bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A randomised trial of home energy efficiency improvement in the homes of elderly COPD patients
Authors: Osman L. M. , Ayres J. G. , Garden C. , Reglitz K. , Lyon J. , Douglas J. G.
Published: July 2009

A randomised trial of 178 patients in Aberdeen, UK with a previous hospital admission for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was carried out in order to determine whether improving home energy efficiency improves health-related quality of life in COPD patients.

118 patients were randomised and 60 agreed to monitoring only. Energy efficiency upgrading was carried out in 42% of homes randomised to intervention. Independent energy efficiency action was taken by 15% of control participants and 18% in the monitoring group. The main outcome measures were respiratory and general health status, home energy efficiency and hospital admissions.

Intention-to-treat analysis found no difference in outcomes between the two groups. In 45 patients, who had energy efficiency action independent of original randomisation, there were significant improvements in respiratory symptom scores (adjusted mean 9.0, 95% CI 2.5–15.5), decreases in estimated annual fuel costs (-£65.3, 95% CI -£31.9– -£98.7) and improved home energy efficiency rating (1.1, 95% CI 0–1.4).

COPD patients are unlikely to take up home energy efficiency upgrading, if offered. Secondary “pragmatic” analysis suggests that those who do take action may achieve clinically significant improvement in respiratory health, which is not associated with an increase in indoor warmth.
Transcriptional profiling avian beta-defensins in chicken oviduct epithelial cells before and after infection with Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis
Authors: Ebers Katie L , Zhang C Yan , Zhang M Zhenyu , Bailey R Hartford , Zhang Shuping
Published: July 2009

Background

Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (SE) colonizes the ovary and oviduct of chickens without causing overt clinical signs which can lead to SE-contamination of the content and membrane of shell-eggs as well as hatchery eggs. The organism utilizes the Salmonella Pathogenicity Island-2 encoded type III secretion system (T3SS-2) to promote persistence in the oviduct of laying hens. In this study, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was carried out to determine the expression profiles of 14 known avian beta defensins (AvBDs) in primary chicken oviduct epithelial cells (COEC) before and after infections with a wild type SE strain and T3SS mutant SE strains carrying an inactivated sipA or pipB gene.

Results

Based on the expression levels in uninfected COEC, AvBDs can be loosely grouped into three categories with AvBD4-5 and AvBD9-12 being constitutively expressed at high levels; AvBD1, AvBD3, and AvBD13-14 at moderate levels; and AvBD2 and AvBD6-8 at minimal levels. Infection with the wild type SE strain temporarily repressed certain highly expressed AvBDs and induced the expression of minimally expressed AvBDs. The pipB mutant, compared to the wild type strain, had reduced suppressive effect on the expression of highly expressed AvBDs. Moreover, the pipB mutant elicited significantly higher levels of the minimally expressed AvBDs than the wild type SE or the sipA mutant did.

Conclusion

Chicken oviduct epithelial cells express most of the known AvBD genes in response to SE infection. PipB, a T3SS-2 effector protein, plays a role in dampening the β-defensin arm of innate immunity during SE invasion of chicken oviduct epithelium.
The cellulose synthase superfamily in fully sequenced plants and algae
Authors: Yin Yanbin , Huang Jinling , Xu Ying
Published: July 2009

Background

The cellulose synthase superfamily has been classified into nine cellulose synthase-like (Csl) families and one cellulose synthase (CesA) family. The Csl families have been proposed to be involved in the synthesis of the backbones of hemicelluloses of plant cell walls. With 17 plant and algal genomes fully sequenced, we sought to conduct a genome-wide and systematic investigation of this superfamily through in-depth phylogenetic analyses.

Results

A single-copy gene is found in the six chlorophyte green algae, which is most closely related to the CslA and CslC families that are present in the seven land plants investigated in our analyses. Six proteins from poplar, grape and sorghum form a distinct family (CslJ), providing further support for the conclusions from two recent studies. CslB/E/G/H/J families have evolved significantly more rapidly than their widely distributed relatives, and tend to have intragenomic duplications, in particular in the grape genome.

Conclusion

Our data suggest that the CslA and CslC families originated through an ancient gene duplication event in land plants. We speculate that the single-copy Csl gene in green algae may encode a mannan synthase. We confirm that the rest of the Csl families have a different evolutionary origin than CslA and CslC, and have proposed a model for the divergence order among them. Our study provides new insights about the evolution of this important gene family in plants.
Treatment of advanced, recurrent, resistant to previous treatments basal and squamous cell skin carcinomas with a synergistic formulation of interferons. Open, prospective study
Authors: Anasagasti-Angulo Lorenzo , Garcia-Vega Yanelda , Barcelona-Perez Silvia , Lopez-Saura Pedro , Bello-Rivero Iraldo
Published: July 2009

Background

Aggressive non-melanoma skin cancer (deeply infiltrating, recurrent, and morphea form lesions) are therapeutically challenging because they require considerable tissue loss and may demand radical disfiguring surgery. Interferons (IFN) may provide a non-surgical approach to the management of these tumors. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of a formulation containing IFNs-α and -γ in synergistic proportions on patients with recurrent, advanced basal cell (BCC) or squamous cell skin carcinomas (SCSC).

