bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lack of an endogenous GABAA receptor‐mediated tonic current in hypoglossal motoneurons
Authors: Numata J. M. , van Brederode J. F. M. , Berger A. J.
Published: April 2012

Key points

Tonic GABAA receptor‐mediated currents have profound effects on neuronal excitability, yet it is not known whether this current is present in mammalian motoneurons.

This study shows that tonic GABAA receptor‐mediated current can be observed in hypoglossal motoneurons in vitro under certain experimental conditions.

The tonic current was only observed when exogenous GABA was applied and GABA transporters were blocked suggesting that GABA transporters highly regulate extracellular GABA concentration.

Furthermore, we demonstrate that the current probably arises from activation of extrasynaptic GABAA receptors containing a δ subunit.

This tonic current may function to reduce the excitability of hypoglossal motoneurons; these motoneurons are important in many functions including chewing, swallowing, suckling, vocalization and upper airway patency.

Abstract  Tonic GABAA receptor‐mediated current is an important modulator of neuronal excitability, but it is not known if it is present in mammalian motoneurons. To address this question studies were performed using whole‐cell patch‐clamp recordings from mouse hypoglossal motoneurons (HMs) in an in vitro slice preparation. In the presence of blockers of glutamatergic and glycinergic receptor‐mediated transmission application of SR‐95531 or bicuculline, while abolishing GABAA receptor‐mediated phasic synaptic currents, did not reveal a tonic GABAA receptor‐mediated current. Additionally, blockade of both GAT‐1 and GAT‐3 GABA transporters did not unmask this tonic current. In contrast, application of exogenous GABA (1 to 15 μm) resulted in a tonic GABAergic current that was observed when both GAT‐1 and GAT‐3 transporters were simultaneously blocked, and this current was greater than the sum of the current observed when each transporter was blocked individually. We also investigated which GABAA receptor subunits may be responsible for the current. Application of the δ subunit GABAA receptor agonist THIP resulted in a tonic GABAA receptor current. Application of the δ subunit modulator THDOC resulted in an enhanced tonic current. Application of the α5 subunit GABAA receptor inverse agonist L‐655,708 did not modulate the current. In conclusion, these data show that HMs have tonic GABAA receptor‐mediated current. The level of GABA in the vicinity of GABAA receptors responsible for this current is regulated by GABA transporters. In HMs a tonic current in response to exogenous GABA probably arises from activation of GABAA receptors containing δ subunits.
A multichannel, real‐time MRI RF power monitor for independent SAR determination
Authors: El‐Sharkawy AbdEl‐Monem M. , Qian Di , Bottomley Paul A. , Edelstein William A.
Published: April 2012

Purpose:

Accurate measurements of the RF power delivered during clinical MRI are essential for safety and regulatory compliance, avoiding inappropriate restrictions on clinical MRI sequences, and for testing the MRI safety of peripheral and interventional devices at known RF exposure levels. The goal is to make independent RF power measurements to test the accuracy of scanner‐reported specific absorption rate (SAR) over the extraordinary range of operating conditions routinely encountered in MRI.

Methods:

A six channel, high dynamic range, real‐time power profiling system was designed and built for monitoring power delivery during MRI up to 440 MHz. The system was calibrated and used in two 3 T scanners to measure power applied to human subjects during MRI scans. The results were compared with the scanner‐reported SAR.

Results:

The new power measurement system has highly linear performance over a 90 dB dynamic range and a wide range of MRI duty cycles. It has about 0.1 dB insertion loss that does not interfere with scanner operation. The measurements of whole‐body SAR in volunteers showed that scanner‐reported SAR was significantly overestimated by up to about 2.2 fold.

Conclusions:

The new power monitor system can accurately and independently measure RF power deposition over the wide range of conditions routinely encountered during MRI. Scanner‐reported SAR values are not appropriate for setting exposure limits during device or pulse sequence testing.
In vivo dosimetry with radiochromic films in low‐voltage intraoperative radiotherapy of the breast
Authors: Avanzo M. , Rink A. , Dassie A. , Massarut S. , Roncadin M. , Borsatti E. , Capra E.
Published: April 2012

Purpose:

EBT2 radiochromic films were studied and used forin vivo dosimetry in targeted intraoperative radiotherapy (TARGIT), a technique in which the Intrabeam system (Carl Zeiss, Oberkochen, Germany) is used to perform intraoperative partial breast irradiation with x‐rays of 50 kVp.

Methods:

The energy of the radiation emitted by the Intrabeam with the different spherical applicators, under 1 and 2 cm of solid water, and under the tungsten impregnated rubber used for shielding of the heart in TARGIT of the breast, was characterized with measurements of half‐value layer (HVL). The stability of response of EBT2 was verified inside this range of energies. EBT2 films were calibrated using the red and green channels of the absorption spectrum in the 0–20 Gy dose range delivered by the Intrabeam x‐rays. The dependence of film response on temperature during irradiation was measured. Forin vivo dosimetry, pieces of radiochromic films wrapped in sterile envelopes were inserted after breast conserving surgery and before TARGIT into the excision cavity, on the skin and on the shielded pectoralis fascia for treatments of the left breast.

