bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pediatric lymphedema and correlated syndromes: Role of microsurgery
Authors: Campisi Corradino , Da Rin Elisa , Bellini Carlo , Bonioli Eugenio , Boccardo Francesco
Published: January 2008

Authors report modern diagnostic and therapeutic procedures used in the correct assessment and treatment of congenital lymphatic and chylous disorders. Lymphatic dysplasias can be clinically represented only by peripheral lymphedema or be associated with more complex dysfunctions of chyliferous vessels and the thoracic duct (chylous ascitis, chylothorax, etc.) It is, therefore, useful to perform a complete diagnostic evaluation of each patient before carrying out any therapeutical approach. Lymphoscintigraphy, lymphangio‐MR, oil contrast lymphography, and lymphangio‐CT are the common diagnostic tools used in these cases, variable associated depending above all on the complexity of the pathology. From the therapeutical point of view, microsurgical methods proved to bring successful and long lasting results, both with derivative lymphatic‐venous anastomoses and reconstructive lymphatic‐venous‐lymphatic anastomoses. Better long‐term results are obtained in earlier stages. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. Microsurgery, 2008.
Three‐dimensional Stokes flow caused by a translating–rotating sphere bisected by a free surface bounding a semi‐infinite micropolar fluid
Authors: Faltas M. S. , Saad E. I.
Published: January 2008

Explicit velocity and microrotation components and systematic calculation of hydrodynamic quasistatic drag and couple in terms of nondimensional coefficients are presented for the flow problem of an incompressible asymmetrical steady semi‐infinite micropolar fluid arising from the motion of a sphere bisected by a free surface bounding a semi‐infinite micropolar fluid. Two asymmetrical cases are considered for the motion of the sphere: parallel translation to the free surface and rotation about a diameter which is lying in the free surface. The speed of the translational motion and the angular speed for the rotational motion of the sphere are assumed to be small so that the nonlinear terms in the equations of motion can be neglected under the usual Stokesian approximation. A linear slip, Basset‐type, boundary condition has been used. The variation of the resistance coefficients is studied numerically and plotted versus the micropolarity parameter and slip parameter. The two limiting cases of no‐slip and perfect slip are then recovered. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A compact multipoint flux approximation method with improved robustness
Authors: Aavatsmark I. , Eigestad G.T. , Mallison B.T. , Nordbotten J.M.
Published: January 2008

Multipoint flux approximation (MPFA) methods were introduced to solve control‐volume formulations on general grids. Although these methods are general in the sense that they may be applied to any grid, their convergence and monotonicity properties vary. We introduce a new MPFA method for quadrilateral grids termed the L‐method. This method seeks to minimize the number of entries in the flux stencils, while honoring uniform flow fields. The methodology is valid for general media. For homogeneous media and uniform grids in two dimensions, this method has four‐point flux stencils and seven‐point cell stencils, whereas the MPFA O‐methods have six‐point flux stencils and nine‐point cell stencils. The reduced stencil of the L‐method appears as a consequence of adapting the method to the closest neighboring cells, or equivalently, to the dominating principal direction of anisotropy. We have tested the convergence and monotonicity properties for this method and compared it with the O‐methods. For moderate grids, the convergence rates are the same, but for rough grids with large aspect ratios, the convergence of the O‐methods is lost, while the L‐method converges with a reduced convergence rate. Also, the L‐method has a larger monotonicity range than the O‐methods. For homogeneous media and uniform parallelogram grids, the matrix of coefficients is an M‐matrix whenever the method is monotone. For strongly nonmonotone cases, the oscillations observed for the O‐methods are almost removed for the L‐method. Instead, extrema on no‐flow boundaries are observed. These undesired solutions, which only occur for parameters not common in applications, should be avoided by requiring that the previously derived monotonicity conditions are satisfied. For local grid refinements, test runs indicate that the L‐method yields almost optimal solutions, and that the solution is considerably better than the solutions obtained by the O‐methods. The efficiency of the linear solver is in many cases better for the L‐method than for the O‐methods. This is due to lower condition number and a reduced number of entries in the matrix of coefficients. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 2008
Tribological performance and thermal behavior of epoxy resin nanocomposites containing polyurethane and organoclay
Authors: Jia Qingming , Shan Shaoyun , Wang Yaming , Gu Lili , Li Jinbo
Published: January 2008

A series of epoxy resin nanocomposites modified by polyurethane and organically modified montmorillonite was prepared by effectively dispersing the organically modified montmorillonite in interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) of epoxy and polyurethane via the sequential polymeric technique and in situ polymerization. The tribological performance of the resultant EP/PU nanocomposites was investigated by a pin‐on‐disc tester, and the results showed that adding polyurethane and organically modified clay to the EP matrix had a synergistic effect on improving tribological performance of EP/PU nanocomposites. The morphologies of the worn surface were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations, and the results indicated that the mechanism of improving tribological performance of EP/PU nanocomposites was different from that of pure EP or pure EP/PU IPNs. The thermal behavior of these nanocomposites was also investigated by thermogravimeric analysis (TGA), and the results indicated that adding organically modified clay to the matrix remedied the deterioration of the thermal degradation temperature of the interpenetrating networks. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fluorene‐based polyester nanocomposites via in situ interlayer polymerization
Authors: Chang Jin‐Hae
Published: January 2008

