bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
CTGF/CCN‐2 over‐expression can directly induce features of skeletal muscle dystrophy
Authors: Morales María Gabriela , Cabello‐Verrugio Claudio , Santander Cristian , Cabrera Daniel , Goldschmeding Roel , Brandan Enrique 
Published: June 2011

AbstractMuscular dystrophies are diseases characterized by muscle weakness together with cycles of degeneration and regeneration of muscle fibres, resulting in a progressive decrease of muscle mass, diminished muscle force generation and an increase in fibrosis. Fibrotic disorders are the endpoint of many chronic diseases in different tissues, where accumulation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) occurs. Connective tissue growth factor CTGF/CCN2, which is over‐expressed in muscular dystrophies, plays a major role in many progressive scarring conditions. To test the hypothesis that CTGF might not only contribute conversion of already damaged muscle into scar tissue, but that it could by itself also directly contribute to skeletal muscle deterioration, we evaluated the effect of CTGF over‐expression in tibialis anterior muscle of wild‐type mice, using an adenovirus containing the CTGF mouse sequence (Ad–mCTGF). CTGF over‐expression induced extensive skeletal muscle damage, which was followed by a massive regeneration of the damaged muscle, as evidenced by increased embryonic myosin and fibres with centrally located nuclei. It also induced strong fibrosis with increased levels of fibronectin, collagen, decorin and α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA). Moreover, CTGF over‐expression caused a decrease of the specific isometric contractile force. Strikingly, when CTGF over‐expression stopped, the entire phenotype proved to be reversible, in parallel with normalization of CTGF levels. Thus, CTGF not merely acts downstream of muscle injury but also contributes directly to the deterioration of skeletal muscle phenotype and function. Moreover, normalization of expression levels led to spontaneous reversal of the CTGF‐induced phenotype and to full recovery of muscle structure. These observations underscore the importance of CTGF in the pathophysiology of muscular dystrophies and suggest that targeting CTGF might have significant potential in the development of novel therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and related diseases. Copyright © 2011 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Enhanced internal quantum efficiency of an InGaN/GaN quantum well as a function of silver thickness due to surface plasmon coupling
Authors: Renwick Paul , Tang Hao , Wang Qi , Smith Richard , Wang Tao 
Published: June 2011

AbstractExcitation‐power‐dependent photoluminescence (PL) measurements have been carried out on a single InGaN quantum well structure with a different thickness of silver on its surface. This allows for investigation of surface plasmon (SP) coupling enhanced internal quantum efficiency as a function of the silver thickness. A maximal enhancement with a factor of up to 25 times in PL intensity has been observed on the sample with a silver film of 100 nm, compared with the as‐grown sample. A blue shift in peak energy has been observed as a function of silver thickness. Atomic force microscopy has been employed to examine the change in morphology of the silver films with different thickness. Finally an estimation of the internal quantum efficiency is made, showing ∼10.8 times enhancement on the sample with the 100 nm silver, compared to the as‐grown sample. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
3‐dimensional microscope analysis of bone and tooth surface modifications: comparisons of fossil specimens and replicas
Authors: Bello Silvia M. , Verveniotou Efstratia , Cornish Lorraine , Parfitt Simon A. 
Published: June 2011

AbstractCut‐marks on fossil bones and teeth are an important source of evidence in the reconstruction of ancient butchery practices. The analysis of butchery marks has allowed archaeologists to interpret aspects of past subsistence strategies and the behavior of early humans. Recent advances in optical scanning microscopy allow detailed measurements of cut‐mark morphology to be undertaken. An example of this technology is the Alicona 3D InfiniteFocus imaging microscope, which has been applied recently to the study of surface modifications on bones and teeth. Three‐dimensional models generated by the Alicona microscope have been used to identify cross‐sectional features of experimental cut‐marks that are characteristic for specific cutting actions (e.g., slicing, chopping, scraping) and different tool types (e.g., metal versus stone tools). More recently, this technology has been applied successfully to the analysis of ∼500,000 year‐old cut‐marked animal bones from Boxgrove (U.K.), as well as cannibalized 14,700 cal BP year‐old human bones from Gough's Cave (U.K.). This article describes molding methods used to replicate fragile prehistoric bones and teeth, where image quality was adversely affected by specimen translucency and reflectivity. Alicona images generated from molds and casts are often of better quality than those of the original specimen. SCANNING 33: 316–324, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Rapid Method for the Determination of Moisture Content in Biodiesel Using FTIR Spectroscopy
Authors: Mirghani Mohamed E. S. , Kabbashi Nasreldin A. , Alam Md. Zahangir , Qudsieh Isam Y. , Alkatib Ma'an F. R. 
Published: June 2011