Methods

Patients with extensive, recurrent, resistant to other procedures BCC or SCSC received the IFN formulation peri- and intralesionally, three times per week for 3 weeks. They had been previously treated with surgery and/or radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Thirteen weeks after the end of treatment, the original lesion sites were examined for histological evidence of remaining tumor.

Results

Sixteen elder (median 70 years-old) patients were included. They beared 12 BCC and 4 SCSC ranging from 1.5 to 12.5 cm in the longest dimension. At the end of treatment 47% CR (complete tumor elimination), 40% PR (>30% tumor reduction), and 13% stable disease were obtained. None of the patients relapsed during the treatment period. The median duration of the response was 38 months. Only one patient with complete response had relapsed until today. Principal adverse reactions were influenza-like symptoms well known to occur with interferon therapy, which were well tolerated.

Conclusion

The peri- and intralesional combination of IFNs-α and -γ was safe and showed effect for the treatment of advanced, recurrent and resistant to previous treatments of BCC and SCSC in elder patients. This is the first report of such treatment in patients with advance non-melanoma skin cancer. The encouraging result justifies further confirmatory trials.

Trial registration

Current Controlled Trials RPCEC00000052.
A comparison between the APACHE II and Charlson Index Score for predicting hospital mortality in critically ill patients
Authors: Quach Susan , Hennessy Deirdre A , Faris Peter , Fong Andrew , Quan Hude , Doig Christopher
Published: July 2009

Background

Risk adjustment and mortality prediction in studies of critical care are usually performed using acuity of illness scores, such as Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II), which emphasize physiological derangement. Common risk adjustment systems used in administrative datasets, like the Charlson index, are entirely based on the presence of co-morbid illnesses. The purpose of this study was to compare the discriminative ability of the Charlson index to the APACHE II in predicting hospital mortality in adult multisystem ICU patients.

Methods

This was a population-based cohort design. The study sample consisted of adult (>17 years of age) residents of the Calgary Health Region admitted to a multisystem ICU between April 2002 and March 2004. Clinical data were collected prospectively and linked to hospital outcome data. Multiple regression analyses were used to compare the performance of APACHE II and the Charlson index.

Results

The Charlson index was a poor predictor of mortality (C = 0.626). There was minimal difference between a baseline model containing age, sex and acute physiology score (C = 0.74) and models containing either chronic health points (C = 0.76) or Charlson index variations (C = 0.75, 0.76, 0.77). No important improvement in prediction occurred when the Charlson index was added to the full APACHE II model (C = 0.808 to C = 0.813).

Conclusion

The Charlson index does not perform as well as the APACHE II in predicting hospital mortality in ICU patients. However, when acuity of illness scores are unavailable or are not recorded in a standard way, the Charlson index might be considered as an alternative method of risk adjustment and therefore facilitate comparisons between intensive care units.
Transcriptome analysis of Taenia solium cysticerci using Open Reading Frame ESTs (ORESTES)
Authors: Almeida Carolina R , Stoco Patricia H , Wagner Glauber , Sincero Thaís CM , Rotava Gianinna , Bayer-Santos Ethel , Rodrigues Juliana B , Sperandio Maísa M , Maia Antônio AM , Ojopi Elida PB , Zaha Arnaldo , Ferreira Henrique B , Tyler Kevin M , Dávila Alberto MR , Grisard Edmundo C , Dias-Neto Emmanuel
Published: July 2009

Background

Human infection by the pork tapeworm Taenia solium affects more than 50 million people worldwide, particularly in underdeveloped and developing countries. Cysticercosis which arises from larval encystation can be life threatening and difficult to treat. Here, we investigate for the first time the transcriptome of the clinically relevant cysticerci larval form.

Results

Using Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) produced by the ORESTES method, a total of 1,520 high quality ESTs were generated from 20 ORESTES cDNA mini-libraries and its analysis revealed fragments of genes with promising applications including 51 ESTs matching antigens previously described in other species, as well as 113 sequences representing proteins with potential extracellular localization, with obvious applications for immune-diagnosis or vaccine development.

Conclusion

The set of sequences described here will contribute to deciphering the expression profile of this important parasite and will be informative for the genome assembly and annotation, as well as for studies of intra- and inter-specific sequence variability. Genes of interest for developing new diagnostic and therapeutic tools are described and discussed.
School children sufficiently apply life supporting first aid: a prospective investigation
Authors: Fleischhackl Roman , Nuernberger Alexander , Sterz Fritz , Schoenberg Christina , Urso Tania , Habart Tanja , Mittlboeck Martina , Chandra-Strobos Nisha
Published: July 2009

Introduction

The usefulness of CPR training in schools has been questioned because young students may not have the physical and cognitive skills needed to correctly perform such complex tasks correctly.

Methods

In pupils, who received six hours of CPR training from their teachers during a standard school semester at four months post training the following outcome parameters were assessed: CPR effectiveness, AED deployment, accuracy in checking vital signs, correctness of recovery position, and whether the ambulance service was effectively notified. Possible correlations of age, gender, body mass index (BMI), and outcome parameters were calculated.

