bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Acute Toxicity and Cholinesterase Inhibition in Chicks Dosed Orally with Organophosphate Insecticides
Authors: Mohammad Fouad , Al-Badrany Yasser , Al-Jobory Mohammed 
Published: September 2008

Acute Toxicity and Cholinesterase Inhibition in Chicks Dosed Orally with Organophosphate InsecticidesAcute toxic effects of three commonly used insecticidal preparations of the organophosphates chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and dichlorvos were examined in mixed breed broiler chicks, and cholinesterase activity in plasma and brain were measured. The acute (24 h) oral median lethal doses (LD50) of chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and dichlorvos were 10.79 mg kg-1, 6.32 mg kg-1, and 6.30 mg kg-1, respectively, as determined by the up-and-down method in chicks. Signs of cholinergic toxicosis in the chicks appeared within two hours after dosing, and they included salivation, lacrimation, gasping, frequent defecation, drooping of wings, tremors, convulsions, and recumbency before death. Halving the oral LD50 of chlorpyrifos (5 mg kg-1), diazinon (3 mg kg-1), and dichlorvos (3 mg kg-1) caused immobility and wing drooping, but not the clinical signs of cholinergic toxicity. However, at full LD50 doses of these insecticides, chicks showed clinical signs of cholinergic toxicity similar to those seen in the LD50 experiments. Two out of six chicks died within two hours after treatment with LD50 doses of chlorpyrifos and dichlorvos, whereas LD50 dosing with diazinon caused death in three out of six chicks. Compared to control values, the insecticides reduced plasma and whole brain cholinesterase activities by 29 % to 84 % and 18 % to 77 %, respectively, depending on the dose. The decrease in plasma cholinesterase correlated well (r = 0.82) with that of the brain. These data suggest that organophosphate insecticides administered orally at LD50 doses induce clinical signs of cholinergic poisoning and concurrently reduce brain and plasma cholinesterase activities in chicks.
Profiles of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in Aquatic Biota
Authors: Roots Ott , Zitko Vladimir , Kiviranta Hannu , Rantakokko Panu 
Published: September 2008

Profiles of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in Aquatic BiotaThe profiles (concentrations scaled to a sum of 100) of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in aquatic fauna differ from those of the commercial PBDE formulations, particularly by a much higher proportion of the congener 47. At the same time, the profiles reported by different authors vary a great deal and no patterns related to species, localities, etc. are obvious. It seems that there are systematic differences among the reporting laboratories, and measurement errors within the same laboratory may also play a role. However, the profiles of PBDEs in fish from the Baltic are very similar and form a tight "cluster". PBDE profiles in crustaceans appear different from those in fish.
First Midwives in the Town of Bjelovar, Croatia 1756-1856
Authors: Habek Dubravko 
Published: September 2008

Primaljstvo i prve primalje u Bjelovaru 1756.-1856Prve izučene (aprobirane) primalje dolaze u novoosnovani Bjelovar, jako vojno središte Vojne krajine početkom druge polovice XVIII. stoljeća zajedno s vojnim liječnicima, kirurzima i ljekarnicima, a većina njih je germanskoga podrijetla. U do sada neistraženom arhivskom materijalu za razdoblje 1756.-1856. pronadeni su podaci o 23 izučene primalje, od kojih je 14 bilo pukovnijskih i 9 gradskih primalja. Visok perinatalni pomor djece i majki i kriminalni pobačaji karakteristike su toga razdoblja. Uz model domicilnoga primaljstva: skrb za trudnice, rodilje, babinjače, novorodenčad i dojenčad, primalje u teškim porodima obavljaju krštenje iz nužde ugroženoj novorodenčadi ili su pak krsne kume zdravoj dojenčadi. Premda je u samom gradu Bjelovaru ustrojeno stručno primaljstvo, u okolici grada i dalje se porodi obavljaju bez stručne pomoći. Za razliku od većine tadašnjih gradova kontinentalne Hrvatske, pa i Dalmacije, u Bjelovaru postoji kontinuirano izučeno primaljstvo i zaštita materinstva od polovice XVIII. stoljeća.
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Air Near Gas Field Molve
Authors: Godec Ranka , Šišović Anica , Bešlić Ivan , Vadić Vladimira 
Published: September 2008

