bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Scale‐dependent automatic shifts in brand evaluation standards
Authors: Dimofte Claudiu V. , Johansson Johny K. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractDifferent schema‐based expectations for competing brands can produce shifting evaluative standards in consumers' relative ratings of these brands. This shift in standards differentially affects objective (number‐based) and subjective (word‐based) rating scales. Several studies support the proposition that a brand rated as objectively inferior to another can be subjectively perceived as equivalent to—or even better than—the same brand. Such anomalous response inconsistency originates in consumers' recourse to different expectations for the competing brands and their automatic adjustment of expectations for the inferior brand when responding to subjective measures. The implicit relaxing of evaluative standards for the objectively dominated brand leads to an unconscious upward bias in its subjective ratings. The effect is moderated by consumer expertise and is asymmetric—it is not accompanied by an escalation of evaluative standards for objectively dominating brands.
Genetic description of a divergent selection experiment in Angora rabbits with overlapping generations
Authors: Rafat S.A. , Allain D. , De Rochambeau H. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryThe chief aims of this paper were the following: (i) to describe the demography and genetic structure in two divergent selected lines for total fleece weight (TFW) of French Angora rabbits with overlapping generations; (ii) to describe the effects of inbreeding during an experiment of divergent selection. A study of longevity with the survival kit showed that there was no significant difference in the risk of death or culling between the low line (LL) and high line (HL). A significant effect of inbreeding (p < 0.05) was observed with a 30% higher risk factor in the highest class of inbreeding coefficient compared with the other classes. The means of generation interval were 562 and 601 days in LL and HL, respectively. The numbers of generations for LL and HL were 3.90 and 3.64, respectively. Generation intervals decreased significantly from 1995 to 2000 (p < 0.05). The number of daughters in HL was very variable. The number of animals per generation was higher in HL than in LL. Each buck left nearly three daughters to the next generation (2.52 in LL, 3.24 in HL). In both lines, the effective number of ancestor genomes still present in the genetic pool of the generation was around eight from the reference population of 1995 to that of 2001. Inbreeding in HL was always higher than in LL. The effect of inbreeding was also significant (p < 0.05) on TFW and live weight. The animals with the lowest inbreeding category produced a higher TFW (p < 0.05) than the others. The observed selection differentials were lower than that expected owing to the breeding animal management rules in order to control inbreeding increase.
Phyllosticta sp. nov., a New Pathogenic Species from Buxus sincia
Authors: Liu Qiu , Yu Jicheng , Hu Yingchang , Yan Jianfang , Cheng Hao , Qi Xiaohui 
Published: March 2009

AbstractIn a study of pathogenic fungi infecting Buxus sincia, an interesting Phyllosticta species was isolated. The morphological characteristics of this species, such as slow growing mycelia, large conidia each with a long flagellum tag on diagnostic media, plus phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rDNA ITS sequences indicated that the fungus is a distinct new species which is described.
Polygalacturonase, Pectate Lyase and Pectin Methylesterase Activity in Pathogenic Strains of Phytophthora capsici Incubated under Different Conditions
Authors: Jia Yong Jian , Feng Bao Zhen , Sun Wen Xiu , Zhang Xiu Guo 
Published: March 2009

AbstractPectolytic enzymes are found mainly in fungi and bacteria. The most widely occurring enzymes are polygalacturonase (PGs), pectin methylesterase (PMEs) and pectate lyase (PLs) produced during the infection process and during culturing. The secretion of these enzymes results in the disorganization of the plant cell walls, which is responsible for the pathogenicity of the pathogens. These enzymes degrade the pectin of plants causing maceration of plant tissues and the enzyme activity increases under favourable environmental conditions. We have found that Phytophthora capsici, a pathogenic oomycete, produces levels of these three enzymes equal to those produced by soft‐rotting Erwinia chrysanthemi. The activity of PGs, PLs and PMEs was investigated at the optimum temperature, pH and ionic strength in highly pathogenic P. capsici strains cultivated in two kinds of liquid medium containing either crude pepper extracts plus pectin or pectin as the carbon source. Virulence tests and enzymes activity showed that there was a high correlation between the enzyme activity and the pathogenicity of P. capsici. The effects of different carbon sources on the enzyme activity showed that pepper extract plus pectin was the best source for the carbon source.
