bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PRINCIPAL COMPONENT ANALYSIS FOR TEXTURAL PROPERTIES OF SELECTED BLOOD CURD
Authors: WANG PENG , HAN MIN‐YI , DONG QING‐LI , XU XING‐LIAN , ZHOU GUANG‐HONG , LU SHI‐LING
Published: October 2010

Mechanical tests, sensory evaluation and chemical analysis were performed to assess textural characteristics of blood curd (Zisheokwai, a popular Chinese animal blood food; five short shelf life products and two long shelf life products). It indicated that texture profile analysis displayed greater variability than chemical composition and sensory assessment of the samples. Moreover, long shelf life products showed higher hardness, protein and moisture contents than the short ones but lower juicy and tenderness compared with short shelf life products. Observed associations from principal component analysis (PCA) showed that moisture was positively related to cooking loss, total expressible fluid and juice, and high hardness, chewiness and gumminess correlated with low juice and tenderness. PCA proved to be a very effective procedure to obtain a comprehensive judgment of blood curd quality. The experiments suggested that water and protein content affected the textural properties of blood curd.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Through investigating of mechanical, sensory and chemical characteristics of blood curd, this traditional Chinese food can be better described and characterized. Principal component analysis used in this article may provide a good statistical method in reducing and explaining textural parameters. The identification of the most important principal components, regarding the product quality, was important for the manufacturer to control and optimizing quality of their products. In addition, such information can be used for quality evaluation of other blood foods.
STUDIES ON PASTING, MICROSTRUCTURE, SENSORY, AND NUTRITIONAL PROFILE OF PASTA INFLUENCED BY SPROUTED FINGER MILLET (ELEUCINA CORACANA) AND GREEN BANANA (MUSA PARADISIACA) FLOURS
Authors: KRISHNAN MURALI , PRABHASANKAR P.
Published: October 2010

The objective of this study was to use sprouted ragi flour (RF) and green banana flour (BF) to make nutritious pastas. RF and BF were substituted at 10, 20, and 30% concentrations to develop healthier pasta. One sample with 15% RF and 15% BF was also made to explore their combined effect. All these samples were evaluated for their physico‐chemical, pasting, cooking quality, sensory, and nutritional attributes. Thirty percent BF‐supplemented pasta recorded maximum cooking loss of 9.20%. Control pasta exhibited least cooking loss (4.91%) while combination of 15% RF and 15% BF substituted pasta recorded a cooking loss of 6.75%. In general, with increased levels of incorporation of RF and BF in pasta formulation, cooking quality was diminished; however, nutrition is gaining over this formula substitution.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Pasta products are the most popular food next to bread and it is consumed worldwide. Pasta products are normally high in starch but low in dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins, phenolic compounds, etc. The present article clearly indicates to develop more enriched pasta product using natural ingredients. The present study clearly indicates that use of green banana and sprouted finger miller flour will improve the nutritional quality of the pasta in terms of antioxidant and hypoglycemic activity. The outcome of the present study will have greater potential for pasta industries to develop healthier pasta products using natural ingredients.
RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF TARHANA SOUP ENRICHED WITH WHEY CONCENTRATE AS A FUNCTION OF CONCENTRATION AND TEMPERATURE
Authors: YILMAZ MUSTAFA T. , SERT DURMUŞ , DEMIR M. KÜRŞAT
Published: October 2010

The rheological properties of soup of tarhana enriched with whey concentrate (WC) at different concentrations (0.0, 6.25, 12.5 and 25.0%) were studied in the temperature ranges of 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 and 80C. Tarhana soup with or without WC behaved as shear thinning. The power law model was determined to be adequate (R2 = 0.900–0.999) to fit the flow curves of tarhana soup with or without WC. Temperature dependency of rheological parameters followed the Arrhenius model (R2 = 0.791–0.965). The mathematical models, power law and exponential functions were developed to determine the apparent viscosity (consistency index, k) of tarhana soup as a function of temperature and added WC. The effectiveness of developed combined models was judged by several statistical parameters In general; exponential function fitted better the effect of WC concentration and combined effect of temperature and added WC than power law function did.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Tarhana is a traditional fermented food made of mainly a mixture of cereal and yoghurt. Tarhana or tarhana‐like products have been enriched or replaced with cereal and cereal by‐products; however, no attempts have appeared so far to enrich tarhana with whey protein sources. It was reported that the practical nutritional importance of tarhana is the improvement of the basic cereal protein diet by adding whey protein. Viscosity is among the most important functional properties of whey proteins; however, there is no published data informing the rheological properties of tarhana soup enriched with different concentrations of whey concentrate (WC). In this respect, the rheological properties were studied as a function of WC concentration; also, temperature and relationship models defining the combined effect of concentration and temperature on the consistency index were further developed. In addition, the performance of these developed models was judged by several statistical parameters.
Preceptor expectations and issues with nurse practitioner clinical rotations
Authors: Brooks Mirella V. , Niederhauser Victoria P.
Published: October 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was (a) to identify nurse practitioner (NP) preceptor expectations of university faculty members and students, (b) to understand the best methods of communication between university faculty members and the preceptors, and (c) to elicit issues for improvement for the precepting experience.

