bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Decision Support in Concurrent Engineering – The Utility-Based Selection Decision Support Problem
Authors: Fernández Marco Gero , Seepersad Carolyn Conner , Rosen David W. , Allen Janet K. , Mistree Farrokh
Published: February 2005

Decisions are an important part of Concurrent Engineering and engineering design in general. Accordingly, more attention should be paid to the means and methods for making these decisions. In this article, a utility-based decision support method for the selection of an engineering design is presented. The utility-based selection decision support problem (u-sDSP) is a synthesized construct that facilitates selection decisions involving trade-offs among multiple, conflicting attributes and mitigation of risk associated with uncertain performance with respect to the attributes considered. The negative impact of unnecessary iterations on the product development cycle is reduced via the assurance of preference-consistent outcomes. Specifically, utility theory provides a mathematically rigorous means of clarifying and capturing designer preferences as well as identifying a preferred alternative in the context of stochastic uncertainty, while the selection decision support problem (DSP) – the construct within which utility theory is employed – facilitates the effective use of engineering judgment for (1) formulating and bounding decisions and (2) establishing a proper context. Application of the u-sDSP is illustrated with an example from rapid prototyping (RP), in which the goal is to select the appropriate technology and material combinations for testing the snap-fit design of a light switch cover plate assembly.
Concurrent Design and Evaluation Based on Structural Optimization using Structural and Function-oriented Elements at the Conceptual Design Phase
Authors: Takezawa Akihiro , Nishiwaki Shinji , Izui Kazuhiro , Yoshimura Masataka , Nishigaki Hidekazu , Tsurumi Yasuaki
Published: February 2005

Computer-aided engineering (CAE) has been successfully used in mechanical industries such as automotive industries. CAE enables us to quantitatively evaluate the mechanical performances of products and to propose an effective way to improve their performances using optimization techniques without building physical prototypes. However, CAE tools are usually utilized not at the conceptual design phase, but at the evaluation phase following the detailed design phase. This is because current CAE tools require detailed design data that does not yet exist at the conceptual design phase, and such tools also inhibit the provision of useful design suggestions that, ideally, match the way of thinking and insight of design engineers. Thus, at present, no CAE tools exist that can assist the conceptual design decision making process of design engineers. On the other hand, conceptual design processes are of great significance when seeking to create innovative and high-performance products and to shorten their development time. In order to fulfill the designer’s needs during the conceptual design phase, a new type of CAE method must be constructed, one that enables concurrent design support and evaluation, and fits the way design engineers think and explore design insights.

This article presents a new structural optimization method that supports concurrent decision making so that design engineers can work to obtain innovative designs and evaluate the mechanical design details of mechanical structures at the conceptual design phase. This method is developed based on the concept of product-oriented analysis and discrete, function-oriented elements, such as beam and panel elements, since these can provide design suggestions concerning the structural evaluation of reasons as to why certain design ideas obtained are reasonable or optimal in the design sense.

The basic ideas and specifications needed to construct the method are explained and the construction of the structural optimization design method is discussed. The optimization algorithm is developed using the ground structure approach and CONLIN sequential convex programming. The examples provided demonstrate the utility of the proposed methodology for supporting design engineers’ concurrent decision making, so that innovative mechanical designs can be evaluated at the conceptual design phase.
Evaluation of Phenylpropanoids in Ten Capsicum annuum L. Varieties and Their Inhibitory Effects on Listeria monocytogenes Murray, Webb and Swann Scott A
Authors: Acero-Ortega C. , Dorantes-Alvarez L. , Hernández-Sánchez H. , Gutiérrez-López G. , Aparicio G. , Jaramillo-Flores M. E.
Published: February 2005

Extracts of pepper from ten different varieties of Capsicum annuumL. were prepared and their phenylpropanoids content was analysed by HPLC. There were seven different compounds identified at varying concentrations depending on pepper variety (L-phenylalanine, t-cinnamic acid, o-coumaric acid, mcoumaric acid, ferulic acid, caffeic acid and capsaicin) which are intermediates of the capsaicinoids pathway. The inhibitory action of the pepper extracts was evaluated against Listeria monocytogenes Murray, Webb and Swann Scott A by the agar diffusion test. Results showed that three of the 10 extracts had an antibacterial effect. Guajillo San Luis pepper presented the highest inhibitory effect, and contained the major concentration of cinnamic and caffeic acids. In order to analyse the individual contribution of every phenylpropanoid to the bacteriostatic effect, different concentrations were tested on the growth and survival of L. monocytogenesSwann Scott A.There were no significant differences (p> 0.05) in the t-cinnamic, o-coumaric, m-coumaric, ferulic acids and capsaicin among the samples. However, a significant difference was found between these compounds and the bactericidal action of caffeic acid. The results confirmed that L. monocytogenesSwann Scott A is inhibited by some pepper extracts, and also that some specific phenylpropanoids had a bacteriostatic effect.
Characterisation of Listeria monocytogenes Isolates from Poultry by Serotyping and Phage Typing
Authors: Capita R. , Prieto M. , Mereghetti L. , Alonso-Calleja C.
Published: February 2005

