bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and Characterization of Silicone‐Based Surfactants as Anti‐Foaming Agents
Authors: Kekevi Burcu , Berber Hale , Yıldırım Hüseyin 
Published: July 2011

AbstractSilicone‐based amphiphilic surfactants were synthesized as anti‐foaming agents through a polycondensation reaction between chlorine‐terminated polysiloxane and polyethers. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and poly(propylene glycol) of different molecular weights were used. The structures of these tri‐block co‐polymers were characterized by FTIR, 1H NMR and ESI–MS analysis. Surface tension, foam height and foam destruction properties of these co‐polymers were determined. Spectroscopic analysis confirmed that bonding of polyether to polysiloxane was successful and two types of different tri‐block co‐polymers were obtained. The anti‐foaming efficiency of these co‐polymers tended to increase with an increase in the hydrophilic character of the co‐polymer chains. The synthesized tri‐block co‐polymers, which can be used as anti‐foaming agents in paper‐coating applications of poly(vinyl acetate‐co‐butyl acrylate) latexes, showed low surface tension values, fast liquid drainage and efficient foam destruction. PEG 200‐b‐PDMS‐b‐PEG 200 was determined to be the most efficient anti‐foaming agent among all co‐polymers synthesized.
Unique patterns of evolutionary conservation of imprinted genes
Authors: Paulsen Martina 
Published: July 2011

Abstract
During mammalian evolution, complex systems of epigenetic gene regulation have been established: Epigenetic mechanisms control tissue-specific gene expression, X chromosome inactivation in females and genomic imprinting. Studying DNA sequence conservation in imprinted genes, it becomes evident that evolution of gene function and evolution of epigenetic gene regulation are tightly connected. Furthermore, comparative studies allow the identification of DNA sequence features that distinguish imprinted genes from biallelically expressed genes. Among these features are CpG islands, tandem repeats and retrotransposed elements that are known to play major roles in epigenetic gene regulation. Currently, more and more genetic and epigenetic data sets become available. In future, such data sets will provide the basis for more complex investigations on epigenetic variation in human populations. Therein, an exciting topic will be the genetic and epigenetic variability of imprinted genes and its input on human disease.
Chronic arsenic exposure and its adverse health effects in Taiwan: A paradigm for management of a global environmental problem
Authors: Lan Cheng‐Che , Yu Hsin‐Su , Ko Ying‐Chin 
Published: July 2011

AbstractIt was estimated that, nearly 100 million people are at risk for drinking arsenic (As)‐contaminated drinking water. Although the WHO guideline recommends that levels of As in drinking water should not exceed 10 μm/L, it was estimated that more than 30 million people drink As‐containing water at levels more than 50 μm/L in Bangladesh and India alone. Therefore, the adverse health effects resulting from chronic As exposure pose a global threat. In Taiwan, studies focusing on the health effects resulting from chronic As exposure through contaminated drinking water have been ongoing for more than 50 years. During the past half century, it was recognized that the impact of high As exposure on human health is much more complicated than originally anticipated. Chronic As exposure resulted in infamous blackfoot disease, which is unique to As endemic areas in Taiwan, and various diseases including cancers and non‐cancers. Although the potential‐biological outcomes have been well‐documented, the pathomechanisms leading from As exposure to occurrence and development of the diseases remain largely unclear. One of the major obstacles that hindered further understanding regarding the adverse health effect resulting from chronic As exposure is documentation of cumulative As exposure from the distant past, which remains difficult as the present technologies mostly document relatively recent As exposure. Furthermore, the susceptibility to As exposure appears to differ between different ethnic groups and individuals and is modified by lifestyle factors including smoking habits and nutrition status. No consensus data has yet been reached even after comparing the study results obtained from different parts of the world focusing on associations between human As toxicity and genetic polymorphisms in terms of cellular detoxification enzymes, tumor suppressor proteins, and DNA repair pathway. With the availability of the new powerful “OMIC” technologies, it may now be possible to gain new path‐breaking insights regarding this important environmental health issue. The lessons learned from the past half‐century placed Taiwan in an experienced position to actively participate in the international collaborative projects using these novel technologies and standardized methods.
Coexisting mechanical hypersensitivity and anxiety in a rat model of spinal cord injury and the effect of pregabalin, morphine, and midazolam treatment
Authors: Baastrup Cathrine , Jensen Troels S. , Finnerup Nanna B. 
Published: July 2011

