bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Characteristics of edible films made from dairy proteins and zein hydrolysate cross‐linked with transglutaminase
Authors: Oh Jun‐Hyun , Wang Baowu , Field Perris D. , Aglan Heshmat A. 
Published: February 2004

SummaryThe main objectives of this research were to develop whey protein or casein films incorporating zein hydrolysate and also cross‐linked by transglutaminase as to well as characterize the physical and mechanical properties of the film. Zein hydrolysate decreased the solubility of the whey protein film (P < 0.05), while treatment with transglutaminase did not change the solubility of the film significantly. Electrophoresis patterns demonstrated that casein molecules were cross‐linked by transglutaminase and the extent of this cross‐linkage was further increased when zein hydrolysate was added. In addition, the use of zein hydrolysate decreased the tensile strength of the whey protein film by 35–45%. The elongation of the casein film was increased by 41% because of the action of transglutaminase and zein hydrolysate (P < 0.05). The water vapour permeability of the films was not significantly different. As the addition of zein hydrolysate and treatment with transglutaminase improved the flexibility of the films, the level of plasticizer required to maintain film flexibility could be reduced without sacrificing their water vapour permeability.
Colour of post‐harvest ripened and vine ripened tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) as related to total antioxidant capacity and chemical composition
Authors: Wold Anne‐Berit , Rosenfeld Hans J. , Holte Kari , Baugerød Halvard , Blomhoff Rune , Haffner Karin 
Published: February 2004

SummaryGreenhouse grown tomatoes (cvs ‘Durinta’, ‘Favorita’ and ‘Liberto’) were harvested green and vine ripe. Colour measurements and chemical analyses were performed on green, post‐harvest red and vine‐ripe fruits. Partial least square (PLS) regression was applied to predict the ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) by means of colour measurements (L*, a* and b*). The PLS showed that 78% of the variation in colour were able to predict 74% of the variation in FRAP value. Chemical variables and colour variables together were able to predict 88% of the variation in FRAP by means of PLS regression. Linear regression showed a high negative correlation between high values of L*, b* and FRAP, and a high positive correlation between titratable acidity, a*, hue, a*/b*, soluble solids, vitamin C, dry matter and FRAP values. Thus, colour measurements of intact tomatoes can be used as a non‐destructive method to assess total antioxidant capacity of tomatoes.
Reduction of chlorine concentration and microbial load during washing‐disinfection of shredded lettuce
Authors: Pirovani María , Piagentini Andrea , Güemes Daniel , Arkwright Silvana 
Published: February 2004

SummaryDisinfection of shredded lettuce by washing is an essential operation to eliminate foreign matter and cellular fluids produced by cutting, and to reduce the initial microbial contamination. The response surface methodology was used to evaluate the effect of initial chlorine concentration (50–150 ppm), water‐to‐produce ratio (20–50 L kg−1) and time (2–8 min) on the depletion of total and available chlorine and also the microbial count reduction on shredded lettuce. The predictive models obtained, validated through additional confirmatory experiments, were shown to be adequate and could be used as a way of improving the operation.
Effects of short‐term ozone fumigation on tobacco plants: response of the scavenging system and expression of the glutathione reductase
Authors: Pasqualini S. , Batini P. , Ederli L. , Porceddu A. , Piccioni C. , De Marchis F. , Antonielli M. 
Published: February 2004

