bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Influence of Wind Stress, Wind Stress Curl, and Bottom Friction on the Transport of a Model Antarctic Circumpolar Current
Authors: Nadeau Louis-Philippe , Straub David N. 
Published: January 2012

Abstract
Eddy-permitting simulations of a wind-driven quasigeostrophic model in an idealized Southern Ocean setting are used to attempt to describe what sets the wind-driven circumpolar transport of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC). For weak forcing, the transport is well described as a linear sum of channel and basin components. The authors’ main focus is on stronger forcing. In this regime, an eddy-driven recirculation appears in the abyssal layer, and all time-mean circumpolar streamlines are found to stem from a Sverdrup-like interior. The Sverdrup flux into Drake Passage latitudes can then be thought of as the sum of one part that feeds the circumpolar current and another that is associated with the recirculation. The relative fractions of this partitioning depend on the bottom drag, the midchannel wind stress, and the wind stress curl. Increasing the strength of the bottom drag reduces the recirculation and increases circumpolar transport. Increasing a zero-curl eastward wind stress reduces the upper-layer expression of the recirculation and increases the transport. Increasing the curl-containing portion of the forcing (while holding the midchannel stress constant) increases the recirculation and decreases the transport.
The weakly forced regime is also considered, as are the relative roles of large and small-scale eddies in transporting momentum vertically through the water column in the Drake Passage latitude band. It is found that the vertical momentum flux associated with transient structures can be used to distinguish between different regimes: these structures transmit momentum upward when the dynamics is dominated by the large-scale recirculation gyre and downward when it is not.
Retrieval of Key Aerosol Optical Parameters from Spectral Direct and Diffuse Irradiances Observed by a Radiometer with Nonideal Cosine Response Characteristic
Authors: Khatri Pradeep , Takamura Tamio , Yamazaki Akihiro , Kondo Yutaka 
Published: January 2012

Abstract
The spectral direct and diffuse irradiances observed by a radiometer with a horizontal surface detector have been frequently used to study aerosol optical parameters, such as aerosol optical thickness (τaer) and single scattering albedo (ω). Such radiometers more or less lack an ideal cosine response. Generally, either the cosine error of observed diffuse irradiance was corrected by assuming an isotropic distribution of sky radiance or it was neglected in the past studies. This study presents an algorithm to retrieve τaer and ω from direct and diffuse irradiances observed by a radiometer with a nonideal cosine response characteristic by taking into account the cosine errors of observed irradiances in detail. The proposed algorithm considers the anisotropic distribution of sky radiance while correcting the cosine error of observed diffuse irradiance. This algorithm can also be used to calculate the cosine error correction factor of diffuse irradiance. The results show that the aerosol optical parameters and the aerosol direct effect (aerosol radiative forcing and the heating rate) can be heavily affected by the cosine errors of observed direct and diffuse irradiances. The study further shows that assuming the isotropic distribution of sky radiance while correcting the cosine error of observed diffuse irradiance can affect the retrieved ω at small and large solar zenith angles; thus, the estimated aerosol direct effect can be quantitatively affected. Because of the cosine errors, this study found the actual values of diffuse irradiances at different wavelengths were underestimated by around 5%–11%.
Zinc oxide-linen fibrous composites: morphological, structural, chemical and humidity adsorptive attributes
Authors: Tanasa Diana , Vrinceanu Narcisa , Nistor Alexandra , Hristodor Claudia Mihaela , Popovici Eveline , Bistricianu Ionut Lucian , Brinza Florin , Chicet Daniela-Lucia , Coman Diana , Pui Aurel , Grigoriu Ana Maria , Broasca Gianina 
Published: January 2012

The main result and characterizing aspect of the research consists of the effectiveness of novel ZnO-linen fibrous composites synthesized by means of hydrothermal deposition of zinc oxide onto linen fibers, with the assistance of two surfactants. This has a direct implication on the relationship between the morphological, structural and chemical attributes and water vapor sorption-desorption behavior. Methodology consists of the hydrothermal synthesis of zinc oxide onto linen fibrous substrates previously grafted with MCT-β-CD (MonoChloroTriazinyl–β-CycloDextrin) via a hydrothermal process. The morphological, structural and chemical properties of the samples were examined, in terms of a co-assisted investigation system: SEM images for the morphology, EDX analysis for surface composition, FTIR spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometry for structural samples features. Dynamic vapor sorption (DVS) analysis will complete this study. According to the results provided by the characterization technique, the uniformity of the fabric coated with ZnO powder hydrothermally synthesized with assistance of CTAB (Cetyl TrimethylAmmonium Bromide) is better than that of ZnO powder hydrothermally synthesized in the presence of Pluronic P123 and possesses good washing fastness. X-ray diffraction results have indicated that the composites exhibited a more ordered structure and higher water vapor sorption-desorption capacity (obtained by DVS analysis) compared with those of the reference fibrous linen supports.
Effects of 0.4g/kg alcohol on attentional bias and alcohol-seeking behaviour in heavy and moderate social drinkers
Authors: Fernie Gordon , Christiansen Paul , Cole Jon C , Rose Abigail K , Field Matt 
Published: January 2012

