bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A multi‐method, holistic strategy for researching critical success factors in IT projects
Authors: Remus Ulrich , Wiener Martin 
Published: December 2008

AbstractIn the field of information systems (IS) there is an observable trend towards the use of multi‐method research. Using different research methods allows for the cross‐validation of data obtained via multiple approaches, with the potential to increase the robustness of research results. Such a multi‐method approach is applicable to a comprehensive research agenda on critical success factors, an agenda that needs to take into account not only the identification, but also the analysis and management of critical success factors. The goal of this article is to contribute new knowledge on how to carry out research on critical success factors in IS projects using a multi‐method approach. For this purpose, two research projects are presented, each a variation of the research design customized to particular circumstances. First, there is an outline of the research approach taken for a critical success factor research project in the field of portal implementation, with discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the project. Taking into consideration these experiences, the research approach of a similar critical success factor research project in the field of offshore software development is then described. Finally, recommendations for using the multi‐method research approach in critical success factor research are presented.
Transgenes in Mexican maize: molecular evidence and methodological considerations for GMO detection in landrace populations
Authors: PIÑEYRO‐NELSON A. , VAN HEERWAARDEN J. , PERALES H. R. , SERRATOS‐HERNÁNDEZ J. A. , RANGEL A. , HUFFORD M. B. , GEPTS P. , GARAY‐ARROYO A. , RIVERA‐BUSTAMANTE R. , ÁLVAREZ‐BUYLLA E. R. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractA possible consequence of planting genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in centres of crop origin is unintended gene flow into traditional landraces. In 2001, a study reported the presence of the transgenic 35S promoter in maize landraces sampled in 2000 from the Sierra Juarez of Oaxaca, Mexico. Analysis of a large sample taken from the same region in 2003 and 2004 could not confirm the existence of transgenes, thereby casting doubt on the earlier results. These two studies were based on different sampling and analytical procedures and are thus hard to compare. Here, we present new molecular data for this region that confirm the presence of transgenes in three of 23 localities sampled in 2001. Transgene sequences were not detected in samples taken in 2002 from nine localities, while directed samples taken in 2004 from two of the positive 2001 localities were again found to contain transgenic sequences. These findings suggest the persistence or re‐introduction of transgenes up until 2004 in this area. We address variability in recombinant sequence detection by analyzing the consistency of current molecular assays. We also present theoretical results on the limitations of estimating the probability of transgene detection in samples taken from landraces. The inclusion of a limited number of female gametes and, more importantly, aggregated transgene distributions may significantly lower detection probabilities. Our analytical and sampling considerations help explain discrepancies among different detection efforts, including the one presented here, and provide considerations for the establishment of monitoring protocols to detect the presence of transgenes among structured populations of landraces.
Phylogeography of the greater horseshoe bat,Rhinolophus ferrumequinum: contrasting results from mitochondrial and microsatellite data
Authors: FLANDERS JON , JONES GARETH , BENDA PETR , DIETZ CHRISTIAN , ZHANG SHUYI , LI GANG , SHARIFI MOZAFAR , ROSSITER STEPHEN J. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractPhylogeographical studies are typically based on haplotype data, occasionally on nuclear markers such as microsatellites, but rarely combine both. This is unfortunate because the use of markers with contrasting modes of inheritance and rates of evolution might provide a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of a species’ history. Here we present a detailed study of the phylogeography of the greater horseshoe bat,Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, using 1098 bp of the mitochondrialND2gene from 45 localities from across its Palaearctic range to infer population history. In addition, we re‐analysed a large microsatellite data set available for this species and compared the results of both markers to infer population relationships and the historical processes influencing them. We show that mtDNA, the most popular marker in phylogeography studies, yielded a misleading result, and would have led us to conclude erroneously that a single expansion had taken place in Europe. Only by combining the mitochondrial and microsatellite data sets are we able to reconstruct the species’ history and show two colonization events in Europe, one before the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and one after it. Combining markers also revealed the importance of Asia Minor as an ancient refugium for this species and a source population for the expansion of the greater horseshoe bat into Europe before the LGM.
