bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Circulating soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor predicts cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and mortality in the general population
Authors: Eugen‐Olsen J. , Andersen O. , Linneberg A. , Ladelund S. , Hansen T. W. , Langkilde A. , Petersen J. , Pielak T. , Møller L. N. , Jeppesen J. , Lyngbæk S. , Fenger M. , Olsen M. H. , Hildebrandt P. R. , Borch‐Johnsen K. , Jørgensen T. , Haugaard S. B.
Published: May 2010

Abstract.  Eugen‐Olsen J, Andersen O, Linneberg A, Ladelund S, Hansen TW, Langkilde A, Petersen J, Pielak T, Møller LN, Jeppesen J, Lyngbæk S, Fenger M, Olsen MH, Hildebrandt PR, Borch‐Johnsen K, Jørgensen T, Haugaard SB (Copenhagen University, Hvidovre Hospital, Hvidovre; Copenhagen University Hospital, Glostrup; Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen; Copenhagen University Hospital, Glostrup; Copenhagen University, Hvidovre Hospital, Hvidovre; Steno Diabetes Center, Gentofte; University of Aarhus, Aarhus; University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen; Copenhagen University, Hvidovre Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark). Circulating soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor predicts cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and mortality in the general population. J Intern Med 2010; 268: 296–308.

Background.  Low‐grade inflammation is thought to contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD), type‐2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), cancer and mortality. Biomarkers of inflammation may aid in risk prediction and enable early intervention and prevention of disease.

Objective.  The aim of this study was to investigate whether plasma levels of the inflammatory biomarker soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) are predictive of disease and mortality in the general population.

Design.  This was an observational prospective cohort study. Cohort participants were included from June 1993 to December 1994 and followed until the end of 2006.

Setting.  General adult Caucasian population.

Participants.  The MONICA10 study, a population‐based cohort recruited from Copenhagen, Denmark, included 2602 individuals aged 41, 51, 61 or 71 years.

Measurements.  Blood samples were analysed for suPAR levels using a commercially available enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Risk of cancer (n = 308), CVD (n = 301), T2D (n = 59) and mortality (n = 411) was assessed with a multivariate proportional hazards model using Cox regression.

Results.  Elevated baseline suPAR level was associated with an increased risk of cancer, CVD, T2D and mortality during follow‐up. suPAR was more strongly associated with cancer, CVD and mortality in men than in women, and in younger compared with older individuals. suPAR remained significantly associated with the risk of negative outcome after adjustment for a number of relevant risk factors including C‐reactive protein levels.

Limitation.  Further validation in ethnic populations other than Caucasians is needed.

Conclusion.  The stable plasma protein suPAR may be a promising biomarker because of its independent association with incident cancer, CVD, T2D and mortality in the general population.
Evaluation of the presence of house dust mites in horse rugs
Authors: Wallace Jessica C. , Vogelnest Linda J.
Published: May 2010

A sample of fourteen horse rugs and two saddle blankets stored in south western Sydney, Australia, an area of known high dust mite prevalence in the human environment, were analysed for the presence of house dust mites. Dust samples from the rugs, blankets and 16 control sites were collected using a vacuum cleaner with a modified attachment and filter. Dust mites were extracted using an adapted floatation technique. Eight rugs and all control samples were positive for mites, which were confirmed to be house dust mites of the genus Dermatophagoides. This study confirms that exposure to house dust mites from horse rugs can occur, indicating that house dust mite allergen reactivity on intradermal and serum allergy testing in atopic horses may represent true dust mite hypersensitivity. Nevertheless, quantification studies will be necessary to ensure that there is adequate mite exposure for development of hypersensitivity, and further evaluation of immunological responses, avoidance and provocation, and specific immunotherapy are required to confirm the clinical relevance. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to document the presence of house dust mites in the equine environment.
Orexin‐A and respiration in a rat model of smoke‐induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Liu Zi‐Bing , Song Na‐Na , Geng Wen‐Ye , Jin Wei‐Zhong , Li Li , Cao Yin‐Xiang , Qian Yuan , Zhu Da‐Nian , Shen Lin‐Lin
Published: May 2010

1. Orexins are neuropeptides synthesized in the hypothalamus that regulate many physiological functions, including energy homeostasis, stress responses, sleep/wake states etc. It is now emerging that orexins may also regulate breathing, but little is known as to how they do this, particularly in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In the present study, we used a rat model of cigarette smoke‐induced COPD to investigate orexin‐A expression in the hypothalamus and medulla and its effect on respiration.

2. Sprague‐Dawley rats were exposed to cigarette smoke (1 h twice daily) for 12 weeks. Lung function and pathological changes associated with inflammation and emphysema were determined to confirm the validity of the COPD model.

3. Hypothalamic and medullary orexin‐A levels, as determined by radioimmunoassay, were higher in smoke‐exposed than control rats. Furthermore, the expression of prepro‐orexin (PPO) mRNA in the hypothalamus and orexin OX1receptor mRNA in the medulla, as determined by real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, was higher in smoke‐exposed than control rats.

4. The number of orexin‐A‐positive neurons in the hypothalamus and OX1and OX2receptor‐positive neurons in the ventrolateral medulla was higher in smoke‐exposed than control rats.

5. Microinjection of orexin‐A (1 μmol/L, 0.1 μL) into the pre‐Bötzinger complex enhanced phrenic nerve discharge to a greater extent in smoke‐exposed compared with control rats (61% vs 36%, respectively).

