bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Superoxide‐lowering therapy with TEMPOL reverses arterial dysfunction with aging in mice
Authors: Fleenor Bradley S. , Seals Douglas R. , Zigler Melanie L. , Sindler Amy L.
Published: December 2011

To test the hypothesis that the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic TEMPOL improves arterial aging, young (Y, 4–6 months) and old (O, 26–28 months) male C57BL6 mice received regular or TEMPOL‐supplemented (1mM) drinking water for 3 weeks (n = 8 per group). Aortic superoxide was 65% greater in O (P < 0.05 vs. Y), which was normalized by TEMPOL. O had large elastic artery stiffening, as indicated by greater aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV, 508 ± 22 vs. 418 ± 22 AU), which was associated with increased adventitial collagen I expression (P < 0.05 vs. Y). TEMPOL reversed the age‐associated increases in aPWV (434 ± 21 AU) and collagen in vivo, and SOD reversed the increases in collagen I in adventitial fibroblasts from older rats in vitro. Isolated carotid arteries of O had impaired endothelial function as indicated by reduced acetylcholine‐stimulated endothelium‐dependent dilation (EDD) (75.6 ± 3.2 vs. 94.5 ± 2.0%) mediated by reduced nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability (l‐NAME) associated with decreased endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) expression (P < 0.05 vs. Y). TEMPOL restored EDD (94.5 ± 1.4%), NO bioavailability and eNOS in O. Nitrotyrosine and expression of NADPH oxidase were ∼100–200% greater, and MnSOD was ∼75% lower in O (P < 0.05 vs. Y). TEMPOL normalized nitrotyrosine and NADPH oxidase in O, without affecting MnSOD. Aortic pro‐inflammatory cytokines were greater in O (P < 0.05 vs. Y) and normalized by TEMPOL. Short‐term treatment of excessive superoxide with TEMPOL ameliorates large elastic artery stiffening and endothelial dysfunction with aging, and this is associated with normalization of arterial collagen I, eNOS, oxidative stress, and inflammation.
PKC‐dependent activation of human K2P18.1 K+ channels
Authors: Rahm Ann‐Kathrin , Gierten Jakob , Kisselbach Jana , Staudacher Ingo , Staudacher Kathrin , Schweizer Patrick A , Becker Rüdiger , Katus Hugo A , Thomas Dierk
Published: December 2011

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Two‐pore‐domain K+ channels (K2P) mediate K+ background currents that modulate the membrane potential of excitable cells. K2P18.1 (TWIK‐related spinal cord K+ channel) provides hyperpolarizing background currents in neurons. Recently, a dominant‐negative loss‐of‐function mutation in K2P18.1 has been implicated in migraine, and activation of K2P18.1 channels was proposed as a therapeutic strategy. Here we elucidated the molecular mechanisms underlying PKC‐dependent activation of K2P18.1 currents.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Human K2P18.1 channels were heterologously expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes, and currents were recorded with the two‐electrode voltage clamp technique.

KEY RESULTS Stimulation of PKC using phorbol 12‐myristate‐13‐acetate (PMA) activated the hK2P18.1 current by 3.1‐fold in a concentration‐dependent fashion. The inactive analogue 4α‐PMA had no effect on channel activity. The specific PKC inhibitors bisindolylmaleimide I, Ro‐32‐0432 and chelerythrine reduced PMA‐induced channel activation indicating that PKC is involved in this effect of PMA. Selective activation of conventional PKC isoforms with thymeleatoxin (100 nM) did not reproduce K2P18.1 channel activation. Current activation by PMA was not affected by pretreatment with CsA (calcineurin inhibitor) or KT 5720 (PKA inhibitor), ruling out a significant contribution of calcineurin or cross‐talk with PKA to the PKC‐dependent hK2P18.1 activation. Finally, mutation of putative PKC phosphorylation sites did not prevent PMA‐induced K2P18.1 channel activation.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS We demonstrated that activation of hK2P18.1 (TRESK) by PMA is mediated by PKC stimulation. Hence, PKC‐mediated activation of K2P18.1 background currents may serve as a novel molecular target for migraine treatment.
Assessment of Stream Restoration: Sources of Variation in Macroinvertebrate Recovery throughout an 11‐Year Study of Coal Mine Drainage Treatment
Authors: Walter Cynthia A. , Nelson Dean , Earle Jane I.
Published: December 2011

