bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Reduction of large‐conductance Ca2+‐activated K+ channel with compensatory increase of nitric oxide in insulin resistant rats
Authors: Shangjian Li , Zhengrong Deng , Liqiang Wei , Lei Liang , Wenting Ai , Xiling Shou , Xinyi Chen 
Published: March 2011

AbstractCardiovascular disease prevalence and mortality are both increased by insulin resistance, hypertension, and atherosclerosis. The large‐conductance Ca2+‐activated K+ channel (BKCa) plays a pivotal role in the diastolic function of vascular smooth muscle cells. However, the role of this channel in insulin resistance remains unknown.Male Sprague‐Dawley rats were randomly divided into an insulin resistant group and control group. We investigated the BKCa current and subunit expression in myocytes from aortas and mesenteric arteries by Western blot, real‐time PCR and the whole‐cell patch‐clamp methods. BKCa current was decreased in smooth muscle cells in insulin resistant rats, compared with that in control group. Peak BKCa current at + 60 mV was significantly decreased after iberiotoxin (IBTX) perfusion at 100 nmol/L (64.2 ± 4.7 versus 20.3 ± 3.5% in thoracic aortas and 65.6 ± 6.2 versus 29.3 ± 3.9% in mesenteric arteries, both p < 0.01). However, there was no significant difference in BKCa alpha subunit between the two groups, both at the level of mRNA and protein. BKCa beta 1 subunit expression in aortas and mesenteric arteries from the insulin resistant group was lower than in those from control group. The plasma level of nitric oxide was higher in the insulin resistant group than in the control group. Our results demonstrated that the BKCa channel is decreased both in macrovessels and microvessels in insulin resistant rats. These impairments may be related to the down‐regulation of β1 subunit expression and compensatory increase in plasma nitric oxide levels. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): why you should care, when you should worry, what you should do
Authors: Lebovics Edward , Rubin Jonah 
Published: March 2011

AbstractFor the diabetologist, non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is important at both ends of its spectrum. It is an early warning sign of future risk of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease. It may also lead to late life‐threatening sequela of diabetes mellitus in the event of progression to liver failure or hepatocellular carcinoma. This review will highlight the recent progress in understanding the natural history of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease and in developing a rational approach to its diagnosis, staging, and management. The pandemic prevalence of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease in Western countries necessitates both a high index of suspicion to identify cases and a non‐invasive approach to staging, which is best achieved with clinical/biochemical panels and transient elastography. Lifestyle modification is the cornerstone of management. Recent clinical trials provide support for pharmacologic therapies directed at the metabolic syndrome and at protecting the liver but more data are needed. Bariatric surgery is appropriate for high‐risk patients who fail conservative management. Patients with liver failure or hepatocellular carcinoma may be candidates for liver transplantation. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Development of transgenic mice expressing a conditionally active form of the eIF2α kinase PKR
Authors: Papadakis Andreas I. , Baltzis Dionissios , Buensuceso Ryan C. , Peidis Philippos , Koromilas Antonis E. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractPhosphorylation of the alpha (α) subunit of the eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2) at serine 51 is an important mechanism of translational control in response to various forms of environmental stress. In metazoans, eIF2α phosphorylation is mediated by four kinases each of which becomes activated by distinct stimuli. Previous work established that expression of a chimera protein comprising of the bacteria Gyrase B N‐terminal (GyrB) domain fused to the kinase domain (KD) of the eIF2α kinase PKR is capable of inducing eIF2α phosphorylation in cultured cells after treatment with the antibiotic coumermycin. Herein, we report the development of transgenic mice expressing the fusion protein GyrB.PKR ubiquitously. Treatment of mice with coumermycin induces eIF2α phosphorylation in vivo as demonstrated by immunoblotting and immunoshistochemistry of mouse tissues. The GyrB.PKR transgene represents a useful model system to investigate the biological effects of the conditional induction of eIF2α phosphorylation in vivo in the absence of parallel signaling pathways that are elicited in response to stress. genesis 49:743–749, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Three‐terminal nanometer metal switches utilizing solid electrolytes
Authors: Kawaura Hisao , Sakamoto Toshitsugu , Banno Naoki , Kaeriyama Shunichi , Mizuno Masayuki , Terabe Kazuya , Hasegawa Tsuyoshi , Aono Masakazu 
Published: March 2011

