bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A conserved juxtacrine signal regulates synaptic partner recognition in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Park Joori , Knezevich Philip Louis , Wung William , O'Hanlon Shanté Nicole , Goyal Akshi , Benedetti Kelli Leilani , Barsi-Rhyne Benjamin James , Raman Mekala , Mock Natalyn , Bremer Martina , VanHoven Miri Kerensa
Published: June 2011

Background

An essential stage of neural development involves the assembly of neural circuits via formation of inter-neuronal connections. Early steps in neural circuit formation, including cell migration, axon guidance, and the localization of synaptic components, are well described. However, upon reaching their target region, most neurites still contact many potential partners. In order to assemble functional circuits, it is critical that within this group of cells, neurons identify and form connections only with their appropriate partners, a process we call synaptic partner recognition (SPR). To understand how SPR is mediated, we previously developed a genetically encoded fluorescent trans-synaptic marker called NLG-1 GRASP, which labels synaptic contacts between individual neurons of interest in dense cellular environments in the genetic model organism Caenorhabditis elegans.

Results

Here, we describe the first use of NLG-1 GRASP technology, to identify SPR genes that function in this critical process. The NLG-1 GRASP system allows us to assess synaptogenesis between PHB sensory neurons and AVA interneurons instantly in live animals, making genetic analysis feasible. Additionally, we employ a behavioral assay to specifically test PHB sensory circuit function. Utilizing this approach, we reveal a new role for the secreted UNC-6/Netrin ligand and its transmembrane receptor UNC-40/Deleted in colorectal cancer (DCC) in SPR. Synapses between PHB and AVA are severely reduced in unc-6 and unc-40 animals despite normal axon guidance and subcellular localization of synaptic components. Additionally, behavioral defects indicate a complete disruption of PHB circuit function in unc-40 mutants. Our data indicate that UNC-40 and UNC-6 function in PHB and AVA, respectively, to specify SPR. Strikingly, overexpression of UNC-6 in postsynaptic neurons is sufficient to promote increased PHB-AVA synaptogenesis and to potentiate the behavioral response beyond wild-type levels. Furthermore, an artificially membrane-tethered UNC-6 expressed in the postsynaptic neurons promotes SPR, consistent with a short-range signal between adjacent synaptic partners.

Conclusions

These results indicate that the conserved UNC-6/Netrin-UNC-40/DCC ligand-receptor pair has a previously unknown function, acting in a juxtacrine manner to specify recognition of individual postsynaptic neurons. Furthermore, they illustrate the potential of this new approach, combining NLG-1 GRASP and behavioral analysis, in gene discovery and characterization.
High prevalence of HIV‐1 drug resistance among patients on first‐line antiretroviral treatment in Lomé, Togo
Authors: Dagnra Anoumou Y , Vidal Nicole , Mensah Akovi , Patassi Akouda , Aho Komi , Salou Mounerou , Monleau Marjorie , Prince‐David Mireille , Singo Assétina , Pitche Palokinam , Delaporte Eric , Peeters Martine
Published: June 2011

Background

With widespread use of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs in Africa, one of the major potential challenges is the risk of emergence of ARV drug‐resistant HIV strains. Our objective is to evaluate the virological failure and genotypic drug‐resistance mutations in patients receiving first‐line highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in routine clinics that use the World Health Organization public health approach to monitor antiretroviral treatment (ART) in Togo.

Methods

Patients on HAART for one year (10‐14 months) were enrolled between April and October 2008 at three sites in Lomé, the capital city of Togo. Plasma viral load was measured with the NucliSENS EasyQ HIV‐1 assay (Biomérieux, Lyon, France) and/or a Generic viral load assay (Biocentric, Bandol, France). Genotypic drug‐resistance testing was performed with an inhouse assay on plasma samples from patients with viral loads of more than 1000 copies/ml. CD4 cell counts and demographic data were also obtained from medical records.

Results

A total of 188 patients receiving first‐line antiretroviral treatment were enrolled, and 58 (30.8%) of them experienced virologic failure. Drug‐resistance mutations were present in 46 patients, corresponding to 24.5% of all patients enrolled in the study. All 46 patients were resistant to non‐nucleoside reverse‐transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs): of these, 12 were resistant only to NNRTIs, 25 to NNRTIs and lamivudine/emtricitabine, and eight to all three drugs of their ARV regimes. Importantly, eight patients were already predicted to be resistant to etravirine, the new NNRTI, and three patients harboured the K65R mutation, inducing major resistance to tenofovir.

Conclusions

In Togo, efforts to provide access to ARV therapy for infected persons have increased since 2003, and scaling up of ART started in 2007. The high number of resistant strains observed in Togo shows clearly that the emergence of HIV drug resistance is of increasing concern in countries where ART is now widely used, and can compromise the long‐term success of first‐ and second‐line ART.
Epithelial to mesenchymal transition markers expressed in circulating tumour cells of early and metastatic breast cancer patients
Authors: Kallergi Galatea , Papadaki Maria A , Politaki Eleni , Mavroudis Dimitris , Georgoulias Vassilis , Agelaki Sophia
Published: June 2011

Introduction

Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is considered an essential process in the metastatic cascade. EMT is characterised by upregulation of vimentin, Twist, Snail, Slug and Sip1 among others. Metastasis is also associated with the presence of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and disseminated tumour cells in the blood and bone marrow, respectively, of breast cancer patients, but the expression of EMT markers in these cells has not been reported so far.

