bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Regional Differences in the Prediction of Extratropical Cyclones by the ECMWF Ensemble Prediction System
Authors: Froude Lizzie S. R. 
Published: September 2008

Abstract
A regional study of the prediction of extratropical cyclones by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Ensemble Prediction System (EPS) has been performed. An objective feature-tracking method has been used to identify and track the cyclones along the forecast trajectories. Forecast error statistics have then been produced for the position, intensity, and propagation speed of the storms. In previous work, data limitations meant it was only possible to present the diagnostics for the entire Northern Hemisphere (NH) or Southern Hemisphere. A larger data sample has allowed the diagnostics to be computed separately for smaller regions around the globe and has made it possible to explore the regional differences in the prediction of storms by the EPS. Results show that in the NH there is a larger ensemble mean error in the position of storms over the Atlantic Ocean. Further analysis revealed that this is mainly due to errors in the prediction of storm propagation speed rather than in direction. Forecast storms propagate too slowly in all regions, but the bias is about 2 times as large in the NH Atlantic region. The results show that storm intensity is generally overpredicted over the ocean and underpredicted over the land and that the absolute error in intensity is larger over the ocean than over the land. In the NH, large errors occur in the prediction of the intensity of storms that originate as tropical cyclones but then move into the extratropics. The ensemble is underdispersive for the intensity of cyclones (i.e., the spread is smaller than the mean error) in all regions. The spatial patterns of the ensemble mean error and ensemble spread are very different for the intensity of cyclones. Spatial distributions of the ensemble mean error suggest that large errors occur during the growth phase of storm development, but this is not indicated by the spatial distributions of the ensemble spread. In the NH there are further differences. First, the large errors in the prediction of the intensity of cyclones that originate in the tropics are not indicated by the spread. Second, the ensemble mean error is larger over the Pacific Ocean than over the Atlantic, whereas the opposite is true for the spread. The use of a storm-tracking approach, to both weather forecasters and developers of forecast systems, is also discussed.
The Andean Pact and State Capitalism in Colombia
Authors: Fernández Raúl A. , Ocampo José F. 
Published: September 2008

This section addresses the nature of two current programs, put forward by their sponsors as "answers" to the problems of industrialization in Latin America. Raúl Fernández, Associate Professor in the Program in Comparative Culture at the University of California, Irvine, with José F. Ocampo, present an analysis of the programs of "regional integration." Using the Andean Pact as a specific instance, or case study, Fernández and Ocampo argue that regional integration is a tool of imperialist domination, and they demonstrate the relationship between imperialist regional integration and the development of state capitalism in Colombia. Rosemary Galli, who teaches at Johnston College of Redlands University, presents an evaluation of another mechanism of imperialist "development" planning. Basing her study upon her own first hand experience with the United Nations Development System, Professor Galli's case study of the UNDS in Colombia shows the machinery of international development planning and its weaknesses. She concludes with a compelling case for the importance of national leadership in such planning.
Cien Anos De Soledad: History and the Novel
Authors: Taylor Anna Marie 
Published: September 2008

In this section Anna Marie Taylor presents an analysis of Gabriel Garcia Márquez' famous book, Cien años de soledad. Garcia Márquez is, without doubt, one of the best-known Colombians in the world today. Not only is he an artist of the highest order, he is a Colombian fully dedicated to revolutionary practice. His leadership in the campaign against the Chilean fascists has taken him around the world; in Colombia he was one of the founders of Alternativa, an independent Marxist magazine, and he is presently editor and a regular contributor. His popularity with the Colombian left has led many to speculate that he may become an electoral candidate for a broad left-coalition in the future. It should be noted, however, that Garcia Márquez has vehemently denied this speculation. Anna Marie Taylor, who teaches Spanish at the University of Chicago, has done more than the currently fashionable, if socially vacuous, textual "criticism." She places the novel in a socio-historical context, and evaluates its merits on grounds of social and political, as well as textual, coherence.
Patellar Tendon Strain is Increased at the Site of the Jumper's Knee Lesion during Knee Flexion and Tendon Loading
Authors: Lavagnino Michael , Arnoczky Steven P. , Elvin Niell , Dodds Julie 
Published: September 2008

