bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Matrix metalloproteinase genes on chromosome 11q22 and the risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture
Authors: Posthumus M. , Collins M. , van der Merwe L. , O'Cuinneagain D. , van der Merwe W. , Ribbans W. J. , Schwellnus M. P. , Raleigh S. M.
Published: March 2011

As matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are critical to ligament homeostasis and integrity, the aim of this study was to investigate whether four functional polymorphisms within four MMP genes, which cluster on chromosome 11q22 associate with risk of ACL ruptures. Three hundred and forty‐five [129 with ACL ruptures (ACL group) and 216 asymptomatic controls (CON group)] unrelated Caucasians were recruited for this case‐control study. Fifty‐four participants reported non‐contact mechanisms of ACL rupture (NON subgroup). All participants were genotyped for the MMP10 C/T rs486055, MMP1 1G/2G rs1799750, MMP3 G/A rs679620 and MMP12 A/G rs2276109 variants. After adjusting for sex, age and weight, the AG and GG genotypes of the MMP12 rs2276109 variant were significantly (P=0.030) under‐represented among the NON subgroup (14%), when compared with the CON group (26%). No other variants were significantly different between groups. Adjusted for the same confounders, the two four‐variant haplotypes T‐1G‐A‐A (CON 14%, ACL 9%, P=0.033) and C‐2G‐G‐G (CON 14%, NON 5%, P=0.021) were significantly different between the CON and the ACL groups, and the CON group and the NON subgroup, respectively. This is the first report that indicates an association between the chromosomal region 11q22 and the risk of ACL rupture.
Importance of mitochondrial haplotypes and maternal lineage in sprint performance among individuals of West African ancestry
Authors: Deason M. , Scott R. , Irwin L. , Macaulay V. , Fuku N. , Tanaka M. , Irving R. , Charlton V. , Morrison E. , Austin K. , Pitsiladis Y. P.
Published: March 2011

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is inherited solely along the matriline, giving insight into both ancestry and prehistory. Individuals of sub‐Saharan ancestry are overrepresented in sprint athletics, suggesting a genetic advantage. The purpose of this study was to compare the mtDNA haplogroup data of elite groups of Jamaican and African‐American sprinters against respective controls to assess any differences in maternal lineage. The first hypervariable region of mtDNA was haplogrouped in elite Jamaican athletes (N=107) and Jamaican controls (N=293), and elite African‐American athletes (N=119) and African‐American controls (N=1148). Exact tests of total population differentiation were performed on total haplogroup frequencies. The frequency of non‐sub‐Saharan haplogroups in Jamaican athletes and Jamaican controls was similar (1.87% and 1.71%, respectively) and lower than that of African‐American athletes and African‐American controls (21.01% and 8.19%, respectively). There was no significant difference in total haplogroup frequencies between Jamaican athletes and Jamaican controls (P=0.551 ± 0.005); however, there was a highly significant difference between African‐American athletes and African‐American controls (P<0.001). The finding of statistically similar mtDNA haplogroup distributions in Jamaican athletes and Jamaican controls suggests that elite Jamaican sprinters are derived from the same source population and there is neither population stratification nor isolation for sprint performance. The significant difference between African‐American sprinters and African‐American controls suggests that the maternal admixture may play a role in sprint performance.
Improvements in multi‐joint leg function following chronic eccentric exercise
Authors: Elmer S. , Hahn S. , McAllister P. , Leong C. , Martin J.
Published: March 2011

Previous authors have reported that chronic eccentric cycling facilitates greater changes in multi‐joint leg function (hopping frequency, maximum jumping height) compared with concentric cycling. Our purpose was to evaluate changes in leg spring stiffness and maximum power following eccentric and concentric cycling training. Twelve individuals performed either eccentric (n=6) or concentric (n=6) cycling for 7 weeks (3 sessions/week) while training duration progressively increased. Participants performed trials of submaximal hopping, maximal counter movement jumps, and maximal concentric cycling to evaluate leg spring stiffness, maximum jumping power, and maximum concentric cycling power respectively, before and 1 week following training. Total work during training did not differ between eccentric and concentric cycling (126 ± 15–728 ± 91 kJ vs 125 ± 10–787 ± 76 kJ). Following training, eccentric cycling exhibited greater changes in kleg and jumping Pmax compared with CONcyc (10 ± 3% vs −2 ± 4% and 7 ± 2% vs −2 ± 3%, respectively, P=0.05). Alterations in CONcycPmax did not differ between ECCcyc (1035 ± 142 vs 1030 ± 133 W) and CONcyc (1072 ± 98 vs 1081 ± 85 W). These data demonstrate that eccentric cycling is an effective method for improving leg spring stiffness and maximum power during multi‐joint tasks that include stretch‐shortening cycles. Improvements in leg spring stiffness and maximum power would be beneficial for both aging and athletic populations.
Concurrent strength and endurance training improves physical capacity in patients with peripheral arterial disease
Authors: Mosti M. P. , Wang E. , Wiggen Ø. N. , Helgerud J. , Hoff J.
Published: March 2011