ABSTRACTThe role that the constituents of the ascorbate–glutathione cycle play in the mechanism of contrasting ozone sensitivities was examined in mature and old tobacco leaves after acute ozone‐fumigation (150 p.p.b., 5 h). Levels of the enzyme activities associated with the detoxifying system were lower in ozone‐sensitive Bel W3 control plants than in unfumigated ozone‐tolerant Bel B plants. In particular, the endogenous activities of ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione reductase (GR), and the metabolites ascorbic acid (AA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) were more abundant in Bel B than Bel W3 control plants. These results suggest that the higher tolerance of Bel B to O3 is associated with a greater initial content of the antioxidant enzymes or metabolites. Only in the mature leaves of the ozone‐tolerant Bel B cv. did fumigation trigger activation of APX and, weakly, of dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR). The activity of these enzymes was significantly lower after ozone treatment in both mature and old leaves of Bel W3 than in control plants. Fumigation had little effect on the ascorbate content. Its main effects on the glutathione pool were that it boosted the oxidized form and lowered the reduced form, particularly in mature Bel W3 leaves. Extractable GR activity remained unchanged in both Bel B and Bel W3 immediately after fumigation, but increased slightly 24 h later, particularly in mature leaves of Bel W3. Exposure to O3 caused a sharp decline in chloroplastic GR mRNA levels in both cultivars. However, as Western blot analysis failed to detect any major changes in GR protein content at this time, the protein must be highly stable. There is therefore a good correlation between tolerance to O3 and high endogenous levels of antioxidant metabolites such as AA and GSH in tobacco. In addition, the degree of inducibility of the system discriminates the two cultivars investigated.
Role of sildenafil citrate in treatment of erectile dysfunction after radical retropubic prostatectomy
Authors: OGURA KEIJI , ICHIOKA KENTARO , TERADA NAOKI , YOSHIMURA KOJI , TERAI AKITO , ARAI YOICHI 
Published: February 2004

AbstractBackground: Sildenafil citrate was introduced as a treatment for erectile dysfunction in April 1998 in the United States and has been available since March 1999 in Japan. In this article, we assess the efficacy of sildenafil in the treatment of erectile dysfunction in Japanese men after radical retropubic prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer.Methods: Of 106 men who underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy between January 1994 and March 2000, 43 were prescribed sildenafil at their request after radical retropubic prostatectomy. Medication was initiated at 25 mg, and if this was ineffective, the dose was increased to 50 mg. Of the patients, 18 underwent bilateral and 21 unilateral nerve sparing (NS) procedures, while in 4 patients, a non‐NS procedure was performed. These patients were interviewed using a questionnaire about  their  response  to  sildenafil  and  using  the  5‐item  International  Index  of  Erectile  Function (IIEF‐5) questionnaire.Results: Thirty‐three of the 43 patients were eligible for evaluation of the efficacy of sildenafil and 27 completed the IIEF‐5 questionnaires. Sildenafil at 50 mg had a better effect on sexual function than 25 mg in most Japanese patients. Of the 16 patients who underwent bilateral NS procedures, 10 (62.5%) had improved ability for intercourse and 3 (18.8%) had improved erections. Of the 13 patients who underwent unilateral NS procedures, 7 (53.8%) had improved ability for intercourse and 4 (30.8%) had improved erections. None of the 4 patients who underwent non‐NS procedures had a positive response. Of 24 patients with positive response to sildenafil, 3 (12.5%) did not have to take sildenafil after receiving it because they did not require it for intercourse. Mean IIEF‐5 score increased from 4.3 to 11.4 (P < 0.0001). Patient age, time since surgery, PSA and pathological stage did not have statistically significant effects on outcome. The most commonly cited adverse effect was headache (21%).Conclusion: Sildenafil is equally effective for erectile dysfunction in Japanese patients who have undergone bilateral and unilateral NS procedures, and aids recovery of natural erectile function after radical retropubic prostatectomy. However, non‐NS procedure patients had no response to sildenafil. This study suggested that sildenafil is well tolerated and should be initially used for treatment of Japanese men with erectile dysfunction after radical retropubic prostatectomy.
Comparison of Gas‐less laparoscopy‐assisted surgery, hand‐assisted laparoscopic surgery and pure laparoscopic surgery for radical nephrectomy
Authors: HAYAKAWA KUNIHIRO , AOYAGI TEIICHIRO , OHASHI MASAKAZU , HATA MAKOTO 
Published: February 2004

