bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Brainstem dysfunction in variegate porphyria
Authors: Barraza Gonzalo , Serranova Tereza , Herrero Carmen , Casanova‐mollá Jordi , To‐figueras Jordi , Herranz Javier , Valls‐solé Josep 
Published: February 2012

AbstractIntroduction: Variegate porphyria (VP) is a rare metabolic disorder that may present as an acute predominantly motor neuropathy. Cranial nerves and brainstem functions have been only scarcely studied. Methods: Brainstem reflexes were examined in symptomatic and non‐symptomatic VP mutation carriers of a single family. Results: Similar results were found in the 2 patients with a history of porphyric crises. The blink reflex showed an absence of late responses (R2 and R2c) to stimulation of both sides. The masseter inhibitory reflex showed reduced inhibition of the second phase. The jaw jerk was normal. The asymptomatic carriers did not show any of the abnormalities just noted. Conclusions: Our results are compatible with a central lower pons–upper medulla disorder in the brainstem. We hypothesize that brainstem dysfunction in VP patients with a history of porphyric crises may be due to neurotoxic effects of porphyrin precursors as well as subclinical osmolarity changes due to hyponatremia. Muscle Nerve 46: 426–433, 2012
Partners in crime: VEGF and IL‐4 conscript tumour‐promoting macrophages
Authors: De Palma Michele 
Published: February 2012

AbstractTumour‐associated macrophages (TAMs) foster tumour progression by several mechanisms, including the promotion of angiogenesis, tissue remodelling, and immunosuppression. Such pro‐tumoural activities are thought to be executed by TAM subtypes that harbour features of alternatively activated (or M2‐polarized) macrophages. However, the molecular signals in tumours that induce recruitment and differentiation of M2‐like macrophages are not fully defined. In this issue of The Journal of Pathology, Linde et al investigate the role of the tumour‐derived cytokines, VEGF and IL‐4, in the recruitment and polarization of macrophages in a mouse model of skin cancer. The authors report that while VEGF‐A recruits monocytes from the peripheral circulation, IL‐4 induces their differentiation into tumour‐promoting, M2‐like macrophages. IL‐4 signalling blockade was sufficient to reprogram TAMs away from the M2‐like phenotype and inhibited tumour angiogenesis and growth. This study attests to the potential of reprogramming TAMs to abate their pro‐angiogenic and pro‐tumoural functions in tumours. Copyright © 2012 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Posterior fossa anomalies diagnosed with fetal MRI: Associated anomalies and neurodevelopmental outcomes
Authors: Patek Kyla J. , Kline‐Fath Beth M. , Hopkin Robert J. , Pilipenko Valentina V. , Crombleholme Timothy M. , Spaeth Christine G. 
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACTObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between intracranial and extracranial anomalies and neurodevelopmental outcome for fetuses diagnosed with a posterior fossa anomaly (PFA) on fetal MRI.MethodsCases of Dandy–Walker malformation, vermian hypogenesis/hypoplasia, and mega cisterna magna (MCM) were identified through the Fetal Care Center of Cincinnati between January 2004 and December 2010. Parental interview and retrospective chart review were used to assess neurodevelopmental outcome.ResultsPosterior fossa anomalies were identified in 59 fetuses; 9 with Dandy–Walker malformation, 36 with vermian hypogenesis/hypoplasia, and 14 with MCM. Cases with isolated PFAs (14/59) had better outcomes than those with additional anomalies (p = 0.00016), with isolated cases of MCM all being neurodevelopmentally normal. Cases with additional intracranial anomalies had a worse outcome than those without intracranial anomalies (p = 0.00017). The presence of extracranial anomalies increased the likelihood of having a poor outcome (p = 0.00014) as did the identification of an abnormal brainstem (p = 0.00018).ConclusionIntracranial and extracranial anomalies were good predictors of neurodevelopmental outcome in this study. The prognosis was poor for individuals with an abnormal brainstem, whereas those with isolated MCM had normal neurodevelopmental outcome. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Community pharmacists' adoption of medicines reclassified from prescription‐only status: a systematic review of factors associated with decision making