Fluorene‐based polyester nanocomposites were prepared by in situ polymerization of equivalent weights of 9,9′‐dihexylfluorene‐2,7‐dicarboxylic acid and 4,4′‐dihydroxy‐1,4‐diphenoxybutane (DPB‐OH) in the presence of octadecyl‐montmorillonite (C18‐MMT) as an organoclay. We investigated the intercalation of the organoclay among the polymer chains, with the aim of improving the thermal properties of the polyester. It was found that the addition of only a small amount of organoclay was enough to improve the polyester's thermal properties. The maximum enhancement of the thermal properties of the fluorene‐based polyester nanocomposites was observed with the dispersion of 5 wt% organoclay. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Thermoelectrical and optical properties of double wall carbon nanotubes:polyaniline containing boron n‐type organic semiconductors
Authors: Yakuphanoglu Fahrettin , Şenkal B. Filiz
Published: January 2008

The electrical conductivity, thermoelectrical, and optical properties of the polyaniline containing boron/double wall carbon nanotubes (CNTs) composites have been investigated. The electrical conductivities of the composites prepared with 1%, 5%, and 8% CNT concentrations at 300 K were found to be 5.31 × 10−6, 2.72 × 10−4, and 1.12 × 10−3 (S/cm), respectively. The thermoelectrical results indicate that all the samples exhibit n‐type electrical conductivity. The optical band gaps of the samples were found to be 3.71 eV for 0% DWNT, 3.32 eV for 1% DWNT, 3.15 eV for 5% DWNT, and 3.12 eV for 8% DWNT. The obtained results suggest that the electrical conductivity of PANI‐B polymer is improved by DWNT doping. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The mTOR target 4E‐BP1 contributes to differential protein expression during normoxia and hypoxia through changes in mRNA translation efficiency
Authors: Magagnin Michaël G. , van den Beucken Twan , Sergeant Kjell , Lambin Philippe , Koritzinsky Marianne , Devreese Bart , Wouters Bradly G.
Published: January 2008

Hypoxia causes a rapid and sustained inhibition in mRNA translation that is characterized by both a transient phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2‐alpha (eIF2α) and by inhibition of the mRNA cap binding protein eIF4E via activation of two distinct inhibitory proteins, the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) target 4E‐BP1 and the eIF4E transporter 4E‐T. Although the importance of eIF2α phosphorylation during hypoxia has been clearly demonstrated, there is little information on the potential relevance of eIF4E regulation. We generated HeLa cells stably expressing a short hairpin interfering RNA (shRNA) against 4E‐BP1 and found that despite efficient knockdown, no significant changes occurred in the overall inhibition of mRNA translation during hypoxia. However, using a proteomics approach we identified seven proteins that were exclusively expressed in the 4E‐BP1 knockdown cells during both normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Further investigation of the transcriptional and translational regulation of these genes by quantitative RT‐PCR indicated that the loss of 4E‐BP1 causes a significant increase in the rate of protein synthesis of S100 calcium‐binding protein A4 (S100A4) and transgelin 2. These 4E‐BP1 regulated proteins have previously been associated with tumor cell motility, invasion and metastasis and may thus contribute to an adverse tumor phenotype.
Sequential detergent fractionation of primary neurons for proteomics studies
Authors: Bernocco Simonetta , Fondelli Costanza , Matteoni Silvia , Magnoni Letizia , Gotta Stefano , Terstappen Georg C. , Raggiaschi Roberto
Published: January 2008

Proteomics studies employing primary neurons are difficult due to the neurons' characteristics. We have developed a detergent‐based fractionation method which reduces complexity of the protein extracts, is sufficiently fast to allow differential proteomics analysis after treatments of neurons for short time periods, can be applied to small numbers of cells directly in culture plates, and allows differential extraction of proteins in a compartment‐specific manner. The sequential use of detergent‐containing buffers on neurons in culture plates yields four extracts enriched in cytosolic, membrane‐bound or enclosed, nuclear, and cytoskeletal proteins. Fractionation of neurons was validated by comparison of the distribution of known subcellular marker proteins in the four extracts using Western blotting. Comparison of extracts by DIGE showed a clear difference in protein composition demonstrating significant variations with a fold change (FC) of at least 1.20 for 82% of the detected spots. Using proteins identified in these spots that could be assigned a subcellular localization based on descriptions in the Uniprot database, an extraction efficiency of 85% was calculated for cytosolic proteins in extract 1, 90% for membrane‐bound and membrane‐enclosed proteins in extract 2, 82% for nuclear proteins in extract 3 and 38% for cytoskeletal and RAFT proteins in extract 4.
Studies on the conducting nanocomposite prepared by in situ polymerization of aniline monomers in a neat (aqueous) synthetic mica clay
Authors: Wu Chia‐Sheng , Huang Ying‐Jie , Hsieh Tar‐Hwa , Huang Ping‐Tsung , Hsieh Bi‐Zen , Han Yu‐Kai , Ho Ko‐Shan
Published: January 2008