Background Patellar tendinopathy (jumper's knee) is characterized by localized tenderness of the patellar tendon at its origin on the inferior pole of the patella and a characteristic increase in signal intensity on magnetic resonance imaging at this location. However, it is unclear why the lesion typically occurs in this area of the patellar tendon as surface strain gauge studies of the patellar tendon through the range of motion have produced conflicting results. Hypothesis The predicted patellar tendon strains that occur as a result of the tendon loads and patella-patellar tendon angles (PPTAs) experienced during a jump landing will be significantly increased in the area of the patellar tendon associated with patellar tendinopathy. Study Design Descriptive laboratory study. Methods A 2-dimensional, computational, finite element model of the patella-patellar tendon complex was developed using anatomic measurements taken from lateral radiographs of a normal knee. The patella was modeled with plane strain rigid elements, and the patellar tendon was modeled with 8-node plane strain elements with neo-Hookean material properties. A tie constraint was used to join the patellar tendon and patella. Patella-patellar tendon angles corresponding to knee flexion angles between 0° and 60° and patellar tendon strains ranging from 5% to 15% were used as input variables into the computational model. To determine if the location of increased strain predicted by the computational model could produce isolated tendon fascicle damage in that same area, 5 human cadaveric patella-patellar tendon-tibia specimens were loaded under conditions predicted by the model to significantly increase localized tendon strain. Pre- and posttesting ultrasound images of the patella–patellar tendon specimens were obtained to document the location of any injured fascicles. Results Localized tendon strain at the classic location of the jumper's knee lesion was found to increase in association with an increase in the magnitude of applied patellar tendon strain and a decrease in the PPTA. The principal stresses and strains predicted by the model for this localized area were tensile and not compressive in nature. Applying the tendon strain conditions and PPTA predicted by the model to significantly increase localized strain resulted in disruption of tendon fascicles in 3 of the 5 cadaveric specimens at the classic location of the patellar tendinopathy lesion. Conclusion The localized increase in patellar tendon strain that occurs in response to the application of tendon loads and decreased PPTA could induce microdamage at the classic location of the jumper's knee lesion. Clinical Relevance The association of decreasing PPTA with increasing localized tendon strain would implicate the role of knee-joint angle as well as tendon force in the etiopathogenesis of jumper's knee.
Intraoperative Biomechanical Evaluation of Anatomic Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Using a Navigation System
Authors: Ishibashi Yasuyuki , Tsuda Eiichi , Fukuda Akira , Tsukada Harehiko , Toh Satoshi 
Published: September 2008

Background Recently, more anatomic anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions have been developed to improve knee laxity. Purpose The objective of this study is to assess knee kinematics after double-bundle reconstruction with hamstring tendon and after anatomically oriented reconstruction with a patellar tendon using navigation during surgery. Study Design Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods Eighty knees received double-bundle reconstruction with a hamstring tendon graft, and 45 knees received anatomically oriented reconstruction with a patellar tendon graft. Before reconstruction, knee laxity was measured using a navigation system. After the posterolateral bundle or anteromedial bundle was temporarily fixed during double-bundle reconstruction, knee laxity was measured to assess the function of each bundle. After double-bundle reconstruction or anatomically oriented reconstruction with patellar tendon, knee laxity was measured in the same manner. Results Both double-bundle reconstruction and anatomically oriented reconstruction similarly improved knee laxity compared With before reconstruction in all knee flexion angles. Regarding the function of the anteromedial and posterolateral bundles in double-bundle reconstruction, the 2 grafts showed contrasting behavior. The posterolateral bundle restrained tibial displacement mainly in knee extension, whereas the anteromedial bundle restrained it more in the knee flexion position. The posterolateral bundle has a more important role in controlling rotation of the tibia than the anteromedial bundle. Conclusion Although the posterolateral bundle has an important role in the extension position, the anteromedial bundle is more important in the flexion position. Therefore, both bundles should be reconstructed to improve knee laxity throughout knee range of motion. Even with single-bundle reconstruction using a patellar tendon, anatomic reconstruction might improve knee laxity similar to double-bundle reconstruction.
Erdosteine enhances airway response to salbutamol in patients with mild-to-moderate COPD
Authors: Dal Negro Roberto , Visconti Maria , Trevisan Fiorenza , Bertacco Stefano , Micheletto Claudio , Tognella Silvia 
Published: September 2008

