bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sonographic characteristics of the uterine cavity following first‐trimester uterine evacuation
Authors: Debby A. , Golan A. , Sadan O. , Rotmensch S. , Malinger G. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractObjectiveTo characterize the sonographic appearance of the uterine cavity after first‐trimester uterine evacuation and to follow the evolution of these findings in an attempt to reduce the number of unnecessary surgical interventions following evacuation.MethodsWe studied retrospectively the sonographic characteristics of the uterine cavity in 599 women, 5–8 days after first‐trimester uterine evacuation. The patients were grouped according to the sonographic appearance of the uterine cavity. Patients with abnormal sonographic patterns were followed weekly until sonographic resolution.ResultsGroup 1 included 351 (58.6%) women with normal endometrium; Group 2 included 130 (21.7%) women with hypoechoic endometrial content only; Group 3 included 69 (11.5%) patients with mixed type (hypoechoic and hyperechoic) endometrial content; Group 4 included 49 (8.2%) patients with hyperechoic endometrial content only. The time needed until the uterine cavity was considered normal was significantly longer in Group 4 (median, 12 days) compared with Groups 3 and 2 (8 and 9 days, respectively, P < 0.0001). The duration of vaginal bleeding after the surgical procedure was longer in Group 4 (median, 10 days) compared with Groups 3, 2 and 1 (9, 7 and 5 days, respectively, P < 0.0001). Clinically, the patients were divided into two groups: asymptomatic (575 patients) and symptomatic (24 patients). The thickness of the abnormal endometrial content in the asymptomatic patients gradually decreased until normalization, around the time of menstruation. There was no such change in the symptomatic patients, who eventually needed surgical intervention.ConclusionsAn abnormal intrauterine sonographic pattern 5–8 days following first‐trimester uterine evacuation is common and usually resolves spontaneously around menses. Therefore, in asymptomatic patients, we recommend a conservative approach. Copyright © 2008 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Transvaginal sonographic measurement of cervical length to predict preterm birth in asymptomatic women at increased risk: a systematic review
Authors: Crane J. M. G. , Hutchens D. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractObjectivesTo estimate the ability of cervical length measured by transvaginal ultrasonography in asymptomatic high‐risk women to predict spontaneous preterm birth.MethodsMEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library were searched for articles published in any language between January 1980 and July 2006, using the keywords ‘transvaginal ultrasonography’ or (‘cervix’ and (‘ultrasound’ or ‘ultrasonography’ or ‘sonography’)); and (‘preterm’ or ‘premature’) and (‘delivery’ or ‘labour/labor’ or ‘birth’), identifying cohort studies evaluating transvaginal ultrasonographic cervical length measurement in predicting preterm birth in asymptomatic women who were considered at increased risk (because of a history of spontaneous preterm birth, uterine anomalies or excisional cervical procedures), with intact membranes and singleton gestations. The primary analysis included all studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Secondary analyses were also performed specifically for (1) women with a history of spontaneous preterm birth; (2) those who had undergone an excisional cervical procedure; and (3) those with uterine anomalies.ResultsFourteen of 322 articles identified (involving 2258 women) met the criteria for systematic review. Cervical length measured by transvaginal ultrasonography predicted spontaneous preterm birth. The shorter the cervical length cut‐off the higher the positive likelihood ratio (LR). The most common cervical length cut‐off was < 25 mm. Using this cut‐off to predict spontaneous preterm birth at < 35 weeks, transvaginal ultrasonography at < 20 weeks' gestation revealed LR+ = 4.31 (95% CI, 3.08–6.01); at 20–24 weeks, LR+ = 2.78 (95% CI, 2.22–3.49); and at > 24 weeks, LR+ = 4.01 (95% CI, 2.53–6.34). In women with a history of spontaneous preterm birth (six studies involving 663 women) cervical length at < 20 weeks revealed LR+ = 11.30 (95% CI, 3.59–35.57) and at 20–24 weeks LR+ = 2.86 (95% CI, 2.12–3.87), but there were limited data on the use of cervical length of more than 24 weeks in this group (one study involving 42 women). In women who had had excisional cervical procedures, two studies presented data on cervical length (one at < 24 weeks and one at > 24 weeks), finding cervical length at < 24 weeks to be predictive of spontaneous preterm birth at < 35 weeks (LR+ = 2.91, 95% CI, 1.69–5.01). One study (of 64 women) evaluated cervical length in women with uterine anomalies, finding it predictive of spontaneous preterm birth at < 35 weeks (LR+ = 8.14, 95% CI, 3.12–21.25).ConclusionCervical length measured by transvaginal ultrasonography in asymptomatic high‐risk women predicts spontaneous preterm birth at < 35 weeks. Further research may be warranted to evaluate the use of transvaginal ultrasonography after 24 weeks' gestation in women with a history of spontaneous preterm birth, and in women with uterine anomalies. Copyright © 2008 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fatty acid composition of garlic (Allium sativum Linnaeus) lipids
Authors: Kamanna V. S. , Chandrasekhara N. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractChloroform‐methanol extracted lipids of garlic (Allium sativum Linnaeus) amounted to 0.6% on a dry weight basis. Fractionation by silicic acid column chromatography showed that garlic lipids comprise 62.6% neutral lipids 14.0% glycolipids and 23.4% phospholipids. Fatty acid compositions of total lipids and component lipid fractions were determined.
Catalytic carboxylation of fats. Carboxy acids and esters from monounsaturates
Authors: Frankel E. N. , Thomas F. L. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractA highly selective catalytic, one‐step synthesis converts oleic acid into 9(10)‐carboxystearic acid in high yields (85–99%). Hydrocarboxylation with water and carbon monoxide under pressure (3000–4000 psi) is catalyzed with a mixture of palladium chloride and triphenylphosphine at 120–150 C with or without acetone or acetic acid solvents. Palladium supported on carbon is also an effective hydrocarboxylation catalyst in the presence of triphenylphosphine and HCl. Methyl 9(10)‐carbomethoxystearate was prepared by catalytic carbomethoxylation of methyl oleate with methanol and carbon monoxide but in lower yields. The carboxystearic acids and esters consisted of the 9 and 10 isomers (87–94%) in approximately equal proportions. This catalytic carboxylation procedure is a more efficient route to carboxystearic acid and ester than the two‐step hydroformylation‐oxidation process reported previously. Carboxylated acids, methyl esters and triglycerides of potential industrial importance have been prepared.
Cocoa butter‐like fats from fractionated cottonseed oil: I. preparation
Authors: Feuge R. O. , Gajee Betty B. , Lovegren N. V. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractThe manufacture of salad oil from cottonseed oil can produce a byproduct stearine fraction consisting essentially of 1‐palmito and 1,3‐dipalmito triglycerides of oleic and linoleic acids and having an iodine value of ca. 72. Hydrogenation of this fraction to an iodine value of ca. 28–42, under conditions simultaneously selective and conducive to a low rate oftrans‐isomer formation, yielded a product that could readily be fractionated to produce over 60% of a cocoa butter‐like fat. The conditions of fractionation influenced the yield and properties. Fractionation was most easily accomplished by tempering the solidified hydrogenation product and leaching with a petroleum naphtha or acetone.
Apoprotein A‐V: An important regulator of triglyceride metabolism
Authors: Kluger M. , Heeren J. , Merkel M. 
Published: April 2008