The in situ polymerization of the anilinium‐intercalated synthetic mica clay can easily result in an intercalated polyaniline (PANI)/clay nanocomposite. The FT‐IR spectra demonstrated a significant shift for ν(CN) at 1292 cm−1 of the templated polymerized and intercalated PANI molecules. A red shift of λmax for PANI was found from UV–vis spectra. The intercalated PANI also expanded the clay basal spacing seen from WAXD patterns. The degradation rate and temperature of the nanocomposites were found to alleviate and increase compared to neat PANI, respectively. The microscopic examinations including TEM, SEM, and AFM pictures of the nanocomposite demonstrated an entirely different and more compatible morphology. Conductivity of nanocomposite gradually increased with PANI and apparent increase was found when intercalated PANI content reached 40.6 wt %, the possible percolation threshold. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 1800–1809, 2008
Multifunctional materials based on polyazomethines derived from 2,5‐dihydroxy‐1,4‐benzoquinone and siloxane diamines
Authors: Cazacu Maria , Vlad Angelica , Munteanu Grigore , Airinei Anton
Published: January 2008

New polyazomethines have been synthesized by the reaction between 2,5‐dihydroxy‐1,4‐benzoquinone and siloxane diamines differing by the siloxane sequence length. A dimer has also been prepared as a model compound. The products were characterized by spectral (FTIR and 1H‐NMR) and elemental analyses, GPC, viscosity measurements, solubility tests, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The different properties have been investigated by adequate techniques: thermal (DSC and TGA), spectral (UV–vis and fluorescence spectroscopy), redox (Differential Pulse Voltammetry). pH‐sensitivity and metal complexing ability were also evaluated. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 1862–1872, 2008
Familial dysautonomia: Frequent, prolonged and severe hypoxemia during wakefulness and sleep
Authors: Weese‐Mayer Debra E. , Kenny Anna S. , Bennett Heather L. , Ramirez Jan‐Marino , Leurgans Sue E.
Published: January 2008

Sudden unexplained deaths have been reported in 32% of Familial Dysautonomia (FD) subjects. To characterize cardiorespiratory dysregulation in children with FD that might contribute to potential sudden death, respiratory inductance plethysmography (chest/abdomen), ECG, hemoglobin saturation, and pulse waveform (VivoMetrics, Inc.) were recorded in the home during daytime wakefulness and overnight sleep in 25 children with IKBKAP mutation‐confirmed FD and 25 age‐, and gender‐matched controls. Breath‐to‐breath and beat‐to‐beat characterization of breathing, hemoglobin saturation, and heart rate was conducted. Children with FD had more frequent, prolonged, and severe episodes of hypoxemia than matched controls, awake and asleep. Though a small percent of the study time revealed bradycardia and apnea, the hypoxemia was the most prevalent pattern in FD and rarely occurred with related bradycardia. Though infrequent with desaturation or bradycardia, apnea was more prevalent in FD subjects than controls, and more apparent during sleep than wakefulness. Children with FD have cardiorespiratory dysregulation during wakefulness and sleep, likely representing alveolar hypoventilation. We hypothesize that the related repeated hypoxemia (and presumed related hypercarbia) may render individuals with FD more vulnerable to sudden death. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2008; 43:251–260. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Formation of Fmoc–β‐alanine during Fmoc‐protections with Fmoc–OSu
Authors: Obkircher Markus , Stähelin Christian , Dick Fritz
Published: January 2008

During the Fmoc‐protection of H–α‐Me–Val–OH, an unknown side product was found and isolated. The characterization using various analytical methods led unambiguously to the result that Fmoc–β‐Ala–OH was formed during the reaction. The reagent Fmoc–OSu was proven to be the source of Fmoc–β‐Ala–OH, following a mechanism that involved many deprotonation and elimination steps and a Lossen‐type rearrangement as key sequence. The impurity Fmoc–β‐Ala‐OH was found in a variety of reactions in which Fmoc–OSu was applied, either in the reaction mixture or as a contamination of the crude product. Purification of the Fmoc–amino acid derivatives from this impurity incurred high costs and significant reductions in yield. Copyright © 2008 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
β‐Actin‐derived peptides isolated from acidic extract of rat spleen suppress tumor cell growth
Authors: Blishchenko Elena Y. , Sazonova Olga V. , Yatskin Oleg N. , Kalinina Olga A. , Tolmazova Anna G. , Philippova Marina M. , Karelin Andrei A. , Ivanov Vadim T.
Published: January 2008

Twenty‐two fragments of β‐actin and β‐actin‐related protein were isolated from the acidic extracts of rat spleen tissue. β‐Actin fragments (75–90), (78–89), and (78–88), 0.01–1 µM, decreased live cell number of L929 murine tumor fibroblasts by 80–90%, with maximal cytotoxic effect of 30–40%. The fragments of (78–90) segment and the fragment of β‐actin‐related protein (69–77) were less active (inhibitory effect up to 55%, cytotoxic–up to 25%). Copyright © 2008 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Solution conformations of bradykinin antagonists modified with CαCα cyclized nonaromatic residues
Authors: Sikorska Emilia , Rodziewicz‐MotowidŁo Sylwia
Published: January 2008

The conformations of four BK antagonists, [D‐Arg0, Hyp3, Thi5, D‐Phe7, Acc8]BK (1), Aaa[D‐Arg0, Hyp3, Thi5, D‐Phe7, Acc8]BK (2), [D‐Arg0, Hyp3, Thi5, 8, Apc7]BK (3), and Aaa[D‐Arg0, Hyp3, Thi5, 8, Apc7]BK (4) were studied by using 2D NMR spectroscopy and MD simulations with time‐averaged (TAV) restraints. According to the results of the NMR measurements, the BK antagonists contain 7–30% of minor conformation resulting from cis/trans isomerization of the peptide bonds preceding either Pro or Hyp residues. The major conformation of each peptide possesses all peptide bonds in trans configuration. Peptides modified with the Apc residue at position 7 (peptides 3 and 4) possess a higher percentage of minor isomer.

