bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Study of molecular targets influencing homocysteine and cholesterol metabolism in growing rats by manipulation of dietary selenium and methionine concentrations
Authors: Wolf Nicole M. , Mueller Kristin , Hirche Frank , Most Erika , Pallauf Josef , Mueller Andreas S. 
Published: March 2010

Inconsistent results exist from human and animal studies for Se and methionine (Met) regarding their influence on homocysteine (HCys) and cholesterol (Chol) metabolism. To elucidate these contradictions, sixty-four weanling albino rats were divided into eight groups of 8, and were fed diets containing four different Se levels (15, 50, 150 and 450 μg/kg) either in combination with the recommended Met level of 3 g/kg (C15, C50, C150 and C450) or with an increased Met concentration of 15 g/kg (M15, M50, M150 and M450) for 8 weeks. Plasma HCys was twofold higher in the Se-supplemented C groups than in group C15. Met addition also doubled plasma HCys compared with the respective C groups. In contrast, the expression of the key enzymes of glutathione biosynthesis in the liver was significantly lowered by Se and in particular by Met. Liver Chol concentration was significantly higher in all the Se-supplemented C and M groups than in groups C15 and M15. Plasma Chol was, however, lowered. The uninfluenced expression of sterol-regulatory element-binding protein 2 and of hydroxymethyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase, the increased LDL receptor expression and the reduced expression of the hepatobiliary Chol exporter ATP-binding-cassette-transporter 8 (ABCG8) by Se and/or Met explain these findings. We conclude that the elevation of plasma HCys in rats by Se and Met results from a higher export into plasma. The fact that Se in particular combined with Met increases liver Chol but reduces plasma Chol should be addressed in future investigations focussing on the regulation of ABCG8, which is also selectively involved in the reverse transport of phytosterols in the small intestine.
Impact of climate change on soil erosion and the efficiency of soil conservation practices in Austria
Authors: KLIK A. , EITZINGER J. 
Published: March 2010

SUMMARYThe goal of the present study was to assess the impact of selected soil protection measures on soil erosion and retention of rainwater in a 1·14 km2 watershed used for agriculture in the north-east of Austria. Watershed conditions under conventional tillage (CT), no-till (NT) and under grassland use were simulated using the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) soil erosion model. The period 1961–90 was used as a reference and results were compared to future Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scenarios A1B and A2 (2040–60).The simulations for the NT and grassland options suggested runoff would decrease by 38 and 75%, respectively, under the current climatic conditions. The simulation results suggest that, under future climate scenarios, the effectiveness of the selected soil conservation measures with respect to runoff will be similar, or decreased by 16–53%.The actual average net soil losses in the watershed varied from 2·57 t/ha/yr for conventional soil management systems to 0.01 t/ha/yr for grassland. This corresponds to a maximum average annual loss of about 0·2 mm, which is considered to be the average annual soil formation rate and therefore an acceptable soil loss. The current soil/land use does not exceed this limit, with most of the erosion occurring during spring time. Under future climate scenarios, the simulations suggested that CT would either decrease soil erosion by up to 55% or increase it by up to 56%. Under these conditions, the acceptable limits will partly be exceeded. The simulations of NT suggested this would reduce annual soil loss rates (compared to CT) to 0·2 and 1·4 t/ha, i.e. about the same or slightly higher than for NT under actual conditions. The simulation of conversion to grassland suggested soil erosion was almost completely prevented.The selected soil conservation methods maintain their protective effect on soil resources, independent of the climate scenario. Therefore, with small adaptations, they can also be recommended as sustainable soil/land management systems under future climatic conditions.However, based on the available climate scenarios, climate-induced changes in the frequency and intensity of heavy rainstorms were only considered in a limited way in the present work. As the general future trend indicates a strong increase of rainstorms with high intensity during summer months, the results of the present study may be too optimistic.
Honeydew foraging by birds in tropical montane forests and pastures of Mexico
Authors: Gamper Heather A. , Koptur Suzanne 
Published: March 2010