Authors: Paudyal Vibhu , Hansford Denise , Cunningham Scott , Stewart Derek 
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACTPurposeSubsequent to reclassification of legal status, more than 90 prescription‐only medicines have become available in the UK alone without a prescription. Similar changes are taking place internationally. The aim was to systematically review studies reporting factors associated with community pharmacists' decision making around adoption of these reclassified medicines into practice.MethodA systematic review of English language peer‐reviewed published literature from 1990 to 2010 was conducted. Literature was identified through MEDLINE, EMBASE, IPA, CINAHL, BSP, Cochrane Library and PsychINFO databases and other sources including key conference abstracts.ResultsA total of 38 studies were included. Twenty‐eight factors associated with pharmacists' decision making were identified. Medicine safety was consistently shown to be one of the key factors; however, the importance of evidence base and financial benefits of reclassification were less obvious. A paucity of high‐quality studies limits generalisation of findings.ConclusionsPatient safety appears to be the key to pharmacists' decision making. However, the study quality limitations indicate the need for further robust research. The 28 factors identified in this systematic review from international literature can aid rigorous research instrument development for future evaluations. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Design, fabrication, and analysis of transparent silicon solar cells for multi‐junction assemblies
Authors: Kerestes Christopher , Wang Yi , Shreve Kevin , Mutitu James , Creazzo Tim , Murcia Paola , Barnett Allen 
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACTTransparent silicon solar cells can lead to an increased efficiency of silicon‐based multi‐junction assemblies by transmitting near and below band gap energy light for conversion in a low band gap solar cell. This analysis shows that the maximum efficiency gain for a low band gap solar cell beneath silicon at a concentration of 50 suns is 5.8%, based on ideal absorption and conversion of the photons. This work analyzes the trade‐offs between increased near band edge absorption in the silicon and silicon solar cell transparency. Application of these results to real cases including a germanium bottom solar cell is analyzed, leading to a range of cases with increased system efficiency. Non‐ideal surfaces and real silicon and germanium solar cell device performance are presented. The range of practical system gains may be as low as 2.2 – 1% absolute when compared with the efficiency of a light‐trapped silicon solar cell for 1‐sun operation, based on this work. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Compact surface structures for the efficient excitation of surface plasmon‐polaritons
Authors: de la Cruz S. , Méndez E. R. , Macías D. , Salas‐Montiel R. , Adam P. M. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractWe present calculations of the efficiency of excitation of surface plasmon‐polaritons (SPPs) with surface structures illuminated by focussed beams. First, it is shown that the low reflectivity observed with broad highly directional beams and periodic gratings does not necessarily imply an efficient coupling to SPPs. We then consider the coupling through surface features like steps, grooves and angled steps, and calculate efficiency maps for these structures as functions of the parameters that define them. Finally, we explore the possibilities of improving the coupling efficiency using periodic structures consisting of a small number of rectangular grooves. We find that a surface section with a length of about four wavelengths can couple as much as 45% of the incident light into a directional SPP.
GSSTP: a signalling transport protocol for DVB‐S2 GSE‐only transmission systems
Authors: Ewald N. L. , Fairhurst G. , Noisternig M. , Soboll T. , Yun‐Garcia A. , Moreno I. 
