bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Preparation, Surface‐Active Properties and Antimicrobial Activities of Bis(Ester Quaternary Ammonium) Salts
Authors: Węgrzyńska Joanna , Chlebicki Jan , Maliszewska Irena 
Published: April 2007

AbstractNew cationic surfactants, bis‐quaternary ammonium salts, were prepared from N,N‐dimethylaminoalkyl esters of saturated fatty acids and products of the reactions of epichlorohydrin with primary amines: pentyl‐, hexyl‐ and octylamine. The bis (ester–ammonium) salts obtained were examined in respect to their surface‐active properties: critical micelle concentration (CMC), effectiveness of surface tension reduction (γCMC), and adsorption efficiency (pC20). All these surfactants showed good water solubility and low critical micelle concentrations of more than two orders of magnitude lower than these of corresponding mono‐alkylammonium salts. They also showed good wetting capability, but worse foaming properties. All the surfactants tested were nontoxic to gram‐negative bacteria, but some of them inhibited the growth of gram‐positive bacteria and yeast.
Synthesis, Surface Properties and Antimicrobial Activity of Bolaamphiphile/Oppositely Charged Conventional Surfactant Mixed Systems
Authors: Ali Hanan El‐Sharkawy 
Published: April 2007

AbstractFour ionic bolaamphiphiles were synthesized from four bolasingle systems and the surface properties of bolasingle systems and bola\oppositely charged conventional mixed surfactant systems were studied. Variations in the structure of the hydrophobic chain of bolaamphiphiles has a great influence on their antimicrobial activities. The bolaform surfactants prepared have significant antimicrobial and antifungal activities relative to their conventional analogues. The Г∞ (saturated adsorption amount) and Amin (minimum average area per surfactant molecule) of these bolaamphiphiles in both water and 0.1 M NaCl solutions were calculated and CMC of the mixed systems with oppositely charged conventional surfactants in both water and 0.1 M NaCl solutions were determined.
Expression of HtKNOT1, a class I KNOX gene, overlaps cell layers and development compartments of differentiating cells in stems and flowers of Helianthus tuberosus
Authors: Michelotti V. , Giorgetti L. , Geri C. , Cionini G. , Pugliesi C. , Fambrini M. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractIn plant, post‐embryonic development relies on the activities of indeterminate cell populations termed meristems, spatially clustered cell lineages, wherein a subset divides indeterminately. For correct growth, the plant must maintain a constant flow of cells through the meristem, where the input of dividing pluripotent cells offsets the output of differentiating cells. KNOTTED1‐like homeobox (KNOX) genes are expressed in specific patterns in the plant meristems and play important roles in maintaining meristematic cell identity. We have analyzed the expression pattern of HtKNOT1, a class I KNOX gene of Helianthus tuberosus, in stems, inflorescence meristems, floral meristems and floral organs. HtKNOT1 is expressed in cambial cells, phloem cells and xylematic parenchyma within apical stem internodes, while in basal internodes HtKNOT1 expression was restricted to the presumptive initials and recently derived phloem cells. In the reproductive phase, HtKNOT1 mRNAs were detected in both the inflorescence and floral meristems as well within lateral organ primordia (i.e. floral bracts, petals, stamens and carpels). In more differentiated flowers, the expression of HtKNOT1 was restricted to developing ovules and pollen mother cells. HtKNOT1 may play a dual role being required to maintain the meristem initials as well as initiating differentiation and/or conferring new cell identity. In particular, it is possible that HtKNOT1 cooperates at floral level with additional factors that more specifically control floral organs and pollen development in H. tuberosus.
Impact of heart failure and left ventricular function on long‐term survival — Report of a community‐based cohort study in Taiwan
Authors: Huang Chien‐Hua , Chien Kuo‐Liong , Chen Wen‐Jone , Sung Fung‐Chang , Hsu Hsiu‐Ching , Su Ta‐Chen , Lee Yuan‐Teh 
Published: March 2007

AbstractBackground:There is little community‐based information on heart failure (HF) prognosis in ethnic Chinese populations, in whom there is a low prevalence of coronary heart disease.Aims:To study the impact of HF and left ventricular function on long‐term all‐cause mortality.Methods and results:This community‐based prospective cohort study included 2660 subjects (1215 men, 1445 women, mean age 54.4±11.9 years) over a 10 year follow‐up period. The prevalence of HF was 5.5%. Hypertension was the most common factor related to HF. The five and ten year all‐cause mortality was higher in the HF/preserved LVEF group (14.1% and 24.4%) and the HF/impaired LVEF group (29.2% and 48.2%) than in the HF‐free group (6.0% and 14.6%, p<0.0001 for both). In multivariable Cox analyses, controlling for sex, LV mass, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, coronary heart disease, HF/preserved LVEF and HF/impaired LVEF were important predictors of all‐cause mortality (p=0.007).Conclusions:Hypertension is a major heart failure related disease. HF and LV systolic dysfunction are associated with a significant increase in all‐cause mortality in an ethnic Chinese population.
The use of chlorhexidine to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity in low‐resource settings
Authors: McClure E.M. , Goldenberg R.L. , Brandes N. , Darmstadt G.L. , Wright L.L. ,   for the CHX Working Group
Published: March 2007

