bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
PERFECT COLOURINGS OF ISONEMAL FABRICS BY THICK STRIPING
Authors: THOMAS R. S. D. 
Published: December 2011

AbstractPerfect colouring of isonemal fabrics by thick striping of warp and weft and the closely related topic of isonemal prefabrics that fall apart are reconsidered and their relation further explored. The catalogue of isonemal prefabrics of genus V that fall apart is extended to order 20 with designs that can be used to weave cubes with colour symmetry as well as weaving symmetry.
TWO NONTRIVIAL WEAK SOLUTIONS FOR THE DIRICHLET PROBLEM ON THE SIERPIŃSKI GASKET
Authors: STANCU-DUMITRU DENISA 
Published: December 2011

AbstractWe study a Dirichlet problem involving the weak Laplacian on the Sierpiński gasket, and we prove the existence of at least two distinct nontrivial weak solutions using Ekeland’s Variational Principle and standard tools in critical point theory combined with corresponding variational techniques.
TWO-INTERVAL EVEN-ORDER DIFFERENTIAL OPERATORS IN MODIFIED HILBERT SPACES
Authors: SUO JIANQING , WANG WANYI 
Published: December 2011

AbstractBy modifying the inner product in the direct sum of the Hilbert spaces associated with each of two underlying intervals on which an even-order equation is defined, we generate self-adjoint realisations for boundary conditions with any real coupling matrix which are much more general than the coupling matrices from the ‘unmodified’ theory.
Fish consumption does not prevent increase in waist circumference in European women and men
Authors: Jakobsen Marianne U. , Due Karen M. , Dethlefsen Claus , Halkjaer Jytte , Holst Claus , Forouhi Nita G. , Tjønneland Anne , Boeing Heiner , Buijsse Brian , Palli Domenico , Masala Giovanna , Du Huaidong , van der A Daphne L. , Wareham Nicholas J. , Feskens Edith J. M. , Sørensen Thorkild I. A. , Overvad Kim 
Published: December 2011

Fish consumption is the major dietary source of EPA and DHA, which according to rodent experiments may reduce body fat mass and prevent obesity. However, human studies have suggested that fish consumption has no appreciable association with body-weight gain. We investigated the associations between fish consumption and subsequent change in waist circumference. Sex, age and waist circumference at enrolment were considered as potential effect modifiers. Women and men (n 89 432) participating in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) were followed for a median of 5·5 years. Mixed-effect linear regression was used to investigate the associations between fish consumption and subsequent change in waist circumference. Among all participants, the average annual change in waist circumference was − 0·01 cm/10 g higher total fish consumption per d (95 % CI − 0·01, 0·00) and − 0·01 cm/10 g higher fatty fish consumption per d (95 % CI − 0·02, − 0·01), after adjustment for potential confounders. Lean fish consumption was not associated with change in waist circumference. Adjustment for potential over- or underestimation of fish consumption measurements did not systematically change the observed associations, but the 95 % CI became slightly wider. The results in subgroups from analyses stratified by sex, age or waist circumference at enrolment were not systematically different. In conclusion, the present study suggests that fish consumption does not prevent increase in waist circumference.
Carotenoid exposure of Caco-2 intestinal epithelial cells did not affect selected inflammatory markers but altered their proteomic response
Authors: Kaulmann Anouk , Serchi Tommaso , Renaut Jenny , Hoffmann Lucien , Bohn Torsten 
Published: December 2011

