bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Biologically active sesquiterpene coumarins fromFerulaspecies
Authors: Nazari Zeinab Esmail , Iranshahi Mehrdad 
Published: October 2010

AbstractExtracts from different species of the genusFerula(Apiaceae) have had various biomedical applications for many centuries. Many biological features of this genus such as cytotoxicity, antibacterial, antiviral, P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp) inhibitory and antiinflammatory activity have been attributed to sesquiterpene coumarins; structures containing a common coumarin group and a sesquiterpene moiety. This both highlights the importance of sesquiterpene coumarins as biologically active natural products and necessitates further studies on these compounds.Taking into account the versatile biological properties of compounds isolated fromFerulaand the unprecedented interest in the application of natural products as a new generation of therapeutics, the present review will discuss reports on biological activities of sesquiterpene coumarins of the genusFerula, from 1990 onwards. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparative investigations on the protective effects of rhodioside, ciwujianoside‐B and astragaloside IV on radiation injuries of the hematopoietic system in mice
Authors: Li Yu‐Rong , Cao Wei , Guo Jun , Miao Shan , Ding Gui‐Rong , Li Kang‐Chu , Wang Jin , Guo Guo‐Zhen 
Published: October 2010

AbstractThe aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of three glycosides (rhodioside, ciwujianoside‐B and astragaloside IV) on the hematopoietic system in the mice exposed to γ‐rays, and to examine the possible mechanisms involved. Mice were pretreated with the glycosides (40 mg/kg, i.g.) daily for 7 days prior to radiation. The survival of mice pretreated with three glycosides after total body irradiation (6.0 Gy) was examined. Peripheral blood leucocytes and endogenous spleen colony counts, colony‐forming unit‐granulocyte macrophage assay, analysis of DNA content and apoptosis rate determination were performed to evaluate the effects of the three glycosides on hematogenesis. The fragmentation of double‐stranded DNA in lymphocytes was detected by the comet assay. The changes in cell cycle were analysed by flow cytometry. Furthermore, the expression levels of Bcl‐2, Bax and nuclear factor‐kappa B (NF‐κB) were measured by western blot and the electrophoretic mobility shift assay. The results showed that pretreatment with all of the glycosides improved survival time and increased the number of leucocytes, spleen colonies and granulocyte‐macrophage colonies in mice exposed to 6.0 Gy γ‐radiation. Rhodioside showed more protective efficacy than both ciwujianoside‐B and astragaloside IV. All three glycosides significantly increased the proliferation abilities of bone marrow cells, and decreased the ratio of cells in G0/G1 phase. Further analysis showed that these three glycosides were able to decrease DNA damage and the increment in the Bax/Bcl‐2 ratio induced by radiation. In summary, the three glycosides showed radioprotective effects on the hematopoietic system in mice, which was associated with changes in the cell cycle, a reduction in DNA damage, and down‐regulation of the ratio of Bax/Bcl‐2 in bone marrow cells exposed to radiation. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of coumestrol administration to pregnant and lactating mice on intestinal alkaline phosphatase activity
Authors: Kirihata Yuka , Horiguchi Yoshihiro , Ueda Michihisa , Sugimoto Miki , Ikeda Shuntaro , Kume Shinichi 
Published: October 2010

AbstractThe present study was conducted to clarify the effects of coumestrol administration on Ca metabolism during pregnancy and in lactating mice. From 6.5 to 16.5 days post coitus (dpc), pregnant mice were administered coumestrol at 200 µg/kg body weight/day. The duodenum, jejunum and blood samples were obtained at 17.5 dpc or 10 days after parturition (dap). Coumestrol administration decreased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and mRNA expression of IAP and estrogen responsive genes, c‐fos and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), in the duodenum and jejunum of pre‐delivery mice. In lactating mice, the ALP activity and mRNA expression of IAP were not changed, although coumestrol administration decreased mRNA expression of c‐fos in the duodeum and VEGF in the jejunum. Coumestrol did not affect serum Ca and the expression of vitamin D receptor protein in the duodenum and jejunum. Thus, coumestrol administration during pregnancy may decrease the mRNA expression of IAP and the ALP activity in the intestine of the pre‐delivery mice through ERα, but coumestrol had little effect on intestinal ALP activity at 10 days after parturition. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Using mass spectrometry to detect buffalo salivary odorant‐binding protein and its post‐translational modifications
Authors: Rajkumar R. , Karthikeyan K. , Archunan G. , Huang P. H. , Chen Y. W. , Ng W. V. , Liao C. C. 
Published: October 2010

