bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prognostic value of postsurgical stimulated thyroglobulin levels after initial radioactive iodine therapy in well‐differentiated thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Sawka Anna M. , Orlov Steven , Gelberg Jacob , Stork Barry , Dowar Mark , Shaytzag Michael , Tabatabaie Vafa , Freeman Jeremy L. , Walfish Paul G. 
Published: December 2007

AbstractBackground.In well‐differentiated thyroid carcinoma, predictors of future positivity of stimulated thyroglobulin (>2 μg/L) after initial radioactive iodine treatment are not known.Methods.In a retrospective study, we used logistic regression analysis to determine whether postoperative stimulated thyroglobulin measurements and pathologic stage independently predict future stimulated thyroglobulin positivity.Results.We followed 141 patients with well‐differentiated thyroid carcinoma for a median of 35 months; follow‐up stimulated thyroglobulin measurements were positive in 20.6% (29/141). The natural logarithm of the postsurgical stimulated thyrogolobulin was independently associated with a positive stimulated thyroglobulin at long‐term follow‐up (odds ratio [OR], 4.44; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.33–8.45; p < .001); there was a trend for a positive association of TNM stage with positive follow‐up stimulated thyroglobulin (p = .054). Lymph node positivity predicted a positive stimulated thyroglobulin in papillary cancer.Conclusions.Stimulated thyroglobulin measurements prior to initial radioactive iodine treatment independently predict future stimulated thyroglobulin positivity in well‐differentiated thyroid carcinoma. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2008
Concessions of infrastructure in Latin America: Government‐led renegotiation
Authors: Guasch J. Luis , Laffont Jean‐Jacques , Straub Stéphane 
Published: December 2007

AbstractThis paper analyzes government‐led renegotiations in infrastructure concession contracts in Latin America, based on the same sample used in Guasch, Laffont and Straub (2003) to examine firm‐led renegotiations. After extending the theoretical framework to a multiple‐period context in which both Pareto‐improving and rent‐shifting renegotiations at the initiative of the government can occur, we develop an original instrumental variable strategy to address the issue of contract endogeneity and derive empirical results. While some of the main insights concerning the importance of having a regulator in place when awarding concessions and the fragility of price cap regulatory schemes are unchanged, significant differences arise with respect to the effect of investment and financing, as well as the corruption variables. We provide evidence that a good regulatory framework is especially important in contexts with weak governance and political opportunism. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bargaining powers and market segmentation in freight transport
Authors: Mouchart Michel , Vandresse Marie 
Published: December 2007

AbstractThe heterogeneity of services in the freight transport market and the presence of imperfect information motivate the development of an empirical model for detecting market imperfection and bargaining powers of the two agents concluding a contract. The fact that agents typically bargain simultaneously on price and attributes leads to models without exogeneity assumption. The model is accordingly based on estimation of the support of the joint distribution of the price and of the attributes of the transport rather than on expectation of the price conditional to the attributes. The model proposes an innovative and integrated approach for measuring market imperfection and bargaining powers. Furthermore, the paper examines the sensitivity of the results to the choice of attributes and, in order to detect potential market segmentation, to selection of the data. The empirical work is based on a new dataset obtained from a survey based on face‐to‐face interviews, providing data on the price and qualitative attributes of a set of actual contracts negotiated on the Belgian freight market. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Statistical inference for aggregates of Farrell‐type efficiencies
Authors: Simar Léopold , Zelenyuk Valentin 
Published: December 2007

AbstractIn this study, we merge results of two recent directions in efficiency analysis research—aggregation and bootstrap—applied, as an example, to one of the most popular point estimators of individual efficiency: the data envelopment analysis (DEA) estimator. A natural context of the methodology developed here is a study of efficiency of a particular economic system (e.g., an industry) as a whole, or a comparison of efficiencies of distinct groups within such a system (e.g., regulated vs. non‐regulated firms or private vs. public firms). Our methodology is justified by the (neoclassical) economic theory and is supported by carefully adapted statistical methods. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Structure of ivory
Authors: Locke Michael 
Published: December 2007