AbstractOf the 4 million neonatal deaths and 500,000 maternal deaths that occur annually worldwide, almost 99% are in developing countries and one‐third are associated with infections. Implementation of proven interventions and targeted research on a select number of promising high‐impact preventative and curative interventions are essential to achieve Millennium Development Goals for reduction of child and maternal mortality. Feasible, simple, low‐cost interventions have the potential to significantly reduce the mortality and severe morbidity associated with infection in these settings. Studies of chlorhexidine in developing countries have focused on three primary uses: 1) intrapartum vaginal and neonatal wiping, 2) neonatal wiping alone, and 3) umbilical cord cleansing. A study of vaginal wiping and neonatal skin cleansing with chlorhexidine, conducted in Malawi in the 1990s suggested that chlorhexidine has potential to reduce neonatal infectious morbidity and mortality. A recent trial of cord cleansing conducted in Nepal also demonstrated benefit. Although studies have shown promise, widespread acceptance and implementation of chlorhexidine use has not yet occurred. This paper is derived in part from data presented at a conference on the use of chlorhexidine in developing countries and reviews the available evidence related to chlorhexidine use to reduce mortality and severe morbidity due to infections in mothers and neonates in low‐resource settings. It also summarizes issues related to programmatic implementation.
Exploring new research frontiers in offshoring knowledge and service processes
Authors: Youngdahl William , Ramaswamy Kannan , Verma Rohit 
Published: March 2007

AbstractThis paper provides an introduction to a special issue on the offshoring of service and knowledge work. Brief descriptions are provided for 13 papers that fall into three categories including strategic and organizational issues, global and knowledge supply‐chain issues, and tactical issues. The intent of this special issue was to provide a venue for presenting numerous perspectives on the operational and cross‐disciplinary challenges and opportunities in the area of service and knowledge offshoring.
Timing of surficial process changes down a Mojave Desert piedmont
Authors: Nichols Kyle K. , Bierman Paul R. , Eppes Martha C. , Caffee Marc , Finkel Robert , Larsen Jennifer 
Published: March 2007

AbstractWe measured 10Be and 26Al in 29 sediment samples to infer the history and millennial-scale rates of change down a low-gradient piedmont, a common but enigmatic landform that dominates the Mojave Desert. Nuclide data suggest that a large volume of sediment was deposited on the proximal East Range Road piedmont in Fort Irwin, California, ∼ 75,500 yr ago. Since then, this material has been stable or eroding slowly. In contrast, on the distal piedmont (3.5 km from the upland source basins) soil stratigraphy suggests that there have been alternating periods of surface stability, erosion, and deposition over the last 70,000 yr. Nuclide data from samples amalgamated along cross-piedmont transects suggest that long-term average down-gradient sediment speeds range from 9 cm yr− 1 near the uplands to 22 cm yr− 1 6 km down-piedmont. These speeds are similar to 10Be-estimated sediment speeds down three other piedmonts in the Mojave Desert, suggesting that piedmont surface morphologies dominated by shallow migrating channels have similar sediment transport rates. The timing of surface process change down the East Range Road piedmont is determined by a combination of sediment available in the source basins, sediment transport rates, and the size of the piedmont.
PROTMAP2D: visualization, comparison and analysis of 2D maps of protein structure
Authors: Pietal Michal J. , Tuszynska Irina , Bujnicki Janusz M. 
Published: March 2007

AbstractMotivation: Protein structure comparison is a fundamental problem in structural biology and bioinformatics. Two-dimensional maps of distances between residues in the structure contain sufficient information to restore the 3D representation, while maps of contacts reveal characteristic patterns of interactions between secondary and super-secondary structures and are very attractive for visual analysis. The overlap of 2D maps of two structures can be easily calculated, providing a sensitive measure of protein structure similarity. PROTMAP2D is a software tool for calculation of contact and distance maps based on user-defined criteria, quantitative comparison of pairs or series of contact maps (e.g. alternative models of the same protein, model versus native structure, different trajectories from molecular dynamics simulations, etc.) and visualization of the results.Availability: PROTMAP2D for Windows / Linux / MacOSX is freely available for academic users from http://genesilico.pl/protmap2d.htmContact: iamb@genesilico.plSupplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Using Genetically Engineered Kinases to Screen for Novel Protein Kinase Substrates: Phosphorylation of Substrates in Cell Lysates with Exogenous Kinase
Authors: Eblen Scott T. , Kumar N. Vinay , Weber Michael J. 
Published: April 2007