Results

Of 147 students (mean age 13 ± 2 years), 86% performed CPR correctly. Median depth of chest compressions was 35 mm (inter quartile range (IQR) 31 to 41), and the median number of compressions per minute was 129 bpm (IQR 108 to 143). Sixty nine percent of the students tilted the mannequin head sufficiently for mouth to mouth resuscitation, and the median air volume delivered was 540 ml (IQR 0 to 750). Scores on other life supporting techniques were at least 80% or higher. Depth of chest compressions showed a correlation with BMI (r = 0.35; P < 0.0001), body weight (r = 0.38; P < 0.0001), and body height (r = 0.31; P = 0.0002) but not with age. All other outcomes were found to be unrelated to gender, age, or BMI.

Conclusions

Students as young as 9 years are able to successfully and effectively learn basic life support skills including AED deployment, correct recovery position and emergency calling. As in adults, physical strength may limit depth of chest compressions and ventilation volumes but skill retention is good.
From the Editor's desk
Authors: Tyrer Peter
Published: July 2009

The merits of a global perspective

It has almost become a pointless mantra to repeat ‘we are now international’ but there is important substance to the wish for a more global perspective in psychiatry. For those involved in developing community services it is amazing to follow the time change zones round the world. In the Czech Republic services are at the stage we were in the UK in 1977, in Slovakia it is 1972, in the Ukraine it is 1965, in Rwanda 1964, in Tibet 1960 and in Belarus 1953. So why not take advantage of this time warp and help Belarus now to develop the best possible services from the 50 extra years of accumulated knowledge? The reverse is also true. We can test hypotheses now that we might have considered many years ago by looking at the experiences of other countries. Schizophrenia remains difficult to treat and much concern has been expressed about its excess mortality, particularly the suspicion that this is a consequence of antipsychotic drug treatment.1These drugs may lead to obesity, a growing problem with increasing age (Kivimäkiet al, pp. 149–155), and its associated metabolic syndrome.2,3In low- and middle-income countries our view of outcome has been influenced greatly by data from Chandigarh in North India, where better results may be related to different family structures with low expressed emotion, conferring protection.4But long-term outcome is poor in such countries also5and Ranet al(pp. 126–131) suggest that those never treated for schizophrenia, even though they may have received traditional remedies,6have the same mortality as those treated with Western evidence-based interventions. When we get consistency across very different countries we can have much more confidence in our conclusions, and the association of urbanicity and schizophrenia first identified by Faris & Dunham 70 years ago,7and repeatedly identified in all population groups,8now seems to have its final badge of approval from Lundberget al(pp. 156–162) in their study from Uganda. I cannot help noticing from their paper that grandiosity as a psychotic experience is a marked distinguishing feature between urban and rural rearing; perhaps being surrounded by all those tall city buildings unduly raises expectations. We need to be reminded that increased mortality is also common in other psychiatric disorders. This is illustrated in depression by Mykletunet al(pp. 118–125), who also intriguingly find that greater trait anxiety increases your lifespan, so perhaps there is some gain from constant worry and increased help-seeking behaviour.
Morphometric analysis of neuronal and glial cell pathology in
the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in late-life depression
Authors: Khundakar Ahmad , Morris Christopher , Oakley Arthur , McMeekin William , Thomas Alan J.
Published: July 2009

Background

Late-life depression has been associated with cerebrovascular disease and
especially with ischaemic white matter hyperintensities on magnetic
resonance imaging. Neuroimaging and morphometric studies have identified
abnormalities in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

Aims

To examine glial and neuronal density and neuronal volume in the
dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in late-life major depression.

Method

We used the disector and nucleator methods to estimate neuronal density
and volume and glial density of cells in the dorsolateral prefrontal
cortex in a post-mortem study of 17 individuals with late-life major
depression and 10 age-matched controls.

Results

We found a reduction in the volume of pyramidal neurones in the whole
cortex, which was also present in layer 3 and more markedly in layer 5.
There were no comparable changes in non-pyramidal neurones and no glial
differences.

Conclusions

Overall, we found a decrease in pyramidal neuronal size in the
dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in late-life depression.
Childhood neuropsychological deficits associated with adult
obsessive–compulsive disorder
Authors: Grisham Jessica R. , Anderson Tracy M. , Poulton Richie , Moffitt Terrie E. , Andrews Gavin
Published: July 2009

Background

Existing neuropsychological studies of obsessive–compulsive disorder
(OCD) are cross-sectional and do not provide evidence of whether deficits
are trait-related (antecedent and independent of symptomatology) or
state-related (a consequence, dependent on symptomatology).

Aims

To investigate whether there are premorbid neuropsychological deficits
associated with adult OCD.

Method

Longitudinal data were collected from participants of the Dunedin
Multidisciplinary Health and Developmental study. Neuropsychological data
collected at age 13 were linked with age 32 diagnosis of OCD.