Methods

The expression of Twist and vimentin in CTCs of 25 metastatic and 25 early breast cancer patients was investigated by using double-immunofluorescence experiments in isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cell cytospins using anti-cytokeratin (anti-CK) anti-mouse (A45-B/B3) and anti-Twist or anti-vimentin anti-rabbit antibodies.

Results

Among early breast cancer patients, vimentin-and Twist-expressing CK+ CTCs were identified in 77% and 73% of the patients, respectively, and in 100% of the patients with metastatic breast cancer for both markers (P = 0.004 and P = 0.037, respectively). Among patients with early disease, 56% and 53% of the CK+ CTCs were double-stained with vimentin and Twist, and the corresponding values for metastatic patients were 74% and 97%, respectively (P = 0.005 and P = 0.0001, respectively). The median expression of CK+vimentin+ and CK+Twist+ cells per patient in metastatic patients was 98% and 100%, and in an adjuvant chemotherapy setting the corresponding numbers were 56% and 40.6%, respectively. Triple-staining experiments revealed that all CK+Twist+ or CK+vimentin+ cells were also CD45-, confirming their epithelial origin. Immunomagnetic separation of CTCs and triple-immunofluorescence with anti-CK/anti-Twist/anti-vimentin antibodies demonstrated that both mesenchymal markers could be coexpressed in the same CK+ cell, since 64% of the total identified CTCs were triple-stained. There was a significant correlation (P = 0.005) between the number of CTCs expressing Twist and vimentin within the same setting.

Conclusions

CTCs expressing Twist and vimentin, suggestive of EMT, are identified in patients with breast cancer. The high incidence of these cells in patients with metastatic disease compared to early stage breast cancer strongly supports the notion that EMT is involved in the metastatic potential of CTCs.
Frank Reade, Jr., in Cuba: Dime-Novel Technology, U.S. Imperialism, and the “American Jules Verne”
Authors: Williams Nathaniel
Published: June 2011

Williams's essay examines the complex portrayal of imperialist themes in the long-running series of nineteenth-century dime novels featuring boy inventor Frank Reade Jr. Authored primarily by Cuban-American writer Luis Senarens under the pseudonym “Noname,” these works provide a case study into dime-novel authorship and the cultural work of American proto-science fiction. The prevailing understanding of these novels asserts that their repeated retellings of a technocratic expansionist narrative shaped U.S. audiences' understanding and acceptance of subsequent American global imperial endeavors. Approaching the novels utilizing Franco Moretti's “distant reading” approach demonstrates precisely how the works' expansionist themes developed as newer, more powerful martial and transportation technologies were imagined by Senarens between 1880 and 1895. The recurring narrative of the Reade novels, however, also contains motifs that resist direct analogues to imperialism. Senarens's earliest stories frequently feature elements that undermine the conceptualizations of race and nationalism that enabled U.S. global territorial expansion. This approach reaches its fullest expression in Frank Reade, Jr., in Cuba (1895), a novel that presents Reade Jr. aiding the Cuban revolution against Spain and interacting with fictionalized portrayals of Cuban patriots Máximo Gómez and Antonio Maceo. By applying the Reade novels' narrative formula to create an overtly political text valorizing Cuban sovereignty in the era just prior to U.S. imperial involvement in Cuba after the Spanish-American war, Frank Reade, Jr., in Cuba demonstrates how central elements of the boy inventor novel simultaneously imagine technocratic expansion while subverting foundational concepts of empire.
Permeation Studies of PVC Pipes with near Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Agelet Lidia Esteve , Hurburgh Charles R. , Mao Feng , Gaunt James J. , Ong Say Kee
Published: June 2011

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes are commonly used to transport drinking water. Although PVC is resistant to natural environmental conditions, organic solvents may attack the pipe wall causing swelling, softening, water lines failure and drinking water pollution. Leaks from underground storage tanks and random accidental spills of organic solvents or fuels place the pipes in contact with organic solvents. Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was used to track the permeation of PVC pipes by three major organic solvents (toluene, benzene and gasoline) at different concentrations. Partial least squares (PLS) calibrations with NIR spectra and reference data gave accurate models with R2 > 0.9, relative performance determinant ( RPD) > 3 and low standard errors of prediction ( SEP). These models could predict the permeation status measured by mm of solvent moving front, weight gain, or days under permeation. A second study correlated pipe permeation susceptibility to pure toluene in mm h−1/2 to the pipe spectra. Spectra differences from several pipe brands and sizes were modelled with locally weighted regression (LWR), resulting in models with accuracy ( RPD) of around 5. NIR was a suitable tool to evaluate the permeation of PVC pipes and to predict the susceptibility of PVC pipes to permeation.
Development and Evaluation of Dedicated Bench-Type near Infrared Spectrometers to Estimate the Flavour of Green Soybeans from Single Pod Measurements
Authors: Natsuga Motoyasu , Sue Yoshie , Ikeda Takeshi , Egashira Hiroaki , Akazawa Tsuneya , Ura Nobuo
Published: June 2011

