bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ex vivo pharmacology of surgical samples of the uterosacral ligament. Part I: Effects of carbachol and oxytocin on smooth muscle
Authors: Drews Ulrich , Renz Matthias , Busch Christian , Reisenauer Christl 
Published: May 2012

AbstractAimsIn a previous study we observed impaired smooth muscle in the uterosacral ligament (USL) of patients with pelvic organ prolapse. The aims of the study were to describe the method of the novel microperfusion system and to determine normal function and pharmacology of smooth muscle in the USL.MethodsSamples from the USL were obtained during hysterectomy for benign reasons. Small stretches of connective tissue were mounted in a perfusion chamber under the stereomicroscope. Isotonic contractions of smooth muscle were monitored by digital time‐lapse video and quantified by image processing.ResultsConstant perfusion with carbachol elicited tonic and pulse stimulation with carbachol and oxytocin rhythmic contractions of smooth muscle in the ground reticulum. Under constant perfusion with relaxin the tonic contraction after carbachol was abolished.ConclusionsWith the novel microperfusion system, isotonic contractions of smooth muscle in the USL can be recorded and quantified in the tissue microenvironment on the microscopic level. The USL smooth muscle is cholinergic, stimulated by oxytocin and modulated by relaxin. Neurourol. Urodynam. 31:1294–1299, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Neurotrophin therapy improves recovery of the neuromuscular continence mechanism following simulated birth injury in rats
Authors: Gill Bradley C. , Balog Brian M. , Dissaranan Charuspong , Jiang Hai‐Hong , Steward James B. , Lin Dan Li , Damaser Margot S. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractAimsStress urinary incontinence (SUI) affects women both acutely and chronically after vaginal delivery. Current SUI treatments assume the neuromuscular continence mechanism, comprised of the pudendal nerve (PN) and external urethral sphincter (EUS), is either intact or irreparable. This study investigated the ability of neurotrophin therapy to facilitate recovery of the neuromuscular continence mechanism.MethodsVirgin, Sprague Dawley rats received simulated childbirth injury or sham injury and treatment with continuous infusion of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) or saline placebo to the site of PN injury. Continence was assessed by leak point pressure (LPP) and EUS electromyography (EMG) 14 and 21 days after injury. Structural recovery was assessed histologically. Molecular assessment of the muscular and neuroregenerative response was determined via measurement of EUS BDNF and PN βII‐tubulin expression respectively, 4, 8, and 12 days after injury.ResultsFollowing injury, LPP was significantly reduced with saline compared to either BDNF treatment or sham injury. Similarly, compared to sham injury, resting EUS EMG amplitude and firing rate, as well as amplitude during LPP were significantly reduced with saline but not BDNF treatment. Histology confirmed improved EUS recovery with BDNF treatment. EUS BDNF and PN βII‐tubulin expression demonstrated that BDNF treatment improved the neurogenerative response and may facilitate sphincteric recovery.ConclusionsContinuous targeted neurotrophin therapy accelerates continence recovery after simulated childbirth injury likely through stimulating neuroregeneration and facilitating EUS recovery and re‐innervation. Neurotrophins or other therapies targeting neuromuscular regeneration may be useful for treating SUI related to failure of the neuromuscular continence mechanism. Neurourol. Urodynam. 32: 82–87, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Involving clients and their relatives and friends in psychiatric care: Case managers' experiences of training in resource group assertive community treatment
Authors: Nordén Tommy , Eriksson Anders , Kjellgren Anette , Norlander Torsten 
Published: May 2012

