bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MC1R variants, melanoma and red hair color phenotype: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Raimondi Sara , Sera Francesco , Gandini Sara , Iodice Simona , Caini Saverio , Maisonneuve Patrick , Fargnoli Maria Concetta
Published: March 2008

Melanocortin‐1‐receptor (MC1R) is one of the major genes that determine skin pigmentation. MC1R variants were suggested to be associated with red hair, fair skin, and an increased risk of melanoma. We performed a meta‐analysis on the association between the 9 most studied MC1R variants (p.V60L, p.D84E, p.V92M, p.R142H, p.R151C, p.I155T, p.R160W, p.R163Q and p.D294H) and melanoma and/or red hair, fair skin phenotype. Eleven studies on MC1R and melanoma, and 9 on MC1R and phenotype were included in the analysis. The 7 variants p.D84E, p.R142H, p.R151C, p.I155T, p.R160W, p. R163Q and p.D294H were significantly associated with melanoma development, with ORs (95%CI) ranging from 1.42 (1.09–1.85) for p.R163Q to 2.45 (1.32–4.55) for p.I155T. The MC1R variants p.R160W and p.D294H were associated both with red hair and fair skin, while p.D84E, p.R142H, and p.R151C were strongly associated with red hair only‐ ORs (95%CI) ranged from 2.99 (1.51–5.91) for p.D84E to 8.10 (5.82–11.28) for p.R151C. No association with melanoma or phenotype was found for p.V60L and p.V92M variants. In conclusion this meta‐analysis provided evidence that some MC1R variants are associated both with melanoma and phenotype, while other are only associated with melanoma development. These results suggest that MC1R variants could play a role in melanoma development both via pigmentary and non‐pigmentary pathways. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Socioeconomic inequalities and oral cancer risk: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of case‐control studies
Authors: Conway David I. , Petticrew Mark , Marlborough Helen , Berthiller Julien , Hashibe Mia , Macpherson Lorna M.D.
Published: March 2008

There is uncertainty and limited recognition of the relationship between socioeconomic inequalities and oral cancer. We aimed to quantitatively assess the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and oral cancer incidence risk. A systematic review of case‐control studies obtained published and unpublished estimates of the SES risk related to oral cancer. Studies were included which reported odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% CIs of oral cancer with respect to SES, or if the estimates could be calculated or obtained. Meta‐analyses were performed on subgroups: SES measure, age, sex, global region, development level, time‐period and lifestyle factor adjustments; while sensitivity analyses were conducted based on study methodological issues. Forty‐one studies provided 15,344 cases and 33,852 controls which met our inclusion criteria. Compared with individuals who were in high SES strata, the pooled ORs for the risk of developing oral cancer were 1.85 (95%CI 1.60, 2.15; n = 37 studies) for those with low educational attainment; 1.84 (1.47, 2.31; n = 14) for those with low occupational social class; and 2.41 (1.59, 3.65; n = 5) for those with low income. Subgroup analyses showed that low SES was significantly associated with increased oral cancer risk in high and lower income‐countries, across the world, and remained when adjusting for potential behavioural confounders. Inequalities persist but are perhaps reducing over recent decades. Oral cancer risk associated with low SES is significant and comparable to lifestyle risk factors. Our results provide evidence to steer health policy which focus on lifestyles factors toward an integrated approach incorporating measures designed to tackle the root causes of disadvantage. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Targeting of the N‐terminal coiled coil oligomerization interface by a helix‐2 peptide inhibits unmutated and imatinib‐resistant BCR/ABL
Authors: Beissert Tim , Hundertmark Alena , Kaburova Velina , Travaglini Lorena , Mian Afsar A. , Nervi Clara , Ruthardt Martin
Published: March 2008

The BCR/ABL oncogene is responsible for the phenotype of Philadelphia chromosome‐positive (Ph+) leukemia. BCR/ABL exhibits an aberrant ABL‐tyrosine kinase activity. The treatment of advanced Ph+ leukemia with selective ABL‐kinase inhibitors such as Imatinib, Nilotinib and Dasatinib is initially effective but rapidly followed by resistance mainly because of specific mutations in BCR/ABL. Tetramerization of ABL through the N‐terminal coiled‐coil region (CC) of BCR is essential for the ABL‐kinase activation. Targeting the CC‐domain forces BCR/ABL into a monomeric conformation reduces its kinase activity and increases the sensitivity for Imatinib. We show that (i) targeting the tetramerization by a peptide representing the Helix‐2 of the CC efficiently reduced the autophosphorylation of both unmutated and mutated BCR/ABL; (ii) Helix‐2 inhibited the transformation potential of BCR/ABL independently of the presence of mutations; and (iii) Helix‐2 efficiently cooperated with Imatinib as revealed by their effects on the transformation potential and the factor‐independence related to BCR/ABL with the exception of mutant T315I. These findings support earlier observations that BCR/ABL harboring the T315I mutation have a transformation potential that is at least partially independent of its kinase activity. These data provide evidence that the inhibition of tetramerization inhibits BCR/ABL‐mediated transformation and can contribute to overcome Imatinib‐resistance. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Play and emotional availability in young children with Down syndrome
Authors: Venuti Paola , de Falco Simona , Giusti Zeno , Bornstein Marc H.
Published: March 2008

