bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of extremely low frequency electromagnetic field exposure on sleep quality in high voltage substations
Authors: Barsam Tayebeh , Monazzam Mohammad Reza , Haghdoost Ali Akbar , Ghotbi Mohammad Reza , Dehghan Somayeh Farhang 
Published: November 2012

AbstractThis study aims to investigate the effect of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields exposure on sleep quality in high voltage substations (132, 230 and 400 KV) in Kerman city and the suburbs. For this purpose, the electric field intensity and magnetic flux density were measured in different parts of substations, and then the occupational exposure was estimated by averaging electric field intensity and magnetic flux density in a shift work. The cases comprised 67 workers who had been exposed to electromagnetic fields in age range of 24–57 and the controls were 110 persons the age ranged 24–50 years. Sleep quality of both groups was evaluated by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire (PSQI). Finally, these data were subjected to statistical analysis. The results indicated that 90.5% of cases and 85.3% of controls had the poor quality sleep according to PSQI (P-value=0.615). Total sleep quality score mean for the case and control groups were 10.22 ± 3.4 and 9.74 ± 3.62 (P-value=0.415) ,respectively. Meantime to fall asleep for cases(35.68 ± 26.25 min) was significantly higher than for controls (28.89 ± 20.18 min) (P-value=0.002). Cases had average sleep duration of 5.49 ± 1.31 hours, which was lower ascompared with control subjects (5.90 ± 1.67hours). Although there was a higher percentage for the case group with poor sleep quality than the control group, but no statistically significant difference was observed.
The pupylation pathway and its role in mycobacteria
Authors: Barandun Jonas , Delley Cyrille L , Weber-Ban Eilika 
Published: November 2012

Abstract
Pupylation is a post-translational protein modification occurring in actinobacteria through which the small, intrinsically disordered protein Pup (prokaryotic ubiquitin-like protein) is conjugated to lysine residues of proteins, marking them for proteasomal degradation. Although functionally related to ubiquitination, pupylation is carried out by different enzymes that are evolutionarily linked to bacterial carboxylate-amine ligases. Here, we compare the mechanism of Pup-conjugation to target proteins with ubiquitination, describe the evolutionary emergence of pupylation and discuss the importance of this pathway for survival of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the host.
Comparison of efficacy between incretin-based therapies for type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Nisal Kaustubh , Kela Ram , Khunti Kamlesh , Davies Melanie J 
Published: November 2012

AbstractType 2 diabetes mellitus is widely prevalent and is often coexistent with obesity. Many of the available treatment options have side effects such as weight gain which often affect patient's willingness to continue the treatment. Effective weight loss, lack of significant hypoglycaemia, and favourable cardiometabolic profile make Incretin based therapies an attractive treatment option for type 2 diabetes. Incretin based therapies are available as either incretin mimetics (also called GLP-1 agonists) or incretin enhancers (DPP-4 inhibitors). Although agents in both these classes of incretin based therapy are effective through a common GLP-1 pathway, there are many differences amongst them including the route of administration, frequency of administration, effects on body weight, extent of glycaemic improvement. There are several trials evaluating these individual incretin based agents either as monotherapy or in combination with other anti-diabetic agents, however very few have looked into direct comparison amongst the agents in these two classes. This review is aimed to look at important mechanistic differences between incretin mimetics and enhancers through direct comparison trials and impact of these differences on biochemical, metabolic and patient satisfaction parameters.
A teenager with uncontrolled hypertension: a case report
Authors: Chowdhury Abdul Wadud , Hasan ATM Hasibul , Kabir SME Jahan , Sabah KM Nurus 
Published: November 2012

Abstract

Background
Takayasu Arteritis is a vasculitis occurring mostly in young females which may present in diverse ways. Here we report a teenager with Takayasu Arteritis who presented with uncontrolled hypertension. This case depicts an atypical presentation of this disease where the girl visited many physicians for controlling the level of hypertension and put a diagnostic dilemma about the underlying etiology of young hypertension.