Results:

HVLs of the Intrabeam in TARGIT of the breast correspond to effective energies of 20.7–36.3 keV. The response of EBT2 was constant inside this range of energies. We measured the dose to the target tissue and to organs at risk in 23 patients and obtained an average dose of 13.52 ± 1.21 Gy to the target tissue. Dose to the skin in close proximity to the applicator was 2.22 ± 0.97 Gy, 0.29 ± 0.17 Gy at 5–10 cm from the applicator, and 0.08 ± 0.07 Gy at more than 10 cm from the applicator. Dose to the pectoral muscle for left breast treatment was 0.57 ± 0.23 Gy.

Conclusions:

Our results show that EBT2 films are accurate at the beam energies, dose range, and irradiation temperature found in TARGIT and thatin vivo dosimetry in TARGIT with EBT2 films wrapped in sterile envelopes is a feasible procedure. Measured dose to the organs at risk indicates that the technique is safe from side effects to the skin and the heart.
Prognostic Indicators of Life-Threatening Malaria Are Associated with Distinct Parasite Variant Antigen Profiles
Authors: Warimwe George M. , Fegan Gregory , Musyoki Jennifer N. , Newton Charles R. J. C. , Opiyo Michael , Githinji George , Andisi Cheryl , Menza Francis , Kitsao Barnes , Marsh Kevin , Bull Peter C.
Published: April 2012

Two key clinical indicators of life-threatening malaria in African children may be associated with differential expression of parasite surface antigens on infected erythrocytes.
Model-Based Noninvasive Estimation of Intracranial Pressure from Cerebral Blood Flow Velocity and Arterial Pressure
Authors: Kashif Faisal M. , Verghese George C. , Novak Vera , Czosnyka Marek , Heldt Thomas
Published: April 2012

A model-based, patient-specific, and calibration-free approach is used for continuous, noninvasive estimation of intracranial pressure.
Reconnecting the Depressed Brain
Authors: Singh Manpreet K.
Published: April 2012

Electroconvulsive therapy may alleviate symptoms in depressed patients by altering functional connectivity in the brain.
Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall, Which Way Will the Balance Fall?
Authors: Tanhehco Yvette
Published: April 2012

Individual microRNAs derived from a single transcript display oncogenic and tumor-suppressing functions.
Influenza: The New Great Imitator
Authors: Yipp Bryan G.
Published: April 2012

Influenza suppresses the antiviral immune response by hijacking epigenetic gene regulation though host histone mimicry.
On the Shifting Balance: the Case of Staphylococcus aureus CC398
Authors: Baquero Fernando
Published: April 2012

The recent study by L. Price et al. [mBio, 3(1):e00305-11, 2012] demonstrating the human origin of the livestock-associated CC398
Staphylococcus aureus
provides an excellent example of how bacterial populations can explore a wide range of potential niches and acquire optimal adaptations for life in alternative hosts. The shifting balance theory proposed by Sewall Wright 80 years ago serves as a perfect model for understanding the observed facts: a possibly large CC398 population optimally positioned on the top of a fitness peak for living in a human host probably began evolving long ago by variation, drift, and migration, until it reached the low fitness edge of a neighboring alternative peak in the fitness landscape, one in a livestock host. The bacterial population then evolved again, moving uphill to reach a novel optimal “top of the peak” position in livestock. In the case of CC398, it is worrisome to think that it might readapt to human hosts without losing fitness in livestock; a double-host-adapted organism could certainly be in an optimal position for increasing its virulence and antibiotic resistance.
Echovirus 7 Entry into Polarized Intestinal Epithelial Cells Requires Clathrin and Rab7
Authors: Kim Chonsaeng , Bergelson Jeffrey M.
Published: April 2012

Enteroviruses invade the host by crossing the intestinal mucosa, which is lined by polarized epithelium. A number of enteroviruses, including echoviruses (EV) and group B coxsackieviruses (CVB), initiate infection by attaching to decay-accelerating factor (DAF), a molecule that is highly expressed on the apical surface of polarized epithelial cells. We previously observed that entry of DAF-binding CVB3 into polarized intestinal epithelial cells occurs by an unusual endocytic mechanism that requires caveolin but does not involve clathrin or dynamin. Here we examined the entry of a DAF-binding echovirus, EV7. We found that drugs, small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), and dominant negative mutants that target factors required for clathrin-mediated endocytosis, including clathrin and dynamin, inhibited both EV7 infection and internalization of virions from the cell surface. Once virus had entered the cell, it colocalized with markers of early endosomes (EEA1) and then late endosomes (LAMP-2). Inhibition of endosomal maturation—with siRNAs or dominant negative mutants targeting Rab5 and Rab7—inhibited infection and prevented release of viral RNA into the cell. These results indicate that EV7 is internalized by clathrin-mediated endocytosis and then moves to early and late endosomes before releasing its RNA. Trafficking through endosomes is known to be important for viruses that depend on low pH or endosomal cathepsin proteases to complete the entry process. However, we found that EV7 infection required neither low pH nor cathepsins.

