bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
β3‐Adrenoceptors modulate left ventricular relaxation in the rat heart via the NO‐cGMP‐PKG pathway
Authors: Angelone T. , Filice E. , Quintieri A. M. , Imbrogno S. , Recchia A. , Pulerà E. , Mannarino C. , Pellegrino D. , Cerra M. C. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractAims: Using a model of isolated and Langendorff‐perfused rat heart we analysed whether activation of β3‐adrenergic receptors (β3‐ARs) influences ventricular lusitropic performance. We also focused on the NOS/NO/cGMP/PKG cascade as the signal transduction mechanism.Methods: Hearts were treated with increasing concentrations (from 10−12to 10−6 m) of BRL37344, a selective β3‐AR agonist, and cardiac performance was evaluated by analysing both lusitropic parameters and coronary motility. Cardiac preparations were also perfused with BRL37344in the presence of either isoproterenol (ISO) or nadolol, or pertussis toxin (PTx), or selective inhibitors of the NOS/NO/cGMP/PKG pathway.Results: BRL37344caused a significant concentration‐dependent reduction in (LVdP/dt)min, a decrease in half time relaxation significant starting from 10−12 m, and an increase in (LVdP/dt)max/(LVdP/dt)minratio (T/−t). BRL37344abolished the ISO‐mediated positive lusitropism. β3‐AR‐dependent effects on relaxation were insensitive to β1/β2‐AR inhibition by nadolol (100 nm), and were abolished by Gi/oprotein inhibition by PTx (0.01 nm). NO scavenging by haemoglobin (10 μm), and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition by NG‐monomethyl‐l‐arginine (10 μm) revealed the involvement of NO signalling in BRL37344response. Pre‐treatment with inhibitors of either soluble guanylate cyclase (ODQ; 10 μm) or PKG (KT5823; 100 nm) abolished β3‐AR‐dependent negative lusitropism. In contrast, anantin (10 nm), an inhibitor of particulate guanylate cyclase, did not modify the effect of BRL37344on relaxation.Conclusion: Taken together, our findings provide functional evidence for β3‐AR modulation of ventricular relaxation in the rat heart which involves PTx‐sensitive inhibitory Gi protein and occurs via an NO‐cGMP‐PKG cascade. Whether the effects of β3‐AR stimulation on lusitropism are beneficial or detrimental remains to be established.
What Makes Mental Associations Personal or Extra‐Personal? Conceptual Issues in the Methodological Debate about Implicit Attitude Measures
Authors: Gawronski Bertram , Peters Kurt R. , LeBel Etienne P. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractOver the last decade, a new class of indirect measurement procedures has become increasingly popular in many areas of psychology. However, these implicit measures have also sparked controversies about the nature of the constructs they assess. One controversy has been stimulated by the question of whether some implicit measures (or implicit measures in general) assess extra‐personal rather than personal associations. We argue that, despite empirical and methodological advances stimulated by this debate, researchers have not sufficiently addressed the conceptual question of how to define extra‐personal in contrast to personal associations. Based on a review of possible definitions, we argue that some definitions render the controversy obsolete, whereas others imply fundamentally different empirical and methodological questions. As an alternative to defining personal and extra‐personal associations in an objective sense, we suggest an empirical approach that investigates the meta‐cognitive inferences that make a given association subjectively personal or extra‐personal for the individual.
Evolution and Personality: What Should a Comprehensive Theory Address and How?
Authors: Nichols Charles P. , Sheldon Kennon M. , Sheldon Melanie S. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractPersonality is arguably the most integrative area of psychology; yet, it is an area about which evolutionary psychologists have had comparatively little to say. This is unfortunate because evolutionary theory holds great potential as a framework that can link together the disparate aspects that make up a person. We suggest that progress in evolutionary personality psychology will be helped by clarification of precisely what an evolutionary theory of personality would need to address. To this end, we first describe and assess some extant contributions by theorists attempting to understand personality from an evolutionary perspective. Next, we endorse a working definition of what personality entails and outline three types of personality differences – character traits, goals/motives, and selves/identities – that any comprehensive evolutionary theory of personality should address. Finally, we suggest an approach forward, one where evolved species‐typical motives orient people toward adaptive ends and result in the differentiation of individuals’ unique selves.
Current concepts in chemotherapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma
Authors: Sørensen Jens Benn 
Published: February 2008

