bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Assessment of film‐forming potential and properties of protein and polysaccharide‐based biopolymer films
Authors: Wang Lizhe Z. , Liu Li , Holmes Justin , Kerry John F. , Kerry Joe P. 
Published: November 2007

SummaryThis study assessed the film‐forming abilities of six types of proteins, as well as six types of polysaccharides at various concentrations (proteins: 0–16%; polysaccharides: 0–4%) and heating temperatures (60–80 °C). Biopolymer films evaluated included: sodium caseinate (SC), whey protein isolate (WPI), gelatine (G); caboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), sodium alginate (SA) and potato starch (PS). Screening trials showed that optimal film‐forming conditions were achieved using SC and G (4% and 8%), WPI (8% and 12%), PS, CMC (2% and 3%) or SA (1% and 1.5%) solutions heated to 80 °C in combination with 50% (w/w) glycerol. Films manufactured from 1.5% SA, 8% G and 3% CMC had the highest tensile strength (24.88 MPa); flexibility (89.69%)/tear strength (0.30 N) and puncture resistance (22.66 N), respectively. SC, WPI and G‐based films were more resistant to solvent than SA, CMC and PS. Film permeability to water vapour and oxygen decreased in the order: 12% WPI to 1% SA and 12% WPI to 1% SA. All films tested were impermeable to oil.
Microencapsulation of Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 43121 with prebiotic substrates using a hybridisation system
Authors: Ann Eun Y. , Kim Younghoon , Oh Sejong , Imm Jee‐Young , Park Dong‐Jun , Han Kyoung S. , Kim Sae H. 
Published: November 2007

SummaryThe objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of prebiotic substrates on the growth of Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 43121 and to investigate the utilisation of these prebiotic substrates as coating materials for microencapsulation. The cell growth of L. acidophilus ATCC 43121 was significantly increased in the presence of fructooligosaccharide, lactulose and raffinose. The microencapsulation of L. acidophilus ATCC 43121 cells was carried out by dry surface reforming process (hybridisation) using the selected prebiotic substrates and the enteric coating material, SuretericTMsans. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed that the double‐microencapsulated bacteria exhibited smooth, rounded external surfaces, with a thick external coating composed of the prebiotic substrates and the Sureteric. The acid (artificial gastric juice) or heat tolerance (55 °C) of the double‐microencapsulated preparations (prebiotic and enteric coating) was significantly higher than that of the uncoated and single‐coated (enteric coating) preparation at prolonged acid (5 h) or heat exposure (3 h). On the contrary, no significant differences were found in salt tolerance. During the storage up to 20 days at 25 and 37 °C, the stability of L. acidophilus ATCC 43121 was significantly improved by double‐microencapsulation.
Understanding dementia amongst people in minority ethnic and cultural groups
Authors: La Fontaine Jenny , Ahuja Jyoti , Bradbury Nicola M. , Phillips Sue , Oyebode Jan R. 
Published: November 2007

AbstractTitle.  Understanding dementia amongst people in minority ethnic and cultural groups Aim. This paper is a report of a study to explore perceptions of ageing, dementia and ageing‐associated mental health difficulties amongst British people of Punjabi Indian origin.Background. People from ethnic minorities are often under‐represented in mental health services. Contributing factors may include lack of knowledge of dementia in these communities, lack of detection in primary care, expectations of family care and lack of appropriate services. For this to change, greater knowledge is needed about awareness and conceptualization of dementia in minority ethnic communities.Method. A focus‐group study was conducted between 2001 and 2003 with 49 English‐, Hindi‐ and Punjabi‐speaking British South Asians, aged 17–61 years. Views of ageing and ageing‐associated difficulties were explored in initial groups. In a second set of groups, vignettes were used for more specific exploration of awareness and understanding of dementia. Data were subjected to thematic analysis.Findings. Ageing was seen as a time of withdrawal and isolation, and problems as physical or emotional; cognitive impairment was seldom mentioned. There was an implication that symptoms of dementia partly resulted from lack of effort by the person themselves and possibly from lack of family care. Therefore people should overcome their own problems and family action might be part of the solution. There was a sense of stigma and a lack of knowledge about mental illness and services, alongside disillusionment with doctors and exclusion from services.Conclusion. Health promotion and health interventions delivered with respect for the cultural context are needed, as well as education of healthcare professionals about South Asian conceptualizations of dementia.
Nursing’s ways of knowing and dual process theories of cognition
Authors: Paley John , Cheyne Helen , Dalgleish Len , Duncan Edward A. S. , Niven Catherine A. 
Published: November 2007

