bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stroke rates and diving air volumes of emperor penguins: implications for dive performance
Authors: Sato Katsufumi , Shiomi Kozue , Marshall Greg , Kooyman Gerald L. , Ponganis Paul J.
Published: August 2011

Emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri), both at sea and at an experimental dive hole, often have minimal surface periods even after performance of dives far beyond their measured 5.6 min aerobic dive limit (ADL: dive duration associated with the onset of post-dive blood lactate accumulation). Accelerometer-based data loggers were attached to emperor penguins diving in these two different situations to further evaluate the capacity of these birds to perform such dives without any apparent prolonged recovery periods. Minimum surface intervals for dives as long as 10 min were less than 1 min at both sites. Stroke rates for dives at sea were significantly greater than those for dives at the isolated dive hole. Calculated diving air volumes at sea were variable, increased with maximum depth of dive to a depth of 250 m, and decreased for deeper dives. It is hypothesized that lower air volumes for the deepest dives are the result of exhalation of air underwater. Mean maximal air volumes for deep dives at sea were approximately 83% greater than those during shallow (<50 m) dives. We conclude that (a) dives beyond the 5.6 min ADL do not always require prolongation of surface intervals in emperor penguins, (b) stroke rate at sea is greater than at the isolated dive hole and, therefore, a reduction in muscle stroke rate does not extend the duration of aerobic metabolism during dives at sea, and (c) a larger diving air volume facilitates performance of deep dives by increasing the total body O2 store to 68 ml O2 kg–1. Although increased O2 storage and cardiovascular adjustments presumably optimize aerobic metabolism during dives, enhanced anaerobic capacity and hypoxemic tolerance are also essential for longer dives. This was exemplified by a 27.6 min dive, after which the bird required 6 min before it stood up from a prone position, another 20 min before it began to walk, and 8.4 h before it dived again.
Humidity affects the extensibility of an orb-weaving spider's viscous thread droplets
Authors: Opell Brent D. , Karinshak Shannon E. , Sigler Mary A.
Published: August 2011

The prey-capture threads found in most spider orb webs rely on viscous droplets for their stickiness. Each droplet is formed of a central mass of viscoelastic glycoprotein glue surrounded by an aqueous covering, both of which incorporate hydrophilic components. We found that the extensibility of droplets on Larinioides cornutus threads increased as humidity increased. However, the deflection of the droplets' supporting axial lines did not change, indicating that atmospheric water uptake increases glycoprotein plasticity, but not glycoprotein adhesion. The extensibility of droplets, along with that of the thread's supporting axial fibers, is responsible for summing the adhesion of multiple thread droplets. Therefore, daily changes in humidity have the potential to significantly alter the performance of viscous threads and orb webs.
Milk energy output in Swiss mice throughout the first, second, third and fourth lactation events
Authors: Zhao Zhi-Jun
Published: August 2011

Most studies on the factors limiting sustained energy intake (SusEI) during peak lactation period have been performed in females at the 1st lactation event. However, an inconsistent change in SusEI is observed between the 1st and 2nd lactation event. Thus, the limits to SusEI may be associated with reproductive experiences, but the effects of reproductive experiences on SusEI or reproductive output remain unclear. Here, food intake, reproductive output, suckling behaviour and serum prolactin levels were measured in female Swiss mice throughout the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th lactation periods. Asymptotic food intake was significantly elevated during the 2nd lactation period relative to that observed during the 1st lactation period. Females in the 2nd lactation period exported significantly more energy in milk than those in the 1st lactation event and consequently raised larger litters with heavier litters at weaning. This was inconsistent with the prediction of the peripheral limitation hypothesis, but also did not provide support for the heat dissipation limitation hypothesis. Neither food intake nor reproductive output, indicative of litter size, litter mass and milk energy output (MEO), was different between the 1st, 3rd and 4th lactation event. Differences in suckling behaviour and serum prolactin levels were not significant between the four lactation events. Correlations of prolactin levels with asymptotic food intake, MEO and mammary gland mass were only observed in females during the 1st lactation period. This may suggest that prolactin is not a key factor in stimulating milk production when the mammary glands work at their maximum during the peak lactation period.
Oxygen convective uptakes in gas exchange cycles in early diapause pupae of Pieris brassicae
Authors: Jõgar Katrin , Kuusik Aare , Ploomi Angela , Metspalu Luule , Williams Ingrid , Hiiesaar Külli , Kivimägi Irja , Mänd Marika , Tasa Tea , Luik Anne
Published: August 2011

Oxygen convective uptakes in gas exchange cycles were directly recorded in early diapause pupae of Pieris brassicae L. (Lepidoptera; Pieridae) by means of O2 coulometric respirometry. This method was combined with flow-through CO2 respirometry, the two systems being switchable one to the other. During recording with both systems, measurements were also taken with infrared actography. The pupae displayed short discontinuous gas exchange cycles lasting 40–70 min. No true C phase was found by flow-through measurements; instead, flutter opening of the spiracles with discrete convective O2 uptakes began shortly after the O phase whereas CO2 release was suppressed by the inward directed passive suction ventilation. The F phase was characterized by a series of small CO2 bursts (flutter events). Between these bursts, novel sub-phase `miniflutter' was observed, which consisted of six to 10 miniature inspirations without any CO2 emission. During the flow-through measurements, oxygen convective uptakes were indirectly recorded by the infrared actograph as sudden extensions (lengthening) of the abdominal segments at each spiracular microopening.
Anaemia adjusts the aerobic physiology of snapper (Pagrus auratus) and modulates hypoxia avoidance behaviour during oxygen choice presentations
Authors: Cook Denham G. , Wells Rufus M. G. , Herbert Neill A.
Published: August 2011

