bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Importance of eye lens α‐crystallin heteropolymer with 3:1 αA to αB ratio: Stability, aggregation, and modifications
Authors: Srinivas Pasumarthi , Narahari Akkaladevi , Petrash J. Mark , Swamy Musti J. , Reddy Geereddy Bhanuprakash
Published: September 2010

Chaperone‐like activity (CLA) of α‐crystallin is essential not only for the maintenance of eye lens transparency but also in the biology of other tissues. Eye lens α‐crystallin is a heteropolymer composed of two homologous subunits, αA and αB, and in most vertebrates they are present in a ratio of 3:1. The structural and functional significance of this specific ratio of α‐crystallin subunits is of considerable interest in understanding its role in the eye lens transparency. Previously, we have shown that although at physiologically relevant conditions αB‐crystallin has greater CLA, under stress conditions such as elevated temperatures α‐crystallin heteropolymer with 3:1 αA to αB ratio displayed higher CLA (Srinivas et al., Biochem. J., 2008, 414, 453 – 460). Herein, we provide a rationale for the existence of α‐crystallin heteropolymer with 3:1 αA to αB ratio in terms of structural stability, aggregation pattern, and susceptibility to posttranslational modifications that could explain the importance of the heteropolymer of α‐crystallin in the eye lens. We demonstrate that αA‐crystallin is not only more stable but also imparts stability to the heteropolymer by preventing the aggregation of αB‐crystallin at higher temperatures by using differential scanning calorimetry, size‐exclusion chromatography, and denaturant‐induced unfolding methods. Further, the physiological significance of heteropolymer with higher proportion of αA subunit is substantiated by using a heteropolymer with mutant (F71L) αA‐crystallin and the susceptibility of 3:1 heteropolymer to glycation‐induced modifications. Thus, the existence of 3:1 heteropolymer might be vital for the eye lens transparency under diverse conditions to prevent cataract. © 2010 IUBMB IUBMB Life, 62(9): 693–702, 2010
Differential maintenance of cortical and cancellous bone strength following discontinuation of bone-active agents
Authors: Shahnazari Mohammad , Yao Wei , Wang Bob , Panganiban Brian , Ritchie Robert O , Hagar Yolanda , Lane Nancy E
Published: September 2010

Osteoporotic patients treated with antiresorptive or anabolic agents experience an increase in bone mass and a reduction in incident fractures. However, the effects of these medications on bone quality and strength after a prolonged discontinuation of treatment are not known. We evaluated these effects in an osteoporotic rat model. Six-month-old ovariectomized (OVX) rats were treated with placebo, alendronate (ALN, 2 µg/kg), parathyroid hormone [PTH(1–34); 20 µg/kg], or raloxifene (RAL, 2 mg/kg) three times a week for 4 months and withdrawn from the treatments for 8 months. Treatment with ALN, PTH, and RAL increased the vertebral trabecular bone volume (BV/TV) by 47%, 53%, and 31%, with corresponding increases in vertebral compression load by 27%, 51%, and 31%, respectively (p < .001). The resulting bone strength was similar to that of the sham-OVX control group with ALN and RAL and higher (p < .001) with PTH treatment. After 4 months of withdrawal, bone turnover (BFR/BS) remained suppressed in the ALN group versus the OVX controls (p < .001). The vertebral strength was higher than in the OVX group only in ALN-treated group (p < .05), whereas only the PTH-treated animals showed a higher maximum load in tibial bending versus the OVX controls (p < .05). The vertebral BV/TV returned to the OVX group level in both the PTH and RAL groups 4 months after withdrawal but remained 25% higher than the OVX controls up to 8 months after withdrawal of ALN (p < .05). Interestingly, cortical bone mineral density increased only with PTH treatment (p < .05) but was not different among the experimental groups after withdrawal. At 8 months after treatment withdrawal, none of the treatment groups was different from the OVX control group for cortical or cancellous bone strength. In summary, both ALN and PTH maintained bone strength (maximum load) 4 months after discontinuation of treatment despite changes in bone mass and bone turnover; however, PTH maintained cortical bone strength, whereas ALN maintained cancellous bone strength. Additional studies on the long-term effects on bone strength after discontinuation and with combination of osteoporosis medications are needed to improve our treatment of osteoporosis. © 2011 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Synthesis and antitumor activity of new 1,2,4‐triazine and [1,2,4]triazolo[4,3‐b][1,2,4]triazine derivatives and their thioglycoside and acyclic C‐nucleoside analogs
Authors: El‐Sayed Wael A. , Nassar Ibrahim F. , Abdel‐Rahman Adel A.‐H.
Published: September 2010

New 1,2,4‐triazine and their derived 1,2,4‐triazolo[3,4‐b][1,2,4]triazine derivatives were synthesized starting from 5,6‐diphenyl‐1,2,4‐triazine‐3‐thiol. Furthermore, the corresponding 1,2,4‐triazolo[3,4‐b][1,2,4]‐triazine thioglycosides and acyclic C‐nucleoside analogs were synthesized. The newly synthesized compounds were evaluated for their antitumor activity and some of them showed high inhibition activities. J. Heterocyclic Chem., 2011.
Quantification of myocardial strain at early systole in mouse heart: Restoration of undeformed tagging grid with single‐point HARP
Authors: Li Wei , Yu Xin
Published: September 2010

Purpose:

To develop accurate strain and torsion quantification method for the assessment of myocardial contraction in mice by MRI tagging.

Materials and Methods:

Ventricular wall motion at baseline and during β‐adrenergic stimulation was assessed in mice using MRI tagging. Myocardial strain and torsion were quantified using finite element analysis method. A harmonic phase (HARP) based method was developed for the restoration of undeformed taglines for more accurate calculation of myocardial wall strain and torsion.

