bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Environmental tobacco smoke and Parkinson's disease
Authors: Searles Nielsen Susan , Gallagher Lisa G. , Lundin Jessica I. , Longstreth W.T. , Smith‐Weller Terri , Franklin Gary M. , Swanson Phillip D. , Checkoway Harvey
Published: November 2011

Background:

Parkinson's disease is inversely associated with cigarette smoking, but its relation with passive smoking or environmental tobacco smoke exposure is rarely examined.

Methods:

Within a case–control study, we assessed the association between Parkinson's disease and living or working with active smokers. Cases were newly diagnosed with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (n = 154) from western Washington State in 2002–2008. Age‐ and sex‐matched controls (n = 173) were neurologically normal and unrelated to cases.

Results:

Compared with never active or passive tobacco smokers, we observed reduced Parkinson's disease risks for ever passive only smokers (OR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.16–0.73), similar to those for ever active smokers (OR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.17–0.73). Among persons whose only tobacco smoke exposure was passive smoking at home, risk was inversely associated with years exposed.

Conclusions:

These observations parallel those well established for active smoking. However, it remains unresolved whether a true protective effect of tobacco smoke, generally detrimental to health, underlies these associations. © 2011 Movement Disorder Society
The A3 adenosine receptor as multifaceted therapeutic target: pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, and in silico approaches
Authors: Cheong Siew Lee , Federico Stephanie , Venkatesan Gopalakrishnan , Mandel Alexander Laurence , Shao Yi‐Ming , Moro Stefano , Spalluto Giampiero , Pastorin Giorgia
Published: November 2011

Adenosine is an ubiquitous local modulator that regulates various physiological and pathological functions by stimulating four membrane receptors, namely A1, A2A, A2B, and A3. Among these G protein‐coupled receptors, the A3 subtype is found mainly in the lung, liver, heart, eyes, and brain in our body. It has been associated with cerebroprotection and cardioprotection, as well as modulation of cellular growth upon its selective activation. On the other hand, its inhibition by selective antagonists has been reported to be potentially useful in the treatment of pathological conditions including glaucoma, inflammatory diseases, and cancer. In this review, we focused on the pharmacology and the therapeutic implications of the human (h)A3 adenosine receptor (AR), together with an overview on the progress of hA3AR agonists, antagonists, allosteric modulators, and radioligands, as well as on the recent advances pertaining to the computational approaches (e.g., quantitative structure–activity relationships, homology modeling, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulations) applied to the modeling of hA3AR and drug design.  © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Med Res Rev
DOSY‐NMR analysis of ring‐closing metathesis (RCM) products from β‐lactam precursors
Authors: Sliwa Aline , Marchand‐Brynaert Jacqueline , Luhmer Michel
Published: November 2011

The discrimination between cyclomonomers and various oligomers formed during a ring‐closing metathesis (RCM) process is not an easy task. Their 1H NMR patterns are often very similar, and the use of mass spectrometry techniques is usually recommended. Here, we show that the DOSY‐NMR method is a reliable tool to help in the identification of cyclomonomers versus cyclodimers by comparing the translational diffusion coefficient of the compounds issued from RCM reactions with the diffusion coefficient of their respective precursors. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
1hJFHcoupling in 2‐fluorophenol revisited: Is intramolecular hydrogen bond responsible for this long‐range coupling?
Authors: Cormanich Rodrigo A. , Moreira Marilua A. , Freitas Matheus P. , Ramalho Teodorico C. , Anconi Cléber P. A. , Rittner Roberto , Contreras Rubén H. , Tormena Cláudio F.
Published: November 2011

The present study shows that a hydrogen bond between the OH group and the fluorine atom is not involved in the1hJFHspin–spin coupling transmission either for 4‐bromo‐2‐fluorophenol or 2‐fluorophenol. In fact, according to a quantum theory of atoms in molecules analysis, no bond critical point is found between O‐H and F moieties. The nature of the transmission mechanism of the Fermi contact term of the1hJFHspin–spin coupling is studied by analyzing canonical molecular orbitals (seeJ. Phys. Chem. A2010, 114, 1044), and it is observed that virtual orbitals play only a quite minor role in its transmission. This is typical of a Fermi contact term transmitted mainly through exchange interactions owing to the overlap of proximate electronic clouds; therefore, it is suggested to identify them asnTSJFHcoupling wherenstands for the number of formal bonds separating the coupling nuclei. In the cases studied in this work isn = 4. Results presented in this work could provide an interesting rationalization for different experimental signs known in the current literature for proximateJFHcouplings. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Copolymerization of VDF and HFP in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide: A Robust Approach for Modeling Precipitation and Dispersion Kinetics
Authors: Costa Liborio I. , Storti Giuseppe , Morbidelli Massimo , Ferro Loredana , Galia Alessandro , Scialdone Onofrio , Filardo Giuseppe
Published: November 2011