IMPORTANCE
The results demonstrate that echovirus 7 (EV7), after binding to decay-accelerating factor (DAF) on the cell surface, enters cells by clathrin-mediated endocytosis; this entry mechanism differs markedly from that of another DAF-binding enterovirus, coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3). Thus, after attachment to the same cell surface receptor, these closely related viruses enter the same cells by different mechanisms. The cellular cues required for release of viral RNA from the enterovirus capsid (“uncoating”) remain poorly defined. We found that EV7 moved to late endosomes and that release of RNA depended on endosomal maturation; nonetheless, EV7 did not depend on the endosomal factors implicated in uncoating and entry by other viruses. The results suggest either that an unidentified endosomal factor is essential for uncoating of EV7 or that trafficking through the endosome is an essential step in a pathway that leads to another intracellular organelle where uncoating is completed.
USING THE MINIMUM DISTANCE OF DMUs FROM THE FRONTIER OF THE PPS FOR EVALUATING GROUP PERFORMANCE OF DMUs IN DEA
Authors: JAHANSHAHLOO G. R. , VAKILI J. , MIRDEHGHAN S. M.
Published: April 2012

Evaluating group performance of decision-making units (DMUs) is an application of data envelopment analysis (DEA) and usually provides a measure to compare the frontiers of the production possibility sets (PPSs) corresponding to different groups and the internal inefficiencies of DMUs associated with their group. In this paper, first, a method is presented for obtaining the minimum distance of DMUs from the frontier of the PPS by ‖⋅‖1, which itself can be a very important subject in DEA, and then, for stating an application of these distances, an approach is provided for evaluating group performance of DMUs based on the production ability of the PPSs such that both constant and variable returns to scale assumptions can be used in this method in contrast with some other methods. Therefore, providing the methods for both obtaining the minimum distance of DMUs from the frontier of the PPS and evaluating group performance of DMUs is the most important contribution of this paper.
A LINEAR BILEVEL PROGRAMMING PROBLEM FOR OBTAINING THE CLOSEST TARGETS AND MINIMUM DISTANCE OF A UNIT FROM THE STRONG EFFICIENT FRONTIER
Authors: JAHANSHAHLOO G. R. , VAKILI J. , ZAREPISHEH M.
Published: April 2012

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) can be used for assessing the relative efficiency of a number of operating units, finding, for each unit, a target operating point lying on the strong efficient frontier. Most DEA models project an inefficient unit onto a most distant target, which makes its attainment more difficult. In this paper, a linear bilevel programming problem for obtaining the closest targets and minimum distance of a unit from the strong efficient frontier by different norms is provided. The idea behind this approach is that closer targets determine less demanding levels of operation for the inputs and outputs of the units to perform efficiently. Finally, it will be shown that the proposed method is an extension of the existing methods.
A HYBRID HARMONY SEARCH ALGORITHM FOR THE NO-WAIT FLOW-SHOP SCHEDULING PROBLEMS
Authors: GAO KAI-ZHOU , PAN QUAN-KE , LI JUN-QING , WANG YU-TING , LIANG JING
Published: April 2012

This paper presents a hybrid harmony search (HHS) algorithm for solving no-wait flow shop scheduling problems with total flowtime criterion. First, an initial harmony memory (HM) is formed by taking advantage of the NEH heuristic. Second, the harmony memory is divided into several small groups and each group executes its evolution process independently. At the same time, groups share information reciprocally by dynamic re-grouping mechanism. Third, to stress the balance between the global exploration and local exploration, a variable neighborhood search algorithm is developed and embedded in the HHS algorithm. In addition, a speed-up method is applied to reduce the running time requirement. Computational simulation results based on the well-known benchmarks and statistical performance comparisons are provided. It is shown that the proposed HHS algorithm is superior to the recently published hybrid DE-based (HDE) algorithm and hybrid particle swarm optimization (HPSO) algorithm in terms of effectiveness and efficiency.
REVISITING MODULES (AND CENTERS) IN STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS METABOLIC NETWORK WITH LINK CLUSTERING
Authors: DING DE-WU , YING LONG
Published: April 2012

Community structure analysis methods are important tools in modeling and analyzing large-scale metabolic networks. However, traditional community structure methods are mainly solved by clustering nodes, which results in each metabolite belonging to only a single community, which limits their usefulness in the study of metabolic networks. In the present paper, we analyze the community structure and functional modules in the Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) metabolic network, using a link clustering algorithm, and we obtain 10 functional modules with better biological insights, which give better results than our previous study. We also evaluate the essentiality of nodes in S. aureus metabolic networks. We suggest that link clustering could identify functional modules and key metabolites in metabolic networks.
ASSESSMENT OF VECTOR CONTROL AND PHARMACEUTICAL TREATMENT IN REDUCING MALARIA BURDEN: A SENSITIVITY AND OPTIMAL CONTROL ANALYSIS
Authors: SANG ZI , QIU ZHIPENG , KONG QINGKAI , ZOU YUN
Published: April 2012

Vector control and pharmaceutical treatments are currently the main methods of malaria control. To assess their impacts on disease transmission and prevalence, sensitivity and optimal control analysis are performed respectively on a mathematical malaria model. Comparisons are made between the result of sensitivity analysis and that of optimal control analysis. Numerical simulation shows that optimal control strategy is available and cost-efficient. The simulating results also indicates that vector control is always much more beneficial than other anti-malaria measures in an optimal control programme. This further suggests that the results of sensitivity analysis by calculating sensitivity indices cannot help policy-makers to formulate a more effective optimal control programme.
OPTIMAL AGE REPLACEMENT AND INSPECTION POLICIES WITH RANDOM FAILURE AND REPLACEMENT TIMES
Authors: NAKAGAWA TOSHIO , ZHAO XUFENG , YUN WON YOUNG
Published: April 2012

