bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risk factors and effectiveness of preventive measures against influenza in the community
Authors: Castilla Jesús , Godoy Pere , Domínguez Ángela , Martín Vicente , Delgado‐Rodríguez Miguel , Martínez‐Baz Iván , Baricot Maretva , Soldevila Nuria , Mayoral José M. , Astray Jenaro , Quintana José M. , Cantón Rafael , Castro Ady , González‐Candelas Fernando , Alonso Jordi , Saez Marc , Tamames Sonia , Pumarola Tomás ,   the CIBERESP Cases and Controls in Influenza Working Group
Published: March 2012

Please cite this paper as: Castilla et al. (2013) Risk factors and effectiveness of preventive measures against influenza in the community. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 7(2) 177–183.

Background  The role of different risk exposures and preventive measures against influenza has not been well established.

Objective  The aim of this study was to evaluate risk factors and measures to prevent influenza infection in the community.

Methods  We conducted a multicenter case–control study. Cases were 481 outpatients aged 18 years or older with laboratory‐confirmed influenza A(H1N1)09 in the 2009–2010 season in Spain. A control was selected for each case from outpatients from the same area matched by age and date of consultation. Information on risk situations, preventive measures and other variables was obtained by interview and review of the medical record.

Results  In the multivariate conditional logistic regression analysis, the risk of a diagnosis of influenza increased with the number of cohabitants (compared with <3 cohabitants, three cohabitants had an OR = 1·80, 95% CI 1·12–2·89, and ≥5 cohabitants had an OR = 2·66, 95% CI 1·31–5·41) and for health care workers (OR = 2·94, 95% CI 1·53–5·66). The use of metropolitan public transport was associated with a lower frequency of a diagnosis of influenza (OR = 0·45, 95% CI 0·30–0·68) but not the use of taxis or long‐distance transport. The influenza A(H1N1)09 vaccine had a protective effect (OR = 0·13, 95% CI 0·04–0·48), unlike hand washing after touching contaminated surfaces or the use of alcohol‐based hand sanitizers.

Conclusion  The home environment appears to play an important role in the spread of influenza in adults, but not the use of public transport. Health care workers have a higher risk of contracting influenza. Vaccination was the most effective preventive measure.
Numerical Study of the Turbulent Flow Inside an ORACLES Configuration
Authors: Bouras Fethi , Soudani Azeddine , Si-Ameur Mohamed
Published: March 2012

This numerical investigation deals with the validation of the experimental results in the inert cases of Nguyen et al., obtained in the framework of the European Union-funded research program MOLECULES (Modelling of Low Emissions Combustors Using Large Eddy Simulations). This study is based on the benchmark of testing one rig for accurate comparisons with large eddy simulations configuration (ORACLES), aimed at helping the design of reliable lean premixed prevaporized) combustion chambers and supplied with two identical flows of air channels. Therefore, this study is based on the 3D numerical simulation using large eddy simulation-wall adapting local eddy viscosity (LES-WALE) model that aims to determine the longitudinal velocity, the longitudinal velocity fluctuation and the length of recirculation zone for the three cases of flow in different inlet Reynolds (Re = 25,000, 50,000, 75,000). Calculations are carried out by the FLUENT_CFD. The results obtained are compared with experimental measurements of Nguyen et al. The LES_WALE eddy viscosity computation presents a good agreement with the experimental data where we could observe the asymmetrical flow and also detect the recirculation zones and the differences between the cases of the flow.
The Response of Rigid Plates to Deep Water Blast: Analytical Models and Finite Element Predictions
Authors: Schiffer A. , Tagarielli V. L. , Petrinic N. , Cocks A. C. F.
Published: March 2012

One-dimensional analytical models and finite element calculations are employed to predict the response of a rigid plate, supported by a linear spring, to loading by a planar pressure shock wave traveling in water or in a similar inviscid liquid. Two problems are considered: (i) a spring-supported rigid plate in contact with fluid on one side and (ii) a spring-supported rigid plate in contact with fluid on both sides; for both problems, plates are loaded by an exponentially decaying shock wave from one side. Cavitation phenomena in the liquid, as well as the effect of the initial static fluid pressure, are explicitly included in the analytical models and their predictions are found to be in excellent agreement with those from FE calculations. The validated analytical models are used to determine the sensitivity of the plate’s response to mass, spring stiffness and initial static pressure.
Ventricle Equilibrium Position in Healthy and Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus Brains Using an Analytical Model
Authors: Shahim K. , Drezet J.-M. , Martin Bryn A. , Momjian S.
Published: March 2012

The driving force that causes enlargement of the ventricles remains unclear in case of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH). Both healthy and NPH brain conditions are characterized by a low transparenchymal pressure drop, typically 1 mm Hg. The present paper proposes an analytical model for normal and NPH brains using Darcy’s and Biot’s equations and simplifying the brain geometry to a hollow sphere with an internal and external radius. Self-consistent solutions for the large deformation problem that is associated with large ventricle dilation are presented and the notion of equilibrium or stable ventricle position is highlighted for both healthy and NPH conditions. The influence of different biomechanical parameters on the stable ventricle geometry is assessed and it is shown that both CSF seepage through the ependyma and parenchymal permeability play a key role. Although very simple, the present model is able to predict the onset and development of NPH conditions as a deviation from healthy conditions.
A New Experimental Method for the Introduction of a Predetermined Amount of Residual Stresses in Fatigue Test Specimens
Authors: Paquet Daniel , Lanteigne Jacques , Bernard Marie
Published: March 2012