A kinetic model is developed for the heterogeneous free‐radical copolymerization of vinylidene fluoride and hexafluoropropylene in supercritical CO2. The model accounts for polymerization in both the dispersed (polymer‐rich) phase and in the continuous (polymer‐free) supercritical phase, for radical interphase transport, diffusion limitations, and chain‐length‐dependent termination in the polymer‐rich phase. A parameter evaluation strategy is developed and detailed to estimate most of the kinetic parameters a priori while minimizing their evaluation by direct fitting. The resulting model predictions compare favorably with the experimental results of conversion and MWD at varying monomer feed composition, monomer concentration, interphase area, and pressure of the system.

magnified image
Improved nanocrystal formation, quantum confinement and carrier transport properties of doped Si quantum dot superlattices for third generation photovoltaics
Authors: Di Dawei , Xu Heli , Perez‐Wurfl Ivan , Green Martin A. , Conibeer Gavin
Published: November 2011

An all‐Si tandem solar cell has the potential to achieve high conversion efficiency at low cost. However, the selection and synthesis of candidate material remain challenging. In this work, we show that the conventional ‘Si quantum dots (Si QDs) in SiO2 matrix’ approach can lead to the formation of over‐sized Si nanocrystals especially when doped with phosphorous, making the size‐dependent quantum confinement less effective. Also, our investigation has shown that the high resistivity of this material has become the performance bottleneck of the solar cell. To resolve these matters, we propose a new design based on Si QDs embedded in a SiO2/Si3N4 hybrid matrix. By replacing the SiO2 tunnel barriers by the Si3N4 layers, the new material manages to constrain the growth of doped Si QDs effectively and enhances the apparent band gap, as shown in X‐ray diffraction, Raman, photoluminescence and optical spectroscopic measurements. Besides, electrical characterisation on Si QD/c‐Si heterointerface test structures indicates the new material possesses improved vertical carrier transport properties. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Inward facing conformations of the MetNI methionine ABC transporter: Implications for the mechanism of transinhibition
Authors: Johnson Eric , Nguyen Phong T. , Yeates Todd O. , Rees Douglas C.
Published: November 2011

Two new crystal structures of the Escherichia coli high affinity methionine uptake ATP Binding Cassette (ABC) transporter MetNI, purified in the detergents cyclohexyl‐pentyl‐β‐D‐maltoside (CY5) and n‐decyl‐β‐D‐maltopyranoside (DM), have been solved in inward facing conformations to resolutions of 2.9 and 4.0 Å, respectively. Compared to the previously reported 3.7 Å resolution structure of MetNI purified in n‐dodecyl‐β‐D‐maltopyranoside (DDM), the higher resolution of the CY5 data enabled significant improvements to the structural model in several regions, including corrections to the sequence registry, and identification of ADP in the nucleotide binding site. CY5 crystals soaked with selenomethionine established details of the methionine binding site in the C2 regulatory domain of the ABC subunit, including the displacement of the side chain of MetN residue methionine 301 by the exogenous ligand. When compared to the CY5 or DDM structures, the DM structure exhibits a significant repositioning of the dimeric C2 domains, including an unexpected register shift in the intermolecular β‐sheet hydrogen bonding between monomers, and a narrowing of the nucleotide binding space. The immediate proximity of the exogenous methionine binding site to the conformationally variable dimeric interface provides an indication of how methionine binding to the regulatory domains might mediate the phenomenon of transinhibition.
Modeling large regions in proteins: Applications to loops, termini, and folding
Authors: Adhikari Aashish N. , Peng Jian , Wilde Michael , Xu Jinbo , Freed Karl F. , Sosnick Tobin R.
Published: November 2011

Template‐based methods for predicting protein structure provide models for a significant portion of the protein but often contain insertions or chain ends (InsEnds) of indeterminate conformation. The local structure prediction “problem” entails modeling the InsEnds onto the rest of the protein. A well‐known limit involves predicting loops of ≤12 residues in crystal structures. However, InsEnds may contain as many as ∼50 amino acids, and the template‐based model of the protein itself may be imperfect. To address these challenges, we present a free modeling method for predicting the local structure of loops and large InsEnds in both crystal structures and template‐based models. The approach uses single amino acid torsional angle “pivot” moves of the protein backbone with a Cβ level representation. Nevertheless, our accuracy for loops is comparable to existing methods. We also apply a more stringent test, the blind structure prediction and refinement categories of the CASP9 tournament, where we improve the quality of several homology based models by modeling InsEnds as long as 45 amino acids, sizes generally inaccessible to existing loop prediction methods. Our approach ranks as one of the best in the CASP9 refinement category that involves improving template‐based models so that they can function as molecular replacement models to solve the phase problem for crystallographic structure determination.
Francisco Varela and the Immunological Self
Authors: Vaz Nelson M
Published: November 2011

Francisco Varela, a leading neurobiologist and cognitive scientist, made a 10‐year‐long incursion into immunology. His in‐depth contributions aimed to develop a systemic description to replace the standard stimulus/response/regulation scaffold that has governed immunology since its inception in the 19th century. Many of these efforts involved expansions of the notions introduced by Niels Jerne in his idiotypic network theory (Jerne, 1974a, 1974b) with the added notion of organizational closure, derived from the autopoietic theory. However, today, just like yesterday, the immunological community remains inclined to neglect these efforts and instead rests satisfied with half‐a‐century old clonal selection concepts (Burnet, 1959). Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of three reducing agents on pasting properties of stored rice
Authors: Guo Yubao , Tu Kang , Pan Leiqing , Zhang Wei , Zhang Yincheng
Published: November 2011

