bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Internal anatomy and ultrastructure of the male reproductive system of the Norway lobster Nephrops norvegicus (Decapoda: Astacidea)
Authors: Rotllant Guiomar , Chiva Manel , Durfort Mercè , Ribes Enric 
Published: February 2012

AbstractThe Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) is economically important in Europe. However, apart from the female reproductive system, very little is known about its internal anatomy. This article focuses on studying the internal anatomy and ultrastructure of the male reproductive system. This system follows the general pattern found among decapod crustaceans, with several peculiarities. Testes are composed of lobular sperm ducts in which the spermatozoa are fully constituted. The spermatozoa present three lateral arms and a long acrosome, which gives a false appearance of flagellated spermatozoa. The two testes form a double H under the heart, and the vas deferens (VD) arise from each side at the posterior edge of the double H. The main characteristic of the VD is the presence of a sphincter in the enlarged area of the distal end of the middle VD. The MVD here shows an increase in musculature of the wall as compared to the VD, which regulates the passage of the sperm cord to the distal VD (DVD) and thence to the thelycum of the female. The wall of the spermatophore is formed in the distal part of the proximal VD, which surrounds the unique sperm cord present in the VD. Isolated spermatophores are not observed in the VD. The sperm cord is pinched off during copulation by the musculature of the DVD. Then, a portion of the sperm cord is transferred from each VD to form the isolated spermatophores. The wall of the spematophores and the spermatozoa that are observed inside the thelycum have the same morphology as those observed in the VD. J. Morphol., 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Understanding the basic mechanisms underlying seizures in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy and possible therapeutic targets: A review
Authors: O'Dell Casey M. , Das Arabinda , Wallace Gerald , Ray Swapan K. , Banik Naren L. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractDespite years of research, epilepsy remains a poorly understood disorder. In the past several years, work has been conducted on a variety of projects with the goal of better understanding the pathogenesis and progression of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE), in particular, and how to exploit those properties to generate innovative therapies for treatment of refractory epilepsies. This review seeks to give an overview of common morphological and biochemical changes associated with epilepsy and proposed treatments to address those changes. Furthering the understanding of ictogenesis and epileptogenesis remains an important goal for scientists seeking to find more effective treatments for MTLE. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Antioxidant and antimicrobial potentials of Serbian red wines produced from international Vitis vinifera grape varieties
Authors: Radovanović Aleksandra N , Jovančićević Branimir S , Radovanović Blaga C , Mihajilov‐Krstev Tatjana , Zvezdanović Jelena B 
Published: February 2012

AbstractBACKGROUND: Antioxidant and antimicrobial potentials of Serbian red wines produced from different international Vitis vinifera grape varieties and their correlation with contents of phenolic compounds were studied by spectrophotometric and chromatographic methods. The antioxidant activity of red wines was estimated through their ability to scavenge 2,2′‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl free radical (DPPH•). The red wines, gallic acid, (+)‐catechin and quercetin were screened in vitro for antimicrobial activity against Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative strains using microdilution and disc diffusion techniques.RESULTS: Excellent correlations between the contents of quercetin‐3‐glucoside (R2 = 0.9463) and quercetin (R2 = 0.9337) and DPPH•‐scavenging ability of the red wines were found. Serbian red wines exhibited significant activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria inocua, Micrococcus flavus, Sarcina lutea, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enteritidis and Shigella sonnei strains, which was in correlation with their phenolic composition and antioxidant activity. The compounds gallic acid, quercetin and (+)‐catechin showed high activity against B. subtilis, S. aureus, S. lutea and M. flavus Gram‐positive and S. enteritidis and P. aeruginosa Gram‐negative strains.CONCLUSION: The results show that quercetin‐3‐glucoside and quercetin concentrations can be used as markers for the determination of antioxidant and antimicrobial potentials of red wines. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Combined effect of electrical stimulation, aging time and marination on quality of chicken breast fillet processed under commercial conditions
Authors: Perlo Flavia , Bonato Patricia , Fabre Romina , Teira Gustavo , Tisocco Osvaldo 
Published: February 2012