AbstractTitle. Nursing’s ways of knowing and dual process theories of cognitionAim.This paper is a comparison of nursing’s patterns of knowing with the systems identified by cognitive science, and evaluates claims about the equal‐status relation between scientific and non‐scientific knowledge.Background.Ever since Carper’s seminal paper in 1978, it has been taken for granted in the nursing literature that there are ways of knowing, or patterns of knowing, that are not scientific. This idea has recently been used to argue that the concept of evidence, typically associated with evidence‐based practice, is inappropriately restricted because it is identified exclusively with scientific research.Method.The paper reviews literature in psychology which appears to draw a comparable distinction between rule‐based, analytical cognitive processes and other forms of cognitive processing which are unconscious, holistic and intuitive.Findings.There is a convincing parallel between the ‘patterns of knowing’ distinction in nursing and the ‘cognitive processing’ distinction in psychology. However, there is an important difference in the way the relation between different forms of knowing (or cognitive processing) is depicted. In nursing, it is argued that the different patterns of knowing have equal status and weight. In cognitive science, it is suggested that the rule‐based, analytical form of cognition has a supervisory and corrective function with respect to the other forms.Conclusions.Scientific reasoning and evidence‐based knowledge have epistemological priority over the other forms of nursing knowledge. The implications of this claim for healthcare practice are briefly indicated.
The use of nurses' and carers’ observations in the identification of poststroke depression
Authors: Lightbody C. Elizabeth , Auton Malcolm , Baldwin Robert , Gibbon Bernard , Hamer Samantha , Leathley Michael J. , Sutton Chris , Watkins Caroline L. 
Published: November 2007

AbstractTitle.  The use of nurses' and carers’ observations in the identification of poststroke depression Aim.  This paper is a report of a study to determine the accuracy and utility of an observational screening tool (Signs of Depression Scale), when rated by nurses and carers for detecting depression in patients who have recently had a stroke.Background.  Depression following a stroke is common and adversely affects recovery and rehabilitation. Identifying depression when patients have communication and cognitive difficulties is especially problematic. Screening tools which rely solely on observation may be beneficial in this group.Method.  A cross‐sectional study of people admitted with an acute stroke compared a clinical diagnosis of depression by a psychiatrist (the gold standard) with the Signs of Depression Scale completed by nurses and carers. The agreement between nurses’ and carers’ ratings was also explored. Data were collected over 10 months (December 2004–October 2005).Findings.  Seventy‐one patients were included in the study, median age 70 [inter‐quartile ranges (IQR) 59–76], including 40 (56·3%) males. The psychiatrist classified 25/71 (35·2%) patients as depressed. Using the recommended cut‐point of 2 or more on the Signs of Depression Scale, the nurse and carer respectively rated 27/71 (38·0%) and 18/30 (60·0%) patients as potentially depressed. The proportion of patients correctly identified as depressed by the test (sensitivity) when rated by nurses was 64%, and the proportion of patients not depressed who were correctly identified by the test (specificity) was 61%, whereas carers achieved sensitivity 90% and specificity 35%. The optimal cut‐point for carers was higher at 4 or more. Inter‐rater agreement on the Signs of Depression Scale between nurses and carers was fair (ICC = 0·43, 95% CI: 0·09–0·68).Conclusion.  The Signs of Depression Scale is easily completed by clinical staff, although we found the sensitivity when completed by nurses to be low. Information from carers shows potential to improve screening and it is important for nurses to value the knowledge and skills of carers in detecting depression following a stroke. Further refinement of the Signs of Depression Scale, with accompanying research, is required.
Organism size promotes the evolution of specialized cells in multicellular digital organisms
Authors: WILLENSDORFER M. 
Published: November 2007