The effects of three reducing agents (dithiothreitol, ascorbic acid, and tea polyphenols) on pasting properties of fresh and aged rice were investigated using Rapid Visco Analyzer. Results showed that ascorbic acid did not only significantly increase peak viscosity (PV) and breakdown of aged rice in a concentration dependent manner (p<0.05), but also decreased its setback significantly (p<0.05). Dithiothreitol increased the PV, breakdown and setback of the aged rice. Importantly, the extent of ascorbic acid enhancing PV of the aged rice was higher than that of dithiothreitol, and showed positive dose‐effect relationship. Compared with ascorbic acid and dithiothreitol, tea polyphenols only significantly decreased setback of the aged rice (p<0.05). It was concluded that ascorbic acid was the most effective improver on pasting properties of aged rice as compared to dithiothreitol or tea polyphenols, especially in increasing PV and breakdown, and in decreasing setback. This showed rice ageing included, but was not limited, to the formation of disulfides, and more changes of ageing would involve hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. The different influences of SDS on fresh rice and aged rice also confirmed these findings to a certain extent. The improved role of ascorbic acid was ascribed to enhancing water absorption capacity, soluble solid content and granule swelling capacity of the aged rice.
Direct cellular reprogramming in Caenorhabditis elegans: facts, models, and promises for regenerative medicine
Authors: Zuryn Steven , Daniele Thomas , Jarriault Sophie
Published: November 2011

In vitro systems of cellular reprogramming [induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells and direct reprogramming or transdifferentiation] are rapidly improving our repertoire of molecular techniques that can force cells in culture to change into a desired identity. However, the new frontier for regenerative medicine is in vivo cellular reprogramming, which in light of concerns about the safety of in vitro cell manipulations, is an increasingly attractive approach for regenerative medicine. Powerful in vivo approaches are currently being undertaken in the genetic model Caenorhabditis elegans. Several very distinct cell types have been induced to change or have been discovered to transform naturally, into altogether different cell types. These examples have improved our understanding of the fundamental molecular and cellular mechanisms that permit cell identity changes in live animals. In addition, the combination of a stereotyped lineage with single cell analyses allows dissection of the early and intermediate mechanisms of reprogramming, as well as their kinetics. As a result, several important concepts on in vivo cellular reprogramming have been recently developed. WIREs Dev Biol 2012, 1:138–152. doi: 10.1002/wdev.7

This article is categorized under:

Gene Expression and Transcriptional Hierarchies > Nuclear Reprogramming

Gene Expression and Transcriptional Hierarchies > Cellular Differentiation

Invertebrate Organogenesis > Worms

Adult Stem Cells, Tissue Renewal, and Regeneration > Stem Cell Differentiation and Reversion
The impact of turbulence intensity and atmospheric stability on power deficits due to wind turbine wakes at Horns Rev wind farm
Authors: Hansen Kurt S. , Barthelmie Rebecca J. , Jensen Leo E. , Sommer Anders
Published: November 2011

The wind turbine operational characteristics, power measurements and meteorological measurements from Horns Rev offshore wind farm have been identified, synchronized, quality screened and stored in a common database as 10 min statistical data. A number of flow cases have been identified to describe the flow inside the wind farm, and the power deficits along rows of wind turbines have been determined for different inflow directions and wind speed intervals. A method to classify the atmospheric stability based on the Bulk‐Ri number has been implemented. Long‐term stability conditions have been established, which confirms, in line with previous results, that conditions tend towards near neutral as wind speeds increase but that both stable and unstable conditions are present at wind speeds up to 15 m s −1. Moreover, there is a strong stability directional dependence with southerly winds having fewer unstable conditions, whereas northerly winds have fewer observations in the stable classes. Stable conditions also tend to be associated with lower levels of turbulence intensity, and this relationship persists as wind speeds increase. Power deficit is a function of ambient turbulence intensity. The level of power deficit is strongly dependent on the wind turbine spacing; as turbulence intensity increases, the power deficit decreases. The power deficit is determined for four different wind turbine spacing distances and for stability classified as very stable, stable and others (near neutral to very unstable). The more stable the conditions are, the larger the power deficit. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cryo‐electron microscopy of ribosomal complexes in cotranslational folding, targeting, and translocation
Authors: Knoops Kèvin , Schoehn Guy , Schaffitzel Christiane
Published: November 2011

