bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A summary of findings from the 5‐year Lipgene project
Authors: Caswell H. 
Published: February 2009

SummaryYear on year the number of Europeans classed as overweight or obese is increasing. With this rise in obesity comes an associated increase in the number of people suffering from the metabolic syndrome. Over the past five years Lipgene has investigated the association between diet, genetics and the metabolic syndrome, in a bid to help better understand the possible causes behind this disease and the most effective treatment strategies. Findings from this project indicate that by modifying the fatty acid content of commonly consumed food products, including milk, meat and rapeseed oil, thousands of lives could be saved across Europe each year.
Information from multiple modalities helps 5‐month‐olds learn abstract rules
Authors: Frank Michael C. , Slemmer Jonathan A. , Marcus Gary F. , Johnson Scott P. 
Published: February 2009

Abstract By 7 months of age, infants are able to learn rules based on the abstract relationships between stimuli (

Marcus
et al
., 1999

), but they are better able to do so when exposed to speech than to some other classes of stimuli. In the current experiments we ask whether multimodal stimulus information will aid younger infants in identifying abstract rules. We habituated 5‐month‐olds to simple abstract patterns (ABA or ABB) instantiated in coordinated looming visual shapes and speech sounds (Experiment 1), shapes alone (Experiment 2), and speech sounds accompanied by uninformative but coordinated shapes (Experiment 3). Infants showed evidence of rule learning only in the presence of the informative multimodal cues. We hypothesize that the additional evidence present in these multimodal displays was responsible for the success of younger infants in learning rules, congruent with both a Bayesian account and with the Intersensory Redundancy Hypothesis.
On the role and fate of sugars in human nutrition and health. Introduction
Authors: Palou A. , Bonet M. L. , Picó C. 
Published: February 2009

SummaryThe recently implemented European Regulation (EC) No. 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods is fuelling scientific research efforts in the food and health arena. Essentially, it is now established that only claims that are scientifically substantiated will be allowed. Because this new legislation covers the idea that foods with health or nutritional claims might be perceived by consumers as having a health advantage over products without claims, it introduces a further requirement (enclosing the new concept of ‘nutrient profile’) to avoid a situation where claims could mislead consumers when trying to make healthy choices in the context of a balanced diet. Thus, only those foods having an appropriate nutrition profile (composition of different nutrients such as sugars and other substances with particularly relevant nutritional or physiological effects) will be allowed to bear claims. A scientific expert workshop was organized to critically review the available evidence behind current intake recommendations for sugars, focusing on the strength/gaps of the scientific evidence available and the identification of those fields where further research is needed. Work was distributed in the following topics covering potential effects of dietary sugars on (i) body weight control; (ii) diabetes‐insulin resistance; (iii) dental health and (iv) micronutrient dilution. New approaches, including intervention studies and the application of nutrigenomic technologies, should be undertaken and interpreted bearing in mind that foods, food components and their combinations can have both positive and negative effects on health, thus requiring benefit–risk analysis.
Trade Unions and Work‐life Balance: Changing Times in France and the UK?
Authors: Gregory Abigail , Milner Susan 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThe mixed empirical findings to date have indicated that some, but not all, unions in industrialized countries are actively involved in campaigning and bargaining around work–life balance (WLB) issues, as part of a modernization agenda linked to feminization and to ‘positive flexibility’. This article seeks to identify factors that might encourage or inhibit trade unions from involvement in WLB issues, within a cross‐national comparative perspective focusing on two countries (France and the UK) that have contrasting working time regimes and approaches to WLB. It draws on original research carried out in two sectors — insurance and social work — in these two countries. The article links the emergence of union WLB programmes and bargaining agendas to gender‐equality concerns within the union and to the gender composition of the sector, as well as to the working time regime, including the mode of action, partnership being a significant corollary of WLB campaigning in the UK. We find support for the modernization thesis in the UK, particularly in the public sector, but within severe constraints defined by employer initiative.
M-Estimation of Boolean Models for Particle Flow Experiments
Authors: Osborne Jason A. , Grift Tony E. 
Published: February 2009

