bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Some observations on the formation of an active pronival rampart at Grunehogna Peaks, Western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica
Authors: Hedding D. W. , Meiklejohn K. I. , Le Roux J. J. , Loubser M. , Davis J. K.
Published: August 2010

Summer observations of the morphology and the debris accumulation processes at an actively forming pronival rampart at Grunehogna Peaks, Western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica demonstrate that rockfall debris accumulation is causing downslope (outward) rampart extension even though the distal slope is not at the angle of repose. Field experiments show that the vast majority of rocks can traverse a stable firn surface to reach the proximal slope of the rampart and more than half end up on the distal slope or beyond. The formation processes indicate that the morphological characteristics and environmental conditions under which such features develop may be more varied than conceived in current models. Consequently, caution must be employed when fossil ramparts are used to infer palaeo‐environmental conditions. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A general model of autochthonous blockfield evolution
Authors: Ballantyne Colin K.
Published: August 2010

Two competing models have been invoked to explain the evolution of autochthonous blockfields: the Neogene model, which envisages that blockfield debris was produced by pre‐Quaternary chemical weathering; and the periglacial model, which explains autochthonous blockfields as the product of weathering and frost sorting under cold conditions during the Quaternary. This paper proposes that the evidence favouring both models can be accommodated within a single evolutionary framework. Research demonstrating tor emergence during the Pleistocene and rates of long‐term regolith production indicate lowering of blockfield‐mantled surfaces by at least several metres during the Quaternary. Such lowering implies that regolith covers have undergone continuous or intermittent renewal as surface losses are offset by lowering of the weathering front at the regolith‐rockhead boundary. Depending on initial (pre‐Quaternary) regolith depth and the surface lowering rate, some blockfields may retain inherited Neogene characteristics, but if lowering exceeds pre‐Quaternary regolith depth, a blockfield dominated by the products of mechanical weathering develops. It is proposed that the dominant mechanism operating in the later stages of blockfield evolution has been frost wedging of jointed bedrock at the base of the active layer, a process favoured by saturation of the lower parts of blockfields during seasonal freezeback and possibly by upwards freezing from ‘cold’ permafrost. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Isotopic composition and thermal regime of ice wedges in northern Victoria Land, East Antarctica
Authors: Raffi R. , Stenni B.
Published: August 2010

Ice wedges, with tops located 27 to 55 cm below the ground surface, were studied over several summers between 1998 and 2006 at three sites with differing elevations in northern Victoria Land, East Antarctica. The thermal regime, based on data‐logger measurements over five years, exhibits very low temperatures, an inferred absence of snow, and high temperature gradients between the ground surface and the top of the ice wedge that may trigger cracking. A co‐isotopic study of the wedge‐ice oxygen (δ18O) and hydrogen (δD) isotopic values shows extremely negative deuterium excess values and a strong divergence from the expected precipitation. These values and observations of hoarfrost crystals in ice‐wedge cracks during summer field surveys indicate that sublimation processes control the formation of ice in wedges, especially at high elevations within this region. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
HandTutorTM enhanced hand rehabilitation after stroke — a pilot study
Authors: Carmeli Eli , Peleg Sara , Bartur Gadi , Elbo Enbal , Vatine Jean‐Jacques
Published: August 2010

Background and Purpose. This study assessed the potential therapeutic benefit of using HandTutorTM in combination with traditional rehabilitation in a post‐stroke sub‐acute population. The study compares an experimental group receiving traditional therapy combined with HandTutorTM treatment, against a control group receiving only traditional therapy. Method. An assessor‐blinded, randomized controlled pilot trial, was conducted in the Reuth rehabilitation unit in Israel. Thirty‐one stroke patients in the sub‐acute phase, were randomly assigned to one of the two groups (experimental or control) in sets of three. The experimental group (n = 16) underwent a hand rehabilitation programme using the HandTutorTM combined with traditional therapy. The control group (n = 15) received only traditional therapy. The treatment schedules for both groups were of similar duration and frequency. Improvements were evaluated using three indicators: 1) The Brunnström‐Fugl‐Meyer (FM) test, 2) the Box and Blocks (B&B) test and 3) improvement parameters as determined by the HandTutorTM software. Results. Following 15 consecutive treatment sessions, a significant improvement was observed within the experimental group (95% confidence intervals) compared with the control group: B&B p = 0.015; FM p = 0.041, HandTutorTM performance accuracy on x axis and performance accuracy on y axis p < 0.0003. Conclusion. The results from this pilot study support further investigation of the use of the HandTutorTM in combination with traditional occupational therapy and physiotherapy during post stroke hand function rehabilitation. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The lambda spanin components Rz and Rz1 undergo tertiary and quaternary rearrangements upon complex formation
Authors: Berry Joel , Savva Christos , Holzenburg Andreas , Young Ry
Published: August 2010