6. The findings of the present study demonstrate that the increased respiratory activity in smoke‐exposed rats is due to an increase in orexin‐A as well as upregulation of orexin receptors in the ventrolateral medulla.
676. AESCHYNANTHUS BUXIFOLIUS
Authors: Middleton David J.
Published: May 2010

Aeschynanthus buxifolius is described and illustrated. The pollination biology and cultivation of the genus is discussed.
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE AS SLAVERY: PAUL'S SUBVERSIVE METAPHOR
Authors: TURNER GEOFFREY
Published: May 2010

Recent scholarship has shown chattel slavery in the Roman Empire to have been a deeply oppressive experience. Paul knew that reality well and used the language of slavery metaphorically in Galatians and Romans to describe humanity's subjection to sin. However, he also made a remarkable shift in his use of the metaphor to indicate a new form of slavery to God which brings freedom, thereby subverting conventional ways of understanding slavery.

In Paul's sense, slavery is an ineluctable part of human existence in which we have a choice of being a slave to sin or a slave to God. Becoming a slave means giving up all claims to status and relates to Christ's humble‐mindedness in Philippians. The slave is also a model of faithfulness, comparable with God's faithfulness to Israel and Christ's faithfulness to the mission given him by his Father. Being a slave (in Paul's sense) is at the heart of the Christian life, exemplifying the ‘obedience of faith’, for it is through this faithfulness that we become righteous.
The Relationship between Patients' Perception of Care and Measures of Hospital Quality and Safety
Authors: Isaac Thomas , Zaslavsky Alan M. , Cleary Paul D. , Landon Bruce E.
Published: May 2010

Background. The extent to which patient experiences with hospital care are related to other measures of hospital quality and safety is unknown.

Methods. We examined the relationship between Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems scores and technical measures of quality and safety using service‐line specific data in 927 hospitals. We used data from the Hospital Quality Alliance to assess technical performance in medical and surgical processes of care and calculated Patient Safety Indicators to measure medical and surgical complication rates.

Results. The overall rating of the hospital and willingness to recommend the hospital had strong relationships with technical performance in all medical conditions and surgical care (correlation coefficients ranging from 0.15 to 0.63; p<.05 for all). Better patient experiences for each measure domain were associated with lower decubitus ulcer rates (correlations −0.17 to −0.35; p<.05 for all), and for at least some domains with each of the other assessed complications, such as infections due to medical care.

Conclusions. Patient experiences of care were related to measures of technical quality of care, supporting their validity as summary measures of hospital quality. Further study may elucidate implications of these relationships for improving hospital care.
Health Savings Accounts and Health Care Spending
Authors: Lo Sasso Anthony T. , Shah Mona , Frogner Bianca K.
Published: May 2010

Objective.The impact of consumer‐driven health plans (CDHPs) has primarily been studied in a small number of large, self‐insured employers, but this work may not generalize to the wide array of firms that make up the overall economy. The goal of our research is to examine effects of health savings accounts (HSAs) on total, medical, and pharmacy spending for a large number of small and midsized firms.

Data Sources.Health plan administrative data from a national insurer were used to measure spending for 76,310 enrollees over 3 years in 709 employers. All employers began offering a HSA‐eligible plan either on a full‐replacement basis or alongside traditional plans in 2006 and 2007 after previously offering only traditional plans in 2005.

Study Design.We employ difference‐in‐differences generalized linear regression models to examine the impact of switching to HSAs.

Data Extraction Methods.Claims data were aggregated to enrollee‐years.

Principal Findings.For total spending, HSA enrollees spent roughly 5–7 percent less than non‐HSA enrollees. For pharmacy spending, HSA enrollees spent 6–9 percent less than traditional plan enrollees. More of the spending decrease was observed in the first year of enrollment.

Conclusions.Our findings are consistent with the notion that CDHP benefit designs affect decisions that are at the discretion of the consumer, such as whether to fill or refill a prescription, but have less effect on care decisions that are more at the discretion of the provider.
Agricultural Exports and Economic Growth in Developing Countries: A Panel Cointegration Approach
Authors: Sanjuán‐López Ana I. , Dawson P. J.
Published: May 2010

This paper quantifies the contribution of agricultural exports to economic growth in developing countries. We estimate the relationship between GDP and agricultural and non‐agricultural exports for 42 countries using panel cointegration methods. Results show that a long‐run relationship exists, the agricultural export elasticity of GDP is 0.07 whereas that of non‐agricultural exports is 0.13, and total exports Granger‐cause GDP, which supports the export‐led growth hypothesis. Structural differences exist in the relationship by broad income group. Balanced export‐promotion polices are implied for the poorest countries, but, for those with higher incomes, higher economic growth is achieved from non‐agricultural exports.
Universal donor education and consent: what we know and where we should go
Authors: Wehrli Gay , Sazama Kathleen
Published: May 2010