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) patients suffer from reduced blood flow to the lower extremities, which causes impaired walking ability. Plantar flexion (PF) endurance training and maximal strength training (MST) induce distinct types of improvements in walking ability in PAD. However, the combined effects of both exercises are still not explored in these patients. This study examined whether concurrent MST and PF training would induce similar training responses as each training mode alone. Ten patients with PAD underwent 8 weeks of concurrent leg press MST and PF training, three times a week. The reference group (n=10) received recommended exercise guidelines. The training group improved treadmill peak oxygen consumption and incremental protocol time to exhaustion with 12.7 ± 7.7% and 12.6 ± 13.2%. Leg press maximal strength and rate of force development improved with 38.3 ± 3.1% and 140.1 ± 40.3%, respectively, along with a 5.2 ± 6.2% within group work economy improvement. No changes appeared in the reference group. Compared with previous studies, concurrent MST and PF training appear to induce similar training responses in PAD patients as when each training mode is executed alone, and without any adverse effects.
Personal and social‐environmental correlates of objectively measured physical activity in Norwegian pre‐adolescent children
Authors: Bergh I. H. , Grydeland M. , Bjelland M. , Lien N. , Andersen L. F. , Klepp K.‐I. , Anderssen S. A. , Ommundsen Y.
Published: March 2011

The aim of this study was to examine modifiable biological, psychological, behavioral and social‐environmental correlates of physical activity among 1129 Norwegian 11‐year‐old children within a cross‐sectional sample from the HEalth In Adolescents study. Physical activity was assessed by accelerometer, and weight and height were measured objectively. Age‐ and gender‐specific cut‐off points proposed by the International Obesity Task Force were used to define body mass index. Social‐environmental variables were self‐reported by questionnaire. Hierarchical regression (linear mixed models) revealed that normal weight children scored higher on percentage daily moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity [% daily moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA)] than overweight/obese children (P<0.001). Self‐efficacy (P<0.01) and perceived social support from friends (P<0.01) were positively associated with children's % daily MVPA, and a negative association was found for computer/game‐use on weekends (P<0.01). A moderator effect of weight category (normal vs overweight/obese) in the relationship between computer/game‐use on weekends and % daily MVPA was detected (P<0.05), reflecting that higher computer/game‐use on weekends was associated with lower % MVPA among the overweight/obese, but not among the normal weight. Modifiable correlates from multiple domains accounted for 14% of the variance in % daily MVPA. Prospective and intervention studies are needed to examine whether these factors act as mediators for physical activity change in pre‐adolescent children.
The Quest for a Suitable Host: Size Distributions of Host Trees and Secondary Hemiepiphytes Search Strategy
Authors: Balcázar‐Vargas María P. , Peñuela‐Mora María C. , van Andel Tinde R. , Zuidema Pieter A.
Published: March 2011

As climbing plants lack the capacity to hold themselves upright, they need to encounter a suitable host. Vines, lianas, and secondary hemiepiphytes need, therefore, an effective searching strategy. Various hypotheses have been put forward on searching strategies, including ‘skototropism’—growth toward darkness—and random searching. We studied host searching strategies of three secondary hemiepiphyte species belonging to the genus Heteropsis. We recorded information on the diameter distribution of host and evaluated whether these hosts were ‘suitable’, i.e., sufficiently tall for Heteropsis individuals to reach reproductive size. The diameter distribution of host trees bearing Heteropsis seedlings was similar to that of the trees in our study plots. Also, we found that 72–81 percent of the Heteropsis seedlings were present on unsuitable hosts (seedlings, saplings, herbs). These results suggest that Heteropsis seedlings search hosts in a random manner and not by skototropism. We found quite a distinct pattern for adult Heteropsis individuals, which predominantly occur on host trees bigger than 10 cm dbh. Host diameter distribution for Heteropsis adults differed significantly from that of the entire tree community. This difference suggests that Heteropsis individuals may change hosts if they are initially present on nonsuitable hosts. We observed that Heteropsis seedlings and juveniles on unsuitable hosts often produced vegetative shoots that searched for another host. In many cases, such shoots did not find a suitable host. For Heteropsis, our results suggest that host tree searching is a long‐term trial and error process that is governed by a random searching strategy.

Abstract in Spanish is available in the online version of this article.
Piecewise‐Continuous Boundaries Using the MODFLOW FHB and MT3DMS HSS Packages
Authors: Tonkin Matthew , Tajani Zaheer
Published: March 2011

It is often necessary to simulate the influx to a groundwater model of water containing dissolved contaminants. Until fairly recently, users of MODFLOW and MT3DMS were restricted to varying the flux of water and contaminants on a stress‐period basis: when a time‐varying loading pattern required simulation, the modeler's only recourse was to discretize the model into many stress periods. From a practical standpoint this is cumbersome, while from a technical standpoint it requires that the modeler define a priori an appropriate time discretization that can accurately reproduce time‐varying flow and mass loading. This is particularly undesirable when attempting to infer a time‐varying flow or mass loading using inverse methods. The advent of the Flow and Head Boundary (FHB) package in the late 1990s greatly mitigated these limitations from the flow perspective. The recent release of the Hydrocarbon Spill Source (HSS) package for MT3DMS has essentially removed the limitation from the contaminant mass perspective. This Methods Note verifies the FHB and HSS packages by comparison with more commonly used boundary packages and highlights some benefits of their combined use, with reference to the reconstruction of historic flow and mass fluxes through inverse modeling. (Note: The Flow and Head Boundary and Hydrocarbon Spill Source packages are referred to throughout as “FHB” and “HSS”, respectively,—that is, omitting version number suffixes—as the discussion presented should apply to all releases of each package.)
Patterns of visual dyslexia
Authors: Friedmann Naama , Biran Michal , Gvion Aviah
Published: March 2011

