bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
N-acetylcysteine attenuates cardiopulmonary bypass-induced lung injury in dogs
Authors: Qu Xianfeng , Li Qianyu , Wang Xiaofei , Yang Xiaoping , Wang Dongguo 
Published: April 2013

Abstract

Background
Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is usually associated with inflammatory response that leads to various degrees of organ dysfunction in multiple systems, including lung injury. Our previous study showed that transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFβ1) was involved in CPB-induced lung injury. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is an antioxidant and is able to prevent CPB-induced pneumocyte apoptosis through scavenging radical. Therefore, we investigated whether NAC may attenuate CPB-induced lung injury by inhibiting TGFβ1 expression.

Methods
Fifty-four 18 to 24-month-old mongrel dogs (15–16 kg) were randomly divided into control group, CPB group and NAC group (n = 18). Six dogs in each group were killed prior to, as well as 30 and 60 minutes after the operation (T0, T1 and T2). Lung injury was evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Respiratory index (RI), oxygenation index (OI), malondialdehyde (MDA) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the lung were determined at each time point. TGFβ1 expression was determined using real time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry.

Results
A serious lung injury was observed after CPB in dogs. RI and MDA content were increased significantly after CPB, whereas OI and SOD activity were decreased. H&E staining showed that NAC treatment obviously attenuated CPB-induced lung injury. NAC treatment upregulated OI and SOD activity and downregulated RI and MDA content in the lung tissues of dogs after CPB. Treatment with NAC significantly suppressed the TGFβ1 expression in the lung tissues at both mRNA and protein levels.

Conclusion
Our results suggest that NAC is a potent agent against CPB-induced acute lung injury through inhibiting TGFβ1 expression.
Effects of steam pretreatment and co-production with ethanol on the energy efficiency and process economics of combined biogas, heat and electricity production from industrial hemp
Authors: Barta Zsolt , Kreuger Emma , Björnsson Lovisa 
Published: April 2013

AbstractBackgroundThe study presented here has used the commercial flow sheeting program Aspen Plus™ to evaluate techno-economic aspects of large-scale hemp-based processes for producing transportation fuels. The co-production of biogas, district heat and power from chopped and steam-pretreated hemp, and the co-production of ethanol, biogas, heat and power from steam-pretreated hemp were analysed. The analyses include assessments of heat demand, energy efficiency and process economics in terms of annual cash flows and minimum biogas and ethanol selling prices (MBSP and MESP).ResultsProducing biogas, heat and power from chopped hemp has the highest overall energy efficiency, 84% of the theoretical maximum (based on lower heating values), providing that the maximum capacity of district heat is delivered. The combined production of ethanol, biogas, heat and power has the highest energy efficiency (49%) if district heat is not produced. Neither the inclusion of steam pretreatment nor co-production with ethanol has a large impact on the MBSP. Ethanol is more expensive to produce than biogas is, but this is compensated for by its higher market price. None of the scenarios examined are economically viable, since the MBSP (EUR 103–128 per MWh) is higher than the market price of biogas (EUR 67 per MWh). The largest contribution to the cost is the cost of feedstock. Decreasing the retention time in the biogas process for low solids streams by partly replacing continuous stirred tank reactors by high-rate bioreactors decreases the MBSP. Also, recycling part of the liquid from the effluent from anaerobic digestion decreases the MBSP. The production and prices of methane and ethanol influence the process economics more than the production and prices of electricity and district heat.ConclusionsTo reduce the production cost of ethanol and biogas from biomass, the use of feedstocks that are cheaper than hemp, give higher output of ethanol and biogas, or combined production with higher value products are primarily suggested. Further, practical investigations on increased substrate concentration in biogas and ethanol production, recycling of the liquid in anaerobic digestion and separation of low solids flows into solid and a liquid fraction for improved reactor applications deserves further attention.
Vertebrate GAGA factor associated insulator elements demarcate homeotic genes in the HOX clusters
Authors: Srivastava Surabhi , Puri Deepika , Garapati Hita Sony , Dhawan Jyotsna , Mishra Rakesh K 
Published: April 2013