Alfalfa germplasm from a Sahara oasis: characterization by means of bio‐agronomic traits and SSR markers
Authors: Carelli M. , Gnocchi G. , Scotti C. 
Published: March 2009

AbstractIn North African oases Medicago sativa ssp. sativa is likely to have been cultivated for long time without contacts with ssp. falcata. In order (i) to verify the genetic distinctiveness of the alfalfa germplasm of the oasis and (ii) to examine their internal variation, 17 farm landraces were collected in Siwa oasis (Egypt) and studied with four Egyptian and three Italian cultivars (120 plants/population) by means of bio‐agronomic characters in 2 years cultivation and SSR markers in ‘bulk’ samples. Siwa germplasm was similar to the cultivars for dry matter yield but differed for plant form, earliness and reaction to fall conditions; SSR analysis based on 31 polymorphic DNA fragments distinguished Siwa landraces from the two groups of varieties. The variation within Siwa group was of continuous type based on bio‐agronomic traits; average genetic similarity was high (0.8959) and UPGMA dendrogram suggests poor isolation among the landraces, although all, except two, were uniquely fingerprinted. The use of putative ‘pure’ subspecies of high agronomic value in the alfalfa variety construction process is discussed.
Application of surveillance programs for hepatocellular carcinoma in the Asia–Pacific Region
Authors: Amarapurkar Deepak , Han Kwang‐Hyub , Chan Henry Lik‐Yuen , Ueno Yoshiyuki ,   The Asia‐Pacific Working Party on Prevention of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Published: March 2009

AbstractHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a potential target for cancer surveillance (or screening) as it occurs in well‐defined, at‐risk populations and curative therapy is possible only for small tumors. Surveillance has been recommended by regional liver societies and is practiced widely, but its benefits are not clearly established. Hepatic ultrasonography with or without alpha fetoprotein (AFP) performed every 6 months is the preferred program. Surveillance of HCC has been well shown to detect small tumors for curative treatment, which may be translated to improved patient survival. However, most studies are limited by lead‐time bias, length bias for early diagnosis of small HCC, different tumor growth rates and poor compliance with surveillance. Cost‐effectiveness of surveillance programs depends on the rate of small HCC detected ‘accidentally’ (routine imaging) in a comparator group, annual incidence of HCC with various etiologies, patient age and the availability of liver transplantation. The incremental cost‐effectiveness for 6‐monthly AFP and ultrasound has been estimated from approximately $US26 000–74 000/quality adjusted life years (QALY). All cirrhotic patients are therefore recommended for HCC surveillance unless the disease is too advanced for any curative treatment. As chronic hepatitis B can develop into HCC without going through liver cirrhosis, high‐risk non‐cirrhotic chronic hepatitis B patients are also recommended for HCC surveillance. In conclusion, HCC surveillance could be effective at reducing disease‐specific mortality with acceptable cost‐effectiveness among selected patient groups, provided it is a well‐organized program.
M3 muscarinic receptor expression on suburothelial interstitial cells
Authors: Grol Simone , Essers Paul B.M. , Van Koeveringe Gommert A. , Martinez‐Martinez Piluca , De Vente Jan , Gillespie James I. 
