bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Decentralized energy planning through a case study of a typical village in India
Authors: Hiremath R. B. , Kumar Bimlesh , Deepak P. , Balachandra P. , Ravindranath N. H. , Raghunandan B. N.
Published: July 2009

Decentralizedenergy planning (DEP) is in the interest of efficient utilization of resources. DEP is one of the options to meet the rural and small scale energy needs in a reliable, affordable, and environmentally sustainable way. The main aspect of the energy planning at the decentralized level would be to prepare an area-based DEP to meet energy needs and development of alternate energy sources at least cost to the economy and environment. The geographical coverage and scale reflect the level at which the analysis takes place, which is an important factor in determining the structure of models. DEP planning involves multiple objectives and different kinds of constraints. The present work presents the methodology for the DEP. The kinds of objective functions and constraints which have to be included in the DEP have been presented in the present work. Decentralized planning involves scaling down energy planning to subnational or regional scales. Energy planning at the village level is the lowest level of the application of decentralized planning principle and district is the uppermost level. The present work for the analysis of DEP at the village level has considered different scenarios. Conflicting objectives are considered in the implementation of DEP at the village level. This implementation has been shown through a case study done in a village named Ungra in the Tumkur district from the Karnataka state in India. DEP is assessed with the help of field studies, available data, and decentralized energy modeling. Through DEP energy demand at 2020 has been presented for the Ungra village.
Rovibrational energy levels of H3+ with energies above the barrier to linearity
Authors: Bachorz Rafał A. , Cencek Wojciech , Jaquet Ralph , Komasa Jacek
Published: July 2009

The H3+ potential energy surface is sampled at 5900 geometries with the emphasis on the nonequilibrium and asymptotic points. Apart from the Born–Oppenheimer energy converged to the accuracy better than 0.02 cm−1, the adiabatic and the leading relativistic corrections are computed at each geometry. To represent analytically the potential energy surface, the parameters of a power series are determined by fitting to the computed energy points. Possible choice of nuclear masses simulating the nonadiabatic effects in solving the nuclear Schrödinger equation is analyzed. A set of theoretically predicted rovibrational transitions is confronted with the experimental data in the 10 700–13 700 cm−1 window of the spectra.
First- and second-order electrical properties computed at the FSMRCCSD level for excited states of closed-shell molecules using the constrained-variational approach
Authors: Bag Arijit , Manohar Prashant Uday , Vaval Nayana , Pal Sourav
Published: July 2009

Fock space multireference coupled-cluster (FSMRCC) method emerged as an efficient tool to describe the electronic structure of nearly degenerate cases. Development of linear response has been one of the challenging problems in FSMRCC due to the multiple-root nature of the effective Hamiltonian. A response from any of the roots would span the space for getting the properties. Hence, all roots perturbed by the external field would proliferate the excited states. We recently developed the FSMRCC method for the efficient evaluation of analytic response properties using a constrained variation approach. In this paper, we present analytic dipole moments and polarizabilities of H2O, O3, and CH+ molecules in low-lying excited states along with brief discussion of singlet triplet decoupling of (1,1) sector of FSMRCC resulting from spin adaptation.
The multiscale coarse-graining method. IV. Transferring coarse-grained potentials between temperatures
Authors: Krishna Vinod , Noid Will G. , Voth Gregory A.
Published: July 2009

This work develops a method for the construction of multiscale coarse-grained (MS-CG) force fields at different temperatures based on available atomistic data at a given reference temperature. The validity of this theory is demonstrated numerically by applying it to construct MS-CG models of the Lennard-Jones liquid and simple point charge water model systems.
A multifunctional stabilizer of magnetic fluids
Authors: Lebedev A. V. , Lysenko S. N.
Published: July 2009

This study reports the discovery of the universal surfactant-polyoxipropylene, which maximally extends the range of carrier fluids for magnetic colloids. A magnetic fluid on the base of ethyl alcohol has been synthesized and its magnetic and rheological properties have been investigated. It has been found that the magnetic nanoparticles are covered by a monolayer of surfactant molecules. The fluid preserves fluidity at temperatures as low as −100 °C. Coagulation stability, with respect to the added kerosene, has been explored. It is suggested to use this effect for preparing the magnetocontrollable extractors of ethyl alcohol.
Accessing nanomechanical resonators via a fast microwave circuit
Authors: Sillanpää Mika A. , Sarkar Jayanta , Sulkko Jaakko , Muhonen Juha , Hakonen Pertti J.
Published: July 2009

We demonstrate how to fully electrically detect the vibrations of conductive nanomechanical resonators up to the microwave regime. We use the electrically actuated vibrations to modulate an LC tank circuit, which blocks the stray capacitance and detect the created sideband voltage by a microwave analyzer. We prove the technique up to mechanical frequencies of 200 MHz. Finally, we estimate how one could approach the quantum limit of mechanical systems.
A passivated codoping approach to tailor the band edges of TiO2 for efficient photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants
Authors: Wang Dan , Zou Yanhong , Wen Shuangchun , Fan Dianyuan
Published: July 2009