AbstractBACKGROUND: Electrical stimulation (ES) in poultry processing is reported in the literature with varying degrees of effectiveness. Furthermore, the combined effects of ES and polyphosphate marination are not completely known. The objective of this study was to evaluate the combined effect of ES, aging time prior to deboning and phosphate marination on meat quality of broiler breast fillets.RESULTS: The implementation of ES accelerated pH decline in fillets at any aging time studied regardless of marination treatment, but no differences (P > 0.05) were found in pH of fillets deboned without aging. Warner–Bratzler (WB) shear values of ES fillets significantly decreased (P < 0.05) at 2 h of aging whereas WB of non‐ES fillets decreased at 6 h of aging in breast meat, with or without marination. In non‐marinated fillets the ES treatment reduced (P < 0.05) cooking loss in meat aged 0, 2 and 4 h. In marinated fillets the ES treatment decreased cooking loss at 2, 4, 6 and 8 h of aging.CONCLUSION: ES in carcasses aged 2 or 4 h improves tenderness and reduces cooking loss. Marination improves tenderness in both stimulated and non‐stimulated fillets, at all aging times. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Isolation of egg‐yolk phospholipids and enzymatic modification of their acyl chains
Authors: Chojnacka Anna , Gladkowski Witold , Kielbowicz Grzegorz , Wawrzenczyk Czeslaw 
Published: February 2012

AbstractPhospholipids (PLs) have many biological and technological functions. Among the main sources of PLs egg yolk is the most attractive because of the high content of phosphatidylcholine (PC). The nutritional value of PLs can be increased by different methods, including enzymatic enrichment with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Depending on the enzymes and reaction systems used, a‐linolenic acid (ALA) was introduced into the sn‐1 or sn‐2 position. Useful methods of PL isolation and positional analysis were elaborated.
Elasto‐aerodynamic lubrication analysis of a self‐acting air foil journal bearing
Authors: Bensouilah Hamza , Lahmar Mustapha , Bou‐Saïd Benyebka 
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACTNowadays, air foil bearings find widespread use in very high speed, lightly loaded oil‐free rotating turbomachineries such as compressors and microgas turbines because they have theoretically no speed limitations and they are environmentally benign. In the design of such bearings, it is of cardinal importance to enhance their steady‐state and dynamic performance characteristics for the safety operation, especially against the external dynamic excitations. Most of elasto‐aerodynamic approaches under dynamic conditions proposed in the technical literature include only the static pressure induced deformation of foils. This paper presents a theoretical investigation on the effects of both static and dynamic deformations of the foils on the dynamic performance characteristics and stability of a self‐acting air foil journal bearing operating under small harmonic vibrations. For the dynamic deformations of foils to be taken into account, the perturbation method is used for determining the gas‐film stiffness and damping coefficients for given values of excitation frequency, compressibility number and compliance factor of the bump foil. The rotor‐dynamic coefficients serve as input data for the linear stability analysis of rotor‐bearing system. The nonlinear stationary Reynolds' equation is solved by means of the Galerkin's finite element formulation, whereas the finite differences method are used to solve the first‐order complex dynamic equations resulting from the perturbation of the transient compressible Reynolds' equation. As a first approximation, the corrugated subfoil is modelled as a simple elastic foundation, i.e. the stiffness of a bump is uniformly distributed throughout the bearing surface. It was found that the dynamic properties and stability of the compliant finite length journal bearing are significantly affected by the compliance of foils especially when the dynamic deformation of foils is considered in addition to the static one by applying the principle of superposition. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Gelation on Heating of Supercooled Gelatin Solutions
Authors: Guigo Nathanaël , Sbirrazzuoli Nicolas , Vyazovkin Sergey 
Published: February 2012

