bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Human herpesvirus type 8 in patients with cirrhosis independent of thrombocytopenia
Authors: Chou A-L , Huang W-W , Lin M-N , Su C-C
Published: March 2010

Background

High seroprevalence of human herpesvirus type 8 (HHV-8) in patients with cirrhosis has been reported to be associated with thrombocytopenia. Severe cirrhosis is always complicated with ascites. HHV-8 DNA levels in effusion from patients with primary effusion lymphoma has been reported to be significantly greater than in blood. The status of HHV-8 antibody and DNA in cirrhotic ascites is unclear.

Aims

To assess the status of HHV-8 antibody and DNA in cirrhotic ascites compared to that in cirrhotic plasma.

Methods

Plasma and ascites samples were collected from 85 patients with cirrhosis. HHV-8 antibody and DNA were detected by immunofluorescence assay and PCR, respectively.

Results

Male patients seropositive for HHV-8 antibody were significantly younger than seropositive female patients (p=0.0039). The seropositive rate in patients with cirrhosis was not associated with thrombocytopenia (p=0.6860). Both positive rate and titres of antibody in plasma were much greater than in ascites (p<0.0001). More male or Child–Pugh class C than female or class B seropositive patients were positive for ascites. No hepatitis C virus-related ascites were positive for antibody. Neither plasma nor ascites samples from any subject were positive for HHV-8 DNA.

Conclusions

In patients with cirrhosis, the seropositive rate for HHV-8 antibody is independent of thrombocytopenia. The positive rate for HHV-8 antibody in cirrhotic ascites seems to be associated with sex, disease severity and disease aetiology.
Glomus indicum, a new arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus
Authors: Błaszkowski Janusz , Wubet Tesfaye , Harikumar Variampally Sankar , Ryszka Przemysław , Buscot François
Published: March 2010

A new arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal species of the genus Glomus , Glomus indicum (Glomeromycota), forming small, hyaline spores in hypogeous aggregates is described and illustrated. The spores are globose to subglobose, (17–)32(–52) µm in diameter, rarely egg-shaped, oblong to irregular, 17–38 µm × 19–43 µm. The single spore wall of G. indicum consists of two hyaline layers: a mucilaginous, short-lived, thin outer layer staining pinkish to pink in Melzer's reagent and a laminate, smooth, permanent, thicker inner layer. Glomus indicum was found in the rhizosphere of Euphorbia heterophylla  L. naturally growing in coastal sands of Alappuzha in Kerala State of South India and Lactuca sativa  L. cultivated in Asmara, Eritrea, North East Africa. In single-species cultures with Plantago lanceolata  L. as the host plant, G. indicum formed vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza. Molecular analysis of the phylogenetic position of G. indicum based on both SSU and ITS rDNA sequences showed the fungus to be a new species with its own cluster. Besides the sites where the spores were observed, sequence types belonging to the G. indicum cluster were documented from environmental samples mainly in the USA, Estonia, and Australia, suggesting the wide occurrence of the species. A key to all known species of the Glomeromycota producing hyaline to light-coloured glomoid spores is provided.
The stability and resilience of management agreements on climate-sensitive straddling fishery resources: the blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou) coastal state agreement
Authors: Ekerhovd Nils-Arne
Published: March 2010

How would the formation, stability, and success of an agreement on cooperative management between neighbouring coastal states for a climate-sensitive fishery resource be affected by changes in the distribution and accessibility of the resource within the exclusive economic zones (EEZs)? In scenario 1, the blue whiting ( Micromesistius poutassou ) is harvestable in the EEZs of Norway, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and the European Union (EU), as well as in the international waters of the Northeast Atlantic and the Norwegian Sea. The Barents Sea is a fringe area for the species, and there are no fisheries for blue whiting there. Hence, Russia is not regarded as a coastal state with respect to the blue whiting fishery. This severely weakens the stability of the coastal state agreement. In scenario 2, the area of distribution of the harvestable stock expands into the Russian EEZ, giving it status as a coastal state with respect to the resource and, thus, a partner in the management agreement. This secures the coastal state coalition the maximum attainable cooperative value and increases the likelihood of a stable coastal state agreement.
Turnover and fractionation of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in tissues of a migratory coastal predator, summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus)
Authors: Buchheister Andre , Latour Robert J.
Published: March 2010

Migratory and mobile fishes such as summer flounder ( Paralichthys dentatus ) often utilize dietary resources with stable isotope signatures that vary over time and space, potentially confounding diet analyses if tissues with slow turnover are sampled before reaching isotopic equilibrium. A laboratory diet-shift study was conducted using juvenile and young adult summer flounder to (i) determine isotopic turnover rates and fractionations of δ13C and δ15N in liver, whole blood, and white muscle and (ii) estimate the relative importance of growth and metabolic processes on isotopic turnover. Isotopic turnover rates were consistently ranked liver > blood > muscle owing to increased metabolic activities of liver and blood. Carbon and nitrogen half-lives ranged from 10 to 20 days (liver), 22 to 44 days (blood), and 49 to 107 days (muscle), indicating that liver and blood are more useful than muscle as shorter-term dietary indicators for summer flounder and other migratory fishes. Growth-based fractionation estimates of wild flounder tissues ranged from 0.71‰ to 3.27‰ for carbon and from 2.28‰ to 2.80‰ for nitrogen and included the first explicit estimates for isotopic fractionation in fish blood. A generalized model for predicting the time scale of isotopic turnover from growth-based turnover parameters was also developed to help evaluate isotopic equilibrium assumptions of fishes in the field.
Thermal reaction norms in sperm performance of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)
Authors: Purchase Craig F. , Butts Ian A.E. , Alonso-Fernández Alexandre , Trippel Edward A.
Published: March 2010