It is well-known in the standard age replacement policy that a finite preventive replacement time does not exist when the failure time is exponential and the optimal preventive replacement time is nonrandom. It is shown that when the failure time is exponential, a finite time exists by introducing the shortage and excess costs. In addition, the random age replacement is proposed and similar discussions are made. Furthermore, the periodic and random inspection policies are taken up, and their optimal policies are shown to correspond theoretically to those of the age replacement ones. It is shown finally that when the random inspection cost is the half of the periodic one, two expected costs are almost the same.
NONPARAMETRIC ESTIMATION OF THE REVERSED HAZARD RATE FUNCTION FOR UNCENSORED AND CENSORED DATA
Authors: JAYASINGHE CHATHURI L. , ZEEPHONGSEKUL PANLOP
Published: April 2012

Reversed hazard rate (RHR) function is an important reliability function that is applicable to various fields. Applications can be found in portfolio selection problems in finance, analysis of left-censored data, problems in actuarial science and forensic science involving estimation of exact time of occurrence of a particular event, etc. In this paper, we propose a new nonparametric estimator based on binning techniques for this reliability function for an uncensored sample and then provide an extension for RHR estimation under left censorship. The performance of the proposed estimators were then evaluated using simulations and real data from reliability and related disciplines. The results indicate that the proposed estimator does well for common lifetime distributions with the bin-width selection methods considered.
REVIEW OF CHEMICAL REACTIONS IN THE NO REDUCTION BY CO ON PLATINUM/ALUMINA CATALYSTS
Authors: SRINIVASAN ANAND , DEPCIK CHRISTOPHER
Published: April 2012

The emissions of nitric oxide and carbon monoxide from internal combustion engines generate a large impact on the environment and on people's health. Catalytic reduction of these species using platinum group metals has already shown significant potential for emissions control. Since catalysts often use carbon monoxide to reduce nitric oxide in these devices, accurate models of their interaction are required to advance catalyst simulations in order to meet increasingly stringent emissions regulations. As a result, this paper reviews the literature of the NO–CO reaction over platinum in order to develop more precise detailed and global reaction mechanisms for use in exhaust after-treatment modeling activities. Moreover, it is found that the reaction between NO and CO over platinum yields carbon dioxide and nitrogen as main products and nitrous oxide as an important side product. Hence, this paper additionally describes the mechanism for nitrous oxide production in advance of greenhouse gas regulations.
STUDY ON NANOMORPHOLOGY OF HIGH-STRUCTURE CARBON BLACK AND ITS BOUND RUBBER BY AFM
Authors: CHEN JIAN , JIN YONGZHONG , ZHANG JINGYU , WU YAFENG , MENG CHUNCAI
Published: April 2012

Bound rubber in carbon black (CB) filled rubber (natural rubber (NR) and styrene–butadiene rubber (SBS)) was prepared by the solvent method. The nanomorphology of CB and rubber/CB soluble rubber was observed by atomic force microscope. The results show that high-structure CB DZ13 has a "grape cluster" structure which consists of many original particles with the grain size of about 30–50 nm. Graphitizing process of CB decreases the amount of bound rubber. The NR/DZ13 soluble rubber with island–rim structure has been obtained, where the islands are DZ13 particles and the rims around the islands are occupied by NR film. But when the graphitized DZ13 particles were used as fillers of rubber, we have only observed that some graphitized DZ13 particles were deposited on the surface of the globular-like NR molecular chains, instead of the spreading of NR molecular chains along the surface of DZ13 particles, indicating that graphitized DZ13 has lower chemical activity than ungraphitized DZ13. Especially, we have already observed an interesting unusual bound rubber phenomenon, the blocked "bracelet" structure with the diameter of about 600 nm in which CB particles were blocked in ring-shaped SBS monomer.
COMPARING SEGREGATION PROFILES OF Sn AND Sb IN SINGLE AND POLYCRYSTALLINE Cu
Authors: ASANTE J. K. O. , ROOS W. D.
Published: April 2012

The kinetics as well as the equilibrium segregation profiles of very low concentrations of Sn (0.14 at.%) and Sb (0.12 at.%) in a polycrystalline Cu sample were measured by Auger electron spectroscopy. These profiles were compared to those from a Cu(100) , Sb , Sn ternary single crystal which was subjected to the same experimental conditions. The results are explained in terms of solute segregation to grain boundaries and surface interfaces. The comparison also indicate that not only bulk diffusion, interactions and segregation energies play a role in the surface enrichment of the species, but in polycrystalline samples, the doping order of the specimen is to be considered as well. The differences in interaction energies of Sn and Sb also suggest an indirect method of measuring the concentrations of nonsegregating impurities in polycrystalline samples.
FLAGELLATED BACTERIA AS SELF-NAVIGATOR NANO/BIO-ROBOTS
Authors: AL-FANDI MOHAMED , JARADAT MOHAMMAD A. , AL-ROUSAN MOHAMMAD , AL-EBBINI LINA , JARADAT SAIED
Published: April 2012

