bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Towards automatic near real-time traffic monitoring with an airborne wide angle camera system
Authors: Rosenbaum Dominik , Kurz Franz , Thomas Ulrike , Suri Sahil , Reinartz Peter 
Published: December 2008

Abstract

Purpose
Large area traffic monitoring with high spatial and temporal resolution is a challenge that cannot be served by today available static infrastructure. Therefore, we present an automatic near real-time traffic monitoring approach using data of an airborne digital camera system with a frame rate of up to 3 fps.

Methods
By performing direct georeferencing on the obtained aerial images with the use of GPS/IMU data we are able to conduct near real-time traffic data extraction. The traffic processor consists mainly of three steps which are road extraction supported by a priori knowledge of road axes obtained from a road database, vehicle detection by edge extraction, and vehicle tracking based on normalized cross correlation.

Results
Traffic data is obtained with a correctness of up to 79% at a completeness of 68%.

Conclusions
With this system we are able to perform area-wide traffic monitoring with high actuality independent from any stationed infrastructure which makes the system well suited for deployments on demand in case of disasters and mass events.
Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia recurrence after conization in HIV‐positive and HIV‐negative women
Authors: Lima Maria Inês , Tafuri Alexandre , Araújo Angela C , de Miranda Lima Luiza , Melo Victor Hugo 
Published: December 2008

AbstractObjectivesTo evaluate the recurrence rates of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) in a cohort of HIV‐infected and noninfected women who underwent the loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP).MethodsA prospective cohort study of 94 HIV‐positive and 107 HIV‐negative women, both with CIN, treated with LEEP. The diagnosis of recurrence was established after biopsy. The Kaplan‐Meier method was used for survival analysis and multivariate analyses were carried out using the Cox proportional hazards regression model.ResultsThere was a predominance of low‐grade lesions in HIV‐positive compared with HIV‐negative women (P < 0.01). Recurrence was more frequent with compromised margins and glandular involvement (P < 0.01). A multivariate analysis showed that HIV‐infection, glandular involvement, and positive margins were independently associated with recurrence of lesions.ConclusionsRecurrence rate of CIN in HIV‐positive women was higher than in HIV‐negative women. The factors associated with recurrence were HIV infection, glandular involvement, and positive margins.
Gonadotropin‐releasing hormone analog combined with a low‐dose oral contraceptive to treat heavy menstrual bleeding
Authors: Cetin Nadire N. , Karabacak Onur , Korucuoglu Umit , Karabacak Nese 
Published: December 2008

AbstractObjectiveTo compare the effects of low‐dose oral contraceptives used alone and in combination with a gonadotropin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) analog to treat heavy menstrual bleeding.MethodsFifty‐eight patients with heavy menstrual bleeding were prospectively randomized into two treatment groups to receive either a low‐dose oral contraceptive alone (group 1), or combined with a GnRH analog (group 2) for 6 months. The patients' hormonal profiles, and hemoglobin and hematocrit levels were measured at the beginning and at the end of the treatment period.ResultsHemoglobin and hematocrit levels significantly improved in both groups after 6 months of treatment (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively). Even in the first month of the study, the number of pads used and the duration of menstruation were significantly decreased in both groups and markedly lower in group 2 (P < 0.01).ConclusionThe addition of a GnRH analog to low‐dose oral contraceptive treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding resulted in better control of vaginal bleeding, even in the first month of therapy.
Urinary cortisol/cortisone ratios in hypertensive and normotensive cats
Authors: Walker David J. , Elliott Jonathan , Syme Harriet M. 
Published: December 2008