SummaryApolipoprotein A‐V (apoA‐V) was discovered in 2001 both by comparative sequencing and as a liver regeneration protein. The gene is a located at the APOA1/C3/A4/A5 gene cluster on chromosome 11q23, a locus well known for playing a major role in regulating plasma cholesterol and triglyceride (TG) levels. ApoA‐V is produced in the liver and has very low plasma concentrations (0.1–0.4 μg/ml). Mice lacking apoA‐V have 4‐fold increased TG levels, whereas apoA‐V overexpression leads to 40% plasma TG reduction. Based on metabolic studies in vivo, apoA‐V enhances the catabolism of TG rich lipoproteins rather than affecting their intestinal or hepatic production. By activating proteoglycans‐bound lipoprotein lipase (LPL), apoA‐V can accelerate TG hydrolysis from VLDL and chylomicrons independent from other apoproteins. Several variants at the APOA5 gene locus have been detected in humans. Some single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with significantly higher plasma TG levels in patients (e.g., −1131T > C, S19W, G185C). In addition, these SNPs may affect fibrate response and obesity. However, data for a possible association of APOA5 variants with coronary heart disease are not consistent. Severe structural mutations (Q139X, Q148X, IVS3 + 3G > C) predispose to familial hypertriglyceridaemia and late‐onset chylomicronaemia. Thus, despite its low plasma concentration, apoA‐V is a major regulator of plasma TG metabolism in humans. However, the precise mechanism of its function is not yet clear.
A DIGITAL IMAGING TECHNIQUE TO QUANTIFY THE INCIDENCE OF INTERNAL BROWNING IN POTATO (SOLANUM TUBEROSUM) TUBERS
Authors: HARPER S. M. , BLAMEY F. P. C. 
Published: April 2008

