bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A comparison of the acceptability to student consumers of three food products retailed at three ‘quality’ levels
Authors: Mann Tracy , Reeve William G. , Creed Philip G. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractThis study aimed to determine whether the range of ‘quality’ levels offered by UK food retailers in the form of nationally advertised and retailers’ own label products which are differentiated by price, provides a corresponding range of sensory qual‐ities which can be detected by consumers. Under blind testing conditions, student consumers assessed three food products (bread, bacon and orange juice) at three ‘quality’ levels (own‐label economy; own‐label premium and national products) purchased from four major U.K. food retailers (Asda, Sainsbury, Co‐operative and Tesco). Fifty students (aged 18–25) assessed the hedonic liking of odour, texture, flavour, overall acceptability, colour, and acceptability based on appearance and purchase intent. The results demonstrated significant differences between ‘quality’ levels and retailers. For all three products, colour was generally less liked for own‐label economy and own‐label premium products than for national products, but there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) between the ‘quality’ levels for flavour and overall acceptability. Regarding purchase intent and acceptability based on appearance, national branded bread was preferred to own‐label brands; for bacon, there were no significant differences; and for orange juice, own‐label economy was significantly less acceptable and less likely to be purchased than own‐label premium and national brands. There were some significant differences between retailers for some product attributes, leading to the purchase intent for Co‐operative bread and Tesco orange juice being lower than from other retailers. Overall, it can be concluded that student consumers found few differences based solely on their liking of the products’ sensory attributes that would justify the price differentials between the retail ‘quality’ levels.
Sous vide processing of seasoned spinach soup
Authors: Kim Gi‐Tae , Koo Kyoung‐Mo , Paik Hyun‐Dong , Lyu Eun Soon , Lee Dong Sun 
Published: March 2003

AbstractSpinach soup seasoned with fermented soybean paste, red pepper paste and other minor ingredients was processed into 600 g plastic pouch package by the sous vide method. The process involved hot filling, pasteurization based on the inactivation of psychrotropic Clostridium botulinum, and rapid chilling. The processed products were stored at 3 and 10°C with periodic sampling for quality measurements. The seasoned spinach soup processed by the sous vide method exhibited a sensory quality comparable to that of fresh soup. The pasteurized product showed a high microbial load of total aerobic bacterial count greater than 5 log CFU/g in the soup brine and 2 log CFU/g in the vegetable solids, caused by the use of fermented soybean and red pepper pastes in the seasoned brine. However, coliform bacteria, lactic acid bacteria and yeasts/moulds were not detected in the product. The product was stable in microbial quality during storage for 35 days at 3°C, while it was so only up to 10 days at 10°C. The surface colour, total chlorophyll, ascorbic acid content and texture of the spinach in the soup showed gradual changes toward less green colour, lower nutrient retention and softer vegetables with their changes being faster at higher temperature. The seasoned spinach soup may be stored for appropriate time periods under chilled conditions and used in the food service industry with good quality characteristics.
Recovery ofBanksiaandHakeacommunities after fire in mediterranean Australia—the role of species identity and functional attributes
Authors: Lamont Byron B. , Groom Philip K. , Richards Michael B. , Witkowski E. T. F. 
Published: March 2003

SummaryUp to thirteen demographic, four morphological and four ecophysiological attributes were assessed in each of three studies of postfire recruitment patterns in mediterranean southwestern Australia. Three to seven of the most prominent, congeneric shrub species in each of five communities were monitored following a total of six fires, and numbers of individuals prefire were compared with those over two to four winters postfire. The proportion of individuals in each species only sometimes reflected the proportion at an earlier time. At least one species differed from the rest for twenty‐six of a total of twenty‐seven demographic steps assessed. Initial seedlings/parent, which was largely a function of seeds available, and, to a lesser extent, level of germination, were the most important attributes in accounting for the recruitment patterns. There was a trend for the faster growing, drought avoiding species to increase at the expense of the others. In the most comprehensive study, life form (four nonsproutingHakeaspp.v.four resproutingHakeaspp.) was the best predictor of the recovery pattern. This was through its association with seed availability and level of germination and, to a lesser extent, drought survival (all higher for nonsprouters). Leaf type, as an indicator of drought tolerance, had inconsistent predictive power between studies. The least summer stressed species, in terms of survival and water relations, tended to have the largest seedlings derived from the largest seeds, but there were notable exceptions. Within each life form category, species behaviour varied widely, making most predictions of postfire community dynamics based on relative prefire numbers little more than conjectural. However, in only one of the three studies were the trends sufficiently clear to show that postfire densities would never mirror those prefire.
A fine‐scaled predictive model for changes in species distribution patterns of high mountain plants induced by climate warming
Authors: Gottfried Michael , Pauli Harald , Reiter Karl , Grabherr Georg 
Published: March 2003