Summary
Probability models are proposed for passage time data collected in experiments with a device that was designed to measure particle flow during aerial application of fertilizer. Maximum likelihood estimation of flow intensity is reviewed for the simple linear Boolean model, which arises with the assumption that each particle requires the same known passage time. M-estimation is developed for a generalization of the model in which passage times behave as a random sample from a distribution with a known mean. The generalized model improves the fit in these experiments. An estimator of total particle flow is constructed by conditioning on lengths of multiparticle clumps.
BETWEEN WARRIORS AND CHAMPIONS: WARFARE AND SOCIAL CHANGE IN THE LATER PREHISTORY OF THE NORTH‐WESTERN IBERIAN PENINSULA1
Authors: GONZÁLEZ GARCÍA FRANCISCO JAVIER 
Published: February 2009

SummaryThis article explores changes in the ‘art of warfare’ among societies in the north‐western Iberian Peninsula in the Late Bronze and Iron Ages. These changes are interpreted as a manifestation of the transformation experienced by societies living in the region first from ‘warrior societies’ to ‘societies with warriors’ at the end of the Bronze Age and then back to ‘warrior societies’ in the Late Iron Age. Evidence of individual combat as a manifestation of ‘societies with warriors’ is analysed in the broader context of Indo‐European and ethnographical examples. It reflects societies in which there were groups specialized in warfare and represents the establishment, in the region, of an Indo‐European warrior ideology.
Adult cervicocerebral artery dissection: a single‐center study of 301 Finnish patients
Authors: Metso T. M. , Metso A. J. , Salonen O. , Haapaniemi E. , Putaala J. , Artto V. , Helenius J. , Kaste M. , Tatlisumak T. 
Published: February 2009

Background and purpose:  There are only few small studies assessing potential risk factors, comorbidity, and prognostic factors in adult spontaneous cervicocerebral artery dissection (CAD).Methods:  We conducted a retrospective, hospital‐based analysis on the prognostic factors and association of CAD with vascular risk factors in 301 consecutive Finnish patients, diagnosed from 1994 to 2007.Results:  Two thirds of the patients were men (68%). Women were younger than men. Migraine (36% of all patients), especially with visual aura (63% of all migraineurs), and smoking were more common in patients with CAD compared with the general Finnish population. At 3 months, 247 (83%) patients reached a favorable outcome. Occlusion of the dissected artery, internal carotid artery dissection (ICAD), and recent infection in infarction patients were associated with a poorer outcome. ICAD patients had less often brain infarction, but the strokes they had were more severe. Seven (2.3%) patients died during the follow‐up (mean 4.0 years, 1186 patient years). Six (2%) patients had verified CAD recurrence.Conclusions:  This study provides evidence for the association of CAD with male sex, and possible association with smoking and migraine. Occlusion of the dissected artery, ICAD, and infection appear to be associated with poorer outcome.
Blastocyst environment and its influence on offspring cardiovascular health: the heart of the matter
Authors: Watkins Adam J. , Fleming Tom P. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThe development of adult‐onset diseases such as type II diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease is traditionally attributed to adult lifestyle characteristics such as a lack of physical exercise, poor diet and smoking. However, evidence from both human and animal model studies has demonstrated that environmental factors such as an imbalance or reduction in maternal nutrition during gestation can have adverse effects on offspring metabolism and cardiovascular health. The severity and nature of the phenotypic changes induced in offspring is influenced by the period of gestation manipulated. In particular, the mammalian preimplantation embryo in different animal models displays particular sensitivity to environmental factors, eitherin vivo(maternal diet) orin vitro(embryo culture) that is associated with the onset of cardiovascular dysfunction in adult life. The detailed mechanisms by which environmental conditions can alter postnatal cardiovascular physiology are poorly understood. However, various factors including endothelial function, vascular responsiveness, the renin‐angiotensin system, kidney structure and early postnatal growth dynamics have all been recognize as potential contributors. Here, we review the relationship between preimplantation embryo environment and postnatal cardiovascular disease risk, and consider biochemical, molecular, genetic and physiological pathways implicated in this association.
Oxygen as modulator of trophoblast invasion
Authors: Huppertz Berthold , Gauster Martin , Orendi Kristina , König Julia , Moser Gerit 
Published: February 2009