AbstractProfiles with all orientations have been used to visualize the 3D structure of ivory from tusks of elephant, mammoth, walrus, hippopotamus, pig (bush, boar, and warthog), sperm whale, killer whale, and narwhal. Polished, forming, fractured, aged, and stained surfaces were prepared for microscopy using epi‐illumination. Tusks have a minor peripheral component, the cementum, a soft derivative of the enamel layer, and a main core of dentine = ivory. The dentine is composed of a matrix of particles 5–20 μm in diameter in a ground substance containing dentinal tubules about 5 μm in diameter with a center to center spacing of 10–20 μm. Dentinal tubules may be straight (most) or curly (pigs). The main findings relate to the way that dentinal tubules align in sheets to form microlaminae in the length of the tusk. Microlaminae are sheets of laterally aligned dentinal tubules. They are axial but may be radial (most), angled to the forming face (pigs and hippopotamus canines), or radial but helical (narwhals). Within the microlaminae the dentinal tubules may be radial, angled to the axis (whales, walrus, and pigs), or may change their orientation from one microlamina to the next in helicoids (canines of hippopotamuses, incisors of proboscidea). In the nonbanded, featureless ivories from the hippopotamus incisors, the dentinal tubules form radial microlamina from which the arrangements in other ivories can be derived. In the canines of hippopotamuses and incisors of proboscidea, the dentinal tubule orientation changes incrementally from one microlamina to the next in a helicoid, a stack of dentinal tubules that change their orientation by 180° anticlockwise. Dentinal tubules having different orientations are laid down concurrently, not layer by layer as in most examples of helicoidal architecture (e.g., insect cuticle). In proboscidean ivory, the microlaminae are radial, normal to the banding of growth layers marking the plane of deposition. They form radial segments with each 180° turn in the orientation of their constituent dentinal tubules. Below the cementum they are almost complete 180° helicoids, but nearer to the core they become narrower with the loss of radially oriented dentinal tubules. These truncated helicoidal patterns appear in longitudinal profile as VVVV feather patterns rather than ∩∩∩∩, each V or ∩ being the side view of a partial or complete helicoid. The Schreger pattern in proboscidean ivory consists of these helicoids divided tangentially into columns in the length of the tusk. Narwhals have the most abundant matrix particles with their radial/helical dentinal tubules having a twist opposite to that in the cementum. J. Morphol., 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Blubber morphology in wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the Southeastern United States: Influence of geographic location, age class, and reproductive state
Authors: Montie Eric W. , Garvin Scott R. , Fair Patricia A. , Bossart Gregory D. , Mitchum Greg B. , McFee Wayne E. , Speakman Todd , Starczak Victoria R. , Hahn Mark E. 
Published: December 2007

AbstractThis study investigated blubber morphology and correlations of histological measurements with ontogeny, geography, and reproductive state in live, wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the southeastern United States. Surgical skin‐blubber biopsies (N = 74) were collected from dolphins during capture–release studies conducted in two geographic locations: Charleston, SC (N = 38) and Indian River Lagoon, FL (N = 36). Histological analysis of blubber revealed stratification into superficial, middle, and deep layers. Adipocytes of the middle blubber were 1.6× larger in Charleston subadults than in Indian River Lagoon subadults (4,590 ± 340 compared to 2,833 ± 335 μm2 per cell). Charleston subadult dolphins contained higher levels of total blubber lipids than Charleston adult animals (49.3% ± 1.9% compared to 34.2% ± 1.7%), and this difference was manifested in more adipocytes in the middle blubber layer (19.2 ± 0.9 compared to 14.9 ± 0.5 cells per field). However, dolphins from Indian River Lagoon did not exhibit this pattern, and the adipocyte cell counts of subadults were approximately equal to those of the adults (16.0 ± 1.4 compared to 13.4 ± 0.8 cells per field). The colder year‐round water temperatures in Charleston compared to Indian River Lagoon may explain these differences. Adipocytes in the deep blubber layer were significantly smaller in lactating and simultaneously pregnant and lactating animals compared to pregnant dolphins (840 ± 179, 627 ± 333, and 2,776 ± 586 μm2 per cell, respectively). Total blubber lipid content and adipocyte size in the deep blubber of mothers with calves decreased linearly with calf length. Lactating females may utilize lipids from the deep blubber during periods of increased energetic demands associated with offspring care. This study demonstrates that ontogeny, geography, and reproductive state may influence morphological parameters such as structural fiber densities and adipocyte numbers and sizes, measured in bottlenose dolphin blubber. J. Morphol. 269:496–511, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Evaluation of baking procedures for incorporation of barley roller milling fractions containing high levels of dietary fibre into bread
Authors: Jacobs Morrison S , Izydorczyk Marta S , Preston Ken R , Dexter Jim E 
Published: December 2007