The effect of altered oxygen transport potential on behavioural responses to environmental hypoxia was tested experimentally in snapper, Pagrus auratus, treated with a haemolytic agent (phenylhydrazine) or a sham protocol. Standard metabolic rate was not different between anaemic and normocythaemic snapper (Hct=6.7 and 25.7 g dl-1, respectively), whereas maximum metabolic rate, and hence aerobic scope (AS), was consistently reduced in anaemic groups at all levels of water PO2 investigated (P<0.01). This reduction of AS conferred a higher critical oxygen limit (Pcrit) to anaemic fish (8.6±0.6 kPa) compared with normocythaemic fish (5.3±0.4 kPa), thus demonstrating reduced hypoxic tolerance in anaemic groups. In behavioural choice experiments, the critical avoidance PO2 in anaemic fish was 6.6±2.5 kPa compared with 2.9±0.5 kPa for controls (P<0.01). Behavioural avoidance was not associated with modulation of swimming speed. Despite differences in physiological and behavioural parameters, both groups avoided low PO2 just below their Pcrit, indicating that avoidance was triggered consistently when AS limits were reached and anaerobic metabolism was unavoidable. This was confirmed by high levels of plasma lactate in both treatments at the point of avoidance. This is the first experimental demonstration of avoidance behaviour being modulated by internal physiological state. From an ecological perspective, fish with disturbed oxygen delivery potential arising from anaemia, pollution or stress are likely to avoid environmental hypoxia at a higher PO2 than normal fish.
Migration- and exercise-induced changes to flight muscle size in migratory birds and association withIGF1andmyostatinmRNA expression
Authors: Price Edwin R. , Bauchinger Ulf , Zajac Daria M. , Cerasale David J. , McFarlan Jay T. , Gerson Alexander R. , McWilliams Scott R. , Guglielmo Christopher G.
Published: August 2011

Seasonal adjustments to muscle size in migratory birds may result from preparatory physiological changes or responses to changed workloads. The mechanisms controlling these changes in size are poorly understood. We investigated some potential mediators of flight muscle size (myostatin and insulin-like growth factor, IGF1) in pectoralis muscles of wild wintering or migrating white-throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis), captive white-throated sparrows that were photoperiod manipulated to be in a `wintering' or `migratory' (Zugunruhe) state, and captive European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) that were either exercised for 2 weeks in a wind tunnel or untrained. Flight muscle size increased in photo-stimulated `migrants' and in exercised starlings. Acute exercise but not long-term training caused increased expression of IGF1, but neither caused a change in expression of myostatin or its metalloprotease activator TLL1. Photo-stimulated `migrant' sparrows demonstrated increased expression of both myostatin and IGF1, but wild sparrows exhibited no significant seasonal changes in expression of either myostatin or IGF1. Additionally, in both study species we describe several splice variants of myostatin that are shared with distantly related bird species. We demonstrate that their expression patterns are not different from those of the typical myostatin, suggesting that they have no functional importance and may be mistakes of the splicing machinery. We conclude that IGF1 is likely to be an important mediator of muscle phenotypic flexibility during acute exercise and during endogenous, seasonal preparation for migration. The role of myostatin is less clear, but its paradoxical increase in photo-stimulated `migrants' may indicate a role in seasonal adjustments of protein turnover.
An observational study for venous thromboembolism risk assessment among hospitalized patients in general surgery clinics across Turkey
Authors: Kurtoglu Mehmet
Published: August 2011

Objective

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) still remains a significant public health problem due to gaps between recommendations and clinical practice in VTE prophylaxis. This is the first clinical study designed to evaluate the applicability of a standard ‘VTE prophylaxis and risk factor assessment form (VTE-PRAF)’ and prescription of VTE prophylaxis among hospitalized patients in the daily practice of general surgeons in Turkey.

Method

A total of 1472 patients (mean age: 52.4 ± 16.9 years; 50.6% were men) were included in cross-sectional ( n = 537), first longitudinal ( n = 452) or the second longitudinal ( n = 483) phases. Data on demographics, hospitalization, surgical intervention and prophylaxis were collected during the cross-sectional phase, whereas utilization of form was evaluated during longitudinal phases.

