bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparison of approaches for microscopic imaging of skin lymphatic vessels
Authors: Wu Xiufeng , Yu Zheyuan , Liu Ningfei 
Published: September 2011

AbstractAssessment of skin lymphatic vessels is of great significance in understanding their roles in many pathological conditions. Our aim was to identify the optimal approach for investigation of cutaneous lymphatic system. We performed comparative studies on skin lymphatic vessels using immunohistochemistry of tissue sections, computer graphic reconstruction method together with immunohistochemically stained serial sections and whole mount fluorescence in human lower limb. Lymphatic vessels were identified with podoplanin antibody. The relative merits and drawbacks of each method in evaluation of structure, spatial organization, and distribution of cutaneous lymphatic vessels were described. Immunohistology of tissue sections enabled the investigation of the structure and distribution of the whole cutaneous lymphatic system in two‐dimensional slices, whereas three‐dimensional morphology of only the most superficial lymph capillary network immediately under the epidermis could be evaluated with the whole mount technique. Meanwhile, only little segmentation of skin lymphatic vessel from five immunohistochemically stained serial sections was reconstructed and evaluated due to expense and special skills required using computer graphic three‐dimensional reconstruction. Furthermore, a great number of artifacts and special skills required in its processes leaded to less accurate structure of skin lymphatic vessels. Our findings demonstrated that the use of either of the proposed techniques alone could not allow a comprehensive analysis of the skin lymphatic system due to their relative drawbacks. Combination of immunohistology of tissue sections and three‐dimensional whole‐mount preparations appears to be the best candidate for comprehensive evaluation of skin lymphatic system. SCANNING 34: 174–180, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Real‐time noninvasive optical diagnosis for colorectal cancer using multiphoton microscopy
Authors: Ying Mingang , Zhuo Shuangmu , Chen Gang , Zhuo Changhua , Lu Jianping , Zhu Weifeng , Xie Shusen , Chen Jianxin , Yan Jun 
Published: September 2011

AbstractIn contrast to colonoscopy biopsy, which contains several disadvantages such as bleeding, sampling error, crush artifact, and time‐consuming pathological procedure, multiphoton microscopy (MPM) enables direct noninvasive visualization of tissue architecture and cell morphology in live tissues without the administration of exogenous contrast agents. We performed a proof‐of‐principle study to evaluate the feasibility of using MPM to make real‐time noninvasive optical diagnosis of colorectal cancer by investigating 30 fresh, unfixed, and unstained full‐thickness colorectal specimens. We found that MPM images demonstrated irregular tubular structures, reduced stroma, and cellular and nuclear pleomorphism in the cancerous tissues. Cancer cells, characterized by irregular size and shape, enlarged nuclei, and increased nuclear‐cytoplasmic ratio, were clearly observed in MPM images, which were comparable to golden standard hematoxylin‐eosin staining images. Our findings showed that MPM had the potential to make real‐time noninvasive optical diagnosis of colorectal cancer. With miniaturization and integration of colonoscopy, MPM has a promising future in real‐time noninvasive “optical biopsy” for colorectal cancer. SCANNING 34: 181–185, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Authoritarian science curriculum standards as barriers to teaching and learning: An interpretation of personal experience
Authors: Wallace Carolyn S. 
Published: September 2011

AbstractThis is a critical time for the science education community as we embark on the creation and implementation of new national science standards. The purpose of this essay is to offer insight into how the language of curriculum standards, including that found in state science standards in the United States over the past 15 years, has posed barriers to meaningful science teaching and learning. I synthesize research from educational policy, science education, curriculum theory, critical inquiry, and my own experiential learning from a particular case in the state of Georgia to analyze the effects of authoritarian standards language on science classroom teaching. I argue that curriculum standards based on a content and product model of education (A. V. Kelly, 1999), have been incongruent with research from cognitive psychology, science identity formation, language use, and science as inquiry. The final portion of the essay considers how a process‐oriented set of curriculum standards, for example that found in New Zealand, could provide a more empowering epistemological foundation for classroom teaching. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 96:291–310, 2012
Process warehouses in practice: a goal‐driven method for business process analysis
Authors: Shahzad Khurram , Zdravkovic Jelena 
Published: September 2011

