bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Photophysics and kinetics of naphthopyran derivatives, part 3: A general procedure to uniquely identify the kinetic and spectroscopic parameters of ABC(2k,2ϕ) systems and application to naphthopyran reactions
Authors: Maafi M. , Brown R. G. 
Published: May 2006

AbstractA new procedure has been developed with the aim of determining the kinetic and spectroscopic parameters of any photochemical systems of the generic ABC(2k,1ϕ) and ABC(2k,2ϕ) types. General expressions of the colorability and the equilibrium concentration ratio of two (of the three involved) species at a photostationary state or a state of thermal equilibrium have been derived. The procedure has been successfully applied to achieve unique identifiability for the seven sequences of the ABC(2k,1ϕ and 2ϕ) type that may represent naphthopyran dynamics. It is demonstrated that the reactivity of this particular compound is certainly described by a higher kinetic level than those (three or four reaction steps) considered in the present study. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 38: 421–430, 2006
The bacterial quality of red meat and offal in Casablanca (Morocco)
Authors: Cohen Nozha , Ennaji Hayat , Hassa Mohammed , Karib Hakim 
Published: May 2006

AbstractThe present study aimed to evaluate the bacteriological quality of beef (n = 52), lamb (n = 52) and beef offal (n = 52) marketed in Casablanca, Morocco. Meat and offal samples (n = 156), were collected randomly from butcheries, supermarkets, and slaughterhouses. Two sampling periods were considered, one during the hot season and the second one during the cold season. The samples were analyzed for the presence of the following bacteria: Escherichia coli, coagulase‐positive Staphylococcus, Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella, and Listeria monocytogenes. Results indicated that counts of the aerobic plate count, and fecal coliforms were particularly high in all the samples analyzed. E. coli, coagulase‐positive Staphylococcus and C. perfringens were detected in 37.8, 16, and 4.5% of the meat samples, respectively. Neither Salmonella nor L. monocytogenes were isolated from meat samples. Approximately 26.9% of beef, 34.6% of lamb and 28.8% of beef offal samples contained bacteria above the maximum limits established by the Moroccan regulatory standards for meat and meat products. Seasonality and the distribution location significantly (p < 0.05) affected bacterial populations: the hot season and butcheries appeared to be cases where the highest populations of bacteria in meat were observed. These high levels of microbiological contamination attest the poor hygienic quality of meat and offal, possibly due to uncontrolled processing, storage, and handling of these products.
Effect of defoliation management, based on leaf stage, on perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), prairie grass (Bromus willdenowii Kunth.) and cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.) under dryland conditions. 1. Regrowth, tillering and water‐soluble carbohydrate concentration
Authors: Turner L. R. , Donaghy D. J. , Lane P. A. , Rawnsley R. P. 
Published: May 2006

AbstractA field study was undertaken between April 2003 and May 2004 in southern Tasmania, Australia to quantify and compare changes in herbage productivity and water‐soluble carbohydrate (WSC) concentration of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), prairie grass (Bromus willdenowii Kunth.) and cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.) under a defoliation regime based on leaf regrowth stage. Defoliation interval was based on the time taken for two, three or four leaves per tiller to fully expand. Dry‐matter (DM) production and botanical composition were measured at every defoliation event; plant density, DM production per tiller, tiller numbers per plant and WSC concentration were measured bimonthly; and tiller initiation and death rates were monitored every 3 weeks. Species and defoliation interval had a significant effect (P < 0·05) on seasonal DM production. Prairie grass produced significantly more (P < 0·001) DM than cocksfoot and ryegrass (5·7 vs. 4·1 and 4·3 t DM ha−1 respectively). Plants defoliated at the two‐leaf stage of regrowth produced significantly less DM than plants defoliated at the three‐ and four‐leaf stages, irrespective of species. Defoliation interval had no effect on plant persistence of any species during the first year of establishment, as measured by plant density and tiller number. However, more frequent defoliation was detrimental to the productivity of all species, most likely because of decreased WSC reserves. Results from this study confirmed that to maximize rates of regrowth, the recommended defoliation interval for prairie grass and cocksfoot is the four‐leaf stage, and for perennial ryegrass between the two and three‐leaf stages.
Is outdoor air pollution associated with physician visits for allergic rhinitis among the elderly in Toronto, Canada?
Authors: Villeneuve P. J. , Doiron M.‐S. , Stieb D. , Dales R. , Burnett R. T. , Dugandzic R. 
Published: May 2006