Published: February 2012

SUMMARYThe current signalling framework for Digital Video Broadcasting systems is based on MPEG‐2 encoded Program Specific Information and System Information tables that rely on the transport stream. It is expected that in the near future, this architecture will be replaced by one based on the Generic Stream Encapsulation protocol, paving the way for the convergence of DVB‐S2 broadcast transmission networks and IP infrastructure. This paper presents a new lightweight Generic Stream Signalling Transport Protocol, which can be used to realise a transmission system based only on the Generic Stream Encapsulation and that efficiently supports filtering of Program Specific Information and System Information tables. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Advanced receiver design for satellite‐based automatic identification system signal detection
Authors: Burzigotti Paolo , Ginesi Alberto , Colavolpe Giulio 
Published: February 2012

SUMMARYThis paper describes an innovative receiver architecture for the satellite‐based automatic identification system. The receiver performance has been fully validated in the presence of the typical satellite channel characteristics. In particular, it is shown that the devised receiver provides an excellent performance against the noise, as well as a large resilience against message collisions, Doppler shift, and delay spread. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bayesian Approach with Maximum Entropy Principle for trusted quality of Web service metric in e‐commerce applications
Authors: Wang Shangguang , Zou Hua , Sun Qibo , Yang Fangchun 
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACTTrusted quality of Web service (QoWS) issue is critical for e‐commerce applications. However, many existing studies have little work in situations that have insufficient or no historical information regarding QoWS data. In this study, we propose a trusted QoWS metric approach, that is, Bayesian Approach with Maximum Entropy Principle. The key of our proposed approach is to extract QoWS prior distribution of Web service by using Maximum Entropy Principle and then to infer QoWS posterior distribution of Web service by using Bayesian Approach. On the basis of the obtained QoWS posterior distribution, trusted QoWS can be measured. We conduct extensive simulations to evaluate our proposed approach. The simulation results demonstrate that our proposed approach can obtain trusted QoWS effectively. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Operational Closure and Self‐Reference: On the Logic of Organizational Change
Authors: Schwaninger Markus , Groesser Stefan N. 
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACTThe concept ofautopoiesisintroduced by Maturana and Varela has, in the last four decades, triggered intellectual efforts for the understanding of phenomena of self‐organization in general. This contribution aims at conceptualizing and applying two aspects of autopoiesis—operational closureandself‐reference—in respect of social organizations. We formalize these concepts and demonstrate their power to explain change processes. This is achieved by means of a qualitative case study and a quantitative simulation model, which lead to counterintuitive insights about the dynamics of organizational transformation. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Perinatal exposure to low doses of tributyltin chloride advances puberty and affects patterns of estrous cyclicity in female mice
Authors: Si Jiliang , Han Xiaoying , Zhang Fengmei , Xin Quanbin , An Lihong , Li Guozhen , Li Chen 
Published: February 2012

AbstractTributyltin (TBT), a proven endocrine‐disrupting chemical, is well known to induce imposex in female gastropods. Herein we demonstrate the effects of low doses of tributyltin chloride (TBTCl) on the female offspring of KM mice. Pregnant mice were administered by gavage with 0, 1, 10, or 100 μg TBTCl/kg body weight/day from day 6 of pregnancy through the period of lactation. TBTCl dramatically advanced the age of onset of vaginal opening (VO) and first vaginal estrus, and reduced body weights at VO and first estrus. Furthermore, perinatal treatment with TBTCl significantly reduced the number of days between VO and first estrus. In addition, female offspring from dams exposed to 10 and 100 μg kg−1 TBTCl exhibited altered patterns of estrous cyclicity in adulthood. In conclusion, perinatal exposure to low doses TBTCl result in early puberty and impaired estrous cyclicity in female mice, which suggest that TBTCl might act as an estrogen agonist or/and a disruptor on hypothalamic–pituitary function in the present study. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2012.
