bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Performance characterization of microtomography with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor detectors for computer-aided defect inspection
Authors: Kim Ho Kyung , Yun Seungman , Han Jong Chul , Youn Hanbean , Cho Min Kook , Lim Chang Hwy , Heo Sung Kyn , Shon Cheol-Soon , Kim Seong-Sik , Cho Bong Hae , Achterkirchen Thorsten Graeve
Published: May 2009

We developed a computer-aided defect inspection system based on computed tomography (CT). The system consists of a homemade small cone-beam CT (CBCT) system and a graphical toolbox, which is used to extract a computer-aided design (CAD) model from the CT data. In the small CBCT system, the x-ray imaging detector is based on a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor photodiode array in conjunction with a scintillator. Imaging performance of the detector was evaluated in terms of modulation-transfer function, noise-power spectrum, and detective quantum efficiency. The tomographic imaging performance of the small CBCT system was evaluated in terms of signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio. The graphical toolbox to support defect inspection incorporates various functional tools such as volume rendering, segmentation, triangular-mesh data generation, and data reduction. All the tools have been integrated in a graphical-user interface form. The developed system can provide rapid visual inspection as well as quantitative evaluation of defects by comparing the extracted CAD file with the original file, if available, of an object. The performance of the developed system is demonstrated with experimental CT volume data.
Plastic deformation of solid hydrogen in fusion targets
Authors: Kozioziemski B. J. , Kucheyev S. O. , Lugten J. B. , Koch J. A. , Moody J. D. , Chernov A. A. , Mapoles E. A. , Hamza A. V. , Atherton L. J.
Published: May 2009

Current baseline designs of ignitable inertial confinement fusion targets require smooth layers of solid hydrogen held at a few degrees below the melting temperature on the inner surface of thin-walled spherical capsules. The initially smooth solid/vapor interface of a presumably single crystalline (hexagonal closed packed) hydrogen layer grown from melt develops undesirable roughness on cooling. We attribute such roughness to plastic deformation relieving thermal-contraction-induced elastic stresses. In particular, we identify two major contributors to roughness: surface bands of the basal slip systems and thermal grooves formed on deformation-produced low-angle grain boundaries. These findings have important implications for designing strategies aimed at controlling uniformity of the hydrogen fuel layer in fusion targets.
Mechanism of surface magnetization by friction of ferromagnetic materials
Authors: Mishina H. , Hase A. , Nakase T. , Dohi M.
Published: May 2009

Experiments showed that in the absence of an external magnetic field, the ferromagnetic materials Ni and Co undergo spontaneous magnetization of their frictional sliding surfaces as a result of tribological actions such as friction and wear. The magnetization phenomenon on the sliding surface was confirmed by measurements of the magnetic flux density and measurements of magnetic forces with a magnetic force microscopy. The mechanism of spontaneous magnetization by tribological action (tribomagnetization) is discussed in relation to the formation of elemental wear debris with a size of a few tens of nanometers, a size that is of the same order as that of a single magnetic domain particle, and of transfer particles that are formed by accumulation of debris adhering to the sliding surface in tribological processes.
Cell-line-dependent sorting of recombinant phytase in cell cultures of Medicago truncatula
Authors: González-Melendi Pablo , Pires Ana Sofia , Abranches Rita
Published: May 2009

Plant cell cultures as platforms for recombinant protein production are favoured over other systems because they combine the benefits of plants (low cost of production, low biosecurity risk, conserved post-translational modifications) with those of controlled cell cultures. However, many factors that affect the correct synthesis and accumulation of the recombinant product still need to be determined; in particular, the trafficking route of the recombinant proteins is poorly understood. Suspension cell cultures of Medicago truncatula Gaertn. have been shown to offer a viable and highly efficient system for the production of a model glycoprotein – phytase from the fungus Aspergillus niger Tiegh. The present study investigated subcellular protein sorting by immunogold detection of recombinant phytase with an electron microscope in four independent Medicago cell cultures expressing phytase. Two lines contained a C-terminal KDEL targeting signal for retention in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and the other two did not and were expected to travel through the secretory route; a high and low expressor were examined for each variant of the protein. A differential subcellular location of phytase was found in the four transgenic lines studied. These differences account not only for the version of the recombinant protein (secreted or retained in the ER), but also for the different expression levels.
Recognition events and host–pathogen co-evolution in gene-for-gene resistance to flax rust
Authors: Dodds Peter , Thrall Peter
Published: May 2009

The outcome of infection of individual plants by pathogenic organisms is governed by complex interactions between the host and pathogen. These interactions are the result of long-term co-evolutionary processes involving selection and counterselection between plants and their pathogens. These processes are ongoing, and occur at many spatio-temporal scales, including genes and gene products, cellular interactions within host individuals, and the dynamics of host and pathogen populations. However, there are few systems in which host–pathogen interactions have been studied across these broad scales. In this review, we focus on research to elucidate the structure and function of plant resistance and pathogen virulence genes in the flax-flax rust interaction, and also highlight complementary co-evolutionary studies of a related wild plant–pathogen interaction. The confluence of these approaches is beginning to shed new light on host–pathogen molecular co-evolution in natural environments.
Identification of small subunits of mammalian serine palmitoyltransferase that confer distinct acyl-CoA substrate specificities
Authors: Han Gongshe , Gupta Sita D. , Gable Kenneth , Niranjanakumari Somashekarappa , Moitra Prasun , Eichler Florian , Brown Robert H. , Harmon Jeffrey M. , Dunn Teresa M.
Published: May 2009

Serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT) catalyzes the first committed step in sphingolipid biosynthesis. In yeast, SPT is composed of a heterodimer of 2 highly-related subunits, Lcb1p and Lcb2p, and a third subunit, Tsc3p, which increases enzyme activity markedly and is required for growth at elevated temperatures. Higher eukaryotic orthologs of Lcb1p and Lcb2p have been identified, but SPT activity is not highly correlated with coexpression of these subunits and no ortholog of Tsc3p has been identified. Here, we report the discovery of 2 proteins, ssSPTa and ssSPTb, which despite sharing no homology with Tsc3p, each substantially enhance the activity of mammalian SPT expressed in either yeast or mammalian cells and therefore define an evolutionarily conserved family of low molecular weight proteins that confer full enzyme activity. The 2 ssSPT isoforms share a conserved hydrophobic central domain predicted to reside in the membrane, and each interacts with both hLCB1 and hLCB2 as assessed by positive split ubiquitin 2-hybrid analysis. The presence of these small subunits, along with 2 hLCB2 isofoms, suggests that there are 4 distinct human SPT isozymes. When each SPT isozyme was expressed in either yeast or CHO LyB cells lacking endogenous SPT activity, characterization of their in vitro enzymatic activities, and long-chain base (LCB) profiling revealed differences in acyl-CoA preference that offer a potential explanation for the observed diversity of LCB seen in mammalian cells.
Multiple dimensions of relatedness among words
Authors: Pastizzo Matthew John , Feldman Laurie Beth
Published: May 2009

Words can be similar with respect to form (viz., spelling, pronunciation), meaning, or both form and meaning. In three lexical decision experiments (48 ms forward masked, 116 ms, and 250 ms SOAs), targets (e.g., FLOAT) followed prime words related by form only (e.g., COAT), meaning only (e.g., SWIM), or form and meaning (e.g., BOAT). BOAT–FLOAT and SWIM–FLOAT type pairs showed reduced target decision latencies relative to unrelated controls when primes were unmasked, but not when they were masked, and the magnitude of facilitation increased with increasing prime duration. By contrast, COAT–FLOAT type pairs produced significant inhibition at the shorter two prime durations. In all three experiments, including at the shortest SOA, (BOAT–FLOAT) pairs that shared form and meaning differed from COAT–FLOAT type pairs that shared only form. We discuss the similarity of the BOAT–FLOAT pattern to that of morphological facilitation and argue that if the same mechanism underlies both outcomes then activation of a shared morphemic representation need not underlie morphological facilitation.
Short article: Is morphological decomposition limited to low-frequency words?
Authors: McCormick Samantha F. , Brysbaert Marc , Rastle Kathleen
Published: May 2009

On the basis of data from masked priming experiments, it has been argued that an automatic process of decomposition is applied to all morphologically structured stimuli, irrespective of their lexical characteristics (Rastle, Davis, & New, 2004). So far, this claim has been tested only with respect to low-frequency primes and nonword primes. This is a limitation because some models of morphological processing postulate that only high-frequency complex words are recognized as whole forms. Thus, a more stringent test would be to determine whether high-frequency complex words also show evidence of masked priming. We report an experiment that compares masked-priming effects observed when the primes constitute morphologically structured nonwords (e.g., alarmer–ALARM), low-frequency words with a mean frequency of 2 per million (e.g., notional–NOTION), and high-frequency words with a mean frequency of 60 per million (e.g., national–NATION). These three conditions yielded significant and equivalent effects, lending strong support to the notion of a routine form of decomposition that is applied to all morphologically structured stimuli.
Short article: Priming by the mean representation of a set
Authors: Marchant Alexander P. , de Fockert Jan W.
Published: May 2009

Recent evidence suggests that sets of similar objects can be represented in terms of their statistical parameters, such as mean size. Observers are more likely to indicate that a probe item was part of a previously presented set of items when the probe has the same size as the mean size of the set than when it has the same size as one of the set members (e.g., Ariely, 2001). Here we provide further evidence for set representation by statistical properties, by showing priming by the mean size of a set of circles. Observers were presented with a set of circles followed by a degraded outline of a single target circle and were asked to judge the contrast of the target. Target contrast was reported to be significantly higher when the target circle had the same size as the mean size of the preceding set of circles than when it had the same size as one of the members of the preceding set. These findings show that conceptual priming by a summary description can be stronger than exact repetition priming.
Response to an Education Program for Parents About Adult Pertussis Vaccination
Authors: Tam Pui-Ying Iroh , Visintainer Paul , Fisher Donna
Published: May 2009

We designed a prospective study to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention designed to increase awareness and knowledge of pertussis among parents and grandparents of newborns. We also evaluated its effect on their willingness to receive the tetanus toxoid-diphtheria toxoid-acellular pertussis vaccine. There was a statistically significant (P < .05) increase in participants' knowledge about pertussis and in their willingness to receive vaccination after our education program. However, follow-up several months after participants underwent the intervention revealed that only 12 (8%) of 150 participants had been vaccinated.
DASMI: exchanging, annotating and assessing molecular interaction data
Authors: Blankenburg Hagen , Finn Robert D. , Prlić Andreas , Jenkinson Andrew M. , Ramírez Fidel , Emig Dorothea , Schelhorn Sven-Eric , Büch Joachim , Lengauer Thomas , Albrecht Mario
Published: May 2009

Motivation: Ever increasing amounts of biological interaction data are being accumulated worldwide, but they are currently not readily accessible to the biologist at a single site. New techniques are required for retrieving, sharing and presenting data spread over the Internet.