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Air Near Gas Field MolveSmall-volume air samples (~7 m3 per 24 h) of airborne PM10 particle fraction were collected on quartz fibre filters at two measuring sites in the vicinity of the gas field Molve in April and July 2006. It took five to seven days for each sample to collect and one month to collect five to seven samples. Mass concentrations of PM10 fractions were determined by gravimetry while PAHs were analysed using a HPLC with a fluorescent detector. The analysis included fluoranthene (Flu), pyrene (Pyr), benzo(a)anthracene (BaA), chrysene (Cry), benzo(b)fluoranthene (BbF), benzo(k)fluoranthene (BkF), benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), benzo(ghi)perylene (BghiP) and indene(1,2,3-cd)pyrene (Ind). Average concentrations of all PAHs in April at site A were slightly higher than at site B while in July they were lower and similar on both sites. Average BaP concentration measured at site A in April was 0.156 ng m-3 and at site B 0.129 ng m-3, while July BaP averages were 0.022 ng m-3 at both sites. In both months, the mass concentration of BaP was lower than the limit value (1 ng m-3) and well below the tolerant value (2 ng m-3) set by a Croatian regulation of 2005. This suggests that the air near gas field Molve was of acceptable quality in respect to BaP at the time of the measurement.
Evaluation and Comparison of Respiratory Symptoms and Lung Capacities in Tile and Ceramic Factory Workers of Yazd
Authors: Halvani Gholam , Zare Mohsen , Halvani Abolhasan , Barkhordari Abolfazl 
Published: September 2008

Evaluation and Comparison of Respiratory Symptoms and Lung Capacities in Tile and Ceramic Factory Workers of YazdTile workers are exposed to dust particles and are susceptible to multiple pulmonary complications. Problems like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary symptoms, and silicosis are more common among them. As there are many tile factories in Yazd, we decided to evaluate the respiratory symptoms and lung capacities in these workers and compare them with controls.This study included 176 tile and ceramic factory workers occupationally exposed to dust and 115 unexposed workers as controls. We recorded the respiratory symptoms using the British Medical Research Council questionnaire and measured lung capacities of the two groups.All study subjects were male, and the two groups were comparable in age and smoking. The exposed group had frequent respiratory symptoms and a significant relationship between them and duration of employment. In addition, lung capacities in ceramic workers with symptoms were lower than in workers without the symptoms.Even though the respiratory symptoms were more frequent in the exposed group than in controls, lung capacities of the two groups were similar.
Human Health Risk Assessment Approach for Urban Park Development
Authors: Bharadwaj Lalita , Machibroda Ray 
Published: September 2008

Human Health Risk Assessment Approach for Urban Park DevelopmentA Human Health Risk Assessment (HHRA) was undertaken for a proposed park development "River Landing", to be constructed along the north bank of the South Saskatchewan River in the City of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The purpose of the HHRA was to determine whether chemical constituents identified at the site, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs), and toxic and heavy metals, would adversely affect the health of construction workers and potential park users. Although more traditional remediation options were considered, the risk assessment approach was chosen since it represented the best available technology. The HHRA was undertaken using protocols and methodologies proposed and readily accepted by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME), Health Canada, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). Results of the risk assessment revealed that the magnitude and distribution of the chemicals at the site were such that extensive remediation was not required, and that the site could be developed without any significant restrictions on the proposed use. The assessment revealed that potential exposure to soil constituents would not result in adverse health risk to construction workers involved in park development or future park users.
Oxidative Stress in Painters Exposed to Low Lead Levels
Authors: Mohammad Imran , Mahdi Abbas , Raviraja Aryapu , Najmul Islam , Iqbal Ahmad , Thuppil Venkatesh 
Published: September 2008