AbstractBACKGROUND: Roller milling of hull‐less barley generates fibre‐rich fractions (FRF) enriched in non‐starch polysaccharides from the endosperm cell walls (β‐glucans and arabinoxylans). This investigation was initiated to compare the suitability of different baking processes and to determine the optimal conditions for incorporation of barley FRF into pan bread.RESULTS: Addition of FRF from waxy and high‐amylose starch hull‐less barley genotypes was evaluated in pan bread prepared from Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) and Canada Western Extra Strong (CWES) wheat flour. Three bread processes were used: Canadian short process (CSP), remix‐to‐peak, and sponge‐and‐dough. Addition of 20% FRF (equivalent to enrichment with 4.0 g of arabinoxylans and β‐glucans per 100 g of flour) disrupted dough properties and depressed loaf volume. CSP was not suitable for making FRF‐enriched bread because dough could not be properly developed. FRF‐enriched remix‐to‐peak bread was better, especially for the stronger CWES flour. The better bread quality compared to CSP was probably due to redistribution of water from non‐starch polysaccharides to gluten during fermentation prior to remixing and final proof. The sponge‐and‐dough process produced the best FRF‐enriched bread because of the positive effect of sponge fermentation on gluten development and hydration. FRF was added at the dough stage to fully developed dough.CONCLUSION: The method of bread production strongly influences bread quality. Pre‐hydration of FRF improved bread quality. CWRS and CWES flour produced comparable FRF‐enriched sponge‐and‐dough bread. Addition of xylanase to the sponge‐and‐dough formula improved the loaf volume, appearance, crumb structure and firmness of FRF‐enriched bread. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry
Domains of quality of life and symptoms in male veterans treated for posttraumatic stress disorder
Authors: Lunney Carole A. , Schnurr Paula P. 
Published: December 2007

AbstractThis study examined the relationship between domains of quality of life and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in 319 male veterans in a randomized trial of group psychotherapy. Confirmatory factor analyses suggested a 4‐factor model of quality of life (achievement, self‐expression, relationships, and surroundings) fit better than a unidimensional model. Clinically meaningful symptom change was associated with greater change in all quality of life domains. At pretreatment, numbing symptoms uniquely predicted all quality of life domains. Change in avoidance and hyperarousal uniquely predicted change in achievement. Change in reexperiencing uniquely predicted change in self‐expression. Change in numbing uniquely predicted change in relationships. Examining change in PTSD symptoms and quality of life domains may provide important information for treatment planning and evaluation.
Contrasting approaches to psychological screening with U.S. combat soldiers
Authors: Wright Kathleen M. , Bliese Paul D. , Thomas Jeffrey L. , Adler Amy B. , Eckford Rachel D. , Hoge Charles W. 
Published: December 2007