AbstractThe purpose of this project was to do a qualitative study of an integrated and flexible ACT model, the Resource Group Assertive Community Treatment (RACT), as seen from the perspective of case managers in training. The resource group normally consists of the client, the case manager and other available personnel in the medical and support areas, as well as family members. Nineteen theses were randomly chosen from a set of 80 theses written by a group of Swedish trainee case managers. The exams were conducted as case studies and concerned 19 clients with psychotic problems, 11 men and 8 women. “The Empirical Phenomenological Psychological Method” was used in the analysis, which generated five overarching themes: (a) the RACT program; (b) the resource group; (c) the empowerment of the client; (d) progress in treatment; and (e) the case manager. These together constituted a “therapeutic circle,” in which methods and tools used within the RACT made it possible for the resource group to empower the clients who, as a result, experienced progress with treatment, during which the case manager was the unifying and connecting link.
Spatial and temporal variability of aerosol particles in Arctic spring
Authors: Shantz N. C. , Gultepe I. , Liu P. S. K. , Earle M. E. , Zelenyuk A. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractThe objective of this work is to investigate the variability in the aerosol particle number concentration in Arctic spring. The Indirect and Semi‐Direct Aerosol Campaign (ISDAC) was conducted during April 2008 in the vicinities of Fairbanks and Barrow, Alaska. Aircraft‐based measurements of total aerosol particle number concentration (Na) in the size range of 0.12–3 µm diameter were obtained using a passive cavity aerosol spectrometer probe (PCASP‐100X). The analysis considersNaduring cloud‐free periods in biomass burning (BB) and non‐BB aerosol loading scenarios, the latter including background cases and cases with elevated concentration in layers. The BB cases had air masses originating mainly from Russian and Asian forest and crop fires, whereas the non‐BB cases originated predominantly from Arctic or oceanic regions. The averageNafor all non‐BB cases was 127 cm−3, while that for all BB cases wasNa= 720 cm−3. These estimates do not, however, capture the details of aerosol particle layers encountered during most flights. Variability inNawas considered for constant altitude (horizontal) flight legs ranging from 50 to 650 km in length, as well as for vertical flight profiles up to 7 km above sea level. When aerosol particle layers were encountered,Narapidly increased from 20 to 550 cm−3, and reached up to 2200 cm−3within air masses dominated by BB plumes. The observed variability inNamay have important implications for estimating cloud microphysical properties as well as estimates of particle properties used in global climate model simulations, because averaging over large space‐ or time‐scales may not represent real atmospheric conditions. The analysis demonstrates the difficulty in interpreting average aerosol particle characteristics along longer flight legs, particularly during cases with higher particle loading that varies over shorter distance scales and time periods. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society and Crown in the right of Canada.
A suboptimal data assimilation algorithm based on the ensemble Kalman filter
Authors: Klimova Ekaterina 
Published: May 2012

