bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of mushroom‐derived β‐glucan‐rich polysaccharide extracts on nitric oxide production by bone marrow‐derived macrophages and nuclear factor‐κB transactivation in Caco‐2 reporter cells: Can effects be explained by structure?
Authors: Volman Julia J. , Helsper Johannes P. F. G. , Wei Song , Baars Johan J. P. , van Griensven Leo J. L. D. , Sonnenberg Anton S. M. , Mensink Ronald P. , Plat Jogchum
Published: November 2009

Mushrooms are known for their immune‐modulating and anti‐tumour properties. The polysaccharide fraction, mainly β‐glucans, is responsible for the immune‐modulating effects. Fungal β‐glucans have been shown to activate leukocytes, which depend on structural characteristics of β‐glucans. As edible mushrooms come in contact with the intestinal immune system, effects on enterocytes are also interesting. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of mushroom polysaccharide extracts varying in β‐glucan structure on nitric oxide production by bone marrow‐derived macrophages (BMMs) from mice and on nuclear factor‐κB transactivation in human intestinal Caco‐2 cells. We demonstrated that extracts from Agaricus bisporus stimulated nitric oxide production by BMM, whereas extracts from Coprinus comatus and spores of Ganoderma lucidum had only minor effects. Furthermore, extracts of A. blazei Murill and Phellinus linteus had no effect at all. Almost all mushroom extracts lowered nuclear factor‐κB transactivation in Caco‐2 cells. Structural analysis of A. bisporus compared with A. blazei Murill suggests that branching of the β‐glucan chain is essential for immune‐stimulating activity. In conclusion, extracts from A. bisporus activate BMM, without activating enterocytes. These characteristics make A. bisporus an attractive candidate as a nutritional compound to stimulate the immune response in depressed states of immunity.
Cysteine proteinase inhibitor Act d 4 is a functional allergen contributing to the clinical symptoms of kiwifruit allergy
Authors: Popovic Milica M. , Milovanovic Mina , Burazer Lidija , Vuckovic Olga , Hoffmann‐Sommergruber Karin , Knulst Andre C. , Lindner Buko , Petersen Arnd , Jankov Ratko , Gavrovic‐Jankulovic Marija
Published: November 2009

Kiwifruit has become a frequent cause of fruit allergy in the recent years. The molecular basis of type I hypersensitivity to kiwifruit is attributed to 11 IUIS allergens, with Act d 1, Act d 2 and Act d 5 characterized in extenso. Evaluation of the allergenic properties of Act d 4, a cysteine proteinase inhibitor from green kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) was performed in this study. Identity of the purified glycoprotein was determined by Edman degradation and by mass fingerprint whereby more than 90% of the primary structure of the mature kiwifruit cystatin was confirmed. Using MALDI TOF analysis, molecular masses of 10902.5 and 11055.2 Da were detected for Act d 4, respectively. Positive skin prick reactivity with Act d 4 was induced in three kiwifruit allergic patients, as well as the upregulation of CD63 and CD203c molecules in the basophile activation assay. The IgE reactivity was detected in dot blot analysis while Western blot analysis was negative using sera from six kiwifruit patients, suggesting the presence of conformational IgE epitopes on the Act d 4 molecule. As activator of effector cells in type I hypersensitivity Act d 4 is a functional allergen contributing to the clinical symptoms of kiwifruit allergy.
Blueberry fruit polyphenolics suppress oxidative stress‐induced skeletal muscle cell damage in vitro
Authors: Hurst Roger D. , Wells Robyn W. , Hurst Suzanne M. , McGhie Tony K. , Cooney Janine M. , Jensen Dwayne J.
Published: November 2009

Skeletal muscle damage can result from disease and unaccustomed or excessive exercise. Muscle dysfunction occurs via an increased level of reactive oxygen species and hence there is potential in antioxidants as amelioration strategies. We explored the putative benefit of fruit polyphenolic extracts in reducing the susceptibility of skeletal muscle cells to oxidative stress. Muscle myotubes were simultaneously challenged with fruit extracts (1–50 μg/mL) and calcium ionophore (A23187), hydrogen peroxide, or 2,4‐dinitrophenol and damage monitored by release of cytosolic enzymes. A blueberry fruit extract displayed a potent and significant dose‐dependant protective capacity. Evaluation of the protective capacity of anthocyanin sub‐extracts of blueberry fruit and pure individual glycosides, with identification of extract polyphenolic components using MS, suggested that malvidin galactoside and/or glucoside were the active compounds. These in vitro data support the concept that blueberry fruits or derived foods rich in malvidin glycosides may be beneficial in alleviating muscle damage caused by oxidative stress. More research on the benefits of blueberry fruit consumption in human intervention studies is warranted.
The cytotoxic effect of Bowman–Birk isoinhibitors, IBB1 and IBBD2, from soybean (Glycine max) on HT29 human colorectal cancer cells is related to their intrinsic ability to inhibit serine proteases
Authors: Clemente Alfonso , Moreno Francisco Javier , Marín‐Manzano Maria del Carmen , Jiménez Elisabeth , Domoney Claire
Published: November 2009