With the aim of improving the knowledge of Listeria monocytogenestypes distributed in poultry, isolates collected from a hundred eviscerated and refrigerated chicken carcasses from four different slaughterhouse plants in northwest Spain were characterised by serotyping and phage typing. Forty-two phage patterns were observed. Eight phage patterns (43, 43/387, 43/387/4477/1652 and 43/19/387/575 for strains of serogroup 1/2 and 107, 108/107/47, 2389 and 2389/3274 for strains of serogroup 4) were the most common. Thus, thirty strains (56.60% of phage typeable strains) showed the above-mentioned or indistinguishable (1 major phage reaction differences for serogroup 1/2 strains or 2 major differences for serogroup 4) patterns. A wide distribution of some L. monocytogenesphage types was observed because different chicken carcasses (including carcasses from different slaughterhouses) were contaminated with the same or indistinguishable L. monocytogenesphage types. Besides, more than one type (serogroup or phage type) of L. monocytogeneswas detected in 43.75% of positive samples. This finding emphasised the usefulness of subtyping several Listeria monocytogenesisolates from the same food sample in epidemiological studies.
Association Between In Vitro Antiradical Activity and Ferric Reducing Power in Aged Red Wines: A Mechanistic Approach
Authors: Makris D. P. , Kefalas P.
Published: February 2005

Polyphenolic phytochemicals present in certain plant tissues exhibit multifunctional properties, in terms of expressing in vitroantioxidant activity. In the case of wines, which can be considered as very complex mixtures of polyphenols, a trend has been revealed by previous studies regarding the correlation of values from antioxidant tests based on different chemical backgrounds. In this respect, 25 aged red wines, along with some characteristic polyphenolic antioxidants, were employed to carry out specific antioxidant tests, including the widely used DPPH• stable radical and a ferric reducing assay. The results showed that the values arising from these two tests correlated very well (r2 0.8761) at a 99.9% significance level (p<0.001). On such a basis, and using the information derived from the examination of the pure components, the findings were discussed from a mechanistic point of view to examine whether particular red wine constituents are responsible for the antioxidant behaviour observed.
RP-HPLC Determination of Tiger Nut and Orgeat Amino Acid Contents
Authors: Bosch L. , Alegría A. , Farré R.
Published: February 2005

The amino acid profile of 11 samples of tiger nuts ( Cyperus esculentusL.) grown in the area of “L'Horta Nord” in Valencia (Spain) and one sample of African origin were determined, along with the amino acid contents of 10 samples of natural orgeat from Valencia. Protein was hydrolysed by hydrochloric acid at 110 °C for 23 h, and amino acids were derivatised with AQC and determined by RP-HPLC with fluorescence detection. The chromatographic conditions were optimised. The analytical parameters (detection and quantification limits, precision and accuracy) showed the method to be sufficiently sensitive and reproducible for determining amino acids resistant to acid hydrolysis in tiger nuts and orgeat. Arginine was the most abundant amino acid in both tiger nuts and orgeat and the lowest contents corresponding to histidine and tyrosine. The essential amino acid contents of tiger nuts and orgeat protein were greater than those proposed in the protein standard for adults by the FAO/WHO, with the exception of histidine. No significant differences were found among the arginine, lysine and isoleucine amino acid contents in tiger nuts from Valencia, Alboraya and Alm‡ssera; nor were they found among amino acids in tiger nuts from Valencia and Alm‡ssera, with the exception of tyrosine.
Long-chain Soluble Dietary Fibre as Functional Ingredient in Cooked Meat Sausages
Authors: Selgas M. D. , Cáceres E. , García M. L.
Published: February 2005

Long-chain soluble dietary fibre was incorporated into the elaboration of reduced-fat (30% less than normal content) cooked meat sausages. The fibre was added in powder form and as gel up to 7.5%. Fibre addition influence on the sensory characteristics of the meat products was determined through instrumental analysis of texture (cutting and compression) and sensory analysis. In general terms, there were few changes observed in the texture of the sausages, with results very similar to the controls. However, in the sensory evaluation, sausages elaborated with levels of fibre higher than 5% showed lower acceptability, especially those made with fibre in powder form. As a result, the reduced-fat cooked meat sausages obtained with 5% long-chain soluble dietary fibre resulted in a sensory acceptable product, both low-calorie and fibre-enriched.
Multilevel Parallel Programming for Three-Dimensional Voronoi Cell Finite Element Modeling of Heterogeneous Materials
Authors: Eder Paul M. , Giuliani James E. , Ghosh Somnath
Published: February 2005

In this paper we present work aimed at implementing an efficient parallel model for the three-dimensional Voronoi cell finite element model (VCFEM), which has been developed as an effective tool for modeling heterogeneous microstructures of composite, porous or polycrystalline materials, on SMP cluster systems. In these systems, multiprocessor nodes offer shared memory on the node and distributed memory between the nodes. The approach uses multiple parallel models to efficiently decompose the problem based on computational requirements. The Message Passing Interface (MPI) library is used for distributed memory decomposition between nodes, and multithreading using the OpenMP (OMP) library is used for shared memory decomposition on each node. The results presented show the improvement in performance using just OpenMP programming for a problem with a single element in the simulation, and using the multilevel programming approach for a simulation using multiple elements in the VCFEM. The scalability of the multilevel parallel programming method is also discussed.
Doctors as Wounded Storytellers: Embodying the Physician and Gendering the Body
Authors: Löyttyniemi Varpu
Published: February 2005

