bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ex vivo water diffusion tensor properties of the fibroid uterus at 7 T and their relation to tissue morphology
Authors: Thrippleton Michael J. , Bastin Mark E. , Munro Kirsty I. , Williams Alistair R. , Oniscu Anca , Jansen Maurits A. , Merrifield Gavin D. , McKillop Graham , Newby David E. , Semple Scott I. , Marshall Ian , Critchley Hilary O.
Published: September 2011

Purpose:

To investigate the water diffusion tensor properties of ex vivo tissue in the fibroid uterus, including the influence of degeneration, and the relevance of the principal eigenvector orientation to the underlying tissue structure.

Materials and Methods:

Following hysterectomy, high‐resolution structural T2‐weighted and diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT‐MRI) were performed on nine uteri at 7 T. Mean diffusivity (MD), fractional anisotropy (FA), and principal eigenvector orientation were measured in myometrium and in myxoid and dense tissue in fibroids. Imaging data and measurements of water diffusion parameters were compared with histopathology findings.

Results:

The nine uteri yielded 23 fibroids. MD was 50% higher in regions of myxoid degeneration compared to dense fibroid tissue (P = 0.001), while myometrium was intermediate in value (dense fibroid tissue, P = 0.15; myxoid degeneration, P = 0.23). FA was lower in dense fibroid tissue than in myometrium (P = 3 × 10−5), but higher than in myxoid tissue (P = 0.003). Principal eigenvector orientation corresponded qualitatively with that of uterine smooth muscle fibers.

Conclusion:

The water diffusion tensor measured ex vivo in the fibroid uterus is a sensitive probe of tissue type, myxoid degeneration, and morphology. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2011;. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
In vivo tibiofemoral cartilage‐to‐cartilage contact area of females with medial osteoarthritis under acute loading using MRI
Authors: Shin Choongsoo S. , Souza Richard B. , Kumar Deepak , Link Thomas M. , Wyman Bradley T. , Majumdar Sharmila
Published: September 2011

Purpose:

To investigate the effect of acute loading on in vivo tibiofemoral contact area changes in both compartments, and to determine whether in vivo tibiofemoral contact area differs between subjects with medial knee osteoarthritis (OA) and healthy controls.

Materials and Methods:

Ten subjects with medial knee OA (KL3) and 11 control subjects (KL0) were tested. Coronal three‐dimensional spoiled gradient‐recalled (3D‐SPGR) and T2‐weighted fast spin‐echo FSE magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the knee were acquired under both unloaded and loaded conditions. Tibiofemoral cartilage contact areas were measured using image‐based 3D models.

Results:

Tibiofemoral contact areas in both compartments significantly increased under loading (P < 0.001) and the increased contact area in the medial compartment was significantly larger than in the lateral compartment (P < 0.05). Medial compartment contact area was significantly larger in KL3 subjects than KL0 subjects, both at unloaded and loaded conditions (P < 0.05). Contact areas measured from 3D‐SPGR and T2‐weighted FSE images were strongly correlated (r = 0.904).

Conclusion:

Females with medial OA increased tibiofemoral contact area in the medial compartment compared to healthy subjects under both unloaded and loaded conditions. The contact area data presented in this study may provide a quantitative reference for further cartilage contact biomechanics such as contact stress analysis and cartilage biomechanical function difference between osteoarthritic and healthy knees. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2011;. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
α‐L‐Rhamnosidase andβ‐D‐glucosidase activities in fungal strains isolated from alkaline soils and their potential in naringin hydrolysis
Authors: Elíades Lorena Alejandra , Rojas Natalia Lorena , Cabello Marta Noemí , Voget Claudio Enrique , Saparrat Mario Carlos Nazareno
Published: September 2011

α‐L‐Rhamnosidases (EC 3.2.1.40) andβ‐D‐glucosidases (EC 3.2.1.21) obtained from several microbial sources are potential catalysts in food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries. However, the enzyme preparations currently used have limitations related to the stability and activity of the enzyme as well to their reuse. A microtiter screening was carried out in 55 fungal strains isolated from alkaline soils, to obtain activeα‐L‐rhamnosidases andβ‐D‐glucosidases at pH 9.0. Whileα‐L‐rhamnosidase activity was detected in 45% of the strains tested,β‐D‐glucosidase activity was found only in 27%. Based on the fungal ability to produceα‐L‐rhamnosidase activity, cultures were supplemented with naringin to study the activities of the enzymes and the potential of the fungal strains on naringin hydrolysis. About 70% of the fungal strains tested increased the activities of both enzymes in the naringin‐supplemented cultures as compared to non‐supplemented ones. This effect was higher inAcrostalagmus luteo‐albusLPSC 427 (15.3 fold) forα‐L‐rhamnosidase activity andMetarrhizium anisopliaeLPSC 996 (51.1 fold) forβ‐D‐glucosidase activity. All the enzyme preparations tested hydrolyzed naringin at pH 9.0, being that obtained fromAcremonium murorunLPSC 927 cultures the one which showed highest hydrolysis. Here, different fungal species are reported for the first time for their ability to produceα‐L‐rhamnosidase andβ‐D‐glucosidase activity at alkaline pH. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Polyester‐Hydrophilic PEO Networks as Multifunctional Biomaterials
Authors: Feng Yakai , Zhao Haiyang , Zhang Shifeng , Jiao Licai , Lu Jian , Wang Heyun , Guo Jintang
Published: September 2011

