bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Feed Intake and Sperm Morphology in Ogaden Bucks Supplemented with Either Agro‐industrial By‐products or Khat (Catha edulis) Leftover
Authors: Mekasha Y , Tegegne A , Rodriguez‐Martinez H 
Published: July 2008

ContentsIn this study, feed intake and sperm morphology were evaluated in Ogaden bucks supplemented with either agro‐industrial by‐products or khat leftover. Thirty‐five bucks at about 1 year of age, and 15 ± 1.5 kg initial body weight, were involved in a 12‐week feeding programme that had four diet groups. The control (C) diet comprised grass hay alone, fedad libitum; treatment 1 (T1) comprised grass hayad libitumsupplemented with a mix of agro‐industrial by‐products at 1% of body weight (BW); treatment 2 (T2) comprised grass hayad libitumsupplemented with khat leftovers at 1% of BW; and treatment 3 (T3) comprised khat leftover alone, fedad libitum. Bucks in T1–T3 consumed the highest (p < 0.001) dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), organic matter (OM) and gross energy (GE) compared with control. Among the treatment groups, DM, OM and GE intakes were higher (p < 0.05) in T3 and T2, while CP intake was highest (p < 0.05) in T1. T1 and T3 improved (p < 0.001) the percentage of morphologically‐normal spermatozoa in comparison with C, with bucks in T3 being best. The proportion of total abnormal sperm head shapes and proximal cytoplasmic droplets was lowest (p < 0.01) in T1 and T3 and highest in C. Although feeding with T1 improved feed intake and sperm morphology, feeding with T3 showed the highest response. Thus, we conclude that T3 and T1 could be utilized as feedstuff to improve sperm morphology in goats under the smallholder farming system in Ethiopia.
Longtime performance and reliability of two different PtcCO2 and SpO2 sensors in neonates
Authors: BERNET VERA , DÖLL CARSTEN , CANNIZZARO VINCENZO , ERSCH JÖRG , FREY BERNHARD , WEISS MARKUS 
Published: July 2008

SummaryObjectives:  Blood gas monitoring is necessary in treatment of critically ill neonates. Whereas SaO2 can be estimated by pulse oximetry, PaCO2 is still most often assessed from blood samples.Aim:  To compare long time performance of an ear sensor for combined assessment of transcutaneous carbon dioxide (PtcCO2) and oxygen saturation (SpO2) (TOSCA Monitor; Radiometer, Switzerland) with a conventional PtcCO2 monitor (MicroGas 7650‐500 rapid, Radiometer, Switzerland) in critically ill neonates.Methods:  Prospective, observational study. Twenty critically ill neonates were monitored for PtcCO2 and SpO2 using the Tosca and the MicroGas monitor for 24 h. TOSCA ear sensor was changed to the other ear lobe after 12 h and the MicroGas sensor four hourly on the trunk. Values obtained were compared with SaO2 and PaCO2 from arterial blood gas analysis using Bland–Altman analysis. Data are presented as median (range).Results:  Eighty‐two paired measurements were obtained. Median age of the 20 patients was 4.5 days (1–26 days) and weight was 3.05 kg (0.98–3.95 kg). Bias and precision between PaCO2 and PtcCO2 were 0.14 and 1.45 kPa for the Tosca monitor and −0.08 and 1.2 kPa for the MicroGas monitor, respectively. The two biases were significantly different (P = 0.0036). SpO2 assessment by TOSCA was comparable to SaO2 values (bias 0.26% and precision 4.14%).Conclusion:  The TOSCA monitor allows safe estimation of PtcCO2 and SaO2 in neonates. Measurements of PtcCO2 were less reliable with TOSCA compared with conventional monitoring but still allow assessing a trend of ventilation status in newborn patients.
Sizes and depths of endotracheal tubes for cleft lip and palate children undergoing primary cheiloplasty and palatoplasty
Authors: KOHJITANI ATSUSHI , IWASE YOKO , SUGIYAMA KAZUNA 
Published: July 2008