In this article, the focus is on physicians’ own experience of illness or handicap. The researcher asked young physicians to tell their life stories in order to study narrations of career uncertainty. She was surprised by how many of the narrators included in their stories and narrated selves the theme of illness. In this article, the researcher takes her own feeling of wonder as her starting point. She had not expected to hear illness narratives, and now she listens to the thoughts and feelings that her own body and mind readily attach to a physician’s vulnerability. Those thoughts and feelings originate in the (professional) culture that values autonomy more than bodily ties. Wondering, on the other hand, is a feeling that cherishes the difference of the other person, and a feeling that attempts to suspend the customary conceptual flow. From the viewpoint of sexual difference, the difference between the healthy and the ill is analogous to the dichotomy between man and woman, masculine and feminine. In wondering, difference is accentuated while an attempt is made to overcome the dichotomy. The other’s story is not compared to the masculine or feminine norm but the question is, how does this woman or this man tell her or his story so that it is appropriate to her or his gender and the body that is inescapably vulnerable?
Heterosexual Behavioral Maintenance and Change Following HIV Counseling and Testing
Authors: Amaro Hortensia , Morrill Allison C. , Dai Jianyu , Cabral Howard , Raj Anita
Published: February 2005

This study investigated heterosexual HIV risk behaviors, changes in stage of change for safer sex and factors associated with such changes, among a diverse sample of 560 heterosexually active individuals presenting at publicly funded HIV C&T sites. Questionnaires were administrated before HIV C&T, and three months afterwards. Positive serostatus was the most significant predictor of safer behavior after C&T. Many seronegative participants stopped sex with non-main partners. Behaviors with main partners were particularly resistant to change. Predictors of change varied by stage at pre-test. C&T services should tailor approaches and referrals based on stage of change and other client characteristics.
Learning from Success and Failure in Psychosocial Intervention: An Evaluation of Low Birth Weight Prevention Trials
Authors: Lu Qian , Lu Michael C. , Schetter Christine Dunkel
Published: February 2005

The object of the study was to evaluate the research designs of social support interventions for prevention of low birth weight (LBW). A literature search of published articles identified 12 randomized controlled trials of social support to prevent LBW birth. These were evaluated using specific methodological criteria for effective intervention research. Only one study showed a significant reduction in LBW. However, none of the studies met all of the proposed criteria for rigorous intervention research. It is premature to conclude that social support interventions are ineffective in preventing LBW. Specific recommendations for future intervention research design are outlined.
A Randomized Controlled Graded Exercise Trial for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Outcomes and Mechanisms of Change
Authors: Moss-Morris Rona , Sharon Cynthia , Tobin Roseanne , Baldi James C.
Published: February 2005

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential mechanisms underlying the efficacy of graded exercise therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Forty-nine CFS patients were randomized to a 12-week graded exercise programme or to standard medical care. At the end of treatment the exercise group rated themselves as significantly more improved and less fatigued than the control group. A decrease in symptom focusing rather than an increase in fitness mediated the treatment effect. Graded exercise appears to be an effective treatment for CFS and it operates in part by reducing the degree to which patients focus on their symptoms.
Effects of Emotional Disclosure on Psychological and Physiological Outcomes in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Exploratory Home-based Study
Authors: Wetherell Mark A. , Byrne-Davis Lucie , Dieppe Paul , Donovan Jenny , Brookes Sara , Byron Margaret , Vedhara Kavita , Horne Robert , Weinman John , Miles Jeremy
Published: February 2005

The effects of an exploratory, home-based emotional disclosure intervention on psychological and physiological outcomes were assessed in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Patients were randomly assigned to a disclosure group ( n = 19) in which they wrote/talked about traumatic personal experiences, or to a control group ( n = 15) in which they wrote/talked about the events of a particular day. Participants undertook these tasks for periods of 20 minutes on 4 consecutive days. The disclosure group demonstrated increases in negative mood and objective markers of disease activity at 1 week post-intervention. However, there were significant trends for the disclosure group to demonstrate minor improvements in mood and stability in disease activity, compared with the control group. These group differences appeared to be due to deteriorations in the control group more than improvements in the disclosure group.
Globalization, Tax Reform Ideals and Social Policy Financing
Authors: Ganghof Steffen
Published: February 2005

This article compares national income tax reforms during the last 25 years. There were two competing models of income tax reform, ‘comprehensive’ and ‘dual’ income taxation, the latter of which was in many ways more successful. The reason lies in the structural constraints policy makers face. While taxation of capital income is very costly, creating incentives to lower marginal tax rates, the high overall tax burden on labour makes it difficult to reduce tax rates on labour incomes. These conflicting pressures point towards separate tax rate schedules for capital and labour, as is characteristic of dual income taxes. The analysis has implications for the role of income taxation in achieving social policy outcomes. Most importantly, while progressive taxation of capital income is constrained by high costs, policy makers willing to separate capital and labour income taxation can use the income tax to reduce the tax burden on low wages.
Remnants of Romanticism
Authors: Scaff Lawrence A.
Published: February 2005