This study reports two Hebrew‐speaking individuals with acquired visual dyslexia. They made predominantly visual errors in reading, in all positions of the target words. Although both of them produced visual errors, their reading patterns crucially differed in three respects. KD had almost exclusively letter substitutions, and SF also made letter omissions, additions, letter position errors, and between‐word migrations. KD had difficulties accessing abstract letter identity in single‐letter tasks, and in letter naming, unlike SF, who named letters well. KD did not show lexical effects such as frequency and orthographic neighbourhood effects and produced nonword responses, whereas SF showed lexical effects, with a strong tendency to produce word responses. We suggest that these two patterns stem from two different deficits – KD has letter identity visual dyslexia, which results from a deficit in abstract letter identification in the orthographic‐visual analysis system, yielding erroneous letter identities, whereas SF has visual‐output dyslexia, which results from a deficit at a later stage, a stage that combines the outputs of the various functions of the orthographic‐visual analyzer.
Identification of 2‐Ethyl‐4‐Methyl‐3‐Thiazoline and 2‐Isopropyl‐4‐Methyl‐3‐Thiazoline for the First Time in Nature by the Comprehensive Analysis of Sesame Seed Oil
Authors: Agyemang David , Bardsley Kathryn , Brown Sharon , Kraut Kenneth , Psota‐Kelty Linda , Trinnaman Laurence
Published: March 2011

Abstract:  Toasted sesame seed oil was comprehensively analyzed. It was extracted using the SAFE (Solvent‐Assisted Flavor Evaporation) technique. The extract was analyzed by GC and GC‐MS on 2 phases and a total of 87 components were identified, confirmed, and are presented in this paper. The major components were methylpyrazine; 2,5‐dimethylpyrazine; 2,6‐dimethylpyrazine; 2‐ethyl‐3,6‐dimethylpyrazine; furfuryl alcohol; and guaiacol. In addition, as part of this analysis, 2‐ethyl‐4‐methyl‐3‐thiazoline and 2‐isopropyl‐4‐methyl‐3‐thiazoline were confirmed as being present in a natural product for the first time. Their identification, confirmation, and sensory evaluation have been documented here.
Characteristics and Antioxidant Activity of Maillard Reaction Products from Psicose‐Lysine and Fructose‐Lysine Model Systems
Authors: Zeng Yan , Zhang Xiaoxi , Guan Yuping , Sun Yuanxia
Published: March 2011

Abstract:  d‐Psicose, an epimer of d‐fructose isomerized at C‐3 position, is a rare ketohexose that is thought to be beneficial for obese people and diabetic patients as a noncaloric sweetener. In the present study, model Maillard reaction products were obtained from d‐psicose (or d‐fructose) and l‐lysine heating at 120 °C up to 8 h with the initial pH 9.0. The changes in pH, UV‐vis absorbance, and free amino groups during the reaction were detected. Moreover, the antioxidant potential of the Maillard reaction products at different intervals was investigated. Although there was almost no difference in the oxygen radical absorbance capacity, the Maillard reaction products from psicose performed better than that from fructose in the radical‐scavenging activity of 2, 2′‐azinobis (3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid) diammonium salt and 1, 1,‐diphenyl‐2‐picryl‐hydrazyl. The reducing power of the Maillard reaction products from psicose was also stronger than that from fructose. These results indicated that psicose played an effective role in the Maillard reaction and its Maillard reaction products could act as potential antioxidants in food industry.
The Action Spectrum of Photochemical Damage to the Retina: A Review of Monochromatic Threshold Data
Authors: van Norren Dirk , Gorgels Theo G.M.F.
Published: March 2011

Photochemical damage to the retina occurs for prolonged exposures of intense light. Two action spectra exist for this phenomenon. In rat an action spectrum matching the absorption spectrum of rhodopsin was found. In macaque, the susceptibility for photochemical damage decreased continuously from the UV to long visible wavelengths. Later, such a spectrum was also found in rat. In search for critical parameters that determine the shape of the spectrum we gathered all available data on the damage threshold dose for monochromatic radiation and noted the experimental conditions. The rhodopsin action spectrum was found in two sources; the other 16 sources adhered to the short wavelength spectrum. Comparing the conditions we conclude that the critical parameters for the generation of either action spectrum remain elusive. Experiments are suggested to resolve this issue and fill a few gaps in our knowledge.
Development of oral surgery services in primary care
Authors: Kendall N.
Published: March 2011

Aim:  This article describes the experiences of running a referral management centre using clinical triage together with the development of primary care‐based oral surgery services after 3 years.

Results:  The benefits have been reduced waiting times for patients, improvements in access to oral surgery services, engagement of oral surgery specialists in a general practice setting and considerable ongoing savings to the NHS.

