bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
TEM observations of magnetic domains and grain boundaries on spin‐sprayed ferrite films exhibiting high permeability usable for gigahertz noise suppressors
Authors: Yoshikawa Hideyuki , Kondo Koichi , Yoshida Shigeyoshi , Shindo Daisuke , Abe Masanori 
Published: July 2007

AbstractLorentz TEM observations of magnetic domain wall motion, as well as TEM observations of grain boundaries, were performed on spin‐sprayed ferrite films #1 (Ni0.17Zn0.22Fe2.61O4) and #2 (Ni0.19Zn0.20Co0.03Fe2.58O4), both 0.5 µm in thickness. They exhibit much higher natural resonance frequencies than the bulk ferrite and thus have been applied to gigahertz noise suppressors. Films #1 and #2 exhibit prominent and weak in‐plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy, respectively, which is induced along the liquid flow direction during spin‐spraying. Both films have columnar crystallites with 100‐200 nm widths aligned perpendicular to the film plane, and the boundaries of the crystallites have no pores or impurity phases. Therefore, the crystallites are magnetically exchange‐coupled, which is responsible for the unusually high permeability and high natural resonance frequencies of the films. Under zero bias magnetic field, film #1 exhibits mosaic‐shaped magnetic domains, whereas film #2 exhibits magnetic domains elongated along the easy magnetization axis, both several hundred nanometers in width. For both films the domain structure remains unchanged when an in‐plane bias DC magnetic field,Hdc, of up to 10 Oe is applied along the hard axis. Under a stronger Hdc, the domain structure prominently changes, and the domain walls disappear when Hdc exceeds ∼100 Oe. This confirms our previous finding that the initial permeability is ascribed only to magnetization rotation, with no contribution from domain wall motion [J. Magn. Magn. Mater., 278, 256 (2004)]. © 2007 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A robust current control method with disturbance observer for matrix converter under abnormal input voltage
Authors: Oka Kazuo , Matsuse Kouki 
Published: July 2007

AbstractThis paper presents a robust current control method with a disturbance observer for a matrix converter (MC) under an abnormal input voltage. The MC can directly convert power from an input alternating current (AC) source to a load without any direct current (DC) link. Since the MC has no reactive elements, the imbalance and distortion of the input voltage immediately influence the load. Therefore, a high‐performance current control of the load is impossible in this condition. In this letter, we propose a robust current control method for the MC under an abnormal input voltage. Adapting the disturbance observer to a load current control, current control is possible without the influence of the imbalance and distortion of the input voltage and of a fluctuation of a load paramerter, a resistance, an inductance and so on. This current control is robust under these conditions. The proposed method is effective for the application of a high‐performance AC motor drive employing vector control because it is necessary for the proposed method to coordinate with a reference frame. The validity of the proposed method is confirmed by simulation results. © 2007 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A plastic neural network model of sound therapy of tinnitus
Authors: Fujimoto Ken'ichi , Nagashino Hirofumi , Kinouchi Yohsuke , Danesh Ali A. , Pandya Abhijit S. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractTinnitus is the perception of phantom sounds. There are sound therapy techniques which have the clinical effect of making the sufferers temporarily stop perceiving tinnitus. To account for mechanisms of tinnitus generation and the clinical effect of sound therapy from the viewpoint of neural engineering, this paper describes a neural network model with a plastic coupling on the human auditory system. Through numerical simulations we observed an oscillatory state and a nonoscillatory state in the model; it was also noticed that the value of the plastic coupling changes through external stimulus, and subsequently the oscillation is inhibited. By associating the oscillatory state with the state of tinnitus generation, it could be explained that the habituated human auditory system temporarily stops perceiving tinnitus after sound therapy. © 2007 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Regulation of sugar transport and metabolism by the Candida albicans Rgt1 transcriptional repressor
Authors: Sexton Jessica A. , Brown Victoria , Johnston Mark 
Published: July 2007