SummaryBackground:  Appropriate sizes (internal diameters) and insertion depths of uncuffed preformed endotracheal tubes in children with cleft lip and palate, who generally have delayed growth and development in early infancy have not been elucidated.Methods:  The sizes and insertion depths of endotracheal tubes in patients who received primary cheiloplasty and/or palatoplasty in relation to age, height, and weight were retrospectively analyzed. Tube sizes were determined using an appropriate air leakage at an airway pressure of 15–20 cmH2O. Tube insertion depths were confirmed by auscultation of bilateral breathing sounds at several tube depths, placing the tip 1.5 cm above the carina. Obtained data sets were compared with previously published studies.Results:  The number of cases analyzed was 236 in total. The mean age, height, and weight were 327.4 ± 199.2 days, 69.7 ± 7.5 cm, and 8.2 ± 1.8 kg, respectively (mean ± sd). Neither the tube size nor tube depth in cleft lip and palate children was smaller or shorter than those of normal subjects. Discrepancies between the preformed bend and the tube insertion depth increased as the tube size increased.Conclusions:  The current findings suggest that it is reasonable to apply the currently available standards for normal children, e.g. Motoyama’s general guide, to predict the tube size and insertion depth for Japanese cleft lip and palate children, and that the use of the uncuffed preformed endotracheal tube is associated with a risk of endobronchial intubation, which appears to increase with age.
EU Enlargement and Inward FDI
Authors: Alguacil Maite , Cuadros Ana , Orts Vicente 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThe authors attempt to highlight the effects of the recent surge of FDI in the enlargement states on domestic investment and growth. A similar analysis is carried out for the EU‐15 in order to ascertain whether this type of capital inflow has a differential impact in these two regions of the European Union. Empirical analysis, based on dynamic panel data models, suggests the existence of a positive contribution of FDI to greater domestic investment and economic growth in the new member states. The evidence obtained for the EU‐15 old member countries confirms the FDI‐growth nexus but does not suggest a positive impact of FDI on domestic investment, which would be consistent with these capital inflows being of a different nature for these more advanced economies.
Unemployment Hysteresis in Transition Countries: Evidence using Stationarity Panel Tests with Breaks
Authors: Camarero Mariam , Carrion‐i‐Silvestre Josep Lluís , Tamarit Cecilio 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThe authors test hysteresis versus the natural rate hypothesis in unemployment using panel data for transition countries covering the period 1991:1–2003:11. The advantages of the stationarity tests applied is that they exploit the cross‐section variations of the series and, additionally, allow for a different number of endogenous breakpoints in the unemployment series. They do not impose independence on the panel members, so that the critical values are simulated based on their specific panel sizes and time periods. The findings stress the importance of accounting for exogenous shocks in the series and give support to the shifting natural‐rate hypothesis of unemployment for all the countries analyzed.
SIX WAYS TO LEAVE UNEMPLOYMENT
Authors: Portugal Pedro , Addison John T. 
Published: July 2008

ABSTRACTThis paper uses a unique Portuguese dataset to examine the effect of access to unemployment benefits (UBs) and their maximum potential duration on escape rates from unemployment. In examining the time profile of transitions out of unemployment, the principal contributions of the paper are twofold. First, it provides a detailed state space of potential outcomes: open‐ended employment, fixed‐term contracts, part‐time work, government‐provided jobs, self employment, and labour force withdrawal. Second, it is able to exploit major exogenous discontinuities in the maximum duration of unemployment benefits to identify disincentive effects. While confirming strong disincentive effects, it is shown that use of an aggregate hazard function regression model compounds very different and even contradictory effects of the determinants of unemployment.
CROSS‐COUNTRY EVIDENCE ON OUTPUT GROWTH VOLATILITY: NONSTATIONARY VARIANCE AND GARCH MODELS
Authors: Fang WenShwo , Miller Stephen M. , Lee ChunShen 
Published: July 2008

