bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Angiotensin II Receptors Modulate Muscle Microvascular and Metabolic Responses to Insulin In Vivo
Authors: Chai Weidong , Wang Wenhui , Dong Zhenhua , Cao Wenhong , Liu Zhenqi
Published: September 2011

OBJECTIVE

Angiotensin (ANG) II interacts with insulin-signaling pathways to regulate insulin sensitivity. The type 1 (AT1R) and type 2 (AT2R) receptors reciprocally regulate basal perfusion of muscle microvasculature. Unopposed AT2R activity increases muscle microvascular blood volume (MBV) and glucose extraction, whereas unopposed AT1R activity decreases both. The current study examined whether ANG II receptors modulate muscle insulin delivery and sensitivity.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Overnight-fasted rats were studied. In protocol 1, rats received a 2-h infusion of saline, insulin (3 mU/kg/min), insulin plus PD123319 (AT2R blocker), or insulin plus losartan (AT1R blocker, intravenously). Muscle MBV, microvascular flow velocity, and microvascular blood flow (MBF) were determined. In protocol 2, rats received 125I-insulin with or without PD123319, and muscle insulin uptake was determined.

RESULTS

Insulin significantly increased muscle MBV and MBF. AT2R blockade abolished insulin-mediated increases in muscle MBV and MBF and decreased insulin-stimulated glucose disposal by ~30%. In contrast, losartan plus insulin increased muscle MBV by two- to threefold without further increasing insulin-stimulated glucose disposal. Plasma nitric oxide increased by >50% with insulin and insulin plus losartan but not with insulin plus PD123319. PD123319 markedly decreased muscle insulin uptake and insulin-stimulated Akt phosphorylation.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that both AT1Rs and AT2Rs regulate insulin’s microvascular and metabolic action in muscle. Although AT1R activity restrains muscle metabolic responses to insulin via decreased microvascular recruitment and insulin delivery, AT2R activity is required for normal microvascular responses to insulin. Thus, pharmacologic manipulation aimed at increasing the AT2R-to-AT1R activity ratio may afford the potential to improve muscle insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism.
Interplay of viral miRNAs and host mRNAs and proteins
Authors: Zhdanov Vladimir
Published: September 2011

Recent experiments indicate that several viruses may encode microRNAs (miRNAs) in cells. Such RNAs may interfere with the host mRNAs and proteins. We present a kinetic analysis of this interplay. In our treatment, the viral miRNA is considered to be able to associate with the host mRNA with subsequent degradation. This process may result in a decline of the mRNA population and also in a decline of the population of the protein encoded by this mRNA. With these ingredients, we first show the types of the corresponding steady-state kinetics in the cases of positive and negative regulation of the miRNA synthesis by the protein. In addition, we scrutinize the situation when the protein regulates the virion replication or, in other words, provides a feedback for the replication. For the negative feedback, the replication rate is found to increase with increasing the intracellular virion population. For the positive feedback, the replication rate first increases and then drops. These features may determine the stability of steady states.
First report of Trichodorus primitivus, T. sparsus and T. viruliferus (Nematoda: Trichodoridae) from the Czech Republic
Authors: Kumari S. , Decraemer W.
Published: September 2011

A survey has been carried out to study the occurrence and distribution of Trichodorus primitivus, T. sparsus and T. viruliferus in the Czech Republic under the rhizosphere of orchards, forests, vineyards and strawberry. Total 208 sites were surveyed and only 29 sites were found positive for these species. All three species are reported in the Czech Republic for the first time.
A new species of nematoda parasite of the cerambicid eucalyptus longhorned borer from Argentina
Authors: Achinelly M. , Camino N.
Published: September 2011

Artigasia indigena n. sp. is characterized by the cuticle thin, annulated and with spines arranged in regular longitudinal rows from the first ring to the base of medial bulb. The first ring is differentiated with eight spines, the second ring is bigger and without spines, and then a series of small rings with spines come up to the base of medial bulb. Lateral alae absent, stoma short with four thickening cuticle like teeth, excretory pore posterior situated at the beginning of the intestine, V = 67 %, eggs oval with smooth shell, male without spicule, and genital papillae arranged with one pair of preanal papillae and one pair of postanal papillae.
Margin Infused Relaxed Algorithm for Moses
Authors: Hasler Eva , Haddow Barry , Koehn Philipp
Published: September 2011

Margin Infused Relaxed Algorithm for Moses

We describe an open-source implementation of the Margin Infused Relaxed Algorithm (MIRA) for statistical machine translation (SMT). The implementation is part of the Moses toolkit and can be used as an alternative to standard minimum error rate training (MERT). A description of the implementation and its usage on core feature sets as well as large, sparse feature sets is given and we report experimental results comparing the performance of MIRA with MERT in terms of translation quality and stability.
Fault diagnosis of actual large-power high-voltage windings using transfer function method
Authors: Rahimpour Ebrahim , Tenbohlen Stefan
Published: September 2011

Fault diagnosis of actual large-power high-voltage windings using transfer function method