AbstractThe ability of the fungal pathogen Candida albicans to cause systemic infections depends in part on the function of Hgt4, a cell surface sugar sensor. The orthologues of Hgt4 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Snf3 and Rgt2, initiate a signalling cascade that inactivates Rgt1, a transcriptional repressor of genes encoding hexose transporters. To determine whether Hgt4 functions similarly through the C. albicans orthologue of Rgt1, we analysed Cargt1 deletion mutants. We found that Cargt1 mutants are sensitive to the glucose analogue 2‐deoxyglucose, a phenotype probably due to uncontrolled expression of genes encoding glucose transporters. Indeed, transcriptional profiling revealed that expression of about two dozen genes, including multiple HGT genes encoding hexose transporters, is increased in the Cargt1 mutant in the absence of sugars, suggesting that CaRgt1 represses expression of several HGT genes under this condition. Some of the HGT genes (probably encoding high‐affinity transporters) are also repressed by high levels of glucose, and we show that this repression is mediated by CaMig1, the orthologue of the major glucose‐activated repressor in S. cerevisiae, but not by its paralogue CaMig2. Therefore, CaRgt1 and CaMig1 collaborate to control expression of C. albicans hexose transporters in response to different levels of sugars. We were surprised to find that CaRgt1 also regulates expression of GAL1, suggesting that regulation of galactose metabolism in C. albicans is unconventional. Finally, Cargt1 mutations cause cells to hyperfilament, and suppress the hypofilamented phenotype of an hgt4 mutant, indicating that the Hgt4 glucose sensor may affect filamentation by modulating sugar import and metabolism via CaRgt1. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Increased expression of human calcium‐activated chloride channel 1 gene is correlated with mucus overproduction in Chinese asthmatic airway
Authors: Wang Ke , Wen Fu‐Qiang , Feng Yu‐Ling , Ou Xue‐Mei , Xu Dan , Yang Jie , Deng Zhi‐Pin 
Published: June 2007

AbstractAsthma is usually complicated with mucus overproduction in airway. Recently the increased expression of the human calcium‐activated chloride channel 1 (CaCC1) was found to play an important role in mucus overproduction in the asthmatic airways. To investigate the relationship of Calcium‐activated chloride channel 1 (CaCC1) and mucus overproduction in Chinese asthmatic airway, the expression of CaCC1, mucin 5AC (MUC5AC) and mucus in bronchial tissues were examined. Bronchial tissues were isolated from non‐cancerous areas of lungs obtained following resection for lung neoplasm in West China Hospital from April to July in 2004. Six patients were diagnosed lung neoplasm with moderate asthma, and other ten were diagnosed lung neoplasm without asthma as the control subjects. The expression of CaCC1, MUC5AC and mucin in bronchial tissues was detected by reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR), in situ hybridized with digoxigenin (DIG)‐labeled RNA probe, immunohistochemical and Alcian blue‐periodic acid Schiff (AB‐PAS) staining, respectively. In RT‐PCR, two expression patterns of CaCC1 mRNA were found, which were located in the 450 bp and 510 bp. With in situ hybridization, a stronger expression of CaCC1 mRNA was further detected throughout the bronchial tissues from patients with asthma than control subjects (P < 0.01); Samples from asthmatics were showed a stronger staining for MUC5AC than those in control subjects (P < 0.05); AB‐PAS staining revealed more mucins and goblet cells in asthmatic bronchial epithelium and submucosal gland comparing to that in control subjects (P < 0.05). The increased expression of CaCC1 in asthmatic airways was well correlated with the expression of MUC5AC protein, the percentage of goblet cells and the area of submucosal gland (P < 0.01, P < 0.01, P < 0.05). These results suggest that the up‐regulated gene expression of CaCC1 exists, which is complicated with mucus hyper‐secretion in Chinese asthmatic airway.
Tumour necrosis factor‐α receptor 1 polymorphisms and serum soluble TNFR1 in early spontaneous miscarriage
Authors: Yu Xue‐Wen , Li Xu , Ren Yong‐Hui , Li Xue‐Cheng 
Published: June 2007