Results: We introduce the DASMI system for the dynamic exchange, annotation and assessment of molecular interaction data. DASMI is based on the widely used Distributed Annotation System (DAS) and consists of a data exchange specification, web servers for providing the interaction data and clients for data integration and visualization. The decentralized architecture of DASMI affords the online retrieval of the most recent data from distributed sources and databases. DASMI can also be extended easily by adding new data sources and clients. We describe all DASMI components and demonstrate their use for protein and domain interactions.

Availability: The DASMI tools are available at http://www.dasmi.de/ and http://ipfam.sanger.ac.uk/graph. The DAS registry and the DAS 1.53E specification is found at http://www.dasregistry.org/.

Contact:  mario.albrecht@mpi-inf.mpg.de

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data and all figures in color are available at Bioinformatics online.
Evaluating reproducibility of differential expression discoveries in microarray studies by considering correlated molecular changes
Authors: Zhang Min , Zhang Lin , Zou Jinfeng , Yao Chen , Xiao Hui , Liu Qing , Wang Jing , Wang Dong , Wang Chenguang , Guo Zheng
Published: May 2009

Motivation: According to current consistency metrics such as percentage of overlapping genes (POG), lists of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) detected from different microarray studies for a complex disease are often highly inconsistent. This irreproducibility problem also exists in other high-throughput post-genomic areas such as proteomics and metabolism. A complex disease is often characterized with many coordinated molecular changes, which should be considered when evaluating the reproducibility of discovery lists from different studies.

Results: We proposed metrics percentage of overlapping genes-related (POGR) and normalized POGR (nPOGR) to evaluate the consistency between two DEG lists for a complex disease, considering correlated molecular changes rather than only counting gene overlaps between the lists. Based on microarray datasets of three diseases, we showed that though the POG scores for DEG lists from different studies for each disease are extremely low, the POGR and nPOGR scores can be rather high, suggesting that the apparently inconsistent DEG lists may be highly reproducible in the sense that they are actually significantly correlated. Observing different discovery results for a disease by the POGR and nPOGR scores will obviously reduce the uncertainty of the microarray studies. The proposed metrics could also be applicable in many other high-throughput post-genomic areas.

Contact:  guoz@ems.hrbmu.edu.cn

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Ulla: a program for calculating environment-specific amino acid substitution tables
Authors: Lee Semin , Blundell Tom L.
Published: May 2009

Summary: Amino acid residues are under various kinds of local environmental restraints, which influence substitution patterns. Ulla,1 a program for calculating environment-specific substitution tables, reads protein sequence alignments and local environment annotations. The program produces a substitution table for every possible combination of environment features. Sparse data is handled using an entropy-based smoothing procedure to estimate robust substitution probabilities.

Availability: The Ruby source code is available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial License along with additional documentation from http://www-cryst.bioc.cam.ac.uk/ulla.

Contact:  semin@cryst.bioc.cam.ac.uk

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
1-Chloro-2-(4-phenylpiperazin-1-yl)ethanone
Authors: Xu Yong-Ji , Jing Fei
Published: May 2009

The title compound, C12H15ClN2O, is a piperazine derivative with the potential for use as a starting material for pharmaceutial and agrochemical applications. The structure is stabilized by C—H...O hydrogen bonds, C—H...π interactions and π–π stacking interactions [centroid–centroid distance = is 4.760 (2) Å].
4,4′-(Anthracene-9,10-diyl)dibenzoic acid dimethylformamide disolvate
Authors: Li Hong , Wang Zhi-Qiang , Yang Liu-Zhi , Liu Yan-Qi , Mao Duo-Bin
Published: May 2009

In the title compound, C28H18O4·2C3H7NO, the dihedral angle between the benzene rings and the anthracene system is 74.05 (12)°. A crystallographic inversion centre is located in the middle of the anthracene unit. The dimethylformamide solvent molecules are partially disordered over two positions of approximately equal occupancy [0.529 (6):0.471 (6)]. Intermolecular O—H...O hydrogen bonds with the major occupancy formamide O atom as acceptor result in the formation of 2:1 solvate–complex aggregates, which are alternately linked to shorter solvate unitsviaweak intermolecular C—H...O contacts generated from the rotational disorder of the formamide O atom (minor occupancy component). Weak C—H...π interactions between the solvent molecules as the donor and the outer anthracene rings support these contacts in the crystal structure for both disorder components.
2,3-O-Isopropylidene-1-O-p-tolylsulfonylglycerol
Authors: Kuś Piotr , Rojkiewicz Marcin , Zięba Grzegorz , Jones Peter G.
Published: May 2009

In the title compound, C13H18O5S, the five-membered ring has an envelope conformation. The packing involves four C—H...O interactions, three of which combine to form layers of molecules parallel to thebcplane.
Deacetyl tenuazonic acid
Authors: Siegel David , Koch Matthias , Emmerling Franziska , Nehls Irene
Published: May 2009

The heterocycle in the title compound {systematic name: (5S)-5-[(1S)-1-methylpropyl]pyrrolidine-2,4-dione}, C8H13NO2, is planar (r.m.s. deviation for all non-H atoms = 0.008 Å). The crystal structure is stabilized by N—H...O hydrogen bonding.
N-(2-Hydroxyethyl)-1,8-naphthalimide
Authors: Sun Jie , Yuan Ai-lin , Wang Hai-Bo , Sun Jie
Published: May 2009