The transfer function (TF) method is presently a well-known method used to detect various types of winding damage in power transformers. Although abundant research has been done on this subject using laboratory windings as test objects, it is hard to find one, whose test objects are actual large-power transformer windings. Hence, a 400 kV disc winding consisting of 86 discs is used in this paper to study turn-to-turn short circuit with the help of the TF method. To evaluate the effects of this type of fault on TF curves, some mathematical comparison algorithms are used in this research.
Positive electrical circuits and their reachability
Authors: Kaczorek Tadeusz
Published: September 2011

Positive electrical circuits and their reachability

Conditions for the positivity of linear electrical circuits composed of resistances, coils, capacitors and voltage (current) sources are established. It is shown that: 1) the electrical circuit composed of resistors, coils and voltage source is positive for any values of their resistances, inductances and source voltages if and only if the number of coils is less or equal to the number of its linearly independent meshes, 2) the electrical circuit is not positive for any values of its resistances, capacitances and source voltages if each its branch contains resistor, capacitor and voltage source, 3) the positiven-meshes electrical circuit with only one inductance in each linearly independent mesh is reachable if all resistances of branches belonging to two linearly independent meshes are zero.
Effects of Sex on Compensatory Landing Strategies Upon Return to Sport After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Authors: Paterno Mark V. , Schmitt Laura C. , Ford Kevin R. , Rauh Mitchell J. , Myer Gregory D. , Hewett Timothy E.
Published: September 2011

Study Design

Controlled laboratory, cross-sectional, cohort design.

Objective

To determine if a sex-specific pattern of lower limb asymmetries is present during a drop vertical jump (DVJ) maneuver at the time of return to sport after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.

Background

A high incidence of second ACL injury is reported after reconstruction; however, the underlying mechanisms of this injury are unclear. While asymmetrical dynamic loading patterns predictive of primary ACL injury in healthy female athletes were observed in female athletes 2 years after ACL reconstruction, it is unknown if similar asymmetries are present in male athletes after ACL reconstruction at the time of return to sport.

Methods

A total of 98 participants were included in the study, 56 of whom had unilateral ACL reconstruction (35 female, 21 male) and had been released to return to unrestricted level 1 and 2 sports, and 42 of whom were uninjured, activity-matched control participants (29 female, 13 male). Lower extremity kinetic data were analyzed during a bilateral drop vertical jump maneuver from a 31-cm box. Peak vertical ground reaction force (VGRF) was calculated during the landing phase of the drop vertical jump and normalized to body weight (BW). A 2-by-2-by-2 analysis of variance was used to determine differences between side (involved versus uninvolved), group (ACL reconstruction versus control), and sex (female versus male) for the peak VGRF.

Results

A significant side-by-group interaction for peak VGRF (P = .002) was observed during the landing phase of the drop vertical jump in the entire cohort. The involved limb of the ACL reconstructed group displayed significantly lower VGRF (mean ± SD, 1.77 ± 0.35 BW) than the uninvolved limb (2.2 ± 0.4 BW, P<.001) and both the preferred limb (2.0 ± 0.4 BW, P = .002) and nonpreferred limb (2.09 ± 0.42 BW, P<.001) in the control group. No effect of sex was noted.

Conclusion

After ACL reconstruction, both male and female participants at the time of return to sport demonstrated involved limb asymmetries in peak VGRF during landing from a bipedal task. These deficits, which persist at the time of return to sport, may increase the risk of future injury and indicate that rehabilitation after ACL reconstruction may require more targeted interventions to address involved limb biomechanical deficits in athletes of both sexes prior to return to sport participation. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2011;41(8):553–559. doi:10.2519/jospt.2011.3591
Wavelet Fisher’s Information Measure of 1=f α Signals
Authors: Ramírez-Pacheco Julio , Torres-Román Deni , Rizo-Dominguez Luis , Trejo-Sanchez Joel , Manzano-Pinzón Francisco
Published: September 2011

This article defines the concept of wavelet-based Fisher’s information measure (wavelet FIM) and develops a closed-form expression of this measure for 1=f α signals. Wavelet Fisher’s information measure characterizes the complexities associated to 1=f α signals and provides a powerful tool for their analysis. Theoretical and experimental studies demonstrate that this quantity is exponentially increasing for α > 1 (non-stationary signals) and almost constant for α < 1 (stationary signals). Potential applications of wavelet FIM are discussed in some detail and its power and robustness for the detection of structural breaks in the mean embedded in stationary fractional Gaussian noise signals studied.
Implementing Brief Interventions in Health Care: Lessons Learned from the Swedish Risk Drinking Project
Authors: Nilsen Per , Wåhlin Sven , Heather Nick
Published: September 2011

The Risk Drinking Project was a national implementation endeavour in Sweden, carried out from 2004 to 2010, based on a government initiative to give alcohol issues a more prominent place in routine primary, child, maternity and occupational health care. The article describes and analyses the project. Critical factors that were important for the results are identified. The magnitude of the project contributed to its reach and impact in terms of providers’ awareness of the project goals and key messages. The timing of the project was appropriate. The increase in alcohol consumption in Sweden and diminished opportunities for primary prevention strategies since entry to the European Union in 1995 have led to increased expectations for health care providers to become more actively involved in alcohol prevention. This awareness provided favourable conditions for this project. A multifaceted approach was used in the project. Most educational courses were held in workshops and seminars to encourage learning-by-doing. Motivational interviewing was an integral aspect. The concept of risk drinking was promoted in all the activities. Subprojects were tailored to the specific conditions of each respective setting, building on the skills the providers already had to modify existing work practices. Nurses were afforded a key role in the project.
Selective Growth of α-Sexithiophene by Using Silicon Oxides Patterns
Authors: Albonetti Cristiano , Barbalinardo Marianna , Milita Silvia , Cavallini Massimiliano , Liscio Fabiola , Moulin Jean-François , Biscarini Fabio
Published: September 2011