Phenotypic plasticity occurs when a genotype produces variable phenotypes under different environments; the shapes of such responses are known as norms of reaction. The genetic scale at which reaction norms can be determined is restricted by the experimental unit that can be exposed to variable environments. This has limited their description beyond the family level in higher organisms, thus hindering our understanding of differences in plasticity at the scale of the individual. Using a three-year common-garden experiment, we quantify reaction norms in sperm performance of individual genotypes within different families of Atlantic cod ( Gadus morhua ). Cod sperm showed phenotypic plasticity in swimming performance across temperatures (3, 6, 11, and 21 °C), but the pattern of the response depended upon how long sperm had been swimming (30, 60, 120, or 180 s), i.e., plasticity in plasticity. Sperm generally swam fastest at intermediate temperatures when first assessed at 30 s after activation. However, a significant genotype × environment interaction was present, indicating inter-individual differences in phenotypic plasticity. To our knowledge, this is the first study to describe variable sperm performance across environmental conditions as a reaction norm. The results have potential theoretical, conservation, and aquaculture implications.
Mixed micelles of poly(styrene-b-3-(methacryloylamino)propyltrimethylammonium chloride-b-ethylene oxide) and anionic amphiphiles in aqueous solutions
Authors: Liu Jingjing , Yoneda Airi , Liu Dian , Yokoyama Yuuichi , Yusa Shin-ichi , Nakashima Kenichi
Published: March 2010

The micelles of poly(styrene-b-3-(methacryloylamino)propyltrimethylammonium chloride-b-ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PMAPTAC-b-PEO) have been successfully prepared in aqueous solutions. The micelles have a PS core, cationic PMAPTAC shell, and PEO corona. Due to the short PS chain (degree of polymerization = 8), the formation of micelles is difficult at a low concentration, and the micelles are detected only at concentrations higher than 1 g L–1. The addition of anionic amphiphiles, such as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA), induces the formation of mixed micelles at a low concentration level of the polymer (~0.005 g L–1). This can be ascribed to insolubilization of the cationic PMAPTAC block due to charge neutralization by the anionic amphiphiles. The binding of SDS or PMAA to the PMAPTAC block is confirmed by zeta-potential measurements. The mixed micelles are characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and fluorescence measurements. Based on DLS measurements, it is revealed that the hydrodynamic diameter of the mixed micelles falls in the range of 120–130 nm. SEM measurements provided clear pictures of mixed micelles with a spherical morphology. The kinetics of exchange of organic dyes between the micelle particles was investigated by fluorescence techniques. The result indicates that the exchange of the dyes between the micelle particles takes places within a time scale of seconds.
How switching the substituent of a pyrene derivative from a methyl to a butyl affects the fluorescence response of polystyrene randomly labeled with pyrene
Authors: Ingratta Mark , Mathew Manoj , Duhamel Jean
Published: March 2010

A series of polystyrenes randomly labeled with 1-pyrenebutanol were prepared by copolymerizing styrene and 1-pyrenebutylacrylate yielding the CoBuE–PS series. Solutions of CoBuE–PS were prepared in nine organic solvents having viscosities ranging from 0.36 to 5.5 mPa·s and the fluorescence spectra and pyrene monomer and excimer fluorescence decays were acquired. Analysis of the fluorescence spectra yielded the IE/IM ratio, whereas analysis of the fluorescence decays with the fluorescence blob model (FBM) yielded the parameters N blobo ,  , and k blobo . These parameters were compared to those obtained with two other series of pyrene-labeled polystyrenes, which had been studied earlier, namely CoA–PS and CoE–PS where pyrene was attached to the polymer backbone via a methylamide and benzyl methylether linker, respectively. Although the parameters IE/IM, N blobo , , and k blobo took different values according to the specific nature of the linker connecting pyrene to the polystyrene backbone, they exhibited trends that were quite similar for all the pyrene-labeled polystyrene constructs. The excellent agreement between the parameters retrieved for the three different types of pyrene-labeled polystyrenes suggests that the FBM accounts satisfyingly for differences in the nature of the label used, while still retrieving information pertinent to the polymer of interest.
NMR imaging study of cross-linked high-amylose starch tablets — The effect of drug loading
Authors: Wang Y. J. , Ravenelle F. , Zhu X. X.
Published: March 2010