Phage holins and endolysins have long been known to play key roles in lysis of the host cell, disrupting the cytoplasmic membrane and peptidoglycan (PG) layer, respectively. For phages of Gram‐negative hosts, a third class of proteins, the spanins, are involved in disrupting the outer membrane (OM). Rz and Rz1, the components of the lambda spanin, are, respectively, a class II inner membrane protein and an OM lipoprotein, are thought to span the entire periplasm by virtue of C‐terminal interactions of their soluble domains. Here, the periplasmic domains of Rz and Rz1 have been purified and shown to form dimeric and monomeric species, respectively, in solution. Circular dichroism analysis indicates that Rz has significant alpha‐helical character, but much less than predicted, whereas Rz1, which is 25% proline, is unstructured. Mixture of the two proteins leads to complex formation and an increase in secondary structure, especially alpha‐helical content. Moreover, transmission electron‐microscopy reveals that Rz–Rz1 complexes form large rod‐shaped structures which, although heterogeneous, exhibit periodicities that may reflect coiled‐coil bundling as well as a long dimension that matches the width of the periplasm. A model is proposed suggesting that the formation of such bundles depends on the removal of the PG and underlies the Rz–Rz1 dependent disruption of the OM.
Autocatalytic maturation, physical/chemical properties, and crystal structure of group N HIV‐1 protease: Relevance to drug resistance
Authors: Sayer Jane M. , Agniswamy Johnson , Weber Irene T. , Louis John M.
Published: August 2010

Interactive View | PDB Code(s): 3MWS
The apicomplexan Cryptosporidium parvum possesses a single mitochondrial‐type ferredoxin and ferredoxin:NADP+ reductase system
Authors: Lei Cheng , Rider S. Dean , Wang Cai , Zhang Haili , Tan Xiangshi , Zhu Guan
Published: August 2010

We have successfully expressed recombinant mitochondrial‐type ferredoxin (mtFd) and ferredoxin:NADP+ reductase (mtFNR) from Cryptosporidium parvum and characterized their biochemical features for the first time for an apicomplexan. Both C. parvum mtFd (CpmtFd) and FNR (CpmtFNR) were obtained and purified as holo‐proteins, in which the correct assembly of [2Fe–2S] cluster in Fd and that of FAD in FNR were confirmed and characterized by UV/vis and electron paramagnetic resonance. These proteins were fully functional and CpmtFNR was capable of transferring electrons from NADPH to CpmtFd in a cytochrome c‐coupled assay that followed a typical Michaelis‐Menten kinetics. Apicomplexan mtFd and mtFNR proteins were evolutionarily divergent from their counterparts in humans and animals and could be explored as potential drug targets in Cryptosporidium and other apicomplexans.
Blind predictions of protein interfaces by docking calculations in CAPRI
Authors: Lensink Marc F. , Wodak Shoshana J.
Published: August 2010

Reliable prediction of the amino acid residues involved in protein–protein interfaces can provide valuable insight into protein function, and inform mutagenesis studies, and drug design applications. A fast‐growing number of methods are being proposed for predicting protein interfaces, using structural information, energetic criteria, or sequence conservation or by integrating multiple criteria and approaches. Overall however, their performance remains limited, especially when applied to nonobligate protein complexes, where the individual components are also stable on their own. Here, we evaluate interface predictions derived from protein–protein docking calculations. To this end we measure the overlap between the interfaces in models of protein complexes submitted by 76 participants in CAPRI (Critical Assessment of Predicted Interactions) and those of 46 observed interfaces in 20 CAPRI targets corresponding to nonobligate complexes. Our evaluation considers multiple models for each target interface, submitted by different participants, using a variety of docking methods. Although this results in a substantial variability in the prediction performance across participants and targets, clear trends emerge. Docking methods that perform best in our evaluation predict interfaces with average recall and precision levels of about 60%, for a small majority (60%) of the analyzed interfaces. These levels are significantly higher than those obtained for nonobligate complexes by most extant interface prediction methods. We find furthermore that a sizable fraction (24%) of the interfaces in models ranked as incorrect in the CAPRI assessment are actually correctly predicted (recall and precision ≥50%), and that these models contribute to 70% of the correct docking‐based interface predictions overall. Our analysis proves that docking methods are much more successful in identifying interfaces than in predicting complexes, and suggests that these methods have an excellent potential of addressing the interface prediction challenge. Proteins 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Noncellulosomal cohesin from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Archaeoglobus fulgidus
Authors: Voronov‐Goldman Milana , Lamed Raphael , Noach Ilit , Borovok Ilya , Kwiat Moria , Rosenheck Sonia , Shimon Linda J. W. , Bayer Edward A. , Frolow Felix
Published: August 2010