AbstractA suboptimal algorithm for data assimilation based on the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) is proposed. An advantage of the algorithm is that it does not require an additional calculation of the ensemble of perturbations that correspond to the analysis‐error covariance matrix because it is calculated automatically with this algorithm. The operation count of the algorithm is close to that of the local ensemble transform Kalman filter (LETKF), but its formulae are different from those of the LETKF. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
Impact of perturbation methods in the ECMWF ensemble prediction system on tropical cyclone forecasts
Authors: Lang S. T. K. , Leutbecher M. , Jones S. C. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractIn the operational configuration of the ensemble prediction system of the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts, different methods are applied to account for initial condition and model uncertainties. Singular vectors and an ensemble of data assimilations are used to generate perturbations to the initial conditions. Two stochastic tendency perturbation schemes aim to mimic model errors: the stochastic kinetic‐energy backscatter scheme and the stochastically perturbed parametrization tendency scheme. In this study, the impact of the different perturbation methods on the ensemble spread during tropical cyclone (TC) events is compared and the time evolution of the spatial perturbation structure is investigated. The structure of perturbations due to different methods initially is quite different. However, our results show that they converge toward a TC displacement and an intensity‐change pattern during the first two days of the forecast, on average. The perturbations generated by the stochastic tendency perturbation schemes grow rapidly and effectively excite growing modes of the flow. After 48 hours, a large part of the total energy of the singular vector perturbations in the vicinity of the TCs can be explained by the perturbations of other methods. The perturbations by the ensemble of data assimilations dominate the ensemble spread for a rather short lead time (around 24 hours). In about 40% of cases, the perturbations due to the tendency perturbation schemes or those generated from singular vectors produce a larger TC track and central pressure spread than the perturbations by the ensemble of data assimilations after two days forecast time. If all methods are applied, the average TC track spread of the ensemble matches the average error of the ensemble‐mean well. In addition, the ensemble captures the anisotropy in the position uncertainty of the TCs. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
Assimilation of RAPID array observations into an ocean model
Authors: Stepanov Vladimir N. , Haines Keith , Smith Gregory C. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractExperiments assimilating the RAPID dataset of deep temperature and salinity profiles at 26.5°N on the western and eastern Atlantic boundaries into a 1° global NEMO ocean model have been performed. The meridional overturning circulation (MOC) is then assessed against the transports calculated directly from observations. The best initialization found for this short period was obtained by assimilating the EN3 upper‐ocean hydrography database prior to 2004, after which different methods of assimilating 5‐day average RAPID profiles at the western boundary were tested. The model MOC is strengthened by ∼ 2 Sv giving closer agreement with the RAPID array transports, when the western boundary profiles are assimilated only below 900 m (the approximate depth of the Florida Straits, which are not well resolved) and when the T,S observations are spread meridionally from 10 to 35°N along the deep western boundary.The use of boundary‐focused covariances has the largest impact on the assimilation results, otherwise using more conventional Gaussian covariances has a very local impact on the MOC at 26°N with strong adverse impacts on the MOC stream function at higher and lower latitudes. Even using boundary‐focused covariances only enables the MOC to be strengthened for ∼ 2 years, after which the increased transport of warm waters leads to a negative feedback on water formation in the subpolar gyre which then reduces the MOC. This negative feedback can be mitigated if EN3 hydrography data continue to be assimilated along with the RAPID array boundary data. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society and Crown in the right of Canada.
Atmospheric water‐vapour profiling from passive microwave sounders over ocean and land. Part II: Validation using existing instruments
Authors: Bernardo Frédéric , Aires Filipe , Prigent Catherine 
Published: May 2012

AbstractIn a companion article (Paper I), a water‐vapour retrieval algorithm has been developed using microwave sounding observations. An operational chain derived from this algorithm is being used for the Megha‐Tropiques mission, launched in autumn 2011. The water vapour is retrieved for clear and cloudy scenes, excluding precipitation cases, over ocean and land surfaces. By‐products are also calculated by the algorithm, including surface temperature and microwave emissivities over land.Evaluation of the water‐vapour products is the main objective of this article. The algorithm is tested using the HSB/AMSR‐E (resp. MHS/AMSU‐A) instruments on board the AQUA (resp. MetOp) platform, over the Tropics between ±30° in latitude. Results are compared with European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) analyses and data from radiosondes. The root‐mean‐square error for the total column water vapour is ∼5 kg m2 for both clear and cloudy scenes, compared with radiosondes over land. The atmospheric water‐vapour profile is retrieved for six atmospheric layers and the root‐mean‐square error is estimated to be lower than 20% in relative humidity, even for the lowest atmospheric layer over land. A posteriori validation tests on the brightness temperatures indicate an overall positive impact of the retrievals relative to a priori ECMWF analyses. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
Invigoration of cumulus cloud fields by mesoscale ascent
Authors: Kirshbaum D. J. , Grant A. L. M. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractLarge‐eddy simulations of trade‐wind cumuli impinging on an idealized island ridge are conducted to investigate the impact of mesoscale ascent on the morphology and vigour of cumulus convection. The simulations develop realistic cloud fields that invigorate when forced to ascend the high terrain despite being trapped beneath a sinking trade‐wind inversion. Two upstream cloud regimes are considered, the first non‐precipitating and the second lightly precipitating. Focus is placed on the precipitating case, where the island gives rise to a dramatic (15‐fold) precipitation enhancement compared to the upstream ocean. This arises from (i) an increased concentration of buoyant updraughts, (ii) the ‘lapse‐rate’ mechanism, wherein saturated parcels gain buoyancy as they ascend alongside dry parcels with different adiabatic lapse rates, and (iii) the ‘cloud‐size’ mechanism, wherein the fractional entrainment rate decreases due to an increase in the mean horizontal cloud size. Although the first two mechanisms have received previous attention, the third is novel and potentially important. The broader clouds within the ascending airstream possess less dilute and more buoyant inner core regions that ascend faster through the cloud layer. Moreover, the increased liquid‐water supplies and longer residence times of raindrops within these clouds lead to a sharp enhancement in the precipitation efficiency. The island cloud broadening is favoured by the presence of broad water‐vapour anomalies within the impinging airstream that are mechanically lifted to saturation, along with basic energetic constraints that support wider, less dilute clouds in areas of rapid forced ascent. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
ONIOM study of dissociated hydrogen and water on ZnO surface
Authors: Martins João B. L. , Taft Carlton A. , Longo Elson , de Castro Elton A. S. , da Cunha Wiliam F. , Politi José R. S. , Gargano Ricardo 
Published: May 2012