Carotenoid consumption has been linked to a number of beneficial health effects, including the reduction of chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular complications. However, no data are available on their action on the intestinal epithelium, being exposed to the highest concentrations of carotenoids in the human body, and where they could act preventively on intestinal inflammatory diseases such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether lycopene and β-carotene in micelles (M), at concentrations that could be reached via the diet (10–25 μg/ml) could aid in the reduction of TNF-α plus IL-1β-induced inflammation of Caco-2 human epithelial cells. The impact on biomarkers of inflammation, including IL-8, NO and cyclo-oxygenase-2 (through PGE-2α), and the NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways of intracellular signalling cascades were evaluated compared with controls (empty M). Furthermore, proteomic analyses were conducted from total cellular protein extracts. The results revealed that isolated carotenoids had no statistical significant anti-inflammatory effect on the biomarkers observed, or on the regulation of NF-κB and MAPK. Nevertheless, analyses of the proteome suggested that fifteen proteins were significantly (P < 0·05, expression ratio >1·3) differentially regulated following β-carotene exposure, participating mostly in metabolic activities including antioxidant mechanisms, such as glutathioneS-transferase A1. Only one protein was differentially regulated by lycopene (profilin-1). To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to investigate pathways involved in the action of carotenoids on the intestinal epithelium.
Urinary citrulline in very low birth weight preterm infants receiving intravenous nutrition
Authors: Bourdon Aurélie , Rougé Carole , Legrand Arnaud , Des Robert Clotilde , Piloquet Hugues , Vodovar Michel , Voyer Marcel , Rozé Jean-Christophe , Darmaun Dominique 
Published: December 2011

As gut immaturity precludes full enteral feeding, very low birth weight (VLBW) preterm infants receive parenteral nutrition (PN) during the first few weeks of life. Weaning VLBW infants off PN, however, is a top priority since PN is associated with a high risk of complications. The decision making is purely empirical, as there is currently no suitable index of gastrointestinal (GI) maturity. Plasma citrulline concentration is considered an index of GI function in conditions such as short-bowel syndrome and coeliac disease in adults. To identify the factors determining urinary citrulline excretion, and determine whether urinary citrulline excretion could be used as a non-invasive index of GI tolerance to enteral feeding, nutritional intake and urinary citrulline were monitored bi-weekly in forty-seven preterm infants < 1500 g (interquartiles 880–1320 g), during their stay in the Neonatology unit. Median urinary citrulline was 24·7 μmol/mmol creatinine (14·5–38·6 μmol/mmol creatinine). No relationship was observed with the percentage of energy tolerated enterally. In multivariate regression analysis, weak correlations were found with post-conceptional age (P = 0·001), parenteral amino acid supply (P = 0·001) and the daily volume of enteral mixture administered (P = 0·043). A significant correlation was found with urinary nitrite+nitrate excretion (r0·47;P < 0·001). We conclude that in preterm infants: (1) one of the major determinants of urinary citrulline may be the biosynthesis of citrulline from arginine by NO-synthase; (2) urinary citrulline cannot be used to predict GI tolerance. This is consistent with the observations that, in neonatal gut, citrulline is converted to argininein siturather than exported towards the kidneys as observed in adults.
COMPACT NON-ORIENTABLE SURFACES OF GENUS 5 WITH EXTREMAL METRIC DISCS
Authors: NAKAMURA GOU 
Published: December 2011

AbstractA compact hyperbolic surface of genus g is called an extremal surface if it admits an extremal disc, a disc of the largest radius determined by g. Our problem is to find how many extremal discs are embedded in non-orientable extremal surfaces. It is known that non-orientable extremal surfaces of genus g > 6 contain exactly one extremal disc and that of genus 3 or 4 contain at most two. In the present paper we shall give all the non-orientable extremal surfaces of genus 5, and find the locations of all extremal discs in those surfaces. As a consequence, non-orientable extremal surfaces of genus 5 contain at most two extremal discs.
TWO DESCRIPTIONS OF THE QUANTUM AFFINE ALGEBRA Uv() VIA HALL ALGEBRA APPROACH
Authors: BURBAN IGOR , SCHIFFMANN OLIVIER 
Published: December 2011

AbstractWe compare the reduced Drinfeld doubles of the composition subalgebras of the category of representations of the Kronecker quiver and the category of coherent sheaves on ℙ1. Using this approach, we show that the Drinfeld–Beck isomorphism for the quantized enveloping algebra Uv() is a corollary of an equivalence between the derived categories Db(Rep()) and Db(Coh(ℙ1)). This technique allows to reprove several results on the integral form of Uv().
The effect of glucocorticoids on sex steroid synthesis in cultured Taenia crassiceps Wake Forest University (WFU) cysticerci
Authors: Hinojosa L. , Valdez R.A. , Salvador V. , Rodríguez A.G. , Willms K. , Romano M.C. 
Published: December 2011