INTRODUCTIONThis protocol describes a method for detection of direct substrates of a protein kinase in cell lysates or fractions. The approach involves the addition of recombinant mutant kinase and [γ-32P]ATP analog to cell lysates. This technique has been successfully used for the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2) substrates in cell lysates from SKOV-3 ovarian cells; however, the methodology can be applied to other protein kinases as well.
Impairment of the Photorespiratory Pathway Accelerates Photoinhibition of Photosystem II by Suppression of Repair But Not Acceleration of Damage Processes in Arabidopsis
Authors: Takahashi Shunichi , Bauwe Hermann , Badger Murray 
Published: March 2007

AbstractOxygenation of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate catalyzed by Rubisco produces glycolate-2-P. The photorespiratory pathway, which consists of photorespiratory carbon and nitrogen cycles, metabolizes glycolate-2-P to the Calvin cycle intermediate glycerate-3-P and is proposed to be important for avoiding photoinhibition of photosystem II (PSII), especially in C3 plants. We show here that mutants of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) with impairment of ferredoxin-dependent glutamate synthase, serine hydroxymethyltransferase, glutamate/malate transporter, and glycerate kinase had accelerated photoinhibition of PSII by suppression of the repair of photodamaged PSII and not acceleration of the photodamage to PSII. We found that suppression of the repair process was attributable to inhibition of the synthesis of the D1 protein at the level of translation. Our results suggest that the photorespiratory pathway helps avoid inhibition of the synthesis of the D1 protein, which is important for the repair of photodamaged PSII upon interruption of the Calvin cycle.
Herbivory Rapidly Activates MAPK Signaling in Attacked and Unattacked Leaf Regions but Not between Leaves ofNicotiana attenuata
Authors: Wu Jianqiang , Hettenhausen Christian , Meldau Stefan , Baldwin Ian T. 
Published: March 2007

AbstractMitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling plays a central role in transducing extracellular stimuli into intracellular responses, but its role in mediating plant responses to herbivore attack remains largely unexplored. When Manduca sexta larvae attack their host plant, Nicotiana attenuata, the plant's wound response is reconfigured at transcriptional, phytohormonal, and defensive levels due to the introduction of oral secretions (OS) into wounds during feeding. We show that OS dramatically amplify wound-induced MAPK activity and that fatty acid–amino acid conjugates in M. sexta OS are the elicitors. Virus-induced gene silencing of salicylic acid–induced protein kinase (SIPK) and wound-induced protein kinase revealed their importance in mediating wound and OS-elicited hormonal responses and transcriptional regulation of defense-related genes. We found that after applying OS to wounds created in one portion of a leaf, SIPK is activated in both wounded and specific unwounded regions of the leaf but not in phylotactically connected adjacent leaves. We propose that M. sexta attack elicits a mobile signal that travels to nonwounded regions of the attacked leaf where it activates MAPK signaling and, thus, downstream responses; subsequently, a different signal is transported by the vascular system to systemic leaves to initiate defense responses without activating MAPKs in systemic leaves.
Levels of strategy and performance in UK small retail businesses
Authors: Megicks Phil 
Published: April 2007

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the way in which small retailer performance is influenced by strategy at different levels. It also aims to propose that business level strategy is more important to success than functional level strategy in small retail firms, as this is what enables them to distinguish their business from competitors and effectively set about competing in their markets.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from a mail survey of 305 independent retailers in the UK. Multivariate statistical methods were used to develop appropriate variables and explore the relationships between level of strategy and performance.FindingsThe results indicate that business level strategy variables have a significant influence on performance whereas functional levels do not when their combined effects are analysed using hierarchical regression modelling.Research limitations/implicationsThe caveats normally associated with survey methods apply, as do those related to the use of cross‐sectional, self‐report, and managerial perceptions data. Implications for retail strategy theory and small retailers' performance are addressed.Practical implicationsThe importance of business level strategy generally and its specific elements are considered with a view to providing guidance to management decision makers and policy advisors.Originality/valueReliable measures for retail strategy variables are developed in the paper. The research distinguishes the performance effects of retail business strategy from retail functional strategy and supports the view that business strategy decisions are superior in their market significance over operational retail mix decisions.
A holistic framework for the strategic management of first tier managers
Authors: Peach Martins Lola 
Published: April 2007