Conclusions:  A sustained increase in demand for oral surgery has been fully met by the flexible response of primary care‐based oral surgeons and National Health Service (NHS) commissioners. However, the continued rise in referral numbers remains a concern.
Characterization of 215 simple sequence repeat markers in creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.)
Authors: KUBIK CHRISTINE , HONIG JOSHUA , BONOS STACY A.
Published: March 2011

Creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) is a versatile, cross‐pollinated, temperate and perennial turfgrass species. It occurs naturally in a wide variety of habitats and is also cultivated on golf courses, bowling greens and tennis courts worldwide. Isozymes and amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) have been used to determine genetic diversity, and restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPDs) were used to construct a genetic linkage map of this species. In the current report, we developed and characterized 215 unique genomic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers in creeping bentgrass. The SSRs reported here are the first available markers in creeping bentgrass to date. Eight hundred and eighteen alleles were amplified by 215 SSR loci, an average of 3.72 alleles per locus. Fifty‐nine per cent of those alleles segregated in a 1:1 Mendelian fashion (P > 0.05). Twenty‐two per cent had a distorted segregation ratio (P ≤ 0.05). These SSR markers will be useful for assessing genetic diversity in creeping bentgrass and will be important for the development of genetic linkage maps and identifying quantitative trait loci. These markers could enhance breeding programmes by improving the efficiency of selection techniques.
Treating Major Depression by Creating Positive Expectations for the Future: A Pilot Study for the Effectiveness of Future‐Directed Therapy (FDT) on Symptom Severity and Quality of Life
Authors: Vilhauer Jennice S. , Young Sabrina , Kealoha Chanel , Borrmann Josefine , IsHak Waguih W. , Rapaport Mark H. , Hartoonian Narineh , Mirocha Jim
Published: March 2011

Introduction:This nonrandomized pilot study assesses the efficacy of a new future‐oriented form of therapy, known as future‐directed therapy (FDT), as a treatment for patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in a naturalistic hospital‐based outpatient psychiatry clinic. The study measured symptom severity of depression and anxiety, in addition to quality of life pre‐ and posttreatment.

Aims:The study examined a new manualized treatment designed to help people anticipate a more positive future. The intervention consists of twenty 90‐min group sessions administered twice a week over 10 weeks. The intervention was compared to depressed patients in the same clinic who enrolled in traditional cognitive‐based group psychotherapy. Sixteen patients with MDD completed the FDT intervention as part of their outpatient treatment for depression. Seventeen patients with MDD participated in treatment as usual (TAU) cognitive‐based group therapy. The Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the Quality‐of‐Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire short form, self‐report instruments were administered prior to and immediately after the completion of therapy.

Results:Patients treated with FDT demonstrated significant improvements in depression (P= 0.001), anxiety (P= 0.021) and quality of life (P= 0.035), and also reported high satisfaction with the therapy. Compared to the TAU group, patients treated with FDT showed greater improvements in depressive symptoms (P= 0.049).

Conclusions:FDT may have the potential of becoming an additional treatment option for patients with MDD.
Use of DNA barcode sensu lato to identify traditional Tibetan medicinal plant Gentianopsis paludosa (Gentianaceae)
Authors: XUE Chun‐Ying , LI De‐Zhu
Published: March 2011

Abstract  Gentianopsis paludosa (Hook. f.) Ma (Gentianaceae) is an important species in Tibetan folk medicine commonly used to clear away the “heat evils” and toxic materials. A survey of market samples revealed that nine adulterant species, Gentianopsis barbata, G. contorta, G. grandis, Halenia elliptica, Lomatogonium macranthum, L. rotatum, Swertia angustifolia, S. bifolia and S. erythrosticta, are often marketed as G. paludosa. Methods to distinguish G. paludosa from its adulterants are limited by current morphological and chemical methods. DNA sequence analysis of the nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) was used in the differentiation of G. paludosa from the adulterant species. The data showed that the internal transcribed spacer regions differ significantly between G. paludosa and all nine adulterant species, so that they could be easily distinguished at the DNA level.
Minimizing Sampling Loss in Trace Gas Emission Measurements for Aircraft Engines by Using a Chemical Quick-Quench Probe
Authors: Blanco Elena de la Rosa , Peck Jay , Miake-Lye Richard C. , Hills Frank B. , Wood Ezra C. , Herndon Scott C. , Annen Kurt D. , Yelvington Paul E. , Leach Timothy
Published: March 2011

This paper describes the development and testing of a gas sampling probe that quenches chemical reactions by using supersonic expansion and helium dilution. Gas sampling probes are required for accurate measurement of exhaust emissions species, which is critical to determine the performance of an aircraft engine. The probe was designed through rounds of computational modeling and laboratory testing and was subsequently manufactured and then tested at the University of Tennessee Space Institute behind a General Electric J85 turbojet engine at different power settings: idle, maximum military, and afterburning. The experimental test results demonstrated that the chemical quick-quench (CQQ) probe suppressed the oxidation of carbon monoxide (CO) inside the probe system and preserved more CO at afterburning conditions. In addition, the CQQ probe prevented hydrocarbons from being partially oxidized to form CO at idle powers and measured higher hydrocarbons and lower CO emission compared with a conventional probe at that low power condition. The CQQ probe also suppressed nitrogen dioxide (NO2) to nitric oxide (NO) conversion through all engine power settings. These data strongly support the conclusion that the CQQ probe is able to quench unwanted chemical reactions inside the probe for all engine power levels.
Fluid Flow in Trapezoidal Silicon Microchannels With 3D Random Rough Bottoms
Authors: Xiong Renqiang
Published: March 2011