SUMMARYInternal browning disorders, including brown fleck (BF), in potato (Solanum tuberosum) tubers greatly reduce tuber quality, but the causes are not well understood. This is due, in part, to the highly variable data provided by visual value-based rating systems. A digital imaging technique was developed to quantify accurately the incidence of internal browning in potato tubers. Images of tuber sections were scanned using a flatbed scanner and digitally enhanced to highlight tuber BF lesions, and the area of affected tissue calculated using pixel quantification software. Digital imaging allowed for the determination of previously unused indices of the incidence and severity of internal browning in potato tubers. Statistical analysis of the comparison between digitally derived and visual-rating BF data from a glasshouse experiment showed that digital data greatly improved the delineation of treatment effects. The F-test probability was further improved through square root or logarithmic data transformations of the digital data, but not of the visual-rating data. Data from a field experiment showed that the area of tuber affected by BF and the number of small BF lesions increased with time and with increase in tuber size. The results from this study indicate that digital imaging of internal browning disorders of potato tubers holds much promise in determining their causes that heretofore have proved elusive.
AN IMPROVED METHOD FOR BREAKING DORMANCY IN SEEDS OF SESBANIA SESBAN
Authors: WANG Y. R. , HANSON J. 
Published: April 2008

SUMMARYDormancy in seeds of Sesbania sesban is caused by a water-impermeable seed coat (hard seeds or hardseededness). A two-phase pretreatment technique was developed for breaking seed dormancy and was validated using different accessions and seed lots. Seeds were first soaked in water at 80 °C for 8 min and prepared for the germination test. Ungerminated hard seeds at the first count (after four days incubation) during the germination test were then subjected to a second treatment by mechanically scarifying the seed coat. The effects of water temperature and variation in initial hardseededness and viability among and within accessions were also investigated. The optimum water temperature, allowing maximum seed germination without increasing the percentage of abnormal seedling/dead seeds was 80 °C. The mean percentage of hard seeds across 30 seed lots of six accessions was reduced to 26% after phase 1 and to 0% after phase 2. In addition, full germination occurred within only 10 days for treated seeds while germination in untreated seeds had reached only 48% after 14 days. Significant differences existed among the seed lots within the accessions (p > 0.05) for the percentage of initial hard seed and for the effects of treatments on breaking seed dormancy. The two-phase technique developed was validated using over 1000 seed lots of S. sesban, and it was found to be a rapid and cost-effective method for breaking hard seed dormancy with potential for wider use for hard-seeded legumes.
CROP DEVELOPMENT AND ROOT DISTRIBUTION IN LESSER YAM (DIOSCOREA ESCULENTA): IMPLICATIONS FOR FERTILIZATION
Authors: MELTERAS MARIE-VIANNEY , LEBOT VINCENT , ASHER COLIN J. , O'SULLIVAN JANE N. 
Published: April 2008

SUMMARYA growth analysis study involving monthly excavation ofDioscorea esculentaplants revealed that the root system developed fully in the period before tuber initiation, and extended radially for a distance between 2.3 and 4.3 m. Primary roots initially remained in the top 10 cm of the soil profile, but descended to approximately 30 cm near their full extension. Tuber number increased from initiation around 21 weeks after planting (WAP) until maximum vine growth was reached around 33 WAP, but tuber dry weight continued to increase throughout the senescence period of the vine, to 45 WAP. Tubers lost dry matter but not fresh weight during dormancy in the soil, to 55 WAP. The results indicate that a distance of at least 4.5 m is required to separate experimental fertilizer treatments, and that post-establishment burial of fertilizers around the mound or ridge risks damage to roots near their base, while inter-row application is accessible to roots and may be preferable.
Tetsuro Yoshida (1894–1956) and architectural interchange between East and West
Authors: Kim Hyon-Sob 
Published: April 2008