Background:  While a number of studies suggest that air pollution is associated with allergic rhinitis in children, findings among adults have been equivocal. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between outdoor air pollution and physician visits for allergic rhinitis among individuals ≥65 years of age in Toronto, Canada.Methods:  Physician visits were identified by using data from the Ontario provincial health insurance plan that is made available to all residents. Our analyses are based on 52 691 physician visits for allergic rhinitis among individuals ≥65 years of age in the Toronto metropolitan area between 1995 and 2000. Generalized linear models were used to regress daily counts of physician visits against daily measures of gaseous and particulate components of air pollution after controlling for seasonality, potential confounders (temperature, relative humidity, aeroallergens), overdispersion and serial correlation.Results:  A large number of comparisons were undertaken, with most showing no statistically significant associations between daily levels of air pollution and the number of physician visits for rhinitis. In contrast, an interquartile increase in the 10‐day average of ragweed particles increased the mean number of daily rhinitis consultations by 6.4% (95% CI = 0.7–12.4%).Conclusions:  Our findings suggest that outdoor air pollution is a poor predictor of physician visits for allergic rhinitis among the elderly.
Evaluation of the Sexual Assessment Monitor, a diagnostic device used to electronically quantify ejaculatory latency time: findings from three studies
Authors: DINSMORE WALLACE W. , RALPH DAVID J. , KELL PHILLIP , WYLIE KEVAN R. , DEAN JOHN P. , NOVAK CLAIRE , WYLLIE JENNIFER S. , WYLLIE MICHAEL G. 
Published: May 2006

Associate EditorMichael G. WyllieEditorial BoardIan Eardley, UKJean Fourcroy, USASidney Glina, BrazilJulia Heiman, USAChris McMahon, AustraliaBob Millar, UKAlvaro Morales, CanadaMichael Perelman, USAMarcel Waldinger, NetherlandsOBJECTIVETo validate the Sexual Assessment Monitor (SAM), a novel apparatus designed to collect electronic data on ejaculatory latency time (ELT) for diagnosing premature ejaculation (PE), and for accurately measuring treatment outcomes in clinical trials.PATIENTS, SUBJECTS AND METHODSMen with PE, and healthy volunteers aged 18–75 years, were enrolled in three open‐label studies, conducted in the UK. The SAM, which consists of a control box with two front attachments, a vibrator and sensor, was attached to the penis. The vibrator, which provides stimulation, was positioned at the frenulum using a soft cuff; the vibrator intensity was set at 80 units for most subjects. The sensor is an indium‐gallium elasticated loop, which was positioned around the base of the penis to detect ejaculatory pulses. These pulses were transmitted to a data recorder in the control box. The data, which are displayed graphically as traces, were automatically classified by a computer‐generated algorithm to quantify ELT.RESULTSIn all, 53 healthy volunteers and 58 men with PE provided 213 and 195 evaluable records, respectively. Most were complete records (99% and 96%). The pooled data showed that the ELT was much higher for healthy volunteers than for men with PE (geometric means: 687 vs 169 s, respectively), with a healthy volunteer to PE patient ratio of 2.87 (P < 0.001). Only 6.3% of subjects reported mild adverse events, which were unrelated to the SAM.CONCLUSIONSThese open‐label studies show that the SAM can consistently and safely measure times to erection (from the start of vibration) and ejaculation, and ELT in healthy volunteers and men with PE. These findings show that the SAM has the potential to become the ‘gold standard’ in the diagnosis of PE and in clinical trials design.
The Effect of the Fiber Curvature Gradient on Break Excitation in Cardiac Tissue
Authors: BEAUDOIN DEBORAH LANGRILL , ROTH BRADLEY J. 
Published: May 2006