Published: March 2009

OBJECTIVETo identify the cells expressing the M3 muscarinic receptor subtype in the lamina propria of the bladder.MATERIALS AND METHODSThe bladders from five normal guinea pigs were isolated and fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde. Tissues sections (10 µm) were then cut and stained with antibodies to the type 3 muscarinic receptor (M3), the interstitial cell marker vimentin and the nonspecific nerve marker PGP 9.5. The specificity of the antibody to the M3 receptor was established using the complementary blocking peptide and Western blot analysis of human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells transfected to express the M3 receptor protein.RESULTSThe M3 antibody pre‐incubated with its blocking peptide showed no immunohistochemical staining. Investigating this antibody using HEK cells transfected to express the M3 receptor protein and control HEK cells showed a single band in the transfected cells and no band in the control cells. M3 receptor immunoreactivity (M3‐IR) was detected primarily on a dense network of vimentin‐positive (vim+) cells lying immediately below the urothelium, i.e. the suburothelial interstitial cells (Su‐ICs). The M3‐IR was punctate and appeared to be located on the cell surface. The diffuse network of cells in the remaining regions of the lamina propria showed no M3‐IR. Few nerve fibres were associated with the M3‐IR Su‐ICs. The M3‐IR Su‐ICs were most numerous and prominent in the lateral wall. The number of M3‐IR/vim+ cells diminished towards the bladder base and were absent in the bladder urethral junction. In the base and urethral junction there were vim+ cells that were not M3‐IR. A population of umbrella cells in the lateral wall also showed weak punctate M3‐IR.CONCLUSIONSUsing a well‐characterized M3 antibody, these results show for the first time that the M3 muscarinic receptor in the lamina propria is located specifically on the Su‐ICs. The physiological role of these cells is unknown and consequently the significance of what appears to be a cholinergic signalling system is unclear. Previously published data showed that these cells respond to nitric oxide and atrial natriuretic peptide with an increase in cGMP and possibly prostaglandin. All of these observations, taken together, suggest that the Su‐ICs receive multiple inputs and that they must be part of a complex signalling system in this region of the bladder wall.
Long‐term changes in bone mineral density and predicted fracture risk in patients receiving androgen‐deprivation therapy for prostate cancer, with stratification of treatment based on presenting values
Authors: Wadhwa Vivek K. , Weston Robin , Mistry Rahul , Parr Nigel J. 
Published: March 2009

OBJECTIVETo study the long‐term effects of androgen‐deprivation therapy (ADT) using luteinizing hormone‐releasing hormone (LHRH) agonists or antiandrogen therapy with bicalutamide on bone mineral density (BMD) of selected groups of patients with newly diagnosed advanced prostate cancer, stratified by BMD at presentation and to predict alterations in fracture risk.PATIENTS AND METHODSIn all, 618 men with a mean (sd, range) age of 73 (7.1, 49–94) years, initiating ADT for prostate cancer were prospectively recruited and followed from October 1999 to January 2007. BMD was measured by forearm dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DEXA) before ADT and repeated annually. Patients with osteoporosis (T‐score ≤−2.5) were commenced on bicalutamide; patients with osteopenia (T‐score between −1.0 and −2.5) and normal BMD (T‐score > −1.0) were commenced on an LHRH agonist. Patients with osteopenia and osteoporosis received calcium and vitamin D supplements.RESULTSOver 7 years, 1690 DEXA scans were performed. In all, 41% of patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancer were osteoporotic, 39% were osteopenic and 20% had normal BMD. In the normal group, treated with an LHRH agonist, there were significant decreases in BMD (1 year 1.2%; 2 year 3.7%; 3 year 6.5%; 4 year 8.9%; 5 year 9.9%; 6 year 12.7%), which also occurred in the patients with osteopenia with 60% developing osteoporosis after 2 years (1 year 1.8%; 2 year 5.1%; 3 year 8.0%; 4 year 8.2%; 5 year 11.5%; 6 year 14.1%). By contrast, the osteoporotic group maintained BMD (1 year 0.5%; 2 year 0%; 3 year +1.2%; 4 year 0.5%; 5 year 1.7%; 6 year 2.2%).CONCLUSIONPatients treated with an LHRH agonist have significant and sustained decreases in BMD, whereas bicalutamide maintains BMD. We advocate routine assessment of BMD before ADT, with surveillance thereafter.