Bowman–Birk inhibitors (BBI) from soybean and related proteins are naturally occurring protease inhibitors with potential health‐promoting properties within the gastrointestinal tract. In this work, we have investigated the effects of soybean BBI proteins on HT29 colon adenocarcinoma cells, compared with non‐malignant colonic fibroblast CCD‐18Co cells. Two major soybean isoinhibitors, IBB1 and IBBD2, showing considerable amino acid sequence divergence within their inhibitory domains, were purified in order to examine their functional properties, including their individual effects on the proliferation of HT29 colon cancer cells. IBB1 inhibited both trypsin and chymotrypsin whereas IBBD2 inhibited trypsin only. Despite showing significant differences in their enzyme inhibitory properties, the median inhibitory concentration values determined for IBB1 and IBBD2 on HT29 cell growth were not significantly different (39.9±2.3 and 48.3±3.5 μM, respectively). The cell cycle distribution pattern of HT29 colon cancer cells was affected by BBI treatment in a dose‐dependent manner, with cells becoming blocked in the G0–G1 phase. Chemically inactive soybean BBI had a weak but non‐significant effect on the proliferation of HT29 cells. The anti‐proliferative properties of BBI isoinhibitors from soybean reveal that both trypsin‐ and chymotrypsin‐like proteases involved in carcinogenesis should be considered as potential targets of BBI‐like proteins.
Micromechanical viscoelasto‐plastic models and finite element implementation for rate‐independent and rate‐dependent permanent deformation of stone‐based materials
Authors: Dai Qingli
Published: November 2009

This paper presents parallel and serial viscoelasto‐plastic models to simulate the rate‐independent and the rate‐dependent permanent deformation of stone‐based materials, respectively. The generalized Maxwell viscoelastic and Chaboche's plastic models were employed to formulate the proposed parallel and serial viscoelasto‐plastic constitutive laws. The finite element (FE) implementation of the parallel model used a displacement‐based incremental formulation for the viscoelastic part and an elastic predictor—plastic corrector scheme for the elastoplastic component. The FE framework of the serial viscoelasto‐plastic model employed a viscoelastic predictor—plastic corrector algorithm. The stone‐based materials are consisted of irregular aggregates, matrix and air voids. This study used asphalt mixtures as an example. A digital sample was generated with imaging analysis from an optically scanned surface image of an asphalt mixture specimen. The modeling scheme employed continuum elements to mesh the effective matrix, and rigid bodies for aggregates. The ABAQUS user material subroutines defined with the proposed viscoelasto‐plastic matrix models were employed.

The micromechanical FE simulations were conducted on the digital mixture sample with the viscoelasto‐plastic matrix models. The simulation results showed that the serial viscoelasto‐plastic matrix model generated more permanent deformation than the parallel one by using the identical material parameters and displacement loadings. The effect of loading rates on the material viscoelastic and viscoelasto‐plastic mixture behaviors was investigated. Permanent deformations under cyclic loadings were determined with FE simulations. The comparison studies showed that the simulation results correctly predicted the rate‐independent and rate‐dependent viscoelasto‐plastic constitutive properties of the proposed matrix models. Overall, these studies indicated that the developed micromechanical FE models have the abilities to predict the global viscoelasto‐plastic behaviors of the stone‐based materials. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synergistic effects of ferric pyrophosphate (FePP) in intumescent flame‐retardant polypropylene
Authors: Nie Shibin , Song Lei , Bao Chenlu , Qian Xiaodong , Guo Yuqiang , Hong Ningning , Hu Yuan
Published: November 2009

Ferric pyrophosphate (FePP) was added to an ammonium polyphosphate (APP)—pentaerythritol (petol) intumescent flame retardant (IFR) system in polypropylene (PP) matrix, with subsequent investigation into the synergistic effect between FePP and the IFRs. Limited oxygen index (LOI), UL‐94 test and cone calorimeter test were employed to study the flame retardance of the synthesized flame retardant PP composites. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and thermogravimetric analysis‐infrared spectrometry (TG‐IR) were used to study their thermal degradation characteristics and gas products. TG‐IR results demonstrate that there is no Fe (CO)5 produced from PP/IFR/FePP system, which implies that the flame retardant mechanism of PP/IFR/FePP system is in the condensed phase rather than in the gas phase. Real time FTIR and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to monitor the thermal oxidative stability and the high temperature performance of the flame retardant PP composites. The real time FTIR spectra show that all peaks around 2900 cm−1 almost disappear at 380°C for the PP/IFR system, meaning that PP decomposes completely at this temperature. But after the addition of 2 wt%wt% FePP, the peaks still exist till 400°C. XPS shows that the aliphatic carbon atom content in PP/23 wt%wt% IFR/2 wt%wt% FePP (63.8%) is much higher than the one without FePP, and the total oxygen atom content in PP/23 wt%wt% IFR/2 wt%wt% FePP is just 19.1%, while the one in PP/25 wt% IFR is as high as 35.7%. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Zwischen Mikrowellen und Infrarot. Terahertz‐Wellen
Authors: Theuer Michael , Molter Daniel , Rahm Marco , Beigang René
Published: November 2009