This study investigates mother–child interaction and its associations with play in children with Down syndrome (DS). There is consensus that mother–child interaction during play represents an important determinant of typical children's play development. Concerning children with DS, few studies have investigated mother–child interaction in terms of the overall emotional quality of dyadic interaction and its effect on child play. A sample of 28 children with DS (M age = 3 years) took part in this study. In particular, we studied whether the presence of the mother in an interactional context affects the exploratory and symbolic play of children with DS and the interrelation between children's level of play and dyadic emotional availability. Children showed significantly more exploratory play during collaborative play with mothers than during solitary play. However, the maternal effect on child symbolic play was higher in children of highly sensitive mothers relative to children whose mothers showed lower sensitivity, the former displaying more symbolic play than the latter in collaborative play. Results offer some evidence that dyadic emotional availability and child play level are associated in children with DS, consistent with the hypothesis that dyadic interactions based on a healthy level of emotional involvement may lead to enhanced cognitive functioning.
Effectiveness of the home‐start parenting support program: Behavioral outcomes for parents and children
Authors: Asscher Jessica J. , Hermanns Jo M.A. , Deković Maja
Published: March 2008

This study examined effectiveness of Home‐Start, a program designed to support parents with young children. The aims were (a) to examine whether Home‐Start improved maternal well‐being and (b) to examine whether Home‐Start led to changes in the behavior of mothers or children. Self‐reported and observational data were collected in two waves, using data from 54 mothers and their children between 1.5 and 3.5 years of age who participated in this intervention program for 6 months. These data were compared to 51 comparison families who reported need for parenting support. The results showed a significant improvement in perceived parenting competence, but no effects on maternal depressive moods. Mixed results were found for parenting behavior: Parental consistency and observed sensitivity improved significantly in the Home‐Start group whereas no effects were found on the other parenting variables. Child behavioral problems seemed to diminish at the second measurement in both groups, and therefore these changes cannot be attributed to Home‐Start.
Building and operating a web‐based reporting system: A case study
Authors: Maxwell Christopher J.
Published: March 2008

The political and technical challenges posed in launching a Web‐based reporting system are explored, along with lessons learned over four years of operation.
Theoretical studies on the carcinogenicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Authors: Vijayalakshmi K. Periya , Suresh Cherumuttathu H.
Published: March 2008

The distinct molecular regions of a set of 28 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) showing varying degrees of carcinogenic activity (CA) have been analyzed on the basis of their calculated molecular electrostatic potential (MESP) at B3LYP/6‐31+G(d,p) level of theory. The MESP, being a property directly related to electron density, clearly distinguishes the electron dense centers in the molecule into K, L, M, and newly defined N regions. Further, a quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) model of carcinogenicity is developed using the volume of MESP lobes at the named regions for a set of 17 carcinogenic molecules with experimentally known CA index. The QSAR equation suggested that all the geometrical regions are significant in determining the carcinogenic property of PAHs. The model clearly showed that K and M regions have activating carcinogenic effect whereas L and N regions have deactivating carcinogenic effect. The CA showed considerable enhancement when any three distinct regions are present in a PAH. On the other hand, all the PAH systems with only one type of region are inactive irrespective of whether the region is activating or deactivating. Similarly, molecules showing the presence of two types of regions are either inactive or weakly active. The essential features of both the “K, L region” and the “bay region” theories of carcinogenesis are well evident in the new QSAR model, as the former theory works on the basis of activating K and deactivating L regions whereas the latter theory is related with the activating M region. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2008
Efficient free energy calculation of water across lipid membranes
Authors: Shinoda Keiko , Shinoda Wataru , Mikami Masuhiro
Published: March 2008

An efficient free energy (FE) calculation of a water molecule to go across lipid membranes is presented. Both overlapping distribution and cavity insertion Widom methods are complementarily used. The former is useful for a dense region where water molecules are found, i.e., from the interfacial to bulk water region, while the latter works well in the low density region, i.e., the hydrocarbon region. Since both methods evaluate the excess chemical potential of water, the obtained FE profile is free from the fitting problem usually arisen when a FE difference method is used. A diphytanyl phosphatidylcholine bilayer is used for our test calculations. An excellent and fast convergence of the chemical potential is obtained when each method is applied for the appropriate region. The estimated FE barrier using the Ewald method for the electrostatic interaction is ∼7.2 kcal/mol, which is higher than that using the interaction cutoff of 20 Å by about 0.9 kcal/mol. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 2008
Hypoxia promotes chondrogenesis in rat mesenchymal stem cells: A role for AKT and hypoxia‐inducible factor (HIF)‐1α
Authors: Kanichai Manoj , Ferguson Damien , Prendergast Patrick J. , Campbell Veronica A.
Published: March 2008

