bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Engineering of an E. coli outer membrane protein FhuA with increased channel diameter
Authors: Krewinkel Manuel , Dworeck Tamara , Fioroni Marco 
Published: August 2011

Abstract

Background
Channel proteins like FhuA can be an alternative to artificial chemically synthesized nanopores. To reach such goals, channel proteins must be flexible enough to be modified in their geometry, i.e. length and diameter. As continuation of a previous study in which we addressed the lengthening of the channel, here we report the increasing of the channel diameter by genetic engineering.

Results
The FhuA Δ1-159 diameter increase has been obtained by doubling the amino acid sequence of the first two N-terminal β-strands, resulting in variant FhuA Δ1-159 Exp. The total number of β-strands increased from 22 to 24 and the channel surface area is expected to increase by ~16%. The secondary structure analysis by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy shows a high β-sheet content, suggesting the correct folding of FhuA Δ1-159 Exp. To further prove the FhuA Δ1-159 Exp channel functionality, kinetic measurement using the HRP-TMB assay (HRP = Horse Radish Peroxidase, TMB = 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine) were conducted. The results indicated a 17% faster diffusion kinetic for FhuA Δ1-159 Exp as compared to FhuA Δ1-159, well correlated to the expected channel surface area increase of ~16%.

Conclusion
In this study using a simple "semi rational" approach the FhuA Δ1-159 diameter was enlarged. By combining the actual results with the previous ones on the FhuA Δ1-159 lengthening a new set of synthetic nanochannels with desired lengths and diameters can be produced, broadening the FhuA Δ1-159 applications. As large scale protein production is possible our approach can give a contribution to nanochannel industrial applications.
The accuracy of diagnostic tests for GH deficiency in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Hazem Ahmad , Elamin Mohamed B , Malaga German , Bancos Irina , Prevost Yolanda , Zeballos-Palacios Claudia , Velasquez Edgar R , Erwin Patricia J , Natt Neena , Montori Victor M , Murad Mohammad Hassan 
Published: August 2011

ContextThe diagnostic accuracy of tests used to diagnose GH deficiency (GHD) in adults is unclear.ObjectiveWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that provided data on the available diagnostic tests.Data sourcesWe searched electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane CENTRAL, Web of Sciences, and Scopus) through April 2011.Study selectionReview of reference lists and contact with experts identified additional candidate studies. Reviewers, working independently and in duplicate, determined study eligibility.Data extractionReviewers, working independently and in duplicate, determined the methodological quality of studies and collected descriptive, quality, and outcome data.Data synthesisTwenty-three studies provided diagnostic accuracy data; none provided patient outcome data. Studies had fair methodological quality, used several reference standards, and included over 1100 patients. Several tests based on direct or indirect stimulation of GH release were associated with good diagnostic accuracy, although most were assessed in one or two studies decreasing the strength of inference due to small sample size. Serum levels of GH or IGF1 had low diagnostic accuracy. Pooled sensitivity and specificity of the two most commonly used stimulation tests were found to be 95 and 89% for the insulin tolerance test and 73 and 81% for the GHRH+arginine test respectively. Meta-analytic estimates for accuracy were associated with substantial heterogeneity.ConclusionSeveral tests with reasonable diagnostic accuracy are available for the diagnosis of GHD in adults. The supporting evidence, however, is at high risk of bias (due to heterogeneity, methodological limitations, and imprecision).
Accuracy of the Pharmacogenetic Dosing Table in the Warfarin Label in Predicting Initial Therapeutic Warfarin Doses in a Large, Racially Diverse Cohort
Authors: Shin Jaekyu , Kayser Steven R. 
Published: August 2011