Case presentation
A 13 year old girl presented with epistaxis, persistent headache and uncontrolled hypertension. Her clinical examination revealed normal radial, very feeble femoral and absent other lower limb pulses. There was a blood pressure discrepancy of 50/40 mm of Hg between two arms. There were bruits over multiple areas including the abdominal aorta. She had features of left ventricular hypertrophy. Her Arch aortogram showed hugely dilated arch of aorta which became abruptly normal just after origin of left subclavian artery. There was ostio-proximal stenosis of right bracheocephalic artery, left common carotid and left subclavian artery with post stenotic dilatation of all the vessels. Abdominal aortogram revealed critical stenosis of abdominal aorta above the origin of renal arteries with a pressure gradient of 80/11 mm of Hg.

Conclusion
Takayasu’s Arteritis should also be kept in mind while searching for the cause of uncontrolled hypertension in the young age group.
Assessment of maximal lactate steady state during treadmill exercise in SHR
Authors: Almeida Jeeser Alves , Petriz Bernardo de Assis , da Costa Gomes Clarissa Pedrosa , Pereira Rinaldo Wellerson , Franco Octávio Luiz 
Published: November 2012

Abstract

Background
Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) are one of the main animal models used for studying the effects of exercise on hypertension. Therefore, the determination of adequate intensity has been essential for secure and optimized exercise prescriptions concerning hypertensive subjects. This study aimed to identify the MLSS in SHR by using a treadmill test to improve the protocols and further prescriptions of exercise intensity.

Findings
In order to carry out this determination, SHR (n = 10) animals (~17.5 weeks; 227.4 ± 29.3 g; 172.4 ± 8.1 mmHg systolic blood pressure) were divided into two groups (G1 n = 5; G2 n = 5). Rats underwent a test with three different velocities to determine the MLSS. The MLSS was considered as the highest effort intensity where the blood lactate did not vary more than 1 mmol.L-1 from the 10th to the 25th minute. The MLSS was reached at a velocity of 20 m.min-1 with 3.8 ± 0.5 mmol.L-1 of lactate for G1. Additionally, the results were validated in G2. However, when the test was applied at 25 m.min-1, there was no stabilization of BLC in G1 and G2.

Conclusions
In this study it was possible to identify the MLSS in SHR rats, which is an excellent evaluation tool to control exercise intensity. These data are of considerable importance in studies using physical exercise as a means of research in hypertension and may lead to the intensity of exercise being prescribed more appropriately.
Assessing the metabolic effects of prednisolone in healthy volunteers using urine metabolic profiling
Authors: Ellero-Simatos Sandrine , Szymańska Ewa , Rullmann Ton , Dokter Wim HA , Ramaker Raymond , Berger Ruud , van Iersel Thijs MP , Smilde Age K , Hankemeier Thomas , Alkema Wynand 
Published: November 2012

Abstract
Background
Glucocorticoids, such as prednisolone, are widely used anti-inflammatory drugs, but therapy is hampered by a broad range of metabolic side effects including skeletal muscle wasting and insulin resistance. Therefore, development of improved synthetic glucocorticoids that display similar efficacy as prednisolone but reduced side effects is an active research area. For efficient development of such new drugs, in vivo biomarkers, which can predict glucocorticoid metabolic side effects in an early stage, are needed. In this study, we aim to provide the first description of the metabolic perturbations induced by acute and therapeutic treatments with prednisolone in humans using urine metabolomics, and to derive potential biomarkers for prednisolone-induced metabolic effects.

Methods
A randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial consisting of two protocols was conducted in healthy men. In protocol 1, volunteers received placebo (n = 11) or prednisolone (7.5 mg (n = 11), 15 mg (n = 13) or 30 mg (n = 12)) orally once daily for 15 days. In protocol 2, volunteers (n = 6) received placebo at day 0 and 75 mg prednisolone at day 1. We collected 24 h urine and serum samples at baseline (day 0), after a single dose (day 1) and after prolonged treatment (day 15) and obtained mass-spectrometry-based urine and serum metabolic profiles.

