bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Education and support needs of the older adult with congenital heart disease
Authors: Riley Jillian P. , Habibi Hajar , Banya Winston , Gatzoulis Michael A. , Lau‐Walker Margaret , Cowie Martin R.
Published: August 2011

riley j.p., habibi h., banya w., gatzoulis m.a., lau‐walker m. & cowie m.r. (2011) Education and support needs of the older adult with congenital heart disease. Journal of Advanced Nursing 68(5), 1050–1060.

Aim.  This article is a report of a study exploring health‐related quality of life in adults with congenital heart disease and the extent to which it is associated with patients’ illness beliefs and emotional health.

Background.  A reduction in mortality in patients with congenital heart disease has led to an increasingly older population that faces new challenges. Studies in a younger adult population have reported inconsistent findings regarding health‐related quality of life. Factors such as, the complexity of the congenital heart defect, have not been found to be associated with quality of life. The association between illness beliefs and health‐related quality of life has not previously been reported.

Method.  A cross‐sectional questionnaire study of adults with congenital heart disease attending an outpatient clinic in a specialist centre in the United Kingdom between October 2007 and May 2008.

Results.  The mean age of the study population was 37·2 years. Participants reported poorer physical functioning, role functioning and general health than a general population. High levels of anxiety were reported in 38% and high levels of depression in 17%. In multivariate analysis, higher levels of anxiety and depression were associated with poorer mental functioning and higher levels of depression with poorer physical quality of life.

Conclusion.  We have reported that high levels of anxiety and depression in an older population of patients with congenital heart disease are associated with poorer quality of life. This highlights the need to routinely assess anxiety and depression in this patient group and to provide psychological support appropriately.
A qualitative study exploring the nurse telephone follow‐up of patients returning home with a colostomy
Authors: Zhang Jun‐E , Wong Frances KY , You Li M , Zheng Mei C
Published: August 2011

Aim.  The aim of this study was to explore and describe the content of telephone intervention conversations conducted by an enterostomal nurse with patients discharged home with a colostomy.

Background.  People discharged home with a new colostomy often encounter stoma‐related difficulties. Postdischarge care with telephone follow‐up by an enterostomal nurse is a helpful way to provide support for patients and ensure continuity of care. There is a paucity of studies reporting the content of telephone follow‐up of colostomy patients. Information on the content of such follow‐up is important in helping to formulate telephone call protocols that can help these patients.

Design.  A qualitative exploratory study conducted in a university‐based cancer centre in China.

Methods.  The contents of 25 intervention phone calls to colostomy patients from January–August 2009 were subject to qualitative content analysis.

Results.  Five themes emerged from the qualitative content analysis: ‘education for stoma care’, ‘access to stoma care’, ‘encouraging stoma self‐care’, ‘resuming normal living’ and ‘general postoperative problems’.

Conclusions.  Colostomy patients experienced stoma‐related problems and difficulties after discharge, most of which could be effectively managed via telephone follow‐up by an enterostomal nurse. The telephone follow‐up satisfied patients’ need for information and facilitated their adjustment to the permanent stoma. The findings suggested that patients had unmet needs after discharge and needed follow‐up on returning home.

Relevance to clinical practice.  This study provides important information to guide practice and education. The themes extracted from the qualitative content analysis provide a useful framework to guide the nurse in discussing care with the stoma patients and ensuring patients’ adjustment to the permanent stoma. Further work can be done using this framework to develop protocols as standards of care and education materials when educating nurse specialists in stoma care.
Investigating the learning‐theory foundations of game‐based learning: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Wu W‐H. , Hsiao H‐C. , Wu P‐L. , Lin C‐H. , Huang S‐H.
Published: August 2011

Past studies on the issue of learning‐theory foundations in game‐based learning stressed the importance of establishing learning‐theory foundation and provided an exploratory examination of established learning theories. However, we found research seldom addressed the development of the use or failure to use learning‐theory foundations and categorized these learning theories into relative types and synthesized their development. We investigate this issue from the perspective of learning theories invoked to underpin educational computer game design and use based on the four types of learning theories: behaviourism, cognitivism, humanism and constructivism. Because the investigation needs to examine and analyse the results from a large number of independent previous studies, this study applied the meta‐analysis method to present a more comprehensive description and discussion of the influence and implications of the findings. This study shows the distribution of development trends for the use of learning theory as a theoretical foundation, as opposed to those that fail to use learning theory in game‐based learning, along with the distribution of types and principles of learning theories that used a learning‐theory foundation. These new findings can supplement the results of previous studies with regard to the issue of learning‐theory foundations in game‐based learning. The contributions of this study for the issue of learning‐theory foundations in game‐based learning are discussed.
Extensive clonal spread and extreme longevity in saw palmetto, a foundation clonal plant
Authors: TAKAHASHI MIZUKI K. , HORNER LIANA M. , KUBOTA TOSHIRO , KELLER NATHAN A. , ABRAHAMSON WARREN G.
Published: August 2011