NMR imaging techniques were used to study the effect of drug loading in cross-linked high-amylose starch tablets. The tablets contained acetaminophen with loading levels from 10 to 40 wt%. The absolute amount of the drug released increased with a larger amount of drug loading, but the percentages of drug released had only minor differences for the different tablets, probably due to the rapid formation of a gel layer for all the tablets, which slowed down drug release significantly. The release of drugs from the tablets in all cases is dominated by a diffusion mechanism before the disappearance of the dry core of the tablets. Radial and axial swelling and water uptake were found to increase with the amount of drug loading. The diffusion rates of water were comparable at the initial stage for all the tablets with different loadings, but became faster later for the tablets with higher amounts of drug loading as water diffusion may be facilitated by the hydrophilicity of the drug.
Biomaterials for neural-tissue engineering — Chitosan supports the survival, migration, and differentiation of adult-derived neural stem and progenitor cells
Authors: Scanga Vanessa I. , Goraltchouk Alex , Nussaiba Nasser , Shoichet Molly S. , Morshead Cindi M.
Published: March 2010

Neural precursor cells (NPCs or stem and progenitor cells) are promising in transplantation strategies to treat an injury to the central nervous system, such as a spinal cord injury (SCI), because of their ability to differentiate into neurons and glia. Transplantation studies to date have met with limited success for a number of reasons, including poor cell survival. One way to encourage cell survival in injured tissue is to provide the cells with a scaffold to enhance their survival, their integration, and potentially their differentiation into appropriate cell types. Towards this end, four amine-functionalized hydrogels were screened in vitro for adult murine NPC viability, migration, and differentiation: chitosan, poly(oligoethylene oxide dimethacrylate-co-2-amino ethyl methacrylate), blends of poly(oligoethylene oxide dimethacrylate-co-2-amino ethyl methacrylate), and poly(vinyl alcohol), and poly(glycerol dimethacrylate-co-2-amino ethyl methacrylate). The greatest cell viability was found on chitosan at all times examined, Chitosan had the greatest surface amine content and the lowest equilibrium water content, which likely contributed to the greater NPC viability observed over three weeks in culture. Only chitosan supported survival of multipotent stem cells and the differentiation of the progenitors into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. Plating intact NPC colonies revealed greater cell migration on chitosan relative to the other hydrogels. Importantly, long term cultures on chitosan showed no significant difference in total cell counts over time, suggesting no net cell growth. Together, these findings reveal chitosan as a promising material for the delivery of adult NPC cell-based therapies.
Hybrid microspheres with alternating layers of a polymer and metal nanoparticles
Authors: Petukhova Alla , Paton Andrew S. , Gourevich Ilya , Nair Selvakumar V. , Ruda Harry E. , Shik Alexander , Kumacheva Eugenia
Published: March 2010

We studied the optical properties of hybrid multilayer microspheres (HMMs). We prepared multilayer particles with alternating radial layers of gold nanoparticles (NPs) and poly(methyl methacrylate) and achieved control over particle size, the thickness of particle layers, and the surface coverage of gold NPs. We showed the ability to tune the spectral characteristics of the HMMs, which was based on frequency dispersion of the dielectric constant of polymer–metal NP structures. Good agreement between experimental and theoretical extinction properties of the HMMs was obtained. In comparison with multilayer structures synthesized solely from polymers, hybrid multilayer microspheres have a larger refractive layer contrast between adjacent layers, which is important for practical applications in optoelectronic devices.
A study of the intermolecular branch frequency dependence of tie-chain concentration in single-site linear low-density polyethylene blown films by a new FTIR method
Authors: Wang Mingtao , Li Nan , Choi Phillip , Zhang Yaolin
Published: March 2010

The relative concentrations of tie chains (TCs) in six single-site linear low-density polyethylene blown films (LLDPE) were measured using a polarized Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) technique along with a newly developed sample preparation strategy. Before the FTIR measurements, the films were first subjected to a tensile strain of 20% using a homemade appliance and then annealed at a temperature of 60 °C over a time period of 24 h to relax all nonTCs in the amorphous phase. The relative TC concentrations were inferred from the FTIR measurement of the orientation order of the amorphous chains in the stretched films. It is believed that a greater concentration of TCs leads to a higher orientation order for the amorphous chains. The results showed that the quantity of TCs is essentially determined by the chains with the appropriate branch frequency (∼12 branches per 1000 backbone carbons based upon the films used in this work), especially those of the high molar mass chains as formation of TCs requires suitable ethylene sequence lengths between branches. The dart impact strength of the films appeared to be positively related to the relative concentration of TCs; films with greater concentrations showed higher dart impact strength. No clear correlations were observed between the relative concentration of TCs and the tear resistance of the films. However, the TC concentration seems to be related to the magnitude of the difference between the transverse direction and machine direction tear resistance.
Methods for probing the long-range dynamic of confined polymers in nanoparticles using small-angle neutron scattering
Authors: Rharbi Y. , Yousfi M. , Porcar Lionel , Nawaz Q.
Published: March 2010