ABSTRACTThis paper revisits the issue of conditional volatility in real gross domestic product (GDP) growth rates for Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Previous studies find high persistence in the volatility. This paper shows that this finding largely reflects a nonstationary variance. Output growth in the six countries became noticeably less volatile over the past few decades. In this paper, we employ the modified iterated cumulative sum of squares (ICSS) algorithm to detect structural change in the variance of output growth. One structural break exists in each of the six countries after identifying outliers and mean shifts in the growth rates. We then use generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH) specifications, modeling output growth and its volatility with and without the break in volatility. The evidence shows that the time‐varying variance falls sharply in Canada and Japan, and disappears entirely in Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States, once we incorporate the break in the variance equation of output for the six countries. That is, the integrated GARCH (IGARCH) effect proves spurious and the GARCH model demonstrates misspecification, if researchers neglect a nonstationary variance. Moreover, we also consider the possible effects of our more correct measure of output volatility on output growth as well as the reverse effect of output growth on its volatility. The conditional standard deviation possesses no statistical significance in all countries, except a significant negative effect in Japan. The lagged growth rate of output produces significant negative and positive effects on the conditional variances in Germany and Japan, respectively. No significant effects exist in Canada, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Geo‐ontology Tools: The Missing Link
Authors: Albrecht Jochen , Derman Brandon , Ramasubramanian Laxmi 
Published: July 2008

AbstractNumerous authors have presented ontology building tools that have all been developed as part of academic projects and that are usually adaptations of more generic tools for geo‐spatial applications. While we trust that these tools do their job for the special purpose they have been built, the GIScience user community is still a long way away from off‐the‐shelf ontology builders that can be used by GIS project managers. In this article, we present a comparative study of ontology building tools described in some twenty peer‐reviewed GIScience journal articles. We analyze them from the perspective of two application domains, crime analysis and transportation/land use. For the latter, we developed a database schema, which is substantially different from the three main templates commonly used. The crime analysis application uses a rule base for an agent‐based model that had no precursor. In both cases, the currently available set of tools cannot replace manual coding of ontologies for use with ESRI‐based application software. Based on these experiences, we outline a requirements list of what the tools described in the first part of the article are missing to make them practical from an applications perspective. The result is an R&D agenda for this important aspect of GIScience.
Modeling the Pre‐Euroamerican Landscape with Government Land Office Surveys and Geostatistics
Authors: Weih Robert C , Dick Aaron J 
Published: July 2008