Data sources: This study was a cross‐sectional descriptive design. A survey was sent to all clinicians who precepted NP students from the University of Hawaii from 2003 to 2004 (n= 108).

Conclusions: The response rate was 67% (28% males and 72% females) with a mean age of 46.3 years. Sixty‐eight percent of the respondents were NPs, 28% were doctors, and 4% were nurse midwives. The majority of preceptors expected two site visits per semester (51%), that faculty members should observe two patient visits with students (57%), and 65% said the first site visit should occur in the first 4 weeks of the semester.

Implications for practice: Conducting an assessment of preceptor's issues and expectations of faculty site visits can improve relationships with preceptors and secure and maintain clinical placements for NP students. Recommendations include improving communication, establishing guidelines for site visits, and periodic assessment of progress in preceptor–student relationships.
Selenopeptide Analogs of EETI‐II Retain Potent Trypsin Inhibitory Activities
Authors: Walewska Aleksandra , Jaśkiewicz Anna , Bulaj Grzegorz , Rolka Krzysztof
Published: October 2010

Three‐disulfide‐bridged Ecballium elaterium trypsin inhibitor II (EETI‐II) is a 28‐residue peptide that belongs to the squash family of canonical trypsin inhibitors. Herein, we report synthesis and biological activity of three EETI‐II analogs. In each of analog, a pair of cysteine residues forming a native disulfide bridge was individually replaced by a pair of selenocysteine residues. All selenopeptide analogs were chemically synthesized using the Fmoc protocol and subsequently folded in the presence of oxidized and reduced glutathione. The analogs containing a diselenide bridge displayed association constants with trypsin that ranged from 2.6 × 109 to 5.1 × 109 [M−1]. Our results suggest that the selenopeptide analogs retained low nanomolar inhibitory potencies, and only the diselenide bridge adjacent to the inhibitory binding loop weakened the interactions with trypsin by approximately fivefold. We discuss these findings in the context of a broader use of selenopeptide analogs as proxies to study cysteine‐rich peptides.
Surface‐exposed calreticulin in the interaction between dying cells and phagocytes
Authors: Martins Isabelle , Kepp Oliver , Galluzzi Lorenzo , Senovilla Laura , Schlemmer Frederic , Adjemian Sandy , Menger Laurie , Michaud Mickael , Zitvogel Laurence , Kroemer Guido
Published: October 2010

Phagocytosis is essential for pathogen elimination and for the removal of apoptotic corpses, a process that has been long considered immunologically silent. The phagocytic uptake of apoptotic/necrotic cells involves a plethora of molecules, including immunoglobulins, lectins, components of the complement system (all of which act as opsonins), as well as the phospholipid phosphatidylserine (PS) and the endoplasmic reticulum chaperone calreticulin (CRT), both of which can be exposed on the surface of dying cells. For a long time, surface‐exposed CRT was believed to participate in phagocytosis, mostly as a (co)receptor for specific opsonins. Recently, this view has been challenged by the observations that, similar to PS, CRT acts as a facultative recognition ligand on apoptotic cells, and that cytotoxic agents such as anthracyclines induce the exposure of CRT on the surface of dying tumor cells, thereby generating an engulfment signal that stimulates the uptake of apoptotic corpses and the presentation of the corresponding antigens by dendritic cells. Here, we summarize the current knowledge on the role of CRT and CRT‐interacting proteins during corpse removal.
Intravenous apoptotic cell infusion as a cell‐based therapy toward improving hematopoietic cell transplantation outcome
Authors: Saas Philippe , Gaugler Béatrice , Perruche Sylvain
Published: October 2010

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT) is an efficient therapy for different malignant and nonmalignant hematological diseases. However, the use of this therapeutic approach is still limited by some severe toxic side effects, mainly graft‐versus‐host disease (GvHD). Today, the risk of fatal GvHD restrains the wider application of AHCT to many patients in need of an effective therapy for their high‐risk hematologic malignancies. Thus, new strategies, including cell‐based therapy approaches, are required. We propose to use intravenous donor apoptotic leukocyte infusion to improve AHCT outcome. In experimental AHCT models, we demonstrated that intravenous apoptotic leukocyte infusion, simultaneously with allogeneic bone marrow grafts, favors hematopoietic engraftment, prevents allo‐immunization, and delays acute GvHD onset. Here, we review the different mechanisms and the potential beneficial effects associated with the immunomodulatory properties of apoptotic cells in the AHCT setting.
Anti‐inflammatory functions of the “apoptotic” caspases
Authors: Wallach David , Kang Tae‐Bong , Rajput Akhil , Kim Jin‐Chul , Bogdanov Konstantin , Yang Seung‐Hoon , Kovalenko Andrew
Published: October 2010