Single‐particle cryo‐electron microscopy (cryo‐EM) became a well‐established method to study the structure and function of large macromolecular assemblies in a close to physiological environment. Cryo‐EM reconstructions of ribosomal complexes trapped at different stages during translation, cotranslational targeting, and translocation provide new insights on a molecular level into these processes, which are vital for the correct localization and folding of all proteins in the cell. The EM structures in combination with biochemical experiments and available high‐resolution crystal or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) structures of individual factors and of the ribosome allow for interpretation in quasi‐atomic detail of the molecular mechanism of ribosomal complexes, their conformational changes and dynamic interactions with factors like the signal recognition particle, SRP receptor, the translocon, and the chaperone trigger factor. The snapshots obtained by single‐particle EM reconstructions enable us to follow the path of a nascent protein from the peptidyl‐transferase center, through the ribosomal tunnel, to and across the translocon in the membrane. With new developments in image processing techniques it is possible to sort a biological homogenous sample into different conformational states and to reach subnanometer resolution such that folding of the nascent chain into secondary structure elements can be directly visualized. With improved cryo‐electron tomography and correlative light microscopy and EM, it will be possible to visualize ribosomal complexes in their cellular context. WIREs RNA 2012, 3:429–441. doi: 10.1002/wrna.119

This article is categorized under:

RNA Structure and Dynamics > RNA Structure, Dynamics, and Chemistry

RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein–RNA Interactions: Functional Implications

Translation > Ribosome Structure/Function
A Unique Method for Repairing Intraoperative Pulmonary Air Leakage with Both Polyglycolic Acid Sheets and Fibrin Glue
Authors: Yano Tokujiro , Haro Akira , Shikada Yasunori , Okamoto Tatsuro , Maruyama Riichiroh , Maehara Yoshihiko
Published: November 2011

Background

In the present study we present a unique maneuver, using both fibrin glue and polyglycolic acid (PGA) sheets, for repairing intraoperative pulmonary air leakage, and report our clinical results.

Methods

Based on the results from in vitro experiments, we retrospectively investigated the clinical effects of our method for repairing intraoperative pulmonary air leakage in 377 consecutive patients, who underwent a pulmonary resection for primary lung cancer or metastatic lung tumors from 2004 to 2009. From April 2004 through September 2007, repair of intraoperative pulmonary air leakage was performed in 204 patients using only fibrin glue. From October 2007 through December 2009, the repair was performed in 173 patients with a unique application of both fibrin glue and PGA sheets, i.e., (1) rubbing fibrin glue A solution, (2) applying a PGA sheet cut to an appropriate size, (3) rubbing fibrin glue B solution on the PGA sheet, and (4) reapplying fibrin glue A solution and rubbing.

Results

The mean duration of postoperative pleural drainage was significantly shorter in the latter time period when both fibrin glue and PGA sheets were used than in the former period when fibrin glue was used alone. The incidence of prolonged air leakage longer than 1 week was also significantly lower in the latter era than in the former era.

Conclusion

Our unique application of both fibrin glue and PGA sheets for the intraoperative repair of pulmonary air leakage effectively resulted in a shortening of the duration of postoperative pleural drainage.
Toward Relational Empowerment
Authors: Christens Brian D.
Published: November 2011

Psychological empowerment has been theorized as a construct with emotional, behavioral and cognitive components. Yet, many studies have stressed that empowerment processes are contingent on interpersonal relationships. Moreover, theory suggests that power is developed and exercised through relationships. This article makes the case that expanding our conceptions of psychological empowerment through the addition of a relational component can enhance our understanding of psychological empowerment and the effectiveness of empowerment‐oriented community practice. Previous research on empowerment is reviewed for relational content, and additional insights into the relational context of empowerment processes are marshaled from other concepts in community research including social capital, sense of community, social networks, social support, and citizen participation. A new iteration of the nomological network for psychological empowerment is presented, including the elements of a relational component.
A Note on the Reliability Coefficients for Item Response Model-Based Ability Estimates
Authors: Kim Seonghoon
Published: November 2011

Assuming item parameters on a test are known constants, the reliability coefficient for item response theory (IRT) ability estimates is defined for a population of examinees in two different ways: as (a) the product-moment correlation between ability estimates on two parallel forms of a test and (b) the squared correlation between the true abilities and estimates. Due to the bias of IRT ability estimates, the parallel-forms reliability coefficient is not generally equal to the squared-correlation reliability coefficient. It is shown algebraically that the parallel-forms reliability coefficient is expected to be greater than the squared-correlation reliability coefficient, but the difference would be negligible in a practical sense.
On the Problem of the Meaning of Life in “Chinese Philosophy”
Authors: Xize DENG
Published: November 2011

The goal of “(modern) Chinese Philosophy” established during the period of the May 4th Movement is to reestablish the meaning of life for Chinese people. However, because it takes the approach of interpreting Chinese thinking through a Western lens, thus forming a discourse pattern of “Chinese A is Western B,” which is only capable of manifesting Western culture, “Chinese Philosophy” is made logically impossible as the ideological source from which modern Chinese thinkers could construct the meaning of life. The ideological source of the still lasting traditional lifestyle is Yili Xue 义理学 (The Learning of Righteousness and Principles); whereas that of modern life, which was established as an imitation of the West, is Western culture. Neither of them takes “Chinese Philosophy” as its ideological source. Therefore, “Chinese Philosophy” is excluded from the construction of the meaning of life, and falls into the dilemma of life meaning.
Horizons of Hermeneutics: Intercultural Hermeneutics in a Globalizing World
Authors: Mul Jos de
Published: November 2011