The lack of effective tools has hampered out ability to assess the size, growth and ages of clonal plants. WithSerenoa repens(saw palmetto) as a model, we introduce a novel analytical framework that integrates DNA fingerprinting and mathematical modelling to simulate growth and estimate ages of clonal plants. We also demonstrate the application of such life‐history information of clonal plants to provide insight into management plans.Serenoais an ecologically important foundation species in many Southeastern United States ecosystems; yet, many land managers considerSerenoaa troublesome invasive plant. Accordingly, management plans have been developed to reduce or eliminateSerenoawith little understanding of its life history. Using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms, we genotyped 263Serenoaand 134Sabal etonia(a sympatric non‐clonal palmetto) samples collected from a 20 × 20 m study plot in Florida scrub.Sabalsamples were used to assign small field‐unidentifiable palmettos toSerenoaorSabaland also as a negative control for clone detection. We then mathematically modelled clonal networks to estimate genet ages. Our results suggest thatSerenoapredominantly propagate via vegetative sprouts and 10 000‐year‐old genets may be common, while showing no evidence of clone formation bySabal. The results of this and our previous studies suggest that: (i)Serenoahas been part of scrub associations for thousands of years, (ii)Serenoainvasion are unlikely and (ii) onceSerenoais eliminated from local communities, its restoration will be difficult. Reevaluation of the current management tools and plans is an urgent task.
A de novo synthesis citrate transporter, Vigna umbellata multidrug and toxic compound extrusion, implicates in Al‐activated citrate efflux in rice bean (Vigna umbellata) root apex
Authors: YANG XIAO YING , YANG JIAN LI , ZHOU YUAN , PIÑEROS MIGUEL A. , KOCHIAN LEON V. , LI GUI XIN , ZHENG SHAO JIAN
Published: August 2011

Al‐activated organic acid anion efflux from roots is an important Al resistance mechanism in plants. We have conducted homologous cloning and isolated Vigna umbellata multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (VuMATE), a gene encoding a de novo citrate transporter from rice bean. Al treatment up‐regulated VuMATE expression in the root apex, but neither in the mature root region nor in the leaf. The degree of up‐regulation of VuMATE was both partially Al concentration and time dependent, consistent with the delay in the onset of the Al‐induced citrate efflux in rice bean roots. While La3+ moderately induced VuMATE expression, Cd2+ and Cu2+ did not induce the expression. Electrophysiological analysis of Xenopus oocytes expressing VuMATE indicated this transporter can mediate significant anion efflux across the plasma membrane. [14C]citrate efflux experiments in oocytes demonstrated that VuMATE is a H+‐dependent citrate transporter. In addition, expression of VuMATE in transgenic tomato resulted in increased Al resistance, which correlated with an enhanced citrate efflux. Taken together, these findings suggest that VuMATE is a functional homolog of the known citrate transporters in sorghum, barley, maize and Arabidopsis. The similarities and differences of all the known citrate transporters associated with Al stress in the MATE family are also discussed.
Localized egg‐cell expression of effector proteins for targeted modification of the Arabidopsis genome
Authors: Even‐Faitelson Liron , Samach Aviva , Melamed‐Bessudo Cathy , Avivi‐Ragolsky Naomi , Levy Avraham A.
Published: August 2011

Targeted modification of the genome is an important genetic tool, which can be achieved via homologous, non‐homologous or site‐specific recombination. Although numerous efforts have been made, such a tool does not exist for routine applications in plants. This work describes a simple and useful method for targeted mutagenesis or gene targeting, tailored to floral‐dip transformation in Arabidopsis, by means of specific protein expression in the egg cell. Proteins stably or transiently expressed under the egg apparatus‐specific enhancer (EASE) were successfully localized to the area of the egg cell. Moreover, a zinc‐finger nuclease expressed under EASE induced targeted mutagenesis. Mutations obtained under EASE control corresponded to genetically independent events that took place specifically in the germline. In addition, RAD54 expression under EASE led to an approximately 10‐fold increase in gene targeting efficiency, when compared with wild‐type plants. EASE‐controlled gene expression provides a method for the precise engineering of the Arabidopsis genome through temporally and spatially controlled protein expression. This system can be implemented as a useful method for basic research in Arabidopsis, as well as in the optimization of tools for targeted genetic modifications in crop plants.
Two high linolenic mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana contain megabase‐scale genome duplications encompassing the FAD3 locus
Authors: O’Neill Carmel M. , Baker David , Bennett Gawain , Clarke Jonathan , Bancroft Ian
Published: August 2011

Understanding the quantitative control of fatty acid desaturation during the biosynthesis of seed storage oil has become a priority area for research, as a consequence of its importance for both human health and the substitution of mineral oil for industrial applications. We have analysed the genome structure of two mutants in Arabidopsis thaliana that show substantially elevated content of the omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acid linolenic acid in their seed oil. In one, rfc4, sequences totalling approximately 2 Mb from chromosome 2 have been duplicated and inserted into chromosome 3. In the other mutant, ife, chromosome 2 sequences totalling approximately 1.4 Mb have been duplicated and inserted into a linked position. In both cases, the duplications encompass the FAD3 locus, which encodes the linoleate desaturase responsible for the biosynthesis of linolenic acid for accumulation in seed storage oil. The results show that mutagens such as fast neutrons (used for the induction of rfc4) and T‐DNA (used for the induction of ife, which is not linked to the T‐DNA present in the line) can result in the duplication of very large genome segments. They also show that increasing the dosage of the FAD3‐containing genomic region results in an increase in the linolenic acid content of seed oil. Consequently, screening methods for duplication of FAD3 orthologues in oil crops may be an appropriate approach for the identification of germplasm for breeding varieties with increased proportions of linolenic acid in the oil that they produce.
Genetic variation for maternal effects on parasite susceptibility
Authors: STJERNMAN M. , LITTLE T. J.
Published: August 2011