We propose an effective passivated codoping approach to tailor the band edges of TiO2 by doping the host with group IVA and group VIB impurities to passive donor-acceptor complexes. A way of achieving p-type TiO2 is found, which can outspread the application range of TiO2 semiconductor. It is demonstrated that the carbon (C)/tungsten (W) codoped TiO2 has a substantial increase in the valence band edge, while leaving the conduction band edge almost unchanged, thus improving the efficiency of photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants. In principle, the suggested approach for overcoming the p-type doping bottleneck can be applied to other wide-band-gap semiconductors.
Locally induced domain wall damping in a thin magnetic wire
Authors: Infante G. , Varga R. , Badini-Confalonieri G. A. , Vázquez M.
Published: July 2009

The damping mechanisms affecting the motion of a single domain wall were studied in a thin bistable magnetic wire. It was found that the overall damping is frequency and temperature dependent through the locally induced anisotropy via structural relaxation. This phenomenon can increase the overall damping by one order of magnitude and enables an effective tailoring of the domain wall dynamics according to required application.
Observation of microwave-assisted magnetization reversal in Fe65Co35 thin films through ferromagnetic resonance measurements
Authors: Nistor Corneliu , Sun Ke , Wang Zihui , Wu Mingzhong , Mathieu Christoph , Hadley Matthew
Published: July 2009

This letter reports a new approach for microwave-assisted magnetization reversal (MAMR) measurements and the demonstration of MAMR in a Fe65Co35 thin film with this approach. The approach uses a microstrip line to deliver microwaves to and measure the ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) of the sample. The switching field is determined through the measurements of the FMR absorption as a function of static field. In the presence of microwaves, a reduction in switching field by 50% was observed in a Fe65Co35 film. This reduction was independent of the duration of microwave pulses. This indicates the reduction is not a heating effect.
Effect of stage of growth and silage additives on whole crop cereal silage nutritive and fermentation characteristics
Authors: Jacobs J. L. , Hill J. , Jenkin T.
Published: July 2009

The efficient production and subsequent utilisation of home-grown forage is seen as the cornerstone of profitability of the dairy industry as it leads to lower unit costs of milk production compared with purchased forage or grain supplements. Cereals such as wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), oats (Avena sativa L.) and triticale (Triticum × Triticosecale) all have the potential to produce high forage dry matter (DM) yields. These forages are not widely grown within dryland Australian dairy systems and there is a paucity of information on both the agronomic requirements and subsequent ensiling and feed-out management under these conditions. The experiment reported in this paper examines the DM yield, nutritive and ensiling characteristics of three small-grain cereals (triticale, wheat and oats) cut at various stages of development and ensiled with or without silage additives. We hypothesised that: (1) delaying harvesting until later stages of growth would result in higher DM yields, but negatively impact on both nutritive and fermentation characteristics of subsequent silages; (2) ensiling wilted material at earlier harvests would improve fermentation characteristics compared with direct ensiled material; and (3) the use of silage additives at all harvests would improve fermentation characteristics of resultant silages compared with untreated silages. Apart from winter oats, the estimated metabolisable energy of forages was highest at the boot stage of growth, declined during anthesis and then rose again during milk and soft-dough stage of growth. The crude protein content of forages declined with maturity, with final values at soft dough below 90 g/kg DM. Neutral detergent fibre content was highest at anthesis and then declined, with lowest values observed at soft dough (497–555 g/kg DM). In the majority of cases silages were well preserved, with direct ensiled material having pH values generally below 4.5 and wilted material below 5.0, with limited proteolysis as assessed by ammonia-N contents in the range of 5–15% of total-N. The production of volatile fatty acids and lactic acid was influenced by wilting and the use of additives. Generally, wilted silages fermented less than the corresponding direct ensiled forages, whereas the use of Sil-All 4 × 4 additive resulted in a lactic acid-dominant fermentation compared with LaSil additive, which resulted in a greater proportion of acetic acid as an end product of fermentation. The findings of the present study highlight the potential of forage cereals to produce high DM yields for whole crop cereal silage. The timing of harvest directly influences nutritive characteristics of forages for ensiling. The use of silage additives can assist in controlling fermentation pathways during ensilage, ensuring the production of silages with fermentation attributes more likely to lead to higher intakes when fed to animals.
Differences between the in vitro digestibility of extrusa collected from oesophageal fistulated steers and the forage consumed
Authors: Coates David B. , Mayer Robert J.
Published: July 2009