Peptide 1 exhibits the strongest vasodepressor potency among the analogs studied and as a single one forms the βII‐turn in the 2–5 fragment, which is believed to be crucial for antagonistic activity. This peptide is also the most compact. The radius of gyration (Rg) amounts to 6.9 Å and is by ca 1.5 Å lower than that of the remaining analogs. With peptide 4, the ST‐turn of type I within the Ser6‐Thi8 fragment was found. Copyright © 2008 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Strength in Numbers: Probing and Understanding Intermolecular Bonding with Chemical Force Microscopy
Authors: Noy Aleksandr
Published: January 2008

Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) provided researchers with a simple, intuitive, and versatile tool for probing intermolecular interactions using SPM probes functionalized with distinct chemical species. Chemical force microscopy (CFM) was developed as a way to probe and map these interactions in a rational and systematic way. But does the rupture strength of a bond measured in these experiments provide the definitive and useful information about the interaction? The answer to this question is closely linked to understanding the fundamental physics of bond rupture under an external loading force. Even a simple model shows that bond rupture can proceed in a variety of different regimes. I discuss the approaches for extracting quantitative information about the interaction from these experiments and show that even though the measured rupture force is almost never unique for a given bond, force spectroscopy measurements can still determine the essential interaction parameters. SCANNING 30: 000–000, 2008. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
System dynamics and group facilitation: contributions from communication theory
Authors: Visser Max
Published: January 2008

In this paper a theoretical approach to group facilitation is introduced, based on the work of the so‐called Palo Alto school in communication and psychotherapy. This approach permits an analysis of group facilitation processes on the basis of several important principles that also inform system dynamics model building and simulation. On the basis of this analysis existing lists of appropriate facilitation skills and attitudes may be supplemented with three guidelines, leading to greater insight into the quality of the process of group model building and possible ways to evaluate that process. Ultimately, the growth and proliferation of system dynamics models and simulations depend on improvement of both process and content of modeling and simulation. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A NEXAFS and XPS study of the adsorption of self‐assembling peptides on TiO2: the influence of the side chains
Authors: Iucci Giovanna , Battocchio Chiara , Dettin Monica , Gambaretto Roberta , Polzonetti Giovanni
Published: January 2008

Peptides consisting of an alternation of hydrophobic and hydrophilic (positively and negatively charged) amino acids can generate extended ordered structures by self‐assembling (SA) from aqueous solutions. In this paper we present XPS, near‐edge X‐ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) investigations on a series of SA peptides with the aim of determining the effect of side‐chain length on molecular arrangement and orientation.

Peptides were immobilised on the surface of titanium, a well‐known biocompatible material, or deposited as thick films on inert gold surfaces. FTIR analysis yields information on the backbone conformation. XPS spectroscopy was used to investigate the peptide adsorption on the TiO2 surface. The orientation of the peptide chains was investigated by angular‐dependent NEXAFS. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Management of Insulinomas: Analysis from a Tertiary Care Referral Center in India
Authors: Paul Thomas V. , Jacob Jubbin J. , Vasan Senthil K. , Thomas Nihal , Rajarathnam Simon , Selvan Ben , Paul M. J. , Abraham Deepak , Nair Aravindan , Seshadri M. S.
Published: January 2008

The aim of this study was to describe the localization and management of patients with pancreatic insulinomas and determine the most effective localization and surgical techniques in the presence of significant financial constraints in the patient population. We retrospectively reviewed the case records of 18 patients with insulinomas treated at our institution over a period of 10 years. The medical records were reviewed for demographic data, clinical presentation, biochemistry, details of localization studies, intraoperative findings, postoperative outcome, and long‐term follow‐up. The sensitivities of the various localization procedures were calculated using the intraoperative findings as the gold standard. There were 10 men and 8 women in the study, with a median age of 43 years. All patients underwent a supervised 72‐hour fast and developed symptomatic hypoglycemia within 48 hours. An average of 1.9 localization procedures was performed per patient. Computed tomography (CT) had a sensitivity of 62% and specificity of 100%. Magnetic resonance imaging and digital subtraction angiography had specificities of 85% and 100%, respectively, with a specificity of 66% and 50%, respectively. Fourteen patients underwent surgery. Intraoperatively the excised tumor was palpable in nine patients, and all patients had postoperative euglycemia. In five patients the tumor was not palpable during the time of surgery; three of these patients underwent blind distal pancreactomy, with two patients having persistent hypoglycemia during the postoperative period. Two patients had a negative exploratory laparotomy. Patients with a surgical cure were followed up for a mean period of 24 months. On the background of financial constraints in connection with patient care, CT scanning is a cost‐effective option with good specificity. Intraoperative palpation of the tumor and enucleation is the most effective technique for surgical cure. Blind distal pancreactomy is not advocated for tumors that are not localized intraoperatively.
Regional Variation in Hospital Mortality and 30‐day Mortality for Injured Medicare Patients
Authors: Gorra Adam S. , Clark David E. , Mullins Richard J. , DeLorenzo Michael A.
Published: January 2008

Background

We sought to evaluate how survival of older patients with injuries differs by geographic region within the United States.