Each day thousands of blood donors across the country are given educational materials and sign a consent form, thus fulfilling two blood collection accreditation requirements. Very few donors will experience a documented adverse event, although a disproportionate number of these events occur in the youngest donor cohort. The literature reflects this disproportion and suggests mitigation strategies. Studies describe subjective, undocumented donor reactions and decreased donor return rates after a documented or subjective reaction. Additionally, studies have shown donor consent form variability among blood collection facilities and that donor comprehension of the educational materials and consent is limited. There are few standardized donor education materials or consent documents. Current accreditation standards for educational materials are limited to aspects of transfusion‐transmitted diseases and for donor consent process and documentation are vague and nonspecific. Recent experiences with young donors and current research compel our community to engage in creating standardized, expanded donor educational materials and standardized donor consent processes and documents.
Athletes and Arrhythmias
Authors: LINK MARK S. , MARK ESTES N. A.
Published: May 2010

Athletes and Arrhythmias. Athletes are thought the healthiest segment of the population. Yet, there is a general appearance that athletes are more prone to sudden cardiac death and arrhythmias than nonathletes. Bradycardias in athletes are nearly universal, but advanced heart block is usually pathologic. Athletes may be more prone to atrial fibrillation, but not likely to other types of supraventricular tachycardias. Sudden cardiac death in athletes is rare in the absence of heart disease, with the exception of commotio cordis. Treatment strategies for athletes are focused for the return to athletics. Guidelines for treatment will be derived from the 36th Bethesda Guidelines for athletes, and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines for athletes. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 21, pp. 1184‐1189)
Accurate ECG Diagnosis of Atrial Tachyarrhythmias Using Quantitative Analysis: A Prospective Diagnostic and Cost‐Effectiveness Study
Authors: KRUMMEN DAVID E. , PATEL MITUL , NGUYEN HONG , HO GORDON , KAZI DHRUV S. , CLOPTON PAUL , HOLLAND MARIAN C. , GREENBERG SCOTT L. , FELD GREGORY K. , FADDIS MITCHELL N. , NARAYAN SANJIV M.
Published: May 2010

Quantitative ECG Analysis. Introduction:Optimal atrial tachyarrhythmia management is facilitated by accurate electrocardiogram interpretation, yet typical atrial flutter (AFl) may present without sawtooth F‐waves or RR regularity, and atrial fibrillation (AF) may be difficult to separate from atypical AFl or rapid focal atrial tachycardia (AT). We analyzed whether improved diagnostic accuracy using a validated analysis tool significantly impacts costs and patient care.

Methods and Results:We performed a prospective, blinded, multicenter study using a novel quantitative computerized algorithm to identify atrial tachyarrhythmia mechanism from the surface ECG in patients referred for electrophysiology study (EPS). In 122 consecutive patients (age 60 ± 12 years) referred for EPS, 91 sustained atrial tachyarrhythmias were studied. ECGs were also interpreted by 9 physicians from 3 specialties for comparison and to allow healthcare system modeling. Diagnostic accuracy was compared to the diagnosis at EPS. A Markov model was used to estimate the impact of improved arrhythmia diagnosis. We found 13% of typical AFl ECGs had neither sawtooth flutter waves nor RR regularity, and were misdiagnosed by the majority of clinicians (0/6 correctly diagnosed by consensus visual interpretation) but correctly by quantitative analysis in 83% (5/6, P = 0.03). AF diagnosis was also improved through use of the algorithm (92%) versus visual interpretation (primary care: 76%, P < 0.01). Economically, we found that these improvements in diagnostic accuracy resulted in an average cost‐savings of $1,303 and 0.007 quality‐adjusted‐life‐years per patient.

Conclusions:Typical AFl and AF are frequently misdiagnosed using visual criteria. Quantitative analysis improves diagnostic accuracy and results in improved healthcare costs and patient outcomes.(J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 21, pp. 1251‐1259, November 2010)
Phase Behavior Studies on Neptunium Oxide–Zirconium Oxide and Neptunium Oxide–Calcia‐Stabilized Zirconia Systems
Authors: Sali Sanjay K. , Kulkarni Narendra K. , Phal Dilip G. , Aggarwal Suresh K. , Venugopal Venkatarama
Published: May 2010

Phase relations in the systems NpO2–ZrO2 and CaO‐stabilized zirconia–NpO2 were studied for the suitability of immobilization of minor actinide neptunium in crystalline zirconia‐based waste forms. Phase studies of NpO2–ZrO2 system were studied for the first time. The solid‐state reaction between NpO2 and ZrO2 in air at 1400°C showed the formation of ZryNp1‐yO2 type of phases having single‐phase fluorite, single‐phase tetragonal, and a mixture of fluorite and tetragonal solid solutions for zirconium concentration ranges 0<y≤0.3, 0.8≤y≤0.95, and 0.3<y<0.8, respectively. Np2Zr2O7 could not be prepared in contrast to reported trans‐plutonium pyrochlores. In the CaO‐stabilized zirconia–NpO2 system, two fluorite‐types, zirconium‐rich and neptunium‐rich regions were observed. Forty mole% of NpO2 can be incorporated in calcia‐stabilized zirconia forming fluorite‐type zirconium‐rich solid solution. The cubic unit cell parameter a varied linearly with neptunium concentration as: a (Å) = 5.135 + 0.309 (1−y).
Boson Peak, Elastic Properties, and Rigidification Induced by the Substitution of Nitrogen for Oxygen in Oxynitride Glasses
Authors: Richet Nicolas F. , Rouxel Tanguy , Kawaji Hitoshi , Nicolas Jean‐Marie
Published: May 2010