Results
At day 1, high-dose prednisolone treatment increased levels of 13 and 10 proteinogenic amino acids in urine and serum respectively, as well as levels of 3-methylhistidine, providing evidence for an early manifestation of glucocorticoid-induced muscle wasting. Prednisolone treatment also strongly increased urinary carnitine derivatives at day 1 but not at day 15, which might reflect adaptive mechanisms under prolonged treatment. Finally, urinary levels of proteinogenic amino acids at day 1 and of N-methylnicotinamide at day 15 significantly correlated with the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance and might represent biomarkers for prednisolone-induced insulin resistance.

Conclusion
This study provides evidence that urinary metabolomics represents a noninvasive way of monitoring the effect of glucocorticoids on muscle protein catabolism after a single dose and can derive new biomarkers of glucocorticoid-induced insulin resistance. It might, therefore, help the development of improved synthetic glucocorticoids.

Trial Registration
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00971724
Persistence, reticence, and the management of multiple time memories by forager honey bees
Authors: Wagner Ashley E. , Van Nest Byron N. , Hobbs Caddy N. , Moore Darrell 
Published: November 2012

SummaryHoney bee foragers form time-memories that enable them to match their foraging activity to the time of day when a particular food source is most productive. Persistent foragers show food-anticipatory activity by making reconnaissance flights to the previously productive food source and may continue to inspect it for several days. In contrast, reticent foragers do not investigate the source but wait for confirmation from returning persistent foragers. To determine how persistent and reticent foragers might contribute to the colony's ability to rapidly reallocate foragers among sources, we trained foragers to collect sucrose from a feeder at a restricted time of day for several days and then observed their behavior for three consecutive days during which the feeder was empty. In two separate trials, video monitoring of the hive entrance during unrewarded test days in parallel with observing reconnaissance visits to the feeder revealed a high level of activity, in both persistent and reticent foragers, thought to be directed at other food sources. This "extracurricular" activity showed a high degree of temporal overlap with reconnaissance visits to the feeder. In some cases, inspection flights to the unrewarded feeder were made within the same trip to an extracurricular source, indicating that honey bees have the ability to manage at least two different time memories despite coincidence with respect to time of day. The results have major implications for understanding flower fidelity throughout the day, flower constancy within individual foraging excursions, and the sophisticated cognitive management of spatiotemporal memories in honey bees.
Single perturbations cause sustained changes in searching behavior in stick insects
Authors: Berg Eva , Büschges Ansgar , Schmidt Joachim 
Published: November 2012

Summary
Stick insects (Cuniculina impigra) possessing only a single front leg that cannot contact the ground perform untargeted stereotypical cyclic searching movements with that leg. When encountering an object animals grasp it. Here we removed the object immediately after contact with the leg's tibia. We hypothesized a change in searching strategy, i.e. searching movements confined to the former location of the object to regain contact. In our set-up, searching movements were restricted to up- and downward movements. After removal of the object searching movements were continued. However, in post-contact searching two movement parameters were usually changed. (1) Average positions of searching movements were shifted towards the former position of the object. (2) Movement amplitudes were considerably smaller and accompanied by a decrease in cycle period. This confinement of searching movements to the location of contact was interpreted as targeting behavior. All parameters regained initial values after about 6 seconds. Changes in position and amplitudes were independently controlled. Both changes were not under visual control but depended on the presence of the trochanteral hairplate, a sensory organ that measures the coxa-trochanter joint position. Changes in average leg position were linked to changes in the ratio of electrical activity in the levator and depressor trochanteris muscle that were based on altered activity in both or either one of the muscles. Our data demonstrate a switch in a simple behavior that is under local sensory control and may utilize a form of short term memory.
Slow but tenacious: an analysis of running and gripping performance in chameleons.
Authors: Herrel Anthony , Tolley Krystal , Measey John , da Silva Jessica , Potgieter Daniel , Boller Elodie , Boistel Renaud , Vanhooydonck Bieke 
Published: November 2012

