bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
With an antibody whose duty's double, a step towards ending asthma trouble?
Authors: Sundberg Eric J. 
Published: March 2013

Asthma is a debilitating chronic inflammatory disease of the airways that results in shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing, often triggered by inhalation of common allergens. The prevalence and severity of asthma has increased dramatically over the last several decades to the point where several hundred million people worldwide are affected and each year tens of thousands of individuals die prematurely from asthma symptoms. The rise in disease prevalence is particularly evident in the developed world, where childhood exposure to bacteria and viruses has decreased dramatically, while the use of antibiotics, especially early in life, and births by Caesarean section have increased significantly; correlations that support the hygiene hypothesis. Central to the pathogenesis of asthma are the roles of TH2-type cytokines, including IL (interleukin)-4, IL-5, IL-9 and IL-13, in stimulating and perpetuating an inflammatory cascade that drives detrimental changes in airway structure and function. IL-4 and IL-13, in particular, have been targets of therapeutic development because, together, they specifically promote nearly all of the clinical features of asthma. Their inflammatory functions are highly complementary, but not identical, in large part because they share cell-surface receptors and transcription factors through which they stimulate cell signalling. In this issue of the Biochemical Journal, Redpath et al. have taken advantage of the shared receptor nature of the IL-4- and IL-13-mediated inflammatory responses to generate a novel antibody to the third ectodomain (D3) of IL-13Rα1 (IL-13 receptor α1), which forms a requisite binding site for both interleukins. This antibody potently neutralizes both IL-4 and IL-13 activities in vitro. Using X-ray crystallography complemented by molecular interaction and functional analyses, they clearly define its mechanism of dual cytokine neutralization as one of molecular mimicry of the interleukin–receptor interaction. Considering the complexity of the cytokine-mediated inflammatory cascade that defines asthma pathogenesis, such therapeutics that can effectively and simultaneously neutralize the actions of multiple cytokines and may play a significantly expanded role in the treatment and prevention of asthma in the future.
Dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers inhibit non-esterified-fatty-acid-induced endothelial and rheological dysfunction
Authors: Yasu Takanori , Kobayashi Mayumi , Mutoh Akiko , Yamakawa Ken , Momomura Shin-ichi , Ueda Shinichiro 
Published: March 2013

Circulating NEFAs (non-esterified fatty acids) from adipose tissue lipolysis lead to endothelial dysfunction and insulin resistance in patients with the metabolic syndrome or Type 2 diabetes mellitus. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that DHP (dihydropyridine) CCBs (calcium channel blockers) prevent NEFA-induced endothelial and haemorheological dysfunction independently of their antihypertensive properties. Using a double-blind cross-over study design, nifedipine, amlodipine, diltiazem or placebo were administered to eight healthy subjects for 2 days before each study day. On the study days, the following were assessed before and after the infusion of lipid and heparin to raise serum NEFAs: endothelial function, by measuring FBF (forearm blood flow) responses to ACh (acetylcholine); leucocyte activation, by ex vivo measurement of plasma MPO (myeloperoxidase) levels, adherent leucocyte numbers and whole blood transit time through microchannels; and oxidative stress, by determining plasma levels of d-ROMs (derivatives of reactive oxygen metabolites). Effects of the CCBs on NF-κB (nuclear factor κB) p65 phospholylation stimulated by NEFAs were assessed in cultured monocytic cells in vitro. Elevated NEFAs reduced the responses to ACh and significantly increased whole blood transit time, adherent leucocyte numbers and d-ROMs. Nifedipine and amlodipine, but not diltiazem, prevented NEFA-induced endothelial dysfunction, leucocyte activation and enhancement of oxidative stress without affecting BP (blood pressure), whereas all these drugs prevented NEFA-induced p65 activation in vitro. These results suggest that DHP CCBs, independent of their antihypertensive properties in humans, prevent NEFA-induced endothelial and haemorheological dysfunction through inhibition of NEFA-induced leucocyte activation, although the sensitivity to drugs of leucocyte Ca2+ channels may differ among cells.
Methodology for the evaluation of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program
Authors: Gibbs L. , Staiger P. K. , Townsend M. , Macfarlane S. , Gold L. , Block K. , Johnson B. , Kulas J. , Waters E. 
Published: March 2013

