bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Isolation and identification of cytotoxic compounds from the wood of Pinus resinosa
Authors: Simard François , Legault Jean , Lavoie Serge , Mshvildadze Vakhtang , Pichette André 
Published: April 2008

AbstractMethanol extracts of wood from Pinus resinosa were found to be selectively cytotoxic against human lung carcinoma cells, A549 (IC50 41 ± 6 µg/mL), human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells, DLD‐1 (IC50 47 ± 4 µg/mL) in comparison with healthy cells, WS1 (IC50 130 ± 11 µg/mL). Five known compounds were isolated and identified by 1H, 13C NMR spectroscopy and HR‐ESI‐MS mass spectrometry as, pinosylvin monomethyl ether (1), pinosylvin (2), pinosylvin dimethyl ether (3), pinobanksin (4) and (‐)‐norachelogenin (5). Compound 4 was isolated for the first time in P. resinosa. The cytotoxicity of compounds 1–5 was evaluated against A549, DLD‐1 and WS1. Compound 1 exhibited the strongest cytotoxicity against both tumor cell lines and the healthy cell line with an IC50 of 25 ± 4 µm for A549, 20 ± 1 µm for DLD‐1 and 34 ± 3 µm for WS1. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Antioxidant and cytoprotective compounds from Berberis vulgaris (barberry)
Authors: Tomosaka Hideyuki , Chin Young‐Won , Salim Angela A. , Keller William J. , Chai Heebyung , Kinghorn A. Douglas 
Published: April 2008

AbstractActivity‐guided fractionation of an EtOAc‐soluble partition of the MeOH extract from the root bark of Berberis vulgaris L. (barberry), using a hydroxyl radical‐scavenging assay, led to the isolation and identification of three phenolic compounds of a previously known structure, N‐(p‐trans‐coumaroyl)tyramine, cannabisin G and (±)‐lyoniresinol. Of these, cannabisin G and (±)‐lyoniresinol exhibited antioxidant activity in this bioassay. Furthermore, it was found that cannabisin G showed cytoprotective activity in cultured MCF‐7 cells modulated by hydrogen peroxide. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A simple model of the hurricane boundary layer revisited
Authors: Smith Roger K. , Vogl Stefanie 
Published: April 2008

AbstractA simple slab model for the boundary layer of a hurricane is re‐examined and a small error in the original calculation is corrected. With this correction, the development of supergradient winds is a ubiquitous feature of the solutions. The boundary layer shows two types of behaviour in the inner core of the vortex depending on the depth of the layer and the maximum tangential wind speed above the layer. For small depths and/or large tangential wind speeds, large supergradient winds develop and lead to a rapid deceleration of the inflow such that the inflow becomes zero at some radius inside the radius of maximum tangential wind speed above the boundary layer. For large depths and/or small tangential wind speeds, the solutions do not become singular until within a few kilometres of the rotation axis. The transition between the two regimes is very abrupt. Interpretations are given for the foregoing behaviour. Other aspects of the boundary‐layer dynamics and thermodynamics are investigated including: the dependence on mixing by shallow convection; the effects of a radially varying boundary‐layer depth; the effects of downward momentum transport; the dependence of thermodynamical quantities on the boundary‐layer depth; and the radial variation of equivalent potential temperature. Predicted values of the last quantity are in acceptable agreement with observations made in category‐five hurricane Isabel (2003). The version with radially varying depth gives more realistic vertical velocities in the inner‐core region of the vortex. The limitations and strengths of the slab model are discussed. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society
The tripole linear ion trap with highly efficient orthogonal ion ejection designed by computer simulations
Authors: Salazar Gary A. , Masujima Tsutomu 
Published: April 2008