A new experimental method for the incorporation of residual stresses (RS) in standard fatigue steels specimens was developed. RS were introduced by means of high frequency (360 kHz) induction heating. Surface tensile RS resulted from cooling down the specimen subjected to a high thermal gradient. To preserve the mechanical properties of the steel, it was necessary to circulate a coolant at the center of the specimen. The 304L austenitic stainless steel does not undergo phase transformation nor micro structural changes in the solid state and was thus selected for this purpose. Multiphysics finite element (FE) analysis was used to calculate the distributed RS in the fatigue samples. These calculations were compared to XRD measurements and a very good agreement was obtained. It was therefore demonstrated that RS induced with induction heating could be numerically assessed. This conditioning method was then proved efficient to study the only influence of a predetermined amount of RS on the fatigue properties of austenitic 304L steel without undergoing influences of other parameters such as microstructure, surface finish and geometry.
Analytical and experimental evaluation of a counting method for particles added during the mask handling process
Authors: Amemiya Mitsuaki
Published: March 2012

Extreme ultraviolet lithography has emerged as a highly promising next-generation lithography technique. However, some practical issues around mask technologies remain unresolved. Typically, the technique requires counting the particles released from or added to a mask blank (achieved using the knowledge of their position), a process referred to as an increase/decrease inspection. The counting process of this inspection has not been sufficiently studied because of the complexities of the counting error caused by counting losses and noise. However, the analysis of the counting process is essential to improve the counting accuracy. The author modeled the counting process by considering the difference between the actual occurrence of adhesion (or release) of the particles and the detection of their adhesion (or release) and verified the model experimentally. The author determined the necessary conditions for achieving the required accuracy by the multiple-inspection method, in which particles detected multiple times are identified as actual particles. The author found the counting errors in the increase/decrease inspection by the multiple-inspection method can be expressed as a function of the following: the numbers of unchanged, added, and released particles; the single-capture rate; and the number of inspections. Moreover, we found that the multiple-inspection method with four inspections is more accurate (pseudoparticles Np<10-4, counting error Nerr=0.065, standard deviation σ = 0.26) than the single-inspection approach (Np=10, Nerr=3.3, σ = 1.7). The author confirmed that the multiple-inspection method reliably determines whether particles were released or adhered using positional information.
A stochastic approach to estimate the uncertainty of dose mapping caused by uncertainties in b‐spline registration
Authors: Hub Martina , Thieke Christian , Kessler Marc L. , Karger Christian P.
Published: March 2012

Purpose:

In fractionated radiation therapy, image guidance with daily tomographic imaging becomes more and more clinical routine. In principle, this allows for daily computation of the delivered dose and for accumulation of these daily dose distributions to determine the actually delivered total dose to the patient. However, uncertainties in the mapping of the images can translate into errors of the accumulated total dose, depending on the dose gradient. In this work, an approach to estimate the uncertainty of mapping between medical images is proposed that identifies areas bearing a significant risk of inaccurate dose accumulation.

Methods:

This method accounts for the geometric uncertainty of image registration and the heterogeneity of the dose distribution, which is to be mapped. Its performance is demonstrated in context of dose mapping based on b‐spline registration. It is based on evaluation of the sensitivity of dose mapping to variations of the b‐spline coefficients combined with evaluation of the sensitivity of the registration metric with respect to the variations of the coefficients. It was evaluated based on patient data that was deformed based on a breathing model, where the ground truth of the deformation, and hence the actual true dose mapping error, is known.

Results:

The proposed approach has the potential to distinguish areas of the image where dose mapping is likely to be accurate from other areas of the same image, where a larger uncertainty must be expected.

Conclusions:

An approach to identify areas where dose mapping is likely to be inaccurate was developed and implemented. This method was tested for dose mapping, but it may be applied in context of other mapping tasks as well.
Emerging Chirality in Artificial Spin Ice
Authors: Branford W. R. , Ladak S. , Read D. E. , Zeissler K. , Cohen L. F.
Published: March 2012

Chiral Ice

Water ice, even at the lowest temperatures, is not completely “frozen”—its lattice structure allows for multiple equivalent ground states and it thus retains finite entropy even at absolute zero. Equivalent structures are realized in frustrated magnets called spin ices, where spins interact ferromagnetically, and in the even more exotic artificial spin ices, which are fabricated arrays of nanoscale magnets.

Branford
et al.