Results:

Myocardial deformation was observed at early systole (<20 msec after QRS) both at baseline and during β‐adrenergic stimulation. The HARP‐based method allowed robust restoration of undeformed taglines that can be used as the reference in finite element analysis of the tagged images. Without such correction for myocardial deformation in the reference image, inaccuracy in strain quantification underestimated significant strain development at early systole in dobutamine‐stimulated hearts.

Conclusion:

The HARP‐based method developed in the current study enabled automated restoration of undeformed taglines in mouse hearts, leading to more accurate calculation of myocardial wall strain and torsion during dobutamine stimulation. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;32:608–614. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Post‐processing correction of the endorectal coil reception effects in MR spectroscopic imaging of the prostate
Authors: Noworolski Susan M. , Reed Galen D. , Kurhanewicz John , Vigneron Daniel B.
Published: September 2010

Purpose:

To develop and validate a post‐processing correction algorithm to remove the effect of the inhomogeneous reception profile of the endorectal coil on MR spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) data.

Materials and Methods:

A post‐processing algorithm to correct for the endorectal coil reception effects on MRSI data was developed based upon theoretical modeling of the endorectal coil reception profile and of the spatial saturation pulse profiles. This algorithm was evaluated on three‐dimensional (3D) MRSI data acquired at 3T from a uniform phantom and from 18 patients with known or suspected prostate cancer.

Results:

For the phantom data, the coefficient of variation of metabolite peak areas decreased 16% to 46% and the peak area distributions became more Gaussian with correction, as demonstrated by higher Q‐Q plot linear correlations (R2 = 0.98 ± 0.007 vs. R2 = 0.89 ± 0.066). Across the 18 patients, the mean coefficient of variation for suppressed water decreased significantly, from 0.95 ± 0.18, to 0.66 ± 0.11, (P < 10−6, paired t‐test) and the linear correlations of the Q‐Q plots for the suppressed water increased from R2 = 0.91 to R2 = 0.95 (P = 0.0083, paired t‐test) with correction.

Conclusion:

An algorithm for reducing the effect of the inhomogeneous reception profile in endorectal coil acquired 3D MRSI prostate data was demonstrated, illustrating increased homogeneity and more Gaussian peak area distributions. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;32:654–662. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Pyrolytic graphite foam: A passive magnetic susceptibility matching material
Authors: Lee Gary C. , Goodwill Patrick W. , Phuong Kevin , Inglis Ben A. , Scott Greig C. , Hargreaves Brian A. , Li Lizabeth , Chen Alex C. , Shah Rachana N. , Conolly Steven M.
Published: September 2010

Purpose:

To evaluate a novel soft, lightweight cushion that can match the magnetic susceptibility of human tissue. The magnetic susceptibility difference between air and tissue produces field inhomogeneities in the B0 field, which leads to susceptibility artifacts in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies.

Materials and Methods:

Pyrolytic graphite (PG) microparticles were uniformly embedded into a foam cushion to reduce or eliminate field inhomogeneities at accessible air and tissue interfaces. 3T MR images and field maps of an air/water/PG foam phantom were acquired. Q measurements on a 4T tuned head coil and pulse sequence heating tests at 3T were also performed.

Results:

The PG foam improved susceptibility matching, reduced the field perturbations in phantoms, does not heat, and is nonconductive.

Conclusion:

The susceptibility matched PG foam is lightweight, safe for patient use, adds no noise or MRI artifacts, is compatible with radiofrequency coil arrays, and improves B0 homogeneity, which enables more robust MR studies. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;32:684–691. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Flow‐sensitive four‐dimensional cine magnetic resonance imaging for offline blood flow quantification in multiple vessels: A validation study
Authors: Nordmeyer Sarah , Riesenkampff Eugénie , Crelier Gérard , Khasheei Alireza , Schnackenburg Bernhard , Berger Felix , Kuehne Titus
Published: September 2010

Purpose:

To further validate the quantitative use of flow‐sensitive four‐dimensional velocity encoded cine magnetic resonance imaging (4D VEC MRI) for simultaneously acquired venous and arterial blood flow in healthy volunteers and for abnormal flow in patients with congenital heart disease.

Materials and Methods:

Stroke volumes (SV) obtained in arterial and venous thoracic vessels were compared between standard two‐dimensional (2D), 4D VEC MRI with and without respiratory navigator gating (gated/nongated) in volunteers (n = 7). In addition, SV and regurgitation fractions (RF) measured in aorta or pulmonary trunk of patients with malformed and/or insufficient valves (n = 10) were compared between 2D and nongated 4D VEC MRI methods.

Results:

In volunteers and patients, Bland–Altman tests showed excellent agreement between 2D, gated, and nongated 4D VEC MRI obtained quantitative blood flow measurements. The bias between 2D and gated 4D VEC MRI was <0.5 mL for SV; between 2D and nongated 4D VEC MRI the bias was <0.7 mL for SV and <1% for RF.

Conclusion:

Blood flow can be quantified accurately in arterial, venous, and pathological flow conditions using 4D VEC MRI. Nongated 4D VEC MRI has the potential to be suited for clinical use in patients with congenital heart disease who require flow acquisitions in multiple vessels. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;32:677–683. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Manganese transport in the rat optic nerve evaluated with spatial‐ and time‐resolved magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Olsen Øystein , Kristoffersen Anders , Thuen Marte , Sandvig Axel , Brekken Christian , Haraldseth Olav , Goa Pål Erik
Published: September 2010

Purpose:

1) To evaluate a novel theoretical model for in vivo axonal Mn2+ transport with MRI data from the rat optic nerve (ON); and 2) to compare predictions from the new model with previously reported experimental data.