Abstract

Background and purpose
Spinal cord injury (SCI) has detrimental consequences that include chronic neuropathic pain, which is seen in 40-50% of patients, and symptoms of anxiety and depression, which affect 13-45% of SCI patients. The coexistence of pain, anxiety, and depression is known from other neuropathic pain conditions, but the relationship between these symptoms is not clear and has not been investigated in a preclinical model of SCI so far.
The aim of this study was to investigate anxiety-like behavior and at-level mechanical hypersensitivity following experimental spinal cord contusion (SCC) in female Sprague-Dawley rats, and the effects of analgesic and anxiolytic drugs.

Methods
Mechanical sensitivity and elevated plus maze (EPM) behavior were measured pre- and postinjury in SCC and sham animals. Pregabalin 30 mg/kg, morphine 3 mg/kg, midazolam 0.5 mg/kg, and 0.9% NaCl were evaluated in a randomly allocated, blinded balanced design.

Results
SCC animals developed persistent at-level mechanical hypersensitivity and decreased open arm activity in the EPM, which indicates an anxiety-like state. Pregabalin, a dual-acting analgesic and anxiolytic drug reduced both hypersensitivity and anxiety-like behavior, while the analgesic drug morphine only reduced hypersensitivity. The anxiolytic drug midazolam in the dose used had no effect on either parameter.

Conclusions
SCC animals developed long lasting coexisting at-level mechanical hypersensitivity and anxiety-like behavior, but there was no evidence to support a causal relationship between pain and anxiety following SCI.

Implications
The findings that at-level mechanical hypersensitivity and anxiety-like behavior develops concomitantly in the spinal cord contusion models and that both symptoms is persistent provide basis for further investigation of the mechanisms and connection behind these two clinically relevant symptoms after injury to the central nervous system.
Review of neuroimaging studies related to pain modulation
Authors: Knudsen Lone , Petersen Gitte Laue , Nørskov Kathrine Næsted , Vase Lene , Finnerup Nanna , Jensen Troels Staehelin , Svensson Peter 
Published: July 2011

Abstract

Background and purpose: A noxious stimulus does not necessarily cause pain. Nociceptive signals arising from a noxious stimulus are subject to modulation via endogenous inhibitory and facilitatory mechanisms as they travel from the periphery to the dorsal horn or brainstem and on to higher brain sites. Research on the neural structures underlying endogenous pain modulation has largely been restricted to animal research due to the invasiveness of such studies (e.g., spinal cord transection, brain lesioning, brain site stimulation). Neuroimaging techniques (e.g., magnetoencephalography (MEG), positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)) provide non-invasive means to study neural structures in humans. The aim is to provide a narrative review of neuroimaging studies related to human pain control mechanisms.

Methods: The approach taken is to summarise specific pain modulation mechanisms within the somatosensory (diffuse noxious inhibitory controls, acupuncture, movement), affective (depression, anxiety, catastrophizing, stress) and cognitive (anticipation/placebo, attention/distraction, hypnosis)domains with emphasis on the contribution of neuroimaging studies.

Results and conclusions: Findings from imaging studies are complex reflecting activation or deactivation in numerous brain areas. Despite this, neuroimaging techniques have clarified supraspinal sites involved in a number of pain control mechanisms. The periaqueductal grey (PAG) is one area that has consistently been shown to be activated across the majority of pain mechanisms. Activity in the rostral ventromedial medulla known to relay descending modulation from the PAG, has also been observed both during acupuncture analgesia and anxiety-induced hyperalgesia. Other brain areas that appear to be involved in a number of mechanisms are the anterior cingulate cortex, prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens, but their exact role is less clear.