The increasing numbers of published genomes has enabled extensive survey of protein sequences in nature. During the course of our studies on cellulolytic bacteria that produce multienzyme cellulosome complexes designed for efficient degradation of cellulosic substrates, we have investigated the intermodular cohesin–dockerin interaction, which provides the molecular basis for cellulosome assembly. An early search of the genome databases yielded the surprising existence of a dockerin‐like sequence and two cohesin‐like sequences in the hyperthermophilic noncellulolytic archaeon, Archaeoglobus fulgidus, which clearly contradicts the cellulosome paradigm. Here, we report a biochemical and biophysical analysis, which revealed particularly strong‐ and specific‐binding interactions between these two cohesins and the single dockerin. The crystal structure of one of the recombinant cohesin modules was determined and found to resemble closely the type‐I cohesin structure from the cellulosome of Clostridium thermocellum, with certain distinctive features: two of the loops in the archaeal cohesin structure are shorter than those of the C. thermocellum structure, and a large insertion of 27‐amino acid residues, unique to the archaeal cohesin, appears to be largely disordered. Interestingly, the cohesin module undergoes reversible dimer and tetramer formation in solution, a property, which has not been observed previously for other cohesins. This is the first description of cohesin and dockerin interactions in a noncellulolytic archaeon and the first structure of an archaeal cohesin. This finding supports the notion that interactions based on the cohesin–dockerin paradigm are of more general occurrence and are not unique to the cellulosome system. Proteins 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Structural, functional, and bioinformatics studies reveal a new snake venom homologue phospholipase A2 class
Authors: dos Santos Juliana I. , Cintra‐Francischinelli Mariana , Borges Rafael J. , Fernandes Carlos A. H. , Pizzo Paola , Cintra Adélia C. O. , Braz Antonio S. K. , Soares Andreimar M. , Fontes Marcos R. M.
Published: August 2010

Phospholipases A2 (PLA2s) are enzymes responsible for membrane disruption through Ca2+‐dependent hydrolysis of phospholipids. Lys49‐PLA2s are well‐characterized homologue PLA2s that do not show catalytic activity but can exert a pronounced local myotoxic effect. These homologue PLA2s were first believed to present residual catalytic activity but experiments with a recombinant toxin show they are incapable of catalysis. Herein, we present a new homologue Asp49‐PLA2 (BthTX‐II) that is also able to exert muscle damage. This toxin was isolated in 1992 and characterized as presenting very low catalytic activity. Interestingly, this myotoxic homologue Asp49‐PLA2 conserves all the residues responsible for Ca2+ coordination and of the catalytic network, features thought to be fundamental for PLA2 enzymatic activity. Previous crystallographic studies of apo BthTX‐II suggested this toxin could be catalytically inactive since a distortion in the calcium binding loop was observed. In this article, we show BthTX‐II is not catalytic based on an in vitro cell viability assay and time‐lapse experiments on C2C12 myotube cell cultures, X‐ray crystallography and phylogenetic studies. Cell culture experiments show that BthTX‐II is devoid of catalytic activity, as already observed for Lys49‐PLA2s. Crystallographic studies of the complex BthTX‐II/Ca2+ show that the distortion of the calcium binding loop is still present and impairs ion coordination even though Ca2+ are found interacting with other regions of the protein. Phylogenetic studies demonstrate that BthTX‐II is more phylogenetically related to Lys49‐PLA2s than to other Asp49‐PLA2s, thus allowing Crotalinae subfamily PLA2s to be classified into two main branches: a catalytic and a myotoxic one. Proteins 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Why are polar residues within the membrane core evolutionary conserved?
Authors: Illergård Kristoffer , Kauko Anni , Elofsson Arne
Published: August 2010

Here, we present a study of polar residues within the membrane core of alpha‐helical membrane proteins. As expected, polar residues are less frequent in the membrane than expected. Further, most of these residues are buried within the interior of the protein and are only rarely exposed to lipids. However, the polar groups often border internal water filled cavities, even if the rest of the sidechain is buried. A survey of their functional roles in known structures showed that the polar residues are often directly involved in binding of small compounds, especially in channels and transporters, but other functions including proton transfer, catalysis, and selectivity have also been attributed to these proteins. Among the polar residues histidines often interact with prosthetic groups in photosynthetic‐ and oxidoreductase‐related proteins, whereas prolines often are required for conformational changes of the proteins. Indeed, the polar residues in the membrane core are more conserved than other residues in the core, as well as more conserved than polar residues outside the membrane. The reason is twofold; they are often (i) buried in the interior of the protein and (ii) directly involved in the function of the proteins. Finally, a method to identify which polar residues are present within the membrane core directly from protein sequences was developed. Applying the method to the set of all human membrane proteins the prediction indicates that polar residues were most frequent among active transporter proteins and GPCRs, whereas infrequent in families with few transmembrane regions, such as non‐GPCR receptors. Proteins 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ferromagnetism in Fe‐doped ZnO bulk samples with additional Cu doping
Authors: Wang Y. Q. , Su L. , Liu L. , Tian Z. M. , Chang T. Q. , Wang Z. , Yin S. Y. , Yuan S. L.
Published: August 2010

Room‐temperature (RT) ferromagnetism (FM) has been observed in Fe‐doped ZnO bulk samples fabricated by a coprecipitation method, and the effect of additional Cu doping on magnetic properties of the samples has been investigated. The results of XRD show that all doping samples are single‐phase with a wurtzite structure. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals that Fe is in 3+ state substituting for Zn in the sample without Cu doping, however, Fe shows a mixed oxidation state of 2+ or 3+ in the sample with additional Cu doping, where Cu is 1+ valence. Magnetic measurements indicate that additional Cu doping enhances the FM of the system, and the magnetization increases gradually with the increasing Cu content x up to 1%. The observed RT FM was attributed to the ferromagnetic coupling between Fe3+ ions mediated by holes.
High‐surface‐quality nanocrystalline InN layers deposited on GaN templates by RF sputtering
Authors: Valdueza‐Felip Sirona , Naranjo Fernando B. , González‐Herráez Miguel , Lahourcade Lise , Monroy Eva , Fernández Susana
Published: August 2010