Oxidative Stress in Painters Exposed to Low Lead LevelsLead toxicity is a public health problem particularly to the children and to occupationally exposed adults. Evidence is mounting successively regarding the adverse health effects of lead at low levels. This study was undertaken to assess the antioxidant status of lead-exposed residential and commercial painters of Lucknow city in Uttar Pradesh, India.Thirty-five painters aged 20 to 50 years who had blood lead levels ≤400 μg L-1were selected for the study from a population of 56 male painters initially screened for blood lead. The control group included an equal number of subjects of the same age group without any occupational exposure to lead.We studied the association between low lead level exposure and antioxidant status and found that blood lead levels in painters were approximately seven times as high as in controls [(219.2 ± 61.9) μg L-1vs. (30.6±10.1) μg L-1, respectively]. Among the biomarkers of lead toxicity a significant decrease in the level of delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase [(9.13±4.62) UL-1vs. (39.38±5.05) UL-1] and an increase in the level of zinc protoporphyrin [(187.9±49.8) μg L-1vs. (26.4±5.5) μg L-1] were observed in painters compared to controls. Among antioxidant enzymes, painters showed a significant decrease in catalase [(56.77±11.11) UL-1vs. (230.30±42.55) UL-1] and superoxide dismutase [(0.64±0.19) UL-1 vs. (2.68±0.62) UL-1] compared to controls. Lipid peroxidation was monitored by measuring thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) that were expressed in terms of malondialdehyde (MDA) equivalents. Concentration of MDA in plasma was higher in painters than in controls [(7.48±1.31) nmol mL-1vs. (3.08±0.56) nmol mL-1]. Significant changes were also observed in reduced and oxidised glutathione levels. The strong association between blood lead levels and oxidative stress markers in this population suggests that oxidative stress should be considered in the pathogenesis of lead-related diseases among people with low level environmental exposure to lead.
Progress of automatic drug delivery in anaesthesia—The ‘Rostock assistant system for anaesthesia control (RAN)’
Authors: Simanski O. , Janda M. , Schubert A. , Bajorat J. , Hofmockel R. , Lampe B. 
Published: September 2008

AbstractThe main goals of general anaesthesia should include (not exclusively) adequate hypnosis, analgesia and maintenance of vital functions. In addition, neuromuscular blockade (NMB) may be needed for a number of surgical procedures. Patient safety and cost reductions via the minimization of drug consumption and the shortening of post‐operative recovery represent some of the main issues and motivations of automation of anaesthesia.Since the early eighties engineers and physicians joined efforts towards the development of sophisticated closed‐loop control systems for drug delivery in the operating theatre and post‐operatively.First, this paper should be seen as a review about the automatic drug delivery in anaesthesia. A summary is given about the methods of measurement, modelling and general progress of closed‐loop control systems in anaesthesia. In particular, the development of the ‘Rostock assistant system for anaesthesia control (RAN)’ is also described. This system has been developed during the last 15 years at the University of Rostock and various systems and control‐based ideas have been integrated since. With this system the multiple‐input–multiple‐output (MIMO) control of the depth of hypnosis and NMB has been shown to be possible as well as the closed‐loop control of a deep arterial hypotension. Promising results have already been obtained from a first study, which has so far included as many as 22 patients using MIMO control. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Carotid plaque computed tomography imaging in stroke and nonstroke patients
Authors: Wintermark Max , Arora Sandeep , Tong Elizabeth , Vittinghoff Eric , Lau Benison C. , Chien Jeffrey D. , Dillon William P. , Saloner David 
Published: September 2008