SUMMARYProcess analysis and improvement, one of the core phases in the business process management life cycle, is reaching the top of the agenda for many enterprises and organizations. An emerging approach to analyzing business processes involves the use of process‐oriented data warehouses to collect information about executed processes to enable their detailed analysis and thereby provide bases for possible improvements. However, very little work has been carried out on employing business orientation in the design and utilization of a process warehouse. The approach presented in this study addresses that limitation by proposing a method that relates business goals to the information from the warehouse. To do so, we start by defining a desired goal structure that concerns an existing business process. The obtained goal model is firstly utilized for scoping and designing a corresponding data model for a process warehouse, and further for retrieving the information from the warehouse to examine the fulfillment of the goals of interest. The key benefits of the proposed method are the provision of the relevant and accurate business process information as well as tracing the process‐related goals to the process execution data and further to the analysis of the process. As validation of the proposed method, we develop a prototype, and a healthcare process is used as an illustrative example. Also, to demonstrate the method quality, we perform an experiment on the effectiveness of the information access and retrieval. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A microRNA-Based System for Selecting and Maintaining the Pluripotent State in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Authors: Di Stefano Bruno , Maffioletti Sara Martina , Gentner Bernhard , Ungaro Federica , Schira Giulia , Naldini Luigi , Broccoli Vania 
Published: September 2011

Abstract
Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology has provided researchers with a unique tool to derive disease-specific stem cells for the study and possible treatment of degenerative disorders with autologous cells. The low efficiency and heterogeneous nature of reprogramming is a major impediment to the generation of personalized iPSC lines. Here, we report the generation of a lentiviral system based on a microRNA-regulated transgene that enables for the efficient selection of mouse and human pluripotent cells. This system relies on the differential expression pattern of the mature form of microRNA let7a in pluripotent versus committed or differentiated cells. We generated microRNA responsive green fluorescent protein and Neo reporters for specific labeling and active selection of the pluripotent cells in any culture condition. We used this system to establish Rett syndrome and Parkinson's disease human iPSCs. The presented selection procedure represents a straightforward and powerful tool for facilitating the derivation of patient-specific iPSCs.
Molecular catalysis for fullerene functionalization
Authors: Itami Kenichiro 
Published: September 2011

AbstractThis account highlights elements of our efforts to explore new functionalization chemistry of fullerenes using molecular catalysts since 2006. These endeavors have led to the development of new reactions such as (i) organoboron addition to fullerenes, (ii) CH bond allylation and arylation of organo(hydro)fullerenes, (iii) CH/CC bond cleavage of alkynyl(hydro)fullerenes, (iv) regioselective tetraallylation of fullerenes, (v) double nucleophilic substitution of aziridinofullerene, and (vi) [2 + 2] cycloaddition of aziridinofullerene with alkynes. These works not only highlight the potential of molecular catalysis for fullerene functionalization, but also unlock opportunities for markedly different strategies in nanocarbon synthesis. DOI 10.1002/tcr.201100022
Transition to the Clinical Doctorate: Attitudes of the Genetic Counseling Training Program Directors in North America
Authors: Stuenkel Aaron J. , Campion MaryAnn , Allain Dawn , Hampel Heather 
Published: September 2011

AbstractIn North America, genetic counseling is an allied health profession where entry level practitioners currently must hold a master's degree earned from a graduate program accredited by the American Board of Genetic Counseling. This is one of many health care professions that could transition to an entry level clinical doctorate degree. This study explored the attitudes of genetic counseling training program directors toward such a transition. Thirty‐one North American program directors were invited to complete an online survey and a follow‐up telephone interview. Twenty‐one program directors completed the survey and ten directors also completed a follow up phone interview. There was disagreement among the respondents on the issue of transitioning to a clinical doctorate degree (nine in favor, six against and six undecided). Respondents disagreed about whether the transition would lead to higher salaries (six yes, eight no, and seven unsure) or increased professional recognition (eight yes, eight no, and four unsure). Approximately half (n = 10) of directors were not sure if the transition to a clinical doctorate would help or hurt minority recruitment; six thought it would help and four thought it would hurt. However, the majority (n = 13) thought a clinical doctorate would help genetic counselors to obtain faculty positions. If the field transitions to a clinical doctorate, 11 of the directors thought their program would convert, seven were unsure and one thought their program would shut down. Themes identified in interview data included 1) implications for the profession 2) institution‐specific considerations and 3) perception of the unknown. Opinions are quite varied at this time regarding the possible transition to the clinical doctorate among genetic counseling training program directors.
Stable carbon isotope characteristics of desert plants in the Junggar Basin, China
Authors: Ma Jian‐Ying , Sun Wei , Sun Hui‐Ling , Wang Shao‐Ming 
Published: September 2011