Study Objectives. To compare the accuracy of the pharmacogenetic dosing table included in the warfarin label with two empiric dosing strategies in predicting initial therapeutic warfarin doses, and to identify factors that influence the accuracy of the table.Design. Retrospective cohort study.Data Source. International Warfarin Pharmacogenetic Consortium database.Patients. A total of 3727 racially diverse patients receiving stable doses of warfarin who had international normalized ratios (INRs) between 2.0 and 3.0.Measurements and Main Results. Mean absolute error (MAE) and mean percentage of patients whose predicted doses were within 20% of their actual therapeutic doses (percentage within 20%) were compared between the pharmacogenetic table and two empiric dosing strategies. In the first strategy, warfarin 5 mg/day was used, and in the second strategy, dosing varied depending on the patient's race. The mean percentage of patients whose actual doses were within the ranges of the table (percentage within range) was also calculated. Warfarin dosing using the table resulted in a lower MAE (10.9 mg/wk) and a higher percentage within 20% (41.5%) than both empiric dosing strategies (MAE 12.3–12.6 mg/wk, percentage within 20% of 31.8–32.7%). In addition, using the table showed similar MAE, mean percentage within 20%, and mean percentage within range across the different racial groups. Dosing according to the table had higher mean percentage within 20% (56.4% vs 15.4%) and higher mean percentage within range (53.3% vs 19.2%) in the intermediate‐dose group (> 21 but ≤ 49 mg/wk) than in the low‐dose group (≤ 21 mg/wk). Being female and taking amiodarone were identified as factors that significantly increased the likelihood that the patient's predicted dose would be outside of 20% of their actual therapeutic dose or outside the range of the pharmacogenetic table.Conclusion. Using the pharmacogenetic dosing table included in the warfarin label resulted in higher accuracy of dosing prediction than two empiric dosing strategies. The table had similar accuracy across racial groups and better accuracy in patients receiving an intermediate dose of warfarin. When the table is used for warfarin dosing, women and patients receiving amiodarone may require more intensive monitoring of their warfarin therapy.
Citizenship in the Digital Age: The Case of Denmark
Authors: Jensen Jakob Linaa 
Published: August 2011

AbstractThis article discusses citizenship in the age of new media using Denmark as a critical case study. It argues for the importance of considering cultural as well as political aspects of citizenship, and for the inclusion of emotions and belonging as well as rational political acts. There are strong relationships between the experience and practice of citizenship, and it is demonstrated that intensive media use and experience/practice of citizenship are highly interrelated: eager media users are also the most active and confident citizens. To a certain extent new media tend to reinforce existing behavior patterns and attitudes: those feeling engaged are those who use ICTs most widely, and new media provide them with yet another platform for practicing citizenship. It is also shown, however, that there is a segment of new media users who prefer online cultural and social activities to offline ones. As this segment grows, one might expect an expanded number of active citizens, mobilized by the new media themselves.
The Necessity of Implementation of Diversity Management Caused by the Actual Development of Cross-border Labour Mobility in EU
Authors: Chebeň Juraj , Lančarič Drahoslav , Savov Radovan 
Published: August 2011

The Necessity of Implementation of Diversity Management Caused by the Actual Development of Cross-border Labour Mobility in EU
The article refers to the problemacy of international labour mobility seen as a response to many changes in political as well as in economical and social development in Europe in the last decade. In the first part of the article there is a short summary of the mentioned development in the area of immigration and labour mobility in Europe. The second part of the article deals with diversity in general and with managing of diversity in particular, there are some practical examples of possible problems as well. The last part of the article offers some suggestions for successful implementation of diversity management in enterprises.
Quality of Educational Programs in Life-long Learning
Authors: Lacková Alica , Karkalíková Marta 
Published: August 2011

Quality of Educational Programs in Life-long Learning
The paper deals with a systematic approach to education as well as to other areas, which represents a tool ensuring that education was performed effectively and efficiently, that it had positive influence on the society and the individual and it had improved their job performance and quality of life. This rational approach to the development of educational programs, their execution and quality evaluation enables to reach strategic education aims successfully and in a way that they suit and stimulate the requirements of practice.
Bankruptcy Trustee in Insolvency Proceedings as an Entrepreneur and as a Subject of the Proceeding
Authors: Veterníková Mária , Mišura Ján 
Published: August 2011

Bankruptcy Trustee in Insolvency Proceedings as an Entrepreneur and as a Subject of the Proceeding
The article deals with the position and activities of bankruptcy trustee in bankruptcy proceeding, restructuring proceeding and in proceeding on debt relief. These proceedings are being called insolvency proceedings. The paper brings a closer look on conditions of trustee's activity and his/her activities in various types and stages of insolvency proceedings. The authors analyze the fact whether trustee's activity meets all attributes of enterprising.
Efficiency optimization of a closed indirectly fired gas turbine cycle working under two variable-temperature heat reservoirs
Authors: Ma Zheshu , Wu Jieer 
Published: August 2011

