bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Study on the Combination Resonance Response of a Classic Spar Platform
Authors: Zhao Jingrui  , Tang Yougang  , Shen Wenjun
Published: April 2010

The sum type combination resonance response of a classic spar platform is studied under a long periodic regular wave in this paper. The nonlinear differential equations for heave and pitch are established considering the time-varying incident wave elevation which is regarded as a parametric excitation. The first order steady-state response is solved by the method of multiple scales when the incident wave frequency approaches the sum of heave natural frequency and pitch natural frequency. The heave and pitch responses of a practical spar platform are obtained by solving the bifurcation equation using a numerical method. It is observed that the large amplitude sub-harmonic motion of heave and pitch mode are tripped when the wave height exceeds a certain value. The result shows that the spar platform may exhibit complicated dynamic behaviors when the sum type combination resonance occurs and indicates that the available damping plays a very important role in suppressing the instable motion responses.
Optimal PI Controller with Position Feedback for Vibration Suppression
Authors: Fenik Stefan , Starek Ladislav
Published: April 2010

In vibration control of distributed-parameter mechanical systems the main problem arises from endeavoring to achieve even damping in the desired frequency range and robustness simultaneously. These two important properties usually compromise each other so that more sophisticated techniques are needed to improve the vibration control of large structures. In the case of classical velocity feedback, for example, some kind of low-pass filter should be used to achieve better stability. In the case of position feedback use of dynamic controllers like Positive Position Feedback (PPF) or Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) is an alternative, but considering their low robustness and more complicated design there are no advantages within the control of large structures with variable parameters. The control method suggested in this work, i.e. PI control with position feedback, is based on the fact that integral of the position can replace the velocity sensing with the idea of suppressing the influence of higher frequencies (which are responsible for instability) while phase shift in working low-frequency range remains in desired bounds. Numerical root-loci analysis as well as experimental examples presented in this paper can show that PI control with position feedback is able to add damping to vibrating structure within low-frequency bands at comparable level as velocity feedback can do, but with a smaller influence on higher frequencies.
Segmentation of Different Types of Hallyu Tourists Using a Multinomial Model and Its Marketing Implications
Authors: Kim Samuel Seongseop , Lee Heesung , Chon Kye-Sung
Published: April 2010

The aim of this study was to classify types of Hallyu tourists based on their preferences for “Korean wave” products and to identify the factors influencing each tourist type. Results of cluster analysis suggested that the three-cluster solution was the most coherent and interpretable. Cluster 1 was named the “low involvement type,” and Clusters 2 and 3 were named the “consumption seeking type” and the “active film-induced tourism seeking type,” respectively. According to the results of the application of the multinomial logit model, the factors influencing the three tourist types were different. Additionally, the mean willingness-to-pay values were distinctive. The results of this study indicate both theoretical and marketing strategies for the tourism industry. One of the most important marketing implications is that there is a need to develop products including events involving famous television or movie stars, invitations to previews, tours of a television or film set, and honeymoon trips to film locations.
How do children experience participating in a coeliac disease screening? A qualitative study based on children’s written narratives
Authors: Nordyke Katrina , Myléus Anna , Ivarsson Anneli , Carlsson Annelie , Danielsson Lars , Högberg Lotta , Karlsson Eva , Emmelin Maria
Published: April 2010

Aim: To explore how 12-year-old Swedish children experienced being involved in a coeliac disease (CD) screening. Methods: A qualitative approach was used to analyse short narratives written by children who had taken part in a school-based CD screening. Narratives were written after blood sampling, but prior to learning of the test results. Through an oscillation between the texts, codes, subcategories and four categories, a theme was generated describing the children’s experience. Results: The theme ‘‘A Journey towards Confidence’’ captures the overall experience of the screening. It illustrates that, although some children faced fear or anxiety, overall they had or were provided tools allowing them to cope well and experience a journey towards confidence. The categories describe conditions that contributed to the experience. The first, being involved, reflects the importance of involvement in receiving information and deciding to participate. Being a ‘‘good citizen’’ refers to feeling a duty to help and a trust to be treated fairly. Being able to cope with the screening was influenced by the children’s ability to manage sensations and support received. The last category, being able to balance risk, illustrates that the children were able to balance the risks of screening when they had a realistic understanding of the disease and their vulnerability and had tamed their anxiety. Conclusions: This study increases the understanding of how 12-year-old Swedish children experienced participating in a CD screening and describes conditions important for a positive experience. We show that, although some children faced anxiety, they had, or were provided with, tools allowing them to cope well and gain confidence.
No ticking time bomb: Hospital utilisation of 28,528 hip fracture patients in Stockholm during 1998-2007
Authors: Löfgren S. , Ljunggren G. , Brommels M.
Published: April 2010