Background:Break excitation has been hypothesized as a mechanism for the initiation of reentry in cardiac tissue. One way break excitation can occur is by virtual electrodes formed due to a curving fiber geometry. In this article, we are concerned with the relationship between the peak gradient of fiber curvature and the threshold for break stimulation and the initiation of reentry.
Methods: We calculate the maximum gradient of fiber curvature for different scales of fiber geometry in a constant tissue size (20 × 20 mm), and also examine the mechanisms by which reentry initiation fails.
Results: For small peak gradients, reentry fails because break excitation does not occur. For larger peak gradients, reentry fails because break excitation fails to develop into full‐scale reentry. For strong stimuli above the upper limit of vulnerability, reentry fails because the break excitation propagates through the hyperpolarized region and then encounters refractory tissue, causing the wave front to die.
Acute aortic syndrome: pathology and therapeutic strategies
Authors: Ahmad F , Cheshire N , Hamady M 
Published: May 2006

Abstract
Acute aortic syndrome (AAS) describes the acute presentation of patients with characteristic “aortic pain” caused by one of several life threatening thoracic aortic pathologies. These include aortic dissection, intramural haematoma, penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer, aneurysmal leak, and traumatic transection. AAS heralds imminent aortic rupture. Highlighting acute aortic pathology as an AAS is therefore important to encourage prompt recognition of this condition and avoid diagnostic delays. The management of AAS remains a therapeutic challenge. The traditional surgical approach to acute “type B” (descending thoracic) aortic pathology is unsatisfactory with high morbidity and mortality. Endovascular aortic stent grafts now represent an alternative minimally invasive approach in these patients who are often poor surgical candidates. Studies show endovascular repair to be technically feasible with fewer complications. This review discusses AAS pathology and in particular assesses the current role for endovascular aortic repair in its treatment.
CLASSIFICATION OF CIRRHOSIS FROM B-SCAN IMAGES USING PYRAMID NEURAL NETWORK
Authors: SUN YAN , LU JIANMING , YAHAGI TAKASHI 
Published: May 2006

This paper proposes a system applying a pyramid neural network for classifying the hepatic parenchymal diseases in ultrasonic B-scan texture. The conventional multilayer neural network emphasizing on the data carried by the last hidden layer has the drawback of not fully utilizing the information carried by the input data. A pyramid network can solve the problem successfully. To solve the common problem of neural network, which is time-consuming in computation, FDWT (Fast Discrete Wavelet Transform) is a key technique used during preprocessing to cut down the size of patterns feed to the network. The B-scan patterns are wavelet transformed, and then the compressed data is fed into a pyramid neural network to diagnose the type of cirrhotic diseases. The performance of the proposed system and that of a system based on the conventional multilayer network architecture is compared. The result shows that compared to the conventional 3-layer neural network, the performance of the proposed pyramid neural network is improved by effectively utilizing the lower layer of the neural network.
Evaluation of antibodies against human HSP60 in patients with MPO-ANCA associated glomerulonephritis: a cohort study
Authors: Slot Marjan C , Theunissen Ruud , van Paassen Pieter , Damoiseaux Jan GMC , Cohen Tervaert Jan Willem 
Published: May 2006

Abstract

Background
Human Heat Shock Protein 60 (hHSP60) has been implicated in autoimmunity through molecular mimicry, based on the high degree of homology with HSP65 of micro-organisms leading to autoimmune recognition of the human protein. Additionally, sequence homology between hHSP60 and myeloperoxidase (MPO) has been described. MPO is a major autoantigen in vasculitis associated with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA). We hypothesized that infections may trigger the ANCA response against MPO through hHSP60.

