bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Critical aspects of the Bayesian approach to phase I cancer trials
Authors: Neuenschwander Beat , Branson Michael , Gsponer Thomas 
Published: March 2008

AbstractThe Bayesian approach to finding the maximum‐tolerated dose in phase I cancer trials is discussed. The suggested approach relies on a realistic dose–toxicity model, allows one to include prior information, and supports clinical decision making by presenting within‐trial information in a transparent way. The modeling and decision‐making components are flexible enough to be extendable to more complex settings. Critical aspects are emphasized and a comparison with the continual reassessment method (CRM) is performed with data from an actual trial and a simulation study. The comparison revealed similar operating characteristics while avoiding some of the difficulties encountered in the actual trial when applying the CRM. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Acute toxicity and bioaccumulation of arsenic in freshwater clam Corbicula fluminea
Authors: Liao Chung‐Min , Jau Sheng‐Feng , Chen Wei‐Yu , Lin Chieh‐Ming , Jou Li‐John , Liu Chen‐Wuing , Liao Vivian Hsiu‐Chuan , Chang Fi‐John 
Published: March 2008

AbstractArsenic is a potent human carcinogen of skin, lung, and urinary bladder. Freshwater clam Corbicula fluminea is a commercially important native species in Taiwan. C. fluminea is also a suitable biomonitoring test organism. Little is known, however, about the actual effects of arsenic on C. fluminea. The objectives of this study were to provide information on the acute toxicity and bioaccumulation kinetics of arsenic in C. fluminea. We carried out a 14‐day exposure experiment to obtain bioaccumulation parameters. Uptake was very rapid when C. fluminea was first exposed and then slightly decayed during the uptake phase of the experiment and an uptake rate constant of 1.718 ± 6.70 (mean ± SE) mL g−1 d−1 was estimated. The elimination of arsenic from C. fluminea obeyed first‐order depuration kinetics (r2 = 0.85, p < 0.05) with a calculated half‐life of 6.80 days. The derived bioaccumulation factor of 16.84 suggests that arsenic has a high potential for bioaccumulation in C. fluminea. This had important implications for dietary exposure of arsenic to humans who eat contaminated clams, because the soft tissue usually constitutes the majority of tissue consumed. The 96‐h LC50 value was estimated to be 20.74 (95% CI: 11.74–30.79) mg L−1 obtained from a 7‐day acute toxicity bioassay. We also kinetically linked an acute toxicity model and a Hill sigmoid model to reconstruct an internal effect concentration based dose‐response profile to assess the effect of soft tissue arsenic burden on the C. fluminea mortality. This result could be used to support the establishment of an ecological risk assessment to prevent possible ecosystem and human health consequences. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2008.
Retroperitoneoscopic Adrenalectomy in Conn’s Syndrome Caused by Adrenal Adenomas or Nodular Hyperplasia
Authors: Walz Martin K. , Gwosdz Roland , Levin Stephanie L. , Alesina Piero F. , Suttorp Anna‐Carinna , Metz Klaus A. , Wenger Frank A. , Petersenn Stephan , Mann Klaus , Schmid Kurt W. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractBackgroundIn patients with primary hyperaldosteronism, solitary adrenal adenomas are an indication for surgical intervention. In contrast, adrenal hyperplasia is almost exclusively treated by drugs.Patients and methodsIn a prospective clinical study 183 patients (81 men, 102 women; age 49.6 ± 12.8 years) with Conn’s syndrome were operated on using the posterior retroperitoneoscopic approach. Tumor size ranged from 0.2 to 5.0 cm (mean 1.5 ± 0.8 cm). Final histology described a solitary adenoma in 127 patients and adrenal hyperplasia in 56 patients. Partial adrenalectomies were performed in 47 operations.ResultsThe perioperative complication rate was 4%, mortality zero. In none of the cases was conversion to open surgery necessary. The mean operating time was 58 ± 32 minutes (range 20–230 minutes) and was associated with sex (p < 0.001) but not with the extent of resection (partial vs. total, p = 0.51) or with tumor size (≤1.5 vs. >1.5 cm; p = 0.43) or tumor site (p = 0.77). Median blood loss was 15 ml. Median duration of postoperative hospitalization was 4 days. After a mean follow‐up of nearly 5 years, 96% of patients are normokalemic, 30% of patients are cured (normotensive without medication), and 87% showed an improvement of hypertension (normotensive without or with reduced medication). Cure of hypertension depended on the patient’s age (p < 0.001) and sex (p < 0.001), duration of hypertension (p < 0.05), and histomorphology (p < 0.001). Improvement of hypertension was not associated with any of these factors.ConclusionsRetroperitoneoscopic removal of adrenal glands in patients with Conn’s syndrome is a safe, rapidly performed surgical procedure and can thus be considered as first choice option for treatment of both solitary adrenal adenomas and hyperplasia presenting with a clinically predominating nodule.
Sensorial and Physico‐Chemical Characterization of Virgin Olive Oils Produced in Çanakkale
Authors: Öğütçü Mustafa , Mendeş Mehmet , Yılmaz Emin 
Published: March 2008