We report a detailed study of the effect of deposition parameters on optical, structural, and morphological properties of InN films grown by reactive radio‐frequency (RF) sputtering on GaN‐on‐sapphire templates in a pure nitrogen atmosphere. Deposition parameters under study are substrate temperature, RF power, and sputtering pressure. Wurtzite crystallographic structure with c‐axis preferred growth orientation is confirmed by X‐ray diffraction measurements. For the optimized deposition conditions, namely at a substrate temperature of 450 °C and RF power of 30 W, InN films present a root‐mean‐square surface roughness as low as ∼0.4 nm, comparable to the underlying substrate. The apparent optical bandgap is estimated at 720 nm (1.7 eV) in all cases. However, the InN absorption band tail is strongly influenced by the sputtering pressure due to a change in the species of the plasma.
Mechanisms of doping graphene
Authors: Pinto H. , Jones R. , Goss J. P. , Briddon P. R.
Published: August 2010

We distinguish three mechanisms of doping graphene. Density functional theory is used to show that electronegative molecules like tetrafluoro‐tetracyanoquinodimethane (F4‐TCNQ) and electropositive metals like K dope graphene p‐ and n‐ type, respectively. These dopants are expected to lead to a decrease in carrier mobility arising from Coulomb scattering but without any hysteresis effects. Secondly, a novel doping mechanism is exhibited by Au which dopes bilayer graphene but not single layer. Thirdly, electrochemical doping is effected by redox reactions and can result in p‐doping by humid atmospheres and n‐doping by NH3 and toluene.
Optically active point defects in high quality single crystal diamond
Authors: Goss J. P. , Briddon P. R. , Pinto H. , Jones R.
Published: August 2010

We use density functional theory to investigate the optical properties of vacancy di‐nitrogen, vacancy–nitrogen–hydrogen and vacancy di‐hydrogen defects. The first is a common defect found in irradiated natural type IaA diamonds while the second is found in as‐grown CVD diamond. The last has not yet been detected. We find that these defects possess at least two charge states which can lead to photochromic behaviour. In the neutral and negative states, the three defects have optical bands due to internal transitions and two weaker optical absorption bands coming from charge state changes. Thus at least four absorption bands are expected for these defects. Vibrational modes of the hydrogen defects are reported.
Room temperature ferromagnetism in Cr doped chalcopyrite type Cu–Zn–Se compound
Authors: Joseph D. Paul , Venkateswaran C.
Published: August 2010

Considering the well‐established CuInSe2 as a prototype system, a new compound of the chalcopyrite type, by replacing In with Zn, has been attempted by metallurgical method. The X‐ray diffraction pattern of the ordered defect compound Cu1‐xZn1−ySe2−δ with the characteristic peaks of a chalcopyrite phase, such as (112), (204) and (312) confirm the tetragonal structure. On doping with ‘Cr’ the band gap blue shifted to 4.09 from 3.4 eV indicating possibility of band gap tailoring. Cu1−xZn1−ySe2−δ magnetically doped with Cr shows ferromagnetic ordering at room temperature. The results are discussed.
Calculation of semiconductor band structures and defects by the screened exchange density functional
Authors: Clark S. J. , Robertson J.
Published: August 2010

The screened exchange (SX) density functional is a hybrid density functional which has been developed to improve the description of the band gaps of semiconductors and insulators in the local density approximation. It is accurate enough to reduce the band gap error to 7%, and efficient enough to be used variationally for total energy minimization in defects for supercells of 100 atoms. It also gives the correct localization of trapped hole states. Calculations of band structures and defects by SX for several materials are given as examples.
Characterization of point defects in ZnO thin films by optical deep level transient spectroscopy
Authors: Ellguth Martin , Schmidt Matthias , Pickenhain Rainer , Wenckstern Holger V. , Grundmann Marius
Published: August 2010

We have applied a special variant of optical DLTS to deep levels found in ZnO thin films. The optical emission rates of charge carriers from deep levels into a band have been measured over a range of photon energies from 0.7 to 3.0 eV and photoionization cross‐section spectra calculated from this data. Two of the defects – among these the well‐known E3 – showed no optical emission in the investigated range of photon energies. The experimental photo cross‐section spectra of two optically active defects were compared and discussed using a model [Chantre, Vincent, and Bois, Phys. Rev. B 23(10), 5335 (1981)] that yields information about the band structure and defect properties. DLTS signal simulations were compared to the experimental data for the case that E4 has two states within the bandgap. These simulations revealed that a two‐state model where both states independently allow electron emission is in accordance with the experimental data. The thermal DLTS peak of E4 was observed to be broadened and has been simulated under the assumption of a distribution of the carrier capture cross‐section. The agreement between the simulation and the measured DLTS peak possibly explains why one of the photo‐cross section spectra appears more broadened than can be simulated by the model cited above.
Practical issues and lessons learned from multi‐regional clinical trials via case examples: a Japanese perspective
Authors: Ando Yuki , Hamasaki Toshimitsu
Published: August 2010