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells capable of developing along the chondrogenic, osteogenic and adipogenic lineages. As such, they have received interest as a potential cell source for tissue engineering strategies. Cartilage is an avascular tissue and thus resides in a microenvironment with reduced oxygen tension. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of a low oxygen environment on MSC differentiation along the chondrogenic route. In MSCs exposed to chondrogenic growth factors, transforming growth factor‐β and dexamethasone, in a hypoxic environment (2% oxygen), the induction of collagen II expression and proteoglygan deposition was significantly greater than that observed when cells were exposed to the chondrogenic growth factors under normoxic (20% oxygen) conditions. The transcription factor, hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α (HIF‐1α), is a crucial mediator of the cellular response to hypoxia. Following exposure of MSCs to hypoxia (2% oxygen), HIF‐1α translocated from the cytosol to the nucleus and bound to its target DNA consensus sequence. Similarly, hypoxia evoked an increase in phosphorylation of both AKT and p38 mitogen activated protein kinase, upstream of HIF‐1α activation. Furthermore, the PI3 kinase/AKT inhibitor, LY294002, and p38 inhibitor, SB 203580, prevented the hypoxia‐mediated stabilisation of HIF‐1α. To assess the role of HIF‐1α in the hypoxia‐induced increase in chondrogenesis, we employed an siRNA knockdown approach. In cells exposed to HIF‐1α siRNA, the hypoxia‐induced enhancement of chondrogenesis, as evidenced by upregulation of collagen II, sox‐9 and proteoglycan deposition, was absent. This provides evidence for HIF‐1α being a key mediator of the beneficial effect of a low oxygen environment on chondrogenesis. J. Cell. Physiol. 216: 708–715, 2008, © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Sonographic appearance of angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia in the upper arm
Authors: Mak Chee‐Wai , Tzeng Wen‐Sheng , Chen Chin‐Yu , Chou Chung‐Kuao , Lin Ching‐Nan
Published: March 2008

Angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia is an uncommon benign condition characterized by cutaneous nodules involving primarily the head and neck regions of young adults. We report thecase of a 49‐year‐old woman with such a lesion in the arm. Sonographically, the lesion exhibited a hypoechoic rim and an echogenic central portion. On color Doppler imaging, the central portion was markedly vascular. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound, 2008.
Zinc bioavailability in wheat grain in relation to phosphorus fertiliser, crop sequence and mycorrhizal fungi
Authors: Ryan Megan H , McInerney Jennifer K , Record Ian R , Angus John F
Published: March 2008

BACKGROUND: While human diets are often deficient in zinc (Zn), the impacts of crop management on Zn in cereal grains are rarely examined. In this study the effect of phosphorus (P) fertiliser and crop sequence (wheat following canola, linola, fallow or pasture) on wheat grain Zn concentration and bioavailability for humans was investigated.

RESULTS: The Zn concentration of wheat grain decreased by 33–39% in response to P fertiliser. It was also 30–40% lower for crops following canola and fallow than for those following linola and pasture. P fertiliser decreased the colonisation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in wheat roots, and canola and fallow led to lower colonisation than linola and pasture. Since AMF are known to assist in soil uptake of immobile nutrients such as Zn, it is hypothesised that P fertiliser and crop sequence affected grain Zn concentration through AMF. P fertiliser also increased the concentrations of grain P by 17% and grain phytic acid (PA) by 19%, but had little effect on the concentrations of calcium (Ca), iron (Fe) and polyphenols. Other impacts of crop sequence were slightly higher concentrations in grain of P after pasture and Fe after canola. The bioavailability of grain Zn, as shown by the PA:Zn and Ca × PA:Zn molar ratios, mostly reflected Zn concentration and was low in all treatments. After milling, the PA:Zn molar ratio suggested low Zn bioavailability for flour from wheat grown with P fertiliser after canola or fallow.

CONCLUSION: Crop management can affect the bioavailability of Zn in wheat grain, with practices leading to high yields potentially leading to low Zn bioavailability. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry
Supercritical fluid chromatography‐mass spectrometry for chemical analysis
Authors: Li Fangbiao , Hsieh Yunsheng
Published: March 2008

Chromatography with a supercritical fluid as the mobile phase was suggested more than four decades ago (Klesper, E., Corwin, A. H., Turner, D. A., J. Org. Chem. 1962, 27, 700–701). Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) is basically a hybrid of GC and LC that eases the resolution of a mixture of compounds not conveniently resolved by either GC or LC. The mobile phases for SFC have low viscosities and high diffusion coefficients compared to those for HPLC and allow for high efficiency separations. SFC uses supercritical fluid as the mobile phase, polar organic solvents as the modifiers in conjunction with acidic/basic compounds as additives to run the chromatographic process like in HPLC. In many applications, SFC‐based methods are advantageous over HPLC‐based methods as a separation tool in terms of efficiency and economical impact perspectives. Today, the availability of commercial hardware and API interfaces with a mass spectrometer makes SFC even more widely applicable for chemical analysis in many research fields. This review summarizes a variety of novel SFC‐MS methods for chemical analysis that have been reported in the peer‐reviewed publications.
Photoacoustic imaging of port‐wine stains
Authors: Kolkman Roy G.M. , Mulder Miranda J. , Glade Conrad P. , Steenbergen Wiendelt , van Leeuwen Ton G.
Published: March 2008

Background and Objective

To optimize laser therapy of port‐wine stains (PWSs), information about the vasculature as well as lesion depth is valuable. In this study we investigated the use of photoacoustic imaging (PAI) to obtain this information.

