bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
On Development of Meir-Keeler Type Fixed Point Theorems
Authors: Jha K. , Rao K. P.R. , Panthi D. 
Published: April 2010

The theory of fixed point is a very extensive field, which has various applications. The present paper deals with some developments of Meir-Keeler type fixed point theorem as its remarkable generalizations under several contractive definitions in metric space.Key words: Common fixed point; Contraction; Metric space; Compatible mapsDOI: 10.3126/njst.v10i0.2956Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 10, 2009 Page: 141-147
Serum Amylase Activity and its Correlation with Serum Calcium and Albumin
Authors: Pokhrel Nabaraj , Shrestha Usha , Jha Bharat 
Published: April 2010

This study was performed in the pathology department of OM Hospital and Research Centre Pvt. Ltd. In this study, amylase, calcium and albumin concentrations in blood serum of 99 subjects visiting this hospital were determined using standard protocol. Out of 99 subjects, 42 were female and 57 were male. Serum amylase activity was found normal in 47% males and 57% females, serum level calcium was found normal in 57% males and 38% females and serum level of albumin was found normal in 61% males and 73% females. The correlation between total corrected calcium and amylase was found slightly positive (r=0.01). But the correlation between total corrected calcium and albumin and albumin and amylase were found slightly negative (r = -0.33 and -0.06 respectively). The study also revealed that low levels of amylase and calcium can be obtained in significant number of subjects.Key Words: Blood serum; Amylase; Albumin; OM hospitalDOI: 10.3126/njst.v10i0.2960Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 10, 2009 Page: 195-198
Clinically Important Improvement in Function Is Common in People with or at High Risk of Knee OA: The MOST Study
Authors: WHITE DANIEL K. , KEYSOR JULIE J. , LAVALLEY MICHAEL P. , LEWIS CORA E. , TORNER JAMES C. , NEVITT MICHAEL C. , FELSON DAVID T. 
Published: April 2010

Objective.To calculate the frequency of clinically important improvement in function over 30 months and identify risk factors in people who have or are at risk of knee osteoarthritis (OA).Methods.Subjects were from the Multicenter Osteoarthritis (MOST), a longitudinal study of persons with or at high risk of knee OA. We defined minimal clinically important improvement (MCII) with the Western Ontario McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) physical function using 3 different methods. Baseline risk factors tested for improvement included age, sex, educational attainment, presence of radiographic knee OA (ROA), the number of comorbidities, body mass index (BMI), knee pain, walking speed, isokinetic knee extensor strength, depressive symptoms, physical activity, and medication usage. We used logistic regression to evaluate the association of baseline risk factors with MCII.Results.Of the 1801 subjects (mean age 63 yrs, BMI = 31, 63% women), most had mild limitations in baseline function (WOMAC = 19 ± 11). Regardless of how defined, a substantial percentage of subjects (24%–39%) reached MCII at 30 months. Compared to their counterparts, people with MCII were less likely to have ROA and to use medications, and were more likely to have a lower BMI, less knee pain, a faster walking speed, more knee strength, and fewer depressive symptoms. After adjustment, MCII was 40% to 50% less likely in those with ROA, and 1.9 to 2.0 times more likely in those walking 1.0 meters/second faster than counterparts.Conclusion.Clinically important improvement is frequent in people with or at high risk of knee OA. The absence of ROA and a faster walking speed appear to be associated with clinically important improvements.
Differences in MSU-induced Superoxide Responses by Neutrophils from Gout Subjects Compared to Healthy Controls and a Role for Environmental Inflammatory Cytokines and Hyperuricemia in Neutrophil Function and Survival
Authors: MARTIN WILLIAM JOHN , GRAINGER REBECCA , HARRISON ANDREW , HARPER JACQUIE L. 
Published: April 2010