AbstractObjectives: The study investigated the association of TNFR1 gene polymorphism with early recurrent spontaneous miscarriage (ERSM) in Chinese women, and soluble TNFR1 (sTNFR1) expression in ERSM women.Study design: Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located at −383 (AGA to AGC) in the promoter region and +36 (CCA to CCG) in exon 1 of TNFR1 were investigated in 188 non‐pregnant ERSM Chinese women. The serum sTNFR1 was measured by the ELISA method.Results: Both SNPs were not associated with ERSM. The non‐pregnant ERSM women had significantly higher levels of serum sTNFR1, compared with the non‐pregnant, normal women (1.84 ± 0.54 ng/ml versus 1.62 ± 0.38 ng/ml; t = −2.053; p < 0.05).Conclusions: The data do not provide evidence that TNFR1 gene polymorphism is etiologically important for ERSM in Chinese women. But, a significantly raised sTNFR1 level in non‐pregnant ERSM women was recorded compared to women with normal pregnancies. The result suggests that pregnancy failure is associated with an increase of sTNFR1.
Significance of eIF4E expression in skin squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Salehi Z. , Mashayekhi F. , Shahosseini F. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractCutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a malignant tumour of keratinising epidermal cells. This type of skin cancer is the second leading cause of death after melanoma, and it is the second most common type of non‐melanoma skin cancer after basal cell carcinoma. The cellular and molecular events involved in the progression of skin cancers are largely unknown. Increased protein synthesis is necessary for the transition of cells from quiescence to proliferation. Translational control is critical for the proper regulation of the cell cycle, tissue induction and growth. Eukaryotic initiation factor eIF4E, an important regulator of translation, plays critical roles in neo‐plastic transformation and cancer progression. We investigated eIF4E expression in 49 skin samples (six normal tissues, eight Bowen diseases, seven stage I, 10 stage II, 13 stage III and five stage IV SCCs). Results obtained demonstrated that all SCC samples, evaluated by SDS‐PAGE, Western blotting and cap‐affinity chromatography using m7GTP‐sepharose, presented eIF4E expression (13.6 ± 1.2), whereas, starting from stage 0 (4.1 ± 0.9) to stage I (7.4 ± 1.4), stage II (12.1 ± 2.4), stage III (18.1 ± 3.0) and stage IV (26.2 ± 3.8) SCCs, a constant and significant increase of protein over expression (P < 0.001) was observed. A high expression of eIF4E is correlated with advanced stages. The results presented in this study demonstrate a possible role of eIF4E in SCC.
Up‐regulation of connexin 43 and gap junctional intercellular communication by Coleusin Factor is associated with growth inhibition in rat osteosarcoma UMR106 cells
Authors: Geng Shuo , Sun Bo , Liu Shu , Wang Jingze 
Published: June 2007

AbstractGap junctions, formed by connexin (Cx) family proteins, permit direct exchange of regulatory ions and small signal molecules between neighbouring cells. Gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) plays an important role in maintaining the homeostasis and preventing cell transformation. Most of the tumour cells feature deficient or aberrant connexin expression and GJIC level, and restoration of connexin expression and GJIC is correlated with cell growth control. Numerous researches has suggested the possibility of connexins as potential anti‐tumour targets for chemoprevention and chemotherapy. We investigated the ability of Coleusin Factor (CF, also named FSK88) to regulate the Cx43 expression and GJIC level in rat osteosarcoma UMR106 cells. The results have demonstrated that CF increased the mRNA and protein expression of Cx43 in both in a dose‐ and timedependent manner, and concomitant with up‐regulation of Cx43, CF treatment up‐regulated the diminished GJIC level in UMR106 cells as assayed by dye transfer experiments. In addition, Cx43 distribution at the plasma membrane was also enhanced dramatically by CF treatment. Furthermore, we discovered that CF was potent to inhibit the growth and proliferation of UMR106 cells. These results provide the first evidence that CF can regulate connexin and GJIC, indicating that Cx43 may be a target of CF to exert its anti‐tumour effects.
Strengthening emergency obstetric care in Nepal: The Women's Right to Life and Health Project (WRLHP)
Authors: Rana T.G. , Chataut B.D. , Shakya G. , Nanda G. , Pratt A. , Sakai S. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractIntroduction: The Women's Right to Life and Health Project contributes to Nepal's National Safe Motherhood Program and maternal mortality reduction efforts by working to improve the availability, quality and utilization of emergency obstetric care services in public health facilities. Methods: The project upgraded 8 existing public health facilities through infrastructure, equipment, training, data collection, policy advocacy, and community information activities. The total cost of the project was approximately US$1.6 million. Results: In 5 years, 3 comprehensive and 4 basic emergency obstetric care (EmOC) facilities were established in an area where adequate EmOC services were previously lacking. From 2000 to 2004, met need for EmOC improved from 1.9 to 16.9%; the proportion of births in EmOC project facilities increased from 3.8 to 8.3%; and the case fatality rate declined from 2.7 to 0.3%. Discussion: While the use of maternity services is still low in Nepal, improving availability and quality of EmOC together with community empowerment can increase utilization by women with complications, even in low‐resource settings. Partnerships with government and donors were key to the project's success. Similar efforts should be replicated throughout Nepal to expand the availability of essential life‐saving services for pregnant women.
Anthropometric predictors for the risk of chronic disease in non-diabetic, non-hypertensive young Mexican women
Authors: Neufeld Lynnette M , Jones-Smith Jessica C , García Raquel , Fernald Lia CH 
Published: July 2007