AbstractBackground: We report our experience with Gas‐less laparoscopy‐assisted surgery (Gas‐less LAS), hand‐assisted laparoscopic surgery (HALS) and pure laparoscopic surgery (LS) for renal carcinoma and compare the characteristics and usefulness of these methods.Methods: Seventeen, 14 and 16 patients were subjected to Gas‐less LAS, HALS and LS, respectively. The study started with Gas‐less LAS and then gradually shifted to HALS and LS. We evaluated the operative and postoperative parameters for each group. The learning curve effect was evaluated based on data from the first 10 cases of each group, which were operated on by the same surgeon and operation team.Results: The learning curve of operation times in the LS group demonstrated that the operation time for this procedure is acceptable even in early‐stage cases. Differences in mean operative time between the three surgical groups, excluding the conversion cases, were not statistically significant; however, there was a significant difference in blood loss volume between the groups (P ≤ 0.001). Operation time tended to be shorter in Gas‐less LAS and the frequency of parental analgesia administration tended to be reduced in the LS group when compared to the other two groups. Of the total 47 patients treated, two cases were converted to open surgery. The major postoperative complication was one case of brain infarction in the HALS group. One patient in the LS group developed a lung metastasis 11 months after the operation.Conclusion: As minimally invasive operative techniques, these three methods do not differ significantly in terms of surgical outcome; however, LS tended to be slightly superior in terms of postoperative pain control and cosmetic appearance.
Sensitization of human renal cell carcinoma cell lines to TRAIL‐induced apoptosis by anthracyclines
Authors: WU XIU‐XIAN , OGAWA OSAMU , KAKEHI YOSHIYUKI 
Published: February 2004

AbstractBackground: Tumor necrosis factor‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a new member of the tumor necrosis factor family. The present study investigated whether anthracyclines enhance TRAIL‐induced apoptosis and cytotoxicity in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cells.Methods: Cytotoxicity was measured using the microtiter assay. Apoptosis was monitored using DNA ladder analysis. Caspase activity was determined using a quantitative colorimetric assay.Results: Treatment of ACHN and Caki‐1 human RCC lines with TRAIL, in combination with subtoxic concentrations of epirubicin (EPI) or pirarubicin (THP), enhanced induction of apoptosis and cytotoxicity. Sequential treatment with EPI followed by TRAIL induced significantly more cytotoxicity than the inverse treatment. The combined cytotoxicity of TRAIL and EPI was significantly inhibited by the TRAIL‐neutralizing fusion protein DR5:Fc, although EPI did not affect the mRNA expression of DR4, DR5, DcR1 or DcR2. The combination treatment with TRAIL and EPI activated caspase‐6 and ‐3, which were downstream molecules of the death receptor. Furthermore, the combined cytotoxicity of TRAIL and EPI was almost completely inhibited by Z‐VAD‐FMK, and partly inhibited by Ac‐DMQD‐CHO.Conclusion: These findings indicate that anthracyclines sensitize RCC cells to TRAIL‐induced apoptosis and cytotoxicity through activation of caspases, suggesting that TRAIL, in combination with anthracyclines, has a therapeutic potential in the treatment of RCC.
High‐dose rate iridium‐192 brachytherapy and external beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer with or without androgen ablation
Authors: CHIANG PO HUI , FANG FU MIN , JONG WANG CHONG , YU TSAN JUNG , CHUANG YAO CHI , WANG HUNG JEN 
Published: February 2004

AbstractAim: To report the results of our feasibility study incorporating iridium‐192 high‐dose‐rate (HDR) afterloading brachytherapy and external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) for the treatment of prostate carcinoma and to assess the role of androgen ablation in conjunction with this treatment option.Methods: From July 2000 to June 2002, 42 patients with clinically localized or locally extensive prostate carcinoma were treated with HDR iridium‐192 brachytherapy and EBRT with or without androgen ablation. The median follow up was 16.5 months.Results: The technique of HDR brachytherapy and EBRT proved to be feasible with acceptable morbidities. Continuous prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) reduction was noted in all patients and no PSA failure was noted during follow up. Within 1 year, the decline of PSA nadir values less than 1 ng/mL was faster in patients with the addition of androgen blockade (P = 0.001). However, within 1 year, PSA nadir values less than 1.0 ng/mL can be achieved in all patients whose initial PSA is less than 20 ng/mL, with or without hormone blockade.Conclusions: The need for hormonal therapy in favorable‐risk brachytherapy patients (PSA < 20 ng/mL) might be less than the need for intermediate‐ or high‐risk patients. The use of hormonal therapy in intermediate‐risk patients (PSA ≥ 20 ng/mL) treated with HDR brachytherapy and pelvic EBRT is appealing, considering the favorable results. High dose rate brachytherapy appears to be an effective treatment for clinically localized and locally extensive prostate cancer, with minimal morbidity.
Estopped by Grand Playsaunce: Flann O'Brien's Post‐colonial Lore
Authors: Brooker Joseph 
Published: February 2004