The expression of infectious disease is increasingly recognized to be impacted by maternal effects, where the environmental conditions experienced by mothers alter resistance to infection in offspring, independent of heritability. Here, we studied how maternal effects (high or low food availability to mothers) mediated the resistance of the crustaceanDaphnia magnato its bacterial parasitePasteuria ramosa. We sought to disentangle maternal effects from the effects of host genetic background by studying how maternal effects varied across 24 host genotypes sampled from a natural population. Under low‐food conditions, females produced offspring that were relatively resistant, but this maternal effect varied strikingly between host genotypes, i.e. there were genotype by maternal environment interactions. As infection withP. ramosacauses a substantial reduction in host fecundity, this maternal effect had a large effect on host fitness. Maternal effects were also shown to impact parasite fitness, both because they prevented the establishment of the parasites and because even when parasites did establish in the offspring of poorly fed mothers, and they tended to grow more slowly. These effects indicate that food stress in the maternal generation can greatly influence parasite susceptibility and thus perhaps the evolution and coevolution of host–parasite interactions.
Rates of phenotypic evolution of ecological characters and sexual traits during the Tanganyikan cichlid adaptive radiation
Authors: GONZALEZ‐VOYER A. , KOLM N.
Published: August 2011

Theory suggests that sexual traits evolve faster than ecological characters. However, characteristics of a species niche may also influence evolution of sexual traits. Hence, a pending question is whether ecological characters and sexual traits present similar tempo and mode of evolution during periods of rapid ecological divergence, such as adaptive radiation. Here, we use recently developed phylogenetic comparative methods to analyse the temporal dynamics of evolution for ecological and sexual traits in Tanganyikan cichlids. Our results indicate that whereas disparity in ecological characters was concentrated early in the radiation, disparity in sexual traits remained high throughout the radiation. Thus, closely related Tanganyikan cichlids presented higher disparity in sexual traits than ecological characters. Sexual traits were also under stronger selection than ecological characters. In sum, our results suggest that ecological characters and sexual traits present distinct evolutionary patterns, and that sexual traits can evolve faster than ecological characters, even during adaptive radiation.
Effect of several supplemental Chinese herbs additives on rumen fermentation, antioxidant function and nutrient digestibility in sheep
Authors: Qiao G. H. , Zhou X. H. , Li Y. , Zhang H. S. , Li J. H. , Wang C. M. , Lu Y.
Published: August 2011

Two experiments were carried out in this study. Experiment 1 was conducted to examine the effects of several supplemental Chinese herbs on antioxidant function and slaughtered body weight in sheep. Results indicated that Fructus Ligustri Lucidi supplementation improved the blood antioxidant function [higher concentration of glutathione reductase (GR), superoxide dismutase and lower concentration of malondialdehyde] and slaughtered body weight in sheep (p < 0.05). Experiment 2 was conducted to investigate the effect of Fructus Ligustri Lucidi extract (FLLE) on rumen fermentation and nutrient digestibility in sheep. Four levels of FLLE treatments, i.e. 0, 100, 300 and 500 mg/kg dry matter (DM), were used in this part. Addition of FLLE at 300 or 500 mg/kg DM increased total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration and propionate proportion, decreased ammonia‐N concentration in the ruminal fluid, reduced blood urea nitrogen concentration at 2, 4, 6 and 8 h after morning feeding (p < 0.05). Addition of FLLE at all dosages had no effect on ruminal pH value and acetate concentration at all sampling time points in sheep (p > 0.05). Dynamic degradation coefficient c of maize DM was significantly increased by supplementing FLLE at 300 or 500 mg/kg DM (p < 0.05). Fructus Ligustri Lucidi extract addition had no effect on degradation coefficients a, b, c of DM and nitrogen of soybean meal; a, b of maize DM; a, b, c of maize nitrogen; and a, b, c of neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) of Chinese wildrye (p > 0.05). Addition of FLLE at 300 or 500 mg/kg DM increased DM and organic matter digestibility of diet (p < 0.05). Fructus Ligustri Lucidi extract addition had no effect on digestibility of diet’s NDF, ADF and crude protein (p > 0.05). From the aforementioned results, it is indicated that FLLE improved antioxidant status and slaughtered body weight. Fructus Ligustri Lucidi extract addition has capability to modulate rumen fermentation, increase the maize degradation rate, total volatile fatty acid concentration and propionate proportion in sheep.
Mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinoma (MANEC) of the gallbladder: A possible stem cell tumor?
Authors: Mondolfi Alberto E. Paniz , Slova Denisa , Fan Wen , Attiyeh Fadi F. , Afthinos John , Reidy Jason , Pang Yinghua , Theise Neil D.
Published: August 2011