Results

The group who had OCD at age 32 differed significantly from the control
group with no OCD on their performance at age 13 on neuropsychological
tests of visuospatial, visuoconstructive and visuomotor skills,
controlling for gender and socioeconomic status, but did not differ on
tests of general IQ or verbal ability. Performance of the group with OCD
on tests of executive functioning was mixed.

Conclusions

Individuals with OCD have premorbid impairment in visuospatial abilities
and some forms of executive functioning, consistent with biological
models of OCD.
Managing outcome performance in mental health using HoNOS: experience at St Andrew's Healthcare
Authors: Sugarman Philip , Walker Lorraine , Dickens Geoff
Published: July 2009

Aims and Method

Modern mental healthcare providers must demonstrate service-level clinical effectiveness to key stakeholders. We introduced two performance indicators of clinical effectiveness based on outcome data from routinely collected Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS) and HoNOS–secure assessments across St Andrew's Healthcare, a charity providing in-patient services in Northampton and Essex. We present outcome data from the period 2004–2007.

Results

The indicators showed consistent 90-day improvement rates and increasing stability over time. the validity of results is supported by levels of change along predicted lines among different patient cohorts.

Clinical Implications

It is possible and beneficial to use routine outcome measures to demonstrate clinical effectiveness at service level. the future of managing mental health outcomes will be in electronic health records systems.
What Happened to the African Renaissance? The Challenges of Development in the Twenty-First Century
Authors: Zeleza Paul Tiyambe
Published: July 2009

The essay discusses the trajectory of the African renaissance as an idea and a project, a task that in essence entails examining Africa's postcolonial development paradigms, performances, and prospects. It is argued that this idea represents a recurrent yearning for a usable future aching deep in the consciousness of a people with painful memories of suffering, struggle, and survival against the historical ravages of slavery, colonialism, and neocolonialism, a longing for sustainable development, for viable African modernities. Recently, the dreams and discourses of the African renaissance have been driven as much by Afro-optimism as by Afro-pessimism, by both the positive and the negative political and economic changes that have taken place in postcolonial Africa. The essay is divided into four parts. It begins with a brief survey of the resurgence of the idea of the African renaissance in the 1990s in postapartheid South Africa. Then it examines Africa's complex and contradictory inheritances of colonialism and nationalism out of which postcolonial Africa was molded. This is followed by an analysis of Africa's development ideologies and experiences since independence characterized by authoritarian developmentalism and authoritarian neoliberalism. The essay concludes by trying to capture the current internal and external challenges facing Africa's efforts to embark on democratic developmentalism.
Yoga in Asia—mimetic History: Problems in the Location of Secret Knowledge
Authors: Alter Joseph S.
Published: July 2009

On one level, and with reference to a specific frame of reference, embodied forms of practice that have come to be associated with Yoga and Taoist philosophy appear to be very similar if not identical in terms of form, structure, and purpose. However, there is no clear-cut history of communication between eastern and southern Asia concerning the exchange of ideas linked to these practices, and where some scholars presume direct, linear exchange, and obvious congruity, others see radical difference and discontinuity. Taking the inspired work of the Bengali scholar Prabodh Candar Bagchi as a point of departure—and eternal return—the argument presented here is twofold. First, it is highly problematic to conceptualize cross-cultural contact in the premodern period not just in terms of the modern geopolitics of nationalism—which is fairly obvious—but also in terms of a history of ideas that is itself structured by modernity. Second, secret knowledge transforms what is in fact impossible—immortality, transcendence, enlightenment—into a historical vortex that is both local and global. Mimetic history is the recursive pattern, structured through the paradox of secrecy, whereby the impossibility of embodied enlightenment is reflected in forms of practice that, in terms of both time and space, endlessly anticipate perfection.
Spinning without Touching the Wheel: Anticolonialism, Indian Nationalism, and the Deployment of Symbol
Authors: Brown Rebecca M.
Published: July 2009

For the nationalist movement in early-twentieth-century India, the practice of spinning each day and the symbol of the spinning wheel served, together, to unify an extremely diverse nation in ways that earlier movements (notably the 1905–11 Bengal-centered swadeshi movement) had not. While certainly both khadi (homespun cloth) and clothing were central for the nationalist movement, this article instead investigates the distinct visual imagery of spinning. It argues that this very particular visual symbol effectively consolidated nationalist discourse in ways controversial khadi could not.
Explaining Social Mobilization in Pakistan: A Comparative Case Study of Baluchistan and Azad Kashmir
Authors: Surendra Shanna Dietz
Published: July 2009

The striking ethnic and linguistic diversity within Pakistan's highly centralized state makes it a prime target for social mobilization, especially in the form of secessionist movements. However, Pakistan's various states and territories have experienced extreme variation in social mobilization since the nation's creation. This article addresses this variation by looking at two opposing cases: Baluchistan and Azad Kashmir. Baluchistan, a tribal land of distinct culture and tradition, has experienced five ethnonationalist movements since 1947, including the ensuing insurgency. Azad Kashmir, by comparison, has experienced no major anti-Islamabad movements despite its independent culture and ample grievances.