One of the most unusual aspects of Max Weber’s 1904 journey to the United States was his trip to Oklahoma and Indian Territory. This article reconstructs the origins, rationale, circumstances and results of this experience on the American frontier. Weber used the opportunity to investigate social and economic development, observing the work of the Dawes Commission, the conditions of native American life and the emerging patterns of settlement and their consequences. He discussed these matters with many of the Territory’s leading figures, such as Tams Bixby and Robert L. Owen. He viewed the transition from traditional society to modern capitalist economic conditions as inevitable and irreversible. But he also thought processes of sociation, modeled on the voluntaristic sects and supported by a worldly ethos, served as a counterweight and strengthened the fledgling democratic order.
The Spirit of Modernity
Authors: Schwentker Wolfgang
Published: February 2005

In this article, I reconstruct the reception of Max Weber’s essays on The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism in 20th-century Japanese social sciences. I will show that even during Weber’s lifetime, Japanese economists responded to the so-called ‘Weber thesis’ and were aware of the ongoing debate on the origins of capitalism in European social sciences. Since the first Japanese translation of Weber’s essays appeared in 1938, interpretations depended very much on the political and social change of the country in the forthcoming decades. I attempt to prove that after 1945 the understanding of Weber in Japanese social sciences became interdisciplinary. Basically the response of Japanese social scientists was twofold: on the one hand, they looked for functional equivalents to the Protestant ethic in Japan, and, on the other hand (and even more importantly), they understood Weber’s text as a blueprint for a successful modernization of their country, more or less through economic means.
Tribological behaviour of plasma nitrided and plasma sulfonitrided cold work steels
Authors: Fontalvo G. A. , Mitterer C. , Reithofer G.
Published: February 2005

Many different nitriding processes have been used for reducing the wear of iron based and non-iron based materials. In the present work, the efficiency of plasma nitriding of cold work steels for reducing wear was investigated. Ball on disc tests were conducted at room temperature and200°C using austenitic stainless steel balls and different nitrided cold work steel discs. The thickness of both compound and diffusion layer and the composition of the compound layer were varied by changing the plasma nitriding parameters. Wear tracks on the discs and balls were characterisedusing both SEM and optical profiling. The results show that a thinner nitrided layer reduces wear more efficiently. Higher carbide content seems to be advantageous because the nitrided layer is mechanically better supported.
Systemic protein delivery by muscle-gene transfer is limited by a local immune response
Authors: Wang Lixin , Dobrzynski Eric , Schlachterman Alexander , Cao Ou , Herzog Roland W.
Published: February 2005

Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors have been successfully used for therapeutic expression of systemic transgene products (such as factor IX or erythropoietin) following in vivo administration to skeletal muscle of animal models of inherited hematologic disorders. However, an immune response may be initiated if the transgene product represents a neoantigen. Here, we use ovalbumin (OVA) as a model antigen and demonstrate immune-mediated elimination of expression on muscle-directed AAV-2 gene transfer. Administration to immune competent mice resulted in transient systemic OVA expression. Within 10 days, OVA-specific T-helper cells had been activated in draining lymph nodes, an inflammatory immune response ensued, and OVA-expressing muscle fibers were destroyed by a cytotoxic CD8+ T-cell response. Use of a muscle-specific promoter did not prevent this immune response. Adoptively transferred CD4+ cells transgenic for a T-cell receptor specific to OVA peptide-major histocompatibility complex class II showed antigen-specific, vector dose-dependent proliferation confined to the draining lymph nodes of AAV-OVA–transduced muscle within 5 days after gene transfer and subsequently participated in lymphocytic infiltration of transduced muscle. This study documents that a local immune response limits sustained expression of a secreted protein in muscle gene transfer, a finding that may have consequences for design of clinical protocols.
Plasma antibodies against heat shock protein 70 correlate with the incidence and severity of asthma in a Chinese population
Authors: Yang Miao , Wu Tangchun , Cheng Longxian , Wang Feng , Wei Qingyi , Tanguay Robert M
Published: February 2005

Background

The heat shock proteins (Hsps) are induced by stresses such as allergic factors and inflammatory responses in bronchi epithelial cells and therefore may be detectable in patients with asthma. However, the etiologic link between anti-Hsps and asthma (its severity and related inflammatory responses such as interleukin-4 and immunoglobulin E) has not been established. We determined whether antibodies against Hsp60 and Hsp70 were present in patients with asthma and evaluated their associations with risk and severity of asthma.

Methods

We determined the levels of anti-Hsp60 and anti-Hsp70 by immunoblot and their associations with risk and symptom severity of asthma in 95 patients with asthma and 99 matched non-symptomatic controls using multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Results

Compared to the controls, asthma patients were more likely to have detectable anti-Hsp60 (17.2% vs 5.1%) and anti-Hsp70 (33.7% vs 8.1%) (p ≤ 0.001). In particular, the presence of anti-Hsp70 was associated with a greater than 2 fold risk for asthma (adjusted OR = 2.21; 95% CI = 1.35~3.59). Furthermore, both anti-Hsp60 and anti-Hsp70 levels were positively correlated with symptom severity (p < 0.05) as well as interleukin-4 and immunoglobulin E (p < 0.05). Individuals with antibodies against anti-Hsp60 and anti-Hsp70 were more likely to have a family history of asthma (p < 0.001) and higher plasma concentrations of total immunoglobulin E (p = 0.001) and interleukin-4 (p < 0.05) than those without antibodies.