Terahertz‐Wellen liegen zwischen dem Infrarot‐ und dem Mikrowellenbereich. Auf der niederfrequenten Seite dieses Spektralfensters lassen sie sich elektronisch erzeugen. Für höherfrequentere THz‐Wellen wird modernste Lasertechnik, darunter Femtosekunden‐Laser, eingesetzt. Wie Mikrowellen können sie viele Materialien durchleuchten, ermöglichen aber wegen der kürzeren Wellenlänge eine höhere Ortsauflösung. Dabei können sie Bilder und spektroskopische Informationen liefern. In der Grundlagenforschung sind sie schon etabliert, in der Industrie nimmt ihr Einsatz zu. Er reicht von Scannern für den Sicherheitsbereich bis zur Materialprüfung. Neue optische Technologien ermöglichen innovative THz‐Quellen und ‐Detektoren. Metamaterialien eröffnen völlig neue Wege zum Bau “optischer” Komponenten für THz‐Wellen, die die Anwendungsmöglichkeiten erweitern.
Quantensprünge des Lichts. Zerstörungsfreie Photonenmessung
Authors: Kuhr Stefan
Published: November 2009

Messungen an Lichtquanten zerstören diese normalerweise durch Absorption. Kürzlich gelang es einer Forschergruppe in Paris, ein einzelnes gespeichertes Photon mehrmals hintereinander zerstörungsfrei nachzuweisen. Sie verwendete dazu einen Resonator aus zwei supraleitenden Spiegeln, der ein Mikrowellenphoton 0,13 s lang speichern kann. Durch ihn schickten die Forscher Rubidium‐Atome im hoch angeregten Rydberg‐Zustand. Sie registrieren sehr empfindlich das elektrische Feld eines anwesenden Photons. Die Atome liefern so eine präzise Information über die Zahl der Photonen im Resonator, ohne diese zu zerstören. Mit dieser Methode gelang es erstmals, Quantensprünge des Lichtfeldes experimentell nachzuweisen. Zerstörungsfreie Quantenmessungen eignen sich auch zur Untersuchung exotischer Quantenzustände. Dazu zählen zum Beispiel Schrödinger‐Katzen‐Zustände.
Kreislauf eines kosmischen Überlebenskünstlers. Polyzyklische aromatische Kohlenwasserstoffe im All
Authors: Fuchs Guido W.
Published: November 2009

Polyzyklische aromatische Kohlenwasserstoffe sind eine äußerst wichtige Molekülklasse für die chemisch‐physikalische Entwicklung der kosmischen Materie. Diese Moleküle entstehen im Umfeld kohlenstoffreicher Roter Riesensterne, gelangen von dort ins interstellare Medium und können in neu entstehende Planetensysteme eingebunden werden. PAHs sind die einzigen bekannten komplexen Moleküle, die den kosmischen Lebenszyklus der Materie von Anfang bis zum Ende durchleben und sogar einen entscheidenden Einfluss auf die Entstehung des Lebens auf der Erde gehabt haben können.
Intimacy processes and psychological distress among couples coping with head and neck or lung cancers
Authors: Manne Sharon , Badr Hoda
Published: November 2009

Objective: Couples coping with head and neck and lung cancers are at increased risk for psychological and relationship distress given patients' poor prognosis and aggressive and sometimes disfiguring treatments. The relationship intimacy model of couples' psychosocial adaptation proposes that relationship intimacy mediates associations between couples' cancer‐related support communication and psychological distress. Because the components of this model have not yet been evaluated in the same study, we examined associations between three types of cancer‐related support communication (self‐disclosure, perceived partner disclosure, and protective buffering), intimacy (global and cancer‐specific), and global distress among patients coping with either head and neck or lung cancer and their partners.

Method: One hundred and nine patients undergoing active treatment and their partners whose average time since diagnosis was 15 months completed cross‐sectional surveys.

Results: For both patients and their partners, multilevel analyses using the actor‐partner interdependence model showed that global and cancer‐specific intimacy fully mediated associations between self‐ and perceived partner disclosure and distress; global intimacy partially mediated the association between protective buffering and distress. Evidence for moderated mediation was found; specifically, lower levels of distress were reported as a function of global and cancer‐specific intimacy, but these associations were stronger for partners than for patients.

Conclusions: Enhancing relationship intimacy by disclosing cancer‐related concerns may facilitate both partners' adjustment to these illnesses. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of surface Ga accumulation on the growth of GaN by molecular beam epitaxy
Authors: Kawaharazuka Atsushi , Yoshizaki Tadashi , Hiratsuka Takato , Horikoshi Yoshiji
Published: November 2009

We investigate the effect of surface Ga accumulation on the growth of GaN by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) with ammonia as a nitrogen source. Control of the surface Ga condition is very important because the crystallization process strongly depends on the surface Ga coverage. The growth rate rapidly decreases when the supply of Ga exceeds certain amount when growing with ammonia, in contrast to the saturation grown with radio‐frequency plasma source. The critical Ga supply becomes higher by introducing the migration‐enhanced epitaxy (MEE). The growth rate is slightly higher for MEE compared with MBE in the region where it linearly increases with increasing the Ga supply.