Results

While 62.1% of patients were identified to be at ‘high+ highest’ risk, prophylaxis was evident only for 65.9%. Utilization of the form was higher in the second longitudinal phase ( P < 0.001) but there was no relation between implementation of the form and prophylaxis use. VTE-PRAF was completed for 70.6% and 84.8% of patient who received prophylaxis while it was completed for 50.8% and 50.4% of patients with no prophylaxis, in the first and second longitudinal phases, respectively. Prophylaxis was administered in 58.6% and 62.6% of patients with completed VTE-PRAF in the first and second longitudinal phases, respectively. ‘Suggested’ and ‘used’ prophylaxis regimens were significantly more consistent for the cases evaluated with VTE-PRAF ( P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Based on the use of prophylaxis only for 65.9% of general surgery inpatients at high risk for VTE, low use of prophylaxis is assumed to remain a significant threat to public health across Turkey. Inclusion of a standard VTE-PRAF in the hospital protocol seems to raise clinical awareness of VTE risk assessment and appropriate management in VTE which otherwise well-known to be associated with significant mortality and morbidity. Impact of e-VTE-PRAF is worth investigating.
Safe Practices in Pharmacy Sterile Compounding Areas; Where should IV Labels be Affixed?; Outsourcing Pharmacy Ships to Wrong Hospital
Authors: Cohen Michael R. , Smetzer Judy L.
Published: August 2011

These medication errors have occurred in health care facilities at least once. They will happen again—perhaps where you work. Through education and alertness of personnel and procedural safeguards, they can be avoided. You should consider publishing accounts of errors in your newsletters and/or presenting them at your inservice training programs.

Your assistance is required to continue this feature. The reports described here were received through the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) Medication Errors Reporting Program. Any reports published by ISMP will be anonymous. Comments are also invited; the writers' names will be published if desired. ISMP may be contacted at the address shown below.

Errors, close calls, or hazardous conditions may be reported directly to ISMP through the ISMP Web site ( www.ismp.org ), by calling 800-FAIL-SAFE, or via e-mail at ismpinfo@ismp.org . ISMP guarantees the confidentiality and security of the information received and respects reporters' wishes as to the level of detail included in publications.
Mycophenolate Mofetil: Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (Primary Immune Thrombocytopenia)
Authors: Generali Joyce A. , Cada Dennis J.
Published: August 2011

This Hospital Pharmacy feature is extracted from Off-Label Drug Facts, a quarterly publication available from Wolters Kluwer Health. Off-Label Drug Facts is a practitioner-oriented resource for information about specific drug uses that are unapproved by the US Food and Drug Administration. This new guide to the literature enables the health care professional or clinician to quickly identify published studies on off-label uses and determine if a specific use is rational in a patient care scenario. References direct the reader to the full literature for more comprehensive information before patient care decisions are made. Direct questions or comments regarding Off-Label Drug Uses to jgeneral@kumc.edu .
Working toward a System-wide Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis Strategy: Experience from a Multisite Health Region
Authors: Semchuk William , Kolodziejak Lynette , Bubbar Carolyn , Poulin Susan
Published: August 2011

Background

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), comprised of both deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is a common complication for hospitalized patients. Clear guidance is available to practitioners in regard to risk factors for the development of VTE as well as strategies to decrease its prevalence. Despite knowing who is at risk and how to prevent VTE, practitioners provide adequate measures to only half of the patients who are eligible for VTE prophylaxis. Pharmacy practitioners within the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region (RQHR) have been actively involved in improving VTE prophylaxis for inpatients over the past 10 years.

Objective

To improve the rate of VTE prophylaxis within the RQHR, thereby improving patient safety.

Methods

The strategy involved 3 phases: a preparation phase, an active intervention phase, and a maintenance and improvement phase. The preparation phase included education and participation in a national registry along with a residency project. The intervention phase consisted of a number of strategies in conjunction with 1-day VTE prophylaxis audits, and the maintenance phase consisted of ongoing educational initiatives and audits.

Results

From January 2005 to January 2009, the percentage of patients being appropriately managed for VTE prophylaxis within the RQHR improved from 62% to 94% ( P < .005). Looking specifically at our medical and surgical populations, rates increased from 47% to 90% ( P < .005) and 79% to 97% ( P < .005), respectively.

Conclusion

The strategy was successful in improving VTE prophylaxis in the inpatient population.
The Pharmacy Director and Accountable Care Organizations
Authors: Justin Lindsay R. , Mark Scott M. , Weber Robert J.
Published: August 2011

The Director's Forum series is edited by Robert J. Weber and Scott M. Mark and is designed to guide pharmacy leaders in establishing patient-centered services in hospitals and health systems. This article focuses on a portion of the Affordable Care Act called the Accountable Care Organization (ACO). ACOs are expected to reduce costs for Medicare patients by effectively coordinating care through a group approach by various providers. There are specific requirements for an ACO, and there are also opportunities for pharmacists to coordinate care related to medication use. By gaining further understanding of the intricacies the ACO, pharmacists and other health care providers can develop an ACO to maximize the cost and quality of care while expanding patient-centered services.
Recent Publications on Medications and Pharmacy
Authors: Russett Flint
Published: August 2011

Hospital Pharmacy presents this feature to keep pharmacists abreast of new publications in the medical/pharmacy literature. Articles of interest regarding a broad scope of topics are abstracted monthly.
Nuclear Factor κB-Dependent Neurite Remodeling Is Mediated by Notch Pathway
Authors: Bonini Sara Anna , Ferrari-Toninelli Giulia , Uberti Daniela , Montinaro Mery , Buizza Laura , Lanni Cristina , Grilli Mariagrazia , Memo Maurizio
Published: August 2011

