bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychosocial impact of periodontal disease and its treatment with 24‐h root surface debridement
Authors: Jowett Adrian K. , Orr Marian T. S. , Rawlinson Andrew , Robinson Peter G.
Published: March 2009

Aim: To assess the impact of periodontal disease and treatment with 24‐h root surface debridement on the oral health‐related quality of life of patients (OHQoL).

Methods: Two cohorts were recruited: 20 patients with moderate to advanced periodontal disease and 16 dentally healthy patients. Patients with periodontal disease were treated with 24‐h root surface debridement. OHQoL was assessed, using Oral Health Impact Profile‐14, during the initial assessment and by a telephonic interview daily for 7 days for both groups. OHQoL was also assessed at review for the treated cohort. The number of impacts each patient experienced “occasionally” or more often was analysed by non‐parametric tests.

Results: Patients with periodontal disease reported significantly more impacts on their quality of life than dentally healthy patients (p<0.05). After root surface debridement the impact was significantly reduced (p<0.05) and sustained at review (p<0.05); however, the impact on quality of life was still greater than that experienced by the dentally healthy cohort (p<0.05).

Conclusions: Patients with periodontal disease have worse OHQoL than healthy patients, but this impact can be partly ameliorated by periodontal treatment. This implies that periodontal disease is not “silent” and that conventional non‐surgical treatment provided in a secondary referral centre can be effective from patients' perspectives.
Effect of reline material and denture base surface treatment on the impact strength of a denture base acrylic resin
Authors: Da Cruz Perez Luciano Elias , Machado Ana Lucia , Canevarolo Sebastião Vicente , Vergani Carlos Eduardo , Giampaolo Eunice Teresinha , Pavarina Ana Cláudia
Published: March 2009

doi:10.1111/j.1741‐2358.2009.00292.x
 
Effect of reline material and denture base surface treatment on the impact strength of a denture base acrylic resin

Objective:  In this study, the effect of relining and surface treatment on the impact strength (IS) of a heat‐polymerising denture base acrylic resin (Lucitone 550‐L) was evaluated.

Materials and methods:  Rectangular bars of L were made (60 × 6 × 2 mm) and relined (2 mm) with the relining resins Ufi Gel Hard (UH) and Tokuso Rebase Fast (TR). Specimens relined with L and intact L, TR and UH specimens were also made (60 × 6 × 4 mm), for comparison. Before relining, the L surface was left untreated or wetted with methyl methacrylate monomer and/or the bonding agents (BA) supplied by manufacturers of the reline resins. V‐notches were machined at the midpoint of the length of all specimens. The notches were made either across the width (Nw) or across the thickness of the specimens (Nth). The Charpy impact test was performed using a 0.5‐J pendulum, which had been specially designed and constructed. Data were analysed separately for each notch position using one‐way analysis of variance and Tukey honestly significant difference post‐hoc test (p = 0.05).

Results:  The IS of L was similar to that of L/L. For the Nw notch, treating the denture base L with TR BA and relining with TR reline material produced the highest IS.

Conclusion:  The IS of specimens made from heat polymerising acrylic resin Lucitone 550 was increased after relining using the hard chairside reline resin TR with its proprietary BA.
Life history and habitat requirements of the Oregon forestsnail, Allogona townsendiana (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Polygyridae), in a British Columbia population
Authors: Steensma Karen M.M. , Lilley Patrick L. , Zandberg Heather M.
Published: March 2009

Abstract. Population size, reproductive timing and habitats, seasonal behaviors, and juvenile activity were assessed in a British Columbia population of the endangered Oregon forestsnail, Allogona townsendiana, over a period of 4 years. Adult snail population size ranged from seven to 47 snails in four × 24‐m2 sampling sites. The mating period peaked in March and April; adults aggregated in clusters of eight to 14 snails before mating. Pairs of snails were observed to mate for 225 min or more in close proximity to coarse woody debris and stinging nettle, Urtica dioica. Nesting peaked in April–May and resulted in a mean clutch size of 34 eggs (SD=9). Hatching for two nests occurred at 63 and 64 d after oviposition. Within hours of hatching, juveniles began dispersing from the nest site; by 1 month most had disappeared. Snails tracked with harmonic radar became less active or aestivated from late July to early September and hibernated from early November to mid‐March within leaf litter and soil. Preliminary measurements of growth rate indicate this species takes a minimum of 2 years to reach adulthood and has a typical life span of at least 5 years.
Screening Mammography Utilization in Tennessee Women: The Association With Residence
Authors: Brown Kathleen C. , Fitzhugh Eugene C. , Neutens James J. , Klein Diane A.
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACT: Context:Approximately 70% of US women over age 40 report mammography screening within 2 years. However, rates are likely to vary by age, income, educational level, and residence.Purpose:To describe the prevalence of screening mammography and associated factors in women living in rural and urban areas of Tennessee.Methods:Using pooled data from the Tennessee Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS; 2001 and 2003), utilization of screening mammography within a 2‐year period was examined for a sample of 1,922 women, 40 years and older. Demographic, behavior, and health‐related variables were used to examine associations with utilization.Findings:The prevalence of screening mammography utilization (71.3% 95% CI 67.4‐75.2) in women living in rural areas of Tennessee was significantly lower than utilization among women living in urban areas (78.3% 95% CI 75.9‐80.7). Higher utilization was associated with having attained at least a high school education, having health insurance, identifying a personal health care provider, being a nonsmoker, recent use of alcohol, having had a recent clinical breast exam or Papanicolau (Pap) test done, and meeting the Healthy People 2010 (HP 2010) recommendation for physical activity. After controlling for all other factors, rural residence was not associated with utilization. For rural women, identifying a personal health care provider was significantly associated with increased likelihood of utilization.Conclusions:Lower income and lower education, each associated with lower screening utilization, were more common in rural Tennessee women. The significance of a personal health care provider for utilization in rural women is meaningful for service providers.
Modeling of Gene Regulatory Network Dynamics Using Threshold Logic
Authors: Gowda Tejaswi , Vrudhula Sarma , Kim Seungchan
Published: March 2009