In order to improve the hydrophilic and elastic properties of polyester networks, the amorphous polymer networks of hydrophobic polyester/hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) were prepared by UV‐photopolymerization of PEGDMA and poly[(D,L‐lactide)‐co‐glycolide]tetraacrylate (PLGATA). The interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) based on polyesterurethane and PEGDMA were synthesized in situ by UV‐photopolymerization of PEGDMA and thermal polymerization of oligo[(D,L‐lactide)‐co‐ε‐caprolactone]teraol (PCLA) or poly[(D,L‐lactide)‐co‐glycolide]teraol (PLGA) with isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI). The polymer networks and IPNs are transparent soft materials, and show good shape‐memory properties. They recovered their permanent shape in 12 seconds when the environment temperature was above glass transition temperature (Tg). The strain recovery rate (Rr) and the strain fixity rate (Rf) of the polymer networks and IPNs were above 90%. The wettability, degradation rate, mechanical properties, and Tg of the polymer networks and IPNs could be conveniently adjusted by changing PEGDMA content. The elastic networks are suitable for potential soft substrates with tailored mechanical properties for clinical or medical use.
Kinetics of Jammed Systems: PNIPA Gels
Authors: László Krisztina , Fluerasu Andrei , Moussaïd Abdellatif , Geissler Erik
Published: September 2011

In the out‐of‐equilibrium state above the volume phase transition temperature, poly(N‐isopropyl acrylamide) hydrogels deswell non‐diffusively, relaxing instead by a hyperdiffusive mechanism as in jammed systems. X‐ray photon correlation spectroscopy is employed to show that the unconventional relaxation properties (linear dependence of the intensity correlation function both on time and on transfer wave vector) are the consequence of uniform deswelling.
Native Proteins as Physical Networks: Energy and Geometry Fluctuations and Their Relation to Function
Authors: Erman B.
Published: September 2011

A correspondence between networks and gels, physical or chemical, and native globular proteins is established by visualizing proteins as physical gels. The emphasis is placed on spatial fluctuations of residues in proteins which are correlated, and it is stated that these correlations determine the function of the proteins. Structural and topological features necessary for a gel to exhibit features of a protein such as to perform a predetermined function are discussed. A simple mathematical model that explains the relationships between correlated fluctuations of residues and the function of the protein is given.
Photopolymerization as Alternative Concept for Synthesis of Poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide)‐Clay Nanocomposite Hydrogels
Authors: Ferse Bernhard , Graf Matthias , Krahl Franziska , Arndt Karl‐Friedrich
Published: September 2011

In this work the photopolymerization of N‐isopropylacrylamide is described as an alternative method to synthesize thermosensitive NC‐gels. Tensile measurements show elongations at break up to 1000%. The mechanical properties of photopolymerized NC‐gels strongly depend on the conditions during the preparation, e.g. intensity of radiation, wavelength, irradiation time. The characterization by microscopic methods (AFM, SEM, TEM) and rheology shows as a result a physical adsorption of polymerchains on the clay surface. Consequently, for the first time mechanical stable, homogeneous thermosensitive NC‐gels could be obtained by mixing poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) solutions with an aqueous clay dispersion.
Poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) Prepared by Free‐Radical Polymerization in Aqueous Solutions and in Nanocomposite Hydrogels
Authors: Haraguchi Kazutoshi , Xu Yingjia , Li Guang
Published: September 2011

The molecular characteristics of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPA) synthesized in aqueous solution were studied with respect to its polymer yield, molecular weight (MW), the polydispersity (the ratio of weight‐ to number‐average molecular weight: Mw/Mn), and intrinsic viscosity ([η]). Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) measurements were performed on unfractionated and fractionated PNIPA by selecting appropriate conditions and solvents, e.g., DMF/10 mM LiBr. It was observed that the MW, Mw/Mn and [η] of PNIPA change significantly depending on the monomer concentration ([NIPA]) in the reaction solution. Linear relationships were observed for the variations of log [NIPA] and Mw/Mn with log Mw. Also, the Mark‐Houwink‐Sakurada equation and the molecular weight exponent α were determined for PNIPA in DMF/10 mM LiBr solution (GPC measurements) and in methanol (light scattering measurements). Also, PNIPA chains were separated from nanocomposite hydrogels with different clay concentrations by decomposing the clay using an aqueous HF solution. The resulting PNIPA showed good correlation between Mw and [η] consistent with that for PNIPA synthesized in aqueous solution. The effects of fractionation and solvents on α and chain conformations, as well as the relationship between α and [η] are discussed.
An unusual neurological syndrome of crawling gait, dystonia, pyramidal signs, and limited speech
Authors: Arif Beenish , Grünewald Anne , Fatima Amara , Ramirez Alfredo , Ali Arif , Brüggemann Nobert , Würfel Jens , Rolfs Arndt , Lohmann Katja , Malik Akbar , Klein Christine , Naz Sadaf
Published: September 2011

Background:

The purpose of the study was to identify and molecularly characterize a neurological syndrome in a consanguineous Pakistani family.