Stream restoration researchers have a complex array of alternative assessment methodologies using macroinvertebrates. We examined sources of variation among three field sampling methods and five metrics in three networked streams impacted by a circumneutral coal mine discharge treated midway through an 11‐year study. Constructed wetlands captured the primary stressor, 700 kg iron/day. Before pollution abatement, copious iron hydroxide smothered downstream sites for decades. Two second‐order streams and one fourth‐order receiving stream, each with matching locations upstream and downstream, were monitored midsummer from 1994 to 2004. We compared taxa density (TD) (number/sample), abundance, expected taxa richness (ETR), U.S. regional pollution tolerance values (RTV), and community similarity (CS) indices from 3 to 11 replicate samples/site using grab samples (i.e. D‐nets, rock washes) and incubated leaf packs. Variation due to sampling method, metric, location, and year significantly influenced outcomes when analyzed using regression and analysis of variance. TD, RTV, and CS indicated biological recovery lagged 6 years behind chemical improvement; ETR and abundance showed more severe, persistent impairment in the two, highly impacted second‐order streams compared to the fourth‐order stream. Incubated leaf packs offered a preview of stream recovery in downstream sites, providing clean food (leaves) and substrate (mesh) and attracted more taxa and abundance than grab samples. In light of the worldwide distribution of coal mining often accompanied by metal hydroxide deposits into streams, we suggest restoration project managers use a variety of sampling methods, metrics, and models to evaluate remediation of physical as well as chemical impairment from mining.
Restoring Connectivity in Landscapes Fragmented by Major Roads: A Case Study Using Wooden Poles as “Stepping Stones” for Gliding Mammals
Authors: Taylor Brendan D. , Goldingay Ross L.
Published: December 2011

Tree‐dwelling mammals may be vulnerable to road mortality if forced to cross canopy gaps on the ground. This group of mammals has received scant attention worldwide despite major road projects potentially causing severe fragmentation to their habitat. Gliding mammals may be enabled to cross road gaps that exceed their gliding capability by the installation of tall wooden poles to act as “stepping stones.” We investigated whether such glide poles installed across two land‐bridges in eastern Australia could restore landscape connectivity for small gliding petaurid marsupials. Hair‐traps revealed repeated use of all poles at both locations over periods of 1–3 years. Camera traps at one site suggest a crossing frequency on the poles by the squirrel glider (Petaurus norfolcensis) of once every 3.8 nights. Radio‐tracked animals did not glide directly over the road but instead used the poles to cross on the bridge. Hair‐traps and camera traps installed within the middle of two reference land‐bridges that lacked glide poles failed to detect crossings by gliding mammals despite their presence in adjacent forest. These observations suggest that glide poles can facilitate road crossing and thereby restore habitat connectivity for gliding mammals. This lends support to the notion that glide poles have the potential to mitigate road‐induced habitat fragmentation for gliding mammals worldwide.
An Artificial Aril Designed to Induce Seed Hauling by Ants for Ecological Rehabilitation Purposes
Authors: Henao‐Gallego Natalia , Escobar‐Ramírez Selene , Calle Zoraida , Montoya‐Lerma James , Armbrecht Inge
Published: December 2011

Ants are effective at moving seeds toward their nests, something that may benefit the seeds. We evaluated whether seed movements that may be useful for the rehabilitation of degraded pastures in Colombia can be enhanced by local ants. An artificial aril was prepared and then evaluated in six open cattle pasture farms. Twenty paper disks (each holding seeds with an artificial aril, honey, tuna oil, and control) were set up along linear transects at each farm, and monitored five times in 48 hours. A total of 340 out of 480 seeds were moved from the experimental units by ants. Seeds with tuna oil and an artificial aril were removed twice as frequently as the control and honey smeared seeds. Ectatomma ruidum, Solenopsis geminata, and Pheidole sp. removed the majority of seeds. Advantages of the artificial aril over tuna oil are discussed. This inexpensive technique can enhance seed movement by generalist ants in degraded pastures, likely contributing to regeneration and ecological rehabilitation.
Racial and Ethnic Biases in Rental Housing: An Audit Study of Online Apartment Listings
Authors: Hogan Bernie , Berry Brent
Published: December 2011

As rental markets move online, techniques to assess racial/ethnic rental housing discrimination should keep pace. We demonstrate an audit method for assessing discrimination in Toronto's online rental market. As a multicultural city with less segregation and more diverse visible minorities than most US cities, Toronto lends itself to multiname audit studies. We sent 5,620 fictitious email inquiries to landlords offering apartments on Craigslist, a popular Internet classifieds service. Each landlord received one inquiry each from five racialized groups—Caucasian, Black, E/SE Asian, Muslim/Arabic, and Jewish. In our experiments, “opportunity denying” discrimination (exclusion through nonresponse) was 10 times as common as “opportunity diminishing” discrimination (e.g., additional rental conditions). We estimate Muslim/Arabic–racialized men face the greatest resistance, with discrimination occurring in 12 percent of experiments. The level of discrimination is modest but significant for Asian men (7 percent), Blacks (5 percent), and Muslim/Arabic women (5 percent). Discrimination was evenly spread throughout the city.
The Consolidation of the Latin American City and the Undermining of Social Cohesion
Authors: Roberts Bryan R.
Published: December 2011