Alcohol intoxication is known to influence attentional biases for alcohol-related cues and alcohol-seeking behaviour. It is unknown if heavier drinkers are more or less sensitive to these effects of alcohol, or whether the effects of alcohol on attentional bias are associated with subsequent alcohol-seeking behaviour. In the present study, 55 social drinkers were administered either 0.4 g/kg alcohol or placebo in a repeated measures, double-blind experimental design. Participants completed a visual probe task with eye movement monitoring (to measure attentional bias) and a bogus taste test (to measure alcohol-seeking) in both alcohol and placebo sessions. Heavy drinkers showed an attentional bias for alcohol cues that was unaffected by alcohol, whereas in moderate drinkers attentional bias was present after alcohol administration, but was absent after placebo. All participants voluntarily consumed more beer during the taste test after administration of alcohol compared with placebo. The effects of alcohol on attentional bias were unrelated to the effects of alcohol on beer consumption. Results are consistent with the development of tolerance, rather than sensitization, to the acute effects of alcohol on attentional biases in heavy drinkers. However, alcohol-induced increases in attentional bias were not related to the effects of alcohol on the motivation to drink.
Incidence and management of arthralgias in breast cancer patients treated with aromatase inhibitors in an outpatient oncology clinic
Authors: Menas Pamela , Merkel Douglas , Hui Wendy , Lawton Jessica , Harper Abigail , Carro George 
Published: January 2012

Purpose: Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are routinely used as first-line adjuvant treatment of breast cancer in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor positive tumors. The current recommended length of treatment with an AI is 5 years. Arthralgias have been frequently cited as the primary reason for discontinuation of AI therapy. Various treatment strategies are proposed in literature, but a standardized treatment algorithm has not been established. The initial purpose of this study was to describe the incidence and management of AI-induced arthralgias in patients treated at Kellogg Cancer Center (KCC). Further evaluation led to the development and the implementation of a treatment algorithm and electronic medical record (EMR) documentation tools. Methods: The retrospective chart review included 206 adult patients with hormone receptor positive breast cancer who were receiving adjuvant therapy with an AI. A multidisciplinary treatment team consisting of pharmacists, collaborative practice nurses, and physicians met to develop a standardized treatment algorithm and corresponding EMR documentation tool. The treatment algorithm and documentation tool were developed after the study to better monitor and proactively treat patients with AI-induced arthralgias. Results/conclusions: The overall incidence of arthralgias at KCC was 48% ( n = 98/206). Of these patients, 32% were documented as having arthralgias within the first 6 months of therapy initiation. Patients who reported AI-induced arthralgias were younger than patients who did not report AI-induced arthralgias (61 vs. 65 years, p = 0.002). There was no statistical difference in the incidence of arthralgias in patients with a history of chemotherapy (including taxane therapy) compared to those who did not receive chemotherapy ( p = 0.352). Of patients presenting with AI-induced arthralgias, 41% did not have physician-managed treatment documented in the EMR. A standardized treatment algorithm and electronic chart documentation tools were then developed by the multidisciplinary team.
Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme level as a marker of fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B
Authors: Purnak Tugrul , Beyazit Yavuz , Oztas Erkin , Yesil Yusuf , Efe Cumali , Torun Serkan , Celik Tugrul , Tenlik Ilyas , Kurt Mevlut , Ozaslan Ersan 
Published: January 2012

Background and aims: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a public health problem and affects nearly 350 million people worldwide. The present study was conducted in order to investigate the role of circulating angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) in the context of renin–angiotensin–aldosterone in newly diagnosed chronic hepatitis B infection. Moreover the association between liver fibrosis and serum ACE levels was also investigated. Materials and methods: The study was performed on 50 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients (24 males, 26 females; median age 39.4 years, range 18–63) and 20 healthy controls. The clinical features of CHB patients including demographics, laboratory and liver biopsy findings were summarized. Serum ACE levels were measured by using commercially available kits. Results: Serum median ACE levels were 48.4 (14–83) U/L and 26.2 (12–48) U/L for the CHB patients and controls, respectively. Serum ACE levels were significantly higher in patients with CHB compared with the control group ( p<0.001). Twenty-two patients (44%) had advanced liver fibrosis (Ishak score >2) and 28 patients (56%) had mild liver fibrosis (Ishak score ≤ 2). Mean serum levels of ACE were significantly higher among patients with advanced fibrosis as compared with those without advanced fibrosis (60.3±14.2 U/L vs. 39.0±10.5 U/L, p<0.001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis suggested that the optimum ACE level cut-off point for advanced fibrosis was 52.5 U/L (sensitivity: 81.8%, specificity: 82.1%, PPV 78.3%, NPV 85.2%, accuracy 82%, AUC: 0.890). Conclusions: Our study showed that elevated circulating ACE levels are commonly observed in CHB patients. This finding was more prominent in patients with advanced fibrosis in liver. When evaluating a patient along with other parameters, the inclusion of ACE levels in the evaluation of CHB patients may grant additional prognostic information.
Numerical prediction of slamming loads
Authors: Seng Sopheak , Jensen Jørgen J , Pedersen Preben T 
Published: January 2012