AbstractA large number of mammalian odorant‐binding proteins, which are lipocalins, have been studied. These proteins participate in peri‐receptor events by selecting and carrying odorant molecules. The present study aimed at identifying the buffalo salivary odorant‐binding protein (sOBP), and to determine its post‐translational modification using mass spectrometry. The buffalo salivary 21 kDa protein was initially separated adopting sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and it was identified as sOBP with high statistical reliability using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) and SEQUEST, for the first time. Further, the post‐translationally modified peptides were screened adopting MS/MS. A total of four post‐translational modifications, namely glycation at lysine‐59, hydroxylation at lysine‐134, ubiquitination at lysine‐121, and dihydroxylation in lysine‐108, were recorded. Moreover, these modifications have not been identified in buffalo salivary odorant‐binding protein. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
College students' scientific epistemological views and thinking patterns in socioscientific decision making
Authors: Liu Shiang‐Yao , Lin Chuan‐Shun , Tsai Chin‐Chung 
Published: October 2010

AbstractThis study aims to test the nature of the assumption that there are relationships between scientific epistemological views (SEVs) and reasoning processes in socioscientific decision making. A mixed methodology that combines both qualitative and quantitative approaches of data collection and analysis was adopted not only to verify the assumption but also to explore the patterns of interaction between the two constructs. A total of 177 college students (60% science and 40% non‐science majors) completed a SEVs survey and a decision‐making instrument. The decision‐making instrument contains expository text introducing the environmental management issue of an invasive species, and a series of open‐ended questions to elicit participants' reasons and judgments on the issue. Analyses revealed that tentativeness and creativity of SEVs are the significant components directly manifested in the socioscientific decision‐making process. Students who held changing and tentative beliefs about scientific knowledge were more likely to recognize the complexity, take multiple perspectives, and question omniscient authority in the decision‐making process. It was also found that over one‐half of the college students, especially those who were science majors, make decisions based on a single disciplinary perspective. The findings suggest that educational programs should encourage students to actively participate in issue investigation and decision making by utilizing multiple reasoning modes and interdisciplinary thinking. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 95: 497–517, 2011
Compiler‐assisted dynamic scratch‐pad memory management with space overlapping for embedded systems
Authors: Yang Yanqin , Yan Haijin , Shao Zili , Guo Minyi 
Published: October 2010

AbstractScratch‐pad memory (SPM), a small, fast, software‐managed on‐chip SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) is widely used in embedded systems. With the ever‐widening performance gap between processors and main memory, it is very important to reduce the serious off‐chip memory access overheads caused by transferring data between SPM and off‐chip memory. In this paper, we propose a novel compiler‐assisted technique, ISOS (Iteration‐access‐pattern‐based Space Overlapping SPM management), for dynamic SPM management with DMA (Direct Memory Access). In ISOS, we combine both SPM and DMA for performance optimization by exploiting the chance to overlap SPM space so as to further utilize the limited SPM space and reduce the number of DMA operations. We implement our technique based on IMPACT and conduct experiments using a set of benchmarks from DSPstone and Mediabench on the cycle‐accurate VLIW simulator of Trimaran. The experimental results show that our technique achieves run‐time performance improvement compared with the previous work. The average improvements are 13.15, 19.05, and 25.52% when the SPM sizes are 1KB, 512 bytes, and 256 bytes, respectively. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparison of oscillation damping capability in three power control strategies for PMSG‐based WECS
Authors: Geng Hua , Xu David , Wu Bin , Yang Geng 
Published: October 2010

AbstractWith the aid of small signal analysis and digital simulations, this paper compares the mechanical and power oscillation damping performances of three power control strategies for the multi‐pole permanent magnetic synchronous generator (PMSG)‐based direct driven wind energy conversion system (WECS). Maximal power point tracking (MPPT) control implemented in the generator side has inherent abilities on the oscillation damping. For the smoothed or constant power requirements, power oscillations are hard to damp, and additional active damping controller is required. Active damping can be achieved with power control on the generator or grid side and DC link voltage control on the generator side. With additional compensator in the power or DC link voltage control loop, a damping torque is produced to suppress the oscillations. An improved control structure, which has inherent oscillation damping capability, is proposed for the power control of WECS. Combined with different power control strategies, this structure can be applied to achieve different power outputs. The validation of the proposed control structure is verified by the simulations. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Qualitative performance assessment of semiconductor switching device, converter and generator candidates for 10 MW offshore wind turbine generators
Authors: Badrzadeh Babak 
Published: October 2010