In a study that included C4 tropical grasses, C3 temperate grasses and C3 pasture legumes, in vitro dry matter digestibility of extrusa, measured as in vitro dry matter loss (IVDML) during incubation, compared with that of the forage consumed, was greater for grass extrusa but not for legume extrusa. The increase in digestibility was not caused by mastication or by the freezing of extrusa samples during storage but by the action of saliva. Comparable increases in IVDML were achieved merely by mixing bovine saliva with ground forage samples. Differences were greater than could be explained by increases due to completely digestible salivary DM. There was no significant difference between animals in relation to the saliva effect on IVDML and, except for some minor differences, similar saliva effects on IVDML were measured using either the pepsin–cellulase or rumen fluid–pepsin in vitro techniques. For both C4 and C3 grasses the magnitude of the differences were inversely related to IVDML of the feed and there was little or no difference between extrusa and feed at high digestibilities (>70%) whereas differences of more than 10 percentage units were measured on low quality grass forages. The data did not suggest that the extrusa or saliva effect on digestibility was different for C3 grasses than for C4 grasses but data on C3 grasses were limited to few species and to high digestibility samples. For legume forages there was no saliva effect when the pepsin–cellulase method was used but there was a small but significant positive effect using the rumen fluid–pepsin method. It was concluded that when samples of extrusa are analysed using in vitro techniques, predicted in vivo digestibility of the feed consumed will often be overestimated, especially for low quality grass diets. The implications of overestimating in vivo digestibility and suggestions for overcoming such errors are discussed.
Tolerance of perennial grasses to high copper in sand culture
Authors: Kopittke Peter M. , Blamey F. Pax C. , Sheldon Anna R. , Menzies Neal W.
Published: July 2009

Environmental context. Copper (Cu) is an essential element for the growth of plants, but various anthropogenic activities such as mining, smelting, disposal of wastes, and the use of Cu-containing fungicides have resulted in substantial Cu contamination at sites throughout the world. We used a sand-culture system to investigate the tolerance of seven perennial grasses to toxic levels of Cu. This study provides information to assist in the selection of grasses for the revegetation and stabilisation of Cu-contaminated sites. Abstract. Although perennial grasses are commonly used to revegetate and stabilise disturbed sites, comparatively little is known of their tolerance to Cu. High Cu in solution reduced growth in all grasses, with the critical solution Cu concentration (corresponding to a 50% reduction in shoot fresh mass) ranging >5-fold, from 1.7 μM in Queensland blue grass (Dichanthium sericeum (R.Br.) A. Camus) to 10 μM in Sabi grass (Urochloa mosambicensis (Hack.) Dandy cv. Saraji). An increase in Cu in solution resulted in elevated Cu concentration in shoots of all but one species, increasing from 6 to 11 μg g–1 at 0 μM Cu to 13 to 25 μg g–1 at 11 μM Cu. The comparatively small magnitude of this increase to a concentration below the animal toxicity threshold suggests that phytotoxicity is likely to be of more environmental concern than is the uptake of Cu into the shoots (and its subsequent consumption by fauna).
The influence of megacities on global atmospheric chemistry: a modelling study
Authors: Butler Timothy M. , Lawrence Mark G.
Published: July 2009

Environmental context. Over half of the population of the world now live in urban areas, and the number of so-called ‘megacities’, with populations of ~10 million or more, is growing at a tremendous rate. We show how these patterns of urbanisation have the potential to influence the atmospheric chemical environment on a global scale, particularly through the effects of emissions from megacities on the reactive nitrogen cycle. With the growing worldwide interest in the study of the effects of megacities at all spatial scales, such as current European Union projects MEGAPOLI and CityZen, our study represents the first of many future studies that examine the effects of megacities on atmospheric chemistry on the global scale.
Abstract. We present the first study of the effects of megacities on global atmospheric chemistry using a global three-dimensional chemical transport model. The effects on air quality, radiative forcing and atmospheric oxidation capacity are disproportionately smaller than the proportion of anthropogenic emissions due to megacities. Disproportionately large effects of megacities are modelled for reactive nitrogen compounds, in particular PAN (peroxy acetyl nitrate), which has increased in abundance globally by 9% due to megacities under year 2000 conditions, with 23% of the Earth experiencing an increase of 10% or more. These influences decrease under two very different future emission scenarios. Under a low-emission future scenario, the influence of megacities is generally reduced, and under a high-emission future scenario, although the local influence of megacities is increased, the geographical extent of the influence becomes smaller. In our model, the individual grid cells that contain megacities respond to the megacity emissions differently depending on their latitude. Tropical megacity grid cells generally show increased ozone year-round, while northern extratropical megacities generally show reduced ozone year-round. Better parameterisation of the sub-grid effects of megacities is an important issue for future work.
The net carbon balance in relation to growth and biomass accumulation of grapevines (Vitis vinifera cv. Semillon) grown in a controlled environment
Authors: Greer Dennis H. , Sicard Sylvie M.
Published: July 2009

Assessing the impacts of environmental stresses on plant growth and productivity requires an understanding of the growth processes and the carbon economy that underpins this growth. Potted grapevines of the Vitis vinifera L. cv. Semillon were grown in a controlled environment and canopy growth; leaf, bunch and stem extension and net photosynthesis were routinely measured from budbreak to harvest. Allometric relationships enabled dry matter to be determined and, with net photosynthesis, used to determine the shoot carbon economy. Stems, leaves and bunches all followed a sigmoid growth pattern with leaves and stems allocated similar amounts of biomass and carbon while bunches had twice as much. Rates of carbon sequestered as biomass exceeded rates of carbon acquisition through net photosynthesis for over 25 days after budbreak. Despite the high demand for biomass in bunch growth, rates of carbon sequestration actually declined and overall, the vines maintained a positive carbon balance throughout the period of bunch growth. The Semillon shoots relied on carbon reserves to commence growth then produced a 53% carbon surplus after leaf (9%), stem (10%) and bunch (28%) growth demands were satisfied. This suggests these vines also allocated carbon to reserves to sustain the next season’s growth.
Biomechanics of isolated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit cuticles during ripening: the role of flavonoids
Authors: Domínguez Eva , España Laura , López-Casado Gloria , Cuartero Jesús , Heredia Antonio
Published: July 2009