In this paper, we experimentally investigated the navigation system of the nonpathogenic strain of E. coli (AW405), and we developed a simulator for the locomotion performance of these swimming nanorobots. The swimming behavior of these robotic cells is sensitive to the chemical gradients in their medium. Tissue and disease cells might produce chemical signals in their surroundings. These chemicals have the potential to affect the locomotion behavior of the bacterial cells. Therefore, bacterial cells can be considered as self-navigator nanorobots that are able to discriminate between disease cells such as cancer. We exploit Bayesian decision theory as a framework in predicting the locomotion behavior of the E. coli robotic cells. Obvious agreement has been achieved between the experimental performance of our moving robotic cells and its corresponding simulation. Our current experimental and theoretical work is considered as a platform to this novel idea of early detection of problematic diseases.
FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY CHANGES IN MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY ASSESSED USING MAGNETOENCEPHALOGRAPHY
Authors: ZOURIDAKIS GEORGE , PATIDAR UDIT , SITU NING , REZAIE ROOZBEH , CASTILLO EDUARDO M. , LEVIN HARVEY S. , PAPANICOLAOU ANDREW C.
Published: April 2012

In this study, we analyzed brain connectivity profiles from 10 mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) patients and 10 age- and gender-matched normal controls. We computed Granger causality measures from magnetoencephalographic (MEG) activity obtained at the resting state, in an attempt to understand how the default network is affected by mTBI. A connectivity matrix was computed for each subject individually and then group templates were estimated by averaging all matrices in each group. Furthermore, we performed classification of the subjects using support vector machines and Fisher's criterion to rank the features and identify the best subset for maximum separation of the groups. Our results show that a combined model based on connectivity matrices and graph theory measures can provide a minimum of 85% classification accuracy in separating the two groups, with a sensitivity and specificity of 90% and 80%, respectively. These findings suggest that analysis of functional connectivity patterns may provide a valuable tool for early detection of mTBI.
Use of Social Networking Sites Among Shinas College of Technology Students in Oman
Authors: kindi Salim Said Ali Al , Alhashmi Saadat M.
Published: April 2012

Introduction: Social networking sites (SNSs) have become a popular method for students to share information and knowledge and to express emotions. They enable students to exchange video files, text messages, pictures and knowledge sharing. They provide an opportunity for students to improve social networking and learning processes, which promotes knowledge in society.

Purposes: This paper intends to address the factors motivating students at colleges to use SNSs, to identify the factors that motivate them in using SNSs for educational purposes and to identify the most popular SNSs among students.

Design/Methodology: The study uses a questionnaire in order to discover the reasons behind the use of SNSs by students at Shinas College of Technology (ShCT) in Oman.

Findings: The study found that the major reasons for frequent use of SNSs are finding information and sharing news. The study also indicated that lack of experience as well as insufficient time and IT skills are effective factors of not using SNSs. Finally, the study discovered that Google Groups, Facebook and Yahoo! 360 are the most popular SNSs used by SHCT students.

Research Limitation: The study was limited to ShCT students, which is considered a small community, and the focus group was relatively small. A larger focus group in a different environment may possibly yield different results. Additionally, the list of SNSs listed in the questionnaire was based on previous studies discussed in the literature review.

Originality/value: This research will be valuable for those interested in the subject of social networks and e-learning. In this area, there is a dearth of research on reasons for student use of SNSs in Oman, giving this particular research great importance to understanding the way that students interact with SNSs.
The Impact of Collaborative Technology on Organisational Performance Through Intranet Use Orientations
Authors: Migdadi Mahmoud , Zaid Mohammed Khair Abu , Hujran Omar S.
Published: April 2012

Information systems cannot improve organisational performance if they are not used (Davis et al., 1989, as cited by (Merono-Cerdan et al., 2008). In addition, (Devaraj and Kohli, 2003) showed that actual use may be an important link to information technology (IT) value. Under this approach lies the idea that the simple presence of collaborative technologies (CTs) is not enough to evaluate their real influence on organisational performance. Therefore, the researchers adopted the view that CTs impacts on organisational performance should be considered as a multistage process which starts at adoption and extends to use. Therefore, this paper analyses the impact of intranet CTs on organisational performance not directly, by measures such as adoption versus non-adoption, but through an intermediary variable (intranet use orientations). Different intranet use orientations (e-information, e-communication and e-transaction) represent actual CTs use. Hence the impact of each orientation on organisational performance is empirically evaluated. In order to achieve the research objectives, data were collected through a postal survey, from 71 small- and medium-sized (SMEs) located in a developing country such as Saudi Arabia. Research hypotheses were tested through ANOVA and hierarchical regression analysis. The results indicated that different CTs are associated with distinct intranet use orientations. The results further demonstrated that there are positive relationships between the intranet use orientations and organisational performance. Finally, the results confirmed the existence of complementarities between the intranet use orientations.
Systems Design and Strategies Development for Knowledge Management in Non-Governmental Organisations
Authors: Kwon Hyun Jung
Published: April 2012

Organisational learning is becoming more important in Non-Governmental organisations (NGOs). NGOs consider it seriously due to the demand of accountability. Most research on organisational learning in NGOs is related with the issue of evaluations and accountabilities. However, it is hard to find studies attempting to connect organisational learning and Information and Communications Technology (ICT). This study provides new ways of managing ICT to ensure improved accountability, transparency, and learning. Knowledge Management (KM) has the same purpose as organisational learning, but KM is different in terms of emphasising use of ICT in generating and learning of knowledge. This paper provides extensive understanding of both KM and the context of NGOs. Based on these findings, differentiated system designs and strategies are suggested. The main purpose of this paper is to develop differentiated KM strategies for NGOs, in order to raise awareness and initiate extensive discussions on KM strategies for NGOs.
A Novel Approach using Expert Knowledge on Error based Pruning
Authors: Mahmood Ali Mirza , Kuppa Mrithyumjaya Rao
Published: April 2012

Many traditional pruning methods assume that all the datasets are equally probable and equally important, so they apply equal pruning to all the datasets. However, in real-world classification problems, all the datasets are not equal and considering equal pruning rate during pruning tends to generate a decision tree with a large size and high misclassification rate.