Starting from the often-used metaphor of the “horizon of experience” this article discusses three different types of intercultural hermeneutics, which respectively conceive hermeneutic interpretation as a widening of horizons, a fusion of horizons, and a dissemination of horizons. It is argued that these subsequent stages in the history of hermeneutics have their origin in—but are not fully restricted to—respectively premodern, modern and postmodern stages of globalization. Taking some striking moments of the encounter between Western and Chinese language and philosophy as example, the particular merits and flaws of these three types of hermeneutics are being discussed. The claim defended is that although these different types of hermeneutics are mutually exclusive from a theoretical point of view, as interpreting beings in the current era we depend on each of these distinct hermeneutic practices and cannot avoid living them simultaneously.
Radiographic Measurements of the Trachea in Domestic Shorthair and Persian Cats
Authors: Hammond Gawain , Geary Mary , Coleman Erica , Gunn-Moore Danièlle
Published: November 2011

Tracheal diameter can be assessed from a thoracic radiograph, with assessment of tracheal diameter in dogs based on ratios between tracheal diameter and a skeletal measurement. Reference intervals are not, however, available for the cat. Tracheal narrowing may cause significant clinical problems, although tracheal hypoplasia in dogs may be clinically silent, and is rarely reported in cats (both mesati- and brachycephalic). The tracheal diameter and trachea:thoracic inlet and trachea:rib ratios were calculated for populations of domestic shorthair (DSH) ( n = 68) and Persian ( n = 40) cats. This gave reference intervals for radiographic tracheal measurements in these breeds. It is proposed that the tracheal diameter in a normal DSH cat should be 18% of the diameter of the thoracic inlet, and compared to 20% in Persian cats.
Anti-proliferative activity and chemoprotective effects towards DNA oxidative damage of fresh and cooked Brassicaceae
Authors: Ferrarini Lisa , Pellegrini Nicoletta , Mazzeo Teresa , Miglio Cristiana , Galati Serena , Milano Francesco , Rossi Carlo , Buschini Annamaria
Published: November 2011

Epidemiological evidence shows that regular consumption of Brassicaceae is associated with a reduced risk of cancer and heart disease. Cruciferous species are usually processed before eating and the real impact of cooking practices on their bioactive properties is not fully understood. We have evaluated the effect of common cooking practices (boiling, microwaving, and steaming) on the biological activities of broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. Anti-proliferative and chemoprotective effects towards DNA oxidative damage of fresh and cooked vegetable extracts were evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium and Comet assays on HT-29 human colon carcinoma cells. The fresh vegetable extracts showed the highest anti-proliferative and antioxidant activities on HT-29 cells (broccoli>cauliflower = Brussels sprouts). No genotoxic activity was detected in any of the samples tested. The cooking methods that were applied influenced the anti-proliferative activity ofBrassicaextracts but did not alter considerably the antioxidant activity presented by the raw vegetables. Raw, microwaved, boiled (except broccoli) and steamed vegetable extracts, at different concentrations, presented a protective antioxidative action comparable with vitamin C (1 mm). These data provide new insight into the influence of domestic treatment on the quality of food, which could support the recent epidemiological studies suggesting that consumption of cruciferous vegetables, mainly cooked, may be related to a reduced risk of developing cancer.
Influence of broccoli extract and various essential oils on performance and expression of xenobiotic- and antioxidant enzymes in broiler chickens
Authors: Mueller Kristin , Blum Nicole M. , Kluge Holger , Mueller Andreas S.
Published: November 2011

The aim of our present study was to examine the regulation of xenobiotic- and antioxidant enzymes by phytogenic feed additives in the intestine and the liver of broilers. A total of 240 male Ross-308 broiler chickens (1 d old) were fed a commercial starter diet for 2 weeks. On day 15, the birds were assigned to six treatment groups of forty birds each. The control (Con) group was fed a diet without any additive for 3 weeks. The diet of group sulforaphane (SFN) contained broccoli extract providing 0·075 g/kg SFN, whereas the diets of the other four groups contained 0·15 g/kg essential oils from turmeric (Cuo), oregano (Oo), thyme and rosemary (Ro). Weight gain and feed conversion were slightly impaired by Cuo and Oo. In the jejunum SFN, Cuo and Ro increased the expression of xenobiotic enzymes (epoxide hydrolases 1 and 2 and aflatoxin B1 aldehyde reductase) and of the antioxidant enzyme haeme oxygenase regulated by an ‘antioxidant response element’ (ARE) compared to group Con. In contrast to our expectations in the liver, the expression of these enzymes was decreased by all the additives. Nevertheless, all the additives increased the Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity of the jejunum and the liver and reduced Fe-induced lipid peroxidation in the liver. We conclude that the up-regulation ofAREgenes in the small intestine reduces oxidative stress in the organism and represents a novel mechanism by which phytogenic feed additives improve the health of farm animals.
Abstract: Capital Market Equilibrium in a Mean-Lower Partial Moment Framework
Authors: Bawa Vijay S. , Lindenberg Eric B.
Published: November 2011