The two main known functions of the caspases act antagonistically in regulating inflammation. “Inflammatory” caspases trigger inflammation by catalyzing the processing of IL‐1β precursors and other proinflammatory cytokines. In contrast, “apoptotic” caspases safeguard against the triggering of inflammation by imposing a cell‐death form that withholds release of alarmins by dying cells and dictates generation of anti‐inflammatory mediators. These antagonizing functions are exerted by evolution‐related mechanisms. Studies of the function of caspase‐8, an enzyme‐mediating apoptotic cell‐death induction in response to TNF‐family ligands, reveal that it blocks inflammation in additional ways. One way is by restricting activation of the RIG‐I complex by foreign ribonucleic acid. Chronic skin inflammation in mice with caspase‐8–deficient epidermis is associated with constitutive activation of the RIG‐I complex in keratinocytes. This activation is apparently prompted by nucleic acids released from epidermal cells that disintegrate during cornification, and becomes chronic because it is not restricted by caspase‐8.
Ex vivo– and in vivo–induced dead tumor cells as modulators of antitumor responses
Authors: Weiss Eva‐Maria , Frey Benjamin , Rödel Franz , Herrmann Martin , Schlücker Eberhard , Voll Reinhard E. , Fietkau Rainer , Gaipl Udo S.
Published: October 2010

Joint application of standard tumor therapies like radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy with immune therapy has long been considered not to fit. However, it has become accepted that immune responses may contribute to the elimination of cancer cells. We present how in vivo–induced tumor cell death by irradiation, chemotherapeutic agents, or hyperthermia can be rendered more immunogenic. High hydrostatic pressure is introduced as an innovative inactivation method for tumor cells used as vaccines. Annexin A5, being a natural occurring ligand for phosphatidylserine that is exposed by dying tumor cells, renders apoptotic tumor cells immunogenic and induces tumor regression. Combinations of irradiation with hyperthermia may also foster antitumor responses. For preparation of autologous tumor cell vaccines, high hydrostatic pressure is suitable to induce immunogenic cancer cell death. Future work will be aimed toward evaluating which combination and chronological sequence of radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hyperthermia, annexin A5, and/or autologous tumor cell vaccines will induce specific and long‐lasting antitumor immunity.
Responding to infection and apoptosis — a task for TH17 cells
Authors: Brereton Corinna F. , Blander J. Magarian
Published: October 2010

Two of the critical cytokines required for the differentiation of T helper 17 (TH17) cells from naive CD4 T cells are transforming growth factor‐beta (TGF‐β) and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6). Innate recognition of apoptotic cells in the presence of Toll‐like receptor engagement directs the simultaneous synthesis of these cytokines by antigen‐presenting cells (APCs), and as such provides a cytokine milieu that favors TH17 cell induction. In this situation, APCs are activated in response to ligands derived from apoptotic cells, but also to those from the infecting pathogen. Induction of a TH17 response against Citrobacter rodentium infection was dependent on the ability of Citrobacter to induce apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells. In this review, we will discuss how simultaneous activation of inflammatory and noninflammatory pattern recognition receptors on APCs impacts T helper cell differentiation, and what relevance this effect has on the immune response generated against bacterial infections that cause host cell apoptosis.
Redox remodeling: a candidate regulator of HMGB1 function in injured skeletal muscle
Authors: Vezzoli Michela , Castellani Patrizia , Campana Lara , Corna Gianfranca , Bosurgi Lidia , Manfredi Angelo A. , Bianchi Marco E. , Rubartelli Anna , Rovere‐Querini Patrizia
Published: October 2010

High‐mobility group box‐1 (HMGB1) is a prototypical endogenous signal that links tissue necrosis and wound healing. Extracellular HMGB1 has apparently contrasting biological actions: it sustains inflammation (with the possible establishment of autoimmunity or of self‐maintaining tissue damage) while activating and recruiting stem cells, which foster tissue repair. However, little is known about the role environmental cues play in the extracellular functions of HMGB1. The skeletal muscle is an optimal tissue model to help us unravel these underlying molecular events. Here, sterile injury triggers a potent inflammatory response that includes infiltration by inflammatory leukocytes and the parallel activation, proliferation, and fusion of muscle‐specific stem cells. Recent data suggest that the regulation of environmental redox is critical for the bioactivity of HMGB1, which is extremely sensitive to oxidation. Moreover, data suggest a potential role for infiltrating alternatively activated macrophages to influence the outcome of inflammatory responses to sterile skeletal muscle necrosis.
What do we mean when we write “senescence,”“apoptosis,”“necrosis,” or “clearance of dying cells”?
Authors: Mevorach Dror , Trahtemberg Uriel , Krispin Alon , Attalah Mizhir , Zazoun Jonathan , Tabib Adi , Grau Amir , Verbovetski‐Reiner Inna
Published: October 2010

The clearance of dying cells has become an important field of research. Apart from a significant increase in our understanding of the mechanisms for uptake, cell clearance is a basic mechanism in tissue homeostasis, cancer, resolution of inflammation, induction of tolerance, and autoimmunity. Phagocytosis of dying cells is a complex process, involving many interacting molecules on the dying cell and the phagocyte, and in the microenvironment. Although much is known on the subject, there are many questions and unknown variables that remain under investigation. Naturally, different terms were developed, among which some are misused, leading sometimes to pseudoconflicts of understanding. Several receptors were described as “phosphatidylserine receptor: are they all equal?” We will revise terms such as apoptosis, primary and secondary necrosis, lysed cells, senescent cells, clearance of apoptotic cells, efferocytosis, and more. We will try to point out misnomers, misunderstandings, and contradictions, and to define a consensual vocabulary.
Alpha (v) integrins license regulatory T cells to apoptotic cells and self‐associated antigens
Authors: Païdassi Helena , Acharya Mridu , Lacy‐Hulbert Adam
Published: October 2010