SummaryInduced by global warming, mountain plant species are migrating upwards. Species inhabiting the nival zone of today are threatened by competitors which move from the alpine zone towards the summits. The manner in which species move depends on their abilities to cope with microtopographical situations. We present a spatially explicit predictive model which draws scenarios of future species distribution patterns at a typical high mountain of the European Alps. The altitudinal temperature gradient is examined. Based on the lapse rate and on definitions of topographical niches of species, a +1 °C‐ and a +2 °C‐warming scenario are modelled using a fine‐scaled digital elevation model. Nival species will lose area and become restricted to specific topographical situations. Alpine and subnival grassland species are predicted to expand their area, mainly along stable surface situations. Whether the migration will take place as a filling or a moving process is specific to the particular species. Overall, biodiversity is apparently not threatened on the decadal scale. In special cases, however, genetic losses are likely both on a local and on a regional scale.
Using an artificial neural network to characterize the relative suitability of environments for forest types in a complex tropical vegetation mosaic
Authors: Hilbert David W. , Van Den Muyzenberg Jeroen 
Published: March 2003

SummaryA predictive understanding of the environmental controls on forest distributions is essential for the conservation of biodiversity and management of landscapes in the tropics. This is particularly true now because of potentially rapid climate change. The floristic complexity of tropical forests and the lack or absence of data severely limits the applicability of modelling methods based on the ecology or distribution of individual species. Here we present an artificial neural network (ANN) model using the information available in the humid tropics of North Queensland: a structural classification of forest types, maps of the forest mosaic, and estimates of spatial environmental variables.The ANN model characterizes the relative suitabilities of environments for 15 forest classes defined by their physiognomy and canopy structure. Inputs include seven climate variables, nine soil parent‐material classes, and seven terrain variables. The data used to train the model consisted of a stratified random sample of 75000 points. Output of the model is used to measure the dissimilarity between the environment at each location and the environment that would be most suitable for the forest type that is mapped there.The model is highly successful at distinguishing the relative suitability of environments for the forest classes with 75% of the region's forest mosaic accurately predicted by the model at a one hectare resolution. In contrast, a comparable maximum likelihood classification has an accuracy of only 38%. In the remaining 25% of the region the environments are quite dissimilar to what would be expected for the forest types present there. This is especially the case at boundaries between forest classes and for a transitional forest class. Areas mapped as this disturbed, transitional class are generally classified by the model as having environments suitable to the forest type they are most likely to become.The approach has high potential for the analysis of climate change impacts as well as inferring vegetation patterns in the past and should be applicable wherever vegetation maps and spatial estimates of climate variables are available.
Thrushes now largely restricted to the built environment in eastern England
Authors: Mason Christopher F. 
Published: March 2003

Abstract.  I studied the distribution and density of three thrush populations, blackbird Turdus merula, song thrush T. philomelos and mistle thrush T. viscivorus, in an urban and contiguous rural area, totalling 2636 ha, in eastern England. Populations of these species are declining and I found 826, 85 and 30 territories of blackbird, song thrush and mistle thrush, respectively. Significantly more territories of all species than expected were within the urban boundary. Significantly more territories than expected were found of all three species in the built environment (residential housing, factories, schools, etc. with their associated gardens and green‐space), urban and rural areas combined. Farmland occupied 67% of the study area but held significantly fewer blackbird and mistle thrush territories than expected, associated mainly with the small amount of grass; song thrushes were not recorded on farmland. Rural woodland and scrub held more blackbird and song thrush territories than expected. Song thrush was significantly associated with scrub within the urban boundary. With all three species largely absent from farmland, residential habitats can be considered as habitat refuges. The consequences of this for conservation and planning are discussed.
Priority areas for the conservation of South African vegetation: a coarse‐filter approach
Authors: Reyers B. , Fairbanks D. H. K. , Van Jaarsveld A. S. , Thompson M. 
Published: March 2003