Green soybeans are now an economically important and popular food product in Japan. We have been studying the determination of the eating quality-related constituents of green soybean (edamame) such as sucrose and NRQ (defined by ninhydrine reaction, which has a high positive correlation with total free amino acids) using a commercial near infrared (NIR) transmission analyser since 2002. In order to shorten the breeding time and to decide an optimal harvest time, we have been developing a dedicated NIR transmission spectrometer for the determination of constituent content of green soybeans in a single pod since 2004. We developed two bench-type transmission NIR spectrometers, one employs a new sample presentation with the existing light source and spectrometer (Type 1) and the other employs a new sample presentation with modifications to both the light source and the spectrometer (Type 2). Spectra, obtained using the Type 2 transmission NIR, processed using partial least squares (PLS) regression modelling with full cross-validation methods achieved the following parameters: R2 = 0.69 and SECV = 0.21% for free amino acid and R2 = 0.74 and SECV = 0.39% for sucrose. These findings indicate that reasonably accurate models could be obtained.
Non-Contact Quality Monitoring of Laid Fabric Carbon/Epoxy Resin Prepreg Using near Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Jiang Bo , Huang Yu Dong , Li Wei , Liu Li
Published: June 2011

Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has been applied for non-contact monitoring of the quality of laid fabric carbon/epoxy resin prepreg. Partial least square regression was used to develop the models with 94 samples in the calibration set and 30 samples in the prediction set, respectively. The NIR spectroscopy method was able to predict the resin content and the volatile content with root mean square error of prediction of 0.85% and 0.22%, respectively. The developed models of resin content and volatile content were put into process control software so that during manufacture the laid fabric carbon/epoxy resin prepreg could be monitored and the processing parameters could be adjusted according to the results given by the NIR analysis. The prepreg could be analysed once within 30 s without sample destruction. The change of the concentration of epoxy resin solution and the distance of nip rollers could be used to control the resin content and an increase or decrease in the concentration of the solvent and the production speed could control the volatile content. This study indicates that NIR analysis is sufficiently accurate and effective for quality control in laid fabric carbon/epoxy resin prepreg.
Relationship between Sensory Textural Attributes and near Infrared Spectra of Cooked Rice
Authors: Srisawas Weena , Jindal Vinod K. , Thanapase Warunee
Published: June 2011

Fourteen varieties of Thai indica rice, cooked with five water-to-rice ratios ranging from 1.3 to 2.5 on a weight basis, were characterised by sensory and instrumental texture profile analysis. The potential of near infrared (NIR) reflectance spectroscopy was investigated as an alternative tool for evaluating eating quality attributes of cooked rice by developing predictive models for sensory hardness, stickiness and glossiness. Partial least squares regression models were developed which predicted sensory hardness and stickiness slightly better than the glossiness with r2v values ranging from 0.88 to 0.91 and standard errors of prediction ( SEP) lower than 0.4 unit score on nine-point sensory intensity scales. Results indicated that NIR spectroscopy-based models could be used for estimating the sensory hardness, stickiness and glossiness scores of cooked rice with higher accuracy (lower SEP) compared to the instrumental texture profile analysis based-models.
Compositional or charge density modification of the endothelial glycocalyx accelerates flow-dependent concentration polarization of low-density lipoproteins
Authors: Kang Hongyan , Fan Yubo , Sun Anqiang , Deng Xiaoyan
Published: June 2011

We hypothesized that diminished endothelial glycocalyx (GCX) at atherosclerotic lesion-prone sites accelerates flow-dependent concentration polarization of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) at the luminal surface, and in turn contributes to vulnerability of these sites to atherosclerosis. A parallel plate flow chamber was applied to expose cultured endothelial monolayers to three different levels of shear stress (3, 12, 20 dyn/cm2). Heparinase III (Hep.III) was employed to degrade heparan sulfate proteoglycans selectively and 3-(N-morpholino) propanesulfonic acid-buffered physiological salt solutions (MOPS-PSS) were used at either normal ionic strength (Normal-MOPS), low ionic strength (LO-MOPS) or high ionic strength (HI-MOPS) to modify the effective charge density of the endothelial GCX. Water filtration velocity ( V w) across the endothelial monolayer, the luminal concentration of LDLs ( C w) and the uptake of LDLs by endothelial cells were measured and compared among the following five groups of cells: (1) Control; (2) Hep.III treatment; (3) LO-MOPS; (4) Normal-MOPS; and (5) HI-MOPS. The results obtained substantiated the aforementioned hypothesis and demonstrated that compositional or charge density modification of the endothelial GCX facilitated water filtration across the endothelium, enhanced the accumulation of LDLs on the luminal surface and increased the uptake of LDLs by endothelial cells, therefore contributing to atherogenesis.
Polyaniline: The infrared spectroscopy of conducting polymer nanotubes (IUPAC Technical Report)
Authors: Trchová Miroslava , Stejskal Jaroslav
Published: June 2011

