bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prospective study of respiratory effects of formaldehyde among healthy and asthmatic medical students
Authors: Uba Grant , Pachorek Donna , Bernstein Jonathan , Garabrant David H. , Balmes John R. , Wright William E. , Amar Robert B. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractWe conducted a prospective evaluation of pulmonary function and respiratory symptoms among 103 medical students exposed to formaldehyde over a 7‐month period to determine the incidence of bronchoconstriction and respiratory symptoms in response to exposure. Time‐weighted average formaldehyde exposures were generally less than 1 part per million (ppm) and peak exposures were less than 5 ppm. Acute symptoms of eye and upper respiratory irritation were significantly associated with exposure. There was no pattern of bronchoconstriction in response to exposure after either 2 weeks or 7 months. Twelve subjects had a history of asthma; they were no more likely to have symptoms of respiratory irritation or changes in pulmonary function than those without such a history. These findings are consistent with previous case reports that indicate exposure to formaldehyde vapor at levels that are commonly encountered in occupational and residential settings do not commonly cause significant bronchoconstriction, even among subjects with preexisting asthma.
Occupational hydrocarbon exposure and risk of renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Kadamani Salam , Asal Nabih R. , Nelson Robert Y. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractA population‐based case‐control study (210 cases and 210 age‐ sex‐ and frequency‐matched population controls) was conducted to evaluate the association between occupational hydrocarbon exposure and risk of renal cell carcinoma. Retrospective estimates of lifetime occupational hydrocarbon exposure were made without regard to case or control status, and an exposure index was calculated based on time and score combinations. A weak positive association was found for hydrocarbon exposure in males only (odds ratio = 1.6). For those under the age of 60, exposure to moderate levels of hydrocarbons produced the highest risk, while for those over the age of 70 a dose‐response relationship was found. Those overweight were at high risk for renal cell carcinoma, and there was positive interaction between hydrocarbon exposure and overweight. Alcohol use alone or in the presence of hydrocarbon exposure decreased the risk significantly.
Primary liver cancer death and occupation in Texas
Authors: Suarez Lucina , Weiss Nancy S. , Martin Jeanne 
Published: April 2007

AbstractA death certificate case‐control study of primary liver cancer and occupation was conducted to determine if the high risk of liver cancer in Mexican‐Americans can be explained by farmworker exposures to pesticides. The association of liver cancer with the petroleum and chemical industry and with other potentially high‐risk occupations was also examined. For the years 1969 to 1980, 1,742 deaths from primary liver cancer were identified for Texas males. Controls were randomly selected from other causes of deaths among males excluding all neoplasms, liver and gallbladder diseases, infectious hepatitis, and alcoholism, and were frequency matched to cases by age, race, ethnicity, and year of death. Risk for farmworkers based on age, race, and ethnicity‐adjusted odds ratios (ORs) was not excessive (OR = 1.4, 95% confidence limits [C.L.] 0.8–2.2) but was larger than the risk for farmers (OR = 1.0, 95% C.L. 0.8–1.2). Excess risk in the petroleum and chemical manufacturing industries was confined to oil refinery workers (OR = 2.0, 95% C.L. 1.1–3.5). Other occupations with twofold risk or greater were plumbers and pipefitters (OR = 2.0, 95% C.L. 1.0–3.8), butchers and meat cutters (OR = 2.6, 95% C.L. 1.1–6.6), textile workers (OR = 3.1, 95% C.L. 1.2–7.8), cooks (OR = 2.2, 95% C.L. 1.1–4.5), and longshoremen (OR = 2.2, 95% C.L. 0.6–7.4).
Understanding student information behavior in relation to electronic information services: Lessons from longitudinal monitoring and evaluation, Part 2
Authors: Urquhart Christine , Rowley Jennifer 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThis second part of a two‐part article establishes a model of the mediating factors that influence student information behavior concerning the electronic or digital information sources used to support learning. This part discusses the findings of the Joint Information Systems Committee User Behavior Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (1999–2004) and development of a model that includes both the individual (micro) and organizational (macro) factors affecting student information behavior. The macro factors are information resource design, information and learning technology infrastructure, availability and constraints to access, policies and funding, and organizational leadership and culture. The micro factors are information literacy, academics' information behavior, search strategies, discipline and curriculum, support and training, and pedagogy. We conclude that the mediating factors interact in unexpected ways and that further research is needed to clarify how those interactions, particularly between the macro and micro factors, operate.