A 48 year‐old African American woman presented to her physician complaining of a rapidly evolving epigastric and right upper quadrant abdominal pain. A PET‐CT of the abdomen and pelvis demonstrated hypermetabolic, polypoid masses within the gallbladder and several tumors in the left lobe of the liver for which she underwent diagnostic laparoscopy. The gallbladder revealed a 3.5 × 3.3 × 2.4 tan‐brown exophytic mass located at the fundus and growing into the lumen with multiple contiguous papillary projections arising from the mucosal surface. A concurrent large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma and papillary adenocarcinoma of the gallbladder was revealed histologically. There was shared reactivity to antibodies directed against the distinct antigens for each morphological component with transitional tumor cells (of both histological components) located at the areas where the two tumor types merged, revealing common immunoreactivity for carcinoembryonic antigen, cancer antigen 19‐9, keratin 19, c‐kit (cluster of differentiation protein 117 (CD117)) and epithelial cell adhesion molecule. Ultrastructurally, individual cells were demonstrated to have overlapping features of neuroendocrine and glandular differentiation. The aforementioned histological, ultrastructural and immunohistochemical profile is strongly suggestive of a biphenotypic stem/progenitor cell tumor of the gallbladder.
Apoptotic proteins as prognostic markers and indicators of radiochemosensitivity in stage II/III rectal cancers
Authors: Fucini C. , Messerini L. , Saieva C. , Orzalesi L. , Carroni V. , Bartolini N.
Published: August 2011

Aim  The expression of pro‐apoptotic (Bax) and anti‐apoptotic (mutated p53, Bcl‐2, Bclxl) proteins was determined retrospectively using immunohistochemistry in pre‐treatment biopsy samples from patients with rectal cancer treated with or without preoperative chemoradiation to investigate their role as prognostic markers and indicators of radiochemosensitivity.

Method  Biopsy samples from 67 patients operated for stage II/III rectal cancer and enrolled in an active follow‐up programme were examined 8–10 years after surgery. Thirty‐three had been treated with immediate surgery followed, in selected cases, by adjuvant postoperative chemoradiation. Thirty‐four had preoperative chemoradiation. Immunohistochemical staining was carried out using an automated immunostainer on sections of paraffin‐embedded tissue.

Results  Independent prognostic factors for rectal cancer death were pN status (hazard ratio 3.82; 95% CI 1.67–8.73) and a high level of Bclxl positivity (hazard ratio 4.75; 95% CI 2.10–10.72) according to multivariate regression analysis by stepwise selection. Bax expression was associated with downstaging and higher survival in irradiated patients (P = 0.0004).

Conclusion  Pretreatment evaluation of apoptotic Bax and anti‐apoptotic Bclxl factors in biopsy samples of stage II/III rectal cancers may be helpful in selecting tumours that will respond to chemoradiation or in identifying patients who will have limited benefit from chemoradiation and should therefore be selected for a more aggressive systemic regimen.
Determinants of healthy eating: a cross‐national study on motives and barriers
Authors: Michaelidou Nina , Christodoulides George , Torova Katerina
Published: August 2011

The paper investigates the impact of motives and barriers to healthy eating on individuals' healthy eating intention and behaviour using a cross‐national design. Data were collected from the UK and the Czech Republic via a self‐completion questionnaire. Findings highlight the significance of intrinsic motives and psychological barriers in predicting both intention and healthy eating behaviour for both UK and Czech consumers, albeit their weight as well as the variance captured by these factors differs across the two national cultures. Findings also indicate that physical barriers are in fact unimportant when it comes to adopting a healthy eating diet. These findings are discussed in the light of previous research, while their implications for policy makers and researchers are highlighted.
Hidden prenatal malnutrition in the rat: role of β1‐adrenoceptors on synaptic plasticity in the frontal cortex
Authors: Flores Osvaldo , Pérez Hernán , Valladares Luis , Morgan Carlos , Gatica Arnaldo , Burgos Héctor , Olivares Ricardo , Hernández Alejandro
Published: August 2011

J. Neurochem.(2011)119, 314–323.

Moderate reduction in the protein content of the mother’s diet (hidden malnutrition) does not alter body and brain weights of rat pups at birth, but leads to dysfunction of neocortical noradrenaline systems together with impaired long‐term potentiation and visuo‐spatial memory performance. As β1‐adrenoceptors and downstream protein kinase signaling are critically involved in synaptic long‐term potentiation and memory formation, we evaluated the β1‐adrenoceptor density and the expression of cyclic‐AMP dependent protein kinase, calcium/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase and protein kinase Fyn, in the frontal cortex of prenatally malnourished adult rats. In addition, we also studied if β1‐adrenoceptor activation with the selective β1agonist dobutamine could improve deficits of prefrontal cortex long‐term potentiation presenting these animals. Prenatally malnourished rats exhibited half of β1‐adrenoceptor binding, together with a 51% and 65% reduction of cyclic AMP‐dependent protein kinase α and calcium/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase α expression, respectively, as compared with eutrophic animals. Administration of the selective β1agonist dobutamine prior to tetanization completely rescued the ability of the prefrontal cortex to develop and maintain long‐term potentiation in the malnourished rats. Results suggest that under‐expression of neocortical β1‐adrenoceptors and protein kinase signaling in hidden malnourished rats functionally affects the synaptic networks subserving prefrontal cortex long‐term potentiation. β1‐Adrenoceptor activation was sufficient to fully recover neocortical plasticity in the PKA‐ and calcium/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II‐deficient undernourished rats, possibly by producing extra amounts of cAMP and/or by recruiting alternative signaling cascades.
Electrospun Small‐Diameter Polyurethane Vascular Grafts: Ingrowth and Differentiation of Vascular‐Specific Host Cells
Authors: Bergmeister Helga , Grasl Christian , Walter Ingrid , Plasenzotti Roberto , Stoiber Martin , Schreiber Catharina , Losert Udo , Weigel Guenter , Schima Heinrich
Published: August 2011