Study Design/Materials and Methods

PAI uses pulsed light to generate ultrasound upon absorption of short light pulses by blood. In this study we used PAI to image vasculature in PWSs in three human volunteers. Two‐dimensional imaging (scan direction vs. depth) was carried out by scanning a double‐ring photoacoustic sensor over the tissue surface.

Results

In the photoacoustic images we observed an increased photoacoustic signal intensity at the locations of the PWS that is associated with increased vascularization. From the obtained images we measured the thickness of the vascular layer and estimated lesion depth. In some cases single vessels could be observed at the position of the PWS whereas in other cases the PWS appeared as a region with large photoacoustic signal intensity.

Conclusions

PAI has the potential to reveal information about the lesion depth as well as thickness of the vascular layer. Laser Surg. Med. 40:178–182, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Perturbation bounds for weighted polar decomposition in the weighted unitarily invariant norm
Authors: Yang Hu , Li Hanyu
Published: March 2008

In this paper, by generalizing the ideas of the (generalized) polar decomposition to the weighted polar decomposition and the unitarily invariant norm to the weighted unitarily invariant norm, we present some perturbation bounds for the generalized positive polar factor, generalized nonnegative polar factor, and weighted unitary polar factor of the weighted polar decomposition in the weighted unitarily invariant norm. These bounds extend the corresponding recent results for the (generalized) polar decomposition. In addition, we also give the comparison between the two perturbation bounds for the generalized positive polar factor obtained from two different methods. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Uganda's decentralised primary education: musical chairs and inverted elite capture in School Management Committees
Authors: Prinsen Gerard , Titeca Kristof
Published: March 2008

Decentralisation policies in Africa increasingly place responsibilities and resources for the provision of public services in the hands of public bodies at the lowest level, for example in School Management Committees (SMCs). This paper questions whether elite capture, which is considered a major reason for the ineffectiveness of the management of public services at a national level, also characterises SMCs. On the basis of field research in Uganda, it is argued that elite capture does not trickle down to the lowest levels in the management of public services. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A method for optimal control in boundary‐layer flow
Authors: Dumitrache Alexandru
Published: March 2008

A methodology for active flow control which couples unsteady flow fields and controls is described. Active‐control methods are used to maintain laminar flow in a region in which the natural instabilities lead to turbulent flow. The simplest form of control which might achieve this objective is the wave‐cancellation approach. The case of boundary layer instability suppression is considered as the initial validation and test case. Control is effected through the injection or suction of fluid through a single orifice on the boundary. The optimal control theory provides an approach which does not require a priori knowledge of the flow. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Local stochastic analysis of the effective material response of disordered two‐dimensional model foams
Authors: Hardenacke Volker , Hohe Jörg
Published: March 2008

The objective of the present study is a numerical analysis of disorder effects in solid structural foams caused by their random irregular micro structure. Using a strain energy based concept, the effective material response is computed in a probabilistic homogenization based on the analysis of a large scale statistically representative volume element. The stochastic information about the scatter in the material response on the lowest possible level is generated by a subsequent division of the representative volume element in substructures consisting of a single cell wall intersection and parts of the adjacent cell walls. For each of the substructures a homogenization analysis is performed. The results for the local effective stress and strain components are evaluated by means of stochastic methods. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Investigation of properties of the solutions of hyperbolic stochastic PDEs
Authors: Ignatyev Oleksiy
Published: March 2008

In this paper we investigate the compact support property of the solutions of hyperbolic Stochastic PDE (SPDE) providing that initial condition function is deterministic and has compact support property. First, to approach this problem, we consider semi‐SPDE. It turns out that in the semi‐SPDE case solution u (t, x) preserve compact support property. When we consider SPDE, we use the stochastic differential‐difference equations (SDDE) approach. It turns out that in SPDE case solution u (t, x) does not preserve compact support property. So, if we compare the semi‐SPDE and SPDE then it becomes obvious that differentiation in space in SPDE plays crucial role and influence the behavior of the solution. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Graphical simulation of a new concept of low sized surgical parallel robot for camera guidance in minimally invasive surgery
Authors: Vaida C. , Pisla D. , Plitea N.
Published: March 2008

Robotic systems have been developed in every field where a further progress was constricted due to the human limitations in terms of speed, precision, fatigue, repeatability, strength, safety etc. One of the pioneer fields for robots is their assimilation in surgery, especially in minimally invasive procedures which aim the treatment of a disease with minimum damage to healthy tissue and suffering for the patient [1], [2]. The paper presents a complex simulation system used for the study of the characteristics of a new low sized parallel robot used for minimally invasive surgery (MIS). (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
A contractive operator solution of an airfoil design inverse problem
Authors: Šimák Jan , Pelant Jaroslav
Published: March 2008