Materials and Methods:

Time‐resolved in vivo T1‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of adult female Sprague–Dawley rat (n = 9) ON was obtained at different timepoints after intravitreal MnCl2 injection. A concentration‐dependent and a rate‐dependent function for the Mn2+ retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axon entrance was convolved with three different transport functions and each model system was optimized to fit the ON data.

Results:

The rate‐limited input function gave a better fit to the data than the concentration‐limited input. Simulations showed that the rate‐limited input leads to a semilogarithmic relationship between injected dose and Mn2+ concentration in the ON, which is in agreement with previously reported in vivo experiments. A random walk transport model and an anterograde predominant slow model gave a similar fit to the data, both better than an anterograde predominant fast model.

Conclusion:

The results indicate that Mn2+ input into RGC axons is limited by a maximum entrance rate into the axons. Also, a wide range of apparent Mn2+ transport rates seems to be involved, different from synaptic vesicle transport rates, meaning that manganese does not depict synaptic vesicle transport rates directly. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;32:551–560. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Gadoxetic acid‐enhanced MRI versus multiphase multidetector row computed tomography for evaluating the viable tumor of hepatocellular carcinomas treated with image‐guided tumor therapy
Authors: Hwang Jiyoung , Kim Seong Hyun , Kim Young‐Sun , Lee Min Woo , Woo Ji Young , Lee Won Jae , Lim Hyo K.
Published: September 2010

Purpose:

To compare the diagnostic performance of gadoxetic acid‐enhanced MRI with that of multi‐phase 40‐ or 64‐multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) to evaluate viable tumors of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) treated with image‐guided tumor therapy.

Materials and Methods:

A total of 108 patients with 162 HCCs (56 lesions with viable tumor and 106 without viable tumor) treated by means of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization or radiofrequency ablation were retrospectively included in this study. All patients underwent multi‐phase CT at 40‐ or 64‐MDCT and gadoxetic acid‐enhanced MRI using 3.0 Tesla (T). Two observers independently and randomly reviewed the CT and MR images of the treated lesions. The diagnostic performance of two techniques for the evaluation of the viable tumors in the treated lesions was assessed with a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.

Results:

For each observer, the areas under the ROC curve were 0.953 and 0.969 for MRI, and 0.870 and 0.888 for MDCT (P < 0.05). The diagnostic accuracies (96.3% for each observer) and sensitivities (92.9% and 96.4%) of MRI in two observers were significantly higher than those (82.7% and 80.9%, 53.6% for each observer, respectively) of MDCT (P < 0.001). The negative predictive values (96.3% and 98.1%) of MRI in two observers were significantly higher than those (80.0% and 79.5%) of MDCT (P < 0.001). For each observer, specificities and positive predictive values did not differ significantly between the two techniques (P > 0.05).

Conclusion:

Gadoxetic acid‐enhanced MRI shows better diagnostic performance than that of MDCT for evaluating the viable tumors of HCCs treated with image‐guided tumor therapy. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;32:629–638. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effect of the extracranial deep brain stimulation lead on radiofrequency heating at 9.4 Tesla (400.2 MHz)
Authors: Shrivastava Devashish , Abosch Aviva , Hanson Timothy , Tian Jinfeng , Gupte Akshay , Iaizzo Paul A. , Vaughan J. Thomas
Published: September 2010

Purpose:

To study the effect of the extracranial portion of a deep brain stimulation (DBS) lead on radiofrequency (RF) heating with a transmit and receive 9.4 Tesla head coil.

Materials and Methods:

The RF heating was studied in four excised porcine heads (mean animal head weight = 5.46 ± 0.14 kg) for each of the following two extracranial DBS lead orientations: one, parallel to the coil axial direction; two, perpendicular to the coil axial direction (i.e., azimuthal). Temperatures were measured using fluoroptic probes at four locations: one, scalp; two, near the second DBS lead electrode‐brain contact; three, near the distal tip of the DBS lead; and four, air surrounding the head. A continuous wave RF power was delivered to each head for 15 min using the coil. Net, delivered RF power was measured at the coil (mean whole head average specific absorption rate = 2.94 ± 0.08 W/kg).

Results:

RF heating was significantly reduced when the extracranial DBS lead was placed in the axial direction (temperature change = 0–5°C) compared with the azimuthal direction (temperature change = 1–27°C).

Conclusion:

Development of protocols seems feasible to keep RF heating near DBS electrodes clinically safe during ultra‐high field head imaging. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;32:600–607. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Feasibility of FAIR imaging for evaluating tumor perfusion
Authors: Cho Jee‐Hyun , Cho Gyunggoo , Song Youngkyu , Lee Chulhyun , Park Bum‐Woo , Lee Chang Kyung , Kim Namkug , Park Sung Bin , Kang Jong Soon , Kang Moo Rim , Kim Hwan Mook , Kim Young Ro , Cho Kyoung‐Sik , Kim Jeong Kon
Published: September 2010

Purpose:

To evaluate the feasibility of flow‐sensitive alternating inversion recovery (FAIR) for measuring blood flow in tumor models.

Materials and Methods:

In eight mice tumor models, FAIR and dynamic contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE‐MRI) was performed. The reliability for measuring blood flow on FAIR was evaluated using the coefficient of variation of blood flow on psoas muscle. Three regions of interest (ROIs) were drawn in the peripheral, intermediate, and central portions within each tumor. The location of ROI was the same on FAIR and DCE‐MR images. The correlation between the blood flow on FAIR and perfusion‐related parameters on DCE‐MRI was evaluated using the Pearson correlation coefficient.