AbstractDesert plants have unique strategies for survival and growth to cope with the limited water availability in arid regions. The stable carbon isotope (δ13C) provides an integrated measurement of internal plant physiological and external environmental properties affecting photosynthetic gas exchange and water use efficiency. The δ13C values of 84 species in the Junggar Basin were categorized into two groups (ranged from −30.1 to −23.3‰ for C3 and −14.9 to −9.9‰ for C4 species, respectively). No life form differences in δ13C values were detected in C3 (p = 0.78) and C4 plants (p = 0.63). Small differences among life forms were observed in δ13C values in C4 species with shrubs slightly depleted (−13.3‰) relative to perennials (−13.1‰) and annuals (−12.5‰). These differences suggested that δ13C value could not represent a plant functional group classification based on life forms in C4 plants in extremely arid regions. Ephemerals are all using C3 photosynthetic pathway and no significant differences (p = 0.92) in δ13C values were observed between annuals (−26.5‰) and perennials (−26.4‰). The δ13C values of Tulipa iliensis (an important ephemeral species distributed widely in the Junggar Basin) among nine natural populations were positively correlated with leaf (r2 = 0.46, p = 0.046) and soil (r2 = 0.67, p = 0.007) total nitrogen content, and negatively correlated with leaf (r2 = 0.48, p = 0.039) and soil (r2 = 0.79, p = 0.001) water content. This indicated that the variation in δ13C values of T. iliensis was probably caused by both water availability associated stomatal openness and nitrogen availability associated photosynthetic capacity. T. iliensis is very sensitive to water and nitrogen availability in soil.
Transillumination of Hand Tumors: A Cadaver Study to Evaluate Accuracy and Intraobserver Reliability
Authors: Erne Holger C. , Gardner Thomas R. , Strauch Robert J. 
Published: September 2011

Background The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy and intraobserver reliability of the technique of penlight transillumination of simulated hand tumors as well as the rationale for the technique. Methods Eight observers examined small (9.5 mm) plastic spheres in a fresh frozen cadaveric human hand 3 weeks apart in a blinded manner. The observers were divided into two overall groups based on their level of training. Four spheres simulating hand tumors (two dorsal and two palmar) were placed subcutaneously. The spheres were known to either transilluminate or to be opaque. The observers noted their impression as to whether the spheres either did or did not transilluminate. Accuracy and multi-rater-kappa-statistical analysis were performed. Results The overall accuracy was 87.5%: 95% for senior group, 81% for junior group ( P=.388, not significant). The average kappa of the intraobserver reliability overall was 0.46. The senior group had a kappa value of 0.67 (substantial agreement), the “junior” group: 0.25 (fair agreement). Conclusions Accuracy at correctly determining whether or not a small hand tumor transilluminated was high. The senior group was more accurate overall in correctly determining transillumination, though not with statistical significance. Intraobserver reliability was high for the senior group and less robust for the junior group.
Properties of Canola Protein‐based Plastics and Protein Isolates Modified Using SDS and SDBS
Authors: Manamperi Wajira A. R. , Pryor Scott W. 
Published: September 2011

AbstractCanola protein isolates were prepared from canola meal flour using alkaline solubilization and acid precipitation. The isolates were treated with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) with concentrations between 1 and 5%. Functional property analysis of modified isolates revealed that water absorption and fat absorption increased by up to 115 and 78%, respectively, with increasing SDBS concentrations. Fat absorption of SDS‐modified isolates showed a similar trend to that of SDBS‐modified isolates (86% increase), but water absorption decreased (by 77%) in the 5% SDS treatment. SDS and SDBS treatments reduced the emulsifying activity of protein isolates by 34 and 30%, respectively. The denaturation effect of SDS and SDBS treatments increased the surface hydrophobicity of proteins and resulted in increased tensile strength (by 14 and 41%), tensile modulus (by 31 and 52%), and toughness (by 44 and 64%) of plastic specimens prepared using modified isolates. Only the 3% treatments of SDS and SDBS increased the elongation of plastics (by 22 and 11%, respectively) while other treatments did not show significant differences from the plastics that used non‐modified isolates. The water absorption of plastics increased by 33% with the 5% SDS treatment; the SDBS treatments showed a 9% decrease in water absorption for the 1% treatment but no significant differences at higher concentrations. Denaturation by SDS and SDBS can be employed to alter functional properties of canola protein isolates as well as the mechanical properties of canola protein‐based plastics.
Upper limb motion analysis in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy: Proximal kinematic changes after distal botulinum toxin or surgical treatments
Authors: Fitoussi Frank , Diop Amadou , Maurel Nathalie , Laasel El Mostefa , Ilharreborde Brice , Penneçot Georges François 
Published: September 2011

