bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Origins of non‐linear and dissimilar relationships between epidermal UV absorbance and UV absorbance of extracted phenolics in leaves of grapevine and barley
Authors: KOLB CHRISTIANE A. , PFÜNDEL ERHARD E. 
Published: April 2005

ABSTRACTA recent review of climate patterns in Southern Germany has suggested significant increases in ultraviolet (UV) radiation due to decreases in cloud coverage and in cloud frequency which compound the effects of stratospheric ozone depletion. Whether such UV radiation increases result in UV damage of higher plant leaves depends partly on the capacity of UV‐absorbing hydroxycinnamic acids and flavonoids located in the plant epidermis to screen out UV radiation. Epidermal UV screening is most often assessed from UV absorbance of whole‐leaf extracts but in the present work, this method is critically examined. In grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.), hydroxycinnamic acid as well as mono‐hydroxylated and ortho‐dihydroxylated flavonoid concentrations increased in parallel with fluorometrically detected adaxial epidermal UV absorbance but only the latter class of flavonoids was associated with epidermal UV absorbance in barley (Hordeum vulgare L). For both species, curvilinear relationships between epidermal and total phenolic UV absorbance were established: initial slopes of the curves differed markedly between species. Modelling suggested that curvilinearity arises from UV‐transparent epidermal areas located between vacuoles which are particularly UV‐absorbing due to high levels of phenolics. The species‐dependent differences were related to allocation of high amounts of phenolics in the mesophyll and abaxial epidermis in barley but not in grapevine. Both factors, optical heterogeneity and variable distribution of phenolics, severely restrict the use of phenolic absorbance to estimate true epidermal screening.
Other factors than apoplastic ascorbate contribute to the differential ozone tolerance of two clones of Trifolium repens L.
Authors: D’HAESE DAVID , VANDERMEIREN KARINE , ASARD HAN , HOREMANS NELE 
Published: April 2005

ABSTRACTApoplastic reactive oxygen intermediates, which are formed during the exposure of a higher plant to ozone (O3), have been proposed to be detoxified by apoplastic ascorbate (ASC). An investigation to determine whether the differential sensitivity of two white clover clones (Trifolium repens L. cv Regal) to O3 was related with their levels of ASC, glutathione derivatives or with the total antioxidative capacity. In contrast to what might be expected, the sensitive clone of white clover (NC‐S) constitutively showed a 72% higher concentration of apoplastic ASC compared to the O3‐tolerant clone (NC‐R). Furthermore, NC‐S also showed a higher redox status of apoplastic ASC. These results indicate that higher ASC levels in the apoplast of NC‐S are not sufficient to induce a higher O3 tolerance. The redox status, but not the absolute concentration of homoglutathione in the symplast was found to be constitutively higher in NC‐R than in NC‐S. It is not clear, however, whether homoglutathione is a direct cause of the differential O3 detoxification capacity of both clones. Total antioxidative capacity measurements ruled out the contribution of other low‐molecular antioxidants to the relative tolerance of NC‐R. It was concluded that elevated apoplastic ASC levels can not always be sufficient to render a plant O3 tolerant.
Oxygen concentration affects nodule anatomy and nitrogenase activity of Alnus maritima
Authors: KRATSCH HEIDI A. , GRAVES WILLIAM R. 
Published: April 2005

ABSTRACT Alnus maritima is a shrub that associates with N2‐fixing Frankia in the wetlands in which it is native. Despite low concentrations in waterlogged soils, O2 is critical to the maintenance of this symbiosis, and Frankia‐infected nodules exist on roots of plants in native stands. The objective of the present study was to determine how root‐zone O2 concentration influences N2 fixation and the anatomy of nodules on A. maritima. Root zones of plants inoculated with soil from native stands were exposed to eight O2 concentrations. Nitrogenase activity increased with increasing O2 concentration. Photosynthetic rate, plant dry mass, leaf N content, and nodule fresh mass were maximal in plants maintained with 15–25% O2 in the root zone. Nodule counts were maximal on roots maintained at 10% and above 25% O2, and nodules that developed at ≤ 2% O2 were < 2 mm in diameter and single‐lobed. Mean total area of air spaces within nodules decreased, and mean area per space increased, with increasing O2 concentration. Seasonal and O2‐dependent nodule pigmentation was observed. Our data illustrate that O2 is critical to the development of functional symbioses, and that nodules of this species, which are submersed in nature, possess mechanisms for responding to their low‐O2 environment.
Bioassay‐led isolation of Myrothecium verrucaria and verrucarin A as germination inhibitors of Orobanche crenata
Authors: EL‐KASSAS R , KARAM EL‐DIN Z , BEALE M H , WARD J L , STRANGE R N 
Published: April 2005