The effects of the substitution of nitrogen for oxygen on the heat capacity and vibrational entropy of three yttrium aluminosilicate glasses with 0, 3.4, and 7.4 mol% Si3N4 have been investigated from 10 to 300 K. The partial molar heat capacity and entropy of Si3N4 calculated from these and previous measurements indicate stronger average bonding than for SiO2 units, whereas the values derived for Y2O3 are consistent with the dual network modifying and Al3+ charge‐compensating role of yttrium. The low‐frequency part of the vibrational densities of states g(ω) and the boson peaks g(ω)/ω2 derived from the inversion of the heat capacities indicate that nitrogen rigidifies the TO4 (T=Si, Al) tetrahedral network and that yttrium hampers the librational motion of the AlO4 tetrahedra, which contribute to the excitations associated with the boson peak. Along with data reported previously for borate and silicate glasses, these results for oxynitrides show a general monotonically increasing relation between transverse acoustic velocities and the temperature of the calorimetric boson peak. Illustrating the universal phenomenology of the boson peak, all these data collapse on the same master curve when plotted in a reduced form.
Microstructure, Morphology, and Ultraviolet Emission of Zinc Oxide Nanopolycrystalline Films by the Modified Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction Method
Authors: Zhang Daoli , Zhang Jianbing , Wu Qiming , Miao Xiangshui
Published: May 2010

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanopolycrystalline films were successfully prepared by the modified successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction technique, which was based on the alternate immersion of substrate in the alkaline zinc precursor and deionized water. ZnO films were formed through an accumulation of ZnO crystal clusters. The size of the clusters ranged from 200 to 500 nm based on scanning electron micrographic images. Prepared ZnO films exhibited a wurtzite structure, with good microstructure, surface morphology, and optical properties. Ethanolamine was used as a complex reagent, which improved the adsorption of zinc complex with the substrate. Effects of processing parameters on the properties of ZnO nanopolycrystalline films were studied in detail. Intensive and sharp ultraviolet emission peaks at about 400 nm could be observed in the photoluminescence spectra.
Slip Casting of Alumina Suspensions in a Strong Magnetic Field
Authors: Zhang Li , Vleugels Jef , Van der Biest Omer
Published: May 2010

Textured α‐alumina ceramics were processed by slip‐casting suspensions with different mean‐sized particles in a strong magnetic field of 9.4 T, followed by pressureless sintering at 1650°C for 2 h in air. The dispersed crystalline particles in the colloidal suspensions could be oriented in a strong magnet when the energy of the crystal anisotropy overcomes the thermal motion energy. According to the theoretical model, the energy of the crystal anisotropy increases with an increasing particle size, which was confirmed by the experimental results revealing that the orientation in the green deposit increased with the increasing starting powder size. After sintering, however, anisotropic grain growth accompanied with excellent texture formation was observed for the ceramic fabricated from the finest starting powder grade, whereas the modest orientation factor of the largest starting powder‐based ceramic hardly changed after sintering.
Outbreak of CTX‐M‐15‐producing Klebsiella pneumoniae of sequence type 199 in a Latvian teaching hospital
Authors: DUMPIS UGA , IVERSEN AINA , BALODE ARTA , SAULE MĀRA , MIKLAŠEVIČS EDVĪNS , GISKE CHRISTIAN G.
Published: May 2010

Dumpis U, Iversen A, Balode A, Saule M, Miklaševičs E, Giske CG. Outbreak of CTX‐M‐15‐producing Klebsiella pneumoniae of sequence type 199 in a Latvian teaching hospital. APMIS 2010; 118: 713–6.

Previous studies on the epidemiology of extended‐spectrum β‐lactamase (ESBL)‐producing Enterobacteriaceae in Latvia are lacking. ESBL‐producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 32) were subjected to pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and selected isolates to multi‐locus sequence typing (MLST). Species identification and susceptibility testing were performed using VITEK2, and sequencing of blaCTX‐M was performed in selected isolates. PFGE revealed one major clone (n = 23), with most of the isolates derived from the ICU. The clone harboured blaCTX‐M‐15, was sequence type 199 and comprised two ertapenem non‐susceptible isolates. This is the first report of an ESBL outbreak in Latvia, and calls for increased epidemiological typing of ESBL‐producing Enterobacteriaceae, as well as improved infection control routines.
Perinatal services and outcomes in Quang Ninh province, Vietnam
Authors: Nga Nguyen T , Målqvist Mats , Eriksson Leif , Hoa Dinh P , Johansson Annika , Wallin Lars , Persson Lars‐Åke , Ewald Uwe
Published: May 2010

Aim:  We report baseline results of a community‐based randomized trial for improved neonatal survival in Quang Ninh province, Vietnam (NeoKIP; ISRCTN44599712). The NeoKIP trial seeks to evaluate a method of knowledge implementation called facilitation through group meetings at local health centres with health staff and community key persons. Facilitation is a participatory enabling approach that, if successful, is well suited for scaling up within health systems. The aim of this baseline report is to describe perinatal services provided and neonatal outcomes.

Methods:  Survey of all health facility registers of service utilization, maternal deaths, stillbirths and neonatal deaths during 2005 in the province. Systematic group interviews of village health workers from all communes. A Geographic Information System database was also established.