Methods:

Five patients, their 2 siblings, and their parents were clinically examined. DNA from all 7 siblings was genotyped with Affymetrix SNP arrays and sequencing of selected candidate genes.

Results:

An unusual neurological syndrome of crawling gait, predominant leg dystonia, pyramidal signs, microcephaly, and suspected deafness segregated in the family. Three patients ambulated on hands and knees, either by hopping and crossing their legs, or by dragging the legs behind them. Two patients have acquired the ability to walk bipedally with a dystonic gait. Unexpectedly, no chromosomal region was homozygous in patients only. Under different disease models, we localized 7 chromosomal regions in the genome common to all patients. No pathogenic mutations were identified in selected candidate genes or the mitochondrial genome.

Conclusion:

We describe an unusual movement disorder syndrome reminiscent of but distinct from Uner Tan syndrome. © 2011 Movement Disorder Society
Differential response of speed, amplitude, and rhythm to dopaminergic medications in Parkinson's disease
Authors: Espay Alberto J. , Giuffrida Joe P. , Chen Robert , Payne Megan , Mazzella Filomena , Dunn Emily , Vaughan Jennifer E. , Duker Andrew P. , Sahay Alok , Kim Sang Jin , Revilla Fredy J. , Heldman Dustin A.
Published: September 2011

Although movement impairment in Parkinson's disease includes slowness (bradykinesia), decreased amplitude (hypokinesia), and dysrhythmia, clinicians are instructed to rate them in a combined 0–4 severity scale using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor subscale. The objective was to evaluate whether bradykinesia, hypokinesia, and dysrhythmia are associated with differential motor impairment and response to dopaminergic medications in patients with Parkinson's disease. Eighty five Parkinson's disease patients performed finger‐tapping (item 23), hand‐grasping (item 24), and pronation–supination (item 25) tasks OFF and ON medication while wearing motion sensors on the most affected hand. Speed, amplitude, and rhythm were rated using the Modified Bradykinesia Rating Scale. Quantitative variables representing speed (root mean square angular velocity), amplitude (excursion angle), and rhythm (coefficient of variation) were extracted from kinematic data. Fatigue was measured as decrements in speed and amplitude during the last 5 seconds compared with the first 5 seconds of movement. Amplitude impairments were worse and more prevalent than speed or rhythm impairments across all tasks (P < .001); however, in the ON state, speed scores improved exclusively by clinical (P < 10−6) and predominantly by quantitative (P < .05) measures. Motor scores from OFF to ON improved in subjects who were strictly bradykinetic (P < .01) and both bradykinetic and hypokinetic (P < 10−6), but not in those strictly hypokinetic. Fatigue in speed and amplitude was not improved by medication. Hypokinesia is more prevalent than bradykinesia, but dopaminergic medications predominantly improve the latter. Parkinson's disease patients may show different degrees of impairment in these movement components, which deserve separate measurement in research studies. © 2011 Movement Disorder Society
3D key‐group method for slope stability analysis
Authors: Noroozi M. , Jalali S. E. , Yarahmadi‐Bafghi A. R.
Published: September 2011

Because of the simplicity and the speed of execution, methods used in static stability analyses have yet remained relevant. The key‐block method, which is the most famous of them, is used for the stability analysis of fractured rock masses. The KBM method is just based on finding key blocks, and if no such blocks are found to be unstable, it is concluded that the whole of the rock mass is stable. Literally, though groups of ‘stable’ blocks are taken together into account, in some cases, it may prove to be unstable. An iterative and progressive stability analysis of the discontinuous rock slopes can be performed using the key‐group method, in which groups of collapsible blocks are combined. This method is literally a two‐dimensional (2D) limit equilibrium approach. Because of the normally conservational results of 2D analysis, a three‐dimensional (3D) analysis seems to be necessary.

In this paper, the 2D key‐group method is developed into three dimensions so that a more literal analysis of a fractured rock mass can be performed. Using Mathematica software, a computer program was prepared to implement the proposed methodology on a real case. Then, in order to assess the proposed 3D procedure, its implementation results are compared with the outcomes of the 2D key‐group method. Finally, tectonic block No.2 of Choghart open pit mine was investigated as a case study using the proposed 3D methodology. Results of the comparison revealed that the outcomes of the 3D analysis of this block conform to the reality and the results of 2D analysis. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Inhibition of caspase‐8 activity caused by overexpression of bcl10 contributes to the pathogenesis of high‐grade MALT lymphoma
Authors: Chen Yan , Yang Yishu , Sun Min , Yan Zhuohong , Wu Lifeng , Cui Xiaoli , Zhang Ge , Morris Stephan W. , Zhang Quangeng
Published: September 2011

Background

Mucosa‐associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma comprises approximately 8% of all non‐Hodgkin lymphomas and is the most common lymphoma in the gastro‐intestinal tract. It is caused by genetic abnormalities or bacterial infections/chronic inflammation. B‐cell lymphoma/leukemia 10 (BCL10) overexpression and nuclear expression have been associated with high‐grade MALT lymphomas with genetic abnormalities that are unresponsive to Helicobacter pylori eradication treatment. To explore the molecular mechanism of BCL10 overexpression on the pathogenesis and malignant phenotype of MALT lymphoma, we generated EµSR‐BCL10 transgenic mice.