A process for fabricating ordered organic films on large area is presented. The process allows growing sexithiophene ultra-thin films at precise locations on patterned Si/SiOx substrates by driving the orientation of growth. This process combines the parallel local anodic oxidation of Si/SiOx substrates with the selective arrangement of molecular ultra-thin film. The former is used to fabricate silicon oxide arrays of parallel lines of 400 nm in width over an area of 1 cm2. Selective growth arises from the interplay between kinetic growth parameters and preferential interactions with the patterned surface. The result is an ultra-thin film of organic molecules that is conformal to the features of the fabricated motives.
Synthesis and Transformations of di-endo-3-Aminobicyclo-[2.2.2]oct-5-ene-2-carboxylic Acid Derivatives
Authors: Palkó Márta , Sohár Pál , Fülöp Ferenc
Published: September 2011

all-endo-3-amino-5-hydroxybicyclo[2.2.2]octane-2-carboxylic acid (13) and all-endo-5-amino-6-(hydroxymethyl)bicyclo[2.2.2]octan-2-ol (10) were prepared via dihydro-1,3-oxazine or g-lactone intermediates by the stereoselective functionalization of an N-protected derivative of endo-3-aminobicyclo[2.2.2]oct-5-ene-2-carboxylic acid (2). Ring closure of b-amino ester 4 resulted in tricyclic pyrimidinones 15 and 16. The structures, stereochemistry and relative configurations of the synthesized compounds were determined by IR and NMR.
Modeling Relationships among 217 Fires Using Remote Sensing of Burn Severity in Southern Pine Forests
Authors: Malone Sparkle L. , Kobziar Leda N. , Staudhammer Christina L. , Abd-Elrahman Amr
Published: September 2011

Pine flatwoods forests in the southeastern US have experienced severe wildfires over the past few decades, often attributed to fuel load build-up. These forest communities are fire dependent and require regular burning for ecosystem maintenance and health. Although prescribed fire has been used to reduce wildfire risk and maintain ecosystem integrity, managers are still working to reintroduce fire to long unburned areas. Common perception holds that reintroduction of fire in long unburned forests will produce severe fire effects, resulting in a reluctance to prescribe fire without first using expensive mechanical fuels reduction techniques. To inform prioritization and timing of future fire use, we apply remote sensing analysis to examine the set of conditions most likely to result in high burn severity effects, in relation to vegetation, years since the previous fire, and historical fire frequency. We analyze Landsat imagery-based differenced Normalized Burn Ratios (dNBR) to model the relationships between previous and future burn severity to better predict areas of potential high severity. Our results show that remote sensing techniques are useful for modeling the relationship between elevated risk of high burn severity and the amount of time between fires, the type of fire (wildfire or prescribed burn), and the historical frequency of fires in pine flatwoods forests.
Impacts of Coastal Inundation Due to Climate Change in a CLUSTER of Urban Coastal Communities in Ghana, West Africa
Authors: Appeaning Addo Kwasi , Larbi Lloyd , Amisigo Barnabas , Ofori-Danson Patrick Kwabena
Published: September 2011

The increasing rates of sea level rise caused by global warming within the 21st century are expected to exacerbate inundation and episodic flooding tide in low-lying coastal environments. This development threatens both human development and natural habitats within such coastal communities. The impact of sea level rise will be more pronounced in developing countries where there is limited adaptation capacity. This paper presents a comprehensive assessment of the expected impacts of sea level rise in three communities in the Dansoman coastal area of Accra, Ghana. Future sea level rises were projected based on global scenarios and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization General Circulation Models—CSIRO_MK2_GS GCM. These were used in the SimCLIM model based on the modified Bruun rule and the simulated results overlaid on near vertical aerial photographs taken in 2005. It emerged that the Dansoman coastline could recede by about 202 m by the year 2100 with baseline from 1970 to 1990. The potential impacts on the socioeconomic and natural systems of the Dansoman coastal area were characterized at the Panbros, Grefi and Gbegbeyise communities. The study revealed that about 84% of the local dwellers is aware of the rising sea level in the coastal area but have poor measures of adapting to the effects of flood disasters. Analysis of the likely impacts of coastal inundation revealed that about 650,000 people, 926 buildings and a total area of about 0.80 km2 of land are vulnerable to permanent inundation by the year 2100. The study has shown that there will be significant losses to both life and property by the year 2100 in the Dansoman coastal community in the event of sea level rise.
Symmetry and the Brown-Freiling Refutation of the Continuum Hypothesis
Authors: Bartha Paul
Published: September 2011