Efficiency optimization of a closed indirectly fired gas turbine cycle working under two variable-temperature heat reservoirsIndirectly or externally fired gas turbines (IFGT or EFGT) are interesting technologies under development for small and medium scale combined heat and power (CHP) supplies in combination with micro gas turbine technologies. The emphasis is primarily on the utilization of the waste heat from the turbine in a recuperative process and the possibility of burning biomass even "dirty" fuel by employing a high temperature heat exchanger (HTHE) to avoid the combustion gases passing through the turbine. In this paper, finite time thermodynamics is employed in the performance analysis of a class of irreversible closed IFGT cycles coupled to variable temperature heat reservoirs. Based on the derived analytical formulae for the dimensionless power output and efficiency, the efficiency optimization is performed in two aspects. The first is to search the optimum heat conductance distribution corresponding to the efficiency optimization among the hot- and cold-side of the heat reservoirs and the high temperature heat exchangers for a fixed total heat exchanger inventory. The second is to search the optimum thermal capacitance rate matching corresponding to the maximum efficiency between the working fluid and the high-temperature heat reservoir for a fixed ratio of the thermal capacitance rates of the two heat reservoirs. The influences of some design parameters on the optimum heat conductance distribution, the optimum thermal capacitance rate matching and the maximum power output, which include the inlet temperature ratio of the two heat reservoirs, the efficiencies of the compressor and the gas turbine, and the total pressure recovery coefficient, are provided by numerical examples. The power plant configuration under optimized operation condition leads to a smaller size, including the compressor, turbine, two heat reservoirs and the HTHE.
Experimental investigations into the impact of the void fraction on the condensation characteristics of R134a refrigerant in minichannels under conditions of periodic instability
Authors: Kuczyński Waldemar , Charun Henryk 
Published: August 2011

Experimental investigations into the impact of the void fraction on the condensation characteristics of R134a refrigerant in minichannels under conditions of periodic instabilityThis paper present the results of experimental investigations of condensation of R134a refrigerant in pipe minichannels with internal diameters 0.64, 0.90, 1.40, 1.44, 1.92 and 3.30 mm subject to periodic pressure instabilities. It was established that as in conventional channels, the displacement velocity of the pressure instabilities distinctly depends on the frequency of their hydrodynamic generation. The void fraction distinctly influences the velocity of the pressure instabilities. The form of this relationship depends on the internal diameter of the minichannels and on the method of calculating the void fraction.
Adaptive synthesis of a wavelet transform using fast neural network
Authors: Stolarek J. 
Published: August 2011

Adaptive synthesis of a wavelet transform using fast neural network
This paper introduces a new method for an adaptive synthesis of a wavelet transform using a fast neural network with a topology based on the lattice structure. The lattice structure and the orthogonal lattice structure are presented and their properties are discussed. A novel method for unsupervised training of the neural network is introduced. The proposed approach is tested by synthesizing new wavelets with an expected energy distribution between low- and high-pass filters. Energy compaction of the proposed method and Daubechies wavelets is compared. Tests are performed using sound and image signals.
Resource allocation for robust project scheduling
Authors: Klimek M. , Łebkowski P. 
Published: August 2011

Resource allocation for robust project schedulingThe paper presents a formal description of the resource allocation problem for resource-constrained project scheduling. A schedule can be executed by various resource flow networks which may differ in terms of resistance to disruptions occurring during project execution. The authors define such criteria of evaluating a resource flow network which can be more useful than robustness metrics used so far in the research. The authors discuss the importance of robust scheduling for execution projects and propose metrics for resource allocation robustness which take into consideration the stability of the final schedule. Those metrics make it possible to carry out a more precise analysis concerning the properties of the resource flow network in terms of its robustness to disruptions in comparison with a well known flexibility indicator,flex.
Nanostructured bone-like scaffolds for restoration of trabecular bone remodeling capability
Authors: Nowak M. , Firkowska I. , Giersig M. 
Published: August 2011

Nanostructured bone-like scaffolds for restoration of trabecular bone remodeling capabilityThis paper presents the theoretical study about carbon nanotube substrates for tissue engineering and its applications. Because the replacement of bone tissue with artificial tissue can violate the remodeling process completely, the artificial material should not only consist of the same material properties, but also exhibit other characteristics which are equally important and need to be taken into consideration. These are above all the mechanosensation. Besides replacing natural tissue, the nanostructured scaffolds presented in the paper can help the tissue growth by stimulating this process. The developed trabecular bone remodeling simulation method responsible for the nanostructured scaffold behavior is implemented here. Thus, the nanostructured bone-like scaffolds reflect the remodeling capability of the biological system, not only due to their application as replacement of natural tissue, but also due to their effects in the field of mechanosensation.
Numerical methods of solving equations of hydrodynamics from perspectives of the code FLASH
Authors: Murawski K. , Lee D. 
Published: August 2011

Numerical methods of solving equations of hydrodynamics from perspectives of the code FLASHIn this paper we review numerical methods for hydrodynamic equations. Internal complexity make numerical solutions of these equations a formidable task. We present results of advanced numerical simulations for a complex system with a use of a publicly available code, FLASH. These results proof that the numerical methods cope very well with this task.
A greedy algorithm for the DNA sequencing by hybridization with positive and negative errors and information about repetitions
Authors: Kwarciak K. , Formanowicz P. 
Published: August 2011