Conclusions

These data suggest that anti-Hsp60 and especially anti-Hsp70 correlate with the attacks and severity of asthma. The underlying molecular mechanisms linking antibodies to heat shock proteins and asthma remain to be investigated.
An ant colony optimisation algorithm for the 2D and 3D hydrophobic polar protein folding problem
Authors: Shmygelska Alena , Hoos Holger H
Published: February 2005

Background

The protein folding problem is a fundamental problems in computational molecular biology and biochemical physics. Various optimisation methods have been applied to formulations of the ab-initio folding problem that are based on reduced models of protein structure, including Monte Carlo methods, Evolutionary Algorithms, Tabu Search and hybrid approaches. In our work, we have introduced an ant colony optimisation (ACO) algorithm to address the non-deterministic polynomial-time hard (NP-hard) combinatorial problem of predicting a protein's conformation from its amino acid sequence under a widely studied, conceptually simple model – the 2-dimensional (2D) and 3-dimensional (3D) hydrophobic-polar (HP) model.

Results

We present an improvement of our previous ACO algorithm for the 2D HP model and its extension to the 3D HP model. We show that this new algorithm, dubbed ACO-HPPFP-3, performs better than previous state-of-the-art algorithms on sequences whose native conformations do not contain structural nuclei (parts of the native fold that predominantly consist of local interactions) at the ends, but rather in the middle of the sequence, and that it generally finds a more diverse set of native conformations.

Conclusions

The application of ACO to this bioinformatics problem compares favourably with specialised, state-of-the-art methods for the 2D and 3D HP protein folding problem; our empirical results indicate that our rather simple ACO algorithm scales worse with sequence length but usually finds a more diverse ensemble of native states. Therefore the development of ACO algorithms for more complex and realistic models of protein structure holds significant promise.
The architecture of mammalian ribosomal protein promoters
Authors: Perry Robert P
Published: February 2005

Background

Mammalian ribosomes contain 79 different proteins encoded by widely scattered single copy genes. Coordinate expression of these genes at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels is required to ensure a roughly equimolar accumulation of ribosomal proteins. To date, detailed studies of only a very few ribosomal protein (rp) promoters have been made. To elucidate the general features of rp promoter architecture, I made a detailed sequence comparison of the promoter regions of the entire set of orthologous human and mouse rp genes.

Results

A striking evolutionarily conserved feature of most rp genes is the separation by an intron of the sequences involved in transcriptional and translational regulation from the sequences with protein encoding function. Another conserved feature is the polypyrimidine initiator, which conforms to the consensus (Y)2C+1TY(T)2(Y)3. At least 60 % of the rp promoters contain a largely conserved TATA box or A/T-rich motif, which should theoretically have TBP-binding capability. A remarkably high proportion of the promoters contain conserved binding sites for transcription factors that were previously implicated in rp gene expression, namely upstream GABP and Sp1 sites and downstream YY1 sites. Over 80 % of human and mouse rp genes contain a transposable element residue within 900 bp of 5' flanking sequence; very little sequence identity between human and mouse orthologues was evident more than 200 bp upstream of the transcriptional start point.

Conclusions

This analysis has provided some valuable insights into the general architecture of mammalian rp promoters and has identified parameters that might coordinately regulate the transcriptional activity of certain subsets of rp genes.
Detection of virulence genes in Malaysian Shigellaspecies by multiplex PCR assay
Authors: Thong Kwai Lin , Hoe Susan Ling Ling , Puthucheary SD , Md Yasin Rohani
Published: February 2005

Background

In Malaysia, Shigella spp. was reported to be the third commonest bacterial agent responsible for childhood diarrhoea. Currently, isolation of the bacterium and confirmation of the disease by microbiological and biochemical methods remain as the "gold standard". This study aimed to detect the prevalence of four Shigella virulence genes present concurrently, in randomly selected Malaysian strains via a rapid multiplex PCR (mPCR) assay.

Methods

A mPCR assay was designed for the simultaneous detection of chromosomal- and plasmid-encoded virulence genes (set1A, set1B, ial and ipaH) in Shigella spp. One hundred and ten Malaysian strains (1997–2000) isolated from patients from various government hospitals were used. Reproducibility and sensitivity of the assay were also evaluated. Applicability of the mPCR in clinical settings was tested with spiked faeces following preincubation in brain heart infusion (BHI) broth.

Results

The ipaH sequence was present in all the strains, while each of the set1A, set1B and ial gene was present in 40% of the strains tested. Reproducibility of the mPCR assay was 100% and none of the non-Shigella pathogens tested in this study were amplified. The mPCR could detect 100 colony-forming units (cfu) of shigellae per reaction mixture in spiked faeces following preincubation.