AbstractONIOM calculations using CCSD theory have been performed to study the dissociation of hydrogen and water molecules on ZnO surface. Three different cluster models were used to study the influence of ONIOM layer size at the interaction energies and optimized geometries. The geometric results indicate a near tetrahedral geometry for the interaction of zinc and oxygen sites of dissociated water. The interaction energies are larger for the water dissociation. The ONIOM layer size has more influence on the interaction energies when compared with the geometric parameters and mainly for water dissociation. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Is the donor–acceptor electronegativity a good indicator for the surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)?
Authors: Tenorio Francisco J. , Sato‐Berrú Roberto , Saniger José M. , Martínez Ana 
Published: May 2012

AbstractIn this work, we study the interaction of neutral and ionic forms of Ag8 and Au8 with glycine to investigate the role of these interactions in the chemical enhancement (CE) component of the surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effect. It is widely accepted that the charge transfer between metallic nanostructures and molecular species is a key issue in the underlying CE mechanism; consequently under this framework, and supported by the density functional theory, we introduce two recently described parameters, donor (χ−) and acceptor (χ+) electronegativity as useful concepts for the prediction of the charge transfer process and the concomitant CE effect. From this work, it could be inferred that the minimum binding energy (BE) necessary for the CE to take place averages 30 kcal/mol. For the systems we present here, CE is more intense when BE is more negative and this occurs when there is a substantial charge transfer. Thus, as χ− and χ+ represent good parameters for analyzing the charge transfer process, they are also good indicators of the contribution of CE to the SERS effect. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Effects of Fabp7 and Fabp5 on Postnatal Hippocampal Neurogenesis in the Mouse
Authors: Matsumata Miho , Sakayori Nobuyuki , Maekawa Motoko , Owada Yuji , Yoshikawa Takeo , Osumi Noriko 
Published: May 2012

Abstract
New neurons are continually produced after birth from neural stem/progenitor cells (NSCs/NPCs) in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG). Recent studies have reported that fatty acid binding protein 7 (Fabp7/brain lipid binding protein (BLBP)) is required for the maintenance of embryonic NSCs/NPCs and have identified an association between the Fabp7 gene and behavioral paradigms that correlate with hippocampal functions. However, the specific roles of Fabps in postnatal neurogenesis remain unknown. Herein, we demonstrate the effects of Fabp7, and another Fabp, Fabp5, on postnatal neurogenesis. Fabp7 and Fabp5 were detected in the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the DG, and Fabp7+ cells were less differentiated than Fabp5+ cells. We analyzed the differentiation state of NSCs/NPCs in the SGZ of 4-week-old (4w) Fabp7 knockout (7KO), Fabp5 KO (5KO), and Fabp7/Fabp5 double KO (7/5KO) mice and found that the number of NSCs/NPCs was dramatically reduced compared with wild-type mice. Although the uptake of BrdU 1 day after injection was decreased in all KO mice, the survival of BrdU+ cells 1 month after injection was increased in the 7/5KO mice compared to other three genotypes. We also observed an enhancement of neuronal differentiation in all Fabp KO mice. In addition, the proliferation and survival of NSCs/NPCs differed along the anterior-posterior axis (A-P axis). A greater number of newborn cells in the posterior region became extinct, but this tendency was not apparent in the Fabps KO mice. These data suggest that Fabp7 and Fabp5 have differential roles for proliferation and survival of the NSCs/NPCs during postnatal DG neurogenesis.
Matching Western US electricity consumption with wind and solar resources
Authors: Short Walter , Diakov Victor 
Published: May 2012