In the molecule of the title compound, C14H11NO3, the naphthalimide ring system is nearly planar (r.m.s. deviation 0.0139 Å). In the crystal structure, intermolecular O—H...O hydrogen bonds link the molecules into centrosymmetric dimers formingR22(14) ring motifs. π–π contacts between the naphthalimide rings [centroid–centroid distances = 3.648 (3), 3.783 (3), 3.635 (3), 3.722 (3) and 3.755 (3) Å] may further stabilize the structure.
2-(Benzenesulfonamido)pyridinium nitrate
Authors: Li Jiang-Sheng , Li Xun
Published: May 2009

In the title compound, C11H11N2O2S+·NO3−, the dihedral angle between the benzene and pyridinium rings is 87.59 (8)°. An intramolecular C—H...O interaction occurs in the cation. In the crystal structure, ion pairs occur, being linked by two strong N—H...O interactions, formingR22(8) loops. The packing is further stabilized by weak C—H...O interactions.
2-[(E)-(2-Aminophenyl)iminomethyl]-5-(dimethylamino)phenol
Authors: Yu Yan-Hong , Qian Kun
Published: May 2009

The molecule of the title compound, C17H21N3O, displays atransconfiguration with respect to the C=N double bond. The dihedral angle between the planes of the two benzene rings is 50.96 (11)° and a strong intramolecular O—H...N hydrogen bond is present. An intermolecular N—H...O hydrogen-bonding interaction stabilizes the crystal structure.
3-(1-Adamantyl)-6-methyl-3-(3-methylbenzyl)isochroman-1-one
Authors: Babjaková Eva , Nečas Marek , Vícha Robert
Published: May 2009

In the title compound, C28H32O2, the oxanone ring adopts distorted half-boat conformation with the following Cremer and Pople puckering parameters:Q= 0.619 (2) Å,θ= 0.75 (19) andφ= 172 (13)°. The dihedral angle betwen two benzene rings is 21.32 (7)°. The adamantane unit consists of three fused cyclohexane rings in classical chair conformations, with absolute values of C—C—C—C torsion angles in the range 57.5 (2)–60.9 (2)°. Weak interactions of the type C—H...O link molecules of each enantiomer into chains parallel to thebaxis and lying about inversion centers. The crystal packing is also stabilized by intermolecular π-π stacking interactions [centroid–centroid distance of 3.8566 (11) Å].
Bis{μ-1,3-bis[(benzimidazol-1-yl)methyl]benzene-κ2N3:N3′}bis[dichloridozinc(II)] dimethylformamide disolvate
Authors: Zhao Li-Zhen , Li Ping , Cao Bao-Liang , Ng Seik Weng
Published: May 2009

In the title compound, [Zn2Cl4(C22H18N4)2]·2C3H7NO, the 1,3-bis[(benzimidazol-1-yl)methyl]benzene ligand bridges two ZnCl2units, forming a centrosymmetric dinuclear molecule. The ZnIIatom shows a distorted tetrahedral coordination within a Cl2N2donor set.
O-Methyl cyclolaudenol
Authors: Hussain Nisar , Habib-ur-Rehman  , Parvez Masood
Published: May 2009

The title compound (systematic name: 3-methoxy-24-methyl-9,19-cyclolanost-25-ene), C32H54O, is a triterpenoid which has been isolated fromSkimmia laureola. The three six-membered rings adopt chair, slightly distorted half-chair and distorted boat conformations, and the five-membered ring adopts an envelope conformation. All the rings aretransfused.
4-Hydroxybenzoic acid–1H-imidazole (1/1)
Authors: Wang Wei , Liu Bang-Wei , Liu Jing , Ren Rui
Published: May 2009

In the title 1:1 adduct, C7H6O3·C3H4N2, the crystal packing features π–π stacking interactions [centroid–centroid distances = 3.799 (2) and 3.753 (1) Å] as well as N—H...(O,O) O—H...O and C—H...O hydrogen bonds.
2-Acetonyl-2-hydroxyindan-1,3-dione
Authors: Fun Hoong-Kun , Quah Ching Kheng , Parveen Mehtab , Ghalib Raza Murad , Mehdi Sayed Hasan
Published: May 2009

In the title compound, C12H10O4, the five-membered ring adopts an envelope conformation, with the Csp3atom at the flap [deviation = 0.145 (2) Å]. In the crystal structure, molecules are linked by intermolecular O—H...O and C—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming a three-dimensional network.
[(1R,3S)-3-(1,3-Dithian-2-yl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropyl]diphenylmethanol
Authors: Na Risong , Wang Min
Published: May 2009

In the title compound, C22H26OS2, prepared from (–)-1R-cis-caronaldehyde, the 1,3-dithiane ring adopts a chair conformation. An intramolecular O—H...S hydrogen bond influences the molecular conformation. In the crystal, weak intermolecular C—H...S and C—H...O hydrogen bonds link the molecules into chains propagating along [010].
Di-2-pyridyl disulfide–succinic acid (1/1)
Authors: Zhang Cheng , Yuan Ling , Liu Ji-Yong , Xu Wei
Published: May 2009

In the title compound, C10H8N2S2·C4H6O2, both components of the cocrystal lie on crystallographic twofold rotation axes. In the di-2-pyridyl disulfide molecule, the dihedral angle between the two pyridine rings is 66.6 (1)°. In the crystal structure, intermolecular O—H...N and weak C—H...O hydrogen bonds link both types of molecules into columns along thecaxis.
1-[(Bromomethyl)(phenyl)methylene]-2-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)hydrazine
Authors: Salhin Abdussalam , Abdul Razak Norfarhah , Rahman I. A.
Published: May 2009