AbstractAn ion guide, consisting of three rods carrying three alternating current (AC) voltages symmetrically delayed, called a tripole, was used as a linear ion trap (LIT) and studied by computer simulations. Radial containment of ions was also demonstrated with the pseudopotential which was calculated by approximating the tripole electric potential to the multipoles expansion. This work found a new analyte concentrator, which performs effective ion ejection, and is suitable for use with time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. The efficiency of the overall process from the trapping until the ejection was higher than 90%, although some degree of ion spatial and kinetic energy spread which can be corrected with a reflectron was obtained. The reason for the ejection of this tripole linear ion trap (tLIT) lies in the high space available between the rods. The ejection is optimized with the application of focusing voltages, especially suitable for a tripole symmetry (one electrode has a pulse offset voltage and the other two have a fraction of that pulse). The beam is finally well parallelized with a rectangular Einzel lens. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Investigating the effects of ties on measures of concordance
Authors: Yan Guofen , Greene Tom 
Published: April 2008

AbstractThe concordance between predicted and observed outcomes, referred to as the C index or C statistic, is frequently used to quantify the discriminatory ability of a prognostic model. It also commonly serves as a basis for distinguishing predictive strength between different models. Two alternative formulations of the C index are widely used, one completely excluding ties from the computation (Ctied,out) and the other including ties (Ctied,in). However, there has been little research concerning the effects of ties on these two measures. In this paper we characterize changes in the performance of Ctied,in and Ctied,out for progressively less coarse (or more coarse) partitions of the data. Our theoretical and simulation results show that both measures can be heavily dependent on the number of tied pairs and their results can be substantially divergent. We examine potential ambiguities that can occur when the two measures diverge. In the presence of a substantial proportion of tied pairs, we recommend that both C indices be computed as lower and upper bounds, and that, when feasible, the C indices should be computed with respect to partitions corresponding to the same percentiles for the models being compared. When it is desired to estimate the overall concordance, the average value of the two C indices might also be considered. We use the data from the Hemodialysis Clinical Trial to illustrate our evaluation and methods. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of Sodium Chloride on Glassy and Crystalline Melting Transitions of Wheat Starch Treated with High Hydrostatic Pressure: Prediction of Solute‐induced Barostability from Nonmonotonic Solute‐induced Thermostability
Authors: Kweon Meera , Slade Louise , Levine Harry 
Published: April 2008