Polyaniline (PANI), a conducting polymer, was prepared by the oxidation of aniline with ammonium peroxydisulfate in various aqueous media. When the polymerization was carried out in the solution of strong (sulfuric) acid, a granular morphology of PANI was obtained. In the solutions of weak (acetic or succinic) acids or in water, PANI nanotubes were produced. The oxidation of aniline under alkaline conditions yielded aniline oligomers. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of the oxidation products differ. A group of participants from 11 institutions in different countries recorded the FTIR spectra of PANI bases prepared from the samples obtained in the solutions of strong and weak acids and in alkaline medium within the framework of an IUPAC project. The aim of the project was to identify the differences in molecular structure of PANI and aniline oligomers and to relate them to supramolecular morphology, viz. the nanotube formation. The assignment of FTIR bands of aniline oxidation products is reported.
Smoking Cessation Practices of Dental Care Providers in Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia
Authors: Subaie Ahmad E. , Nasser Muhsen M. , Qussair Ali A. , Ali Aiman A. , Jandan Badr A. Al
Published: June 2011

Background:Awareness programs are highly recommended to educate smokers and help them to quit. The aim of this study is to evaluate dental professionals' awareness and utilisation of the 5As in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Material andMethods:A survey was conducted in Saudi Arabia on 102 dental care providers (DCPs) in 2010 to assess awareness of 5As. Many factors were included in the survey such as demographic characteristics, working place, years of experiences, level of education and country of graduation.Results:Only 23 (22.5%) of our sample know about the 5As (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist and Arrange), and less than 7% of DCPs assist their patients to quit smoking. In addition, 19 (18.6%) of DCPs were smokers, and of them 6 (31.6%) smoked in front of their patients.Conclusion:Most of the dental practitioners were not aware of the 5As for smoking cessation. Most of them they did not pay attention to the willingness of their patients to quit smoking.
Client Satisfaction With English Stop Smoking Services
Authors: May Sylvia , McEwen Andy
Published: June 2011

This study reports client satisfaction in five UK National Health Service (NHS) Stop Smoking Services (SSS) and examines the impact of satisfaction on outcome four weeks postquit. Six services were selected on the basis of perceived ability to run the study from a pool of 11 who responded to a mailshot to volunteer. Advisors made one of two satisfaction surveys available to their clients two weeks after quitting smoking. The two surveys were a ‘brief’ three-item survey and a ‘full’ survey containing those items plus 19 others about specific aspects of the service. There were two key items: how satisfied respondents were with the support they received to stop smoking and would they recommend the service to another smoker. Surveys were completed anonymously but had unique identification numbers so they could be linked to individual demographic and outcome data. Overall 10% (554/5520) of treated smokers in the services completed a survey, 7% (390/5520) completed the ‘full’ survey. Responses were a strong endorsement of the participating services, with 93% (505/542) satisfied or very satisfied with the service and 99% (548/552) prepared to recommend the service. The sample was unrepresentative of the population of treated smokers in terms of eligibility for free prescriptions, ethnicity, age, type of treatment experienced, the type of advisor seen, medication use and end of treatment outcome. Satisfaction at week two was not related to abstinence at four weeks postquit. Limitations of the study and suggestions for service delivery are discussed.
Dance anthropology and the impact of 1930s Haiti on Katherine Dunham's scientific and artistic consciousness
Authors: Durkin Hannah
Published: June 2011

Katherine Dunham (19092006) was one of the most critically and commercially successful dancers of the twentieth century. She established and ran the Katherine Dunham Dance Company, the earliest self-supporting predominantly black dance company and one of the first modern dance troupes
to achieve international success. She was also one of the first African Americans to conduct anthropological fieldwork, and the first anthropologist to explore the function of dance in rituals and community life. Her observations of dance rituals whilst working as a graduate researcher in
1930s Haiti played a formative role in her dance. Her choreographic method combined Caribbean cultural forms with ballet and modern dance practices and has had a profound but rarely acknowledged influence on twentieth century dance. This article examines Dunham's anthropological memoir, Island
Possessed (1969), to explore the formative role that Haiti played on Dunham's scientific and artistic consciousness. It contends that Island Possessed articulates a highly reflexive engagement with ethnography, re-envisaging anthropological research as a space of intercultural exchange.
It shows how the text sheds light on a lifelong project by Dunham to enact an artistic and cultural legitimization of Haiti by incorporating its ritual dance forms onto the concert dance stage, an endeavour that would ensure a significant Haitian influence over North American dance throughout
the mid-twentieth century.
Narrative, contingency, modernity: Jean Rouch's Moi, un Noir (1958)
Authors: Izzo Justin
Published: June 2011