This article seeks to extend our understanding of the Irish writer Flann O'Brien (Myles na gCopaleen, Brian O'Nolan) by reading him from a Law and Literature perspective. I suggest that O'Nolan's painstaking and picky mind, with its attention to linguistic nuance, was logically drawn to the languages of law. In this he confirmed the character that he showed as a civil servant of the cautious, book‐keeping Irish Free State. The Free State, like other post‐colonial entities, was marked at once by a rhetoric of rupture from the colonial dispensation and by a degree of legal and political continuity. I suggest that O'Nolan's writing works away at both these aspects of the state, alternating between critical and utopian perspectives.After establishing an initial context, I undertake a close reading of O'Nolan's parodies of actual legal procedure, focusing on questions of language and censorship. I then consider his critical work on the issue of Irish sovereignty, placing this in its post‐colonial historical context. Finally I describe O'Nolan's treatment of Eamon de Valera's 1937 Constitution. I propose that his attention to textual detail prefigures in comic form the substantial rereadings of the Constitution that have been made in the last half‐century.
Public–Private Partnerships: Organisational Hybrids as Channels for Local Mobilisation and Participation?1
Authors: Andersen Ole Johan 
Published: February 2004

The article focuses on new forms of governance involving partnerships between public and private actors. As several scholars have noticed, organisational hybrids at the intersection of the public and private sectors play an important part in the implementation of collective action. Local economic development in particular has provided a fertile ground for building coalitions across traditional divisions, and encouraging partnerships. This applies to Norway as well as to other liberal Western democracies.Obviously, the formation of partnerships reflects efforts to design more efficient and flexible instruments for founding new firms and for supporting local entrepreneurs. The article, however, raises the question of whether these arrangements may entail a far more expanded role and domain, opening up new channels for participation and mobilisation. By expanding their agenda and integrating new segments of the local community, public–private partnerships appear to be an innovation in local democracy.Analytically, the article utilises elements of regime theory. Although the partnerships studied hardly constitute stable coalitions dominating local politics, they nevertheless illustrate how the building of coalitions including both private and public actors is crucial to coping with the problems and challenges of local restructuring and revitalisation. Case studies carried out in Norwegian municipalities provide the main empirical source. The article does, however, build on experience from other European countries.
Shifting Dimensions of Citizen Control1
Authors: Bergman Torbjörn , Strøm Kaare 
Published: February 2004

European politics is still dominated by representative and parliamentary national systems of policy making. These systems can be seen as chains of political delegation from citizens through parliamentarians and executive office holders to civil servants. In these chains, a major trend for the past thirty years, and more strongly during the second half of that period, is a strengthening of agents’ accountability to the principals. But, simultaneously, citizens’ ability to exercise accountability through parliamentary democracy is eroding because of a decline in political party cohesion. Concurrently, constraints external to both the constitutional chain and political parties are growing stronger.The changes along these three dimensions lead to a situation in which democratic principals commonly decide more about less. Thus, while reforms have strengthened the constitutional parliamentary chain of governance, there is also an ongoing de‐parliamentarisation of modern politics. The main motivation for this special issue is to investigate this general phenomenon through a set of focused case studies of the Nordic (here known as ‘Scandinavian’) countries. These analyses show important differences in how these trends have been manifest. In one country, Finland, the parliamentary chain has actually grown in strength and importance in the last decade.
Combating deceptive advertisements and labelling on food products – an exploratory study on the perceptions of teachers
Authors: Lai Yeung Wai‐ling Theresa 
Published: February 2004