AbstractThe objective of the present study was to characterize the virgin olive oils (28 samples from the 2005–06 seasons) produced in the Çanakkale region. The total phenolics of the samples ranged from 34.60 to 162.61 mg gallic acid/kg. Similarly, antioxidant capacity was indicated by a range of 0.25–1.66 mmol Trolox equivalent/kg. Samples with a greater antioxidant capacity also had the highest phenolic content. Viscosity of the samples (60.4–66.3 cP) and instrumental color values (L, a*, and b*) were not statistically different among the five counties. Peroxide values of some samples were out of this range, indicating oxidation problems. The sensory quantitative description (QDA) of the appearance, aroma, flavor and mouthfeel of the olive oil samples was using 14 defining terms developed by the panel. Also, a canonical correlation analysis was performed to investigate the relationship between physico‐chemical and QDA measurements. The five geographic counties of Çanakkale were found to be statistically not different from each other (p > 0.05). All regions had olive oils which were mostly olive‐like, grassy, faintly bitter, very yellow and clear with a small amount of green color.
Separation and Determination of Functional Complex Lipids from Chicken Skin
Authors: Yunoki Keita , Kukino Osamu , Nadachi Yoshitaka , Fujino Takehiko , Ohnishi Masao 
Published: March 2008

AbstractComplex lipids including sphingolipid and plasmalogens were expected to be used as functional supplement, although their physiological activities have not been fully demonstrated. Although these complex lipids exist voluminously in brain and nervous tissues, hardly any animal resources of these lipids have been used since the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Thus, the chemical composition and concentration method of complex lipids from the skin of mature laying hens, a huge amount of which is wasted every year, has been investigated. Total lipid yield (32 g/100 g) prepared from chicken skin contained 2% complex lipids. Total lipids predominantly consisted of triacylglycerol (TAG), with phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin (SM) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) generally predominant as complex lipids. PE was primarily plasmalogens (62 mol%), of which arachidonic acid (47.6 mol%) and docosahexaenoic acid (11.2 mol%) were the predominant fatty acids. The component sphingoid base of sphingomyelin was almost totally 4‐trans sphingenine (sphingosine). The complex lipids were able to be separated from an ethanol extract of minced skin in good yield by solvent fractionation with a hexane/ethanol system. Moreover, highly purified SM (>95 wt%) was prepared by a combination of solvent fractionation and alkaline/acidic hydrolysis from the ethanol extract. Thus, it was shown that culled chicken skin could be a potential resource of the antioxidant phospholipid plasmalogens and human‐type sphingolipid.
Selected metabolic parameters and the risk for uterine fibroids
Authors: Sadlonova Jana , Kostal Milan , Smahelova Alena , Hendl Jan , Starkova Jitka , Nachtigal Petr 
Published: March 2008