This article deals with the ethnographic production of modernity in Jean Rouch's film about Nigerien economic migrants in pre-independence Ivory Coast, Moi, un Noir. Following Fredric Jameson's assertion that we can conceive of modernity as a rhetorical trope and a narrative
category that is subject to potentially limitless rewritings, the article suggests that Moi, un Noir's improvisational narrative allows Rouch to re-stage a narrative of modernity that relies on contingency and a geographical triangulation of idea(l)s of the modern between the United
States, France and West Africa. Further, this article examines Rouch's doctrine of collaborative ethnographic work, what he calls shared anthropology, in relation to the collective nature of Moi un Noir's narrative, which relies on the spontaneous participation of Rouch's actors (who
were also his research subjects) who were shown a rough cut of the film and prompted to discuss their lives as they saw fit. Finally, the article explores, how Rouch's unique, experimental blend of fictional and documentary cinematic forms positions him as both a provocative theorist of modernity
as well as a reflexive anthropologist avant la lettre.
Corrigenda to “Reducible Veronese surfaces”
Authors: Alzati Alberto , Ballico Edoardo
Published: June 2011

We correct the definition and the list of all reducible Veronese surfaces in our previous paper “Reducible Veronese surfaces”, Adv. Geom.
10 (2010), 719–735.
Dual polar spaces of arbitrary rank
Authors: Huggenberger Simon
Published: June 2011

In 1982 P. Cameron gave a characterisation of dual polar spaces of finite rank viewed as point-line spaces. This characterisation makes essential use of the fact that dual polar spaces of finite rank have finite diameter. Our goal is to give a characterisation which includes dual polar spaces of infinite rank. Since dual polar spaces of infinite rank are disconnected, we introduce a point-relation that denotes pairs of points at “maximal distance”, and we call this an opposition relation. This approach is in the spirit of the theory of twin buildings.
Fewnomial bounds for completely mixed polynomial systems
Authors: Bihan Frédéric , Sottile Frank
Published: June 2011

We give a bound for the number of real solutions to systems of n polynomials in n variables, where the monomials appearing in different polynomials are distinct. This bound is smaller than the fewnomial bound if this structure of the polynomials is not taken into account.
Isolation of dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DP 4) isoforms from porcine kidney by preparative isoelectric focusing to improve crystallization
Authors: Wagner Leona , Wermann Michael , Rosche Fred , Rahfeld Jens-Ulrich , Hoffmann Torsten , Demuth Hans-Ulrich
Published: June 2011

In the present studies we resolved the post-translational microheterogeneity of purified porcine dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DP 4) from kidney cortex. Applying SDS-homogeneous DP 4 onto an analytical agarose isoelectric focusing (IEF) gel, pH 4–6, activity staining resulted in at least 17 isoforms between pH 4.8–6.0. These could be separated into fractions with only two to six isoforms by means of preparative liquid-phase IEF, using a Rotofor cell. Starting off with three parallel Rotofor runs under the same conditions at pH 5–6, the fractions were pooled according to the specific activity of DP 4, pH and analytical IEF profile, and further refractionated without any additional ampholytes. Since excessive dilution of ampholytes and proteins was kept to the minimum, a second refractionation step could be introduced, resulting in pH gradients between 0.022 and 0.028 pH increments per fraction. By performing two consecutive refractionation steps, the high resolution necessary for the separation of DP 4 isoforms could be achieved. This represents an alternative method if isolation of isoforms with similar pI's results in precipitation and denaturation in presence of a narrow pH range. Furthermore, it demonstrates that preparative IEF is a powerful tool to resolve post-translational microheterogeneity of a purified protein required for crystallization processing.
Bio based fuels and fuel additives from lignocellulose feedstock via the production of levulinic acid and furfural
Authors: Dautzenberg Geertje , Gerhardt Mirko , Kamm Birgit
Published: June 2011

The demand for biomass-derived fuels and fuel additives, particularly in the transportation sector, has stimulated intense research efforts in the chemistry of levulinic acid and levulinic acid secondary products over the past decade. Additionally, recent technological progress in lignocellulosic feedstock (LCF) chemistry has also increased attention in this regard. As a result, several oxygenating fuel additives with potential applications in both gasoline and diesel fuels have been identified. Some of the chemicals, such as ethyl valerate, appear to be viable alternatives to the currently used branched, short-chain ethers that are derived from side products of petrol refining. Cost-effective applications of lignocellulosic biomass are a crucial aspect of its feasibility. In consideration of the LCF biorefinery concept, the feasibility must also include the chemical pulping of LCF and the comprehensive utilisation of its main constituents cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin. The present study focuses on cellulose and hemicelluloses as viable sources for the production of biofuels and biofuel additives. Multifunctional catalysis, including hydrogenation and acid catalysis are the primary instruments used for the conversion of the monomeric carbohydrate building blocks, i.e., mainly C5 sugars, such as xylose and arabinose, and C6 sugars in the form of glucose and their respective secondary products, furfural and levulinic acid. Lignin utilisation is not addressed in this paper.
Lignin oxidation mechanisms under oxygen delignification conditions. Part 1. Results from direct analyses
Authors: Kalliola Anna , Kuitunen Susanna , Liitiä Tiina , Rovio Stella , Ohra-aho Taina , Vuorinen Tapani , Tamminen Tarja
Published: June 2011