AbstractWe have shown previously that cultured Taenia crassiceps Wake Forest University (WFU) and Taenia solium cysticerci, as well as the adult worms, synthesize sex steroid hormones from [3H]steroid precursors and that androgens and oestrogens influence the in vitro development of the parasites. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are used to control the inflammation caused by T. solium cysticerci in the brain. These steroids stimulate oestrogen synthesis in several tissues. Since there is no information on the effect of GC on the endocrine function of cysticerci, we investigated the effect of natural and synthetic GCs on the synthesis of oestrogens in cultured T. crassiceps WFU cysticerci. The cysticerci were obtained from the peritoneal cavity of infected female BALB/c mice; the cysts were washed extensively and pre-cultured in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium (DMEM) plus antibiotics for 5 days. The parasites were further cultured with different doses of corticosterone, dexamethasone or the vehicle for 5 days. [3H]Dehydroepiandrosterone (3H-DHEA) was added to the media and the cysticerci were further incubated for 6 or 24 h. Media were then removed and the steroids ether-extracted. Aliquots of the media were seeded on silica gel plates and developed in solvent systems. Parasites incubated in the presence of 3H-DHEA synthesized [3H]androstenediol, [3H]testosterone and [3H]17β-oestradiol ([3H]17β-E2). The addition of 100 nm or higher corticosterone doses to the media increased [3H]17β-E2 synthesis fourfold after 24 h. Dexamethasone also increased [3H]17β-E2 synthesis. The experiments presented here show for the first time that corticosterone and the synthetic GC dexamethasone modulate the synthesis of oestrogens by cysticerci.
The Lecanora dispersa group (Lecanoraceae)
in Argentina
Authors: DE LA ROSA Iris Nadia , MESSUTI María Inés , ŚLIWA Lucyna 
Published: December 2011

AbstractA preliminary study of the Lecanora dispersa group in Argentina is
presented. Two species (L. dispersa and L. hagenii) have
been previously recorded and their known distribution is extended, one species (L.
semipallida) is a new record from Argentina, and five taxa (L.
flowersiana, L. persimilis L. torrida, L.
wetmorei and L. zosterae var. zosterae) are
reported for the first time from South America. Three species (L.
albescens, L. crenulata and L. populicola)
previously recorded for Argentina have not been confirmed as occurring in this country.
Lecanora aff. fugiens is also treated and compared to
the related species. The morphology, anatomy, secondary metabolites, distribution and
ecology of the nine studied taxa are described and discussed, and a key to the taxa is
included.
Simultaneous non-vanishing of GL(3) × GL(2) and GL(2) L-functions
Authors: KHAN RIZWANUR 
Published: December 2011

AbstractFix g a Hecke–Maass form for SL3(). In the family of holomorphic newforms f of fixed weight and large prime level q, we find the average value of the product $L(\half,g\times f)L(\half,f)$. From this we derive a result on the simultaneous non-vanishing of these L-functions at the central point.
Well-posed two-point initial-boundary value problems with arbitrary boundary conditions
Authors: SMITH DAVID A. 
Published: December 2011

AbstractWe study initial-boundary value problems for linear evolution equations of arbitrary spatial order, subject to arbitrary linear boundary conditions and posed on a rectangular 1-space, 1-time domain. We give a new characterisation of the boundary conditions that specify well-posed problems using Fokas' transform method. We also give a sufficient condition guaranteeing that the solution can be represented using a series.The relevant condition, the analyticity at infinity of certain meromorphic functions within particular sectors, is significantly more concrete and easier to test than the previous criterion, based on the existence of admissible functions.
Healthcare policy tools as determinants of health-system efficiency: evidence from the OECD
Authors: Wranik Dominika 
Published: December 2011