Issues addressedCommunity and school cooking and gardening programs have recently increased internationally. However, despite promising indications, there is limited evidence of their effectiveness. This paper presents the evaluation framework and methods negotiated and developed to meet the information needs of all stakeholders for the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden (SAKG) program, a combined cooking and gardening program implemented in selectively funded primary schools across Australia.MethodsThe evaluation used multiple aligned theoretical frameworks and models, including a public health ecological approach, principles of effective health promotion and models of experiential learning. The evaluation is a non‐randomised comparison of six schools receiving the program (intervention) and six comparison schools (all government‐funded primary schools) in urban and rural areas of Victoria, Australia. A mixed‐methods approach was used, relying on qualitative measures to understand changes in school cultures and the experiential impacts on children, families, teachers, parents and volunteers, and quantitative measures at baseline and 1 year follow up to provide supporting information regarding patterns of change.ResultsThe evaluation study design addressed the limitations of many existing evaluation studies of cooking or garden programs. The multistrand approach to the mixed methodology maintained the rigour of the respective methods and provided an opportunity to explore complexity in the findings. Limited sensitivity of some of the quantitative measures was identified, as well as the potential for bias in the coding of the open‐ended questions.ConclusionThe SAKG evaluation methodology will address the need for appropriate evaluation approaches for school‐based kitchen garden programs. It demonstrates the feasibility of a meaningful, comprehensive evaluation of school‐based programs and also demonstrates the central role qualitative methods can have in a mixed‐method evaluation.So what?This paper contributes to debate about appropriate evaluation approaches to meet the information needs of all stakeholders and will support the sharing of measures and potential comparisons between program outcomes for comparable population groups and settings.
Impact on community organisations that partnered with the Act‐Belong‐Commit mental health promotion campaign
Authors: Jalleh Geoffrey , Anwar‐McHenry Julia , Donovan Robert J. , Laws Amberlee 
Published: March 2013

Issue addressedA primary aim of the pilot phase of the Act‐Belong‐Commit mental health promotion campaign was to form partnerships with community organisations. As a component of the broader campaign strategy, collaborating organisations promoted their activities under the Act‐Belong‐Commit banner in exchange for resources, promotional opportunities and capacity building in event management and funding.MethodsThe impact of the Act‐Belong‐Commit campaign on the capacity and activities of collaborating organisations during the pilot phase was evaluated using self‐completed mail surveys in 2006 and 2008.ResultsCollaboration with the campaign had a positive impact on community organisations' capacity, including staff expertise, media publicity and funding applications. Collaborating organisations had strong positive perceptions of Act‐Belong‐Commit officers and all expressed a willingness to collaborate in future events and activities.ConclusionsThe partnership model used during the pilot phase of the Act‐Belong‐Commit campaign was successful in creating mutually beneficial exchanges with collaborating organisations.So what?Community partnerships are necessary for the effective delivery of mental health promotion campaigns at a local level. Successful partnerships involve the provision of real and valuable benefits to collaborating organisations in return for their cooperation in promoting health messages.
Active adults recall their physical activity differently to less active adults: test–retest reliability and validity of a physical activity survey
Authors: Fjeldsoe Brianna S. , Winkler Elisabeth A. H. , Marshall Alison L. , Eakin Elizabeth G. , Reeves Marina M. 
Published: March 2013

Issue addressedThis paper determined the test‐retest reliability and criterion validity of a modified version of the Active Australia Survey (AAS) and whether these properties varied across participants' activity levels.MethodsParticipants (n = 63) responded to repeat administrations of the AAS and wore an accelerometer for 7 days. Analyses used Spearman's rho (rs,) or weighted kappa (k) and Bland‐Altman methods. Variation in mean difference and 95% limits of agreement (LOA) across average levels of activity were tested by linear regression.ResultsReliability correlations (rs; 95% confidence intervals (CI)) for minutes per week ranged from 0.40 (0.16, 0.59) to 0.80 (0.68, 0.87). For days per week, the agreement (k; 95% CI) between administrations ranged from 0.43 (0.34, 0.73) to 0.83 (0.61, 0.93). There was a small mean difference between administrations (−8.46 moderate‐vigorous minutes per week); 95% LOA widened as participants' average activity levels increased. Validity correlations (rs; 95% CI) for minutes per week ranged from 0.50 (0.28, 0.66) to 0.61 (0.43, 0.75). For days per week, the agreement (k; 95% CI) ranged from 0.35 (0.10, 0.50) to 0.61 (0.29, 0.87). The mean difference between the AAS and accelerometer and 95% LOA both varied with participants' activity levels.ConclusionsThe reliability and validity of the modified AAS were better than those of previously published versions, but varied according to participants' activity levels.So what?In this study, participants who engaged in more activity had more measurement error than less active participants. This proportionality will have important implications for cross‐sectional and intervention studies. This phenomenon needs to be examined for other self‐reported physical activity measures.
Superior reaction to changing directions for skilled basketball defenders but not linked with specialised anticipation
Authors: Fujii Keisuke , Shinya Masahiro , Yamashita Daichi , Oda Shingo , Kouzaki Motoki 
Published: March 2013