Employing a comparative case study methodology, I argue that social mobilization in the Pakistani state is the result not simply of grievances, as other scholars have argued, but of a combination of unique opportunities that encourage rebellion, including economic viability and organizational advantage.
French New Orientalist Narratives from the “Natives”: Reading More Than Chahdortt Djavann in Paris
Authors: Nanquette Laetitia
Published: July 2009

This article analyzes a trend in the prose texts of French writers of Iranian origin, based on close readings of Chahdortt Djavann, Comment peut-on être français? (How Can One Be French? 2006), and Ladane Azernour, Les larmes de l'exil: L'Iran confisqué (The Tears of Exile: Iran Confiscated, 2004). The article argues that new orientalism in France comes from the “natives” only, and can thus be considered as “self-orientalism” according to Edward Saïd's term. It uses the term native to point out the paradox of the new orientalist writers' discourse: they proclaim their Iranian origins and their witnessing of contemporary Iran, while they dissociate themselves from other Iranians. The article shows that new orientalism is tied with an “emulative” type of occidentalism, as opposed to a “revisionist” type. Such an emulative form of occidentalism is very close to an interiorized orientalism, erecting the West as a model and reproducing orientalist stereotypes. French new orientalist narratives are characterized by their simplified version of Islam, their construction of a polarized vision of the world, and the proclamation of their preference for the West. Emphatically othering characters and places, these narratives suggest that understanding between Iranian and French peoples has become impossible after the Islamic revolution. The autobiographical literary form helps to construct such a discourse because it makes it almost impossible to question the lived experiences. One of the purposes of this article is to point out the potential danger in publishing more new orientalist narratives, which for now are scarcely represented in the Franco-Iranian literary panorama.
Abolishing the East: The Dated Nature of Orientalism in the Definition and Ethical Analysis of the Hindu Faith
Authors: Barton Gregory A.
Published: July 2009

Historians have tangled with two difficult conceptualizations of Hinduism. One is the use of the term Hinduism, and the other, the relation between environmental ethics and Hinduism. One posits a “merry India” that is diverse, tolerant, and amorphous, impossible to pin down, define, or solidify into a single entity. The other accepts the term Hinduism and ascribes to it a battery of impressive environmental ethics that stand as a model for the West. The attempt to deconstruct the term Hinduism and the ascription of environmental ethics to Hinduism are both romantic expressions of an orientalism increasingly outdated by the new global identity of the large and growing subcontinent middle and upper class elites.
What's Morality Got to Do with It? Benevolent Hegemony in the International System of South Asia
Authors: Sadiq Kamal
Published: July 2009

To understand whether ideas matter in international politics and if they can be agents of systemic transformation, one must examine the debate about the “benevolent” hegemony of the United States. Supporters of moral American hegemony claim that the spread of its moral values worldwide will bring about an international transformation. In short, hegemony serves a universal good. A similar claim has been made about the ancient international system of South Asia. The claim here is that the rule of Asoka—the Indian ruler credited with spreading Buddhism and nonviolence to the rest of the world—was committed to the collective good and to the propagation of an ethical code of conduct— dhamma. On this view, Asokan moral hegemony produced a peaceful South Asia. Against this view, this article shows how ideational variables such as dhamma were bound up with material interests to serve the strategic goals of Asokan hegemony in the international system of South Asia. It lends support to the realist conception of the world where strategic deployment of ideational variables and material interests enhance state power, thereby offering the best explanation of seemingly moral behavior.
Reading Beyond Jasmine and Stars: Reading More Than Lolita in Tehran
Authors: Mannani Manijeh
Published: July 2009

Although neither Azar Nafisi's Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books nor Fatemeh Keshavarz's Jasmine and Stars: Reading More than Lolita in Tehran completely lends itself to be discussed with the same tools usually adopted in analyzing Western modes of life writing—in this case, memoirs—both works still raise the valid and universal question in this field: how much of the true self is disguised by the subject, the “I” in each memoir? By drawing on the issues of truth, selectivity, memory, and subjectivity, I argue that “the true self” is disguised by the subject more in Keshavarz's memoir than by Nafisi in Reading Lolita in Tehran, although Keshavarz and a host of other critics, including Hamid Dabashi, hold a different opinion in their belligerent criticisms of Nafisi's book. In this essay, I also explore the concepts of homeland, exile, ultra-patriotism, and anti-patriotism within the context of contemporary Iranian politics and with multiple references to religious issues as they are brought up in both works. Moreover, my comparative essay also deals with the literary style and the literary content in each work from an original perspective.
Biofluiddynamic scaling of flapping, spinning and translating fins and wings
Authors: Lentink David , Dickinson Michael H.
Published: July 2009