AbstractA new, rapid, and direct method was developed for the determination of moisture content in biodiesel produced from various types of oils using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy with an attenuated total reflectance (ATR) element. Samples of biodiesels used in this study were produced using sludge palm oil (SPO). The calibration set was prepared by spiking double‐distilled water into dried biodiesel samples in ratios (w/w) between 0 and 10% moisture. Absorbance values from the wavelength regions 3,700–3,075 and 1,700–1,500 cm−1, and the partial least square (PLS) regression method were used to derive a FTIR spectroscopic calibration model for moisture content in biodiesel samples. The coefficient of determinations (R2) for the models was computed by comparing the results obtained from FTIR spectroscopy against the values of the moisture concentrations (%) determined using the American Oil Chemists’ Society (AOCS) oven method Ca 2d‐25. Same comparison was done using International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) distillation method 2.602. R2 was 0.9793 and 0.9700 using AOCS and IUPAC methods, respectively. The standard error (SE) of calibration was 1.84. The calibration model was cross validated within the same set of samples, and the standard deviation (SD) of the difference for repeatability (SDDr) and accuracy (SDDa) of the FTIR method was determined. With its speed and ease of data manipulation, FTIR spectroscopy is a useful alternative method to other methods for rapid and routine determination of moisture content in biodiesel for quality control.
HEALTH CARE UTILIZATION, SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS AND CHILD HEALTH IN INDIA
Authors: BHARGAVA ALOK , GUNTUPALLI ARAVINDA M. , LOKSHIN MICHAEL 
Published: June 2011

SummaryThis paper models the proximate determinants of height, weight and haemoglobin concentration of over 25,000 Indian children using data from the National Family Health Survey-3. The effects of public and private health care service utilization, food consumption patterns and maternal health status on child health were investigated in a multidisciplinary framework. Methodological issues such as potential endogeneity of explanatory variables and the appropriateness of combining height and weight as the body mass index were tackled. The results from models for children's heights and weight showed beneficial effects of child vaccinations against DPT, polio and measles, and negative effects of not utilizing government health facilities. The models for children's haemoglobin concentration indicated beneficial effects of food consumption patterns and treatment against intestinal parasites. The results provide several insights for improving child health in India.
Population dynamics and reproductive output of the non-indigenous crab Charybdis hellerii in the south-eastern Caribbean Sea
Authors: Bolaños Juan A. , Baeza J. Antonio , Hernandez Jesús E. , Lira Carlos , López Régulo 
Published: June 2011

Charybdis hellerii is one of several poorly known non-indigenous crabs in the Caribbean. In this study we report on the reproductive dynamic of a shallow subtidal population that invaded Isla Margarita, Venezuela, south-eastern Caribbean Sea > 15 years ago and has persisted in the region up to date. Male and female crabs, both large and small, were found year-round at the study site. The size–frequency distribution indicated a lifespan of 2–3 years. Charybdis hellerii reproduces continuously but with very low intensity during the year. Small individuals (<25 mm carapace length) were uncommon and intermittently found during the study period. Sex-ratio varied between 0.1 and 0.65 (mean ± SD = of 0.46 ± 0.14) and did not differ significantly from 1:1 ratio during most of the year. The size of the smallest brooding female was 36.81 mm carapace width (CW). Behavioural size at first maturity (movable abdomen) in males and females was estimated to be 22.39 mm CW (confidence limits: 18.35–24.72) and 37.43 mm CW (35.55–39.09), respectively. Reproductive output, estimated as the ratio of embryo to female body dry mass, varied between 0.052 and 0.084 (0.07 ± 0.008). Also, reproductive output was size-dependent with large females allocating proportionally less resources to egg production than small females. The reproductive schedule here reported for C. hellerii disagrees with the generalized idea of exotic populations ‘thriving’ in an environment free of natural enemies (e.g. predators, competitors and diseases).
Cultivation of methanogenic community from subseafloor sediments using a continuous-flow bioreactor
Authors: Imachi Hiroyuki , Aoi Ken , Tasumi Eiji , Saito Yumi , Yamanaka Yuko , Saito Yayoi , Yamaguchi Takashi , Tomaru Hitoshi , Takeuchi Rika , Morono Yuki , Inagaki Fumio , Takai Ken 
Published: June 2011