Objective.To determine whether monosodium urate (MSU) crystal-induced superoxide production is greater for neutrophils from patients with gout compared to asymptomatic hyperuricemic and healthy controls, and whether neutrophil functions are altered by an MSU crystal-induced inflammatory environment.Methods.Neutrophils were purified from the whole blood of study participants, restimulated with 500 mg MSU crystalsex vivo, and superoxide production measured using the colorimetric dye WST-1. Purified neutrophils were exposed to conditioned media from MSU crystal-activated blood monocyte cultures with and without neutralizing antibodies for interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß), IL-8 (CXCL8), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Neutrophil superoxide production was measured and neutrophil apoptosis and IL-8 production were determined by flow cytometry. Serum samples were collected from participants and analyzed by Lincoplex bead array for IL-1ß, IL-8, IL-6, and TNF-α.Results.Neutrophils from gout and asymptomatic hyperuricemic subjects produced higher levels of MSU crystal-induced superoxide, and a weak trend toward elevated serum cytokines was observed compared to healthy controls. A correlation between serum uric acid and elevated neutrophil superoxide production was also observed. Neutrophils exposed to media from MSU crystal-activated monocytes exhibited enhanced superoxide production to MSU-crystal stimulation, increased IL-8 production, and extended cell survival that was predominantly dependent on IL-8, TNF-α and IL-6, respectively.Conclusion.Neutrophils from gout and asymptomatic hyperuricemic individuals are primed for enhanced MSU crystal-induced superoxide production that may be driven by a subclinical inflammatory cytokine environment combined with hyperuricemia. This inflammatory environment likely contributes to elevated neutrophil IL-8 production and survival in the absence of direct crystal stimulation. Asymptomatic hyperuricemia is not associated with suppressed neutrophil function.
Patient-reported Outcomes in a Randomized Trial of Etanercept in Psoriatic Arthritis
Authors: MEASE PHILIP J. , WOOLLEY J. MICHAEL , SINGH AMITABH , TSUJI WAYNE , DUNN MELEANA , CHIOU CHIUN-FANG 
Published: April 2010

Objective.To evaluate the effects of etanercept treatment on patient-reported outcomes (PRO) in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA).Methods.A 24-week double-blind comparison to placebo was followed by a 48-week open-label phase in which all eligible patients received etanercept. PRO were measured using the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI), the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form (SF-36), the EQ-5D visual analog scale (VAS), and the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) patient pain assessment.Results.Beginning at Week 4 and continuing through Week 24 of double-blind treatment, patients treated with etanercept had significantly higher mean percentage improvement in HAQ-DI relative to baseline than patients given placebo (53.6% vs 6.4% at Week 24; p < 0.001). After 48 weeks of open-label treatment with etanercept, the mean percentage change from study baseline was 52.8% for the original etanercept group and 46.9% for the original placebo group, with 41.2% of patients overall achieving a HAQ-DI of 0. Mean changes relative to baseline for SF-36 physical component summary scores, EQ-5D VAS, and ACR pain assessment were also significant in the double-blind period for etanercept compared with placebo (p < 0.001 for all 3 measures). Patients taking placebo achieved similar improvements once they began treatment with etanercept in the open-label period.Conclusion.Patients with PsA treated with etanercept reported significant improvements in physical function that were almost 10 times the improvement seen with placebo and were maintained for up to 2 years. Almost half of patients treated with etanercept reported no disability by the end of the study.
Association Study of Serotonin Transporter Gene (SLC6A4) in Systemic Sclerosis in European Caucasian Populations
Authors: WIPFF JULIEN , BONNET PIERRE , RUIZ BARBARA , DIEUDE PHILIPPE , AVOUAC JEROME , TIEV KIET , HACHULLA ERIC , CRACOWSKI JEAN-LUC , DIOT ELIZABETH , SIBILIA JEAN , MOUTHON LUC , MEYER OLIVIER , KAHAN ANDRE , BOILEAU CATHERINE , ALLANORE YANNICK 
Published: April 2010