The paper examines possible sources of urban disorder and their impact on social disorganization in two times periods in Latin America. The first period is that of the region's rapid urbanization (c. 1950–1980) and the second is the current period of low rates of urbanization and slow urban growth, particularly true of the largest cities. Unlike in the US, Latin American urbanization in the first period produced social disorganization that in turn gave rise to social organization and local cohesion. The paper focuses on the intervening factors that mediate the link between poverty/inequality and social cohesion. These include the pattern of settlement of the city through different types of migration, the pattern of residential segregation in the city, and the nature of poverty. Social cohesion is defined in terms of the nature of social relationships and in terms of feelings of trust and identity with others at both neighborhood and city level. The spatial, demographic, and economic sources of disorder are hypothesized to have a positive impact on social cohesion in the first period relative to the second period when the impact is more negative.
Residential Patterns among Religious Groups in Canadian Cities
Authors: Fong Eric , Chan Elic
Published: December 2011

This study, based on 2001 Canadian census data for 16 census metropolitan areas, explores residential segregation among eight religious groups. We include non–Christian religious groups to reflect the emerging religious diversity of Canadian society. Our study provides the first comprehensive comparison of the residential patterns of people affiliated with major religious groups in Canada. We argue that each religion is associated with unique sets of religious institutional behaviors, which in turn shape each religious group's relationships with other religious groups. In this study, we identify four religious institutional behaviors that can affect the residential segregation of various religious groups: institutional orientation of religious community services, subcultural identity, religious identity, and discrimination. The findings indicate that these religious institutional behaviors are related to the residential segregation patterns of different religious groups.
In Search of Perfect Growth Media for Baker's Yeast Production: Mapping Patents
Authors: Gélinas Pierre
Published: December 2011

Abstract:  Baker's yeast is a key ingredient for bread and, on the long term, changes in its manufacturing process had a major impact on the baking industry. As shown by a review of 236 patents filed between 1900 and 2009, the development of suitable growth media for baker's yeast was critical to improve its acceptability by the baking industry mainly through reduced cost and improved appearance (pale color). Based on the abandon of patenting activity on artisan yeast production in dough, acceptable commercial baker's yeast appeared on the North American market around 1920, but probably 5 to 15 y earlier in Europe partly because German inventors were the most active to develop growth media for baker's yeast. During the same period, grain‐based media were replaced by diluted molasses that was cheaper. In the following 20 y, inventors put much energy on molasses clarification and miscellaneous sources of nitrogen to supplement it. Although molasses remains the basic raw material for baker's yeast manufacturing, alternatives are still sought for this application. In the early patent literature, cases were found where several inventors claimed intellectual property rights for the same invention described in patents filed in different countries and languages, which suggests that only thorough reading of patent specifications may distinguish inventorship from licenses and thus truly estimate patenting activity.
Structure and diversity of bacterial, eukaryotic and archaeal communities in glacial cryoconite holes from the Arctic and the Antarctic
Authors: Cameron Karen A. , Hodson Andrew J. , Osborn A. Mark
Published: December 2011

The cryosphere presents some of the most challenging conditions for life on earth. Nevertheless, (micro)biota survive in a range of niches in glacial systems, including water-filled depressions on glacial surfaces termed cryoconite holes (centimetre to metre in diameter and up to 0.5 m deep) that contain dark granular material (cryoconite). In this study, the structure of bacterial and eukaryotic cryoconite communities from ten different locations in the Arctic and Antarctica was compared using T-RFLP analysis of rRNA genes. Community structure varied with geography, with greatest differences seen between communities from the Arctic and the Antarctic. DNA sequencing of rRNA genes revealed considerable diversity, with individual cryoconite hole communities containing between six and eight bacterial phyla and five and eight eukaryotic ‘first-rank’ taxa and including both bacterial and eukaryotic photoautotrophs. Bacterial Firmicutes and Deltaproteobacteria and Epsilonproteobacteria, eukaryotic Rhizaria, Haptophyta, Choanomonada and Centroheliozoa, and archaea were identified for the first time in cryoconite ecosystems. Archaea were only found within Antarctic locations, with the majority of sequences (77%) related to members of the Thaumarchaeota. In conclusion, this research has revealed that Antarctic and Arctic cryoconite holes harbour geographically distinct highly diverse communities and has identified hitherto unknown bacterial, eukaryotic and archaeal taxa, therein.
Restructuring an undergraduate dental curriculum to global standards – a case study in an Indian dental school
Authors: Kadagad P. , Tekian A. , Pinto P. X. , Jirge V. L.
Published: December 2011

Globalisation has affected all aspects of life and dentistry is no exception. In the context of today's dentist being a global citizen, undergraduate training in dentistry is set to ensure converging standards so that international recognition of dental qualifications can move forward. The decision of the Dental Council of India to expand the undergraduate dental program to five years provides an opportunity to be part of the endeavor of the Global Dental Congress to achieve converging standards which was initially for the European Union, and now spreading out globally. Economic emergence in Indian subcontinent has resulted in growing oral health care needs both in quality and quantity. To address this issue, the graduating dentist needs to be trained following a competency based curricular model.

