bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Households in Denmark
Authors: Lange Anita
Published: November 2011

Les ménages au Danemark.

Les ménages danois tendent à être plus nombreux et plus petits : cette évolution correspond aux changements qui affectent à la fois les structures familiales et la composition par âge de la population:

- le nombre d'enfants par famille diminue, tandis que l'âge au mariage s'élève, ce qui entraîne une nette augmentation du nombre des jeunes isolés.

- le vieillissement de la population explique également la progression des petits ménages car ceux-ci prédominent parmi les personnes âgées de 70 ans et plus.

Il est possible d'observer, en ce qui concerne la répartition spatiale des ménages, un lien entre la taille des ménages et le niveau d'urbanisation : plus celui-ci est élevé, plus les ménages sont petits ; dans les régions rurales, plus fécondes, la dimension moyenne des ménages est au contraire plus importante.
La famille en Basse-Normandie
Authors: Herin Robert
Published: November 2011

La Basse-Normandie illustre les évolutions survenues en France depuis une trentaine d'années dans les caractéristiques des ménages et des familles : moins de familles nombreuses, plus de ménages à une personne, de familles monoparentales, de couples sans enfants. Cependant, à l'échelle des cantons, subsistent des différences accentuées qui, pour l'essentiel, traduisent les effets du dépeuplement rural et des mobilités de la croissance urbaine.
Gestion de la main-d'œuvre, institution familiale et activité féminine
Authors: Ferréol Gilles
Published: November 2011

Management of works, family structures and female activity

6

As part of a long term evolution, the increase in the number of working women has led to radical changes. Some of these reflect the emergence of new forms of sociability; others are part of a more specific socio-economic context. The coexistence of several patterns (patrimonial, conjugal or communal) as observed through the use of recent empirical material, enriches our understanding of the various types of interaction between the changes in family relationships and the feminization of the workforce.
Tendances de l'évolution de l'emploi et des actifs en Ile-de-France.
Authors: Burgel Guy
Published: November 2011

Employment of young people leaning school : the example of Basse- Normandie region

The survey, done in Basse-Normandie in 1983-84 by the French Ministry of Education, have shown that the output of the school system for the years 1984-85 confirms the results obtained at the national level. According to a low level of training, a great proportion of young students is jobless. Temporary employment increases, such as TUC's or short probation periods. Basse-Normandie is somewhat reculias, in terms of apprenticeship, which is highly developed in the region, and also because of the great proportion of young students leaving school before achieve- ment, without enough training and without diplomas.
Mouvements et mobilité chez les salariés de l'Etat.
Authors: Meron Monique
Published: November 2011

Migrations and mobility of the civil servants

Accessions to public offices happen often in the North of France or in Paris area. Many civil servants take off the South or West coast to retire. Most of officials' transfers get from Paris surroundings to the coast regions or the South of France. Regional civil public services depend on those mobilities as well on ministries distributions and development. Geographic transfers particularly concern young people. Teachers are less mobile than the other high-grade employees. Sometimes, mobility walks with promotion or needs interruption or change in trade.
Mobilité, précarité : vers un nouveau rapport salarial
Authors: Enjolras Bernard
Published: November 2011

Les approches classiques de la mobilité conduisent à une conclusion normative : la mobilité est souhaitable. L'analyse des formes nouvelles de la mobilité liées aux restructurations économiques en Langue- doc-Roussillon conduit à considérer la mobilité comme facteur de contre-productivité et à s'interroger sur la définition du territoire optimal des politiques économiques et sociales.
Interstate Mortality Differentials in the United States: a parameterized Description
Authors: Rogers Andrei , Gard Kathy
Published: November 2011

La mortalité différentielle aux États-Unis : une description paramétrée.

L'article traite de la mortalité différentielle entre états américains de 1979 à 1981. Il s'ouvre sur un rapide panorama sur les données, qui révèle des contrastes étonnamment larges d'espérance de vie entre états. Les auteurs ont construit un modèle de mortalité d'Heligman-Pollard à partir des paramètres de valeurs similaires qui met en évidence l'existence de plusieurs familles de profils de mortalité par âge, leurs caractéristiques principales et les différences entre états.
Chiral recognition of ephedrine: Hydrophilic polymers bearing β-cyclodextrin moieties as chiral sensitive host molecules
Authors: Gingter Sabrina , Ritter Helmut
Published: November 2011

In this work we demonstrate chiral recognition of (+)- and (−)-ephedrine using a cyclodextrin-containing polymer. The supramolecular structures obtained by complexation of ephedrine and cyclodextrin were verified by 2-D ROESY NMR measurements. Dynamic light scattering showed clear differences in the mean coil size.
Low Dose Lopinavir/Ritonavir Tablet Achieves Adequate Pharmacokinetic Parameters in HIV-Infected Thai Adolescents
Authors: Klinklom Arunee , Puthanakit Thanyawee , Gorowara Meena , Phasomsap Chayapa , Kerr Stephen , Sriheara Chulalak , Ananworanich Jintanat , Burger David , Ruxrungtham Kiat , Pancharoen Chitsanu
Published: November 2011

Background

Lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) is an effective and commonly used protease inhibitor in HIV-infected adolescents. Previous data showed high plasma concentrations of LPV in Thai patients. This study determined the phar-macokinetic (PK) parameters of a low-dose LPV/r tablet (70% of standard dose) in HIV-infected Thai adolescents.