Abstract:A honeydew-producing scale insect, Stigmacoccus garmilleri (Margarodidae), is associated with oak trees (Quercus spp.) in highland forests of Mexico. Although feeding by ants on scale-insect honeydew is more frequently documented in the literature, the honeydew produced by feeding instars of S. garmilleri is sufficient to provide nourishment for birds. This study elucidates bird use of honeydew in the tropical montane forests near Chiconquiaco, Veracruz, Mexico, and uncovers patterns in honeydew foraging. Over a 2-mo period, 40 trees harbouring scale insects, located in both forest and pasture areas, were intensely studied (160 h of bird-foraging observations along with quantitative measurements of honeydew production). Fifteen resident bird species and 18 migrant species were observed visiting observation trees. Approximately 72% of the resident bird species and 83% of the migrant bird species observed were recorded to forage on scale-insect honeydew. Audubon's warbler (Dendroica coronata auduboni) was the most active consumer and defender of the resource. Of 118 aggressive chases observed, only 9.65% occurred in forest observation trees, and 90.3% in pasture trees. Audubon's warbler demonstrated preferential defence and territorial patrolling of scale-insect honeydew in scattered pasture trees.
Seed dispersal of the Brazil nut tree (Bertholletia excelsa) by scatter-hoarding rodents in a central Amazonian forest
Authors: Haugaasen Joanne M. Tuck , Haugaasen Torbjørn , Peres Carlos A. , Gribel Rogerio , Wegge Per 
Published: March 2010

Abstract:We know surprisingly little about the fate of seeds of the Brazil nut tree (Bertholletia excelsa) under natural conditions. Here we investigate seed removal, predation and caching of Brazil nuts by scatter-hoarding rodents in the wet and dry seasons, based on an experimental approach using 900 thread-marked seeds. We tracked the fate of seeds handled by these animals to examine how seasonal food availability may influence caching rates, dispersal distances and cache longevity. Most seeds exposed to dispersal trials were removed by scatter-hoarders during the first week in both seasons and seeds were generally buried intact in single-seeded caches within 10 m of seed stations. Seeds were removed significantly faster and buried at greater distances during the dry season. The proportion of seeds buried intact was considerably higher in the wet season (74.4%) than in the dry season (38.2%). Most (99.4%) of the 881 primary caches monitored were recovered, but these had a significantly shorter lifetime in the dry season. Our results show that rodents are highly skilled at retrieving buried Brazil nuts and that caching behaviour appears to be affected by seasonal resource abundance. Reduced seed availability due to intensive harvest could potentially create a dry-season scenario where most seeds succumb to pre-dispersal predation, thereby adversely affecting the natural regeneration of Brazil nut trees.
Cognitive architectures and language acquisition: A case study in pronoun comprehension
Authors: VAN RIJ JACOLIEN , VAN RIJN HEDDERIK , HENDRIKS PETRA 
Published: March 2010

ABSTRACTIn this paper we discuss a computational cognitive model of children's poor performance on pronoun interpretation (the so-called Delay of Principle B Effect, or DPBE). This cognitive model is based on a theoretical account that attributes the DPBE to children's inability as hearers to also take into account the speaker's perspective. The cognitive model predicts that child hearers are unable to do so because their speed of linguistic processing is too limited to perform this second step in interpretation. We tested this hypothesis empirically in a psycholinguistic study, in which we slowed down the speech rate to give children more time for interpretation, and in a computational simulation study. The results of the two studies confirm the predictions of our model. Moreover, these studies show that embedding a theory of linguistic competence in a cognitive architecture allows for the generation of detailed and testable predictions with respect to linguistic performance.
Multiple solutions for a class of quasilinear elliptic equations of p(x)-Laplacian type with nonlinear boundary conditions
Authors: Chung Nguyen Thanh , Ngô Quôc-Anh 
Published: March 2010

Using variational methods we study the non-existence and multiplicity of non-negative solutions for a class of quasilinear elliptic equations of p(x)-Laplacian type with nonlinear boundary conditions of the formwhere Ω; is a bounded domain with smooth boundary, n is the outer unit normal to ∂Ω and λ is a parameter. Furthermore, we want to emphasize that g : ∂Ω × [0,∞)→ ℝ is a continuous function that may or may not satisfy the Ambrosetti–Rabinowitz-type condition.
Continuous families of exponential attractors for singularly perturbed equations with memory
Authors: Gatti Stefania , Miranville Alain , Pata Vittorino , Zelik Sergey 
Published: March 2010