AbstractThis paper assesses which policy-relevant characteristics of a healthcare system contribute to health-system efficiency. Health-system efficiency is measured using the stochastic frontier approach. Characteristics of the health system are included as determinants of efficiency. Data from 21 OECD countries from 1970 to 2008 are analysed. Results indicate that broader health-system structures, such as Beveridgian or Bismarckian financing arrangements or gatekeeping, are not significant determinants of efficiency. Significant contributors to efficiency are policy instruments that directly target patient behaviours, such as insurance coverage and cost sharing, and those that directly target physician behaviours, such as physician payment methods. From the perspective of the policymaker, changes in cost-sharing arrangements or physician remuneration are politically easier to implement than changes to the foundational financing structure of the system.
Hardiness and anxiety interpretation: An investigation into coping usage and effectiveness
Authors: Hanton Sheldon , Neil Richard , Evans Lynne 
Published: December 2011

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to examine the interactive effects of hardiness (high vs. low hardiness) and anxiety direction (facilitators vs. debilitators) on performers' competitive anxiety intensity responses, self‐confidence levels and the frequency and effectiveness of coping usage. Significant interaction effects showed that the high hardiness/facilitators reported the greatest use of planning, active coping and effort strategies during stressful competitive situations and viewed this use as more effective in dealing with these situations than the other groups. Main effects for hardiness on the competitive anxiety response and self‐confidence revealed the high hardiness group to have lower levels of worry and somatic anxiety and higher levels of self‐confidence than the low hardiness group. These findings have important implications for the development of hardiness‐related coping strategies in sport performers.
Disentangling viscosity and hysteretic dissipative components in dynamic nanoscale interactions
Authors: Gadelrab Karim R , Santos Sergio , Souier Tewfik , Chiesa Matteo 
Published: December 2011

Abstract
The mechanisms through which energy is dissipated in nanoscale dynamic interactions might involve tens or hundreds of atoms and might be diverse. Here, a method is presented that provides the means to disentangle, with the use of common experimental parameters, short and long range viscosity and hysteretic dissipative components. While the approach is general, the experimental study is directed to show the mechanisms of energy dissipation between a silicon atomic force microscope tip and a carbon nanotube and a quartz surface. By stabilizing the tip in situ, quantitative information is found in a reproducible manner where the magnitude of energy dissipated remains constant in experiments thus allowing comparative studies.
Alcohol consumption and the intention to engage in unprotected sex: systematic review and meta‐analysis of experimental studies
Authors: Rehm Jürgen , Shield Kevin D. , Joharchi Narges , Shuper Paul A. 
Published: December 2011

ABSTRACTAims  To review and analyse in experimentally controlled studies the impact of alcohol consumption on intentions to engage in unprotected sex. To draw conclusions with respect to the question of whether alcohol has an independent effect on the incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).Methods  A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled studies examined the association between blood alcohol content (BAC) and self‐perceived likelihood of using a condom during intercourse. The systematic review and meta‐analysis were conducted according to internationally standardized protocols (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses: PRISMA). The meta‐analysis included an estimate of the dose–response effect, tests for publication bias and sensitivity analyses.Results  Of the 12 studies included in the quantitative synthesis, our pooled analysis indicated that an increase in BAC of 0.1 mg/ml resulted in an increase of 5.0% (95% CI: 2.8–7.1%) in the indicated likelihood (indicated by a Likert scale) of engaging in unprotected sex. After adjusting for potential publication bias, this estimate dropped to 2.9% (95% CI: 2.0–3.9%). Thus, the larger the alcohol intake and the subsequent level of BAC, the higher the intentions to engage in unsafe sex. The main results were homogeneous, persisted in sensitivity analyses and after correction for publication bias.Conclusions  Alcohol use is an independent risk factor for intentions to engage in unprotected sex, and as risky sex intentions have been shown to be linked to actual risk behavior, the role of alcohol consumption in the transmission of HIV and other STIs may be of public health importance.
Serine protease Per a 10 from Periplaneta americana bias dendritic cells towards type 2 by upregulating CD86 and low IL‐12 secretions
Authors: Goel C. , Govindaraj D. , Singh B. P. , Farooque A. , Kalra N. , Arora N. 
Published: December 2011