Gene regulation modeling is one of the most active research topics in systems biology. The aim of modeling gene regulation is to understand how individual genes function and interact with each other to create complex biological phenomena. In this paper we propose a novel gene regulatory model based on threshold logic. The approach is developed by a combination of threshold logic properties and perceptron learning techniques. This work does not focus on determination of the pair‐wise interactions among genes. Instead, the objective of this work is to generate a model that will describe and predict phenomena associated with a biological system. The utility of the approach is demonstrated by modeling a cellular system of 50 genes. The model could effectively replicate both the steady state and the transient behavior of genes.
DREAM2 Challenge
Authors: Lee W.H. , Narang V. , Xu H. , Lin F. , Chin K.C. , Sung W.K.
Published: March 2009

In the Dialogue for Reverse Engineering Assessments and Methods Conference (DREAM2) BCL6 target identification challenge, we were given a list of 200 genes and tasked to identify which ones are the true targets of BCL6 using an independent panel of gene‐expression data. Initial efforts using conventional motif‐scanning approaches to find BCL6 binding sites in the promoters of the 200 genes as a means of identifying BCL6 true targets proved unsuccessful. Instead, we performed a large‐scale comparative study of multiple expression data under different conditions. Specifically, we employed a supervised learning approach that learns and models the expression patterns under different conditions and controls from a training collection of known BCL6 targets and randomly chosen decoys. Genes in the given list whose expression matches well with that of the training set of known BCL6 targets are more likely to be BCL6 targets. Using this approach, we are able to identify BCL6 targets with high accuracy, making us joint best performers of the challenge.
A Probabilistic Graph‐Theoretic Approach to Integrate Multiple Predictions for the Protein–Protein Subnetwork Prediction Challenge
Authors: Chua Hon Nian , Hugo Willy , Liu Guimei , Li Xiaoli , Wong Limsoon , Ng See‐Kiong
Published: March 2009

The protein–protein subnetwork prediction challenge presented at the 2nd Dialogue for Reverse Engineering Assessments and Methods (DREAM2) conference is an important computational problem essential to proteomic research. Given a set of proteins from the Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker's yeast) genome, the task is to rank all possible interactions between the proteins from the most likely to the least likely. To tackle this task, we adopt a graph‐based strategy to combine multiple sources of biological data and computational predictions. Using training and testing sets extracted from existing yeast protein–protein interactions, we evaluate our method and show that it can produce better predictions than any of the individual data sources. This technique is then used to produce our entry for the protein–protein subnetwork prediction challenge.
Lessons from the DREAM2 Challenges
Authors: Stolovitzky Gustavo , Prill Robert J. , Califano Andrea
Published: March 2009

Regardless of how creative, innovative, and elegant our computational methods, the ultimate proof of an algorithm's worth is the experimentally validated quality of its predictions. Unfortunately, this truism is hard to reduce to practice. Usually, modelers produce hundreds to hundreds of thousands of predictions, most (if not all) of which go untested. In a best‐case scenario, a small subsample of predictions (three to ten usually) is experimentally validated, as a quality control step to attest to the global soundness of the full set of predictions. However, whether this small set is even representative of the global algorithm's performance is a question usually left unaddressed. Thus, a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of an algorithm most often remains elusive, especially to the experimental biologists who must decide which tool to use to address a specific problem. In this chapter, we describe the first systematic set of challenges posed to the systems biology community in the framework of the DREAM (Dialogue for Reverse Engineering Assessments and Methods) project. These tests, which came to be known as the DREAM2 challenges, consist of data generously donated by participants to the DREAM project and curated in such a way as to become problems of network reconstruction and whose solutions, the actual networks behind the data, were withheld from the participants. The explanation of the resulting five challenges, a global comparison of the submissions, and a discussion of the best performing strategies are the main topics discussed.
Translations of the Qur’?n into Western Languages
Authors: Elmarsafy Ziad
Published: March 2009

This article traces the history of the translation of the Qur’?n into Western languages from the Middle Ages to the present day. The focus is primarily on translations into English and French. The author considers the problem of the translation of the Qur’?n in light of the development of Oriental studies in the West as well as the political frameworks that inform the processes of access to and interpretation of the text.
Uric Acid as a Marker for Renal Dysfunction in Hypertensive Women on Diuretic and Nondiuretic Therapy
Authors: Borges Rodolfo. L. , Hirota Andrea H. , Quinto Beata M. , Ribeiro Artur B. , Zanella Maria T. , Batista Marcelo C.
Published: March 2009