The title compound, C14H11BrN4O4, comprises two crystallographically independent molecules (AandB) in the asymmetric unit. In moleculeB, intramolecular bifurcated N—H...O and N—H...Br hydrogen bonds and in moleculeA, an intramolecular N—H...O hydrogen bond generateS(6) ring motifs. The dihedral angle between the phenyl and benzene rings is 5.44 (6) in moleculeAand 7.63 (6)° in moleculeB. Theortho- andmeta-nitro substituents make dihedral angles of 6.67 (15) and 2.26 (15)° to the attached benzene ring in moleculeAand 6.37 (17) and 5.81 (16)° in moleculeB. The Br atom in moleculeBis disordered over two positions with a refined site-occupancy ratio of 0.61 (3):0.39 (3). Interesting features of the crystal structure are the short Br...N [3.257 (3)–3.294 (4) Å], Br...O [3.279 (3)–3.307 (4) Å] and O...O [2.9319 (16)–2.9995 (16) Å] contacts, which are shorter than the sum of the van der Waals radii of these atoms. The crystal structure is further stabilized by intermolecular C—H...O and π–π interactions [centroid–centroid distances = 3.6643 (8)–3.8514 (8) Å].
Ethyl 6-(4-chlorophenyl)-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-oxocyclohex-3-ene-1-carboxylate
Authors: Fun Hoong-Kun , Jebas Samuel Robinson , Girish K. S. , Kalluraya Balakrishna
Published: May 2009

In the title compound, C22H21ClO4, the cyclohex-3-ene unit adopts an envelope conformation in both independent molecules comprising the asymmetric unit. The two benzene rings are inclined to each other at a dihedral angle of 82.03 (5)° [86.37 (5)°]. In the crystal, the molecules interactviaC—H...O, C—H...Cl and C—H...π interactions.
4-Methyl-N-phenylbenzenesulfonamide
Authors: Gowda B. Thimme , Foro Sabine , Nirmala P. G. , Terao Hiromitsu , Fuess Hartmut
Published: May 2009

In the title compound, C13H13NO2S, the dihedral angle between the aromatic rings is 68.4 (1)°. In the crystal, the molecules are linked into inversion dimers by pairs of N—H...O hydrogen bonds. The unit cell of this compound was reported previously [Ohet al.(1985).Chung. Kwa. Yong. (Chung. J. Sci.),12, 67] but no atomic coordinates were established in the earlier study.
Review article: diet and inflammatory bowel disease – epidemiology and treatment
Authors: YAMAMOTO T. , NAKAHIGASHI M. , SANIABADI A. R.
Published: May 2009

Background  Diet is thought to have an important role in the immunopathogenesis and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Aim  To identify dietary constituents as risk factors for development of IBD and the therapeutic efficacy of dietary modifications or enteral nutrition in IBD.

Methods  The Medline and the Cochrane Library were searched for clinical trials and meta‐analyses in the scope of diet and nutrition in IBD.

Results  There are many studies in small cohorts of patients that claim that intake of certain diet constituents like fat, refined sugar, fruits, vegetables and fibre affect the expression of IBD. These are often compromised by insufficient data or methodological limitations and do not provide unequivocal evidence to incriminate any particular dietary factor. Among various dietary interventions, none has shown striking efficacy with the possible exception of complete enteral nutrition. Enteral nutrition appears effective in both active and quiescent Crohn’s disease (CD), but independent meta‐analyses have shown enteral nutrition to be inferior to corticosteroids in the management of active CD, when assessed on an intention‐to‐treat basis.

Conclusions  The current levels of knowledge concerning dietary risk factors for IBD, and the therapeutic efficacy of dietary and nutritional interventions need to be supported by well‐designed trials in large cohorts of patients.
Lipid‐mediated inflammation and degeneration of bioprosthetic heart valves
Authors: Shetty R. , Pibarot P. , Audet A. , Janvier R. , Dagenais F. , Perron J. , Couture C. , Voisine P. , Després J. P. , Mathieu P.
Published: May 2009

Background  The durability of bioprosthetic valves is limited by structural valve degeneration (SVD) leading to bioprostheses (BPs) stenosis or regurgitation. We hypothesized that a lipid‐mediated inflammatory mechanism is involved in the SVD of BPs.

Material and methods  Eighteen Freestyle stentless BP valves were explanted for SVD at a mean time of 5·9 ± 3 years after implantation and were analysed by immunohistochemistry and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Results  The mean age of the patients was 65 ± 8 years and there were 11 male and seven female patients. Two of the 18 BPs had macroscopic calcification, whereas the other valves had minimal or no macroscopic calcification. Tears at the commissures leading to regurgitation was present in 16 BPs. Immunohistochemistry showed the presence of oxidized low‐density lipoprotein (ox‐LDL) and glycosaminoglycans in the fibrosa layer of 13 BPs. Areas with ox‐LDL were infiltrated by macrophages (CD68+) co‐expressing the scavenger receptor CD36 and metalloproteinase‐9 (MMP‐9). Zymogram showed the active form of MMP‐9 within explanted BPs. EM studies revealed the presence of lipid‐laden cells featuring foam cells and fragmented collagen. Nonimplanted control BPs obtained from the manufacturer (n = 4) had no evidence of lipid accumulation, inflammatory cell infiltration or expression of MMP9 within the leaflets.