Methods

A total of 24 adolescents on LPV/r- containing HAART regimens with HIV RNA<50 copies/ml were included. Standard and low doses for two different weight bands using LPV/r 100/25 mg tablet formulation twice daily were prescribed as follows: 3 and 2 tablets for adolescents weighing 25–35 kg, and 4 and 3 tablets for those weighing >35 kg, respectively. On the fourth week of treatment, PK was performed for all doses at 0 (pre-dose), 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 h. LPV and ritonavir concentrations were measured using the HPLC method.

Results

The median (IQR) age was 13.5 (12–15) years. The median LPV doses of standard and low doses were 290 and 208 mg/m2. The mean (sd) area under the concentration– time curve at 0–12 h, maximum concentration and plasma concentration at 12 h for the standard dose were 97.6 (25.7) mg•h/l, 11.1 (2.6) mg/l and 4.1 (2.0) mg/l, and for the low dose were 87.4 (29.0) mg•h/l, 11.0 (3.1) mg/l and 3.2 (1.9) mg/l, respectively. No significant differences were detected between the groups. One child had plasma concentration at 12 h <1.0 mg/l while on low-dose LPV/r but HIV RNA was undetectable.

Conclusions

The low-dose LPV/r tablet provides adequate PK parameters in HIV-infected Thai adolescents. A randomized study to assess the efficacy of low and standard doses of LPV/r among Thai HIV-infected adolescents should be explored.
Pharmacokinetic Parameters of Once-Daily Rilpivirine following Administration of Efavirenz in Healthy Subjects
Authors: Crauwels Herta , Vingerhoets Johan , Ryan Robert , Witek James , Anderson David
Published: November 2011

Background

Rilpivirine and efavirenz share metabolic pathways (CYP3A), potentially leading to drug–drug interactions. We report the pharmacokinetics, ex vivo antiviral activity and safety of rilpivirine, following efavirenz treatment.

Methods

HIV-negative adults received in fixed sequence: treatment A (rilpivirine 25 mg once daily for 14 days, followed by a washout), treatment B (efavirenz 600 mg once daily for 14 days), immediately followed by treatment C (rilpivirine 25 mg once daily for 28 days). Rilpivirine pharmacokinetic profiles were determined on days 1 and 14 of treatment A and days 1, 14, 21 and 28 of treatment C. Ex vivo antiviral activity was measured in treatments A and C using an exploratory assay. Safety was evaluated throughout.

Results

From days 1 to 21, higher mean rilpivirine exposure was observed with treatment A compared with treatment C. The area under the concentration– time curve (AUC24 h) least squares (LS) means ratio (90% CI) for treatment C versus treatment A was 0.54 (0.46, 0.64; Day 1), 0.82 (0.75, 0.89; Day 14) and 0.84 (0.74, 0.94; Day 21). By day 28 of treatment C, the main rilpivirine pharmacokinetic parameters were similar to day 14 of treatment A (AUC24 h LS means ratio [90% CI], 0.91 [0.82, 1.01]), except for the minimum plasma concentration. At each time point in treatment C, samples of >80% of subjects demonstrated similar ex vivo antiviral activity compared with treatment A. All adverse events were grade 1 or 2.

Conclusions

These results provide useful information supporting a clinical study evaluating HIV-1-positive subjects switching from efavirenz to rilpivirine.
Une autre Marguerite, un autre pacte
Authors: Tigirlas Luminitza Claudepierre
Published: November 2011

Résumé Au-delà d’une tentative de désaliénation au discours stalinien, Boulgakov incite dans Le Maître et Marguerite à interroger la dimension du pacte faustien au féminin dans une articulation psychanalytique de demande à l’Autre, de mise en équivalence de la perte et de la jouissance, de l’écriture et de la mort. Vivre par procuration porterait l’empreinte de la jouissance phallique, comme une sorte de légitimation de la marque identifiante d’une femme. Le trait unaire opère et conduit Marguerite, via le fantasme, à s’identifier au Maître, l’écrivain, qui dévoile ce qu’elle ne sait pas nommer de sa jouissance féminine.
Mademoiselle Miss
Authors: Hassoun Pascale
Published: November 2011

Résumé « Mademoiselle » arrive. Les enfants, pour se défendre de l’aimer, lui cherchent un sobriquet. Mais « Miss » retourne la situation. Elle a un savoir-faire inattendu qui finit par redonner de l’enfance aux enfants. N’est-ce pas cela, prendre soin ?
Practice Makes Perfect: Tips for Successful Institutional Review Board Submissions
Authors: Rutherford-Hemming Tonya , Vlasses Frances R. , Rogers Jill K.
Published: November 2011

As the nursing profession seeks to develop evidence-based practice, nurses are being encouraged to embark on research in their institutions. Staff nurses and nurse clinicians often struggle with the process of obtaining institutional review board approval for their projects. When classes are available, the focus is frequently on informing nurses about the federal regulations for protection of human subjects. This article addresses practical strategies for addressing these regulations from the perspective of both the individual nurse and the nursing leader.
Characteristics That Perinatal Nurse Managers Desire in New Nurse Hires
Authors: Falls Emily , Hensel Desiree
Published: November 2011

Background:

Nursing leaders have proposed that nurses must have the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) competencies to work in complex health care systems. Using the QSEN framework, this study explored what characteristics perinatal nurse managers desired most in new nurses.