Methods

We analyzed Medicare fee‐for‐service records for patients aged 65 years and older with principal injury diagnoses (ICD‐9 800–959, excluding 905, 930–939, 958). Cases were classified by Maximum Abbreviated Injury Score (AISmax) and Charlson Comorbidity score (0, 1, 2, ≥3). Hospital mortality and 30‐day mortality were modeled as functions of age, sex, AISmax, comorbidity, and geographic region (northeast, midwest, south, west).

Results

Hospital and 30‐day mortality were both higher with male sex and increased age, AISmax, or Charlson score. Adjusted hospital mortality was highest in the northeast and south, but 30‐day adjusted mortality was lowest in the same two regions.

Conclusions

Regional differences in risk‐adjusted hospital survival for older patients with injuries are different from regional differences in 30‐day survival. Hospital mortality as an outcome for older injured patients should be interpreted cautiously.
Mentoring Nurses in Familial Cancer Risk Assessment and Counseling: Lessons Learned From a Formative Evaluation
Authors: Masny Agnes , Ropka Mary E. , Peterson Candace , Fetzer Dominique , Daly Mary B.
Published: January 2008

Background. As familial cancer genetic services moves into community practice increased numbers of trained health professionals are needed to counsel individuals seeking cancer risk information. Nurses have been targeted to provide cancer risk assessment and counseling. To help prepare nurses for this role, a 5‐day training in familial cancer risk assessment and counseling followed by a long‐distance mentorship to support continued skill development in the work environment was conducted by Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA. Methods. Four cohorts (N = 41) have completed the training and were randomized to either an immediate or delayed mentorship. A formative evaluation assessed the nurse's ability to consult with other genetic health professionals and build self‐efficacy in counseling skills via responses to questionnaire. A post‐mentorship interview evaluated the usefulness, timing and length of the mentorship. Results. For both groups, there was a statistically significant improvement in self‐efficacy for all skills from baseline to 6 months and an increased number of nurses consulting with genetic health professionals. All the nurses reported the value of the mentorship and those with less cancer risk counseling experience prior to the training needed support and resources for further skill and program development. Lessons learned from this formative evaluation are provided.
It's Not All About Birth: Biomechanics Applied to Pelvic Organ Prolapse Prevention
Authors: O'Dell Katharine K. , Morse Abraham N.
Published: January 2008

Pelvic organ prolapse is a common and costly women's health problem. Prevention of prolapse continues to play a role in the debate about the risks and benefits of elective cesarean section, making this an important topic for midwives to understand. While some women appear to be at higher risk for prolapse because of intrinsic anatomic and physiologic factors, others have modifiable risk factors that can be addressed by health care providers. This article discusses the current knowledge related to the etiology of prolapse and related components of pelvic anatomy. Biomechanical principles are then applied to enhance the understanding of prolapse development and prevention. Clinical recommendations are based on current evidence regarding topics such as physical activity during pregnancy, treatment of vaginal atrophy, and optimal pelvic floor muscle exercises.
Origins of arterial and femoral venous acid–base responses during moderate-intensity bicycling exercise after glycogen depletion in men
Authors: Lindinger Michael I , Heigenhauser George JF , Lands Larry C , McKelvie Robert S , Hultman Eric , Spriet Lawrence L , Putman Charles T , Jones Norman L
Published: January 2008

The interactions between nutrition, energy status and acid–base balance during exercise are poorly understood. Exercise, under conditions of prior glycogen depletion (GD) and low-carbohydrate diet, results in a decreased rate of skeletal muscle glycogenolysis, greatly decreased muscle pyruvate and lactate contents with decreased plasma [lactate] (Putman et al., Am J Physiol, 265: E752, 1993). Therefore, it is hypothesized that exercise in GD, compared with normal (NG) or high-carbohydrate conditions, will result in a reduced magnitude of acidosis due to reduced production and accumulation of lactate. In two trials (GD, then NG) separated by 1–2 weeks, four men cycled at 75% of peak VO2 until the time of exhaustion in GD (57 ± 7 min). At 2 min of exercise, femoral vein (fv) plasma [H+] was increased by 21 ± 4 neq l− 1 (NG) and 14 ± 3 neq l− 1 (GD); increases in arterial [H+] were only c. 45% of those in fv plasma. The increase in fv PCO2 (NG, 25 ± 2 mm Hg and GD, 15 ± 2 mm Hg) was the primary variable responsible for the increased [H+]. During NG, the increase in fv [lactate− ] exceeded the decrease in strong ion difference [SID], with electrolyte charge balance mainly due to increased [Na+]. In the GD trial, arterial [SID] decreased and was the primary contributor to the increased [H+], as passage of blood through the lungs eliminated the CO2 contribution prevalent in fv plasma. Throughout GD, plasma [lactate− ] increased less than in NG and the decrease in [SID] in GD was also significantly less than in NG. In summary, in GD conditions, an attenuated production/release of lactate−  and CO2 from muscle resulted in reduced magnitude and duration of acidosis compared with NG conditions. In fv plasma, increased PCO2 was the primary variable responsible for the rapid and sustained elevation in [H+], whereas in arterial plasma decreased [SID], due to increased [lactate− ], was primarily responsible for increased [H+].
Muscle energetics in exercising horses
Authors: Votion Dominique-Marie , Navet Rachel , Lacombe Véronique Anne , Sluse Francis , Essén-Gustavsson Birgitta , Hinchcliff Kenneth William , Rivero José-Luis L. , Serteyn Didier , Valberg Stephanie
Published: January 2008