Access to Internet facilitated the goal of achieving converging standards of dental schools to be feasible because of the instant communication and capacity to share information about training strategies via technology across the globe. Upgrading the undergraduate training to global standards by dental schools in India could be a wise and strategic move both for attracting students to study in India, as well as retaining the graduates after their training. The following is a case study of an Indian dental school set to restructure the undergraduate curriculum to global standards using the 8 steps of Kotter's transformational change. Change in curriculum and the subsequent accreditation of the school in global platform not only attracts prospective students but also results in producing competent dentists. Dental education provided by the institution can result in quality assurance, benchmarking the assessment system to achieve international recognition. This paper highlights the need and importance of facilitation of international convergence with long term aspirations for mutual recognition of international degrees.
The Impact of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic on Kinship Resources for Orphans in Zimbabwe
Authors: Zagheni Emilio
Published: December 2011

The extended family has been recognized as a major safety net for orphans in sub‐Saharan Africa. However, the mortality crisis associated with HIV/AIDS may drastically reduce the availability of relatives and thus undermine traditional forms of mutual support. In this article, the microsimulator SOCSIM is used to estimate and project quantities such as the number of living uncles, aunts, siblings, and grandparents available to orphans. The model is calibrated to the setting of Zimbabwe, using data from demographic and Health Surveys and estimates and projections of demographic rates from the United Nations. The article shows that there is a lag of more than ten years between the peak in orphanhood prevalence and the peak in scarcity of grandparents for orphans. The results indicate that a generalized HIV/AIDS epidemic has a prolonged impact on children and orphans that extends well beyond the peak in mortality. A rapid increase in the number of orphans is followed by a steady reduction in the number of living grandparents for orphans. Consequently, the burden of double orphans (both of whose parents have died) is likely to shift to uncles and aunts. In Zimbabwe, the number of living uncles and aunts per double orphan decreased between 1980 and 2010, but it is expected to increase progressively during the next few decades. Changes in kinship structure have important social consequences that should be taken into account when seeking to address the lack of care for orphans.
Challenging Behavior Training for Teaching Staff and Family Carers of Children With Intellectual Disabilities: A Preliminary Evaluation
Authors: Gore Nick , Umizawa Hiromi
Published: December 2011

Training programs on the topic of challenging behaviors have often been offered to teaching staff and family carers of children with intellectual disabilities (ID). These efforts have been found to be effective in bringing about positive changes for both children with ID and those who support them. Generally, such training has been offered to either staff or family carers but not at the same time. The authors conducted a study to evaluate the efficacy of a brief training program delivered at the same time to teaching staff and family carers (who were involved with the same child). The study also examined differences in outcomes between the two groups, which were drawn from local schools where some children exhibited challenging behaviors. Both teaching staff and family carers completed the Checklist of Challenging Behaviour, the Challenging Behaviour Attributions Scale, and the Emotional Reactions to Challenging Behaviour Scale prior to, and following, the training workshops. The workshops were divided into two segments. The content was the same, but in the first segment, one was held for teaching staff and one for parent carers. In the second segment, both groups met together. After the first segment, all participants completed a related homework task before joining each other for the second segment. Training used a functional model of challenging behavior and facilitated the production of individualized support plans for the target children. Significant positive changes were found regarding ratings of challenging behavior, participants' causal attributions, and emotional reactions following the training. Some differences were found regarding outcomes for teaching staff vs. family carers. The study showed that teaching staff and family carers can benefit from receiving combined training to support challenging behavior in children with ID.
A Demonstration of Helping Adolescents With Mild Intellectual Disability Climb Ladders
Authors: Chan Kok Hoe Anthony , Lakshmi Varahan Jayashree , Loh Peng Loong Daniel , Tan Sey Ing
Published: December 2011

A research team at a vocational school in Singapore, catering mainly to students between the ages of 17–21 with mild intellectual disability, studied how to best address the challenge of enabling students to learn how to climb ladders (a skill necessary at many job placements). They documented the approach used and suggested extrapolations and scalability for similar problems. An exploratory approach was adopted for tackling the training program. The students in the study with motor or anxiety issues required shorter periods of intervention, and prognosis of success in intervention was higher compared with students with a history of fear or phobic experiences. Mapping the process helped enhance the understanding of the support and intervention modality needed by occupational therapists and psychologists to provide information to the staff in the vocational disciplines with the means to enable such motor and dexterity skills. Future studies should involve determining if the process is applicable to difficulties in other vocational task issues or with other phobic activities that involve both psychomotor and psychological issues.
Endophthalmitis following cataract surgery: the role of prophylactic postoperative chloramphenicol eye drops
Authors: Råen Marianne , Sandvik Gunhild Falleth , Drolsum Liv
Published: December 2011

Purpose:  The main aim of the study was to assess whether omitting prophylactic postoperative topical antibiotics (chloramphenicol) influenced the risk of developing endophthalmitis after cataract surgery.

Methods:  We conducted a retrospective study including all patients who had cataract surgery at our outpatient cataract unit between 2004 and 2011. Postoperative topical antibiotics (chloramphenicol) were omitted from 2007 onwards, as was the first postoperative day review. Patients with a diagnosis of endophthalmitis after cataract surgery were extracted, and the rate of postoperative endophthalmitis (PE) before and after changing these routines was compared. The diagnosis of PE was defined as severe intraocular inflammation requiring prompt vitreous sampling for culture.