Procedure

By generation of heterozygous and homozygous EuSR‐BCL10 mice and showing BCL10 expression levels in these mice, we quantitatively examined relation of MZ B cell expansion and inhibition of caspase‐8 activity with BCL10 protein level. We also investigated API2 and caspase‐8 expression by Western blot and their interaction with BCL10 by co‐immunoprecipitation.

Results

MZ B‐cell expansion is directly related to BCL10 protein level in a dose‐dependent manner. The activity of caspases‐8 and ‐3, but not caspase‐9, was inhibited with increasing of BCL10 protein level. Expanded MZ B cells showed selective survival under stimulation of anti‐immunoglobulin M, but not dexamethasone, γ‐irradiation, or anti‐CD95, implying that overexpressed BCL10 exerts anti‐apoptotic effects through B‐cell antigen receptor (BCR) pathway. Overexpressed BCL10 protein co‐immunoprecipitated with caspase‐8 and API2 protein, suggesting an in vivo interaction of them.

Conclusion

Our data demonstrate a novel effect of overexpressed BCL10 in the pathogenesis of high‐grade MALT lymphoma by increasing expression of API2 and it then forming a protein complex with BCL10/caspase‐8 leading to caspase‐8 activity suppression. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2012; 58: 865–871. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Predicting experimental yields as an index to rank synthesis routes II: application to the Curtius rearrangement
Authors: Yoshimura Kazuaki , Okano Katsuhiko , Ishikawa Rumi , Yamamoto Hidetoshi , Sumimoto Michinori , Hori Kenji
Published: September 2011

Synthesis yields of organic reactions are one of the most important factors in ranking synthesis routes created by synthesis route design systems such as Transform‐Oriented Synthesis Planning and Knowledge base‐Oriented Synthesis Planning. If it is possible to predict the yields of synthesis reactions before starting experiments, one can easily determine an order of synthesis routes for experimental works. In the present study, the reaction profiles of the Curtius rearrangement with different substituents were calculated to generate an equation predicting experimental yields of this reaction. Reactions followed by the formation of isocyanates were also analyzed to consider the relationship between reaction times and experimental yields. A partial least squares (PLS) regression was used to correlate the experimental yields with the calculated activation energies, Ea(calc), together with experimental conditions such as dielectric constants of solvents, reaction times, and reaction temperatures as explanatory variables. Although the PLS regression using all the data gave very poor results, we succeeded in making a model equation with R2 = 0.887 using a modified data set. However, there is a conflict between the predictability and the interpretability on the reaction time. This discrepancy mainly comes from unnecessarily long reaction times in the experiments for azides with calculated Ea values of less than 33 kcal mol–1. To construct a good model equation for the experimental yields of the Curtius reaction, we have to use data sets obtained from within 90 min of the reaction for the PLS regression. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Microstructure evolution during tensile loading histories of a polyurea
Authors: Rinaldi R. G. , Boyce M. C. , Weigand S. J. , Londono D. J. , Guise M. W.
Published: September 2011

The evolution in the hard/soft domain microstructure of an elastomeric‐like polyurea during different tensile loading histories was studied using in situ small‐ and wide‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS). The nonlinear stress–strain behavior is initially stiff with a rollover yield to a more compliant response; unloading is highly nonlinear showing substantial hysteresis while also exhibiting significant recovery. Reloading reveals a substantially more compliant “softened” behavior and dramatically reduced hysteresis. WAXS peaks monitor characteristic dimensions of regular features within the hard domains; the peak location remains unchanged with tensile deformation indicating no separation of the internal structure within a domain, but the peak intensity becomes anisotropic with deformation evolving in a reversible manner consistent with orientation due to stretch. The SAXS profiles provide information between major hard domains. SAXS peaks are found to shift with tensile loading in a relatively affine manner up to a tensile true strain of ∼0.4, which, using a Bragg reduction to aid interpretation, reveals an axial increase and a transverse decrease in interdomain spacings; this evolution is reversible for strains less than ∼0.4. Increasing axial strain beyond a true strain of ∼0.4 is accompanied by a dramatic, progressive, and irreversible reduction in axial Bragg spacing, indicating a breakdown in the hard domain aggregate network structure. A four‐point pattern is seen to develop during stretching. The breakdown in networked structure during a first load cycle gives a new structure for subsequent load cycles, which is seen to evolve in a reversible manner for strains less than or equal to the prior maximum strain. However, for strains exceeding the prior maximum strain excursion, additional breakdown is found. These SAXS results show that a breakdown in the hard domain aggregate network structure is a governing mechanism for the large dissipation (hysteresis) loops of the first load cycle and are also responsible for the softened reloading response. The absence of structure breakdown during subsequent load cycles corresponds to the substantially reduced hysteresis loops as well as the stable softened behavior. DMA data on pristine and previously deformed samples show a more compliant storage modulus in the predeformed sample, supporting the softened cyclic stress–strain data and the structural breakdown observed in the SAXS; the loss modulus was unchanged with deformation, which correlates with the lossy features measured in DMA with time‐dependent viscosity rather than losses due to structural breakdown. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2011
Study of the Kinetics of Droplets Size Evolution and the Mechanisms of Solid Particles Creation in an Atmospheric Plasma Jet, Using a Laser Beam Diffraction Technique
Authors: Descamps Pierre , Kaiser Vincent , Asad Syed Salman , Leempoel Patrick
Published: September 2011