AbstractObjectivesTo assess the ability of anthropometric measurements to identify young women at risk of developing diabetes, hypertension and heart disease in the future and to compare cut-off points for common anthropometric measures established with receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves with those reported in the literature.DesignCross-sectional study.SubjectsEight hundred and two young Mexican women living in semi-urban poverty.Measurements/methodsThe ability of anthropometric measures of fatness and fat distribution (body mass index (BMI), summed skinfold thickness (SST), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), conicity index (CI), abdominal volume index (AVI)) to predict risk of future disease (pre-diabetes: fasting blood glucose 100–126 mg dl−1; pre-hypertension: systolic blood pressure 120–139 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure 80–89 mmHg; hypertriglyceridaemia: triglycerides ≥150 mg dl−1; or a combination of risk factors) was assessed using ROC curve analysis.ResultsTwenty-three of the 802 women who were interviewed had incomplete data and 50 (6.4%) were eliminated from the analysis due to hypertension and/or diabetes. Mean age of the remaining 729 women was 29.6 ± 5.4 years and mean BMI was 27.7 ± 4.5 kg m−2. There were no significant differences in the area under the ROC curve for BMI, WC, AVI or SST for any of the four outcomes. However, these indices performed significantly better than WHR and CI (P< 0.05). The BMI cut-off points that maximised sensitivity and specificity for the four outcomes were in the range of 27.7–28.4 kg m−2, and for WC were 89.3–91.2 cm. To detect 90% of the cases of any metabolic alteration, the necessary BMI cut-off was 26.1 kg m−2. Younger women (<25 years) were at greater risk than older women for a given BMI increment (P< 0.05).ConclusionsWe found that BMI and WC cut-off points commonly used for the identification of risk of existing disease were also appropriate in this population for the identification of risk in the future among women without diabetes or hypertension. The early identification of at-risk individuals, prior to the onset of disease, is fundamental particularly in the context of a country with scarce resources that is rapidly undergoing nutrition transition.
Bacterial Cyclic β-(1,2)-Glucan Acts in Systemic Suppression of Plant Immune Responses
Authors: Rigano Luciano Ariel , Payette Caroline , Brouillard Geneviève , Marano Maria Rosa , Abramowicz Laura , Torres Pablo Sebastián , Yun Maximina , Castagnaro Atilio Pedro , Oirdi Mohamed El , Dufour Vanessa , Malamud Florencia , Dow John Maxwell , Bouarab Kamal , Vojnov Adrian Alberto 
Published: June 2007

AbstractAlthough cyclic glucans have been shown to be important for a number of symbiotic and pathogenic bacterium–plant interactions, their precise roles are unclear. Here, we examined the role of cyclic β-(1,2)-glucan in the virulence of the black rot pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv campestris (Xcc). Disruption of the Xcc nodule development B (ndvB) gene, which encodes a glycosyltransferase required for cyclic glucan synthesis, generated a mutant that failed to synthesize extracellular cyclic β-(1,2)-glucan and was compromised in virulence in the model plants Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana benthamiana. Infection of the mutant bacterium in N. benthamiana was associated with enhanced callose deposition and earlier expression of the PATHOGENESIS-RELATED1 (PR-1) gene. Application of purified cyclic β-(1,2)-glucan prior to inoculation of the ndvB mutant suppressed the accumulation of callose deposition and the expression of PR-1 in N. benthamiana and restored virulence in both N. benthamiana and Arabidopsis plants. These effects were seen when cyclic glucan and bacteria were applied either to the same or to different leaves. Cyclic β-(1,2)-glucan–induced systemic suppression was associated with the transport of the molecule throughout the plant. Systemic suppression is a novel counterdefensive strategy that may facilitate pathogen spread in plants and may have important implications for the understanding of plant–pathogen coevolution and for the development of phytoprotection measures.
Common Functions for Diverse Small RNAs of Land Plants
Authors: Axtell Michael J. , Snyder Jo Ann , Bartel David P. 
Published: June 2007