Results:  Seven thousand one hundred and twenty‐three and 8131 cataract surgeries were performed in the following periods: January 2004 through December 2006 (period 1) and January 2007 through December 2010 (period 2), respectively. Five cases of PE were identified in period 1 (0.070%) and four patients in period 2 (0.049%). The median time between cataract surgery and onset of symptoms was 6 days in period 1 and 4.5 days in period 2. Median time for intervention was 7 and 5 days postsurgery, respectively.

Conclusion:  We found no difference in the frequency of PE following cataract surgery when changing the postoperative topical medication from a mixture of corticosteroids and antibiotics to only corticosteroids.
Recent trend of clinical features in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Nagaoki Yuko , Hyogo Hideyuki , Aikata Hiroshi , Tanaka Mio , Naeshiro Noriaki , Nakahara Takashi , Honda Yoji , Miyaki Daisuke , Kawaoka Tomokazu , Takaki Shintaro , Hiramatsu Akira , Waki Koji , Imamura Michio , Kawakami Yoshiiku , Takahashi Shoichi , Chayama Kazuaki
Published: December 2011

Aim:  In this study, we evaluated the clinical characteristics of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) because the etiology of HCC has been changing recently.

Methods:  Consecutive 1374 HCC patients at our institution from 1995 to 2009 were enrolled and clinical characteristics were investigated.

Results:  Seventeen percent and 67% of HCC were related to hepatitis B virus (HBV‐HCC) and hepatitis C virus (HCV‐HCC), respectively. Fifteen percent of that was negative for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibody to hepatitis C virus (HCVAb) (NBNC‐HCC). HCV‐HCC tended to decrease and NBNC‐HCC tended to increase in recent years. Patients with NBNC‐HCC and HCV‐HCC were significantly older than those with HBV‐HCC. The complication rates of diabetes mellitus (DM), heavy alcohol consumption, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia in NBNC‐HCC were significantly higher than those in other groups. Furthermore, the platelet counts and body mass index in NBNC‐HCC were significantly higher than those of other groups. Among 209 NBNC‐HCC patients, 58 patients underwent hepatic resection in which 29%, 36%, and 35% of those were based on non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), heavy alcohol consumption, and unknown etiology, respectively. DM was prevalent especially in NASH and heavy alcohol consumption. Cirrhosis was detected in 65%, 81%, and 15% in NASH‐HCC, heavy alcohol consumption‐HCC, and unknown etiology, respectively.

Conclusions:  NBNC‐HCC has gradually been increasing in recent years. The present study elucidated that the presence of NASH and metabolic syndrome were important risk factors for NBNC‐HCC and suggests that these patients should receive surveillance for HCC development.
Heart Rate, Heart Rate Variability, and Arrhythmias in Dogs with Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease
Authors: Rasmussen C.E. , Falk T. , Zois N.E. , Moesgaard S.G. , Häggström J. , Pedersen H.D. , Åblad B. , Nilsen H.Y. , Olsen L.H.
Published: December 2011

Background

Autonomic modulation of heart rhythm is thought to influence the pathophysiology of myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD).

Hypotheses

(1) Holter‐derived variables reflecting autonomic modulation of heart rhythm change withMMVDseverity in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCS); (2) Holter‐derived variables can identifyMMVDseverity inCKCS; and (3) Holter‐derived variables inCKCSin congestive heart failure (CHF) secondary toMMVDdiffer from those in dogs of other breeds inCHF.

Animals

Ninety privately owned dogs: 70CKCSwith variableMMVDseverity and 20 non‐CKCSinCHFsecondary toMMVD.

Methods

Dogs were prospectively recruited and divided into 5MMVDseverity groups based on history, breed, and physical and echocardiographic examination findings. Holter‐derived variables included heart rate variability (HRV), heart rate (HR), and arrhythmia evaluated from 24‐hour Holter recordings.

Results

InCKCS, 18 of 26HRV(allP < .0002) and 3 of 9 arrhythmia (allP < .0004) variables decreased with increasingMMVD, whereas minimum and meanHR(allP < .0001) increased with increasingMMVDseverity. An arrhythmia variable representing sinus arrhythmia (“premature normals”) (P < .0001) and theHRVvariable triangular index (TI) (P < .0001) could distinguishCKCSwith moderate or severe mitral regurgitation fromCKCSinCHFin specific intervals. Among dogs inCHF, Holter‐derived variables did not differ among breeds.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

InCKCS, Holter‐derived variables changed withMMVDseverity. “Premature normals” andTIshowed diagnostic potential. Breed differences were not seen among dogs inCHFsecondary toMMVD.
Idiopathic Immune‐Mediated Thrombocytopenia and Recent Vaccination in Dogs
Authors: Huang A.A. , Moore G.E. , Scott‐Moncrieff J.C.
Published: December 2011

Background

Vaccination is often cited as a potential cause of immune‐mediated thrombocytopenia (ITP) in dogs. Although an association has been documented in humans, particularly in children, this relationship has not been definitively established in dogs.