An optimally functional musculoskeletal system is crucial for athletic performance and even minor perturbations can limit athletic ability. The introduction of the muscle biopsy technique in the 1970s created a window of opportunity to examine the form and function of equine skeletal muscle. Muscle histochemical and biochemical analyses have allowed characterization of the properties of equine muscle fibres and their influence on, and adaptation to, physical exertion. Analyses of exercise responses during standardized treadmill exercise and field studies have illustrated the role of cellular energetics in determining athletic suitability for specific disciplines, mechanisms of fatigue, adaptations to training and the affect of diet on metabolic responses. This article provides a review of the tools available to study muscle energetics in the horse, discusses the muscular metabolic pathways and summarizes the energetics of exercise.
The effect of training on linear jumping parameters in young stallions
Authors: Lewczuk Dorota
Published: January 2008

The aim of this study was to identify the effect of training stage, height of the obstacle and successive number of jump on young stallions' linear jumping parameters with and without rider. Investigations were based on filming of free jumping and jumping with rider during regular stallion work on the 11-month performance test. Horses jumped through the spread obstacle (doublebarre) with constant width of 90 cm and heights of 100, 110 and 120 cm. Taking-off distance, landing distance, heights of legs above obstacle and bascule of horse silhouette were measured using manual programme for video image analysis. Almost all parameters measured with and without rider were training dependent. The only parameters not affected by training were heights of hind limbs above obstacle, which were also not affected by height of obstacle in observations of more trained horses by free jumping and less trained horses with rider. Jumping parameters were not influenced by successive number of the jump by all parameters with rider and parameters of length of the jump in free jumping. On the basis of received results, it could be concluded that evaluation of jumping skills in free jumping and jumping with rider should be based on different criteria.
Electrolyte supplementation after prolonged moderate-intensity exercise results in decreased plasma [TCO2] in Standardbreds
Authors: Waller Amanda , Heigenhauser George J , Lindinger Michael I
Published: January 2008

The present study used the physicochemical approach to characterize the changes in acid–base status that occur in Standardbreds after post-exercise electrolyte supplementation. Jugular venous blood was sampled from six conditioned Standardbreds on two separate occasions, at rest and for 24 h following a competitive exercise test (CET) designed to simulate the speed and endurance test of a 3-day event. After the CETs, horses were given waterad libitumand either a hypotonic commercial electrolyte solution, via nasogastric tube followed by a typical hay/grain meal, or a hay/grain meal alone. The electrolyte supplementation resulted inc.2 mmol l− 1decreased plasma [TCO2] during the recovery period as compared with control. The primary contributor to the decreased [TCO2] with electrolyte supplementation was a decreased strong ion difference ([SID]), as a result of the non-significant increase in plasma [Cl− ]. Additionally, electrolyte supplementation resulted in faster restoration of hydration status compared with control, as evidenced by faster recovery of plasma [protein] and total weak acid concentration ([Atot]). It is concluded that oral administration of a hypotonic electrolyte solution after prolonged moderate-intensity exercise diminishes the post-exercise alkalosis, and that recovery of hydration status is still incomplete 24 h after exercise when no electrolytes are given. Thus, supplementation with electrolytes according to estimated sweat losses may attenuate post-exercise increases in plasma [TCO2], which is of significant practical interest to the horse racing community, as a testing threshold of greater than 37 mmol l− 1is used by many racing jurisdictions to determine whether a horse has been administered an alkalinizing agent.
BLACK AMERICANS AND LATINO IMMIGRANTS IN A SOUTHERN CITY
Authors: McClain Paula D. , Lyle Monique L. , Carter Niambi M. , Soto Victoria M. DeFrancesco , Lackey Gerald F. , Cotton Kendra Davenport , Nunnally Shayla C. , Scotto Thomas J. , Grynaviski Jeffrey D. , Kendrick J. Alan
Published: January 2008

Dramatic demographic changes are occurring in the United States, and some of the most dramatic changes are occurring in the South from Latino immigration. Latinos, by and large, are an entirely new population in the region. How are Black southerners reacting to this new population? Using survey data gathered from a southern location, this article explores several questions related to whether Blacks see these new residents as friendly neighbors or economic competitors. Results suggest that Blacks and non-Blacks perceive a potential economic threat from continued Latino immigration, but Blacks are more concerned about the effects of Latino immigration than are Whites.
Alice's astronomical ancestry
Authors: Edwards Philip
Published: January 2008

IAU242 was held in Alice Springs, a town of 28,000 in central Australia. In this paper the Alice after whom the town is named is identified, and her astronomical connections described.
Recent developments in maser theory
Authors: Elitzur Moshe
Published: January 2008

This review covers selected developments in maser theory since the previous meeting,Cosmic Masers: From Proto-Stars to Black Holes(Migenes & Reid 2002). Topics included are time variability of fundamental constants, pumping of OH megamasers and indicators for differentiating disks from bi-directional outflows.
Masers as probes of supersonic turbulence
Authors: Strelnitski Vladimir
Published: January 2008

