bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Detection of Coconut cadang‐cadang viroid sequences in oil and coconut palm by ribonuclease protection assay
Authors: Vadamalai G. , Perera A.A.F.L.K. , Hanold D. , Rezaian M.A. , Randles J.W. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractA ribonuclease protection assay (RPA) has been developed for detecting Coconut cadang‐cadang viroid (CCCVd) sequences. An RNA probe complementary to full‐length CCCVd246 was used, terminating at nucleotide 65 in the upper conserved region, and linked to a non‐viroid 5′ sequence, which acted as an internal control for ribonuclease activity. Extracts from CCCVd‐infected coconut (Cocos nucifera) and African oil (Elaeis guineensis) palms protected three major fragments of approximately 250, 125 and 50 nt and a variable number of minor fragments. Extracts of healthy coconut palms, Potato spindle tuber viroid‐infected tomato and transfer RNA did not protect the probe. The approximately 250 nt fragment is predicted to indicate the presence of monomers and dimers of circular CCCVd246, linear CCCVd246 with the same termini as the probe and point mutants of these forms. The origin of smaller protected fragments is discussed. RPA‐detected CCCVd sequences in 13 of 18 oil palms surveyed in a commercial plantation in Malaysia. Signal intensity varied between the positive oil palms and was generally lower than in coconut palms infected with CCCVd. An infection phenotype was implied but not confirmed by the observation that in a group of 10 oil palms with orange leaf spotting, 9 contained CCCVd, whereas in a group of 8 palms without orange spotting, the viroid was detected in 4. Of four coconut palms in Sri Lanka shown by dot‐blot assay to contain CCCVd‐related RNA, one was shown by RPA to be positive for the CCCVd246 sequence. RPA is therefore a robust and sensitive test for CCCVd sequences, and our results show that sequences closely related to CCCVd246 are not confined to the Philippines.
Modelling the flyby anomalies using a modification of inertia
Authors: McCulloch M. E. 
Published: July 2008

Abstract
The flyby anomalies are unexplained velocity jumps of 3.9, −4.6, 13.5, −2, 1.8 and 0.02 mm s−1 observed near closest approach during the Earth flybys of six spacecraft. These flybys are modelled here using a theory that assumes that inertia is due to a form of Unruh radiation, and varies with acceleration due to a Hubble-scale Casimir effect. Considering the acceleration of the craft relative to every particle of the rotating Earth, the theory predicts that there is a slight reduction in inertial mass with increasing latitude for an unbound craft, since near the pole it sees a lower average relative acceleration. Applying this theory to the inbound and outbound flyby paths, with conservation of momentum, the predicted anomalies were 2.9, −0.9, 20.1, 0.9, 3.2 and −1.3 mm s−1. Three of the flyby anomalies were reproduced within error bars, and the theory explains their recently observed dependence on the latitude difference between their incident and exit trajectories. The errors for the other three flybys were between 1 and 3 mm s−1.
Reproducing the Piper Trilinear Diagram in Rectangular Coordinates
Authors: Ray Ranjan Kumar , Mukherjee Rumi 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThough several alternatives/modifications to the Piper diagram are available, the Piper diagram is still the most common way of representing chemical analyses. The present note shows how to reproduce the Piper trilinear diagram in rectangular coordinates retaining all the essential features of the trilinear diagram. In this form, it can be generated using commonly used graphics packages without requiring specialized software. A sample data set of six samples from Gurur watershed, Chhattisgarh, India, was used to illustrate the method. The patterns of points produced in the trilinear Piper diagram and the reproduced Piper diagram in rectangular coordinates are essentially identical.
The Structure of Aesthetic Properties
Authors: De Clercq Rafael 
Published: July 2008

AbstractAesthetic properties are often thought to have either no evaluative component or an evaluative component that can be isolated from their descriptive component. The present article argues that this popular view is without adequate support. First, doubt is cast on the idea that some paradigmatic aesthetic properties are purely descriptive. Second, the idea that the evaluative component of an aesthetic property can always be neatly separated from its descriptive component is called into question. Meanwhile, a speculative hypothesis is launched regarding the structure of being garish and being cacophonous. Finally, an explanation is given of how the issue of the structure of aesthetic properties bears on their reality and (presumed) response‐dependence.
Anti‐Social Behaviour in British Cities
Authors: Millie Andrew 
Published: July 2008