Oxidation of softwood and hardwood kraft lignins was observed under conditions of oxygen delignification (90°C and 110°C; 0.6 and 0.9 MPa) as a function of time by means of a number of analysis techniques and quantitative information was obtained on the degradation and formation of various compounds and structures. The decrease in reactor pressure was monitored during a 4-h reaction period. During the first 60 min, lignin reactivity was high, while a very intense stage took place during the first 20 min. The reactions decelerated after the first 60 min and after 120 min the reactions did not significantly advance. The oxygen consumption after 4-h reaction was 1.3–1.5 mole O2per 1 mole lignin depending on the conditions. In the first 20 min, 50%–60% of the oxygen was consumed and the consumption increased only slightly after 60 min. At 90°C, the changes in all observed quantities were smaller throughout the whole 4-h reaction period than at 110°C. Under the studied conditions, increasing the reaction temperature, rather than the pressure, had primary significance in the increasing rate of lignin degradation. Hardwood kraft lignin was more reactive than softwood kraft lignin. The results obtained in this study are the basis for the development of a mechanistic model for the oxygen delignification process of pulps to be published in subsequent papers.
Effects of loading adjustment on the reliability degradation of composites
Authors: Chen Chung-Ling , Wang Kuo-Shong
Published: June 2011

This paper defines two parameters to describe the effects of fatigue load adjustment on the reliability degradation of composites. The transition period, n2a, indicates the free failure time period from the instant of high-low adjustment until the residual strength distribution meets the low-level stress. The reliability drop, ∣ΔR∣, is shown at the instant of low-high adjustment. Based on the strength-life equal rank assumption, a typical Yang model of the residual strength is considered to derive these two items by retrieving the residual strength distributions to the corresponding initials. The predicted parameters are verified to be in good agreement with the Monte Carlo simulation of fatigue failure. It is found that n2a increases dramatically as the reliability Ra at which the stress level changes, in the range of 1>Ra>0.95. The relationship between ∣ΔR∣ and Ra exhibits a parabolic-like curve with a peak near the mean cycles to failure of the process at low-level stress.
Strengthening of reinforced concrete corbels with GFRP overlays
Authors: Ozden Sevket , Atalay Hilal Meydanli
Published: June 2011

The strength and post-peak performance of reinforced concrete corbels, strengthened with epoxy bonded glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) overlays, were experimentally investigated. The test variables were the corbel shear span to depth ratio, corbel main reinforcement ratio, and the number and orientation of the GFRP fibers. In total, 24 normal strength concrete, one-third scale, corbel specimens, without hoop reinforcement, were tested to failure under quasi-static gravity loading. Test results revealed that GFRP overlays can easily be used for the enhancement of corbel load bearing capacity, depending on the fiber orientation. The main reinforcement ratio and the number of GFRP plies were found to be the two main variables affecting the level of strength gain in the corbel specimens.
Analysis of Morbidity and Clinical Implications of Laparoscopic Para-Aortic Lymphadenectomy in a Continuous Series of 98 Patients with Advanced-Stage Cervical Cancer and Negative PET–CT Imaging in the Para-Aortic Area
Authors: Uzan Catherine , Souadka Amine , Gouy Sebastien , Debaere Thierry , Duclos Juliette , Lumbroso Jean , Haie-Meder Christine , Morice Philippe
Published: June 2011

Background.

Laparoscopic para-aortic lymphadenectomy (PAL) is being used increasingly to stage patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) and to define radiation field limits before chemoradiation therapy (CRT). This study aimed to define clinical implications, review complications, and determine whether surgical complications delayed the start of CRT.

Methods.

We retrospectively reviewed a continuous series of patients with LACC, with no positive para-aortic (PA) nodes on positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET–CT) and who had undergone a primary laparoscopic PAL.

Results.

From November 2007 to June 2010, 98 patients with LACC underwent pretherapeutic PAL. Two patients did not undergo PAL: extensive carcinomatosis was discovered in one case and a technical problem arose in the other. No perioperative complications occurred. Seven patients had a lymphocyst requiring an imaging-guided (or laparoscopic) puncture. Eight patients (8.4%, which corresponds to the false-negative PET–CT rate) had metastatic disease within PA lymph nodes. In cases of suspicious pelvic nodes on PET–CT, the risk for PA nodal disease was greater (24.0% versus 2.9%). When patients with and without surgical morbidity were compared, the median delay to the start of treatment was not significantly different (15 days; range, 3–49 days versus 18 days; range, 3–42 days).

Conclusions.