In this paper, we present a practical algorithm to deal with the data specific classification problem when there are datasets with different properties. Another key motivation of the data specific pruning in the paper is "trading accuracy and size". A new algorithm called Expert Knowledge Based Pruning (EKBP) is proposed to solve this dilemma. We proposed to integrate error rate, missing values and expert judgment as factors for determining data specific pruning for each dataset. We show by analysis and experiments that using this pruning, we can scale both accuracy and generalisation for the tree that is generated. Moreover, the method can be very effective for high dimensional datasets. We conduct an extensive experimental study on openly available 40 real world datasets from UCI repository. In all these experiments, the proposed approach shows considerably reduction of tree size having equal or better accuracy compared to several benchmark decision tree methods that are proposed in literature.
AN EVOLUTIONARY CONSERVATION-BASED METHOD FOR REFINING AND RERANKING PROTEIN COMPLEX STRUCTURES
Authors: AKBAL-DELIBAS BAHAR , HASHMI IRINA , SHEHU AMARDA , HASPEL NURIT
Published: April 2012

Detection of protein complexes and their structures is crucial for understanding their role in the basic biology of organisms. Computational docking methods can provide researchers with a good starting point for the analysis of protein complexes. However, these methods are often not accurate and their results need to be further refined to improve interface packing. In this paper, we introduce a refinement method that incorporates evolutionary information into a novel scoring function by employing Evolutionary Trace (ET)-based scores. Our method also takes Van der Waals interactions into account to avoid atomic clashes in refined structures. We tested our method on docked candidates of eight protein complexes and the results suggest that the proposed scoring function helps bias the search toward complexes with native interactions. We show a strong correlation between evolutionary-conserved residues and correct interface packing. Our refinement method is able to produce structures with better lRMSD (least RMSD) with respect to the known complexes and lower energies than initial docked structures. It also helps to filter out false-positive complexes generated by docking methods, by detecting little or no conserved residues on false interfaces. We believe this method is a step toward better ranking and prediction of protein complexes.
A REGIONALIZABLE STATISTICAL MODEL OF INTERSECTING REGIONS IN PROTEIN–LIGAND BINDING CAVITIES
Authors: CHEN BRIAN Y. , BANDYOPADHYAY SOUTIR
Published: April 2012

Finding elements of proteins that influence ligand binding specificity is an essential aspect of research in many fields. To assist in this effort, this paper presents two statistical models, based on the same theoretical foundation, for evaluating structural similarity among binding cavities. The first model specializes in the "unified" comparison of whole cavities, enabling the selection of cavities that are too dissimilar to have similar binding specificity. The second model enables a "regionalized" comparison of cavities within a user-defined region, enabling the selection of cavities that are too dissimilar to bind the same molecular fragments in the given region. We applied these models to analyze the ligand binding cavities of the serine protease and enolase superfamilies. Next, we observed that our unified model correctly separated sets of cavities with identical binding preferences from other sets with varying binding preferences, and that our regionalized model correctly distinguished cavity regions that are too dissimilar to bind similar molecular fragments in the user-defined region. These observations point to applications of statistical modeling that can be used to examine and, more importantly, identify influential structural similarities within binding site structure in order to better detect influences on protein–ligand binding specificity.
Compartmentalization and regulation of iron metabolism proteins protect male germ cells from iron overload
Authors: Leichtmann-Bardoogo Yael , Cohen Lyora A. , Weiss Avital , Marohn Britta , Schubert Stephanie , Meinhardt Andreas , Meyron-Holtz Esther G.
Published: April 2012

The universal importance of iron, its high toxicity, and complex chemistry present a challenge to biological systems in general and to protected compartments in particular. The high mitotic rate and avid mitochondriogenesis of developing male germ cells imply high iron requirements. Yet access to germ cells is tightly regulated by the blood-testis barrier that protects the meiotic and postmeiotic germ cells. To elucidate how iron is supplied to developing male germ cells, we analyzed iron deposition and iron transport proteins in testes of mice with iron overload and with genetic ablation of the iron regulators Hfe and iron regulatory protein 2. Iron accumulated mainly around seminiferous tubules, and only small amounts localized within the seminiferous tubules. The localization and regulation of proteins involved in iron import, storage, and export such as transferrin, transferrin receptor, the divalent metal transporter-1, cytosolic ferritin, and ferroportin strongly support a model of a largely autonomous iron cycle within seminiferous tubules. We show evidence that ferritin secretion from Sertoli cells may play an important role in iron acquisition of primary spermatocytes. During spermatogenic development iron is carried along from primary spermatocytes to spermatids, and from spermatids iron is recycled to the apical compartment of Sertoli cells, which traffic it back to a new generation of spermatocytes. Losses are replenished by the peripheral circulation. Such an internal iron cycle essentially detaches the iron homeostasis within the seminiferous tubule from the periphery and protects developing germ cells from iron fluctuations. This model explains how compartmentalization can optimize cellular and systemic nutrient homeostasis.
Expression of functional TSH receptor in white adipose tissues of hyt/hyt mice induces lipolysis in vivo
Authors: Endo Toyoshi , Kobayashi Tetsuro
Published: April 2012