(p.
1597
) studied the transport behavior of an artificial spin ice with a honeycomb geometry during upward and downward sweeps of an external magnetic field, which revealed a field-asymmetric peak when the magnetic field was applied parallel to the current and the voltage was measured transversely. Micromagnetic simulations suggest that the asymmetric response is a result of the loops of opposite handedness forming at the edges of the sample, resulting in an overall chirality of the transport response.
Rapamycin-Induced Insulin Resistance Is Mediated by mTORC2 Loss and Uncoupled from Longevity
Authors: Lamming Dudley W. , Ye Lan , Katajisto Pekka , Goncalves Marcus D. , Saitoh Maki , Stevens Deanna M. , Davis James G. , Salmon Adam B. , Richardson Arlan , Ahima Rexford S. , Guertin David A. , Sabatini David M. , Baur Joseph A.
Published: March 2012

Dissecting Rapamycin Responses

Long-term treatment of mice and other organisms with the drug rapamycin extends life span. But, at the same time, the drug disrupts metabolic regulation and the action of the hormone insulin.

Lamming
et al.

(p.
1638
; see the Perspective by

Hughes and Kennedy

) dissected the action of rapamycin in genetically modified mice and found, encouragingly, that these two actions of rapamycin can be separated. Rapamycin inhibits a protein kinase complex known as mTORC1, and this appears to provide most of the life-lengthening effects of the drug. However, rapamycin also acts on a related complex known as mTORC2, and it is the disruption of mTORC2 action that produces the diabetic-like symptoms of decreased glucose tolerance and insensitivity to insulin.
The Geometric Structure of the Brain Fiber Pathways
Authors: Wedeen Van J. , Rosene Douglas L. , Wang Ruopeng , Dai Guangping , Mortazavi Farzad , Hagmann Patric , Kaas Jon H. , Tseng Wen-Yih I.
Published: March 2012

Building the Brain

Brain connectivity is often described as a network of discrete independent cables analogous to a switchboard, but how is the physical structure of the brain constructed (see the Perspective by

Zilles and Amunts

)?

Wedeen
et al.

(p.
1628
) used high-resolution diffusion tensor imaging in humans and four species of nonhuman primates to identify and compare the geometric structure of large fiber tracts in the brain. Fiber tracts followed a highly constrained and regular geometry, which may provide an efficient solution for pathfinding during ontogenetic development. Much of development occurs through elaboration and assembly of semiautonomous building blocks.

Chen
et al.

(p.
1634
) applied statistical analysis to the form of the human cortex in brain-imaging studies that compared more than 400 di- and mono-zygotic twins. The findings suggest that the structure of the human cortex is defined by genetics.
Comment on “Disentangling the Drivers of β Diversity Along Latitudinal and Elevational Gradients”
Authors: Tuomisto Hanna , Ruokolainen Kalle
Published: March 2012

Kraft
et al
. (Report, 23 September 2011, p. 1755) argued that the latitudinal trend in β diversity is spurious and just reflects a trend in γ diversity. Their results depend on the idiosyncrasies of their data, especially the latitudinally varying degree of undersampling and a local sampling setup that is not suitable for analyzing drivers of β diversity.
Fungal Fruiting Bodies and Fanatics

Mushroom
by Nicholas P. Money

Oxford University Press, New York, 2011. 221 pp. $24.95. ISBN 9780199732562.
Mycophilia
Revelations from the Weird World of Mushrooms

by Eugenia Bone

Rodale, New York, 2011. 368 pp. $25.99, C$29.99, £16.60. ISBN 9781605294070.
Authors: Ostroff Linnaea
Published: March 2012

In their separate explorations of mycology, Money and Bone examine the biology of mushrooms and the activities of people who pursue them.
Hydrocarbon Separations in a Metal-Organic Framework with Open Iron(II) Coordination Sites
Authors: Bloch Eric D. , Queen Wendy L. , Krishna Rajamani , Zadrozny Joseph M. , Brown Craig M. , Long Jeffrey R.
Published: March 2012

An Iron Separator

Petroleum processing initially yields a mixture of saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons—the feedstocks for fuels, plastics, pharmaceuticals, and a wide range of other commercial products. At present, distillation is the primary means of separating the components of this mixture. A sorbent or membrane-based approach to separation could reap substantial energy savings.

Bloch
et al.

(p.
1606
) found that an iron-based metal organic framework material shows promise for very efficient sorption-based separation of ethane and ethylene, propane and propylene, and several other light hydrocarbon mixtures. Neutron diffraction directly revealed the binding motifs at the iron centers that selectively pinned down the olefins while the saturated hydrocarbons passed by.
How Smart Is Your City?
Authors: O'Grady Michael , O'Hare Gregory
Published: March 2012

From art galleries to our cities' streets, ambient intelligence can help to make the human environment more responsive to the needs of individuals.
Rapamycin Paradox Resolved
Authors: Hughes Katherine J. , Kennedy Brian K.
Published: March 2012

A small molecule acts through separate mechanisms to exert very different effects—extend mammalian life span or impair glucose homeostasis.
Renato Dulbecco (1914–2012)
Authors: Baltimore David
Published: March 2012

A Nobel Prize-winning virologist discovered a connection between viruses, genetic mutations, and cancer.
U.S. Budget Cuts Threaten to Sink Undersea Research Fleet
Authors: Lee Jane J.
Published: March 2012

A U.S. government program that provides ocean researchers with access to submersibles and a sea-floor observatory may be doomed by fiscal belt-tightening—unless Congress steps in to save it.
Psychology's Bold Initiative
Authors: Carpenter Siri
Published: March 2012