AbstractPeople are becoming more health conscious nowadays, but most of them are not able to adopt a lifestyle with adequate physical exercise and a healthier eating pattern. Many attempt to compensate by taking ‘health foods’. Despite the recent economic recession, the functional food market is expanding rapidly in Asian countries. Recent statistics indicate a huge increase in weight loss and functional food product advertising expenditure in Hong Kong and other Asian countries. In a large scale survey conducted by the Hong Kong Consumer Council on advertisements, it was found that 85% of the medicines, health food and therapies sampled contain questionable claims and misleading messages, which was the second most problematic category of the survey. In addition, young people do not understand much about modern food processing, in particular with regard to low energy and functional foods, and they know very little about modern food marketing strategies. The situation is potentially detrimental to consumer welfare, especially to the younger generation. This study was conducted to reflect critically on implications of the issue on the health and well‐being of young people in Hong Kong. Attempts are made to explore directions for designing relevant and effective education programmes to empower young people's abilities in understanding food advertising strategies and making informed decisions on food choice. This paper begins with a critical review of the current situation with regard to Hong Kong. Then, the results of an interview survey and a questionnaire survey on pre‐service and in‐service teachers’ perception towards misleading food advertising and labelling are reported. The situations at schools are defined and problems faced by teachers in providing relevant consumer education programmes to students are identified. Finally, some prospective foci for further investigation of this important issue, with a view to developing students’ critical skills in evaluating claims offered in food advertisements, will be considered.
Dimensional analysis of schoolchildren's food label comprehension: a pilot study
Authors: Stuart Stephen A. , Schröder Monika , Hughes Alan , Bower John 
Published: February 2004

AbstractThis article discusses some weaknesses in current research into young consumers’ abilities to comprehend and successfully manipulate food label information and describes the development of a research project through to an analysis of the pilot phase. The research programme identifies a method  of  measuring  the  effectiveness  of  state  education in enabling the next generation of consumers to make informed food choices through the provision of appropriate tools and skills, both of which are necessary to fully understand a label's informational elements within a marketing context. The article also discusses the appropriateness of a quantitative questionnaire to measure the abilities and skills of individuals through the identification of some key comprehension dimensions required by modern food consumers. Finally, the article questions the appropriateness of the context in which information is provided to food consumers. Through a continuing programme of research, it is envisaged that a more appropriate context for certain elements important in the choice of a diet that is relevant to an individual's lifestyle may be proposed.
Making patient medication safer for all: an action research approach
Authors: Gould Nicholas 
Published: February 2004

AbstractComplexity  in  medication  arrangements  can  lead  to  risks for older people and their carers. These risks need to be managed through a system without any single hierarchical command and control structure. The paper describes the processes by which an action research project created a network organization for the safer consumption of medication in the community. Service redesign outcomes are recorded. The applicability of the approach to other complex products‐in‐use is noted.
The golden age of protein: an initial teacher training perspective on the biological role of proteins in our everyday lives
Authors: Lakin Liz 
Published: February 2004

AbstractWe make use of proteins in all aspects of our daily lives from biological washing powders to soft‐centred sweets, yet their fundamental role in our diet is often misunderstood. This paper draws on the findings of a three‐phase research project into Initial Teacher Trainee's perception of food and eating, where students demonstrated several similar misconceptions about the food they eat and in particular, the role of proteins. More than 50% of the students thought that protein was a primary source of energy and were confused about the relationship between proteins, amino acids and nitrogen, and the role of DNA in synthesizing proteins. These misconceptions were often translated into practice in the diet the students consumed and the messages they passed on, with confidence, to their pupils. In addition to the misconceptions, teaching approaches used by the students were highly mechanistic, with little reference being given to the relationship between food and the circumstances in which it is eaten. The relationship between dietary intake and lifestyle is explored in secondary schools within Food Technology lessons. However, it is often too late to rectify the deeply entrenched misconceptions, attitudes and eating habits that school children have developed in their primary years. This paper makes the recommendation that we should reconsider how nutrition education is delivered in schools, especially at a primary level: emphasizing the need to relate teaching and learning to everyday experiences. The paper concludes by suggesting possible strategies by which this may be achieved, with proteins featuring centre‐stage.