Results:

The coefficient of variation for measuring blood flow was 9.8%. Blood flow on FAIR showed a strong correlation with Kep (r = 0.77), percent relative enhancement (r = 0.73), and percent enhancement ratio (r = 0.81). The mean values of blood flow (mL/100 g/min) (358 vs. 207), Kep (sec−1) (7.46 vs. 1.31), percent relative enhancement (179% vs. 134%), and percent enhancement ratio (42% vs. 26%) were greater in the peripheral portion than in the central portion (P < 0.01).

Conclusion:

As blood flow measurement on FAIR is reliable and closely related with that on DCE‐MR, FAIR is feasible for measuring tumor blood flow. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;32:738–744. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Respiratory motion compensated MR cholangiopancreatography at 3.0 Tesla
Authors: Zho Sang‐Young , Park Jaeseok , Choi Jin‐Young , Kim Dong‐Hyun
Published: September 2010

Purpose:

To reduce irregular respiratory motion‐induced artifacts in free‐breathing prospective navigator‐triggered three‐dimensional (3D) MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP).

Materials and Methods:

A reference respiration model was estimated from the first‐five respiration periods during the initial navigator scan. With the navigator information acquired before and after triggering, the un‐acquired diaphragm position during the actual imaging was interpolated using the amplitude‐scaled reference model. Craniocaudal translational motion during imaging was retrospectively corrected using the estimated diaphragm position. T2‐weighted 3D MRCP data were acquired from 17 healthy volunteers. For quantitative analysis, contrast‐to‐noise ratio (CNR) and relative contrast (RC) of the biliary tree and gallbladder were compared using the paired t‐test.

Results:

The CNR and RC of the biliary tree and gallbladder were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the maximum intensity projection images after motion compensation.

Conclusion:

The proposed algorithm can be an effective tool to reduce the irregular respiratory motion‐induced artifacts in 3D MRCP imaging. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;32:726–732. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A note on long‐term variations of the African easterly jet
Authors: Dezfuli Amin K. , Nicholson Sharon E.
Published: September 2010

The African easterly jet (AEJ) is analysed at 600 hPa in August for the period 1948–2003. In most years, the jet reveals strong zonal asymmetries. In many cases a double‐core pattern is evident, such that a western (AEJ/w) and eastern (AEJ/e) component of the jet can be distinguished. The inter‐annual variations of intensity and latitude of the two components demonstrate markedly different behaviour. Intensity and latitude are negatively correlated for the AEJ/e while uncorrelated for AEJ/w. The latitude of the AEJ/w is also relatively invariant, while from year‐to‐year the latitude of the AEJ/e varies by some ten degrees. On inter‐decadal to multi‐decadal timescales, a decrease (increase) in mean intensity of the AEJ/w (AEJ/e) is apparent in the mid‐1970s, coincident with onset of the long dry period in the Sahel. The composite analysis of the wettest and driest 5‐year periods suggests that in the wet years the dominant core is the western one, while the eastern one is dominant in the dry years. Our explanation for the existence of the two cores and their disparate behaviour involves an inertial instability mechanism that controls the lower and mid‐tropospheric winds in the eastern portion of the AEJ (i.e. in the central and eastern Sahel). Copyright © 2010 Royal Meteorological Society
Assessing trends in extreme precipitation events intensity and magnitude using non‐stationary peaks‐over‐threshold analysis: a case study in northeast Spain from 1930 to 2006
Authors: Beguería Santiago , Angulo‐Martínez Marta , Vicente‐Serrano Sergio M. , López‐Moreno J. Ignacio , El‐Kenawy Ahmed
Published: September 2010

Most applications of the extreme value (EV) theory have assumed stationarity, i.e. the statistical properties of the process do not change over time. However, there is evidence suggesting that the occurrence of extreme events is not stationary but changes naturally, as it has been found for many other climate variables. Of paramount importance for hazard analysis is whether the observed precipitation time series exhibit long‐term trends or cycles; such information is also relevant in climate change studies. In this study, the theory of non‐stationary extreme value (NSEV) analysis was applied to data series of daily precipitation using the peaks‐over‐threshold (POT) approach. A Poisson/generalized Pareto (P/GP) model, in which the model parameters were allowed to vary linearly with time, was fitted to the resulting series of precipitation event's intensity and magnitude. A log‐likelihood ratio test was applied to determine the existence of trends in the model parameters. The method was applied to a case study in northeast Spain, comprising a set of 64 daily rainfall series from 1930 to 2006. Statistical significance was achieved in less than 5% of the stations using a linear non‐stationary model at the annual scale, indicating that there is no evidence of a generalized trend in extreme precipitation in the study area. At the seasonal scale, however, a significant number of stations along the Mediterranean (Catalonia region) showed a significant decrease of extreme rainfall intensity in winter, while experiencing an increase in spring. Copyright © 2010 Royal Meteorological Society
Approaches to quantify progressive soil development with time in Mediterranean climate—I. Use of field criteria
Authors: Sauer Daniela
Published: September 2010

Soil‐chronosequence studies are useful to assess relationships between land‐surface ages and stages of soil formation. Such relationships may then be applied to establish relative chronologies of development of land surfaces of unknown ages, contributing to landscape‐history reconstruction. For this purpose, it is important to identify those soil properties that are most closely related to soil age. This article reviews soil‐chronosequence studies from Mediterranean regions in Europe and California. Soil properties described in the field and soil‐development indices based on field criteria that have been used in the studies are evaluated. The properties total texture, rubification, clay films, dry consistence, and soil thickness are identified as useful and easy‐to‐obtain soil parameters, which are generally closely related to soil age. Most soil properties exhibit their greatest changes during certain phases of soil development, e.g., soil structure in soils < 10,000 y and rubification in soils > 100,000 y. The specific time spans of major changes of soil properties need to be considered, when looking for appropriate parameters to study a particular chronosequence. Indices, which combine several soil properties having their greatest changes in different phases of soil development, are useful to study soil chronosequences comprising large time spans, e.g., from Holocene to Middle Pleistocene. It is important to be aware that soil chronofunctions obtained from Pleistocene soils integrate rates of soil‐forming processes over periods of very variable climate and environment, and that soil development crossed internal and external pedogenic thresholds that are not reflected in soil chronofunctions.
Endoscopic modified lothrop procedure: A radiographic anatomic study
Authors: Burkart Collin M. , Zimmer Lee A.
Published: September 2010

Objective:

Radiographic frontal recess and sinus anatomic measurements were obtained to evaluate the feasibility of the endoscopic modified Lothrop procedure.