ABSTRACTThe variability of wind and solar is perceived as a major obstacle in employing otherwise abundant renewable energy resources. On the basis of the available geographically dispersed data for the Western USA, we analyze to what extent the geographic diversity of these resources can offset their variability. We determine the best match to loads in the western portion of the USA that can be achieved with wind power and photovoltaics (PV) with no transmission limitations.Without storage and with no curtailment, wind and PV can meet up to 50% of loads in Western USA. It is beneficial to build more wind than PV mostly because the wind contributes at night. When storage is available, the optimal mix has almost 75% as much nominal PV capacity as wind, with the PV energy contribution being 32% of the electricity produced from wind. With only 10 GW of storage (twice the pumped hydro storage capacity that already exists in the Western Electric Coordinating Council), up to 82% of the load can be matched with wind and PV, while in the same time curtailing just 10% of the renewable energy throughout the year. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Endoscopic biliary drainage for children with persistent or exacerbated symptoms of choledochal cysts
Authors: Tsuchiya Hironori , Kaneko Kenitiro , Itoh Akihiro , Kawashima Hiroki , Ono Yasuyuki , Tainaka Takahisa , Murase Naruhiko , Ando Hisami 
Published: May 2012

AbstractBackgroundSymptoms of choledochal cysts sometimes persist or become exacerbated. As preoperative management for patients with these cysts, we prospectively employed endoscopic drainage, based on the theory that protein plugs cause symptoms by obstructing the pancreatobiliary ducts.MethodsChildren with choledochal cysts underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). When ERCP showed compaction with filling defects in patients with persistent or worsening symptoms (study patients), the placement of a short biliary stent tube was attempted for drainage. The clinical and ERCP findings of the study patients were compared with those of patients who were asymptomatic at ERCP (asymptomatic patients).ResultsThere were 13 study patients (median age 2.9 years) and 41 asymptomatic patients (4.7 years) enrolled in the study between August 2005 and February 2011. Study patients more frequently had jaundice and elevated transaminase levels. ERCP showed that all study patients had obstruction or compacted filling defects in the common channel or the narrow segment distal to the cyst. Insertion of a stent tube was successful in 11 patients. Symptoms were relieved soon after biliary drainage. Surgery revealed that the obstructing materials were protein plugs, except in one case, which involved fatty acid calcium stones.ConclusionsThese results support the protein plug theory. Endoscopic short‐tube stenting is adequate and effective as preoperative management.
Dysfonction érectile et diabète : fréquence et profil clinique à partir de 200 observations
Authors: Zakhama W. , Chaabouni A. , Rzouga S. , Chaieb N. , Majdoub A. , Binous M. -Y. , Fodha M. 
Published: May 2012

Résumé

Objectif
la dysfonction érectile (DE) est une des complications les plus fréquentes du diabète mais également une des plus sous-diagnostiquées. Les auteurs rapportent la fréquence et le profil clinique de la DE dans une population de patients diabétiques.

Patients et méthodes
200 patients diabétiques ont été évalués par l’Index international de la fonction érectile 5 (IIEF5) dans sa traduction française.

Résultats
146 patients ont été inclus. Une DE était retrouvée chez 74 patients. Parmi eux, 21,6 % présentaient une forme sévère, 37,8 % une forme modérée et 40,6 % une forme mineure. Les patients présentant une DE étaient significativement plus âgés avec un diabète plus ancien.

Conclusion
la DE est fréquente et souvent sévère au cours du diabète. Le rôle des soignants est majeur pour détecter précocement ces troubles et ainsi mettre en place une prise en charge psychologique et médicamenteuse efficace, du moins lorsque cette dernière est matériellement possible.