Results:  Three quarters of pregnant women had ≥3 visits to antenatal care. Two hundred and five health facilities, including 18 hospitals, provided delivery care, ranging from 1 to 3258 deliveries/year. Totally there were 17 519 births and 284 neonatal deaths in the province. Neonatal mortality rate was 16/1000 live births, ranging from 10 to 44/1000 in the different districts, with highest rates in the mountainous parts of the province. Only 8% had home deliveries without skilled attendance, but those deliveries resulted in one‐fifth of the neonatal deaths.

Conclusion:  A relatively good coverage of perinatal care was found in a Vietnamese province, but neonatal mortality varied markedly with geography and level of care. A remaining small proportion of home deliveries generated a substantial part of mortality.
Liver cirrhosis in an infant with Chanarin–Dorfman syndrome caused by a novel splice‐site mutation in ABHD5
Authors: Cakir M , Bruno C , Cansu A , Cobanoglu U , Erduran E
Published: May 2010

We described a Turkish girl with Chanarin–Dorfman syndrome who developed liver cirrhosis in the early infancy. She had all the clinical features of Chanarin–Dorfman syndrome such as ichthyosis, Jordan’s anomaly, fatty liver disease and mild ectropion. The diagnosis was confirmed with a novel ABHD5 mutation. Liver steatosis or steatohepatitis with or without hepatomegaly is the predominant finding of Chanarin–Dorfman syndrome. Cirrhosis has been reported in patients with long‐duration disease.

Conclusion:  Local factors or dysfunction of local proteins such as mutations or polymorphisms in hepatic microsomal lipase and arylacetamide deacetylase may contribute the severity of liver involvement, and steatosis may progress to cirrhosis in the early infancy in Chanarin–Dorfman syndrome.
Massive scalp myiasis with bleeding in a patient with multiple malignancies
Authors: Wollina Uwe
Published: May 2010

Most cases of myiasis in association with cancer are reported in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region. They are not emergencies. We report a case of massive myiasis of the scalp with bleeding in a patient with an ulcerated squamous cell carcinoma of the scalp, haematological and colorectal malignancies. Treatment of myiasis is based on local disinfection and mechanical removal of larvae. Other options of treatment are discussed.
Parameter Based Combustion Model for Large Prechamber Gas Engines
Authors: Zhu Jianguo , Wimmer Andreas , Schneßl Eduard , Winter Hubert , Chmela Franz
Published: May 2010

Challenging requirements for modern large engines regarding power output, fuel consumption, and emissions can only be achieved with carefully adapted combustion systems. With the improvement of simulation methods simulation work is playing a more and more important role for the engine development. Due to their simplicity and short computing time, one-dimensional and zero-dimensional calculation methods are widely applied for the engine cycle simulation and optimization. While the gas dynamic processes in the intake and exhaust systems can already be simulated with sufficient precision, it still represents a considerable difficulty to predict the combustion process exactly. In this contribution, an empirical combustion model for large prechamber gas engines is presented, which was evolved based on measurements on a single cylinder research engine using the design of experiment method. The combustion process in prechamber gas engines is investigated and reproduced successfully by means of a double-vibe function. The mathematical relationship between the engine operating parameters and the parameters of the double-vibe function was determined as a transfer model on the base of comprehensive measurements. The effects of engine operating parameters, e.g., boost pressure, charge temperature, ignition timing, and air/fuel ratio on the combustion process are taken into account in the transfer model. After adding modification functions, the model can be applied to gas engines operated with various gas fuels taking into account the actual air humidity. Comprehensive verifications were conducted on a single-cylinder engine as well as on full-scale engines. With the combination of the combustion model and a gas exchange simulation model the engine performance has been predicted satisfactorily. Due to the simple phenomenological structure of the model, a user-friendly model application and a short computing time is achieved.
Implementation of a Pressure Drop Model for the CFD Simulation of Clogged Containment Sump Strainers
Authors: Grahn Alexander , Krepper Eckhard , Weiß Frank-Peter , Alt Sören , Kästner Wolfgang , Kratzsch Alexander , Hampel Rainer
Published: May 2010

The present study aims at modeling the pressure drop of flows through growing cakes of compressible fibrous materials, which may form on the upstream side of containment sump strainers after a loss-of-coolant accident. The model developed is based on the coupled solution of a differential equation for the change of the pressure drop in terms of superficial liquid velocity and local porosity of the fiber cake and a material equation that accounts for the compaction pressure dependent cake porosity. Details of its implementation into a general-purpose three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics code are given. An extension to this basic model is presented, which simulates the time dependent clogging of the fiber cake due to capturing of suspended particles as they pass trough the cake. The extended model relies on empirical relations, which model the change of pressure drop and removal efficiency in terms of particle deposit in the fiber cake.
Resurrecting dirty atomic force microscopy calibration standards
Authors: Chernoff Donald A. , Sherman Robert
Published: May 2010

Cleanliness of atomic force microscopy samples before imaging has always posed questions for users. The same is true for height calibration standards. In this shop note, the authors discuss using CO2 snow cleaning as a way to clean heavily contaminated standards and show its effectiveness in removing contamination. Further, they show that the cleaning does not damage the surface, nor alter the step heights, and can lead to improved imaging.
Structure of the Human BK Channel Ca
2+
-Activation Apparatus at 3.0 Å Resolution
Authors: Yuan Peng , Leonetti Manuel D. , Pico Alexander R. , Hsiung Yichun , MacKinnon Roderick
Published: May 2010

BK Channel Cytoplasmic Domain

BK channels are potassium ion channels found on the surface of a variety of cell types that are essential for the regulation of several key physiological processes, including smooth muscle tone and neuronal excitability. BK channels are regulated by both membrane voltage and intracellular Ca
2+
. The channel comprises an integral membrane pore, an integral membrane voltage sensor domain, and a large cytoplasmic region that confers Ca
2+
sensitivity. Now

Yuan
et al.