The morbidity of laparoscopic PAL was limited and the completion of treatment was not delayed when complications occurred. Nevertheless, if PET–CT of the pelvic area is negative, the interest in staging PAL could be discussed because the risk for PA nodal disease is very low.
The economic value of water in metropolitan areas of the United States
Authors: Gerrity Daniel , Snyder Shane
Published: June 2011

Water has been a passionately contested issue in the United States (US) over the past century. Some argue for growth restrictions in drought-susceptible regions, but based on economic production, it may be worthwhile implementing creative measures to ensure continued and sustainable growth. The following economic analysis correlates water withdrawals in the 32 most populous metropolitan areas in the US with several economic indicators, including gross metropolitan product (GMP), income, and employment. The ratio of GMP to water withdrawals (GMP/H2O) ranged from (US)$58,788 per million gallons in Tampa to $939,555 per million gallons in San Jose ($15,532 to $248,231 per megaliter, respectively). Some drought-susceptible areas (e.g., Atlanta, Denver, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas) had relatively high GMP/H2O values, while others (e.g., Phoenix and San Diego) had relatively low GMP/H2O values. From a regional perspective, the Northwest had the strongest economy relative to its water withdrawals, and the Midwest had the weakest. These data indicate that the GMP/H2O metric can be used to justify water use in certain metropolitan areas but that the metric is less applicable to regional analyses due to unique aspects of local economies and water resource portfolios.
Redistributive impact of increasing block residential water rates: some empirical evidence from Mauritius
Authors: Madhoo Yeti Nisha
Published: June 2011

This paper presents empirical results on progressive incidence of water charges that contradict conventional wisdom in developing and many developed countries. Family size in Mauritius is larger among high-income categories relative to low-income groups. Because of this unusual demographic dimension, increasing block tariffs coupled with lifeline rates below long-term marginal costs applicable to low-volume users produce a different result. Regional disparities in water demand among residential users further contribute to a redistributive strategy. It is interesting to note that extensive metering in urban and rural areas allows low-income consumers to end up in low-rate blocks. Empirical estimates of price, income and household size elasticities for different income categories reveal that low-income households face more than average price elasticity of demand for water and less than average income and household size elasticity. In the light of these results, it has been established that increase in demand for water among richer households has the potential of improving equity in water charges. Computed marginal budget shares derived from a linear expenditure system show that the amount of supernumerary income would be higher for richer people, so that a percentage increase in income may result in higher level spending on water when compared to lower-income households.
Researching Children's Understanding of Safety: An Auto-Driven Visual Approach
Authors: Agbenyega Joseph S.
Published: June 2011

Safe learning spaces allow children to explore their environment in an open and inquiring way, whereas unsafe spaces constrain, frustrate and disengage children from experiencing the fullness of their learning spaces. This study explores how children make sense of safe and unsafe learning spaces, and how this understanding affects the ways they engage with their learning spaces. Using a qualitative research method that employed auto-driven visual and observation approaches, this research conducted at one centre in the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia, examined children's movement and interaction within their learning spaces. The results suggest that the children felt safe in spaces that offered them the best opportunities for play. These are the spaces where they behaved well, laughed freely, reacted positively, and played without too much restriction and intimidation, keeping in mind the restrictions imposed on them by their teachers at other spaces. The implications for constructing and managing safe learning spaces for children are discussed.
Back to the Future: Reoccurring Issues and Discourses in Health Education in New Zealand Schools
Authors: Sinkinson Margaret
Published: June 2011

A key function of health education in New Zealand schools has always been to educate individuals to be responsible and accountable for their own health status. Educational, economic and political stances on what best constitutes effective health education, however, shift over time. The outcome of these shifts is that a multiplicity of disciplines and theoretical frameworks has informed pedagogical practices in this subject area, and continues to do so. Psychology, sociology, philosophy and biological sciences are all visible in school health education syllabuses. Currently a range of concepts and theories underpin the subject, ranging from critical theory and post-structuralism to cognitive behavioural theory and behaviour change models. Although various disciplines, concepts and theories have fashioned the delivery and content of past and present school health education, none have proved particularly effective in moving it away from pervasive and enduring discourses of individualism. Examined in this article are socio-political influences on curriculum directions and discourses over the last century, including the part played by external bodies in determining health education subject matter and health behaviour emphases.
Storage of Circulating Free Fatty Acid in Adipose Tissue of Postabsorptive Humans
Authors: Koutsari Christina , Ali Asem H. , Mundi Manpreet S. , Jensen Michael D.
Published: June 2011

OBJECTIVE

Preferential upper-body fat gain, a typical male pattern, is associated with a greater cardiometabolic risk. Regional differences in lipolysis and meal fat storage cannot explain sex differences in body fat distribution. We examined the potential role of the novel free fatty acid (FFA) storage pathway in determining body fat distribution in postabsorptive humans and whether adipocyte lipogenic proteins (CD36, acyl-CoA synthetases, and diacylglycerol acyltransferase) predict differences in FFA storage.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Rates of postabsorptive FFA (palmitate) storage into upper-body subcutaneous (UBSQ) and lower-body subcutaneous (LBSQ) fat were measured in 28 men and 53 premenopausal women. Stable and radiolabeled palmitate tracers were intravenously infused followed by subcutaneous fat biopsies. Body composition was assessed with a combination of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and computed tomography.