Susceptibility to Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Infection is Linked to the Pattern of Macrophage Activation
Authors: Tansini A. , De Medeiros B. M. M. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractT helper 1 cells play a crucial role in the clearance of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis infection. By producing cytokines and presenting antigens to T cells, activated macrophages can orientate the adaptive immune response. The pathway used by macrophages to metabolize arginine has been employed as an important parameter to discriminate their activation state. In this study, the pattern of macrophage activation in Y. pseudotuberculosis‐infected BALB/c (Yersinia‐susceptible) and C57BL/6 (Yersinia‐resistant) mice and their immunostimulatory capacity were analysed. In the early phase of infection, macrophages obtained from C57BL/6 mice produced higher levels of NO, lower arginase activity, and larger amounts of IL‐12 and TNF‐α than macrophages from BALB/c mice. On the other hand, macrophages derived from BALB/c mice produced higher levels of IL‐10 and TGF‐β than C57BL/6 mice. The Y. pseudotuberculosis infection leads to a fall in the macrophage immunostimulatory capacity of both strains of mice, with T‐cell proliferation significantly reduced 12 h after infection. Moreover, we observed in the supernatant of co‐culture of macrophages from infected mice with T lymphocytes from heat‐killed Yersinia‐immunized mice lower IFN‐γ production by cells from BALB/c mice than by C57BL/6 mice, and IL‐4 was produced only by BALB/c mice on the first‐ and third‐day post‐infection. These results suggest that the pattern of macrophage activation is associated with susceptibility and resistance to Y. pseudotuberculosis infection in BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice.
Th1 Cell Reactivity and HLA‐DR Binding Prediction for Promiscuous Recognition of MPT63 (Rv1926c), a Major Secreted Protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Mustafa A. S. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractMPT63 (Rv1926c), a major secreted protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is immunoreactive in antibody assays in humans and animals and provides protection as a combined DNA vaccine in mice. This study was undertaken to determine the reactivity of MPT63 in T helper 1 (Th1) cell assays, i.e. antigen‐induced proliferation and interferon‐γ secretion, using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from 72 Mycobacterium bovis Bacille Calmette–Guérin vaccinated healthy subjects. PBMCs were tested with complex mycobacterial antigens and pools of synthetic peptides corresponding to MPT63, MPB70, MT24, PPE68, CFP10 and ESAT‐6. The results showed that MPT63 induced moderate Th1 cell reactivity which was equivalent to the reactivity induced by other secreted antigens of M. tuberculosis, i.e. MT24 and MPB70. Furthermore, human leucocyte antigen (HLA) heterogeneity of the responding donors suggested that MPT63 was presented to Th1 cells promiscuously. Analysis of the MPT63 sequence and its peptides for binding to 51 alleles of 9 serologically defined HLA‐DR molecules, using a virtual matrix‐based prediction program (ProPred) showed that MPT63 sequence could bind to all the 51 alleles, whereas 9 of the 10 peptides of MPT63 were also predicted to bind promiscuously. When tested with PBMCs of HLA‐DR heterogeneous donors that responded to MPT63 in interferon‐γ assays, at least 9 of the 10 peptides of MPT63 were recognized by PBMCs from HLA heterogeneous donors. These results suggested that promiscuous Th1 cell reactive epitopes are scattered throughout the sequence of MPT63, and further support the inclusion of this protein in an antigen cocktail to develop a new anti‐tuberculosis vaccine.
Successful treatment of sebaceous adenitis in a rabbit with ciclosporin and triglycerides
Authors: Jassies‐van der Lee Annette , Van Zeeland Yvonne , Kik Marja , Schoemaker Nico 
Published: December 2008

AbstractA 4‐year‐old rabbit was presented with a chronic exfoliative dermatitis and patchy alopecia. General physical examination revealed no abnormalities. Skin scrapings and fungal culture were negative. A blood sample was obtained for a complete blood cell count and biochemical profile, and yielded results that were within normal limits. Radiographic examination of the thorax excluded the presence of a thymoma. Histopathology of the skin showed orthokeratotic hyperkeratosis, absence of sebaceous glands and mural lymphocytic folliculitis, consistent with sebaceous adenitis. Oral treatment was started with ciclosporin dissolved in a medium‐chain triglyceride solution (Miglyol 812), combined with essential fatty acids and topical propylene glycol sprays. Within 2 months of treatment, complete regression of skin lesions and regrowth of hair was observed. Serum chemistry values including kidney and liver function tests remained within reference range during the course of treatment. Histopathological examination of control biopsies of the skin showed presence of normal sebaceous glands and active hair follicles. Treatment was changed to a different pharmaceutical formulation of ciclosporin without Miglyol and deterioration of clinical signs was noticed. Using pure Miglyol 812, however, resulted in a gradual improvement of 60%. A nearly complete response was again observed after re‐administration of the combination ciclosporin/Miglyol. It is hypothesized that sebaceous adenitis in the rabbit is most likely due to an autoimmune reaction directed at the sebaceous glands and a defect in lipid metabolism. The outcome indicates that a combination of ciclosporin and Miglyol 812 is a promising new treatment for sebaceous adenitis in rabbits.