AbstractForested areas in the United States have been altered since the time of European settlement. There is increasing interest in comparing present day vegetation with that of the Pre‐Euroamerican era to understand what changes have occurred in some of our more outstanding natural areas. Studies have been conducted using Government Land Office (GLO) notes to understand historic vegetation surveys, but past studies focused on species present/absent lists. The GLO surveys included information about tree species, tree diameter and other physical features. This study used indicator kriging to interpolate the probability of tree species on the landscape using the GLO data from 62 townships. Once continuous probability models were developed, vegetation spatial patterns were analyzed throughout the sub‐basin. This technique provided insight into what the vegetation pattern (spatially) was like prior to Euroamerican settlement within the Buffalo River sub‐basin. It provided the base information necessary to quantify vegetation change and the spatial extent of that change. Based on this research it appears that post‐Euroamerican fire suppression and agricultural practices with other human activities have been major contributors to change. Eastern Redcedar (Juniperious virginiana) and hickory (Carya sp.) have increased, while oak species (Quercus sp.) have decreased. Additionally 19% of the sub‐basin has changed to non‐forest.
Ways of attenuating agency in Russian
Authors: Divjak Dagmar , Janda Laura A. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractThis article focuses on grammatical constructions that attenuate or eliminate the expression of agency in Russian, using the frameworks of Radical Construction Grammar and Cognitive Grammar. Emphasis is on the organization of these constructions in larger networks of related personal and impersonal constructions, with impersonal constructions as peripheral members of the system. More specifically, we compare the role of the dative case in impersonal constructions containing a finite verb and an infinitive and demonstrate that there are two such constructions, which has implications for the concepts of main verb‐hood and agentivity. This type of nuanced analysis takes into account factors such as case semantics and relationships among constructions in assessing how agency is assigned or avoided in Russian impersonal constructions, hence makes it possible to tease apart the differences between two impersonal constructions that appear identical in structure.
Estimating population parameters in a threatened arctic fox population using molecular tracking and traditional field methods
Authors: Meijer T. , Norén K. , Hellström P. , Dalén L. , Angerbjörn A. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractComprehensive population parameter data are useful for assessing effective conservation actions. The Fennoscandian arctic fox Alopex lagopus is critically endangered and the population size is estimated at 120 individuals that are fragmented into four isolated populations. Here, we use molecular tracking and visual observations to estimate population size and survival in one of the populations on the Swedish mountain tundra during a year of low food availability. We collected 98 arctic fox faecal samples during the winter of 2006 and recorded visual observations of ear‐tagged individuals during the summer of 2005 and 2006. The faecal samples were analysed for variation in nine microsatellite loci and matched to the genetic profiles of previously ear‐tagged individuals from 2001 to 2005. During winter 2006, the minimum number alive was 12 individuals using visual observations, 30 using molecular tracking and 36 by combining the datasets. Population size was estimated through mark–recapture for the molecular tracking and visual observation datasets and through rarefaction analyses for molecular tracking data. The mark–recapture estimate for visual observations was uninformative due to the large confidence interval (CI) (i.e. 6–212 individuals). Based on the molecular tracking dataset combined with the minimum number alive for visual observations and molecular tracking, we concluded a consensus population size of 36–55 individuals. We also estimated the age‐specific finite survival rate during 1 year (July 2005 to July 2006) by combining molecular tracking with visual observations. Juvenile survival on a yearly basis was 0.08 (95% CI 0.02–0.18) while adults had a survival of 0.59 (95% CI 0.39–0.82). Juveniles displayed a lower survival than the adults during autumn (P<0.01) whereas no age‐specific survival difference during spring was found. The risk of negative effects due to the small population size and low juvenile survival is accordingly considerable.
Lower red blood cell counts in middle‐aged subjects with shorter peripheral blood leukocyte telomere length
Authors: De Meyer Tim , De Buyzere Marc L. , Langlois Michel , Rietzschel Ernst R. , Cassiman Peter , De Bacquer Dirk , Van Oostveldt Patrick , De Backer Guy G. , Gillebert Thierry C. , Van Criekinge Wim , Bekaert Sofie ,   on behalf of the Asklepios Investigators
Published: July 2008

SummaryAlthough telomere biology was revealed to play an important role in several hematopoietic disorders, its impact on the age‐dependent dynamics of regular hematopoiesis is poorly understood. In vitro results suggest that particularly the erythropoietic capacity might be limited by critically short telomere length (TL). However, it remains unclear whether TL also affects erythropoiesis in healthy individuals in vivo. Therefore, we analyzed the associations between relevant hematopoietic parameters and peripheral blood leukocyte TL in the apparently healthy Asklepios study population, aged approximately 35–55 years (N > 2500). Our data indicate a clear positive, age and paternal age at birth adjusted, correlation between TL and red blood cell count, both in men (p < 0.001) and women (p = 0.011). This association was particularly significant in the older segment of the population (> 45 years old, both sexes: p = 0.003) and in younger men (p = 0.013), but not in younger women (p = 0.521). Further adjustment for known determinants in a general linear model revealed that peripheral blood leukocyte TL is most probably an independent predictor of red blood cell count (p < 0.001), suggesting that critical telomere shortening might also limit erythropoiesis in vivo. While negligible in a middle‐aged population, the clinical consequences might be important in the elderly (e.g. in anemia of chronic disease). Further studies are required to confirm the impact of our results.
Regional Endocardial Left Atrial Voltage and Electrogram Fractionation in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: KATRITSIS DEMOSTHENES , SOUGIANNIS DEMETRIOS , GIAZITZOGLOU ELEFTHERIOS , KOURLABA GEORGIA , ELLENBOGEN KENNETH A. 
Published: July 2008