In this study, we evaluated whether a cross talk between nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and Notch may take place and contribute to regulate cell morphology and/or neuronal network in primary cortical neurons. We found that lack of p50, either induced acutely by inhibiting p50 nuclear translocation or genetically in p50−/−mice, results in cortical neurons characterized by reduced neurite branching, loss of varicosities, and Notch1 signaling hyperactivation. The neuronal morphological effects found in p50−/−cortical cells were reversed after treatment with the γ-secretase inhibitor DAPT (N-[N-(3,5-difluorophenacetyl)-1-alanyl 1]-S-phenylglycinet-butyl ester) or Notch RNA interference. Together, these data suggested that morphological abnormalities in p50−/−cortical neurons were dependent on Notch pathway hyperactivation, with Notch ligand Jagged1 being a major player in mediating such effect. In this line, we demonstrated that the p50 subunit acts as transcriptional repressor of Jagged1. We also found altered distribution of Notch1 and Jagged1 immunoreactivity in the cortex of p50−/−mice compared with wild-type littermates at postnatal day 1. These data suggest the relevance of future studies on the role of Notch/NF-κB cross talk in regulating cortex structural plasticity in physiological and pathological conditions.
TRP Vanilloid 2 Knock-Out Mice Are Susceptible to Perinatal Lethality But Display Normal Thermal and Mechanical Nociception
Authors: Park Una , Vastani Nisha , Guan Yun , Raja Srinivasa N. , Koltzenburg Martin , Caterina Michael J.
Published: August 2011

TRP vanilloid 2 (TRPV2) is a nonselective cation channel expressed prominently in medium- to large-diameter sensory neurons that can be activated by extreme heat (>52°C). These features suggest that TRPV2 might be a transducer of noxious heatin vivo. TRPV2 can also be activated by hypoosmolarity or cell stretch, suggesting potential roles in mechanotransduction. To address the physiological functions of TRPV2 in somatosensation, we generated TRPV2 knock-out mice and examined their behavioral and electrophysiological responses to heat and mechanical stimuli. TRPV2 knock-out mice showed reduced embryonic weight and perinatal viability. As adults, surviving knock-out mice also exhibited a slightly reduced body weight. TRPV2 knock-out mice showed normal behavioral responses to noxious heat over a broad range of temperatures and normal responses to punctate mechanical stimuli, both in the basal state and under hyperalgesic conditions such as peripheral inflammation and L5 spinal nerve ligation. Moreover, behavioral assays of TRPV1/TRPV2 double knock-out mice or of TRPV2 knock-out mice treated with resiniferatoxin to desensitize TRPV1-expressing afferents revealed no thermosensory consequences of TRPV2 absence. In line with behavioral findings, electrophysiological recordings from skin afferents showed that C-fiber responses to heat and C- and Aδ-fiber responses to noxious mechanical stimuli were unimpaired in the absence of TRPV2. The prevalence of thermosensitive Aδ-fibers was too low to permit comparison between genotypes. Thus, TRPV2 is important for perinatal viability but is not essential for heat or mechanical nociception or hypersensitivity in the adult mouse.
Thermodynamics of complexation of lanthanides with 2,6-bis(5,6-diethyl-1,2,4-triazin-3-yl) pyridine
Authors: Rawat Neetika , Bhattacharyya A. , Ghosh S. K. , Gadly T. , Tomar B. S.
Published: August 2011

Solvent extraction studies on separation of trivalent actinides from lanthanides using 2,6-bis(5,6-dialkyl-1,2,4-triazin-3-yl) pyridines have shown promising results with respect to separation factor and efficiency in acidic medium. In order to understand their complexation behavior, the stability constant (log β) of trivalent lanthanides (La, Nd, Eu, Tb, Ho, Tm, Lu) with 2,6-bis(5,6-diethyl-1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)pyridine (ethyl-BTP) have been determined in methanol medium (ionic strength 0.01 M) using spectrophotometric titrations. The stoichiometry of the complexes is found to vary with the ionic size of lanthanide ion. The variation in log β across the lanthanide series is attributed to variation in solvation characteristics of the metal ion. Comparison of log β for Ln(III)–ethyl-BTP complexes with other alkyl derivatives showed increase in the stability with increasing length of the alkyl group due to hydrophobic interaction. In the case of Eu(III), the speciation was also corroborated by time resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. The thermodynamic parameters (Δ G, Δ H, Δ S) for complexation of Eu(III) with ethyl-BTP, were determined by microcalorimetry, which revealed strong metal ion–ligand interaction with the reactions driven mainly by enthalpy.
Application of backwashing with demineralized water for UF fouling control in UF-RO desalination
Authors: Li Sheng , Heijman S. G. J. , van Dijk J. C.
Published: August 2011

The effectiveness of demineralized water backwash on ultrafiltration (UF) fouling control of seawater is investigated in this study. Fouling experiments for two different backwashes (UF permeate and demineralized water) were conducted at three fluxes: 120, 180 and 240 L/(h m2) to compare their fouling control efficiency on UF membranes. Results show that backwashing with demineralized water improved the fouling control of UF membranes. When the UF membranes were backwashed with demineralized water, probably because more foulants were flushed away from the UF membrane than UF permeate backwashes, the increase in trans membrane pressure (TMP) for backwashing with demineralized water was less than that with UF permeate. Furthermore, the fluxes of experiments also played a role on the fouling control. When the flux was 120 L/(h m2), the difference between two different backwashes was small. However, at the flux of 240 L/(h m2), the TMP for backwashing with UF permeate increased faster than that with demineralized water, although the TMP for backwashing with demineralized water increased as well.
Simultaneous reduction of by-products of chlorine dioxide and chlorine using Fe(II)–Al(III) coagulant mixture
Authors: Shin H.-S.
Published: August 2011