Organisms that swim or fly with fins or wings physically interact with the surrounding water and air. The interactions are governed by the morphology and kinematics of the locomotory system that form boundary conditions to the Navier–Stokes (NS) equations. These equations represent Newton's law of motion for the fluid surrounding the organism. Several dimensionless numbers,such as the Reynolds number and Strouhal number, measure the influence of morphology and kinematics on the fluid dynamics of swimming and flight. There exists, however, no coherent theoretical framework that shows how such dimensionless numbers of organisms are linked to the NS equation. Here we present an integrated approach to scale the biological fluid dynamics of a wing that flaps, spins or translates. Both the morphology and kinematics of the locomotory system are coupled to the NS equation through which we find dimensionless numbers that represent rotational accelerations in the flow due to wing kinematics and morphology. The three corresponding dimensionless numbers are (1) the angular acceleration number, (2) the centripetal acceleration number, and (3) the Rossby number, which measures Coriolis acceleration. These dimensionless numbers consist of length scale ratios,which facilitate their geometric interpretation. This approach gives fundamental insight into the physical mechanisms that explain the differences in performance among flapping, spinning and translating wings. Although we derived this new framework for the special case of a model fly wing, the method is general enough to make it applicable to other organisms that fly or swim using wings or fins.
Locomotor trade-offs in mice selectively bred for high voluntary wheel running
Authors: Dlugosz Elizabeth M. , Chappell Mark A. , McGillivray David G. , Syme Douglas A. , Garland Theodore
Published: July 2009

We investigated sprint performance and running economy of a unique`mini-muscle' phenotype that evolved in response to selection for high voluntary wheel running in laboratory mice (Mus domesticus). Mice from four replicate selected (S) lines run nearly three times as far per day as four control lines. The mini-muscle phenotype, resulting from an initially rare autosomal recessive allele, has been favoured by the selection protocol,becoming fixed in one of the two S lines in which it occurred. In homozygotes,hindlimb muscle mass is halved, mass-specific muscle oxidative capacity is doubled, and the medial gastrocnemius exhibits about half the mass-specific isotonic power, less than half the mass-specific cyclic work and power, but doubled fatigue resistance. We hypothesized that mini-muscle mice would have a lower whole-animal energy cost of transport (COT), resulting from lower costs of cycling their lighter limbs, and reduced sprint speed, from reduced maximal force production. We measured sprint speed on a racetrack and slopes(incremental COT, or iCOT) and intercepts of the metabolic rate versus speed relationship during voluntary wheel running in 10 mini-muscle and 20 normal S-line females. Mini-muscle mice ran faster and farther on wheels, but for less time per day. Mini-muscle mice had significantly lower sprint speeds, indicating a functional trade-off. However,contrary to predictions, mini-muscle mice had higher COT, mainly because of higher zero-speed intercepts and postural costs (intercept–resting metabolic rate). Thus, mice with altered limb morphology after intense selection for running long distances do not necessarily run more economically.
Effect of fur removal on the thermal conductance and energy budget in lactating Swiss mice
Authors: Zhao Zhi-Jun , Cao Jing
Published: July 2009

The limits to sustained energy intake (SusEI) are important because they determine the ceiling restricting all the competing physiological processes. A recent hypothesis is that SusEI is constrained by the capacity to dissipate heat. However some previous data for Swiss mice are inconsistent with this hypothesis. To examine the role of limits to heat dissipation on SusEI, the body temperature, thermal conductance and lactation performance were measured in dorsally shaved Swiss mice. Shaving reduces external insulation and the heat dissipation limitation hypothesis predicts such animals should be capable of eating more food and raising heavier litters. Shaved mice had a significantly higher thermal conductance and a faster reduction in body temperature following noradrenaline injection. At peak lactation, shaved mice spent more time in feeding behaviour, and increased food intake above that observed in non-shaved controls, indicating that limits on SusEI might be imposed by the capacity to dissipate heat. However, shaved females did not spend more time suckling their pups, and did not raise heavier litters, which is inconsistent with the expectations of the heat dissipation limitation hypothesis. The strong correlations between resting, feeding and suckling behaviour at peak lactation suggested that there might be a trade-off in the time distribution between the behavioural patterns. These data suggest that limits on performance may be set at different levels in different strains or species. In MF1 mice studied previously the limit on milk production imposed by maximal mammary secretion capability may lie above that for heat dissipation, hence when the latter was increased the mice produced more milk and raised heavier litters. In Swiss mice the opposite might be the case. Hence when the heat dissipation capacity was increased this did not translate into heavier litters, i.e. supporting the peripheral limitation hypothesis. Further work in a range of additional species or strains will be necessary to establish whether the more normal condition is for SusEI in animals during late lactation to be set by combined peripheral demands or by the heat dissipation capacity.
Calcium provision to oviparous and viviparous embryos of the reproductively bimodal lizard Lacerta (Zootoca) vivipara
Authors: Stewart James R. , Ecay Tom W. , Heulin Benoit
Published: July 2009