Aim: The objectives were to show how utilisation of hospital care among hip fracture patients has changed in Stockholm during 1998—2007 and to explore changes in some demographic and clinical characteristics as well as surgical treatment of the patients. Methods: The Stockholm County Patient Care Register covers all public healthcare services in the region. All patients from 1998 to 2007 who had a hospital stay due to a hip fracture (ICD-10 codes S72.0, S72.1, S72.2) and had undergone hip surgery (NCSP codes NFB09-99 and NFJ39-99) were identified. Number of hospital stays, surgical procedures, deaths, and length of hospital stay were categorised according to age and sex, and presented as absolute and relative numbers year by year. Age- and sex-standardised annual incidence figures were calculated. Results: A total of 28,528 patients (72.2% women, 27.8% men) were hospitalised due to a hip fracture. The annual numbers decreased during the study period in all age groups except men 85 years and older. The age- and sex-standardised hip fracture incidence fell with 16%. Mortality was slightly reduced. The acute care hospital length of stay fell with 1.4 days to 7.0 days, and the whole hospital episode increased by 1.4 days to 17.3 days. Conclusions: Despite a continued increase in the numbers of elderly during 1998—2007, the number of patients and their utilisation of hospital services remained constant and showed a marked decrease in women over 65 years of age. Comparisons with national statistics indicate that the results can be generalised to Sweden.
Effects of Institutional Confinement for Delinquency on Levels of Depression and Anxiety Among Male Adolescents
Authors: White Helene R. , Jing Shi  , Hirschfield Paul , Eun Young Mun  , Loeber Rolf
Published: April 2010

Youths within the juvenile justice system report higher rates of mental illnesses than their peers. This study tested whether institutional confinement increases levels of depression and anxiety among male adolescents. The authors examined heterogeneous trajectories of depression and anxiety from ages 11 to 14 years for 510 male adolescents. Youths who were first placed in custody at age 15 (treatment group) were matched with control boys (no official arrest or reported confinement during adolescence) within each trajectory group using a propensity score (PS) matching procedure. Matches were found for 37 pairs for depression and 34 pairs for anxiety. There were no significant differences between the confined and control groups in levels of depression or anxiety at age 16. More research is needed to identify aspects of the juvenile justice system, which may positively or negatively affect youth’s mental health status.
Contexts of Decision Making in the Juvenile Justice System: An Organizational Approach to Understanding Minority Overrepresentation
Authors: Bishop Donna M. , Leiber Michael , Johnson Joseph
Published: April 2010

Significant advances have been made in our understanding of the origins and dynamics of minority overrepresentation in the juvenile justice system. Nevertheless, much remains to be learned. In this article, the authors explore the impact of race on juvenile justice processing by examining the organizational contexts in which decisions are made. They offer a theoretical framework that combines insights from organizational theory and the focal concerns perspective and that focuses on the organizational players (action sets) involved in decision making from intake to final disposition. Based on the composition of action sets, and their corresponding value orientations, the authors make predictions regarding the influence of sociodemographic, legal, and extralegal variables at each processing juncture. The empirical test provides a reasonably good fit with the data. Implications for further research are discussed.
Awareness of Obesity and Diabetes: A Survey of a Subset of British Male Drivers
Authors: DeVille-Almond Jane , Tahrani Abd A. , Grant Jane , Gray Melanie , Thomas G. Neil , Taheri Shahrad
Published: April 2010

Behavior modification necessary to tackle obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) requires individual awareness of the existing problem. Objectives: This study aimed to assess body weight perception, awareness of the relation between adiposity and T2DM, and the relation between adiposity and weight loss attempts. Methods: Male drivers were recruited randomly from motorway service stations between May and July 2007, completed a questionnaire and had body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and body composition. Results: Participants included 266 men, median age 52 years, and BMI 28.25 kg/m2. Obesity prevalence was 46% based on BMI and 73% based on WC. Participants underestimated their WC (94.3 ± 10.2 vs. 102.9 ± 11.41 cm, estimated vs. actual, p < .001). Of participants with normal BMI, 18% thought they were overweight, whereas 26% of overweight thought they were “just right” and 19% of obese recognized their obesity. Based on WC, 30% of participants with normal WC thought they were obese and 9% of obese realized they were obese. Only 25% and 42% of participants recognized that T2DM is associated with large waist and obesity, respectively. A total of 81% of overweight and 62% of obese participants (based on BMI) believed that they were not at increased risk of T2DM. Self-perception of adiposity weakly predicted weight loss attempts (λ = 0.28, p = .008). Conclusion: Male drivers significantly underestimate their adiposity and risk of T2DM. Further public education regarding obesity, its associated health risks, and the benefits of weight loss is needed.
Assessing and Promoting Physical Activity in African American Barbershops: Results of the FITStop Pilot Study
Authors: Linnan Laura A. , Reiter Paul L. , Duffy Courtney , Hales Derek , Ward Dianne S. , Viera Anthony J.
Published: April 2010

This study assessed the feasibility of recruiting African American men in barbershops, assessing their physical activity, conducting physical measurements, and gauging their interest in barbershop-based health research. The authors recruited African American shop owners ( n = 4), barbers ( n = 6), and customers ( n = 90) from four barbershops in Raleigh and Durham, North Carolina, during 2009. The participation levels were high among owners (100%), barbers (67%), and customers (81%). In addition to completing a self-administered survey, 57% (51/90) of the customers completed physical measurements. According to self-reported data, 34% (30/88) of the customers met national physical activity recommendations within the last week. Customers expressed moderately high interest in learning more about health at barbershops and joining a barbershop-based physical activity contest. The estimated recruiting cost per customer was $105.92. Barbershops offer an effective setting for recruiting African American men and conducting physical measurements as well as an interesting possible location for conducting future interventions.
Testicular Self-Examination in an Adult Community Sample
Authors: Brewer Gayle , Roy Mark , Watters Joanne
Published: April 2010