No small‐diameter synthetic graft has yet shown comparable performance to autologous vessels. Synthetic conduits fail due to their inherent surface thrombogenicity and the development of intimal hyperplasia. In addressing these shortcomings, electrospinning offers an interesting alternative to other nanostructured, cardiovascular substitutes because of the close match of electrospun materials to the biomechanical and structural properties of native vessels. In this study, we investigated the in vivo behavior of electrospun, small‐diameter conduits in a rat model. Vascular grafts composed of polyurethane were fabricated by electrospinning. Prostheses were implanted into the abdominal aorta in 40 rats for either 7 days, 4 weeks, 3 months, or 6 months. Retrieved specimens were evaluated by histology, immunohistochemical staining, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. At all time points, we found no evidence of foreign body reaction or graft degradation. The overall patency rate of the intravascular implants was 95%. Within 7 days, grafts revealed ingrowth of host cells. CD34+ cells increased significantly from 7 days up to 6 months of implantation (P < 0.05). Myofibroblasts and myocytes showed increasing cell numbers up to 3 months (P < 0.05). Ki67 staining indicated unaltered cell proliferation during the whole follow‐up period. Besides biomechanical benefits, electrospun polyurethane grafts exhibit excellent biocompatibility in vivo. Cell immigration and differentiation seems to be promoted by the nanostructured artificial matrix.
Outcomes after major or bidirectional ABO‐mismatched allogeneic hematopoietic progenitor cell transplantation after pretransplant isoagglutinin reduction with donor‐type secretor plasma with or without plasma exchange
Authors: Curley Cameron , Pillai Elango , Mudie Kari , Western Robyn , Hutchins Cheryl , Durrant Simon , Kennedy Glen A.
Published: August 2011

BACKGROUND: Major ABO mismatch in hematopoietic progenitor cell transplantation (HPCT) is associated with a range of immunohematologic consequences including progenitor cell infusion (PCI)‐related hemolysis, delayed red blood cell engraftment, and pure red cell aplasia (PRCA). Although pretransplant (recipient) isoagglutinin reduction may be associated with decreased immunohematologic complications in this setting, there is no consensus with respect to strategies for isoagglutinin reduction.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This observational study assessed the efficacy of a standardized pretransplant isoagglutinin reduction strategy incorporating donor‐type secretor plasma infusions with or without plasma exchange to prevent PCI‐associated hemolysis and PRCA in major or bidirectional ABO‐mismatched peripheral blood HPCT. All major or bidirectional ABO‐mismatched HPCTs performed between 1999 and 2010 were identified from an institutional database. Immunohematologic outcomes were determined retrospectively by review of individual medical records.

RESULTS: In total 110 major or bidirectional ABO‐mismatched HPCTs had been performed. No patient developed hemolysis after PCI. With respect to PRCA incidence, 16 patients (15%) were excluded due to early mortality and three (3%) due to incomplete data; of the remaining 91 patients, five (5%) developed PRCA. Patients with PRCA had significantly higher pretransplant isoagglutinin titers (p = 0.0001) compared to those who did not develop PRCA.

CONCLUSIONS: Use of a standardized pretransplant isoagglutinin reduction strategy including donor‐type secretor plasma infusions is both safe and efficient in preventing PCI‐associated hemolysis and is associated with low rates of posttransplant PRCA.
Phase Transitions, Magnetic and Piezoelectric Properties of Rare‐Earth‐Substituted BiFeO3 Ceramics
Authors: Troyanchuk Igor O. , Karpinsky Dmitry V. , Bushinsky Maxim V. , Mantytskaya Olga S. , Tereshko Nina V. , Shut Victor N.
Published: August 2011

The concentration range of the stability of polar (R3c) and antipolar phases in the Bi1−xRExFeO3 (RE–La ‐ Dy) solid solutions has been determined by X‐ray study of the polycrystalline samples. Both polar and antipolar phases become less stable with a decrease of the rare earth ionic radii. It is stimulated by a reduction of the rare‐earth ions polarizability with a decrease in ionic radii. The antipolar phase is characterized by a weak ferromagnetic state, whereas the polar one exhibits dominantly antiferromagnetic behavior near the polar‐antipolar morphotropic boundary. The local piezoelectric response decreases with increase in antipolar phase content in the mixed polar‐antipolar structural state. It is suggested that the piezoelectric activity is associated with polar (R3c) phase.
Temporal changes in salivary glands of non‐obese diabetic mice as a model for Sjögren’s syndrome
Authors: Roescher N , Lodde BM , Vosters JL , Tak PP , Catalan MA , Illei GG , Chiorini JA
Published: August 2011

Oral Diseases (2011) 18, 96–106

Objective:  Non‐obese diabetic (NOD) mice develop an autoimmune exocrinopathy that shows similarities with Sjögren’s syndrome. They provide an experimental model to study the pathoetiogenesis of this disease.