Ferrous iron has been considered very useful for removal of chlorite, a by-product of chlorine dioxide. However, a serious problem can occur associated with high residual iron concentrations in water after Fe(II) treatment, especially at weak acidic condition (pH 6), having a higher capacity of chlorite reduction. Simultaneous removal of chlorite, dissolved iron, and humic acids was achieved with a Fe(II) –Al(III) (1:5) coagulant mixture. Moreover, a significant reduction of chlorine by-products formed after subsequent post chlorination was observed. The by-products of chlorine dioxide and chlorine could be dramatically reduced by the simple addition of the coagulant mixture without the additional problem of dissolved iron.
CFD Modelling of Reverse Osmosis Channels with Potential Applications to the Desalination Industry
Authors: Wardeh S. , Morvan Herve P.
Published: August 2011

Desalination by reverse osmosis is receiving increasing attention due to recent improvements in membrane technology in particular. This technique is now used for small to very large scale applications, and has been identified as a key contributor to water treatment and provision not only in Middle Eastern countries but also closer to home in the United Kingdom for example. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is increasingly used for complex modelling applications in the chemical process and water industries. Previous work by the writers and others for spacer-filled desalination channels have yielded very good results in terms of modelling the flow and salt characteristics and history in the channels, as well as the overall performance of the membrane system. However, transient features imply that such simulations can be very costly and, if they can approximate experimental layouts with horizontal membranes, the investigation of a full desalination performance and operation remains a very distant prospect. CFD would therefore appear to be unsuited to industrial design at the present time. It is necessary to reduce the cost of the numerical simulations whilst maintaining high fidelity in key design parameters such as pressure loss, shear stress and salt concentration on the membrane, and through flow across the membrane for the method to be useful in design. A momentum loss approach based on a porous medium model is presented to this effect and benchmarked against detailed CFD results with success. It is shown to be capable of meeting key design parameters at a fraction of the full CFD cost.
Numerical solution of the Maxwell equations in time-varying media using Magnus expansion
Authors: Faragó István , Havasi Ágnes , Horváth Robert
Published: August 2011

For the Maxwell equations in time-dependent media only finite difference schemes with time-dependent conductivity are known. In this paper we present a numerical scheme based on the Magnus expansion and operator splitting that can handle time-dependent permeability and permittivity too. We demonstrate our results with numerical tests.
Groups whose proper subgroups are Baer-by-Chernikov or Baer-by-(finite rank)
Authors: Badis Abdelhafid , Trabelsi Nadir
Published: August 2011

Our main result is that a locally graded group whose proper subgroups are Baer-by-Chernikov is itself Baer-by-Chernikov. We prove also that a locally (soluble-by-finite) group whose proper subgroups are Baer-by-(finite rank) is itself Baer-by-(finite rank) if either it is locally of finite rank but not locally finite or it has no infinite simple images.
Normality and shared sets of meromorphic functions
Authors: Lin Guo-Bin , Chen Jun-Fan
Published: August 2011

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the normal families and shared sets of meromorphic functions. The results obtained complement the related results due to Fang, Liu and Pang.
Effect of wet-chemical substrate smoothing on passivation of ultrathin-SiO2/n-Si(111) interfaces prepared with atomic oxygen at thermal impact energies
Authors: Angermann Heike , Gref Orman , Stegemann Bert
Published: August 2011

Ultrathin SiO2 layers for potential applications in nano-scale electronic and photovoltaic devises were prepared by exposure to thermalized atomic oxygen under UHV conditions. Wet-chemical substrate pretreatment, layer deposition and annealing processes were applied to improve the electronic Si/SiO2 interface properties. This favourable effect of optimized wet-chemical pre-treatment can be preserved during the subsequent oxidation. The corresponding atomic-scale analysis of the electronic interface states after substrate pre-treatment and the subsequent silicon oxide layer formation is performed by field-modulated surface photovoltage (SPV), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and spectroscopic ellipsometry in the ultraviolet and visible region (UV-VIS-SE).
Gas-liquid slug formation at a rectangular microchannel T-junction: A CFD benchmark case
Authors: Santos Rafael , Kawaji Masahiro
Published: August 2011