AbstractObjectiveTo analyze the possible association between insulin resistance and dyslipidemia with uterine fibroids, using objective metabolic measurements.MethodA cross‐sectional study of 56 women with uterine fibroids (case group) and 20 women without fibroids (control group). Levels of fasting glucose, insulin, C‐peptide, sex hormone‐binding globulin, and the lipid panel were measured. The short insulin tolerance test was performed. Body mass index, atherogenic index, and the indicator of insulin resistance (Kitt) were also calculated.ResultsWomen with fibroids had significantly higher levels of serum HDL‐cholesterol compared with control patients (1.8 ± 0.3 vs 1.6 ± 0.5; P < 0.05). Women with fibroids aged 30–45 years had significantly lower LDL‐cholesterol levels than comparative control patients (2.9 ± 0.7 vs 3.4 ± 0.9; P < 0.05). A positive correlation between volume of the largest fibroid and serum HDL‐cholesterol level was found in women aged 30–45 years. There were no differences in indicators of insulin resistance between the groups.ConclusionInsulin resistance was not shown to be a risk factor for fibroids. There is a negative association between some parameters of metabolic syndrome and fibroid volume.
Acceptance of evidence‐based reproductive health care among postgraduate specialist trainees in Nigeria
Authors: Fawole Adeniran , Oladapo Olufemi , Enahoro Folashade , Akande Ebenezer 
Published: March 2008

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the perception and practice of evidence‐based reproductive health care among Nigerian postgraduate specialist trainee doctors.MethodA questionnaire survey of 326 Nigerian postgraduate specialist trainee doctors involved in reproductive health care was undertaken during training workshops on evidence‐based medicine.ResultsMost respondents were familiar with evidence‐based medicine (96.6%) and agreed that it would improve patient care (95.1%). Only 38.3% had ever received training on evidence‐based medicine. Awareness and utilization of resources for evidence‐based medicine were low; only 18.7% and 28.2% had ever used the Cochrane Library or the WHO Reproductive Health Library, respectively. Understanding of technical terms related to evidence‐based medicine was poor. Lack of access to evidence was the most common constraint to the practice of evidence‐based reproductive health care.ConclusionNigerian postgraduate specialist trainee doctors are positively disposed to evidence‐based reproductive health care but their understanding of the principles of evidence‐based practice is inadequate.
An Automated Approach to NMR Data Handling for Compound Validation and Registration
Authors: Bach Alvin C. , Massefski Walter W. , Mattes James F. 
Published: March 2008

We have designed and implemented a computer application called CHECKIN to submit open-access NMR data to the Wyeth Research compound validation and registration workflow process. At Wyeth Research, all analytical data used for compound validation and subsequent registration must be examined by Discovery Analytical Chemistry (DAC) staff. The traditional process required the medicinal chemist to submit vials of a pure sample to DAC to perform assays to validate its structure. For NMR analysis, DAC used this material to prepare a sample in deuterated solvent, which is used to collect one-dimensional 1H NMR data. DAC then reviews the spectra for consistency with the proposed chemical structure. This evaluation process was designed to reduce the number of misidentified compounds submitted to the corporate library by having a second set of eyes examine the data for each submission. This new computer application allows the medicinal chemist to select previously acquired hands-on NMR data and enter it into the standard workflow for evaluation, bypassing the sample preparation and data acquisition steps. The CHECKIN application saves time for the medicinal chemist and DAC staff, as well as compound library material for Wyeth. An explanation of the workflow and implementation for Bruker and Varian NMR data will be described.
The effect of representation of triggers on design outcomes
Authors: Sarkar Prabir , Chakrabarti Amaresh 
Published: March 2008