AbstractWheat starch was high hydrostatic pressure (HHP)‐treated in aqueous solutions with various sodium chloride (NaCl) concentrations (0 to near‐saturation), in order to explore the effects of salt on glassy and crystalline transitions of starch during the treatment, using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). For wheat starch at atmospheric pressure, glass and crystalline melting transitions of amylopectin (reported as gelatinization peak temperature) increased up to 2 M NaCl, and then decreased with further increase in NaCl concentration, but the gelatinization peak temperature was higher in all NaCl solutions than in water alone. In contrast, the melting transition for the amylose‐lipid complex (reported as peak temperature) increased continuously with increasing NaCl concentration. When 50% (w/w) starch slurries were HHP‐treated in water and various NaCl concentrations (0.1, 2 and 5 M) for 15 min at 25°C, the presence of salt significantly protected glass and crystalline transitions of starch during the HHP treatment. Although the baroprotective effect was maximal near the lyotropic 2 M NaCl concentration [1‐5], all NaCl concentrations were more baroprotective than was water alone for HHP‐treated wheat starch. As reported previously [6] for corn starches in a lyotropic concentration of NaCl (ionic solvent) or a non‐equilibrium concentration of sucrose (glass‐forming solvent) [7], solute‐induced thermostabilization of the wheat starch gelatinization transition predicted solute‐induced barostabilization.
Cu2+ Ions as a Paramagnetic Probe in EPR Studies of Radicals Generated Thermally in Starch
Authors: Łabanowska Maria , Bidzińska Ewa , Dyrek Krystyna , Fortuna Teresa , Pietrzyk Sławomir , Rożnowski Jacek , Socha Robert P. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractElectron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, with Cu2+ ions as a paramagnetic probe, was applied to study the process of radical generation in starch and changes occurring in its structure upon thermal treatment and oxidation. Thermally generated radicals in starch containing Cu2+ ions are localized on carbon atoms different from those in the pure starch. EPR signal parameters of the radical species (gav = 2.0047 – 2.0049; Aav = 0.9 – 1.0 mT) suggest a lower number of oxygen atoms in the vicinity of radical centres than that observed in pure starch and weakening of the interaction of the unpaired electron with the nuclear magnetic moment of the β hydrogen (for pure starch gav = 2.0059 – 2.0065; Aav = 1.2 – 1.3 mT). A mechanism of thermal generation of radicals in the native and oxidized starch containing Cu2+ ions was proposed. It consists of breaking of RCO‐Cu2+ or RCOO‐Cu2+ bonds in the native and oxidized starch, respectively, reduction of Cu2+ to Cu+ ions and formation of transient RCO• or RCOO• species, active in abstraction of hydrogen from the neighbouring C atom of the glucose unit, at which the unpaired electron became localized.
Tree species composition and diversity of tropical mountain cloud forest in the Yunnan, southwestern China
Authors: Shi J. P. , Zhu H. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractSpecies composition, physiognomy, and plant diversity of the less known cloud forests in Yunnan were studied based on data collected from 35 sample plots at seven sites. In floristic composition, the cloud forests are mainly comprised of Fagaceae, Ericaceae, Vacciniaceae, Aceraceae, Magnoliaceae, Theaceae, Aquifoliaceae, Illiciaceae, Lauraceae, and Rosaceae. Physiognomically, the forests are dominated by tree and shrub species. Lianas are rare in the forests. The plants with microphyllous or nanophyllous leaves comprise 44.32–63.46% of the total species, and plants with an entire leaf margin account for more than 50% of the tree and shrub species. There are few tree and shrub species with a drip tip leaf apex and papery leaves. Evergreen species make up more than 75% of the total tree and shrub species. In a 2,500 m2 sampling area, the number of vascular species ranged between 57 and 110; Simpson's diversity index ranged from 0.7719 to 0.9544, Shannon–Winner's diversity index from 1.8251 to 3.2905, and Pielou's evenness index from 0.5836 to 0.8982 for trees. The cloud forests in Yunnan are physiognomically similar to the tropical cloud forests in America and Southeast Asia. They very much resemble the mountain dwarf mossy forest in Hainan Island, southeastern China, and the Mountain ericaceous forests in the Malay Peninsula. The cloud forests in Yunnan are considered to be developed, as are the tropical upper montane cloud forests in Asia.
Priorities for women's health from the Global Burden of Disease study
Authors: Ribeiro Priscila S. , Jacobsen Kathryn H. , Mathers Colin D. , Garcia‐Moreno Claudia 
Published: April 2008

AbstractWomen's health is increasingly recognized as a global health priority. It is essential to address not only sexual and reproductive health, but also other health issues that occur throughout life. This paper uses the 2005 estimates of morbidity and mortality from the WHO Global Burden of Disease study and a review of the literature to identify key areas of concern for women by age group and world region. The leading causes of death in women aged between 15 and 44 years include infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, maternal health conditions, and injuries. The leading causes of death in women aged 45 years and older include cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and other noncommunicable conditions. Neuropsychiatric and sensory disorders are a major cause of disability for both age groups. An understanding of the key regional and age‐specific priorities for women's health will facilitate the development of appropriate interventions and policies to reduce disease burden.
Psychiatric morbidity following hysterectomy in Egypt
Authors: Helmy Yasser A. , Hassanin Ibrahim M.A. , Elraheem Taher Abd , Bedaiwy Ahmed A. , Peterson Rachele S. , Bedaiwy Mohamed A. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractObjective: To evaluate psychiatric morbidity in Egyptian women before and after hysterectomy for benign indications. Method: A 2‐year prospective observational study at Sohag University Hospital, Egypt, in which 96 women scheduled for hysterectomy were assessed for psychiatric comorbidity before and after the operation using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ‐28), Beck Depression Inventory, and Hamilton Anxiety Scale. Results: Of these, 35 (36.5%) had scores of 4 or higher, signifying psychiatric comorbidity (group 1), and 61 (63.5%) had scores less than 4, suggesting no psychiatric comorbidity (group 2). Postoperatively, severe anxiety and depressive symptoms were common in group 1. In group 2, 48 (78.7%) of the 61 women had scores of 4 or higher. In that subgroup, depressive and anxiety symptoms were more common among nulliparas whereas women with a high parity experienced the least psychiatric comorbidity. Conclusions: As women undergoing hysterectomy risk psychiatric morbidity, gynecologists should consider less invasive interventions to treat benign conditions.
Perinatal factors associated with the neurologic impairment of children born preterm
Authors: Škrablin Snježana , Maurac Ivana , Banović Vladimir , Bošnjak‐Nadj Katarina 
Published: April 2008