Hyperuricemia is a common finding in hypertensive patients, especially among those who are on diuretic therapy. However, its clinical relevance regarding cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease (CKD) has not clearly been established. The authors assessed whether, in a population of 385 hypertensive women categorized according to diuretic therapy, the stratification in quartiles by uric acid levels would identify a gradient of changes in renal function and in risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The following were evaluated: serum uric acid, glycemia, total and fractional cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein (Apo) B, Apo A‐I, and C‐reactive protein. Renal function was assessed by serum creatinine, albuminuria, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) by the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation, whereas cardiovascular risk was estimated through the Framingham score. A total of 246 women were on diuretic therapy; 139 were taking other antihypertensive medications. There was a reduction in eGFR parallel to the increase in uric acid levels, regardless of diuretic use and without a concomitant increase in albuminuria. In both groups, higher uric acid levels translated into an increase in metabolic syndrome components, in markers of insulin resistance, triglyceride/high‐density lipoprotein levels, and Apo B/Apo A‐I ratios, as well as in Framingham scores. Hyperuricemia was associated with an increase in inflammatory markers only in patients on diuretic therapy. In a binary logistic regression, hyperuricemia (uric acid >6.0 mg/dL) was independently associated with CKD (eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m²) (odds ratio, 2.63; 95% confidence interval, 1.61–4.3; P<.001). In hypertensive women, the presence of hyperuricemia indicated a substantial degree of kidney dysfunction as well as a greater cardiovascular risk profile.
Scarring of gingiva and alveolar mucosa following apical surgery: visual assessment after one year
Authors: Von Arx T. , Salvi G.E. , Janner S. , Jensen S.S.
Published: March 2009

Aim:  (1) To visually assess scarring of the gingiva and alveolar mucosa 1 year following apical surgery in the aesthetic zone; and (2) to evaluate whether scarring correlated with patient‐related or surgical parameters.

Material and methods:  The material included 72 cases in the anterior maxilla. Three observers, who were blinded to the incision and flap design, independently assessed scar formation of the soft tissues. Each observer determined a pretreatment and a 1‐year follow‐up score of scarring, and mean changes were calculated.

Results:  With regard to the gingiva, the type of incision had a significant (P = 0.0013) influence on scar formation; that is, submarginal incisions and papilla‐saving incisions produced more scarring than intrasulcular and papilla‐base incisions. Scarring of the alveolar mucosa was significantly (P = 0.0108) influenced by the type of surgery (first‐time vs. re‐surgery) and by gender (P = 0.0496); that is, less scar formation of the alveolar mucosa was observed in re‐surgery than in first‐time cases as well as in male compared with female patients.

Conclusions:  Scar formation of the gingiva appeared to be influenced by the incision technique and use of antibiotics, whereas scar formation of the alveolar mucosa was correlated with gender and type of surgery. Possible scar formation should be discussed with the patient before surgery.
Relationship Between Periodontal Status and HbA1c in Nondiabetics
Authors: Hayashida Hideaki , Kawasaki Koji , Yoshimura Atsutoshi , Kitamura Masayasu , Furugen Reiko , Nakazato Mio , Takamura Noboru , Hara Yoshitaka , Maeda Takahiro , Saito Toshiyuki
Published: March 2009

Objectives: Many studies have reported an association between diabetes and periodontitis. We analyzed the periodontal status and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level in nondiabetic subjects to investigate the relationship between periodontitis and glucose control in nondiabetics. Methods: Periodontal status, HbA1c, serum cholesterol, triglyceride, body mass index (BMI), and demographic variables were assessed in 141 Japanese adults. The difference in the HbA1c level was evaluated among subjects according to periodontal status. Results: After adjusting for age, gender, BMI, and smoking, alcohol, and exercise habits as covariates, the mean HbA1c was significantly elevated with periodontal deterioration (P = 0.023). Conclusions: There was a significant relationship between periodontal status and HbA1c levels in nondiabetics.
IMPACT OF MACROECONOMIC CONDITIONS ON GOVERNMENT POPULARITY: AN ECOWAS INVESTIGATION
Authors: Chang Chun‐ping , Ying Yung‐hsiang , Hsieh Meng‐chi
Published: March 2009

A main focus of this paper is our analysis of the vote function using the vote share of government parties as the proxy variable for government popularity. Utilising Pedroni's (1999) panel cointegrated test and the fully modified OLS (FMOLS) technique, we empirically examine the long‐run co‐movement relationship in a bivariate model between government popularity and macroeconomic outcomes as well as a lag term in accordance with updated data for 11 countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) during the 1975‐2005 period. The results indicate the existence of panel cointegration relationships in our empirical model. The panel FMOLS shows that several macroeconomic shocks are responsible for positive contributions to government popularity, especially in regard to economic growth and government expenditures. By contrast, currency depreciation, higher interest payments, and a greater taxation burden on households all contribute to lower government support in our sample countries. Based on such evidence, important policy implications emerge for ECOWAS.
Tracking brachytherapy sources using emission imaging with one flat panel detector
Authors: Song Haijun , Bowsher James , Das Shiva , Yin Fang‐Fang
Published: March 2009