Motivated by the recent advances in new technologies, a lot of effort has been dedicated to developing methods for quantifying the dynamic of nanoconfined polymers. Particularly, polymers confined in nanoparticles are an important system for several environment-friendly applications such as waterborne coatings and nanoblends. In this work, we discuss two methods to probe the large scale dynamic of nanoconfined polymers in nanoparticles in two situations: (i) nanoblends and (ii) the close-packed structure. In the methods we apply stress at the nanoscopic level around the polystyrene particles and we probe their deformation in real time using small-angle neutron scattering. These methods give new possibilities to probe, in a nonintrusive manner, the dynamic of confined polymers in nanoparticles, which could ultimately bring conclusive insight to this field.
Quantitative tracking of the vegetative integrity and distinctness of forested ecological communities: a case study of plantation impacts
Authors: Wuest Lawrence J. , Betts Matthew G.
Published: March 2010

Ecological land classification (ELC) is central to forestry and environmental management. Few methods exist for the statistical confirmation of the distinctness and continued integrity of the ecological character of ELC regions. Consequently, forest managers lack the tools to measure the impact of ecosystem stressors such as harvest practices and climate change. We develop a framework for tracking the distinctness and modification of vegetative communities of ELC natural regions. We base the framework on principles of numerical taxonomy using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov measure of distributional difference. We demonstrate the utility of the framework using data from a 1986 Forest Development Survey of tree species abundances on 13 508 sample plots from natural regions of the New Brunswick, Canada, ELC. Using the framework, we found vegetative communities of the ELC statistically distinct in the 1986 sampling. We also investigated the impacts of plantations on forest composition using vegetation profiles from a 1999 Forest Development Survey of planted stands. Simulated planting to 20% levels suggests that past and projected planting practices will modify the vegetative character of several natural regions on a scale comparable with interregion variation. The results demonstrate the potential of the framework to track changes to a variety of biotic communities impacted by natural and anthropogenic disturbance.
The impact of Sirex noctilio in Pinus resinosa and Pinus sylvestris stands in New York and Ontario
Authors: Dodds Kevin J. , de Groot Peter , Orwig David A.
Published: March 2010

Sirex noctilio Fabricius has a long history as an invasive insect species in pine plantations throughout the Southern Hemisphere and has been recently discovered in North America, where it is uncertain how this insect will behave in pine ecosystems. To assess the impact and attack behavior of S. noctilio, forest surveys and measurements from attacked and unattacked trees were taken in nine Pinus resinosa Ait. and Pinus sylvestris L. plantations in New York, USA, and Ontario, Canada. There was a trend of S. noctilio attacking suppressed trees with smaller live crowns and reduced growth. Some S. noctilio attacks were also found in dominant crown classes but at a lower rate than overtopped or intermediate classes. Sirex noctilio appeared to have more of an impact in P. sylvestris forests, as they attacked more stems (9%–18%) and higher basal area (1.6–5.5 m2/ha) than P. resinosa stands (3%–8% of stems and 0.4–2.4 m2/ha). Dead trees with signs of Siricidae and dead from other causes were also quantified, and in some P. resinosa stands, levels were greater in magnitude than S. noctilio losses. Data from this study suggest that silvicultural treatments should be a key component of integrated pest management plans for S. noctilio.
Landscape-scale parameterization of a tree-level forest growth model: a k-nearest neighbor imputation approach incorporating LiDAR data
Authors: Falkowski Michael J. , Hudak Andrew T. , Crookston Nicholas L. , Gessler Paul E. , Uebler Edward H. , Smith Alistair M.S.
Published: March 2010

Sustainable forest management requires timely, detailed forest inventory data across large areas, which is difficult to obtain via traditional forest inventory techniques. This study evaluated k-nearest neighbor imputation models incorporating LiDAR data to predict tree-level inventory data (individual tree height, diameter at breast height, and species) across a 12 100 ha study area in northeastern Oregon, USA. The primary objective was to provide spatially explicit data to parameterize the Forest Vegetation Simulator, a tree-level forest growth model. The final imputation model utilized LiDAR-derived height measurements and topographic variables to spatially predict tree-level forest inventory data. When compared with an independent data set, the accuracy of forest inventory metrics was high; the root mean square difference of imputed basal area and stem volume estimates were 5 m2·ha–1 and 16 m3·ha–1, respectively. However, the error of imputed forest inventory metrics incorporating small trees (e.g., quadratic mean diameter, tree density) was considerably higher. Forest Vegetation Simulator growth projections based upon imputed forest inventory data follow trends similar to growth projections based upon independent inventory data. This study represents a significant improvement in our capabilities to predict detailed, tree-level forest inventory data across large areas, which could ultimately lead to more informed forest management practices and policies.
Soil and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) foliar nitrogen responses to variable logging-debris retention and competing vegetation control in the Pacific Northwest
Authors: Slesak Robert A. , Harrington Timothy B. , Schoenholtz Stephen H.
Published: March 2010