The multi‐regional clinical trials (MRCTs) being administered in different regions of the world now play a major role in providing evidence for the efficacy and safety of new drugs amidst the simultaneous global development and worldwide registration of such drugs, in support of the expeditious availability of medical products to patients. However, such trials present considerable challenges as far as quality, design, implementation, analysis, and interpretation are concerned. In this article, we share our observations and lessons learned from the design, implementation, analysis, and interpretation of some MRCTs with case examples. Current Japanese regulatory guidance on MRCTs is introduced along with some suggestions for design, implementation, and interpretation. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fructus ligustri lucidi extracts induce human glioma cell death through regulation of Akt/mTOR pathway In Vitro and reduce glioma tumor growth in U87MG xenograft mouse model
Authors: Jeong Ji Cheon , Kim Jin Won , Kwon Chae Hwa , Kim Thae Hyun , Kim Yong Keun
Published: August 2010

The present study was undertaken to examine the effect of Fructus ligustri lucidi (FLL) extracts on glioma cell growth and to determine the underlying mechanism by which FLL extracts exert anticancer properties in human U87MG glioma cells. The FLL extracts resulted in cell death in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner. Western blot analysis showed that treatment with FLL extracts caused down‐regulation of the phosphatidylinositol‐3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway. Overexpression of Akt prevented the cell death induced by the FLL extracts. The FLL extracts caused a decrease in the expression of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and the FLL extract‐induced cell death was increased by the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin. The FLL extracts decreased the expression of survivin. Oral administration of FLL extracts in subcutaneous U87MG xenograft models reduced the glioma tumor volume. These findings indicate that the FLL extracts resulted in glioma cell death through regulation of the Akt/mTOR/survivin pathway in vitro and inhibited glioma tumor growth in vivo. These data suggest that the FLL extracts may serve as a potential therapeutic agent for malignant human gliomas. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Protective effects of dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans from Schisandra chinensis against beta‐amyloid and homocysteine neurotoxicity in PC12 cells
Authors: Song Ju‐Xian , Lin Xiang , Wong Ricky Ngok‐Shun , Sze Stephen Cho‐Wing , Tong Yao , Shaw Pang‐Chui , Zhang Yan‐Bo
Published: August 2010

Aggregated beta‐amyloid (Aβ) and elevated plasma levels of homocysteine have been implicated as critical factors in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. The neuroprotective effects and possible mechanism of four structurally similar dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans (namely schisandrin, schisantherin A, schisandrin B and schisandrin C) isolated from the fruit of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. (Schisandraceae) against Aβ25‐35 and homocysteine toxicity in PC12 cells was studied. Exposure of PC12 cells to 0.5 µm Aβ25‐35 caused significant cell death, increased the number of apoptotic cells, elevated reactive oxygen species, increased the levels of the pro‐apoptotic protein Bax and caspase‐3 activation. All these effects induced by Aβ25‐35 were markedly reversed by schisandrin B and schisandrin C pretreatment, while schisandrin and schisantherin A had no obvious effects. Meanwhile, schisandrin B and schisandrin C reversed homocysteine‐induced cytotoxicity. The results indicated that schisandrin B and schisandrin C protected PC12 cells against Aβ toxicity by attenuating ROS production and modulating the apoptotic signal pathway through Bax and caspase‐3. Further structure–activity analysis of Schisandra lignans and evaluations of their neuroprotective effects using AD animal models are warranted. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Anxiolytic‐like effects of standardized extract of Justicia pectoralis (SEJP) in mice: Involvement of GABA/benzodiazepine in receptor
Authors: Venâncio E. T. , Rocha N. F. M. , Rios E. R. V. , Feitosa M. L. , Linhares M. I. , Melo F. H. C. , Matias M. S. , Fonseca F. N. , Sousa F. C. F. , Leal L. K. A. M. , Fonteles M. M. F.
Published: August 2010

Justicia pectoralis (Acanthaceae) is used as an antiinflammatory, antimicrobial and bronchodilator, and its extract exerts an anxiolytic‐like effect profile in animal models. This work presents the behavioral effects of an aqueous standardized extract of Justicia pectoralis (SEJP) in animal models, such as the elevated plus maze (EPM), light/dark, open field, rota rod and pentobarbital sleep time. The extract was administered intragastrically to male mice at single doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg, while diazepam 1 or 2 mg/kg was used as a standard drug and flumazenil 2.5 mg/kg was used to evaluate the participation of benzodiazepinic receptors. The results showed that, similar to diazepam (1 mg/kg), SEJP significantly modified all the observed parameters in the EPM test, without altering the general motor activity in the open field, rota rod and pentobarbital sleep time tests. Flumazenil reversed not only the diazepam effect but also the SEJP effect. In the same way, all doses of SEJP increased the time of permanence in the light box in the light/dark test. The results showed that SEJP presented an anxiolytic‐like effect, disproving sedative effects. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Inhibition of TNF‐α‐mediated endothelial cell–monocyte cell adhesion and adhesion molecules expression by the resveratrol derivative, trans‐3,5,4′‐trimethoxystilbene
Authors: Deng Yan‐Hui , Alex Deepa , Huang He‐Qing , Wang Nan , Yu Nan , Wang Yi‐Tao , Leung George P. H. , Lee Simon Ming‐Yuen
Published: August 2010