Abstract
Microbial methanogenesis in subseafloor sediments is a key process in the carbon cycle on the Earth. However, the cultivation-dependent evidences have been poorly demonstrated. Here we report the cultivation of a methanogenic microbial consortium from subseafloor sediments using a continuous-flow-type bioreactor with polyurethane sponges as microbial habitats, called down-flow hanging sponge (DHS) reactor. We anaerobically incubated methane-rich core sediments collected from off Shimokita Peninsula, Japan, for 826 days in the reactor at 10 °C. Synthetic seawater supplemented with glucose, yeast extract, acetate and propionate as potential energy sources was provided into the reactor. After 289 days of operation, microbiological methane production became evident. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis revealed the presence of metabolically active microbial cells with various morphologies in the reactor. DNA- and RNA-based phylogenetic analyses targeting 16S rRNA indicated the successful growth of phylogenetically diverse microbial components during cultivation in the reactor. Most of the phylotypes in the reactor, once it made methane, were more closely related to culture sequences than to the subsurface environmental sequence. Potentially methanogenic phylotypes related to the genera Methanobacterium, Methanococcoides and Methanosarcina were predominantly detected concomitantly with methane production, while uncultured archaeal phylotypes were also detected. Using the methanogenic community enrichment as subsequent inocula, traditional batch-type cultivations led to the successful isolation of several anaerobic microbes including those methanogens. Our results substantiate that the DHS bioreactor is a useful system for the enrichment of numerous fastidious microbes from subseafloor sediments and will enable the physiological and ecological characterization of pure cultures of previously uncultivated subseafloor microbial life.
HAPGEN2: simulation of multiple disease SNPs
Authors: Su Zhan , Marchini Jonathan , Donnelly Peter 
Published: June 2011

Abstract
Motivation: Performing experiments with simulated data is an inexpensive approach to evaluating competing experimental designs and analysis methods in genome-wide association studies. Simulation based on resampling known haplotypes is fast and efficient and can produce samples with patterns of linkage disequilibrium (LD), which mimic those in real data. However, the inability of current methods to simulate multiple nearby disease SNPs on the same chromosome can limit their application.
Results: We introduce a new simulation algorithm based on a successful resampling method, HAPGEN, that can simulate multiple nearby disease SNPs on the same chromosome. The new method, HAPGEN2, retains many advantages of resampling methods and expands the range of disease models that current simulators offer.
Availability: HAPGEN2 is freely available from http://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/~marchini/software/gwas/gwas.html.
Contact: zhan@well.ox.ac.uk
Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
The Arabidopsis Mitochondria-Localized Pentatricopeptide Repeat Protein PGN Functions in Defense against Necrotrophic Fungi and Abiotic Stress Tolerance
Authors: Laluk Kristin , AbuQamar Synan , Mengiste Tesfaye 
Published: June 2011

AbstractPentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins (PPRPs) are encoded by a large gene family in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), and their functions are largely unknown. The few studied PPRPs are implicated in different developmental processes through their function in RNA metabolism and posttranscriptional regulation in plant organelles. Here, we studied the functions of Arabidopsis PENTATRICOPEPTIDE REPEAT PROTEIN FOR GERMINATION ON NaCl (PGN) in plant defense and abiotic stress responses. Inactivation of PGN results in susceptibility to necrotrophic fungal pathogens as well as hypersensitivity to abscisic acid (ABA), glucose, and salinity. Interestingly, ectopic expression of PGN results in the same phenotypes as the pgn null allele, indicating that a tight regulation of the PGN transcript is required for normal function. Loss of PGN function dramatically enhanced reactive oxygen species accumulation in seedlings in response to salt stress. Inhibition of ABA synthesis and signaling partially alleviates the glucose sensitivity of pgn, suggesting that the mutant accumulates high endogenous ABA. Accordingly, induction of NCED3, encoding the rate-limiting enzyme in stress-induced ABA biosynthesis, is significantly higher in pgn, and the mutant has higher basal ABA levels, which may underlie its phenotypes. The pgn mutant has altered expression of other ABA-related genes as well as mitochondria-associated transcripts, most notably elevated levels of ABI4 and ALTERNATIVE OXIDASE1a, which are known for their roles in retrograde signaling induced by changes in or inhibition of mitochondrial function. These data, coupled with its mitochondrial localization, suggest that PGN functions in regulation of reactive oxygen species homeostasis in mitochondria during abiotic and biotic stress responses, likely through involvement in retrograde signaling.
Impact of the removal of misleading terms on cigarette pack on smokers' beliefs about ‘light/mild’ cigarettes: cross‐country comparisons
Authors: Yong Hua‐Hie , Borland Ron , Cummings K. Michael , Hammond David , O'Connor Richard J. , Hastings Gerard , King Bill 
Published: June 2011