Background: Oxidative stress is presumed to impair β-adenoceptor function and airway patency. Erdosteine (E), a mucomodulatory compound, has shown important antioxidant properties. Methods: The objective was to assess the effect of antioxidant interventions on short-term airway response to salbutamol in non-reversible mild-to-moderate COPD patients. Thirty COPD patients (GOLD class 1—2), current smoker (≥10 pack/year), randomly received E 300 mg, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) 600 mg, or placebo, twice daily for ten days. Reversibility to salbutamol 200 μg was tested in baseline, after four and ten days of each treatment. ROS and 8-isoprostane blood levels were measured on the same days. Between-treatment comparison was performed by ANOVA and t-test or Wilcoxon test, and p<0.05 assumed. E enhanced FEV1 reversibility after four and ten days significantly (+5.1% and +5.0%; both p<0.01 vs. placebo), while NAC only showed a transient effect at day 4 (+3.0%, p<0.05), but not at day 10 (+1.3%, p = ns). Results: E and NAC caused significant drops in ROS blood levels after four and ten days (p<0.001 and p<0.0001 vs. placebo). In contrast to NAC, E lowered 8-isoprostane levels substantially for ten days (p = 0.017 and p = 0.0004 vs. placebo, respectively). Only E restored significantly short-term reversibility in COPD patients previously unresponsive to β2-adrenergics. Conclusions: This effect seems more related to the peculiar protection against lipid peroxidation rather than to the scavenging activity, which proves equal to that of NAC. E provides a sort of indirect bronchodilation through 're-sensitisation' of β 2-adrenoceptors. Once confirmed in further controlled studies, it may be useful in long-term treatment of COPD.
Predicting worsening asthma control following the common cold
Authors: Walter M. J. , Castro M. , Kunselman S. J. , Chinchilli V. M. , Reno M. , Ramkumar T. P. , Avila P. C. , Boushey H. A. , Ameredes B. T. , Bleecker E. R. , Calhoun W. J. , Cherniack R. M. , Craig T. J. , Denlinger L. C. , Israel E. , Fahy J. V. , Jarjour N. N. , Kraft M. , Lazarus S. C. , Lemanske R. F. , Martin R. J. , Peters S. P. , Ramsdell J. W. , Sorkness C. A. , Sutherland E. R. , Szefler S. J. , Wasserman S. I. , Wechsler M. E. ,   the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute’s Asthma Clinical Research Network
Published: September 2008

The asthmatic response to the common cold is highly variable, and early characteristics that predict worsening of asthma control following a cold have not been identified.In this prospective multicentric cohort study of 413 adult subjects with asthma, the mini-Asthma Control Questionnaire (mini-ACQ) was used to quantify changes in asthma control and the Wisconsin Upper Respiratory Symptom Survey-21 (WURSS-21) to measure cold severity. Univariate and multivariable models were used to examine demographic, physiological, serological and cold-related characteristics for their relationship to changes in asthma control following a cold.Clinically significant worsening of asthma control was observed following a cold (mean±sdincrease in mini-ACQ score of 0.69±0.93). Univariate analysis demonstrated that season, centre location, cold duration and cold severity measurements were all associated with a change in asthma control. Multivariable analysis of the covariates available within the first 2 days of cold onset revealed that the day 2 and cumulative sum of day 1 and 2 WURSS-21 scores were significant predictors of the subsequent changes in asthma control.In asthmatic subjects, cold severity within the first 2 days can be used to predict subsequent changes in asthma control. This information may help clinicians prevent deterioration in asthma control following a cold.
Reference values for cardiopulmonary exercise testing in healthy volunteers: the SHIP study
Authors: Koch B. , Schäper C. , Ittermann T. , Spielhagen T. , Dörr M. , Völzke H. , Opitz C. F. , Ewert R. , Gläser S. 
Published: September 2008

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is a widely applied clinical procedure. The aim of the present study was to acquire a comprehensive set of reference values for cardiopulmonary responses to exercise and to evaluate possible associations with sex, age and body mass index (BMI).A standardised progressive incremental exercise protocol on a cycle ergometer was applied to 1,708 volunteers of a cross-sectional epidemiologic survey, called “Study of Health in Pomerania”. Individuals with cardiopulmonary disorders, or echocardiographic or lung function pathologies, were excluded. The influence of potential confounding factors, such as smoking, taking β-blockers, hypertension, diastolic dysfunction, BMI and physical activity, were analysed for their influencing power. Reference values of CPET parameters were determined by regression analyses.Of the volunteers, 542 current smokers and obese individuals were excluded for not being representative of a healthy population. The final sample size was 534 (253 males), with age 25–80 yrs. The current study provides a representative set of reference values for CPET parameters based on age and weight.Sex and age have a significant influence on exercise parameters. While addressing the problem of a selection bias, the current study provides the first comprehensive set of reference values obtained in a large number of healthy volunteers within a population-based survey.
Long-acting β-agonists: a review of formoterol safety data from asthma clinical trials
Authors: Sears M. R. , Ottosson A. , Radner F. , Suissa S. 
Published: September 2008