Hypertension is a common problem in older cats, particularly associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Reduced activity of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 predisposes to hypertension in human patients by allowing excessive stimulation of the mineralocorticoid receptor by cortisol. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that reduced conversion of cortisol to cortisone contributes to the development of systemic hypertension in some cats with CKD and idiopathic hypertension (iHT). The study included 60 client-owned cats: 21 clinically normal, 16 normotensive cats with CKD (NTCKD), 14 hypertensive cats with CKD (HTCKD) and nine iHTs. Urine cortisol and cortisone were extracted into dichloromethane and chloroform, respectively, prior to analysis by radioimmunoassay. Data are reported as median and range. The Kruskall–Wallis test was used to compare cortisol:cortisone ratios between groups with post-hoc testing using the Mann–Whitney U test. Wilcoxon signed-ranks test was used to compare results before and after treatment of hypertensive cats with amlodipine. The urinary cortisol:cortisone ratio was significantly higher in clinically normal cats (0.87; 0.46–1.39) when compared to NTCKD (0.60; 0.35–1.20; P<0.001), HTCKD (0.62; 0.34–1.00; P=0.002) and cats with iHT (0.65; 0.46–0.85; P=0.015). No statistical difference was detected between NTCKD, HTCKD and iHT groups. No effect of anti-hypertensive treatment on the urinary cortisol–cortisone ratio was detected ( P=0.327). Reduced urinary cortisol to cortisone conversion does not appear to be associated with systemic hypertension in cats. In fact, the cortisol to cortisone shuttle appears to be more effective in cats with CKD (hypertensive and normotensive) and iHT than clinically normal cats. The mechanism for this potentially adaptive response to kidney disease is not clear.
Pathological abnormalities after long-term administration of medroxyprogesterone acetate in a queen
Authors: Keskin Abdulkadir , Yilmazbas Gulnaz , Yilmaz Rahsan , Ozyigit Musa O. , Gumen Ahmet 
Published: December 2008

In this report, multiple abnormalities (bilateral ovarian cysts, cystic endometrial hyperplasia and pyometra (CEH–P), mammary adenoma, fibrosarcoma and cystic-papillary adenocarcinoma) identified in a queen continually administered medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) for 9 years are described. An 11-year-old domestic shorthair intact queen was presented for reduced appetite, polyuria, polydipsia, abdominal distension, and mammary mass. Pyometra was diagnosed based upon clinical, ultrasonographic and radiographic examinations. Mastectomy and ovariohysterectomy (OHE) were performed for treatment. Bilateral ovarian cysts were detected during OHE. Histopathologically, follicular ovarian cysts, CEH–P, and benign and neoplastic mammary lesions were identified. We suggest that, the pathological abnormalities may have been attributed to adverse effects of prolonged administration of MPA.
Deregulation, privatisation and public service delivery: Universal service in telecommunications in Europe
Authors: Eliassen Kjell A , From Johan 
Published: December 2008

Abstract
This paper argues that the re-emergence of a universal service debate is a political reaction to the deregulation process and an attempt to force the role of the state and public services higher on the agenda at EU level. To this end, the concepts of ‘service public’ and ‘public services’ are explored in light of telecommunication deregulation and public service provision as expressed by the universal service obligation (USO) in France, Great Britain, Belgium and Norway. Attention is paid to the importance of securing general access to telecommunications. Findings suggest the legitimating effect of USO is greater than its practical effects, and that market, competition, and technology have largely addressed problems with universal access, equality, continuity and affordability, rather than regulations. Further, future regulations of universal service provision and ‘service public’ requirements will need to address concerns over citizens’ dislike of some effects of regional and national deregulation and liberalisation policies.
Postal reform around the globe: Comparing the Asian and European experience
Authors: Eckert Sandra 
Published: December 2008

Abstract
Postal reform has become a global trend in the age of liberalisation and privatisation. At the same time, change in this politically entrenched policy field meets with domestic resistance. This article sheds light on the politics of reform and regulation in four European and Asian countries. It is found that reform trajectories are far from being uniform and so are the emerging regulatory regimes: in view of domestic resistance France engaged in minimal change which was exclusively driven by European Union (EU) pressure; Germany initially introduced far-reaching measures, but for political motives deviated from this reform path over time; in Japan postal reform has been a side-effect of restructuring the country’s financial and banking sector, running short of introducing a regulatory framework which would effectively open up the market to competition; the preconditions for change were most favourable in Singapore, yet remaining bottlenecks may prevent that full liberalisation lives up to reality.
A movement ecology paradigm for unifying organismal movement research
Authors: Nathan Ran , Getz Wayne M. , Revilla Eloy , Holyoak Marcel , Kadmon Ronen , Saltz David , Smouse Peter E. 
Published: December 2008