SummaryBackgroundSerine protease activity of Per a 10 from Periplaneta americana induces airway inflammation and systemic Th2 response towards self and bystander allergen.ObjectiveIn the present study the effect of proteolytic activity of Per a 10 allergen on dendritic cells (DCs) polarization and consequent T cell response was investigated.MethodsNon‐atopic subjects with no family history of asthma/allergy were recruited for the study. CD14+ peripheral blood monocytes were purified, differentiated to immature DCs and stimulated with proteolytically active/inactivated native or recombinant Per a 10. DCs phenotype was analysed with flow cytometry and antigen presenting function assessed by co‐culturing with autologous CD4+ T cells. Cytokine levels were determined using ELISA.ResultsImmature DCs differentiated into mature CD14‐CD83+HLA‐DR+ cells after incubating with proteolytically active/inactivated or recombinant Per a 10. Proteolytically active Per a 10 induced significant CD86 up‐regulation on DCs compared to inactivated or recombinant Per a 10 lacking enzymatic activity. Proteolytic activity of Per a 10 showed dose‐dependent effect on expression of CD80, CD86, CD83, CD1a and HLA‐DR. However, no significant differences were observed phenotypically in active or inactive forms except for CD86. Active Per a 10 stimulated DCs secreted significantly low IL‐12 (P < 0.01) and high IL‐6, compared to inactive forms of Per a 10. Naive CD4+ T cells primed with active Per a 10 pulsed DCs also secreted significantly less IL‐12 (P < 0.01) and high IL‐4, IL‐5 plus IL‐6 (P < 0.01); in contrast to DCs pulsed with inactivated or recombinant Per a 10.Conclusion and clinical relevanceProteolytic activity of Per a 10 modulates DCs towards type 2 by CD86 up‐regulation, high IL‐6 and reduced IL‐12 secretions. Proteolytically inactive Per a 10 can be further explored for immunotherapy.
Reconciling estimates of the contemporary North American carbon balance among terrestrial biosphere models, atmospheric inversions, and a new approach for estimating net ecosystem exchange from inventory‐based data
Authors: Hayes Daniel J. , Turner David P. , Stinson Graham , McGuire A. David , Wei Yaxing , West Tristram O. , Heath Linda S. , de Jong Bernardus , McConkey Brian G. , Birdsey Richard A. , Kurz Werner A. , Jacobson Andrew R. , Huntzinger Deborah N. , Pan Yude , Post W. Mac , Cook Robert B. 
Published: December 2011

AbstractWe develop an approach for estimating net ecosystem exchange (NEE) using inventory‐based information over North America (NA) for a recent 7‐year period (ca. 2000–2006). The approach notably retains information on the spatial distribution of NEE, or the vertical exchange between land and atmosphere of all non‐fossil fuel sources and sinks of CO2, while accounting for lateral transfers of forest and crop products as well as their eventual emissions. The total NEE estimate of a −327 ± 252 TgC yr−1 sink for NA was driven primarily by CO2 uptake in the Forest Lands sector (−248 TgC yr−1), largely in the Northwest and Southeast regions of the US, and in the Crop Lands sector (−297 TgC yr−1), predominantly in the Midwest US states. These sinks are counteracted by the carbon source estimated for the Other Lands sector (+218 TgC yr−1), where much of the forest and crop products are assumed to be returned to the atmosphere (through livestock and human consumption). The ecosystems of Mexico are estimated to be a small net source (+18 TgC yr−1) due to land use change between 1993 and 2002. We compare these inventory‐based estimates with results from a suite of terrestrial biosphere and atmospheric inversion models, where the mean continental‐scale NEE estimate for each ensemble is −511 TgC yr−1 and −931 TgC yr−1, respectively. In the modeling approaches, all sectors, including Other Lands, were generally estimated to be a carbon sink, driven in part by assumed CO2 fertilization and/or lack of consideration of carbon sources from disturbances and product emissions. Additional fluxes not measured by the inventories, although highly uncertain, could add an additional −239 TgC yr−1 to the inventory‐based NA sink estimate, thus suggesting some convergence with the modeling approaches.