Conclusions  These results support the concept that lipid‐mediated inflammatory mechanisms may contribute to the SVD of BPs. These findings suggest that modification of atherosclerotic risk factors with the use of behavioural or pharmacological interventions could help to reduce the incidence of SVD.
SARS‐coronavirus modulation of myocardial ACE2 expression and inflammation in patients with SARS
Authors: Oudit G. Y. , Kassiri Z. , Jiang C. , Liu P. P. , Poutanen S. M. , Penninger J. M. , Butany J.
Published: May 2009

Background  Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a monocarboxylase that degrades angiotensin II to angiotensin 1–7, is also the functional receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus (SARS‐CoV) and is highly expressed in the lungs and heart. Patients with SARS also suffered from cardiac disease including arrhythmias, sudden cardiac death, and systolic and diastolic dysfunction.

Materials and methods  We studied mice infected with the human strain of the SARS‐CoV and encephalomyocarditis virus and examined ACE2 mRNA and protein expression. Autopsy heart samples from patients who succumbed to the SARS crisis in Toronto (Canada) were used to investigate the impact of SARS on myocardial structure, inflammation and ACE2 protein expression.

Results  Pulmonary infection with the human SARS‐CoV in mice led to an ACE2‐dependent myocardial infection with a marked decrease in ACE2 expression confirming a critical role of ACE2 in mediating SARS‐CoV infection in the heart. The SARS‐CoV viral RNA was detected in 35% (7/20) of autopsied human heart samples obtained from patients who succumbed to the SARS crisis during the Toronto SARS outbreak. Macrophage‐specific staining showed a marked increase in macrophage infiltration with evidence of myocardial damage in patients who had SARS‐CoV in their hearts. The presence of SARS‐CoV in the heart was also associated with marked reductions in ACE2 protein expression.

Conclusions  Our data show that SARS‐CoV can mediate myocardial inflammation and damage associated with down‐regulation of myocardial ACE2 system, which may be responsible for the myocardial dysfunction and adverse cardiac outcomes in patients with SARS.
Systematic assessment of terrestrial biogeochemistry in coupled climate–carbon models
Authors: RANDERSON JAMES T. , HOFFMAN FORREST M. , THORNTON PETER E. , MAHOWALD NATALIE M. , LINDSAY KEITH , LEE YEN‐HUEI , NEVISON CYNTHIA D. , DONEY SCOTT C. , BONAN GORDON , STÖCKLI RETO , COVEY CURTIS , RUNNING STEVEN W. , FUNG INEZ Y.
Published: May 2009

With representation of the global carbon cycle becoming increasingly complex in climate models, it is important to develop ways to quantitatively evaluate model performance against in situ and remote sensing observations. Here we present a systematic framework, the Carbon‐LAnd Model Intercomparison Project (C‐LAMP), for assessing terrestrial biogeochemistry models coupled to climate models using observations that span a wide range of temporal and spatial scales. As an example of the value of such comparisons, we used this framework to evaluate two biogeochemistry models that are integrated within the Community Climate System Model (CCSM) – Carnegie‐Ames‐Stanford Approach′ (CASA′) and carbon–nitrogen (CN). Both models underestimated the magnitude of net carbon uptake during the growing season in temperate and boreal forest ecosystems, based on comparison with atmospheric CO2 measurements and eddy covariance measurements of net ecosystem exchange. Comparison with MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) measurements show that this low bias in model fluxes was caused, at least in part, by 1–3 month delays in the timing of maximum leaf area. In the tropics, the models overestimated carbon storage in woody biomass based on comparison with datasets from the Amazon. Reducing this model bias will probably weaken the sensitivity of terrestrial carbon fluxes to both atmospheric CO2 and climate. Global carbon sinks during the 1990s differed by a factor of two (2.4 Pg C yr−1 for CASA′ vs. 1.2 Pg C yr−1 for CN), with fluxes from both models compatible with the atmospheric budget given uncertainties in other terms. The models captured some of the timing of interannual global terrestrial carbon exchange during 1988–2004 based on comparison with atmospheric inversion results from TRANSCOM (r=0.66 for CASA′ and r=0.73 for CN). Adding (CASA′) or improving (CN) the representation of deforestation fires may further increase agreement with the atmospheric record. Information from C‐LAMP has enhanced model performance within CCSM and serves as a benchmark for future development. We propose that an open source, community‐wide platform for model‐data intercomparison is needed to speed model development and to strengthen ties between modeling and measurement communities. Important next steps include the design and analysis of land use change simulations (in both uncoupled and coupled modes), and the entrainment of additional ecological and earth system observations. Model results from C‐LAMP are publicly available on the Earth System Grid.
Effect of marinating and vacuum storage at 6 °C on the fate of chemical, microbial and sensory quality indices of echinoid gonads Paracentrotus lividus Lamark, 1816
Authors: Stamatis Nikolaos , Vafidis Dimitris
Published: May 2009

Chemical, microbial and sensory quality indices of raw and marinated sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus Lamark, 1816, were determined. Marinades were prepared using three different formulations and stored over a 75‐day period at 6 °C, under vacuum and air (control) packaging conditions. Significant differences were found between chemical (pH, moisture, ash, NaCI, ammonia and lactic acid), microbial [pseudomonads (Ps), lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeast–moulds] and sensory analysis of three different marinated groups (P < 0.05) during the storage period. The marinating process did not lead to significant differences in fatty acid, protein, fat and carbohydrate contents relative to raw sample. A notable decrease of the ω‐3 per ω‐6 ratio after marinating and during storage in both packages was observed. Ammonia concentration changes were found to be useful as index of freshness and decomposition of roe in storage. Shelf life of roe marinades at 6 °C was found to be 75 and 60 days under vacuum and air storage conditions respectively.
Selected pharmacokinetic parameters for Cefovecin in hens and green iguanas
Authors: THUESEN L. R. , BERTELSEN M. F. , BRIMER L. , SKAANILD M. T.
Published: May 2009