The kinetics of droplets size evolution in an atmospheric plasma jet in which a precursor is injected in liquid phase through a nebulizer to deposit thin films is studied using laser diffraction. In the absence of plasma, droplets reach the substrate (at 75 mm from the nebulizer), but when a pure helium discharge is ignited all the droplets transform into gaseous phase before reaching the substrate. Theoretical and experimental analysis of the system show that the size of these droplets evolve due to evaporation in the plasma and depends upon the plasma gas composition and gas flow rate. Other possible mechanisms like particle charging have been found to play a minor role in the droplet size evolution. In high energy pure helium plasmas when the droplets interact with plasma, small size SiOx particles (1 µm maximum diameter compared to droplet of size up to 70 µm) are formed. Increasing the power dissipated in the discharge increases the number of particles formed but not their size suggesting that nucleation depends on the density of active plasma species. The particle size however depends on the time of residence and precursor concentration in the high energy zone, hence particle size growth depends upon the local concentration and transport of the precursor species.

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The Influence of Pixel Numbers and Image Centring upon Particle Size Analysis Accuracy
Authors: Wedd Maurice
Published: September 2011

The paper focuses upon one aspect of the use of image analysis technique to characterise the size of particles to high accuracy for certified reference material purposes. An object of the simulation was to investigate the parameters required to achieve measurement errors of less than 1 %. The calibration of indirect particle sizing techniques such as laser diffraction, dynamic light scattering etc. Require certified reference materials, preferably having a high accuracy both in size and quantity. To improve the accuracy of reference materials Witt et al. [1] proposed a picket fence of nearly mono‐sized, solid, uniform density spherical particles, where precise weights of each mono‐sized fraction were to be added together to form a defined distribution. For this method to succeed high particle size accuracy, coupled with precision weighing and particle handling techniques are vital. A pixel array has been modelled to examine the influence, upon image analysis measurement accuracy, of pixel number, threshold levels and image centring.
The impact of solubility and electrostatics on fibril formation by the H3 and H4 histones
Authors: Topping Traci B. , Gloss Lisa M.
Published: September 2011

The goal of this study was to examine fibril formation by the heterodimeric eukaryotic histones (H2A‐H2B and H3‐H4) and homodimeric archaeal histones (hMfB and hPyA1). The histone fold dimerization motif is an obligatorily domain‐swapped structure comprised of two fused helix:β‐loop:helix motifs. Domain swapping has been proposed as a mechanism for the evolution of protein oligomers as well as a means to form precursors in the formation of amyloid‐like fibrils. Despite sharing a common fold, the eukaryotic histones of the core nucleosome and archaeal histones fold by kinetic mechanisms of differing complexity with transient population of partially folded monomeric and/or dimeric species. No relationship was apparent between fibrillation propensity and equilibrium stability or population of kinetic intermediates. Only H3 and H4, as isolated monomers and as a heterodimer, readily formed fibrils at room temperature, and this propensity correlates with the significantly lower solubility of these polypeptides. The fibrils were characterized by ThT fluorescence, FTIR, and far‐UV CD spectroscopies and electron microscopy. The helical histone fold comprises the protease‐resistant core of the fibrils, with little or no protease protection of the poorly structured N‐terminal tails. The highly charged tails inhibit fibrillation through electrostatic repulsion. Kinetic studies indicate that H3 and H4 form a co‐fibril, with simultaneous incorporation of both histones. The potential impact of H3 and H4 fibrillation on the cytotoxicity of extracellular histones and α‐synuclein‐mediated neurotoxicity and fibrillation is considered.
The New Medicine Service to improve adherence to treatment
Authors: Chaplin Steve
Published: September 2011

Steve Chaplin describes the New Medicine Service offered by community pharmacists for people with longterm conditions who have been prescribed a new medicine with the aim of improving adherence. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Interface Ltd
Tandem mass spectrometry based investigation of cinnamylideneacetophenone derivatives: valuable tool for the differentiation of positional isomers
Authors: Resende Diana I. S. P. , Silva Eduarda M. P. , Barros Cristina , Domingues M. Rosário M. , Silva Artur M. S. , Cavaleiro José A. S.
Published: September 2011

Cinnamylideneacetophenones have been extensively used as versatile starting materials in numerous different transformations. The structural characterization of this type of compounds is, therefore, of crucial importance since it can give information on the chemistry, reactivity and also the potential biological activity of this type of compounds. Thus, 24 derivatives were systematically studied by tandem mass spectrometry (MS2) with electrospray ionization (ESI), in positive ion mode. The protonated molecules, [M + H]+, formed under ESI conditions were induced to dissociate and the fragmentation patterns were studied. The information collected provided important structural information on the type of substituents present and constitute an important database concerning this family of compounds. Overall, it was found that the substitution pattern of the cinnamylideneacetophenone derivatives changes the ESI‐MS2 fragmentation considerably. These results indicate that ESI‐MS2 is a useful technique for distinguishing positional isomers of these cinnamylideneacetophenone derivatives. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A framework for evaluation and control of the factors that influence the software process improvement in small organizations
Authors: Espinosa‐Curiel Ismael Edrein , Rodríguez‐Jacobo Josefina , Fernández‐Zepeda José Alberto
Published: September 2011