Implications: Neuroimaging studies have provided essential information about the pain modulatory pathways under normal conditions, but much is still to be determined. Understanding the mechanisms of pain control is important for understanding the mechanisms that contribute to failed pain control in chronic pain. Applying fMRI outside the brain, such as in the trigeminal nucleus caudalis of the spinotrigeminal pathway and in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, and coupling brain activity with activity at these sites may help improve our understanding of the function of brain sites and shed light on functional connectivity in the pain pathway.
© 2011 Scandinavian Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Fine metabolic regulation in ruminants via nutrient–gene interactions: saturated long-chain fatty acids increase expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism and immune response partly through PPAR-α activation
Authors: Bionaz Massimo , Thering Betsy J. , Loor Juan J. 
Published: July 2011

Madin–Darby Bovine Kidney cells cultured with 150 μm of Wy-14 643 (WY, PPARα agonist) or twelve long-chain fatty acids (LCFA; 16 : 0, 18 : 0, cis-9–18 : 1, trans-10–18 : 1, trans-11–18 : 1, 18 : 2n-6, 18 : 3n-3, cis-9, trans-11–18 : 2, trans-10, cis-12–18 : 2, 20 : 0, 20 : 5n-3 and 22 : 6n-3) were used to uncover PPAR-α target genes and determine the effects of LCFA on expression of thirty genes with key functions in lipid metabolism and inflammation. Among fifteen known PPAR-α targets in non-ruminants, ten had greater expression with WY, suggesting that they are bovine PPAR-α targets. The expression of SPP1 and LPIN3 was increased by WY, with no evidence of a similar effect in the published literature, suggesting that both represent bovine-specific PPAR-α targets. We observed the strongest effect on the expression of PPAR-α targets with 16 : 0, 18 : 0 and 20 : 5n-3.When considering the overall effect on expression of the thirty selected genes 20 : 5n-3, 16 : 0 and 18 : 0 had the greatest effect followed by 20 : 0 and c9t11–18 : 2. Gene network analysis indicated an overall increase in lipid metabolism by WY and all LCFA with a central role of PPAR-α but also additional putative transcription factors. A greater increase in the expression of inflammatory genes was observed with 16 : 0 and 18 : 0. Among LCFA, 20 : 5n-3, 16 : 0 and 18 : 0 were the most potent PPAR-α agonists. They also affected the expression of non-PPAR-α targets, eliciting an overall increase in the expression of genes related to lipid metabolism, signalling and inflammatory response. Data appear to highlight a teleological evolutionary adaptation of PPAR in ruminants to cope with the greater availability of saturated rather than unsaturated LCFA.
Correlations between Psychosocial Factors and Psychological Trauma Symptoms among Rescue Personnel
Authors: Soffer Yechiel , Wolf Jonathan Jacob , Ben-Ezra Menachem 
Published: July 2011

AbstractDuring large-scale, sudden-onset disasters, resscue personnel experience severe stress due to the brief window of opportunity for saving lives. Following the earthquake in Haiti, rescue personnel worked in Port-au-Prince under harsh conditions in order to save lives and extricate bodies. Reactions to this disaster among rescue personnel were examined using self-report questionnaires. Correlations between psychosocial factors and psychological trauma (dissociation and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms) were examined in a sample of 20 rescue personnel who worked in Haiti. The study indicated that negative affect and crisis of meaning were associated with higher levels of dissociative and PTSD symptoms. The results suggest that rescue personnel who are overwhelmed by the destruction and number of bodies being extricated may exhibit negative affect and loss of meaning along with dissociative and PTSD symptoms.
ALPprolog – A new logic programming method for dynamic domains
Authors: DRESCHER CONRAD , THIELSCHER MICHAEL 
Published: July 2011

AbstractLogic programming is a powerful paradigm for programming autonomous agents in dynamic domains as witnessed by languages such as Golog and Flux. In this work we present ALPprolog, an expressive, yet efficient, logic programming language for the online control of agents that have to reason about incomplete information and sensing actions.
Observational equivalences for linear logic concurrent constraint languages
Authors: HAEMMERLÉ RÉMY 
Published: July 2011