Objective.Serotonin is a key contributing factor in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) by inducing pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cell (PA-SMC) proliferation. This relates specifically to the internalization process in PA-SMC of the serotonin transporter (SLC6A4 or 5-HTT). A long (L)/short (S) (44 base pair insertion) functional polymorphism within the promoter of the transporter SLC6A4 gene has been reported to be associated with familial and idiopathic PAH. Our objective was to determine whether polymorphisms of SLC6A4 confer susceptibility to SSc and its vascular phenotype.Methods.Three Tag single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) (rs2066713, rs1042173, rs6354) chosen using Hapmap and linkage disequilibrium data were genotyped in a total cohort of 667 SSc patients (56 with PAH, 207 with digital ulcerations) and 447 controls. All individuals were of French Caucasian origin. L/S polymorphism genotyping was determined by polymerase chain reaction in a random subgroup of 364 SSc patients (34 with PAH, 138 with digital ulcerations) and 218 controls.Results.Three polymorphisms (L/S, rs2066713, rs1042173) were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in the control population, but rs6354 deviated. Allelic and genotypic frequencies for these 3 polymorphisms were similar in SSc patients and controls. Subphenotype analyses of subsets with PAH and digital ulceration did not detect any difference between SSc patients compared to controls.Conclusion.These results from a large cohort of European Caucasian SSc patients do not support the implication of SLC6A4 in the pathogenesis of SSc and its vascular subphenotypes. However, serotonin pathways remain good candidates to contribute to the vasculopathy of SSc.
Zooplankton effects on phytoplankton in lakes of contrasting trophic status
Authors: Elser James J. , Goldman Charles R. 
Published: April 2010

Studies were carried out in three lakes of strongly contrasting trophic state to evaluate how the effects of zooplankton on phytoplankton vary as a function of lake productivity. Chlorophyll and total P concentrations differed by 2–3 orders of magnitude among ultra‐oligotrophic Lake Tahoe, meso‐oligotrophic Castle Lake, and strongly eutrophic Clear Lake. Three experimental designs involving short‐term (4 d) manipulations of nutrients, ambient zooplankton, and the common crustacean grazer Daphnia were performed in each lake. Algal responses were assessed at both the “aggregate,” community (Chl, primary productivity, nutrient status) and species levels.Experiments in Lake Tahoe revealed a high degree of nutrient sensitivity but negligible grazing impacts by the very low densities of ambient zooplankton. Daphnia grazing had substantial impacts on Tahoe phytoplankton, however, indicating high susceptibility to grazing in this assemblage of relatively small‐sized algal species. Castle Lake experiments revealed strong direct and indirect impacts of both ambient zooplankton and Daphnia on the nutrient‐limited algal assemblage. The cyanobacteria‐dominated algal community of Clear Lake was resistant to grazing impacts, responding relatively weakly only to the highest densities of Daphnia. Good correspondence between estimates of algal biomass made from chlorophyll measurements and microscopic examination were obtained, and, in Castle Lake, concordance between estimated community productivity turnover times made from species‐specific growth determinations and community productivity measurements was observed. The contrasting responses to experimental zooplankton manipulations in the three lakes provide support for the view that the coupling between zooplankton and phytoplankton is strongest in lakes of intermediate productivity and imply that food‐web alterations at the top of the food web are most likely to propagate to the level of the phytoplankton (and therefore lake water quality) in lakes of moderate trophic status.
The role of seasonal turnover in lake alkalinity dynamics
Authors: Kling George W. , Giblin Anne E. , Fry Brian , Peterson Bruce J. 
Published: April 2010

Elemental cycles and alkalinity (Alk) production and consumption were studied in sediments from two ponds (Mares and Gull) in coastal New England. Intact cores were incubated in the laboratory and manipulated to simulate water‐column anoxia during stratification and oxygenation during turnover. Reactions with S dominated Alk budgets in Mares Pond, whereas in Gull Pond reactions with N contributed most to Alk change. In Mares Pond, control cores held anoxically produced Alk at an average rate of 2.66 ±0.59 (SE, N = 3) meq m−2 d−1, mostly due to SO42−reduction. This rate was similar to calculations from hypolimnetic monitoring in the pond during summer stratification. In cores from Mares Pond where the water column was aerated to simulate turnover, the reoxidation of S (1.3 meq SO42− m−2 d−1) contributed most to consumption of Alk (3..5 meq m 2 d−1); half of all Alk lost during the 40‐d experiment was consumed in the first 4 d of turnover. In aerated cores from Gull Pond, Alk consumption (4.2 meq m−2 d−1) was driven mostly by nitrification (2.8 meq m−2 d−1). High rates of Alk consumption observed in oxidized cores illustrate the potential for rapid Alk loss during seasonal turnover.Pore‐water profiles of SO42− and Alk suggest that sulfide oxidation was strongest in the top 1 cm of sediment and reached to a depth of 3–4 cm. Oxidation occurred rapidly in response to turnover, and although H2S may have been oxidized initially, the oxidation of solid‐phase species dominated after 1 or 2 d. An isotopic mass balance of S in two turnover cores showed that from 30 to 70% of the oxidized S originated as inorganic rather than organic S.
The effects of pH and aluminum on the growth of the acidophilic diatom Asterionella ralfsii var. americana
Authors: Gensemer Robert W. 
Published: April 2010