Today, many micro‐sized and small‐sized software enterprises (MSEs) have initiated a software process improvement (SPI) initiative to be more competitive in the software market. SPI initiatives in MSEs have not been entirely successful; in general, MSEs consider them a long, expensive, and difficult activity. One of the reasons of these results is that a large number of human, social, technical, and organizational factors influence these initiatives. MSEs require to control, mitigate, or solve these factors to succeed in their initiatives. However, because there is a lack of information regarding the characteristics and behavior of these factors in the context of the MSEs, SPI managers have limited information to design strategies to control these factors. This work proposes a framework of factors that influence SPI initiatives in MSEs and a methodology to evaluate and control these factors. This framework includes 132 factors grouped in six categories. Additionally, we specify their properties, their value scales, and the property values for each factor. SPI managers could use this framework to evaluate and control potential threats to SPI initiatives and to propose better SPI strategies. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Weighted least absolute value power system state estimation using rectangular coordinates and equivalent measurement functions
Authors: Rakpenthai Chawasak , Uatrongjit Sermsak , Ngamroo Issarachai , Watson Neville R.
Published: September 2011

This paper presents a new efficient computation technique for robust power system state estimation based on weighted least absolute value (WLAV) criterion. The proposed method employs rectangular form of state variables and equivalent measurements technique in order to obtain the linear measurement functions with linear constraints of state variables. The state estimation problem is then formulated as an optimization problem with a set of equality and inequality constraints. A solution method based on interior point algorithm is also proposed. Tests with several IEEE standard systems have been performed to investigate the performance of the proposed algorithm. Results indicate that the proposed state estimator gives promising performance compared with weighted least square (WLS) based estimation algorithms using state variables in polar forms. © 2011 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography: the ABC of MRCP
Authors: Griffin Nyree , Charles-Edwards Geoff , Grant Lee Alexander
Published: September 2011

Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is a technique that has evolved over the past two decades. It continues to have a fundamental role in the non-invasive investigation of many pancreatico-biliary disorders. The purpose of this review is to summarise the key concepts behind MRCP, the different techniques that are currently employed (including functional and secretin-stimulated MRCP), the pitfalls the reader should be aware of, and the main clinical indications for its use.
The local and global stability of confined planar wakes at intermediate Reynolds number
Authors: Juniper M. P. , Tammisola O. , Lundell F.
Published: September 2011

At high Reynolds numbers, wake flows become more globally unstable when they are confined within a duct or between two flat plates. At Reynolds numbers around 100, however, global analyses suggest that such flows become more stable when confined, while local analyses suggest that they become more unstable. The aim of this paper is to resolve this apparent contradiction by examining a set of obstacle-free wakes. In this theoretical and numerical study, we combine global and local stability analyses of planar wake flows at $\mathit{Re}= 100$ to determine the effect of confinement. We find that confinement acts in three ways: it modifies the length of the recirculation zone if one exists, it brings the boundary layers closer to the shear layers, and it can make the flow more locally absolutely unstable. Depending on the flow parameters, these effects work with or against each other to destabilize or stabilize the flow. In wake flows at $\mathit{Re}= 100$ with free-slip boundaries, flows are most globally unstable when the outer flows are 50 % wider than the half-width of the inner flow because the first and third effects work together. In wake flows at $\mathit{Re}= 100$ with no-slip boundaries, confinement has little overall effect when the flows are weakly confined because the first two effects work against the third. Confinement has a strong stabilizing effect, however, when the flows are strongly confined because all three effects work together. By combining local and global analyses, we have been able to isolate these three effects and resolve the apparent contradictions in previous work.
The burden of infectious intestinal disease (IID) in the community: a survey of self-reported IID in The Netherlands
Authors: DOORDUYN Y. , VAN PELT W. , HAVELAAR A. H.
Published: September 2011

In 2009, a 1-year retrospective survey was performed in The Netherlands to estimate the incidence and the disease burden of infectious intestinal disease (IID) in the community, to study the selection of patients consulting a general practitioner and to identify potential risk factors for IID in the community. A questionnaire was sent to 6000 persons selected at random from the population registries of 28 municipalities, with 500 persons being approached per month. A total of 1975 (33%) persons participated. The incidence rate of IID was 964/1000 person-years. Potential risk factors associated with IID in the community were young age (0–4 years) [odds ratio (OR) 3·9, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·5–10·5], having asthma as a child (OR 3·4, 95% CI 1·1–10·3) and use of gastric acid suppressive medication by persons aged ⩾45 years (OR 2·8, 95% CI 1·4–5·6). Of the 146 cases with IID, 11 (8%) consulted a physician. Cases with a long duration of symptoms, blood in the stool, children with IID and cases with a low level of education were more likely to consult a physician. Two cases had a stool sample taken and one was admitted to hospital. In conclusion, IID is common and has a significant burden of illness in The Netherlands. Our data indicate that about 15·9 million episodes of IID occur in The Netherlands per year. The incidence rate is substantially higher than the rate of 283/1000 person-years as estimated in 1999 in The Netherlands. This is probably largely due to the retrospective nature of the present study and, to a lesser extent, to differences in case definitions.
Kant on Punishment
Authors: Shell Susan Meld
Published: September 2011