AbstractLinear logic Concurrent Constraint programming (LCC) is an extension of concurrent constraint programming (CC), where the constraint system is based on Girard's linear logic instead of the classical logic. In this paper, we address the problem of program equivalence for this programming framework. For this purpose, we present a structural operational semantics for LCC based on a label transition system and investigate different notions of observational equivalences inspired by the state of art of process algebras. Then, we demonstrate that the asynchronous π-calculus can be viewed as simple syntactical restrictions of LCC. Finally, we show that LCC observational equivalences can be transposed straightforwardly to classical Concurrent Constraint languages and Constraint Handling Rules, and investigate the resulting equivalences.
Abstract diagnosis for timed concurrent constraint programs
Authors: COMINI MARCO , TITOLO LAURA , VILLANUEVA ALICIA 
Published: July 2011

AbstractThe timed concurrent constraint language (tccp in short) is a concurrent logic language based on the simple but powerful concurrent constraint paradigm of Saraswat. In this paradigm, the notion of store-as-value is replaced by the notion of store-as-constraint, which introduces some differences w.r.t. other approaches to concurrency. In this paper, we provide a general framework for the debugging of tccp programs. To this end, we first present a new compact, bottom-up semantics for the language that is well suited for debugging and verification purposes in the context of reactive systems. We also provide an abstract semantics that allows us to effectively implement debugging algorithms based on abstract interpretation. Given a tccp program and a behavior specification, our debugging approach automatically detects whether the program satisfies the specification. This differs from other semi-automatic approaches to debugging and avoids the need to provide symptoms in advance. We show the efficacy of our approach by introducing two illustrative examples. We choose a specific abstract domain and show how we can detect that a program is erroneous.
Parallel backtracking with answer memoing for independent and-parallelism
Authors: DE GUZMÁN PABLO CHICO , CASAS AMADEO , CARRO MANUEL , HERMENEGILDO MANUEL V. 
Published: July 2011

AbstractGoal-level Independent and-parallelism (IAP) is exploited by scheduling for simultaneous execution of two or more goals, which will not interfere with each other at run time. This can be done safely even if such goals can produce multiple answers. The most successful IAP implementations to date have used recomputation of answers and sequentially ordered backtracking. While in principle simplifying the implementation, recomputation can be very inefficient if the granularity of the parallel goals is large enough and they produce several answers, while sequentially ordered backtracking limits parallelism. And, despite the expected simplification, the implementation of the classic schemes has proved to involve complex engineering, with the consequent difficulty for system maintenance and extension, while still frequently running into the well-known trapped goal and garbage slot problems. This work presents an alternative parallel backtracking model for IAP and its implementation. The model features parallel out-of-order (i.e., nonchronological) backtracking and relies on answer memoization to reuse and combine answers. We show that this approach can bring significant performance advantages. Also, it can bring some simplification to the important engineering task involved in implementing the backtracking mechanism of previous approaches.
(Co-)Inductive semantics for Constraint Handling Rules
Authors: HAEMMERLÉ RÉMY 
Published: July 2011

AbstractIn this paper, we address the problem of defining a fixpoint semantics for Constraint Handling Rules (CHR) that captures the behavior of both simplification and propagation rules in a sound and complete way with respect to their declarative semantics. Firstly, we show that the logical reading of states with respect to a set of simplification rules can be characterized by a least fixpoint over the transition system generated by the abstract operational semantics of CHR. Similarly, we demonstrate that the logical reading of states with respect to a set of propagation rules can be characterized by the greatest fixpoint. Then, in order to take advantage of both types of rules without losing fixpoint characterization, we present a new operational semantics with persistent constraints.We finally establish that this semantics can be characterized by two nested fixpoints, and we show that the resulting language is an elegant framework to program using coinductive reasoning.
A structured alternative to Prolog with simple compositional semantics
Authors: PORTO ANTÓNIO 
Published: July 2011