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is an important tool for development of microfluidic systems based on gasliquid two-phase flow. The formation of Taylor slugs at microchannel T-junctions has been studied both experimentally and numerically, however discrepancies still exist because of difficulties in correctly representing experimental conditions and uncertainties in the physics controlling slug flow, such as contact line and velocity slip. In this paper detailed methods and results are described for the study of Santos and Kawaji [1] on the comparison of experimental results and numerical modeling. The system studied consisted of a rectangular microchannel Tjunction nominally 100 μm in hydraulic diameter, used to generate Taylor slugs from air-water perpendicular flow. The effect of flow rates on parameters such as slug length, velocity slip, void fraction and two-phase frictional pressure drop were studied. Numerical simulation was performed using FLUENT volume-of-fluid (VOF) model. It is proposed in this paper that this microfluidic problem be taken up by researchers in the field as a benchmark case to test other numeric codes in comparison to FLUENT on the prediction of micro-scale multiphase flow, and also to model in more detail the experimental system described to obtain greater accuracy in prediction of microfluidic slug formation.
Effects of isokinetic and isotonic training programmes on heart rate and blood pressure in high school students
Authors: Őkmen Ahmet , Erdemir İbrahim
Published: August 2011

Effects of isokinetic and isotonic training programmes on heart rate and blood pressure in high school students

Study aim: To compare the effects of 6-week isokinetic and isotonic training programmes on heart rate and blood pressure in high school students.

Material and methods: Twenty-nine healthy, untrained male student subjects aged 15 - 18 years participated in the study. They were assigned into 3 groups: control (C; n = 11), and subjected to isokinetic (IK; n = 8) or isotonic (IT; n = 10) training lasting 6 weeks, 3 days a week. Isokinetic exercises consisted of 3 sets of 20-s extensions/flexions (both knees) at 180°/s, spaced by 30-s intermissions, the isotonic ones - of 4 sets of extensions (both knees) at 50% of the predetermined one repetition maximum, spaced by 30-s intermissions. Heart rates (HR) and blood pressure were determined before and after the training period, both pre- and post-exercise.

Results: Mean resting HR and exercise-induced HR-increase significantly decreased post-training in IT group (by 19 and 24%, respectively; p<0.001). The exercise-induced HR-increase significantly increased post-training in IK group (by 17%; p<0.001). Significant (p<0.01) training-induced decreases in the systolic pressure (SBP) were found in both training groups (IT and IK, by 7 and 6%, respectively).

Conclusions: The results may be of practical importance for athletes and health professionals who administer openchain resistance exercises.
Nachhaltigkeit und Freiheitsverträglichkeit (Essay)
Authors: Nef Robert
Published: August 2011

At the present time, numerous specialists from various fields and subject areas are endeavouring, together with the interest groups concerned at the time, to further the development of the legislation concerning a sustainable use of land resources. In the course of this, fundamental questions and significant points of view all too often go by the board or are pulled apart on account of party politics. In the end, whether it be the landscape, the soil, the forest or the environment, it does not primarily come down to a restriction of private property in favour of public welfare, which is always difficult to define. Rather it means a sensible delimitation between liberty- and ownership-restrictive general protection rights, and property-protective and ownership-advantageous general exploitation rights. It will be decisive for the continuing existence of an overall economic and ecological coherence that sensible definitions be found for each part of the whole. These should, without ruining the totality, judiciously isolate goods, property and subject areas and put them into a freedom-friendly superior framework. Thus the comprehensive control over private property can be brought into harmony with the responsibility for a common heritage covering all generations.
Synthesis and Biological Activity of New 1,3-Dioxolanes as Potential Antibacterial and Antifungal Compounds
Authors: Küçük Hatice Başpınar , Yusufoğlu Ayşe , Mataracı Emel , Döşler Sibel
Published: August 2011

A series of new enantiomerically pure and racemic 1,3-dioxolanes 1-8 was synthesized in good yields and short reaction times by the reaction of salicylaldehyde with commercially available diols using a catalytic amount of Mont K10. Elemental analysis and spectroscopic characterization established the structure of all the newly synthesized compounds. These compounds were tested for their possible antibacterial and antifungal activity. Biological screening showed that all the tested compounds, except 1, show excellent antifungal activity against C. albicans, while most of the compounds have also shown significant antibacterial activity against S. aureus, S. epidermidis, E. faecalis and P. aeruginosa.
Effects of Chemical and Physical Enhancement Techniques on Transdermal Delivery of Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12) In Vitro
Authors: Yang Ye , Kalluri Haripriya , Banga Ajay K.
Published: August 2011

Vitamin B12 deficiency, which may result in anemia and nerve damage if left untreated, is currently treated by administration of cyanocobalamin via oral or intramuscular routes. However, these routes are associated with absorption and compliance issues which have prompted us to investigate skin as an alternative site of administration. Delivery through skin, however, is restricted to small and moderately lipophilic molecules due to the outermost barrier, the stratum corneum (SC). In this study, we have investigated the effect of different enhancement techniques, chemical enhancers (ethanol, oleic acid, propylene glycol), iontophoresis (anodal iontophoresis) and microneedles (soluble maltose microneedles), which may overcome this barrier and improve cyanocobalamin delivery. Studies with different chemical enhancer formulations indicated that ethanol and oleic acid decreased the lag time while propylene glycol based formulations increased the lag time. The formulation with ethanol (50%), oleic acid (10%) and propylene glycol (40%) showed the maximum improvement in delivery. Iontophoresis and microneedle treatments resulted in enhanced permeation levels compared to passive controls. These enhancement approaches can be explored further to develop alternative treatment regimens.
Adaptability of Wheat Cultivars to a Late-Planted No-Till Fallow Production System
Authors: Higginbotham Ryan W. , Jones Stephen S. , Carter Arron H.
Published: August 2011