Study Design:

Computed tomography anatomic study.

Materials and Methods:

Computed tomography (CT) scans from 97 patients, 39 male and 58 female, were analyzed in the sagittal plane. Four anatomic parameters were measured 1) midsagittal thickness of the nasal beak, 2) midsagittal distance from nasal beak to skull base, 3) accessible dimension of the frontal recess, and 4) anterior to posterior (AP) dimension of the frontal sinus.

Results:

The average and range of each parameter are as follows: 1) midsagittal nasal beak thickness 0.8 cm (0.3–1.4 cm); 2) midsagittal beak to skull base 1.0 cm (0.4–2.4 cm); 3) left and right accessible dimension 0.8 cm (0.3–1.4 cm) and 0.8 cm (0.4–1.5 cm), respectively; 4) left and right AP diameter of the frontal sinus 1.0 cm (0.3–1.8 cm) and 1.1 cm (0.4–1.9 cm), respectively. There is statistically significant differences between the accessible dimension and AP dimension of the frontal sinus on male and female images.

Discussion:

Preoperative frontal recess and sinus measurements can aid in the selection of patients for the endoscopic modified Lothrop procedure. A significant portion of the population, especially women, had limiting anatomic factors potentially excluding this procedure. Laryngoscope, 2010
Disappearance of essential tremor after stroke
Authors: Dupuis Michel J.‐M. , Evrard Frédéric L.A. , Jacquerye Philippe G. , Picard Gaëtane R. , Lermen Oliver G.
Published: September 2010

Improvement of a patient's essential tremor (ET) after a stroke has rarely been reported. In such patients, cerebral imaging could help to identify structures involved in the maintenance of ET and improves the knowledge of its physiopathology. This article reports the disappearance of ET, after a stroke in 4 patients and reviews similar previously published cases. These cases suggest that the interruption of cerebellar loops during a stroke could be responsible for the disappearance of ET. © 2010 Movement Disorder Society
Short‐term attention and verbal fluency is decreased in restless legs syndrome patients
Authors: Fulda Stephany , Beitinger Marie E. , Reppermund Simone , Winkelmann Juliane , Wetter Thomas C.
Published: September 2010

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a frequent sleep‐related movement disorder with disturbed sleep and quality of life. RLS patients complain about increased daytime sleepiness, but there are only few and inconsistent reports about cognitive functioning in this group. We compared cognitive performance of 23 unmedicated RLS patients to that of 23 healthy controls matched individually for age, gender, and educational level. Cognitive tasks were chosen to assess short‐term attention, working memory, learning and memory, verbal fluency, and executive functioning. RLS patients performed worse than controls in the area of attention and verbal fluency, and performance in these tasks was associated with RLS severity, sleep quality, depression scores, and memory. There was no difference for working memory, memory, learning, cognitive flexibility, and abstract reasoning. We conclude that there is evidence for deficits in short‐term attention and verbal fluency in RLS patients. © 2010 Movement Disorder Society.
A scalable, efficient and informative approach for anomaly‐based intrusion detection systems: theory and practice
Authors: Salem Osman , Vaton Sandrine , Gravey Annie
Published: September 2010

In this paper, we present the design and implementation of a new approach for anomaly detection and classification over high speed networks. The proposed approach is based first of all on a data reduction phase through flow sampling by focusing mainly on short lived flows. The second step is then a random aggregation of some descriptors such as a number of SYN packets per flow in two different data structures called Count Min Sketch and Multi‐Layer Reversible Sketch. A sequential change point detection algorithm continuously monitors the sketch cell values. An alarm is raised if a significant change is identified in cell values. With an appropriate definition of the combination of IP header fields that should be used to identify one flow, we are able not only to detect the anomaly but also to classify the anomaly as DoS, DDoS or flash crowd, network scanning and port scanning. We validate our framework for anomaly detection on various real world traffic traces and demonstrate the accuracy of our approach on these real‐life case studies. Our analysis results from online implementation of our algorithm over measurements gathered by a DAG sniffing card are very attractive in terms of accuracy and response time. The proposed approach is very effective in detecting and classifying anomalies, and in providing information by extracting the culprit flows with a high level of accuracy. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An evaluation of automatic parameter tuning of a statistics‐based anomaly detection algorithm
Authors: Himura Yosuke , Fukuda Kensuke , Cho Kenjiro , Esaki Hiroshi
Published: September 2010

