bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
High‐performance four‐node shell element with piezoelectric coupling for the analysis of smart laminated structures
Authors: Zemčík Robert , Rolfes Raimund , Rose Michael , Teßmer Jan 
Published: October 2006

AbstractA new four‐node bilinear shell element with full piezoelectric coupling is presented. It can be used for the analysis of light‐weight smart structures (adaptive structures), i.e. laminated composite structures with piezoelectric patches attached to its surface or embedded within the laminated layers. The piezoelectric patches can be both passive (sensors) or active (actuators). The element has been successfully integrated into ANSYS 7.1 and thus can take full advantage of all capabilities of this commercial package, e.g. the connection to electric circuit elements, so far within the scope of linear problems.The element is a continuum‐based degenerated solid shell element based on the Reissner–Mindlin theory of plates. It uses the modification of the enhanced assumed strain (EAS) theory for the in‐plane strains together with the discrete shear gap method for the transverse shear strains, hence it is free of both membrane locking and shear‐locking in bending. It has six mechanical degrees of freedom at each node without difficulties in the drilling rotations, and up to six voltage degrees of freedom. A special logic has been implemented so as to allow for a natural description of the electric interconnections between the piezoelectric layers. The element passes the structural patch tests from the standard set of tests proposed by MacNeal and Harder (Finite Element Anal. Design 1985; 1:3–20) including warped geometry problems. The piezoelectric behaviour was verified by comparing it with analytical solutions for plannar and curved geometry. A further validation was made by comparison with experimental measurements of harmonic response of actuated beam having both active and passive piezoelectric patches. A good agreement of the results was achieved. It can be concluded that the combination of the theories used makes this element robust and reliable. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fabrication of freestanding GaN microstructures using AlN sacrificial layers
Authors: Zaus E. , Hermann M. , Stutzmann M. , Eickhoff M. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThe fabrication of freestanding GaN microstructures using AlN sacrificial layers (SLs) is reported. GaN layers were grown by plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE) on polycrystalline AlN sacrificial layers that have been deposited at 600 °C. Isotropic wet chemical etching of the AlN film released GaN microbridges and – cantilevers. The stress gradient and the compressive stress in the GaN‐film was extracted by analysis of the relation between beam geometry and displacement. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Extending the START framework: Computation of optimal capability development portfolios using a decision theory approach
Authors: Elfes A. , Weisbin C. R. , Manvi R. , Adumitroaie V. , Lincoln W. P. , Shelton K. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractSpace program managers and decision‐makers must make strategic investment decisions regarding R&D on technologies, capabilities, missions, and programs, while under a variety of constraints. These constraints include limited budgets, infrastructure, and time restrictions, as well as programmatic and institutional priorities. Acquiring, analyzing, and synthesizing the large amount of information required for a rational decision poses an enormous challenge. To address these challenges, the authors have developed analytical methodologies and computational systems to support strategic decision‐makers within NASA: the START (STrategic Assessment of Risk and Technology) approach, a methodology allowing the quantitative assessment of technologies, capabilities, missions, scenarios and programs in support of human decision‐makers. Supporting the START methodology, new analytical formulations were added, addressing additional decision issues intrinsic to space programs. These include: (1) a utility‐based assessment of capabilities and technologies; (2) modeling dependencies between capabilities and/or between capabilities and programmatic goals; (3) modeling the impact of partial versus complete funding; (4) compute temporally optimal portfolios for staging funding over time; and (5) provide a robustness assessment of the analysis results. We also assess the results, and present sensitivity analysis procedures for validating the START results. We present two case studies; a study conducted for NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD), and an analysis for NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD). We conclude with the next steps in the evolution of the START methodology. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.*Syst Eng 9:331–357, 2006
Factors affecting egg predation in Black‐tailed Gulls
Authors: Kazama Kentaro 
Published: October 2006

AbstractIn colonial seabirds, nesting density, egg‐laying date and nest microhabitat affect the probability of eggs being taken by avian predators. Jungle Crows (Corvus macrorhynchos) are dominant predators of eggs of Black‐tailed Gulls (Larus crassirostris). Factors affecting the probability of gulls allowing the crows to attack their nests or depredate their eggs and the probability of eggs being taken were studied by direct observation and egg census, respectively. The effect of vegetation heights, position in the colony, egg‐laying date and neighbour nests on the probability of eggs being taken were examined at multiple spatial scales. Gull nests were depredated more easily by larger groups of crows. Nests in peripheral areas (<4 m from the edge of the colony) were also depredated more easily by the crows walking on the ground. Although the nests where eggs were laid early in the season were depredated more frequently, such nests highly synchronised in egg laying within a <2‐m radius were less likely to be depredated than less‐synchronised nests. The nests in tall vegetation were less likely to be depredated though those having neighbour nests in tall vegetation were not. The number of neighbour nests did not affect the probability of eggs being taken. Antipredation effects of nesting microhabitats vary with spatial scales at which the crows search and attack the nests of gulls.