AbstractIn Britain, we have been told by politicians that anti‐social behaviour (ASB) is a menace that has to be tackled. In this review article, evidence is provided that ASB is not a problem that affects us all; rather, concerns are highest within urban areas, particularly in certain deprived neighbourhoods and town and city centres. Possible explanations for this spatial concentration of concern are explored, for instance, relating to the effectiveness of informal social control mechanisms and people's differing behavioural expectations for public spaces. It is contended that some activity may be misidentified as ASB because it does not fit the cultural and social norms of the majority. It is also argued that aesthetics plays a part in determining behavioural acceptability and that, particularly in urban centres, spaces can be cleansed of difference to cater for the tastes of a ‘consuming majority’.
Climate Change, Land‐Use Change, and Floods: Toward an Integrated Assessment
Authors: Chang Heejun , Franczyk Jon 
Published: July 2008

AbstractFloods occur from a combination of various hydrological, climatological, and land‐use conditions. In this article, we review recent studies to identify primary causes of floods in different regions. These studies suggest that changes in precipitation intensity or amount are responsible for increasing floods in coastal cities, which may also be impacted by sea‐level rise and an increase in the incidence of tropical storms due to global warming and land modifications at different scales enhance vulnerability to flood risks. They indicate the current challenges in flood research include: (i) the integration of data collected at various scales; (ii) the quantification of various feedbacks and uncertainty between climatic and hydrologic systems; (iii) the combination of climate and land‐use models for flood assessment; and (iv) linking flood damage caused by changing climate or land use with spatially explicit socioeconomic data. Specifically, an integrated assessment method is needed to unravel the complex interactions among human systems, terrestrial systems, and climate systems that result in flood risks at multiple scales.
Human coronavirus NL63 infections in infants hospitalised with acute respiratory tract infections in South Africa
Authors: Smuts Heidi 
Published: July 2008

Background  Human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV‐NL63) is a novel respiratory virus which is associated with respiratory tract infections in children.Objective  To determine the role of HCoV‐NL63 in infants and young children hospitalised with acute respiratory tract infections (ARI) in Cape Town, South Africa.Methods  Respiratory specimens were collected from 1055 infants and young children hospitalised with ARI in 2003–2004. Samples were screened by RT‐PCR to detect HCoV‐NL63 and human metapneumovirus (hMPV). Standard shell vial culture and immunofluoresence was used to detect the common respiratory viruses including RSV, influenza A and B viruses, parainfluenza viruses 1, 2, 3, adenovirus and CMV.Results  A respiratory virus was found in 401/1055 (38·0%) samples. HCoV‐NL63 was detected in 9/1055 (0·85%) with peak activity during autumn (67%). Most patients had a diagnosis of pneumonia or lower respiratory tract infection (6/9; 67%).Conclusions  This is the first report of HCoV‐NL63 infections in hospitalised children in Africa. During the 2‐year period HCoV‐NL63 played a minor role in ARI in children.
Reduced quality of bovine embryos cultured in media conditioned by exposure to an inflamed endometrium
Authors: Hill J , Gilbert R 
Published: July 2008

Objective  A suboptimal uterine environment contributes to the bovine repeat breeder syndrome. Subclinical endometritis is a component, so the mechanism by which inflammation affects embryo survival was investigated by assessing the effect of non‐cellular products of an inflamed endometrium on embryo development to blastocyst.Design  Endometrial fluid from a lactating dairy cow was collected by lavage using embryo culture medium. Aseptic inflammation was then induced by infusion of glycogen and lavage was repeated 6 h later. The recovered fluid was used to culture Day 5 in‐vitro‐derived embryos for 2 days. Embryo development and quality were compared for two treatment groups (culture media conditioned by inflamed or non‐inflamed endometrium) and two controls (control or control + serum).Results  Development to blastocyst was higher for conditioned media or media + serum (inflamed 42.2%; non‐inflamed 49.3%; control + serum 50.9%; control 16.9%; P < 0.001). Blastocyst cell numbers were lower for the conditioned‐inflamed group (inflamed, 83.1; non‐inflamed, 99.8; control + serum, 100.6; control, 110.1; P < 0.001). Trophectoderm cell number, but not inner cell mass number, was reduced in the conditioned‐inflamed group and the inner cell mass:trophectoderm ratio was increased (P < 0.001).Conclusion  Altering the embryo culture environment with the products of endometrial inflammation had a subtle effect on embryo quality. An increased inner cell mass:trophoblast ratio is likely to negatively affect embryonic survival. Altered embryo quality is a mechanism for early embryonic failure in cows with subclinical endometritis. Culture of embryos with normal endometrial fluid may improve in vitro embryo production.
Encroachment of Echinococcus granulosus into urban areas in eastern Queensland, Australia
Authors: Jenkins DJ , Allen L , Goullet M 
Published: July 2008