AbstractPsychological screening can be conducted using global screens, single items, symptom‐based scales, or composite measures. These four different approaches were evaluated against structured clinical interviews in studies with U.S. soldiers preparing to deploy and returning from combat operations in Iraq. Three samples (N = 337, N = 574, and N = 348) were screened to assess the effectiveness of a short global measure of distress, a single self‐referral item, symptom‐specific scales selected for the target population, and a composite instrument that included a combination of clinical domains. A composite screen with measures of posttraumatic stress, depression, and alcohol problems, along with a single self‐referral item, performed most effectively.
The relationship between acute stress disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder in injured children
Authors: Bryant Richard A. , Salmon Karen , Sinclair Emma , Davidson Patricia 
Published: December 2007

AbstractThis study indexed the relationship between acute stress disorder (ASD) and subsequent posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in injured children. Consecutive children between 7–13 years admitted to a hospital after traumatic injury (n = 76) were assessed for ASD. Children were followed up 6‐months posttrauma (n = 62), and administered the PTSD Reaction Index. Acute stress disorder was diagnosed in 10% of patients, and 13% satisfied criteria for PTSD. At 6‐months posttrauma, PTSD was diagnosed in 25% of patients who were diagnosed with ASD. Acute stress reactions that did not include dissociation provided better prediction of PTSD than full ASD criteria. These findings suggest that the current ASD diagnosis is not optimal in identifying younger children who are high risk for PTSD development.
Ad framing effects for consumption products: An affect priming process
Authors: Chang Chingching 
Published: December 2007

AbstractThis research examines why positively framed messages work more effectively than negatively framed messages in product advertising by establishing an affect priming process model. Findings from Experiment 1 showed that positively framed ad messages evoked higher levels of positive affect and lower levels of negative affect than did negatively framed ad messages. Accordingly, positively framed ad messages generated more favorable ratings on ad believability, ad liking, and brand attitudes. Most importantly, this research demonstrated the process by which frame‐evoked affect exerted influence on brand attitudes via its impacts on priming affect‐congruent cognitive responses. Experiment 1 also found that positively framed ads encouraged participants to be attentive to and elaborate on messages more so than negatively framed ads. Findings from Experiment 2 further showed that ad framing effects were moderated by the type of product attributes being featured. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Decision delegation: A conceptualization and empirical investigation
Authors: Aggarwal Praveen , Mazumdar Tridib 
Published: December 2007

AbstractThis paper examines a purchase context in which consumers, instead of deciding on their own, delegate either a part of or the entire purchase decision to a surrogate. A path model linking the antecedent variables and delegation is tested in the context of personal computer purchases. It was found that the factors that ensure decision quality emanating from the surrogate's expertise differentials, trustworthiness, accountability, and willingness to customize increase the likelihood of decision delegation. In addition to its direct positive effect on delegation, trustworthiness mediates the effect of expertise difference, surrogate accountability, and customization on delegation. Perceived loss of control inhibits delegation, but only at the stage when the final choice decision is made. Also, if a decision task is repeatable, the high return on effort has a negative effect on delegation, but only at attribute set and choice set delegations. Contributions of the study and directions for future research are discussed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Development of normal mice after microinjection of round spermatids into oocytes stored at room temperature for one day
Authors: Lei Zi‐Li , Huang Jun‐Cheng , Shi Li‐Hong , Miao Yi‐Liang , Nan Chang‐Long , OuYang Ying‐Chun , Sun Qing‐Yuan , Chen Da‐Yuan 
Published: December 2007