A greedy algorithm for the DNA sequencing by hybridization with positive and negative errors and information about repetitionsIn this paper a greedy algorithm for some variants of the sequencing by hybridization method is presented. In the standard version of the method information about repetitions is not available. In the paper it is assumed that a partial information of this type is a part of the problem instance. Here two simple but realistic models of this information are taken into consideration. The first one assumes it is known if a given element of a spectrum appears in the target sequence once or more than once. The second model uses the knowledge if a given element of a spectrum occurs in the analyzed sequence once, twice or at least three times. The proposed greedy algorithm solves the variant of the problem with positive and negative errors. Results of a computational experiment are reported which, among others, confirm that the additional information leads to the improvement of the obtained solutions. They also show that the more precise model of information increases the quality of reconstructed sequences.
Application of evolutionary algorithm to design minimal phase digital filters with non-standard amplitude characteristics and finite bit word length
Authors: Słowik A. 
Published: August 2011

Application of evolutionary algorithm to design minimal phase digital filters with non-standard amplitude characteristics and finite bit word length
In this paper an application of evolutionary algorithm to design minimal phase digital filters with non-standard amplitude characteristics and with finite bit word length is presented. Four digital filters with infinite impulse response were designed using the proposed method. These digital filters possess: linearly falling characteristics, linearly growing characteristics, nonlinearly falling characteristics, and nonlinearly growing characteristics, and they are designed using bit words with an assumed length. This bit word length is connected with a processing register size. This register size depends on hardware possibilities where digital filter is to be implemented. In this paper, a modification of the mutation operator is introduced too. Due to this modification, better results were obtained in relation to the results obtained using the evolutionary algorithm with other mutation operators. The digital filters designed using the proposed method can be directly implemented in the hardware (DSP system) without any additional modifications.
FPGA and ASIC implementation of the algorithm for traffic monitoring in urban areas
Authors: Szczepański S. , Wöjcikowski M. , Pankiewicz B. , KŁosowski M. , Żaglewski R. 
Published: August 2011

FPGA and ASIC implementation of the algorithm for traffic monitoring in urban areas
This paper describes the idea and the implementation of the image detection algorithm, that can be used in integrated sensor networks for environment and traffic monitoring in urban areas. The algorithm is dedicated to the extraction of moving vehicles from real-time camera images for the evaluation of traffic parameters, such as the number of vehicles, their direction of movement and their approximate speed. The authors, apart from the careful selection of particular steps of the algorithm towards hardware implementation, also proposed novel improvements, resulting in increasing the robustness and the efficiency. A single, stationary, monochrome camera is used, simple shadow and highlight elimination is performed. The occlusions are not taken into account, due to placing the camera at a location high above the road. The algorithm is designed and implemented in pipelined hardware, therefore high frame-rate efficiency has been achieved. The algorithm has been implemented and tested in FPGA and ASIC.
Impact of control representations on efficiency of local nonholonomic motion planning
Authors: Duleba I. 
Published: August 2011

Impact of control representations on efficiency of local nonholonomic motion planning
In this paper various control representations selected from a family of harmonic controls were examined for the task of locally optimal motion planning of nonholonomic systems. To avoid dependence of results either on a particular system or a current point in a state space, considerations were carried out in a sub-space of a formal Lie algebra associated with a family of controlled systems. Analytical and simulation results are presented for two inputs and three dimensional state space and some hints for higher dimensional state spaces were given. Results of the paper are important for designers of motion planning algorithms not only to preserve controllability of the systems but also to optimize their motion.
Toward Evidence-based, Client-centred Nutrition Education Guidelines: Dietitian and Consumer Survey Results
Authors: MacLellan Deborah , Morley Catherine , Traviss Karol , Cividin Theresa 
Published: August 2011

Purpose: Dietitian and consumer perspectives on nutrition education needs and preferences were explored, as these relate to health status.Methods: Phases 1 and 2 of a three-phase, mixed-methods study are reported. Phase 1 was a national online survey of dietitians, which was designed to inform the development of a consumer survey (Phase 2). Consumers responded to an online survey about their demographics, medical conditions, and nutrition education needs (what they wanted to learn) and preferences (how they wanted to learn). Phase 3 involved teleconferenced discussion groups with dietitians across Canada to develop guidelines for nutrition education.Results: Dietitian respondents (n=441) perceived that consumer health status was important in predicting needs and preferences for nutrition education; emotional support was considered most important for consumers with life-altering medical conditions. Consumers (n=680) expressed interest in an array of nutrition education approaches; cooking tips, recipes, and supplement advice were the most popular. Respondents with and without medical conditions had similar nutrition education needs and preferences.Conclusions: Because of the complexity of nutrition education and consumers’ preference for a spectrum of approaches and delivery methods, evidence-based nutrition education guidelines are important to inform dietetics training for the provision of client-centred nutrition education.