The study investigated the impact of relationship status on participants’ knowledge of testicular cancer and their current and planned testicular self-examination (TSE) behavior. Adult male civil servants ( N = 188) were recruited in the northwest of the United Kingdom (mean age = 33.37 years, SD = 10.77). The survey instrument asked about current and intended TSE practice, knowledge of testicular cancer, as well as attitudes and beliefs toward testicular cancer and self-examination. Factor analysis identified five factors equating to the benefits of TSE, fear, perceived risk, knowledge, and fatality. In logistic regression models, the benefits of TSE, fear, and knowledge significantly predict current TSE behaviors, whereas the benefits of TSE and perceived risk predicted future TSE intentions. Models predicting TSE practice differed according to relationship status. The findings suggest that strategies designed to promote TSE should be sensitive to individual differences in the influences on a person’s motivation to engage in TSE.
X-ray diffraction of high nitrogen face centred cubic phase formed on nitrogen modified austenitic stainless steel
Authors: Lei M. K. , Liang J.
Published: April 2010

High nitrogen face centred cubic phase formed on the nitrogen modified Fe–Cr–Ni austenitic stainless steel, which is named by γN phase, has a combined wear and corrosion resistance. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of the γN phase on the stainless steel depict a set of broad and asymmetry diffraction peaks with a peak shift to low Bragg angles and a decrease in intensity, even disappearing of some peaks of high index planes, from each austenite peak for the γ matrix. The peak shift of the XRD patterns was first explained by Warren's XRD theory by Blawert et al. ( Surf. Coat. Technol., 2001, 136, 181). In this paper, a systematic study of XRD on the peak shift, peak asymmetry, peak broadening and peak intensity of the γN phase has been carried out, based on a fault induced scattering geometry in diffraction to imperfect crystals by Warren's theory and Wagner's method. Both the higher deformation faults density α in a range of 0·02–0·25 and the lower twin faults density β of 0·01–0·1 were successfully used to describe the line profiles in the XRD patterns of the γN phase formed on plasma source ion nitrided 1Cr18Ni9Ti (18-8 type) austenitic stainless steel. A novel stacking faults factor Sαβ dependent on α and β described, in good agreement, the peak intensity of the γN phase. The calculated XRD patterns of the γN phase using the imperfect crystals model of a face centred cubic phase with a higher deformation faults density and a lower twin faults density were associated with the experimentally structural characteristics.
Hsp90 inhibitor 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin inhibits the proliferation of ARPE-19 cells
Authors: Yao Jia-Qi , Liu Qing-Huai , Chen Xi , Yang Qin , Xu Zhi-Yang , Hu Fan , Wang Lin , Li Jian-Min
Published: April 2010

Background

The antiproliferative effect of the Hsp90 inhibitor 17-AAG (17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin) on human retinal pigment epithelial cells is investigated.

Methods

MTT and flow cytometry were used to study the antiproliferative effects of the 17-AAG treatment of ARPE-19 cells. 2D gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and mass spectrometry were applied to detect the altered expression of proteins, which was verified by real-time PCR. Gene Ontology analysis and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) were utilized to analyze the signaling pathways, cellular location, function, and network connections of the identified proteins. And SOD assay was employed to confirm the analysis.

Results

17-AAG suppressed the proliferation of ARPE-19 cells by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Proteomic analysis revealed that the expression of 94 proteins was altered by a factor of more than 1.5 following exposure to 17-AAG. Of these 94, 87 proteins were identified. Real-time PCR results indicated that Hsp90 and Hsp70, which were not identified by proteomic analysis, were both upregulated upon 17-AAG treatment. IPA revealed that most of the proteins have functions that are related to oxidative stress, as verified by SOD assay, while canonical pathway analysis revealed glycolysis/gluconeogenesis.

Conclusions

17-AAG suppressed the proliferation of ARPE-19 cells by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, and possibly by oxidative stress.
BS Seeker: precise mapping for bisulfite sequencing
Authors: Chen Pao-Yang , Cokus Shawn J , Pellegrini Matteo
Published: April 2010

Background

Bisulfite sequencing using next generation sequencers yields genome-wide measurements of DNA methylation at single nucleotide resolution. Traditional aligners are not designed for mapping bisulfite-treated reads, where the unmethylated Cs are converted to Ts. We have developed BS Seeker, an approach that converts the genome to a three-letter alphabet and uses Bowtie to align bisulfite-treated reads to a reference genome. It uses sequence tags to reduce mapping ambiguity. Post-processing of the alignments removes non-unique and low-quality mappings.