We investigate an automatic and dynamic parameter tuning of a statistical method for detecting anomalies in network traffic (this tuning is referred to as parameter learning) towards real‐time detection. The main idea behind the dynamic tuning is to predict an appropriate parameter for upcoming traffic by considering the detection results of past τ traces of traffic. The τ is referred to as the learning period, and we discuss in particular the appropriate value of τ. This automatic tuning scheme is applied to parameter setting of an anomaly detection method based on Sketch and the multi‐scale gamma model, which is an unsupervised method and does not need predefined data. We analyze the tuning scheme with real traffic traces measured on a trans‐Pacific link over 9 years (15 min from 14:00 Japan Standard Time every day, and 24 consecutive hours for some dates on the same link). The detection results with parameter prediction are compared to those with ideal parameters that maximize the detection performance for upcoming traffic. We also analyze predictability of the ideal parameter considering the past changes in it. The main findings of this work are as follows: (1) the ideal parameter fluctuates day by day; (2) parameter learning with a longer τ is affected by significant events included in the period, and the appropriate τ is about three traces (days) for everyday 15 min traces and around 1.5 h for 24 h traces; (3) the degradation in detection performance caused by introducing parameter learning is 17% with τ = 3 for everyday 15 min traces; (4) the changes in the ideal parameter have no periodic correlation, and can be modeled as a random process followed by a normal distribution. We show that one cannot consistently use a fixed parameter in statistics‐based algorithms to detect anomalies in practice. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nitrate und PDE5‐Hemmer: Pharmazeutische Betreuung. Therapiebegleitende Beratung in der Apotheke
Authors: Ude Miriam , Ude Christian , Leuner Kristina
Published: September 2010

Nitrate werden vor allem eingesetzt, um akute Angina‐pectoris‐Anfälle zu therapieren. Patienten, die zu Beginn der Therapie unter Nitrat‐Kopfschmerz leiden, sollten motiviert werden, die Therapie fortzuführen und compliant zu sein. Da Nitrate in vielen verschiedenen, auch erklärungsbedürftigen Darreichungsformen auf dem Markt sind, die im Notfall sofort einsetzbar sein müssen, ist es im Rahmen der pharmazeutischen Betreuung wichtig, die Patienten zu informieren und im Umgang mit der Arznei zu schulen. Eine fundierte pharmazeutische Beratung im Zusammenhang mit der Abgabe von PDE5‐Hemmern stellt an das Apothekenpersonal hohe Ansprüche. Dies ist weniger die Folge aufgrund besonderer galenischer Darreichungsformen oder pharmakodynamischer Besonderheiten der Wirkstoffe; vielmehr muss mit Diskretion und dem richtigen Umgang mit dem Patienten die optimale Beratungsatmosphäre geschaffen werden.
XF‐73 – eine neue antibakterielle Leitstruktur
Authors: Schmitz Jens , Holzgrabe Ulrike
Published: September 2010

Die Zahl der neuen Antibiotika, die jährlich auf den Markt kommen, sinkt stetig. Außerdem sind in den letzten Jahren nur sehr wenige Antibiotika mit neuem Wirkmechanismus zugelassen worden. Ausnahmen bilden Linezolid (1999) oder Daptomycin (2007). Zusätzlich nimmt das Ausmaß der Resistenzentwicklung gegenüber den verfügbaren Antibiotika erschreckend zu.
Plectasin – ein neues Peptidantibiotikum mit hohem therapeutischem Potential
Authors: Schmitz Jens , Holzgrabe Ulrike
Published: September 2010

Schon länger ist bekannt, dass niedere Tiere und höhere Pflanzen endogene Peptidantibiotika exprimieren, die aktiv gegen Bakterien, Pilze und Viren sind. Einige dieser sogenannten Defensine weisen in vitro und in Tierversuchen eine hohe antibakterielle Potenz sogar gegen Antibiotika‐resistente Bakterien auf. Bonner Forschern um Tanja Schneider und Hans‐Georg Sahl gelang es kürzlich zusammen mit dänischen und niederländischen Kollegen, den neuen einzigartigen Wirkmechanismus des Defensins Plectasin aufzuklären. Dieses Peptid dient jetzt als erfolgversprechende Leitstruktur einer neuen Antibiotikaklasse.
Seizure control is important: but don't forget the patient
Authors: Johnston JA
Published: September 2010

Control of epileptic seizures is not the only issue facing patients with epilepsy: they often suffer a range of comorbidities that affect quality of life as much as the seizures themselves. Dr Johnston explains how involving a wider multidisciplinary team of professionals in the management of patients with epilepsy can significantly improve patients' well‐being and quality of life. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Interface Ltd
The clinical manifestations of anoxic brain injury
Authors: Wolstenholme Nicholas , Moore Bruce
Published: September 2010

Anoxic brain injury can cause diffuse injury to the brain resulting in widespread neurological, behavioural and cognitive impairments. In this article, the authors describe the principal clinical manifestations of anoxic brain injury and illustrate this with two case histories. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Interface Ltd
The crystal structure of a bacterial Sufu‐like protein defines a novel group of bacterial proteins that are similar to the N‐terminal domain of human Sufu
Authors: Das Debanu , Finn Robert D. , Abdubek Polat , Astakhova Tamara , Axelrod Herbert L. , Bakolitsa Constantina , Cai Xiaohui , Carlton Dennis , Chen Connie , Chiu Hsiu‐Ju , Chiu Michelle , Clayton Thomas , Deller Marc C. , Duan Lian , Ellrott Kyle , Farr Carol L. , Feuerhelm Julie , Grant Joanna C. , Grzechnik Anna , Han Gye Won , Jaroszewski Lukasz , Jin Kevin K. , Klock Heath E. , Knuth Mark W. , Kozbial Piotr , Sri Krishna S. , Kumar Abhinav , Lam Winnie W. , Marciano David , Miller Mitchell D. , Morse Andrew T. , Nigoghossian Edward , Nopakun Amanda , Okach Linda , Puckett Christina , Reyes Ron , Tien Henry J. , Trame Christine B. , Bedem Henry van den , Weekes Dana , Wooten Tiffany , Xu Qingping , Yeh Andrew , Zhou Jiadong , Hodgson Keith O. , Wooley John , Elsliger Marc‐André , Deacon Ashley M. , Godzik Adam , Lesley Scott A. , Wilson Ian A.
Published: September 2010