Embryos of oviparous squamate reptiles typically obtain calcium from both yolk and eggshell but differ from other oviparous amniotes (turtles, birds and crocodilians) because they are heavily dependent on calcium-rich yolk. Eggs of viviparous squamates lack calcareous eggshells, and embryos receive calcium solely from yolk or from both yolk and placenta. The pattern of calcium mobilization by amniote embryos has been predicted to influence the evolution of viviparity if embryos are dependent on calcium from the eggshell and calcium placentotrophy evolves subsequent to viviparity. We studied the pattern of maternal provision and embryonic utilization of calcium of an oviparous and a viviparous population of the reproductively bimodal lizard Lacerta vivipara to test the hypotheses: (1) oviparous embryos are not dependent on eggshell calcium and (2) calcium content of viviparous hatchlings does not differ from oviparous hatchlings. Our findings do not support either of these hypotheses because oviparous females oviposited eggs with heavily calcified shells and calcium-poor yolk, and embryonic mobilization of shell calcium was greater than for other oviparous squamates. The calcium content of yolk from viviparous females did not differ from oviparous yolk, but viviparous eggs lacked calcareous eggshells. Uterine secretion by viviparous females compensated for the low calcium content of yolk, and placental calcium transfer was among the highest recorded for squamates. The pattern of calcium provision in these two populations suggests that dependence on uterine calcium, either stored temporarily in an eggshell or transferred directly across a placenta, did not constrain the evolution of reproductive mode in this lineage.
Physiological response to low temperature in the freshwater apple snail, Pomacea canaliculata (Gastropoda: Ampullariidae)
Authors: Matsukura Keiichiro , Tsumuki Hisaaki , Izumi Yohei , Wada Takashi
Published: July 2009

Cold hardiness of the freshwater apple snail, Pomacea canaliculata, varies seasonally. We investigated lethal factors and physiological changes arising from exposure of P. canaliculata to low temperatures. Snails did not survive freezing. The supercooling point of cold-acclimated (cold tolerant) snails (–6.6±0.8°C) did not differ significantly from that of non-acclimated ones(–7.1±1.5°C) under laboratory conditions. Furthermore, snails died even under more moderately low temperatures approaching 0°C. These results indicate that indirect chilling injury is a factor in the death of P. canaliculata at low temperatures. Regardless of whether the snails were acclimated to low temperatures, all of the dead, and even some of the snails still alive at 0°C, had injured mantles, indicating that the mantle may be the organ most susceptible to the effects of low temperatures. The concentration of glucose in the posterior chamber of the kidney and concentration of glycerol in the digestive gland were significantly higher in cold-acclimated snails than in non-acclimated ones, suggesting carbohydrate metabolic pathways are altered in snails during cold acclimation.
Reduction in fragile X related 1 protein causes cardiomyopathy and muscular dystrophy in zebrafish
Authors: van't Padje Sandra , Chaudhry Bill , Severijnen Lies-Anne , van der Linde Herma C. , Mientjes Edwin J. , Oostra Ben A. , Willemsen Rob
Published: July 2009

Lack of the FMR1 gene product causes fragile X syndrome, the commonest inherited cause of mental impairment. We know little of the roles that fragile X related (FXR) gene family members(FMR1, FXR2 and FXR1) play during embryonic development. Although all are expressed in the brain and testis, FXR1is the principal member found in striated and cardiac muscle. The Fxr1 knockout mice display a striated muscle phenotype but it is not known why they die shortly after birth; however, a cardiac cause is possible. The zebrafish is an ideal model to investigate the role of fxr1during development of the heart. We have carried out morpholino knockdown of fxr1 and have demonstrated abnormalities of striated muscle development and abnormal development of the zebrafish heart, including failure of looping and snapping of the atrium from its venous pole. In addition, we have measured cardiac function using high-speed video microscopy and demonstrated a significant reduction in cardiac function. This cardiac phenotype has not been previously described and suggests that fxr1 is essential for normal cardiac form and function.
Activation of decapping involves binding of the mRNA and facilitation of the post-binding steps by the Lsm1-7–Pat1 complex
Authors: Chowdhury Ashis , Tharun Sundaresan
Published: July 2009

Decapping is a critical step in the conserved 5′-to-3′ mRNA decay pathway of eukaryotes. The hetero-octameric Lsm1-7–Pat1 complex is required for normal rates of decapping in this pathway. This complex also protects the mRNA 3′-ends from trimming in vivo. To elucidate the mechanism of decapping, we analyzed multiple lsm1 mutants, lsm1-6, lsm1-8, lsm1-9, and lsm1-14, all of which are defective in decapping and 3′-end protection but unaffected in Lsm1-7–Pat1 complex integrity. The RNA binding ability of the mutant complex was found to be almost completely lost in the lsm1-8 mutant but only partially impaired in the other mutants. Importantly, overproduction of the Lsm1-9p- or Lsm1-14p-containing (but not Lsm1-8p-containing) mutant complexes in wild-type cells led to a dominant inhibition of mRNA decay. Further, the mRNA 3′-end protection defect of lsm1-9 and lsm1-14 cells, but not the lsm1-8 cells, could be partly suppressed by overproduction of the corresponding mutant complexes in those cells. These results suggest the following: (1) Decapping requires both binding of the Lsm1-7–Pat1 complex to the mRNA and facilitation of the post-binding events, while binding per se is sufficient for 3′-end protection. (2) A major block exists at the post-binding steps in the lsm1-9 and lsm1-14 mutants and at the binding step in the lsm1-8 mutant. Consistent with these ideas, the lsm1-9, 14 allele generated by combining the mutations of lsm1-9 and lsm1-14 alleles had almost fully lost the RNA binding activity of the complex and behaved like the lsm1-8 mutant.
A Generalized Wedelin Heuristic for Integer Programming
Authors: Bastert Oliver , Hummel Benjamin , de Vries Sven
Published: July 2009