This work proposes to use the radiation from brachytherapy sources to track their dwell positions in three‐dimensional (3D) space. The prototype device uses a single flat panel detector and a BB tray. The BBs are arranged in a defined pattern. The shadow of the BBs on the flat panel is analyzed to derive the 3D coordinates of the illumination source, i.e., the dwell position of the brachytherapy source. A kilovoltage x‐ray source located 3.3 m away was used to align the center BB with the center pixel on the flat panel detector. For a test plan of 11 dwell positions, with an Ir‐192 high dose rate unit, one projection was taken for each dwell point, and locations of the BB shadows were manually identified on the projection images. The 3D coordinates for the 11 dwell positions were reconstructed based on two BBs. The distances between dwell points were compared with the expected values. The average difference was 0.07 cm with a standard deviation of 0.15 cm. With automated BB shadow recognition in the future, this technique possesses the potential of tracking the 3D trajectory and the dwell times of a brachytherapy source in real time, enabling real time source position verification.
Imaging performance comparison between a scintillator based and a CdTe semiconductor based photon counting compact gamma camera
Authors: Russo P. , Mettivier G. , Pani R. , Pellegrini R. , Cinti M. N. , Bennati P.
Published: March 2009

The authors report on the performance of two small field of view, compact gamma cameras working in single photon counting in planar imaging tests at 122 and 140 keV. The first camera is based on a scintillator continuous crystal assembled with a flat panel multianode photomultiplier tube with parallel readout. The second one belongs to the class of semiconductor hybrid pixel detectors, specifically, a CdTe pixel detector with square pixels and a pitch of , read out by a CMOS single photon counting integrated circuit of the Medipix2 series. The scintillation camera was operated with selectable energy window while the CdTe camera was operated with a single low‐energy detection threshold of about 20 keV, i.e., without energy discrimination. The detectors were coupled to pinhole or parallel‐hole high‐resolution collimators. The evaluation of their overall performance in basic imaging tasks is presented through measurements of their detection efficiency, intrinsic spatial resolution, noise, image SNR, and contrast recovery. The scintillation and CdTe cameras showed, respectively, detection efficiencies at 122 keV of 83% and 45%, intrinsic spatial resolutions of 0.9 mm and , and total background noises of 40.5 and 1.6 cps. Imaging tests with high‐resolution parallel‐hole and pinhole collimators are also reported.
CZT detectors used in different irradiation geometries: Simulations and experimental results
Authors: Fritz Shannon G. , Shikhaliev Polad M.
Published: March 2009

The purpose of this work was to evaluate potential advantages and limitations of CZT detectors used in surface‐on, edge‐on, and tilted angle irradiation geometries. Simulations and experimental investigations of the energy spectrum measured by a CZT detector have been performed using different irradiation geometries of the CZT. Experiments were performed using a CZT detector with size and thickness. The detector was irradiated with collimated photon beams from Am‐241 and Co‐57 . The edge‐scan method was used to measure the detector response function in edge‐on illumination mode. The tilted angle mode was investigated with the radiation beam directed to the detector surface at angles of 90°, 15°, and 10°. The Hecht formalism was used to simulate theoretical energy spectra. The parameters used for simulations were matched to experiment to compare experimental and theoretical results. The tilted angle CZT detector suppressed the tailing of the spectrum and provided an increase in peak‐to‐total ratio from 38% at 90° to 83% at 10° tilt angle for radiation. The corresponding increase for radiation was from 60% at 90° to 85% at 10° tilt angle. The edge‐on CZT detector provided high energy resolution when the beam thickness was much smaller than the thickness of CZT. The FWHM resolution in edge‐on illumination mode was 4.2% for beam with thickness, and rapidly deteriorated when the thickness of the beam was increased. The energy resolution of surface‐on geometry suffered from strong tailing effect at photon energies higher than . It is concluded that tilted angle CZT provides high energy resolution but it is limited to a 1D linear array configuration. The surface‐on CZT provides 2D pixel arrays but suffers from tailing effect and charge build up. The edge‐on CZT is considered suboptimal as it requires small beam thickness and also suffers from charge buildup.
Closed‐bore XMR (CBXMR) systems for aortic valve replacement: X‐ray tube imaging performance
Authors: Bracken John A. , Komljenovic Philip , Lillaney Prasheel V. , Fahrig Rebecca , Rowlands J. A.
Published: March 2009