AbstractObjectives:  The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the most active single agents and combination regimens in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM).Data Source:  Literature on English‐language trials in humans was searched on Medline until October 2007. Indexing terms were malignant pleural mesothelioma and chemotherapy.Study Selections:  Trials with ≥15 patients and with data on activity were included.Results:  Detorubicin and pirarubicin have response rates (RRs) of 22%–26%, epirubicin of 5%–15%, docetaxel of 5%–23% and vinorelbine of 24%. Other active agents were ifosfamide (3%–24%) and mitomycin C (21%). Carboplatin and cisplatin have an overall RR of 11% in three studies and 17% in four studies, respectively. Antimetabolites were active, including methotrexate (37%), raltitrexed (21%), edatrexate (16%–25%) and pemetrexed (15%). With respect to combination chemotherapy regimens, only cisplatin with either pemetrexed or raltitrexed has been compared with other substances, in both cases to cisplatin monotherapy. Both showed a survival advantage, which was statistically significant in the trial including pemetrexed, suggesting that chemotherapy improved survival in MPM. No studies have compared chemotherapy with the best supportive care alone, and none has compared different combination chemotherapy regimens with each other.Conclusions:  A number of single‐agent cytotoxics posess moderate activity against MPM. A number of platinum‐based combination chemotherapy regimens show similar activities, but none has been compared with another combination. Cisplatin with either raltitrexed or pemetrexed has improved survival compared with cisplatin alone, and may be used as a reference treatment in randomized trials. Targeted agents should be explored in order to further improve the outcome.Please cite this paper as: Sørensen JB. Current concepts in chemotherapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma. The Clinical Respiratory Journal 2008; 2: 74–79.
On multiply connected wandering domains of meromorphic functions
Authors: Rippon P. J. , Stallard G. M. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractWe describe conditions under which a multiply connected wandering domain of a transcendental meromorphic function with a finite number of poles must be a Baker wandering domain, and we discuss the possible eventual connectivity of Fatou components of transcendental meromorphic functions. We also show that if f is meromorphic, U is a bounded component of F(f) and V is the component of F(f) such that f(U)⊂V, then f maps each component of ∂ U onto a component of the boundary of V in ℂ̂. We give examples which show that our results are sharp; for example, we prove that a multiply connected wandering domain can map to a simply connected wandering domain, and vice versa.
System for Real-Time Measurement of Thermally Induced PWB/PWA
Warpage
Authors: Stiteler M. R. , Ume I. C. 
Published: February 2008

Abstract
An automated on-line warpage measurement system for printed wiring board assemblies (PWBAs) has been developed. The system is capable of simulating an infrared reflow soldering process and performing real-time PWBA warpage measurements using the shadow moire´ technique. The system can be used to characterize the warpage behavior of virtually any PWBA during infrared soldering processes as well as during operational conditions. Using this system, warpage of PWB test vehicles was measured during simulated infrared reflow soldering. The measurement results and the measurement system will be presented. The measured warpage varied significantly during reflow soldering from that observed both before and after reflow. These results help us to understand how the board deforms at every stage of the reflow process.
Thermal Performance of Pin-Fin Fan-Sink Assemblies
Authors: Wirtz R. A. , Sohal R. , Wang H. 
Published: February 2008

Abstract
Experiments are reported on the thermal performance of model fan-sink assemblies consisting of a small axial flow fan which impinges air on a square array of pin-fins. Cylindrical, square, and diamond shape cross section pin-fins are considered. The pin-fin heat transfer coefficient is found to be maximum immediately under the fan blades and minimum below the fan hub and near the corners of the array. The overall heat sink thermal resistance, R, decreases with an increase in either applied pressure rise or fan power and fin height. At fixed applied pressure rise, R is minimized when the fin pitch-to-diameter ratiois maximum. At fixed fan power, R is minimized when the pitch-to-diameter ratio is reduced toward unity. Finally, cylindrical pin-fins give the best overall fan-sink performance.
A Comparison of Computational and Experimental Results for Flow and
Heat Transfer From an Array of Heated Blocks
Authors: Anderson A. M. 
Published: February 2008

Abstract
This paper summarizes computational results for flow and heat transfer over an array ofidealized electronic components and compares them to experimental data. The numerical modeling was performed using a commercial finite control volume computer code (Flotherm1, by Flomerics) and the results are compared to a set of experimental data. The experimental model consists of a uniform array of eight rows by six columns of solid aluminum blocks (9.5 mm high × 46.5 mm wide × 37.5 mm long) mounted on an adiabatic wall of a channel in forced convection flow. Four channel heights (H/B = 1.5–4.6) and a range of inlet velocities (3.0 to 8.1 m/s) were modelled. The flow was modeled as turbulent flow using the κ-ε turbulence model. Data for the adiabatic heat transfer coefficient had, the superposition kernel function g*, and the channel pressure drop ΔP are compared. The computational results for had are in excellent agreement with the experimental data (within about five percent on average). The computationalresults for g* predict the correct trends (roll off with downstream distance, channel height dependence, and velocity independence). However, values are as much as 50 percent higher than the experimental results which means the computational model under-predicts the amount of cross channel mixing. Computational results for ΔP compare reasonably well (within 20 percent on average).
Numerical Prediction of Flow and Heat Transfer in an Impingement Heat
Sink
Authors: Sathe S. , Kelkar K. M. , Karki K. C. , Tai C. , Lamb C. , Patankar S. V. 
Published: February 2008