Sufu (Suppressor of Fused), a two‐domain protein, plays a critical role in regulating Hedgehog signaling and is conserved from flies to humans. A few bacterial Sufu‐like proteins have previously been identified based on sequence similarity to the N‐terminal domain of eukaryotic Sufu proteins, but none have been structurally or biochemically characterized and their function in bacteria is unknown. We have determined the crystal structure of a more distantly related Sufu‐like homolog, NGO1391 from Neisseria gonorrhoeae, at 1.4 Å resolution, which provides the first biophysical characterization of a bacterial Sufu‐like protein. The structure revealed a striking similarity to the N‐terminal domain of human Sufu (r.m.s.d. of 2.6 Å over 93% of the NGO1391 protein), despite an extremely low sequence identity of ∼15%. Subsequent sequence analysis revealed that NGO1391 defines a new subset of smaller, Sufu‐like proteins that are present in ∼200 bacterial species and has resulted in expansion of the SUFU (PF05076) family in Pfam.
The local economic imprint of return migrants in Bolivia
Authors: Jones Richard C.
Published: September 2010

Until recently the role of international return migrants in local economic development has received little attention from researchers. Drawing upon Granovetter's notion of embeddedness and Levitt's concept of social remittances, I argue that return migrants are more locally embedded (in terms of local networks and cultural affinity) and better able to transfer social remittances (skills, social capital, and norms) from abroad, than active migrants. Therefore, I expect they will have a larger economic imprint (i.e., work, spend, and invest locally to a higher degree) than either non‐migrants or active migrants. To test this expectation, I rely on my 2007 survey of over 400 households in the Valle Alto of Bolivia – a country where remittances from foreign labor migration have taken on great importance in recent years. I compare three types of households: (1) active migrant households, in which at least one member is working overseas; (2) return migrant households, in which at least one member has returned from overseas and there are no active migrants; and (3) non‐migrant households, in which no one has ever worked abroad. The results suggest that return migrant households work and invest locally and contribute more to the economic base of their home communities than either of the other two types; and that this is made possible by the combination of their local embeddedness and their use of social remittances to further their economic success in Bolivia. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Raman diagnostics of multi‐wall carbon nanotubes with a small wall number
Authors: Bokova S. N. , Obraztsova E. D. , Grebenyukov V. V. , Elumeeva K. V. , Ishchenko A. V. , Kuznetsov V. L.
Published: September 2010

Raman spectroscopy study of multi‐wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) of different diameters (with a small controllable number of walls) produced using Fe–Co catalyst with a variable size of the same active component has been performed. We have characterized as produced MWNTs with different diameters (series 1) and two types of tubes with fixed mean diameters (∼10 and 20 nm) heated in a flow of pure argon at various temperatures (2200, 2600 and 2800 °C – series 2). The Raman spectra of MWNTs have been registered in three spectral regions, corresponding to D (disorder‐induced), G (graphite) and 2D (two‐phonon scattering) bands. A ratio of intensities I2D/ID for tubes of series 1 has demonstrated almost a linear dependence on the nanotube diameter. After heating (series 2), D (disorder‐induced) Raman band has shown a substantial decrease in intensity. The variation of the Raman spectra parameters is discussed in terms of defectiveness of nanotubes.
Nitrogen‐doped SWCNT synthesis using ammonia and carbon monoxide
Authors: Susi Toma , Zhu Zhen , Ruiz‐Soria Georgina , Arenal Raul , Ayala Paola , Nasibulin Albert G. , Lin Hong , Jiang Hua , Stephan Odile , Pichler Thomas , Loiseau Annick , Kauppinen Esko I.
Published: September 2010

Great effort has been directed into modifying the electrical properties of produced carbon nanotubes by chemical doping and – in parallel – into controlling their chirality. We present a new approach to synthesizing nitrogen‐doped single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), based on gas phase floating catalyst CVD. The nitrogen content in the tubes was verified by transmission electron microscopy/electron‐energy loss spectroscopy (TEM/EELS), and their chiral angle distribution found by electron diffraction (ED) to be skewed toward armchair tubes. Additionally, the optical properties of the material were probed by multi‐frequency Raman spectroscopy and optical absorption.
Optoelectronic studies of boron nitride nanotubes and hexagonal boron nitride crystals by photoconductivity and photoluminescence spectroscopy experiments
Authors: Brasse Gurvan , Maine Sylvain , Pierret Aurélie , Jaffrennou Périne , Attal‐Trétout Brigitte , Ducastelle Francois , Loiseau Annick
Published: September 2010

The optoelectronic properties of hexagonal boron‐nitride and boron‐nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) are investigated by using photoconductivity experiments, associated to photoluminescence excitation analysis. By this way, excitations related to the conduction band of hexagonal boron‐nitride have been experimentally determined, as well as the free excitonic level. Multiwalled boron‐nitride nanotubes have also been lead by using these methods and the first results suggest some hypotheses about the band gap energy and the nature of the various absorptions, which occur under an UV excitation. These experimental results are presented and discussed and some perspectives are finally suggested.
The effect of carvacrol on muscarinic receptors of guinea‐pig tracheal chains
Authors: Boskabady M. H. , Jafari Z. , Pouraboli I.
Published: September 2010