The role of death qualification and need for cognition in venirepersons' evaluations of expert scientific testimony in capital trials
Authors: Butler Brooke , Moran Gary 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to investigate the role of death qualification in venirepersons' evaluations of expert scientific testimony in capital trials. 200 venirepersons from the 12th Judicial Circuit in Bradenton, FL completed a booklet that contained the following: one question that measured their attitudes toward the death penalty; one question that categorized their death‐qualification status; the Need for Cognition (NFC) scale (Cacioppo, Petty & Kao, 1984); a summary of the guilt phase of a capital case (which included the cross‐examination of the state's expert witness); verdict preference; five questions concerning participants' evaluations of the expert's testimony; the penalty phase of a capital case; sentence preference; and standard demographic questions. Results indicated that death‐qualified venirepersons were more likely to demonstrate a low need for cognition and view ambiguous expert scientific testimony as valid, important in their decision‐making processes, unbiased, and of high quality. Finally, death‐qualified participants were more conviction– and death– prone than their excludable counterparts. Surprisingly, death‐qualified and excludable jurors did not differ with respect to whether or not they felt that the expert followed correct procedures. Legal implications and applications are discussed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Self‐regulation in violent and non‐violent offenders: a preliminary report
Authors: Ross Thomas , Fontao María Isabel 
Published: April 2007

AbstractBackground The functional role of self‐regulation in violent behaviour is not yet fully understood.Aim To test the hypothesis that violent offenders have more deficits in self‐regulation and self‐control than non‐violent offenders.Methods Self‐regulation and personality disorders were evaluated in a sample of 70 violent and non‐violent incarcerated offenders using the Volitional Components Questionnaire (VCQ) and the SCID‐II for DSM‐IV.Results The self‐report data indicate that violent offenders were no different from non‐violent offenders on either facilitatory or inhibitory modes of self‐regulation and self‐control. Compared with a sample of normal, healthy men, differences were found in all tested self‐regulation variables but not in self‐control. Except for antisocial personality, the groups were similar in personality features.Conclusions The proposed hypothesis was not sustained on this measure of self‐regulation. With regard to self‐regulation and self‐control, violent and non‐violent offenders were similar and treatment interventions to improve capacity in these respects are probably useful for both groups. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Impartial graphical comparison of multivariate calibration methods and the harmony/parsimony tradeoff
Authors: Stout Forrest , Baines Maurita R. , Kalivas John H. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractFor multivariate calibration with the relationshipy = Xb, it is often necessary to determine the degrees of freedom for parsimony consideration and for the error measure root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC). This paper shows that degrees of freedom can be estimated by an effective rank (ER) measure to estimate the model fitting degrees of freedom and the more parsimonious model has the smallest ER. This paper also shows that when such a measure is used on the X‐axis, simultaneous graphing of model errors and other regression diagnostics is possible for ridge regression (RR), partial least squares (PLS) and principal component regression (PCR) and thus, a fair comparison between all potential models can be accomplished. The ER approach is general and applicable to other multivariate calibration methods. It is often noted that by selecting variables, more parsimonious models are obtained; typically by multiple linear regression (MLR). By using the ER, the more parsimonious model is graphically shown to not always be the MLR model. Additionally, a harmony measure is proposed that expresses the bias/variance tradeoff for a particular model. By plotting this new measure against the ER, the proper harmony/parsimony tradeoff can be graphically assessed for RR, PCR and PLS. Essentially, pluralistic criteria for fairly valuating and characterizing models are better than a dualistic or a single criterion approach which is the usual tactic. Results are presented using spectral, industrial and quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) data. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Improving feature extraction in fingerprint of medicinal herbs via wavelet transform and fractal technique
Authors: Du Jianwei , Tang Yuan Yan , Wang Jingrong , Jiang Zhihong 