‘I have long been dreaming a dream: that I am a drop of dew on the leaf of a nameless plant deep in the valley of some far-off mountain range. The dewdrop rolls down into a little brook and mingles with its waters; the brook flows into a river which in turn discharges into the sea, and the waves of the sea in their turn lave the coasts of all the countries of the earth. Thus I picture to myself the cultural interchange of all peoples, and it has been my wish to take part, even if only as one little drop, in this important work.’(Tetsuro Yoshida, 1955)
Low dietary calcium in European postmenopausal osteoporotic women
Authors: Bruyere Olivier , De Cock Caroline , Mottet Catherine , Neuprez Audrey , Malaise Olivier , Reginster Jean-Yves 
Published: April 2008

AbstractObjectiveThe WHO recommends a daily Ca intake for postmenopausal women of 1300 mg. The objective of the present study was to assess the dietary Ca intake in European postmenopausal osteoporotic women.Design, setting and subjectsAssessment of dietary Ca intake (food and supplements) was performed with a validated self-questionnaire in 8524 osteoporotic women from nine European countries (Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Spain and the UK).ResultsMean age of the patients was 74·2 (sd 7·1) years, mean BMI was 25·7 (sd 4·2) kg/m2. Of the study population, 37·2 % of the women took Ca supplements. The mean dietary intake of Ca was 930·7 (sd 422·9) mg/d. The lowest Ca intake was found in Hungary (586·7 (sd 319·1) mg/d) and the highest in Denmark (1145·6 (sd 463·0) mg/d). In the whole study population, only 19·1 % of the women had a dietary Ca intake >1300 mg/d. Only 17·1 % of women aged over 75 years achieved 1300 mg/d compared with 20·5 % of women aged less than 75 years (P = 0·0001 for the difference between the two groups).ConclusionDietary intake of Ca is very low in European postmenopausal women. A greater awareness is needed to resolve this public health problem.
Impact of chewing betel-nut (Areca catechu) on liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma: a population-based study from an area with a high prevalence of hepatitis B and C infections
Authors: Wu Grace Hui-Min , Boucher Barbara J , Chiu Yueh-Hsia , Liao Chao-Sheng , Chen Tony Hsiu-Hsi 
Published: April 2008

AbstractBackgroundChewing betel-nuts (Areca catechu) is carcinogenic but the risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver cirrhosis (LC) is little considered. Worldwide 600 million people chew betel, including emigrants from palm-growing countries.ObjectiveWe aimed to assess the relationships and dose–response effects of betel chewing on LC and HCC risks, since habit cessation could reduce the increased risks of HCC and LC found in such communities.SubjectsScreening 60 326 subjects aged 30–79 years in a population-based study in Taiwan identified LC in 588 and HCC in 131 subjects. Demographic features, hepatitis B/C infections, other risk factors and betel chewing were noted. Multiple Cox regression models were used to assess independent relationships, interactions and synergisms between age, betel chewing and hepatitis B/C.ResultsBetel chewing increased LC and HCC risk 4·25-fold (95 % CI 2·9, 6·2) in current chewers and 1·89-fold (95 % CI 1·13, 3·16) in ex-chewers v. never-chewers, with dose effects for quantity, duration and cumulative exposure in chewers. Subjects without hepatitis B/C infections had 5·0-fold (95 % CI 2·87, 9·03) increased risk of LC/HCC v. never-chewers, and betel chewing had an additive synergistic effect on hepatitis B/C-related risks. Risk reduction with betel habit cessation could exceed that expected from immunization programmes for hepatitis B and C.ConclusionIncreased risks of cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer were found in betel chewers free of hepatitis B/C infection, and these risks were synergistically additive to those of hepatitis B/C infections. Estimated risk reduction from effective anti-betel chewing programmes would be sizeable.
Demonstration of Robust Host Cell Protein Clearance in Biopharmaceutical Downstream Processes
Authors: Shukla Abhinav A. , Jiang Canping , Ma Junfen , Rubacha Michael , Flansburg Lisa , Lee Steven S. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractResidual host cell protein impurities (HCPs) are a key component of biopharmaceutical process related impurities. These impurities need to be effectively cleared through chromatographic steps in the downstream purification process to produce safe and efficacious protein biopharmaceuticals. A variety of strategies to demonstrate robust host cell protein clearance using scale‐down studies are highlighted and compared. A common strategy is the “spiking” approach, which is widely employed in clearance studies for well‐defined impurities. For HCPs this approach involves spiking cell culture harvest, which is rich in host cell proteins, into the load material for all chromatographic steps to assess their clearance ability. However, for studying HCP clearance, this approach suffers from the significant disadvantage that the vast majority of host cell protein impurities in a cell culture harvest sample are not relevant for a chromatographic step that is downstream of the capture step in the process. Two alternative strategies are presented here to study HCP clearance such that relevance of those species for a given chromatographic step is taken into consideration. These include a “bypass” strategy, which assumes that some of the load material for a chromatographic step bypasses that step and makes it into the load for the subsequent step. The second is a “worst‐case” strategy, which utilizes information obtained from process characterization studies. This involves operating steps at a combination of their operating parameters within operating ranges that yield the poorest clearance of HCPs over that step. The eluate from the worst case run is carried forward to the next chromatographic step to assess its ability to clear HCPs. Both the bypass and worst‐case approaches offer significant advantages over the spiking approach with respect to process relevance of the HCP impurity species being studied. A combination of these small‐scale validation approaches with large‐scale HCP clearance data from clinical manufacturing and manufacturing consistency runs is used to demonstrate robust HCP clearance for the downstream purification process of an Fc fusion protein. The demonstration of robust HCP clearance through this comprehensive strategy can potentially be used to eliminate the need for routine analytical testing or for establishing acceptance criteria for these impurities as well as to demonstrate robust operation of the entire downstream purification process.
Collecting Spatial Data: Optimal Design of Experiments for Random Fields, Third Edition
Authors: Manton Michael 
Published: April 2008