AbstractDiluted (1.0–1.5 wt%) aqueous gelatin solutions have been cooled to –10 °C at a cooling rate 20 °C min−1 without freezing and detectable gelation. When heated at a constant heating rate (0.5 –2 °C min−1), the obtained supercooled solutions demonstrate an atypical process of gelation that has been characterized by regular and stochastically modulated differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) as well as by isoconversional kinetic analysis. The process is detectable as an exothermic peak in the total heat flow of regular DSC and in the nonreversing heat flow of stochastically modulated DSC. Isoconversional kinetic analysis applied to DSC data reveals that the effective activation energy of the process increases from approximately 75 to 200 kJ mol−1 as a supercooled solution transforms to gel on continuous h eating.
Automatic Perception of Chemical Similarities Between Metabolic Pathways
Authors: Latino Diogo A. R. S. , Aires‐de‐Sousa João 
Published: February 2012

AbstractMetabolic pathways are at the crossroad between the chemical world of small molecules and the biological world of enzymes, genes and regulation. Methods for their processing are therefore required for a great variety of applications. The work presented here reports a new method to encode metabolic pathways and reactomes of organisms based on the MOLMAP approach. Pathways are represented from features of the metabolites involved in their reactions enabling to automatically perceive chemical similarities, and making no use of EC numbers. MOLMAP descriptors are based on atomic topological and physicochemical features of the bonds involved in reactions. The results show that self‐organizing maps (SOM) can be trained with MOLMAPs of pathways to automatically recognize similarities between pathways of the same type of metabolism. The study also illustrates the possibility of applying the MOLMAP methodology at progressively higher levels of complexity, bridging chemical and biological information, and going all the way from atomic properties to the classification of organisms.
TFMCC versus ASMP: lessons learned from performance evaluation
Authors: Kioumourtzis Georgios , Bouras Christos , Gkamas Apostolos 
Published: February 2012

SUMMARYIn this article we present a simulation‐based comparison of one of the best‐known multicast congestion control schemes—TCP‐friendly Multicast Congestion Control (TFMCC)—against our proposed Adaptive Smooth Multicast Protocol (ASMP). ASMP consists of a single‐rate multicast congestion control mechanism which takes advantage of the RTCP Sender (SR) and Receiver Reports (RR) in order to adjust the sender's transmission rate in respect of the network conditions. The innovation in ASMP lays in the ‘smooth’ transmission rate, which is TCP‐friendly and prevents oscillations. We use an integrated simulation environment named Multi‐Evalvid‐RA for the evaluation of the two congestion control schemes. Multi‐Evalvid‐RA provides all the necessary tools to perform simulation studies and assess video quality by using both network‐centric metrics along with video quality measurements. Performance evaluation results show that ASMP is a very efficient solution for rate‐adaptive multimedia applications and a serious competitor to well‐known TFMCC. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Electronic healthcare databases for active drug safety surveillance: is there enough leverage?
Authors: Coloma Preciosa M. , Trifirò Gianluca , Schuemie Martijn J. , Gini Rosa , Herings Ron , Hippisley‐Cox Julia , Mazzaglia Giampiero , Picelli Gino , Corrao Giovanni , Pedersen Lars , van der Lei Johan , Sturkenboom Miriam ,   on behalf of the EU‐ADR consortium
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACTPurposeTo provide estimates of the number and types of drugs that can be monitored for safety surveillance using electronic healthcare databases.MethodsUsing data from eight European databases (administrative claims, medical records) and in the context of a cohort study, we determined the amount of drug exposure required for signal detection across varying magnitudes of relative risk (RR). We provide estimates of the number and types of drugs that can be monitored as a function of actual use, minimal detectable RR, and empirically derived incidence rates for the following adverse events: (i) acute myocardial infarction; (ii) acute renal failure; (iii) anaphylactic shock; (iv) bullous eruptions; (v) rhabdomyolysis; and (vi) upper gastrointestinal bleeding. We performed data simulation to see how expansion of database size would influence the capabilities of such system.ResultsData from 19 647 452 individuals (59 594 132 person‐years follow‐up) who used 2289 drugs in the EU‐ADR network show that for a frequent event such as acute myocardial infarction, there are 531 drugs (23% of total) for which an association with RR = 2, if present, can be investigated. For a rare event such as rhabdomyolysis, there are 19 drugs (1%) for which an association of same magnitude can be investigated.ConclusionActive surveillance using healthcare data‐based networks for signal detection is feasible, although the leverage to do so may be low for infrequently used drugs and for rare outcomes. Extending database network size to include data from heterogeneous populations and increasing follow‐up time are warranted to maximize leverage of these surveillance systems. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Simulations of substrate transport in the multidrug transporter EmrD
Authors: Baker Joseph , Wright Stephen H. , Tama Florence 
Published: February 2012