Published: April 2007

AbstractIn this paper, hybrid features combing both high‐frequency and low‐frequency components of wavelet transform are applied to fingerprint of medicinal herbs. Through the fingerprints of medicinal herbs by wavelet transform and the fractal dimensions, 13 features are obtained, which are called fractal‐wavelet features. In this new approach, the information of each sample can be acquired to the maximum degree. These novel hybrid features have been applied to recognition of the different types of ginseng. Experiments have been conducted, and the result of recognition can match the real situation. Experiments indicate this method is better than the traditional ones. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Degradation of Adsorbed Sarin on Activated Carbons: A 31P‐MAS‐NMR Study
Authors: Kaplan Doron , Shmueli Liora , Nir Ido , Waysbort Daniel , Columbus Ishay 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThe fate of the OP nerve agent isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate (sarin) on granular activated and metal‐impregnated activated carbons that are used in gas‐mask filters was investigated by means of 31P magic‐angle‐spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy. The results show that most of the adsorbed sarin on extensively dried carbons decomposes with a half‐life of 5–12 days. A MAS‐NMR signal of the degradation product isopropyl methylphosphonic acid (IMPA) appears in the spectra of sarin on non‐impregnated carbons. The IMPA signal is not visible in the spectra from metal‐impregnated carbons, probably due to strong binding of the acid molecule to paramagnetic Cr3+ and Cu2+ ions. Exposure of BPL and ASC carbons to air of 53% relative humidity shortens the degradation time by approximately an order of magnitude. Wetting shortens the half‐life of sarin on BPL carbon to approximately 2 hours.
Effective Removal of Microorganisms and Biostimulants of Wastewater by the Application of Various Electrolytes
Authors: Srivastava Jatin , Singh Nandita 
Published: April 2007

AbstractA variety of electrolytes FeCl3, CaCl2, CuSO4, Al2(SO4)3, and LaCl3 was investigated for their efficiency in removing biostimulants (phosphorous and nitrogen) to improve the water quality. Results show that the removal of PO43– was achieved below the detection limit (BDL) by two electrolytes, CuSO4 and Al2(SO4)3, and up to 1.0 ± 0.0 mg/L by LaCl3 from a value of 15.0 mg/L, of the concentration of PO43– in amended water. The turbidity was found to be removed significantly by FeCl3, CuSO4, and Al2(SO4)3 by about 5.8 ± 2.6, 9.7 ± 1.0, and 5.4 ± 1.1 nephalometric turbidity unit (NTU), respectively. The removal of the members of Enterobacteriaceae viz., Escherichia coli, Enterobacter spp. Pseudomonas fluorescence, and Pseudomonas spp. was found almost in all the chemical precipitants but their removal was more significant in the water samples treated with CuSO4, Al2(SO4)3, and LaCl3. To achieve a complete removal and to sustain the after effects of precipitation, such as recurrence of algal growth, the combination of CuSO4 and Al2(SO4)3 was investigated. Reduction in the turbidity from 30.83 to <2 NTU, phosphate ion from a value of 1.28 mg/L to BDL and ammonia ion from a value of 44.71 to 36.48 mg/L of natural pond water were observed after the treatment with CuSO4 and Al2(SO4)3 in combination.
Cryptosporidium Oocysts in Drinking Water Supply of Chennai City, Southern India
Authors: Anbazhagi Muthukumar , Loganathan Dhanraj , Tamilselvan Subramani , Jayabalou Raj , Kamatchiammal Senthilkumar , Kumar Rakesh 
Published: April 2007

AbstractCryptosporidium is an enteric parasitic protozoan capable of causing chronic diarrhea. One of the most common modes of transmission is through faeces‐contaminated water. This study determines the distribution of Cryptosporidium oocysts for the first time in Chennai City's drinking water supply. 199 drinking water samples were collected from ten zones of the city. In the water samples Cryptosporidium, a common pathogenic protozoan of the gastrointestinal tract, has been analyzed physico chemically as well as microbiologically for heterotrophic organisms and total coliforms (TC). The studies revealed that three zones of the city were highly contaminated with coliforms and parasitic protozoa. A statistical analysis was done to find any correlation between heterotrophic organisms, total coliforms, and oocysts. Even though a positive correlation exists between oocysts and bacteriological parameters, a regression equation shows that heterotrophic plate count (HPC) and total coliforms were only 20% responsible for the presence of oocysts. The level of Cryptosporidium oocysts isolated from the water samples may present a public health hazard although no major outbreaks have so far been reported in Chennai City. Routine surveillance of water quality throughout the city is needed to curb the pollutants.