AbstractObjectiveTo determine the perinatal risk factors of long‐term neurologic impairment for preterm infants.MethodsA case‐control study was conducted with 60 neurologically impaired and 60 healthy children, all born prematurely.ResultsThere was no relation between neurologic impairment and maternal pregnancy complications or prenatal steroid administration, bacteriologic content of cervical smear, fetal presentation, fetal heart rate, or mode of delivery. Cerebral palsy was associated with early neurologic signs, perinatal asphyxia, neonatal septicemia, abnormal brain ultrasound findings, prolonged interval between rupture of membranes and delivery, and multiple placental lesions. Children with minimal cerebral dysfunction were more frequently first born. Multiple placental lesions, neonatal septicemia, abnormal brain ultrasound findings, and perinatal asphyxia were independently correlated with long‐term neurologic impairment.ConclusionPerinatal infection, perinatal asphyxia, and abnormal brain ultrasound findings seem to be risk factors for cerebral palsy whereas primigravidity seems to be correlated with minimal cerebral dysfunction.
Synergic effect of vitamin A and high-fat diet in adipose tissue development and nuclear receptor expression in young rats
Authors: Redonnet Anabelle , Ferrand Carine , Bairras Céline , Higueret Paul , Noël-Suberville Catherine , Cassand Pierrette , Atgié Claude 
Published: April 2008

In order to study the effects of dietary lipids and vitamin A on the development of adipose tissues, young rats were submitted for 8 d to a control or to two cafeteria diets with normal (Caf) or higher (Caf+) vitamin A levels. Retinoid (retinoic acid receptor (RAR) α, RARγ, retinoid X receptor (RXR) α) and fatty acid (PPARγ) receptor mRNA was measured in the subcutaneous white adipose tissue (Swat) and in isolated mature adipocytes by RT-PCR. The stroma vascular fraction was culturedin vitroto test the capacities of the adipocyte precursors to proliferate and differentiate. The Caf diet enriched in vitamin A resulted in an increased adiposity, due to increased adipocyte hypertrophy. This was concomitant with a lower expression of RARα and RARγ mRNA ( − 34·6 and − 38·6 %) and a higher expression of PPARγ (+59 %) in the Swat and, to a less extent, in isolated adipocytes. Positive correlations were obtained between PPARγ mRNA and Swat weights and between PPARγ and RXRα mRNA. By contrast, RARγ mRNA and Swat masses were negatively correlated. The adipocyte precursors from Caf+ Swat proliferated more,in vitro, at the beginning of the culture. This difference progressively disappeared and was totally absent after 8 d of culture, but with a higher percentage of differentiated preadipocytes (+80·3 %) in the Caf+ group. In conclusion, lipids and vitamin A act synergistically on the normal growth of the adipose tissue in young rats, concomitant with an imbalance in the pattern of the nuclear receptors. These changes influence the early normal development of the endogenous adipocyte precursors.
Future progress in drought tolerance in maize needs new secondary traits and cross combinations
Authors: MONNEVEUX P. , SANCHEZ C. , TIESSEN A. 
Published: April 2008