Abstract

Background

Hox genes impart segment identity to body structures along the anterior-posterior axis and are crucial for the proper development of all organisms. Multiple regulatory elements, best defined in Drosophila melanogaster, ensure that Hox expression patterns follow the spatial and temporal colinearity reflected in their tight genomic organization. However, the precise mechanisms that regulate colinear patterns of Hox gene expression remain unclear, especially in higher vertebrates where it is not fully determined how the distinct activation domains of the tightly clustered Hox genes are defined independently of each other. Here, we report the identification of a large number of novel cis-elements at mammalian Hox clusters that can help in regulating their precise expression pattern.

Results
We have identified DNA elements at all four murine Hox clusters that show poor association with histone H3 in chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-chip tiling arrays. The majority of these elements lie in the intergenic regions segregating adjacent Hox genes; we demonstrate that they possess efficient enhancer-blocking activity in mammalian cells. Further, we find that these histone-free intergenic regions bear GA repeat motifs and associate with the vertebrate homolog of the GAGA binding boundary factor. This suggests that they can act as GAGA factor-dependent chromatin boundaries that create independent domains, insulating each Hox gene from the influence of neighboring regulatory elements.

Conclusions
Our results reveal a large number of potential regulatory elements throughout the murine Hox clusters. We further demarcate the precise location of several novel cis-elements bearing chromatin boundary activity that appear to segregate successive Hox genes. This reflects a pattern reminiscent of the organization of homeotic genes in Drosophila, where such regulatory elements have been characterized. Our findings thus provide new insights into the regulatory processes and evolutionarily conserved epigenetic mechanisms that control homeotic gene expression.
Quantitative evaluation of severity of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in patients with vascular dementia
Authors: Pan Wei-Dong , Yoshida Sohei , Liu Qian , Wu Chun-Lan , Wang Jun , Zhu Jin , Cai Ding-Fang 
Published: April 2013

Abstract
To quantitatively evaluate severity of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) for vascular dementia (VD). Changes of 51 patients with VD in BPSD between the first and 24th week were assessed using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) and the behavioral pathology in Alzheimer’s disease (BEHAVE-AD) rating scale, in detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) represented by diurnal activity (DA), evening activity (EA), and nocturnal activity (NA), and the relationships were analyzed. The subscores of activity disturbances, diurnal rhythm disturbances, and anxieties and phobias in the BEHAVE-AD score, and that of agitation, irritability, and sleep disorder in the NPI score were significantly increased compared with the first week, as was for the changes for EA in the DFA value. A linear correlation was observed between the changes of activity disturbances plus anxieties and phobias, and those of DA, and between the development of diurnal rhythm and those of EA, the vehement and autism scores and those of DA, and the difference in sleep disorder scores and those of EA, respectively. Analysis of DA, NA, and EA may reflect the fluctuational degrees of VD-BPSD, can provide a useful assessment of VD-BPSD accompanied by clinical scores for VD.
Cigarette smoking and smoking cessation in relation to risk of rheumatoid arthritis in women
Authors: Di Giuseppe Daniela , Orsini Nicola , Alfredsson Lars , Askling Johan , Wolk Alicja 
Published: April 2013

Abstract
Introduction
Whereas the overall association between smoking and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) must be regarded as established, considerably less is known about how much smoking is needed to increase the risk of RA, that is, the effect of smoking intensity, duration and cessation.

Methods
The Swedish Mammography Cohort, including 34,101 women aged 54 to 89 years, was followed up from January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2010 (219 RA cases identified). Relative risks (RR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated as rate ratios using Cox proportional hazards model.

Results
There was a statistically significant association between smoking intensity (RR comparing 1 to 7 cigarettes/day vs never smoking 2.31 (95% CI: 1.59, 3.36)) as well as duration of smoking (comparing 1 to 25 years vs never smoking RR = 1.60 (95% CI: 1.07, 2.38)) and risk of RA. Compared to never smokers, the risk was still significantly elevated 15 years after smoking cessation (RR = 1.99 (95% CI: 1.23, 3.20)). However, among former smokers, the risk of RA seemed to be decreasing over time since stopping smoking: women who stopped smoking 15 years before the start of the follow-up had 30% lower risk of RA compared to those who stopped only a year before start of the follow-up (RR = 0.70 (95% CI: 0.24,2.02)).