A hybrid closed‐bore x‐ray/MRI system (CBXMR) is proposed to improve the safety and efficacy of percutaneous aortic valve replacement procedures. In this system, an x‐ray C‐arm will be positioned about 1 m from the entrance of a 1.5 T MRI scanner. The CBXMR system will harness the complementary strengths of both modalities to guide and deploy a bioprosthetic valve into the aortic annulus of the heart without coronary artery obstruction. A major challenge in constructing this system is ensuring proper operation of a rotating‐anode x‐ray tube in the MRI magnetic fringe field environment. The electron beam in the x‐ray tube responsible for producing x rays can be deflected by the fringe field. However, the clinical impact of electron beam deflection in a magnetic field has not yet been studied. Here, the authors investigated changes in focal spot resolving power, field of view shift, and field of view truncation in x‐ray images as a result of electron beam deflection. The authors found that in the fringe field acting on the x‐ray tube at the clinical location for the x‐ray C‐arm (4 mT), focal spot size increased by only 2%, so the fringe field did not limit the resolving power of the x‐ray system. The magnetic field also caused the field of view to shift by 3 mm. This shift must be corrected to avoid unnecessary primary radiation exposure to the patient and the staff in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. The fringe field was too weak to cause field of view truncation.
Fitness Cost of VanA-Type Vancomycin Resistance in Methicillin-Resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Foucault Marie-Laure , Courvalin Patrice , Grillot-Courvalin Catherine
Published: March 2009

We have quantified the biological cost of VanA-type glycopeptide resistance due to the acquisition of the resistance operon by methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) from
Enterococcus
sp. Exponential growths of recipient strain HIP11713, its transconjugant VRSA-1, VRSA-5, and VRSA-6 were compared in the absence or, except for HIP11713, in the presence of vancomycin. Induction of resistance was performed by adding vancomycin in both the preculture and the culture or the culture at only 1/50 the MIC. In the absence of vancomycin, the growth rates of the vancomycin-resistant
S. aureus
(VRSA) strains were similar to that of susceptible MRSA strain HIP11713. When resistance was induced, and under both conditions, there was a significant reduction of the growth rate of the VRSA strains relative to that of HIP11713 and to those of their noninduced counterparts, corresponding to a ca. 20% to 38% reduction in fitness. Competition experiments between isogenic VRSA-1 and HIP11713 mixed at a 1:1, 1:100, or 100:1 ratio revealed a competitive disadvantage of 0.4% to 3% per 10 generations of the transconjugant versus the recipient. This slight fitness burden can be attributed to the basal level of expression of the
van
genes in the absence of induction combined with a gene dosage effect due to the presence of the
van
operon on multicopy plasmids. These data indicate that VanA-type resistance, when induced, is highly costly for the MRSA host, whereas in the absence of induction, its biological cost is minimal. Thus, the potential for the dissemination of VRSA clinical isolates should not be underestimated.
Measuring genome size of desert plants using dry seeds
Authors: Sliwinska Elwira , Pisarczyk Ilona , Pawlik Andrzej , Galbraith David W.
Published: March 2009

Use of seeds instead of leaves for the flow cytometric measurement of DNA content is of particular interest to botanists and plant ecologists, since it allows estimation of genome sizes for species having reduced leaves or that accumulate staining inhibitors within leaves, and also for species growing in regions where cytometers are not readily available. The seeds of 24 desert species, including wildflowers, cacti, shrubs, and trees were analyzed by flow cytometry. Nuclei were used from either total seeds or seed tissues, following dissection to determine the seed parts that were most suitable for genome size measurement. In addition, the mass of 100 seeds was established. The seeds of 14 species contained only cells occupying a mitotic cell cycle. For 10 other species, endoreplicated nuclei (up to 32C) were detected. Using entire seeds or their parts, it was possible to estimate genome sizes for all of the species, which ranged from 0.79 pg per 2C in Parkinsonia aculeata  L. to 26.96 pg per 2C in Agave parryi Engelm., thus this kind of plant material can be used for the cytometric measuring of nuclear DNA content. However, a detailed understanding of seed biology is needed to interpret the results correctly. The relationships among genome size, seed mass, and desert growing conditions are also discussed.
Leaf development in Aralia elata in relation to the partial-shoot concept
Authors: Charlton W. A.
Published: March 2009

Aralia elata (Miq.) Seem. has large bipinnate leaves in which the rachis bears pairs of leaflets in the distal region and pairs of rachillae bearing leaflets in the proximal region. A supernumerary leaflet is also inserted on the rachis adjacent to each rachilla. The rachilla and supernumerary leaflet could perhaps represent an axillary/axillant relationship, in which case the whole leaf would have a notable similarity to a shoot system, and could lend itself to interpretation as a partial shoot system. The development of the leaf has been examined with this in mind. The supernumerary leaflets arise separately from, and later than the rachillae with which they are associated. It is concluded from this and other evidence, for instance the orientation of the plane of dorsiventrality of leaf components, that the resemblance of the leaf to a shoot system is coincidental. However the leaf can be interpreted along lines suggested by classical morphology as an example of a palmate-pinnate leaf, with the addition of reiteration of the palmate element at each cycle of initiation of supernumerary leaflets.
Soil Mechanics as it Affects Vehicle Performance
Authors: Wilson Nyal E , Krzywicki Henry R
Published: March 2009

A fundamental approach to mobility by studying deformations and stresses in a soil as a wheel moves is described. A driven rigid model wheel was constructed to run over a sample of amorphous granular peat. Metal markers were placed throughout the peat and records of their movements, using an X-ray technique, were obtained as the wheel travelled over the peat. The markers moved in cardioids (heart shapes). The marker movement for any location within the sample was obtained from relationships which existed between the movement of the markers and the positions of the wheel.The trajectories of the principal stresses were determined from the deformations by a graphical method. Using an assumption regarding the angle of internal friction for this peat, the surfaces of maximum shear were obtained. The surfaces of maximum shear resembled the configurations associated with slope stability problems in soil mechanics.
Effect of forest floor on growth and nutrition of Douglas-fir and western hemlock seedlings with and without fertilizer
Authors: Radwan M.A.
Published: March 2009