Freiling [1] and Brown [2] have put forward a probabilistic reductio argument intended to refute the Continuum Hypothesis. The argument relies heavily upon intuitions about symmetry in a particular scenario. This paper argues that the argument fails, but is still of interest for two reasons. First, the failure is unusual in that the symmetry intuitions are demonstrably coherent, even though other constraints make it impossible to find a probability model for the scenario. Second, the best probability models have properties analogous to non-conglomerability, motivating a proposed extension of that concept (and corresponding limits on Bayesian conditionalization).
Anthrax Lethal Toxin-Induced Gene Expression Changes in Mouse Lung
Authors: Dumas Eric K. , Cox Philip M. , Fullenwider Charles O’Connor , Nguyen Melissa , Centola Michael , Frank Mark Barton , Dozmorov Igor , James Judith A. , Farris A. Darise
Published: September 2011

A major virulence factor of Bacillus anthracis is the anthrax Lethal Toxin (LeTx), a bipartite toxin composed of Protective Antigen and Lethal Factor. Systemic administration of LeTx to laboratory animals leads to death associated with vascular leakage and pulmonary edema. In this study, we investigated whether systemic exposure of mice to LeTx would induce gene expression changes associated with vascular/capillary leakage in lung tissue. We observed enhanced susceptibility of A/J mice to death by systemic LeTx administration compared to the C57BL/6 strain. LeTx-induced groups of both up- and down-regulated genes were observed in mouse lungs 6 h after systemic administration of wild type toxin compared to lungs of mice exposed to an inactive mutant form of the toxin. Lungs of the less susceptible C57BL/6 strain showed 80% fewer differentially expressed genes compared to lungs of the more sensitive A/J strain. Expression of genes known to regulate vascular permeability was modulated by LeTx in the lungs of the more susceptible A/J strain. Unexpectedly, the largest set of genes with altered expression was immune specific, characterized by the up-regulation of lymphoid genes and the down-regulation of myeloid genes. Transcripts encoding neutrophil chemoattractants, modulators of tumor regulation and angiogenesis were also differentially expressed in both mouse strains. These studies provide new directions for the investigation of vascular leakage and pulmonary edema induced by anthrax LeTx.
An Exploratory Study of Patient Attitudes towards Symptom Reporting in a Primary Care Setting
Authors: Berntsen G. , Shrestha N. , Bellika J. G. , Johnsen J.-A. K. , Johansen M. A.
Published: September 2011

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate people’s attitude towards providing symptom information electronically before a consultation. Specific areas investigated include a) attitudes and experiences with regards to acquisition of information related to symptoms, b) attitudes towards computer based communication of symptoms to the general practitioner and how they preferred to carry out such reporting, and c) attitudes towards storage, use and presentation of symptom-data in general, and particularly in a symptom based surveillance setting.

Methods: Data was collected from 83 respondents by use of convenience sampling.

Results: The respondents were familiar with using the Internet for health purposes, such as acquisition of information related to their symptoms prior to a consultation. The majority of respondents had a positive attitude towards providing information about their symptoms to the general practitioner’s office as soon as possible after falling ill. Over half of the respondents preferred to use e-mail or a web-interface to perform this task. Eighty four percent were willing to have their symptom data stored in their EPR and 76 percent agreed that the general practitioner might access the symptoms together with the prevalence of matching diseases in order to assist the diagnostic process during the next consultation.

Conclusions: The results of this study support the applicability of electronically mediated pre-consultation systems both for improving primary care consultation and for use in symptom based surveillance, including real-time surveillance.
Consequences of plant‐pollinator and floral‐herbivore interactions on the reproductive success of the Canary Islands endemic Canarina canariensis (Campanulaceae)
Authors: Rodríguez‐Rodríguez María C. , Valido Alfredo
Published: September 2011

• Premise of the study: Pollination is a critical phase for plant reproduction, but ecological and evolutionary outcomes by pollinators may be counteracted by floral herbivores. These interacting assemblages may also be altered (directly or indirectly) by introduced species, especially on oceanic islands. In this study, we analyzed the effects of opportunistic nectar‐feeding passerine birds and native (semi‐slugs) and introduced (rats) floral herbivores on the reproductive success of Canarina canariensis.

• Methods: Manual pollination experiments were conducted to determine plant breeding system and pollen limitation. We also identified floral visitors and their visitation frequencies by censuses. Bird pollination effectiveness was evaluated by selective exclosures. The intensity of floral herbivory by native vs. introduced herbivores and its effect on plant fitness was estimated in different areas within the Canary island of Tenerife.

• Key results: Canarina canariensis had a very low spontaneous selfing ability and high pollen limitation, despite being self‐compatible. Birds increased fruit set and the percentage of viable seeds per fruit, while florivores, the principal floral visitors, reduced them. Semi‐slugs mainly consumed male reproductive organs, while rats preferred female. There was a strong within‐island spatial variation in the herbivory intensity.