To determine the relative importance of TSH in white adipose tissue, we compared the adipose phenotypes of two distinct mouse models of hypothyroidism. These models differed in that the normal reciprocal relationship between thyroid hormone and TSH was intact in one and disrupted in the other. One model, thyroidectomized (THYx) mice, had a 100-fold increase in TSH and a normal TSH receptor (TSHR); in contrast, the other model, hyt/hyt mice, had a 120-fold elevation of TSH but a nonfunctional TSHR. Although both THYx and hyt/hyt mice were in a severe hypothyroid state, the epididymal fat (mg)/body wt (g) (F/B) ratio of THYx mice was much smaller than that of hyt/hyt mice (8.2 ± 0.43 vs. 14.4 ± 0.40, respectively, P < 0.001). The fat cell diameter in THYx mice was also smaller than that in hyt/hyt mice (79 ± 2.8 vs. 105 ± 2.2 μm, respectively, P < 0.001), suggesting that TSH induced lipolysis in adipose tissues. When we transferred a functional mouse TSHR gene and a control plasmid into opposite sides of epididymal fat of hyt/hyt mice by plasmid injection combined with electroporation, fat weight of the TSHR side was decreased to 60% of that of the control side. Messenger RNA levels of hormone-sensitive lipase in epididymal fat containing the transferred TSHR gene were twofold higher than those in tissue from the control side. These results indicated that TSH worked as a lipolytic factor in white adipose tissues, especially in mice in a hypothyroid state.
Hydrogeochemistry of the Paravanar River Sub‐Basin, Cuddalore District, Tamilnadu, India
Authors: Shankar K. , Aravindan S. , Rajendran S.
Published: April 2012

To assess the groundwater quality of the Paravanar river basin, groundwater data were collected by conventional methods. Hydrogeochemical facies of groundwater of study area reveals fresh to brackish and alkaline in nature. Piper plot shows that most of the groundwater samples fall in the mixed field of Ca‐Mg‐Cl type. Using GIS mapping technique, major element concentration of groundwater has been interpolated and studied. Groundwater thematic maps on electrical conductivity (EC), hydrogen ion concentration, bicarbonates, chlorides and nitrates were prepared from the groundwater quality data. Different classes in thematic maps were categorized as i) good, ii) moderate and iii) poor with respect to groundwater quality. Northeast and southeast parts of the study area represent the doubtful water class regarding the concentration of EC to represent connate nature of water adjacent to the coast. NNE (North‐North‐East) and southern parts of the study area have pH ranging from 7 to 8 indicating acidic nature as they were from the weathered Cuddalore sandstone. As northern part of the study area is irrigated, fertilizer used for agriculture may be the source for increase in concentration of nitrates. Chloride clusters in the south central part of the study area from coast up to NLC mines and reveals the chloridization of aquifer in 48 years either due to upwelling of connate water from the deeper aquifer as a result of depressurization of Neyveli aquifer for the safe mining of lignite.
Novel and Efficient Procedure for the Preparation of Two Pyridine Dicarboxylic Acid Derivatives
Authors: Guoliang G. U. , Ming L. U.
Published: April 2012

New strategies for the synthesis of two pyridine dicarboxylic acid derivatives namely; 4‐(2‐(2,6‐dicarboxypyridin‐4‐yl)vinyl)pyridine‐2,6‐dicarboxylic acid and 2,6‐bis(2‐(2,6–dicarboxy‐pyridin‐4‐yl)vinyl)pyridine have been described. New oxidant used is a good example of green chemistry technology and the synthesis procedure harvest a high‐purity product at a high yield.
A Validated RP‐HPLC Method for Simultaneous Estimation of Atenolol and Indapamide in Pharmaceutical Formulations
Authors: Rani G. Tulja , Sankar D. Gowri , Kadgapathi P. , Satyanarayana B.
Published: April 2012

A simple, fast, precise, selective and accurate RP‐HPLC method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of atenolol and indapamide from bulk and formulations. Chromatographic separation was achieved isocratically on a Waters C18 column (250×4.6 mm, 5 µ particle size) using a mobile phase, methanol and water (adjusted to pH 2.7 with 1% orthophosphoric acid) in the ratio of 80:20. The flow rate was 1 mL/min and effluent was detected at 230 nm. The retention time of atenolol and indapamide were 1.766 min and 3.407 min. respectively. Linearity was observed in the concentration range of 12.5‐150 µg/mL for atenolol and 0.625‐7.5 µg/mL for indapamide. Percent recoveries obtained for both the drugs were 99.74‐100.06% and 98.65‐99.98% respectively. The method was validated according to the ICH guidelines with respect to specificity, linearity, accuracy, precision and robustness. The method developed can be used for the routine analysis of atenolol and indapamide from their combined dosage form.
Occurrence ofBlastocystisin Water of Two Rivers from Recreational Areas in Malaysia
Authors: Ithoi Init , Jali Azman , Mak J. W. , Wan Sulaiman Wan Yusoff , Mahmud Rohela
Published: April 2012