Introduction: Heterogeneities in electrophysiological properties may contribute to the development of atrial fibrillation, and regional disparities in endocardial voltage in the left atrium have been related to arrhythmogenic mechanisms. This study aimed at investigating endocardial voltage in different regions of the left atrium in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods and Results: Thirty‐six patients (aged 56 ± 7 years, 10 female) scheduled for circumferential ablation for paroxysmal AF were studied. Voltage measurements were performed during AF and with constant right ventricular pacing in the anterior, posterior, superior and inferior walls outside the antrum of the left (LPV), and right (RPV) pulmonary veins, by means of electroanatomical mapping. There was a high agreement among measurements performed in the endocardium of the posterior atrial wall (ICC > 0.70), and moderate agreement among measurements performed in the superior and inferior walls (0.50 < ICC< 0.70), outside both PV antra. The posterior left atrial wall demonstrated significantly higher voltages both outside the LPV antrum (1.29 ± 1.36 mV) and the RPV antrum (1.20 ± 0.63 mV) compared to the inferior, anterior and superior walls (0.47 ± 0.49, 0.68 ± 0.69, and 0.61 ± 0.83 mV outside the LPV antrum, and 0.39 ± 0.23, 0.65 ± 0.49, and 0.49 ± 0.24 mV outside the RPV antrum, respectively). Fractionated electrograms were mainly identified at the posterior left atrial wall, outside the right PV antrum. Conclusion: During AF, the posterior wall displays significantly higher voltage and electrogram fractionation compared with other parts of the left atrial endocardium outside the antra of both pulmonary veins in patients with paroxysmal AF.
Proliferative responses in the local lymph node assay associated with concomitant exposure to 1,4‐phenylenediamine and methyldibromo glutaronitrile: evidence for synergy?
Authors: Jowsey Ian R. , Basketter David A. , Irwin Anita 
Published: July 2008

Background:  A key consideration when undertaking risk assessments should be the potential for synergy between contact allergens. Previously, this concept has only been investigated during elicitation in contact allergic individuals.Objective:  To determine whether there exists evidence for synergy between contact allergens during the induction phase of skin sensitization using the mouse local lymph node assay (LLNA) as a model system.Method:  Proliferative responses in draining lymph nodes were assessed with increasing concentrations of 1,4‐phenylenediamine (PPD), methyldibromo glutaronitrile (MDBGN), and a combination of PPD and MDBGN.Result:  Data from each of two independent experiments show that lymph node cell proliferation associated with combined exposure to PPD and MDBGN was, in general, only modestly increased relative to that predicted from a simple summation of their individual responses.Conclusions:  Although the increase in response is very modest, it does imply a relationship between this combination of sensitizers that may not be simply additive in terms of their ability to stimulate proliferative responses in draining lymph nodes. The reproducibility of this observation should be confirmed in future studies with additional pairs of contact allergens to ascertain whether or not this represents evidence of synergy.
Contact sensitization to 4,4′‐diaminodiphenylmethane and to isocyanates among general dermatology patients
Authors: Liippo Jussi , Lammintausta Kaija 
Published: July 2008

Background:  Diisocyanates and 4,4′‐diaminodiphenylmethane (MDA) are industrial sensitizers. Occupational asthma is a risk among workers exposed to diisocyanates. Exposure may also lead to contact sensitization and allergic contact dermatitis.Objective:  The aim of this study was to determine the occurrence of contact sensitization to MDA and to diisocyanates among general dermatology patients.Patients and methods:  Patch testing with MDA was carried out in 1595 patients. Diphenylmethane‐4,4′‐diisocyanate (MDI) and toluene‐2,4‐diisocyanate (TDI) were tested in 1023 patients and isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) and 1,6‐hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) in 433 patients. The clinical data and sources of exposure are analysed.Results:  MDA reactions were seen in 17 (1.1%) patients and MDI reactions in 4 patients. Six MDA‐positive patients reacted to p‐phenylenediamine and two to epoxy chemicals. 5/10 of the TDI reactions were seen concurrently with reactions to MDI, MDA, HDI, or to IPDI. IPDI reactions were seen in eight patients and HDI reactions in two patients. Possible sources of exposure were traced in most patients, although the association with the current dermatitis was not apparent in all cases.Conclusion:  (Di)isocyanates may induce contact sensitization with or without allergic contact dermatitis.