Further Study on the Kinetics of Bioremediation of Soils Contaminated with the Herbicide 2,4‐Dichlorophenoxy Acetic Acid
Authors: Sohrabi Morteza , Parvizi Azadeh 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThe bioremediation of soil contaminated with the herbicide 2,4‐dichlorophenoxy acetic acid has been studied applying the bacterium Ralstonia eutropha. The effects of temperature, pH, and moisture content of soils on the rate of degradation of this herbicide have been investigated. The Taguchi experimental design method was applied to determine the relative impacts of the pertinent system variables. According to this approach, four series of experiments were performed under various operating conditions. In all four series the herbicide was degraded efficiently, however, the highest rate was observed at a temperature of 35°C, pH 6, and at 80% moisture content of the soil. A kinetic model for the biodegradation of the herbicide was developed for this particular conditions based on the Monod type growth equation and autocatalytic behavior of the decomposition reaction. A close correlation has been observed between the experimental data and those predicted from the model. The degree of agreement was between 85–95%.
Modeling Aeration Efficiency of Stepped Cascades by Using ANFIS
Authors: Baylar Ahmet , Hanbay Davut , Ozpolat Emrah 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThe physical process of oxygen transfer or oxygen absorption from the atmosphere acts to replenish the used oxygen, a process termed re‐aeration or aeration. Aeration enhancement by macro‐roughness is well‐known in water treatment and one form is the aeration cascade. The macro‐roughness of the steps significantly reduces the flow velocities and leads to flow aeration along the stepped cascade. In this paper, the aeration efficiency in stepped cascade aerators was modeled by using the Adaptive Network Based Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS). The obtained model was tested with experimental data. Test results showed that ANFIS can be used to estimate the aeration efficiency in stepped cascade aerators.
Prognostic relevance of the mTOR pathway in renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Pantuck Allan J. , Seligson David B. , Klatte Tobias , Yu Hong , Leppert John T. , Moore Laurence , O'Toole Timothy , Gibbons Jay , Belldegrun Arie S. , Figlin Robert A. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractBACKGROUND.The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is up‐regulated in many human cancers, and agents targeting the mTOR pathway are in various stages of clinical development. The goal of the study was to evaluate the potential and limitations of targeting the mTOR pathway in renal cell carcinoma (RCC).METHODS.Immunohistochemical analysis using antibodies against pAkt, PTEN, p27, and pS6 was performed on a tissue microarray constructed from paraffin‐embedded specimens from 375 patients treated by nephrectomy for RCC. The expression was associated with pathological parameters and survival.RESULTS.The mTOR pathway was more significantly altered in clear‐cell RCC, high‐grade tumors, and tumors with poor prognostic features. PS6 and PTEN showed the strongest associations with pathological parameters. Survival tree analysis regarding expression of cytoplasmic pAkt, nuclear pAkt, PTEN, cytoplasmic p27, and pS6 identified staining percentages of 40%, 10%, 75%, 7%, and 70%, respectively, as ideal cutoff values for stratification, with corresponding P‐values of .03, .001, .02, .005, and <.0001, respectively. Interestingly, high nuclear pAkt expression was associated with a favorable prognosis, whereas high cytoplasmic pAkt expression was associated with a poor prognosis. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, ECOG PS, T classification, N classification, M classification, cytoplasmic Akt, nuclear pAkt, PTEN, and pS6 were independent prognostic factors of DSS.CONCLUSIONS.Components of the mTOR pathway are significantly associated with pathological features and survival. Not all RCC tumor types seem to be equally amenable to mTOR targeted therapy. PTEN, pAkt, p27, and pS6 may serve as surrogate parameters for patient selection and predicting prognosis. Patients with a highly activated mTOR pathway should benefit most from this therapy. External validation of our results is recommended. Cancer 2007. © 2007 American Cancer Society.