Resveratrol (RSV) has been shown to have anti‐inflammatory activity and to have a protective role against atherosclerosis. Here it is shown, for the first time, that its derivative trans‐3,5,4′‐trimethoxystilbene (TMS) may be a more potent anti‐inflammatory agent than resveratrol. A comparative analysis of the inhibitory activities of related stilbenes, resveratrol, TMS and polydatin (PD), on monocyte adhesion to TNF‐α‐activated endothelial cells showed TMS to be the most effective, with PD being the least effective. RSV and its analogues inhibited, albeit differentially, the protein and mRNA expression levels of inducible cell adhesion molecules, ICAM‐1 and VCAM‐1, in cultured endothelial cells. The mechanism of the inhibitory effects of these stilbenes on endothelial cell–monocyte cell adhesion can be attributed mainly to inhibition of NF‐κB pathway activation. The results demonstrate that all three investigated stilbene compounds, especially TMS, exhibit a potent inhibitory effect on inflammation‐induced cell–cell adhesion, expression of adhesion molecules and activation of the NF‐κB pathway. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cancer‐preventive activities of secondary metabolites from leaves of the bilberry Vaccinium smallii A. Gray
Authors: Mechikova G. Ya. , Kuzmich A. S. , Ponomarenko L. P. , Kalinovsky A. I. , Stepanova T. A. , Fedorov S. N. , Stonik V. A.
Published: August 2010

Ten secondary metabolites including flavonoids (1–8), caffeic (9) and chlorogenic (10) acids were structurally identified from the extract of Sakhalin bilberry Vaccinium smallii leaves and studied in vitro as potential cancer‐preventive agents. The results showed that compounds 1–10 inhibited EGF‐induced neoplastic transformation of mouse JB6 Cl 41 P+ cells in soft agar with an inhibition concentration (INCC50) of 20–80 µm. Moreover, all these natural products were non‐toxic against JB6 Cl 41 P+ cells up to a concentration of 200 µm. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of oral dosage form and storage period on the antioxidant properties of four species used in traditional herbal medicine
Authors: Guimarães Rafaela , Barreira João C. M. , Barros Lillian , Carvalho Ana Maria , Ferreira Isabel C. F. R.
Published: August 2010

Herbal infusions and decoctions in water are some of the most commonly consumed beverages in the world. Although water is not a good solvent for many of the active components in herbs, liquid preparations are rich in several bioactive compounds. Most of them have powerful antioxidant activity and have been related to medicinal herbs' properties. Herein, decoctions and infusions in water of lemon‐verbena (Aloysia citrodora) aerial parts and leaves, fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) and spearmint (Mentha spicata) aerial parts with different periods of storage (0, 30, 60 and 120 days), were prepared. The effects of the method of preparation and storage period on their antioxidant properties were analysed. For all the analysed species, infusions gave better results than the corresponding decoctions. Spearmint infusions showed the highest antioxidant properties, at all the storage periods, probably due to the highest levels and synergy between phenolics, flavonoids and ascorbic acid found in this sample. Linear discriminant analysis confirmed that the length of storage period has a significant influence on the antioxidant activity and antioxidant content. Flavonoids and reducing sugars proved to be the parameters that most highly contributed to cluster individual groups according to different periods of storage. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evidence of glycemia‐lowering effect by aCynara scolymusL. extract in normal and obese rats
Authors: Fantini Noemi , Colombo Giancarlo , Giori Andrea , Riva Antonella , Morazzoni Paolo , Bombardelli Ezio , Carai Mauro A. M.
Published: August 2010

Several recent preliminary clinical studies have suggested that artichoke (Cynara scolymusL.,Asteraceaefamily) preparations may be capable of lowering post‐prandial glycemia. The present study was designed to test this hypothesis in laboratory rats. To this aim, non‐selected Wistar and genetically obese Zucker rats were treated acutely with a purified extract ofCynara scolymusflowering heads (500–1500 mg/kg by gavage) immediately prior to 1 h access to a fixed amount of food. Glycemia was recorded 60, 120 and 360 min after food presentation. Treatment withCynara scolymusflowering head extract resulted in a significant decrease of post‐prandial glycemia in both rat strains. The lack of any fiber content in thisCynara scolymusflowering head extract excludes the involvement of dietary fibers in glycemia reduction. The results obtained constitute the first evidence of a hypoglycemic effect of an artichoke preparation in laboratory rodents and confirm previous observations made in humans. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of yokukansan and donepezil on learning disturbance and aggressiveness induced by intracerebroventricular injection of amyloid β protein in mice
Authors: Sekiguchi Kyoji , Imamura Sachiko , Yamaguchi Takuji , Tabuchi Masahiro , Kanno Hitomi , Terawaki Kiyoshi , Kase Yoshio , Ikarashi Yasushi
Published: August 2010