In an unusual attempt at scientific self-examination, psychology researchers are scrutinizing the reproducibility of work in their field.
A New Human DSG2-Transgenic Mouse Model for Studying the Tropism and Pathology of Human Adenoviruses
Authors: Wang Hongjie , Beyer Ines , Persson Jonas , Song Hui , Li ZongYi , Richter Maximilian , Cao Hua , van Rensburg Ruan , Yao Xiaoying , Hudkins Kelly , Yumul Roma , Zhang Xiao-Bing , Yu Mujun , Fender Pascal , Hemminki Akseli , Lieber André
Published: March 2012

We have recently reported that a group of human adenoviruses (HAdVs) uses desmoglein 2 (DSG2) as a receptor for infection. Among these are the widely distributed serotypes HAdV-B3 and HAdV-B7, as well as a newly emerged strain derived from HAdV-B14. These serotypes do not infect rodent cells and could not up until now be studied in small-animal models. We therefore generated transgenic mice containing the human DSG2 locus. These mice expressed human DSG2 (hDSG2) at a level and in a pattern similar to those found for humans and nonhuman primates. As an initial application of hDSG2-transgenic mice, we used a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing HAdV-B3 vector (Ad3-GFP) and studied GFP transgene expression by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry subsequent to intranasal and intravenous virus application. After intranasal application, we found efficient transduction of bronchial and alveolar epithelial cells in hDSG2-transgenic mice. Intravenous Ad3-GFP injection into hDSG2-transgenic mice resulted in hDSG2-dependent transduction of epithelial cells in the intestinal and colon mucosa. Our findings give an explanation for clinical symptoms associated with infection by DSG2-interacting HAdVs and provide a rationale for using Ad3-derived vectors in gene therapy.
APOBEC3A, APOBEC3B, and APOBEC3H Haplotype 2 Restrict Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type 1
Authors: Ooms Marcel , Krikoni Aikaterini , Kress Andrea K. , Simon Viviana , Münk Carsten
Published: March 2012

The human APOBEC3 family consists of seven cytidine deaminases (A3A to A3H), some of which display potent antiretroviral activity against HIV-1 and other retroviruses. Studies that analyzed the effect of A3G on human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infectivity resulted in conflicting findings, and our knowledge of HTLV-1 restriction by other A3 proteins remains limited. Since HTLV-1, much like HIV, targets CD4
+
T cells, we hypothesized that A3 proteins other than A3G restrict HTLV-1. All seven human A3 proteins were tested in HTLV-1 reporter and HIV-1 infectivity assays. We show that A3A, A3B, and A3H haplotype 2 (A3H hapII) acted as potent inhibitors of HTLV-1. Wild-type HIV-1, in contrast, was restricted by A3B and A3H hapII, but not by A3A. Catalytic site mutants of A3A, A3B, and A3H hapII showed that A3A and A3B restriction of HTLV-1 required deaminase activity. However, A3H hapII acted in a deaminase-independent manner when restricting HTLV-1, while requiring deaminase activity for HIV-1 restriction. We also analyzed A3 editing of HTLV-1 in five T-cell lines obtained from HTLV-1-infected patients. These cell lines contained extensively edited HTLV-1 sequences with G-to-A mutations in dinucleotide contexts suggestive of APOBEC3 mutagenesis. Comparison of the A3-induced mutations from reporter cells and the patient-derived cell lines indicate that A3G but also other A3 members, possibly A3A and A3B, affect HTLV-1
in vivo
. Taken together, our data indicate that HTLV-1 is a likely target for multiple A3 proteins.
Identical Consensus Sequence and Conserved Genomic Polymorphism of Hepatitis E Virus during Controlled Interspecies Transmission
Authors: Bouquet Jerome , Cheval Justine , Rogée Sophie , Pavio Nicole , Eloit Marc
Published: March 2012

High-throughput sequencing of bile and feces from two pigs experimentally infected with human hepatitis E virus (HEV) of genotype 3f revealed the same full-length consensus sequence as in the human sample. Twenty-nine percent of polymorphic sites found in HEV from the human sample were conserved throughout the infection of the heterologous host. The interspecies transmission of HEV quasispecies is the result of a genomic negative-selection pressure on random mutations which can be deleterious to the viral population. HEV intrahost nucleotide diversity was found to be in the lower range of other human RNA viruses but correlated with values found for zoonotic viruses. HEV transmission between humans and pigs does not seem to be modulated by host-specific mutations, suggesting that adaptation is mainly regulated by ecological drivers.
Reconstruction of Human Papillomavirus Type 16-Mediated Early-Stage Neoplasia Implicates E6/E7 Deregulation and the Loss of Contact Inhibition in Neoplastic Progression
Authors: Isaacson Wechsler Erin , Wang Qian , Roberts Ian , Pagliarulo Emilio , Jackson Deborah , Untersperger Christina , Coleman Nick , Griffin Heather , Doorbar John
Published: March 2012

Infection with human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) can lead to low- or high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL or HSIL). Here we show that these
in vivo
disease states can be replicated in raft cultures of early-pass HPV-16 episomal cell lines, at both the level of pathology and the level of viral gene expression. A reduced responsiveness to cell-cell contact inhibition and an increase in E6/E7 activity correlated closely with phenotype. Similar deregulation is likely to underlie the appearance of LSIL or HSIL soon after infection.
A qualitative evaluation of general practitioners' perceptions regarding access to medicines in New Zealand
Authors: Babar Zaheer-Ud-Din , Grover Piyush , Butler Rachael , Bye Lynne , Sheridan Janie
Published: March 2012

Objective

The objective of this study was to evaluate general practitioners' (GPs) perceptions regarding access to medicines in New Zealand.