Abstract.South Africa has an important responsibility to global biodiversity conservation, but a largely inadequate conservation area network for addressing this responsibility. This study employs a coarse‐filter approach based on 68 potential vegetation units to identify areas that are largely transformed, degraded or impacted upon by road‐effects. The assessment highlights broad vegetation types that face high biodiversity losses currently or in the near future due to human impacts. Most vegetation types contain large tracts of natural vegetation, with little degradation, transformation or impacts from road networks. Regions in the grasslands, fynbos and forest biomes are worst affected. Very few of the vegetation types are adequately protected according to the IUCN’s 10% protected area conservation target, with the fynbos and savanna biomes containing a few vegetation types that do achieve this arbitrary goal. This investigation identifies areas where limited conservation resources should be concentrated by identifying vegetation types with high levels of anthropogenic land use threats and associated current and potential biodiversity loss.
Mutualism as a constraint on invasion success for legumes and rhizobia
Authors: Parker Matthew A. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractBecause hereditary symbiont transmission is normally absent in the mutualism of legume plants and root‐nodule bacteria (rhizobia), dispersing plants may often arrive at new habitats where mutualist partners are too rare to provide full benefits. Factors governing invasion success were explored by analysing a system of two coupled pairwise competition models: a legume invader competing with a resident non‐mutualistic plant, and a rhizobial population competing with a resident population of nonsymbiotic bacteria. The non‐linear dependence of benefits on partner abundance in this mutualism creates the possibility of two alternative population size equilibria, so that a threshold density can exist for invasion. If legumes and rhizobia exceed a critical population size, both species achieve rapid population growth, while if initial densities of both species are below their respective thresholds, they remain rare and are thus vulnerable to extinction in the presence of competitors. Overall, the results indicate that legumes may often fail at colonization attempts within habitats where mutualist partners are scarce. Data on legume prevalence in island floras and rates of geographical spread by legume weeds are consistent with this inference. Predictive insights about invasiveness may emerge from comparative research on key traits identified by the model, especially the shape of the function determining the number of nodules formed at low rhizobial density.
Biogeographical patterns of endemic terrestrial Afrotropical birds
Authors: De Klerk H. M. , Crowe T. M. , Fjeldså J. , Burgess N. D. 
Published: March 2003

Abstract.Biogeographical zones are described for terrestrial bird species endemic to the Afrotropics using up‐to‐date distributional data and multivariate statistical techniques. This provides an objective basis for a hierarchy of subregions, provinces and districts, based on a set of rules. Results are compared to previous studies at continental and regional scales. Biogeographical zones for passerines and non‐passerines are compared and found to be similar. Peaks of species richness and narrow endemism are described for the six major subdivisions (subregions) identified by the cluster analysis. Coincidence of peaks of species richness and narrow endemism is found to be low, such that areas selected to represent high species richness tallies will often fail to represent narrow endemics. Strong regionalization of Afrotropical birds indicates the need to use a biogeographical framework in conservation priority setting exercises to ensure that unique, but species‐poor, avifaunas are not neglected.
Quality management of pharmacology and safety pharmacology studies
Authors: Spindler Per , Seiler Jürg P. 
Published: March 2003

Pharmacology has traditionally been excluded from the mandatory application of good laboratory practice (GLP) principles. Consensus has been reached through the process of the International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH, Topic S7A) with regard to the definitions of the different types of pharmacology studies (ICH S7A): primary pharmacodynamic, secondary pharmacodynamic and safety pharmacology studies, and guidance on the quality standards (expectations for GLP conformity) for these study types have been provided. Primary pharmacodynamic studies are the only study types that are fully exempt from GLP requirements. Secondary pharmacodynamic and safety pharmacology studies are expected to be conducted to GLP quality standards – preferably to full, formal GLP compliance, when results are used for human safety assessment.At the present time, regulatory authorities will most likely be prepared to exercise flexibility in their requirement for GLP compliance, however, if non‐clinical studies used in human safety assessment are not formally in compliance with the principles of GLP, regulatory acceptance may not be guaranteed.Historically, the application of formal GLP standards in safety pharmacology studies appears to vary between test facilities, and a number of study components in safety pharmacology studies, e.g. ECG monitoring, may not always conform to formal GLP standards. Apparently, however, formal GLP standards for these study components can be implemented for a relatively low additional cost. Based on the guidance given in the ICH S7A guideline, it thus appears logical to recommend that test facilities and sponsors consider their organisation of safety pharmacology studies in view of sound study management and formal implementation of GLP, where needed.Organisation of study management should facilitate collaboration across scientific disciplines because a plethora of data, originating from basic pharmacodynamics, toxicology, kinetics, and metabolism, as well as from clinical investigations, are involved in a safety pharmacology assessment. Applying formal GLP standards to safety pharmacology studies, and, when indicated, to secondary pharmacodynamic studies, does not influence the scientific standards of studies. However, applying formal GLP standards will ensure the quality, reliability and integrity of studies, which reflect sound study management. It is important to encourage a positive attitude among researchers and academics towards these lines, whenever possible. GLP principles applied to the management of non‐clinical safety studies are appropriate quality standards when studies are used in the context of protecting public health, and these quality standards are therefore obviously pivotal for regulatory acceptance of non‐clinical safety studies in general, and of safety pharmacology studies in particular.
Application of pharmacokinetic modelling to the routine therapeutic drug monitoring of anticancer drugs
Authors: Rousseau Annick , Marquet Pierre 
Published: March 2003