AbstractThis paper investigates the possibilities of viable power electronics converters, semiconductor switching devices and electric machines for 10 MW variable‐speed wind turbine generators. The maximum rated power of existing wind turbine configurations is in the range of 6 MW. The proposed alternatives are compared against several technical and economical factors, and their advantages over the present wind turbines are highlighted. A comprehensive performance comparison of modern power semiconductor devices, their electrical characteristics and the key differentiators among them are presented. The power electronics converters considered include all commercially available multilevel voltage source and current source converters as well as the opportunities offered by power electronics building block‐based design. The factors used for the comparison include the converter power range, capacitor voltage balancing, common mode voltage and current, electromagnetic interference emissions, fault ride‐through capability, reliability, footprint, harmonic performance, efficiency and losses, component count, risk of torsional vibration by the harmonics and inter‐harmonics, complexity, ease of back‐to‐back operation and filtering requirements. For the electric machines, this study concentrates on high‐temperature superconducting machines, multi‐phase induction machines and permanent magnet synchronous machines. These machines are compared against existing wind generator technologies in terms of their power range, torque density, efficiency, fault ride‐through capability, reliability, footprint, harmonic performance, ease of fault detection, excitation control, noise and vibration signature, oscillation damping, gearbox requirement, cost and the size of the associated converter. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Potential load reductions on megawatt turbines exposed to wakes using individual‐pitch wake compensator and trailing‐edge flaps
Authors: Markou Helen , Andersen Peter Bjørn , Larsen Gunner Chr. 
Published: October 2010

ABSTRACTWind turbines located in wind farms experience inflow wind conditions that are substantially modified compared with the ambient wind field that applies for stand‐alone wind turbines because of upstream emitted wakes. This has implications not only for the power production of a wind farm, but also for the loading conditions of the individual turbines in the farm. The dynamic wake meandering model (DWM) is believed to capture the essential physics of the wake problem, and thus, both load and production aspects can be predicted, which is contrary to the traditional engineering wake prediction methods that typically focus on either load or power prediction. As a consequence, the wake affected inflow field generated by the DWM formulation opens for control strategies for the individual turbine. Two different control approaches for load reduction on the individual turbines are implemented in the multi‐body aero‐servo‐elastic tool HAWC2, developed at Risø‐DTU in Denmark, and their potential load reduction capabilities compared: (1) full‐blade ‘individual‐pitch controllers’ acting as wake compensators and (2) controllers using trailing‐edge flaps. Information on the wake inflow conditions, induced by upstream turbines, is extracted from measurements of the blade‐root bending moment and/or one‐point recordings of flow angle of attack to the blades (pitot tube) measurements. In the former implementation, the pitch angle of each blade is compensated for as an addition to the collective‐pitch, rotor‐speed control. In the latter implementation, the (uniform) flap deflection angle is dictated by the particular controller version in question. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Solutions of perturbed Schrödinger equations with electromagnetic fields and critical nonlinearity
Authors: Liang Sihua , Zhang Jihui 
Published: October 2010

AbstractWe consider the existence and multiplicity of standing-wave solutionsof nonlinear Schrödinger equations with electromagnetic fields and critical nonlinearityUnder suitable assumptions, we prove that it has at least one solution and that, for any m ∈ ℕ, it has at least m pairs of solutions.
Follicular interactions affect the in vitro development of isolated goat preantral follicles
Authors: Duarte Ana Beatriz Graça , Chaves Roberta Nogueira , Araújo Valdevane Rocha , Celestino Juliana Jales , Silva Gerlane Modesto , Lopes Cláudio Afonso Pinho , Tavares Líliam Mara Trevisan , Campelo Cláudio Cabral , de Figueiredo José Ricardo 
Published: October 2010

SummaryThe aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the number of follicles per drop (one or three) and antral follicles on in vitro development of isolated goat preantral follicles. Preantral follicles were isolated through microdissection and distributed individually (control) or in groups of three follicles (treatment) in microdroplets of α-MEM with or without 1000 ng/ml follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) for Experiments 1 and 2, respectively. Experiment 3 was divided into four treatments according to the presence of one or three preantral follicles, associated or not with antral follicles. After culture, oocytes were retrieved from morphologically normal follicles and submitted to in vitro maturation (IVM) and live/dead fluorescent labelling. Results of Experiment 1 (basic medium without FSH) showed that culture of preantral follicles in groups enhances viability, growth and antrum formation after 12 days. However, in the presence of FSH (Experiment 2), only the recovery rate of fully grown oocytes for IVM was significantly affected by grouping of follicles. In Experiment 3, in general, co-culture of preantral follicles with an early antral follicle had a detrimental effect on viability, antrum formation and production of oocytes for IVM. In conclusion, the performance of in vitro culture of goat preantral follicles is affected by the number of follicles per drop, the presence of an antral follicle and FSH.
Early presentation of endomyocardial fibrosis in a 22-month-old child: a case report
Authors: Cilliers Antoinette M. , Adams Paul E. , Mocumbi Ana O. 
Published: October 2010

AbstractWe present an unusual, biopsy-proven case of endomyocardial fibrosis in a 22-month-old male child, which progressed rapidly resulting in death. The patient was born to a father originating from Mozambique, where the disease is endemic but who had not himself travelled there, suggesting a genetic link. Other remarkable features were the presence of a right ventricular diverticulum, and a positive Mycoplasma pneumoniae immunoglobulin M enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test.
Getting out what we put in: productivity of the English National Health Service
Authors: Castelli Adriana , Laudicella Mauro , Street Andrew , Ward Padraic 
Published: October 2010