For a family of semigroups Sε(t) : ℌε → ℌε depending on a perturbation parameter ε ∈ [0, 1], where the perturbation is allowed to become singular at ε = 0, we establish a general theorem on the existence of exponential attractors εε satisfying a suitable Hölder continuity property with respect to the symmetric Hausdorff distance at every ε ∈ [0, 1]. The result is applied to the abstract evolution equations with memorywhere kε(s) = (1/ε)k(s/ε) is the rescaling of a convex summable kernel k with unit mass. Such a family can be viewed as a memory perturbation of the equationformally obtained in the singular limit ε → 0.
Impacts of artisanal fishing on key functional groups and the potential vulnerability of coral reefs
Authors: LOKRANTZ JERKER , NYSTRÖM MAGNUS , NORSTRÖM ALBERT V. , FOLKE CARL , CINNER JOSHUA E. 
Published: March 2010

SUMMARYFishing can have major impacts on the structure of coral reef ecosystems. Overfishing of herbivores is particularly detrimental, as it makes the coral system more likely to undergo shifts to macroalgal dominance in the event of coral mass mortality. Knowing when important processes, such as herbivory, are becoming brittle is important because it can provide an opportunity for managers to avoid undesirable ecosystem-level changes. This study investigates the impact of artisanal fishing on three important functional groups of herbivores (grazers, scrapers and excavators) on five coral-dominated reefs outside Zanzibar (Tanzania). There was a negative correlation between fishing pressure and fish biomass, abundance, diversity and species richness. Moreover, fishing had a negative influence on the demographic structure of functional groups, particularly excavators, manifesting itself as a skewness towards smaller individuals within populations. Artisanal fishing can have significant impacts on key functional groups of herbivorous reef fishes which may increase the vulnerability of coral reefs to undesirable ecosystem shifts.
Changing distribution and abundance of Swan GooseAnser cygnoidesin the Yangtze River floodplain: the likely loss of a very important wintering site
Authors: ZHANG YONG , CAO LEI , BARTER MARK , FOX ANTHONY D. , ZHAO MEIJUAN , MENG FANJUAN , SHI HONGQUAN , JIANG YONG , ZHU WENZHONG 
Published: March 2010

SummaryVirtually the entire population of the globally ‘Vulnerable’ Swan GooseAnser cygnoideswinters in the Yangtze floodplain. Historically, the species was widely distributed throughout the floodplain but now approximately 95% of the population is confined to three closely-situated wetlands in Anhui and Jiangxi Provinces. Recent counts indicate that at one of these sites, Shengjin Lake (in Anhui), a decline of about 10,000–20,000 birds, to about 1,000 currently, has taken place during the last five years. The likely cause of the decline in Swan Goose abundance at Shengjin Lake is the recent decrease in submerged vegetation, particularly tuber-producingVallisneriawhich is the species’s main food; this decrease has been linked with the introduction of intensive aquaculture in the main areas used by Swan Geese within the lake. Earlier range contractions in the Yangtze floodplain may also be linked to reductions in submerged vegetation cover at other sites, where intensive aquaculture has also been implicated. Changes in lake hydrology following construction of the Three Gorges Dam may also have adversely affected submerged vegetation productivity. Key information needs for the effective implementation of conservation measures for Swan Goose include an understanding of (1) the fitness consequences of Swan Geese being forced to switch to different foods; (2) how aquaculture can be managed to minimise impacts on submerged vegetation; (3) the impact of changing lake hydrology on key Swan Goose food plants; and (4) the optimal management of wetlands to ensure that adequate food is both produced during the summer period and is available throughout the winter.
Confidence Bounds for the Estimation of the Volume Phase Fraction from a Single Image in a Nickel Base Superalloy
Authors: Blanc Rémi , Baylou Pierre , Germain Christian , Da Costa Jean-Pierre 
Published: March 2010