Results

We tested our aligner on synthetic data, a bisulfite-converted Arabidopsis library, and human libraries generated from two different experimental protocols. We evaluated the performance of our approach and compared it to other bisulfite aligners. The results demonstrate that among the aligners tested, BS Seeker is more versatile and faster. When mapping to the human genome, BS Seeker generates alignments significantly faster than RMAP and BSMAP. Furthermore, BS Seeker is the only alignment tool that can explicitly account for tags which are generated by certain library construction protocols.

Conclusions

BS Seeker provides fast and accurate mapping of bisulfite-converted reads. It can work with BS reads generated from the two different experimental protocols, and is able to efficiently map reads to large mammalian genomes. The Python program is freely available at http://pellegrini.mcdb.ucla.edu/BS_Seeker/BS_Seeker.html.
Identification of Type 2 Diabetes-associated combination of SNPs using Support Vector Machine
Authors: Ban Hyo-Jeong , Heo Jee Yeon , Oh Kyung-Soo , Park Keun-Joon
Published: April 2010

Background

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), a metabolic disorder characterized by insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency, is a complex disease of major public health importance. Its incidence is rapidly increasing in the developed countries. Complex diseases are caused by interactions between multiple genes and environmental factors. Most association studies aim to identify individual susceptibility single markers using a simple disease model. Recent studies are trying to estimate the effects of multiple genes and multi-locus in genome-wide association. However, estimating the effects of association is very difficult. We aim to assess the rules for classifying diseased and normal subjects by evaluating potential gene-gene interactions in the same or distinct biological pathways.

Results

We analyzed the importance of gene-gene interactions in T2D susceptibility by investigating 408 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 87 genes involved in major T2D-related pathways in 462 T2D patients and 456 healthy controls from the Korean cohort studies. We evaluated the support vector machine (SVM) method to differentiate between cases and controls using SNP information in a 10-fold cross-validation test. We achieved a 65.3% prediction rate with a combination of 14 SNPs in 12 genes by using the radial basis function (RBF)-kernel SVM. Similarly, we investigated subpopulation data sets of men and women and identified different SNP combinations with the prediction rates of 70.9% and 70.6%, respectively. As the high-throughput technology for genome-wide SNPs improves, it is likely that a much higher prediction rate with biologically more interesting combination of SNPs can be acquired by using this method.

Conclusions

Support Vector Machine based feature selection method in this research found novel association between combinations of SNPs and T2D in a Korean population.
Microcollinearity between autopolyploid sugarcane and diploid sorghum genomes
Authors: Wang Jianping , Roe Bruce , Macmil Simone , Yu Qingyi , Murray Jan E , Tang Haibao , Chen Cuixia , Najar Fares , Wiley Graham , Bowers John , Van Sluys Marie-Anne , Rokhsar Daniel S , Hudson Matthew E , Moose Stephen P , Paterson Andrew H , Ming Ray
Published: April 2010

Background

Sugarcane (Saccharumspp.) has become an increasingly important crop for its leading role in biofuel production. The high sugar content speciesS. officinarumis an octoploid without known diploid or tetraploid progenitors. Commercial sugarcane cultivars are hybrids betweenS. officinarumand wild speciesS. spontaneumwith ploidy at ~12×. The complex autopolyploid sugarcane genome has not been characterized at the DNA sequence level.

Results

The microsynteny between sugarcane and sorghum was assessed by comparing 454 pyrosequences of 20 sugarcane bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) with sorghum sequences. These 20 BACs were selected by hybridization of 1961 single copy sorghum overgo probes to the sugarcane BAC library with one sugarcane BAC corresponding to each of the 20 sorghum chromosome arms. The genic regions of the sugarcane BACs shared an average of 95.2% sequence identity with sorghum, and the sorghum genome was used as a template to order sequence contigs covering 78.2% of the 20 BAC sequences. About 53.1% of the sugarcane BAC sequences are aligned with sorghum sequence. The unaligned regions contain non-coding and repetitive sequences. Within the aligned sequences, 209 genes were annotated in sugarcane and 202 in sorghum. Seventeen genes appeared to be sugarcane-specific and all validated by sugarcane ESTs, while 12 appeared sorghum-specific but only one validated by sorghum ESTs. Twelve of the 17 sugarcane-specific genes have no match in the non-redundant protein database in GenBank, perhaps encoding proteins for sugarcane-specific processes. The sorghum orthologous regions appeared to have expanded relative to sugarcane, mostly by the increase of retrotransposons.

Conclusions

The sugarcane and sorghum genomes are mostly collinear in the genic regions, and the sorghum genome can be used as a template for assembling much of the genic DNA of the autopolyploid sugarcane genome. The comparable gene density between sugarcane BACs and corresponding sorghum sequences defied the notion that polyploidy species might have faster pace of gene loss due to the redundancy of multiple alleles at each locus.
Serum tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b activity as a prognostic marker of survival in breast cancer with bone metastasis
Authors: Wu Yi-Ying , Janckila Anthony J , Ku Chih-Hung , Yu Cheng-Ping , Yu Jyh-Cherng , Lee Su-Hui , Liu Hsin-Yi , Yam Lung T , Chao Tsu-Yi
Published: April 2010

Background

Serum tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRACP 5b) activity is a marker of osteoclast number and is elevated in breast cancer (BC) patients with extensive bone metastasis, which might in turn reflect the tumour burden. We tested the hypothesis that baseline serum TRACP 5b activity and its interval change are potential prognostic markers of survival in BC patients with bone metastasis.