SummaryA total of 188 fungal isolates was obtained from the rhizosphere of Vicia faba grown in an Egyptian soil heavily infested with Orobanche species. Agar cultures of 58 isolates inhibited the germination of conditioned seed of Orobanche crenata exposed to the germination stimulant, GR24. Filtrates of inhibitory fungi grown in liquid medium for 9–15 days were also assayed and those of five isolates, which were morphologically similar, inhibited germination even when diluted 16‐fold. The fungus was identified as Myrothecium verrucaria (Alb. & Schwein.) Ditmar by its morphology and the nucleotide sequence of the ITS1 and ITS2 regions of the ribosomal repeat unit. Purification of the inhibitor to homogeneity was accomplished by solvent partitioning, flash chromatography on silica gel, semi‐preparative HPLC on a reversed phase C18 column, solid phase extraction and tlc on silica gel. The inhibitor was identified as verrucarin A by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and comparison of the spectra with those of an authentic sample of the compound. A preliminary experiment demonstrated that infection of V. faba by O. crenata could be prevented by addition of spores of the fungus to soil infested by the parasite.
Soil steaming to reduce intrarow weed seedling emergence
Authors: MELANDER B , JØRGENSEN M H 
Published: April 2005

SummarySteaming the soil prior to crop establishment can be a very effective method of preventing weed seedling emergence on raised beds of vegetable crops. However, current mobile steaming technology for outdoor vegetables is characterized by an extremely high energy consumption and a low work rate. This has led to the concept of band‐steaming, where only a limited soil volume is steamed corresponding to the intrarow area of a row‐grown vegetable crop. Weeds growing in the intrarow area are difficult to remove by traditional non‐chemical means, usually involving substantial input of manual labour in organic cropping. This paper presents the initial results from laboratory studies with steaming a limited soil volume simulating a band. The investigations describe the relationship between maximum soil temperature achieved from soil steaming for different periods and effects seen on subsequent weed seedling emergence. The relationships obtained were generally sigmoid and could appropriately be described by a common dose–response function. Seedling emergence from natural weed species was reduced by 90% when the maximum soil temperature reached 61°C, and a further 10°C rise in temperature gave 99% reduction. Added and non‐imbibed seeds of Lolium perenne and Brassica napus generally required higher temperatures to achieve the same control level as the natural weeds in the soil samples.
Management of the invasive species Opuntia stricta in a Botanical Reserve in Portugal
Authors: MONTEIRO A , CHEIA V M , VASCONCELOS T , MOREIRA I 
Published: April 2005

Summary Opuntia stricta is an invasive species in the Dom António Xavier Pereira Coutinho Nature Reserve (Portugal). Different chemical approaches were assessed to simultaneously manage it and preserve the natural flora of the Botanical Reserve. Glyphosate was applied at different concentrations (2.8–180 g a.e. L−1) and times of application (April, July and October) by injection into cladophyll and direct application onto areas in which the cladophyll had been cut (90 and 180 g a.e. L−1). The efficacy of the herbicide applied on the cut areas was good, but the pieces of the cladophyll that had been cut were difficult to remove and destroy. Herbicide injection of a 2 mL of solution containing 45 g a.e. L−1 glyphosate in the summer proved to be the easiest and most effective way of controlling the weed. Germination studies were carried out in order to understand the importance of seeds in the dissemination of O. stricta. The optimum constant temperature for germination was generally 20–25°C, there was a tendency towards increased germination following leaching in water for 24 h (7% germination at 20°C 12‐h light) and 60‐min scarification in sulphuric acid (15% at 20°C 12‐h light). Although germination rates may be considered low, they do indicate that the emergence of O. stricta seedlings is possible.
Effect of preoperative Cox‐II‐selective NSAIDs (coxibs) on postoperative outcomes: A systematic review of randomized studies
Authors: Straube S. , Derry S. , McQuay H. J. , Moore R. A. 
Published: April 2005