Defects in apoptotic cell clearance are thought to contribute to autoimmunity by failure to induce tolerance, coupled with accumulation of immunogenic material. However, little is known about the contribution of apoptosis to immune responses at mucosal sites, where regulatory T cells (Treg cells) and other immune cells play an essential active role in maintaining tolerance to self‐associated antigens. In recent studies, we have found that αv integrins have an important role in apoptotic cell phagocytosis and induction of Treg cells in the intestine, and deletion of αv from myeloid cells causes colitis associated with failed apoptotic cell removal and loss of Treg cells. Our data show that activation of transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β by αvβ8 on dendritic cells (DCs) is essential for generating Treg cells and inducing mucosal tolerance. These results provide a mechanism by which tolerance to apoptotic cell–derived and –associated antigens is maintained by DC “licensing” at sites of high TGF‐β expression.
Double‐Blind Placebo‐Controlled Comparison of Enoximone and Dobutamine Infusions in Patients With Moderate to Severe Chronic Heart Failure
Authors: Bader Feras M. , Gilbert Edward M. , Mehta Neal A. , Bristow Michael R.
Published: October 2010

Few data exist on the safety of transferring patients to standard oral therapy for chronic heart failure (CHF) after acute management with inotropic agents. This study compares hemodynamic responses and cardiac dysrhythmic effects of continuous infusion of enoximone, dobutamine, or placebo in patients with moderate to severe CHF. The authors enrolled 136 patients who were randomly assigned to either open‐label dobutamine or double‐blind enoximone vs placebo. After 24 hours of treatment, the study was unblinded. Patients receiving placebo completed the study. Patients receiving enoximone or dobutamine received the infusion for an additional 24 hours and were then switched to standard oral therapy for 72 hours. Compared with placebo, both enoximone and dobutamine increased cardiac index and decreased pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP). Compared with dobutamine, enoximone significantly increased cardiac index after the first 24 hours of infusion and significantly decreased PCWP throughout the infusion period. There was no difference in the incidence of arrhythmias between enoximone and dobutamine. More patients (65%) tolerated the switch to oral therapy in the enoximone group compared with dobutamine (49%; P =.12). Enoximone is effective in improving the hemodynamics in patients with moderate to severe CHF and is tolerated at least as well as dobutamine. Congest Heart Fail. 2010;16:265–270. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Individual and Joint Associations of Obesity and Physical Activity on the Risk of Heart Failure
Authors: Wang Yujie , Hu Gang
Published: October 2010

Heart failure (HF) has become a major public health problem in both developed and developing countries of the world. The individual and joint associations of physical activity and obesity on the risk of HF have been extensively studied in recent years. The results from prospective studies consistently indicate that regular physical activity reduces the risk of HF, while both general obesity and abdominal obesity increase the risk of HF. Furthermore, research related to the joint association of obesity and physical activity on HF risk indicates that lean and active individuals had the lowest risk of HF. Therefore, preventing HF by maintaining optimal weight and engaging in regular physical activity may reduce the public health burden of HF worldwide. Congest Heart Fail. 2010;16:292–299. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Prevalence of Vaccination Rates in Systolic Heart Failure: A Prospective Study of 549 Patients by Age, Race, Ethnicity, and Sex in a Heart Failure Disease Management Program
Authors: Hebert Kathy , Marzouka George , Arcement Lee , Julian Elyse , Cortazar Frank , Dias Andre , Tamariz Leonardo
Published: October 2010

Healthy People 2010 aims at immunizing 60% of high‐risk adults annually against influenza and once against pneumococcal disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of a standardized approach to improve vaccination rates in patients with heart failure (HF); to determine whether disparities exist based on age, race, ethnicity, or sex at baseline and follow‐up; and to evaluate the impact of clinical variables on the odds of being vaccinated. A prospective study of 549 indigent patients enrolled in a systolic HF disease management program (HFDMP) began enrollment from August 2007 to January 2009 at Jackson Memorial Hospital. Patients were interviewed at their initial visit for immunization status; those without vaccinations were offered the vaccines. Prevalence of vaccination (POV) for influenza and pneumococcal disease was obtained at baseline and at follow‐up. The odds ratio for being vaccinated was calculated using logistic regression. The study population comprised mostly Hispanic (56%), black (37%), and male (70%) patients, with a mean age of 56±12 years and a mean ejection fraction of 25%±10%. The initial POV for both was 22% at baseline. At follow‐up, POV improved to 60.5%. Of those not vaccinated at baseline, 17.5% refused vaccination. Odds ratios at baseline for age, race/ethnicity, and sex were 0.99 (P=.99), 0.63 (P=.08), and 0.62 (P=.14), respectively. These did not change significantly at follow‐up. Prevalence of vaccination in our cohort was low. Enrollment into the HFDMP improved immunization prevalence without creating age, race, ethnicity, or sex disparities. Congest Heart Fail. 2010;16:278–283. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
THE PSYCHOANALYTIC PASSION OF J.D. BERNAL IN 1920s CAMBRIDGE
Authors: Forrester John
Published: October 2010