Analyzing time to event outcomes with a Cox regression model
Authors: Walters Stephen J. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractSurvival analysis is concerned with studying the time between entry to a study and a subsequent event (such as death). Survival times now often refer to the development of a particular symptom or to relapse after remission of a disease, as well as to the time to death. A Cox regression model is a statistical technique for exploring the relationship between the survival of a patient and several explanatory variables. A Cox regression model provides an estimate of the treatment effect on survival after adjustment for other explanatory variables. Also, it allows us to estimate the hazard or risk of death for an individual given their prognostic variables. A Cox regression model must be fitted using an appropriate computer program (such as R, S‐Plus, SAS, STATA, or SPSS). The final model from a Cox regression analysis yields an equation for the hazard as a function of several explanatory variables. Interpreting the Cox regression model involves examining the coefficients for each explanatory variable. A positive regression coefficient sign for an explanatory variable means that the hazard is higher and thus the prognosis worse. Conversely, a negative regression coefficient implies a worse prognosis for patients with higher values of that variable.WIREs Comput Stat2012, 4:310–315. doi: 10.1002/wics.1197This article is categorized under:Applications of Computational Statistics > Clinical TrialsStatistical and Graphical Methods of Data Analysis > Reliability, Survivability, and Quality Control
Washing oiled sea otters
Authors: Jessup David A. , Yeates Laura C. , Toy‐Choutka Sharon , Casper David , Murray Michael J. , Ziccardi Michael H. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractThe 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill resulted in the death of 3,000–6,000 sea otters (Enhydra lutris) from exposure to Alaska North Slope crude oil, and the cleaning and rehabilitation of hundreds. The washing and care methods developed during that experience provided standard protocols for treatment of oiled sea otters, largely still in use 20 years later. From 2004 to 2008 at the Marine Wildlife Veterinary Care and Research Center (Santa Cruz, CA, USA), we experimentally manipulated water type (salt–fresh) and temperature, and we monitored otter physiology, behavior, and thermal properties to evaluate recovery from washing in the absence of oil. We also dipped otters in canola oil, and were able to wash one otter naturally oiled with Monterey formation crude oil, using the same methods. Providing soft freshwater in recovery pools reduced recovery time substantially. Warming the freshwater appeared to offer additional benefits in some cases. Infrared thermography and subcutaneous temperature‐sensitive passive integrated transponder tags were 2 new technologies that enhanced this research. The improved washing and care methods developed have the potential to reduce the time required for recovery of water repellency of sea otter pelage. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.
Optimization of medium formulation and seed conditions for expression of mature PsaA (pneumococcal surface adhesin A) in Escherichia coli using a sequential experimental design strategy and response surface methodology
Authors: Larentis Ariane Leites , Nicolau Júlia Fabiana Monteiro Quintal , Argondizzo Ana Paula Corrêa , Galler Ricardo , Rodrigues Maria Isabel , Medeiros Marco Alberto 
Published: February 2012

Abstract
PsaA, a candidate antigen for a vaccine against pneumonia, is well-conserved in all Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes. A sequence of two-level experimental designs was used to evaluate medium composition and seed conditions to optimize the expression of soluble mature PsaA in E. coli. A face-centered central composite design was first used to evaluate the effects of yeast extract (5 and 23.6 g/L), tryptone (0 and 10 g/L), and glucose (1 and 10 g/L), with replicate experiments at the central point (14.3 g/L yeast extract, 5 g/L tryptone, 5.5 g/L glucose). Next, a central composite design was used to analyze the influence of NaCl concentration (0, 5, and 10 g/L) compared with potassium salts (9.4 g/L K2HPO4/2.2 g/L KH2PO4), and seed growth (7 and 16 h). Tryptone had no significant effect and was removed from the medium. Yeast extract and glucose were optimized at their intermediate concentrations, resulting in an animal-derived material-free culture medium containing 15 g/L yeast extract, 8 g/L glucose, 50 μg/mL kanamycin, and 0.4% glycerol, yielding 1 g/L rPsaA after 16 h induction at 25°C in shake flasks at 200 rpm. All the seed age and salt conditions produced similar yields, indicating that no variation had a statistically significant effect on expression. Instead of growing the seed culture for 16 h (until saturation), the process can be conducted with 7 h seed growth until the exponential phase. These results enhanced the process productivity and reduced costs, with 5 g/L NaCl being used rather than potassium salts.