• Conclusions: Opportunistic nectar‐feeding birds increase the production of viable seeds in C. canariensis, but their beneficial effects are counteracted by the high incidence of floral herbivory. Because native semi‐slugs damaged anthers more frequently than did introduced rats, these florivores may differ in their effects on male and female plant reproductive success.
L'activité des conducteurs de travaux sur les chantiers de construction : ordonnancement et supervision d'une situation dynamique
Authors: Forrierre Justine , Anceaux Françoise , Cegarra Julien , Six Francis
Published: September 2011

Cet article a pour objectif d’analyser l’activité cognitive d’un des principaux acteurs du secteur de la construction : le conducteur de travaux, opérateur chargé de préparer, suivre et clôturer les chantiers. En resituant le chantier dans le processus de conception-réalisation de l’ouvrage, nous montrons tout d’abord que le chantier est une situation complexe et dynamique. Ce point de vue nous amène ensuite à caractériser l’activité cognitive du conducteur de travaux comme étant de la supervision de situation dynamique lors de la phase de réalisation du chantier et de l’ordonnancement et du réordonnancement lors de la préparation et du suivi du chantier. Les apports de cette perspective sont, d’une part, l’enrichissement des situations dynamiques et, d’autre part, l’ouverture à d’autres façons de questionner l’activité du conducteur de travaux.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Clinical Preceptorship Program for Registered Nurses in Jordan
Authors: Al-Hussami Mahmoud , Saleh Mohammad Y. N. , Darawad Muhammad , Alramly Manal
Published: September 2011

Purpose:

The authors implemented and evaluated a preceptor training program to prepare registered nurses to become preceptors and to establish a nursing preceptor training program to promote knowledge of preceptorship among Jordanian nurses.

Methods:

A true experimental design was used. The sample consisted of 68 registered nurses recruited randomly from governmental, private, and university hospitals. A sociodemographic data form and a questionnaire on nurses’ knowledge about preceptorship were developed for self-administration.

Results:

The study results showed that the difference between the experimental (
n
= 30,
M
= 33/41,
SD
= 4.5) and control (
n
= 38,
M
= 26/41,
SD
= 4.6) groups after implementation of the preceptorship program was statistically significant (
t
= 5.5,
df
= 66,
p
= .000).

Conclusion:

The preceptorship program showed significant improvement in participants’ knowledge of clinical teaching.
Drug Shortages: Causes and Cautions
Authors: Mullins Tara D. , Cook Aaron M.
Published: September 2011

Drug shortages have increasingly been a problem for pharmacists and clinicians over the past decade. Clinicians need to be aware of the various causes of drug shortages and the issues that may arise as a result, particularly as they relate to medication safety. Numerous resources and strategies are available to mitigate the effects of drug shortages, and clinicians should work with their health care team and the patient to determine the best option when faced with a drug shortage that affects patient care.
Management of Talar Neck Fractures
Authors: Hak David J. , Lin Shishui
Published: September 2011

Talar neck fractures are usually the result of high-energy trauma. It remains controversial whether talar neck fractures require emergent treatment. Most surgeons recommend the use of dual surgical approaches, anteromedial and anterolateral, to allow accurate visualization and anatomic reduction. It is important to carefully preserve any remaining talar blood supply. Obtaining satisfactory clinical results, while avoiding complications, presents a unique challenge in the treatment of talar neck fractures. Common complications include posttraumatic arthritis, avascular necrosis, malunion, and nonunion.
AcrySof IQ Toric IOL Implantation Combined With Limbal Relaxing Incision During Cataract Surgery for Eyes With Astigmatism >2.50 D
Authors: Ouchi Masayuki , Kinoshita Shigeru
Published: September 2011

PURPOSE:

To evaluate the effectiveness of toric intraocular lens (IOL) implantation combined with limbal relaxing incision (LRI) for patients with high-amplitude astigmatism.

METHODS:

This single-center, prospective study evaluated 22 eyes of 19 patients with cataract and >2.50 diopters (D) astigmatism that underwent bimanual micro-phacoemulsification cataract surgery and toric IOL implantation combined with LRI. Pre- and 6-month postoperative uncorrected and corrected distance visual acuity (UDVA and CDVA, respectively), subjective cylindrical error, refractive cylindrical error, keratometric cylinder, and corneal topography were compared. Vector analysis of change in keratometric cylinder was compared pre- and postoperatively.

RESULTS:

Pre- and postoperative logMAR UDVA were 0.82±0.46 and 0.13±0.19, respectively; pre- and postoperative logMAR CDVA were 0.35±0.39 and 0.005±0.13, respectively. Mean postoperative refractive cylindrical error was 1.07±0.60 D. Although predicted residual astigmatism after implantation of the toric IOL was 1.42±0.76 D, pre- and postoperative subjective cylindrical error and keratometric cylinder changed from 3.90 D to 0.94 D and from 3.46 D to 1.80 D, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our results show that the combined surgery of toric IOL implantation and LRI is effective in patients with high-amplitude astigmatism >2.50 D.
Microbial Cellulases and Their Industrial Applications
Authors: Kuhad Ramesh Chander , Gupta Rishi , Singh Ajay
Published: September 2011

Microbial cellulases have shown their potential application in various industries including pulp and paper, textile, laundry, biofuel production, food and feed industry, brewing, and agriculture. Due to the complexity of enzyme system and immense industrial potential, cellulases have been a potential candidate for research by both the academic and industrial research groups. Nowadays, significant attentions have been devoted to the current knowledge of cellulase production and the challenges in cellulase research especially in the direction of improving the process economics of various industries. Scientific and technological developments and the future prospects for application of cellulases in different industries are discussed in this paper.
Elongating under Stress
Authors: de Nadal Eulàlia , Posas Francesc
Published: September 2011