Methods:

This study used a survey design and a convenience sample of perinatal nurse managers working in Indiana hospitals (
N
= 46).

Results:

Managers were more likely to hire nurses with experience, positive references, and excellent attendance. Of the QSEN competencies, managers looked most for teamwork and collaboration, followed by safety and patient-centered care.

Conclusion:

In addition to the traditional qualities desired in new nurses, the QSEN competencies are gaining importance among perinatal managers.
El uso de internet y la brecha de conocimiento político en España
Authors: Anduiza Eva , Gallego Aina , Jorba Laia
Published: November 2011

La disponibilidad y fragmentación de medios de comunicación y las posibilidades de elegir contenidos han aumentado en gran medida a raíz de la expansión de los medios digitales. Éstos pueden, según investigaciones anteriores, incrementar las diferencias en los niveles de conocimiento entre ciudadanos con distintas características. En este artículo se analiza cómo el uso de Internet afecta a las diferencias en el conocimiento político según el nivel educativo y el interés por la política en España. Los usuarios frecuentes de Internet saben más sobre política que los no usuarios, como era de esperar. Además, el uso de Internet incrementa el conocimiento político de manera más intensa para los usuarios con niveles educativos más elevados. Por tanto, parece que las diferencias en los niveles de conocimiento pueden estar creciendo con la expansión de los medios digitales. Sin embargo, las diferencias en el nivel de conocimiento de los más y menos interesados en política son menos pronunciadas entre los que usan Internet frecuentemente. Los resultados ofrecen una imagen compleja y matizan las teorías pesimistas sobre el impacto de la creciente posibilidad de elección de contenidos en los medios sobre el conocimiento político.
Francisco García del Cid Arias
Authors: Bas i Peired Carles
Published: November 2011

Not available
Giant Mesenteric Cyst
Authors: Guraya Salman Yousuf , Salman Shaista , Almaramhy Hamdi H.
Published: November 2011

Mesenteric cysts are uncommon benign abdominal lesions with no classical clinical features. The preoperative diagnosis requires the common imaging modalities but the final diagnosis is established only during surgery or histological analysis. The treatment of choice is complete surgical excision. We report an 18- year-old female with a non-specific abdominal pain and discomfort since 3 weeks. Her CT scan showed a huge cystic swelling, which necessitated surgical exploration. Preoperatively, a giant cyst was encountered with displacement of bowel loops. The cyst was completely removed and histology report confirmed mesenteric cyst without evidence of malignancy.
Anterior Iris-Claw Lens Implantation with Single Paracentesis
Authors: Özer Ahmet , Niyaz Leyla
Published: November 2011

In this study, the technique and results of iris-claw intraocular lens (IOL) implantation with corneal incision and single paracentesis were presented. Eighteen eyes of 18 patients who underwent iris-claw implantation surgery with a single paracentesis were included in this prospective study. Iris-claw lens was grasped by its forceps and placed into the anterior chamber through superior corneal opening. While IOL was held by forceps, a blunt enclavation spatula was introduced through inferior paracentesis. Then the spatula was directed toward underneath of iris through pupil and toward sides where iris was entrapped into the claw by gentle push of iris through the slotted center of the lens haptics. Mean age of patients was 54.28 ± 25.21 years (7–76 years). Mean anterior chamber depth was 4.07 ± 0.32 mm and mean keratometric power was 43.01 ± 2.73 D. Preoperative BCVA was 20/63 or better in 8 (44.4%) patients. At the first postoperative month BCVA was 20/63 or better in 14 (77.8%) patients. Preoperative mean spherical refraction was +11.05 ± 2.62 D, preoperative astigmatism was 2.15 ± 0.85. Postoperative mean spherical refraction was −0.58 ± 0.25 D and mean astigmatism was −1.92 ± 0.67 D. The most frequent postoperative complication was mild corneal edema seen in three patients that resolved completely during the first week with medical treatment. Irisclaw IOL implantation can be performed easily with corneal incision and single paracentesis. Single paracentesis does not increase surgical time or cause inconvenience during the procedure.
The Information Warfare Life Cycle Model
Authors: Van Niekerk Brett , Maharaj Manoj S.
Published: November 2011

Information warfare (IW) is a dynamic and developing concept, which constitutes a number of disciplines. This paper aims to develop a life cycle model for information warfare that is applicable to all of the constituent disciplines. The model aims to be scalable and applicable to civilian and military incidents where information warfare tactics are employed. Existing information warfare models are discussed, and a new model is developed from the common aspects of these existing models. The proposed model is then applied to a variety of incidents to test its applicability and scalability. The proposed model is shown to be applicable to multiple disciplines of information warfare and is scalable, thus meeting the objectives of the model.
In Silico Prediction of Evolutionarily Conserved GC-Rich Elements Associated with Antigenic Proteins of Plasmodium falciparum
Authors: Panneerselvam Porkodi , Bawankar Praveen , Kulkarni Surashree , Patankar Swati
Published: November 2011