(p.
182
, published online 27 May; see the Perspective
Weyand and Iwata
) have determined the crystal structure of the cytoplasmic domain of the human BK channel. Four cytoplasmic regions form a gating ring at the intracellular membrane surface with four Ca
2+
binding sites on the outer perimeter.
Paleomagnetic constraints on the tectonic history of the Foreland Belt, southern Canadian Cordillera: preliminary results
Authors: Enkin R. J. , Wheadon P. M. , Baker J. , Osadetz K. G.
Published: May 2010

In the southern Canadian Cordillera, the paleomagnetic memory of Paleozoic carbonate strata in the Front Ranges and Inner Foothills of the Foreland thrust and fold belt retains no record of their known deposition at low latitudes. Instead, each folded structure exhibits a similar, but asynchronous, sequence of events including an eastwardly progressing, predeformational chemical remagnetization during the Cordilleran orogeny. The remagnetization of a "western Front Ranges" structure occurs during a period of normal polarity before 130 Ma. The paleomagnetic pole requires that the subsequent deformation of the western Front Ranges is Jurassic or younger. The remagnetization of a Front Ranges structure in the Lewis thrust sheet occurs during a period of normal polarity after 130 Ma but before deformation which, from other evidence, occurred around 75 Ma. The predeformational remagnetization of an "Inner Foothills" structure occurs during a reversed magnetic period that we interpret to be after 75 Ma. An Early Cretaceous sill in the Lewis thrust sheet was remagnetized during a reverse-polarity chron prior to the end of Lewis thrust deformation, when about 70% of the present dip of the sill was acquired. Remagnetization consistently predates deformation, whereas it occurs later at more easterly localities. There are also similarities in character and style of the remagnetizations among localities. When coupled with the eastward progression of the deformation, our observations suggest that an important and pervasive, but hitherto unrecognized and unappreciated, orogenic chemical process affected Paleozoic carbonate strata in the van of the deforming Cordilleran tectonic wedge.
Crustal structure of the Cascadia subduction zone, southwestern British Columbia, from potential field and seismic studies
Authors: Clowes Ron M. , Baird David J. , Dehler Sonya A.
Published: May 2010

The northern Cascadia subduction zone is a region of convergence between the oceanic Explorer and northern Juan de Fuca plates and the continental North American plate. Potential field and new seismic reflection data coupled with previous seismic results and geology enable derivation of a series of density – magnetic susceptibility cross sections and a block density model from the ocean basin to the volcanic arc from 2.5- and 3-dimensional interpretations. The lateral extent and thickness of the accreted wedge vary significantly along the zone. The narrow, metasedimentary Pacific Rim terrane lies immediately west of Wrangellia and extends the length of Vancouver Island, consistent with its emplacement by strike-slip faulting following the accretion of Wrangellia. The ophiolitic Crescent terrane is a narrow slice lying seaward of the Pacific Rim terrane but not extending northward beyond the Juan de Fuca plate. In this region, the Crescent terrane was emplaced in a strike-slip or obliquely convergent style during the latter stages of emplacement of Pacific Rim terrane. Below the accreted terranes, the Explorer plate is shallower than Juan de Fuca plate, resulting in a thinner crust. High-density lower crustal material lies beneath the western edge of Vancouver Island, supporting interpretations of wide-scale underplating of Wrangellia. The shape of the boundary region between Wrangellia and the Coast belt to the east varies along strike and may be controlled by properties of preexisting plutonic rocks. The low-density Coast belt plutons extend throughout most of the crust and are underlain by a lowermost crustal high-density layer, which may be indicative of fractionation accompanying magma generation.
Two distinct shortening events during late Archean orogeny in the west-central Slave Province, Northwest Territories, Canada
Authors: Relf C.
Published: May 2010

Late Archean structures in the west-central part of the Slave Province formed during two separate orogenic events. Evidence for early folding and thrusting in an accretionary prism is confined to a narrow belt along the east margin of an older microcontinent (the Anton terrane) in the west part of the province. Structures related to this event are overprinted by regional low-pressure metamorphism. Subsequent shortening occurred in a continental-arc setting in which folding and faulting was accompanied by calc-alkaline magmatism and regional low-pressure metamorphism. Although the entire region was affected, the bulk of shortening during the second orogenic event occurred east of the early fold and thrust belt. The first orogenic event produced a suture zone between old continental crust to the west and juvenile rocks to the east, and during the second orogenic event rocks on either sides of the suture were tectonically underplated and intruded.
Tectonic evolution of the Northern Volcanic Zone, Abitibi belt, Quebec
Authors: Chown E. H. , Daigneault Réal , Mueller Wulf , Mortensen J. K.
Published: May 2010