Unlike that of most liberal thinkers, Kant's theory of punishment is unabashedly retributive. For classical liberals punishment is justified only by the harms it can prevent, not by any allegedly intrinsic good served by making the guilty suffer. Here Hobbes' blunt insistence that the aim of punishment ‘is not a revenge, but terror’ is prototypical in substance, if not in style. Hobbes, Locke, Mill, Bentham and Beccaria, for all their differences, agree that punishment must look to future good rather than to avenging past wrongs. This attitude on the part of classic liberalism toward retribution is not surprising, given its association with the kind of theocratic politics liberalism arose to combat.
Aesthetic Autonomies: A Discussion of Paul Guyer, Kant and the Experience of Freedom
Authors: Janaway Christopher
Published: September 2011

There are two familiar strategic approaches to Kant's Critique of Judgement which commentators have not always found easy to combine. One would regard the work as fitting snugly into Kant's enterprise as the keystone that absorbs the forces of his theoretical and practical philosophies, uniting them and itself into a single sound structure. That Kant saw it this way is obvious from his Introduction to the Critique. But the other approach has sometimes seemed more fruitful: start with the Analytic of the Beautiful and take it not as the completion but as the beginning of something, a treatise which, in offering possibly the fullest and most rigorous account of the autonomy of aesthetic judgement, plays a foundational role in the discipline now known as aesthetics. On this approach questions concerning morality and the unity of Kant's philosophy can be set aside for attention later, if ever.
HETEROGENEITIES, SLAVE-PRINCES, AND MARSHALL PLANS: SCHMITT'S RECEPTION IN HEGEL'S FRANCE
Authors: GEROULANOS STEFANOS
Published: September 2011

This essay examines the French reception of the Carl Schmitt's thought, specifically its Hegelian strand. Beginning with the early readings of Schmitt's thought by Alexandre Kojève and Georges Bataille during the mid-1930s, it attends to the partial adoption of Schmitt's friend/enemy distinction and his theories of sovereignty and neutralization in Kojève and Bataille's Hegelian writings, as well as to their critical responses. The essay then turns to examine the reading of Kojève by the Jesuit Hegelian résistant Gaston Fessard during the war, a reading specifically intended to delegitimate Vichy as a “slave-prince,” resistance to whom would be legitimate. The final section returns to Bataille and his 1948 book The Accursed Share in order to propose that his Maussian understanding of the Marshall Plan suggested an overcoming of the friend/enemy distinction, a suggestion that was later made explicit in a 1957 talk by Kojève at Düsseldorf before Schmitt and a group of his supporters. At stake throughout are both the thoroughly critical reception of Schmitt, the particular political inflection of Hegel carried out by and in Kojève's reading, and certain methodological links between conceptual history and the reception history.
ONCE MORE BEYOND CONSENSUS: THE “TRANSNATIONAL TURN” AND AMERICAN LIBERAL NATIONALISM
Authors: GUARNERI CARL J.
Published: September 2011

“It has been our fate as a nation not to have ideologies,” Richard Hofstadter famously wrote, “but to be one.” Defining that “American ideology” or “American creed” obsessed scholars of the consensus era, who celebrated (and occasionally lamented) Americans’ allegiance to a limited liberal vocabulary of rights, freedoms, and markets. The cultural transformations begun in the 1960s seemed to question the very idea of a unitary culture or creed, but some historians responded by exploring alternative ideological founding myths to the liberal consensus. Over the ensuing decades scholars mounted formidable efforts to support republicanism or millennial Christianity as challengers, but liberalism proved a resilient foe. And it seemed to have contemporary history on its side: during the Reagan revolution of the century's final decades the classic liberal combination of scaled-down government and free markets carried the day as Americans’ ideal if not their reality. The Lockean liberal tradition that Louis Hartz described a half-century earlier still appeared the only game in town, although scholars continued to argue over its terms, history, and boundaries.
Entwicklungsorientierte Diagnostik des Gedächtnisses im Säuglings-, Kleinkind- und Kindergartenalter
Authors: Knopf Monika , Borchert Sonja , Kolling Thorsten , Goertz Claudia
Published: September 2011

Zusammenfassung. In dieser Arbeit zur Gedächtnisdiagnostik bei Säuglingen, Kleinkindern und Vorschulkindern wird von zwei Gedächtnismodellen ausgegangen. Diese für die Entwicklungspsychologie zentralen Rahmenmodelle werden ergänzt durch einen Überblick über Befunde zur Gedächtnisentwicklung von der Geburt bis zum 6. Lebensjahr, mit dem Ziel, wichtige Grundlagen für eine entwicklungsorientierte Gedächtnisdiagnostik darzustellen. Die Zusammenstellung der diagnostischen Verfahren zur Messung des Gedächtnisses in diesem frühen Lebensaltersabschnitt zeigt, dass es allenfalls für Kindergartenkinder einzelne Skalen (häufig in Intelligenztests oder Allgemeinen Entwicklungstests) gibt, die Gedächtnis erfassen wollen. Die vorhandenen diagnostischen Verfahren greifen dabei vergleichsweise selten sowohl Paradigmen als auch Befunde auf, die in einem experimentellen Forschungsprogramm zur Analyse des Gedächtnisses bei Säuglingen und Kleinkindern existieren. Aus der Gegenüberstellung von Gedächtnistests einerseits und den Befunden aus der entwicklungspsychologischen Gedächtnisforschung andererseits lassen sich Hinweise sowohl für Messmethoden als auch für Inhaltsbereiche gewinnen, die in einer entwicklungsorientierten Gedächtnisdiagnostik zukünftig genutzt werden können.
Welche Vorläuferdefizite weisen Kinder mit einer kombinierten Rechtschreib- und Rechenschwäche auf?
Authors: Knievel Julia , Petermann Franz , Daseking Monika
Published: September 2011