It is important to include the contribution of the slamming-induced response in the structural design of large vessels with a significant bow flare. At the same time it is a challenge to develop rational tools to determine the slamming-induced loads and the prediction of their occurrence. Today it is normal practice to apply a standard sea-keeping procedure to determine the relative velocity distribution between the water surface and the hull and then to estimate the bottom slamming loads and the bow-flare slamming loads based on two-dimensional formulations similarly to water-entry problems. The pressure distribution as well as the total force is then determined by integration over a pseudo-three-dimensional presentation of the hull geometry. In this paper the evaluation of the slamming load is taken one step further by performing direct three-dimensional, fully non-linear numerical calculations in a realistic wave environment. Both the global and the local slamming loads are assessed numerically using a finite-volume formulation with the free surface captured by a volume-of-fluid technique. This numerical procedure is justified by comprehensive validation studies where numerically evaluated slamming pressures are compared with experimentally measured results. To obtain an insight into the three-dimensional flow effects the next step is to apply the validated numerical procedure to evaluate and compare the accuracy and performance of the traditionally used two-dimensional formulations by a comparison with three-dimensional numerical formulations for a fine-form Panamax container ship bow hitting a flat water surface at a constant trim angle. Finally, the slamming evaluation is carried out on the basis of a three-dimensional case study of the same container ship sailing in a head sea at half the service speed in a critical wave episode which is defined conditional on a given extreme response level of the hull girder bending moment.
Body mass index and waist circumference associate to a comparable degree with insulin resistance and related metabolic abnormalities in South Asian women and men
Authors: Abbasi Fahim , Malhotra Donna , Mathur Ashish , Reaven Gerald M , Molina César R 
Published: January 2012

Aim: The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) associate to a comparable degree with insulin resistance and cardiometabolic risk factors in South Asians. Methods: We measured blood pressure and fasting glucose, insulin, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and fibrinogen and calculated the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in a community-based sample of 923 nondiabetic South Asians. Results: BMI and WC were highly correlated in both genders ( r = 0.82 and 0.87). The relationship between BMI and values of blood pressure, glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, triglyceride, HDL-C, hs-CRP, and fibrinogen was comparable to that between WC and these variables. Fasting insulin and HOMA-IR correlated most strongly with BMI ( r = 0.49 to 0.56) and WC ( r = 0.52 to 0.59). Conclusion: These results show that BMI and WC associate to a comparable degree with estimates of insulin resistance and related metabolic abnormalities in South Asians.
TNF-α promoter polymorphism: a factor contributing to the different immunological and clinical phenotypes in Japanese encephalitis
Authors: Pujhari Sujit Kumar , Ratho Radha Kanta , Prabhakar Sudesh , Mishra Baijayantimala , Modi Manish 
Published: January 2012

Abstract

Background
More than three billion populations are living under the threat of Japanese encephalitis in South East Asian (SEA) countries including India. The pathogenesis of this disease is not clearly understood and is probably attributed to genomic variations in viral strains as well as the host genetic makeup. The present study is to determine the role of polymorphism of TNF-alpha promoter regions at positions -238G/A, -308G/A, -857C/T and -863C/A in the severity of Japanese encephalitis patients.

Methods
Total of 142 patients including 66 encephalitis case (IgM/RT-PCR positive), 16 fever cases (IgM positive) without encephalitis and 60 apparently healthy individuals (IgG positive) were included in the study. Polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) using site specific restriction enzymes were implemented for polymorphism study of TNF alpha promoter.

Results
Following the analysis of the digestion patterns of four polymorphic sites of the TNF- alpha promoter region, a significant association was observed between the allele -308A and -863C with the patients of Japanese encephalitis.