In response to extracellular stimuli, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) modulate gene expression to maximize cell survival. Exposure of yeast to high osmolarity results in activation of the p38-related MAPK Hog1, which plays a key role in reprogramming the gene expression pattern required for cell survival upon osmostress. Hog1 not only regulates initiation but also modulates other steps of the transcription process. Recent work indicates that other yeast signalling MAPKs such as Mpk1 modulate transcriptional elongation in response to cell wall stress. Similarly, mammalian MAPKs have also been found associated to coding regions of stress-responsive genes. In this paper, significant progress in MAPK-regulated events that occur during the transcriptional elongation step is summarized, and future directions are discussed. We expect that the principles learned from these studies will provide a new understanding of the regulation of gene expression by signalling kinases.
Fall Prevention Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Community Stakeholders and Older Adults
Authors: Laing Sharon S. , Silver Ilene F. , York Sally , Phelan Elizabeth A.
Published: September 2011

We assessed knowledge, attitude, and provision of recommended fall prevention (FP) practices by employees of senior-serving organization and participation in FP practices by at-risk elders. The Washington State Department of Health administered structured telephone surveys to 50 employees and 101 elders in Washington State. Only 38% of employees felt “very knowledgeable” about FP, and a majority of their organizations did not regularly offer FP services. Almost half (48%) of seniors sustained a fall within the past 12 months; however, one-third perceived falling to be among their least important health concerns, and most had minimal working knowledge of proven FP practices. Seniors who perceived avoiding falls as important to their well-being were more likely to participate in practices about which they had the least knowledge (risk assessment, medication management). Increased awareness and availability of FP services might help engage older adults in FP practices and reduce the adverse effects of falls.
Higher-Order Compact Scheme for the Incompressible Navier-Stokes Equations in Spherical Geometry
Authors: Sekhar T. V. S. , Raju B. Hema Sundar , Sanyasiraju Y. V. S. S.
Published: September 2011

A higher-order compact scheme on the nine point 2-D stencil is developed for the steady stream-function vorticity form of the incompressible Navier-Stokes (N-S) equations in spherical polar coordinates, which was used earlier only for the cartesian and cylindrical geometries. The steady, incompressible, viscous and axially symmetric flow past a sphere is used as a model problem. The non-linearity in the N-S equations is handled in a comprehensive manner avoiding complications in calculations. The scheme is combined with the multigrid method to enhance the convergence rate. The solutions are obtained over a non-uniform grid generated using the transformationr=e?while maintaining a uniform grid in the computational plane. The superiority of the higher order compact scheme is clearly illustrated in comparison with upwind scheme and defect correction technique at high Reynolds numbers by taking a large domain. This is a pioneering effort, because for the first time, the fourth order accurate solutions for the problem of viscous flow past a sphere are presented here. The drag coefficient and surface pressures are calculated and compared with available experimental and theoretical results. It is observed that these values simulated over coarser grids using the present scheme are more accurate when compared to other conventional schemes. It has also been observed that the flow separation initially occurred atRe= 21.
Multiscale Hemodynamics Using GPU Clusters
Authors: Bisson Mauro , Bernaschi Massimo , Melchionna Simone , Succi Sauro , Kaxiras Efthimios
Published: September 2011

The parallel implementation of MUPHY, a concurrent multiscale code for large-scale hemodynamic simulations in anatomically realistic geometries, for multi-GPU platforms is presented. Performance tests show excellent results, with a nearly linear parallel speed-up on up to 32GPUs and a more than tenfold GPU/CPU acceleration, all across the range of GPUs. The basic MUPHY scheme combines a hydrokinetic (Lattice Boltzmann) representation of the blood plasma, with a Particle Dynamics treatment of suspended biological bodies, such as red blood cells. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first effort in the direction of laying down general design principles for multiscale/physics parallel Particle Dynamics applications in non-ideal geometries. This configures the present multi-GPU version of MUPHY as one of the first examples of a high-performance parallel code for multiscale/physics biofluidic applications in realistically complex geometries.
New and extended parameterization of the thermodynamic model AIOMFAC: calculation of activity coefficients for organic-inorganic mixtures containing carboxyl, hydroxyl, carbonyl, ether, ester, alkenyl, alkyl, and aromatic functional groups
Authors: Zuend A. , Marcolli C. , Booth A. M. , Lienhard D. M. , Soonsin V. , Krieger U. K. , Topping D. O. , McFiggans G. , Peter T. , Seinfeld J. H.
Published: September 2011