Commonly Studied Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms and Breast Cancer: Results From the Breast Cancer Association Consortium
Authors:   The Breast Cancer Association Consortium
Published: October 2006

AbstractBackground: The Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC) is an international collaboration that was established to provide large sample sizes for examining genetic associations. We conducted combined analyses on all single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) whose associations with breast cancer have been investigated by at least three participating groups. Methods: Data from up to 12 studies were pooled for each SNP ( ADH1C I350V, AURKA F31I, BRCA2 N372H, CASP8 D302H, ERCC2 D312N, IGFBP3 −202 c > a , LIG4 D501D, PGR V660L, SOD2 V16A, TGFB1 L10P, TP53 R72P, XRCC1 R399Q, XRCC2 R188H, XRCC3 T241M, XRCC3 5′ UTR, and XRCC3 IVS7-14). Genotype frequencies in case and control subjects were compared, and genotype-specific odds ratios for the risk of breast cancer in heterozygotes and homozygotes for the rare allele compared with homozygotes for the common allele were estimated with logistic regression. Statistical tests were two-sided. Results: The total number of subjects for analysis of each SNP ranged from 12 013 to 31 595. For five SNPs— CASP8 D302H, IGFBP3 −202 c > a , PGR V660L, SOD2 V16A, and TGFB1 L10P—the associations with breast cancer were of borderline statistical significance ( P = .016, .060, .047, .056, and .0088 respectively). The remaining 11 SNPs were not associated with breast cancer risk; genotype-specific odds ratios were close to unity. There was some evidence for between-study heterogeneity ( P <.05) for four of the 11 SNPs ( ADH1C I350V, ERCC2 D312N, XRCC1 R399Q, and XRCC3 IVS5-14). Conclusion: Pooling data within a large consortium has helped to clarify associations of SNPs with breast cancer. In the future, consortia such as the BCAC will be important in the analysis of rare polymorphisms and gene × gene or gene × environment interactions, for which individual studies have low power to identify associations, and in the validation of associations identified from genome-wide association studies.
Eosinophilic cellulitis presented with semicircular pattern
Authors: KARABUDAK Ozlem , DOGAN Bilal , TASKAPAN Oktey , HARMANYERI Yavus 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACTEosinophilic cellulitis (Wells’ syndrome) is a rare condition of unknown etiology and pathogenesis. It is characterized by erythematous plaques and a histological picture of dermal eosinophilic infiltration with “flame figures”. The typical clinical presentation of eosinophilic cellulitis is mildly pruritic cellulite‐like plaques. Urticarial, vesiculo‐bullous, nodular and papulonodular variants were also reported. Herein, we describe a patient with annular and semicircular manifestations of eosinophilic cellulitis. It was treated successfully with low‐dose cyclosporine A treatment.