Movement of individual organisms is fundamental to life, quilting our planet in a rich tapestry of phenomena with diverse implications for ecosystems and humans. Movement research is both plentiful and insightful, and recent methodological advances facilitate obtaining a detailed view of individual movement. Yet, we lack a general unifying paradigm, derived from first principles, which can place movement studies within a common context and advance the development of a mature scientific discipline. This introductory article to the Movement Ecology Special Feature proposes a paradigm that integrates conceptual, theoretical, methodological, and empirical frameworks for studying movement of all organisms, from microbes to trees to elephants. We introduce a conceptual framework depicting the interplay among four basic mechanistic components of organismal movement: the internal state (why move?), motion (how to move?), and navigation (when and where to move?) capacities of the individual and the external factors affecting movement. We demonstrate how the proposed framework aids the study of various taxa and movement types; promotes the formulation of hypotheses about movement; and complements existing biomechanical, cognitive, random, and optimality paradigms of movement. The proposed framework integrates eclectic research on movement into a structured paradigm and aims at providing a basis for hypothesis generation and a vehicle facilitating the understanding of the causes, mechanisms, and spatiotemporal patterns of movement and their role in various ecological and evolutionary processes.”Now we must consider in general the common reason for moving with any movement whatever.“ (Aristotle,De Motu Animalium, 4th century B.C.)
Evaluation of the electron density and temperature in a sliding discharge
Authors: Kelly H , Sosa R , Grondona D , Marquez A , Lago V , Artana G 
Published: December 2008

A sliding discharge using two electrodes on a dielectric layer (upper electrodes) and a third electrode on its reverse side, facing the upper inter-electrode gap (lower electrode) was generated in air at atmospheric pressure. Application of a high dc negative voltage to one of the upper electrodes and to the lower electrode, and a high ac voltage to the other upper electrode generates a stable and homogeneous surface plasma (plasma sheet) in the upper electrode's gap. In this work, the plasma sheet optical emission of the spectral bands corresponding to the 0–0 transition of the second positive system of N2 (λ=337.1 nm) and the first negative system of N2+ (λ=391.4 nm) has been measured and analysed. It was found that the plasma sheet consisted of a set of cathode-directed streamers. The streamer generation frequency and its transit time across the inter-electrode gap have been studied. On the basis of a reliable atomic model to interpret the line emission, the total electron number at the streamer head and the electron temperature have been derived.
Structural profiles of human miRNA families from pairwise clustering
Authors: Kaczkowski Bogumił , Torarinsson Elfar , Reiche Kristin , Havgaard Jakob Hull , Stadler Peter F. , Gorodkin Jan 
Published: December 2008

AbstractMicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of small, ∼21 nt long, riboreg-ulators inhibiting gene expression at a post-transcriptional level. Their most distinctive structural feature is the foldback hairpin of their precursor pre-miRNAs. Even though each pre-miRNA deposited in miRBase has its secondary structure already predicted, little is known about the patterns of structural conservation among pre-miRNAs. We address this issue by clustering the human pre-miRNA sequences based on pairwise, sequence and secondary structure alignment using FOLDALIGN, followed by global multiple alignment of obtained clusters by WAR. As a result, the common secondary structure was successfully determined for four FOLDALIGN clusters: the RF00027 structural family of the Rfam database and three clusters with previously undescribed consensus structures.Availability: http://genome.ku.dk/resources/mirclustContact: gorodkin@genome.ku.dk
Evaluating contributions of natural language parsers to protein–protein interaction extraction
Authors: Miyao Yusuke , Sagae Kenji , Sætre Rune , Matsuzaki Takuya , Tsujii Jun'ichi 
Published: December 2008