Impact of different patterns of nonadherence on the outcome of highly active antiretroviral therapy in patients with long‐term follow‐up
Authors: Knobel H , Urbina O , González A , Sorlí ML , Montero M , Carmona A , Guelar A 
Published: March 2009

ObjectivesThe aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of different patterns of nonadherence on treatment outcomes in patients with long‐term follow‐up.MethodsThis cohort study included patients who began highly active antiretroviral therapy during 1996–1999, with the last follow‐up in 2007. Adherence was evaluated every 2 months by monitoring of pharmacy refills and by using self‐reports. Patients were considered nonadherent at a specific visit when less than 90% of the prescribed drugs had been taken. Adherence was categorized as follows. (A) Continuous adherence: a patient had to be adherent in all of the evaluations throughout the period of follow‐up. (B) Treatment interruption: drugs were not taken for more than 3 days, for any reason. Treatment failure was defined as viral load >500 HIV‐1 RNA copies/mL or death. Cox proportional risk models were used to calculate adjusted relative hazards (ARHs) of treatment failure.ResultsA total of 540 patients were included in the study, with a median follow‐up of 8.3 years. Only 32.78% of patients achieved and maintained continuous adherence, and 42.78% of patients had treatment interruptions. Noncontinuous adherence [ARH 1.48; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02–2.14] and treatment interruptions (ARH 1.39; 95% CI 1.04–1.85) were associated with treatment failure for the overall cohort; however, for patients with more than 3 years of follow‐up, only treatment interruptions were independently associated with treatment failure.ConclusionsOnly one‐third of patients managed to achieve continuous adherence, and almost half of the patients had treatment interruptions, which have a particularly marked effect on treatment outcomes over the long term.
Expression of extracellular matrix genes in cultured hepatic oval cells: an origin of hepatic stellate cells through transforming growth factor beta?
Authors: Wang Ping , Liu Tianhui , Cong Min , Wu Xiaoning , Bai Yanfeng , Yin Chenghong , An Wei , Wang Baoen , Jia Jidong , You Hong 
Published: March 2009

AbstractBackground: Hepatic oval cells, progenitor cells in the liver, can differentiate into hepatocytes and bile duct cells both in vitro and in vivo. Although hepatic stellate cells are another important cell component in the liver, less attention has been focused on the relationship between hepatic oval cells and hepatic stellate cells.Methods: Hepatic oval cells were isolated from rats fed a choline‐deficient diet supplemented with 0.1% ethionine for 6 weeks and characterized by electron microscopy, flow cytometry, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, Western blot and bi‐direction differentiation. After treatment with transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1), changes in cell viability, morphology, extracellular matrix (ECM) expression and immune phenotype were analysed in these cultured and adherent hepatic oval cells.Results: The primary cultured hepatic oval cells were positive for the oval cell‐specific markers OV‐6, BD‐1/BD‐2 and M2PK as well as the hepatocyte markers albumin and α‐foetoprotein. These hepatic oval cells differentiated bipotentially into hepatocytes or bile duct‐like cells under appropriate conditions. It is noteworthy that these bipotential hepatic oval cells expressed ECM genes stably, including collagens, matrix metalloproteinases and tissue inhibitor of mellatoproteinase. Furthermore, except for growth inhibition and morphological changes in the hepatic oval cells after exposure to TGF‐β1, there was an increased expression of ECM genes, the onset expression of snail and loss expression of E‐cadherin. During this process, TGF‐β1 treatment induced an upregulation of marker genes for hepatic stellate cells in hepatic oval cells, such as desmin and GFAP.Conclusion: Except for the expression of ECM, the cultured hepatic oval cells could induce an increased expression of hepatic stellate cell markers by TGF‐β1 through an epithelial–mesenchymal transition process, which might indicate the contribution of hepatic oval cells to liver fibrosis.
A history of neuroimaging in epilepsy 1909–2009
Authors: Shorvon Simon D. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryProfound advances in the field of clinical imaging in epilepsy occurred between 1909 and 2009, the century of the International League Against Epilepsy, and these are reviewed briefly in this paper. Initially imaging was carried out with plain x‐ray, air encephalography, and angiography, and these techniques had a relatively minor role in epilepsy. Computerized tomographic (CT) scanning was introduced in 1971, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) a decade or so later, and both these technologies had an immediate and far‐reaching impact on epilepsy. MRI techniques continued to evolve during the 1990s and profoundly influenced many aspects of epilepsy clinical practice. These structural imaging techniques revealed pathological lesions in large numbers of patients with hitherto cryptogenic epilepsy, widened the indications for surgical therapy, and improved our understanding of the pathogenesis and etiology of epilepsy. In recent years, the research focus has turned to fMRI but its impact on epilepsy currently is relatively small. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) also have had a limited impact on clinical practice in epilepsy.