These phenomena can be explained by the model taking into account the surface coverage of the excess Ga, accumulation of Ga into droplet and diffusion of them during ammonia supply period. At elevated temperatures, surface Ga accumulation is less effective since Ga atoms can evaporate from the surface. The surface morphology becomes smoother by using MEE due to the quick Ga diffusion on the surface during the ammonia supply period. These results shows that MEE is very useful technique for the GaN growth with ammonia since the control of the surface Ga accumulation is very important (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
ALD growth of Al2O3 on GaAs: Oxide reduction, interface structure and CV performance
Authors: Lee H. D. , Feng T. , Yu L. , Mastrogiovanni D. , Wan A. , Garfunkel E. , Gustafsson T.
Published: November 2009

We have studied the effect of the trimethylaluminum (TMA) precursor on the reduction of surface “native” oxides from GaAs substrates using medium energy ion scattering spectroscopy (MEIS), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electrical measurements. Our data show that after one single TMA pulse a substantial part of the native oxide is reduced and an oxygen‐rich aluminum oxide layer is formed. Al2O3 films grown with the normal atomic layer deposition cycles of TMA and water show that the growth rate of the Al oxide during this initial reduction of the native oxides is faster than the rate once this reduction is completed. Furthermore, the results of C‐V measurements of Al2O3/GaAs grown under the same conditions along with post deposition annealing indicate a good quality interface. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Computational study for growth of GaN on graphite as 3D growth on 2D material
Authors: Ishii Akira , Tatani Takaaki , Asano Hiroki , Nakada Kengo
Published: November 2009

The density functional calculation is performed to determine the structure of the grown GaN film on graphite for comparison with experimental results using pulsed laser deposition method. The predicted result for polarity of the grown GaN is (0001) and it agrees with experiment. Since GaN is grown well on graphite, graphite is considered to be an ideal lattice mismatch free substrate for heteroepitaxial growth. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Passivation of Si surfaces by hydrogen and organic molecules investigated by in‐situ photoluminescence techniques
Authors: Rappich Joerg , Zhang Xin , Chapel Sébastien , Sun Guoguang , Hinrichs Karsten
Published: November 2009

We investigated the amount of defects at Si surfaces modified by wet‐chemical etch‐back of oxide layers and varying electrochemical grafting procedures for organic molecules by means of pulsed photoluminescence (PL) techniques during the processing. The etch‐back of oxidized Si surfaces by HF containing solutions leads to a strong enhancement in PL due to hydrogenation of the surface which reduces the recombination loss of charge carriers via surface/interface states. This type of well passivated Si surface is preserved by grafting of organic molecules (exchanging the H‐Si by a C‐Si bond) which induces only small amounts of defects at the interface. The rate of grafting is reduced with decreasing pH of the aqueous solution while the PL intensity increases slightly. This behavior is a result of H‐capture from the solvent instead of binding organic molecules. Variation in the solvent for the radicalic grafting process, e.g. anhydrous acetonitrile (ACN), leads to a decrease in PL intensity since ACN itself induces surface recombination on the H‐terminated Si surface. IR spectra reveal the binding of the organic molecules due to their specific vibrational modes. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Electron‐phonon‐plasmon interaction in MBE‐grown indium nitride – A high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) study
Authors: Kloeckner K. , Himmerlich M. , Koch R. J. , Polyakov V. M. , Eisenhardt A. , Haensel T. , Ahmed S. I.‐U. , Krischok S. , Schaefer J. A.
Published: November 2009

We studied InN (0001) grown by plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE) with high‐resolution electron energy‐loss spectroscopy (HREELS) after vacuum transfer thus avoiding any further surface preparation. We were able to detect for the first time besides the Fuchs‐Kliewer surface phonon ω0 two plasmarons ω– and ω+, which originate from the coupling between surface optical phonons ωSO and plasma oscillations of free electrons resulting from the surface accumulation layer and/or the bulk conduction band. Using dielectric theory we get new insight into the space charge regime of InN grown by MBE. We choose an approach that reaches far beyond the accumulation layer regime. Using a very wide primary beam energy regime from 1 eV up to 200 eV, the depth of information can be varied from extremely surface sensitive to bulk sensitive. Best agreement has been obtained for a downward band bending of 0.9 eV and a peak accumulation layer density of 6.5 × 1019 cm‐3 at 2 nm beneath the surface with an unintentional doping of the bulk of 1 × 1019 cm‐3. The sheet density of the ionized surface states is determined to Nss = 1.8 × 1013 cm‐2 from the self‐consistent calculation of the conduction band profile. The presented results provide important information for future InN‐based devices. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Ab initio study of one‐dimensional disorder on III‐V semiconductor surfaces
Authors: Romanyuk O. , Grosse F. , Braun W.
Published: November 2009

Atomic disorder on GaSb(001) and GaAs(001) surfaces is studied by ab initio calculations within density functional theory (DFT). Surface energies are computed for GaSb(001) β (4 × 3), β (4 × 3)A1, (4 × 6), and GaAs(001) β 2(2 × 4), c (4 × 4) reconstructions. The computed energy differences do not exceed 1 meV / (1 × 1) which is in agreement with observed one‐dimensional disorder on GaSb(001) and GaAs(001) surfaces at elevated temperatures for β and β 2 stoichiometries, respectively. Deviations in bond lengths due to disorder with respect to the ordered ground state phases are calculated (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Quantitative evaluation of electroluminescence images of solar cells
Authors: Breitenstein O. , Khanna A. , Augarten Y. , Bauer J. , Wagner J.‐M. , Iwig K.
Published: November 2009