AbstractProlog's very useful expressive power is not captured by traditional logic programming semantics, due mainly to the cut and goal and clause order. Several alternative semantics have been put forward, exposing operational details of the computation state. We propose instead to redesign Prolog around structured alternatives to the cut and clauses, keeping the expressive power and computation model but with a compositional denotational semantics over much simpler states—just variable bindings. This considerably eases reasoning about programs, by programmers and tools such as a partial evaluator, with safe unfolding of calls through predicate definitions. Anif-then-elseacross clauses replaces most uses of the cut, but the cut's full power is achieved by anuntilconstruct. Disjunction, conjunction anduntil, along with unification, are the primitive goal types with a compositional semantics yielding sequences of variable-binding solutions. This extends to programs via the usual technique of a least fixpoint construction. A simple interpreter for Prolog in the alternative language, and a definition ofuntilin Prolog, establish the identical expressive power of the two languages. Many useful control constructs are derivable from the primitives, and the semantic framework illuminates the discussion of alternative ones. The formalisation rests on a term language with variable abstraction as in the λ-calculus. A clause is an abstraction on the call arguments, a continuation, and the local variables. It can be inclusive or exclusive, expressing a local case bound to a continuation by either a disjunction or anif-then-else. Clauses are open definitions, composed (and closed) with simple functional application β-reduction). This paves the way for a simple account of flexible module composition mechanisms.Cube, a concrete language with the exposed principles, has been implemented on top of a Prolog engine and successfully used to build large real-world applications.
Transition systems for model generators—A unifying approach
Authors: LIERLER YULIYA , TRUSZCZYNSKI MIROSLAW 
Published: July 2011

AbstractA fundamental task for propositional logic is to compute models of propositional formulas. Programs developed for this task are called satisfiability solvers. We show that transition systems introduced by Nieuwenhuis, Oliveras, and Tinelli to model and analyze satisfiability solvers can be adapted for solvers developed for two other propositional formalisms: logic programming under the answer-set semantics, and the logic PC(ID). We show that in each case the task of computing models can be seen as “satisfiability modulo answer-set programming,” where the goal is to find a model of a theory that also is an answer set of a certain program. The unifying perspective we develop shows, in particular, that solvers clasp and minisat(id) are closely related despite being developed for different formalisms, one for answer-set programming and the latter for the logic PC(ID).
Actual causation in CP-logic
Authors: VENNEKENS JOOST 
Published: July 2011

AbstractGiven a causal model of some domain and a particular story that has taken place in this domain, the problem of actual causation is deciding which of the possible causes for some effect actually caused it. One of the most influential approaches to this problem has been developed by Halpern and Pearl (Halpern, J. and Pearl, J. 2005. Causes and explanations: A structural-model approach. Part I: Causes.British Journal for the Philosophy of Science56(4), 843–887) in the context of structural models. In this paper, I argue that this is actually not the best setting for studying this problem. As an alternative, I offer the probabilistic logic programming language of CP-logic. Unlike structural models, CP-logic incorporates the deviant/default distinction that is generally considered an important aspect of actual causation, and it has an explicitly dynamic semantics, which helps to formalize the stories that serve as input to an actual causation problem.
The magic of logical inference in probabilistic programming
Authors: GUTMANN BERND , THON INGO , KIMMIG ANGELIKA , BRUYNOOGHE MAURICE , DE RAEDT LUC 
Published: July 2011

AbstractToday, there exist many different probabilistic programming languages as well as more inference mechanisms for these languages. Still, most logic programming-based languages use backward reasoning based on Selective Linear Definite resolution for inference. While these methods are typically computationally efficient, they often can neither handle infinite and/or continuous distributions nor evidence. To overcome these limitations, we introduce distributional clauses, a variation and extension of Sato's distribution semantics. We also contribute a novel approximate inference method that integrates forward reasoning with importance sampling, a well-known technique for probabilistic inference. In order to achieve efficiency, we integrate two logic programming techniques to direct forward sampling. Magic sets are used to focus on relevant parts of the program, while the integration of backward reasoning allows one to identify and avoid regions of the sample space that are inconsistent with the evidence.