SummaryChameleons are highly specialized and mostly arboreal lizards characterized by a suite of derived characters. The grasping feet and tail are thought to be related to the arboreal life-style of chameleons. Yet, specializations for grasping are thought to trade-off with running ability. Indeed, previous studies have demonstrated a trade-off between running and clinging performance with faster species being poorer clingers. Here we investigate the presence of trade-offs by measuring running and grasping performance in four species of chameleon belonging to two different clades (Chamaeleo and Bradypodion). Within each clade we selected a largely terrestrial and a more arboreal species to test whether morphology and performance are related to habitat use. Our results show that habitat drives the evolution of morphology and performance but that some of these effects are specific to each clade. Terrestrial species in both clades show poorer grasping performance than more arboreal species and have smaller hands. Moreover, hand size best predicts gripping performance suggesting that habitat use drives the evolution of hand morphology through its effects on performance. Arboreal species also had longer tails and better tail gripping performance. No differences in sprint speed were observed between the two Chamaeleo species. Within Bradypodion, differences in sprint speed were significant after correcting for body size, yet the arboreal species were both better sprinters and had greater clinging strength. These results suggest that previously documented trade-offs may have been caused by differences between clades (i.e. a phylogenetic effect) rather than by design conflicts between running and gripping per se.
Reactions of Oxidobis(quinolin-8-olato)vanadium(IV) with Hydroxamate Ligands: A Route Providing Mixed Ligand and Quinolin-8-olato-Free Vanadium(IV) Complexes
Authors: Sharma Neeraj , Kanwar Shamsher Singh , Gupta Reena , Kumari Lata , Sharma Reena 
Published: November 2012

Abstract
Complexes of composition [VO(Q)2−n(HL1,2)n] (I–IV) (where Q: C9H6NO− (quinolin-8-olato ion); HL1: [C6H4(OH)CONHO]− (salicyloylhydroxamate ion); HL2: [C6H3(OH)(5-Cl)CONHO]− (5-chlorosalicyloylhydroxamate); n = 1 and 2) have been synthesized by the reactions of [VO(Q)2] with predetermined molar ratios of potassium salicyloylhydroxamate and 5-chlorosalicyloylhydroxamate in THF + MeOH solvent medium. The characterization of complexes has been accomplished by elemental analyses, molar conductivity, molecular weight determinations, magnetic measurements, electrochemical and IR, electronic, mass, and ESR spectral studies. The spectroscopic studies suggested bidentate nature of hydroxamate ligands involving O,O coordination. A square-pyramidal environment around vanadium has been proposed. The antimicrobial activity of newly synthesized complexes, ligands and precursor [VO(Q)2] have been assayed against some pathogenic bacteria E. coli, S. aureus, S. typhi, S. paratyphi, S. epidermidis, and K. pneumoniae and fungi A. niger, B. fulva, and M. circinelloides by MIC method. The complexes exhibited improved antimicrobial activity over the free ligands. Cytotoxicity of complexes was studied on mammalian transformed cell line Hep2C, a derivative of human cervix carcinoma HeLa cells by MTT assay.
Immobilization of Trypsin on Graphene Oxide Nanosheets for Increased Proteolytic Stability
Authors: Sakata Masayo , Funatsu Asami , Sonoda Shohei , Ogata Tatsuya , Taniguchi Takaaki , Matsumoto Yasumichi 
Published: November 2012

Abstract
To increase the thermal and chemical stabilities of trypsin-proteolysis activity, trypsin was immobilized on graphene oxide nanosheets (GONSs) by a one-step diimide-activated amidation. The trypsin-immobilized GONS (1.9 mg per mg-GONS) showed significantly higher thermal and chemical stabilities than the free form. After heat treatment at 50 °C for 6 h, the trypsin–GONS retained 80% of its initial activity, but free trypsin retained only 4% of its initial activity.
Selective Uptake of Lithium Ion from Brine by H1.33Mn1.67O4 and H1.6Mn1.6O4
Authors: Chitrakar Ramesh , Makita Yoji , Ooi Kenta , Sonoda Akinari 
Published: November 2012

Abstract
Uptake of lithium ion from brine on ion-sieve spinel-type adsorbents (H1.33Mn1.67O4 and H1.6Mn1.6O4) was studied batch-wise. The adsorbents exhibited extremely high affinity toward lithium ion in brine (NaHCO3 added to control pH) with lithium uptake capacity of 27–30 mg g−1 at pH 6.6.
Earnings Effects of Entrepreneurial Experience: Evidence from the Semiconductor Industry
Authors: Campbell Benjamin A. 
Published: November 2012