Flavonoids accumulate in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) fruit cuticles during ripening. Their quantitative contribution to the biomechanical properties of the cuticle is studied in six tomato genotypes which show presence or absence of these compounds at the red ripe stage of fruit development. Tomato cuticles with flavonoids at red ripe showed a dramatic increase of these compounds between mature green and red ripe stages together with a significant increase in the elastic modulus. On the other hand, cuticles without flavonoids displayed a similar biomechanical behaviour at mature green and red ripe stages. The absence of flavonoids could also be related with a predominance of the viscoelastic performance of the cuticle. Thus, the increase of phenolics in tomato fruit cuticles during ripening is correlated with a more rigid cutin network that reinforces the mechanical function of polysaccharides which tend to diminish at this stage due to cell wall disassembly. A role of phenolics as biomechanical modulators of the cuticle behaviour is proposed.
Understanding meiosis and the implications for crop improvement
Authors: Able Jason A. , Crismani Wayne , Boden Scott A.
Published: July 2009

Over the past 50 years, the understanding of meiosis has aged like a fine bottle of wine: the complexity is developing but the wine itself is still young. While emphasis in the plant kingdom has been placed on the model diploids Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana L.) and rice (Orzya sativa L.), our research has mainly focussed on the polyploid, bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Bread wheat is an important food source for nearly two-thirds of the world’s population. While creating new varieties can be achieved using existing or advanced breeding lines, we would also like to introduce beneficial traits from wild related species. However, expanding the use of non-adapted and wild germplasm in cereal breeding programs will depend on the ability to manipulate the cellular process of meiosis. Three important and tightly-regulated events that occur during early meiosis are chromosome pairing, synapsis and recombination. Which key genes control these events in meiosis (and how they do so) remains to be completely answered, particularly in crops such as wheat. Although the majority of published findings are from model organisms including yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, information from the plant kingdom has continued to grow in the past decade at a steady rate. It is with this new knowledge that we ask how meiosis will contribute to the future of cereal breeding. Indeed, how has it already shaped cereal breeding as we know it today?
Effect of follicle size and dibutyryl cAMP on the cAMP content and gap junctional communication of porcine prepubertal cumulus - oocyte complexes during IVM
Authors: A. Bagg Melanie , B. Nottle Mark , T. Armstrong David , G. Grupen Christopher
Published: July 2009

The lower ability of oocytes from prepubertal pigs to yield viable embryos than those from adult pigs appears, in part, a consequence of their reduced ability to accumulate cAMP during IVM. The present study examined the cAMP content of oocytes and cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs), cumulus expansion and gap junctional communication (GJC) in COCs from 3- and 5–8-mm follicles during IVM. The effect of 1 mm dibutyryl cAMP (db-cAMP) treatment for the first 22 h of IVM was also examined for both follicle size classes. The cAMP concentration of oocytes from 5–8-mm follicles was threefold greater than that in oocytes from 3-mm follicles following 11 h of IVM (11.9 ± 5.9 v. 3.6 ± 1.8 fmol, respectively; P < 0.05). In the presence of db-cAMP, the cAMP content of oocytes from 3- and 5–8-mm follicles was no longer significantly different at 11 h IVM. The cAMP concentration of intact COCs from 5–8-mm follicles was significantly higher than that in COCs from 3-mm follicles at 11 h (1110.6 ± 318.0 v. 116.9 ± 55.7 fmol, respectively; P < 0.05). Despite maturation with db-cAMP, the cAMP content in COCs from 3- and 5–8-mm follicles at 11 h of IVM remained significantly different (15.1 ± 4.9 v. 196.2 ± 33.3 fmol, respectively; P < 0.05). The COCs from 3-mm follicles displayed lower cumulus expansion than did COCs from 5–8-mm follicles at both 11 h (cumulus expansion index (CEI) 1.0 ± 0.1 v. 1.8 ± 0.1, respectively; P < 0.01) and 22 h (CEI 1.9 ± 0.3 v. 2.9 ± 0.2, respectively; P < 0.05) of IVM. The level of cumulus cell–oocyte GJC decreased during IVM, with the number of GJC significantly greater in COCs from 3-mm compared with 5–8-mm follicles at both 6 h (613 ± 55 v. 304 ± 44 fluorescence intensity (FI), respectively; P < 0.05) and 11 h (644 ± 99 v. 337 ± 38 FI, respectively; P < 0.05) of IVM. By 22 h of IVM, the GJC of COCs from 3-mm follicles had decreased (227 ± 18 FI) and was no longer significantly different to that of COCs from 5–8-mm follicles (139 ± 15 FI; P > 0.05). Dibutyryl cAMP had no effect on the cAMP content, cumulus expansion or GJC of the whole COC. In conclusion, the results of the present study demonstrate that COCs from 3-mm follicles accumulate less intraoocyte and inter-COC cAMP, display lower cumulus expansion and maintain their cumulus cell–oocyte GJC for longer during IVM than do COCs from 5–8-mm follicles.
Inhibition of DNA methyltransferase 1 expression in bovine fibroblast cells used for nuclear transfer
Authors: Giraldo Angelica M. , Lynn John W. , Purpera Megan N. , Vaught Todd D. , Ayares David L. , Godke Robert A. , Bondioli Kenneth R.
Published: July 2009