AbstractWe propose a three‐terminal nanometer metal switch that utilizes a solid electrolyte where a nanoscale metal filament is stretched and retracted. Its operating principle is based on electrochemical reaction and ion migration in the electrolyte. The fabricated device is composed of a solid electrolyte layer (Cu2S), a gate (Cu), a source (Cu), and a drain (Pt). After the Cu filament is formed between the source and the drain by applying the drain voltage, repeatable on/off switching in the drain current is obtained by controlling the gate voltage. The on/off current ratio can be as high as 105, and the programmable cycle is around 50. Each state can be kept for up to 40 days. Since the gate is separated from the current path, the switching current can be reduced to 10 μA, which is two orders of magnitude smaller than that of a two‐terminal switch. In this paper, we present the operating principle and electrical characteristics of the three‐terminal switches, and discuss how suitable they are for reconfigurable circuits. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn, 94(4): 55–61, 2011; Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/ecj.10214
Fabrication of electrode groove on silicon solar cell by high‐pressure surface discharge
Authors: Hamada Toshiyuki , Arakawa Shunichi , Otsubo Masahisa , Sakoda Tatsuya 
Published: March 2011

AbstractWe propose a low‐cost plasma process technique to fabricate narrower front electrode grooves on a single crystalline silicon solar cell, in which a surface discharge operated at high pressure etches a silicon nitride film 150 nm thick on a silicon layer. Tests showed that the surface discharge could effectively etch the silicon nitride film in a short time; a high etching rate exceeding 3000 nm/min was obtained. Narrow and uniform grooves with a width of less than 70 μm were obtained when the pressure in the chamber, the back electrode length, and the etching time were 152 kPa, 2 mm, and 10 s, respectively. Narrower electrode grooves could be obtained when the back electrode length was short and the pressure was high. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn, 94(4): 28–35, 2011; Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/ecj.10305
Erosion modelling designed for water quality simulation
Authors: Gassmann Matthias , Lange Jens , Schuetz Tobias 
Published: March 2011

ABSTRACTWater quality modelling often requires the simulation of erosion and sediment transport for sorptive pollutants at high temporal resolution. This paper introduces a parsimonious erosion and sediment transport model adapted to the needs of water quality modelling called ZIN‐Sed. Using a kinetic‐energy‐of‐rainfall erosion approach and an empirical transport capacity equations of overland flow, the model can mainly be parameterized by measurements, observations and literature values and just requires little calibration. It is based on the hydrological surface flow model ZIN and was tested in the 1.8 km2 Loechernbach catchment in south‐western Germany. High resolution measurements of suspended sediment concentration (SSC) by turbidity measurements (eight events) provided an opportunity to validate the model on a short‐timestep base. To broaden the validation database, a calibrated MUSLE (Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation) was used to estimate sediment totals of additional 28 events. The model realistically simulated both measured SSCs and estimated sediment totals and arrived at high Nash‐Sutcliffe efficiencies (up to 0.85) and low RMSEs. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Chemistry of L‐Sorbose
Authors: Zebiri Ilhem , Balieu Sébastien , Guilleret Arnaud , Reynaud Romain , Haudrechy Arnaud 
Published: March 2011