Conclusions
This prospective study highlights that even light cigarette smoking is associated with increased risk of RA in women and that smoking cessation may reduce, though not remove, this risk.
A comparison of the analytical performance of five commercially available assays for neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin using urine
Authors: Kift Rebecca L , Messenger Michael P , Wind Tobias C , Hepburn Sophie , Wilson Michelle , Thompson Douglas , Smith Matthew Welberry , Sturgeon Catharine , Lewington Andrew J , Selby Peter J , Banks Rosamonde E 
Published: April 2013

Background Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a promising biomarker for acute kidney injury that is beginning to be used in clinical practice in addition to research studies. The current study describes an independent validation and comparison of five commercially available NGAL assays, focusing on urine samples. This is an essential step in the translation of this marker to clinical use in terms of allowing valid inter-study comparison and generation of robust results. Methods Two CE (Conformité Européenne)-marked assays, the NGAL Test (BioPorto) on Siemens ADVIA® 1800 and the ARCHITECT Urine NGAL assay on i2000SR (Abbott Laboratories), and three research-use-only (RUO) ELISAs (R&D Systems, Hycult and BioPorto) were evaluated. Imprecision, parallelism, recovery, selectivity, limit of quantitation (LOQ), vulnerability to interference and hook effect were assessed and inter-assay agreement was determined using 68 urine samples from patients with various renal diseases and healthy controls. Results The Abbott and R&D Systems assays demonstrated satisfactory performance for all parameters tested. However for the other three assays evaluated, problems were identified with LOQ (BioPorto/ADVIA®), parallelism (BioPorto ELISA) or several parameters (Hycult). Between-method agreement varied with the Hycult assay in particular being markedly different and highlighting issues with standardization and form of NGAL measured. Conclusions Variability exists between the five NGAL assays in terms of their performance and this should be taken into account when interpreting results from the various clinical or research studies measuring urinary NGAL.
WORKING PERSONNEL TRAINING MANAGEMENT IN MEGALOPOLIS UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF MASS LABOUR MIGRATION: SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSI
Authors: Назаров  , Назарова  
Published: April 2013

The need for manpower in conditions of megalopolis, actively attracting labor migrants, prompts to re-estimate the role of modern worker, whose
main qualities become his qualifi cation, horizon, professionalism, ability to train constantly and be competitive in a rapidly changing labor market.
Systematic approach to project efficiency management on the base of genetic algorithms
Authors: �������  , Makeeva Olga , �������  , Tsarkov Igor 
Published: April 2013

The discovery of Critical Path Method (CPM) made breakdown of project
management possible. In the result, project management consists
of some knowledge areas like project time management, project cost
management etc. But there is a problem: CPM couldn�t take into account
resource constrains and costs. So there are a lot of models which
include different types of constraints. But the vast majority of such models
have serious problem: it�s impossible to scale them to universal
model which could take into account time, cost and resources together.
We suppose that this universal model could be developed on the base
of genetic algorithms and it allow increasing efficiency and quality of
project management. In this article we discuss the base principals and
tools of such model and specific genetic algorithm is proposed
Complexation of Cm(III) and Eu(III) with 2,6-bis(5-(2,2-dimethylpropyl)-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)pyridine and 2-bromohexanoic acid studied by time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy
Authors: Bremer Antje , Geist Andreas , Panak Petra J. 
Published: April 2013