The Plasmodium falciparum genome being AT-rich, the presence of GC-rich regions suggests functional significance. Evolution imposes selection pressure to retain functionally important coding and regulatory elements. Hence searching for evolutionarily conserved GC-rich, intergenic regions in an AT-rich genome will help in discovering new coding regions and regulatory elements. We have used elevated GC content in intergenic regions coupled with sequence conservation against P. reichenowi, which is evolutionarily closely related to P. falciparum to identify potential sequences of functional importance. Interestingly, ∼30% of the GC-rich, conserved sequences were associated with antigenic proteins encoded by var and rifin genes. The majority of sequences identified in the 5′ UTR of var genes are represented by short expressed sequence tags (ESTs) in cDNA libraries signifying that they are transcribed in the parasite. Additionally, 19 sequences were located in the 3′ UTR of rifins and 4 also have overlapping ESTs. Further analysis showed that several sequences associated with var genes have the capacity to encode small peptides. A previous report has shown that upstream peptides can regulate the expression of var genes hence we propose that these conserved GC-rich sequences may play roles in regulation of gene expression.
Application of Structure Equation Modeling for Inferring a Serial Transcriptional Regulation in Yeast
Authors: Aburatani Sachiyo
Published: November 2011

Revealing the gene regulatory systems among DNA and proteins in living cells is one of the central aims of systems biology. In this study, I used Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in combination with stepwise factor analysis to infer the protein-DNA interactions for gene expression control from only gene expression profiles, in the absence of protein information. I applied my approach to infer the causalities within the well-studied serial transcriptional regulation composed of GAL-related genes in yeast. This allowed me to reveal the hierarchy of serial transcriptional regulation, including previously unclear protein-DNA interactions. The validity of the constructed model was demonstrated by comparing the results with previous reports describing the regulation of the transcription factors. Furthermore, the model revealed combinatory regulation by Ga14p and Ga180p. In this study, the target genes were divided into three types: those regulated by one factor and those controlled by a combination of two factors.
Studying the Influence of Effective Factors of Organizational Learning on Human Resource Productivity - The Case of Western Educational Organizations of Isfahan
Authors: Moshref Javadi Mohammad Hossein , Shahin Arash
Published: November 2011

The purpose of this research was to study the impact of effective factors of organizational learning on human resource productivity of western educational organizations in the city of Isfahan in Iran. Based on research objective, the following hypotheses were considered: Analyzing the impact of continual training on manpower productivity, analyzing the impact of knowledge production and employees’ cooperation of practical decision on manpower productivity, analyzing the impact of supporting and encouraging employees by managers on manpower productivity, analyzing the impact to being flexible and experimental morale of personnel on manpower productivity. Research methodology was descriptive survey in which 25 questions were distributed among the employee of the organizations by using cluster sampling. The statistical population of the research included all of the western educational organizational employees in which 208 samples were selected according to the cluster sampling. Descriptive analysis and student t test were applied for analyses of data. The research results indicated that employees continued training, supporting and encouraging by the managers, and having flexible and experimental morale have positive effects on manpower productivity, but knowledge production and employees cooperation in job decisions have not had that much impact on manpower productivity.
Turismo de observação de baleias: em busca de um elo perdido
Authors: Alvarenga Lia da Costa Alvim , Barreto Kely Dayane Mendes
Published: November 2011

O turismo de observação de baleias está entre as atividades de turismo que mais crescem no mundo. Essa atividade além de gerar recursos aos operadores das embarcações, também agrega benefícios econômicos à população local através da venda de artesanatos, da hotelaria e de restaurantes. O turismo de observação de baleias pode promover também a mudança de valores naqueles que dele participam valorizando as baleias como recurso natural vivo. As formas como os indivíduos se relacionam com o meio onde estão inseridos irão determinar suas ações em prol da conservação das espécies, ou não. A educação ambiental aliada a essa atividade pode contribuir para que a transformação de sentimentos, valores e atitudes, antes predatórios, tornem-se coerentes com a conservação da diversidade de vida. Utilizando-se de questionários de auto-avaliação aplicados antes das palestras educativas e após o desembarque de 72 turistas na Praia do Forte, Bahia, em cruzeiros de observação de baleias Jubarte (Megaptera novaeangliae) pode-se quantificar os sentimentos e valores dos grupos estudados. Para quantificar as mudanças de sentimentos e valores fez-se uso de escalas analógicas visuais, método de psicologia experimental. Esse método consta de uma reta de 100 mm que supostamente apresenta, em toda sua extensão, toda gama de um sentimento. Após a análise dos dados, pôde-se constatar mudanças estatisticamente significativas em quatro das questões. Duas dessas questões buscaram avaliar o conhecimento prévio sobre a vida marinha e a biologia das baleias e obtiveram resultados diferentes do conhecimento avaliado após a palestra e o avistamento das baleias segundo o critério de auto-avaliação (p= 0,0057 e p=0,000 segundo o teste Kruskal-Wallis). A questão seguinte que apresentou diferença significativa (p=0,04, Kruskal-Wallis) mostra que o turista antes do embarque mostrava-se indeciso ou a favor do retorno à caça de baleias e posteriormente passa a discordar dessa prática. Outra mudança observada é que o turista passa a ver essa modalidade de turismo como uma ferramenta à conservação de outras espécies marinhas além da baleia Jubarte (p=0,039, Kruskal-Wallis). Tais resultados vêm corroborar a tese de que a prática do turismo de observação de baleias pode ser não só uma ferramenta lúdica, mas também educativa quando torna os indivíduos maduros para perceberem criticamente o ambiente que os cerca.
Rituximab therapy for systemic vasculitis associated with rheumatoid arthritis: Results from the Autoimmunity and Rituximab Registry
Authors: Puéchal X. , Gottenberg J. E. , Berthelot J. M. , Gossec L. , Meyer O. , Morel J. , Wendling D. , de Bandt M. , Houvenagel E. , Jamard B. , Lequerré T. , Morel G. , Richette P. , Sellam J. , Guillevin L. , Mariette X. ,   Investigators of the Autoimmunity Rituximab Registry
Published: November 2011

Objective

Rituximab improves articular symptoms in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and it recently has been shown to be an effective induction therapy for antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody–associated vasculitis. We assessed the efficacy and safety of rituximab in a real‐life clinical setting among patients with systemic rheumatoid vasculitis (SRV).