Experimental treatments of logging-debris retention (0%, 40%, or 80% surface coverage) and competing vegetation control (initial or annual applications) were installed at two sites in the Pacific Northwest following clearcutting Douglas-fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco var. menziesii) stands to assess short-term effects on tree N acquisition, soil N supply, and total soil N. Vegetation control treatments began in the first year after harvest, and logging-debris manipulations were installed 2 years after harvest. Annual vegetation control increased foliar N concentration and content in most years at both sites, which was associated with higher available soil N and increased soil water content. Logging-debris retention treatments had no detectable effect on any of the foliar variables or soil available N at either site. There were no treatment effects on total soil N at the site with relatively high soil N, but total soil N increased with logging-debris retention when annual vegetation control was applied at the site with a low initial soil N pool. Competing vegetation control is an effective means to increase tree N acquisition in the initial years after planting while maintaining soil N pools critical to soil quality. The effect of logging-debris retention on tree N acquisition appears to be limited during early years of stand development, but increased soil N with heavy debris retention at certain sites may be beneficial to tree growth in later years.
Isolating the lightning ignition regime from a contemporary background fire regime in east-central Florida, USA
Authors: Duncan Brean W. , Adrian Frederic W. , Stolen Eric D.
Published: March 2010

Anthropogenic influences have altered most fire regimes. Fire management programs often try to mimic natural fire regimes to maintain fuels and sustain native fire-dependent species. Lightning is the natural ignition source in Florida, substantiating the need for understanding lightning fire incidence. Sixteen years of lightning data (1986–2003, excluding 1987 and 2002 due to missing data) from the NASA Cloud to Ground Lightning Surveillance System and fire ignition records were used to quantify the relationship between lightning incidence and ignitions on Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There were 230 lightning fires with an average of 14 ignitions per year, primarily in July, and only one winter ignition. Precipitation influenced the efficiency of lightning ignitions, particularly July precipitation. We found that negative polarity strikes caused the majority of ignitions. Pine flatwoods was ignited more frequently than expected given equal chance of ignition among landcover types. About half (51%) of detected fires were instantaneous ignitions and the other 49% were delayed an average of 2 days. This information is useful for paramaterizing fire regime models and for mimicking the natural fire regime through fire prescriptions on these properties and throughout the southeastern United States. These methods may be useful in fire-maintained systems globally.
Modelling the production and species richness of wild mushrooms in pine forests of the Central Pyrenees in northeastern Spain
Authors: Bonet J. A. , Palahí M. , Colinas C. , Pukkala T. , Fischer C. R. , Miina J. , Martínez de Aragón J.
Published: March 2010

Multiple-use forestry requires comprehensive planning to maximize the utilization and sustainability of many forest resources whose growth and productivity are interconnected. Forest fungi represent an economically important nonwood forest resource that provides food, medicine, and recreation worldwide. A vast majority of edible and marketed forest mushrooms belong to fungi that grow symbiotically with forest trees. To respond to the need for planning tools for multiple-use forestry, we developed empirical models for predicting the production of wild mushrooms in pine forests in the South-Central Pyrenees using forest stand and site characteristics as predictors. Mushroom production and species richness data from 45 plots were used. A mixed modelling technique was used to account for between-plot and between-year variation in the mushroom production data. The most significant stand structure variable for predicting mushroom yield was stand basal area. The stand basal area associated with maximum mushroom productivity (15–20 m2·ha–1) coincides with the peak of annual basal area increment in these pine forests. Other important predictors were slope, elevation, aspect, and autumn rainfall. The models are aimed at supporting forest management decisions and forecasting mushroom yields in forest planning.
VOTERS' FICKLENESS: A MATHEMATICAL MODEL
Authors: BOCCARA NINO
Published: March 2010

This paper presents a spatial agent-based model in order to study the evolution of voters' choice during the campaign of a two-candidate election. Each agent, represented by a point inside a two-dimensional square, is under the influence of its neighboring agents, located at a Euclidean distance less than or equal to d, and under the equal influence of both candidates seeking to win its support. Moreover, each agent located at time t at a given point moves at the next timestep to a randomly selected neighboring location distributed normally around its position at time t. Besides their location in space, agents are characterized by their level of awareness, a real a ∈ [0, 1], and their opinion ω ∈ {-1, 0, +1}, where -1 and +1 represent the respective intentions to cast a ballot in favor of one of the two candidates while 0 indicates either disinterest or refusal to vote. The essential purpose of the paper is qualitative; its aim is to show that voters' fickleness is strongly correlated to the level of voters' awareness and the efficiency of candidates' propaganda.
NETWORK ANALYSIS OF THE EVOLUTION OF TRAFFIC FLOW WITH SPEED INFORMATION
Authors: LI XIN-GANG , GAO ZI-YOU , ZHENG JIAN-FENG , JIA BIN
Published: March 2010

In the cellular automata traffic flow model, the traffic state can be represented by the discrete speed value of vehicles, thus the traffic flow can be deemed as a discrete dynamical system. In the evolution process of traffic flow, complex networks are constructed by representing the traffic state as node and the evolution relationship in timescale as link. The emerging times of link is defined as its weight, then the node strength is equal to the emerging times of the corresponding traffic state. As a result, a weighted network is obtained. The dynamics of stop-and-go traffic are studied by investigating the statistical properties of the network. Simulation results show that scale-free behavior commonly exists in the evolution process of stop-and-go traffic. The degree distribution, node strength distribution and link weight distribution have the power law form. The node with high degree also has large strength. The structure of the network is not influenced by the randomization probability and density as long as the stop-and-go traffic is reproduced.
AUGMENTED SPACE RECURSION CODE AND APPLICATION IN SIMPLE BINARY METALLIC ALLOY
Authors: BANERJEE RUDRA , MOOKERJEE ABHIJIT
Published: March 2010