Materials and Methods:  Salivary gland (SG) function and salivary sodium content were measured in 8‐, 12‐, 16‐ and 20‐week‐old NOD and age‐matched CB6 mice. In NOD mice, SG expression of phenotypic cell markers, B cell‐stimulating and costimulatory molecules were evaluated. Cytokine levels were measured in serum and SG homogenates.

Results:  Microscopically evident SG inflammation in NOD mice was preceded by expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 on epithelial cells in the presence of macrophages and relatively high levels of cytokines. Next, an influx consisting of mainly T, B, natural killer, plasma and dendritic cells was seen. Most cytokines, except for interleukin (IL)12/IL23p40 and B cell‐activating factor, decreased or remained stable over time, while glandular function deteriorated from 16 weeks of age onward compared with CB6 mice.

Conclusion:  Sjögren’s syndrome‐like disease in NOD mice occurs in multiple stages; immunological and physiological abnormalities can be detected before focal inflammation appears and salivary output declines. Extrapolating this knowledge to human subjects could help in understanding the pathogenesis and aid the identification of potential therapeutic targets.
Genetic evaluation of the longevity of the Holstein population in Japan using a Weibull proportional hazard model
Authors: SASAKI Osamu , AIHARA Mitsuo , HAGIYA Koichi , NISHIURA Akiko , ISHII Kazuo , SATOH Masahiro
Published: August 2011

The objective of this study was to confirm the stability of the genetic estimation of longevity of the Holstein population in Japan. Data on the first 10 lactation periods were obtained from the Livestock Improvement Association of Japan. Longevity was defined as the number of days from first calving until culling or censoring. DATA1 and DATA2 included the survival records for the periods 1991–2003 and 1991–2005, respectively. The proportional hazard model included the effects of the region‐parity‐lactation stage‐milk yield class, age at first calving, the herd–year–season, and sire. The heritabilities on an original scale of DATA1 and DATA2 were 0.119 and 0.123, respectively. The estimated transmitting abilities (ETAs) of young sires in DATA1 may have been underestimated, but coefficient δ, which indicated the bias of genetic trend between DATA1 and DATA2, was not significant. The regression coefficient of ETAs between DATA1 and DATA2 was very close to 1. The proportional hazard model could steadily estimate the ETA for longevity of the sires in Japan.
Portable GC/MS Methods to Evaluate Sources of cVOC Contamination in Indoor Air
Authors: Gorder Kyle A. , Dettenmaier Erik M.
Published: August 2011

A portable gas chromatograph‐mass spectrometer (GC/MS) was used to investigate sources of chlorinated volatile organic compound (cVOC) contamination in indoor air at 46 residences around Hill AFB, Utah, that were potentially affected by vapor intrusion. Analytical methods were developed to allow sample turnaround times of less than 10 min and method detection limits (MDLs) generally less than 1 μg/m3 for a selected list of cVOCs. Area‐by‐area sampling was used to identify the likely vapor source locations. In many cases, individual container/enclosure sampling and subsequent field emission rate measurements from isolated consumer products were used to determine if identified products were likely to be the primary source of vapors in the residence. The portable GC/MS was also used to characterize vapor intrusion in two residences. In one of these two residences, building pressure control was used to enhance vapor entry in order to facilitate the investigation resulting in confirmation of vapor intrusion and identification of a primary route of vapor entry. cVOCs were identified in 42 of the 46 homes investigated, subsurface vapor intrusion was identified in two homes, and two homes had inconclusive results.
Assessment of Global and Regional Left Ventricular Volume and Shape by Real‐Time 3‐Dimensional Echocardiography in Dogs with Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease
Authors: Ljungvall I. , Höglund K. , Carnabuci C. , Tidholm A. , Häggström J.
Published: August 2011

Background:Left ventricular (LV) remodeling occurs in response to chronic volume overload. Real‐time 3‐dimensional (RT3D) echocardiography offers new modalities for LV assessment.

Objective:To investigate LV changes in shape and volume in response to different severities of naturally acquired myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) in dogs by RT3D echocardiography.

Animals:Sixty‐five client‐owned dogs.

Methods:Prospectively recruited dogs were classified by standard echocardiography into healthy, mild, moderate, and severe MMVD groups. Endocardial border tracking of LV RT3D dataset was performed, from which global and regional (automatically acquired basal, mid, and apical segments based on LV long‐axis length) end‐diastolic (EDV) and end‐systolic volumes (ESV), LV long‐axis length, and sphericity index were obtained.