Methods

We analyzed data from the AutoImmunity and Rituximab registry, which includes patients with autoimmune diseases treated with rituximab.

Results

Of the 1,994 patients with RA enrolled in the registry, 17 were treated with rituximab for active SRV. At baseline, the mean Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score for RA (BVAS/RA) was 9.6, with a mean prednisone dosage of 19.2 mg/day. After 6 months of rituximab therapy, 12 patients (71%) achieved complete remission of their vasculitis, 4 had a partial response, and 1 died with uncontrolled vasculitis. Mean BVAS/RA was reduced to 0.6 and mean prednisone dosage to 9.7 mg/day. At 12 months, 14 patients (82%) were in sustained complete remission. Severe infection occurred in 3 patients, corresponding to a 6.4 per 100 patient‐years rate. In the 6 patients who received further rituximab as maintenance therapy between months 6 and 12, no relapse of vasculitis was observed. However, among the 9 patients who did not, a relapse was observed in 3 patients who were treated with methotrexate alone. Remission was reestablished by reintroducing rituximab in 2 cases.

Conclusion

Complete remission of SRV was achieved in nearly three‐fourths of patients receiving rituximab in daily practice, with a significant decrease in daily prednisone dosage and an acceptable toxicity profile. Rituximab represents a suitable therapeutic option to induce remission in SRV, but maintenance therapy seems to be necessary.
Modeling depression in adult female cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis)
Authors: Willard Stephanie L. , Shively Carol A.
Published: November 2011

Depressive disorders are prevalent, costly, and poorly understood. Male rodents in stress paradigms are most commonly used as animal models, despite the two‐fold increased prevalence of depression in women and sex differences in response to stress. Although these models have provided valuable insights, new models are needed to move the field forward. Social stress‐associated behavioral depression in adult female cynomolgus macaques closely resembles human depression in physiological, neurobiological, and behavioral characteristics, including reduced body mass, hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis perturbations, autonomic dysfunction, increased cardiovascular disease risk, reduced hippocampal volume, altered serotonergic function, decreased activity levels, and increased mortality. In addition, behaviorally depressed monkeys also have low ovarian steroid concentrations, even though they continue to have menstrual cycles. Although this type of ovarian dysfunction has not been reported in depressed women and is difficult to identify, it may be the key to understanding the high prevalence of depression in women. Depressive behavior in female cynomolgus monkeys is naturally occurring and not induced by experimental manipulation. Different social environmental challenges, including isolation vs. subordination, may elicit the depression‐like response in some animals and not others. Similarly, social subordination is stressful and depressive behavior is more common in socially subordinate monkeys. Yet, not all subordinates exhibit behavioral depression, suggesting individual differences in sensitivity to specific environmental stressors and enhanced risk of behavioral depression in some individuals. The behavior and neurobiology of subordinates is distinctly different than that of behaviorally depressed monkeys, which affords the opportunity to differentiate between stressed and depressed states. Thus, behaviorally depressed monkeys exhibit numerous physiological, neurobiological, and behavioral characteristics same as those of depressed human beings. The nonhuman primate model represents a new animal model of depression with great promise for furthering our understanding of this prevalent and debilitating disease and identifying novel therapeutic targets. Am. J. Primatol. 74:528–542, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sucrose in aqueous solution revisited, Part 2: Adaptively biased molecular dynamics simulations and computational analysis of NMR relaxation
Authors: Xia Junchao , Case David A.
Published: November 2011

We report 100 ns molecular dynamics simulations, at various temperatures, of sucrose in water (with concentrations of sucrose ranging from 0.02 to 4M), and in a 7:3 water‐DMSO mixture. Convergence of the resulting conformational ensembles was checked using adaptive‐biased simulations along the glycosidic Φ and ψ torsion angles. NMR relaxation parameters, including longitudinal (R1) and transverse (R2) relaxation rates, nuclear Overhauser enhancements (NOE), and generalized order parameter (S2) were computed from the resulting time‐correlation functions. The amplitude and time scales of molecular motions change with temperature and concentration in ways that track closely with experimental results, and are consistent with a model in which sucrose conformational fluctuations are limited (with 80–90% of the conformations having ϕ−ψ values within 20° of an average conformation), but with some important differences in conformation between pure water and DMSO‐water mixtures. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 97: 289–302, 2012.
Exploring the Effect of Metal Ions and Counteranions on the Structure and Magnetic Properties of Five Dodecanuclear CoII and NiII Clusters
Authors: Zhou Yan‐Ling , Zeng Ming‐Hua , Liu Xiao‐Chun , Liang Hong , Kurmoo Mohamedally
Published: November 2011