Objective  To investigate the prevalence of Echinococcus granulosus in wild dogs (dingos and dingo–domestic dog hybrids) living in and around human habitation on Fraser Island and in townships of the Maroochy Shire, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, Australia.Design  Wild dogs were humanely killed on Fraser Island and in the Maroochy Shire because they were deemed a potential danger to the public. Their intestines were collected and the contents examined for intestinal parasites.Procedure  Intestines were removed as soon after death as possible, packed in plastic bags and kept frozen until examination. The intestinal contents were washed, sieved and examined microscopically for the presence of helminths, which were identified and counted.Results  Intestines from 108 wild dogs, 7 foxes and 18 Fraser Island dingoes were examined. Echinococcus granulosus was only present in the wild dogs from Maroochy Shire (46.3%) with worm burdens of between 30 and 104,000. Other helminths included Spirometra erinacei, Dipylidium caninum, Taenia spp., Ancylostoma caninum and Toxocara canis. Two specimens of a trematode (Haplorchinae sp.) usually found infecting fish and seabirds were recovered from a Fraser Island dingo.Conclusion  Dingoes on Fraser Island are not infected with E. granulosus and do not pose a hydatid disease public health risk to residents or visitors. However, wild dogs examined from the Maroochy Shire do present a potential hydatid disease public health risk.
The HEXACO Model of Personality Structure and the Importance of the H Factor
Authors: Ashton Michael C. , Lee Kibeom 
Published: July 2008

AbstractWe give a brief summary of recent research on the structure of personality characteristics, describing the six‐dimensional ‘HEXACO’ model that has emerged as the most accurate representation of that structure. We then discuss the importance of personality as a predictor of socially important criteria, describing a variety of examples involving the Honesty–Humility (H) factor. The H dimension, alone or in combination with other factors of the HEXACO model, is related inversely to a wide array of criteria, including criminal activity and other unethical behaviors as well as materialistic and power‐seeking tendencies.
Seven Pillars of Defense Mechanism Theory
Authors: Cramer Phebe 
Published: July 2008

AbstractDefense mechanisms are cognitive processes that function to protect the individual from excessive anxiety or other negative emotions. They also protect the person from loss of self‐esteem and, in the extreme, the loss of self‐integration. Although past critics questioned the existence of defense mechanisms, recent research has supported seven basic tenets regarding defenses. These include: (1) defenses function outside of awareness; (2) there is a chronology of defense development; (3) defenses are present in the normal personality; (4) defense use increases under conditions of stress; (5) defense use reduces the conscious experience of negative emotions; (6) defense function is connected to the autonomic nervous system; (7) excessive use of defenses is associated with psychopathology. Research supporting the seven pillars of defense mechanism theory is described in this essay.
The Contributions of Personality to Organizational Behavior and Psychology: Findings, Criticisms, and Future Research Directions
Authors: Judge Timothy A. , Klinger Ryan , Simon Lauren S. , Yang Irene Wen Fen 
Published: July 2008

AbstractSkepticism regarding the importance of personality traits as predictors of organizational behavior criteria has given way to an appreciation of the broad array of work outcomes predicted by personality. This article considers the effects of the five‐factor model (‘Big Five’) personality traits on the following work outcomes: (1) job performance; (2) work motivation; (3) job attitudes; (4) leadership; (5) power, politics, and influence; (6) stress, adaptability, and coping; (7) team effectiveness; (8) counterproductive/deviant workplace behaviors; (9) workplace accidents; and (10) conflict and negotiation. Two contemporary criticisms of personality research in organizational behavior – that the validities are small and that faking undermines the usefulness of personality inventories in employment contexts – are then evaluated. Finally, a brief agenda for future research is provided which highlights needed areas of advancement.
Self‐Esteem and Socioeconomic Disparities in Self‐Perceived Oral Health
Authors: Locker David 
Published: July 2008