In this paper, we develop a Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) using a mean-lower partial moment framework. We explicitly derive the valuation formulas for the equilibrium value of risky assets and provide a distribution-free testable hypothesis for empirical validation of the new CAPM. We show the invariance of our results to the problem of estimation risk. We also show that when the probability distribution of security rer turns is the normal distribution, the stable Paretian distribution (with the same characteristic exponent between 1 and 2 and the same skewness parameter (not necessarily zero)), or the multivariate t-distribution, our CAPM reduces to the traditional two-parameter CAPM.
Electromagnetic waves in self-gravitating, strongly coupled magnetized degenerate plasma
Authors: MAMUN A. A. , SHUKLA P. K. , MENDIS D. A.
Published: November 2011

The linear propagation of the low-frequency (compared to the electron gyrofrequency) electromagnetic (EM) waves in a self-gravitating, strongly coupled magnetized plasma with ultra-relativistic degenerate electron fluid is investigated. It is found that the dispersion properties of the EM waves and stability criteria for such a degenerate plasma are significantly modified by the effects of the ultra-relativistic degenerate electron pressure, strong co-relation among extremely dense ion fluid, and the direction of the EM wave propagation relative to the ambient magnetic field direction. The relevance of our investigation to stability of white dwarf stars is briefly discussed. It is particularly seen here that the cores of such stars are stable for the class of gravito-electrodynamic waves that are analyzed for the characteristic ranges of relevant physical parameters.
Five-year outcome of major depressive disorder in primary health care
Authors: Riihimäki K. A. , Vuorilehto M. S. , Melartin T. K. , Isometsä E. T.
Published: November 2011

Background

Primary health care provides treatment for most patients with depression. Despite their importance for organizing services, long-term course of depression and risk factors for poor outcome in primary care are not well known.

Method

In the Vantaa Primary Care Depression Study, a stratified random sample of 1119 patients representing primary care patients in a Finnish city was screened for depression with the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders. SCID-I/P and SCID-II interviews were used to diagnose Axis I and II disorders. The 137 patients with DSM-IV depressive disorder were prospectively followed up at 3, 6, 18 and 60 months. Altogether, 82% of patients completed the 5-year follow-up, including 102 patients with a research diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) at baseline. Duration of the index episode, recurrences, time spent in major depressive episodes (MDEs) and partial or full remission were examined with a life-chart.

Results

Of the MDD patients, 70% reached full remission, in a median time of 20 months. One-third had at least one recurrence. The patients spent 34% of the follow-up time in MDEs, 24% in partial remission and 42% in full remission. Baseline severity of depression and substance use co-morbidity predicted time spent in MDEs.

Conclusions

This prospective, naturalistic, long-term study of a representative cohort of primary care patients with depression indicated slow or incomplete recovery and a commonly recurrent course, which need to be taken into account when developing primary care services. Severity of depressive symptoms and substance use co-morbidity should be systematically evaluated in planning treatment.
Carrots for dessert
Authors: PETERSEN CARSTEN LUNDE , ROESCH PASCALE
Published: November 2011

We formulate and prove a precise statement of asymptotic shrinking of ‘carrot-fields’ around the Mandelbrot set M. This phenomenon was suggested in a seminal text on polynomial-like mappings by Douady and Hubbard [On the dynamics of polynomial-like mappings. Ann. Sci. Éc. Norm. Supér. t.18 (1985), 287–343]. This is helpful for understanding how copies of M sit in the bifurcation loci of families of rational maps.
Access to residential care in Beijing, China: making the decision to relocate to a residential care facility
Authors: CHENG YANG , ROSENBERG MARK W. , WANG WUYI , YANG LINSHENG , LI HAIRONG
Published: November 2011

The demand for residential care by older people is increasing in Beijing as a result of dramatic demographic and socio-economic transformations. Little is known about the way older people access residential care in the context of Beijing. In this research, qualitative data collected from 46 in-depth semi-structured interviews with residential care facility (RCF) managers, older residents, and their family members in six RCFs in Beijing were transcribed and analysed using the constant comparative method. The findings included the following themes: access to residential care as geographical access, information access, economic access, socio-cultural access, and the socio-managerial environment. Geographical access is influenced by location, distance, and the micro-physical environment and amenities of RCFs. Information access refers to the capability to acquire related information on available resources. Economic access is the financial affordability for the resources. Socio-cultural access is affected by individual attitudes and aggregative cultural values on ageing and care of older people. Additionally, the social-managerial environment such as reputations of RCFs, quality of services, and management mechanisms are also important to the decision-making process. All these factors influence older people and their family members’ decision-making process of which RCF to choose. The research provides a multi-perspective analysis of access to residential care and suggestions on improving the accessibility of residential care for older people in Beijing.
An Exploration of Search Patterns and Credibility Issues among Older Adults Seeking Online Health Information
Authors: Robertson-Lang Laura , Major Sonya , Hemming Heather
Published: November 2011

