanocomplex of approximately 200 nm was easily formed in a weight ratio of 2 TRAIL to CS (TC2) at pH 5.0. The cytotoxicity of CS/TRAIL against HeLa cells was similar to that of native TRAIL. The complex also had higher loading efficiency (above 95%) in PLGA MSs prepared by the multi-emulsion method than that of native TRAIL. The release behaviour of TRAIL from the PLGA MSs was monitored. Although the release of TRAIL from native TRAIL-loaded PLGA MSs (TMS0) was almost complete after 3 days, TC2-loaded PLGA MSs (TMS2) showed sustained TRAIL release without an initial burst for 10 days. The released TRAIL from TMS2 led to cytotoxicity accompanied by massive apoptosis of cancer cells. TMS2 significantly inhibited tumour growth in an in-vivo xenograft model in mice, without any loss of body weight after treatment.

Conclusions
From the results, we concluded that TC-loaded PLGA MSs have the potential for long-term delivery of TRAIL without side effects.