AbstractDespite the fact that L‐sorbose has been widely used for the synthesis of vitamin C at an industrial level, its use in organic synthesis remains rare. However, a survey of the chemical literature shows that this unusual sugar can be transformed into interesting derivatives.
Chemoselectivity in the Reduction of (2S,4S)‐4‐Amino‐5‐oxoproline Derivatives with Borane Complexes
Authors: Vigorov Alexey Yu. , Nizova Irina A. , Sadretdinova Liliya Sh. , Ezhikova Marina A. , Kodess Mikhail I. , Ganebnykh Iliya N. , Krasnov Victor P. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractReduction of the carbonyl groups in N‐protected (2S,4S)‐4‐amino‐5‐oxo‐1‐phenylprolinates with BH3 complexes resulted in (2S,4S)‐4‐aminoproline or (2S,4S)‐4‐aminoprolinol derivatives depending on the reaction conditions and the type of protecting groups used.
A comparison of ecosystem services delivered by 11 long‐term monitoring sites in the UK environmental change network
Authors: Dick J. , Andrews C. , Beaumont D. A. , Benham S. , Brooks D. R. , Corbett S. , Lloyd D. , McMillan S. , Monteith D. T. , Pilgrim E. S. , Rose R. , Scott A. , Scott T. , Smith R. I. , Taylor C. , Taylor M. , Turner A. , Watson H. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractThe Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA 2003) framework was applied to provide a holistic assessment and comparison of ecosystem services delivery from 11 environmental change network (ECN) sites, following a workshop of ECN site managers. A list of common variables was agreed to represent the high level categories defined by the MA. The resultant 73 variables, either direct ecosystem services or proxies, were divided into two subsets (readily accessible biogeographical data from all sites and additional site specific data). Similarity analysis of the biogeographical data indicated four site clusters: land with at least 50% forest cover, productive livestock farmland, uplands and a lowland grass/arable group. The first three clusters were also evident for both the additional data and for the larger combined dataset. The lowland grass/arable sites were a ‘mixed use’ cluster that was not apparent in the analysis of the additional or combined datasets indicating a mismatch between particular ecosystem services and specific landscapes/habitats. Procrustes analysis of the biogeographical data and the combined dataset suggested that the primary differences between datasets were due to variables associated with local management decisions which prevented harvesting of provisioning services or denied public access to the site. Drawing on comparable data from some of the most intensively researched and monitored ecosystems in the UK, this study demonstrates the challenges and limitations involved in attempting holistic assessments of ecosystem services at the site and inter‐site level and highlights the importance of both local expert knowledge and consistent scientific measurement in contributing to the process. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A simple image‐based strain measurement method for measuring the strain fields in an RC‐wall experiment
Authors: Yang Yuan‐Sen , Huang Chang‐Wei , Wu Chiun‐lin 
Published: March 2011

AbstractA simple image‐based method for measuring plane strain fields on the surface of specimens in earthquake engineering experiments was developed. This method integrated camera calibration, stereo triangulation, image metric rectification and image template matching techniques to develop a method that was cost‐effective, easy to apply and provided a satisfactory level of measurement accuracy. A zero‐strain test conducted using this method showed that the measurement accuracy achieved was 0.04 pixels. That is, the relative displacement accuracy achieved was 0.005 mm and the strain accuracy was 0.001. This level of accuracy was achieved using eight‐mega‐pixel digital cameras to measure a 17 cm × 28 cm measurement region. Cracks that were 0.012 mm wide were identified in the concrete by examining the displacement fields calculated through the application of this image‐based method in an RC‐wall experiment. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Knockdown of ovarian cancer amplification target ADRM1 leads to downregulation of GIPC1 and upregulation of RECK
Authors: Fejzo Marlena S. , Ginther Chuck , Dering Judy , Anderson Lee , Venkatesan Natarajan , Konecny Gottfried , Karlan Beth , Slamon Dennis J. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractApproximately 25,000 ovarian cancers are diagnosed in the United States annually, and 75% of cases are in the advanced stage when they are largely incurable. There is a critical need for improved early detection tools and development of novel treatments. Recently, we showed that among 20q13‐amplified genes in ovarian cancer, ADRM1 overexpression was the most highly correlated with amplification and was significantly upregulated with respect to stage, recurrence, and metastasis. In addition, overexpression of ADRM1 correlated significantly with shorter time to recurrence and overall survival. Herein, array‐CGH and microarray expression of ovarian cancer cell lines provides evidence consistent with the primary tumor data that ADRM1 is a 20q13 amplification target. Knockdown of ADRM1 in amplified ovarian cell‐line OAW42 results in downregulation of growth factor GIPC1 and upregulation of tumor‐suppressor RECK RNA and protein. In our dataset of 141 ovarian primary tumors, ADRM1 overexpression significantly correlates with GIPC1 overexpression. In addition, there is a significant anticorrelation between ADRM1 overexpression and RECK expression. Further research is necessary to determine whether targeting knockdown of ADRM1 in 20q13‐amplified ovarian cancers results in growth inhibition and tumor suppression via downstream targets GIPC1 and RECK. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The prevalence of dementia and depression in Taiwanese institutionalized leprosy patients, and the effectiveness evaluation of reminiscence therapy—a longitudinal, single‐blind, randomized control study
Authors: Su Tsung‐Wei , Wu Li‐Ling , Lin Ching‐Po 
Published: March 2011