The aberrant expression of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) in cloned embryos has been implicated as a possible factor in the improper donor genome reprogramming during nuclear transfer. DNMT1 is responsible for maintaining DNA methylation and the subsequent differentiation status of somatic cells. The presence of DNMT1 transcript in the donor cell may contribute to perpetuation of the highly methylated status of the somatic nuclei in cloned embryos. The objective of the present study was to determine the methylation pattern of cloned embryos reconstructed with cells treated with DNMT1-specific small interfering RNA (siRNA). Bovine fibroblasts were transfected with a DNMT1-specific siRNA under optimised conditions. The expression patterns of DNMT1 were characterised by Q-PCR using the ΔΔCT method. The level of DNMT1 was successfully decreased in bovine fibroblast cells using a DNMT1-specific siRNA. Additionally, reduction in the expression of DNMT1 mRNA and DNMT1 protein led to a moderate hypomethylation pattern in the siRNA-treated cells. The use of siRNA-treated cells as donor nuclei during nuclear transplantation induced a reduction in methylation levels compared with controls but did not reduce methylation levels to that of IVF embryos. Further studies are required to determine if this level of reduced methylation is sufficient to improve subsequent development.
Ejaculate characteristics, short-term semen storage and successful artificial insemination following synchronisation of oestrus in the Indian blackbuck antelope (Antilope cervicapra)
Authors: Sontakke Sadanand D. , Patil Manoj S. , Umapathy Govindhaswamy , Rao K. Ramachandra , Shivaji Sisinthy
Published: July 2009

The blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) is a small (20–30 kg) Indian antelope that is listed on Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Studies were undertaken to develop assisted reproductive technologies, such as synchronisation of oestrus and non-surgical AI, to support the conservation and genetic management of this Indian antelope. Semen characteristics, testosterone levels and the feasibility of short-term cold storage of semen were investigated. Furthermore, different oestrous synchronisation protocols (norgestomet implants and prostaglandin injections) were evaluated for successful AI, defined as the birth of live young. Norgestomet ear implants and i.m. administration of pregnant mare’s serum gonadotropin (PMSG) resulted in successful pregnancies in two of five inseminated females, but both had twin pregnancies that were delivered prematurely. In contrast, two injections of prostaglandin 11 days apart were effective in synchronising oestrus in the blackbuck. Transcervical AI in oestrous-synchronised animals 72 and 96 h after the second prostaglandin injection resulted in successful pregnancies in four of six inseminated females (67%) and resulted in the delivery of three live fawns. These studies demonstrate the potential application of AI technology for the conservation of endangered ungulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report regarding the synchronisation of oestrus and successful non-surgical AI in blackbuck.
Applied reproductive technologies and genetic resource banking for amphibian conservation
Authors: Kouba Andrew J. , Vance Carrie K.
Published: July 2009

As amphibian populations continue to decline, both government and non-government organisations are establishing captive assurance colonies to secure populations deemed at risk of extinction if left in the wild. For the most part, little is known about the nutritional ecology, reproductive biology or husbandry needs of the animals placed into captive breeding programs. Because of this lack of knowledge, conservation biologists are currently facing the difficult task of maintaining and reproducing these species. Academic and zoo scientists are beginning to examine different technologies for maintaining the genetic diversity of founder populations brought out of the wild before the animals become extinct from rapidly spreading epizootic diseases. One such technology is genetic resource banking and applied reproductive technologies for species that are difficult to reproduce reliably in captivity. Significant advances have been made in the last decade for amphibian assisted reproduction including the use of exogenous hormones for induction of spermiation and ovulation, in vitro fertilisation, short-term cold storage of gametes and long-term cryopreservation of spermatozoa. These scientific breakthroughs for a select few species will no doubt serve as models for future assisted breeding protocols and the increasing number of amphibians requiring conservation intervention. However, the development of specialised assisted breeding protocols that can be applied to many different families of amphibians will likely require species-specific modifications considering their wide range of reproductive modes. The purpose of this review is to summarise the current state of knowledge in the area of assisted reproduction technologies and gene banking for the conservation of amphibians.
Dinuclear nickel complexes modeling the structure and function of the acetyl CoA synthase active site
Authors: Ito Mikinao , Kotera Mai , Matsumoto Tsuyoshi , Tatsumi Kazuyuki
Published: July 2009