The third generation cephalosporin cefovecin has been shown to have an exceptionally long elimination half‐life in dogs and cats, making it suitable for antibacterial treatment with a 14‐day dosing interval in these species. Pharmacokinetic parameters for cefovecin were investigated in juvenile hens and green iguanas, following subcutaneous injections with 10 mg cefovecin/kg bodyweight. Preliminary studies in eight additional species of birds and reptiles were performed and results were compared with the parameters found in hens and green iguanas. The kinetics were characterized by rapid absorption with peak plasma concentration of 6 ± 2 μg/mL in hens and 35 ± 12 μg/mL in green iguanas. The mean plasma half‐life for cefovecin was 0.9 ± 0.3 h for hens and 3.9 h in green iguanas. Volume of distribution was 1.6 ± 0.5 L/kg for hens and 0.3 L/kg for green iguanas and clearance was 1252 ± 185 mL·h/kg for hens and 53 mL·h/kg for green iguanas. Results from preliminary studies did not differ notably from those seen in hens and green iguanas. Cefovecin is not suitable for the treatment of bacterial infections with a 14‐day dosing interval in hens or green iguanas and seems not to be in a number of other bird and retile species either.
Ultrasound‐guided technique allowed early detection of intravascular injection during an infraclavicular brachial plexus block
Authors: MARTÍNEZ NAVAS Á. , DE LA TABLA GONZÁLEZ R. ORTIZ
Published: May 2009

The reported incidence of complications after peripheral nerve blocks is generally low and varies from 0% to 5%. The injuries related to brachial plexus block are perhaps more commonly reported, than after peripheral blocks of the lower extremity nerves. Recent reports suggest that expert ultrasound guidance may reduce but not completely eliminate complications as intraneural or intravascular injection. We report a case of accidental intravascular injection of local anesthetic during infraclavicular brachial plexus block, in spite of the use of ultrasound guidance technique, and negative aspiration for blood.
Anti‐ischemic effects of inotropic agents in experimental right ventricular infarction
Authors: HEIN M. , ROEHL A. B. , BAUMERT J. H. , SCHERER K. , STEENDIJK P. , ROSSAINT R.
Published: May 2009

Background: Right ventricular (RV) function is an important determinant of survival after myocardial infarction. The efficacy of reperfusion therapy might be increased by the cardioprotective action of inotropic agents, which are used for symptomatic therapy in situations with compromised hemodynamics. Therefore, we used a porcine model of RV ischemia and reperfusion (IR) injury to study the influence of milrinone, levosimendan and dobutamine on the extent and degree of myocardial injury.

Methods: IR injury was induced by temporary ligation of the distal right coronary artery for 90 min, followed by 120 min of reperfusion. Treatment was initiated 30 min after coronary artery occlusion. A bolus of milrinone (n=12; 50 μg/kg) and levosimendan (n=10; 24 μg/kg) was applied in different groups, followed by continuous infusion of the drugs at 0.5 and 0.2 μg/kg/min, respectively. The effects on myocardial injury and inflammation were compared with a control (n=12) and a dobutamine group (n=10), where treatment was started with an infusion of 5 μg/kg/min.

Results: Milrinone and levosimendan reduced the resulting infarct size with respect to the area at risk (41.7±10.2%, 45.7±8.1%) when compared with the control group (58.3±6.1%). In contrast, dobutamine had no effect (55.8±7.7%). All drugs reduced the number of neutrophils infiltrating into the different myocardial regions and the circulating levels of interleukin‐6. Increased levels of tumor necrosis factor α during reperfusion were only abated by milrinone and levosimendan.

Conclusions: Cardioprotective properties of milrinone and levosimendan were demonstrated for the first time in a clinically relevant model of RV infarction.
Urinary proteins from patients with nephrotic syndrome alters the signalling proteins regulating epithelial–mesenchymal transition
Authors: WEN QIONG , HUANG ZHAO , ZHOU SHU‐FENG , LI XIAO‐YAN , LUO NING , YU XUE‐QING
Published: May 2009

Aim:  Proteinuria plays an important role in the progression of tubulointerstitial fibrosis, but the mechanism for the differential renal damage induced by proteinuria is unknown. This study examined the effects of urinary proteins from patients with idiopathic minimal change disease (MCD) and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) on several epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)‐related marker proteins in cultured proximal tubular HK‐2 cells.

Methods:  Urinary proteins from MCD and FSGS patients were extracted by ultrafiltration and incubated with HK‐2 cells; the expression of the cytokeratin‐18, α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA) and vimentin were assessed. p38 and extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) activation were measured by western blotting, and SB203580 (a p38 inhibitor) and PD98059 (an ERK1/2 inhibitor) were used to inhibit their activation.

Results:  It was observed that urinary proteins from FSGS patients more significantly induced the expression of α‐SMA and vimentin and reduced cytokeratin‐18 expression than those from MCD patients in HK‐2 cells. Both ERK1/2 and p38 were activated by urinary proteins from MCD or FSGS patients. Pretreatment of the cells with SB203580 or PD98059 abolished the effect of urinary proteins from FSGS patients on the expression of α‐SMA, vimentin and cytokeratin‐18, while only SB203580 elicited this effect when cells were treated with urinary proteins from MCD patients.