Conclusions

The mPCR system is reproducible, sensitive and is able to identify pathogenic strains of shigellae irrespective of the locality of the virulence genes. It can be easily performed with a high throughput to give a presumptive identification of the causal pathogen.
Cα-H···O=C hydrogen bonds contribute to the specificity of RGD cell-adhesion interactions
Authors: Bella Jordi , Humphries Martin J
Published: February 2005

Background

The Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) cell adhesion sequence occurs in several extracellular matrix molecules known to interact with integrin cell-surface receptors. Recently published crystal structures of the extracellular regions of two integrins in complex with peptides containing or mimicking the RGD sequence have identified the Arg and Asp residues as key specificity determinants for integrin recognition, through hydrogen bonding and metal coordination interactions. The central Gly residue also appears to be in close contact with the integrin surface in these structures.

Results

When hydrogen atoms are modelled on the central Gly residue with standard stereochemistry, the interaction between this residue and a carbonyl group in the integrin surface shows all the hallmarks of Cα-H···O=C hydrogen bonding, as seen in the collagen triple helix and in many crystal structures of small organic molecules. Moreover, molecular dynamic simulations of the docking of RGD-containing fragments on integrin surfaces support the occurrence of these interactions. There appears to be an array of four weak and conventional hydrogen bonds lining up the RGD residues with main chain carbonyl groups in the integrin surface.

Conclusions

The occurrence of weak Cα-H···O=C hydrogen bonds in the RGD-integrin interaction highlights the importance of the conserved Gly residue in the RGD motif and its contribution to integrin-ligand binding specificity. Our analysis shows how weak hydrogen bonds may also play important biological roles by contributing to the specificity of macromolecular recognition.
Sequential super-stereotypy of an instinctive fixed action pattern in hyper-dopaminergic mutant mice: a model of obsessive compulsive disorder and Tourette's
Authors: Berridge Kent C , Aldridge J Wayne , Houchard Kimberly R , Zhuang Xiaoxi
Published: February 2005

Background

Excessive sequential stereotypy of behavioral patterns (sequential super-stereotypy) in Tourette's syndrome and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is thought to involve dysfunction in nigrostriatal dopamine systems. In sequential super-stereotypy, patients become trapped in overly rigid sequential patterns of action, language, or thought. Some instinctive behavioral patterns of animals, such as the syntactic grooming chain pattern of rodents, have sufficiently complex and stereotyped serial structure to detect potential production of overly-rigid sequential patterns. A syntactic grooming chain is a fixed action pattern that serially links up to 25 grooming movements into 4 predictable phases that follow 1 syntactic rule. New mutant mouse models allow gene-based manipulation of brain function relevant to sequential patterns, but no current animal model of spontaneous OCD-like behaviors has so far been reported to exhibit sequential super-stereotypy in the sense of a whole complex serial pattern that becomes stronger and excessively rigid. Here we used a hyper-dopaminergic mutant mouse to examine whether an OCD-like behavioral sequence in animals shows sequential super-stereotypy. Knockdown mutation of the dopamine transporter gene (DAT) causes extracellular dopamine levels in the neostriatum of these adult mutant mice to rise to 170% of wild-type control levels.

Results

We found that the serial pattern of this instinctive behavioral sequence becomes strengthened as an entire entity in hyper-dopaminergic mutants, and more resistant to interruption. Hyper-dopaminergic mutant mice have stronger and more rigid syntactic grooming chain patterns than wild-type control mice. Mutants showed sequential super-stereotypy in the sense of having more stereotyped and predictable syntactic grooming sequences, and were also more likely to resist disruption of the pattern en route, by returning after a disruption to complete the pattern from the appropriate point in the sequence. By contrast, wild-type mice exhibited weaker forms of the fixed action pattern, and often failed to complete the full sequence.

Conclusions

Sequential super-stereotypy occurs in the complex fixed action patterns of hyper-dopaminergic mutant mice. Elucidation of the basis for sequential super-stereotypy of instinctive behavior in DAT knockdown mutant mice may offer insights into neural mechanisms of overly-rigid sequences of action or thought in human patients with disorders such as Tourette's or OCD.
Khat use as risk factor for psychotic disorders: A cross-sectional and case-control study in Somalia
Authors: Odenwald Michael , Neuner Frank , Schauer Maggie , Elbert Thomas , Catani Claudia , Lingenfelder Birke , Hinkel Harald , Häfner Heinz , Rockstroh Brigitte
Published: February 2005

Background

Little is known about the prevalence of khat-induced psychotic disorders in East African countries, where the chewing of khat leaves is common. Its main psycho-active component cathinone produces effects similar to those of amphetamine. We aimed to explore the prevalence of psychotic disorders among the general population and the association between khat use and psychotic symptoms.

Methods

In an epidemiological household assessment in the city of Hargeisa, North-West Somalia, trained local interviewers screened 4,854 randomly selected persons from among the general population for disability due to severe mental problems. The identified cases were interviewed based on a structured interview and compared to healthy matched controls. Psychotic symptoms were assessed using the items of the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview and quantified with the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale. Statistical testing included Student's t-test and ANOVA.