Abstract
Motivation: While text mining technologies for biomedical research have gained popularity as a way to take advantage of the explosive growth of information in text form in biomedical papers, selecting appropriate natural language processing (NLP) tools is still difficult for researchers who are not familiar with recent advances in NLP. This article provides a comparative evaluation of several state-of-the-art natural language parsers, focusing on the task of extracting protein–protein interaction (PPI) from biomedical papers. We measure how each parser, and its output representation, contributes to accuracy improvement when the parser is used as a component in a PPI system.
Results: All the parsers attained improvements in accuracy of PPI extraction. The levels of accuracy obtained with these different parsers vary slightly, while differences in parsing speed are larger. The best accuracy in this work was obtained when we combined Miyao and Tsujii's Enju parser and Charniak and Johnson's reranking parser, and the accuracy is better than the state-of-the-art results on the same data.
Availability: The PPI extraction system used in this work (AkanePPI) is available online at http://www-tsujii.is.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/downloads/downloads.cgi. The evaluated parsers are also available online from each developer's site.
Contact: yusuke@is.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Bioeconomic model for a three-zone Marine Protected Area: a case study of Medes Islands (northwest Mediterranean)
Authors: Merino Gorka , Maynou Francesc , Boncoeur Jean 
Published: December 2008

Abstract
Merino, G., Maynou, F., and Boncoeur, J. 2009. Bioeconomic model for a three-zone Marine Protected Area: a case study of Medes Islands (northwest Mediterranean). – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66: 147–154. The bioeconomic effects of establishing a three-zone Marine Protected Area (MPA) are investigated. The division of the area into zones, fully protected, partially protected, and a fishing zone, permits a combination of extractive (fishing) and touristic activities. The consequences for species conservation, commercial fishing, and touristic activities are analysed for a set of different area-size distributions and fishing-effort levels. The model parameters are based on Medes Islands MPA in the northwestern Mediterranean. For the case study, the economic analysis includes revenues from scuba diving, glass-bottom boat trips, and commercial fisheries. Our results help to illustrate the benefits of the coexistence of extractive and non-extractive activities in a realistic, three-level MPA.
Type B Phosphatidylinositol-4-Phosphate 5-Kinases MediateArabidopsisandNicotiana tabacumPollen Tube Growth by Regulating Apical Pectin Secretion
Authors: Ischebeck Till , Stenzel Irene , Heilmann Ingo 
Published: December 2008

AbstractPhosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate [PtdIns(4,5)P2] occurs in the apical plasma membrane of growing pollen tubes. Because enzymes responsible for PtdIns(4,5)P2 production at that location are uncharacterized, functions of PtdIns(4,5)P2 in pollen tube tip growth are unresolved. Two candidate genes encoding pollen-expressed Arabidopsis thaliana phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate 5-kinases (PI4P 5-kinases) of Arabidopsis subfamily B were identified (PIP5K4 and PIP5K5), and their recombinant proteins were characterized as being PI4P 5-kinases. Pollen of T-DNA insertion lines deficient in both PIP5K4 and PIP5K5 exhibited reduced pollen germination and defects in pollen tube elongation. Fluorescence-tagged PIP5K4 and PIP5K5 localized to an apical plasma membrane microdomain in Arabidopsis and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) pollen tubes, and overexpression of either PIP5K4 or PIP5K5 triggered multiple tip branching events. Further studies using the tobacco system revealed that overexpression caused massive apical pectin deposition accompanied by plasma membrane invaginations. By contrast, callose deposition and cytoskeletal structures were unaltered in the overexpressors. Morphological effects depended on PtdIns(4,5)P2 production, as an inactive enzyme variant did not produce any effects. The data indicate that excessive PtdIns(4,5)P2 production by type B PI4P 5-kinases disturbs the balance of membrane trafficking and apical pectin deposition. Polar tip growth of pollen tubes may thus be modulated by PtdIns(4,5)P2 via regulatory effects on membrane trafficking and/or apical pectin deposition.
Characterization of TCTP, the Translationally Controlled Tumor Protein, fromArabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Berkowitz Oliver , Jost Ricarda , Pollmann Stephan , Masle Josette 
Published: December 2008