AbstractSpecialized cells are the essence of complex multicellular life. Fossils allow us to study the modification of specialized, multicellular features such as jaws, scales, and muscular appendages. But it is still unclear what organismal properties contributed to the transition from undifferentiated organisms, which contain only a single cell type, to multicellular organisms with specialized cells. Using digital organisms I studied this transition. My simulations show that the transition to specialized cells happens faster in organism composed of many cells than in organisms composed of few cells. Large organisms suffer less from temporarily unsuccessful evolutionary experiments with individual cells, allowing them to evolve specialized cells via evolutionary trajectories that are unavailable to smaller organisms. This demonstrates that the evolution of simple multicellular organisms which are composed of many functionally identical cells accelerates the evolution of more complex organisms with specialized cells.
In vitro and in vivo effects of potassium and magnesium on storage up to 7 days of apheresis platelet concentrates in platelet additive solution
Authors: Diedrich B. , Sandgren P. , Jansson B. , Gulliksson H. , Svensson L. , Shanwell A. 
Published: November 2007

Background and Objective  Prolonged storage of platelets up to 7 days provides improved availability, logistical management and decreased wastage. Beside methods of bacterial detection, addition of magnesium and potassium to the platelet storage solution (SSP+) may further improve the quality of platelets with extended storage.Materials and Methods  Apheresis platelets from 10 donors were divided and stored in two different platelet additive solutions (PAS) (Intersol and SSP+) for a paired comparison. A variety of in vitro platelet function and metabolic assays were performed both on day 1 and after 7 days of storage. For in vivo study, platelets were labelled with either 111Indium or 51Chromium after 7 days of storage and were injected into the corresponding donor. Serial blood samples were drawn for recovery and survival measurements.Results  In vitro parameters for SSP+ showed significantly reduced glycolysis (lower glucose consumption and decreased production of lactate), a higher hypotonic shock response (HSR) and the extent of shape change reactivity and a lower degree of platelet activation by means of RANTES (regulated on activation, normal, T cell‐expressed, and secreted), CD62p and CD63 expression. Platelet recovery on day 7 was higher for Intersol as compared to SSP+, 65 ± 11 vs. 53 ± 13% (P = 0·023), and survival showed no difference 4·2 ± 1·9 vs. 3·6 ± 1·4 days.Conclusion  In vitro characteristics of platelets stored in PAS with addition of potassium and magnesium indicated higher quality, but this could not be verified by the in vivo parameters by means of recovery and survival.
Species richness of the genus Molgolaimus (Nematoda) from local to ocean scale along continental slopes
Authors: Fonseca Gustavo , Muthumbi Agnes W. , Vanreusel Ann 
Published: November 2007

AbstractThis study investigated the distribution of Molgolaimus species (Nematoda) at different hierarchical spatial scales and observed the turnover of species along bathymetrical transects and among transects in two separate geographical regions. Samples from six transects (200–2000 m) from the Southern Oceans (SO) and four bathymetric transects (50–2000 m) from the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) were compared. Of the 30 species recorded, only one was common to both regions. WIO had higher local species richness than the SO. In both regions, the local scale was the greatest contributor to the total species richness. In the SO, there was no difference between species turnover at the different spatial scales, however, in the WIO, the turnover along bathymetrical transects was higher than among separated transects. For the particular genus studied, the evidence suggests that the study area in WIO has more widespread species and was better sampled, while the SO has many restricted species and it is most probably characterized by different biogeographical provinces. At the ocean scale (i.e. WIO versus SO), evolutionary histories may have strongly influenced nematodes species composition, while at local and regional scales, ecological processes are probably promoting species co‐existence and speciation. The high co‐existence of certain species at local scale is partially explained by species preference for different sediment layers.
Adult butterfly communities in coffee plantations around a protected area in the Western Ghats, India
Authors: Dolia J. , Devy M. S. , Aravind N. A. , Kumar A. 
Published: November 2007