Results

Local interviewers found that rates of severe disability due to mental disorders were 8.4% among males (above the age of 12) and differed according to war experiences (no war experience: 3.2%; civilian war survivors: 8.0%; ex-combatants: 15.9%). The clinical interview verified that in 83% of positive screening cases psychotic symptoms were the most prominent manifestations of psychiatric illness. On average, cases with psychotic symptoms had started to use khat earlier in life than matched controls and had been using khat 8.6 years before positive symptoms emerged. In most cases with psychotic symptoms, a pattern of binge use (> two 'bundles' per day) preceded the onset of psychotic symptoms, in contrast to controls of the same age. We found significant correlations between variables of khat consumption and clinical scales (0.35 to 0.50; p < 0.05), and between the age of onset of khat chewing and symptom onset (0.70; p <0.001).

Conclusion

Evidence indicates a relationship between the consumption of khat and the onset of psychotic symptoms among the male population, whereby not the khat intake per se but rather early onset and excessive khat chewing seemed to be related to psychotic symptoms. The khat problem must be addressed by means other than prohibition, given the widespread use and its role in Somali culture.
Ancel Keys: a tribute
Authors: VanItallie Theodore B
Published: February 2005

Ancel Keys, Ph.D., who died in November, 2004, at the age of 100, was among the first scientists to recognize that human atherosclerosis is not an inevitable consequence of aging, and that a high-fat diet can be a major risk factor for coronary heart disease. During World War II, he and a group of talented co-workers at the University of Minnesota conducted a large-scale study of experimentally-induced human starvation. The data generated by this study – which was immediately recognized to be a classic – continue to be of inestimable value to nutrition scientists. In his later years, Keys spent more time at his home in Naples, Italy, where he had the opportunity to continue his personal study of the beneficial effects on health and longevity of a Mediterranean diet.
Inhibition of the Vascular Endothelial Cell (VE)-Specific Adhesion Molecule VE-Cadherin Blocks Gonadotropin-Dependent Folliculogenesis and Corpus Luteum Formation and Angiogenesis
Authors: Nakhuda Gary S. , Zimmermann Ralf C. , Bohlen Peter , Liao Fang , Sauer Mark V. , Kitajewski Jan
Published: February 2005

Although it has been previously demonstrated that administration of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor-2 antibodies to hypophysectomized (Hx) mice during gonadotropin-stimulated folliculogenesis and luteogenesis inhibits angiogenesis in the developing follicle and corpus luteum (CL), it is unclear which of the many components of VEGF inhibition are important for the inhibitory effects on ovarian angiogenesis. To examine whether ovarian angiogenesis can be more specifically targeted, we administered an antibody to VE-cadherin (VE-C), an interendothelial adhesion molecule, to Hx mice during gonadotropin stimulation. In tumor models and in vivo and in vitro assays, the anti-VE-C antibody E4G10 has been shown to specifically inhibit angiogenesis, but VE-C has yet to be inhibited in the context of ovarian angiogenesis. In addition to studying the effect on neovascularization in the follicular and luteal phases, we also examined the effect of E4G10 on established vessels of the CL of pregnancy. The results demonstrate that E4G10 specifically blocks neovascularization in the follicular and luteal phases, causing an inhibition of preovulatory follicle and CL development, a decrease in the vascular area, and an inhibition of function demonstrated by reduced hormone levels. However, when administered during pregnancy, unlike anti-VEGF receptor-2 antibody, E4G10 is unable to cause disruption of the established vessels of the mature CL. These data demonstrate that E4G10 causes a specific inhibition of neovascularization in the ovary without destabilizing preexisting vasculature.
Glucocorticoid Receptor Blockade Disinhibits Pituitary-Adrenal Activity during the Stress Hyporesponsive Period of the Mouse
Authors: Schmidt M. , Levine S. , Oitzl M. S. , van der Mark M. , Müller M. B. , Holsboer F. , de Kloet E. R.
Published: February 2005

During postnatal development, mice undergo a period of reduced responsiveness of the pituitary-adrenal axis, the stress hyporesponsive period (SHRP), which is largely under control of maternal signals. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that this quiescence in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activity is mediated by glucocorticoid feedback. For this purpose, the role of mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) and glucocorticoid receptors (GR) in control of HPA activity was examined during the SHRP and in response to 24 h of maternal deprivation. Nondeprived or deprived (24 h) CD1 mice on postnatal d 8 were injected sc at 16 and 8 h before testing with the MR antagonist RU28318 or the GR antagonist RU38486. The results showed that, in nondeprived mice, blockade of GR rather than MR triggered a profound increase in anterior pituitary proopiomelanocortin mRNA, circulating ACTH, and corticosterone concentrations. In contrast, CRH mRNA in hypothalamus and GR mRNA in hippocampus and hypothalamus were decreased. Blockade of the GR during the deprivation period amplified the rise in corticosterone induced by maternal deprivation, whereas it reversed the deprivation effect on the other HPA markers, leading to profound increases in plasma ACTH, proopiomelanocortin mRNA expression in the anterior pituitary, CRH mRNA expression in the paraventricular nucleus, and MR mRNA expression in the hippocampus, but not in GR mRNA expression in the hippocampus and paraventricular nucleus. In conclusion, the data suggest that control of postnatal pituitary-adrenal activity during the SHRP involves GR-mediated feedback in the anterior pituitary, which is further potentiated in the absence of the mother.
Reduced Hypothalamic Vasopressin Secretion Underlies Attenuated Adrenocorticotropin Stress Responses in Pregnant Rats
Authors: Ma Shuaike , Shipston Michael J. , Morilak David , Russell John A.
Published: February 2005