PurposeThe intention of this research paper is to shed light on the key factors influencing the human resource management (HRM) performance of first tier managers (FTMs), and the vital importance that a holistic strategic framework can have in this regard.Design/methodology/approachThe research paper uses an up‐to‐date historical approach and, additionally, draws on detailed case study evidence from an aerospace manufacturing/engineering company via manually and electronically analysed in‐depth semi‐structured interview and company documentation.FindingsThe case study findings reveal that the FTM's HRM performance is greatly influenced by a group of four key factors, and their interrelationships.Research limitations/implicationsThe literature survey was mainly industry‐specific (manufacturing), and the sample was restricted to one sector (aerospace), as well as one case study organisation. Furthermore, the views of FTMs' staff are not directly represented.Originality/valueThe FTMs' HRM role shows no signs of abating; in addition, questions regarding their performance of this role have increasingly emerged. This has become more evident as organisations have continued to expand the FTMs' role by devolving greater HRM responsibilities to them, and their performance of the role demonstrates that many FTMs are ill equipped to perform their HRM duties to the required standard. However, the vital importance that a holistic strategic framework (which encompasses the four key factors influencing their performance) can have on their performance of this role is not acknowledged. The present research paper, gives an empirical example of a case study, and therefore provides a springboard to address the weakness in the literature.
The fee tendering and service quality issue revisited
Authors: Hoxley Michael 
Published: April 2007

PurposeIt is a little over 20 years since mandatory fee scales were abolished by UK professional bodies. During this period fee levels have fluctuated with economic demand, and new procurement strategies such as partnering have been developed, but there is still a widespread view in industry that fee levels are too low. This view is shared by many professionals, and perhaps more surprisingly by clients, even in the current construction and property boom. The purpose of this paper is to report research on the link between competitive fee tendering and clients' perceptions of service quality in the UK property industry. The main hypothesis is that there is a causal relationship between service quality and the method of appointment of the professional.Design/methodology/approachThe research involved unstructured interviews with clients and professionals and a postal questionnaire study of one 133 UK based clients. The questionnaire study was a repeat of a similar survey conducted eight years previously in very different economic conditions. The public and private sector clients each assessed the service quality received from a professional using a measurement scale developed from the generic service industry instrument SERVQUAL. The scale is used to test the main hypothesis and four sub‐hypotheses. There were twice as many private sector clients completing the questionnaires as there were public sector clients and the largest group of professionals assessed were General Practice Chartered Surveyors.FindingsThe results of the recent study are similar to the earlier one (in that evidence of the predicted relationship is not provided by the data) but there are some interesting differences in the results of both studies – fee tendering has declined in popularity, direct appointment has increased, but less than 5 per cent of the commissions were let on a partnered basis.Practical implicationsProperty managers and other professionals may wish to make use of the service quality measurement scale in order assess the service they provide to clients.Originality/valueThe research provides confirmation that clients do not perceive that a lower standard of service quality is provided for fee‐tendered commissions. It also extends the already substantial body of research based upon the SERVQUAL measurement technique.
Analysis and optimization of dynamically loaded porous metal sliding bearings under conditions of elastohydrodynamic lubrication
Authors: Marinković Aleksandar , Rosić Božidar , Petropoulos Georgios 
Published: April 2007

PurposeThis paper aims to develop a simulating model of a journal porous metal bearing under elastohydrodynamic conditions and combined (radial, friction and thermal) load distribution and to carry out structural optimization.Design/methodology/approachThe structure analysis is carried out for each kind of load separately and for the combined load distribution of the bearing, where a dynamically loaded porous metal bearing is simulated. This simulating model is developed by finite elements method using the structure analysis module of the CATIA V5 software. Further, a parameter optimization of a porous metal bearing is presented considering the elastic deformations of the bearing shell.FindingsIt is revealed that the bearing, even at points with maximum displacements, could not reach the mounting clearance value during its operational life. Relatively small bearing dimensions produce very high values of eigenfrequency response (over 150 kHz) and common dynamic loads met in all sorts of sliding bearing are not dangerous for bearing damage compared with static loads. In the stage of structural optimization based on the correlation between stress and geometric bearing parameters like wall thickness and outer diameter, the influence of finite element dimension on calculated results can be also analyzed and a proper choice of the latter is achieved.Research limitations/implicationsThe present porous bearing optimization model with the aid of CATIA V5 module for optimum design uses only single objective optimization. For a complete optimum design a multi‐objective optimization has to be carried out.Practical implicationsThe analysis under dynamic load conditions proved that relatively small dimensions of bearing commonly used in micro technique and precision mechanics result in extended safe and reliable operation.Originality/valueThis paper provides a methodology for bearing stress and deformation analysis in the elastic range and on the basis of this analysis it is possible to develop an optimization model for porous bearings offering help to designers for the selection of optimal bearing dimensions considering the bearing load caused by dynamic radial force, friction and temperature variation.