Methods

We analyzed the data from previous prospective studies. A total of 100 patients with newly diagnosed bone metastasis were included. Cox proportional regression model was used to evaluate the correlation between the overall survival time (OS) and baseline serum TRACP 5b activity and its interval changes. The least significant change (LSC) of TRACP 5b was calculated from data obtained from 15 patients with early BC.

Results

Estrogen receptor status (Hazard Ratio (HR) = 0.397;p= 0.003) and visceral metastasis (HR = 0.492;p= 0.0045) were significantly correlated with OS. The OS was significantly shorter in those patients with higher baseline TRACP 5b activity based on a cut-off value to delineate the highest tertile (HR = 3.524;p< 0.0001). Further analysis demonstrated that among patients in the highest tertile, OS was significantly longer in those patients who had achieved a decrease of serum TRACP 5b activity greater than the LSC (38.59%) (p= 0.0015).

Conclusions

We found that TRACP 5b activity and its interval change after treatment bore a prognostic role in BC patients with bone metastasis and a high baseline serum TRACP 5b activity. Further prospective phase II study is necessary to confirm these results.
PRevalence of Abuse and Intimate Partner Violence Surgical Evaluation (P.R.A.I.S.E.): rationale and design of a multi-center cross-sectional study.
Authors:   PRAISE Investigators
Published: April 2010

Background

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is described by the American Medical Association as "a pattern of coercive behaviors that may include repeated battering and injury, psychological abuse, sexual assault, progressive social isolation, deprivation, and intimidation." The long-term consequences of IPV include health risks, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and staggering economic costs for health care of victims. Intimate partner violence is often underreported among women who seek medical attention. The current study seeks to address the issue of possible underreporting of IPV in orthopaedic fracture clinics by establishing prevalence rates of IPV among women seeking treatment for musculoskeletal injuries.

Methods/Design

We propose a cross-sectional multicenter study wherein 3,600 women will complete a self-reported written questionnaire across clinical sites in North America, Europe, and Australia. Recruitment of participants will take place at orthopaedic fracture clinics at each clinical site. The questionnaire will contain a validated set of questions used to screen for IPV, as well as questions that pertain to the participant's demographic, injury characteristics, and experiences with health care utilization. Female patients presenting to the orthopaedic fracture clinics will complete two validated self-reported written questionnaires (Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST) and the Partner Violence Screen (PVS)) to determine the prevalence of IPV in the past 12 months and in their lifetime. The two questionnaires were designed for rapid assessment of IPV status in emergency departments, family practice, and women's health clinics that we believe are similar to our intended setting of an orthopaedic clinic.

Discussion

If the prevalence of IPV among women attending orthopaedic clinics is greater than the current perceptions of orthopaedic surgeons, this study will serve to advocate for the continued education of medical professionals to better recognize probable IPV cases and offer existing services to enhance the care of these patients.
Doxorubicin and etoposide sensitize small cell lung carcinoma cells expressing caspase-8 to TRAIL
Authors: Vaculova Alena , Kaminskyy Vitaliy , Jalalvand Elham , Surova Olga , Zhivotovsky Boris
Published: April 2010

Background

TRAIL is considered as a promising anti-cancer agent, because of its ability to induce apoptosis in cancer but not in most normal cells. However, growing evidence exist that many cancer cells are resistant to its apoptotic effects. SCLC is a typical example of tumor entity where TRAIL monotherapy is not efficient.

Results

We demonstrated that doxorubicin and etoposide markedly sensitized SCLC cells expressing caspase-8 to apoptotic effects of TRAIL. The drug-mediated sensitization of these cells was associated with increase of surface and total DR5 protein level, specific cleavage of cFLIPL, decrease of cFLIPS level, and a strong activation of caspase-8. The involvement of mitochondria-mediated pathway was demonstrated by enhanced Bid cleavage, Bax activation, and cytochrome c release. Activation of caspase-8 induced by combined treatment was shown to occur upstream of mitochondria and effector caspases.

Conclusions

Our results highlight significant applicability of doxorubicin and etoposide in sensitization of SCLC cells expressing caspase-8 to treatment with TRAIL.
Indoor insect allergens are potent inducers of experimental eosinophilic esophagitis in mice
Authors: Rayapudi Madhavi , Mavi Parm , Zhu Xiang , Pandey Akhilesh K , Abonia J Pablo , Rothenberg Marc E , Mishra Anil
Published: April 2010

Indoor insect allergens can induce EE providing a potential link to clinical observations where EE patients are often sensitized to indoor insect allergens.