Lessons from the past: the collapse of Jamaican coral reefs
Authors: Hardt Marah J. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractSince Pre‐Columbian times, humans have exploited Jamaican marine ecosystems with significant consequences for flora and fauna. This study focuses on the history of reef fish exploitation in Jamaica, from first human occupation to the present day, to determine how past fishing activities contributed to subsequent declines in the coral reef ecosystem. The pattern of declining reef fish populations was nonlinear. Reef fish first declined in prehistoric times but then potentially recovered, following genocide of the native human population. Reduced fishing pressure lasted until the mid‐19th century. At that time, depletion of reef fish populations again occurred with a precipitous decline from the 1850s to the 1940s. The final shift from relatively abundant to overfished marine fauna corresponded to subtle changes in fish trap design as well as development of recreational fishing. Government subsidies throughout the second half of the 20th century exacerbated the declines. This analysis shows that local artisanal fisheries with relatively low levels of effort and seemingly subtle shifts in technology can significantly impact the coral reef ecosystem and that declines occurred decades to centuries before modern ecological studies began. This research shows how historical analysis can be a powerful tool to minimize shifted baselines and establish realistic targets for recovery and sustainable management of marine ecosystems.
Thirty years later: the global growth of ITQs and their influence on stock status in marine fisheries
Authors: Chu Cindy 
Published: December 2008

AbstractIndividual transferable quota (ITQ) programmes have been incorporated into many marine fisheries management strategies for 30 years, but their implementation and utility remains controversial. This study provides an overview of the global status of ITQ programmes, the reasons they have been adopted and the changes in stock biomass after their implementation. Eighteen countries currently use ITQs to manage several hundred stocks of at least 249 species. ITQs were adopted in these countries for many reasons: overcapitalization, economic gains, safety concerns for fishers and political change. The implementation of ITQs does not translate into consistent changes in stock biomass. Improvements in 12 of 20 stocks after ITQs were introduced suggest that ITQs can be an effective component of fisheries management strategies, but eight of the stocks continued to decline after ITQs were introduced. This suggests that alternative or complementary measures are needed to sustain those fisheries, such as combining ITQs with more effective total allowable catches, better enforcement and monitoring, and implementing aspects of ecosystem‐based fisheries management.
Resource partitioning in sympatric arctic‐breeding geese: summer habitat use, spatial and dietary overlap of Barnacle and Pink‐footed Geese in Svalbard
Authors: FOX TONY (A. D.) , EIDE NINA E. , BERGERSEN ESPEN , MADSEN JESPER 
Published: December 2008

The spatial, habitat and dietary overlap of two breeding goose species was studied in Sassendalen, Svalbard, in summer 2003 based on abundance within 500 × 500‐m grid squares and faecal diet analyses during pre‐breeding, nesting and post‐hatching periods. More than half of all Pink‐footed Geese Anser brachyrhynchus occurred in the absence of Barnacle Geese Branta leucopsis during nesting and post‐hatching periods compared to c. 20% when concentrated by pre‐breeding snow cover. In contrast, only 5% of Barnacle Geese were observed in the absence of Pink‐footed Geese pre‐breeding, 15% during nesting, and 35% post‐hatching. Among six defined habitat types, Barnacle Geese resorted more to ‘upland’ habitats during pre‐breeding and nesting and to lowland lakes post‐hatching when compared to Pink‐footed Geese. Although Pink‐footed Geese showed less change in seasonal habitat preference, many shifted to the river valley bottom post‐hatching, giving access to open water (predator avoidance) and lush green vegetation (foraging for goslings). The smallest extent of distributional overlap between the two species occurred post‐hatching, but each species was also highly restricted by snow cover during pre‐nesting. The greatest extent of overlap in distribution and diet occurred during incubation, when large dietary variation between different breeding valleys reflected local food availability around nests (probably a result of nest‐site preference rather than food selection per se). Whether this means that increased interactions within and between the two goose species with future increases in local density are most likely to be manifest at this stage of the summer is impossible to determine without knowledge of available food resources and manipulative experiments. More detailed investigations of the effects of foraging by both species on plant structure, quality and community composition are necessary to predict likely outcomes of future changes in population densities of both species.