In Washington, over fifty percent of the wheat produced under rainfed conditions receives less than 300 mm of annual precipitation. Hence, a winter wheat-summer fallow cropping system has been adopted to obtain adequate moisture for winter wheat production. Current tilled fallow systems are exposed to significant soil degradation from wind and water erosion. As a result, late-planted no-till fallow systems are being evaluated to mitigate erosion concerns. The objective of this study was to evaluate current cultivars under late-planted no-till fallow systems to identify whether current breeding schemes in tilled fallow systems could select productive cultivars in late-planted no-till fallow systems. Thirty cultivars were planted in a split-plot design with fallow type as the main plot and genotype as the sub-plot. Fallow types evaluated were a tilled fallow system and a late planted no-till fallow system. Data were collected on heading date, plant height, grain volume weight, grain yield, and grain protein content. Analysis of variance was conducted on data across locations. Results were significant for all traits except for grain protein content. The late-planted no-till fallow system headed 16 days later was 5 cm shorter, yielded 36% less, and had a grain volume weight 3% less than the tilled fallow system. The lower yield and grain volume weight potential is hypothesized to be due to the 16 day delay in heading date leading to warmer temperatures during grain fill and a shorter duration. In order to breed wheat to be highly productive under a late-planted no-till fallow system, directly selecting in this system for early spring growth and earlier heading dates will be essential.
Microbial strategies to control aflatoxins in food and feed
Authors: Guan S. , Zhou T. , Yin Y. , Xie M. , Ruan Z. , Young J.
Published: August 2011

Aflatoxins are a group of toxic and carcinogenic fungal metabolites. They are commonly found in cereals, nuts
and animal feeds and create a significant threat to the food industry and animal production. Several strategies
have been developed to avoid or reduce harmful effects of aflatoxins since the 1960s. However, prevention of
aflatoxin contamination pre/post harvest or during storage has not been satisfactory and control strategies such as
physical removing and chemical inactivating used in food commodities have their deficiencies, which limit their
large scale application. It is expected that progress in the control of aflatoxin contamination will depend on the
introduction of technologies for specific, efficient and environmentally sound detoxification. The utilisation of
biological detoxification agents, such as microorganisms and/or their enzymatic products to detoxify aflatoxins in
contaminated food and feed can be a choice of such technology. To date, many of the microbial strategies have only
showed reduced concentration of aflatoxins and the structure and toxicity of the detoxified products are unclear.
More attention should be paid to the detoxification reactions, the structure of biotransformed products and the
enzymes responsible for the detoxification. In this article, microbial strategies for aflatoxin control such as microbial
binding and microbial biotransformation are reviewed.
Zearalenone risk in European wheat
Authors: Edwards S.
Published: August 2011

Zearalenone is an oestrogenic mycotoxin produced by several Fusarium species which can infect cereals, in particular
wheat and maize. The predominant species responsible for zearalenone production is Fusarium graminearum, which
also produces the trichothecene mycotoxin, deoxynivalenol. The infection and subsequent mycotoxin production by
Fusarium spp. is largely dependent on rainfall at flowering and before harvest. High concentrations of zearalenone
in particular, appear to be produced during delayed wet harvests. There has been a recent and ongoing increase in
F. graminearum incidence resulting in increased occurrence of deoxynivalenol and zearalenone across northern
Europe, where delayed wet harvests are more common. Zearalenone contamination of grain is largely restricted to
the outer layers of wheat grain and therefore is partitioned into the bran fraction during milling. This results in higher
concentrations of zearalenone in high fibre cereal products. After the delayed wet harvest in the UK in 2008, 29%
of wheat at harvest exceeded the European limit for unprocessed cereals of 100 µg/kg. This resulted in difficulties
in sourcing bran which would allow production of high fibre breakfast cereals within zearalenone limits and the
European Commission provided a temporary derogation for high fibre breakfast cereals of 100 µg/kg zearalenone
until 31 October 2009. Rainfall data and zearalenone concentrations in UK wheat from the last ten years were used
to predict the occurrence of high zearalenone in wheat (10% or more of unprocessed wheat greater than 100 µg/
kg zearalenone). High zearalenone was predicted to occur one year in five for northern Europe which matches the
observed incidence for the UK within the last ten years. As a consequence, current legislative limits for zearalenone
in cereals and cereal products could impact on the availability of high fibre cereal products one year in five.
Angiographic Regression Patterns After Intravitreal Ranibizumab Injections for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Authors: Tran Thi Ha Chau , Querques Giuseppe , Forzy Gerard , Souied Eric H.
Published: August 2011

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

To investigate the relation between visual gain, injection frequency, and the angiographic regression patterns after intravitreal ranibizumab on an as-needed basis in exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

Fifty-nine treatment-naïve patients (68 eyes) were retrospectively analyzed. All patients received three consecutive monthly injections (induction phase) of ranibizumab (0.5 mg/0.05 mL). Based on fluorescein angiography (FA), the choroidal neovascularization (CNV) was judged to present either complete regression (pattern 1), partial regression (pattern 2), stabilization of the lesion size without leakage (pattern 3), stabilization of the lesion size with persistence of leakage (pattern 4), or increased angiographic size (pattern 5).