This paper deals with a numerical method for an airfoil design which was presented in [3, 5]. This method is intended for design of an airfoil from a given velocity distribution along a mean camber line. The method is based on searching for a fixed point of a contractive operator. This operator combines an inexact inverse operator and equations describing the flow. A subsonic flow is assumed, the flow is described by a system of the Euler equations which is solved by an implicit finite volume method. The Newton method is applied to the solution of the nonlinear system. The resulting system of linear algebraic equations is solved by GMRES method, the Jacobian‐free version is described. The inexact inverse operator consists of a middle curve function and a thickness function, both depending on the given velocity distribution. In addition to the velocity distribution the velocity in infinity is given. The angle of attack is determined so that the stagnation point is in a specific position. Successful numerical results are presented. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
A method for determining control inputs for prescribed accelerations of the end‐effector of a motion‐simulator robot
Authors: Tändl Martin , Kecskeméthy Andrés
Published: March 2008

Described in this paper is an approach for generating control inputs for an industrial Kuka robot such that it produces prescribed linear acceleration time histories for a given point of the end‐effector. The method takes into account the workspace limits, and uses the internal interpolation cycle of the robot controller to generate the corresponding trajectories that will produce the prescribed accelerations. The PI parameters of the internal interpolation are identified from test measurements. The control scheme consists in producing time‐varying values for the desired angle values of the interpolation algorithm, making the changes as the algorithm proceeds and thus generating smooth trajectories. The resulting acceleration of these trajectories is compared to the prescribed accelerations, and an optimization procedure is run such as to determine the required time‐histories of the desired angles for the interpolation algorithm such that both accelerations match. The approach is demonstrated for the example of a 500kg payload Kuka robot that is aimed at producing given motions as a physical motion simulator (e. g. for cars or complex working machines). It is shown that the desired accelerations can be generated accurately and with high repeatability, making the approach suitable for example for simulating car rollover tests. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Linear and nonlinear problems of active sound control
Authors: Utyuzhnikov Sergei V. , Ryaben'kii Victor S. , Turan Ali
Published: March 2008

The problem of active shielding of some domain from the effect of the field generated in another domain is considered. The active shielding is implemented via the placement of additional sources in such a way that the total contribution of all sources leads to the desirable effect. The obtained solution does not require either the knowledge of the particular Green's function or any other information on source distribution and the surrounding medium. It is also important that along with undesirable field to be shielded, a desirable field can be admitted in the analysis. The solution of the problem requires only knowledge of the total field on the perimeter of the shielded domain. The active shielding sources are obtained for both the linear and nonlinear formulations of the problem. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
The effect of EVA content on the processing parameters and the mechanical properties of LDPE/ground tire rubber blends
Authors: Mészáros L. , Tábi T. , Kovács J.G. , Bárány T.
Published: March 2008

In this work, thermoplastic elastomers were prepared based on low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) and ground tire rubber (GTR). To improve the adhesion and achieve better rubber‐like properties, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) was selected and used as a compatibilizer. The GTR and EVA content were varied between 0–45 and 0–20 wt%, respectively. Blends with different composition were produced from the raw materials on a twin screw extruder. Tensile and instrumented falling weight impact (IFWI) specimens were injection molded from the granulated blends. Injection pressure and the shrinkage of the IFWI specimens were measured. Besides the tensile and IFWI tests, the cut cross‐sections were inspected with a scanning electron microscope. Based on the results, it can be stated that the application of EVA as a compatibilizer is essential for even lower weight percentage to ensure the rubber‐like properties, but as the EVA content is increased, only less additional improvement can be detected. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers
An in‐process ultrasonic approach to investigating the relaxation of orientation and disorientation of polymer melts
Authors: Li Jiang , Sun Zhigang , Tatibouët Jacques , Jen Cheng‐Kuei
Published: March 2008

The orientation and relaxation behaviors of a low‐density polyethylene melt and polypropylene melts with different melt indices undergoing a shear flow in a restricted channel were investigated by using ultrasound. A capillary rheometer was used to force the polymer melt through a slit die equipped with pressure, temperature, and ultrasound sensors, and the variation of ultrasound velocity traversing the melt was measured. Experimental results revealed that due to different mechanisms involved, the relaxations of orientation and disorientation processes show different dependences of ultrasound velocity on shear rate, temperature, and melt index. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2008. Published 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers
Applications of interferometric ellipsometry
Authors: Kawabata S. , Matsumoto T. , Wakaki M. , Chen J.
Published: March 2008

In the polarization division interferometric ellipsometry, two orthogonal linearly polarized light are superposed with an interferometer and the state of polarization of the composite light is measured to obtain the phase difference between the two orthogonal linearly polarized light. The Polarimetric Interferometer based on the polarization division interferometric ellipsometry was devised to carry out the measurement of the thickness of transparent thin films. It was capable of measuring the optical thickness of the films of an order of nm with ease. It was applied to observe the surface dynamics caused by water vapor adsorption and desorption on a glass substrate. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Optical properties of PZT thin films by spectroscopic ellipsometry and optical reflectivity
Authors: Chvostová D. , Pajasová L. , Železný V.
Published: March 2008