abstract

Following Hinshelwood (1995), the paper points to an overlooked point of cultural access to psychoanalysis in early 20th century England – the enthusiastic reception of Freudianism amongst scientists in Cambridge. The manuscripts of the Marxist X‐ray crystallographer, J.D. Bernal, are employed to reveal his quasi‐religious enthusiasm during the 1920s for psychoanalysis as the foundation for a revolution in all the sciences; this enthusiasm disappeared with Bernal's growing commitment to the cause of socialist science.
INSTITUTIONAL IMPACT OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
Authors: Chiesa Marco
Published: October 2010

abstract

The paper addresses aspects of the difficult relationship scientific research has had with psychoanalytically‐informed institutions. These difficulties stem from a position of rejectionism long held by institutional psychoanalysis with regard to the role scientific research may play in the development of psychoanalysis. It is argued that the development of a solid integration between scientific research and clinical psychoanalysis can help psychoanalysis grow and contribute to resolving the theoretical fragmentation present in today's psychoanalysis. Institutional reactions to results coming from scientific studies that do not confirm assumptions, expectations, beliefs or current practices are described and discussed. Two examples of research studies carried out at the Psychotherapy Department of St Bernard's Hospital and at the Cassel Hospital, during Bob Hinshelwood's time there, that did not meet the institutional blueprint are presented.
EXTREMISM AND ITS MILIEUX
Authors: Richards Barry
Published: October 2010

abstract

This paper discusses how some of the ideas and approaches with which Bob Hinshelwood has been identified can be applied in examining political extremism, particularly destructive forms of fundamentalism. It considers the application at a societal level of concepts of psychosocial dynamics in therapeutic communities. Topics such as the management of ambivalence amongst community staff, the institution's primal scene, and the small group as container are shown to have parallels in the relationships between extremist groups and society. The degree of support for or tolerance of a particular form of fundamentalism in a sector of the public is often an important influence on the extent to which it may generate violent extremism. It is suggested that psychoanalytic understandings of the superego and its relationship to the current external world can throw light on the social supports for extremism.
INSTITUTIONAL RACISM: CAN PSYCHOTHERAPY CHANGE?
Authors: Cooper Andrew
Published: October 2010

abstract

In this paper I explore programmes of work undertaken to address institutional racism within two institutions providing psychoanalytic psychotherapy training and services. The paper suggests that training institutions of this kind may be paradoxically positioned. The same features that we might expect to facilitate reflection and change in favour of increased tolerance and diversity may act as points of organizational resistance to change. The paper draws on a range of theoretical resources that may be helpful in understanding the acute anxieties that are often mobilized when institutional racism is named and identified as something the organization has decided to tackle. The account is interwoven with various personal reflections on the experience of this work, and some autobiographical observations that may illuminate the stories presented.
The redox – biochemistry of human hair pigmentation
Authors: Schallreuter Karin U. , Salem Mohamed M. A. E. L. , Hasse Sybille , Rokos Hartmut
Published: October 2010

The biochemistry of hair pigmentation is a complex field involving a plethora of protein and peptide mechanisms. The in loco factory for melanin formation is the hair follicle melanocyte, but it is common knowledge that melanogenesis results from a fine tuned concerted interaction between the cells of the entire dermal papilla in the anagen hair follicle. The key enzyme is tyrosinase to initiate the active pigmentation machinery. Hence, an intricate understanding from transcription of mRNA to enzyme activity, including enzyme kinetics, substrate supply, optimal pH, cAMP signaling, is a must. Moreover, the role of reactive oxygen species on enzyme regulation and functionality needs to be taken into account. So far our knowledge on the entire hair cycle relies on the murine model of the C57BL/6 mouse. Whether this data can be translated into humans still needs to be shown. This article aims to focus on the effect of H2O2‐redox homeostasis on hair follicle pigmentation via tyrosinase, its substrate supply and signal transduction as well as the role of methionine sulfoxide repair via methionine sulfoxide reductases A and B (MSRA and B).
Statins Alter Intracellular Calcium Homeostasis in Malignant Hyperthermia Susceptible Individuals
Authors: Metterlein T. , Schuster F. , Tadda L. , Hager M. , Roewer N. , Anetseder M.
Published: October 2010