The Archean Abitibi Subprovince has been divided formally into a Northern Volcanic Zone (NVZ), including the entire northern part of the subprovince, and a Southern Volcanic Zone (SVZ) on the basis of distinct volcano-sedimentary successions, related plutonic suites, and precise U–Pb age determinations. The NVZ has been further formally subdivided into (i) a Monocyclic Volcanic Segment (MVS) composed of an extensive subaqueous basalt plain with scattered felsic volcanic complexes (2730–2725 Ma), interstratified with or overlain by linear volcaniclastic sedimentary basins; and (ii) a Polycyclic Volcanic Segment (PVS) comprising a second mafic–felsic volcanic cycle (2722–2711 Ma) and a sedimentary assemblage with local shoshonitic volcanic rocks.A sequence of deformational events (D1–D6) over a period of 25 Ma in the NVZ is consistent with a major compressional event. North–south shortening was first accommodated by near-vertical east-trending folds and, with continued deformation, was concentrated along major east-trending fault zones and contact-strain aureoles around synvolcanic intrusions, both with a downdip movement. Subsequent dextral strike-slip movement occurred on southeast-trending faults and major east-trending faults which controlled the emplacement of syntectonic plutons (2703–2690 Ma).This study suggests that the NVZ, which is a coherent geotectonic unit, initially formed as a diffuse volcanic arc, represented by the MVZ, in which the northern part, represented by the PVS, evolved into a mature arc as documented by a second volcanic and sedimentary cycle associated with major plutonic accretion. Volcano-sedimentary evolution and associated plutonism, as well as structural evolution, are best explained by a plate-tectonic model involving oblique convergence.
Archean mafic dyke swarms near the Cameron River and Beaulieu River volcanic belts and their implications for tectonic modelling of the Slave Province, Northwest Territories
Authors: Lambert M. B. , Ernst R. E. , Dudás F. Ö. L.
Published: May 2010

Three dense swarms of Archean mafic dykes, which intrude the Beaulieu River and Cameron River volcanic belts and adjacent granitoid terranes of the Sleepy Dragon Complex and Meander Lake complex in the southern Slave Province, all contain clusters of multiple, parallel-sided "sheeted" dykes. None of the swarms can be convincingly modelled as being part of an ophiolite assemblage. The 3 km by 20+ km Step'nduck dyke complex, comprising about 350 mainly metabasaltic to meta-gabbroic dykes separated by screens of granitoid gneiss (>2750 Ma), represents profuse mafic magmatism in the Meander Lake complex. Dense dyke swarms within the Cameron River belt fed the lavas and are an integral part of the volcanic stratigraphy.All basaltic magmas represented by the volcanic belts, and the dyke sets, are predominantly mantle-derived, fractionated, tholeiites. Nd-isotope geochemistry indicates that they were all contaminated by Archean sialic material. Isotopic systematics are satisfied by mixing of depleted mantle and varying proportions of Sleepy Dragon-type crust.The dyke swarms in the Sleepy Dragon Complex and the Step'nduck swarm record extensional events in Archean continental crust. Possibly they are subsurface equivalents of now-eroded flood basalts that signalled the activity of mantle plumes during Archean times. This hypothesis is consistent with magmatic underplating of continental lithosphere and with extensive involvement of continental material.
Fluid-inclusion studies of high-grade metamorphic rocks of the Ashuanipi complex, eastern Superior Province: constraints on the retrograde P–T path and implications for gold metallogeny
Authors: Moritz Robert P. , Chevé Serge R.
Published: May 2010

The high-grade metamorphic rocks of the Ashuanipi complex have been the subject of a microthermometric fluid-inclusion study. Four types of fluid inclusions were observed: CO2-rich fluids; low-temperature, high-salinity H2O fluids; CH4 ± N2-rich fluids; and high-temperature, low-salinity H2O fluids. The regionally distributed CO2-rich fluids are the earliest fluids, and their calculated isochores indicate a clockwise post-peak metamorphic P–T–t path for the Ashuanipi complex. The low-temperature, high-salinity aqueous fluid inclusions are also distributed regionally and can be interpreted as late brines, retrograde metamorphic fluids, or the wicked-off aqueous component of H2O–CO2 fluid inclusions. Both CH4 ± N2-rich fluids and the high-temperature, low-salinity aqueous fluid inclusions were found only locally in gold-bearing metamorphosed banded iron formations. Fluid-inclusion microthermometry, arsenopyrite thermometry, and metamorphic petrologic study at Lac Lilois, one of the principal gold showings, suggest that some gold deposition may have occurred during regional post-peak metamorphic exhumation and cooling at P–T conditions near the amphibolite–greenschist transition. However, it is possible that gold deposition began at higher near-peak metamorphic P–T conditions. Another major gold showing, Arsène, is characterized by CH4 ± N2-rich fluid inclusions, tentatively inferred to be either directly related to gold deposition or responsible for secondary gold enrichment. The association of CH4 ± N2-rich fluids with gold occurrences in the Ashuanipi complex is comparable to gold deposits of the Abitibi greenstone belt and of Wales, Finland, and Brazil.
Analytical solution for heat and moisture diffusion in layered materials
Authors: Lee Jeongwoo , Kim Ji-Tae , Chung Il-Moon , Kim Nam Won
Published: May 2010