AbstractAt the time of blastocyst implantation the uterine spiral arteries have already undergone morphological changes in the absence of any extravillous trophoblast invasion. Only 2 weeks after implantation, extravillous trophoblast cells develop and come into first contact with decidual tissues. Invading through the decidual interstitium, extravillous trophoblasts potentially reach and transform spiral arteries into uteroplacental arteries. Spiral arterial erosion starts at about mid‐first trimester, whereas flow of maternal blood into the intervillous space is continuously established only at the beginning of the second trimester. One key regulator of the number of extravillous trophoblasts is oxygen. The steep gradient in oxygen concentration within the first trimester placenta is diminished with the onset of maternal blood flow. This gradient is used by the trophoblast to generate a large number of invasive cells to adapt the arterial vasculature in the placental bed to the growing needs of the fetus. Changes in oxygen concentrations or other factors leading to alterations in the rates of proliferation and/or apoptosis of extravillous trophoblast clearly impact on the remodelling of the vessels. The respective consequences of a failure in trophoblast invasion are growth restrictions of the baby and perhaps other pregnancy complications.
Dynamics of Mara–Serengeti ungulates in relation to land use changes
Authors: Ogutu J. O. , Piepho H.‐P. , Dublin H. T. , Bhola N. , Reid R. S. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractAnimal population dynamics can be driven by changing climatic forcing, shifting habitat conditions, trophic interactions and anthropogenic influences. To understand these influences, we analyzed trends in populations of seven ungulate species counted during 15 years (1989–2003) of monthly monitoring using vehicle ground counts in the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. Abundance of six species declined markedly and persistently throughout the reserve during this period. The declines were contemporaneous with progressive habitat deterioration due to changing land use in pastoral ranches bordering the reserve, habitat desiccation due to rising temperatures, recurrent severe droughts and an exceptional ENSO flood in 1997–1998. The effect of progressive habitat deterioration was accentuated by illicit harvest, competition with livestock and elevated predation. After factoring out the influence of rainfall, ungulate populations declined more markedly in sections of the reserve experiencing greater livestock incursions and poaching. The declines were significantly correlated with increasing number of settlements and people in the pastoral ranches for five species. Heightened predation following a crash in the buffalo Syncerus caffer population during a severe drought in 1993 had little support as the primary cause of the declines.
Rivers as barriers for high elevation amphibians: a phylogeographic analysis of the alpine stream frog of the Hengduan Mountains
Authors: Li R. , Chen W. , Tu L. , Fu J. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractAt high altitude, rivers may function as barriers for amphibians. We examined 21 populations of Scutiger boulengeri from the Hengduan Mountains with 1038 base pairs of mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequences. The haplotypes of S. boulengeri formed three clades on the gene tree, and each clade was restricted to one mountain ridge separated by two major river systems, the Yalong River and the Dadu River. The vicariant pattern of the gene tree suggests that these rivers functioned as effective barriers during population differentiation. On the other hand, mountain ridges may have facilitated amphibian movement. Populations within the uninterrupted mountain ranges of clades II and III, revealed little genetic structure. The northern clade I, harboured a substantial amount of genetic variation, which might be the consequence of the rugged terrain and heterogeneous habitat of this area. Furthermore, one outgroup species, Scutiger glandulatus, formed the fourth clade and nested within S. boulengeri, suggesting that S. boulengeri is likely a paraphyletic species or a species complex.
Genetic differentiation within the inbred C57BL/6J mouse strain
Authors: Niu Y. , Liang S. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThe C57BL/6J (B6) inbred mouse strain is commonly used in biomedical researches. However, some unexpected inconsistency was reported compared with previous studies, and in most cases, it can be attributed to environmental, epigenetic or stochastic differences. The goal of this study was to investigate the genetic stability of the B6 strain maintained in different breeders. B6 mice purchased from five Chinese commercial breeders were examined, and mitochondrial D‐loop sequence and 18 microsatellite loci were genotyped. There is no difference in the D‐loop sequences, but variations exist in the nucleic microsatellite markers. Combining the data from MGI_4.01, a significant divergence is observed among those mice. The present study indicates that different B6 mice share the common maternal lineage and are still inbred in each breeder, but subline divergence occurs.