Instability of periodic BGK equilibria
Authors: Guo Yan , Strauss Walter A. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractA collisionless plasma is described by the Vlasov‐Poisson equations. The BGK equilibria were proposed in 1957 as the simplest spatially‐dependent equilibria. Since that time the question of their instability has been an important open problem. We prove that certain periodic BGK equilibria are unstable. ©1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Evolutionary conservation and divergence of the segmentation process in arthropods
Authors: Damen Wim G. M. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractA fundamental characteristic of the arthropod body plan is its organization in metameric units along the anterior–posterior axis. The segmental organization is laid down during early embryogenesis. Our view on arthropod segmentation is still strongly influenced by the huge amount of data available from the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster (the Drosophila paradigm). However, the simultaneous formation of the segments in Drosophila is a derived mode of segmentation. Successive terminal addition of segments from a posteriorly localized presegmental zone is the ancestral mode of arthropod segmentation. This review focuses on the evolutionary conservation and divergence of the genetic mechanisms of segmentation within arthropods. The more downstream levels of the segmentation gene network (e.g., segment polarity genes) appear to be more conserved than the more upstream levels (gap genes, Notch/Delta signaling). Surprisingly, the basally branched arthropod groups also show similarities to mechanisms used in vertebrate somitogenesis. Furthermore, it has become clear that the activation of pair rule gene orthologs is a key step in the segmentation of all arthropods. Important findings of conserved and diverged aspects of segmentation from the last few years now allow us to draw an evolutionary scenario on how the mechanisms of segmentation could have evolved and led to the present mechanisms seen in various insect groups including dipterans like Drosophila. Developmental Dynamics 236:1379–1391, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Developmental potential of Gcn5−/− embryonic stem cells in vivo and in vitro
Authors: Lin Wenchu , Srajer Geraldine , Evrard Yvonne A. , Phan Huy M. , Furuta Yas , Dent Sharon Y.R. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractGcn5 is a prototypical histone acetyltransferase (HAT) that serves as a coactivator for multiple DNA‐bound transcription factors. We previously determined that deletion of Gcn512 (hereafter referred to as Gcn5) causes embryonic lethality in mice. Gcn5 null embryos undergo gastrulation but exhibit high levels of apoptosis, leading to loss of mesodermal lineages. To further define the functions of Gcn5 during development, we created Gcn5−/− mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. These cells survived in vitro and formed embryoid bodies (EBs) that expressed markers for ectodermal, mesodermal, and endodermal lineages. Gcn5−/− EBs were misshapen and smaller than wild‐type EBs by day 6, with an increased proportion of cells in G2/M. Expression of Oct 4 and Nodal was prematurely curtailed in Gcn5−/− EBs, indicating early loss of pluripotent ES cells. Gcn5−/− EBs differentiated efficiently into skeletal and cardiac muscle, which derive from mesoderm. High percentage Gcn5−/− chimeric embryos created by injection of Gcn5−/− ES cells into wild‐type blastocysts were delayed in development and died early. Interestingly, elevated levels of apoptosis were observed specifically in Gcn5 null cells within the chimeric embryos. Collectively, these data indicate that Gcn5 may be required to maintain pluripotent states and that loss of Gcn5 invokes a cell‐autonomous pathway of cell death in vivo. Developmental Dynamics 236:1547–1557, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Shape‐Persistent Macrocycles: A Synthetic Strategy that Combines Easy and Site‐Specific Decorations with Improved Cyclization Efficiency
Authors: Sakamoto Junji , Schlüter A. Dieter 
Published: April 2007

AbstractA flexible route to shape‐persistent macrocycles based on a collection of building blocks has been devised that allows the easy introduction of several different functional units at predetermined positions and the obtainment of cycles as analytically pure materials in high isolated yields of 22–45 % in the final cyclization process. Each step of the assembly process is based on high‐yielding and robust Suzuki‐ and Sonogashira‐type cross‐coupling reactions. In the latter, the best results were obtained in the absence of CuI iodide and with relatively large amounts of a palladium catalyst precursor. This holds true specifically for the cyclization reaction itself with these factors considered the key to the rather successful synthesis of the shape‐persistent macrocycles described herein. Each growth step is followed by a rather simple work up based on preparative gel‐permeation chromatography that allows the separation of 1 g and 300 mg of crude material at a time depending on whether an open column set up or a recycling GPC apparatus, respectively, is used. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2007)