Conclusions
TNF- alpha 308 G/A has been shown to be associated with elevated TNF- alpha transcriptional activity. On the other hand, polymorphism at position -863C/A in the promoter region has been reported to be associated with reduced TNF- alpha promoter activity and lower plasma TNF levels. As per the literature search, this is the first study to identify the role of TNF- alpha promoter in JE infection. Our results show that subjects with - 308A and -863C alleles are more vulnerable to the severe form of JE infection.
A local outbreak of dengue caused by an imported case in Dongguan China
Authors: Peng Hong-Juan , Lai Hui-Bing , Zhang Qiao-Li , Xu Ba-Yi , Zhang Hao , Liu Wen-Hua , Zhao Wei , Zhou Yuan-Ping , Zhong Xin-Guang , Jiang Shu , Duan Jin-Hua , Yan Gui-Yun , He Jian-Feng , Chen Xiao-Guang 
Published: January 2012

Abstract

Background
Dengue, a mosquito-borne febrile viral disease, is found in tropical and sub-tropical regions around the world. Since the first occurrence of dengue was confirmed in Guangdong, China in 1978, dengue outbreaks have been reported sequentially in different provinces in South China transmitted by.peridomestic Ae. albopictus mosquitoes, diplaying Ae. aegypti, a fully domestic vector that transmits dengue worldwide. Rapid and uncontrolled urbanization is a characteristic change in developing countries, which impacts greatly on vector habitat, human lifestyle and transmission dynamics on dengue epidemics. In September 2010, an outbreak of dengue was detected in Dongguan, a city in Guangdong province characterized by its fast urbanization. An investigation was initiated to identify the cause, to describe the epidemical characteristics of the outbreak, and to implement control measures to stop the outbreak. This is the first report of dengue outbreak in Dongguan, even though dengue cases were documented before in this city.

Methods
Epidemiological data were obtained from local Center of Disease Control and prevention (CDC). Laboratory tests such as real-time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), the virus cDNA sequencing, and Enzyme-Linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were employed to identify the virus infection and molecular phylogenetic analysis was performed with MEGA5. The febrile cases were reported every day by the fever surveillance system. Vector control measures including insecticidal fogging and elimination of habitats of Ae. albopictus were used to control the dengue outbreak.

Results
The epidemiological studies results showed that this dengue outbreak was initiated by an imported case from Southeast Asia. The outbreak was characterized by 31 cases reported with an attack rate of 50.63 out of a population of 100,000. Ae. albopictus was the only vector species responsible for the outbreak. The virus cDNA sequencing analysis showed that the virus responsible for the outbreak was Dengue Virus serotype-1 (DENV-1).

Conclusions
Several characterized points of urbanization contributed to this outbreak of dengue in Dongguan: the residents are highly concentrated; the residents' life habits helped to form the habitats of Ae. albopictus and contributed to the high Breteau Index; the self-constructed houses lacks of mosquito prevention facilities. This report has reaffirmed the importance of a surveillance system for infectious diseases control and aroused the awareness of an imported case causing the epidemic of an infectious disease in urbanized region.
TNF-α protein synthesis inhibitor restores neuronal function and reverses cognitive deficits induced by chronic neuroinflammation
Authors: Belarbi Karim , Jopson Timothy , Tweedie David , Arellano Carla , Luo Weiming , Greig Nigel H , Rosi Susanna 
Published: January 2012

AbstractBackgroundChronic neuroinflammation is a hallmark of several neurological disorders associated with cognitive loss. Activated microglia and secreted factors such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α are key mediators of neuroinflammation and may contribute to neuronal dysfunction. Our study was aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of a novel analog of thalidomide, 3,6'-dithiothalidomide (DT), an agent with anti-TNF-α activity, in a model of chronic neuroinflammation.MethodsLipopolysaccharide or artificial cerebrospinal fluid was infused into the fourth ventricle of three-month-old rats for 28 days. Starting on day 29, animals received daily intraperitoneal injections of DT (56 mg/kg/day) or vehicle for 14 days. Thereafter, cognitive function was assessed by novel object recognition, novel place recognition and Morris water maze, and animals were euthanized 25 min following water maze probe test evaluation.ResultsChronic LPS-infusion was characterized by increased gene expression of the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β in the hippocampus. Treatment with DT normalized TNF-α levels back to control levels but not IL-1β. Treatment with DT attenuated the expression of TLR2, TLR4, IRAK1 and Hmgb1, all genes involved in the TLR-mediated signaling pathway associated with classical microglia activation. However DT did not impact the numbers of MHC Class II immunoreactive cells. Chronic neuroinflammation impaired novel place recognition, spatial learning and memory function; but it did not impact novel object recognition. Importantly, treatment with DT restored cognitive function in LPS-infused animals and normalized the fraction of hippocampal neurons expressing the plasticity-related immediate-early gene Arc.ConclusionOur data demonstrate that the TNF-α synthesis inhibitor DT can significantly reverse hippocampus-dependent cognitive deficits induced by chronic neuroinflammation. These results suggest that TNF-α is a critical mediator of chronic neuroinflammation-induced neuronal dysfunction and cognitive impairment and targeting its synthesis could provide an effective therapeutic approach to several human neurodegenerative diseases.