AbstractThe translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) is an important component of the TOR (target of rapamycin) signaling pathway, the major regulator of cell growth in animals and fungi. TCTP acts as the guanine nucleotide exchange factor of the Ras GTPase Rheb that controls TOR activity in Drosophila melanogaster. We therefore examined the role of Arabidopsis thaliana TCTP in planta. Plant TCTPs exhibit distinct sequence differences from nonplant homologs but share the key GTPase binding surface. Green fluorescent protein reporter lines show that Arabidopsis TCTP is expressed throughout plant tissues and developmental stages with increased expression in meristematic and expanding cells. Knockout of TCTP leads to a male gametophytic phenotype with normal pollen formation and germination but impaired pollen tube growth. Silencing of TCTP by RNA interference slows vegetative growth; leaf expansion is reduced because of smaller cell size, lateral root formation is reduced, and root hair development is impaired. Furthermore, these lines show decreased sensitivity to an exogenously applied auxin analog and have elevated levels of endogenous auxin. These results identify TCTP as an important regulator of growth in plants and imply a function of plant TCTP as a mediator of TOR activity similar to that known in nonplant systems.
Multiple Mechanism–Mediated Retention of a Defective Brassinosteroid Receptor in the Endoplasmic Reticulum ofArabidopsis
Authors: Hong Zhi , Jin Hua , Tzfira Tzvi , Li Jianming 
Published: December 2008

AbstractEndoplasmic reticulum–mediated quality control (ERQC) is a well-studied process in yeast and mammals that retains and disposes misfolded/unassembled polypeptides. By contrast, how plants exert quality control over their secretory proteins is less clear. Here, we report that a mutated brassinosteroid receptor, bri1-5, that carries a Cys69Tyr mutation, is retained in the ER by an overvigilant ERQC system involving three different retention mechanisms. We demonstrate that bri1-5 interacts with two ER chaperones, calnexin and binding protein (BiP), and is degraded by a proteasome-independent endoplasmic reticulum–associated degradation (ERAD). Mutations in components of the calnexin/calreticulin cycle had little effect on the fidelity of the Arabidopsis thaliana ERQC for bri1-5 retention. By contrast, overexpression of bri1-5, treatment with an ERAD inhibitor, RNA interference–mediated BiP silencing, or simultaneous mutations of Cys-69 and its partner Cys-62 can mitigate this quality control, resulting in significant suppression of the bri1-5 phenotype. Thus, bri1-5 is an excellent model protein to investigate plant ERQC/ERAD in a model organism.
The C-Terminal Variable Region Specifies the Dynamic Properties ofArabidopsisMicrotubule-Associated Protein MAP65 Isotypes
Authors: Smertenko Andrei P. , Kaloriti Despina , Chang Hsin-Yu , Fiserova Jindriska , Opatrny Zdenek , Hussey Patrick J. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractThe microtubule-associated protein, MAP65, is a member of a family of divergent microtubule-associated proteins from different organisms generally involved in maintaining the integrity of the central spindle in mitosis. The dicotyledon Arabidopsis thaliana and the monocotyledon rice (Oryza sativa) genomes contain 9 and 11 MAP65 genes, respectively. In this work, we show that the majority of these proteins fall into five phylogenetic clades, with the greatest variation between clades being in the C-terminal random coil domain. At least one Arabidopsis and one rice isotype is within each clade, indicating a functional specification for the C terminus. In At MAP65-1, the C-terminal domain is a microtubule binding region (MTB2) harboring the phosphorylation sites that control its activity. The At MAP65 isotypes show differential localization to microtubule arrays and promote microtubule polymerization with variable efficiency in a MTB2-dependent manner. In vivo studies demonstrate that the dynamics of the association and dissociation of different MAP65 isotypes with microtubules can vary up to 10-fold and that this correlates with their ability to promote microtubule polymerization. Our data demonstrate that the C-terminal variable region, MTB2, determines the dynamic properties of individual isotypes and suggest that slower turnover is conditional for more efficient microtubule polymerization.