We present the synthesis, characterization of the structures, and magnetic properties of five isostructural dodecanuclear coordination clusters of NiII and CoII: [Co12(bm)12(NO3)‐ (O2CMe)6(EtOH)6](NO3)5 (1), [Ni12(bm)12(NO3)(O2CMe)6(H2O)3‐ (EtOH)3](NO3)5⋅2 H2O (2), mixed‐metal composition (Ni/Co 1:1) [Co6Ni6(bm)12(NO3)(O2CMe)6(EtOH)6](NO3)5 (3), and [M12(bm)12(NO3)‐ (O2CMe)6(EtOH)6](ClO4)5 (M=Co (4), Ni (5)), in which Hbm=(1H‐benzimidazol‐2‐yl)methanol. They consist of analogous structural cores that are constructed by three cubanes (M4O4) that surround the templating nitrate and bridging auxiliary acetate and the directing ligands bm. They have different magnetic behaviors. Whereas there is the absence of the out‐of‐phase ac susceptibility (χ′′) for the NiII‐based compounds 2 and 5, the CoII‐containing compounds 1, 3, and 4 have prominent χ′′ signals that exhibit frequency dependence, which indicates slow magnetic relaxation behavior above 1.8 K. In particular, the larger perchlorate counterions in 4 further change the overall correlation interaction between clusters, thus leading to an enhanced blocking temperature for the less‐symmetrical 4 (pseudo‐C3) relative to 1 and 3 (true C3). Interestingly, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS) indicates that the three dodecanuclear clusters of 1–3 retain their compositions in solution. The mixed‐metal cluster cores of 3 are formed based on the nature of the interchangeability between metal centers in solution.
Preparation of Diastereomerically Pure Dilignol Model Compounds
Authors: Buendia Julien , Mottweiler Jakob , Bolm Carsten
Published: November 2011

A gram‐scale synthetic access to diastereomerically pure dilignol β‐O‐4 type model compounds, which represent valuable candidates for studies of lignin cleavage and valorization, is described. Following a straightforward procedure both diastereoisomers of 1,3‐dilignols can be prepared. In the key‐step, tert‐butyl aryloxy esters are used as enolate precursors for additions on aldehydes. After separation, the resulting erythro and threo β‐hydroxy esters are independently reduced to afford the target compounds in high yields.
CCL2: A potential prognostic marker and target of anti‐inflammatory strategy in HIV/AIDS pathogenesis
Authors: Ansari Abdul W. , Heiken Hans , Meyer‐Olson Dirk , Schmidt Reinhold E.
Published: November 2011

Chemokines are critical components of the immune system that participate in immune homeostasis and alterations in chemokine balance can result in severe inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The role of chemokines and their receptors in viral infections including HIV‐1 was predicted from the early studies of HIV‐1 co‐receptor CCR5 and its ligands and a divergent role of C‐C chemokines in HIV‐1 pathogenesis has been established. For example, CCL3 (MIP‐1α), CCL4 (MIP‐1β) and CCL5 (RANTES) have been shown to possess antiviral effects by binding to the HIV‐1 co‐receptor CCR5, whereas CCL2, a pro‐inflammatory chemokine, supports HIV‐1 replication despite being a member of same chemokine family. Furthermore, the well‐established role of CCL2 in driving the Th2 immune response supports its potential role in HIV‐1/AIDS. Recent reports suggest multiple pathways of CCL2 affect HIV‐1 infection. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the role and potential mechanisms of the HIV‐1‐CCL2 interplay in driving virus‐induced immuno‐pathology, suggesting that CCL2 could be an anti‐inflammatory target in the treatment of HIV‐1 infection.
Sequential microfluidic droplet processing for rapid DNA extraction
Authors: Pan Xiaoyan , Zeng Shaojiang , Zhang Qingquan , Lin Bingcheng , Qin Jianhua
Published: November 2011

This work describes a novel droplet‐based microfluidic device, which enables sequential droplet processing for rapid DNA extraction. The microdevice consists of a droplet generation unit, two reagent addition units and three droplet splitting units. The loading/washing/elution steps required for DNA extraction were carried out by sequential microfluidic droplet processing. The movement of superparamagnetic beads, which were used as extraction supports, was controlled with magnetic field. The microdevice could generate about 100 droplets per min, and it took about 1 min for each droplet to perform the whole extraction process. The extraction efficiency was measured to be 46% for λ‐DNA, and the extracted DNA could be used in subsequent genetic analysis such as PCR, demonstrating the potential of the device for fast DNA extraction.
High prevalence of CIC fusion with double‐homeobox (DUX4) transcription factors in EWSR1‐negative undifferentiated small blue round cell sarcomas
Authors: Italiano Antoine , Sung Yun Shao , Zhang Lei , Singer Samuel , Maki Robert G. , Coindre Jean‐Michel , Antonescu Cristina R.
Published: November 2011