ObjectiveThis study investigated the prevalence of depression and dementia in long‐term institutionalized older leprosy patients in Taiwan. We then examined the effectiveness of reminiscence group therapy on depressive symptoms and cognitive function in this population.MethodsWe recruited 129 long‐term institutionalized older leprosy patients in Taiwan and used the Geriatric Depression Scale—Short Form (GDS‐SF), the mini mental state examination (MMSE), and the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale for outcome measurement. We then conducted a single‐blind, randomized, longitudinal quasi‐experimental analysis comparing the pre‐test and post‐test results of two equivalent groups at a 24‐week intervention interval. The intervention in the experimental group was three sessions of reminiscence group therapy per week, whereas that in the control group was weekly individual supportive interviews.ResultsThe prevalence of dementia was 45.7–50.4% according to a CDR score ≥ 0.5 and an MMSE score < 25, and the prevalence of depression was 25% based on a GDS‐SF score ≥ 7. According to the Wilcoxon signed‐rank test, the GDS‐SF scores in the experimental group decreased significantly (p = 0.02) after intervention as compared with that in the control group (p = 0.22), whereas the MMSE scores in both groups remained steady.ConclusionsThe prevalence of dementia and depression in long‐term institutionalized older leprosy patients in Taiwan is high. Reminiscence group therapy has been confirmed effective on depression in this population, but its effectiveness on cognitive function requires further verification. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
White matter maturation in visual and motor areas predicts the latency of visual activation in children
Authors: Dockstader Colleen , Gaetz William , Rockel Conrad , Mabbott Donald J. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractIn humans, white matter maturation is important for the improvement of cognitive function and performance with age. Across studies the variables of white matter maturity and age are highly correlated; however, the unique contributions of white matter to information processing speed remain relatively unknown. We investigated the relations between the speed of the visually‐evoked P100m response and the biophysical properties of white matter in 11 healthy children performing a simple, visually‐cued finger movement. We found that: (1) the latency of the early, visually‐evoked response was related to the integrity of white matter in both visual and motor association areas and (2) white matter maturation in these areas accounted for the variations in visual processing speed, independent of age. Our study is a novel investigation of spatial‐temporal dynamics in the developing brain and provides evidence that white matter maturation accounts for age‐related decreases in the speed of visual response. Developmental models of cortical specialization should incorporate the unique role of white matter maturation in mediating changes in performance during tasks involving visual processing. Hum Brain Mapp, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Spontaneous and visually driven high‐frequency oscillations in the occipital cortex: Intracranial recording in epileptic patients
Authors: Nagasawa Tetsuro , Juhász Csaba , Rothermel Robert , Hoechstetter Karsten , Sood Sandeep , Asano Eishi 
Published: March 2011