A very important ingredient for solving hard general integer programs are heuristics that try to quickly find good feasible solutions. One of these heuristics is Wedelin's algorithm, which works for the limited class of 0-1 integer programs. A big advantage of Wedelin's approach is that it does not depend on a solution of the linear programming (LP) relaxation as many other heuristics do. This makes it extremely fast in practice and makes it easy to use the parallelism of the upcoming multicore CPUs, as in an integer programming (IP) solver it could be applied in parallel to the traditional branch-and-bound algorithm.

In this paper, we present several extensions and generalizations to Wedelin's algorithm (most can be handled in an implicit manner without much performance cost) and investigate different ways of improving it. We give all necessary details and parameters. We strive for an algorithm that is faster than other heuristics but achieves comparable solution quality.

We evaluate the performance of the algorithm on a large set of more than 100 instances from different sources. The results indicate that our heuristic often finds solutions comparable to or even better than those found using current state-of-the-art heuristics while typically needing only a fraction of their running time.

Additionally, we report positive findings on the application of the heuristic on feasibility instances from discrete tomography. Our algorithm always finds the IP optimum in less time than the simplex/barrier algorithms and often in less time than it takes the volume algorithm to find just the LP optimum.
A Class Representative Model for Pure Parsimony Haplotyping
Authors: Catanzaro Daniele , Godi Alessandra , Labbé Martine
Published: July 2009

Haplotyping estimation from aligned single nucleotide polymorphism fragments has attracted increasing attention in recent years because of its importance in the analysis of fine-scale genetic data. Its application fields range from mapping of complex disease genes to inferring population histories, passing through designing drugs, functional genomics, and pharmacogenetics. The literature proposes several criteria for haplotyping populations, each of them characterized by biological motivations. One of the most important haplotyping criteria is parsimony, which consists of finding the minimum number of haplotypes necessary to explain a given set of genotypes. Parsimonious haplotype estimation is an 𝒩𝒫-hard problem for which the literature has proposed several integer programming (IP) models. Here, we describe a new polynomial-sized IP model based on the concept of class representatives, already used for the coloring problem. We propose valid inequalities to strengthen our model and show, through computational experiments, that our model outperforms the best IP models currently known in literature.
Integrated Production and Outbound Distribution Scheduling: Review and Extensions
Authors: Chen Zhi-Long
Published: July 2009

In many applications involving make-to-order or time-sensitive (e.g., perishable, seasonal) products, finished orders are often delivered to customers immediately or shortly after the production. Consequently, there is little or no finished product inventory in the supply chain such that production and outbound distribution are very intimately linked and must be scheduled jointly to achieve a desired on-time delivery performance at minimum total cost. Research on integrated scheduling models of production and outbound distribution is relatively recent but is growing very rapidly. In this paper, we provide a survey of such existing models. We present a unified model representation scheme, classify existing models into several different classes, and for each class of the models give an overview of the optimality properties, computational tractability, and solution algorithms for the various problems studied in the literature. We clarify the tractability of some open problems left in the literature and some new problems by providing intractability proofs or polynomial-time exact algorithms. We also identify several problem areas and issues for future research.
uPA+/+-SCID Mouse with Humanized Liver as a Model for In Vivo Metabolism of Exogenous Steroids: Methandienone as a Case Study
Authors: Lootens Leen , Meuleman Philip , Pozo Oscar J , Van Eenoo Peter , Leroux-Roels Geert , Delbeke Frans T
Published: July 2009

Background: Adequate detection of designer steroids in the urine of athletes is still a challenge in doping control analysis and requires knowledge of steroid metabolism. In this study we investigated whether uPA+/+-SCID mice carrying functional primary human hepatocytes in their liver would provide a suitable alternative small animal model for the investigation of human steroid metabolism in vivo.

Methods: A quantitative method based on liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was developed and validated for the urinary detection of 7 known methandienone metabolites. Application of this method to urine samples from humanized mice after methandienone administration allowed for comparison with data from in vivo human samples and with reported methandienone data from in vitro hepatocyte cultures.

Results: The LC-MS/MS method validation in mouse and human urine indicated good linearity, precision, and recovery. Using this method we quantified 6 of 7 known human methandienone metabolites in the urine of chimeric mice, whereas in control nonchimeric mice we detected only 2 metabolites. These results correlated very well with methandienone metabolism in humans. In addition, we detected 4 isomers of methandienone metabolites in both human and chimeric mouse urine. One of these isomers has never been reported before.

Conclusions: The results of this proof-of-concept study indicate that the human liver–uPA+/+-SCID mouse appears to be a suitable small animal model for the investigation of human-type metabolism of anabolic steroids and possibly also for other types of drugs and medications. .