RESULTS

Women had greater FFA (palmitate) storage than men in both UBSQ (0.37 ± 0.15 vs. 0.27 ± 0.18 μmol · kg−1 · min−1, P = 0.0001) and LBSQ (0.42 ± 0.19 vs. 0.22 ± 0.11 μmol · kg−1 · min−1, P < 0.0001) fat. Palmitate storage rates were significantly greater in LBSQ than UBSQ fat in women, whereas the opposite was true in men. Plasma palmitate concentration positively predicted palmitate storage in both depots and sexes. Adipocyte CD36 content predicted UBSQ palmitate storage and sex-predicted storage in LBSQ fat. Palmitate storage rates per kilogram fat did not decrease as a function of fat mass, whereas lipolysis did.

CONCLUSIONS

The FFA storage pathway, which had remained undetected in postabsorptive humans until recently, can have considerable, long-term, and sex-specific effects on body fat distribution. It can also offer a way of protecting the body from excessive circulating FFA in obesity.
Youth and Parent Knowledge and Communication About Major Complications of Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Wysocki Tim , Lochrie Amanda , Antal Holly , Buckloh Lisa M.
Published: June 2011

OBJECTIVE

Previously, we studied clinicians’ and parents’ perspectives about what, when, and how youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and parents should be taught about major complications (MC) of T1D. Results showed that this topic creates considerable anxiety among youth and parents, that there is a perceived need to tailor these experiences to each patient’s circumstances, and that there is considerable variability in opinions about appropriate MC education. Prior studies did not measure youths’ or parents’ actual knowledge of complications, how they cope with that knowledge, or how these variables relate to T1D outcomes. The current study addresses these gaps.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

This article reports a cross-sectional study of 151 8- to 18-year-old youths with T1D and their parents in which their knowledge of MC (nephropathy, retinopathy, neuropathy, and cardiovascular disease) was ascertained by structured interview. Family communication about MC was assessed using a questionnaire validated in this study. Regression analyses explored youth age, parent and youth MC knowledge, and positive family communication about MC as predictors of T1D outcomes (hemoglobin A1c, treatment adherence, quality of life, and family conflict about T1D).

RESULTS

Parental MC knowledge was not associated with any T1D outcome; greater youth MC knowledge predicted better treatment adherence. More frequent optimistic family communication about MC was associated with more favorable status on all outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Optimistic family communication about MC, more so than MC knowledge, predicted favorable T1D outcomes. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these associations and to evaluate pertinent psychoeducational interventions.
Parameters for CMM Contact Measurements of Free-Form Surfaces
Authors: Poniatowska Małgorzata
Published: June 2011

Parameters for CMM Contact Measurements of Free-Form Surfaces

Obtaining discrete data is inseparably connected with losing information on surface properties. In contact measurements, the ball tip functions as a mechanical-geometrical filter. In coordinate measurements the coordinates of the measurement points of a discrete distribution on the measured surface are obtained. Surface geometric deviations are represented by a set of local deviations, i.e. deviations of measurement points from the nominal surface (the CAD model), determined in a direction normal to this surface. The results of measurements depend both on the ball tip diameter and the grid size of measurement points. This article presents findings on the influence of the ball tip diameter and the grid size on coordinate measurement results along with the experimental results of measurement of a free-form milled surface, in order to determine its local geometric deviations. One section of the surface under research was measured using different measurement parameters. The whole surface was also scanned with different parameters, observing the rule of selecting the tip diameterdand the sampling intervalTin the ratio of 2:1.
Practical Measurement Strategies for Verification of Freeform Surfaces Using Coordinate Measuring Machines
Authors: Rajamohan G. , Shunmugam M. , Samuel G.
Published: June 2011

Practical Measurement Strategies for Verification of Freeform Surfaces Using Coordinate Measuring Machines

Freeform surfaces have wider engineering applications. Designers use B-splines, Non-Uniform Rational B-splines, etc. to represent the freeform surfaces in CAD, while the manufacturers employ machines with controllers based on approximating functions or splines. Different errors also creep in during machining operations. Therefore the manufactured freeform surfaces have to be verified for conformance to design specification. Different points on the surface are probed using a coordinate measuring machine and substitute geometry of surface established from the measured points is compared with the design surface. The sampling points are distributed according to different strategies. In the present work, two new strategies of distributing the points on the basis of uniform surface area and dominant points are proposed, considering the geometrical nature of the surfaces. Metrological aspects such as probe contact and margins to be provided along the sides have also been included. The results are discussed in terms of deviation between measured points and substitute surface as well as between design and substitute surfaces, and compared with those obtained with the methods reported in the literature.
Critical Metrological Evaluation of Fuel Analyses by Measurement Uncertainty
Authors: de Oliveira Elcio
Published: June 2011

Critical Metrological Evaluation of Fuel Analyses by Measurement Uncertainty

It is now widely recognized that the evaluation of the uncertainty associated with a result is an essential part of any quantitative analysis. One way to use the estimation of measurement uncertainty as a metrological critical evaluation tool is the identification of sources of uncertainty on the analytical result, knowing the weak steps, in order to improve the method, when it is necessary. In this work, this methodology is applied to fuel analyses and the results show that the relevant sources of uncertainty are: beyond the repeatability, the resolution of the volumetric glassware and the blank in the analytical curve that are little studied.