A fast converging iterative procedure is proposed to calculate series resistance (Rs) and saturation current (j0) images from two electroluminescence (EL) images taken at two biases. It is not necessary here that for one bias the influence of the series resistance is negligible. Moreover, voltage series of EL images have been evaluated for calculating images of Rs, j0, and the parallel conductance Gp separately. However, it has been found that Rs variations cannot uniquely be separated from Gp variations. The reason for this is discussed. Thus, for quantitatively detecting weak ohmic shunts, EL imaging cannot replace lock‐in thermography. For strong ohmic shunts a formula for converting EL images into shunt images is given. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Silicon surface passivation by ultrathin Al2O3 films synthesized by thermal and plasma atomic layer deposition
Authors: Dingemans G. , Seguin R. , Engelhart P. , Sanden M. C. M. van de , Kessels W. M. M.
Published: November 2009

In this Letter, we report that both thermal atomic layer deposition (ALD) with H2O, and plasma ALD with an O2 plasma, can be used to deposit Al2O3 for a high level of surface passivation of crystalline silicon (c‐Si). For 3.5 Ω cm n‐type c‐Si, plasma ALD Al2O3 resulted in ultralow surface recombination velocities of Seff < 0.8 cm/s. Thermal ALD Al2O3 also showed an excellent passivation level, with Seff < 2.5 cm/s. In contrast to plasma ALD Al2O3, thermal ALD Al2O3 provides some surface passivation in the as‐deposited state, although annealing is required to activate it to the full extent. For thermal ALD, the optimal temperature for this anneal was found to be slightly lower, ∼375 °C, than for plasma ALD Al2O3, ∼425 °C. The minimal Al2O3 thickness without compromising the passivation properties was 5 nm for plasma ALD Al2O3, whereas for thermal ALD, films >10 nm were required. Thermal stability against a high temperature firing step was demonstrated for ultrathin thermal and plasma ALD Al2O3 films of 5 nm by Seff < 9.2 and < 6.5 cm/s, respectively. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Error modeling and calibration of exteroceptive sensors for accurate mapping applications
Authors: Underwood James P. , Hill Andrew , Peynot Thierry , Scheding Steven J.
Published: November 2009

Reliable robotic perception and planning are critical to performing autonomous actions in uncertain, unstructured environments. In field robotic systems, automation is achieved by interpreting exteroceptive sensor information to infer something about the world. This is then mapped to provide a consistent spatial context, so that actions can be planned around the predicted future interaction of the robot and the world. The whole system is as reliable as the weakest link in this chain. In this paper, the term mapping is used broadly to describe the transformation of range‐based exteroceptive sensor data (such as LIDAR or stereo vision) to a fixed navigation frame, so that it can be used to form an internal representation of the environment. The coordinate transformation from the sensor frame to the navigation frame is analyzed to produce a spatial error model that captures the dominant geometric and temporal sources of mapping error. This allows the mapping accuracy to be calculated at run time. A generic extrinsic calibration method for exteroceptive range‐based sensors is then presented to determine the sensor location and orientation. This allows systematic errors in individual sensors to be minimized, and when multiple sensors are used, it minimizes the systematic contradiction between them to enable reliable multisensor data fusion. The mathematical derivations at the core of this model are not particularly novel or complicated, but the rigorous analysis and application to field robotics seems to be largely absent from the literature to date. The techniques in this paper are simple to implement, and they offer a significant improvement to the accuracy, precision, and integrity of mapped information. Consequently, they should be employed whenever maps are formed from range‐based exteroceptive sensor data. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Industry learning environments and the heterogeneity of firm performance
Authors: Balasubramanian Natarajan , Lieberman Marvin B.
Published: November 2009

This paper characterizes interindustry heterogeneity in rates of learning‐by‐doing, and examines how industry learning rates are connected with firm performance. Using plant‐level data from the U.S. manufacturing sector, we measure the industry learning rate as the coefficient on cumulative output in a production function. We find that learning rates vary considerably among industries and are higher in industries with greater R&D, advertising, and capital intensity. More importantly, we find that higher rates of learning are associated with wider dispersion of Tobin's q and profitability among firms in the industry. These findings suggest that learning intensity represents an important characteristic of the industry environment that affects the range of firm performance. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
How do CEO emotions matter? Impact of CEO affective traits on strategic and performance conformity in the spanish banking industry
Authors: Delgado‐García Juan Bautista , De La Fuente‐Sabaté Juan Manuel
Published: November 2009

Research on how managers influence firm outcomes has generated promising explanations of differences in organizational strategies and performance within a given industry, but has largely ignored the role of emotions in shaping managers' strategic choices. This article analyzes the influence of the affective traits of CEOs—their long‐term tendency to experience positive or negative moods or emotions—on strategy and performance conformity in a sample of Spanish banks and savings banks. Our results show that managers' negative affective traits are related to more conformist strategies and more typical performance, whereas positive affective traits seem to promote outcomes that deviate from the central tendencies of the industry. Results also show that strategic conformity mediates the relationship between CEO negative affective traits and typical performance. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of strain hardening of reinforcement on flexural strength and ductility of reinforced concrete columns
Authors: Bai Z. Z. , Au F. T. K.
Published: November 2009