We sought to explain decreased ACTH secretory responses to stress in pregnant rats by investigating hypothalamic CRH and vasopressin secretion and actions on anterior pituitary corticotrophs. In late pregnancy median eminence, CRH content was reduced (by 12%). Anterior pituitary proopiomelanocortin mRNA expression, measured by in situ hybridization but not radioimmunoassayed ACTH content, was also reduced (by 45% on d 21); CRH receptor (CRHR)1 mRNA expression was unaltered in pregnancy, but V1b receptor mRNA expression was reduced (by 19%). ACTH secretory responses, measured in jugular blood, to CRH (200 ng/kg iv) or vasopressin (1.7 μg/kg, iv) were reduced on d 21 vs. virgins (49% and 44%), but the response to combined CRH and vasopressin injection was intact. Either antalarmin (CRHR1 antagonist; 20 mg/kg ip) or dP(Tyr(Me)2),Arg-NH29)AVP (V1a/b antagonist; 10 μg/kg, iv) pretreatment reduced the ACTH secretory response to forced swimming (90 sec) in virgin rats (by 57% and 40%), but only antalarmin was effective in pregnant rats (53% decrease).

In vitro, measuring ACTH secretion from acutely dispersed anterior pituitary cells showed increased corticotroph sensitivity in pregnancy to CRH and to CRH augmentation by vasopressin, attributable to increased intracellular cAMP action. Hence, in late pregnancy, reduced anterior pituitary CRHR1 or V1b receptor expression did not impair corticotroph responses to CRH or vasopressin. Rather, diminished secretagogue secretion in vivo accounts for reduced action of stress levels of exogenous CRH or vasopressin alone; the late pregnancy attenuated ACTH secretory response to swim stress is deduced to be due to reduced vasopressin release by parvocellular paraventricular nuclei neurones.
Thermodynamic analysis of the apple drying process
Authors: Akpinar E. K. , Midilli A , Bicer Y
Published: February 2005

This paper is concerned with thermodynamic analysis of the process of single-layer drying of apple slices by means of a cyclone-type dryer. Using the first law of thermodynamics, energy analysis was performed to estimate the ratios of energy utilization throughout the drying process. Exergy analysis was carried out to determine exergy losses during the drying process by applying the second law of thermodynamics. It was concluded that the exergy losses increased with increasing energy utilization in both trays and the drying chamber. Values of the energy utilization ratio (EUR) of the drying chamber varied in the range 0−41.64 per cent depending on the drying conditions. The most exergy losses took place on the first tray (EUR = 0−21.06 per cent) during the drying of apple slices. It is emphasized that apple slices are sufficiently dried in the range 60−80°C with 20−10 per cent relative humidity and a drying air velocity of 1.5 m/s over a 3.33−5.33 h period in spite of exergy losses of 0−1.243 kj/s (EUR = 0−34.72 per cent).
Control of a lamination process
Authors: Whalley R , Ebrahimi M
Published: February 2005

A high-speed laminating machine for a fabric coating and conversion process is considered. Following analysis procedures, state-space and the admittance transfer function descriptions for the system are derived. Regulation of the fabric tension owing to heat shrinkage and environmental and coating variations is necessary. An optimum, minimum control effort strategy is proposed, enabling simple cost effective regulation, without the use of active elements. The speed of response of the system is improved by the use of feedback compensation. Design validation, via simulation, obtaining the open- and closed-loop system responses is employed, demonstrating the achievement of smooth, almost monotonic variations in tension following reference changes, as specified.
Computational fluid dynamic prediction of the residence time distribution of a prototype hydrodynamic vortex separator operating with a base flow component
Authors: Egarr D. A. , Faram M. G. , O'Doherty T , Phipps D. A. , Syred N
Published: February 2005

A hydrodynamic vortex separator (HDVS) has been modelled using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in order to accurately determine the residence time of the fluid at the two outlets of the HDVS using a technique that was developed for use in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC). The results have been compared with experimental data [1]. It is shown that, in using CFD, it is possible to study the response to a variety of inputs, and also to determine the mean residence time of the fluid within the separator. Although the technique used for determining the residence time was developed for use in HVAC, it is shown here to be applicable for the analysis of hydraulic systems, specifically, wastewater treatment systems.
Large deflection of laminated circular plates with clamped edge and uniform loading
Authors: Li Qiuhua , Lieh Junghsen , Mayer A
Published: February 2005

An analytical nonlinear elasticity theory was developed and used to predict large deflection of laminated circular plates with clamped boundaries. For comparison purposes, numerical solutions were obtained with a finite element software, ANSYS. Experiments were carried out using a fibre optical displacement sensor to validate the theory. Results from these three approaches show agreement.