Conclusion:  The urinary proteins from MCD and FSGS patients induced significant changes of EMT‐related proteins through activation of distinct mitogen‐activated protein kinase‐related signalling pathways. Quality of proteinuria may play an important role in determining the severity and progression of tubular injury associated with different kidney diseases.
Long‐term graft function with tacrolimus and cyclosporine in renal transplantation: Paired kidney analysis
Authors: CHEUNG CHI YUEN , CHAN HOI WONG , LIU YAN LUN , CHAU KA FOON , LI CHUN SANG
Published: May 2009

Aim:  The first prospective, randomized trial with paired kidney analysis was conducted to compare the efficacy and safety of tacrolimus with cyclosporine‐based immunosuppressive therapy in renal transplant recipients. This paper reports the long‐term follow‐up results of the authors' previously published study, with the main focus on graft survival and renal function.

Methods:  Chinese patients transplanted in our centre between June 1998 and June 2005 with their first deceased renal transplant were included. Patients were included if both kidneys were received by the authors' centre, thus allowing a paired analysis. Patients were randomized to receive triple immunosuppressive therapy with either tacrolimus or Neoral cyclosporine, concomitantly with prednisolone and azathioprine therapy.

Results:  Seventy‐six patients received cadaveric kidneys from 38 donors. Each pair of kidneys was randomly assigned to a separate group (38 subjects/group). The mean follow‐up duration was 6.1 ± 1.8 years. The mean calculated creatinine clearance was significantly higher in patients receiving tacrolimus‐based therapy. The rate of biopsy‐proven acute rejection was lower in the tacrolimus group (18.4% vs 42.1%, P = 0.03). The patient and graft survival were comparable in both treatment arms. Significantly fewer patients on tacrolimus‐based therapy developed hypercholesterolaemia (P = 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the development of post‐transplant diabetes mellitus, hypertension, opportunistic infection and malignancy between both groups.

Conclusion:  Using the immunosuppressive regimen, tacrolimus‐based therapy provided adequate immunosuppression with better renal function and less acute rejection, as compared with cyclosporine‐based therapy.
Improving clinicians' attitudes toward providing feedback on routine outcome assessments
Authors: Willis Aimee , Deane Frank P. , Coombs Tim
Published: May 2009

Clinicians have been found to hold predominantly negative attitudes toward routine outcome assessments (ROA). This study aims to assess changes in clinicians' attitudes to ROA, and in particular, the provision of feedback from such assessments following a training workshop. Ninety‐six mental health workers attended a training workshop on ROA, which was supported by the use of a CD‐ROM video resource. Participants completed a questionnaire before and after training that assessed their attitudes toward ROA and the provision of feedback from these assessments. Attitudes toward feedback were predominantly positive at baseline. Significantly more positive attitudes on general attitudes and specific attitudes related to the provision of feedback were found following training. Generating positive clinician attitudes is the first step toward improving the processes and effectiveness of ROA. Controlled trials with a follow up of clinicians' behaviour are needed to determine whether the changes found are maintained and reflected in practice.
Sexuality of people living with a mental illness: A collaborative challenge for mental health nurses
Authors: Quinn Chris , Browne Graeme
Published: May 2009

This article is a review of the literature examining the sexuality of mental health consumers and the role of mental health nurses. A search identified 72 English articles on the topic. The evidence clearly indicates that sexuality is a critical aspect of who we are as individuals, and of how we view ourselves, but discussion of this topic is neglected by mental health nurses. Discussion focuses upon the wide acceptance of sexuality as a legitimate area for nurses to address in their care, and addresses mental health nurses' lack of knowledge about sexuality, conservative attitudes, and anxiety when discussing sexual issues. Consumer sexuality is poorly assessed in mental health, and is infrequently explored by mental health nurses. The result is that issues of sexuality for the consumer continue to affect many areas of their lives, including their relationships and ongoing commitment to treatment. The nurse–consumer relationship provides an opportunity to take sexual history into consideration, promote safe sexual practices, discuss sexual problems, and educate clients about sexual issues. This literature review identifies the need for further discussion of this topic and for research to point the way ahead for this important but neglected area of mental health nursing.
Powerlessness, marginalized identity, and silencing of health concerns: Voiced realities of women living with a mental health diagnosis
Authors: Van Den Tillaart Susan , Kurtz Donna , Cash Penny
Published: May 2009

Using a feminist qualitative approach, this study substantiated many earlier research findings that document how women with a mental health diagnosis experience unequal access to comprehensive health care compared to the general population. Accounts of this disparity are documented in the literature, yet the literature has failed to record or attend to the voices of those living with mental health challenges. In this paper, women living with a mental health diagnosis describe their experiences as they interface with the health‐care system. The participating women's stories clearly relate the organizational and interpersonal challenges commonly faced when they seek health‐care services. The stories include experiences of marginalized identity, powerlessness, and silencing of voiced health concerns. The women tell of encountered gaps in access to health care and incomplete health assessment, screening, and treatment. It becomes clear that personal and societal stigmatization related to the mental health diagnosis plays a significant role in these isolating and unsatisfactory experiences. Lastly, the women offer beginning ideas for change by suggesting starting points to eliminate the institutional and interpersonal obstacles or barriers to their wellness. The concerns raised demand attention, reconsideration, and change by those in the health‐care system responsible for policy and practice.
A blueprint for bouncing back
Authors: Harari Oren
Published: May 2009

Most leaders are seeing “perfect storm” conditions that have set their companies back. Oren Harari offers a blueprint of extreme measures that can propel beleaguered companies toward success.
Launching a new venture
Authors: Mullins John
Published: May 2009

With the current economic storm raging, can a better understanding of business models make for smoother sailing for today's entrepreneur? What strategies can entrepreneurs adopt to help them weather this storm?John Mullins has researched entrepreneurial ventures and offers some valuable insights.