In the evaluation of flexural strength of reinforced concrete (RC) columns, the elastic–perfectly plastic constitutive model is generally used for steel reinforcement, which ignores the strain hardening effect. While some engineers believe that the flexural strength so obtained is on the safe side, others are concerned that underestimation of member strength could lead to inaccurate prediction of overall structural behaviour especially under extreme events. In any case, better understanding of the possible over‐strength and its effects on flexural ductility and failure mechanism is necessary. In this paper, the effects of strain hardening of reinforcement on the flexural strength and ductility of reinforced normal‐ and high‐strength concrete columns are studied based on rigorous full‐range moment–curvature analysis. The study has identified if and how various parameters affect the strain hardening effect, which include axial load ratio, concrete strength, confining stress, reinforcement ratio and the tensile‐strength‐to‐yield‐stress ratio of steel. The effects of strain hardening can be quite significant for RC columns under relatively low axial load and relatively high confining stress. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Breakdown value
Authors: Hubert Mia , Debruyne Michiel
Published: November 2009

The breakdown value is a popular measure of the robustness of an estimator against outlying observations. Roughly speaking, it indicates the smallest fraction of contaminants in a sample that causes the estimator to break down, that is, to take on values that are arbitrarily bad or meaningless. In this paper, we recall the definition of the finite sample as well as the asymptotic breakdown value of an estimator, and we give several examples of well‐known estimators for location, scatter, and regression. We discuss the maximal attainable breakdown values and give an overview of high‐breakdown estimators that attain this maximal bound. Finally, we refer to some issues in more complex models. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

This article is categorized under:

Statistical and Graphical Methods of Data Analysis > Robust Methods
Integer‐valued time series
Authors: Fokianos Konstantinos
Published: November 2009

Integer‐valued time series data appear in several diverse applications. However, modeling and inference for these types of dependent data pose several questions and interesting problems. The method of generalized linear models turns out to provide a sound framework for modeling and estimation whereby all computations are carried out by well‐established software. I review this area of research and propose some other models. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

This article is categorized under:

Applications of Computational Statistics > Signal and Image Processing and Coding
Nanogenomics in medicine
Authors: Nicolini Claudio
Published: November 2009

This review presents the status of technological developments of nanogenomics and its applications to medicine. Even if particular emphasis is placed on what has been accomplished in our laboratory in the last few years in the area of genes microarrays, significant reference to the recent activity of numerous other groups can be found in Refs 1,2 WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2010 2 59–76

This article is categorized under:

Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology
Oxygen homeostasis
Authors: Semenza Gregg L.
Published: November 2009

Metazoan life is dependent upon the utilization of O2 for essential metabolic processes and oxygen homeostasis is an organizing principle for understanding metazoan evolution, ontology, physiology, and pathology. Hypoxia‐inducible factor 1 (HIF‐1) is a transcription factor that is expressed by all metazoan species and functions as a master regulator of oxygen homeostasis. Recent studies have elucidated complex mechanisms by which HIF‐1 activity is regulated and by which HIF‐1 regulates gene expression, with profound consequences for prenatal development, postnatal physiology, and disease pathogenesis. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

This article is categorized under:

Physiology > Organismal Responses to Environment
Whole animal imaging
Authors: Sandhu Gurpreet Singh , Solorio Luis , Broome Ann‐Marie , Salem Nicolas , Kolthammer Jeff , Shah Tejas , Flask Chris , Duerk Jeffrey L.
Published: November 2009

Translational research plays a vital role in understanding the underlying pathophysiology of human diseases, and hence development of new diagnostic and therapeutic options for their management. After creating an animal disease model, pathophysiologic changes and effects of a therapeutic intervention on them are often evaluated on the animals using immunohistologic or imaging techniques. In contrast to the immunohistologic techniques, the imaging techniques are noninvasive and hence can be used to investigate the whole animal, oftentimes in a single exam which provides opportunities to perform longitudinal studies and dynamic imaging of the same subject, and hence minimizes the experimental variability, requirement for the number of animals, and the time to perform a given experiment. Whole animal imaging can be performed by a number of techniques including x‐ray computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound imaging, positron emission tomography, single photon emission computed tomography, fluorescence imaging, and bioluminescence imaging, among others. Individual imaging techniques provide different kinds of information regarding the structure, metabolism, and physiology of the animal. Each technique has its own strengths and weaknesses, and none serves every purpose of image acquisition from all regions of an animal. In this review, a broad overview of basic principles, available contrast mechanisms, applications, challenges, and future prospects of many imaging techniques employed for whole animal imaging is provided. Our main goal is to briefly describe the current state of art to researchers and advanced students with a strong background in the field of animal research. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

This article is categorized under:

Laboratory Methods and Technologies > Imaging
Introduction to the special issue on zoo animal welfare
Authors: Watters Jason V. , Wielebnowski Nadja
Published: November 2009