Aims: Statines, HMG‐CoA reductase inhibitors, are widely used to treat hypercholesterinemia. These substances are well tolerated, but myotoxic effects have been reported. The exact mechanisms of the induced myotoxicity are unknown but an involvement of intracellular calcium handling is suspected. Individuals susceptible to malignant hyperthermia (MH) have an impaired calcium homeostasis. An in vitro test measuring contracture responses of isolated muscle bundles is used to investigate cellular processes of MH. Aim of this study was to investigate if statins modify the contracture response of isolated muscle bundles from MH susceptible (MHS) and nonsusceptible (MHN) pigs. Methodology: With approval of the local ethics committee muscle biopsies of 18 MH susceptible and 12 nonsusceptible pigs were performed. Muscle bundles were mounted on an isometric force transducer, preloaded, and electrically stimulated. After establishment of a stable baseline, muscle bundles were exposed to simvastatin, atorvastatin, gemfibrocil, and the pure solvent. Baseline tension was measured and analyzed for changes with P < 0.05 considered to be significant. Results: There were no differences in weight, length, and predrug baseline tension between the groups. Both simvastatin and atorvastatin induced significant contractures in muscle bundles from MHS pigs. Gemfibrocil and the solvent methanol showed no effect. In MHN muscle bundles, none of the tested substances induced a contracture. Statines induce contractures only in MHS muscle bundles. Conclusion: We therefore conclude that the underlying mechanism may be a pathologic influence on intracellular calcium handling that is absent in MHN. A preexisting impairment of the calcium homeostasis seems to be necessary for this behavior because muscle bundles of MHN pigs showed no pathologic reaction. A higher muscle cell vulnerability toward statins is assumed in MHS patients. Statins ought to be used with caution in these individuals. Analogous a diagnostic workup for MH should be considered for patients with statin‐induced rhabdomyolyis.
The Effect of Liability and Patch Release on Software Security: The Monopoly Case
Authors: Kim Byung Cho , Chen Pei‐Yu , Mukhopadhyay Tridas
Published: October 2010

An abundance of flawed software has been identified as the main cause of the poor security of computer networks because major viruses and worms exploit the vulnerabilities of such software. As an incentive mechanism for software security quality improvement, software liability has been intensely discussed among both academics and practitioners for a long time. An alternative approach to managing software security is patch release, which has been widely adopted in practice. In this paper, we examine these two different ways of mitigating customer risk in the software market: liability and patch release. We study the impact of both mechanisms on a monopolistic software vendor's decision on security quality. We find the conditions under which each mechanism is effective in terms of improving security quality and increasing social surplus. The heterogeneous nature of loss is identified to be a key factor for the effectiveness of the liability mechanism. On the other hand, patch release can be effective and welfare‐enhancing regardless of the nature of loss as long as customers incur low patching cost, and/or the vendor incurs low patch development cost. We also examine the impact of customer misperception of the outcome from vulnerable software on the effectiveness of liability.
Pool‐Point Distribution of Zero‐Inventory Products
Authors: Geismar H. Neil , Dawande Milind , Sriskandarajah Chelliah
Published: October 2010

We study zero‐inventory production‐distribution systems under pool‐point delivery. The zero‐inventory production and distribution paradigm is supported in a variety of industries in which a product cannot be inventoried because of its short shelf life. The advantages of pool‐point (or hub‐and‐spoke) distribution, explored extensively in the literature, include the efficient use of transportation resources and effective day‐to‐day management of operations.

The setting of our analysis is as follows: A production facility (plant) with a finite production rate distributes its single product, which cannot be inventoried, to several pool points. Each pool point may require multiple truckloads to satisfy its customers' demand. A third‐party logistics provider then transports the product to individual customers surrounding each pool point. The production rate can be increased up to a certain limit by incurring additional cost. The delivery of the product is done by identical trucks, each having limited capacity and non‐negligible traveling time between the plant and the pool points. Our objective is to coordinate the production and transportation operations so that the total cost of production and distribution is minimized, while respecting the product lifetime and the delivery capacity constraints.

This study attempts to develop intuition into zero‐inventory production‐distribution systems under pool‐point delivery by considering several variants of the above setting. These include multiple trucks, a modifiable production rate, and alternative objectives. Using a combination of theoretical analysis and computational experiments, we gain insights into optimizing the total cost of a production‐delivery plan by understanding the trade‐off between production and transportation.
The Manufacturer's Incentive to Reduce Lead Times
Authors: Kraiselburd Santiago , Pibernik Richard , Raman Ananth
Published: October 2010

Although, ceteris paribus, reducing lead times may be desirable from an overall system perspective, an upstream party (e.g., a manufacturer) may have strong disincentives to offer shorter lead times, even if this came at no cost. We consider a setting in which the downstream party has the ability to exert a costly effort to increase demand (e.g., through sales promotions, advertising, etc.) during the selling season, and compare two situations: one where there is zero lead time (i.e., all demand can be satisfied after observing the demand realization), and one where orders need to be made before demand is realized. We identify two interacting effects that may inhibit shorter lead times. A so‐called “safety stock effect” can be observed when a lower risk of stocking out under short lead times induces the downstream party to alter her order quantity. A second effect, termed as “effort effect,” arises if shorter lead times impact the downstream party's optimal sales effort, and, as a consequence, lead to different order quantities. We provide a formal characterization of both effects, insight into how these effects interact, and show under which conditions the manufacturer has an incentive to offer shorter lead times.
Paris in Bogotá: Applying the Aid Effectiveness Agenda in Colombia
Authors: McGee Rosemary , García Heredia Irma
Published: October 2010

Recent research in the field of development aid persuasively problematises aid relationships and begins to reveal their significance for the real‐life application and effectiveness of international development cooperation. Until insights from such research percolate through aid machineries such as the OECD DAC and its workings, the country‐level consequences of universal aid frameworks and prescriptions will continue to be insufficiently foreseen, and in some cases unexpectedly problematic.