The effects of yokukansan and donepezil on learning disturbance and aggressiveness were examined in amyloid β protein (Aβ)‐injected mice. Intellicage tests showed that both yokukansan and donepezil ameliorated Aβ‐induced learning disturbance, but the ameliorating effect of donepezil was not enhanced by concomitant administration of yokukansan. On the other hand, a social interaction test showed that Aβ‐induced aggressiveness was ameliorated by yokukansan, but not by donepezil. Co‐administration of both drugs also ameliorated aggressiveness, as did yokukansan alone.In vitrobinding assays revealed that yokukansan did not bind to choline receptors or transporters.In vitroenzyme assays revealed that yokukansan did not affect choline acetyltransferase activity or inhibit acetylcholinesterase activity, as did donepezil. These results suggest that yokukansan might ameliorate aggressiveness without interfering with the pharmacological efficacy (antidementia effect) of donepezil and also that concomitant administration of yokukansan might be useful for amelioration of aggressiveness, which was not lessened by donepezil. The difference in the efficacies of both drugs may be due to a difference in their pharmacological mechanisms. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evaluation of absorption kinetics of oxygen scavenger sachets using response surface methodology
Authors: Braga Lilian R. , Sarantópoulos Claire I.G.L. , Peres Leila , Braga Jez W.B.
Published: August 2010

The performance of oxygen scavengers can be influenced by several conditions, such as temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH), which are considered to be the two major factors. Therefore, the development of new scavengers requires the study of their performance, with these conditions varied. In this paper, the response surface methodology (RSM) was used to study the performance of a newly developed oxygen scavenger sachet and to model the influences of T and RH and their interaction on the absorption capacity and rate constant of the developed sachet. Commercial oxygen scavenger sachets were used for comparison purposes. The oxygen absorption capacity and rate constant were evaluated with a 22 factorial design with a central point. The results showed that each absorber sachet presented a different behaviour and there were significant interactions between T and RH; so, the RSM was the most appropriate for these studies. The developed sachet presented a better performance compared with the commercial ones at 23°C and 53% RH, which represents the condition for commercialization at room temperature of foods of intermediary water activity, while in the extreme conditions (100% RH and 37°C) all sachets present a similar absorption capacity. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Potential environmental gains from reducing food losses through development of new packaging – a life‐cycle model
Authors: Wikström Fredrik , Williams Helén
Published: August 2010

Food losses are seldom included in life cycle analyses of the food packaging system, nor are they included in the debate on sustainable packaging. The development of packaging that decreases food losses does, however, provide an opportunity to reduce the overall environmental impact. In this paper, we present a model that calculates the environmental impact of the food packaging system as a function of food losses. The model can be used to analyse the potential environmental gains from developing packaging that reduce food losses. The model includes food production and processing, transports, packaging, retailer and consumer issues and waste handling. The results show that it can be environmentally motivated to increase the environmental impact of packaging, if necessary, when new packaging design helps to reduce food losses. However, the waste handling systems of food and packaging are important to consider if packaging are developed in order to reduce the environmental impact of the food‐packaging system. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesizing nonstationary, non‐Gaussian random vibrations
Authors: Rouillard V. , Sek M. A.
Published: August 2010

This paper presents a novel technique by which non‐Gaussian vibrations are synthesized by generating a sequence of random Gaussian processes of varying root mean square (rms) levels and durations. The technique makes use of previous research by the authors which shows that non‐Gaussian vibrations can be decomposed into a sequence of Gaussian processes. Synthesis is achieved by first computing a modulation function which is produced from the rms and the segment length distribution functions, both of which were developed in previous research. This is achieved by first generating a sequence of uniformly distributed random numbers scaled to the range of segment length, which itself is a function of the desired total duration of the synthesized process. In order to transform a uniformly distributed random variable into any arbitrary non‐uniform distribution, the cumulative distribution function is established and used as a transfer function applied to the uniformly distributed random variable. This modulation function is applied to a Gaussian random signal itself generated by a standard laboratory random vibration controller (RVC) by means of a purposed‐designed variable gain amplifier system. In order to counteract the feedback function of the RVC, a second variable gain amplifier is introduced into the system in order to attenuate the feedback signal in inverse proportion to the gain applied to the command signal. This result is a nonstationary, non‐Gaussian random signal that statistically conforms to the desired PSD as well as the RMS distribution function. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Molecular dynamics simulation on diffusion of 13 kinds of small molecules in polyethylene terephthalate
Authors: Wang Zhi‐Wei , Wang Ping‐Li , Hu Chang‐Ying
Published: August 2010

Understanding the diffusion of migrants in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and calculating the diffusion coefficients are very important for migration research. In this study, the diffusion coefficients of 13 kinds of small molecules with molecular weights ranging from 32 to 339 g/mol in amorphous PET are calculated based on molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. By comparison of diffusion coefficients simulated by MD simulation techniques, predicted by the Piringer model and by experiments, the accuracy of the Piringer model and MD simulation techniques for the estimation of diffusion coefficients of migrants in PET is evaluated. The MD simulation shows that Dsimu is very close to Dexp, within one order of magnitude of the experimental diffusion coefficients except for a few samples. The possible reasons for the differences among Dsimu, Dpred and Dexp are analysed from the molecular weight and temperature. The results show that the Piringer‐model‐predicted values at high temperatures overestimate significantly higher than that at lower temperatures. The activation energy is calculated by the Arrhenius equation, which shows the relationship between diffusion coefficient and temperature. It is shown that the MD simulation yields acceptable activation energy. The study suggests that MD simulation may be a useful approach to calculate the diffusion coefficients of small molecules in PET. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Transport vibration laboratory simulation: On the necessity of multiaxis testing
Authors: Bernad Carlos , Laspalas Alberto , González David , Núñez Jose Luis , Buil Francisco
Published: August 2010