Methods
In 86 consecutive patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), anti-hHSP60 and anti-mycobacterial HSP65 were measured by ELISA. Patients were compared with 69 healthy controls (HC). Continuous data between groups were compared using Wilcoxon signed rank test and Kruskal-Wallis test with Dunn's post-test when appropriate. Correlations between data were derived using Spearman correlation. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were obtained using Fisher's exact test.

Results
At diagnosis, median anti-mHSP65 level was higher in AAV (median [range]: 42.5 [0–500]), and subsequently in MPO-ANCA (44 [7–500]), compared to HC (22 [0–430]). Anti-hHSP60 levels in AAV were not higher compared to HC (18 [0–319] and 18.5 [0–98], respectively). However, in MPO-ANCA anti-hHSP60 levels were increased (32.5 [0–319]) compared to PR3-ANCA (13 [0–79]) and HC. We could not detect cross-reactivity between hHSP60 and MPO-ANCA. There was a correlation between anti-mHSP65 and anti-hHSP60 levels (r = 0.32, P = 0.003) but not between anti-hHSP60 and MPO-ANCA (r = -0.064, P = 0.69).

Conclusion
Antibodies against mHSP65 are higher in AAV compared to HC, and anti-hHSP60 antibodies are higher in patients with MPO-ANCA than in patients with PR3-ANCA and HC. Although this finding may be indicative for cross-reactivity between MPO-ANCA and hHSP60, additional assays did not support this hypothesis.
A Unified Foreign Service
Authors: MacClintock Samuel 
Published: May 2006

Our government maintains a large and expensive foreign service. The business interests of the country recognize the value of adequate representation abroad and support vigorously measures intended to improve and expand this field. For the fiscal year 1922–23 Congress has increased the appropriations for this branch of the public service while cutting down almost all domestic expenditures.Our service in the foreign field has only one rival in its completeness and effectiveness, and that naturally is Great Britain's. Before the war comparison was often made with Germany, France, Japan and other nations, and critics could point to individual excellencies in all of these; but they in turn were generous in praise of our service and generally accorded it first rank, especially on its promotional side. The one outstanding weakness of this service at the present time is its lack of unity, resulting in duplicate activities, rivalries, uncertainties to those using the service and needless expense to the taxpayers.
President, Congress, and the Press Correspondents
Authors: Essary J. Frederick 
Published: May 2006

It must be apparent to all thoughtful readers of American newspapers that Washington has become the great national news center, perhaps the greatest single news center in all the world. This has come about partly through an ever increasing centralization of power in the federal government, power that extends in a direct line to every basic industry in the nation as well as to our political, our cultural, and our social relations. Also it has come about, in part, through the movement to Washington of literally hundreds of national and international organizations.Practically every interest in our life as a nation responds in a degree to the activities and vibrations of some agency of the government. These interests, either consciously or unconsciously, have learned to listen for their master's voice in Washington. The great banking and credit system, for example, looks to the Federal Reserve Board for its inspiration. Wall Street, sometimes regarded as a sort of super-government, is reacting more and more to federal orders, decrees, or mere gestures. The railroads bend to the will of the Interstate Commerce Commission; the mercantile marine to that of the Shipping Board. Agriculture seeks its paneceas at the hands of Congress. Organized labor lives side by side with that body. Education is yielding to federal supervision, as is highway construction, water-power development, scientific research, foreign trade, commercial practices, and a score of other interests, great or small. There was a time when the federal government concerned itself primarily with the national defense, delivery of the mails, maintenance of navigable rivers and harbors, enforcement of federal statutes, guardianship of the Indians, currency, payment of pensions, control of public lands, and a few minor matters. But that time has passed; indeed, it is almost forgotten.
The Control of Immigration as an Administrative Problem
Authors: Peirce Paul S. 
Published: May 2006