Design

Qualitative.

Setting

Primary care.

Participants

GPs.

Main outcome measures

GPs' views and perceptions.

Results

GPs were of the view that the current range of medicines available in New Zealand was reasonable; however, it was acknowledged that there were some drugs that patients were missing out on. When considering the range of subsidised medicines available in New Zealand, some GPs felt that there had been an improvement over recent years. It was highlighted that unexpected funding changes could create financial barriers for some patients and that administrative procedures and other complexities created barriers in receiving a subsidy for restricted medicines. GPs also reported problems with the availability and sole supply of certain medicines and claimed that switching from a branded medicine to its generic counterpart could be disruptive for patients.

Conclusions

The research concluded that although there were some issues with the availability of certain drugs, most GPs were satisfied with the broader access to medicines situation in New Zealand. This view is to contrary to the situation presented by the pharmaceutical industry. The issues around sole supply, the use of generic medicines and the administrative barriers regarding funding of medicines could be improved with better systems. The current work provides a solid account of what GPs see as the advantages and disadvantages of the current system and how they balance these demands in practice.
International collaboration: a retrospective study examining the survival of Irish citizens following lung transplantation in both the UK and Ireland
Authors: Adamali Huzaifa I , Judge Eoin P , Healy David , Nolke Lars , Redmond Karen C , Bartosik Waldemar , McCarthy Jim , Egan Jim J
Published: March 2012

Objective

Prior to 2005, Irish citizens had exclusively availed of lung transplantation services in the UK. Since 2005, lung transplantation has been available to these patients in both the UK and Ireland. We aimed to evaluate the outcomes of Irish patients undergoing lung transplantation in both the UK and Ireland.

Design

We retrospectively examined the outcome of Irish patients transplanted in the UK and Ireland. Lung allocation score (LAS) was used as a marker of disease severity.

Results

A total of 134 patients have undergone transplantation. 102 patients underwent transplantation in the UK and 32 patients in Ireland. In total, 52% were patients with cystic fibrosis, 19% had emphysema and 15% had idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. In Ireland, 44% of the patients suffered from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, 31% had emphysema and 16% had cystic fibrosis. A total of 96 double sequential transplants and 38 single transplants have been performed. LAS of all patients undergoing lung transplantation was 37.8 (±1.02). The mean LAS for patients undergoing lung transplantation in Ireland was 44.7 (±3.1), and 35 (±0.4) for patients undergoing lung transplantation in the UK (p<0.05). The 5-year survival of all Irish citizens who had undergone lung transplantation was 73%. The 5-year survival of Irish patients transplanted in the UK was 69% and in Ireland was 91% and 73% at 5.01 years.

Conclusions

International collaboration can be achieved, as evidenced by the favourable outcomes seen in Irish citizens who undergo lung transplantation in both the UK and Ireland. Irish citizens undergoing lung transplantation in Ireland have a higher LAS score. Despite excellent outcomes, an intention-to-treat analysis of the treatment utility (transplant) indicates the limited effectiveness of lung transplantation in Ireland and emphasises the need for increased rates of lung transplantation.
Have the public's expectations for antibiotics for acute uncomplicated respiratory tract infections changed since the H1N1 influenza pandemic? A qualitative interview and quantitative questionnaire study
Authors: McNulty Cliodna , Joshi Puja , Butler Chris C , Atkinson Lou , Nichols Tom , Hogan Angela , French David
Published: March 2012

Objective

To investigate the effect of the H1N1 influenza pandemic on the public's expectations for a general practice consultation and antibiotic for acute respiratory illness.

Design

Mixed methods.

Participants

Qualitative interviews: 17 participants with acute respiratory tract infection (RTI) visiting English pharmacies. Face-to-face survey: about 1700 adults aged 15 years and older were recruited from households in England in January 2008, 2009 and 2011.

Results

The qualitative data indicated that the general public had either forgotten about the ‘swine flu’ (H1N1 influenza) pandemic or it did not concern them as it had not affected them directly or affected their management of their current RTI illness. Between 2009 and 2011, we found that there was little or no change in people's expectations for antibiotics for runny nose, colds, sore throat or cough, but people's expectations for antibiotics for flu increased (26%–32%, p=0.004). Of the 1000 respondents in 2011 with an RTI in the previous 6 months, 13% reported that they took care of themselves without contacting their general practitioners and would not have done so before the pandemic, 9% reported that they had contacted their doctor's surgery and would not have done so before the pandemic and 0.6% stated that they had asked for antibiotics and would not have done so before the pandemic. In 2011, of 123 respondents with a young child (0–4 years) having an RTI in the previous 6 months, 7.4% requested antibiotics and would not have done so before the pandemic. Unprompted, 20% of respondents thought Tamiflu© (oseltamivir) was a vaccine.