Objectives

To identify the presence of an association between recent vaccination andITPin dogs.

Animals

Forty‐eight client‐owned dogs with presumptive idiopathicITPand 96 age‐matched, client‐owned dogs with non‐immune‐mediated disease.

Methods

Retrospective, case‐control study. Dogs were identified through theVeterinaryMedicalDatabase (VMDB) andHospitalInformationSystem atPurdueUniversity.

Results

The median age at presentation for dogs withITPwas 7 years (range: 2–15 years). The majority of theITPgroup was comprised of mixed breed dogs (38%); no pure breed was represented by more than 3 cases. The number of dogs that were vaccinated within 42 days of diagnosis ofITPdid not differ significantly (P = .361) between cases of presumptiveITP(4/48, 8%) and the control group (13/96, 14%).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

This study failed to confirm the presence of an association between presumptive idiopathicITPin dogs and recent vaccination; however, the possibility of an association cannot be completely ruled out based on the small sample populations and requires further investigation.
Study design and baseline description of the BMI2 trial: reducing paediatric obesity in primary care practices
Authors: Resnicow K. , McMaster F. , Woolford S. , Slora E. , Bocian A. , Harris D. , Drehmer J. , Wasserman R. , Schwartz R. , Myers E. , Foster J. , Snetselaar L. , Hollinger D. , Smith K.
Published: December 2011

Objectives

This study will test the efficacy of motivational interviewing (MI) conducted by primary care providers and dieticians among children ages 2‐8 years old with a body mass index (BMI) ≥85th and ≤97th percentile.

Methods

Forty‐two practices from the American Academy of Pediatrics, Pediatric Research in Office Settings Network were assigned to one of three groups. Group 1 (usual care) measures BMI percentile at baseline, and at 1‐ and 2‐year follow‐ups and receives standard health education materials. Group 2 providers deliver three proactive MI counselling sessions with a parent of the index child in Year 1 and one additional ‘booster’ visit in Year 2. Group 3 adds six MI counselling sessions from a trained dietician. The primary outcome is the child's BMI percentile at 2‐year follow‐up. Secondary outcomes include parent report of the child's screen time, physical activity, intake of fruits and vegetables, and sugar‐sweetened beverages.

Results

We enrolled 633 eligible children whose mean BMI percentile was 92.0 and mean age of 5.1. The cohort was 57% female. Almost 70% of parents reported a household income of ≥$40 000 per year, and 39% had at least a college education. The cohort was 63% White, 23% Hispanic, 7% Black and 7% Asian. Parent self‐reported confidence that their child will achieve a healthy weight was on average an 8 (out of 10).

Conclusion

To date, several aspects of the study can inform similar efforts including our ability to use volunteer clinicians to recruit participants and their willingness to dedicate their time, without pay, to receive training in MI.
Pro‐ and anti‐angiogenic factors in human skeletal muscle in response to acute exercise and training
Authors: Hoier B. , Nordsborg N. , Andersen S. , Jensen L. , Nybo L. , Bangsbo J. , Hellsten Y.
Published: December 2011

Non‐technical summary  Exercise training is a potent stimulus for capillary growth in skeletal muscle, but the precise mechanisms underlying the regulation of capillary growth in muscle remain unclear. We examined the effect of acute exercise and endurance training in male subjects, on a number of compounds believed to either promote or inhibit growth of capillaries in skeletal muscle. The results show that acute exercise increases the gene expression of both capillary growth‐promoting and ‐inhibiting compounds, suggesting that both positive and negative factors are needed for the precise control of growth. Training increased capillary growth but had little effect on gene and protein levels of the capillary growth‐promoting and ‐inhibiting factors, suggesting a similar potential for capillary growth in untrained and trained muscle. The study is one of the first addressing how the balance between a large number of positive and negative factors is affected in human muscle with exercise and training.
Viscous Flow Structure Interaction
Authors: Huerta A. , Liu W. K.
Published: December 2011

Considerable research activities in vibration and seismic analysis for various fluid-structure systems have been carried out in the past two decades. Most of the approaches are formulated within the framework of finite elements, and the majority of work deals with inviscid fluids. However, there has been little work done in the area of fluid-structure interaction problems accounting for flow separation and nonlinear phenomenon of steady streaming. In this paper, the Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) finite element method is extended to address the flow separation and nonlinear phenomenon of steady streaming for arbitrarily shaped bodies undergoing large periodic motion in a viscous fluid. The results are designed to evaluate the fluid force acting on the body; thus, the coupled rigid body-viscous flow problem can be simplified to a standard structural problem using the concept of added mass and added damping. Formulas for these two constants are given for the particular case of a cylinder immersed in an infinite viscous fluid. The finite element modeling is based on a pressure-velocity mixed formulation and a streamline upwind Petrov/Galerkin technique. All computations are performed using a personal computer.
Experimental Determination of Single and Two-Phase Cross Flow-Induced Forces on Tube Rows
Authors: Taylor C. E. , Pettigrew M. J. , Axisa F. , Villard B.
Published: December 2011