Results:Global and regional EDV and ESV (indexed to body weight) were most prominently increased in dogs with severe MMVD. All 3 regional LV segments contributed to increased global EDV and ESV with increasing MMVD severity, but mid‐EDV contributed the most to the global EDV increase. Furthermore, LV long‐axis length and LV sphericity index increased with increasing MMVD severity. Basal and apical EDV segments displayed the strongest association with sphericity index (P< .0001).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance:The most prominent LV volume expansion was found in dogs with severe MMVD. Increased EDV, primarily in the mid‐segment, leads to rounding of LV apical and basal segments in response to increasing MMVD severity. Assessment of LV volume and shape potentially could allow early detection of dogs at risk for rapid progression into congestive heart failure.
Regional Industrial Structure Concentration in the United States: Trends and Implications
Authors: Drucker Joshua
Published: August 2011

abstract

In a seminal article, Chinitz (1961) considered the effects of industry size, structure, and economic diversification on the performance of firms and regional economies. His inquiry suggested a related but conceptually distinct issue: how does the extent to which a regional industry or industrial sector is concentrated in a small number of firms affect the local performance of that industry? The question has not been addressed systematically in empirical research other than case studies, principally because accurately measuring regional concentration requires firm‐level information. This exploratory study uses confidential plant‐level data to gauge concentration in manufacturing industries at the regional scale across the continental United States, to explore changes over time in geographic patterns of concentration, and to investigate associations between regional industrial structure concentration and changes in employment. The implications for understanding the impacts of regional industrial structure on economic development processes are discussed.
Hydrodynamic Characteristics of Crossflow over MEMS-Based Pillars
Authors: Koşar Ali , Schneider Brandon , Peles Yoav
Published: August 2011

A parametric study was performed to reveal the hydrodynamic processes controlling crossflow over MEMS-based micro pin fin devices. Pressure drop experiments were conducted and used to obtain friction factors on a wide range of micro pin fin devices for various flow conditions and geometrical configurations, including pin fin height-to-diameter aspect ratios, spacings, and shapes. The acquired data suggests that the device geometry is the key parameter dictating friction factor trends and magnitude along with the Reynolds number. Additionally, friction factor data has shown that correlations based on experimental results performed on conventional scale tube bundles do not accurately predict the trends under working conditions pertaining to microfluidic systems.
Numerical Simulation of Three-Dimensional Cavitation Around a Hydrofoil
Authors: Yang Jing , Zhou Lingjiu , Wang Zhengwei
Published: August 2011

Cavitation around a hydrofoil has significant three-dimensional features. The full cavitation model and a RNG k−ɛ turbulence model with a modified turbulence viscosity coefficient and which related to the vapor and liquid densities in the cavitating region were used to simulate cavitation around a hydrofoil, with emphasizing on cavity’s three-dimensional features. Computations were made on the three-dimensional flow field around a NACA66 hydrofoil at a 6 deg angle of attack. The results show that the shedding frequency on the 3D hydrofoil agrees well with the experimental data. The computed results also capture the main feature of the 3D cavitation, which had a crescent shaped cavity because of the span wise velocity. This span wise velocity is due to the span wise pressure gradient caused by the lateral vortex near the side wall of the tunnel.
miR-221/222 Targeting of Trichorhinophalangeal 1 (TRPS1) Promotes Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Breast CancerA presentation from the Keystone Symposium on Epithelial Plasticity and Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition, Vancouver, Canada, 21 to 26 January 2011. This Presentation also complements the
Science Signaling
Research Article by Stinson
et al.
published 14 June 2011.
Authors: Stinson Susanna , Lackner Mark R. , Adai Alex T. , Yu Nancy , Kim Hyo-Jin , O’Brien Carol , Spoerke Jill , Jhunjhunwala Suchit , Boyd Zachary , Januario Thomas , Newman Robert J. , Yue Peng , Bourgon Richard , Modrusan Zora , Stern Howard M. , Warming Søren , de Sauvage Frederic J. , Amler Lukas , Yeh Ru-Fang , Dornan David
Published: August 2011

MicroRNAs miR-221 and miR-222 are associated with a clinically aggressive form of breast cancer and promote epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition.
Identification of Protein-Protein Interaction Inhibitors Targeting Vaccinia Virus Processivity Factor for Development of Antiviral Agents
Authors: Schormann Norbert , Sommers Charnell Inglis , Prichard Mark N. , Keith Kathy A. , Noah James W. , Nuth Manunya , Ricciardi Robert P. , Chattopadhyay Debasish
Published: August 2011

Poxvirus uracil DNA glycosylase D4 in association with A20 and the catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase forms the processive polymerase complex. The binding of D4 and A20 is essential for processive polymerase activity. Using an AlphaScreen assay, we identified compounds that inhibit protein-protein interactions between D4 and A20. Effective interaction inhibitors exhibited both antiviral activity and binding to D4. These results suggest that novel antiviral agents that target the protein-protein interactions between D4 and A20 can be developed for the treatment of infections with poxviruses, including smallpox.
Clofazimine Analogs with Efficacy against Experimental Tuberculosis and Reduced Potential for Accumulation
Authors: Lu Yu , Zheng Meiqin , Wang Bin , Fu Lei , Zhao Weijie , Li Peng , Xu Jian , Zhu Hui , Jin Haixia , Yin Dali , Huang Haihong , Upton Anna M. , Ma Zhenkun
Published: August 2011