In this paper, a bottom-up approach is used to construct random rough bottom walls for trapezoidal silicon microchannels with hydraulic diameters Dh from 47 μm to 241 μm. The top and side walls are set to be smooth. A computational fluid dynamics solver is used to solve the 3D Navier–Stokes equations for the water flow through the rough trapezoidal microchannels. No-slip and periodic boundary conditions are applied to achieve the fully developed flow characteristics. The effects of Reynolds number Re (75–600), relative roughness height H/Dh (1.66–5.39%), aspect ratio β (0.13–1), and base angle θ (30–90 deg) on the Poiseuille number Po are investigated. It is found that the roughness strongly affects the flow near the bottom wall but does not have significant effect on the center flow. The Po number in the developing flow region increases with the Re number and in the fully developed region tends to be independent of the Re number. The entrance length Le is found to be smaller than that in smooth channels because the roughness reduces hydraulic diameter Dh of the microchannel. It is also observed that with a certain H/Dh, the Po number has a larger deviation from the theoretical value with a smaller β, and with the same H/Dh and β, θ can also change the Po number, especially at small base angles.
Transparent conductive Al-doped ZnO thin films grown at room temperature
Authors: Wang Yuping , Lu Jianguo , Bie Xun , Gong Li , Li Xiang , Song Da , Zhao Xuyang , Ye Wenyi , Ye Zhizhen
Published: March 2011

Aluminum-doped ZnO (ZnO:Al, AZO) thin films were prepared on glass substrates by dc reactive magnetron sputtering from a Zn–Al alloy target at room temperature. The effects of the Ar-to-O2 partial pressure ratios on the structural, electrical, and optical properties of AZO films were studied in detail. AZO films grown using 100:4 to 100:8 Ar-to-O2 ratio result in acceptable quality films with c-axis orientated crystals, uniform grains, 10−3 Ω cm resistivity, greater than 1020 cm−3 electron concentration, and high transmittance, 90%, in the visible region. The lowest resistivity of 4.11×10−3 Ω cm was obtained under the Ar-to-O2 partial pressure ratio of 100:4. A relatively strong UV emission at ∼3.26 eV was observed in the room-temperature photoluminescence spectrum. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis confirmed that Al was introduced into ZnO and substitutes for Zn and doped the film n-type.
CD40 Pathway Activation Status Predicts Response to CD40 Therapy in Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma
Authors: Burington Bart , Yue Peng , Shi Xiaoyan , Advani Ranjana , Lau Jeffrey T. , Tan Jenille , Stinson Susanna , Stinson Jeremy , Januario Thomas , de Vos Sven , Ansell Stephen , Forero-Torres Andres , Fedorowicz Grazyna , Yang Teddy T. C. , Elkins Kristi , Du Changchun , Mohan Sankar , Yu Nancy , Modrusan Zora , Seshagiri Somasekar , Yu Shang-Fan , Pandita Ajay , Koeppen Hartmut , French Dorothy , Polson Andrew G. , Offringa Rienk , Whiting Nancy , Ebens Allen , Dornan David
Published: March 2011

A 15-gene expression signature predicts whether a patient with diffuse large B cell lymphoma will respond to dacetuzumab, a therapeutic antibody.
The Food for Mood
Authors: Mashour George A.
Published: March 2011

A diet deficient in omega-3 fatty acids disrupts the endocannabinoid system in the brain and can be linked to psychiatric disease.
A Lesson for TB from Antiviral Immunity
Authors: Shum Anthony
Published: March 2011

Differing T cell cytokine profiles distinguish between active and latent forms of tuberculosis.
‘What's happening?’ A content analysis of concussion-related traffic onTwitter
Authors: Sullivan S John , Schneiders Anthony G , Cheang Choon-Wi , Kitto Emma , Lee Hopin , Redhead Jason , Ward Sarah , Ahmed Osman H , McCrory Paul R
Published: March 2011

Background

Twitteris a rapidly growing social networking site (SNS) with approximately 124 million users worldwide.Twitterallows users to post brief messages (‘tweets’) online, on a range of everyday topics including those dealing with health and wellbeing. Currently, little is known about how tweets are used to convey information relating to specific injuries, such as concussion, that commonly occur in youth sports.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to analyse the online content of concussion-related tweets on the SNSTwitter, to determine the concept and context of mild traumatic brain injury as it relates to an online population.

Study design

A prospective observational study using content analysis.

Methods

Twittertraffic was investigated over a 7-day period in July 2010, using eight concussion-related search terms. From the 3488 tweets identified, 1000 were randomly selected and independently analysed using a customised coding scheme to determine major content themes.

Results

The most frequent theme was ‘news’ (33%) followed by ‘sharing personal information/situation’ (27%) and ‘inferred management’ (13%). Demographic data were available for 60% of the sample, with the majority of tweets (82%) originating from the USA, followed by Asia (5%) and the UK (4.5%).

Conclusion

This study highlights the capacity ofTwitterto serve as a powerful broadcast medium for sports concussion information and education.
Growth factor-based therapies provide additional benefit beyond physical therapy in resistant elbow tendinopathy: a prospective, single-blind, randomised trial of autologous blood injections versus platelet-rich plasma injections
Authors: Creaney Leon , Wallace Andrew , Curtis Mark , Connell David
Published: March 2011

Background

Growth factor technologies are increasingly used to enhance healing in musculoskeletal injuries, particularly in sports medicine. Two such products; platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and autologous blood, have a growing body of supporting evidence. No previous trial has directly compared the efficacy of these two methods.

Hypothesis

Growth factor administration improves tissue regeneration in patients who have failed to respond to conservative therapy.

Study design

A prospective, double-blind, randomised trial.