AbstractThe complexation of Cm(III) and Eu(III) with 2,6-bis(5-(2,2-dimethylpropyl)-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)pyridine (C5-BPP) and 2-bromohexanoic acid as lipophilic anion has been investigated by time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy. Upon increasing ligand concentration three different Cm(III)-C5-BPP species with emission bands at 604.1 nm, 607.9 nm and 611.4 nm, respectively, are found and attributed to complexes with one, two and three C5-BPP molecules in the inner coordination sphere. Comparison with results of TRLFS experiments without 2-bromohexanoic acid shows that the C5-BPP ligand is able to completely displace the lipophilic anion from the inner coordination sphere, forming [Cm(C5-BPP)3]3+complexes. This complex is also found in the organic phase of an extraction experiment performed with Cm(III), demonstrating that the lipophilic anion required for the extraction is not directly coordinated to the metal ion in the species formed during extraction. In case of Eu(III) the number of different species formed cannot be determined accurately. Nevertheless, the formation of the complex [Eu(C5-BPP)3]3+in the presence of 2-bromohexanoic acid is confirmed.
Americium, curium and neodymium analysis in ECRIX-H irradiated pellet: sample preparation for TIMS measurements
Authors: Esbelin Eric , Buravand E. , Béjaoui S. , Lamontagne J. , Bonnerot J.M. 
Published: April 2013

Abstract
This paper concerns quantitative isotopic analysis of Am, Cm and Nd contained in an irradiated AmO1.62/MgO pellet. The complete analysis protocol is described, from dissolution of the pellets in a shielded line to the laboratory glove separation processes box for TIMS analysis. Emphasis is placed on the separation processes: by ion exchange resin in a hot cell and by HPLC in the laboratory. Intermediate measurements by X-ray fluorescence, alpha spectrometry, and ICP-AES are described.
An electrochemical route to prepare planar 204Tl sources for the calibration of beta surface contamination monitors
Authors: Gandhi Shyamala S. , Kumar Manoj , Chakravarty Rubel , Nuwad J. , Udhayakumar J. , Dash Ashutosh 
Published: April 2013

Abstract
This paper describes the utility of the electrochemical technique for the preparation of a circular planar 204Tl source required for the calibration of beta surface contamination monitors. The electrolytic cell, the experimental set up used and the process of deposition are described. The factors that influence the electrodeposition of 204Tl onto the circular copper substrate were investigated and a careful control has been exercised to ensure an optimum deposition of the 204Tl activity onto the substrate. The morphology of the deposited layer was examined by SEM, AFM and EDS analyses. Sources containing ∼3.7 MBq (∼0.1 mCi) 204Tl on a copper sheet of 20 mm diameter working area were prepared and housed in a holder. Quality control tests on the leachability, distribution of activity and stability of the source were performed to ensure compliance with regulatory safety requirements.
Adsorption interaction of carrier-free thallium species with gold and quartz surfaces
Authors: Serov A. , Eichler Robert , Dressler Rugard , Piguet D. , Türler Andreas , Vögele A. , Wittwer David , Gäggeler H. W. 
Published: April 2013

Abstract
The adsorption interactions of thallium and its compounds with gold and quartz surfaces were investigated. Carrier-free amounts of thallium were produced in nuclear fusion reactions of alpha particles with thick gold targets. The method chosen for the studies was gas thermochromatography and varying the redox potential of the carrier gases. It was observed that thallium is extremely sensitive to trace amounts of oxygen and water, and can even be oxidized by the hydroxyl groups located on the quartz surface. The experiments on a quartz surface with O2, He, H2 gas in addition with water revealed the formation and deposition of only one thallium species – TlOH. The adsorption enthalpy was determined to be Δ H
SiO2

ads(TlOH) = −134 ± 5 kJ mol−1. A series of experiments using gold as stationary surface and different carrier gases resulted in the detection of two thallium species – metallic Tl (H2 as carrier gas) and TlOH (O2, O2+H2O and H2+H2O as pure carrier gas or carrier gas mixture) with Δ H
Au
ads(Tl) = −270 ± 10 kJ mol− and Δ H
Au
ads(TlOH) = −146 ± 3 kJ mol−1. These data demonstrate a weak interaction of TlOH with both quartz and gold surfaces. The data represent important information for the design of future experiments with the heavier homologue of Tl in group 13 of the periodic table – element 113 (E113).
Structures of a co-crystal of tautomers of (E)-N-7-chloro-4-(2-methoxycinnamolyhydrazinyl)quinoline and a single tautomer of the 4-methoxy analogue
Authors: de Souza Marcus V. N. , Bispo Marcelle L. F. , Alcantara Camila C. de , Wardell Solange M. S. V. , Wardell James L. 
Published: April 2013