Abstract. We present a new and considerably extended parameterization of the thermodynamic activity coefficient model AIOMFAC (Aerosol Inorganic-Organic Mixtures Functional groups Activity Coefficients) at room temperature. AIOMFAC combines a Pitzer-like electrolyte solution model with a UNIFAC-based group-contribution approach and explicitly accounts for interactions between organic functional groups and inorganic ions. Such interactions constitute the salt-effect, may cause liquid-liquid phase separation, and affect the gas-particle partitioning of aerosols. The previous AIOMFAC version was parameterized for alkyl and hydroxyl functional groups of alcohols and polyols. With the goal to describe a wide variety of organic compounds found in atmospheric aerosols, we extend here the parameterization of AIOMFAC to include the functional groups carboxyl, hydroxyl, ketone, aldehyde, ether, ester, alkenyl, alkyl, aromatic carbon-alcohol, and aromatic hydrocarbon. Thermodynamic equilibrium data of organic-inorganic systems from the literature are critically assessed and complemented with new measurements to establish a comprehensive database. The database is used to determine simultaneously the AIOMFAC parameters describing interactions of organic functional groups with the ions H+, Li+, Na+, K+, NH4+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Cl−, Br−, NO3−, HSO4−, and SO42−. Detailed descriptions of different types of thermodynamic data, such as vapor-liquid, solid-liquid, and liquid-liquid equilibria, and their use for the model parameterization are provided. Issues regarding deficiencies of the database, types and uncertainties of experimental data, and limitations of the model, are discussed. The challenging parameter optimization problem is solved with a novel combination of powerful global minimization algorithms. A number of exemplary calculations for systems containing atmospherically relevant aerosol components are shown. Amongst others, we discuss aqueous mixtures of ammonium sulfate with dicarboxylic acids and with levoglucosan. Overall, the new parameterization of AIOMFAC agrees well with a large number of experimental datasets. However, due to various reasons, for certain mixtures important deviations can occur. The new parameterization makes AIOMFAC a versatile thermodynamic tool. It enables the calculation of activity coefficients of thousands of different organic compounds in organic-inorganic mixtures of numerous components. Models based on AIOMFAC can be used to compute deliquescence relative humidities, liquid-liquid phase separations, and gas-particle partitioning of multicomponent mixtures of relevance for atmospheric chemistry or in other scientific fields.
The HadGEM2 family of Met Office Unified Model climate configurations
Authors:   The HadGEM2 Development Team: G. M. Martin, Bellouin N. , Collins W. J. , Culverwell I. D. , Halloran P. R. , Hardiman S. C. , Hinton T. J. , Jones C. D. , McDonald R. E. , McLaren A. J. , O'Connor F. M. , Roberts M. J. , Rodriguez J. M. , Woodward S. , Best M. J. , Brooks M. E. , Brown A. R. , Butchart N. , Dearden C. , Derbyshire S. H. , Dharssi I. , Doutriaux-Boucher M. , Edwards J. M. , Falloon P. D. , Gedney N. , Gray L. J. , Hewitt H. T. , Hobson M. , Huddleston M. R. , Hughes J. , Ineson S. , Ingram W. J. , James P. M. , Johns T. C. , Johnson C. E. , Jones A. , Jones C. P. , Joshi M. M. , Keen A. B. , Liddicoat S. , Lock A. P. , Maidens A. V. , Manners J. C. , Milton S. F. , Rae J. G. L. , Ridley J. K. , Sellar A. , Senior C. A. , Totterdell I. J. , Verhoef A. , Vidale P. L. , Wiltshire A.
Published: September 2011

Abstract. We describe the HadGEM2 family of climate configurations of the Met Office Unified Model, MetUM. The concept of a model "family" comprises a range of specific model configurations incorporating different levels of complexity but with a common physical framework. The HadGEM2 family of configurations includes atmosphere and ocean components, with and without a vertical extension to include a well-resolved stratosphere, and an Earth-System (ES) component which includes dynamic vegetation, ocean biology and atmospheric chemistry. The HadGEM2 physical model includes improvements designed to address specific systematic errors encountered in the previous climate configuration, HadGEM1, namely Northern Hemisphere continental temperature biases and tropical sea surface temperature biases and poor variability. Targeting these biases was crucial in order that the ES configuration could represent important biogeochemical climate feedbacks. Detailed descriptions and evaluations of particular HadGEM2 family members are included in a number of other publications, and the discussion here is limited to a summary of the overall performance using a set of model metrics which compare the way in which the various configurations simulate present-day climate and its variability.
A pragmatic approach for the downscaling and bias correction of regional climate simulations: evaluation in hydrological modeling
Authors: Marke T. , Mauser W. , Pfeiffer A. , Zängl G.
Published: September 2011

Abstract. The present study investigates a statistical approach for the downscaling of climate simulations focusing on those meteorological parameters most commonly required as input for climate change impact models (temperature, precipitation, air humidity and wind speed), including the option to correct biases in the climate model simulations. The approach is evaluated by the utilization of a hydrometeorological model chain consisting of (i) the regional climate model MM5 (driven by reanalysis data at the boundaries of the model domain), (ii) the downscaling and model interface SCALMET, and (iii) the physically based hydrological model PROMET. The results of different hydrological model runs set up for the historical period 1971–2000 are compared to discharge recordings at the gauge of the Upper Danube Watershed (Central Europe) on a daily time basis. To avoid "in-sample" evaluation, a cross-validation approach is followed splitting the period in two halves of 15 yr. While one half is utilized to derive the downscaling functions based on spatially distributed observations (e.g. 1971–1985), the other is used for the application of the downscaling functions within the hydrometeorological model chain (e.g. 1986–2000). By alternately using both parts for the generation and the application of the downscaling functions, discharge simulations are generated for the whole period 1971–2000. The comparison of discharge simulations and observations reveals that the presented approaches allow for a more accurate simulation of discharge in the catchment of the Upper Danube Watershed and the considered gauge at the outlet in Achleiten. The correction for subgrid-scale variability is shown to reduce biases in simulated discharge compared to the utilization of bilinear interpolation. Further enhancements in model performance could be achieved by a correction of biases in the RCM data within the downscaling process. These findings apply to the cross-validation experiment as well as to an "in-sample" application, where the whole period 1971–2000 is used for the generation and the application of the downscaling functions. Although the presented downscaling approach strongly improves the performance of the hydrological model, deviations from the observed discharge conditions persist that are not found when driving the hydrological model with spatially distributed meteorological observations.
Down the Rabbit Hole of Reality: Abbas Kiarostami’s Certified Copy
Authors: McMurray Anna Maria
Published: September 2011