RESULTS:

Mean visual acuity (VA) significantly improved from 48 to 54.3 letters at 1 year after a mean of 5.5 injections (
P
< .001). Multiple linear regression revealed baseline VA as a predictor of visual gain and the angiographic pattern as a predictor of number of injections. Analysis of variance revealed a significant interaction (F-test [1.67] = 25,
P
< .001) between the number of injections at 12 months and the regression patterns, as evaluated by FA 1 month after the induction phase. Eyes showing complete CNV regression needed significantly fewer injections than eyes without any angiographic sign of CNV regression (3.4 injections in pattern 1 vs 5.6 injections in pattern 3 [
P
= .03], and 7 injections in pattern 4 [
P
< .001], 4.4 injections in pattern 2 vs 7 injections in pattern 4 [
P
< .001]).

CONCLUSION:

FA may represent a useful tool to adapt the rhythm of visits and intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections in exudative AMD.
Intraoperative Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography During Complex Retinal Detachment Repair
Authors: Lee Lyndon B. , Srivastava Sunil K.
Published: August 2011

Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) is a non-invasive imaging modality that generates detailed images of retinal microstructure. In this study, this technology was employed to investigate changes that occur intraoperatively during repair of complex rhegmatogenous retinal detachment using perfluorocarbon liquids. Intraoperative SD-OCT images were obtained for two patients who underwent pars plana vitrectomy, perfluoro-n-octane instillation, and silicone oil fill for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. The results demonstrate the ability to obtain high-resolution images of retinal architecture intraoperatively through perfluoro-n-octane and silicone oil. Residual subretinal fluid may be identified intraoperatively despite tamponade with perfluoro-n-octane.
Variability of aerosol optical properties in the Western Mediterranean Basin
Authors: Pandolfi M. , Cusack M. , Alastuey A. , Querol X.
Published: August 2011

Abstract. Aerosol light scattering, absorption and particulate matter (PM) concentrations were measured at Montseny, a regional background site in the Western Mediterranean Basin (WMB) which is part of the European Supersite for Atmospheric Aerosol Research (EUSAAR). Off line analyses of 24 h PM filters collected with Hi-Vol instruments were performed for the determination of the main chemical components of PM. Mean scattering and hemispheric backscattering coefficients (@ 635 nm) were 26.6±23.2 Mm−1 and 4.3±2.7 Mm−1, respectively and the mean aerosol absorption coefficient (@ 637 nm) was 2.8±2.2 Mm−1. Mean values of Single Scattering Albedo (SSA) and Ångström exponent (å) (calculated from 450 nm to 635 nm) at MSY were 0.90±0.05 and 1.3±0.5 respectively. A clear relationship was observed between the PM1/PM10 and PM2.5/PM10 ratios as a function of the calculated Ångström exponents. Mass scattering cross sections (MSC) for fine mass and sulfate at 635 nm were 2.8±0.5 m2 g−1 and 11.8±2.2 m2 g−1, respectively, while the mean aerosol absorption cross section (MAC) was 10.4±2.0 m2 g−1. The variability in aerosol optical properties in the WMB were largely explained by the origin and ageing of air masses over the measurement site. The MAC values appear dependent of particles aging: similar to the expected absorption cross-section for fresh emissions under Atlantic Advection episodes and higher under aerosol pollution episodes. The analysis of the Ångström exponent as a function of the origin the air masses revealed that polluted winter anticyclonic conditions and summer recirculation scenarios typical of the WMB led to an increase of fine particles in the atmosphere (å = 1.5±0.1) while the aerosol optical properties under Atlantic Advection episodes and Saharan dust outbreaks were clearly dominated by coarser particles (å = 1.0±0.4). The sea breeze played an important role in transporting pollutants from the developed WMB coastlines towards inland rural areas, changing the optical properties of aerosols. Aerosol scattering and backscattering coefficients increased by around 40 % in the afternoon when the sea breeze was fully developed while the absorption coefficient increased by more than 100 % as a consequence of the increase in the equivalent black carbon concentration (EBC) observed at MSY under sea breeze circulation.
Ground-based water vapor Raman lidar measurements up to the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere – Part 1: Instrument development, optimization, and validation
Authors: McDermid I. S. , Leblanc T. , Walsh T. D.
Published: August 2011

Abstract. Recognizing the importance of water vapor in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UT/LS) and the scarcity of high-quality, long-term measurements, JPL began the development of a powerful Raman lidar in 2005 to try to meet these needs. This development was endorsed by the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC) and the validation program for the EOS-Aura satellite. In this paper we review the stages in the instrumental development of the lidar and the conclusions from three validation campaigns: MOHAVE, MOHAVE-II, and MOHAVE 2009 (Measurements of Humidity in the Atmosphere and Validation Experiments). The data analysis, profile retrieval and calibration procedures, as well as additional results from MOHAVE-2009 are presented in detail in a companion paper (Leblanc et al., 2011a). Ultimately the lidar has demonstrated capability to measure water vapor profiles from ~1 km above the ground to the lower stratosphere, reaching 14 km for 1-h integrated profiles and 21 km for 6-h integrated profiles, with a precision of 10 % or better near 13 km and below, and an estimated accuracy of 5 %.