EE is an emerging disease reported in children and adults of urbanized countries, where indoor insect allergens are major health risk factors. Review of our hospital patient database uncovered that a number of EE patients have hypersensitivity to indoor cat, dog, cockroach, and dust mite allergens. We tested the hypothesis whether inhaled indoor insect allergens are effective inducers of experimental EE. We delivered cat, dog, cockroach, and dust mite allergen extracts intranasally to wild-type and eotaxin-1/2-, CCR3-, and IL-5-deficient mice. Interestingly, wild-type mice exposed to cockroach or dust mite allergens develop a significant increase in the levels of esophageal eosinophils and mast cells compared with saline-challenged mice. The eosinophil numbers in the esophagus of cockroach- and dust mite-exposed mice were 18.3 ± 6.8/mm2 and 33.4 ± 11.1/mm2 compared with 2.3 ± 1.8/mm2 and 2.1 ± 1.2/mm2 in saline-challenged mice. Additionally, we observed an additive effect of these two allergens in inducing esophageal eosinophilia and mastocytosis. Histopathological analysis detected intraepithelial esophageal eosinophilia in mice exposed to both allergens. Furthermore, mice exposed to cockroach and/or dust mite had increased levels of total IgE and antigen-specific IgG1 in the blood and increased esophageal expression of eosinophil-active cytokines (IL-13) and chemokines (eotaxin-1). Notably, mice deficient in eotaxin-1/2, CCR3, and IL-5 showed ablated esophageal eosinophilia following cockroach or dust mite allergen exposure. These data indicate that indoor insect allergens are potent inducers of IL-5 and eotaxin-mediated esophageal eosinophilia. These experimental studies are in accordance with clinical data but may have some limitations inherent to animal models of human disease.
Stochastic inversion of prestack seismic data using fractal-based initial models
Authors: Srivastava R. P. , Sen M. K.
Published: April 2010

In general, inversion algorithms rely on good starting models to produce realistic earth models. A new method, based on a fractional Gaussian distribution derived from the statistical parameters of available well logs to generate realistic initial models, uses fractal theory to generate these models. When such fractal-based initial models estimate P- and S-impedance profiles in a prestack stochastic inversion of seismic angle gathers, very fast simulated annealing — a global optimization method — finds the minimum of an objective function that minimizes data misfit and honors the statistics derived from well logs. The new stochastic inversion method addresses frequencies missing because of band limitation of the wavelet; it combines the low- and high-frequency variation from well logs with seismic data. This method has been implemented successfully using real prestack seismic data, and results have been compared with deterministic inversion. Models derived by a deterministic inversion are devoid of high-frequency variations in the well log; however, models derived by stochastic inversion reveal high-frequency variations that are consistent with seismic and well-log data.
Multi-objective evolutionary optimization of polynomial neural networks for fatigue life modelling and prediction of unidirectional carbon-fibre-reinforced plastics composites
Authors: Salmalian K , Nariman-Zadeh N , Gharababei H , Haftchenari H , Varvani-Farahani A
Published: April 2010

In this article, evolutionary algorithms (EAs) are employed for multi-objective Pareto optimum design of group method data handling (GMDH)-type neural networks that have been used for fatigue life modelling and prediction of unidirectional (UD) carbon-fibre-reinforced plastics (CFRP) composites using input—output experimental data. The input parameters used for such modelling are stress ratio, cyclic strain energy, fibre orientation angle, maximum stress, and failure stress level in one cycle. In this way, EAs with a new encoding scheme are first presented for evolutionary design of the generalized GMDH-type neural networks, in which the connectivity configurations in such networks are not limited to adjacent layers. Second, multi-objective EAs with a new diversity preserving mechanism are used for Pareto optimization of such GMDH-type neural networks. The important conflicting objectives of GMDH-type neural networks that are considered in this work are training error (TE), prediction error (PE), and number of neurons ( N). Different pairs of these objective functions are selected for two-objective optimization processes. Therefore, optimal Pareto fronts of such models are obtained in each case, which exhibit the trade-offs between the corresponding pair of conflicting objectives and, thus, provide different non-dominated optimal choices of GMDH-type neural network model for fatigue life of UD CFRP composites. Moreover, all the three objectives are considered in a three-objective optimization process, which consequently leads to some more non-dominated choices of GMDH-type models representing the trade-offs among the TE, PE, and N (complexity of network), simultaneously. The comparison graphs of these Pareto fronts also show that the three-objective results include those of the two-objective results and, thus, provide more optimal choices for the multi-objective design of GMDH-type neural networks.
The effect of natural rubber particle inclusions on the mechanical and damping properties of epoxy-filled glass fibre composites
Authors: Ravi Sankar H , Vamsi Krishna P , Bhujanga Rao V , Bangaru Babu P
Published: April 2010

Vibration damping is proving important for improved vibration and noise control, dynamic stability, fatigue, and impact resistance in advanced engineering systems. In the present work, the effect of natural rubber particle inclusions on the mechanical and damping properties of epoxy-filled glass fibre composites is investigated. Test specimens are fabricated with inclusion of natural rubber particles of different sizes and tested for tensile strength, tensile modulus, flexural strength, and flexural modulus. These mechanical properties are influenced by the size of the rubber particle inclusions. Vibration tests are carried out and damping ratio is calculated. It is observed that damping ratio varies with inclusion of natural rubber particles and that 0.25mm particle inclusions improve damping better than other selected particle sizes without greatly affecting the stiffness in the case of cantilever beams and fixed free plates.
The real quadrangle of type E
6
Authors: Kurth Torsten , Gramlich Ralf , Kramer Linus
Published: April 2010