Methods

Elbow tendinopathy patients who had failed conservative physical therapy were divided into two patient groups: PRP injection (N=80) and autologous blood injection (ABI) (N=70). Each patient received two injections at 0 and 1 month. Patient-related tennis elbow evaluation (PRTEE) was recorded by a blinded investigator at 0, 1, 3 and 6 months. The main outcome measure was PRTEE, a validated composite outcome for pain, activities of daily living and physical function, utilising a 0–100 scale.

Results

At 6 months the authors observed a 66% success rate in the PRP group versus 72% in the ABI group, p=NS. There was a higher rate of conversion to surgery in the ABI group (20%) versus the PRP group (10%).

Conclusion

In patients who are resistant to first-line physical therapy such as eccentric loading, ABI or PRP injections are useful second-line therapies to improve clinical outcomes. In this study, up to seven out of 10 additional patients in this difficult to treat cohort benefit from a surgery-sparing intervention.
Impact on service provision for non-invasive cardiac imaging following NICE recommendations: an observational study
Authors: Garg Pankaj , Ashrafi Reza , Feeney Laura , Lagan Jakub , Wong Peter , Rodrigues Erwin , Davis Gershan
Published: March 2011

abstract

BACKGROUND

Chest pain or discomfort due to angina can have a potentially poor prognosis, emphasising the importance of prompt and accurate diagnosis. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published ‘Chest pain of recent onset’ guidelines in March 2010. These guidelines appraise the role of newer non-invasive modalities in cardiac imaging in the prompt and cost-effective diagnosis of coronary artery disease.

Objective

To study the service requirement for non-invasive cardiac imaging in patients with stable chest pain using current NICE guidance.

Design

Single-centre, 6-month (January 2010 to June 2010) observational study.

Setting

Rapid access chest pain clinics in a large university teaching hospital providing secondary care cardiology services.

Methods

Clinic letters were used to ascertain the type of chest pain and cardiovascular risk factors. The resting 12-lead ECG was examined for any ischaemic changes. Patients were then retrospectively allocated to an assessment pathway based on NICE guidance for the evaluation of stable chest pain. Pretest likelihood of coronary artery disease was calculated using Pryor et al's table as published by NICE. Depending on the calculated pretest probability, their NICE-suggested investigation was determined. This included no further investigations, cardiac CT, functional imaging or invasive angiography.

Results

500 patients were seen in rapid access chest pain clinics, 65 of which did not meet the referral criteria of having chest pain. On the basis of previous practice, 52% of patients were likely to have an exercise tolerance test. According to current NICE guidance as applied to our cohort of patients, 128 (30%) would have required functional imaging, 119 (27%) no further investigation, 95 (22%) cardiac CT, and 93 (21%) invasive angiography.

Conclusion

Functional imaging and then cardiac CT are the main investigations required in the assessment of patients with stable chest pain.
THE DE GIORGI CONJECTURE ON ELLIPTIC REGULARIZATION
Authors: STEFANELLI ULISSE
Published: March 2011

We prove a conjecture by De Giorgi on the elliptic regularization of semilinear wave equations in the finite-time case.
A SKEIN THEORETIC PROOF OF THE $U_q(\mathfrak{g}_2)$ 3-MANIFOLD INVARIANT
Authors: O'BRIEN TIMOTHY J.
Published: March 2011

We develop a skein recoupling theory for quantum G2 involving skeins of 1 or 2 strands. The recoupling theory is used to define a combinatorial method for computing quantum G2 3-manifold invariants at 15th and 18th roots of unity.
SMALL x PHYSICS AND RHIC DATA
Authors: LAPPI T.
Published: March 2011

This is a review of applications of the Color Glass Condensate (CGC) to the phenomenology of relativistic heavy-ion collisions. The initial stages of the collision can be understood in terms of the nonperturbatively strong nonlinear glasma color fields. We discuss how the CGC framework can and has been used to compute properties of the initial conditions of AA collisions. In particular this has led to recent progress in understanding multiparticle correlations, which can provide a directly observable signal of the properties of the initial stage of the collision process.
INSTABILITIES CONSTRAINT AND RELATIVISTIC MEAN FIELD PARAMETRIZATION
Authors: SULAKSONO A. , KASMUDIN  , BÜRVENICH T. J. , REINHARD P.-G. , MARUHN J. A.
Published: March 2011

Two parameter sets (Set 1 and Set 2) of the standard relativistic mean field (RMF) model plus additional vector isoscalar nonlinear term, which are constrained by a set of criteria20 determined by symmetric nuclear matter stabilities at high densities due to longitudinal and transversal particle–hole excitation modes are investigated. In the latter parameter set, δ meson and isoscalar as well as isovector tensor contributions are included. The effects in selected finite nuclei and nuclear matter properties predicted by both parameter sets are systematically studied and compared with the ones predicted by well-known RMF parameter sets. The vector isoscalar nonlinear term addition and instability constraints have reasonably good effects in the high-density properties of the isoscalar sector of nuclear matter and certain finite nuclei properties. However, even though the δ meson and isovector tensor are included, the incompatibility with the constraints from some experimental data in certain nuclear properties at saturation point and the excessive stiffness of the isovector nuclear matter equation of state at high densities as well as the incorrect isotonic trend in binding the energies of finite nuclei are still encountered. It is shown that the problem may be remedied if we introduce additional nonlinear terms not only in the isovector but also in the isoscalar vectors.
SOME NOTES ABOUT DENSITY OF STATES FOR A NEGATIVE PRESSURE MATTER
Authors: MAJD NAYEREH , MOMENI DAVOOD
Published: March 2011