Any technical book that reaches its third edition in 10 years is fulfilling a role for the scientific community over an extended period. Thus, the publication of the third edition of Collecting Spatial Data signifies that this monograph is continuing to provide an effective summary of the state of the art of the design of spatial networks.Measuring of spatially varying quantities, such as geological strata or daily rainfall, is a critical problem both for research and for the operation of a modern society. To monitor the state of the environment, manage our use of the environment, and set future policies for the environment, we need to know the spatial and temporal distribution of a wide range of variables on land, in the ocean, and in the atmosphere. At the same time that communities are keen to gather information about the environment, they are also reluctant to spend a lot of money on such apparently mundane activities. Thus, efficiency is invariably a key factor in designing a spatial network for such monitoring.
The Human Obesity Gene Map: The 1999 Update
Authors: Chagnon Yvon C. , Pérusse Louis , Weisnagel S. John , Rankinen Tuomo , Bouchard Claude 
Published: April 2008

AbstractThis report constitutes the sixth update of the human obesity gene map incorporating published results up to the end of October 1999. Evidence from the rodent and human obesity cases caused by single gene mutations, Mendelian disorders exhibiting obesity as a clinical feature, quantitative trait loci (QTL) uncovered in human genome‐wide scans and in crossbreeding experiments with mouse, rat, pig and chicken models, association and linkage studies with candidate genes and other markers is reviewed. Twenty‐five human cases of obesity can now be explained by variation in five genes. Twenty Mendelian disorders exhibiting obesity as one of their clinical manifestations have now been mapped. The number of different QTLs reported from animal models reaches now 98. Attempts to relate DNA sequence variation in specific genes to obesity phenotypes continue to grow, with 89 reports of positive associations pertaining to 40 candidate genes. Finally, 44 loci have linked to obesity indicators in genomic scans and other linkage study designs. The obesity gene map depicted in Figure 1 reveals that putative loci affecting obesity‐related phenotypes can be found on all autosomes, with chromosomes 14 and 21 showing each one locus only. The number of genes, markers, and chromosomal regions that have been associated or linked with human obesity phenotypes continues to increase and is now well above 200.The 1999 human obesity gene map. The map includes all putative obesity‐related phenotypes identified from the various lines of evidence reviewed in the article. The chromosomes and their regions are from the Gene Map of the Human Genome web site hosted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD (URL:http:www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). The chromosome number and the size of each chromosome in megabases (Mb) are given at the top and bottom of the chromosomes, respectively. Loci abbreviations and full names are given in the Appendix. The abbreviations for QTLs are given in Table 4.imageimage