AbstractAlthough large areas of relatively undisturbed forests are essential for preserving biodiversity, opportunities for conservation in human‐dominated landscapes must not be overlooked. Agroforestry systems such as shaded coffee plantations are known to be more compatible with biodiversity conservation than other, more drastic, land transformations. In recent times, however, modernization of coffee cultivation has influenced its conservation values adversely. We evaluated adult butterfly diversity in 12 coffee plantations around a protected area (PA) in the Western Ghats, India. We sampled 25 transects that varied in distance from the PA and in proportion of silver oak Grevillea robusta, an exotic timber species. We also had two transects within the PA. We used a combination of line transects and fruit bait traps to sample butterflies. Micro‐climatic variables (temperature, humidity and light intensity) and other habitat variables (e.g. canopy cover, tree diversity, herb species richness) were recorded for each transect. We analyzed the effect of these variables on the abundance and species richness of butterflies, overall as well as in different families, feeding guilds and size classes. Proximity to the PA significantly influenced the abundance and richness of butterflies in coffee plantations, with transects close to the PA having higher abundance and richness than transects further away. Also, in terms of butterfly species composition, similarity to forest declined with increasing distance. Among the habitat variables, only canopy cover had a significant effect on abundance and richness, and the effect was negative. These patterns, with some exceptions, were also reflected for different families and feeding guilds. The proportion of silver oak had no apparent effect on butterflies. This study demonstrates that coffee plantations can act as a buffer for butterfly fauna within a certain radius of a PA. They have great potential as auxiliary tools and can significantly complement conservation efforts that are currently centered on PAs.
Habitat quality predicts the distribution of a lizard in fragmented woodlands better than habitat fragmentation
Authors: Santos T. , Díaz J. A. , Pérez‐Tris J. , Carbonell R. , Tellería J. L. 
Published: November 2007

AbstractOrganisms often face a higher risk of local extinction in fragmented than in continuous habitat. However, whether populations are affected by reduced size and connectivity of the habitat or by changes in habitat quality in fragmented landscapes remains poorly investigated. We studied the regional distribution and microhabitat selection of the lacertid lizardPsammodromus algirusin a fragmented landscape where the existence of deciduous and evergreen woodlands brought about variation in habitat quality. Lizards never occupied any fragment smaller than 0.5 ha. However, above that limit fragment size no longer predicted lizard occurrence, which was explained by woodland type instead, with lizards being more frequently found in deciduous than in evergreen woodlands. Lizards selected microhabitats that had structural features favouring thermoregulation, foraging and predator avoidance, and we identified better conditions for thermoregulation and food acquisition in deciduous than in evergreen woodlands. Our results support the idea that variation in habitat quality can sometimes override the effect of habitat fragmentation on animal populations. We consider the implications of our study for the conservation of Mediterranean lizards, discussing our results in a broader context framed by previous studies conducted in nearby areas.
Periodontal disease as a risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Agueda Anna , Ramón Josep Ma , Manau Carolina , Guerrero Adrian , Echeverría José J. 
Published: November 2007