The fluctuating forces induced by water and air/water cross flow on tube rows with pitch to diameter ratios of 1.5 and 3 were measured. Direct measurement of force spectra was possible because the tube was mounted on force transducers. The tubes within the test section were 300 mm in length and 30 mm in diameter. Results were obtained over ranges of void fraction and mass flux from 0 to 95 percent and 375 to 4125 kg/(m2s), respectively. A reasonably uniform spatial distribution of the void fraction was achieved through the use of an air/water mixing unit. The reported results include the power density spectra of the fluctuating forces and their corresponding force coefficient.
Experimental Investigation of Dynamic Parameters of Viscous Fluids in Unsteady Flow
Authors: Ibrahim R. A. , Latorre G.
Published: December 2011

The main objective of this paper is to conduct a series of experimental investigations to measure the effective mass moment of inertia and damping coefficient of a viscous fluid due to an immersed rod fitted in a circular cylindrical container which experiences roll oscillations. This work is mainly oriented to the dynamic analysis of liquid propellant rockets. The measured results are used to examine the validity of the solution of the linearized Navier-Stokes equations. It is shown that the liquid inertia and damping are dependent upon the tank roll frequency and fairly agree with the predicted analytical results.
Optimal Design of Linear and Nonlinear Vibration Absorbers for Damped Systems
Authors: Soom A. , Lee Ming-san
Published: December 2011

Nonlinear programming techniques are applied to obtain optimal tuning and damping parameters for dynamic absorbers. The optimization has been carried out for damped as well as undamped primary systems. It is found that optimal tuning parameters, obtained with the goal of minimizing the main mass maximum displacement, undergo small changes as damping is introduced into the main system. The use of other objective functions, such as minimizing maximum velocity, or mean-squared motion to white noise excitation lead to more significant changes in optimal parameter values. It is shown, on the basis of approximate solutions to the nonlinear absorber problem, that only small improvements in steady state response are obtained using hardening or softening coupling springs.
Piezoelectric Shaker for Simulating Earthquakes
Authors: Canclini J. G. , Henderson J. M.
Published: December 2011

A centrifuge can theoretically simulate gravity-induced stress on earthen structures at a reduced geometric scale through centrifuge loading. These scaling laws show the usefulness of the centrifuge to test large structures of a size that cannot be tested practically in any other fashion. Seven possible shaker designs were considered. The paper presents a description of the piezoelectric shaker chosen and its development for a 5-g ton capacity centrifuge. A piezoelectric material deforms when subjected to an electric field and this principle was used to drive the shaker. The prototype tests showed the feasibility of simulating and controlling an earthquake motion by using the piezoelectric system, the presence of mechanical resonance at some operating frequencies, and the decline of acceleration produced by the piezoelectric system with increasing rpm. This system shows promise for adaption to a larger payload system.
Direct Method on the Determination of Eigenfrequencies of Arbitrarily Shaped Plates
Authors: Nagaya K.
Published: December 2011

This paper is concerned with a method for solving vibration problems of arbitrarily shaped plates. The frequency equation for determining eigenfrequencies of arbitrarily shaped plates is presented. A method of numerical calculation has been given for five examples of circular plates, elliptical plates, rectangular plates with rounded corners, and cardioidal plates. Numerical calculations are carried out for rectangular plates with semicircular sides, rectangular plates with rounded corners and cardioidal plates. The results obtained by this method are compared with previously published results for typical cases of circular and rectangular plates.
Transient Torque Produced in Main Shaft of Electric Hoist During Motor Start-Up and Emergency Brake Operations
Authors: Futakawa Akemi , Muramatsu Naoki , Takeya Katsuji , Ishida Fumio
Published: December 2011

The purpose of this study is to clarify the generation mechanism of the transient torque produced in the main shaft of an electric hoist. A mathematical model with three degrees of freedom is proposed for the transient motion analysis of an electric hoist when lifting a weight and application of an emergency brake. A technique is developed for measuring the transient torque of a main shaft and the transient tension of a wire rope. Comparing the theoretical results with the experimental results, the generation mechanism of the transient torque produced in the main shaft of the electric hoist is clarified. The effects of the torsional stiffness and rotating speed of the main shaft, and the emergency brake torque on the transient torque produced in the main shaft are discussed. Moreover, dynamic load factors for the wire rope are also discussed.
Statistical Correlation Between the Thermal Transition Stress of a Specimen and its Resistance to Alternating Torsional Fatigue
Authors: Harry R. , Bastenaire F. , Joubert F. , Regnier L.
Published: December 2011

The conventional difficulty encountered in fatigue studies is the impossibility of performing more than one fatigue test on a specimen. The purpose of this paper is to present a statistical study in order to: 1) confirm the close correlation between the transition stress determined for each specimen following a rapid thermal nondestructive test and on the one hand, the lifetime N, when subjected to a fatigue treatment at a given level τ, in the elastic area; and on the other hand, the actual endurance limit specific to the specimen; and 2) provide an evaluation of the results obtained.
Computer Simulation of an Impulse Heat Sealing Machine
Authors: Zinsmeister G. E. , Younes Y. K.
Published: December 2011