Abstract
Forced flow of air over extended surfaces offers a simple, reliable, and effective heat removal mechanism and is often employed in electronic equipment. The IBM 4381 heat sink, used in production IBM computers, utilizes this cooling technique. This heat sink consists of a ceramic substrate on which fins made of an aluminum-copper alloy are arranged in a regular array. Cooling air enters the fin array from a nozzle. Extensive experiments have been carried out to characterize the performance of this heat sink at the Advanced Thermal Engineering Laboratory at IBM Endicott. This paper presents computational analysis of the three-dimensional flow and heat transfer in this device for two different air flow rates through the nozzle. The heat dissipated by the electronic components is conducted into the fins through the ceramic base. In the present study the ceramic base is assumed to be subjected to a uniform heat flux at the bottom. The computational method incorporates a special block-correction procedure to enable iterative solution of conjugate heat transfer in the presence of large differences in thermal conductivities of the air and the fin material. The results of computations reproduce the flow pattern in the fin array that is observed experimentally. The part of the ceramic base directly below the nozzle is well cooled with the temperatures gradually increasing from the center towards the corner. The predicted pressure drop and most of the local temperatures at the base and the tip of the fins agree well with the experimental observations. This study illustrates the utility of computational flow analysis in the analysis and design of electronic cooling techniques.
Unsteady Forced Convection Heat Transfer From a Translating and
Spinning Body
Authors: O¨ztu¨rk A. , Ece M. C. 
Published: February 2008

Abstract
The initial laminar thermal boundary-layer flow past an impulsively started translating and spinning rotational symmetric body of uniform temperature is investigated. Velocity components and temperature are expanded in series in powers of time. Leading and first-order functions are obtained analytically, second and third-order functions are determined numerically. Application of the general results to a sphere shows that the surface heat flux is reduced in the neighborhood of the point of separation and enhanced by the reversed flow inside the separated region.
Dose-Dependent Protection against or Exacerbation of Disease by a Polylactide Glycolide Microparticle-Adsorbed, Alphavirus-Based Measles Virus DNA Vaccine in Rhesus Macaques
Authors: Pan Chien-Hsiung , Nair Nitya , Adams Robert J. , Zink M. Christine , Lee Eun-Young , Polack Fernando P. , Singh Manmohan , O'Hagan Derek T. , Griffin Diane E. 
Published: February 2008

ABSTRACTMeasles remains an important cause of vaccine-preventable child mortality. Development of a low-cost, heat-stable vaccine for infants under the age of 6 months could improve measles control by facilitating delivery at the time of other vaccines and by closing a window of susceptibility prior to immunization at 9 months of age. DNA vaccines hold promise for development, but achieving protective levels of antibody has been difficult and there is an incomplete understanding of protective immunity. In the current study, we evaluated the use of a layered alphavirus DNA/RNA vector encoding measles virus H (SINCP-H) adsorbed onto polylactide glycolide (PLG) microparticles. In mice, antibody and T-cell responses to PLG-formulated DNA were substantially improved compared to those to naked DNA. Rhesus macaques received two doses of PLG/SINCP-H delivered either intramuscularly (0.5 mg) or intradermally (0.5 or 0.1 mg). Antibody and T-cell responses were induced but not sustained. On challenge, the intramuscularly vaccinated monkeys did not develop rashes and had lower viremias than vector-treated control monkeys. Monkeys vaccinated with the same dose intradermally developed rashes and viremia. Monkeys vaccinated intradermally with the low dose developed more severe rashes, with histopathologic evidence of syncytia and intense dermal and epidermal inflammation, eosinophilia, and higher viremia compared to vector-treated control monkeys. Protection after challenge correlated with gamma interferon-producing T cells and with early production of high-avidity antibody that bound wild-type H protein. We conclude that PLG/SINCP-H is most efficacious when delivered intramuscularly but does not provide an advantage over standard DNA vaccines for protection against measles.
Seroprevalences of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2, Five Oncogenic Human Papillomaviruses, and
Chlamydia trachomatis
in Katowice, Poland
Authors: Görander Staffan , Lagergård Teresa , Romanik Malgorzata , Viscidi Raphael P. , Martirosian Gayane , Liljeqvist Jan-Åke 
Published: February 2008