Abstract
A crystal structure determination confirmed that the product from 7-chloroquinilin-4-ylhydrazine and 4-methoxycinnanamic acid had been isolated from MeOCH2CH2OH solution as [(E)-N′-7-chloro-4-(4-methoxycinnamolyhydrazinyl)quinoline, 1. In contrast, recrystallization of the 2-MeO derivative, 2, from the same solvent, produced a 1 : 1 co-crystalline mixture of two tautomers, namely (E)-N′-7-chloro-4-(2-methoxycinnaämolyhydrazinyl)quinoline and 7-chloro-4(1 H)quinolinone 3-(2-methoxycinnamoyl)hydrazone, molecules A and B, respectively. Molecules 1 and 2A have “L”-shapes and, in general, have very similar conformations, which differ from that of 2B, mainly arising from the rotation about the (O)C—N(N) bond within the linker unit between the quinolone and methoxyphenyl rings. In both 1 and 2, the 3-dimensional supramolecular arrangements involve strong N—H…N, N—H…O, C—H…O and C—H…π hydrogen bonds, while additionally in 2, there are π…π, C—Cl…π and C—H…Cl intermolecular interactions.
MARSPEC: ocean climate layers for marine spatial ecology
Authors: Sbrocco Elizabeth J. , Barber Paul H. 
Published: April 2013

AbstractEcological niche models are widely used in terrestrial studies to address critical ecological and evolutionary questions related to past and future climate change, local adaptation and speciation, the discovery of rare endemics, and biological invasions. However the application of niche models to similar questions in marine ecosystems has lagged behind, in part due to the lack of a centralized high‐resolution spatial data set representing both benthic and pelagic marine environments. Here we describe the creation of MARSPEC, a high‐resolution GIS database of ocean climate layers intended for marine ecological niche modeling and other applications in marine spatial ecology. MARSPEC combines information related to topographic complexity of the seafloor with bioclimatic measures of sea surface temperature and salinity for the world ocean. We derived seven geophysical variables from a high‐resolution raster grid representing depth of the seafloor (bathymetry) to characterize six facets of topographic complexity (east–west and north–south components of aspect, slope, concavity of the seafloor, and plan and profile curvature) and distance from shore. We further derived 10 bioclimatic variables describing the annual mean, range, variance, and extreme values for temperature and salinity from long‐term monthly climatological means obtained from remotely sensed and in situ oceanographic observations. All variables were clipped to a common land mask, interpolated to a nominal 1‐km (30 arc‐second) grid, and converted to an ESRI raster grid file format compatible with popular GIS programs. MARSPEC is a 10‐fold improvement in spatial resolution over the next‐best data set (Bio‐ORACLE) and is the only high‐resolution global marine data set to combine variables from the benthic and pelagic environments into a single database. Additionally, we provide the monthly climatological layers used to derive the bioclimatic variables, allowing users to calculate equivalent MARSPEC variables from anomaly data for past and future climate scenarios. A detailed description of GIS processing steps required to calculate the MARSPEC variables can be found in the metadata.
Regulation FD: A Review and Synthesis of the Academic Literature
Authors: Koch Adam S. , Lefanowicz Craig E. , Robinson John R. 
Published: April 2013

SYNOPSIS:
We summarize the empirical evidence regarding Regulation Fair Disclosure (FD) to gauge whether the regulation achieves its stated objectives and to provide insights and direction for future research. Overall, we find that FD's prohibition against the selective disclosure of material information eliminates the information advantage enjoyed by certain investors and analysts and thereby provides a more level playing field for all investors. In addition, a number of firms respond to FD by expanding public disclosures, and the information environment of the average firm does not appear to be adversely affected. However, we find that an unintended consequence of FD is a reduction in the total amount of information available in the market (i.e., a “chilling effect”) for small or high-technology firms. Finally, ongoing research suggests that private access to management continues to provide select analysts or investors with non-material information used to complete the “mosaic” of information.