Conclusions

Expectations of the general public for a consultation or antibiotics with an RTI are similar now to before the H1N1 influenza pandemic; therefore, public antibiotic campaign messages and general practice advice to patients can remain unchanged. Parents with young children and those with personal experience of the H1N1 influenza are more likely to consult and will need more reassurance. The public need more education about Tamiflu©.
Number of cats and dogs in UK welfare organisations
Authors: Clark C. C. , Gruffydd‐Jones T. , Murray J. K.
Published: March 2012

It is not known how many cats and dogs are admitted to welfare organisations annually. This study produced the first estimates of the size of this population. A questionnaire was mailed out to welfare organisations during 2010, followed by a postal/email reminder and requests to non‐responders for a telephone interview. The questionnaire covered areas including, the current number of cats and dogs being housed, how much of the year organisations were operating at full capacity as well as the number of cats and dogs admitted, rehomed and euthanased between January and December 2009. Responses were obtained from 54.8 per cent of organisations. Sixty‐six per cent of cat welfare organisations and 48 per cent of dog welfare organisations reported that they operated at full capacity for 12 months of the year. The number of cats and dogs entering UK welfare organisations during 2009 was estimated as 131,070 and 129,743, respectively. This highlights the scale of the work performed by welfare organisations in caring for and rehoming unwanted cats and dogs annually and emphasises the urgent need to address concerns over the considerable number of these animals. This study has also produced useful baseline data, which will be essential for monitoring population changes over time.
Multiple muscle wasting-related transcription factors are acetylated in dexamethasone-treated muscle cells
Authors: Chamberlain Wei , Gonnella Patricia , Alamdari Nima , Aversa Zaira , Hasselgren Per-Olof
Published: March 2012

Recent studies suggest that the expression and activity of the histone acetyltransferase p300 are upregulated in catabolic muscle allowing for acetylation of cellular proteins. The function of transcription factors is influenced by posttranslational modifications, including acetylation. It is not known if transcription factors involved in the regulation of muscle mass are acetylated in atrophying muscle. We determined cellular levels of acetylated C/EBPβ, C/EBPδ, FOXO1, FOXO3a, and NF-kB/p65 in dexamethasone-treated L6 muscle cells, a commonly used in vitro model of muscle wasting. The role of p300 in dexamethasone-induced transcription factor acetylation and myotube atrophy was examined by transfecting muscle cells with p300 siRNA. Treatment of L6 myotubes with dexamethasone resulted in increased cellular levels of acetylated C/EBPβ and δ, FOXO1 and 3a, and p65. Downregulation of p300 with p300 siRNA reduced acetylation of transcription factors and decreased dexamethasone-induced myotube atrophy and expression of the ubiquitin ligase MuRF1. The results suggest that several muscle wasting-related transcription factors are acetylated supporting the concept that posttranslational modifications of proteins regulating gene transcription may be involved in the loss of muscle mass. The results also suggest that acetylation of the transcription factors is at least in part regulated by p300 and plays a role in glucocorticoid-induced muscle atrophy. Targeting molecules that regulate acetylation of transcription factors may help reduce the impact of muscle wasting.
Effect of fibre content and structure on anisotropic elastic stiffness and shear strength of peat
Authors: Hendry Michael T. , Sharma Jitendra S. , Martin C. Derek , Barbour S. Lee
Published: March 2012

This paper presents the results of a laboratory testing program involving consolidated undrained triaxial tests and direct shear tests on remoulded peat, remoulded peat fibre, and Shelby specimens of peat obtained from a field site located in the Edson subdivision of the Canadian National railway in Alberta, Canada. These results were analyzed within the frameworks of elastic behaviour of cross-anisotropic materials and shear strength of fibre-reinforced soil. Shelby specimens were found to be inherently cross-anisotropic, whereas the remoulded peat and peat fibre specimens showed a transition from isotropic to cross-anisotropic with increasing vertical strain and effective confining pressure. The horizontal stiffness of Shelby specimens was found to be 2.6 to 2.9 times their vertical stiffness. The shear strength of intact peat is made up of interparticle friction as well as tension in the peat fibres. A novel procedure for estimating the interparticle frictional strength of fibrous peat from CU triaxial test results is proposed. It involves extrapolating the linear strain-hardening portion of the stress–strain curve to obtain the deviatoric stress at zero axial strain and plotting the deviatoric stress values thus obtained against initial mean effective confining pressure to obtain the frictional strength. Using this procedure, a value of 31° was obtained for the interparticle friction, which compares favourably with a value of 31° obtained from direct shear tests. It is recommended that further studies be undertaken to assess if interparticle frictional strength is an appropriate strength parameter for evaluation of the stability of structures founded on fibrous peat.
Soil flow mechanisms around and between stiffeners of caissons during installation in clay
Authors: Hossain M.S. , Lehane B.M. , Hu Y. , Gao Y.
Published: March 2012