Optical properties of PbZr0.3Ti0.7O3 (PZT) thin films have been investigated using variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (VASE) and near‐normal spectroscopic reflectivity (NNSR). The measurements were carried out in the spectral range 1 – 6 eV up to 500 °C by VASE and in the range 1 – 12 eV by NNSR at room temperature. The PZT films of two different thicknesses (730 and 900 nm) were deposited on platinized Si substrates by sol‐gel (CSD) technique. VASE and NNSR data were simultaneously evaluated to obtain the optical response functions (e.g. complex refractive index, dielectric function) and thicknesses of these films. Several dispersion models were used to fit the experimental data and determine the optical response functions and geometric parameters of the thin films. The absorption edge of PZT films was found about 3.2 eV and its temperature dependence was also determined. These results werere compared with the Kramers‐Kronig analysis. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
The use of the removable thin film coating technique as an alternative to traditional decontamination methods to mitigate and abate hazardous particulates
Authors: Lumia Margaret , Gentile Charles A. , Efthimion Philip , Robson Mark Gregory
Published: March 2008

This article summarizes a study that evaluated a new decontamination technique for the mitigation and abatement of hazardous dust and particulates. Traditional decontamination methods are time‐consuming, expensive, can create airborne hazards, and do not always bring the concentration of the contaminant to acceptable levels. The use of the removable thin film coating will increase efficiency, will not generate airborne hazards, will decrease costs, and, with one application, will bring the hazardous dust concentrations to acceptable levels. Qualitative tests demonstrated that the removable thin film coating reduced the amount of visible luminescent dust (a surrogate for hazardous dust) from various surfaces. It also indicated that wherever there were minute scratches, the coating did not remove all of the dust. However, the qualitative tests showed that this decontamination method worked well as a preventative method, protecting clean areas from becoming contaminated when exposed to the luminescent dust. Further investigation was conducted using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and carbon dust. Overall, the SEM experiment demonstrated that there was a statistically significant (p = 0.00007) removal of carbon dust (less than 10 μm in size) from surfaces with crevasses larger than 3 μm. The SEM also revealed that there were some limitations where there were large clusters of carbon dust; in these instances, the coating would tear and remain on the sample surface. One method to resolve this limitation involved adding KevlarTM fibers to the removable thin film coating. It was thought that this would increase the strength of the coating and eliminate the coating from tearing when removing large clusters of a contaminant. Unfortunately, this did not alleviate the issue. The use of an engineered textile, saturated with the coating, appeared to eliminate the problem with the coating not being able to remove the contaminant from the minute surface scratches and improved the removal process of the coating. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Controlling the False Discovery Rate for Feature Selection in High‐resolution NMR Spectra
Authors: Kim Seoung Bum , Chen Victoria C. P. , Park Youngja , Ziegler Thomas R. , Jones Dean P.
Published: March 2008

Successful implementation of feature selection in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra not only improves classification ability, but also simplifies the entire modeling process and, thus, reduces computational and analytical efforts. Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares (PLS) have been widely used for feature selection in NMR spectra. However, extracting meaningful metabolite features from the reduced dimensions obtained through PCA or PLS is complicated because these reduced dimensions are linear combinations of a large number of the original features. In this paper, we propose a multiple testing procedure controlling false discovery rate (FDR) as an efficient method for feature selection in NMR spectra. The procedure clearly compensates for the limitation of PCA and PLS and identifies individual metabolite features necessary for classification. In addition, we present orthogonal signal correction to improve classification and visualization by removing unnecessary variations in NMR spectra. Our experimental results with real NMR spectra showed that classification models constructed with the features selected by our proposed procedure yielded smaller misclassification rates than those with all features. Copyright © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company Statistical Analy Data Mining 1: 000‐000, 2008
Guidelines for death notification in college student populations
Authors: Hamilton Lou Ann
Published: March 2008

This chapter offers student affairs professionals suggestions for notifying students of deaths in their families and notifying campus community and family members of student deaths.
Optimal switching boundary control of a string to rest in finite time
Authors: Gugat M.
Published: March 2008

In many control application, switching between different control devices occurs. Here the problem to control a finite string to the zero state in finite time by controlling the state at the two boundary points is considered, where at each moment in time one of the boundary controls must be switched off, that is its control value must be equal to zero. The corresponding optimal control problem where the objective function is the L2 norm of the controls is solved explicitly in the sense that controls that are successful and minimize at the same time the objective function are determined as functions of the initial state. Due to the complementarity condition that appears in the optimal control problem, it is non‐convex and the optimal control is in general not uniquely determined. To allow for technical constraints it is important to avoid an accumulation of switching points at so‐called Zeno‐points. We give examples that illustrate how switching regimes of practical value can be obtained.
Injury Patterns from Major Urban Terrorist Bombings in Trains: The Madrid Experience
Authors: Turégano‐Fuentes Fernando , Caba‐Doussoux P. , Jover‐Navalón J. M. , Martín‐Pérez E. , Fernández‐Luengas D. , Díez‐Valladares L. , Pérez‐Díaz D. , Yuste‐García P. , Guadalajara Labajo H. , Ríos‐Blanco R. , Hernando‐Trancho F. , García‐Moreno Nisa F. , Sanz‐Sánchez M. , García‐Fuentes C. , Martínez‐Virto A. , León‐Baltasar J. L. , Vazquez‐Estévez J.
Published: March 2008

Background

Terrorist urban mass casualty incidents (MCI) in the last 3 years have targeted commuter trains at rush hour, producing large numbers of casualties. Civilian care providers are usually not familiar with the types of blast injuries sustained by victims of these MCI.