The safety of long-acting β2-agonist (LABA) treatment in asthma has been questioned following reported increased respiratory deaths when salmeterol was added to usual pharmacotherapy. The aim of this study was to examine whether asthma, cardiac or all-cause mortality and morbidity were increased with formoterol use.The analysis included all AstraZeneca randomised controlled parallel-group asthma trials of 3–12-months duration involving formoterol. Risks associated with formoterol use compared with non-LABA treatment, overall and in combination with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), were assessed using an intention-to-treat analysis of the rates and rate ratios of deaths and serious adverse events (SAEs). The main objective of this study was to compare asthma-related mortality in patients using formoterol and those not using formoterol.There were eight asthma-related deaths (0.34 per 1,000 person-yrs) among 49,906 formoterol-randomised patients (92% using ICS), and two (0.22 per 1,000 person-yrs) among 18,098 patients (83% using ICS) not randomised to formoterol, which was nonsignificant. Asthma-related SAEs (>90% of which were hospitalisations) were significantly fewer among formoterol-randomised patients (0.75versus1.10%). There was no increase in asthma-related SAEs with increased daily doses of formoterol (9, 18 or 36 μg). There was no significant difference in cardiac mortality or noncardiac nonasthma-related mortality in formoterol-randomised compared to non-LABA-treated patients. All-cause mortality was similar. In the data set in which all subjects were prescribed ICS at baseline, there were seven asthma-related deaths (0.32 per 1,000 person-yrs) among 46,003 formoterol-randomised patients and one (0.14 per 1,000 person-yrs) among 13,905 patients not randomised to formoterol, which was also nonsignificant.There were few asthma-related or cardiac-related deaths among patients randomised to formoterol, and all differences were nonsignificant compared with non-long-acting β2-agonist-randomised patients. However, despite data on >68,000 patients, the power was insufficient to conclude that there was no increased mortality with formoterol. Cardiac-related serious adverse events were not increased, and asthma-related serious adverse events were significantly reduced with formoterol.
Increased hyaluronic acid content in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Papakonstantinou E. , Kouri F. M. , Karakiulakis G. , Klagas I. , Eickelberg O. 
Published: September 2008

Idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) is a fatal disease characterised by elevated blood pressure in the pulmonary circulation. Initial vasoconstriction, proliferation of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMC) and increased deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) contribute to pathological remodelling of pulmonary arterioles in IPAH. Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), components of the ECM, control cellular proliferation and differentiation, but their expression in IPAH remains elusive.In the present study, GAG expression was investigated in the lungs of patients with IPAH or control transplant donors, and expression and localisation of GAG-metabolising enzymes were analysedin vivoandin vitro.A significant increase in the expression of hyaluronic acid (HA) was detected in IPAH lungs, associated with increased hyaluronan synthase (Has)1and decreased hyaluronoglucosaminidase 1 gene expression, as assessed by quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting. HAS1 protein localised to PASMCin vivoand increased HA deposition was observed in remodelled pulmonary arteries in IPAH. Transforming growth factor-β1, a profibrotic growth factor, led to increased HA secretion and HAS1 expression in primary PASMC.The results demonstrate an increased hyaluronic acid content in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension lungs, associated with increased hyaluronan synthase 1 and decreased hyaluronoglucosaminidase 1 gene expression. Synergistic regulation of glycosaminoglycan-metabolising enzymes in favour of accumulation may, thus, regulate pathological vascular remodelling in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension lungs.
Proteome changes in the skin of the grape cultivar Barbera among different stages of ripening
Authors: Negri Alfredo S , Prinsi Bhakti , Rossoni Mara , Failla Osvaldo , Scienza Attilio , Cocucci Maurizio , Espen Luca 
Published: September 2008

AbstractBackgroundGrape ripening represents the third phase of the double sigmoidal curve of berry development and is characterized by deep changes in the organoleptic characteristics. In this process, the skin plays a central role in the synthesis of many compounds of interest (e.g. anthocyanins and aroma volatiles) and represents a fundamental protective barrier against damage by physical injuries and pathogen attacks. In order to improve the knowledge on the role of this tissue during ripening, changes in the protein expression in the skin of the red cultivar Barbera at five different stages fromvéraisonto full maturation were studied by performing a comparative 2-DE analysis.ResultsThe proteomic analysis revealed that 80 spots were differentially expressed throughout berry ripening. Applying a two-way hierarchical clustering analysis to these variations, a clear difference between the first two samplings (up to 14 days aftervéraison) and the following three (from 28 to 49 days aftervéraison) emerged, thus suggesting that the most relevant changes in protein expression occurred in the first weeks of ripening. By means of LC-ESI-MS/MS analysis, 69 proteins were characterized. Many of these variations were related to proteins involved in responses to stress (38%), glycolysis and gluconeogenesis (13%), C-compounds and carbohydrate metabolism (13%) and amino acid metabolism (10%).ConclusionThese results give new insights to the skin proteome evolution during ripening, thus underlining some interesting traits of this tissue. In this view, we observed the ripening-related induction of many enzymes involved in primary metabolism, including those of the last five steps of the glycolytic pathway, which had been described as down-regulated in previous studies performed on whole fruit. Moreover, these data emphasize the relevance of this tissue as a physical barrier exerting an important part in berry protection. In fact, the level of many proteins involved in (a)biotic stress responses remarkably changed through the five stages taken into consideration, thus suggesting that their expression may be developmentally regulated.