SUMMARYThe use of secondary traits such as number of ears per plant, grains per ear, the interval from anthesis to silking, leaf senescence and leaf rolling, together with management of water stress and recurrent selection, have permitted a considerable increase in drought tolerance in the CIMMYT maize source germplasm populations Drought Tolerant Population (DTP) and La Posta Sequía (LPS). Inbred lines were extracted from DTP C9 and LPS C7 cycles and then used for generating single and three-ways hybrids. These were evaluated under normal irrigation and managed drought conditions. A weak, and in some cases no longer significant, correlation was found between grain yield and the traits initially used for selection. Most prominently, the relationship between anthesis-silking interval and grain yield became much weaker in these hybrids. Conversely, significant negative correlations were found between tassel dry weight and grain yield. Three-way hybrids involving two DTP lines yielded more than those involving one only, indicating the feasibility of gene pyramiding for drought tolerance. Overall, the results suggested that the relationship between grain yield and secondary traits has been modified due to continuous selection in the LPS and DTP populations. Some long-established secondary traits have become less important, while others have become more relevant. Mean grain weight, previously not used within a drought selection index, was strongly correlated with yield in the present study. The importance of traits related to the availability in C products for the development of ears and grains are discussed. The results indicate that the traits of source organs contribute marginally to drought tolerance; variation of leaf or root traits seems to be less important than variation in tassel parameters for increasing drought tolerance. For ensuring further progress in drought tolerance in maize, the solution might reside in the manipulation of sink organs. It is therefore suggested that selection for even greater number of ears, bigger grains and smaller tassels may help to increase grain yield under water limited environments in the near future. A short discussion on the optimal choice of parental lines for developing hybrids with maximum expression of drought tolerance concludes the paper.
Sleep position and laterality of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo
Authors: Korres S G , Papadakis C E , Riga M G , Balatsouras D G , Dikeos D G , Soldatos C R 
Published: April 2008

AbstractObjective:The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of posterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in each ear, and to assess the association between the ear affected by benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and the head-lying side during sleep onset. Based on a previous study which used objective methods to prove the preference of the elderly for the right head-lying side during sleep, we hypothesised that a predominance of the same head-lying side in benign paroxysmal positional vertigo patients may affect the pathophysiology of otoconia displacement.Study design:We conducted a prospective study of out-patients with posterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, confirmed by a positive Dix–Hallpike test.Methods:One hundred and forty-two patients with posterior semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo were interviewed about their past medical history, focusing on factors predisposing to benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. All patients included in the study were able to define a predominant, favourite head-lying side, right or left, during sleep onset.Results:The Dix–Hallpike test was found to be positive on the right side in 82 patients and positive on the left side in 54; six patients were found to be positive bilaterally. During sleep onset, 97 patients habitually laid their head on the right side and the remaining 45 laid their head on the left. The association between the affected ear and the head-lying side during sleep onset was statistically significant (p < 0.001).Conclusions:Our study found a predominance of right-sided benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, a subjective preference amongst patients for a right head-lying position during sleep onset, and an association between the ear affected by benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and the preferred head-lying side during sleep onset. The clinical and therapeutical implications of this observation are discussed.
A mobile robot with autonomous climbing and descending of stairs
Authors: Ben-Tzvi Pinhas , Ito Shingo , Goldenberg Andrew A. 
Published: April 2008

SUMMARYMobile robots are used to operate in urban environments, for surveillance, reconnaissance, and inspection, as well as for military operations and in hazardous environments. Some are intended for exploration of only natural terrains, but others also for artificial environments, including stairways. This paper presents a mobile robot design that achieves autonomous climbing and descending of stairs. The robot uses sensors and embedded intelligence to achieve the task. The robot is a reconfigurable tracked mobile robot that has the ability to traverse obstacles by changing its track configuration. Algorithms have been further developed for conditions under which the mobile robot would halt its motion during the climbing process when at risk of flipping over. Technical problems related to the implementation of some of the robot functional attributes are presented, and proposed solutions are validated and experimentally tested. The experiments illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach to autonomous climbing and descending of stairs.