Methods

We focus on the injury patterns sustained by casualties of the Madrid, 11 March 2004, terrorist bombings, at the seven hospitals that received most victims. Data were gathered of casualties who had injuries other than superficial bruises, transient hearing loss from barotrauma without eardrum perforation, and/or emotional shock. The degree of severity in critical patients was assessed with the ISS.

Results

The bombings resulted in 177 immediate fatalities, 9 early deaths, and 5 late deaths. Most survivors had noncritical injuries, but 72 (14%) of 512 casualties assessed had an Injury Severity Score (ISS) >15. The critical mortality rate was of 19.5%. The most frequently injured body regions were the head‐neck and face. Almost 50% of casualties had ear‐drum perforation, and 60% of them were bilateral. There were 43 documented cases of blast lung injury, with a survival rate of 88.3%. Maxillofacial and open long‐bone fractures were most prevalent. Gustillo’s grade III of severity predominated in tibia‐fibular and humeral fractures. Upper thoracic fractures (D1–6 segment) represented 65% of all vertebral fractures and were associated with severe blast to the torso. Severe burns were uncommon. Eye injuries were frequent, although most were of a mild‐to‐moderate severity. Abdominal visceral lesions were present in 25 (5%) patients. A multidisciplinary approach was necessary in most operated patients, and orthopedic trauma procedures accounted for 50% of the caseload in the first 24 h.

Conclusions

Ninety‐three percent of the fatalities of the Madrid trains terrorist bombings were immediate, and most survivors had noncritical injuries. Closed doors increased the immediate fatality rate in the trains. Severely wounded casualties presented specific patterns of injuries, some of them life‐threatening and unusual in other types of trauma mechanisms. Ear‐lobe amputations and upper thoracic spine fractures were markers of critical injuries.
Effect of Substitution of High Stearic Low Linolenic Acid Soybean Oil for Hydrogenated Soybean Oil on Fatty Acid Intake
Authors: DiRienzo Maureen A. , Lemke Shawna L. , Petersen Barbara J. , Smith Kim M.
Published: March 2008

High stearic, low α‐linolenic acid soybean oil (HSLL) has been developed via traditional breeding to serve as a substitute for partially hydrogenated soybean oils used in food manufacturing. The purpose of this study was to estimate the impact on fatty acid intake in the United States if HSLL were substituted for partially hydrogenated soybean oils used in several food categories, including baked goods, shortenings, fried foods, and margarines. Using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data (1999–2002), baseline intakes of five fatty acids and trans fatty acids (TFA) were determined at the mean and 90th percentile of fat consumption. Then intakes of these fatty acids were determined after HSLL was substituted for 100% of the partially hydrogenated soybean oils used in these four food categories. The results show that baseline intake of stearic acid is 3.0% energy at the mean and 3.3% energy at the 90th percentile. Use of HSLL could increase stearic acid intake to about 4–5% energy. Mean intakes of TFA could decrease from 2.5 to 0.9% energy, and intake of palmitic acid would remain unchanged. Use of HSLL as a substitute for partially hydrogenated soybean oils would result in changes in the fatty acid composition of the US diet consistent with current dietary recommendations.
Investigation on the Esterification of Fatty Acids Catalyzed by the H3PW12O40 heteropolyacid
Authors: Cardoso Abiney L. , Augusti Rodinei , Da Silva Márcio J.
Published: March 2008

In this work, the H3PW12O40 heteropolyacid (HPW) was employed as a homogeneous catalyst to promote the efficient esterification (ethanolysis) of a number of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids (myristic, palmitic, stearic, oleic, and linoleic) under mild reaction conditions. HPW showed a similar activity to those observed for p‐toluene sulfonic acid (PTSA) and sulfuric acid (H2SO4), the other acidic catalysts we compared them with in this study. In the HPW‐catalyzed esterification of stearic acid, the addition of water caused a remarkable decrease in the ethyl stearate yields. On the other hand, the increase in the HPW concentration (up to a maximum value) promoted a proportional improvement in the oleic acid to ethyl oleate conversion. Kinetic measurements using oleic acid as a prototype substrate revealed that the esterification reactions catalyzed by HPW, H2SO4, and PTSA are of first‐order in relation to the fatty acid concentration. Finally, the catalytic activity of HPW remained unaltered even after several recovery/reutilization cycles whereas the tungsten content in the final product (biodiesel produced by the HPW‐catalyzed esterification of oleic acid) was found to be at an acceptably low level (0.0095 mg of W per g of biodiesel).
Killing graphs with prescribed mean curvature and Riemannian submersions
Authors: Dajczer M. , de Lira J.H.
Published: March 2008

It is proved the existence and uniqueness of graphs with prescribed mean curvature in Riemannian submersions fibered by flow lines of a vertical Killing vector field.