AbstractEmrD is a multidrug resistance (MDR) transporter from Escherichia coli, which is involved in the efflux of amphipathic compounds from the cytoplasm, and the first MDR member of the major facilitator superfamily to be crystallized. Molecular dynamics simulation of EmrD in a phospholipid bilayer was used to characterize the conformational dynamics of the protein. Motions that support a previously proposed lateral diffusion pathway for substrate from the cytoplasmic membrane leaflet into the EmrD central cavity were observed. In addition, the translocation pathway of meta‐chloro carbonylcyanide phenylhydrazone (CCCP) was probed using both standard and steered molecular dynamics simulation. In particular, interactions of a few specific residues with CCCP have been identified. Finally, a large motion of two residues, Val 45 and Leu 233, was observed with the passage of CCCP into the periplasmic space, placing a lower bound on the extent of opening required at this end of the protein for substrate transport. Overall, our simulations probe details of the transport pathway, motions of EmrD at an atomic level of detail, and offer new insights into the functioning of MDR transporters. Proteins 2012; © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Development of a high‐throughput real‐time PCR assay for the detection of the R81T mutation in the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor of neonicotinoid‐resistant Myzus persicae
Authors: Puinean Alin M , Elias Jan , Slater Russell , Warren Anne , Field Linda M , Williamson Martin S , Bass Chris 
Published: February 2012