AbstractCreativity of designers can be enhanced by the application of appropriate triggers. The presence of triggers helps designers to search solution spaces. The searching of a solution space increases the possibility of finding creative solutions. Both representation and content of the triggers or stimulus to which the designers are exposed are believed to play a vital role in the representation and content of the outcome of the designers during problem solving. We studied the effect of representation of triggers on ideas generated by six design engineers while trying to solve a given problem. A variety of representations (video/animation and audio, text, explanation, and others) that are potentially useful to designers for five prespecified triggers were administered to each designer, who generated ideas in response to each trigger–representation combination individually. The effect of representations of these triggers on the content and representation of the solutions generated by the design engineers was studied. The results showed significant influence of the representation of the triggers on the representations, number, and quality of the resulting ideas that were generated.
Analogical recognition of shape and structure in design drawings
Authors: Yaner Patrick W. , Goel Ashok K. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractWe describe a method for constructing a structural model of an unlabeled target two-dimensional line drawing by analogy to a known source model of a drawing with similar structure. The source case is represented as a schema that contains its line drawing and its structural model represented at multiple levels of abstraction: the lines and intersections in the drawing, the shapes, the structural components, and connections of the device are depicted in the drawing. Given a target drawing and a relevant source case, our method of compositional analogy first constructs a representation of the lines and the intersections in the target drawing, then uses the mappings at the level of line intersections to transfer the shape representations from the source case to the target; next, it uses the mappings at the level of shapes to transfer the full structural model of the depicted system from the source to the target.
A lost Ambrosian antiphoner of Southern Italy
Authors: BAILEY TERENCE 
Published: March 2008

AbstractThe survival, as binding material, of a single folio written in Beneventan script and neumes provides evidence for the existence of the Ambrosian antiphoner prior to 1058 and the earliest diastematic source for several melodies. A certain confusion on the part of the Beneventan scribe suggests that the Ambrosian liturgy was not familiar to him, and from this we may infer that, in the eleventh century at least, it was not usual in his region. Since the purpose of the book to which the fragment belonged was not practical, we may speculate that the prompting for its production was a scholarly interest in the liturgy presumably practised by the Ostrogoth and Lombard rulers of the south from the sixth to the eighth century, former Arians whose forebears had been converted to orthodoxy while residing in Ambrosian territory.
The vigils of medieval Tuscany
Authors: BRAND BENJAMIN 
Published: March 2008

AbstractOf the liturgical ceremonies enacted by the papal court in the Middle Ages, few were as distinctive as the ‘double offices’ that occurred on nights before high feasts of the Sanctorale. These consisted of two night offices, a private ‘vigil’ enacted by the pope and his entourage at dusk and a public office at the normal hour of Matins. Even as this custom flourished in Rome through the twelfth century, it concomitantly migrated north to cathedrals throughout Tuscany. Typically comprising only one nocturn, the Tuscan vigils shed their once private character, presenting a selection of the plainsong and lessons of the night office at a convenient hour for the laity. They likewise acquired distinctively civic overtones as cathedral clerics employed them in honour of local patron saints. Nowhere was this transformation more evident than in Florence and Lucca, where the vigils of Sts Zenobius and Reparata, Regulus and Martin emerged as eminently public spectacles. In this way, Tuscan clerics transformed a venerable Roman tradition into an emblem of civic as well as ecclesiastical prestige.
Towards health-promoting and environmentally friendly regional diets – a Nordic example
Authors: Bere Elling , Brug Johannes 
Published: March 2008

AbstractBackgroundBecause most of the top determinants of the worldwide burden of disease are diet-related, the promotion of healthful diets is important for population health across the world. Furthermore, changes in eating habits may contribute to preservation of the environment.ObjectiveIn the present paper it is argued that the translation of health-promoting dietary recommendations into practical recommendations for healthful eating should be more tailored to regional circumstances. This will promote population health as well as help preserve cultural diversity in eating habits and contribute to more environmentally friendly eating. A regional Nordic diet, mimicking the Mediterranean diet to some extent, is presented as an example.ConclusionA theoretically health-enhancing Nordic diet is possible including six evidence-based ingredients: (i) native berries; (ii) cabbage; (iii) native fish and other seafood; (iv) wild (and pasture-fed) land-based animals; (v) rapeseed oil; and (vi) oat/barley/rye.
American Muslim Political Participation Following 9/11: Religious Belief, Political Resources, Social Structures, and Political Awareness
Authors: Ayers John W. , Hofstetter C. Richard 
Published: March 2008