On démontre l'existence et unicité de graphes avec courbure moyenne prescrite dans les submersions fibrées par les solutions d'un champ de vecteurs de Killing vertical.
A vanishing viscosity approach to a quasistatic evolution problem with nonconvex energy
Authors: Fiaschi Alice
Published: March 2008

We study a quasistatic evolution problem for a nonconvex elastic energy functional. Due to lack of convexity, the natural energetic formulation can be obtained only in the framework of Young measures. Since the energy functional may present multiple wells, an evolution driven by global minimizers may exhibit unnatural jumps from one well to another one, which overcome large potential barriers. To avoid this phenomenon, we study a notion of solution based on a viscous regularization. Finally we compare this solution with the one obtained with global minimization.
A smoothing property for the \( L^{2} \)-critical NLS equations and an application to blowup theory
Authors: Keraani Sahbi , Vargas Ana
Published: March 2008

In this paper we prove a smoothing property for the

L^{2}

-critical nonlinear Schrödinger equation and we use it to study the blowup dynamics for singular solutions below the energy level.

Dans cet article, on montre un effet régularisant pour l'équation de Schrödinger

L^{2}

-critique et on utilise ce résulat pour étudier la dynamique d'explosion pour les solutions singulières ayant des données initiales peu régulières.
Nutrient intake and serum cytokine pattern in elderly people with heart failure
Authors: Catapano Girolamo , Pedone Claudio , Nunziata Eleonora , Zizzo Alessandro , Passantino Andrea , Incalzi Raffaele Antonelli
Published: March 2008

Background:

Heart failure (HF) is frequently complicated by malnutrition. We estimated nutrient intake in HF patients and evaluated the correlation between serum cytokines and dietary pattern.

Methods:

We studied 124 elderly (≥ 60 years) patients with severe HF (N = 62) or without HF (controls, N = 62), matched for age and sex. Nutritional data were obtained from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) questionnaire. We compared the intake of macro‐ and micronutrients in the two groups; in the HF group nutritional intake was correlated with serum cytokines.

Results:

HF patients had a lower energy intake (26.8 Kcal/Kg of ideal weight vs. 37.3 Kcal /Kg ideal weight in controls, P < 0.001) due to a lower intake of all macronutrients. The energy intake was lower than the recommended (30 Kcal/Kg of ideal body weight) in 72% of HF and 34% of the controls. The intake of several minerals and vitamins was inferior to the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) in most participants. Those HF patients with a caloric intake below the median (22.6 Kcal/Kg ideal weight) did not differ substantially from those with higher caloric intake with regard to age, functional characteristics, and lean body mass as expressed by the mid‐arm muscle circumference, however, they had a higher concentration of IL4 (61.5 pg/ml vs. 37.7 pg/ml, P = 0.075) and of IL10 (6.32 pg/ml vs. 2.06 pg/ml, P = 0.046).

Conclusions:

Nutritional intake is frequently inadequate in patients with severe HF. Our results suggest that some interleukins might affect caloric intake in patients with HF.
RNA‐binding proteins and post‐transcriptional gene regulation
Authors: Glisovic Tina , Bachorik Jennifer L. , Yong Jeongsik , Dreyfuss Gideon
Published: March 2008

RNAs in cells are associated with RNA‐binding proteins (RBPs) to form ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes. The RBPs influence the structure and interactions of the RNAs and play critical roles in their biogenesis, stability, function, transport and cellular localization. Eukaryotic cells encode a large number of RBPs (thousands in vertebrates), each of which has unique RNA‐binding activity and protein–protein interaction characteristics. The remarkable diversity of RBPs, which appears to have increased during evolution in parallel to the increase in the number of introns, allows eukaryotic cells to utilize them in an enormous array of combinations giving rise to a unique RNP for each RNA. In this short review, we focus on the RBPs that interact with pre‐mRNAs and mRNAs and discuss their roles in the regulation of post‐transcriptional gene expression.
Ca2+ dissociation from the C‐terminal EF‐hand pair in calmodulin: A steered molecular dynamics study
Authors: Zhang Yong , Tan Hongwei , Lu Yanyan , Jia Zongchao , Chen Guangju
Published: March 2008

We used steered molecular dynamics (SMD) to simulate the process of Ca2+ dissociation from the EF‐hand motifs of the C‐terminal lobe of calmodulin. Based on an analysis of the pulling forces, the dissociation sequences and the structural changes, we show that the Ca2+‐coordinating residues lose their binding to Ca2+ in a stepwise fashion. The two Ca2+ ions dissociate from the two EF‐hands simultaneously, with two distinct groups among the five Ca2+‐coordinating residues affecting the EF‐hand conformational changes differently. These results provide new insights into the effects of Ca2+ on calmodulin conformation, from which a novel sequential mechanism of Ca2+‐calmodulin dissociation is proposed.