Use of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae endopolygalacturonase promoter to direct expression in Escherichia coli
Authors: Gognies S , Bahkali A , Moslem M , Belarbi A 
Published: February 2012

Abstract
In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, an endopolygalacturonase encoded by the PGL1 gene catalyzes the random hydrolysis of the α-1,4 glycosidic linkages in polygalacturonic acid. To study the regulation of the PGL1 gene, we constructed a reporter vector containing the lacZ gene under the control of PGL1 promoter. Surprisingly, when Escherichia coli DH5α was transformed by this vector, cells harboring the constructed plasmid produced blue colonies. Sequence analysis of this promoter revealed that E. coli consensus sequences required to express an in-frame lacZ alpha product were present. We next decided to investigate how the PGL1 promoter is regulated in E. coli compared to yeast. In this study, we examined the modulation of the PGL1 promoter in E. coli, and the results indicated that its activity is greatly induced by saturated digalacturonic acid and is indirectly regulated by the transcriptional regulators the 2-keto-3-deoxygluconate repressor. Moreover, PGL1 expression is enhanced under aerobic conditions. We found that β-galactosidase activity in E. coli could reach 180 units, which is 40-fold greater than the activity produced in S. cerevisiae, and greater than recombinant protein expression previously reported by other researchers. We thus demonstrate that this vector can be considered as a dual expression plasmid for both E. coli and S. cerevisiae hosts. So far, no modulation of endoPG promoters expressed in E. coli has been reported.
Aero-optics of subsonic turbulent boundary layers
Authors: Wang Kan , Wang Meng 
Published: February 2012

AbstractCompressible large-eddy simulations are carried out to study the aero-optical distortions caused by Mach 0.5 flat-plate turbulent boundary layers at Reynolds numbers of ${\mathit{Re}}_{\theta } = 875$, 1770 and 3550, based on momentum thickness. The fluctuations of refractive index are calculated from the density field, and wavefront distortions of an optical beam traversing the boundary layer are computed based on geometric optics. The effects of aperture size, small-scale turbulence, different flow regions and beam elevation angle are examined and the underlying flow physics is analysed. It is found that the level of optical distortion decreases with increasing Reynolds number within the Reynolds-number range considered. The contributions from the viscous sublayer and buffer layer are small, while the wake region plays a dominant role, followed by the logarithmic layer. By low-pass filtering the fluctuating density field, it is shown that small-scale turbulence is optically inactive. Consistent with previous experimental findings, the distortion magnitude is dependent on the propagation direction due to anisotropy of the boundary-layer vortical structures. Density correlations and length scales are analysed to understand the elevation-angle dependence and its relation to turbulence structures. The applicability of Sutton’s linking equation to boundary-layer flows is examined, and excellent agreement between linking equation predictions and directly integrated distortions is obtained when the density length scale is appropriately defined.
Water waves over a variable bottom: a non-local formulation and conformal mappings
Authors: Fokas A. S. , Nachbin A. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractIn Ablowitz, Fokas & Musslimani (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 562, 2006, pp. 313–343) a novel formulation was proposed for water waves in three space dimensions. In the flat-bottom case, this formulation consists of the Bernoulli equation, as well as of a non-local equation. The variable-bottom case, which now involves two non-local equations, was outlined but not explored in the above paper. Here, the variable-bottom formulation is addressed in more detail. First, it is shown that in the weakly nonlinear, weakly dispersive regime, the above system of three equations can be reduced to a system of two equations. Second, by combining the novel non-local formulation of the above authors with conformal mappings, it is shown that in the two-dimensional case, it is possible to obtain a system of two equations without any asymptotic approximations. Furthermore, for the weakly nonlinear, weakly dispersive regime, the nonlinear equations are simpler than the equations obtained without conformal mappings, since they contain lower order derivatives for the terms involving the bottom variable.