A dinuclear nickel complex with methyl and thiolate ligands, Ni(dadt
Et
)Ni(Me)(SDmp) (2), has been synthesized as a dinuclear Ni
d
–Ni
p
-site model of acetyl-CoA synthase (ACS) (dadt
Et
is
N,N′
-diethyl-3,7-diazanonane-1,9-dithiolate; Dmp is 2,6-dimesitylphenyl). Complex 2 was prepared via 2 methods: (
i
) ligand substitution of a dinuclear Ni(II)–Ni(II) cation complex [Ni(dadt
Et
) Ni(tmtu)
2
] (OTf)
2
(1) with MeMgBr and KSDmp (tmtu is tetramethylthiourea), (
ii
) methyl transfer from methylcobaloxime Co(dmgBF
2
)
2
(Me)(Py) (5) to a Ni(II)–Ni(0) complex such as [Ni(dadt
Et
)Ni(cod)] (3), generated in situ from Ni(dadt
Et
) and Ni(cod)
2
, followed by addition of KSDmp (cod is 1,5-cyclooctadiene; dmgBF
2
is difluoroboryl-dimethylglyoximate). Method
ii
models the formation of Ni
p
–Me species proposed as a plausible intermediate in ACS catalysis. The reaction of 2 with excess CO affords the acetylthioester CH
3
C(O)SDmp (8) with concomitant formation of Ni(dadt
Et
)Ni(CO)
2
(9) and Ni(CO)
4
plus Ni(dadt
Et
). When complex 2 is treated with 1 equiv of CO in the presence of excess 1,5-cyclooctadiene, the formation of 9 and Ni(CO)
4
is considerably suppressed, and instead the dinuclear Ni(II)–Ni(0) complex is generated in situ, which further affords 2 upon successive treatment with Co(dmgBF
2
)
2
(Me)(Py) (5) and KSDmp. These results suggest that (
i
) ACS catalysis could include the Ni
d
(II)–Ni
p
(0) state as the active species, (
ii
) The Ni
d
(II)–Ni
p
(0) species could first react with methylcobalamin to afford Ni
d
(II)–Ni
p
(II)–Me, and (
iii
) CO insertion into the Ni
p
–Me bond and the successive reductive elimination of acetyl-CoA occurs immediately when CoA is coordinated to the Ni
p
site to form the active Ni
d
(II)–Ni
p
(0) species.
Long-term sensory deprivation selectively rearranges functional inhibitory circuits in mouse barrel cortex
Authors: Li Peijun , Rudolph Uwe , Huntsman Molly M.
Published: July 2009

Long-term whisker removal alters the balance of excitation and inhibition in rodent barrel cortex, yet little is known about the contributions of individual cells and synapses in this process. We studied synaptic inhibition in four major types of neurons in live tangential slices that isolate layer 4 in the posteromedial barrel subfield. Voltage-clamp recordings of layer 4 neurons reveal that fast decay of synaptic inhibition requires α1-containing GABA
A
receptors. After 7 weeks of deprivation, we found that GABA
A
-receptor-mediated inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) in the inhibitory low-threshold-spiking (LTS) cell recorded in deprived barrels exhibited faster decay kinetics and larger amplitudes in whisker-deprived barrels than those in nondeprived barrels in age-matched controls. This was not observed in other cell types. Additionally, IPSCs recorded in LTS cells from deprived barrels show a marked increase in zolpidem sensitivity. To determine if the faster IPSC decay in LTS cells from deprived barrels indicates an increase in α1 subunit functionality, we deprived α1(H101R) mutant mice with zolpidem-insensitive α1-containing GABA
A
receptors. In these mice and matched wild-type controls, IPSC decay kinetics in LTS cells were faster after whisker removal; however, the deprivation-induced sensitivity to zolpidem was reduced in α1(H101R) mice. These data illustrate a change of synaptic inhibition in LTS cells via an increase in α1-subunit-mediated function. Because α1 subunits are commonly associated with circuit-specific plasticity in sensory cortex, this switch in LTS cell synaptic inhibition may signal necessary circuit changes required for plastic adjustments in sensory-deprived cortex.
The virion-packaged endoribonuclease of herpes simplex virus 1 cleaves mRNA in polyribosomes
Authors: Taddeo Brunella , Zhang Weiran , Roizman Bernard
Published: July 2009

The virion host shutoff protein product of the U
L
41 gene of herpes simplex virus 1 is an endoribonuclease that selectively degrades mRNAs during the first hours after infection. Specifically, in contrast to the events in uninfected cells or cells infected with a mutant lacking the RNase, in wild-type virus-infected cells mRNA of housekeeping genes exemplified by GAPDH is degraded rapidly, whereas mRNAs containing AU elements are cleaved and the 5′ cleavage product of these RNAs persists for many hours. We report that in wild-type virus-infected cells there was a rapid increase in the number and size of processing bodies (P-bodies). These P-bodies were also preset in cycloheximide (CHX)-treated cells but not in either treated or untreated uninfected cells or cells infected with the RNase minus mutant. Additional studies revealed that polyribosomes extracted from cytoplasm of wild-type virus-infected cells treated with CHX and displayed in sucrose gradients contained ribosome-loaded, truncated AU-rich mRNAs lacking the 3′ UTR and poly(A) tails. The results suggest that the virion RNase is bound to polyribosomes by virtue of the reported association with translation machinery and cleaves the RNAs 5′ to the AU elements. In contrast to the slow degradation of the of the residual 5′ domain, the 3′ UTR of the AU-rich mRNA and the GAPDH mRNA are rapidly degraded in wild-type virus-infected cells.
New Communication Channels: Changing the Nature of Customer Engagement
Authors: Bernhardt Jay M. , Mays Darren , Eroğlu Doğan , Daniel Katherine Lyon
Published: July 2009