L’Internet est une ressource importante des informations sur la santé, parmi les jeunes et les aînés aussi. Malheureusement, il y a des limites associées aux renseignements en ligne sur la santé. Des travaux de recherche sont nécessaires pour évaluer la qualité des informations trouvées en ligne et pour déterminer si les utilisateurs sont des consommateurs critiques des informations qu’ils y trouvent. On a besoin aussi de la recherche pour étudier comment utilisent l’enquête en ligne les personnes de 65 ans et plus – un contingent démographique croissant des utilisateurs de l’Internet. L’étude actuelle présente des importantes données descriptives sur les motifs de recherche de personnes agées cherchant des informations de santé en ligne, les types de sujets qu’ils là recherchent, et si elles considèrent les questions de crédibilité lors de la récupération des informations de santé en ligne. Une comparaison est également faite entre les stratégies de recherche utilisées dans le texte imprimé et dans les hypertextes environnants. Les résultats, qui ont d’importantes implications en ce qui concerne les questions de crédibilité, soulignent la nécessité d’accroître la sensibilisation au sujet des compétences essentielles en chercher chez les personnes âgées qui sont utilisateurs de l’Internet.
NORMAL FAMILIES OF ZERO-FREE MEROMORPHIC FUNCTIONS
Authors: DENG BINGMAO , FANG MINGLIANG , LIU DAN
Published: November 2011

Let ℱ be a family of zero-free meromorphic functions in a domain D, let h be a holomorphic function in D, and let k be a positive integer. If the function f(k)−h has at most k distinct zeros (ignoring multiplicity) in D for each f∈ℱ, then ℱ is normal in D.
The relationship between socio-economic status and antidepressant prescription: a longitudinal survey and register study of young adults
Authors: von Soest T. , Bramness J. G. , Pedersen W. , Wichstrøm L.
Published: November 2011

Aims.

The current study examines the relationship between socio-economic status (SES) and antidepressant prescription among young adults and investigates mechanisms that could explain such a potential social gradient.

Methods.

Longitudinal survey data from a population-based Norwegian sample (N = 2606) was collected in four waves over a 13-year period. The data were linked to register data on antidepressant prescription and several indicators of SES (education, income, social or unemployment benefits, disability or rehabilitation benefits and parents' education).

Results.

Apart from parents' education, all indicators of low SES were related to higher rates of antidepressant prescription. A part of the relationship between SES and antidepressant prescription was due to low SES being related to higher levels of anxiety and depression. Moreover, low SES was related to more frequent use of mental health services, which again was related to higher rates of antidepressant prescription. Both contact with physicians and other mental healthcare professionals accounted for some of the relationship between SES and antidepressant prescription.

Conclusions.

The study provides information about mechanisms involved in the relationship between low SES and antidepressant prescription. More research is needed about whether a comparable social gradient in antidepressant prescription is also to be found outside the Nordic countries.
Modeling mass‐dependent flow regime transitions to predict the stopping and depositional behavior of snow avalanches
Authors: Bartelt P. , Bühler Y. , Buser O. , Christen M. , Meier L.
Published: November 2011

How terrain, snow cover properties, and release conditions combine to determine avalanche speed and runout remains the central problem in avalanche science. Here we report on efforts to understand how surface roughness, snow properties, and internal mass fluxes control the generation of granular fluctuation energy within the basal shear layers of dense flowing snow avalanches, and the subsequent influence on avalanche speed and deposition patterns. For this purpose we augment the depth‐averaged equations of motion to account for the generation of the kinetic energy associated with the particle fluctuations, and dissipation of this energy by collisional and frictional material interactions. Using high‐resolution laser scans of the preevent snow cover and postevent deposits from two avalanches released at the Swiss Vallée de la Sionne observation station, we compare measured and calculated deposition heights. The model captures flow velocities and deposition heights without ad hoc adjustments of the constitutive parameters according to avalanche size. The model parameters are separated into a terrain and other pure material (snow) parameters. The investigations reveal how release conditions and snow entrainment influence the internal mass distribution, and control flow regime transitions between the fluidized regime (head) and plug regime (tail). The comparison between the measured and calculated velocities and deposition heights demonstrates why standard Voellmy‐type submodels are suitable for many practical mitigation problems, but also why they are limited to cases where the calibrated parameters, already accounting for terrain, snow cover properties, avalanche size, and mass intake, are known.
High levels of particulate matter in Iceland due to direct ash emissions by the Eyjafjallajökull eruption and resuspension of deposited ash
Authors: Thorsteinsson Throstur , Jóhannsson Thorsteinn , Stohl Andreas , Kristiansen Nina I.
Published: November 2011

The dangers to people living near a volcano due to lava and pyroclastic flows, and, on glacier‐ or snow‐covered volcanoes, jökulhlaups, are well known. The level of risk to human health due to high concentrations of ash from direct emission and resuspension from the ground is, however, not as well known. The eruption at Eyjafjallajökull, 14 April to 20 May 2010, produced abundant particulate matter due to its explosive eruption style. Even after the volcanic activity ceased, high particulate matter (PM) concentrations were still measured on several occasions, due to resuspended ash. The 24 hour mean concentration of PM10 in the small town of Vík, 38 km SE of the volcano, reached 1230 μg m−3, which is about 25 times the health limit, on 7 May 2010, with 10 min average values over 13,000 μg m−3. Even after the eruption ceased, values as high as 8000 μg m−3 (10 min), and 900 μg m−3 (24 h), were measured because of resuspension of freshly deposited fine ash. In Reykjavík, 125 km WNW of the volcano, the PM10 concentration reached over 2000 μg m−3 (10 min) during an ash storm on 4 June 2010, which should have warranted airport closure. Summarizing, our study reveals the importance of ash resuspension compared to direct volcanic ash emissions. This likely has implications for air quality but could also have detrimental effects on the quality of ash dispersion model predictions, which so far generally do not include this secondary source of volcanic ash.
Sphagnum mosses harbour highly specific bacterial diversity during their whole lifecycle
Authors: Bragina Anastasia , Berg Christian , Cardinale Massimiliano , Shcherbakov Andrey , Chebotar Vladimir , Berg Gabriele
Published: November 2011