This paper is about an in‐depth, qualitative study of the application of the Paris Declaration (PD) on Aid Effectiveness in Colombia. This middle‐income, non‐aid‐dependent country with a prolonged and complex internal armed conflict and a poor human rights record, hitherto on the margins of international aid circles, has fast assumed a high‐profile role in them via its adoption of the PD. The study stemmed from a conviction that PD application in Colombia has unanticipated consequences, with under‐appreciated impacts on the strategies of donors and social actors. Donors are subject to an attempt to push them (back) into a technocratic corner. In this politically complex context where donors’ presence owes at least as much to concerns over Colombia's international human rights performance as to classic aid donor concerns with widespread extreme poverty, this is worrying and undesirable.

It also has serious implications for the tripartite aid dialogue process established in 2003, involving Government, donors and social actors. This, for all its flaws and frustrations, is unique and important in a historic context of polarised, antagonistic and violent relationships between the state and left‐wing advocates of human rights and social democratic principles.

It will require skilful and opportunistic responses by both donors and social organisations to turn this conjuncture to their favour, in the sense of strengthening their leverage on the Government in relation to human rights, poverty, conflict and democratic governance.
How Web 2.0 is Changing the Nature of Museum Work
Authors: Kelly Lynda
Published: October 2010

Abstract  George Brown Goode, a former Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian in the late 1880s, said that the nature of museum work is not only knowledge creation, but also knowledge dissemination, and, ultimately, learning: “The museum likewise must, in order to perform its proper functions, contribute to the advancement of learning through the increase as well as through the diffusion of knowledge” (1991, 337). Elaine Heumann Gurian noted that: “The use of the Internet will inevitably change museums. How museums respond to multiple sources of information found on the Web and who on staff will be responsible for orchestrating this change is not yet clear. The change, when it comes, will not be merely technological but at its core philosophical” (2010, 95). The catalyst for this change—and for accelerating the pace of change—is Web 2.0.
Connecting a Museum with Its Community
Authors: Hayward Jeff
Published: October 2010

Abstract  The exhibition, Changing Places: From Black and White to Technicolor, at the Levine Museum of the New South, in Charlotte, North Carolina, is more than a story about a changing community—it’s a platform for an experience that engages its local audience.
EGO‐TRAP: A Mobile Augmented Reality Tool for Science Learning in a Semi‐formal Setting
Authors: Kahr‐Højland Anne
Published: October 2010

Abstract  EGO‐TRAP is a cellphone‐facilitated interactive narrative game created at the Experimentarium in Copenhagen. Designed to support scientific literacy among students from upper secondary schools, the project is part of a reform that has increased focus on educational methods and alternative learning resources in Denmark since 2005, and that explores the educational potential of museums and science centers outside formal school settings. EGO‐TRAP can be called a “digital narrative” or Augmented Reality (AR)—a digital extension of a physical setting.
Estimation of Muscle Response Using Three-Dimensional Musculoskeletal Models Before Impact Situation: A Simulation Study
Authors: Bae Tae Soo , Loan Peter , Choi Kuiwon , Hong Daehie , Mun Mu Seong
Published: October 2010

When car crash experiments are performed using cadavers or dummies, the active muscles’ reaction on crash situations cannot be observed. The aim of this study is to estimate muscles’ response of the major muscle groups using three-dimensional musculoskeletal model by dynamic simulations of low-speed sled-impact. The three-dimensional musculoskeletal models of eight subjects were developed, including 241 degrees of freedom and 86 muscles. The muscle parameters considering limb lengths and the force-generating properties of the muscles were redefined by optimization to fit for each subject. Kinematic data and external forces measured by motion tracking system and dynamometer were then input as boundary conditions. Through a least-squares optimization algorithm, active muscles’ responses were calculated during inverse dynamic analysis tracking the motion of each subject. Electromyography for major muscles at elbow, knee, and ankle joints was measured to validate each model. For low-speed sled-impact crash, experiment and simulation with optimized and unoptimized muscle parameters were performed at 9.4 m/h and 10 m/h and muscle activities were compared among them. The muscle activities with optimized parameters were closer to experimental measurements than the results without optimization. In addition, the extensor muscle activities at knee, ankle, and elbow joint were found considerably at impact time, unlike previous studies using cadaver or dummies. This study demonstrated the need to optimize the muscle parameters to predict impact situation correctly in computational studies using musculoskeletal models. And to improve accuracy of analysis for car crash injury using humanlike dummies, muscle reflex function, major extensor muscles’ response at elbow, knee, and ankle joints, should be considered.
A Computational Study of the Flow Through a Vitreous Cutter
Authors: Juan Tingting , Hubschman Jean-Pierre , Eldredge Jeff D.
Published: October 2010