Primitive round cell sarcomas of childhood and young adults have been problematic to diagnose and classify. Our goal was to investigate the pathologic and molecular characteristics of small blue round cell tumors (SBRCT) that remained unclassified after exhaustive immunohistochemistry and molecular screening to exclude known sarcoma‐related translocations. As rare examples of EWSR1‐negative SBRCT have been shown to carry rearrangements for FUS and CIC genes, we undertook a systematic screening for these two genes. CIC rearrangements by FISH were detected in 15/22 (68%), while none showed FUS abnormalities. RACE, RT‐PCR, and/or long‐range DNA PCR performed in two cases with frozen material showed that CIC was fused to copies of the DUX4 gene on either 4q35 or 10q26.3. Subsequent FISH analysis confirmed fused signals of CIC with either 4q35 or 10q26.3 region in six cases each. Tumors positive for CIC‐DUX4 fusion occurred mainly in male young adult patients (median age: 29 years), with the extremities being the most frequent location. Microscopically, tumors displayed a primitive, round to oval cell morphology with prominent nucleoli, high mitotic count, and areas of necrosis. O13 expression was variable, being either diffuse or patchy and tumors mostly lacked other markers of differentiation. Although CIC‐DUX4 resulting in a t(4;19) translocation has been previously described in primitive sarcomas, this is the first report implicating the related DUX4 on 10q26 in oncogenesis. These results suggest the possibility of a newly defined subgroup of primitive round cell sarcomas characterized by CIC rearrangements, distinct from Ewing sarcoma family of tumors. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
PUBLIC PREFERENCES FOR RESPONSIBILITY VERSUS PUBLIC PREFERENCES FOR REDUCING INEQUALITIES
Authors: Edlin Richard , Tsuchiya Aki , Dolan Paul
Published: November 2011

In cost‐utility analysis, the numbers of quality‐adjusted life years (QALYs) gained are aggregated by placing the same weight on each QALY. Deviations from this rubric have been proposed on a number of grounds, including the degree to which persons might be deemed responsible for the illness faced, and inequality in lifetime health between groups. Most research has looked at these factors in isolation. This paper analyses public preferences about the relative importance of these factors. Over 500 members of the general public in the UK are interviewed in their homes. Where “blameworthy” groups experience a moderate drop in quality of life due to their behaviour, they appear to receive higher priority than an otherwise “trustworthy” group if they also experience poorer health prospects because the latter is weighted more heavily than the former. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Improving profitability with customer‐centric strategies: the case of a mobile content provider
Authors: Bonacchi Massimiliano , Perego Paolo
Published: November 2011

Customer‐centric strategy firms need to focus on forward‐looking indicators and ensure a synergistic relationship between decision rights, performance measurement, and reward systems.
Recovery of equilibrium on star patches from conforming finite elements with a linear basis
Authors: Maunder E. A. W. , Moitinho de Almeida J. P.
Published: November 2011

A previous technique for recovering equilibrated stresses from compatible finite element models of structural mechanics problems is extended to cover those cases where the partitioned loads applied to star patches are not initially balanced, regarding rotational equilibrium. The residual moments are removed by adding a suitable corrective stress field to the compatible one before deriving the fictitious body forces. Corrective stress fields are determined by solving another set of local problems based on subdomains that each contain elements forming a neighbourhood of a loaded kernel element. The conditions for the existence of a solution of these problems are studied for simplicial elements. The parameters that control the extended technique are assessed from numerical tests on a variety of two‐dimensional linear elastic problems based on constant strain elements for the compatible solutions. These tests are presented in the context of computing bounds on quantities of interest such as total strain energy and local reactions and displacements. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Crack propagation with the extended finite element method and a hybrid explicit–implicit crack description
Authors: Fries Thomas‐Peter , Baydoun Malak
Published: November 2011

A method for two‐dimensional and three‐dimensional crack propagation that combines the advantages of explicit and implicit crack descriptions is presented. An implicit description in the frame of the level set method is advantageous for the simulation within the extended finite element method (XFEM). The XFEM has proven its potential in fracture mechanics as it provides accurate solutions without any remeshing during the crack simulation. On the other hand, an explicit representation of the crack, for example, by means of a polyhedron, enables a simple update of the crack during the propagation. A key aspect in the proposed method is the introduction of three level set functions that are computed exactly from the explicit representation. These functions imply a coordinate system at the crack front and serve as a basis for the enrichment. Furthermore, a simple model for the crack propagation is presented. One of the biggest achievements of the proposed method is that two‐dimensional and three‐dimensional crack simulations are treated in a consistent manner. That is, the extension from two to three dimensions is truly straightforward. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Isogeometric contact analysis using mortar method
Authors: Kim Ji‐Yeon , Youn Sung‐Kie
Published: November 2011

In the present work, an isogeometric contact analysis scheme using mortar method is proposed. Because the isogeometric analysis is employed for contact analysis, the geometric exactness of the contact region is maintained without any loss of geometric data because of geometry approximation. Thus, the proposed method can overcome underlying shortcomings that result from the geometric approximation of contact surfaces in the conventional finite element (FE)‐based contact analysis. For an isogeometric contact analysis, the schemes for treating the contact conditions and detecting the real contact surfaces are essentially required. In the proposed method, the mortar method is adopted as a nonconforming contact treatment scheme because it is expected to be in good harmony with the useful characteristics of nonuniform rational B‐spline A new matching algorithm is proposed to combine the mortar method with the isogeometric analysis to guarantee consistent contact surface information with the nonuniform rational B‐spline curve. The present scheme is verified by patch test and the well‐known problems which have theoretical solutions such as interference fit and the Hertzian contact problem. It is shown that the problems with curved contact surfaces which are difficult to treat by conventional approaches can be easily dealt with. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A reduced order model for liquid sloshing in tanks with flexible baffles using boundary element method
Authors: Noorian M. A. , Firouz‐Abadi R D. , Haddadpour H.
Published: November 2011