Based on the first author's diploma thesis [Kurth, On a real form of E
6 and its related generalized quadrangle, 2000] we use the theories of Lie groups and of Tits buildings in order to describe a Veronese embedding of the real quadrangle of type E
6, i.e., the C
2 sub-building of the complex E
6 building corresponding to the real form E
6(–14) of the semisimple complex Lie group of type E
6.
The case of equality for an inverse Santaló functional inequality
Authors: Fradelizi M. , Gordon Y. , Meyer M. , Reisner S.
Published: April 2010

Let be a log-concave function such that ƒ(x
1, . . . , x

n
) = ƒ(|x
1|, . . . , |x

n
|) for every and . It was proved in [Fradelizi, Meyer, Positivity 12: 407–420, 2008] and [Fradelizi, Meyer, Adv. Math. 218: 1430–1452, 2008] that if for , , then

We characterize here the case of equality: one has P(ƒ) = 4
n
if and only if ƒ can be written as

ƒ (x
1, x
2) = e
−‖x
1‖K
1

1

K
2
(x
2),

where and , n
1 + n
2 = n, are unconditional convex bodies such that , i = 1, 2, where denotes the polar of Ki
. These last bodies were characterized in [Meyer, Israel J. Math. 55: 317–326, 1986] and [Reisner, J. London Math. Soc. 36: 126–136, 1987].
Rank four vector bundles without theta divisor over a curve of genus two
Authors: Pauly Christian
Published: April 2010

We show that the locus of stable rank four vector bundles without theta divisor over a smooth projective curve of genus two is in canonical bijection with the set of theta-characteristics. We give several descriptions of these bundles and compute the degree of the rational theta map.
Effect of Self‐Efficacy and Social Support on Adherence to Antihypertensive Drugs
Authors: Criswell Thomas J. , Weber Cynthia A. , Xu Yinghui , Carter Barry L.
Published: April 2010

Study Objective. To determine the relationship between poor adherence and self‐efficacy or social support after a pharmacist intervention.

Design. Post‐hoc analysis of data from two randomized controlled trials of physician‐pharmacist collaborative interventions (6 and 9 mo, respectively) to improve blood pressure control.

Setting. Eleven university‐affiliated primary care clinics.

Patients. Five hundred eighty‐four patients (aged 21–85 yrs) with uncontrolled primary hypertension; 296 were in the intervention group and 288 were in the control group.

Intervention. Pharmacists provided intensified hypertension management and drug adherence counseling to patients in the intervention group.

Measurements and Main Results. Social support and self‐efficacy questionnaires were administered at baseline and end‐of‐study visits. Patient adherence was monitored by using the Morisky self‐reported adherence questionnaire. Self‐reported adherence scores improved significantly in the control group (p=0.0053) but not in the intervention group; however, adherence at baseline in both groups was high. There were small, but significant, improvements in self‐efficacy (p<0.04) and social support (p<0.05) scores in the intervention group but not the control group at the end of the study. Social support and, to a lesser extent, self‐efficacy improved as a function of duration of study participation (9–mo vs 6–mo intervention), regardless of whether the patient received the intervention. Blood pressure control in both groups improved significantly at the end of the study; however, mean blood pressure was significantly lower in the intervention group (129.7/76.6 mm Hg) compared with the control group (140.8/78.9 mm Hg; p<0.0001 for systolic, p=0.032 for diastolic).

Conclusion. Social support and self‐efficacy improved significantly in the intervention group at the end of the pharmacist intervention. Drug adherence was correlated with self‐efficacy even though drug adherence did not improve significantly in the intervention group. The fact that social support and self‐efficacy improved as a function of duration of study participation suggests that participation in a research study may have had a positive influence on these measures. Even though the changes in social support, self‐efficacy and drug adherence were modest, there was significantly better blood pressure control in the intervention group compared with the control group. These findings indicate that changes in drug adherence, self‐efficacy or social support probably played a minor role in the blood pressure outcomes in these studies.
Plerixafor: A Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Mobilizer
Authors: Kessans Mika R. , Gatesman Mandy L. , Kockler Denise R.
Published: April 2010

Autologous hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation is a treatment strategy for restoring normal hematopoietic function in patients with select hematologic malignancies. The number of CD34+ cells available for transplantation has been reported to be the strongest predictor of transplantation success, as measured by rapid and durable hematopoietic recovery. Currently granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor (G‐CSF) alone or G‐CSF plus chemotherapy are the most commonly used methods for stem cell mobilization. Unfortunately 5–30% of patients do not respond to these agents. Plerixafor is a new HSC mobilizing drug that antagonizes the binding of chemokine stromal‐cell‐derived factor‐1a (SDF‐1α) to CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4). It is indicated in combination with G‐CSF to mobilize HSC to the peripheral blood for collection and subsequent autologous transplantation in patients with non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and multiple myeloma (MM). Results of clinical trials have shown that plerixafor plus G‐CSF allow for the collection of a high yield of HSC with fewer apheresis sessions in patients with NHL and MM. Plerixafor has also shown promising results in small studies enrolling patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma. Moreover, for patients who fail G‐CSF mobilization alone, plerixafor with G‐CSF may be useful as a salvage mobilization strategy. Overall, plerixafor has been generally well tolerated with adverse effects classified as mild to moderate. The most common adverse effects reported in randomized clinical trials were injection site reactions and diarrhea, with approximately 33% of patients experiencing these effects. To our knowledge, clinical trials comparing G‐CSF plus plerixafor with G‐CSF plus chemotherapy and cost‐effectiveness analyses have not been published; therefore, questions remain regarding the optimal role of plerixafor in the clinical practice setting.
Clevidipine: A Short‐Acting Intravenous Dihydropyridine Calcium Channel Blocker for the Management of Hypertension
Authors: Erickson Abbie L. , DeGrado Jeremy R. , Fanikos John R.
Published: April 2010