AbstractThe purpose of the present study was to examine the timing for the detection of relevant information in the final running direction of attackers' cutting manoeuvres. Skilled basketball players and novices performed sidestep and reach tasks in response to a ready‐go choice stimuli using light‐emitting diode (LED) task and video stimuli (video task) wherein skilled ball players executed cutting manoeuvres. The time at which the defenders first obtained relevant visual information was estimated by subtracting the visuo‐motor processing time, acquired from the reaction time in the LED task, from the reaction time in the video task. Skilled basketball players reacted to and reached towards the target faster than novices, whereas the estimated video cue timings for the skilled players were not different from those for the novices. The results suggest that the anticipation of attacker's direction in this task would be a general visuo‐motor skill, even without previous specialised perceptual training. Combined with the results from the reaction performance in the video task, we conclude that novices are afforded shorter times and more uncertain information before their stepping when they are in a one‐on‐one ballgame defensive scenario because their sidestepping takes a relatively long time.
Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 activity in patients with chronic kidney disease
Authors: Roberts Matthew A. , Velkoska Elena , Ierino Francesco L. , Burrell Louise M. 
Published: March 2013

Abstract

Background
Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a novel regulator of the renin–angiotensin system that counteracts the adverse effects of angiotensin II. In heart failure patients, elevated plasma ACE2 activity predicted adverse events and greater myocardial dysfunction. We aimed to describe plasma ACE2 activity and its clinical associations in patients with kidney disease.

Methods
Patients recruited from a single centre comprised of chronic kidney disease Stage III/IV (CKD), haemodialysis patients and kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). Plasma ACE2 enzyme activity was measured using a fluorescent substrate assay in plasma, collected at baseline and stored at −80°C. Linear regression was performed in both males and females separately to determine the covariates associated with log-transformed ACE2.

Results
The median (interquartile range) plasma ACE2 activity in pmol/mL/min was 15.9 (8.4–26.1) in CKD (n = 59), 9.2 (3.9–18.2) in haemodialysis (n = 100) and 13.1 (5.7–21.9) in KTR (n = 80; P &lt; 0.01). In male haemodialysis patients, ACE2 activity was 12.1 (6.8–19.6) compared with 4.4 (2.5–10.3) in females (P &lt; 0.01). Log-transformed ACE2 plasma activity was associated with post-haemodialysis systolic blood pressure in females [β-coefficient 0.04, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.01–0.06, P = 0.006]. In males, log-transformed ACE2 plasma activity was associated with B-type natriuretic peptide (β-coefficient 0.39, 95% CI 0.19–0.60, P &lt; 0.001). Plasma ACE2 activity was not associated with mortality.

Conclusions
Plasma ACE2 activity is reduced in haemodialysis patients compared with CKD patients, and in female haemodialysis patients compared with male. The different associations of plasma ACE2 activity between male and female haemodialysis patients indicate that the role of ACE2 in cardiovascular disease may differ by gender.
A Genetic and Metabolic Analysis Revealed that Cotton Fiber Cell Development Was Retarded by Flavonoid Naringenin
Authors: Tan Jiafu , Tu Lili , Deng Fenglin , Hu Haiyan , Nie Yichun , Zhang Xianlong 
Published: March 2013