Purpose The purpose of this study is to describe the kinematic changes in children with cerebral palsy (CP) after treatments performed on the forearm, wrist or thumb, with specific attention to the changes around the trunk, shoulder and elbow kinematics. Methods With the use of a specific kinematic protocol, we first described the upper limb kinematics in a group of 27 hemiplegic patients during two simple daily tasks. Eight of these children were treated with botulinum toxin (Botox®, Allergan) injection or surgery and were, thereafter, evaluated with another kinematic analysis in order to compare the pre- and post-therapeutic condition. The target muscles were the pronator teres, flexor carpi radialis, flexor carpi ulnaris, flexor digitorum superficialis, flexor pollicis longus and the adductor pollicis. Results Significant kinematic changes were found after treatment. Patients increased forearm supination ( P < 0.05) and wrist extension ( P < 0.05) during both tasks. Patients also decreased trunk flexion/extension range of motion (ROM) ( P < 0.05), improved elbow ROM ( P < 0.05) and improved internal shoulder rotation ( P < 0.05). Conclusions Dynamic shoulder or elbow limitations in children with mild hemiplegia involvement could be related to a compensatory movement strategy and/or co-contractions. As these proximal kinematics anomalies are improved after treatments performed at the forearm, wrist and thumb, they should not be treated first but should be reconsidered after the treatment of more distal problems.
The stability of developing pipe flow at high Reynolds number and the existence of nonlinear neutral centre modes
Authors: Walton Andrew G. 
Published: September 2011

AbstractThe high-Reynolds-number stability of unsteady pipe flow to axisymmetric disturbances is studied using asymptotic analysis. It is shown that as the disturbance amplitude is increased, nonlinear effects first become significant within the critical layer, which moves away from the pipe wall as a result. It is found that the flow stabilizes once the basic profile has become sufficiently fully developed. By tracing the nonlinear neutral curve back to earlier times, it is found that in addition to the wall mode, which arises from a classical upper branch linear stability analysis, there also exists a nonlinear neutral centre mode, governed primarily by inviscid dynamics. The centre mode problem is solved numerically and the results show the existence of a concentrated region of vorticity centred on or close to the pipe axis and propagating downstream at almost the maximum fluid velocity. The connection between this structure and the puffs and slugs of vorticity observed in experiments is discussed.
The frequency of daily ethanol consumption influences the effect of ethanol on insulin sensitivity in rats fed a high-fat diet
Authors: Feng Li , Han Bo , Wang Ruxia , Li Qiu , Bian Dezhi , Ma Chunyan , Song Guangyao , Gao Ling , Zhao J. 
Published: September 2011

The different effects of ethanol on insulin sensitivity may be due to complex reasons. Here, we focus on the various daily ethanol consumption frequencies in rats fed a high-fat (HF) diet and explore the possible mechanism mediated by adiponectin and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). A total of thirty-six male Wistar rats were fed a HF diet and were randomly divided into three groups: those that received tap water (C); those that received ethanol via a gastric tube twice per d (E1); those that received free access to ethanol for drinking (E2). The total daily ethanol dosage in groups E1 and E2 were the same (5 g/kg per d). At the end of 18 weeks, insulin sensitivity was evaluated. Adiponectin AMPK and GLUT4 levels were determined. We found that the different administration frequencies led to markedly different plasma ethanol concentrations and there were intimate relationships between plasma ethanol concentration and insulin sensitivity. Insulin resistance was markedly improved in group E1, whereas only a slight improvement was observed in group E2. Accordingly, adiponectin, phosphorylated AMPK and GLUT4 levels were significantly increased in group E1. Based on these findings, we propose that ethanol concentration might be the major influencing factor mediating the effect of ethanol on insulin sensitivity. At a total daily dosage of 5 g/kg per d, twice daily administration of ethanol was more beneficial than continuous drinking. The protective effect of ethanol might be mediated by increased adiponectin levels, which subsequently improve the activation of AMPKα and GLUT4 expression in adipose tissue.
Laboratory rearing and life history of an emerging grape pest, Xylotrechus arvicola (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)
Authors: García-Ruiz E. , Marco V. , Pérez-Moreno I. 
Published: September 2011

AbstractSeveral aspects of the biology of Xylotrechus arvicola (Olivier), an emerging grape pest, were studied under laboratory conditions. Four diets were tested to rear this species in the laboratory. Among them, only one made rearing from larva to adult possible. The highest mortality, in all cases, was recorded during the first days of larval development. Larvae were kept 45 days at 8°C to break diapause in order to reduce the normal field larval developmental time. The species' developmental time was similar between sexes, while pupal developmental time and weight were significantly greater for females than for males. As part of a complementary study, life table parameters of females obtained from the larvae reared on the artificial diet were compared to those of females emerged from field-infested grape root wood. Both laid the majority of eggs in the first two weeks after emergence, and they had a similar pre-laying period. Nevertheless, the females from the diet-reared larvae lived significantly longer, laid eggs over a longer period of time and showed higher fertility than those emerging from infested grape root, suggesting that diet fulfils larval nutritional needs. The species’ laboratory-reared population exhibited a low intrinsic growth rate value (rm=0.01) as a result of its long egg-to-adult developmental time and its high larval mortality.