The study of heat and moisture flows in multiple layers of different materials that make up the unsaturated zone is of great importance when characterizing the behaviour of these materials. In the present paper, analytical solutions of the one-dimensional heat and moisture coupled diffusion problem for layered materials under two different sets of boundary conditions are proposed. The coupled flow of heat and moisture are assumed to follow the theory of Philip and De Vries, and the solutions are derived analytically using integral transform methods. A comparison between the analytical and numerical solutions for one example problem shows satisfactory results. Furthermore, a procedure is presented for estimating heat and moisture distribution profiles in any layered materials using the derived analytical solutions. It is expected that the proposed analytical solutions will be used effectively for preliminary analyses of coupled heat and moisture movements in unsaturated porous media.
Local hemodynamic changes caused by main branch stent implantation and subsequent virtual side branch balloon angioplasty in a representative coronary bifurcation
Authors: Williams Andrew R. , Koo Bon-Kwon , Gundert Timothy J. , Fitzgerald Peter J. , LaDisa John F.
Published: May 2010

Abnormal blood flow patterns promoting inflammation, cellular proliferation, and thrombosis may be established by local changes in vessel geometry after stent implantation in bifurcation lesions. Our objective was to quantify altered hemodynamics due to main vessel (MV) stenting and subsequent virtual side branch (SB) angioplasty in a coronary bifurcation by using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. CFD models were generated from representative vascular dimensions and intravascular ultrasound images. Time-averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS), oscillatory shear index (OSI), and fractional flow reserve (FFR) were quantified. None of the luminal surface was exposed to low TAWSS (<4 dyn/cm2) in the nondiseased bifurcation model. MV stenting introduced eccentric areas of low TAWSS along the lateral wall of the MV. Virtual SB angioplasty resulted in a more concentric region of low TAWSS in the MV distal to the carina and along the lateral wall of the SB. The luminal surface exposed to low TAWSS was similar before and after virtual SB angioplasty (rest: 43% vs. 41%; hyperemia: 18% vs. 21%) and primarily due to stent-induced flow alterations. Sites of elevated OSI (>0.1) were minimal but more impacted by general vessel geometry established after MV stenting. FFR measured at a jailed SB was within the normal range despite angiographic stenosis of 54%. These findings indicate that the most commonly used percutaneous interventional strategy for a bifurcation lesion causes abnormal local hemodynamic conditions. These results may partially explain the high clinical event rates in bifurcation lesions.
Human exposure to lead and new evidence of adverse health effects: Implications for analytical measurements
Authors: Parsons Patrick J. , McIntosh Kathryn G.
Published: May 2010

Lead poisoning is a preventable condition caused by exposure to environmental sources such as lead-containing dust or lead-painted consumer products. The history of lead poisoning prevention has been defined to some extent by the quality of the analytical methods available for lead measurements whether in environmental samples or biological tissues and fluids. The quality of blood lead methods has improved so greatly over the last three decades that we now know far more about the adverse health effects from low-level exposures. Recent evidence suggests that effects such as deficit in IQ occur below the current (periodically revised) U.S. CDC threshold of 10μg/dL, such that no safe threshold appears to exist for children. Improvements in analytical techniques have also had an impact on the environmental measurement quality, yet many environmental thresholds have remained unchanged for decades. In light of our current understanding of the adverse health effects at low levels of exposure, new thresholds for lead in children’s products have been introduced by the U.S. CPSC. The adequacy of current analytical techniques to detect lead accurately at the new, lower thresholds is questionable. XRF offers the advantage of being rapid and nondestructive compared to techniques such as AAS that require extensive sample preparation. However, the accuracy of handheld XRF determinations of lead in painted toys is generally limited. A brief comparative study on the performance of several analytical techniques for the determination of lead in toys is presented at the end of this paper.
Combined multiple-excitation FP method for micro-XRF analysis of difficult samples
Authors: Elam W. T. , Scruggs Bruce , Nicolosi Joseph
Published: May 2010

Accurate minor and trace element analysis via micro-XRF can be more difficult to accomplish in single crystal and polycrystalline materials due to diffraction phenomena which obscure elemental peaks and distort the spectral background. A primary-beam filter is commonly used to eliminate diffractive artifacts as well as tube characteristic lines, but this dramatically reduces the sensitivity to lighter elements. One way around this is to collect a spectrum with unfiltered excitation to obtain the low-energy region, i.e., Na, Mg, Al, and Si, and then collect other portions of the spectrum under more optimized conditions. The fundamental parameter method is capable of using multiple spectra to quantify the complete element suite of the sample. By unifying the quantification for several spectra taken under different excitation conditions, the overall results can be improved. We have applied this method to selected cases for geological and metallurgical samples. The combined method gives better results for all elements than the single spectrum quantification as judged by agreement with the values from the supplier.
Organization of a Tumor Bank: The Experience of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico
Authors: Ruíz-Godoy L. , Meneses-García A. , Suárez-Roa L. , Enriquez V. , Lechuga-Rojas R. , Reyes-Lira E.
Published: May 2010

A tumor bank (TB) is an ordered collection of neoplastic samples, normal tissue, and/or fluids preserved under optimal conditions, as well as storing patients’ clinical information. The objective of this article is to outline the planning and logistics necessary for the functioning of the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (INCan) TB in Mexico City. For the planning and logistics of a TB, several technical, legal, medical, structural, and physical aspects were considered, which can be grouped under four headings: (1) design and structure, (2) equipping the area and informatics, (3) ethical-legal aspects, and (4) sample collection, preservation, and quality control. One crucial element of interinstitutional interest will be the transfer of these concepts to the different oncological centers, integrating in this manner a network that enables the exploration of the different pathologies from therapeutic, epidemiological, and molecular points of view.