Abstract
Endogenous small RNAs, including microRNAs (miRNAs) and short interfering RNAs (siRNAs), are critical components of plant gene regulation. Some abundant miRNAs involved in developmental control are conserved between anciently diverged plants, while many other less-abundant miRNAs appear to have recently emerged in the Arabidopsis thaliana lineage. Using large-scale sequencing of small RNAs, we extended the known diversity of miRNAs in basal plants to include 88 confidently annotated miRNA families in the moss Physcomitrella patens and 44 in the lycopod Selaginella moellendorffii. Cleavage of 29 targets directed by 14 distinct P. patens miRNA families and a trans-acting siRNA (ta-siRNA) was experimentally confirmed. Despite a core set of 12 miRNA families also expressed in angiosperms, weakly expressed and apparently lineage-specific miRNAs accounted for the majority of miRNA diversity in both species. Nevertheless, the molecular functions of several of these lineage-specific small RNAs matched those of angiosperms, despite dissimilarities in the small RNA sequences themselves, including small RNAs that mediated negative feedback regulation of the miRNA pathway and miR390-dependent ta-siRNAs that guided the cleavage of AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR mRNAs. Diverse, lineage-specific, small RNAs can therefore perform common biological functions in plants.
Dinner preparation in the modern United States
Authors: Beck Margaret E. 
Published: June 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the family dinner in Los Angeles County, California, focusing on the role of commercial foods and the time invested in food preparation. Popular media emphasize the increasing use of processed commercial foods in the USA.Design/methodology/approachA total of 64 dinner preparation and consumption events were videotaped and observed (32 families, two weeknights each). Observations determined the source of food served (restaurant, take‐out, or home‐cooked), the ingredients and dishes in each meal prepared at home, and the time required to prepare it.FindingsThe findings in this paper showed that, even when prepared at home, most evening meals included processed commercial foods in at least moderate amounts. Home‐cooked meals required an average of 34 minutes' “hands‐on time” and 52 minutes' “total time” to prepare. Heavy use of commercial foods saved, on average, ten to 12 minutes, hands‐on time but did not reduce total preparation time. Commercial foods require more limited cooking skills and permit more complex dishes or meals to be prepared within a given time‐frame than do raw ingredients. They may also reduce time investment at stages other than meal preparation, such as shopping.Originality/valueThis paper provides a rare glimpse of food preparation and meal consumption behavior on the family level. Most reports on US food habits are based on survey and purchasing data, rather than direct observation of household activities as used here.
Utilizing virtual teams in a management principles course
Authors: Olson‐Buchanan Julie B. , Rechner Paula L. , Sanchez Rudolph J. , Schmidtke James M. 
Published: June 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe development of a component in a management principles course to develop university students' virtual team skills. There were several challenges in creating and implementing this new component. The paper aims to describe how these challenges were addressed and discusses outcomes associated with this virtual team component.Design/methodology/approachThis paper primarily presents a case study of the evolution of a virtual team education module. Descriptive data and regression analysis are presented to support specific outcomes.FindingsAfter completing the course, participants indicated the virtual team experience helped them gain useful professional skills. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated satisfaction with the virtual experience and perceptions that the virtual team experience built useful skills that were related to willingness to use this technology in the future (controlling for age, gender, working experience, and team performance).Research limitations/implicationsThe training method was implemented in only one institution. Additionally, limited empirical data is presented.Practical implicationsResults can be used by others interested in implementing a virtual team training/education component in a university setting. Non‐educational organizations may find the information helpful in successfully introducing virtual teams to employees.Originality/valueWhile computer mediated technology is increasingly utilized to educate and train students and employees, the process of effectively training people to optimally utilize technology, especially in a team setting, is not well documented. Additionally, this paper highlights factors that influence the acceptance of technology and willingness to use technology in the future.