Drugs used to acutely lower blood pressure have specific indications and precautions for use. Clevidipine is a third‐generation parenteral dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker that received United States Food and Drug Administration approval in August 2008 for blood pressure reduction when oral therapy is not feasible or desirable. Formulated as an injectable oil‐in‐water emulsion, the drug is a short‐acting arterial‐selective vasodilator. Clinical efficacy and safety trials of clevidipine have primarily focused on blood pressure management during cardiac surgery and in patients with acute severe hypertension (in intensive care units and emergency departments). In phase III trials, clevidipine demonstrated efficacy in blood pressure lowering, with a relatively low occurrence of adverse events. Reflex tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, and acute renal failure were observed in these studies and merit additional analysis. The lack of specific clinical outcomes documenting improved morbidity and mortality rates as compared with other agents, the small numbers of treated patients, and concerns regarding the lipid formulation necessitate further investigation to help define the therapeutic role of clevidipine.
Treatment Options for Hepatic Encephalopathy
Authors: Schiano Thomas D.
Published: April 2010

Few formal treatment guidelines exist for managing hepatic encephalopathy. The nonabsorbable disaccharide, lactulose, is considered the first‐line therapeutic agent for treating hepatic encephalopathy. Acidification of the gastrointestinal tract is the principal mechanism by which the drug inhibits production of ammonia by coliform bacteria. Elevated ammonia levels are seen in more than 80% of patients with hepatic encephalopathy. Systemic antibiotics, primarily neomycin, have also been employed to reduce bacterial production of ammonia, but associated adverse events limit their use in patients with hepatic encephalopathy. The semisynthetic, nonsystemic antibiotic, rifaximin, was approved in March 2010 by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of overt hepatic encephalopathy. Rifaximin decreases intestinal production and absorption of ammonia by altering gastrointestinal flora and is almost completely excreted unchanged in the feces. Rifaximin has been effective in improving behavioral, laboratory, mental, and intellectual abnormalities in patients with hepatic encephalopathy. The drug was compared with lactulose in well‐designed clinical studies in patients with hepatic encephalopathy. Rifaximin was generally found to be equal or superior to lactulose in these studies. Although dosages have varied, most medical centers use a dosage of rifaximin 400 mg 3 times/day for hepatic encephalopathy. Recent clinical trials have used 550 mg twice/day in order to improve patient compliance. Additional clinical trials are being undertaken to further define the efficacy and safety of rifaximin in hepatic encephalopathy.
Factors Affecting Compliance and Persistence with Treatment for Hepatic Encephalopathy
Authors: Neff Guy
Published: April 2010

Noncompliance with treatment protocols produces an increased burden on the health care system. Reports show that 23% of annual admissions to nursing homes in the United States (380,000 patients) are due to noncompliance, resulting in overall costs of over $31 billion. More than 10% of all patients (3.5 million) are hospitalized each year due to complications related to noncompliance, with over $15 billion spent. In addition, nearly half of the 2 billion prescriptions filled each year are not taken correctly. Patients with cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy who are prescribed lactulose experience a greater frequency of adverse effects, require more hospitalizations, and suffer more disease recurrence than those prescribed rifaximin.
Treatment Guidelines for Hepatic Encephalopathy
Authors: Thompson J. Richard
Published: April 2010

Practice guidelines for hepatic encephalopathy were developed and published in 2001 for overall management in adults. Hepatic encephalopathy is caused by nitrogenous substances from the gastrointestinal tract that adversely affect brain function. Hepatic encephalopathy is a diagnosis of exclusion. The West Haven criteria are recommended for staging the disease. Treatment goals are providing supportive care, identifying and removing precipitating factors, reducing nitrogenous load, and assessing long‐term therapy needs. Data from some trials published before 2001 are not included in the guidelines. In addition, since the publication of the guidelines, new data have become available regarding treatment interventions and outcomes. Newer, nonabsorbed agents, such as rifaximin, alone or in conjunction with lactulose, may enhance compliance and adherence with therapy, and provide better treatment outcomes. New updated practice guidelines need to be developed for hepatic encephalopathy, along with treatment algorithms for patients with both minimal hepatic encephalopathy and overt hepatic encephalopathy. Key Words: hepatic encephalopathy, practice guidelines, lactulose, rifaximin.