We present here an optimized and parallelized version of the augmented space recursion code for the calculation of the electronic and magnetic properties of bulk disordered alloys, surfaces and interfaces, either flat, corrugated or rough, and random networks. Applications have been made to bulk disordered alloys to benchmark our code.
A TWO-DIMENSIONAL CA TRAFFIC MODEL WITH DYNAMIC ROUTE CHOICES BETWEEN RESIDENCE AND WORKPLACE
Authors: FANG JUN , SHI JING , CHEN XI-QUN , QIN ZHENG
Published: March 2010

The Biham, Middleton and Levine (BML) model is extended to describe dynamic route choices between the residence and workplace in cities. The traffic dynamic in the city with a single workplace is studied from the velocity diagram, arrival time probability distribution, destination arrival rate and convergence time. The city with double workplaces is also investigated to compare with a single workplace within the framework of four modes of urban growth. The transitional region is found in the velocity diagrams where the system undergoes a continuous transition from a moving phase to a completely jamming phase. We perform a finite-size scaling analysis of the critical density from a statistical point of view and the order parameter of this jamming transition is estimated. It is also found that statistical properties of urban traffic are greatly influenced by the urban area, workplace area and urban layout.
STUDY OF CHARGE-ASYMMETRIC3Heμd MOLECULE IN HYPER-SPHERICAL ELLIPTIC COORDINATE SYSTEM
Authors: PAHLAVANI M. R. , SADEGHI M. , MOTEVALLI S. M. , AQABAEI Y.
Published: March 2010

Study of Coulombian three-body system is a basic phenomenon in muon catalyzed fusion (μCF). In this investigation, separation of variables in the base of adiabatic expansion, have been applied to the mesic three-body molecule,3He μd using hyper-spherical elliptic coordinate system. The corresponding eigenvalue problem has been solved and the adiabatic potential and the binding energy of this system are calculated. The obtained results agreed with the expected values of various theoretical methods.
VORTEX DESCRIPTION OF QUANTUM HALL FERROMAGNETS
Authors: KIMURA TARO
Published: March 2010

We study particle states of quantum Hall ferromagnet from the viewpoint of the incompressible fluid description. It is shown that phase space of Chern–Simons matrix theory which is an effective theory for the incompressible fluid is equivalent to moduli space of vortex theory. According to this correspondence, elementary excitations in vortex theory are identified as particle states in quantum Hall ferromagnet, and thus we propose that a pure electron state is absent from the strong coupling region but only a composite particle state is present.
CONSTRAINTS ON UNPARTICLE PHYSICS FROM THE $gt\bar t$ ANOMALOUS COUPLING
Authors: MARTINEZ R. , PÉREZ M. A. , SAMPAYO F.
Published: March 2010

We study the impact of unparticle physics to the chromomagnetic dipole moment (CMDM) of the top quark. We compute the effect induced by unparticle operators of scalar and vector nature coupled to fermions on the CMDM. We find that this dipole moment is sensitive to the scale dimensions du of the unparticle and the new couplings of the respective effective operators. Using the bounds imposed on the CMDM by low-energy precision and Tevatron measurements we derive indirect limits on the unparticle parameter space. In particular, we find that the scalar-unparticle operator contribution fulfills both constraints for most of the unparticle parameter space, while the low-energy precision bound on the CMDM excludes a vector-unparticle contribution for low values of respective scale dimension du.
J/ψ PRODUCTION IN A GLAUBER MONTE CARLO FRAMEWORK
Authors: WANG HONG-MIN , HOU ZHAO-YU , ZHANG BEN-AI , SUN XIAN-JING
Published: March 2010

By means of a Glauber Monte Carlo framework, the J/ψ production at RHIC energies is studied with the EKS98, EPS09 and HKN07 shadowing parameters. With a χ2 analysis of the experimental data given by PHENIX, a significant dependence of the absorption cross-section, σ abs , on the J/ψ-nucleon center-of-mass energy, [Formula: see text], is revealed with the HKN07 shadowing, but an unconspicuous dependence is shown with the EKS98 and EPS09 shadowing. In this paper, the nuclear modification factor Rd Au vs y, pT and N coll are also calculated and the theoretical results are in good agreement with the experimental data.
A Promise Kept
Authors: Harper W. James
Published: March 2010

This article is largely biographical and relates to my experiences of the past 67 years in research and teaching, both of equal importance in my life. I was fortunate to start at the beginning of the development of instrumental methods of analysis and have eagerly embraced each new methodology as it became available. This paper is dedicated to all those students and colleagues who taught me much and whose efforts are mainly responsible for what has been accomplished in our work with food science and technology. The research focused primarily on trying to find out the “why” behind the problems that food, and especially the dairy products area, encountered over the past 65 years. The teaching has tried to foster thinking and problem solving.
Emulsion Design to Improve the Delivery of Functional Lipophilic Components
Authors: McClements David Julian
Published: March 2010