This article discusses how Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami’s 2010 film Certified Copy treats themes of originality, experience, perception, and memory.  The main character’s thesis about art—that copies are not merely inferior versions of originals—is applied to everyday experience of love, life and human relationships.  While the film seems to privilege the subjectivity of experience and reinforces the idea that value is found in individual interpretation rather than any one true or original meaning, it ultimately asks more questions than it answers, and while it sets out on a quest for truth, it, in the end, places responsibility on the audience to fill in the blanks and make meaning for themselves.
Dielectrophoretic Characterisation of Mammalian Cells above 100 MHz
Authors: Chung Colin , Waterfall Martin , Pells Steve , Menachery Anoop , Smith Stewart , Pethig Ronald
Published: September 2011

Dielectrophoresis (DEP) is a label-free technique for the characterization and manipulation of biological particles - such as cells, bacteria and viruses. Many studies have focused on the DEP cross-over frequency f
xo1, where cells in a non-uniform electric field undergo a transition from negative to positive DEP. Determination of f
xo1 provides a value for the membrane capacitance from the cell diameter, the means to monitor changes in cell morphology and viability, and the information required when devising DEP cell separation protocols. In this paper we describe the first systematic measurements of the second DEP cross-over frequency f
xo2 that occurs at much higher frequencies. Theory indicates that f
xo2 is sensitive to the internal dielectric properties of a cell, and our experiments on murine myeloma cells reveal that these properties exhibit temporal changes that are sensitive to both the osmolality and temperature of the cell suspending medium.
Using the Saccharomyces Genome Database (SGD) for Analysis of Genomic Information
Authors: Skrzypek Marek S. , Hirschman Jodi
Published: September 2011

Analysis of genomic data requires access to software tools that place the sequence‐derived information in the context of biology. The Saccharomyces Genome Database (SGD) integrates functional information about budding yeast genes and their products with a set of analysis tools that facilitate exploring their biological details. This unit describes how the various types of functional data available at SGD can be searched, retrieved, and analyzed. Starting with the guided tour of the SGD Home page and Locus Summary page, this unit highlights how to retrieve data using YeastMine, how to visualize genomic information with GBrowse, how to explore gene expression patterns with SPELL, and how to use Gene Ontology tools to characterize large‐scale datasets. Curr. Protoc. Bioinform. 35:1.20.1‐1.20.23. © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Synthesis and Reactions of N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Boranes
Authors: Curran Dennis P. , Solovyev Andrey , Makhlouf Brahmi Malika , Fensterbank Louis , Malacria Max , Lacôte Emmanuel
Published: September 2011

Boranes are widely used Lewis acids and N‐heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) are popular Lewis bases, so it is remarkable how little was known about their derived complexes until recently. NHC‐boranes are typically readily accessible and many are so stable that they can be treated like organic compounds rather than complexes. They do not exhibit “borane chemistry”, but instead are proving to have a rich chemistry of their own as reactants, as reagents, as initiators, and as catalysts. They have significant potential for use in organic synthesis and in polymer chemistry. They can be used to easily make unusual complexes with a broad spectrum of functional groups not usually seen in organoboron chemistry. Many of their reactions occur through new classes of reactive intermediates including borenium cations, boryl radicals, and even boryl anions. This Review provides comprehensive coverage of the synthesis, characterization, and reactions of NHC‐boranes.
S,N‐Chelated organotin(IV) compounds containing 6‐phenylpyridazine‐3‐thiolate ligand—structural, antibacterial and antifungal study
Authors: Ozerianskyi Andrii , Švec Petr , Vaňkátová Hana , Vejsová Marcela , Česlová Lenka , Padělková Zdeňka , Růžička Aleš , Holeček Jaroslav
Published: September 2011

A series of tri‐ and diorganotin(IV) compounds containing potentially chelating S,N‐ligand(s) (LSN, where LSN is 6‐phenylpyridazine‐3‐thiolate) were prepared and structurally characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy. X‐ray diffraction techniques were used for determination of the structure of compounds containing one [(LSN)Ph2SnCl], two [(n‐Bu)2Sn(LSN)2] and the combination of two LSN and one LCN [(LCN)(n‐Bu)Sn(LSN)2] (where LCN is {2‐[(CH3)2NCH2]C6H4}‐) ligands. The coordination number of the tin atom varies from five to seven and is dependent on the number of chelating ligands present. The formation of the five‐membered azastanna heterocycle is favored over the formation of four‐membered azastannathia heterocycle in compounds containing both types of ligands. The di‐n‐butyl‐substituted compounds are the most efficient ones in inhibition of growth of yeasts, molds and G+ bacteria strains. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.