Structural stiffeners placed inside caissons have created significant uncertainty regarding soil flow mechanisms, side friction, and end bearing, and consequently in the prediction of the underpressure required for installation. This paper describes centrifuge modelling of the penetration of stiffened skirts in overconsolidated clay, identifying the soil flow mechanisms around and between stiffeners and the penetration resistance. The effects of stiffener width and spacing as well as soil strength ratio are discussed. The present guidelines for predicting the point of soil backflow in the gap that forms between the stiffeners are shown to be invalid and a new expression, based on a stability factor (su/γ′B, where su and γ′ are the undrained shear strength and effective unit weight of the soil, respectively, and B is the combined width of the skirt and stiffener close to the caisson tip) is proposed. End bearing at the skirt tip and base stiffener are seen to dominate installation resistance. The normalized installation resistance stabilizes at a value of ∼17.5 at deep penetrations and is shown to be independent of whether the cavity between the stiffeners remains open or is backfilled with a soil–water mixture. This factor of 17.5 is shown to be in good agreement with reported field data and centrifuge test data and hence may be used to obtain a first-order estimate of the installation resistance of a caisson with stiffeners.
TiCl4-catalyzed synthesis of peroxyacetals from aldehydes
Authors: Tsai Chen-Yu , Chen Lu-An , Sung Kuangsen
Published: March 2012

Peroxyacetals 2a–2j were prepared by TiCl4-promoted nucleophilic addition of both tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) and an alcohol to the corresponding aldehyde. The reaction works well with a variety of aldehydes, but not with ketones. The magnitude of the equilibrium constant for hemiacetal formation plays an important role; a large constant enables high conversion to peroxyacetal.
Aluminium heterogeneous speciation in natural waters
Authors: Povar Igor , Rusu Vasile
Published: March 2012

The presence of aluminium in natural waters is of major concern at present because of the potential threat for the health of a number of species, including humans. In natural water, aluminium exists in different forms depending on the concentrations of various other species, organic matter, the types of minerals, the pH, etc. The aluminium species in the natural water – gibbsite system is considered in this work. The main approaches for estimating of the individual concentrations of the aluminium species involve the use of reliable thermodynamic data, together with experimental measurements of free or total concentrations of major components. The new type of diagrams based on graphical and computerized methods, which quantitatively describe the distribution of soluble and insoluble, inorganic, and organic, and monomeric and polymeric aluminium species in heterogeneous aquatic systems is presented. This approach utilizes thermodynamic relationships coupled with original mass balance constraints, where the mineral phases are explicitly expressed. The factors influencing the distribution of soluble and insoluble aluminium species in aquatic systems were analyzed. The new type of developed diagrams may be used to interpret data obtained within the framework of water-quality monitoring programs.
Theoretical study on the aging and reactivation mechanism of tabun-inhibited acetylcholinesterase by using the quantum mechanical / molecular mechanical method
Authors: Li Yanwei , Du Likai , Hu Yueming , Sun Xiaomin , Hu Jingtian
Published: March 2012

The organophosphorous compound tabun is highly neurotoxic because of its irreversible inhibition on acetylcholinesterase (AChE). It is wildly used as a warfare agent in the military. In this work, the aging and reactivation mechanism of tabun-inhibited AChE were studied by using the quantum mechanical / molecular mechanical (QM/MM) method. Geometry optimization of the stationary points were performed at the B3LYP/6–31G(d) level. Single-point energies were computed at the B3LYP/6–311++G(d,p) level. On the basis of the QM/MM results, a conclusion that the C–O bond scission is caused by water attack on the ethoxy group in the aging mechanism can be drawn. The reactivation process initialed by the antidotes CH2NO–or HLÖ-7 consists of three elemental steps, the nucleophilic attack on the P atom by the antidote, the dephosphorylation process, and the decomposition of the antidote–tabun complex. The highest energy barriers of the aging reaction, CH2NO–-induced reactivation, and HLÖ-7-induced reactivation are 19.9, 20.0, and 14.8 kcal/mol (1 cal = 4.184 J), respectively. The relative lower overall energy barrier of HLÖ-7-induced reactivation compared with that of the aging reaction indicates that HLÖ-7 is able to reactivate tabun-inhibited AChE. In addition, whether a newly designed antidote is able to reactivate tabun-inhibited AChE can be examined by the inequation X < 19.9 kcal/mol,where X means the highest energy barrier of the reactivation reaction of the newly designed antidote.
Buffer capacity of heterogeneous chemical equilibria in natural waters
Authors: Povar Igor , Rusu Vasile
Published: March 2012

A novel ion–molecular buffer approach for estimating buffer capacities for natural water – mineral equilibria has been developed. Using this approach, the buffer capacity for any component of the heterogeneous system can be assessed. A proportional relation between different capacities in relation to ions of the compound distributed between two phases has been found. The influence of major thermodynamic parameters, such as temperature, pH, and the main chemical component concentrations of natural waters upon system buffer capacities has been investigated. It is expected that this type of approach will help to predict long-term diminishing effects in natural waters as a remediation alternative. The obtained results are intended to provide users with a compulsory tool to set reliable limits of ion (including metal) levels in environmental systems.
Host–parasite distributions under changing climate:Tsuga heterophyllaandArceuthobium tsugensein Alaska
Authors: Barrett Tara M. , Latta Greg , Hennon Paul E. , Eskelson Bianca N.I. , Temesgen Hailemariam
Published: March 2012