The food industry has used emulsion science and technology for many years to create a diverse range of food products, such as milk, cream, soft drinks, nutritional beverages, dressings, mayonnaise, sauces, dips, deserts, ice cream, margarine, and butter. The majority of these food products are conventional oil-in-water (O/W) or water-in-oil (W/O) type emulsions. Recently, there has been increasing interest within the food industry in either improving or extending the functional performance of foods using novel structured emulsions. This article reviews recent developments in the creation of structured emulsions that could be used by the food and other industries, including nanoemulsions, multiple emulsions, multilayer emulsions, solid lipid particles, and filled hydrogel particles. These structured emulsions can be produced from food-grade [generally recognized as safe (GRAS)] ingredients (e.g., lipids, proteins, polysaccharides, surfactants, and minerals), using simple processing operations (e.g., mixing, homogenizing, and thermal processing). The structure, production, performance, and potential applications of each type of structured emulsion system are discussed.
Genetics of Yeast Impacting Wine Quality
Authors: Bisson Linda F. , Karpel Jonathan E.
Published: March 2010

The availability of the sequence of the Saccharomyces genome in combination with the development of chemical analytical technologies with dynamic ranges sensitive enough to detect volatile aromatic compounds has generated a renewed interest in defining the role of yeast in the generation of wine aroma and flavor. Genetic differences among wine strains are well documented and aroma profiles also appear to vary, implying that specific allelic alterations may exist and impact the production of compounds associated with flavor. Partial or complete sequencing data on several wine strains are available and reveal underlying genetic differences across strains in key genes implicated in flavor formation. This review discusses the current understanding of the roles of Saccharomyces in wine flavor with an emphasis on positive contributions to flavor and highlights the discoveries of the underlying enzymatic and metabolic mechanisms responsible for the yeast contribution to wine quality.
Food Formats for Effective Delivery of Probiotics
Authors: Sanders Mary Ellen , Marco Maria L.
Published: March 2010

Probiotic bacteria are increasingly incorporated into food products intended to confer health benefits in the human gut and beyond. Little is known about how the food matrix and product formulation impacts probiotic functionality, even though such information is essential to scientific understanding and regulatory substantiation of health benefits. The food format has the potential to affect probiotic survival, physiology, and potentially efficacy, but few comparative studies in humans have been conducted. Human studies should account for the effects of the food base on human health and the bioactive components present in the foods that may augment or diminish interactions of the probiotic with the human host. Some studies show that food ingredients such as prebiotics and milk components can improve probiotic survival during the shelf life of foods, which may enhance probiotic efficacy through increased dose effects. Furthermore, there are indications that synbiotic products are more effective than either probiotics or prebiotics alone. Identification of probiotic adaptations to the food and gut environments holds promise for determining the specific cell components and potential bacterial-food interactions necessary for health benefits and determining how these factors are affected by changes in food formulation and host diet. These studies, combined with controlled human studies, are important future research activities for advancing this field.
Edible Packaging Materials
Authors: Janjarasskul Theeranun , Krochta John M.
Published: March 2010

Research groups and the food and pharmaceutical industries recognize edible packaging as a useful alternative or addition to conventional packaging to reduce waste and to create novel applications for improving product stability, quality, safety, variety, and convenience for consumers. Recent studies have explored the ability of biopolymer-based food packaging materials to carry and control-release active compounds. As diverse edible packaging materials derived from various by-products or waste from food industry are being developed, the dry thermoplastic process is advancing rapidly as a feasible commercial edible packaging manufacturing process. The employment of nanocomposite concepts to edible packaging materials promises to improve barrier and mechanical properties and facilitate effective incorporation of bioactive ingredients and other designed functions. In addition to the need for a more fundamental understanding to enable design to desired specifications, edible packaging has to overcome challenges such as regulatory requirements, consumer acceptance, and scaling-up research concepts to commercial applications.
Mechanisms of Microbial Hydrogen Disposal in the Human Colon and Implications for Health and Disease
Authors: Nakamura Noriko , Lin Henry C. , McSweeney Christopher S. , Mackie Roderick I. , Gaskins H. Rex
Published: March 2010

In the human gastrointestinal tract, dietary components, including fiber, that reach the colon are fermented principally to short-chain fatty acids, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide. Microbial disposal of the hydrogen generated during anaerobic fermentation in the human colon is critical to optimal functioning of this ecosystem. However, our understanding of microbial hydrogenotrophy is fragmented and, at least as it occurs in the colon, is mostly theoretical in nature. Thorough investigation and integration of knowledge on the diversity of hydrogenotrophic microbes, their metabolic variation and activities as a functional group, as well as the nature of their interactions with fermentative bacteria, are necessary to understand hydrogen metabolism in the human colon. Here, we review the limited data available on the three major groups of H2-consuming microorganisms found in the human colon [methanogens, sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), and acetogens] as well as evidence that end products of their metabolism have an important impact on colonic health.
Genomic Evolution of Domesticated Microorganisms
Authors: Douglas Grace L. , Klaenhammer Todd R.
Published: March 2010