Background:  Preoperative use of coxibs has been claimed to reduce postoperative pain and analgesic consumption, and to affect other postoperative outcomes.Methods:  Systematic review of randomized trials comparing preoperative coxib with preoperative placebo, or active comparator. Searching of PubMed and Cochrane Library to August 2004. A qualitative and a quantitative analysis.Results:  Twenty‐two included trials with 2246 patients had high reporting quality and validity scores, though treatment group sizes were small, with a median size of 30 patients. Most trials used oral preoperative rofecoxib (mainly 50 mg) or celecoxib (mainly 200 mg).Preoperative coxibs significantly reduced both postoperative pain and analgesic consumption compared with preoperative placebo in 15/20 trials. In one further trial postoperative pain was reduced and in one analgesic consumption. There was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting in 13/17 studies or when data were pooled. Postoperative antiemetic use was significantly reduced in all five trials reporting it; the NNT to prevent one patient using postoperative antiemetic was 10 (5.5 to 66). No trial reported any significant difference in intraoperative blood loss or recovery from anaesthesia. Patient satisfaction was significantly increased with preoperative coxib use. No conclusions could be drawn from the three trials comparing preoperative coxib with preoperative NSAID. One study reported significantly improved cost‐efficacy with rofecoxib.Conclusions:  Preoperative coxibs had clear benefits in terms of reduced postoperative pain, analgesic consumption and patient satisfaction compared with placebo. Effects on postoperative nausea and vomiting remain uncertain, as do those on recovery from surgery or economic benefit. Future trials should be larger and more pragmatic in nature.
Web‐based research of lower urinary tract symptoms that affect quality of life in elderly Japanese men: analysis using a structural equation model
Authors: Masumori Naoya , Homma Daiichi , Tsukamoto Taiji 
Published: April 2005

OBJECTIVETo investigate the distribution of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in elderly Japanese men, to clarify which variables contributed to medical care‐seeking behaviour, and to construct a structural‐equation model (SEM) to explain overall quality of life (QoL).SUBJECTS AND METHODSA dataset was obtained from 662 Japanese men aged 50–79 years who participated in the programme by accessing a website via the Internet between 10.30 hours on 19 February 2003 and 10.30 hours on 24 February 2003. The participants were queried about their International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), bother, QoL index and medical care‐seeking behaviour.RESULTSOf the 662 participants, 314 reported intending to seek medical care for LUTS (intention group); the remaining 348 answered that they did not intend to see a doctor (no‐intention group). The characteristic of weak stream had the strongest correlation with the QoL index, not only in the intention (r = 0.58) but also in the no‐intention group (r = 0.48). Among several SEMs proposed, one that included a latent variable termed ‘QoL sensitivity’ was the most appropriate to explain overall QoL. In this model it was assumed that ‘QoL sensitivity’ was affected by other latent variables, termed the ‘voiding symptom factors’ and ‘storage symptom factors’, and affected the degree of bother related to each symptom.CONCLUSIONIn Japanese men, voiding symptoms, especially weak stream, contributed to overall QoL for medical care‐seeking behaviour. Differences in ‘QoL sensitivity’ among men may be one of the reasons why symptomatic severity is not always correlated with symptom‐related bother.
Retrograde ureteroscopy for distal ureteric stone removal in children
Authors: De Dominicis Mauro , Matarazzo Ennio , Capozza Nicola , Collura Giuseppe , Caione Paolo 
Published: April 2005