Experiments were conducted to determine the effects of four different forest soils on growth and shoot nutrients of potted Douglas-fir (Pseudotsugamenziesii (Mirb.) Franco) and western hemlock (Tsugaheterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) seedlings, in absence and in presence of forest floor, and with and without N and P fertilizers. Nine-month-old seedlings from low-elevation seed sources were used, and seedlings were grown for 2 years in a roofed lathhouse. Soils were of the Klone, Vesta, Bunker, and Shelton series; Klone and Vesta soils, and Bunker and Shelton soils, were collected from western hemlock and Douglas-fir stands, respectively. The fertilizers ammonium nitrate at 100 kg N/ha and triple superphosphate at 226 kg P/ha were tested. The forest floor, at 70 g/7.6-L pot, and the N and P fertilizers were added to the top of the planting pots without mixing. The forest floors and mineral soils differed by source in many of the chemical characteristics determined. Overall, seedling growth of Douglas-fir and western hemlock was better in the Klone and Shelton soils than in the Bunker and Vesta soils. Seedlings, especially those of western hemlock, grew better with than without forest floor. The N fertilizer reduced seedling growth of both species and, in some soils, reductions were more with than without forest floor. The P fertilizer improved seedling growth of both species in all soils and, with one exception, growth was much greater in the presence than in the absence of the forest floor. With both species, soil, forest-floor, and fertilization treatments affected concentrations and contents of the various shoot nutrients determined. The nutritional changes observed varied by nutrient and reflected differences in uptake of native and fertilizer nutrients, as well as changes in shoot dry weight. The results demonstrate the importance of the forest floor to growth and nutrition of Douglas-fir and western hemlock seedlings, especially when fertilizers are used.
The influence of phosphorus concentration and frequency of fertilization on ectomycorrhizal development in containerized black spruce and jack pine seedlings
Authors: Browning Mark H.R. , Whitney Roy D.
Published: March 2009

The growth response of jack pine (Pinusbanksiana Lamb.) and black spruce (Piceamariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) seedlings was tested in growth chambers at two levels of P, with or without inoculation of the mycorrhizal fungus Laccariabicolor (Maire) Orton and with weekly or thrice-weekly fertilizer application. While keeping N and K constant, an increase of P from 1.5 to 7.2 mg per seedling severely reduced formation of L. bicolor ectomycorrhizae on both jack pine and black spruce 17 weeks after inoculation. Inoculation of black spruce with L. bicolor was more successful (75%) than inoculation of jack pine (35%). Inoculated black spruce seedlings were 34% taller and 44% heavier than uninoculated controls, but only at the low P level; they were also 39% heavier and had more abundant L. bicolor ectomycorrhizae (180% of the weekly treatment) when fertilized thrice weekly than with weekly fertilization that supplied the same total nutrients. Dry weights of jack pine inoculated with L. bicolor were 26 and 33% larger than those of uninoculated seedlings at high and low P levels, respectively. Fertilizing thrice weekly also produced 23% larger dry weights of jack pine, but fewer ectomycorrhizae were formed than with weekly fertilization (65% of the weekly value). The results indicate that inoculation of black spruce seedlings with L. bicolor will produce larger seedlings, but only where low P fertilizer is applied, preferably thrice weekly. Jack pine may benefit from artificial inoculation with L. bicolor, especially in a higher fertility growing medium.
Impact de la compétition exercée par le framboisier (Rubusidaeus L.) et les feuillus de lumière sur la croissance du sapin (Abiesbalsamea (L.) Mill.) en régénération
Authors: Ruel Jean-Claude
Published: March 2009

This paper discusses the impact of competing vegetation on balsam fir (Abiesbalsamea (L.) Mill.) seedling growth. The study consisted of 12 permanent sample blocks of 0.5 ha. In each one, about 60 seedlings were selected to represent the various levels of competition. Ten competition indices were computed and compared for their relationship with balsam fir growth in height and diameter. Growth was slightly reduced by the competing vegetation but the relative production rate was not affected. An index using competing vegetation density and height relative to the seedling was selected for its simplicity and good correlation with the growth parameters. A simulation indicates that height growth for the next 5 years should remain correlated, although weakly, with the competing vegetation abundance. Balsam fir would be able to quickly overtop raspberry but would remain in the understory for some time when overtopped by hardwood light demanders.
AUTOMATIC MODELING OF SIGNALING PATHWAYS BY NETWORK FLOW MODEL
Authors: ZHAO XING-MING , WANG RUI-SHENG , CHEN LUONAN , AIHARA KAZUYUKI
Published: March 2009