The effects of three concentrations of carvacrol, the constituent ofZataria multifloraBoiss (a monoterpenoid phenol, C10H14O) and 10 nmatropine on muscarinic receptors were tested on: non‐incubated (n= 7), incubated tracheal chains with propranolol and chlorpheniramine (n= 6) and incubated with propranolol (n= 5). The EC50of all three concentrations of carvacrol in incubated tissues with propranolol and chlorpheniramine was significantly greater than those of incubated tissues with propranolol and non‐incubated trachea (p< 0.05 top< 0.001). The EC50of two higher concentrations of carvacrol (0.2 and 0.4 µg/mL) in incubated tissues with propranolol was also significantly greater than those of non‐incubated trachea (p< 0.01 top< 0.001). The maximum response in the presence of all concentrations of carvacrol in non‐incubated and incubated tissues with propranolol and chlorpheniramine and those of its two higher concentrations (0.2 and 0.4 µg/mL) in incubated tissues with propranolol were lower than saline (p< 0.05 top< 0.001). There were parallel rightward shifts in the concentration–response curves in the presence of all concentrations of carvacrol in non‐incubated and incubated tissues with propranolol and its lower concentration in incubated tissues with propranolol and chlorpheniramine. These results indicated an inhibitory effect of carvacrol on muscarinic receptors. A β‐adrenoceptor stimulatory effect was also suggested for carvacrol. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Novel photocyclization of β,γ‐unsaturated oximes
Authors: Armesto Diego , Ramos Ana , Ortiz Maria J. , Mancheño Maria J. , Mayoral Elena P.
Published: September 2010

Previously, β, γ‐unsaturated oximes were thought to be photochemically unreactive. The present study reports the first three examples of photocyclization of β,γ‐unsaturated ketoximes to yield 4,5‐dihydroisoxazole derivatives. Typically, acetophenone‐sensitized irradiation of 3,3‐dimethyl‐5,5‐diphenylpent‐4‐en‐2‐one oxime (2) affords 5‐(diphenylmethyl)‐3,4,4‐trimethyl‐4,5‐dihydroisoxazole (3) in 38% yield. A single‐electron transfer (SET) mechanism is proposed to account for the cyclization.
Rapid intramolecular and C‐O cleavage reactions of a phosphate triester catalysed by a neighbouring hydroxyl group
Authors: Kirby Anthony J. , Marriott Robert E.
Published: September 2010

Three consecutive reactions are observed when the phosphate triester 6 is hydrolysed. At pH < 7 rapid cyclisation gives the triester 12, with the loss of the hemiacetal leaving group (3,4‐dichlorophenoxy)methanol (which rapidly breaks down to the phenol). The effective molarity of the neighbouring OH group is of the order of 1012 M. 12 is then hydrolysed by C‐O cleavage to give the diester 11. In base, the first two reactions are complete almost instantaneously, and the final phosphorus‐containing products are (3,4‐dichlorophenoxy)methyl methyl phosphate diester, and the methyl phosphate dianion. These must come from C‐O cleavage reactions of diester 14 and the rearranged benzylic triester 15, which rapidly eliminate phosphate ester leaving groups to give the same quinone methide.
Axially chiral 2‐(dialkylamino)benzamides. Barriers to rotations, determined by NMR and by racemization (neighboring rotor substituents on arene systems, part 3)
Authors: Kiefl C. , Zinner H. , Burgemeister T. , Mannschreck A.
Published: September 2010

The title compounds (Scheme 1, Y = NMe2) were investigated by variable‐temperature NMR and/or by racemization of enantiomers enriched by liquid chromatography on microcrystalline triacetylcellulose. For several reasons, a dialkylamino and a dimethylcarbamoyl group were used, for the first time, as neighboring rotor substituents on a benzene ring. Barriers to rotations about their aryl‐nitrogen and/or aryl‐carbon bonds were determined and assigned (Table I). Correlated or uncorrelated motions of these groups are possible for amides 11 and 19 bearing in their 3‐positions tert‐butyl substituents which hinder the aryl‐nitrogen rotation. Uncorrelated rotations have been found for amide 15 (Figure 2) and thioamide 8 which have the less voluminous bromine atom in their 3‐position.
Oxidation of different sugar residues catalyzed by [Ru(azpy)2(H2O)2]2+; A comparative study
Authors: Boelrijk Alexandra E. M. , Dorst J.(Hans) T. , Reedijk Jan
Published: September 2010

The oxidation of several sugars by NaBrO3 catalyzed by [Ru(azpy)2(H2O)2]2+, is reported and compared with earlier oxidation results with octyl α‐D‐glucoside (α‐OGP). The sugars studied were 1‐octyl β‐D‐glucoside (β‐OGP), 1‐octyl β‐D‐galactoside (β‐OGaP), 1‐phenyl β‐D‐glucoside (β‐PGP), 1‐methyl α‐D‐glucoside, 1‐methyl β‐D‐glucoside and 1‐decyl β‐D‐maltoside (β‐DMP). The results with β‐DMP are compared with previously reported oxidation results with β‐DMP heterogeneously catalyzed over platinum. The structure of the sugar substrate appears to have a significant effect on the activity and selectivity of the oxidation reaction. The main conclusions from this study are that β‐isomers are in general less reactive than α‐isomers; β‐PGP in particular is very unreactive. The kind of substitution (phenyl versus alkyl, octyl versus methyl) on the anomeric centre has considerable effect on the reactivity of the sugar. The oxidation of β‐DMP catalyzed by [Ru(azpy)2(H2O)2]2+ results in a number of different oxidation products. The C6‐primary hydroxy groups of both glucose units of β‐DMP can be oxidized to carboxylic groups, in contrast to the previously reported heterogeneous catalyzed oxidation of β‐DMP by dioxygen. However, the main reaction is the splitting of the decyl chain from the maltose unit. The α‐1,4‐O link between the glucose units appears to be quite stable under the catalytic oxidation conditions used. Based on the results obtained, possible reaction mechanisms are discussed.