AbstractHigh‐frequency oscillations (HFOs) at ≥80 Hz of nonepileptic nature spontaneously emerge from human cerebral cortex. In 10 patients with extraoccipital lobe epilepsy, we compared the spectral‐spatial characteristics of HFOs spontaneously arising from the nonepileptic occipital cortex with those of HFOs driven by a visual task as well as epileptogenic HFOs arising from the extraoccipital seizure focus. We identified spontaneous HFOs at ≥80 Hz with a mean duration of 330 ms intermittently emerging from the occipital cortex during interictal slow‐wave sleep. The spectral frequency band of spontaneous occipital HFOs was similar to that of visually driven HFOs. Spontaneous occipital HFOs were spatially sparse and confined to smaller areas, whereas visually driven HFOs involved the larger areas including the more rostral sites. Neither spectral frequency band nor amplitude of spontaneous occipital HFOs significantly differed from those of epileptogenic HFOs. Spontaneous occipital HFOs were strongly locked to the phase of delta activity, but the strength of δ‐phase coupling decayed from 1 to 3 Hz. Conversely, epileptogenic extraoccipital HFOs were locked to the phase of delta activity about equally in the range from 1 to 3 Hz. The occipital cortex spontaneously generates physiological HFOs which may stand out on electrocorticography traces as prominently as pathological HFOs arising from elsewhere; this observation should be taken into consideration during presurgical evaluation. Coupling of spontaneous delta and HFOs may increase the understanding of significance of δ‐oscillations during slow‐wave sleep. Further studies are warranted to determine whether δ‐phase coupling distinguishes physiological from pathological HFOs or simply differs across anatomical locations. Hum Brain Mapp , 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The neural basis of central proprioceptive processing in older versus younger adults: An important sensory role for right putamen
Authors: Goble Daniel J. , Coxon James P. , Van Impe Annouchka , Geurts Monique , Van Hecke Wim , Sunaert Stefan , Wenderoth Nicole , Swinnen Stephan P. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractOur sense of body position and movement independent of vision (i.e., proprioception) relies on muscle spindle feedback and is vital for performing motor acts. In this study, we first sought to elucidate age‐related differences in the central processing of proprioceptive information by stimulating foot muscle spindles and by measuring neural activation with functional magnetic resonance imaging. We found that healthy older adults activated a similar, distributed network of primary somatosensory and secondary‐associative cortical brain regions as young individuals during the vibration‐induced muscle spindle stimulation. A significant decrease in neural activity was also found in a cluster of right putamen voxels for the older age group when compared with the younger age group. Given these differences, we performed two additional analyses within each group that quantified the degree to which age‐dependent activity was related to (1) brain structure and (2) a behavioral measure of proprioceptive ability. Using diffusion tensor imaging, older (but not younger) adults with higher mean fractional anisotropy were found to have increased right putamen neural activity. Age‐dependent right putamen activity seen during tendon vibration was also correlated with a behavioral test of proprioceptive ability measuring ankle joint position sense in both young and old age groups. Partial correlation tests determined that the relationship between elderly joint position sense and neural activity in right putamen was mediated by brain structure, but not vice versa. These results suggest that structural differences within the right putamen are related to reduced activation in the elderly and potentially serve as biomarker of proprioceptive sensibility in older adults. Hum Brain Mapp, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
How soil moisture mediates the influence of transpiration on streamflow at hourly to interannual scales in a forested catchment
Authors: Moore G. W. , Jones J. A. , Bond B. J. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractThe water balance equation dictates that streamflow may be reduced by transpiration. Yet temporal disequilibrium weakens the relationship between transpiration and streamflow in many cases where inputs and outputs are unbalanced. We address two critical knowledge barriers in ecohydrology with respect to time, scale dependence and lags. Study objectives were to correlate components of the water balance equation at hourly to annual scales, quantify time lags, and simplify critical components of the water budget during wet and dry conditions. We tested interrelationships among precipitation, vapour pressure deficit, transpiration, soil moisture, and streamflow within the confines of a 60‐hectare forested watershed in the western Cascades of Oregon. The Pacific Northwest is an ideal location to compare wet and dry seasons because of its Mediterranean climate. Soil moisture explained more than 80% of the variation in streamflow at all temporal scales investigated. Streamflow was most strongly coupled to soil moisture in the wet season because of gravitational drainage patterns; strong coupling of transpiration to vapour pressure deficit was dominant in the dry season and driven by low humidity. We observed progressively longer hourly time lags between soil moisture and streamflow in the dry season, which relates to an increasing soil moisture deficit that took an average of 48 days to refill after the onset of winter rains. We propose that transpiration drives seasonal patterns in soil moisture that relate to patterns in streamflow only after long time lags. In other words, soil moisture mediates the influence of transpiration on streamflow. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.