Effects of skin care and makeup under instructions from dermatologists on the quality of life of female patients with acne vulgaris
Authors: MATSUOKA Yoshie , YONEDA Kozo , SADAHIRA Chieko , KATSUURA Junko , MORIUE Tetsuya , KUBOTA Yasuo 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACTAcne vulgaris significantly affects patients’ quality of life (QOL) and their lives in various ways, including social behavior and body dissatisfaction. This may be heightened by acne's typical involvement of the face. We investigated whether the use of skin care and makeup could influence the QOL of affected patients without deteriorating conventional acne treatments. Fifty female patients with acne were recruited for our study. Twenty‐five patients were instructed how to use skin care and cosmetics, while 25 patients received no specific instructions from dermatologists. Both groups received conventional topical and/or oral medication for acne during the study period for 4 weeks. Both groups did not show any significant difference in clinical improvement of acne severity. Two validated QOL questionnaires, World Health Organization (WHO)QOL26 and the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) were administered to all patients at first visit and 4 weeks later. The mean scores of psychological and overall domains in WHOQOL26 for patients with instructions were improved significantly, while only the overall score was significantly improved for patients without instructions. The total mean scores and all domains except work/school in DLQI for patients with instructions were improved significantly, while the total scores and all domains except discomfort for treatment in DLQI were significantly improved for patients without instructions. Thus, instructions on the use of skin care and cosmetics for female acne patients did not deteriorate acne treatment and influenced patients’ QOL effectively. We therefore suggest that instructions for using skin care and cosmetics complement conventional medical treatments for acne.
Combination of pulse therapy with terbinafine tablets and topical terbinafine cream for the treatment of dermatophyte onychomycosis: A pilot study
Authors: NAKANO Naomi , HIRUMA Masataro , SHIRAKI Yumi , CHEN Xuejun , PORGPERMDEE Sarawan , IKEDA Shigaku 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACTWe performed a pilot study to assess the safety and efficacy of pulse therapy with terbinafine tablets in 66 patients with dermatophyte onychomycosis. One pulse consisted of oral terbinafine tablets (500 mg/day) given for 1 week followed by a 3‐week interval. Topical 1% terbinafine cream was applied daily. The number of pulses was determined by the extent of improvement in the affected nails and by the patient's requests, up to a maximum of six pulses. Efficacy was assessed based on both clinical and mycological examinations 1 year after treatment initiation. We observed a complete cure in 51 patients (77.3%), marked improvement in five patients (7.6%), improvement in five patients (7.6%) and slight improvement in one patient (1.5%). Four patients (6.0%) showed no change. In the patients who were completely cured, the average number of pulses used was 3.7 ± 1.4 pulses and the treatment duration was 3.3 ± 1.6 months. Nine patients experienced adverse effects, consisting of gastrointestinal disturbance (eight patients) and drug‐induced eruption (one patient). There were no abnormal findings in the laboratory tests, including liver function tests. In summary, terbinafine pulse therapy in combination with topical application of terbinafine cream appeared safe and effective in this pilot study.
Review article: interactions between genotype and response to therapy in inflammatory bowel diseases
Authors: HERRLINGER K. R. , JEWELL D. P. 
Published: October 2006

SummaryBackgroundMore than half of the patients with inflammatory bowel diseases are candidates for immunosuppressive therapy. However, even the most effective drugs used in inflammatory bowel disease are only successful in about two‐thirds of patients. Adverse events limit their use in a further substantial proportion of patients. Recent research has focussed on the possibility of predicting a drugs’ efficacy and/or toxicity by identifying polymorphic variants in the genes encoding enzymes involved in metabolic pathways.AimTo highlight recent advances and limitations in the field of pharmacogenetics in inflammatory bowel disease.ResultsRecent pharmacogenetic studies have mainly focussed on immunosuppressive agents including corticosteroids, azathioprine, methotrexate and infliximab. Several polymorphic genes encoding enzymes involved in the metabolism of these drugs have been identified including the inosine triphosphate pyrophosphatase in thiopurine therapy, the methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase in methotrexate therapy and polymorphisms in apoptosis genes in infliximab therapy. However, at the present time, genotyping for the variants of the thiopurine methyltransferase gene, an enzyme important for the metabolism of the thiopurine drugs, is the only useful test in clinical practice.ConclusionsAlthough the field of pharmacogenetics in inflammatory bowel disease is promising most new targets have so far failed to translate into clinical practice. Future pharmaceutical trials should include pharmacogenetic research to test appropriate candidate genes in a prospective manner.
Persistence and recolonisation determine success of bog restoration for aquatic invertebrates: a comment on Mazerolle et al. (2006)
Authors: VAN DUINEN G. A. , VERBERK W. C. E. P. , ESSELINK H. 