International Linkages and National Innovation Rates: An Exploratory Probe1
Authors: Taylor Mark Zachary 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe conventional wisdom among political economists holds that domestic institutions determine national innovation rates. However, after decades of research, there is still no agreement on precisely which domestic institutions matter or exactly how they affect innovation rates. Anecdotal observations within the research on institutions suggest that international linkages may be the missing piece to the national innovation rate puzzle. An exploratory probe is therefore performed here using regression analysis of various measures of innovation, domestic institutions, and international linkages. The results suggest that countries' relationships with the lead innovator strongly affect their innovation rates. The probe further suggests that research should move beyond institutions and linkages, and should focus instead on their political origins. That is, the current focus on institutions or linkages studies effects, not causes. It fails to get at the politics of technological change: the fundamental choices which nations must make in order to innovate successfully in the long run.
GEOMETRICAL, THERMAL AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF OLIVE FRUITS
Authors: AL‐WIDYAN MOHAMAD I. , RABABAH TAHA M. , MAYYAS AHMAD , AL‐SHBOOL MOH'D , YANG W. 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACT In Mediterranean countries, olive trees play a significant economical role. Knowledge of olive fruits properties is essential for the efficient handling of the product and optimizing oil yield. The lack of such knowledge at the local level triggered this study in an attempt to report the fruit's chemical composition and some major engineering properties. Established procedures were followed in conducting the measurements and calculations on fruit samples. The study examined four major varieties of olive fruits, including Spanish, Black Spanish, improved Nabali and Nabali Baladi for their chemical composition and other properties, including geometrical, thermal and frictional properties. Thermal properties, including thermal conductivity, heat capacity and thermal diffusivity, ranged from 0.41 to 0.47 W/(m·K), 2.35 to 2.39 kJ/(kg·K) and 2.88 × 10−7to 2.779 × 10−7 m2/s, respectively. The geometrical properties of the Spanish and Black Spanish were quite similar except for roundness and sphericity. Similar results were found for improved Nabali and Nabali Baladi. The properties of weight, density and packing coefficient ranged from 2.22 to 8.60 g, 890 to 1,230 kg/m3 and 0.43 to 0.52, respectively. The fruit's static friction coefficient over mild steel, aluminum and softwood surfaces ranged from 0.20 to 0.30, 0.21 to 0.29 and 0.22 to 0.33, respectively.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSIn Jordan and other Mediterranean countries, olive fruits are produced in large quantities every season. They are very widely used as pickled fruits or are processed in mills to extract their oil. Despite the fact that fruit properties are a necessary prerequisite for the efficient handling and processing of fruits, literature search indicated the lack of a comprehensive study of scientific merit that reports on the engineering properties of olive fruits. In addition, it is established that knowledge of the fruit properties leads to optimized handling and processing and results in knowledge‐based development of all processes and equipment that deal with the fruits. The practical merit of this study stems from the fact that it reports on the key properties of a major product (olive fruits) that has social, cultural and economical significance throughout a whole region and is expanding throughout the globe.
Phylogeny of nucleus medianus of the posterior tubercle in rayfinned fishes
Authors: NORTHCUTT R. Glenn 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe brains of ray‐finned fishes form a morphocline of increasing complexity, from cladistians through teleosts. This is particularly apparent in the posterior tubercle of the diencephalon. In cladistians, the posterior tubercle consists of a periventricular nucleus and a migrated nucleus medianus that is fused across the midline. In more advanced ray‐finned fishes, such as gars and bowfins, the posterior tubercle comprises numerous additional migrated nuclei, termed the preglomerular complex, in addition to a more well developed nucleus medianus. In teleosts, the most derived ray‐finned fishes, there is an even more elaborate preglomerular complex, but there is no recognizable nucleus medianus. In an attempt to explain the variation in the posterior tubercle of the diencephalon in ray‐finned fishes, the immunohistochemistry and connections of nucleus medianus were examined in cladistians, gars and bowfins. In each of these taxa, nucleus medianus exhibits large numbers of calretinin‐positive neurons and has ascending projections that terminate in several divisions of the pallium. Although teleosts, such as goldfish, also exhibit numerous cell groups in the posterior tubercle that are rich in calretinin, none of these cell groups has connections that are comparable to those of nucleus medianus in non‐teleost ray‐finned fishes. It is possible, therefore, that nucleus medianus was lost with the origin of teleosts.