Apoptosis: A review of pro‐apoptotic and anti‐apoptotic pathways and dysregulation in disease
Authors: O'Brien Mauria A. , Kirby Rebecca 
Published: December 2008

AbstractObjective
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To review the human and veterinary literature on the biology of apoptosis in health and disease.Data Sources
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Data were examined from the human and veterinary literature identified through Pubmed and references listed in appropriate articles pertaining to apoptosis.Human Data Synthesis
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The role of apoptosis in health and disease is a rapidly growing area of research in human medicine. Apoptosis has been identified as a component of human autoimmune diseases, Alzheimer's disease, cancer, and sepsis.Veterinary Data Synthesis
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Research data available from the veterinary literature pertaining to apoptosis and its role in diseases of small animal species is still in its infancy. The majority of veterinary studies focus on oncologic therapy. Most of the basic science and human clinical research studies use human blood and tissue samples and murine models. The results from these studies may be applicable to small animal species.Conclusions
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Apoptosis is the complex physiologic process of programmed cell death. The pathophysiology of apoptosis and disease is only now being closely evaluated in human medicine. Knowledge of the physiologic mechanisms by which tissues regulate their size and composition is leading researchers to investigate the role of apoptosis in human diseases such as cancer, autoimmune disease and sepsis. Because it is a multifaceted process, apoptosis is difficult to target or manipulate therapeutically. Future studies may reveal methods to regulate or manipulate apoptosis and improve patient outcome.
Seasonal and circadian variation in presentation of cats with congestive heart failure
Authors: Pelosi Augusta , Rush John E. , Freeman Lisa M. , Farabaugh Andrew E. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractObjective– To determine if cats with congestive heart failure (CHF) are presented to a referral clinic more frequently during different seasons, months, days, or times.Design– Retrospective study.Setting– University small animal hospital.Animals– One hundred and eighty‐six cats with CHF.Interventions– None.Measurements and Main Results– The medical records of 186 cats, presented for 238 episodes of CHF between July 1, 1997 and June 30, 2002, were reviewed. An episode of CHF was defined as documented clinical evidence of pulmonary edema, pleural effusion, pericardial effusion, or ascites attributed to a cardiac origin by a board‐certified cardiologist. Chi‐square tests revealed statistically significant differences in presentation between different days of the week, with Thursday being the most common day, and between different hours of the day, with the peak between 10 am to 4 pm. Evaluation of presentation for CHF by season of the year identified more cats in December, January, and February although this did not achieve statistical significance. No significant difference was identified for presentation based on the day of the month or the month of the year.Conclusions– In this population of cats, there was daily, weekly and, possibly, seasonal variation in the frequency of presentation of cats with CHF. Additional studies are warranted to confirm these findings and to determine the cause for these differences.
Moving to Learn: Performance and Learning in Haitian Vodou
Authors: Landry Timothy R. 
Published: December 2008

SUMMARYWhile conducting research in Haiti, I became initiated into Haitian Vodou and started a long apprenticeship with a local priestess. Learning about Vodou as an ethnographer and as an initiate presented many challenges that were directly linked to the way I needed to learn Vodou. In this article, I examine the ways practitioners (myself included) of Vodou approach learning. I have come to understand learning in Haitian Vodou as an embodied, sensuous, and active phenomenon. When I realized how important the body was in Vodou, I started questioning my own anthropological methods. I reacted by putting down my pen and notebook and becoming active. These methods have led me to favor learn‐as‐practitioner types of methods that allow me to do anthropology through my body. Indeed, as anthropologists in the field, we not only experience culture with our notebooks we also experience culture through movement and action. For me, culture is something that is only understood, albeit always partially, through rich and embodied experiences.
ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY OF HEATED CORNSTARCH–WATER MIXTURES
Authors: MORALES‐SANCHEZ EDUARDO , VAZQUEZ‐LANDAVERDE PEDRO A. , GAYTAN‐MARTINEZ MARCELA , HUERTA‐RUELAS JORGE A. 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACT Electrical conductivity (EC) of cornstarch–water mixtures in the range 10:90 to 70:30 (w/w) was studied as a function of temperature. An external resistive heating system equipped with an electronic device capable of monitoring EC in real time was used and EC of the mixtures was measured while heated at a rate of 5C/min. Results showed that EC went through four different temperature‐dependent stages (A, B, C and D). Stage B (41C to 64C) showed a lower EC increasing rate when compared with that of Stage A (from 25C to 41C), probably as a result of starch granule swelling. In Stage C (64C to 78C), EC behavior was found to be dependent on water content. When water content was more than 50%, the value for EC increased. On the other side, EC decreased when water content was less than 50%. Stage C was related to starch gelatinization, according to differential scanning calorimetry results obtained in this study. In Stage D (78C to 92C), a steady increase in EC was observed, probably as a result of the total solubilization of starch in water. It was concluded that Stage C in EC graphs corresponded to cornstarch gelatinization, so it might be possible to use EC monitoring as an alternative technique to measure cornstarch thermal characteristics with different contents of water. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSElectrical conductivity can be used as an adequate technique to monitor gelatinization, granule swelling and phase change of starch as a function of temperature in corn starch–water mixtures with a wide range of water contents. With this technique, it is also possible to calculate important thermal parameters, such as the beginning and end of the gelatinization and the energy activation for the heating process of cornstarch. This can lead to a better design and control of important industrial corn processes such as alkaline cooking.