AbstractBACKGROUND: Myzus persicae is a globally important aphid pest that is mainly controlled through the application of chemical insecticides. Recently, a clone of M. persicae exhibiting control‐compromising levels of resistance to neonicotinoid insecticides was described. The resistance of this clone was associated with reduced affinity of imidacloprid for the target site (the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor) as a result of mutation of a key amino acid residue (R81T) in the loop D region of a nAChR β1 subunit. The potent levels of resistance conferred by this mechanism are cause for considerable concern, and the frequency and distribution of the mutation in worldwide populations of M. persicae require careful monitoring. In this study, a high‐throughput assay has been developed that allows detection of the mutation in individual aphids.RESULTS: A real‐time TaqMan assay to detect the R81T substitution was developed that proved to be sensitive and specific in tests of analytical sensitivity and in a blind genotyping trial of DNA extracted from individual aphids comprising the three possible genotypes. The assay was then used to examine the frequency of the R81T mutation in aphids collected and stored in ethanol from peach orchards in southern France. The R81T frequency varied from 33 to 100% in seven populations from the department of Gard, France.CONCLUSIONS: This study describes a rapid and sensitive assay that very effectively detects the R81T mutation in individual aphids. The results also have practical significance for the control of M. persicae in southern France and provide contemporary data to inform current resistance management strategies. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Transient increases in dendritic spine density contribute to dentate gyrus long‐term potentiation
Authors: Wosiski‐Kuhn Marlena , Stranahan Alexis M. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractDendritic spines are the primary sites for excitatory neurotransmission in the adult brain and exhibit changes in their number and morphology with experience. The relationship between spine formation and synaptic activity has been best characterized along the apical dendrites of pyramidal neurons in the hippocampal CA1 subfield. However, less is known about the structural mechanisms at the spine that mediate plasticity in other hippocampal subfields. The dentate gyrus is the predominant point of entry for synaptic input to the hippocampus, and dentate granule cells differ from CA1 pyramidal neurons in terms of their morphology and biophysical properties. In order to understand the structural mechanisms for plasticity in the dentate gyrus, we measured dendritic spine density in hippocampal slice preparations at different intervals following synaptic stimulation. We observed that transient increases in dendritic spine density are detectable 30 min after induction of long‐term potentiation (LTP). By 60 min poststimulation, dendritic spine density has returned to basal levels. Both early LTP and enhancements in dendritic spine density could beblocked by destabilizing actin filaments, but not by inhibitors of transcription or protein synthesis. These results indicate that spine formation is a transient event that is required for dentate gyrus LTP. Synapse, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effects of amphetamine on subcellular distribution of dopamine and DOPAC
Authors: Wallace Lane J. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractAmphetamine effects on distribution of dopamine, 3,4‐dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), and amphetamine in vesicular, cytosolic, and extracellular compartments associated with a striatal varicosity were estimated through use of a computer simulation model. In addition, contribution to overall effects of amphetamine by each of five actions—transport by dopamine transporter (DAT), transport by vesicular monoamine transporter, stimulation of reverse transport, inhibition of monoamine oxidase (MAO), and slowing of dopamine cell firing rate—were evaluated. Amphetamine enters a varicosity almost entirely by DAT and accumulates to very high levels within the varicosity. Both reverse transport by DAT and passive diffusion contribute to continual amphetamine egress across the plasma membrane. Amphetamine enters storage vesicles by both transport and diffusion. The transport portion competes with dopamine storage, resulting in redistribution of approximately half of dopamine from vesicles to cytosol. The high concentration of amphetamine in the cytosol inhibits MAO, protecting cytosolic dopamine. A very small fraction of cytosolic dopamine is moved to extracellular compartment via reverse transport by DAT. The amount of dopamine moved by reverse transport is limited because of competition by very high cytosolic levels of amphetamine. In the presence of amphetamine, rate of dopamine transfer to extracellular compartment is less than control; however, high levels of extracellular dopamine are maintained because amphetamine occupies the DAT, thus limiting dopamine reuptake. Simulation output from a model using exchange‐diffusion mechanism of reverse transport does not match all published data that were simulated, suggesting that inward transport of a substrate is not required to initiate reverse transport. Synapse, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Design and Fabrication of Tubular Scaffolds via Direct Writing in a Melt Electrospinning Mode
Authors: Brown Toby D. , Slotosch Anna , Thibaudeau Laure , Taubenberger Anna , Loessner Daniela , Vaquette Cedryck , Dalton Paul D. , Hutmacher Dietmar W. 
Published: February 2012

Flexible tubular structures fabricated from solution electrospun fibers are finding increasing use in tissue engineering applications. However it is difficult to control the deposition of fibers due to the chaotic nature of the solution electrospinning jet. By using non-conductive polymer melts instead of polymer solutions the path and collection of the fiber becomes predictable. In this work we demonstrate the melt electrospinning of polycaprolactone in a direct writing mode onto a rotating cylinder. This allows the design and fabrication of tubes using 20 μm diameter fibers with controllable micropatterns and mechanical properties. A key design parameter is the fiber winding angle, where it allows control over scaffold pore morphology (e.g. size, shape, number and porosity). Furthermore, the establishment of a finite element model as a predictive design tool is validated against mechanical testing results of melt electrospun tubes to show that a lesser winding angle provides improved mechanical response to uniaxial tension and compression. In addition, we show that melt electrospun tubes support the growth of three different cell types in vitro and are therefore promising scaffolds for tissue engineering applications.