Published: October 2006

Summary1. Mazerolle et al. (2006) concluded that some aquatic invertebrate species, including bog‐associated species, readily colonise man‐made bog pools. In contrast, in Dutch bog remnants Van Duinen et al. (2003) found that a considerable number of bog‐associated species do not colonise newly created bog pools.2. The conclusion of Mazerolle et al. (2006) is based on vagile aquatic invertebrates. Here, we question whether their conclusion can be extended to more sedentary species, which were not captured in the Canadian study, but made up an important part of the invertebrate assemblage in the Dutch study. This discrepancy could be caused by sampling artefacts, low colonisation rates of these species or an incomplete restoration of site conditions.3. In Canada, chances of recolonisation may be higher than in the Netherlands, as natural and near‐natural bogs are more extensive. In the Netherlands, with low chances of recolonisation, persistence of species may be more important. To disentangle the relative importance of persistence and recolonisation, evaluations of the success of restoration projects need to cover the entire invertebrate assemblage, including both vagile and more sedentary species.
Carbohydrate metabolism genes and pathways in insects: insights from the honey bee genome
Authors: Kunieda T. , Fujiyuki T. , Kucharski R. , Foret S. , Ament S. A. , Toth A. L. , Ohashi K. , Takeuchi H. , Kamikouchi A. , Kage E. , Morioka M. , Beye M. , Kubo T. , Robinson G. E. , Maleszka R. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractCarbohydrate‐metabolizing enzymes may have particularly interesting roles in the honey bee, Apis mellifera, because this social insect has an extremely carbohydrate‐rich diet, and nutrition plays important roles in caste determination and socially mediated behavioural plasticity. We annotated a total of 174 genes encoding carbohydrate‐metabolizing enzymes and 28 genes encoding lipid‐metabolizing enzymes, based on orthology to their counterparts in the fly, Drosophila melanogaster, and the mosquito, Anopheles gambiae. We found that the number of genes for carbohydrate metabolism appears to be more evolutionarily labile than for lipid metabolism. In particular, we identified striking changes in gene number or genomic organization for genes encoding glycolytic enzymes, cellulase, glucose oxidase and glucose dehydrogenases, glucose‐methanol‐choline (GMC) oxidoreductases, fucosyltransferases, and lysozymes.
Image Segmentation and Bruise Identification on Potatoes Using a Kohonen's Self‐Organizing Map
Authors: Marique Thierry , Pennincx Stephanie , Kharoubi Ammar 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT:Potato quality includes a low incidence of colored bruises resulting from bad storage or manipulation practices. We developed a procedure to process and segment potato images by using Kohonen's self‐organizing map. Anomalous regions could be distinguished on 3 potato varieties. Bruises that were very dissimilar in appearance were correctly identified, and some particular defects such as green spots could be located as well.
Evaluation of High Pressure Processing as an Additional Hurdle to Control Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica in Low‐Acid Fermented Sausages
Authors: Marcos Begonya , Aymerich Teresa , Garriga Margarita 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACTLow‐acid fermented sausages (fuet and chorizo) were manufactured to evaluate the combined effect of high pressure processing (HPP) and ripening on foodborne pathogens. Raw sausages inoculated with a three‐strain cocktail of Salmonella ser. Derby, London, and Schwarzengrund, and a three‐strain cocktail of L. monocytogenes ser. 1/2 c and 4b were pressurized at 300 MPa for 10 min at 17 °C. Afterwards, sausages were ripened at 12 °C and 80% RH for 27 d. Salmonella counts decreased in all studied sausages during ripening. However, the application of HPP as an additional hurdle to the ripening process produced a greater decrease in the Salmonella population, showing lower counts (3 MPN/g) in ripened sausages. By contrast, lower values of L. monocytogenes counts were obtained in non‐treated (NT) than in pressurized sausages due to the delay of pH drop caused by HPP inactivation of endogenous lactic acid bacteria. After pressurization of raw sausages at 300 MPa, a discoloration of sausages was observed, coinciding with an increase in L* values.