Zusammenfassung. Die vorliegende Studie geht der Frage nach, welche Vorläuferfähigkeiten dazu beitragen, Leistungsunterschiede für Kinder mit einer isolierten oder kombinierten Lernschwäche (Cut-off: PR ≤ 25) zu erklären. Dazu wurden die Daten von 122 Kindern, die ein Jahr vor Schulbeginn ein Screening für kognitive Basisfähigkeiten durchlaufen haben (BASIC-Preschool) und bei denen am Anfang der 2. Klasse mit DRT 1, DEMAT 1+ und HAWIK-IV die Schulleistung und allgemeine kognitive Fähigkeiten erhoben wurden, einbezogen. Kinder mit einer kombinierten Lernschwäche zeigten im Vergleich zu Kindern ohne Lernschwäche bereits im letzten Kindergartenjahr signifikant schwächere Vorläuferfähigkeiten. Als bedeutsam erweisen sich Fähigkeiten, die den Bereichen des Arbeitsgedächtnisses (phonologische Schleife, zentrale Exekutive), der Sprachverarbeitung (Verständnis für präpositionale Beziehungen) und dem schnellen Abruf von Faktenwissen (automatische Mengenerfassung, Abzählen) zugeordnet werden können.
Ethical Issues Relevant to the Assessment of Suicide Risk in Nonclinical Research Settings
Authors: Wilson Carolyn M. , Christensen Bruce K.
Published: September 2011

Background: Our laboratory recently confronted this issue while conducting research with undergraduate students at the University of Waterloo (UW). Although our main objective was to examine cognitive and genetic features of individuals with schizotypal personality disorder (SPD), the study protocol also entailed the completion of various self-report measures to identify participants deemed at increased risk for suicide. Aims and Methods: This paper seeks to review and discuss the relevant ethical guidelines and legislation that bear upon a psychologist’s obligation to further assess and intervene when research participants reveal that they are at increased risk for suicide. Results and Conclusions: In the current paper we argue that psychologists are ethically impelled to assess and appropriately intervene in cases of suicide risk, even when such risk is revealed within a research context. We also discuss how any such obligation may potentially be modulated by the research participant’s expectations of the role of a psychologist, within such a context. Although the focus of the current paper is on the ethical obligations of psychologists, specifically those practicing within Canada, the relevance of this paper extends to all regulated health professionals conducting research in nonclinical settings.
Optimal concentrations in nectar feeding
Authors: Kim Wonjung , Gilet Tristan , Bush John W. M.
Published: September 2011

Nectar drinkers must feed quickly and efficiently due to the threat of predation. While the sweetest nectar offers the greatest energetic rewards, the sharp increase of viscosity with sugar concentration makes it the most difficult to transport. We here demonstrate that the sugar concentration that optimizes energy transport depends exclusively on the drinking technique employed. We identify three nectar drinking techniques: active suction, capillary suction, and viscous dipping. For each, we deduce the dependence of the volume intake rate on the nectar viscosity and thus infer an optimal sugar concentration consistent with laboratory measurements. Our results provide the first rationale for why suction feeders typically pollinate flowers with lower sugar concentration nectar than their counterparts that use viscous dipping.
Separation of telomerase functions by reverse genetics
Authors: Mukherjee Shibani , Firpo Eduardo J. , Wang Yang , Roberts James M.
Published: September 2011

The canonical function of the human telomerase protein (hTERT) is to synthesize telomeric DNA, but it has other biological activities, including enhancing cell proliferation, decreasing apoptosis, regulating DNA damage responses, and increasing cellular proliferative lifespan. The mechanistic relationships among these activities are not understood. We previously demonstrated that ectopic hTERT expression in primary human mammary epithelial cells diminishes their requirement for exogenous mitogens, thus giving them a proliferative advantage in a mitogen-depleted environment. Here, we show that this phenotype is caused by a combination of increased cell division and decreased apoptosis. In addition, we use a panel of hTERT mutants to demonstrate that this enhanced cell proliferation can be uncoupled not only from telomere elongation, but also from other telomerase activities, including cellular lifespan extension and regulation of DNA damage responses. We also find that the proliferative function of hTERT, which requires hTERT catalytic activity, is not caused by increased Wnt signaling, but is accompanied by alterations in key cell cycle regulators and is linked to an hTERT-catalyzed decrease in the levels of the RNA component of mitochondrial RNA processing endoribonuclease. Thus, enhanced cell proliferation is an independent function of hTERT that could provide a new target for the development of anti-telomerase cancer therapeutic agents.