A possible intimate connection between astrophysical masers in regions of star formation and turbulence has been a subject of increasing interest during the last two decades. Evidence for the presence of a residual turbulent component in the observed expansion and rotation of clusters of water masers was shown by multi-epoch VLBI maps. The water maser hot spots demonstrate self-similar (fractal) spatial clustering and a power-law two-point velocity correlation function similar to that of incompressible turbulence – with the power index close to “Kolmogorov's” 1/3. The possibility of using maser sources for studying supersonic turbulence critically depends on whether the observed hot spots are an integral effect of radiative transfer over a large distance, comparable to the size of the whole maser source, or whether they are compact local physical objects, such as small random shocks, in which the mechanical energy of turbulence dissipates. If the latter hypothesis is correct, the compact and bright maser hot spots may be excellent local probes of the spatial and kinematic structure of supersonic turbulence. Observational and theoretical arguments for and against these hypotheses are discussed and the first quantitative results about supersonic turbulence obtained by statistical analysis of maser sources are presented in this review.
Magnetic fields in our Galaxy on large and small scales
Authors: Han J. L.
Published: January 2008

Magnetic fields have been observed on all scales in our Galaxy, from AU to kpc. With pulsar dispersion measures and rotation measures, we can directly measure the magnetic fields in a very large region of the Galactic disk. The results show that the large-scale magnetic fields are aligned with the spiral arms but reverse their directions many times from the innermost arm (Norma) to the outer arm (Perseus). The Zeeman splitting measurements of masers in HII regions or star-formation regions not only show the structured fields inside clouds, but also have a clear pattern in the global Galactic distribution of all measured clouds which indicates the possible connection of the large-scale and small-scale magnetic fields.
A sensitive survey for water masers towards Bok globules
Authors: de Gregorio-Monsalvo I. , Gómez J. F. , Suárez O. , Kuiper T. B. H. , Anglada G. , Patel N. A. , Torrelles J. M.
Published: January 2008

In this work we report the most sensitive water maser survey towards Bok globules to date, using NASA's 70 m antenna in Robledo de Chavela (Spain). We observed 207 positions within the Clemens & Barvainis catalog that show indications of possible star formation or with a high probability of harboring a young stellar object. With this survey we have increased the number of Bok globules known to present water maser emission from three to nine. We have complemented these results with interferometric high-angular resolution observations towards some of our detections.
Japanese VLBI network observations of 6.7-GHz methanol masers I. Array
Authors: Doi Akihiro , Fujisawa Kenta , Honma Mareki , Sugiyama Koichiro , Murata Yasuhiro , Mochizuki Nanako , Isono Yasuko
Published: January 2008

The Japanese VLBI network (JVN) has begun observations of 6.7-GHz methanol masers associated with massive star-forming regions. The JVN is a newly-established VLBI array with baselines ranging from 50 to 2560 km spread across the Japanese islands. Three observing bands of 6.7, 8.4, and 22 GHz are now available. The array consists of ten antennas: VERA Mizusawa 20 m, VERA Ishigaki 20 m, VERA Iriki 20 m, Usuda 64 m, Yamaguchi 32 m, Tomakomai 11 m, Tsukuba 32 m, Kashima 34 m, VERA Ogasawara 20 m, and Gifu 11 m, the first five of which have 6.7-GHz receiving systems. In summer 2005, we obtained the first fringes at 6.7 GHz, and VLBI images of 12 methanol maser sites including seven that had not previously been imaged with VLBI at this band. In 2006 summer, we obtained phase-reference observations toward several methanol maser sites.
VLBI observations of H2O and CH3OH masers in two high-mass YSOs
Authors: Goddi C. , Moscadelli L. , Sanna A. , Cesaroni R. , Minier V.
Published: January 2008

We have conducted phase-reference VLBI observations of H2O and CH3OH masers toward two high-mass star forming regions, Sh 2-255 IR and AFGL 5142. In Sh 2-255 infrared water masers are aligned along a direction close to the orientation of a large scale H2 jet, tracing possibly shocked material in a precessing jet, or, alternatively, the disk-wind emerging from the disk atmosphere. In AFGL 5142 water masers trace expansion at the base of a protostellar jet, whilst methanol masers are more probably tracing infalling than outflowing gas. Our results suggest that water and methanol masers trace different kinematic structures in the circumstellar gas.
Spectral and VLBI-structure monitoring of an OH maser flare in W75N
Authors: Alakoz A. V. , Slysh V. I. , Migenes V.
Published: January 2008

We present VLBI and single dish observations of a strong (1000 Jy) OH maser flare at 1665 MHz in the star-forming region W75N. This new flare appeared in 2003, after a 100 Jy flare in 2000. Three major spectral features N1, N2, and N3 were present at all epochs, with N1 declining and N2 increasing in flux density during observations taken in 2003–2006. All three features have strong linear polarization approaching 90%. VLBI maps show that along with the strong features N1-3, many weaker features have appeared within 100 mas of the ultra compact HII region VLA 2. The proper motion of the flare feature N1 was measured: Δα=1.36±0.3; Δδ=-0.3±0.3 mas in 1.75 years, corresponding to a tangential velocity of about 8 km s−1 relative to the rest of the features, and is comparable to the radial velocity range in the VLA 2 disk.
SiO maser survey of evolved stars in the Galaxy: various environments of maser sources
Authors: Deguchi Shuji
Published: January 2008