The main goal of this paper is deriving Density of states g(ϵ) (degeneracy function) per volume for an equation of state (EOS) p = -ρ (we called it dark energy (DE)). We have concluded that thermodynamic quantities such as pressure and energy density are simple functions of temperature, fugacity, curvature, and mass of Bosons. Our work has expressed the origin of some claims about the negativity of the entropy for the scalar fields models of DE.
ENTANGLEMENT GENERATION BY TIME VARYING REFRACTIVE INDEX: ANALOGY WITH COSMOLOGICAL MODEL
Authors: MORADI SHAHPOOR
Published: March 2011

Generation of entanglement between modes of electromagnetic fields by sudden change of the refractive index of a medium is considered. We use the analogy between the Fock-space formulation of pair creation caused by the contraction and expansion of the universe on one hand and the pair creation in time-dependent electric fields on the other hand. It is shown that entanglement between photons encodes information concerning the underlying refractive index of a medium.
ENHANCING BUSINESS COLLABORATIONS WITH CLIENT-ORIENTED PROCESS CONTROL
Authors: ANGELOV SAMUIL , VONK JOCHEM , GREFEN PAUL , VIDYASANKAR KRISHNAMURTHY
Published: March 2011

Nowadays, business collaborations have to be highly dynamic and flexible to allow companies to operate efficiently and effectively in complex and volatile markets. To increase the business agility of service consumers, it is fundamental that service providers enhance the visibility of parts of their collaborative processes. Service providers are required to release both the process structures of the services offered and their status during execution. To further increase the flexibility of business collaborations, certain control over the process execution has to be offered to service consumers. In this paper, we present a framework for the support of process control in cross-organizational settings. We specify the control primitives that can be used to exert control on activities and processes before, during and after their executions. These primitives empower service consumers to postpone activity and process executions, bypass minor activities, repeat their executions, etc. We describe an approach to the support of these control primitives by service providers. We demonstrate the application of our framework with a case study from the healthcare domain. A proof-of-concept prototype implementation based on Web service technology is presented.
OPTIMIZING ACQUAINTANCE SELECTION IN A PDMS
Authors: XU JIAN , POTTINGER RACHEL
Published: March 2011

In a Peer Data Management System (PDMS), autonomous peers share semantically rich data. For queries to be translated across peers, a peer must provide a mapping to other peers in the PDMS; peers connected by such mappings are called acquaintances. To maximize PDMS query answering performance, a peer needs to optimize its choice of acquaintances. This paper investigates the acquaintance selection problem and introduces a novel framework for performing this acquaintance selection. Our framework includes two selection schemes that effectively and efficiently estimate mapping effectiveness. The "one-shot" scheme clusters peers and estimates the improvement in query answering based on cluster properties. The "two-hop" scheme estimates using locally available information at multiple rounds. Our empirical study shows that both schemes effectively help acquaintance selection and scale to large PDMSs.
SOME FIXED POINT THEOREMS
Authors: AHMED M. A.
Published: March 2011

This paper has three objectives. First, we establish a fixed point theorem for a generalized contraction in dislocated quasi-metric spaces. Second, we present a characterization of a unique fixed point for any mapping. Third, we prove another fixed point theorem in complete dislocated quasi-metric spaces. These theorems generalize known results, especially some theorems in [1–3, 5, 7, 8, 11–14, 16, 19, 20, 22]. Also, we give some comments on [17, Theorem 3] and [21, Theorem 1].
ON GENERAL SOLUTIONS OF EINSTEIN EQUATIONS
Authors: VACARU S.
Published: March 2011

We show how the Einstein equations with cosmological constant (and/or various types of matter field sources) can be integrated in a very general form following the anholonomic deformation method for constructing exact solutions in four- and five-dimensional gravity (S. Vacaru, IJGMMP 4 (2007) 1285). In this paper, we prove that such a geometric method can be used for constructing general non-Killing solutions. The key idea is to introduce an auxiliary linear connection which is also metric compatible and completely defined by the metric structure but contains some torsion terms induced nonholonomically by generic off-diagonal coefficients of metric. There are some classes of nonholonomic frames with respect to which the Einstein equations (for such an auxiliary connection) split into an integrable system of partial differential equations. We have to impose additional constraints on generating and integration functions in order to transform the auxiliary connection into the Levi-Civita one. This way, we extract general exact solutions (parametrized by generic off-diagonal metrics and depending on all coordinates) in Einstein gravity and five-dimensional extensions.
A CONNECTION WITH PARALLEL TOTALLY SKEW-SYMMETRIC TORSION ON A CLASS OF ALMOST HYPERCOMPLEX MANIFOLDS WITH HERMITIAN AND ANTI-HERMITIAN METRICS
Authors: MANEV MANCHO , GRIBACHEV KOSTADIN
Published: March 2011

The subject of investigations are the almost hypercomplex manifolds with Hermitian and anti-Hermitian (Norden) metrics. A linear connection D is introduced such that the structure of these manifolds is parallel with respect to D and its torsion is totally skew-symmetric. The class of the nearly Kähler manifolds with respect to the first almost complex structure is of special interest. It is proved that D has a D-parallel torsion and is weak if it is not flat. Some curvature properties of these manifolds are studied.
THE CAUCHY PROBLEM FOR METRIC-AFFINE f(R)-GRAVITY IN PRESENCE OF A KLEIN–GORDON SCALAR FIELD
Authors: CAPOZZIELLO S. , VIGNOLO S.
Published: March 2011