Knowledge about Sphagnum-associated microbial communities, their structure and their origin is important to understand and maintain climate-relevant Sphagnum-dominated bog ecosystems. We studied bacterial communities of two cosmopolitan Sphagnum species, which are well adapted to different abiotic parameters (Sphagnum magellanicum, which are strongly acidic and ombrotrophic, and Sphagnum fallax, which are weakly acidic and mesotrophic), in three Alpine bogs in Austria by a multifaceted approach. Great differences between bacterial fingerprints of both Sphagna were found independently from the site. This remarkable specificity was confirmed by a cloning and a deep sequencing approach. Besides the common Alphaproteobacteria, we found a discriminative spectrum of bacteria; although Gammaproteobacteria dominated S. magellanicum, S. fallax was mainly colonised by Verrucomicrobia and Planctomycetes. Using this information for fluorescent in situ hybridisation analyses, corresponding colonisation patterns for Alphaproteobacteria and Planctomycetes were detected. Bacterial colonies were found in high abundances inside the dead big hyalocytes, but they were always connected with the living chlorocytes. Using multivariate statistical analysis, the abiotic factors nutrient richness and pH were identified to modulate the composition of Sphagnum-specific bacterial communities. Interestingly, we found that the immense bacterial diversity was transferred via the sporophyte to the gametophyte, which can explain the high specificity of Sphagnum-associated bacteria over long distances. In contrast to higher plants, which acquire their bacteria mainly from the environment, mosses as the phylogenetically oldest land plants maintain their bacterial diversity within the whole lifecycle.
Ecological determinants of the occurrence and dynamics of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in offshore areas
Authors: Martinez-Urtaza Jaime , Blanco-Abad Veronica , Rodriguez-Castro Alba , Ansede-Bermejo Juan , Miranda Ana , Rodriguez-Alvarez M Xose
Published: November 2011

The life cycle of Vibrio parahaemolyticus has been conventionally associated with estuarine areas characterized by moderate salinity and warm seawater temperatures. Recent evidence suggests that the distribution and population dynamics of V. parahaemolyticus may be shaped by the existence of an oceanic transport of communities of this organism mediated by zooplankton. To evaluate this possibility, the presence of V. parahaemolyticus in the water column of offshore areas of Galicia was investigated by PCR monthly over an 18-month period. Analysis of zooplankton and seawater showed that the occurrence of V. parahaemolyticus in offshore areas was almost exclusively associated with zooplankton and was present in 80% of the samples. The influence of environmental factors assessed by generalized additive models revealed that the abundance and seasonality of V. parahaemolyticus in zooplankton was favoured by the concurrence of downwelling periods that promoted the zooplankton patchiness. These results confirm that offshore waters may be common habitats for V. parahaemolyticus, including strains with virulent traits. Additionally, genetically related populations were found in offshore zooplankton and in estuaries dispersed along 1500 km. This finding suggests that zooplankton may operate as a vehicle for oceanic dispersal of V. parahaemolyticus populations, connecting distant regions and habitats, and thereby producing impacts on the local community demography and the spread of Vibrio-related diseases.
NIR Calibrations for Soybean Seeds and Soy Food Composition Analysis: Total Carbohydrates, Oil, Proteins and Water Contents [v.2]
Authors: Baianu I. , Guo Jun , Nelson Randall , You Tiefeng , Costescu Doina
Published: November 2011

Conventional chemical analysis techniques are expensive, time consuming, and often destructive. The non-invasive Near Infrared (NIR) technology was introduced over the last decades for wide-scale, inexpensive chemical analysis of food and crop seed composition (see Williams and Norris, 1987; Wilcox and Cavins, 1995; Buning and Diller, 2000 for reviews of the NIR technique development stage prior to 1998, when Diode Arrays were introduced to NIR). NIR spectroscopic measurements obey Lambert and Beer’s law, and quantitative measurements can be successfully made with high speed and ease of operation. NIR has been used in a great variety of food applications. General applications of products analyzed come from all sectors of the food industry including meats, grains, and dairy products (Shadow, 1998).Novel NIR calibrations for rapid, reliable and accurate composition analysis of a variety of several soy based foods and bulk soybean seeds were developed and validated in a six-year collaborative project with a large number of different samples (N >~12, 000). The availability of such calibrations is important for establishing NIR as a secondary method for composition analysis of foods and soybeans both in applications and fundamental research.