Vitrectomy is an ophthalmic microsurgical procedure that removes part or all of the vitreous humor from the eye. The procedure uses a vitreous cutter consisting of a narrow shaft with a small orifice at the end through which the humor is aspirated by an applied suction. An internal guillotine oscillates back and forth across the orifice to alter the local shear response of the humor. In this work, a computational study of the flow in a vitreous cutter is conducted in order to gain better understanding of the vitreous behavior and provide guidelines for a new vitreous cutter design. The flow of a Newtonian surrogate of vitreous in a two-dimensional analog geometry is investigated using a finite difference-based immersed boundary method with an algebraically formulated fractional-step method. A series of numerical experiments is performed to evaluate the impact of cutting rate, aspiration pressure, and opening/closing transition on the vitreous cutter flow rate and transorifice pressure variation during vitrectomy. The mean flow rate is observed to increase approximately linearly with aspiration pressure and also increase nearly linearly with duty cycle. A study of time-varying flow rate, velocity field, and vorticity illuminates the flow behavior during each phase of the cutting cycle and shows that the opening/closing transition plays a key role in improving the vitreous cutter’s efficacy and minimizing the potential damage to surrounding tissue. The numerical results show similar trend in flow rate as previous in vitro experiments using water and balanced saline solution and also demonstrate that high duty cycle and slow opening/closing phases lead to high flow rate and minor disturbance to the eye during vitrectomy, which are the design requirements of an ideal vitreous cutter.
Effect of Common Carotid Artery Inlet Length on Normal Carotid Bifurcation Hemodynamics
Authors: Hoi Yiemeng , Wasserman Bruce A. , Lakatta Edward G. , Steinman David A.
Published: October 2010

Controversy exists regarding the suitability of fully developed versus measured inlet velocity profiles for image-based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) studies of carotid bifurcation hemodynamics. Here, we attempt to resolve this by investigating the impact of the reconstructed common carotid artery (CCA) inlet length on computed metrics of “disturbed” flow. Twelve normal carotid bifurcation geometries were reconstructed from contrast-enhanced angiograms acquired as part of the Vascular Aging—The Link That Bridges Age to Atherosclerosis study (VALIDATE). The right carotid artery lumen geometry was reconstructed from its brachiocephalic origin to well above the bifurcation, and the CCA was truncated objectively at locations one, three, five, and seven diameters proximal to where it flares into the bifurcation. Relative to the simulations carried out using the full CCA, models truncated at one CCA diameter strongly overestimated the amount of disturbed flow. Substantial improvement was offered by using three CCA diameters, with only minor further improvement using five CCA diameters. With seven CCA diameters, the amounts of disturbed flow agreed unambiguously with those predicted by the corresponding full-length models. Based on these findings, we recommend that image-based CFD models of the carotid bifurcation should incorporate at least three diameters of CCA length if fully developed velocity profiles are to be imposed at the inlet. The need for imposing measured inlet velocity profiles would seem to be relevant only for those cases where the CCA is severely truncated.
Formation of three-dimensional and nanowall structures on silicon using a hydrogen-assisted high aspect ratio etching
Authors: Azimi S. , Mehran M. , Amini A. , Vali A. , Mohajerzadeh S. , Fathipour M.
Published: October 2010

The authors report the realization of highly featured three-dimensional structures on silicon substrates with a single masking layer using a hydrogen-assisted deep reactive ion etching process. Oxygen, hydrogen, and SF6 are used in a sequential passivation and etching process to achieve high aspect ratio features. By controlling the flows of these gases and the power and timing of each subsequence, it is possible to achieve desired deep vertical etching, controlled underetching, and recovery, yielding three-dimensional features directly on silicon substrates. Etch rates up to 0.75 μm/min have been achieved with a low plasma power density of 1 W/cm2. In addition, features with a controllable underetching and recovery with more than 8 μm in sidewall recession have been achieved. Furthermore, values of aspect ratio higher than 40 can be obtained. The formation of three-dimensional features with nanowall structures is reported.
Perception and production boundaries between single and geminate stops in Japanese
Authors: Amano Shigeaki , Hirata Yukari
Published: October 2010

The theory of relational acoustic invariance [Pickett, E. R., et al. (1999). Phonetica 56, 135–157] was tested with the Japanese stop quantity distinction in disyllables spoken at various rates. The questions were whether the perceptual boundary between the two phonemic categories of single and geminate stops is invariant across rates, and whether there is a close correspondence between the perception and production boundaries. The durational ratio of stop closure to word (where the “word” was defined as disyllables) was previously found to be an invariant parameter that classified the two categories in production, but the present study found that this ratio varied with different speaking rates in perception. However, regression and discriminant analyses of perception and production data showed that treating stop closure as a function of word duration with an intercept term represented the perception and production boundaries very well. This result indicated that the durational ratio of adjusted stop closure (i.e., closure with an added constant) to the word was invariant and distinguished the two phonemic categories clearly. Taken together, the results support the relational acoustic invariance theory, and help refine the theory with regard to exactly what form ‘invariance’ can take.