Reduced computing costs and continued development of computational methods of heat transfer make it possible to simulate complicated heat sealing processes on a computer. Such a simulation is developed for an impulse heat sealing machine and is used for a parametric study of the magnitude and duration of the heat pulse and the length of time the clamping jaws remain closed after the heating period ends. The results (i.e., the temperatures at critical points in the material being sealed) are shown to be useful in setting initial design specifications for the impulse heat sealer.
Design of Direct-Drive Mechanical Arms
Authors: Asada Haruhiko , Kanade Takeo
Published: December 2011

This paper describes the design concept of a new robot based on the direct-drive method using rare-earth d-c torque motors. Because these motors have high torque, light weight and compact size, we can construct robots with far better performance than those presently available. For example, we can eliminate all the transmission mechanisms, such as reducers and chain belts, between the motors and their loads, and construct a simple mechanism (direct-drive) where the arm links are directly coupled to the motor rotors. This elimination can lead to excellent performance: no backlash, low friction, low inertia, low compliance and high reliability, all of which are suited for high-speed, high-precision robots. First we propose a basic configuration of direct-drive robots. Second a general procedure for designing direct-drive robots is shown, and the feasibility of direct drive for robot actuation is discussed in terms of weights and torques of joints. One of the difficulties in designing direct-drive robots is that motors to drive wrist joints are loads for motors to drive elbow joints, and they are loads for motors at shoulders. To reduce this increasing series of loads is an essential issue for designing practical robots. We analyze the joint mass system for simplified kinematic model of the direct-drive robots, and show how the loads are reduced significantly by using rare-earth motors with light-weight and high torque. We also discuss optimum kinematic structures with minimum arm weight. Finally, we describe the direct-drive robotic manipulator (CMU arm) developed at Carnegie-Mellon University, and verify the design theory.
Experimental Determination of Vibration Parameters Required in the Statistical Energy Analysis Method
Authors: Clarkson B. L. , Pope R. J.
Published: December 2011

In the high frequency range of vibration the Statistical Energy Method provides one of the most convenient ways of estimating vibration levels in structural components. The dynamic characteristics of the structure are described in terms of the modal densities, dissipation loss factors and coupling loss factors of the component parts. Theoretical and semiempirical results are available for some typical components. This paper describes the development of indirect methods for the experimental determination of these three parameters. Where theoretical results are available the experimental results show reasonable agreement. The results of tests on a range of components are described.
Design of a High-Level Diagnostic System
Authors: Lyon R. H. , DeJong R. G.
Published: December 2011

The use of vibration signals produced by the operation of a machine to control its operations and detect developing faults is appealing because of the ruggedness of vibration sensors and their ease of placement. A diagnostic system that employs a few sensors, remotely located from a number of vibration generating mechanisms, to analyze the performance of these mechanisms is termed a “high-level” diagnostic system. The goal of such a diagnostic system is to infer from the remote vibration sensors the characteristics of the internal sources (such as forces and pressures) which could not be easily measured directly. The use of multiple sensors and advanced signal processing methods is necessary for such a system to be viable. A series of studies on vibration excitation, propagation, sensing, and signal processing that demonstrate the basic feasibility of such a diagnostic system are described. The design of a high-level diagnostic system for detecting the combustion and gear mesh excitations in a diesel engine analysis is presented, along with the results of a preliminary application of the system.
Multichannel Structural Inverse Filtering
Authors: Powell R. E. , Seering W.
Published: December 2011

A technique has been implemented for predicting the multiple input force time histories acting on a machinery component through the use of multiple vibration measurements and a stored matrix of mechanical frequency response functions. A least squares pseudo-inverse of this transfer matrix is computed in the frequency domain using the singular value decomposition. This decomposition is used to condition the pseudo-inverse against potential singularities caused by uncertainties in the data. The constructed inverse filter is capable of separating multiple input force signals even when the vibration signals contain reverberated information from the inputs in overlapping frequency ranges. The technique has been successfully applied to a flat plate system with two inputs and up to four vibration measurements. Guidelines are suggested for reducing the effects of measurement inaccuracies on the force predictions.
A Comparison of Traditional Fourier and Maximum Entropy Spectral Methods for Vibration Analysis
Authors: Romberg T. M. , Cassar A. G. , Harris R. W.
Published: December 2011

The structural vibrations monitored on a process plant often contain burst phenomena where several discrete frequencies are present. Spectral analysis of these vibration signals by Fourier transform methods is generally considered incapable of resolving discrete frequencies close together in a short time slice. The power spectral density estimates computed by traditional Fourier transform methods are compared with those computed by more recent maximum entropy spectral analysis (MESA) methods for both data from a test system where the outputs of two tuned filters, excited by pseudo-random binary noise, are summed, and the vibration signals from an accelerometer mounted on a die in an extrusion process. The frequency resolution characteristics of the two methods are compared, and the problems associated with the choice of an optimum order autoregressive prediction error filter for the MESA method are discussed.