Using the SiO J=1−0 v=1 and v=2 lines near 43 GHz, we have detected about 2000 of 3600 sources observed with the Nobeyama 45-m radio telescope. The sources were chosen from IRAS/MSX/2MASS catalogs using color-selection criteria to pick up mass-losing oxygen-rich AGB stars and some post-AGB objects. A number of interesting sources were also found: supergiants in a massive star cluster, a nova with light echo (V838 Mon), AGB stars in globular clusters, and AGB candidates associated with dwarf galaxies. With the exception of the stars in the massive open star cluster, these ‘unusual’ objects are associated with metal poor environments where mass losing oxygen-rich AGB stars are unexpected. It is inferred that these objects were created by stellar merging which can occur in dense star clusters.
The hypergiant masers: episodic mass loss, convection and magnetic fields
Authors: Humphreys Roberta M.
Published: January 2008

The cool hypergiants are the most luminous known stars in the upper HR Diagram in the apparent temperature range represented by spectral types A to M. Most of the stars in this regime are unstable as evidenced by their high mass loss rates, variability, and in some cases large IR excesses and circumstellar ejecta. We have obtained high resolution multi-wavelength images with HST/WFPC2 of several of the most known evolved cool stars including several well known stellar masers. VX Sgr and S Per were marginally resolved, while NML Cyg has a peculiar asymmetric envelope that has been shaped by its environment. The powerful maser sources IRC+10420 and VY CMa have extensive and complex circumstellar ejecta due to high mass loss episodes apparently driven by large-scale convective activity.
A search for water maser emission from post-AGB stars
Authors: Chapman J. M. , Deacon R. M. , Green A. J. , Cohen M.
Published: January 2008

We have used the Tidbinbilla 70-m antenna to search for 22 GHz H2O maser emission from a sample of 85 evolved stars. 21 detections were made. Of these 15 were from massive AGB stars. High-velocity H2O maser emission was detected from five sources, of which four are post-AGB stars. Three of the high-velocity sources, b292 (IRAS 18043–2116), d46 (IRAS 15445–5449), and d62 (IRAS 15544–5332) were new discoveries. d46 is also a source of non-thermal radio continuum emission. The high-velocity H2O maser emission and the radio continuum from post-AGB stars are probably associated with shocks that form from wind-wind interactions.
A database of circumstellar OH masers
Authors: Engels Dieter , Bunzel Felix
Published: January 2008

We present a new database of circumstellar OH masers at 1612, 1665, and 1667 MHz. The database contains 10774 observations and 2274 stars with OH maser emission detected. The database contains flux densities and velocities of the two strongest maser peaks, the expansion velocity of the shell and the radial velocity of the star. Access to the database is possible over the Web (www.hs.uni-hamburg.de/maserdb), allowing cone searches for individual objects and lists of objects. Object selection is possible on the base of flux densities and velocities.
VLBI phase-referencing observations of SiO masers towards R Aquarii
Authors: Kamohara Ryuichi ,   and the VERA team
Published: January 2008

We show a phase-referenced image of the SiO maser emissions towards the Mira variable R Aqr. These data have been obtained using the VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry (VERA). The proper motion we have obtained is different from that obtained using the HST. The proper motion from 2004 to 2005 is not different from that of 1991 to 2005 and supports the current orbital elements.
VLBI monitoring of Mira variables with VERA
Authors: Nakagawa A. , Omodaka T. , Shibata K. M. , Kurayama T. , Imai H. , Kameno S. , Tsushima M. , Shintani M. , Matsumoto N. , Matsui M. , Oizumi S. , Yasuda T. , Arao Y. ,   the VERA project
Published: January 2008

We have started a VLBI monitoring program for Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars at 22 and 43 GHz as part of a project of the VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry (VERA) for precisely obtaining the period-luminosity (PL) relation of Galactic Mira variables. Using accurate distances measured with VERA, we reveal PL relation in the Galaxy based on the absolute magnitudes of the sources. We selected the sources for VLBI monitoring so that they have a good coverage of various pulsation periods. Photometry in the infrared J, H, and K bands for over 600 AGB stars has also started since 2003 with the 1m telescope of Kagoshima University to obtain the pulsation periods and magnitudes. Current analysis of the phase referencing VLBI observations of S Crt shows that the parallax of 2.3±0.2 milliarcsec (mas) corresponds to a distance of 435+41−35 pc. From the infrared monitoring data, pulsation periods and magnitudes in K band for 248 sources were obtained.
A VLBI polarization study of SiO masers towards VY CMa
Authors: Richter L. L. , Kemball A. J. , Jonas J. L.
Published: January 2008

Maser emission from the SiO molecule has been widely observed in the near-circumstellar envelopes of late-type, evolved stars. VLBI images can resolve individual SiO maser spots, providing information about the kinematics and magnetic field in the extended atmospheres of these stars. This poster presents full polarization images of several SiO maser lines towards the supergiant star VY CMa. VY CMa is a particularly strong SiO maser source and allows observations of a wide range of maser transitions. We discuss implications of these observations for VY CMa morphology, polarization, and pumping models.