A wide range of topics is covered in the Paediatric Urology section in this month's issue: retrograde ureteroscopy for distal ureteric stones, outcomes of continent catheterizable stomas for urinary and faecal incontinence, an exploration of a possible common cause between enuresis in childhood and urinary and faecal incontinence in adult life, and a description of a new surgical procedure, the colpo‐wrap.OBJECTIVETo compare the efficacy and safety of ureteroscopy plus intracorporeal lithotripsy (ULT) with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) for treating distal ureteric calculi in childhood, as such stones are commonly treated by ESWL as the first option in adults but there is no agreement on the method of treating them in children.PATIENTS AND METHODSFrom July 2002 to July 2003, children presenting with ureteric stones were consecutively randomized for treatment using ULT or ESWL. The two groups were matched for age, sex and stone position in the distal ureter. A 7.5 F ureteroscope combined with a ballistic lithotripter or holmium‐YAG laser was used for ULT. ESWL was administered using a second‐generation lithotripter. The success rate, effectiveness quotient, complication rate and hospitalization were evaluated and compared using Student's t‐test (chi‐square) and Fisher's exact test as appropriate. In all, 31 patients (21 girls and 10 boys, mean age 7.2 years, range 2–17) were treated, by ULT in 17 (12 girls and five boys) and ESWL as a primary procedure in 14 (five boys and nine girls).RESULTSAfter one ULT, all the girls and four boys, and after ESWL, four girls and two boys, were rendered stone‐free at the first treatment. The total stone‐free rate was 16 of 17 for ULT and six of 14 for ESWL (P = 0.004). Eight patients had a second ESWL and three then became stone‐free. The five patients in whom both ESWL treatments failed had a successful ULT. There was no significant difference between the groups in complication rate and hospitalization. General anaesthesia was required in all patients <12 years old treated by ULT or ESWL. The calculated efficiency quotient for treating distal ureteric calculi was significantly lower for ESWL than ULT (P < 0.05).CONCLUSIONSULT should be recommended as the treatment of choice for distal ureteric calculi in children; using small ureteroscopes the target stone was treated safely and effectively.
The additive erectile recovery effect of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor combined with vascular endothelial growth factor in a rat model of neurogenic impotence
Authors: Chen Kuo‐Chiang , Minor Thomas X. , Rahman Nadeem U. , Ho Hao‐Chung , Nunes Lora , Lue Tom F. 
Published: April 2005

OBJECTIVETo test the hypothesis that combined intracavernosal injection with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) with adeno‐associated virus‐mediated brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (AAV‐BDNF) synergistically facilitates the neural regeneration and erectile function after cavernosal nerve injury.MATERIALS AND METHODSForty Sprague‐Dawley male rats were randomly divided into five equal groups: eight had a sham operation while 32 had bilateral cavernosal nerve freezing followed by an immediate intracavernosal injection with either phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS), VEGF, AAV‐BDNF, or AAV‐BDNF + VEGF. Erectile function was assessed by cavernosal nerve electrostimulation at 3 months, and samples of the major pelvic ganglia and penile tissue were evaluated histologically.RESULTSIn this animal model of impotence from nerve injury, the recovery of erectile function was greatest in those receiving AAV‐BDNF + VEGF; the mean (sd) maximal intracavernosal pressure in this group was 87.2 (20.78) cmH2O, compared with 37.3 (11.39) for VEGF alone and 49.8 (29.58) for AAV‐BDNF alone. No erectile dysfunction was identified in the sham group, with a pressure of 100.7 (22.70) cmH2O, while all treatment groups significantly outperformed the PBS (control) group, at 29.3 (13.52) cmH2O. Furthermore, all animals receiving monotherapy or combined treatment had more NADPH‐diaphorase‐positive nerve fibres than controls but less than in the sham group.CONCLUSIONBilateral cavernosal nerve freezing causes erectile dysfunction with accompanying neurological changes. Intracavernosal injection with either VEGF or AAV‐BDNF alone enhances nerve regeneration, with combined therapy (VEGF and AAV‐BDNF) promoting neural and erectile recovery additively.
Preferences for Water Policy in the Ogallala Region of New Mexico
Authors: Avalos Manuel , De Young Timothy 
Published: April 2005