Dwarf mistletoes ( Arceuthobium species) influence many processes within forested ecosystems, but few studies have examined their distribution in relation to climate. An analysis of 1549 forested plots within a 14.5 million ha region of southeast Alaska provided strong indications that climate currently limits hemlock dwarf mistletoe ( Arceuthobium tsugense (Rosendahl) G.N. Jones) to a subset of the range of its primary tree host, western hemlock ( Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.), with infection varying from a high of 20% of trees at sea level to only 5% by 200 m elevation. Three types of modeling approaches (logistic, most similar neighbors, and random forests) were tested for the ability to simultaneously predict abundance and distribution of host and pathogen as a function of climate variables. Current distribution was explained well by logistic models using growing degree-days, indirect and direct solar radiation, rainfall, snowfall, slope, and minimum temperatures, although accuracy for predicting A. tsugense presence at a particular location was only 38%. For future climate scenarios (A1B, A2, and B1), projected increases for A. tsugense habitat over a century ranged from a low of 374% to a high of 757%, with differences between modeling approaches contributing more to uncertainty than differences between climate scenarios.
Isolation and identification of diazotrophic bacteria from internal tissues ofPinus contortaandThuja plicata
Authors: Bal Amandeep , Anand Richa , Berge Odile , Chanway Christopher P.
Published: March 2012

Lodgepole pine ( Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelm. ex S. Watson) and western red cedar ( Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don) are capable of growing in soils that are severely nitrogen-limited. A rarely evaluated but possible nitrogen source for gymnosperms growing at nutrient poor sites is nitrogen fixation by endophytic bacteria. To investigate this possibility, we looked for nitrogen-fixing bacteria in surface-sterilized needle, stem, and root tissues of naturally regenerating lodgepole pine and western red cedar seedlings (2–4 years old) and trees (>20 years old) growing near Williams Lake, Chilliwack Lake, and Boston Bar, British Columbia, Canada. Ninety-nine bacterial isolates were obtained by plating surface-sterilized plant tissue extracts on tryptic soy agar (TSA) and combined carbon medium agar (CCMA), a nitrogen-free medium. Bacterial isolates were identified using gas chromatographic fatty acid methyl ester (GC-FAME) and 16S rRNA gene analyses and were evaluated for nitrogenase activity using an acetylene reduction assay. Representatives of the genera Bacillus and Paenibacillus dominated the culturable endophytic bacterial community in tissues of both tree species, with three Paenibacillus isolates and one Dyadobacter fermentans strain demonstrating consistently high acetylene-reduction activities. Our results raise the possibility that endophytic nitrogen fixation provides a supplementary nitrogen source for naturally regenerated lodgepole pine and western red cedar.
Tree-ring investigations into changing climatic responses of yellow-cedar, Glacier Bay, Alaska
Authors: Wiles Gregory C. , Mennett Colin R. , Jarvis Stephanie K. , D’Arrigo Rosanne D. , Wiesenberg Nicholas , Lawson Daniel. E.
Published: March 2012

Yellow-cedar ( Callitropsis nootkatensis (D. Don) Örsted ex D.P. Little) is in a century-long decline coinciding with the end of the Little Ice Age (LIA). The leading hypothesis explaining this decline is a decrease in insulating snowpack due to warming and increased susceptibility to damaging frosts in the root zone. A ring-width series from yellow-cedar on Excursion Ridge (260 m a.s.l.) in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska, and another from trees on Pleasant Island (150 m a.s.l.) in the Tongass National Forest in Icy Strait were compared with regional monthly temperature and precipitation data from Sitka, Alaska, to investigate the changing growth response to temperature at these sites. Comparisons with monthly temperatures from 1832 to 1876 during the end of the Little Ice Age show that the high-elevation Excursion Ridge and the low-elevation Pleasant Island sites strongly favored warmer January through July temperatures. Both tree populations have markedly changed their response from a positive to a strong negative correlation with January through July temperatures since 1950. This strong negative response to warming by the yellow-cedar together with a positive relationship with total March and April precipitation suggests that these yellow-cedar sites may be susceptible to decline. Furthermore, these analyses are consistent with the hypothesis that the yellow-cedar decline is linked to decreased snowpack.
Risk, knowledge, and trust in managing forest insect disturbance
Authors: McFarlane Bonita L. , Parkins John R. , Watson David O.T.
Published: March 2012

Understanding perceptions of risks, awareness, and trust in management agencies is critical to effective management of large-scale forest insect disturbance. In this study, we examined regional variation in public perceptions of risk, compared public and land managers’ perceptions, and examined knowledge and trust as factors in shaping public perceptions of a mountain pine beetle (MPB) ( Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) infestation. Survey data were collected from residents (n = 1303) in three regions of Alberta and from land managers (n = 43) responsible for MPB management. Results showed that residents had moderate or great concern for MBP risks, they were not well informed about MPB, and they showed slight trust in the provincial government and forest industry to manage the beetle. There was regional variation in perceptions of risks, knowledge, and trust. Land managers were less concerned about nontimber effects and had higher trust than the public. A positive correlation between trust and risk perceptions appears to contradict the risk literature. This relationship may be influenced by an intervening effect of knowledge. These results call for more attention to the content of risk messaging and the effects of trust and knowledge on the general public who take up these messages.