Health communication and marketing professionals represent an exceptionally diverse field in their backgrounds and professional interests. A common factor among those who develop and implement health communication and marketing programs is the tactic of customer engagement. The widespread growth of new communication channels, however, has made it critical that health marketing professionals consider both new and traditional channels in developing health marketing programs to engage customers and deliver health information. Whereas there has been substantial progress in efforts to engage customers through these new channels, future work is needed to examine how these new channels can be integrated with traditional channels in health programs and to incorporate existing marketing knowledge into health promotion and disease prevention efforts.
TXTING4HEALTH: The Role of the Mobile Channel in the Health Care Industry and in the Sphere of Public Health
Authors: Holmen Eric
Published: July 2009

The vast mobile network created by high adoption rates and increasing familiarity with mobile device capabilities worldwide has potential for far more than the commercial operations to which it is currently relegated. This will be the next wave of mobile: the social and socially conscious dimension of an already broad medium. Mobile's potential is virtually limitless, and the advantages unique to it align well with the demands of the health care industry. The accuracy and speed provided by the medium are particularly valuable to health care professionals and their patients. The emerging social aspect of mobile is being tapped for myriad health-related uses, including smoking cessation and the treatment of eating disorders. Moreover, the ubiquity of the mobile device is advancing public health initiatives across the globe. This article endeavors to describe the state of the mobile medium and what effects it can have on both the health care industry and public health. It also discusses the particular effect the social aspect of mobile technology is having on certain health initiatives and cites specific examples of the synergy between mobile communication and health-related programs. This article concludes by looking toward the future of mobile health projects.
Findings from Exploratory and Materials Testing Focus Groups with Korean American Parents regarding Preteen Vaccination and the 11- and 12-Year-Old Checkup
Authors: Inokuchi Derek , Ramakrishnan Aparna , Sapsis Karena F. , Friedman Allison L.
Published: July 2009

In 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched a new campaign for parents to promote three important vaccines for 11- and 12-year-old children: MCV4, which protects against meningococcal disease; Tdap, which protects against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis; and the HPV4 vaccine, which protects women against the types of human papillomavirus most commonly associated with cervical cancer and genital warts. The CDC is adapting these campaign materials for Korean Americans, who face significant barriers to accessing health information and experience high rates of cervical cancer. As part of this process, the CDC conducted focus groups with Korean American parents to understand their knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about preteen vaccination and to test adapted campaign materials. Although participants had limited awareness of the need for preteen vaccines, once they learned of CDC recommendations, they were willing to consider vaccinating their children to keep them healthy. Findings suggest that this willingness can be bolstered by advice from physicians, schools, and government agencies. Participants found the information provided in the materials to be useful and credible and preferred receiving this information in a direct and factual manner. Materials designed and formatted similar to what might be produced in Korea are most appealing to this audience.
Using Framing Theory to Unite the Field of Injury and Violence Prevention and Response: Adding Power to Our Voices
Authors: Austin Lucinda , Mitchko Jane , Freeman Carol , Kirby Susan , Milne Joanne
Published: July 2009

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) sought to identify a new approach to communicating about injury and violence and develop a central message for all areas of injury. Objectives were to: (1) develop an overarching injury and violence prevention message for use in communications and to position injury as an important public health problem, and (2) reframe the public's understanding of injury and violence to create social and political will to lessen the burden of injury. NCIPC and ICF Macro, a research, marketing communications, and management consulting firm, used framing theory to develop messages that would have greater impact on the public's perceptions by presenting injury in a way that reflects deeply held societal values. Three distinct message sets were developed and tested through in-depth interviews with professionals working in injury response, violence prevention, and unintentional injury prevention and through nine focus groups with the general public on specific injury and violence issues. Most participants identified with the frame of living to one's “full potential.” Based on the findings, Adding Power to Our Voices, a framing guide, was developed giving specific guidance on how to incorporate the frame into injury prevention and response messages to aid communication among constituents, members, and supporters.
Information Needs and Self-Efficacy: Internet Use by Women with Breast Cancer
Authors: Arroyo Barbara , Tillinghast Diana Stover
Published: July 2009

The purpose of this article is to provide a review of the scholarly literature on the information-seeking behavior and empowerment of women who use the Internet to research treatment options for breast cancer. The article examines the information needs women with breast cancer have regarding the Internet, and further the extent to which the Internet has satisfied those needs – from diagnosis through survivorship. We briefly discuss uses and gratifications theory, while focusing on information seeking and self-efficacy. The traditional mass communication theories of uses and gratifications and self-efficacy can be utilized as the basis for social marketing interventions or campaigns. Although the Internet offers an immediate and ubiquitous resource for women with breast cancer, issues of accessibility prevent the most vulnerable populations from experiencing the benefits of online interaction. Social marketers need to continue to explore the possibilities of utilizing the Internet to engage older, minority, and low-income women.
Piloting EX, a Social Marketing Campaign to Prompt Smoking Cessation
Authors: McCausland Kristen L. , Allen Jane A. , Duke Jennifer C. , Xiao Haijun , Asche Eric T. , Costantino Jeffrey C. , Vallone Donna M.
Published: July 2009