Signal transduction is an important process that controls cell proliferation, metabolism, differentiation, and so on. Effective computational models which unravel such a process by taking advantage of high-throughput genomic and proteomic data are highly demanded to understand the essential mechanisms underlying signal transduction. Since protein–protein interaction (PPI) plays an important role in signal transduction, in this paper, we present a novel method for modeling signaling pathways from PPI networks automatically. Given an undirected weighted protein interaction network, finding signaling pathways is treated as searching for optimal subnetworks according to some cost function. To cope with this optimization problem, a network flow model is proposed in this work to extract signaling pathways from protein interaction networks. In particular, the network flow model is formalized and solved as a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model, which is simple in algorithm and efficient in computation. The numerical results on two known yeast MAPK signaling pathways demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed method.
PERVASIVE INFORMATION SYSTEMS VALUE CHAIN — A SERVICES PERSPECTIVE
Authors: RAO BHARAT , ANGELOV BOJAN
Published: March 2009

Current research in the field of pervasive information systems is predominantly focused on technical and engineering issues. In this paper, we look at the value chain boundaries of pervasive information systems. We identify a new value chain comprised of (1) infostructures, (2) devices, (3) interfaces, and (4) smart spaces that form the core elements of a pervasive information environment. We further investigate how businesses can achieve competitive advantage in this value-chain through the design and delivery of pervasive products and services. Different stakeholders at each level of the value chain are identified by surveying current research in the area as well as specific firm-level strategies and business models to determine key success factors. Based on our survey, we offer several propositions towards a managerial framework for conceptualizing pervasive information systems in today's service-oriented organizations.
Quantum Algorithmic Complexities and Entropy
Authors: Benatti Fabio
Published: March 2009

We review the basics of classical algorithmic complexity theory and two of its quantum extensions that have been prompted by the foreseeable existence of quantum computing devices. In particular, we will examine the relations between these extensions and the von Neumann entropy rate of generic quantum information sources of ergodic type.
Endothelium-specific GTP cyclohydrolase I overexpression accelerates refractory wound healing by suppressing oxidative stress in diabetes
Authors: Tie Lu , Li Xue-Jun , Wang Xian , Channon Keith M. , Chen Alex F.
Published: March 2009

Refractory wound is a severe complication that leads to limb amputation in diabetes. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) plays a key role in normal wound repair but is uncoupled in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type 1 diabetes because of reduced cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4). We tested the hypothesis that overexpression of GTP cyclohydrolase I (GTPCH I), the rate-limiting enzyme for de novo BH4 synthesis, retards NOS uncoupling and accelerates wound healing in STZ mice. Blood glucose levels were significantly increased in both male endothelium-specific GTPCH I transgenic mice (Tg-GCH; via a tie-2 promoter) and wild-type (WT) littermates 5 days after STZ regimen. A full-thickness excisional wound was created on mouse dorsal skin by a 4-mm punch biopsy. Wound closure was delayed in STZ mice, which was rescued in STZ Tg-GCH mice. Cutaneous BH4 level was significantly reduced in STZ mice vs. WT mice, which was maintained in STZ Tg-GCH mice. In STZ mice, constitutive NOS (cNOS) activity and nitrite levels were decreased compared with WT mice, paralleled by increased superoxide anion (O2−) level and inducible NOS (iNOS) activity. In STZ Tg-GCH mice, nitrite level and cNOS activity were potentiated and O2− level and iNOS activity were suppressed compared with STZ mice. Thus endothelium-specific BH4 overexpression accelerates wound healing in type 1 diabetic mice by enhancing cNOS activity and suppressing oxidative stress.
Nanosize Copper Dispersed Ionic Liquids As an Electrolyte of New Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells
Authors: Chen Fu-Lin , Sun I.-Wen , Paul Wang H. , Huang C.-H.
Published: March 2009

To enhance the electrical conductivity of the electrolyte for a newly developed
dye‐sensitized solar cell (DSSC), metallic copper (Cu) encapsulated within the carbon shell
(Cu@C) nanoparticles dispersed in a room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL)
(e.g., [bmim+][]) has been studied in the present work. By the pulsed‐field gradient spin‐echo NMR method, the self‐diffusion coefficients of cations and anions of the RTIL have been determined. The self‐diffusion coefficient of the [bmim+] cations in the RTIL dispersed with 0.08% of Cu@C nanoparticles is increased by 35%. The electrical conductivity of the Cu@C dispersed RTIL is also increased by 65% (1.0 → 2.3 ms/cm). It is very clear the nanosize Cu@C dispersed RTIL with a relatively greater diffusion coefficient and electrical conductivity can be a very effective electrolyte especially utilized in DSSCs.
Managing Requirement Volatility in an Ontology-Driven Clinical LIMS Using Category Theory
Authors: Shaban-Nejad Arash , Ormandjieva Olga , Kassab Mohamad , Haarslev Volker
Published: March 2009

Requirement volatility is an issue in software engineering in general, and in Web-based clinical applications in particular, which often originates from an incomplete knowledge of the domain of interest. With advances in the health science, many features and functionalities need to be added to, or removed from, existing software applications in the biomedical domain. At the same time, the increasing complexity of biomedical systems makes them more difficult to understand, and consequently it is more difficult to define their requirements, which contributes considerably to their volatility. In this paper, we present a novel agent-based approach for analyzing and managing volatile and dynamic requirements in an ontology-driven laboratory information management system (LIMS) designed for Web-based case reporting in medical mycology. The proposed framework is empowered with ontologies and formalized using category theory to provide a deep and common understanding of the functional and nonfunctional requirement hierarchies and their interrelations, and to trace the effects of a change on the conceptual framework.
Irregular Polyomino-Shaped Subarrays for Space-Based Active Arrays
Authors: Mailloux R. J. , Santarelli S. G. , Roberts T. M. , Luu D.
Published: March 2009