AbstractWe propose an image-based framework to evaluate the uncertainty in the estimation of the volume fraction of specific microstructures based on the observation of a single section. These microstructures consist of cubes organized on a cubic mesh, such as monocrystalline nickel base superalloys. The framework is twofold: a model-based stereological analysis allows relating two-dimensional image observations to three-dimensional microstructure features, and a spatial statistical analysis allows computing approximate confidence bounds while assessing the representativeness of the image. The reliability of the method is assessed on synthetic models. Volume fraction estimation variances and approximate confidence intervals are computed on real superalloy images in the context of material characterization.
A geographic approach to place and natural resource use in local food systems
Authors: Duram Leslie , Oberholtzer Lydia 
Published: March 2010

AbstractThis article illuminates the geographic concept of ‘place’ in local foods. Because the social aspects of local food have been more fully addressed in previous literature, this review focuses instead on the ecological aspects of farming and food. First, the literature on natural resource use in agriculture provides contextual understanding of water use, biodiversity, soils and agro-ecological methods. The complex relationship between climate change and agriculture is described and models assessing the impacts of climate change on agriculture are detailed. The geography of local food is specifically addressed by describing methods for assessing natural resource use in local food, including food miles, consumer transportation, scale and community, agricultural methods and diet. Finally, future research paths are suggested to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the environmental impact of local food. Such research would encompass the geography of local food through development of broader, more inclusive strategy, including the concept of the ‘ecological appetite’ of crops and foods, the union of both social and ecological aspects of resource use, the linkages between rural and urban producers and consumers and the inclusion of farmers’ ecological knowledge. Overall, the geography of local food seeks to assess the where of food production and consumption, while incorporating key issues of how (agro-ecological methods benefiting the community) and what (locally appropriate crops).
Green marketing: Are environmental and social objectives compatible with profit maximization?
Authors: Woolverton Andrea , Dimitri Carolyn 
Published: March 2010

AbstractAlong with others, we recognize the impact of human action on environmental quality. At the same time, we note that businesses have entered the ‘green market’. The goal of this paper is to open a discussion about green marketing. We raise questions regarding how firm governance impacts the ability of firms to incorporate environmental objectives into profit maximization. Additionally, we discuss the green marketing strategies that firms have chosen to use, as well as public and private options available for eco-label monitoring and enforcement to avoid additional consumer confusion.
Technoscience, anaerobic digester technology and the dairy industry: Factors influencing North Country New York dairy farmer views on alternative energy technology
Authors: Welsh Rick , Grimberg Stefan , Gillespie Gilbert W. , Swindal Megan 
Published: March 2010

AbstractStructural change in the US dairy industry toward fewer and very large farms has fueled interest and government funding of research into the feasibility of constructing anaerobic digesters (ADs) on large operations as a waste management strategy. Some groups opposed to increasing scale and concentration in the livestock sectors, including dairy, also oppose ADs because of the connection with larger scale operations and the potential for facilitating increased concentration in agricultural production. But the connection between AD technology and large scale is a social construction promoted by its incorporation into the debates over agricultural industrialization. The technology per se is essentially scale neutral and its scale-implications are artifacts of design choices, as is seen by its successful application to both very small farms around the world and large-scale agricultural enterprises in the USA. Using a survey of dairy farmers in New York, we find that interest in AD technology occurs at all farm sizes; and that factors other than farm size are important in determining interest in the technology. We conclude that the technoscientific question raised by these findings is: will applications to, and interest by, smaller dairy farmer operators result in shifts in policy and funding priorities toward more diverse agricultural research agendas regarding AD technology?
Alternative agriculture in an energy- and resource-depleting future
Authors: Kirschenmann Frederick 
Published: March 2010