In May 2008, the Chicago Zoological Society's Center for the Science of Animal Welfare (CSAW) held a two‐day international workshop designed to establish and foster new connections between zoo animal welfare scientists and welfare scientists in other fields, and to take the first step toward the development of a research agenda for zoo animal welfare science. Such a research agenda by its very nature would need to be highly multi‐disciplinary and collaborative. In support of this purpose this article serves as an introduction for a collection of invited papers presented at the workshop. Workshop themes included the investigation of welfare metrics currently used and in development, elucidating gaps and determining needs for zoo welfare research, and gaining a deeper understanding of the value that understanding animals in the wild can bring to zoo animal welfare. Here we discuss some of the most relevant points made at the workshop and describe the seven most salient research needs that were suggested in consensus. Zoo Biol 28:501–506, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Interventional oncology: new options for interstitial treatments and intravascular approaches
Authors: Matsui Osamu , Miyayama Shiro , Sanada Jyun‐ichiro , Kobayashi Satoshi , Khoda Wataru , Minami Tetsuya , Kozaka Kazuto , Gabata Toshifumi
Published: November 2009

Superselective TACE is defined as TACE from the distal portion of the feeding subsegmental hepatic artery to evoke strong ischemic effects on a small area of the liver, thus avoiding damage to liver function. Lipiodol (iodized oil) is semi‐fluid, and it can flow into the surrounding portal venules and hepatic sinusoids through peribiliary plexus (PBP) and the drainage route from the hypervascular HCC. Therefore, the reversed flow from the hepatic sinusoids and portal venules to the peripheral portion of the tumor and daughter nodules can be blocked by Lipiodol injected before a particulate embolus (such as gelatin sponge particles). Common complications of superselective TACE are mild local pain and fever and temporary minimal changes of liver function. Reported CR ratio of definitely hypervascular HCC are around 30–60% by superselective TACE with Lipiodol for hypervascular HCC less than 5 cm. According to a nationwide survey by the Liver Cancer Study Group of Japan (LCSGJ), overall 5‐year survival rate was 26% in patients with HCCs not indicated for surgery or RFA (PEI), mainly treated by segmental or subsegmental TACE using Lipiodol. Therefore, this TACE technique should be widely introduced as the first line technique for TACE therapy of HCC.
Prenatal Testing for Down Syndrome: Comparison of Screening Practices in the UK and USA
Authors: Tapon Dagmar
Published: November 2009

Prenatal testing for Down Syndrome is a topic covered in every genetic counselor's training as it constitutes the main workload of genetic counselors in prenatal settings. Most Western countries nowadays offer some type of testing for Down Syndrome. However, practices vary according to country with regards to what tests are offered, insurance coverage and the legal situation concerning the option of terminating an affected pregnancy. In view of the growing interest in international genetic counseling issues, this article aims to compare prenatal testing practices in two English‐speaking countries: the United Kingdom and the United States of America. A case will be presented to highlight some of the differences in practice. The topic underlines important implications for genetic counseling practice, such as patients’ understanding of testing practices, risk perception, counseling provision and impact of prenatal testing results.
Breeding bird assemblages in riparian galleries of the Guadiana River basin (Portugal): the effect of spatial structure and habitat variables
Authors: Godinho Carlos , Rabaça João E. , Segurado Pedro
Published: November 2009

Habitat structure is a major determinant of bird community composition and a link between riparian vegetation and bird communities in riparian zones, suggesting that changes in bird community composition can be predicted from changes in habitats. Our study aimed to identify the relationships between the structure of breeding bird communities and environmental drivers, using fine‐resolution habitat measurements. We examined two bird assemblages (Passerines, P; and Aquatic/Riparian species, AR) and their spatial structure and relationships to environmental river variables in riparian galleries in southern Portugal. The study was conducted on the ca. 230 km of riparian corridors located in the flooded area of the Alqueva reservoir, before closure of the dam. We used data from 134 10‐min point counts. Using variation partitioning, we determined the independent and joint effects of river edge, river bed, and spatial variables on our selected bird assemblages. The variation in bird assemblages captured was 27.5% for P and 55.3% for AR. The explanatory variables that were highlighted as important predictors for both bird groups were variables that reflected the complexity of the riparian gallery vegetation: rivers with high vegetation cover of riparian species, and riverbeds and riversides dominated by rock and scarce emergent rooted vegetation. Most of the explained variation was related to environmental variables: river‐edge, river‐bed, and their joint effect. Riparian areas can be considered a specific habitat and the variables analyzed are habitat descriptors at a fine scale, so that we believe that the species–environment relationships revealed in this study could be good indicators of the wealth of riparian ecosystems in Mediterranean rivers.
Assessing Partisan Bias in Federal Public Corruption Prosecutions
Authors: GORDON SANFORD C.
Published: November 2009

The 2007 U.S. Attorney firing scandal raised the specter of political bias in the prosecution of officials under federal corruption laws. Has prosecutorial discretion been employed to persecute enemies or shield allies? To answer this question, I develop a model of the interaction between officials contemplating corruption and a prosecutor deciding whether to pursue cases against them. Biased prosecutors will be willing to file weaker cases against political opponents than against allies. Consequently, the model anticipates that in the presence of partisan bias, sentences of prosecuted opponents will tend to be lower than those of co-partisans. Employing newly collected data on public corruption prosecutions, I find evidence of partisan bias under both Bush (II) and Clinton Justice Departments. However, additional evidence suggests that these results may understate the extent of bias under Bush, while overstating it under Clinton.
The protective role of amla (Emblica officinalisGaertn.) against fructose-induced metabolic syndrome in a rat model
Authors: Kim Hyun Young , Okubo Tsutomu , Juneja Lekh Raj , Yokozawa Takako
Published: November 2009