This paper presents new results showing the application of polyomino-based subarrays to limited field of view and wideband, wide-angle scanning. This technology can reduce the number of phase controls in arrays used for limited sector coverage or the number of time delay devices for wideband radar or communications, and so can reduce the cost of space-based active arrays. We concentrate on the wideband application. Results are presented by comparing the gain and peak sidelobe results of irregular polyomino subarray-based arrays with those of rectangular subarrays. It is shown that using irregular polyomino subarrays can result in a major decrease in sidelobes while presenting, in most cases, only a few tenths of a dB gain reduction compared to rectangular subarrays.
Effects of Cardiac Myosin Isoform Variation on Myofilament Function and Crossbridge Kinetics in Transgenic Rabbits
Authors: Suzuki Takeki , Palmer Bradley M. , James Jeanne , Wang Yuan , Chen Zengyi , VanBuren Peter , Maughan David W. , Robbins Jeffrey , LeWinter Martin M.
Published: March 2009

Background—

The left ventricles of both rabbits and humans express predominantly β-myosin heavy chain (MHC). Transgenic (TG) rabbits expressing 40% α-MHC are protected against tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy, but the normal amount of α-MHC expressed in humans is only 5% to 7% and its functional importance is questionable. This study was undertaken to identify a myofilament-based mechanism underlying tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy protection and to extrapolate the impact of MHC isoform variation on myofilament function in human hearts.

Methods and Results—

Papillary muscle strips from TG rabbits expressing 40% (TG40) and 15% α-MHC (TG15) and from nontransgenic (NTG) controls expressing ≈100% β-MHC (NTG40 and NTG15) were demembranated and calcium activated. Myofilament tension and calcium sensitivity were similar in TGs and respective NTGs. Force-clamp measurements revealed ≈50% higher power production in TG40 versus NTG40 (
P
<0.001) and ≈20% higher power in TG15 versus NTG15 (
P
<0.05). A characteristic of acto-myosin crossbridge kinetics, the “dip” frequency, was significantly higher in TG40 versus NTG40 (0.70�0.04 versus 0.39�0.09 Hz,
P
<0.01) but not in TG15 versus NTG15. The calculated crossbridge time-on was also significantly shorter in TG40 (102.3�14.2 ms) versus NTG40 (175.7�19.7 ms) but not in TG15 versus NTG15.

Conclusions—

The incorporation of 40% α-MHC leads to greater myofilament power production and more rapid crossbridge cycling, which facilitate ejection and relengthening during short cycle intervals, and thus protect against tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy. Our results suggest, however, that, even when compared with the virtual absence of α-MHC in the failing heart, the 5% to 7% α-MHC content of the normal human heart has little if any functional significance.
Near-Inertial Oscillations and the Damping of Midlatitude Gyres: A Modeling Study
Authors: Gertz Aaron , Straub David N.
Published: March 2009

The classic wind-driven double-gyre problem for a homogeneous (unstratified) thin aspect ratio fluid is considered, but allowing for the flow to be depth dependent. Linear free modes for which the vertical wavenumber kz ≠ 0 are inertial oscillations, and they are excited with a large-scale stochastic forcing. This produces a background sea of near-inertial oscillations and their interaction with the vertically averaged flow is the focus of this study. In the absence of 3D forcing, the near-inertial motion vanishes and the barotropic quasigeostrophic system is recovered. With 3D forcing, 2D-to-3D energy transfers—coupled with a forward cascade of 3D energy and scale-selective dissipation—provide an energy dissipation mechanism for the gyres. The relative strength of this mechanism and a Rayleigh drag applied to the 2D flow depends on both the 3D forcing strength and the Rayleigh drag coefficient.
Diffusion Experiments with a Global Discontinuous Galerkin Shallow-Water Model
Authors: Nair Ramachandran D.
Published: March 2009

A second-order diffusion scheme is developed for the discontinuous Galerkin (DG) global shallow-water model. The shallow-water equations are discretized on the cubed sphere tiled with quadrilateral elements relying on a nonorthogonal curvilinear coordinate system. In the viscous shallow-water model the diffusion terms (viscous fluxes) are approximated with two different approaches: 1) the element-wise localized discretization without considering the interelement contributions and 2) the discretization based on the local discontinuous Galerkin (LDG) method. In the LDG formulation the advection–diffusion equation is solved as a first-order system. All of the curvature terms resulting from the cubed-sphere geometry are incorporated into the first-order system. The effectiveness of each diffusion scheme is studied using the standard shallow-water test cases. The approach of element-wise localized discretization of the diffusion term is easy to implement but found to be less effective, and with relatively high diffusion coefficients, it can adversely affect the solution. The shallow-water tests show that the LDG scheme converges monotonically and that the rate of convergence is dependent on the coefficient of diffusion. Also the LDG scheme successfully eliminates small-scale noise, and the simulated results are smooth and comparable to the reference solution.