AbstractIndustrial principles of specialization, simplification and concentration began to be applied to agriculture after the Second World War with positive production results. But it is now widely recognized that this agriculture and food system faces daunting challenges in the decades ahead, including increased human population growth, natural resource depletion, ecological degradation, climate change and escalating energy costs. These challenges have refocused the attention of agriculturalists and food scientists on the question of how we can continue to feed the human species. But these challenges also provide opportunities to rethink and redesign our food system. Agriculturalists are recognizing that resilience is at least as important to food security as maximum production, and consumer concerns provide us with unprecedented opportunities for farmers and consumers to come together as ‘food citizens’ to determine appropriate changes in our food system. To that end it is important to examine the various production systems and infrastructures in an effort to select the most viable options for long-term sustainability.
Consumerism, Activism, Intrinsic Motivation, and Balance: An Interview with Tim Kasser
Authors: Keeley Jared 
Published: March 2010

A year after receiving his PhD in psychology from the University of Rochester, Tim Kasser accepted a position at Knox College, in Galesburg, Illinois, where he is currently professor of psychology. He regularly teaches psychology classes on personality, clinical and abnormal psychology, dreaming, and research methods, as well as an interdisciplinary American studies/environmental studies class on alternatives to consumerism. The year before receiving tenure, he won the Philip Green Wright/Lombard College Prize for distinguished teaching at Knox College. Kasser is the author of two books, has coedited another book, and has written more than 60 journal articles and book chapters on materialism, values, goals, and quality of life, among other topics. From 2005 through 2009, Tim served as an associate editor for Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: Personality Processes and Individual Differences. He also works with activist groups that try to protect children from commercialization and that encourage a more “inwardly rich” lifestyle than what is offered by consumerism. Tim lives with his wife, two sons, and assorted animals in the western Illinois countryside. Jared Keeley is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Mississippi State University, where he teaches abnormal psychology and psychopathology. He is an active member of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology and is a consulting editor for Teaching of Psychology. Jared's research interests include the scholarship of teaching and learning as well as the classification of psychopathology.
Evaluation of International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision,
Clinical Modification Codes for Reporting Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus
aureus Infections at a Hospital in Illinois
Authors: Schaefer Melissa K. , Ellingson Katherine , Conover Craig , Genisca Alicia E. , Currie Donna , Esposito Tina , Panttila Laura , Ruestow Peter , Martin Karen , Cronin Diane , Costello Michael , Sokalski Stephen , Fridkin Scott , Srinivasan Arjun 
Published: March 2010

Background.
States, including Illinois, have passed legislation mandating the use of
International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision,
Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes for reporting
healthcare-associated infections, such as methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Objective.
To evaluate the sensitivity of ICD-9-CM code
combinations for detection of MRSA infection and to understand implications for
reporting.

Methods.
We reviewed discharge and microbiology databases from July through August
of 2005, 2006, and 2007 for ICD-9-CM codes or
microbiology results suggesting MRSA infection at a tertiary care hospital near
Chicago, Illinois. Medical records were reviewed to confirm MRSA infection.
Time from admission to first positive MRSA culture result was evaluated to
identify hospital-onset MRSA (HO-MRSA) infections. The sensitivity of MRSA code
combinations for detecting confirmed MRSA infections was calculated using all
codes present in the discharge record (up to 15); the effect of reviewing only
9 diagnosis codes, the number reported to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services, was also evaluated. The sensitivity of the combination of diagnosis
codes for detection of HO-MRSA infections was compared with that for
community-onset MRSA (CO-MRSA) infections.

Results.
We identified 571 potential MRSA infections with the use of screening
criteria; 403 (71%) were confirmed MRSA infections, of which 61 (15%) were
classified as HO-MRSA. The sensitivity of MRSA code combinations was 59% for
all confirmed MRSA infections when 15 diagnoses were reviewed compared with 31%
if only 9 diagnoses were reviewed (P &lt; .001).
The sensitivity of code combinations was 33% for HO-MRSA infections compared
with 62% for CO-MRSA infections (P &lt;
.001).

Conclusions.
Limiting analysis to 9 diagnosis codes resulted in low sensitivity.
Furthermore, code combinations were better at revealing CO-MRSA infections than
HO-MRSA infections. These limitations could compromise the validity of
ICD-9-CM codes for interfacility comparisons and
for reporting of healthcare-associated MRSA infections.