The effects of pH and Al on the acidophilic diatom Asterionella ralfsii var. americana Körn. were examined in axenic batch cultures. Experiments were performed under conditions of both high (pH 5) and low (pH 6) Al solubility over a range of concentrations from 0 to 30 µmol liter−1 total Al. Growth rates were analyzed with respect to analytically determined Al concentrations and to predicted changes in dissolved metal ion speciation in response to Al additions.Growth rates of A. ralfsii were significantly reduced above 15 µmol liter−1 total Al at both pH 5 and 6. Al additions increased estimated free ion activities of Al3+, Fe3+, and Cu2+ through indirect chelator interactions at pH 5 and 6; therefore, all three were significantly correlated with growth rate reductions. Independent manipulations of total Fe and Cu, however, suggested that Al was not indirectly increasing either Fe3+ or Cu2+ free ion activities to toxic levels. Relationships of growth rates to both inorganic monomeric Al (Alr) and to estimates of pAl were strongly pH‐dependent with toxicity being greater per unit of dissolved Al concentration at pH 6 than at pH 5. These results are consistent qualitatively with predictions that H ions can ameliorate dissolved metal toxicity by competitively excluding Al3+ ions from binding to cell‐surface ligands. The impact of Al on natural phytoplankton populations therefore is likely to depend on a combination of pH‐dependent Al solubility, the protonation of cell‐surface ligands, and chelator‐mediated metal speciation.
Water temperature dynamics and heat transfer beneath the ice cover of a lake
Authors: Ellis Christopher R. , Stefan Heinz G. , Gu Ruochuan 
Published: April 2010

Water temperature profiles were measured every 2 min in a small and shallow urban Minnesota lake from 8 February 1989 until ice‐out on 11 April. The temperature record showed two distinct segments. Before 24 March, the temperature profile remained relatively constant, but later (when air temperatures were mostly above freezing) temperatures were dynamic and rose.During the quiescent period, the upper 3 m of the water column cooled slowly while the lower water remained virtually isothermal. The calculated thermal diffusion coefficient approached molecular thermal diffusivity near the ice cover and was roughly 3 times molecular diffusivity through much of the region of the thermocline (the upper 2 m). The average computed heat flux through the ice (50–55 cm thick) and snow (10– 30 cm deep) cover during this period was 2.8 W m−2.With the onset of above‐freezing air temperatures, temperatures began to change rapidly. Observed intrusions of warm water were most likely the results of advected inflows of warm water from the periphery of the lake.
Volume scattering function, average cosines, and the underwater light field
Authors: Kirk John T. O. 
Published: April 2010

The extent to which the relationship between the apparent optical properties of water bodies Kd,, R(0) (vertical attenuation coefficient, reflectance) and inherent optical properties of the water (a, b, bb,—absorption, scattering, backscattering coefficients) varies with the shape of the volume scattering function has been investigated via Monte Carlo modeling of the underwater light field for 12 different optical water types. The previously derived equation for the vertical attenuation coefficient of downward irradiance

urn:x-wiley:00243590:media:lno19913630455:lno19913630455-math-0001

has been shown to be of general applicability, but the coefficient G(µo) is a function not only of the cosine of the refracted incident photons (µo) but also of a shape factor of the volume scattering function in accordance with

urn:x-wiley:00243590:media:lno19913630455:lno19913630455-math-0002

where µ̄, is the average cosine of scattering derived from the volume scattering function in question, and ct, c2, c3, and c4 are numerical constants estimated from the modeling data.The well‐known relationship

urn:x-wiley:00243590:media:lno19913630455:lno19913630455-math-0003

between the subsurface irradiance reflectance under zenith sun and the ratio of backscattering coefficient to absorption coefficient is shown to apply satisfactorily to all the water types for bb/a values up to ∼0.25, but is less satisfactory at higher values of this ratio. As the incident beam departs from the vertical, so the reflectance increases to an extent that depends on the shape of the volume scattering function.
Organic volatile sulfur in lakes of the Canadian Shield and its loss to the atmosphere
Authors: Richards S. R. , Kelly C. A. , Rudd John W. M. 
Published: April 2010