Our laws affecting immigration represent the accretions of ninety years, but the great mass of this legislation falls within the last third of this period. Since 1882 Congress has passed a score of immigration acts and amendments, besides the numerous immigration features embodied in laws relating primarily to other subjects.From the standpoint of purpose and aim, the provisions of this legislation may be grouped under four main heads: 1. Restrictive; 2. Protective; 3. Distributive, and 4. Administrative.For the first group a more accurately descriptive phrase would be “Restrictive and Selective,” for it is impossible to dissociate, in most provisions, the purpose of restricting the volume of immigration, lest the number of comers prove too great for our receiving population, and the purpose of controlling the quality of our immigrants, lest our citizenship suffer through undesirable additions.What are the restrictive and selective provisions of our laws? In the first place, certain classes of aliens are excluded from admission to the United States. Since our first federal measure of restriction in 1862, this list of the unwelcome has gradually lengthened, until to-day twenty-three classes may not lawfully enter.
The North African Question and Its Relation to European Politics
Authors: Andrews George Frederick 
Published: May 2006

In 1905 the storm-center of European politics shifted definitely to Morocco, and from the Moroccan situation resulted a new alignment of the powers based primarily upon the political necessity of France.To comprehend the North African situation and its relation to European politics we must understand that upon the future of Morocco depends the future of a French colonial empire approximately the size of Europe.In his preface to the Voyages au Maroc of de Segonzac, Eugene Etienne, Député d'Oran, Vice-President de la Chambre des Députés, Président du Comité du Maroc, says, “Il est de toute évidence que de la solution qui sera donnée a la question Marocaine dépend l'avenir même de notre pays. Il ne s'agit pas ici d'un de ces territoires plus ou moins riches, plus ou moins désirables, au sujet desquels les transactions et les partages sont possibles. Les énormes sacrifices que nous avons faits en Algérie et en Tunisie peuvent se trouver annulés si la solution qui intervient n'est pas conforme a nos intérêts et à nos droits. Ces droits, a la fois historiques et vivants, nous les tenons de Bugeaud et de Lamoricière, de notre armee d'Afrique et de nos colons d'Algérie. Quelle puissance européenne pourrait en présenter de semblables?”
The Imperative Mandate in the Spanish Cortes of the Middle Ages
Authors: Holden Alice M. 
Published: May 2006

A study of the beginnings of national representation inevitably brings to the surface details which in their time were part or parcel of mediæval practices. One cannot expect that these usages, even as connected with representative institutions, can be of concern in our more complex modern circumstances, since the Middle Ages had comparatively few and simple problems for legislative solution. In those days the questions of relationship between the administrative and the legislative, and between the local and the central or national, had not emerged clearly. Nevertheless, such details and questions are interesting as examples of mediæval theory and efficiency, and, moreover, some of them are not entirely devoid of connection with present-day difficulties.The custom of making in advance a decision which was imposed by the electors upon their chosen representative, a custom known as the imperative mandate, was an important factor in early representative government. It was sound in legal theory, and some of its practice will be seen in the pages which follow. Also, its connection is with that early stage in popular government in which the development of representative institutions corresponded somewhat to one phase of the present. I refer to what is apparently a need to ask from the electors themselves their opinion on large, general questions of principle—for example, in our time, the referendum in Germany on the adoption of the Young Plan.
Political Aspects of the New Deal
Authors: Dickinson John 
Published: May 2006

Forty years ago, an intelligent Englishman in a private letter described his impressions of the then state of American politics. “When educated men get to talking politics,” he wrote, “they have a sort of bitter despair in their minds which is not pleasant to listen to. I dare say the solution is one which was told me the other day. There is nothing in politics now.” “In a happy country like this, politics don't affect great questions or the happiness of the nation.” “Politics is all dullness relieved by rascality.”For the greater part of the sixty years since the Civil War, Sir Cecil Spring-Rice's description of American politics has held substantially true, though of course more true at some times than others. The twelve-year period through which we have just passed was one of the intervals of which it was distinctly rather more than less true. Since then there has been a change. It is no longer true that politics do not affect great questions or the happiness of the nation.