AbstractOver the last 10 years, proofs of the clinical interest of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of certain anticancer drugs have been established. Numerous studies have shown that TDM is an efficient tool for controlling the toxicity of therapeutic drugs, and a few trials have even demonstrated that it can improve their efficacy. This article critically reviews TDM tools based on pharmacokinetic modelling of anticancer drugs. The administered dose of anticancer drugs is sometimes adjusted individually using either a priori or a posteriori methods. The most frequent clinical application of a priori formulae concerns carboplatin and allows the computation of the first dose based on biometrical and biological data such as weight, age, gender, creatinine clearance and glomerular filtration rate. A posteriori methods use drug plasma concentrations to adjust the subsequent dose(s). Thus, nomograms allowing dose adjustment on the basis of blood concentration are routinely used for 5‐fluorouracil given as long continuous infusions. Multilinear regression models have been developed, for example for etoposide, doxorubicin, carboplatin, cyclophosphamide and irinotecan, to predict a single exposure variable [such as area under concentration–time curve (AUC)] from a small number of plasma concentrations obtained at predetermined times after a standard dose. These models can only be applied by using the same dose and schedule as the original study. Bayesian estimation offers more flexibility in blood sampling times and, owing to its precision and to the amount of information provided, is the method of choice for ensuring that a given patient benefits from the desired systemic exposure. Unlike the other a posteriori methods, Bayesian estimation is based on population pharmacokinetic studies and can take into account the effects of different individual factors on the pharmacokinetics of the drug. Bayesian estimators have been used to determine maximum tolerated systemic exposure thresholds (e.g. for topotecan or teniposide) as well as for the routine monitoring of drugs characterized by a very high interindividual pharmacokinetic variability such as methotrexate or carboplatin. The development of these methods has contributed to improving cancer chemotherapy in terms of patient outcome and survival and should be pursued.
α2‐adrenoceptor ligands inhibit α1‐adrenoceptor‐mediated contraction of isolated rat arteries
Authors: Artigues‐Varin Cécile , Richard Vincent , Varin Rémi , Mulder Paul , Thuillez Christian 
Published: March 2003

AbstractThe experiments in this study were designed to investigate the potential relaxing effects of different compounds known as α2‐imidazoline ligands (either agonists or antagonists) in isolated rat arteries, and to test the role of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandins, in addition to the influence of the nature of the contracting agent in these responses. Segments of mesenteric arteries were isolated and mounted in a small vessel myograph (JP Trading, Aarhus, Denmark) for isometric tension recording, while segments of gracilis muscle arteries were cannulated and studied in the pressurized state using an arteriograph (Living Systems Instrumentation, Burlington, VT, USA).In phenylephrine precontracted mesenteric arteries, the agonists clonidine, BHT920, UK 14304, and rilmenidine, as well as the antagonists idazoxan, yohimbine and rauwolscine, all induced marked relaxations. Similarly, clonidine and idazoxan, both induced marked dilatations of phenylephrine preconstricted gracilis muscle arteries. In both mesenteric and gracilis muscle arteries, the responses to clonidine and idazoxan were not affected by the NO synthase inhibitor Nω‐nitro‐L‐arginine (L‐NA, 10−5 M) or the cyclooxygenase inhibitor diclofenac (10−5 M). In mesenteric arteries, the responses to clonidine or idazoxan were similar when the arteries were precontracted by different α1‐adrenoceptor agonists (phenylephrine, methoxamine or norepinephrine). In contrast, in arteries precontracted by PGF2α or endothelin, clonidine induced contractions while idazoxan induced very modest relaxations.Thus, α2‐adrenoceptor/imidazoline ligands (whether agonists and antagonists) induce paradoxical relaxation of small mesenteric or gracilis muscle arteries of rats, which are not affected by NO‐synthase or cyclooxygenase inhibition, and appear related to direct non specific interactions of the α2‐imidazoline ligands with α1‐adrenergic receptors in vascular smooth muscle.
Effect of amitriptyline on gastric ulceration
Authors: Sen T. , Abdulsalam C. A. , Pal S. , Sen S. , Karmakar S. , Saravanan K. S. , Nag Chaudhuri A. K. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractAmitriptyline significantly inhibited alcohol, aspirin, indomethacin and cold‐restraint stress‐induced ulceration. Secretory studies conducted in pyloric‐ligated rats revealed that the drug, at the doses employed, significantly reduced total acidity and protein content. However, significant reductions of the gastric volume were only observed at the highest dose of the drug. In another set of experiments, when 50% alcohol (v/v) was administered to the pyloric‐ligated rats pretreated with amitriptyline, it was observed that the drug significantly reduced the pH, total acidity and protein content.