AbstractUsing a nationwide survey of American Muslims conducted in 2004, we evaluate models of political participation, specifically the influence of religious characteristics, political resources, social structures, and political awareness on Muslims' reported political participation. American Muslims reported extremely high rates of political participation in comparison to the general public and in this regard are model citizens. Using path analysis, our findings concluded that religious beliefs were negatively associated with political participation, while measures of religious resources were positively related to participation. Social structures had mixed influence in most cases statistically indistinguishable from zero. Political resources and measures of political awareness, specifically feelings of anxiety following 9/11, were positively associated with participation.
Christian Right Horticulture: Grassroots Support in a Republican Primary Campaign
Authors: Djupe Paul A. , Neiheisel Jacob R. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractSeizing upon the opportunity afforded by a Republican primary contest in which a candidate backed by the Christian Right took on a candidate with connections to the party establishment, we examine the strength of the Christian right at the grassroots in Ohio. Using individual-level data compiled from an original survey instrument administered to over 1,000 Republican primary voters just after the May, 2006 primary, we present a more comprehensive model of both Christian Right support and the effect of Christian Right support on the vote choice. Instead of assuming a grassroots presence underpinning the movement, we assert and test the argument that natural elements of the social structure inhibit effective group access to collections of supporters. In doing so, we provide an explanation for the often observed gulf between movement identifiers and opinion-based supporters.
When Church Teachings and Policy Commitments Collide: Perspectives on Catholics in the U.S. House of Representatives
Authors: Oldmixon Elizabeth A. , Hudson William 
Published: March 2008

AbstractThis article investigates the influence of religious values on domestic social policy-making, with a particular focus on Catholics. We analyze roll call votes in the 109thCongress and find that Catholic identification is associated with support for Catholic Social Teaching, but both younger Catholics and Republican Catholics are found less supportive. In followup interviews with a small sample of Catholic Republicans, we find that they justify voting contrary to Church teaching by seeing its application to most domestic social issues as less authoritative than Church moral teachings on issues like abortion.
Post-translational modification and proteolytic processing of urinary osteopontin
Authors: Christensen Brian , Petersen Torben E. , Sørensen Esben S. 
Published: March 2008

OPN (osteopontin) is a highly phosphorylated glycoprotein present in many tissues and body fluids. In urine, OPN is a potent inhibitor of nucleation, growth and aggregation of calcium oxalate crystals, suggesting that it has a role in the prevention of renal stone formation. The role of OPN in nephrolithiasis is, however, somewhat unclear, as it may also be involved in urinary stone formation, and it has been identified among the major protein components of renal calculi. Most likely, the function of OPN in urine is dependent on the highly anionic character of the protein. Besides a very high content of aspartic and glutamic residues, OPN is subjected to significant PTM (post-translational modification), such as phosphorylation, sulfation and glycosylation, which may function as regulatory switches in promotion or inhibition of mineralization. In the present study, we have characterized the PTMs of intact human urinary OPN and N-terminal fragments thereof. MS analysis showed a mass of 37.7 kDa for the intact protein. Enzymatic dephosphorylation and peptide mass analyses demonstrated that the protein contains approximately eight phosphate groups distributed over 30 potential phosphorylation sites. In addition, one sulfated tyrosine and five O-linked glycosylations were identified in OPN, whereas no N-linked glycans were detected. Peptide mapping and immunoblotting using different monoclonal antibodies showed that the N-terminal fragments present in urine are generated by proteolytic cleavage at Arg228–Leu229 and Tyr230–Lys231.