Identities, concentrations, and fluxes of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) were determined in 11 lakes in northwestern Ontario. Carbonyl sulfide (COS: up to 1.1 nM) and dimethyl sulfide (DMS: up to 11 nM) were present in surface waters during most of the ice‐free season. Depth profiles showed accumulations below the mixed layer of methane thiol (MSH), DMS, and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS). There was no effect of low pH or increased [SO42−] (from 2.4 to 12.3 mg liter−1) on the concentrations and identities of surface‐water VSCs. Accumulation of DMS below the mixed layer was 9 × higher in an acidified system, however, when compared to an unacidified reference lake. Estimates of flux from two stratified lakes indicated that volatilization was not an important sulfur loss mechanism compared to others such as sedimentary SO42 reduction.Concentrations of MSH, DMS, and DMDS in shallow Lakes 114 and 303 were often 5–30 × higher than in any other lake studied, and the flux from Lake 114 was ∼0.96–1.6 × the estimated oceanic DMS flux per unit of area. On a regional basis, in areas where SO42− in precipitation is low, export of VSCs to the atmosphere from shallow lakes and bog pools may be significant compared to sulfur inputs through precipitation.
Jellyfish Lake, Palau: Early diagenesis of organic matter in sediments of an anoxic marine lake
Authors: Orem W. H. , Burnett W. C. , Landing W. M. , Lyons W. B. , Showers W. 
Published: April 2010

Jellyfish Lake, a meromictic, marine lake in the Palau Islands, western Pacific Ocean, is accumulating organic matter‐rich sediments (46% wt/wt) below anoxic, highly sulfidic bottom water. Elemental and stable isotope (δ13C) data indicate that the sedimentary organic matter is primarily derived from vascular plant remains (65–90%) and would form a type 2 kerogen. A bacterial layer at the oxic‐anoxic interface in the water column may play an important role in the rapid recycling of algal‐derived organic matter from the highly productive surface waters.The major postdepositional change in the sedimentary organic matter is carbohydrate biodegradation, as shown by 13C NMR. Lignin and aliphatic substances are preserved in the sediments. Dissolved organic matter in pore waters is primarily composed of carbohydrates, reflecting the degradation of sedimentary carbohydrates. Rate constants for organic carbon degradation and sulfate reduction in sediments of the lake are about 10 × lower than in other anoxic sediments. This may reflect the vascular plant source and partly degraded nature of the organic matter reaching the sediments of the lake.Elemental results from sediment cores and stable isotope (δ18O, δ13C) studies of shells from the sediments indicate probable climatic or ecological fluctuations affecting the depositional environment of the lake between 80 and 110 yr ago. The high sedimentation rate and stable environment of Jellyfish Lake make it a possible environment for studies of climatic fluctuations during the Holocene.
Growth kinetics of the omnivorous oligotrich ciliate Strombidium sp
Authors: Ohman Mark D. , Snyder Richard A. 
Published: April 2010

The marine ciliate Strombidium sp. can be raised through multiple generations on a monoxenic diet of the bacterium Vibrio natriegens, but Strombidium specific growth rates and yields are 3–4 times higher when a heterotrophic microflagellate is included as prey. In contrast to earlier studies we found that Strombidium grew inefficiently when feeding as a bacterivore, with gross growth efficiencies (K1) of 11–20% (determined on a nitrogen‐, carbon‐, and protein‐specific basis). On the same bacterial diet K1 of the scuticociliate Uronema sp. was 49–70%. Bacterivorous Uronema attained a 9‐fold higher specific growth rate and 30‐fold higher cell yield than Strombidium. Thus, the species composition of a ciliate assemblage can markedly influence the fate of microbial loop production.Cell volume of live Strombidium sp. varied >3‐fold during a growth cycle. Cell organic composition also varied: the C:N (mass) ratio decreased from 7.7 in stationary phase cells to 4.5 in exponentially growing cells, reflecting the ingestion of N‐rich prey. In addition to these natural variations in cell volume, preservatives can shrink cells to half of their live volume, resulting in spurious values of ciliate growth efficiency if computed on a volume‐specific basis.