AbstractEarly studies have shown that some mouse cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) stored at room temperature for 24 hr still retained full developmental potential. In this study, we stored mouse COCs and denuded oocytes (DOs) at room temperature for 24 hr and activated these oocytes with 10 mM SrCl2 or injected the oocytes with round spermatids. We found that DOs were better than COCs when stored at room temperature for 1 day and more normal oocytes were obtained when COCs were stored in more H‐CZB medium at room temperature for 1 day. The rates of normal oocytes were significantly different after preservation with three schemes (90.01%, 55.81%, and 86.70%, P < 0.05). Our results also indicated that oocytes stored at room temperature for 1 day were fertilized normally (extrusion of the second polar body and formation of male and female pronuclei [PN]) after microinjection of round spermatid nuclei, and that the existence of cumulus cells (CCs) during oocyte storage did not significantly influence the early cleavage but had a detrimental effect on later embryo development and full‐term development. After fertilization, most embryos developed to two‐cell stage after being cultured for 24 hr, and the development rates of four‐ to eight‐cell embryos between two experiments were similar. However, the rates of morula/blastocyst formation were significantly different (47.44% and 26.27%, respectively, P < 0.05). The birth of four healthy pups from stored DOs indicated that the storage of DOs at room temperature for 1 day might become a practical procedure in mammalian reproduction. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 75: 795–800, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Nicotine induces multinuclear formation and causes aberrant embryonic development in bovine
Authors: Liu Ying , Li Guang‐Peng , Sessions Benjamin R. , Rickords Lee F. , White Kenneth L. , Bunch Thomas D. 
Published: December 2007

AbstractThe present study was designed to investigate the effects of nicotine on development of bovine embryos derived from parthenogenetic activation (PA) and in vitro fertilization (IVF). Nicotine caused disfigured secondary meiotic spindle structures and affected embryonic development in a dose‐dependent manner. Concentrations at 0.01–0.5 mM resulted in cleavage and blastocyst rates similar to the controls for both PA and IVF embryos. Nicotine at 2.0 and 4.0 mM significantly decreased the cleavage rates and none of the embryos developed beyond the 16‐cell stage. Nicotine might disrupt the polymerization of microfilaments leading to impaired chromosome alignment or segregation, and induce the formation of polynuclei with a variety of abnormal nuclear structures such as 2–6 nuclei, 2–4 metaphase plates, 2–4 sets of anaphase/telophase plates, and the co‐existence of polynuclei and 2–4 sets of anaphase/telophase plates. Nicotine adversely affected blastocyst chromosomal composition. Fifty‐six to 70% of the IVF blastocysts and 71–88% of the PA blastocysts were polyploid and/or mixoploid after culture in 0.2–1.0 mM nicotine‐containing media, which were higher (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) than the controls. Cell numbers of the nicotine‐cultured blastocysts were significantly lower than the control. In conclusion, nicotine induced disfigured spindles and irregular chromosome alignment and possibly impaired cytokinesis, which lead to decreased quality of the yielded blastocysts. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 75: 801–809, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ceramide inhibits development and cytokinesis and induces apoptosis in preimplantation bovine embryos
Authors: Luiz Augusto de Castro e Paula , Hansen Peter J. 
Published: December 2007

AbstractCeramide is a second messenger induced by various cellular insults that plays a regulatory role in apoptosis. The objective of the present study was to determine whether ceramide signaling can occur in the preimplantation embryo by testing (1) effects of ceramide on development, cytokinesis, and apoptosis and (2) whether heat shock, which can induce apoptosis in embryos, causes activation of neutral or acidic sphingomyelinases responsible for generation of ceramide. Treatment of embryos ≥16 cells collected at Day 5 after insemination with 50 µM C(2)‐ceramide increased caspase‐9 activity and the proportion of blastomeres undergoing apoptosis but did not increase caspase‐8 activity. Induction of apoptosis was more extensive when culture with ceramide was for 24 hr than for 9 hr. Ceramide also reduced the proportion of embryos that developed to the blastocyst stage when exposure was for 24 hr. At the two‐cell stage, a period in development when apoptosis responses are blocked, culture of embryos with ceramide did not increase caspase‐9 activity or the proportion of blastomeres that were apoptotic. However, culture with ceramide for 24 hr reduced cell proliferation and caused an increase in multinucleated cells because of inhibition of cytokinesis. Exposure of Day 5 embryos to a heat shock of 41°C for 15 hr increased neutral sphingomyelinase activity but did not change acid sphingomyelinase activity. In conclusion, ceramide can regulate embryo development and apoptosis in a time and stage‐of‐development dependent manner and ceramide generation can be activated by cellular insult. Thus, the ceramide signaling pathway is present in the preimplantation embryo. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 75: 1063–1070, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.