Effect of Water Activity on Thermal Inactivation of Salmonella in Ground Turkey
Authors: Carlson Tausha R. , Marks Bradley P. , Booren Alden M. , Ryser Elliot T. , Orta‐Ramirez Alicia 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACTMany factors, such as fat content and pH, are known to affect thermal inactivation of pathogens in meat products, and a few studies have suggested that the humidity of the cooking environment also affects thermal inactivation. However, the effect of process humidity has not been previously isolated from the effect of water activity on Salmonella inactivation. Therefore, the objective of this study was to directly test the effect of meat water activity on thermal inactivation of Salmonella. Ground turkey was dried to achieve water activities of 0.95 to 0.99, inoculated with an 8‐strain Salmonella cocktail, and heated isothermally (60 °C) in a water bath. The rate of thermal inactivation of Salmonella decreased 64% (P < 0.01) when decreasing meat water activity from 0.99 to 0.95. Inclusion of water activity improved the accuracy of a 1st‐order/Arrhenius‐type inactivation model from 1.94 log10 to 0.8 log10 (colony‐forming units [CFU]/g).
Sporulation and Heat Resistance of Spores from a Clostridium sp. RKD
Authors: Dixit Aparna , Alam Syed Imteyaz , Dhaked Ram Kumar , Singh Lokendra 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT:A Clostridium sp. RKD isolated from the intestine of decaying fish, showing 99% sequence identity with Clostridium tetani at a 16S rRNA level, produced a neurotoxin that was neutralized by botulinum antitoxin (A+B+E). It also showed an amplification of near‐expected size when polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed using group‐ and type‐specific primers for botulinum neurotoxin type B. The isolate exhibited differences with both C. tetani and Clostridium botulinum with respect to phenotypic characteristics and chemotaxo‐nomic markers. Spore production was optimized with respect to media composition and stage of growth. Time‐dependant examination of sporulation revealed 2.6% to 49.0% spores in the late stationary phase culture when grown in different broth media. A simpler method for spore production and isolation from culture grown in tryptose sulfite cycloserine (TSC)/anaerobic agar sandwich resulted in >95% sporulation, which could be purified to near homogeneity by a simple 2‐step procedure. Thermal resistance of spores revealed a biphasic inactivation at lower temperatures with D values for linear inactivation varying from 26.6, 8.0, and 4.3 min at 70 °C, 80 °C, and 90 °C, respectively. The z values of 7.86 °C and 10.47 °C were obtained in the linear and tail regions, respectively. The Weibull parameter b values at 70 °C, 80 °C, and 90 °C were 27.38, 3.55, and 0.99, respectively, with a z’ value of 13.869 °C. The shape parameter n at 70 °C, 80 °C, and 90 °C were 0.63, 0.55, 0.45, respectively. Spores produced on 2 different media (cooked meat medium [CMM] and trypticase peptone yeast‐extract glucose [TPYG] agar) exhibited differences in heat resistance. The addition of lysozyme (50 jj.g/mL) before heat treatment resulted in increased thermal resistance of spores.
Umami Taste Enhancement of MSG/NaCl Mixtures by Subthreshold L‐α‐Aromatic Amino Acids
Authors: Lioe Hanifah N. , Apriyantono Anton , Takara Kensaku , Wada Koji , Yasuda Masaaki 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT: l‐Phenylalanine (l‐Phe) and l‐tyrosine (l‐Tyr) are L‐α‐aromatic amino acids that have recently been discovered to be important components of the savory fractions of soy sauce in addition to l‐glutamate. Their effects are evaluated on the umami or savory taste of monosodium L‐glutamate (MSG), with or without sodium chloride (NaCl). Because l‐Phe at subthreshold concentration (1.0 mM) significantly enhances an umami taste of a MSG/NaCl mixture (P= 0.000), combinations of 4 subthreshold concentrations (0, 0.5, 1.5, and 5.0 mM) of l‐Phe with a weakly suprathreshold MSG (4.0 mM) and NaCl (80 mM) mixture were then rated for salty and umami intensities relative to those of standard solutions. L‐Phe was found to significantly enhance the umami tastes of the MSG/NaCl mixtures when it was added in a concentration range of 0.5 to 5.0 mM (P= 0.000). However, neither the umami taste of MSG alone nor the salty taste of NaCl alone was intensified. In a further experiment, l‐Tyr at the 3 subthreshold concentrations (0, 0.5, and 1.5 mM) studied was shown to have the same activity as L‐Phe. The phenomenon of umami or savory enhancement by subthreshold aromatic amino acids in the soy sauce system has been established.