AbstractAim: The aim of this study was to determine the association between periodontitis and the incidence of preterm birth (PB), low birth weight (LBW) and preterm low birth weight (PLBW)Material and Methods: One thousand and ninty‐six women were enrolled. Periodontal data, pregnancy outcome variables and information on other factors that may influence adverse pregnancy outcomes were collected. Data were analysed using a logistic regression model.Results: The incidence of PB and LBW was 6.6% and 6.0%, respectively. The incidence of PLBW was 3.3%. PB was related to mother's age, systemic diseases, onset of prenatal care, previous PBs, complications of pregnancy, type of delivery, the presence of untreated caries and the presence of periodontitis (odds ratio 1.77, 95% confidence interval: 1.08–2.88). LBW was related to mother's smoking habits, ethnicity, systemic diseases, previous LBW babies, complications of pregnancy and type of delivery. PLBW was related to mother's age, onset of prenatal care, systemic diseases, previous LBW babies, complications of pregnancy and type of delivery.Conclusions: The factors involved in many cases of adverse pregnancy outcomes have still not being identified, although systemic infections may play a role. This study found a modest association between periodontitis and PB. Further research is required to establish whether periodontitis is a risk factor for PB and/or LBW.
Epidermal chemokines and modulation by antihistamines, antibiotics and antifungals
Authors: Tokura Yoshiki , Kobayashi Miwa , Kabashima Kenji 
Published: November 2007

Abstract: Growing evidence has demonstrated that chemokines released from epidermal cells control inflammatory skin diseases. Keratinocytes elaborate both Th1‐ and Th2‐associated chemokines, although the former is more abundantly produced than the latter. Downmodulation of keratinocyte production of chemokines is one of the therapeutic approaches for cutaneous inflammatory disorders. Recent observations have shown that keratinocyte chemokine production can be modulated by well‐used drugs, including antihistamines, antibiotics and antifungals. Utilization of the beneficial side effects of these drugs may by clinically valuable.
Nitrogen use efficiency. 2. Amino acid metabolism
Authors: Lea P.J. , Azevedo R.A. 
Published: November 2007

AbstractIn a previous article, we highlighted the latest developments in the isolation and characterisation of genes involved in the uptake of nitrogen from the soil, which might be used to improve the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of crop plants. In this article, we have concentrated on the genes controlling the enzymes of amino acid metabolism that may be involved in transferring nitrogen to the protein in the grain. Evidence is now accumulating from the use of knockout mutants, of the role of individual isoenzymes involved in amino acid metabolism, which are encoded by specific genes that are often members of a multigene family. In addition, a significant number of overexpressing plant lines have been obtained, which have increased activities of cytosol located, glutamine synthetase, asparagine synthetase and alanine aminotransferase that appear to have improved NUE.
Exogenous Hematin Alleviates Mercury‐induced Oxidative Damage in the Roots of Medicago sativa
Authors: Han Yi , Xuan Wei , Yu Tian , Fang Wen‐Bing , Lou Tian‐Ling , Gao Yin , Chen Xiao‐Yue , Xiao Xiao , Shen Wen‐Biao 
Published: November 2007

Abstract In the present study, we evaluated the protective effect of exogenous heme oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1 EC 1.14.99.3) inducer hematin against mercury‐induced oxidative damage in the roots of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Plants exposed to mercury (HgCl2) exhibited a significant increase of lipid peroxidation, as well as inhibition of root elongation. However, hematin (50 μM) supplementation to HgCl2 (100 μmol/L) treated plants effectively reduced the lipid peroxidation and partially increased the root elongation. These responses were mimicked by the application of aqueous solution of carbon monoxide (CO) with 50% saturation. Also, treatment with hematin could result in the potent induction of HO‐1 transcript in the root tissues, as detected 12 h following treatment. Moreover, the activation of anti‐oxidant enzyme, including glutathione reductase, monodehydroascorbate reductase and superoxide dismutase activities, and the decrease of lipoxygenase activity, were induced by hematin at 12 h or 24 h, which was further confirmed by histochemical staining for the detection of lipid peroxidation and loss of membrane integrity. Whereas, ascorbate peroxidase and guaiacol peroxidase isozyme activities or their transcripts were reduced, respectively, indicating that hydrogen peroxide might act as a signal to mediate Hg‐tolerance at the beginning of treatment. The ameliorating effects of hematin were specific, since the CO scavenger hemoglobin differentially reversed the above actions. Taken together, our results suggested that hematin exhibits a vital role in protecting the plant against Hg‐induced oxidative damage.