AbstractObjective:To determine if psychosocial factors explain the socioeconomic disparities in self‐perceived oral health that persist after controlling for oral status variables.Methods:Data came from the participants in the Canadian Community Health Survey 2003 who were residents in the city of Toronto. Oral health variables included self‐rated oral health, a 13‐item oral health scale, denture wearing, and having a tooth extracted in the previous year. The last two measures were regarded as proxy indicators of tooth loss. Psychosocial variables included a self‐esteem scale, a depression scale, and single items measuring life satisfaction, life stress, and sense of cohesion. Socioeconomic status was assessed using total annual household income.Results:Interviews were completed with 2,754 dentate persons aged 20 years and over. Bivariate analyses confirmed that there were income gradients in self‐rated oral health and scores on the oral health scale. Linear regression analyses confirmed that these persisted after controlling for age, gender, denture wearing, and having a tooth extracted in the previous year. In the model predicting self‐rated oral health self‐esteem, life satisfaction, stress, a sense of cohesion, and depression also contributed to the model, increased its explanatory power, and reduced the strength of but did not eliminate the association between income and self‐rated oral health. Broadly, similar results were obtained when the oral health scale score was used as the dependent variable. In both analyses and all models, denture wearing had the strongest and most enduring effect.Conclusion:Psychosocial factors partly but do not wholly explain the socioeconomic disparities in self‐perceived oral health in this population after controlling for tooth loss and denture wearing. Other variables need to be added to the models to increase their explanatory power.
Longitudinal Association of Smoking‐Related Attitude to Oral Health with Adolescents' Smoking Onset
Authors: Ayo‐Yusuf Olalekan A. , Van Den Borne Bart , Reddy Priscilla S. , Van Wyk Philippus J. , Severson Herbert H. 
Published: July 2008

Abstract
Objective: The negative oral health effects of smoking, such as stained teeth, gum infection, and bad breath may be more salient to adolescents, and therefore, more important expectancies for adolescent smokers and nonsmokers alike. Informed by the social cognitive theory, this prospective study sought to determine the role of smoking‐related attitude to oral health on smoking onset among adolescents over a 12‐month interval. Method: This prospective study involved a community sample of 422 nonsmoking eighth graders selected from three public schools in the capital city of South Africa. Data were collected through a questionnaire, which included a 5‐point Likert‐scale‐type question on dental disease belief related to smoking (smoking causes plaque and bad breath) and an affective evaluation of this effect (bad breath causes peer rejection). The product of these two later variables was used to compute an attitude score. Higher scores represent a more favorable oral health attitude. Health‐risk behaviors recorded included past month smoking and alcohol use. Results: The mean age of the participants was 13.9 years at baseline. At 1‐year follow‐up, 11.4 percent (n = 48) of nonsmokers at baseline had initiated smoking. Compared to nonsmokers, current smokers were more likely to report frequent bleeding gums (51.2 versus 33.1 percent; P = 0.02), but there was no significant difference in proportions brushing twice daily (64.4 versus 56.5 percent; P = 0.30). In addition to the independent influence of peers and binge drinking, smoking‐related attitude to oral health significantly influenced smoking onset. Conclusion: The study findings support the development of smoking prevention programs that include restructuring of cognitions about the oral health outcomes of smoking.
Work Stress Inventory for Dental Assistants: Development and Psychometric Evaluation
Authors: Khader Yousef S. , Airan Dana M. , Al‐Faouri Ibrahim 
Published: July 2008