AbstractThe cotton (Gossypium spp.) fiber is a unique elongated cell that is useful for investigating cell differentiation. Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of factors such as sugar metabolism, the cytoskeleton, and hormones, which are commonly known to be involved in plant cell development, while the secondary metabolites have been less regarded. By mining public data and comparing analyses of fiber from two cotton species (Gossypium hirsutum and Gossypium barbadense), we found that the flavonoid metabolism is active in early fiber cell development. Different flavonoids exhibited distinct effects on fiber development during ovule culture; among them, naringenin (NAR) could significantly retard fiber development. NAR is a substrate of flavanone 3-hydroxylase (F3H), and silencing the F3H gene significantly increased the NAR content of fiber cells. Fiber development was suppressed following F3H silencing, but the overexpression of F3H caused no obvious effects. Significant retardation of fiber growth was observed after the introduction of the F3H-RNA interference segment into the high-flavonoid brown fiber G. hirsutum T586 line by cross. A greater accumulation of NAR as well as much shorter fibers were also observed in the BC1 generation plants. These results suggest that NAR is negatively associated with fiber development and that the metabolism mediated by F3H is important in fiber development, thus highlighting that flavonoid metabolism represents a novel pathway with the potential for cotton fiber improvement.
Structural‐aeroelastic finite element modeling for advanced‐geometry rotor blades
Authors: Piccione Emanuele , Bernardini Giovanni , Gennaretti Massimo 
Published: March 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present the development and application of a numerical formulation for the structural dynamics and aeroelastic analysis of new generation helicopter and tiltrotor rotor blades. These are characterized by a curvilinear elastic axis, typically with the presence of tip sweep and anhedral angles.Design/methodology/approachThe structural dynamics model implemented is based on nonlinear, flap‐lag‐torsion, rotating beam equations that are valid for slender, homogeneous, isotropic, non‐uniform, twisted blades undergoing moderate displacements. A second‐order approximation scheme for strain‐displacement is adopted. Aerodynamic contributions for aeroelastic applications are derived from sectional theories, with inclusion of wake inflow models to take into account three‐dimensional effects. The numerical integration is obtained through implementation within the COMSOL Multiphysics Finite‐Element‐Method (FEM) software code, considering the elastic axis of arbitrary curvilinear shape.FindingsThe computational tool developed is validated by comparisons with results available in the literature. These demonstrate the capability of the tool to accurately predict structural dynamics and aeroelastic behavior of curved‐axis rotor blades. In particular, the influence of sweep and anhedral angles at the blade tip is successfully captured.Research limitations/implicationsThe numerical tool developed is limited to the analysis of isotropic blades, with a simple sectional aerodynamic modeling for aeroelastic applications. However, the flexibility of the process through which the proposed tool has been developed is such that a moderate effort is required for its extension to composite blades and more accurate aerodynamic loads predictions.Practical implicationsThe proposed computational solver is a reliable tool for preliminary design and optimal design processes of helicopter and tiltrotor rotor blades.Originality/valueComputational tools for rotors with advanced‐geometry blades are not commonly available. Therefore, the presentation of a successful way to implement structural dynamics/aeroelastic mathematical formulations for rotor blades with curvilinear elastic axis in highly flexible, multiphysics, FEM‐based, commercial software may be of interest for designers and researchers.
Evaluation of synthetic jet actuators design performance
Authors: Dahalan Nizam , Mansor Shuhaimi , Haniff Shaharudin Muhammad , Ali Airi 
Published: March 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate the synthetic jet actuator design's performance based on piezoelectric diaphragms that can be appropriately used for flow separation control.Design/methodology/approachDesign the synthetic jet actuators by means of estimating the several parameters and non‐dimensional parameters. Understanding the relationship and coupling effects of these parameters on the actuator to produce exit air jet required. Experiments were conducted to measure the exit air jet velocity using a hot‐wire anemometry and determine the good operational frequencies and voltages of the actuators for different cavity volume.FindingsThe performance of synthetic jet actuator is not consistent to a particular given frequency and it depends on design configurations. Each actuator will give a very good speed for a certain frequency. The results show that the exit air jet velocity increases would be better if the cavity volume is reduced and if the input voltage is increased to certain limits.Research limitations/implicationsThe limit of input voltage for the actuators that can be achieved for good jet speed is 2V of about 205V output voltage for each frequency. The jet speed obtained is sufficient enough to control the separation for an aircraft which has a small wing chord and low speed. Therefore, more studies are needed to optimize the sizes of an orifice and cavity, and the selection of piezoelectric diaphragm.Practical implicationsThe study helps in establishing a flow control device for controlling flow separation, especially on airfoils.Originality/valueDesign the synthetic jet actuators based on piezoelectric diaphragm for applications of flow separation control.
Investigation on instable current issue of scanning mechanism
Authors: Yu Shuang , Miao Jun , Wang Hua , Qian Zhiyuan 
Published: March 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to find the root cause of the current issue for a scan drive mechanism which is used to drive and to control the Microwave Radiometer Imager (MWRI) equipment of the FY‐3 meteorological satellite in China.Design/methodology/approachIn order to find the root cause of the irregularly unstable motor current, some possible reasons for this anomaly, including satellite dynamic, telemetry, electronics and mechanism system, are investigated. The root cause is focused on the mechanism that is increasing friction caused by limitation rollers striking the rotating part from time to time, which has been verified by simulation and test.FindingsFindings gained from the simulations and tests results were: for a rotational space mechanism with high velocity accuracy requirement, if the moment of inertial (MOI) of the load is quite large, the balance is the key factor to the equipment performance. Moreover, thermal gradient and temperature difference are also important factors, especially to the space mechanism with large dimensions. Even a very small thermal deformation can lead to quite a number of unexpected results.Practical implicationsThe better performance of the next optimized MWRI equipment in orbit showed that the performed measures are very effective and useful. The experience gained in settling this issue can be used for the design of a space scanning mechanism with high rotating speed and high accuracy.Originality/valueThe paper is an original work for the authors. The issue has not been found in the related literatures. It is based on research work on an engineering problem of unstable current issue, which is significant to the MWRI payload of the FY‐3 satellite.