We study the initial value formulation of metric-affine f(R)-gravity in presence of a Klein–Gordon scalar field acting as source of the field equations. Sufficient conditions for the well-posedness of the Cauchy problem are formulated. This result completes the analysis of the same problem already considered for other sources.
BULK METRIC OF BRANE WORLD MODELS AND SUBMANIFOLDS IN 6D PSEUDO-EUCLIDEAN SPACE-TIME
Authors: SMOLYAKOV MIKHAIL N.
Published: March 2011

In this short note, five-dimensional brane world models with dS4 metric on the branes are discussed. The explicit coordinate transformations, which show the equivalence between the bulk metric of these brane world models and the metric induced on an appropriate submanifolds in the flat six-dimensional pseudo-Euclidean space-time, are presented. The cases of the zero and nonzero cosmological constant in the bulk are discussed in detail.
Postannealing Effect on ITO/p+-GaP with a Diffused Layer
Authors: Lo H. M. , Shei S. C. , Zeng X. F. , Chang S. J. , Lin H. Y.
Published: March 2011

In this study, indium tin oxide (ITO) films were deposited on p-type GaP films with a AuBe diffused metal layer to form ohmic contacts. Without the AuBe diffused into p-GaP films, the ITO deposited on p-GaP showed a non-ohmic characteristic. After the AuBe diffused, the ITO deposited on p-GaP displayed a linear current-voltage characteristic and the specific contact resistance showed 2.63 × 10−4 Ω cm2. Furthermore, the specific contact resistance could be improved to 1.57 × 10−4 Ω cm2 when the sample post-annealed at 400°C. The transmittance of ITO film almost was kept at 90% in the wavelength range of 400–700 nm after thermal annealing. These results revealed that the ITO films can be a suitable transparent current spreading layer for the fabrication of AlGaInP-based light-emitting diodes with a AuBe diffused metal layer.
Effect of postdevelopmental myostatin depletion on myofibrillar protein metabolism
Authors: Welle Stephen , Mehta Sangeeta , Burgess Kerri
Published: March 2011

It is unclear whether the muscle hypertrophy induced by loss of myostatin signaling in mature muscles is maintained only by increased protein synthesis or whether reduced proteolysis contributes. To address this issue, we depleted myostatin by activating Cre recombinase for 2 wk in mature mice in which Mstn exon 3 was flanked by loxP sequences. The rate of phenylalanine tracer incorporation into myofibrillar proteins was determined 2, 5, and 24 wk after Cre activation ended. At all of these time points, myostatin-deficient mice had increased gastrocnemius and quadriceps muscle mass (≥27%) and increased myofibrillar synthesis rate per gastrocnemius muscle (≥19%) but normal myofibrillar synthesis rates per myofibrillar mass or RNA mass. Mean fractional myofibrillar degradation rates (estimated from the difference between rate of synthesis and rate of change in myofibrillar mass) and muscle concentrations of free 3-methylhistidine (from actin and myosin degradation) were unaffected by myostatin knockout. Overnight food deprivation reduced myofibrillar synthesis and ribosomal protein S6 phosphorylation and increased concentrations of 3-methylhistidine, muscle RING finger-1 mRNA, and atrogin-1 mRNA. Myostatin depletion did not affect these responses to food deprivation. These data indicate that maintenance of the muscle hypertrophy caused by loss of myostatin is mediated by increased protein synthesis per muscle fiber rather than suppression of proteolysis.
Effect of oxygen concentrations on sodium iodide symporter expression and iodide uptake and hCG expression in human choriocarcinoma BeWo cells
Authors: Li Huika , Landers Kelly , Patel Jatin , Richard Kerry , Mortimer Robin H.
Published: March 2011

Normal human fetal development requires an adequate supply of thyroid hormone from conception. Until about 16 wk gestation this is supplied entirely by placental transfer of maternal hormone. Subsequently, the fetal thyroid synthesizes thyroid hormones, requiring a supply of maternal iodide. Trophoblast iodide transfer is mediated by the apical sodium iodide symporter (NIS). Placental oxygen levels are low in early pregnancy (∼1%), rising with placental vascularisation to a plateau of ∼8% at about 16 wk. Although the impact of these changing oxygen levels on placental implantation is well recognized, effects on trophoblast materno-fetal exchange are less understood. We investigated expression of the NIS regulator hCG, NIS mRNA expression, and I125uptake in choriocarcinoma BeWo cells (a model of the trophoblast) cultured in 1 and 8% oxygen and in room air (21% oxygen). Expression of NIS and hCG mRNA and protein was low at 1% oxygen but rose significantly at 8 and at 21%. This was reflected in significant increases in I125uptake. Desferrioxamine, an iron chelator and hypoxia mimic, decreased NIS and hCG expression and I125uptake in BeWo cells. NIS expression and I125uptake in cells grown at 1% oxygen were not increased by addition of hCG (2,500 IU/l). We infer that placental NIS mRNA and protein expression are regulated by oxygen, rising with vascularization of the placenta in the late first trimester, a time when fetal iodide requirements are increasing.