Strains of lactic acid bacteria, yeasts, and molds have been selected over thousands of years based on the unique sensory attributes they provide to food fermentations. Over the centuries they have evolved to their domesticated roles, leading to genome decay, loss of pathways, acquisition of genomic elements, and beneficial mutations that provide an advantage in their nutrient-rich food environments. This review highlights the evolutionary traits influenced by the domestication process as these microbes adapted to nutrient-rich foods developed by humans.
Biochemistry and Genetics of Starch Synthesis
Authors: Keeling Peter L. , Myers Alan M.
Published: March 2010

Enormous progress has been made in understanding the genetics and biochemistry of starch synthesis in crop plants. Furthermore, starch remains at the very epicenter of the world's food and feed chains and has even now become one of the world's most important sources of biorenewable energy (biofuel). Yet, despite this remarkable progress and the obvious economic importance, very little has been achieved in terms of adding value to starch or increasing starch yield, particularly in cereal crops. Here, we review the genetics and biochemistry of starch synthesis in crop plants, particularly maize. With all this know-how in place and a chasm of opportunity ahead, the time is right to see science deliver progress into a new frontier. Thus, in our view the stage is set for a new era of changes in starch synthesis, delivering enhancements in functionality and yield.
Whole Grains: Benefits and Challenges
Authors: Jones Julie Miller , Engleson Jodi
Published: March 2010

Inclusion of whole grains (WG) in the diet is recommended in dietary guidance around the world because of their associations with increased health and reduced risk of chronic disease. WGs are linked to reduced risk of obesity or weight gain; reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), including coronary heart disease (CHD), hypertension, and stroke; improved gut health and decreased risk of cancers of the upper gut; perhaps reduced risk of colorectal cancer; and lower mortality rate. The 2005 United States Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee has recommended that consumers make “half their grains whole.” Yet, whole grains are puzzling both consumers and scientists. Scientists are trying to determine whether their health benefits are due to the synergy of WG components, individual WG components, or the fact that WG eaters make many of the recommended diet and lifestyle choices.

Consumers need to understand the WG benefits and how to identify WG foods to have incentive to purchase and use such foods. Industry needs to develop great-tasting, clearly-labeled products. With both these factors working together, it will be possible to change WG consumption habits among consumers.
From protoplasmic theory to cellular systems biology: a 150-year reflection
Authors: Welch G. Rickey , Clegg James S.
Published: March 2010

Present-day cellular systems biology is producing data on an unprecedented scale. This field has generated a renewed interest in the holistic, “system” character of cell structure-and-function. Underlying the data deluge, however, there is a clear and present need for a historical foundation. The origin of the “system” view of the cell dates to the birth of the protoplasm concept. The 150-year history of the role of “protoplasm” in cell biology is traced. It is found that the “protoplasmic theory,” not the “cell theory,” was the key 19th-century construct that drove the study of the structure-and-function of living cells and set the course for the development of modern cell biology. The evolution of the “protoplasm” picture into the 20th century is examined by looking at controversial issues along the way and culminating in the current views on the role of cytological organization in cellular activities. The relevance of the “protoplasmic theory” to 21st-century cellular systems biology is considered.
Lysosome-dependent Ca2+ release response to Fas activation in coronary arterial myocytes through NAADP: evidence from CD38 gene knockouts
Authors: Zhang Fan , Xia Min , Li Pin-Lan
Published: March 2010

Activation of the death receptor Fas has been implicated in the development of vascular injury or disease, but most studies have focused on its role in the regulation of cell apoptosis and growth. The present study was designed to examine the early response of coronary artery to Fas activation by its ligand, FasL. The hypothesis being tested is that CD38 signaling pathway mediates FasL-induced intracellular Ca2+ release through nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP) in mouse coronary arterial myocytes (CAMs) and thereby produces vasoconstriction in coronary arteries. HPLC analysis demonstrated that FasL markedly increased NAADP production in CAMs from wild-type mice (CD38+/+) but not in cells from CD38 knockout (CD38−/−) mice. Using fluorescent Ca2+ imaging analysis, we found that FasL (10 ng/ml) significantly increased Ca2+ release from 142.5 ± 22.5 nM at the basal level to 509.4 ± 64.3 nM in CD38+/+ CAMs but not in CD38−/− CAMs. However, direct delivery of NAADP, the CD38 metabolite, into CD38−/− CAMs still markedly increased Ca2+ release, which could be significantly attenuated by a lysosomal function inhibitor, bafilomycin A1 (Baf), or a NAADP antagonist, pyridoxalphosphate-6-azophenyl-2-disulfonic acid. Confocal microscopy further demonstrated that FasL produced a typical two-phase Ca2+ release with a local Ca2+ burst from lysosomes, followed by a global Ca2+ response in CD38+/+ CAMs. In isolated perfused septal coronary arteries from CD38+/+ mice, FasL was found to significantly increase U-46619-induced vasoconstriction from 29.2 ± 7.3 to 63.2 ± 10.3%, which was abolished by Baf (100 nM). These results strongly indicate that the early response of CAMs to FasL is to increase intracellular Ca2+ levels and enhance the vascular reactivity through stimulation of NAADP production and lysosome-associated two-phase Ca2+ release in coronary arteries.