AbstractMany countries are incorporating direct measures of non-market outputs in the national accounts. For any particular output to be included there has to be data about it for two adjacent periods. This is problematic because the classification of non-market outputs is often subject to wholesale revision. We outline the challenges associated with classification changes and propose a solution. To illustrate we construct output and input indices and estimate productivity growth of the English National Health Service (NHS) for the period 2003–2004 to 2007–2008. Our index of output growth incorporates all care provided to NHS patients and captures improvements in survival rates, waiting times and disease management. We find that more patients are being treated and the quality of the care they receive has been improving. We implement our approach to dealing with changes as to how health services are defined and show what effect this has on estimates of output growth. Our index of input growth captures all labour, intermediate and capital inputs into health service production and we improve on how capital has been measured in the past. Inputs have increased over time but there has also been a slowdown since 2005–2006, primarily the result of a levelling off in staff recruitment and less reliance on the use of agency staff. Productivity is assessed by comparing output growth with growth in inputs, the net effect being constant productivity growth between 2003–2004 and 2007–2008.
Spatial organization of intestinal microbiota in the mouse ascending colon
Authors: Nava Gerardo M , Friedrichsen Hans J , Stappenbeck Thaddeus S 
Published: October 2010

Abstract
Complex microbial populations are organized in relation to their environment. In the intestine, the inner lining (mucosa) is a potential focal point for such organization. The proximal murine colon contains mucosal folds that are known to be associated with morphologically distinct microbes. To identify these microbes, we used the technique of laser capture microdissection (LCM) to sample microbes associated with these folds (interfold region) and within the central lumen (digesta region). Using 16S rRNA gene tag pyrosequencing, we found that microbes in the interfold region were highly enriched for the phylum Firmicutes and, more specifically, for the families Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae. Other families such as Bacteroidaceae, Enterococcaceae and Lactobacillaceae were all enriched in the digesta region. This high-resolution system to capture and examine spatial organization of intestinal microbes should facilitate microbial analysis in other mouse models, furthering our understanding of host–microbial interactions.
Recovery of methanotrophs from disturbance: population dynamics, evenness and functioning
Authors: Ho Adrian , Lüke Claudia , Frenzel Peter 
Published: October 2010

Abstract
Biodiversity is claimed to be essential for ecosystem functioning, but is threatened by anthropogenic disturbances. Prokaryotes have been assumed to be functionally redundant and virtually inextinguishable. However, recent work indicates that microbes may well be sensitive to environmental disturbance. Focusing on methane-oxidizing bacteria as model organisms, we simulated disturbance-induced mortality by mixing native with sterilized paddy soil in two ratios, 1:4 and 1:40, representing moderate and severe die-offs. Disturbed microcosms were compared with an untreated control. Recovery of activity and populations was followed over 4 months by methane uptake measurements, pmoA-qPCR, pmoA-based terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism and a pmoA-based diagnostic microarray. Diversity and evenness of methanotrophs decreased in disturbed microcosms, but functioning was not compromised. We consistently observed distinctive temporal shifts between type I and type II methanotrophs, and a rapid population growth leading to even higher cell numbers comparing disturbed microcosms with the control. Overcompensating mortality suggested that population size in the control was limited by competition with other bacteria. Overall, methanotrophs showed a remarkable ability to compensate for die-offs.
A History of Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence from Ancient Times to the Present
Authors: Roda Aldo 
Published: October 2010

This Chapter reports an overview of the historical development of bioluminescence (BL) and chemiluminescence (CL), starting with the primitive understanding of natural light emission phenomena from BL terrestrial and marine animals and fungi. At that time BL was just described as a fascinating unexplained natural phenomenon and was limited to terms of magic and superstition.
In the course of the Centuries, paralleling the development of other scientific fields, methodological study of BL and CL began, ultimately leading to the exponential growth of knowledge in the last century and half or so. After the first experiments in the late 1800s, the mechanisms of light emission from firefly and marine animals were fully defined in the early 1900s, taking advantage of the background of natural sciences and the advent of the modern chemistry. Again in the late 1800s, the term CL was introduced and in the following years many new CL molecules were synthesised, also modifying the structures of natural BL substrates.
In recent years CL and BL have become fundamental tools in molecular biology and related sciences. In particular, bioanalytical chemistry has greatly benefitted from implementation of CL and BL in a variety of analytical methodologies, such as amplified coupled enzymatic reactions, immunoassays, nucleic acid-based assays, in vivo molecular imaging, cell-based biosensors and in general molecular biology techniques.