Modelling species distribution in complex environments: an evaluation of predictive ability and reliability in five shorebird species
Authors: Heinänen Stefan , Von Numers Mikael 
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACTAim  Many wader populations around the world are declining as a consequence of habitat degradation or loss. It is therefore important to identify species‐specific habitat demands accurately and to define the important factors explaining species distribution, in order to develop tools that can be used in conservation planning. The aim of this study is to create reliable, functional and ecologically interpretable predictive distribution models for five breeding wader species.Location  The archipelago of SW Finland in the Baltic Sea.Methods  We used multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) to create single‐species and multiresponse distribution models based on 525 study islands and 12 abiotic and biotic environmental variables. Model evaluation was carried out on independent data not used in model building (100 + 116 islands). The models were tested for discrimination with receiver‐operating characteristic statistics and for calibration with Millers calibration statistics (MCS).Results  The single‐species models for the turnstone (Arenaria interpres), redshank (Tringa totanus) and oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) showed good predictive abilities, regarding both discrimination and calibration, when evaluated on independent data. The multiresponse models for the less prevalent species, common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) and the common ringed plover (Charadrius hiaticula) had better discriminative abilities than the single‐species models. The most influential predictor overall was occurrence of small larids. Exposure, area of forest and low and flat areas were also important, as well as shore habitats.Main conclusions  We found that the ability of MARS to fit non‐linear and multiresponse models makes it a useful method to quantitatively relate species occurrence to environmental characteristics of a complex environment.
A comparison of the Goldmann applanation and non‐contact (Keeler Pulsair EasyEye) tonometers and the effect of central corneal thickness in indigenous African eyes
Authors: Babalola O. E. , Kehinde A. V. , Iloegbunam A. C. , Akinbinu T. , Moghalu C. , Onuoha I. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThe Keeler Pulsair EasyEye non‐contact tonometer (NCT) was introduced into practice at Rachel Eye Center Abuja, Nigeria, where the patients are indigenous Africans. This was compared to the ‘gold standard’ Goldmann applanation tonometer (GAT) to determine if the instrument was accurate in Africans, with particular reference to the influence of central corneal thickness (CCT).Patients and methods: 174 eyes of 88 patients were analysed. Pachymetry was performed using Sonomed PacScan AP300, and GAT with the Haag Streit R‐900. Pachymetric corrections of NCT (NCTc) and GAT (GATc) were carried out with the Sonomed algorithm. Pearson’s correlation r, linear regression analysis, Student t‐test and Bland–Altman analysis were used to compare the instruments.Results: Mean NCT readings were similar (17.36 mmHg) to mean GAT (17.42 mmHg; p = 0.769). GAT/NCT correlation coefficient, r, was 0.883 as compared with 0.868 for GATc/NCTc. The linear regression equation was GAT = 2.79 + 0.84*NCT (r2 = 0.78). Forty‐five per cent of differences were within 1 mmHg, while 79% were within 3 mmHg. This was similar to findings in some studies on Caucasians. Bland–Altman analysis however suggested that the spread of differences was wider than in those studies. Outliers (differences more than 5 mmHg) sometimes reflected difficulties encountered with GAT in routine practice. Mean CCT was 537.9 μm, (S.D. 38.4, 95% confidence interval 532.1–543.7 μm) and CCT appeared lower than in Caucasians. Both GAT and NCT IOP tended to rise with increasing CCT but NCT had a greater tendency to do so. Regression analysis suggested that NCT IOP increased by 0.6 mmHg for every 10 μm increase in CCT, compared to 0.4 mmHg for GAT. Thirty‐eight per cent of the patients preferred NCT as opposed to 25% GAT.Conclusions: The Keeler Pulsair EasyEye gives reliable measurements of IOP in African eyes but is significantly affected by CCT. Particularly in borderline cases where management decisions have to be taken, it may be necessary to have pachymetric corrections based on an NCT algorithm, which appears steeper than the GAT algorithm.
Height, weight, body mass index and ocular biometry in patients with sickle cell disease
Authors: Osuobeni Ebi Peter , Okpala Iheanyi , Williamson Tom H. , Thomas Peter 
Published: February 2009