Although previous studies have examined the rewards available to individuals inside entrepreneurial firms, entrepreneurial experience may provide rewards that are independent of the entrepreneurial context. Building on human capital theory, this study provides theoretical explanations for the effects of experience at a start-up on earnings across an individual's career and then examines these implications in the context of California's semiconductor industry. Comparing the career trajectories of employees who join start-ups with a matched control group of comparable workers without start-up experience, I perform a counterfactual analysis and find that start-up experience in this context has a persistent positive effect on earnings that extend outside the entrepreneurial environment. The results from the matched sample are consistent with the development and revelation of valuable general human capital through entrepreneurial experience and suggest that the rewards to entrepreneurship are not limited to just the rewards available inside entrepreneurial firms. This paper was accepted by Lee Fleming, entrepreneurship and innovation.
Dynamics of Contract Design with Screening
Authors: Cvitanić Jakša , Wan Xuhu , Yang Huali 
Published: November 2012

We analyze a novel principal–agent problem of moral hazard and adverse selection in continuous time. The constant private shock revealed at time 0 when the agent selects the contract has a long-term impact on the optimal contract. The latter is based not only on the continuation value of the agent who truthfully reports but is also contingent upon the continuation value of the agent who misreports, called the temptation value. The good agent is retired when the temptation value of the bad agent becomes large, because then it is expensive to motivate the good agent. The bad agent is retired when the temptation value of the good agent becomes small, because then the future payment does not provide sufficient incentives. We also compare the efficiency of the shutdown contract and the screening contract and find that the screening contract can bring more profit to the principal only when the agent's reservation utility is sufficiently small. This paper was accepted by Wei Xiong, finance.
Revisiting Almost Second-Degree Stochastic Dominance
Authors: Tzeng Larry Y. , Huang Rachel J. , Shih Pai-Ta 
Published: November 2012

Leshno and Levy [Leshno M, Levy H (2002) Preferred by “all” and preferred by “most” decision makers: Almost stochastic dominance. Management Sci. 48(8):1074–1085] established almost stochastic dominance to reveal preferences for most rather than all decision makers with an increasing and concave utility function. In this paper, we first provide a counterexample to the main theorem of Leshno and Levy related to almost second-degree stochastic dominance. We then redefine this dominance condition and show that the newly defined almost second-degree stochastic dominance is the necessary and sufficient condition to rank distributions for all decision makers excluding the pathological concave preferences. We further extend our results to almost higher-degree stochastic dominance. This paper was accepted by Peter Wakker, decision analysis.
GIS-based analysis of renewable energy potentials in urban space
Authors: David T. , Haselmayr T. 
Published: November 2012

Abstract
GIS-based analysis of energy demand facilitates the planning and implementation of renewable energies in urban space. The process of preparing an urban energy concept concerns many actors and facilities, but increases also the acceptance of the energy transition in the proximity. A calculation of energy potentials in the city of Augsburg (Germany) illustrates an usual way of spatial energy planning.
Simulation of a low-reynolds number flow around a cylinder following a figure-8-path
Authors: Baranyi L. 
Published: November 2012

Abstract
This numerical study investigates a circular cylinder placed in a uniform stream and moving along a slender figure-8-path, using a 2D computational method based on the finite difference method. The effects of in-line amplitude of oscillation and of frequency ratio are investigated. Computations for varying amplitude values were carried out at Re = 150, 200 and 250 for a clockwise orbit (in the upper loop). Time-mean and rms values of force coefficients yielded smooth curves and tended to increase with amplitude.
The effect of frequency ratio was investigated at Re = 200, 250 and 300 in the lock-in domain for both clockwise (CW) and anticlockwise (ACW) orientation. Results differ substantially depending on the direction of orientation. Mechanical energy transfer was always positive in ACW direction, which may lead to vortex-induced vibration, and always negative for CW orientation. The time-mean of drag was much lower for CW over the whole frequency ratio domain investigated. For the CW orbit vortex switches were found at specific frequency ratios at Re = 250 and 300. Limit cycle curves for the CW orbit before and after a jump were symmetric, mirror images, and quite complex, while vorticity contours were close to symmetry. These results indicate the possibility of symmetry-breaking bifurcation.