Abstract
Objectives: The purposes of this study were to develop a work stress inventory for dental assistants (WSI‐DA) in Jordan and examine its psychometric properties and to describe potentially stressful work‐related conditions related to the profession of dental assistance in Jordan. Methods: A total of 542 dental assistants working in private dental clinics in Jordan participated in this study. The stages of instrument development included selecting an initial item pool, choosing the best items, deciding on the questionnaire format, pretesting the instrument, and determining its reliability and validity. An initial set of 55 items was selected and categorized into nine hypothetical categories. Further testing and using factor analysis ended with a 35‐item, nine‐scale instrument. The raw score for each scale was calculated by adding the responses for individual items and then transformed to 0‐100 scales. The item‐level validity, item internal consistency, item discriminant validity, and Cronbach's alpha were assessed. Results: Nine factors had eigenvalues greater than one. The nine factors accounted for 78.7 percent of the total variability in the 35‐item questionnaire. All item–scale correlations were greater than the recommended correlation of 0.40. Except patient's suffer scale (Cronbach's alpha = 0.56), all other scales demonstrated acceptable internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha exceeding the minimum standard of 0.7 and ranging from 0.71 to 0.87. Test–retest reliability showed acceptable reliability in all nine scales and ranged from 0.61 to 0.92. Conclusions: The 35‐item, nine‐scale WSI‐DA demonstrated acceptable validity and reliability when used among dental assistants in Jordan.
The Groningen Longitudinal Glaucoma Study. II. A prospective comparison of frequency doubling perimetry, the GDx nerve fibre analyser and standard automated perimetry in glaucoma suspect patients
Authors: Jansonius Nomdo M. , Heeg Govert P. 
Published: July 2008

Abstract.Purpose:  We aimed to determine prospectively the incidence of abnormal test results on frequency doubling perimetry (FDT), the nerve fibre analyser (GDx) and standard automated perimetry (SAP) in a cohort of glaucoma suspect patients with normal findings for all these tests at baseline.Methods:  Seventy glaucoma suspect patients were followed prospectively for 4 years with SAP (Humphrey field analyser 30‐2 SITA Fast), FDT (C‐20 full‐threshold) and GDx (Version 2.010) in a clinical setting. All patients had normal baseline test results on SAP, FDT and GDx. After the follow‐up period, the number of patients who converted (whose test results changed from normal at baseline to reproducibly abnormal during follow‐up) were counted for each technique and then compared. The cut‐off point for FDT was > 1 depressed test‐point p < 0.01 in the total deviation probability plot; the cut‐off point for GDx was the Number > 29.Results:  Of the 70 glaucoma suspect patients, three converted on FDT, 14 on GDx and six on SAP. These proportions are significantly different for GDx versus SAP (p = 0.033) and GDx versus FDT (p = 0.002), but not for FDT versus SAP (p = 0.256).Conclusions:  The most frequent finding after a 4‐year follow‐up was conversion on GDx.
Clinical features of intraocular inflammation in Hokkaido, Japan
Authors: Kitamei Hirokuni , Kitaichi Nobuyoshi , Namba Kenichi , Kotake Satoshi , Goda Chiho , Kitamura Mizuki , Miyazaki Akiko , Ohno Shigeaki 
Published: July 2008

Abstract.Purpose:  We aimed to investigate the clinical features of intraocular inflammation/uveitis in Hokkaido, Japan.Methods:  We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 1240 uveitis patients (511 men, 729 women) who visited Hokkaido University Hospital, Sapporo, Japan between 1994 and 2003.Results:  Mean age at disease onset was 41.7 ± 17.8 years in men and 45.7 ± 18.3 years in women. Anterior, posterior and combined anterior and posterior segment intraocular inflammation accounted for 45.1%, 4.7% and 50.2% of cases, respectively. Sarcoidosis was the most frequent aetiology (14.9%), followed by Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada (VKH) disease (9.7%) and Behçet’s disease (6.7%). Aetiologies in 49.8% patients were unknown. In sarcoidosis, women represented 72.4% of patients, and disease onset occurred at 35.1 ± 19.0 years of age in men and 50.3 ± 16.5 years in women. In VKH disease, 54.2% of patients were women, and disease onset took place at 45.9 ± 15.8 years in men and 46.4 ± 14.1 years in women. In Behçet’s disease, men accounted for 56.6% of patients, and disease onset occurred at 35.5 ± 8.5 years in men and 44.5 ± 11.5 years in women.Conclusions:  Women were more prone to developing sarcoidosis compared with men. By contrast, men were more prone to developing Behçet’s disease. The mean age at disease onset in both sarcoidosis and Behçet’s disease was significantly lower in men than in women.