In the late‐1970s, Congress formed the High Plains Study Project to assess and study various management and water supply strategies for the Ogallala basin. In the early‐1980s, the High Plains Study Council released its findings and recommendations, which in turn stimulated numerous interpretive critiques. A decade has passed since the High Plains Study Council report, yet water management problems persist. Using data from a survey of water experts in New Mexico, we identify the determinants of support and opposition to three water management options: voluntary conservation, mandatory regulation, and water importation.Preference for water management strategies is a function of how policy is perceived (regulatory vs. distributive). Water users in the Ogallala East region of New Mexico tended to oppose mandatory regulatory policies that provide the best option for conserving ground water resources for future generations; voluntary conservation‐the least effective option—enjoyed the strongest support from respondents. The findings of this research should be of interest to persons concerned with the future of the Ogallala aquifer and to students of public policy.
Using Technology Absorption as an Evaluation Criterion: Case Studies from a State Research and Development Program
Authors: Kingsley Gordon , Farmer Michael C. 
Published: April 2005

State agencies sponsoring local research and development projects often finance the development of technologies in partnership with other organizations. These contracting partners develop and demonstrate the new technology. This study distinguishes between two types of outcomes from such projects. Technology absorption is the adoption of a technology by an organization participating in the project. Technology transfer is the process by which outcomes are adopted by organizations outside the project (i.e., nonparticipants). From an evaluation perspective, research and development projects that result in the absorption of technology, without any subsequent transfer, are difficult to assess. Often these outcomes are counted the same as a transfer even though the process is subsidized by the state.Three case studies of absorption outcomes are presented. Absorption projects tend to be distinctive because: (a) they develop technologies that are very large in scale and very complex; (b) project leadership typically is provided by an end‐user who attempts to employ the technology for commercial purposes; (c) success is measured through the technological accomplishment and ongoing commercial venture rather than by the number of adopting organizations; and (d) they produce spillover benefits in the cohesion of the social networks formed among project participants.
Book Notes
Authors: Donoher William J. 
Published: April 2005

Books reviewed in this article:Donald L. Alexander (Ed.), Telecommunications Policy: Have Regulators Dialed the Wrong Number?John J. Audley, Green Politics and Global Trade: NAFTA and the Future of Environmental Politics.William I. Bacchus, The Price of American Foreign Policy: Congress, the Executive, and International Affairs Funding.Arnold Birenbaum, Managed Care: Made in America.Thomas A. Birkland, After Disaster; Agenda Setting, Public Policy, and Focusing Events.James Bowman and Donald Menzel (Eds.), Teaching Ethics and Values in Public Administration Programs.Robert J. Duffy, Nuclear Politics in America: A History and Theory of Government Regulation.Marianne Githens and Dorothy McBride Stetson (Eds.), Abortion Politics: Public Policy in Cross‐Cultural Perspective.Christopher Howard, The Hidden Welfare State: Tax Expenditures and Social Policy in the United StatesJoan Johnson‐Freese and Roger Handberg, Space, The Dormant Frontier: Changing the Paradigm for the 21st Century.Jennie Jacobs Kronenfeld, The Changing Federal Role in U.S. Health Care Policy.Yong S. Lee (Ed.), Technology Transfer and Public Policy.James Midgley, Social Welfare in Global Context.Nancy C. Roberts and Paula J. King, Transforming Public Policy: Dynamics of Policy Entrepreneurs hip and Innovation.Denise Scheberle, Federalism and Environmental Policy: Trust and the Politics of Implementation.David E. Wildasin (Ed.), Fiscal Aspects of Evolving Federations.
Supply response of U.K. milk producers
Authors: Colman David , Solomon Alexander , Gill Len 
Published: April 2005

AbstractShort‐run own‐price response elasticities are estimated from two samples of panel data for specialist dairy farms in the Northwest and Southwest of England. Although these farms are subject to milk marketing quotas, the free tradability of quotas enables them individually to adjust the output quite rapidly. Model specifications have been chosen to test the ability of panel data to directly reveal behavioral responses without the imposition of theoretical restrictions. Significantly, the two independent samples generate quite similar results, especially in terms of supply response measures. Stable and promising estimates are obtained with simultaneous models giving higher elasticities than single equation models.