AbstractObjectiveTo identify a set of computed tomographic (CT) features of carotid atherosclerotic plaques that is significantly associated with ischemic stroke.MethodsIn a cross‐sectional study, we retrospectively identified 136 consecutive patients admitted to our emergency department with suspected stroke who underwent a CT‐angiogram of the carotid arteries. CT‐angiographic studies of the carotid arteries were processed automatically using automated computer classifier algorithm that quantitatively assesses a battery of carotid CT features. Acute stroke patients were categorized into “acute carotid stroke patients” and “nonacute carotid stroke patients” independent of carotid wall CT features, using the Causative Classification System for Ischemic Stroke, which includes the neuroradiologist's review of the imaging studies of the brain parenchyma and of the degree of carotid stenosis, and charted test results (such as electrocardiogram). Univariate followed by multivariate analyses were used to build models to differentiate between these patient groups and to differentiate between the infarct and unaffected sides in the “acute carotid stroke patients.”ResultsForty “acute carotid stroke” patients and 50 “nonacute carotid stroke” patients were identified. Multivariate modeling identified a small number of the carotid wall CT features that were significantly associated with acute carotid stroke, including wall volume, fibrous cap thickness, number and location of lipid clusters, and number of calcium clusters.InterpretationPatients with acute carotid stroke demonstrate significant differences in the appearance of their carotid wall ipsilateral to the side of their infarct, when compared with either nonacute carotid stroke patients or the carotid wall contralateral with the infarct side. Ann Neurol 2008;64:149–157
Studies on the effect of curing agent concentration and type of phenol on various physico‐chemical properties of resole and epoxy blends
Authors: Srivastava Kavita , Srivastava Deepak , Tripathi S. K. 
Published: September 2008

AbstractResoles were prepared with different phenols, separately, with formaldehyde having phenol‐to‐formaldehyde molar ratio of 1 : 2 in basic medium at 70°C. These resoles were physically blended with different weight percentages of diglycidyl ether bisphenol‐A (DGEBA)‐epoxy resin. The blends were cured with 40, 50, and 60 wt % polyamide based on the total weight of the blend resin at 100°C. It was found that the blend system containing equal weight ratio of resole, prepared from p‐cresol, and epoxy resins showed the least cure time with 40 wt % polyamide among all other blend systems. Also, the cured films of such blend systems showed the best chemical resistance, thermal stability, and hardness as compared to their other blend systems and blend counterparts. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Preparation of poly(AA‐AM) water superabsorbent by inverse microemulsion polymerization
Authors: Wan Tao , Yao Jie , Ma XiaoLing 
Published: September 2008

AbstractA copolymer superabsorbent was prepared by inverse microemulsion polymerization, using cyclohexane as the continuous phase, water as the dispersed phase, N,N‐methylene bisacrylamide as the crosslinking agent, ammonium persulfate (APS) as the initiator and OP‐10 and SDS as complex surfactants. The synthetic variables (amount of crosslinking agent and initiator, water/oil ratio, monomer/surfactant ratio, and AA/AM ratio), and their effects on the absorbencies of the synthesized superabsorbents were studied. The relationships between the water absorbency and absorption time as well as the water retention capacity of the water superabsorbent were studied. The experimental results of superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) showed the maximum water absorbency of 1432 g/g, and the water absorbency of 722 g/g within 15 min. The water retention in the soil was greatly enhanced using the above superabsorbents. SEM indicated an irregular, undulant, and microporous surface of the superabsorbent, which was convenient for the penetration of water into the polymeric network. SAPs can be considered for water‐managing materials for agriculture and horticulture purposes in desert and drought‐prone areas. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Changes in crystalline morphology, thermal, and mechanical properties with hydrolytic degradation of immiscible biodegradable PPDX/PCL blends
Authors: Brito Y. , Sabino M. A. , Ronca G. , Müller A. J. 
Published: September 2008