This study reports the occurrence ofBlastocystisin water from two rivers, Sungai Congkak and Sungai Batu, located in recreational areas in Malaysia. This protozoan was detected in samples from both rivers with an average of 33.3% and 22.1%, respectively. It was detected highest at the downstream (73.8% and 33.8%) followed by midstream (17.5% and 25.0%) and upstream (8.8% and 7.5%) stations, with additionally higher detection during holidays (with average 47.5% and 30.8%) than week days (with average 19.2% and 13.3%), in both rivers, respectively. There was a strong association with the daily activities of locals and visitors, who came for water recreational activities, mainly located between midstream and downstream and was observed to be higher at Sungai Congkak. The detection ofBlastocystisin these rivers' water implies that this protozoan could potentially be transmitted to humans by the waterborne route. Pearson correlation analysis showed that their occurrence was significantly correlated with faecal coliforms count; inconsistent correlation with dissolved oxygen, temperature and turbidity and no correlation with pH, conductivity and rainfall for both rivers. The correlation of coliforms andBlastocystissuggests the source of theBlastocystisin the water body is likely to be faecal.
Electrical Conductivity Properties of Newly Synthesized Melamine ‐ Aniline ‐ Formaldehyde Terpolymer and its Polychelate
Authors: Dharkar K. P. , Ingle S.S. , Kalambe A.B.
Published: April 2012

Terpolymer MAF synthesized by the polycondensation of melamine (M) and aniline (A) with formaldehyde (F) in the presence of an acid catalyst in 1:1:3 molar proportions of the reacting monomers. Polychelates were prepared by using metal acetate, metal salts and MAF ligand in DMF medium. The prepared terpolymer and its polychelates were characterized by using elemental analysis, magnetic studies and spectral analysis. In the present paper, electrical conductivity properties of the terpolymer and its polychelates were studied over a wide range of temperature and is in the order MAF <Mn(II)<Fe(III) and <Co(II). The of log σversus 1/T. Activation energy values lie in the range of 0.847 eV to 1.156 eV. On the basis of electrical conductivity measurements of terpolymer and its polychelates, it was found that, at higher temperature conductivity increases linearly, showing semi conducting behaviour and hence useful in electronic industry.
Evaluation of the Marine Algae Gracilaria and its Activated Carbon for the Adsorption of Ni(II) from Wastewater
Authors: Esmaeili A. , Beirami P. , Ghasemi S.
Published: April 2012

The batch removal of Ni2+ from aqueous solution and wastewater using marine dried (MD) red algae Gracilaria and its activated carbon (AC) was studied. For these experiments, adsorption of Ni2+ was used to form two biomasses of AC and MD. Both methods used different pH values, biomass and initial concentration of Ni2+. Subsequently adsorption models and kinetic studies were carried out. The maximum efficiencies of Ni2+ removal were 83.55% and 99.04% for MD and AC respectively developed from it. The experimental adsorption data were fitted to the Langmuir adsorption model. The nickel(II) uptake by the biosorbents was best described by pseudo‐second order rate model. The kinetic studies showed that the heavy metal uptake was observed more rapidly by the AC with compared to MD. AC method developed from MD biomass exhibited higher biosorption capacity. Adsorption capacity is related to the pH of solution, pH 5.0 is optimal for nickel. The maximum efficiencies of Ni2+ removal were for AC method. The capacity is related to the pH of solution, pH 5.0 is optimal for nickel. The equilibrium adsorption data are correlated by Langmuir isotherm equation. The adsorption kinetic data can be described by the second order kinetic models
Simultaneous Determination of Paracetamol, Chlorzoxazone and Diclofenac Sodium in Tablet Dosage Form by High Performance Liquid Chromatography
Authors: Badgujar Madhukar A. , Pingale Satish G. , Mangaonkar Kiran V.
Published: April 2012

A simple, precise and rapid isocratic reverse phase high performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the simultaneous determination of paracetamol, chlorzoxazone and diclofenac sodium from tablet dosage form. The chromatographic separation was performed on an inertsil C18 column (250 mm × 4.6 mm i.d 5 µm particle size). Mobile phase consisted of a mixture of phosphate buffer (0.02 M KH2PO4, pH adjusted to 3.7 using orthophosphoric acid), acetonitrile and methanol in the ratio of (25: 25: 50) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The wavelength was set at 220 nm. The proposed method was validated for linearity, accuracy, precision, LOD and LOQ. The calibration was linear over the range of 50‐150 µg/mL for paracetamol, 50‐150 µg/mL for chlorzoxazone and 5‐15 µg/mL for diclofenac sodium. The retention times were found as 2.8 min for paracetamol, 4.2 min for chlorzoxazone and 6.4 min for diclofenac sodium. The method can be easily adopted for quality control analysis.
Seasonal Variation in Groundwater Quality of Yavatmal District, India
Authors: Rajankar P. N. , Tambekar D. H. , Wate S. R.
Published: April 2012

Seventy samples of groundwater were collected from different parts of Yavatmal District, India and analyzed. The results of this analysis were compared with the WHO water quality standards. The groundwater quality in this district showed slightly seasonal variation while the data computed in Water Quality Index (WQI) calculator. The WQI was varied from 73.0 to 80.2 during pre monsoon and 68.7 to 72.4 in post monsoon season, which showed slightly seasonal variation. This may be attributed to surface runoff and percolation process. The results showed that, the water in these areas are bacteriologically not safe and need treatment before it is used for drinking.