This article focuses on the development, implementation, and evaluation of a branded smoking cessation campaign piloted in four cities in the United States. The development of the EX brand and messaging strategies were based on existing public health literature and extensive formative research. Market segmentation was specifically employed to create messages that would resonate with a defined target audience, smokers who were thinking about quitting smoking. This approach led to the creation of a campaign with an empathetic and hopeful tone that was designed to change relevant beliefs about smoking and to increase smokers' self-efficacy in regard to quitting smoking. As part of a comprehensive evaluation, telephone surveys were conducted in three pilot cities to measure awareness of and receptivity to the EX brand. Awareness of EX varied across the three markets based on the media buy. Receptivity to the EX brand was high across the three samples comprised of three different racial/ethnic populations. High receptivity was also found among the target audience: smokers who were thinking about quitting smoking. Findings from this pilot campaign helped to inform the launch of a national smoking cessation campaign.
Content Analysis of Internet Marketing Strategies: How Pharmaceutical Companies Communicate about Contraceptives with Consumers Online
Authors: Ledford Christy J. W.
Published: July 2009

As the Internet has grown as a powerful source for consumer health information seekers, it has also become a commercial tool for marketing health products and services. Along with direct-to-consumer television and print advertising, websites present consumers with prescription drug options outside the context of the clinic. While consumers who encounter health product commercials in television and print are likely to recognize their promotional nature, when they seek health information on the Internet, the distinctions between marketing and health education may be blurred. Recognizing women as a primary target of this marketing, the social amplification of risk framework and elaboration likelihood model guided a content analysis of ten promotional contraceptive websites, sponsored by pharmaceutical companies. Overall, the websites promoted physiological advantages other than the effectiveness of the contraceptive itself, convenience, and the drugs' relative lower risk as compared to other forms of contraception. Websites presented risk information in text smaller than the majority of text and at the end of the webpage, requiring the user to scroll down to view the information. The websites also presented content and design strategies that social marketers can employ in the design of public health websites, such as the expert and peer sources presented, ethnic diversity of women depicted, and the plain language, nonbranded website addresses used.
Marketing Fruit and Vegetable Intake with Interactive Games on the Internet
Authors: Buller Mary K. , Kane Ilima L. , Dunn Andrea L. , Edwards Erika J. , Buller David B. , Liu Xia
Published: July 2009

National social marketing campaigns encourage Americans to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day to promote health and reduce chronic disease. Despite widespread promotion, consumption remains below recommended levels. The Internet and interactive games may prove to be novel campaign strategies. In this project, three interactive nutrition games were developed for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Fruits and Veggies—More Matters website with the aims of increasing users' self-efficacy and intake of fruits and vegetables by teaching skills and providing practice in selecting healthy fruits and vegetables. The games were evaluated with two samples of adult Internet users who were recruited online in a pretest–posttest controlled design. Outcomes were assessed with self-report measures. Use of the games increased users' confidence that they could eat three or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily, but had no direct impact on actual dietary intake of these food items. Users found the games to be informative and satisfying. Further, those who were more satisfied with the games reported eating more servings of fruits and vegetables. Interactive games may stimulate use of social marketing websites and attract important hard-to-reach populations.
Advances in understanding the generation and evolution of the toroidal rotation profile on DIII-D
Authors: Solomon W.M. , Burrell K.H. , Garofalo A.M. , Cole A.J. , Budny R.V. , deGrassie J.S. , Heidbrink W.W. , Jackson G.L. , Lanctot M.J. , Nazikian R. , Reimerdes H. , Strait E.J. , Van Zeeland M.A.
Published: July 2009

Recent experiments using DIII-D's capability to vary the injected torque at constant power have focused on developing the physics basis for understanding rotation through the detailed study of momentum sources, sinks and transport. Non-resonant magnetic braking has generally been considered a sink of momentum; however, recent results from DIII-D suggest that it may also act as a source. The torque applied by the field depends on the rotation relative to a non-zero ‘offset’ rotation. Therefore, at low initial rotation, the application of non-resonant magnetic fields can actually result in a spin-up of the plasma. Direct evidence of the effect of reverse shear Alfvén eigenmodes on plasma rotation has been observed, which has been explained through a redistribution of the fast ions and subsequent modification to the neutral beam torque profile. An effective momentum source has been identified by varying the input torque from neutral beam injection at fixed βN, until the plasma rotation across the entire profile is essentially zero. This torque profile is largest near the edge, but is still non-negligible in the core, qualitatively consistent with models for a so-called ‘residual stress’. Perturbative studies of the rotation using combinations of co- and counter-neutral beams have uncovered the existence of a momentum pinch in DIII-D H-mode plasmas, which is quantitatively similar to theoretical predictions resulting from consideration of low-k turbulence.