AbstractPurpose:  To investigate the effects of physical size on refractive error and the dimensions of optical components in sickle cell disease (SCD).Methods:  The design was cross sectional. Height and weight of adult patients suffering from SCD were measured, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Anterior chamber depth (ACD), lens thickness (LT), vitreous chamber depth (VCD) and axial length (AL) were measured using A‐scan ultrasonography. Corneal radius of curvature (CR) was measured using a keratometer. Non‐cycloplegic refractive error was determined subjectively.Results:  Subjects with SC genotype were significantly taller than those with SS genotype. In the unadjusted data, height was correlated with VCD [p = 0.02, 0.44 mm deeper per 10 cm increase in height, 95% CI (0.65, 8.25)] and AL [p = 0.03, 0.42 mm longer for every 10 cm increase in height, 95%CI (0.49, 7.99)]. The relationship between height, VCD and AL was absent after adjustment for age, gender, genotype and weight. BMI (kg m−2) was correlated with AL/CR ratio in both unadjusted (p = 0.04, −0.10 decrease per 1 kg m−2, 95% CI (−0.018, −0.001) and adjusted data (p = 0.05, −0.10 decrease per 10 kg m−2, 95% CI (−0.0189, 0.0001). Refractive error was not related to height, weight or BMI.Conclusions:  Physical size does not affect refractive error or optical components in adult patients with SCD.
Accommodation modulates the individual difference between objective and subjective measures of the final convergence step response
Authors: Jainta S. , Hoormann J. , Jaschinski W. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractMeasuring vergence eye movements with dichoptic nonius lines (subjectively) usually leads to an overestimation of the vergence state after a step response: a subjective vergence overestimation (SVO). We tried to reduce this SVO by presenting a vergence stimulus that decoupled vergence and accommodation during the step response, i.e. reduced the degree of ‘forced vergence’. In a mirror‐stereoscope, we estimated convergence step responses with nonius lines presented at 1000 ms after a disparity step‐stimulus and compared it to objective recordings (EyeLink II;n = 6). We presented a vertical line, a cross/rectangle stimulus and a difference‐of‐gaussians (DOG) pattern. For 180 min arc step stimuli, the subjective measures revealed a larger final vergence response than the objective measure; for the vertical line this SVO was 20 min arc, while it was significantly smaller for the DOG (12 min arc). For 60 min arc step‐responses, no overestimation was observed. Additionally, we measured accommodation, which changed more for the DOG‐pattern compared with the line‐stimulus; this relative increase correlated with the corresponding relative change of SVO (r = 0.77). Both findings (i.e. no overestimation for small steps and a weaker one for the DOG‐pattern) reflect lesser conflicting demand on accommodation and vergence under ‘forced‐vergence’ viewing; consequently, sensory compensation is reduced and subjective and objective measures of vergence step responses tend to agree.