ABSTRACTAim  This paper examines how smokers' beliefs about ‘light/mild’ cigarettes in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom were affected by the removal of misleading ‘light/mild’ terms from packs.Design, setting and participants  The data come from the first seven waves (2002–09) of the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation (ITC) Four‐Country Survey, an annual cohort telephone survey of adult smokers in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia (21 613 individual cases). ‘Light’ and ‘mild’ descriptors were removed in 2003 in the United Kingdom, in 2006 in Australia and in 2007 in Canada. We compare beliefs about ‘light’ cigarettes both before and after the bans, with those of smokers in the United States serving as the control condition.Measures  Smokers' beliefs about ‘light’ cigarettes were assessed using a set of statements rated on a five‐point ‘agree’–‘disagree’ scale.Findings  The proportions of respondents reporting misperceptions about light cigarettes declined between 2002 and 2009 in all four countries. There were marked temporary reductions in reported misperceptions in the United Kingdom and Australia, but not in Canada, following the removal of ‘light/mild’ descriptors.Conclusions  Removal of ‘light/mild’ descriptors and tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide yield information from cigarette packs is insufficient to effectively eliminate false beliefs. The combination of alternative descriptors and design features that produce differences in taste strength and harshness, independent of actual intakes, are sufficient to produce or sustain the same misbeliefs.
Alfentanil/etomidate anaesthesia for endolaryngeal microsurgery
Authors: VERSICHELEN L. , ROLLY G. , BEERENS J. 
Published: June 2011

SummaryAnaesthesia for laryngeal microsurgery by laser was conducted using etomidate and alfentanil. Patients' lungs were ventilated with air to avoid the danger of fire during the use of the laser. Thirty one patients received fentanyl/droperidol or pethidine for premedication. Anaesthesia was induced with etomidate 300 μg/kg and maintained with etomidate 30 μg/kg/minute. Alfentanil was given as an initial bolus of 40 μg/kg with subsequent increments of 15 μg/kg. Systolic arterial blood pressure and heart rate decreased significantly at some time intervals. Blood biochemistry and blood gases were within normal ranges, except for elevated Pao2 values during ventilation on pure oxygen. This technique adequately provided the requirements for prompt, smooth awakening, with a low incidence of nausea and vomiting.
The effectiveness of therapeutic play, using virtual reality computer games, in promoting the psychological well‐being of children hospitalised with cancer
Authors: Li William HC , Chung Joyce OK , Ho Eva KY 
Published: June 2011

Aims.  To examine the effectiveness of therapeutic play, using virtual reality computer games, in minimising anxiety and reducing depressive symptoms in Hong Kong Chinese children hospitalised with cancer.Background.  There has been an increase in the use of therapeutic play intervention to help children cope with the stress of hospitalisation. However, it is not clear whether therapeutic play is an appropriate psychological intervention for Chinese children hospitalised with cancer.Design.  A non‐equivalent control group pretest–post‐test, between‐subject design was employed.Method.  Hong Kong Chinese Children (8–16 years of age), admitted to a paediatric oncology ward for the treatment of cancer during a 14‐month period, were invited to participate in the study. Of the 122 children, 70 formed the control group receiving routine nursing care and 52 in the experimental group receiving therapeutic play interventions.Results.  The results showed that children in the experimental group reported statistically significant fewer depressive symptoms than children in the control group on day 7. The results, however, find no differences in children’s anxiety scores between the two groups on day 7.Conclusion.  The study provides empirical evidence to support the effectiveness of therapeutic play, using virtual reality computer games, in the psychological preparation of children hospitalised with cancer, thus charting a path towards promoting holistic and quality care.Relevance to clinical practice.  The findings heighten the awareness in healthcare professionals that play is a very important part of children’s life and that they need play even when they are ill.
Using virtual interactions to enhance the teaching of communication skills to information technology students
Authors: Pineteh Ernest A. 
Published: June 2011

AbstractThis paper examines the use of virtual interactions in a Communication class at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT)‐South Africa. It demonstrates how synthesising virtual and other computer‐assisted exercises as well as traditional classroom‐based activities can enhance the teaching and learning of communication concepts. The paper is based on the experiences of 1st‐year Information Technology students at CPUT, and the data was gleaned from observations, questionnaires and course reflections during one semester of an academic year. The findings of the investigation revealed that despite the burgeoning interest in computer‐centered teaching and learning at CPUT, traditional methods of teaching are still valuable given the differences in the learning styles and technological experiences of students. In this light, this paper subscribes to “complementarity” as the most expedient teaching approach because it can cater for the student diversity in this learning space as well as promote quality peer interactions and collaborative learning. It can also transform the process of learning into an invigorating experience especially because these students are dispassionate about communication.Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic
Technology in education
Virtual teaching and learning
Collaborative teaching and learning
Traditional versus computer‐mediated teaching approaches
What this paper adds
Student diversity and teaching dynamics in South Africa
The challenges of university of technology students in South Africa and the value of computer‐mediated teaching and learning
The role of communication in developing cognitive skills of South African students.
The technological challenges at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT)‐South Africa and the implications for teaching and learning
Implications for practice and/or policy
Use computer‐mediated teaching and learning as a complementary tool in context of South Africa
Develop curricula that promote collaborative teaching and learning either in class or online.
Place communication at the core of teaching and learning in the Information Technology (IT) department at CPUT‐South Africa in order to develop critical soft skills.