In order to study the interaction of sloshing and structural vibrations of baffled tanks, a reduced order model based on modal analysis of structure model and boundary element method for fluids motion is developed. For this purpose, the governing equations of elastic structure and incompressible flow are used to derive simple models to simulate both fields. Using the modal analysis technique, the structural motions are applied to the fluid model and on the other hand by using boundary element method, the fluid loads are applied to the structural model. Based on this formulation, a code is developed which is applicable to an arbitrary elastic tank with arbitrary arrangement of baffles. The obtained results are validated with literature data and then the effects of baffle flexibility on the sloshing frequencies and structural vibration frequencies are investigated. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Modeling steel fiber reinforced concrete: numerical immersed boundary approach and a phenomenological mesomodel for concrete‐fiber interaction
Authors: Pros A. , Diez P. , Molins C.
Published: November 2011

Steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) allows overcoming brittleness and weakness under tension, the main drawbacks of plain concrete. The influence of the fibers on the behavior of SFRC depends on their shape, length, slenderness, and also on their orientation and distribution into the plain concrete. The goal of this paper is to develop an ad hoc numerical strategy to account for the contribution of the fibers in the simulation of the mechanical response of SFRC. In the model presented, the individual fibers immersed in the concrete bulk are accounted for in their actual location and orientation. The selected approach is based on the ideas introduced in the immersed boundary (IB) methods. These methods were developed to account for 1D (or 2D) solids immersed in 2D (or 3D) fluids. Here, the concrete bulk is playing the role of the fluid and the cloud of steel fibers is acting as the immerse boundary (that is, a 1D structure in a 2D or 3D continuous). Thus, the philosophy of the IB methodology is used to couple the behavior of the two systems, the concrete bulk and fiber cloud, precluding the need of matching finite element meshes. Note that, considering the different size scales and the intricate geometry of the fiber cloud, the conformal matching of the meshes would be a restriction resulting in a practically unaffordable mesh.

In the proposed approach, the meshes of the concrete bulk and fiber cloud are independent, and the models are coupled imposing displacement compatibility and equilibrium of the two systems. In the applications presented here, the concrete bulk is modeled using a standard nonlinear damage model. The constitutive model for the fibers is designed to account for the complex interaction between fibers and concrete. The fiber models are based on the previous investigations describing the concrete‐fiber interaction and its dependence on the factors identified to be relevant: shape of the fiber (straight or hooked) and angle between the fiber and crack plane. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Physionomics and metabolomics—two key approaches in herbicidal mode of action discovery
Authors: Grossmann Klaus , Christiansen Nicole , Looser Ralf , Tresch Stefan , Hutzler Johannes , Pollmann Stephan , Ehrhardt Thomas
Published: November 2011

BACKGROUND: For novel herbicides identified in greenhouse screens, efficient research is important to discover and chemically optimise new leads with new modes of action (MoAs).

RESULTS: The metabolic and physiological response pattern to a herbicide can be viewed as the result of changes elicited in the molecular and biochemical process chain. These response patterns are diagnostic of a herbicide's MoA. At the starting point of MoA characterisation, an array of bioassays is used for comprehensive physiological profiling of herbicide effects. This physionomics approach enables discrimination between known, novel or multiple MoAs of a compound and provides a first clue to a new MoA. Metabolic profiling is performed with the use of treated Lemna paucicostata plants. After plant extraction and chromatography and mass spectrometry, changes in levels of approximately 200 identified and 300 unknown analytes are quantified. Check for known MoA assignment is performed by multivariate statistical data analyses. Distinct metabolite changes, which can direct to an affected enzymatic step, are visualised in a biochemical pathway view. Subsequent target identification includes metabolite feeding and molecular, biochemical and microscopic methods.

CONCLUSION: The value of this cascade strategy is exemplified by new herbicides with MoAs in plastoquinone, auxin or very‐long‐chain fatty acid synthesis. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
Molecular Targets of the Antiinflammatory Harpagophytum procumbens (Devil's claw): Inhibition of TNFα and COX‐2 Gene Expression by Preventing Activation of AP‐1
Authors: Fiebich Bernd L. , Muñoz Eduardo , Rose Thorsten , Weiss Gabriele , McGregor Gerard P.
Published: November 2011

Harpagophytum procumbens (Hp) is often used in the supportive treatment of inflammatory and degenerative diseases of the skeletal system. Although the clinical efficacy in osteoarthritis has been demonstrated in clinical trials, the molecular target(s) of Hp are unclear. This study quantified the effects of the ethanol Hp extract (60% v/v ethanol, sole active ingredient of Pascoe®‐Agil), on the expression and release of the major pro‐inflammatory mediators in LPS‐stimulated human monocytes and the intracellular signalling pathways involved in inflammation. The Hp extract dose‐dependently inhibited the release of TNFα as well as that of interleukin (IL)‐6, IL‐1β and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). The Hp prevented TNFα and IL‐6 mRNA expression in human monocytes and cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) in RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, the Hp extract inhibited LPS‐stimulated AP‐1‐mediated gene transcription activity and binding to the AP‐1 response elements. The extract had no effect on the LPS‐induced binding of nuclear factor‐κB in RAW 264.7 cells, on LPS‐induced degradation of IκBα or on LPS‐induced activation of mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPK), p38MAPK and JNK in human monocytes. The data indicate that a standardized ethanol Hp extract inhibits induction of pro‐inflammatory gene expression, possibly by blocking the AP‐1 pathway. This is novel evidence of a possible mechanism of action of this antiinflammatory drug. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.