Nowadays, the packaging industry, like many other sectors, is coping with new demands resulting from financial and environmental constraints. The importance of accurate laboratory simulation of transport vibration as a tool for packaging optimization is therefore increasing, as is highlighted by the International Safe Transit Association testing procedures (ISTA series). In this context, many studies can be found in the literature focusing on the special nature of transport vibrations, analysing the most suitable power spectral density profiles related to route and vehicle characteristics and the best statistical description for acceleration in order to achieve realistic simulation in the laboratory. Most of these works deal only with vertical vibrations because of the of the high energy content such vibrations represent, and only a limited number also analyse longitudinal and transversal acceleration spectra. This paper describes a non‐comprehensive set of measurements in real transport situations with the purpose of providing an initial description of the six‐degrees‐of‐freedom vibration produced inside a truck trailer. In addition, the importance of non‐vertical random excitation is investigated in the laboratory by means of a multiaxis shaker table used to study the difference in the dynamic response of corrugated containers in stacked shipping units. The results show that the amount of energy neglected using only vertical testing procedures can be significant, and that the packaging bending modes are not excited as they would be in a real transport situation. This demonstrates the necessity of multiaxis testing. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A new stable boundary‐layer mixing scheme and its impact on the simulated East Asian summer monsoon
Authors: Hong Song‐You
Published: August 2010

This paper investigates the impact of stable boundary‐layer (SBL) mixing in a vertical diffusion package on the simulated climatology in a regional model. In contrast to previous studies, we focus on the sensitivity of the simulated climatology to the representation of SBL processes in the modelled atmosphere, paying particular attention to precipitation and associated large‐scale patterns. The new SBL scheme, based on the bulk Richardson number between the surface layer and the top of the boundary layer and implemented in the Yonsei University (YSU) boundary‐layer scheme, was evaluated against the local scheme in which the mixing coefficient is a function of the local Richardson number at a given model level.

A statistical evaluation of a series of short‐range forecast confirms that the boundary‐layer structure is closer to the radiosonde observation when the new SBL scheme is used. In a regional climate framework, the results with the new SBL scheme in July 2006 demonstrate that modulating the subcloud structure with enhanced vertical mixing improves the simulated monsoon climatology by displacing the monsoonal precipitation southwards. Together with the local effects of the enhanced SBL mixing that warms and dries the boundary layer, the dynamical feedbacks accompanying strengthened moisture convergence results in enhanced precipitation towards what was observed. A ten‐member ensemble of three‐month June–July–August simulations for 1999–2008 shows that the revised SBL scheme improves the temperature and moisture profiles in the lower troposphere as well as the precipitation climatology. The interannual variation of seasonal precipitation is more realistic over both land and oceans. Copyright © 2010 Royal Meteorological Society
DeviceNet reliability assessment using physical and data link layer parameters
Authors: Lei Yong , Djurdjanovic Dragan , Ni Jun
Published: August 2010

Since the 1990s, the increasing deployments of networked automation systems led to increased manufacturing productivity, improved interchangeability of devices from different vendors, facilitated flexibility and reconfigurability for various applications and improved reliability, while reducing installation and maintenance costs. However, the reliability of a network has great impact on the reliability of a networked automation system. This paper presents a novel network reliability assessment method that provides diagnostic and prognostic information for DeviceNet. This work proposes a hybrid network error analysis method using combined physical and datalink layer features to provide complete communication log information. Furthermore, a network/node time to failure (bus‐off) prediction algorithm was developed based on the analysis of the patterns of the interrupted packets on the network. The method developed in this study can be used for network reliability evaluation and diagnosis, facilitating better network maintenance decision making. A laboratory testbed was constructed and the experiments on network and node time to failure were conducted to demonstrate the concept. Experimental results show that the proposed method can fully reconstruct the communication log, and predict the network/node bus‐off time successfully. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Establishment of an effective product liability prevention plan by analyzing product liability cases
Authors: Lee Sehee , Yang Jeongsam , Kim Gwangsub
Published: August 2010

The tightening of product liability (PL) law and the growth of consumer demand for product safety make PL a critical issue of business management. In this paper, we establish an effective PL prevention plan by analyzing representative PL cases in Korea, the United States, and Japan. We consider the type of product, the type of defect, the cause of defects, and the results of PL lawsuits. Most PL problems are due to manufacturing defects. Damage and defects are uniformly distributed over various types of products. The analysis results indicate that we should not be limited to issues of product safety. We should also consider a responsible PL prevention plan that can protect consumers from risk of damage. In preventing design defects, we should give special consideration to the technical and legal aspects of a design review so that we can improve the conventional prevention plans. Manufacturing defects should be prevented through a product safety review tailored to the product characteristics. Moreover, we endeavor to prevent instruction defects by analyzing the characteristics of the environment in which a product is used. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.