The global tuberculosis crisis urgently demands new, efficacious, orally available drugs with the potential to shorten and simplify the long and complex treatments for drug-sensitive and drug-resistant disease. Clofazimine, a riminophenazine used for many years to treat leprosy, demonstrates efficacy in animal models of tuberculosis via a novel mode of action. However, clofazimine's physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties contribute to side effects that limit its use; in particular, an extremely long half-life and propensity for tissue accumulation together with clofazimine's dye properties leads to unwelcome skin discoloration. We recently conducted a systematic structure-activity study of more than 500 riminophenazine analogs for anti-
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
activity. We describe here the characteristics of 12 prioritized compounds in more detail. The new riminophenazine analogs demonstrated enhanced
in vitro
activity compared to clofazimine against replicating
M. tuberculosis
H37Rv, as well as panels of drug-sensitive and drug-resistant clinical isolates. The new compounds demonstrate at least equivalent activity compared to clofazimine against intracellular
M. tuberculosis
and, in addition, most of them were active against nonreplicating
M. tuberculosis
. Eleven of these more water-soluble riminophenazine analogs possess shorter half-lives than clofazimine when dosed orally to mice, suggesting that they may accumulate less. Most importantly, the nine compounds that progressed to efficacy testing demonstrated inhibition of bacterial growth in the lungs that is superior to the activity of an equivalent dose of clofazimine when administered orally for 20 days in a murine model of acute tuberculosis. The efficacy of these compounds, along with their decreased potential for accumulation and therefore perhaps also for tissue discoloration, warrants further study.
FinFET-Based Power Management for Improved DPA Resistance with Low Overhead
Authors: Zhang Meng , Jha Niraj K.
Published: August 2011

Differential power analysis (DPA) is a side-channel attack that statistically analyzes the power consumption of a cryptographic system to obtain secret information. This type of attack is well known as a major threat to information security. Effective solutions with low energy and area cost for improved DPA resistance are urgently needed, especially for energy-constrained modern devices that are often in the physical proximity of attackers. This article presents a novel countermeasure against DPA attacks on smart cards and other digital ICs based on FinFETs, an emerging substitute for bulk CMOS at the 22nm technology node and beyond. We exploit the adaptive power management characteristic of FinFETs to generate a high level of noise at critical moments in the execution of a cryptosystem to thwart DPA attacks. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed countermeasure by developing a simple power model for estimating DPA spikes. We then validate the model by carrying out DPA attacks on an ASIC implementation of the advanced encryption standard system via gate-level simulation. Both modeling and simulation-based experiment indicate that with the proposed countermeasure, even 8,000,000 power acquisitions are not sufficient to reveal the secret key. As opposed to other countermeasures presented in the literature, the proposed hardware design requires less than 1% increase in area and 15% increase in total energy consumption without any extra delay in the critical path. The proposed method is generic and can be applied to other encryption algorithms as well.
Defect-Aware Nanocrossbar Logic Mapping through Matrix Canonization Using Two-Dimensional Radix Sort
Authors: Gören Sezer , Ugurdag H. Fatih , Palaz Okan
Published: August 2011

Nanocrossbars (i.e., nanowire crossbars) offer extreme logic densities but come with very high defect rates; stuck-open/closed, broken nanowires. Achieving reasonable yield and utilization requires logic mapping that is defect-aware even at the crosspoint level. Such logic mapping works with a defect map per each manufactured chip. The problem can be expressed as matching of two bipartite graphs; one for the logic to be implemented and other for the nanocrossbar. This article shows that the problem becomes a Bipartite SubGraph Isomorphism (BSGI) problem within sub-nanocrossbars free of stuck-closed faults. Our heuristic KNS-2DS is an iterative rough canonizer with approximately O(N2) complexity followed by an O(N3) matching algorithm. Canonization brings a partial or full order to graph nodes. It is normally used for solving the regular Graph Isomorphism (GI) problem, while we apply it to BSGI. KNS stands for K-Neighbor Sort and is used for initializing our main contribution 2-Dimensional-Sort (2DS). 2DS operates on the adjacency matrix of a bipartite graph. Radix-2 2DS solves the problem in the absence of stuck-closed faults. With the addition of Radix-3 and our novel Radix-2.5 sort, we solve problems that also have stuck-closed faults. We offer very short runtimes (due to canonization) compared to previous work and have success on all benchmarks. KNS-2DS is also novel from the perspective of BSGI problem as it is based on canonization but not on a search tree with backtracking.
Multistrategy Self-Organizing Map Learning for Classification Problems
Authors: Hasan S. , Shamsuddin S. M.
Published: August 2011

Multistrategy Learning of Self-Organizing Map (SOM) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is commonly implemented in clustering domain due to its capabilities in handling complex data characteristics. However, some of these multistrategy learning architectures have weaknesses such as slow convergence time always being trapped in the local minima. This paper proposes multistrategy learning of SOM lattice structure with Particle Swarm Optimisation which is called ESOMPSO for solving various classification problems. The enhancement of SOM lattice structure is implemented by introducing a new hexagon formulation for better mapping quality in data classification and labeling. The weights of the enhanced SOM are optimised using PSO to obtain better output quality. The proposed method has been tested on various standard datasets with substantial comparisons with existing SOM network and various distance measurement. The results show that our proposed method yields a promising result with better average accuracy and quantisation errors compared to the other methods as well as convincing significant test.