AbstractImmiscible blends of high molecular weight commercial poly(p‐dioxanone) (PPDX) and poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) were prepared by melt mixing in a wide composition range. The materials were exposed to a hydrolysis medium (phosphate buffer kept at a constant pH of 7.2) at 37°C during 36 weeks. The change in weight of the samples as well as their thermal properties, morphology, spherulitic crystallization kinetics, and tensile properties were studied as a function of degradation time. As PCL does not experience weight loss during the entire degradation period explored here, weight loss was indicative of PPDX degradation only. The combined results of calorimetry, spherulitic texture, and spherulite growth kinetics allowed us to establish that the PPDX component in the blends experiences a much faster degradation rate than in neat PPDX. Such increase in degradation rate could be due to the larger surface area of PPDX component when it is dispersed in immiscible PCL. Nevertheless, the presence of PCL in the blends can extend the physical integrity of the samples in the degradation medium as well as their mechanical properties for longer periods of time as compared with neat PPDX. Therefore, the blends may be good candidates for replacing neat PPDX in specific applications requiring longer life time of the material. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Inverse gas chromatography for determining the dispersive surface free energy and acid–base interactions of sheet molding compound—Part II 14 Ligno‐cellulosic fiber types for possible composite reinforcement
Authors: Mills Ryan H. , Gardner Douglas J. , Wimmer Rupert 
Published: September 2008

AbstractComposites reinforced with natural plant fibers are currently actively researched. Inverse gas chromatography (IGC) is a technique that is used to characterize the surface energy and polar characteristics of materials. The theoretical approaches used with IGC are reviewed and applied to the study of 14 ligno‐cellulosic fiber types including grass fibers, bast fibers, leaf fibers, seed fibers, and fruit fibers. This was done to provide insight into the impact of fiber composition on the surface characteristics of the different fiber types and explore possible correlations among the data. The dispersive surface energy, andKa,Kbconstants are reported for the 14 fiber types and compared with values reported in the literature. The dispersive energies ranged from 35.5 mJ/m2to 44.2 mJ/m2at 20°C withKafrom 0.01 to 0.38 andKbfrom 0 to 1.05. A correlation was found at 40°C for surface energy related to fiber composition and fiber type where the surface energy decreases with increasing lignin and hemicellulose composition but increased with increasing cellulose concentration. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Thermal, catalytic, antimicrobial, and chelating aspects of phenolic resin and its polychelates with f‐block elements
Authors: Patel M. M. , Kapadia M. A. , Joshi J. D. 
Published: September 2008

AbstractThe polymeric ligand (resin) was synthesized by condensation of 2‐hydroxy‐4‐ethoxybenzophenone with ethane diol in the presence of polyphosphoric acid as a catalyst at 145°C for 10 h. The synthesized resin was used to study its ion exchange efficiency and to synthesize its polychelates with 4f‐block elements. The resin and its polychelates were characterized on the basis of elemental analyses, electronic spectra, magnetic susceptibilities, IR, NMR, and thermogravimetric analyses. The molecular weight was determined using number–average molecular weight (Mn) by a vapor pressure osmometry (VPO) method. Ion‐exchange studies at various concentrations of different electrolytes, pH, and rate have been carried out for f‐block elements. Antimicrobial activity of all polychelates and catalytic activity of selected polychelates in organic synthesis have been studied. It is observed that resin can be used as an ion‐exchanger and polychelates are found to be an efficient catalysts and antimicrobial agents. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
HotMap: Supporting visual exploration of Web search results
Authors: Hoeber Orland , Yang Xue Dong 
Published: September 2008

AbstractAlthough information retrieval techniques used by Web search engines have improved substantially over the years, the results of Web searches have continued to be represented in simple list‐based formats. Although the list‐based representation makes it easy to evaluate a single document for relevance, it does not support the users in the broader tasks of manipulating or exploring the search results as they attempt to find a collection of relevant documents. HotMap is a meta‐search system that provides a compact visual representation of Web search results at two levels of detail, and it supports interactive exploration via nested sorting of Web search results based on query term frequencies. An evaluation of the search results for a set of vague queries has shown that the re‐sorted search results can provide a higher portion of relevant documents among the top search results. User studies show an increase in speed and effectiveness and a reduction in missed documents when comparing HotMap to the list‐based representation used by Google. Subjective measures were positive, and users showed a preference for the HotMap interface. These results provide evidence for the utility of next‐generation Web search results interfaces that promote interactive search results exploration.