We investigated the effects of amla (Emblica officinalisGaertn.) on fructose-induced metabolic syndrome using a rat model. Male Wistar rats were fed a high-fructose (65 %) diet or standard chow for 1 week, and treated with an ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extract of amla, a polyphenol-rich fraction, at 10 or 20 mg/kg body weight per d, or vehicle, for 2 weeks. Serum glucose, TAG, total cholesterol and blood pressure levels of the high-fructose diet-fed rats were increased compared with those of the normal rats (P < 0·001). However, the EtOAc extract of amla ameliorated the high fructose-induced metabolic syndrome, including hypertriacylglycerolaemia and hypercholesterolaemia. Also, the elevated levels of hepatic TAG and total cholesterol in rats given the high-fructose diet were significantly reduced by 33·8 and 24·6 %, respectively (P < 0·001), on the administration of the EtOAc extract of amla at the dose of 20 mg/kg with the regulation of sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP)-1 expression. The protein levels of PPARα and SREBP-2 were not affected by the feeding of the high-fructose diet or EtOAc extract of amla. In addition, oral administration of the amla extract at the dose of 20 mg/kg significantly inhibited the increased serum and hepatic mitochondrial thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance levels (21·1 and 43·1 %, respectively;P < 0·001). Furthermore, the amla extract inhibited the increase of cyclo-oxygenase-2 with the regulation of NF-κB and bcl-2 proteins in the liver, while the elevated expression level of bax was significantly decreased by 8·5 and 10·2 % at the doses of 10 and 20 mg/kg body weight per d, respectively. These findings suggest that fructose-induced metabolic syndrome is attenuated by the polyphenol-rich fraction of amla.
Modulation of nucleotide excision repair in human lymphocytes by genetic and dietary factors
Authors: Langie Sabine A. S. , Wilms Lonneke C. , Hämäläinen Satu , Kleinjans Jos C. S. , Godschalk Roger W. L. , van Schooten Frederik J.
Published: November 2009

Gene–environment interactions determine inter-individual variations in nucleotide excision repair (NER) capacity. Oxidative stress was previously found to inhibit NER, thus supplementation with dietary antioxidants could prevent this inhibition, especially in genetically susceptible subjects. To study the effects of genetic polymorphisms in NER-related genes and dietary intake of antioxidants on an individual's NER capacity, lymphocytes of 168 subjects were isolated before and after a 4-week blueberry and apple juice intervention. Twelve genetic polymorphisms in NER genesXPA,XPC,ERCC1,ERCC2,ERCC5,ERCC6andRAD23Bwere assessed by multiplex PCR with single base extension. Based on specific genotype combinations, a subset of individuals (n36) was selected for phenotypical assessment of NER capacity, which was significantly affected by the total sum of low-activity alleles (P = 0·027). The single polymorphismXPAG23A was the strongest predictor of NER capacity (P = 0·002); carriers of low-activity alleles AA had about three times lower NER capacity thanXPAGG carriers. NER capacity assessed before and after intervention correlated significantly (R20·69;P < 0·001), indicating that inter-individual differences in NER capacity are maintained over 4 weeks. Although the intervention increased plasma trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity from 791 (se6·61) to 805 (se7·90) μm(P = 0·032), on average it did not affect NER capacity. Nonetheless, carriers of twelve or more low-activity alleles seemed to benefit from the intervention (P = 0·013). Among these, carriers of the variant allele forRAD23BAla249Val showed improved NER capacity upon intervention (P = 0·020). In conclusion, improved NER capacity upon dietary intervention was detected in individuals carrying multiple low-activity alleles. TheXPAG23A polymorphism might be a predictor for NER capacity.
A low-protein diet supplemented with ketoacids plays a more protective role against oxidative stress of rat kidney tissue with 5/6 nephrectomy than a low-protein diet alone
Authors: Gao Xiang , Wu Jianxiang , Dong Zheyi , Hua Can , Hu Huimin , Mei Changlin
Published: November 2009

Dietary protein restriction is one major therapy in chronic kidney disease (CKD), and ketoacids have been evaluated in CKD patients during restricted-protein diets. The objective of the present study was to compare the efficacy of a low-protein diet supplemented with ketoacids (LPD+KA) and a low-protein diet alone (LPD) in halting the development of renal lesions in CKD. 5/6 Nephrectomy Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups, and fed with either 22 % protein (normal-protein diet; NPD), 6 % protein (LPD) or 5 % protein plus 1 % ketoacids (LPD+KA) for 24 weeks. Sham-operated rats were used as controls. Each 5/6 nephrectomy group included fifteen rats and the control group included twelve rats. Proteinuria, decreased renal function, glomerular sclerosis and tubulointerstitial fibrosis were found in the remnant kidneys of the NPD group. Protein restriction ameliorated these changes, and the effect was more obvious in the LPD+KA group after 5/6 nephrectomy. Lower body weight and serum albumin levels were found in the LPD group, indicating protein malnutrition. Lipid and protein oxidative products were significantly increased in the LPD group compared with the LPD+KA group. These findings indicate that a LPD supplemented with ketoacids is more effective than a LPD alone in protecting the function of remnant kidneys from progressive injury, which may be mediated by ketoacids ameliorating protein malnutrition and oxidative stress injury in remnant kidney tissue.