ABSTRACT

Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), human papillomaviruses (HPVs), and
Chlamydia trachomatis
are the most common pathogens causing sexually transmitted infections (STIs). There is limited information about the prevalences of these STIs in Poland. Here, we estimated the occurrence of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against HSV-2, HPV, and
C. trachomatis
in 199 blood donors and 110 patients of both genders attending an STI clinic in Katowice in southern Poland. The seroprevalences of HSV-2 were 5% for blood donors and 14% in the STI cohort. The seroprevalences of the five potentially oncogenic HPV types 16, 18, 31, 35, and 51 were 15%, 7%, 5%, 5%, and 17%, respectively, in blood donors and 37%, 8%, 12%, 5%, and 21%, respectively, in the STI cohort. The majority of HPV-infected individuals showed antibodies against more than one type, i.e., had been infected with multiple HPV types. Anti-
C. trachomatis
IgG antibodies were detected in 6% of blood donors and 13% of individuals attending the STI clinic. The relatively high prevalence of HPV-51 may have implications for future vaccine programs, as the newly introduced HPV vaccines are based on the potentially oncogenic HPV types 16 and 18.
Detection of
Histoplasma capsulatum
Antigen in Panamanian Patients with Disseminated Histoplasmosis and AIDS
Authors: Gutierrez Maria Eugenia , Canton Alfredo , Connolly Patricia , Zarnowski Robert , Wheat L. Joseph 
Published: February 2008

ABSTRACT

Histoplasmosis is a common endemic mycosis in the Americas, often causing severe disease in patients with AIDS. Antigen detection has become an important method for rapid diagnosis of histoplasmosis in the United States but not in Central or South America. Isolates from patients in the United States are predominantly found to be class 2 isolates when typed using the nuclear gene
YPS3
, while isolates from Latin America are predominantly typed as class 5 or class 6. Whether infection with these Latin American genotypes produces positive results in the
Histoplasma
antigen assay has not been reported. In this study, we have compared the sensitivity of antigen detection for AIDS patients from Panama who had progressive disseminated histoplasmosis to that for those in the United States. Antigenuria was detected in the MVista
Histoplasma
antigen enzyme immunoassay (EIA) in 95.2% of Panamanian cases versus 100% of U.S. cases. Antigenemia was detected in 94.7% of the Panamanian cases versus 92% of the U.S. cases. Two clinical isolates from Panama were typed using
YPS3
and were found to be restriction fragment length polymorphism class 6. We conclude that the MVista
Histoplasma
antigen EIA is a sensitive method for diagnosis of histoplasmosis in Panama.
Rapid and Accurate Identification of
Candida albicans
Isolates by Use of PNA FISH
Flow
Authors: Trnovsky Jan , Merz William , Della-Latta Phyllis , Wu Fann , Arendrup Maiken Cavling , Stender Henrik 
Published: February 2008

ABSTRACT

We developed the simple, rapid (1 h), and accurate PNA FISH
Flow
method for the identification of
Candida albicans
. The method exploits unique in solution in situ hybridization conditions under which the cells are simultaneously fixed and hybridized. This method facilitates the accurate identification of clinical yeast isolates using two scoring techniques: flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy.
Increased Sporulation Rate of Epidemic
Clostridium difficile
Type 027/NAP1
Authors: Åkerlund Thomas , Persson Ingela , Unemo Magnus , Norén Torbjörn , Svenungsson Bo , Wullt Marlene , Burman Lars G. 
Published: February 2008

ABSTRACT

Clostridium difficile
PCR ribotype 027 comprised 0.2% of a collection of Swedish isolates in 1997-2001 (3 of 1,325 isolates). These isolates had lower moxifloxacin MICs than the epidemic type 027 isolates, but they had the same
tcdC
sequence and toxin yield. Type 027 produced 3- to 13-fold more toxin than did major Swedish types. One epidemic strain (027/NAP1a) sporulated more than did other type 027 isolates, a feature that should contribute to its survival and spread.
Etiological Analysis of Initial Colonization of Periodontal Pathogens in Oral Cavity
Authors: Cortelli Jose Roberto , Aquino Davi Romeiro , Cortelli Sheila Cavalca , Fernandes Camila Borges , de Carvalho-Filho Jonas , Franco Gilson César Nobre , Costa Fernando Oliveira , Kawai Toshihisa 
Published: February 2008

ABSTRACT

It is unclear when the initial colonization by periodontal pathogens occurs in the oral cavity. Therefore, we report here the association between specific age groups and the time when the initial colonization by periodontal pathogens occurs in the oral cavity in such groups. Findings are based on an epidemiological analysis of the prevalence of five periodontal pathogens in the oral cavities of a wide range of age populations, from newborn to elderly, who were randomly selected in a geographic region of Brazil. These periodontal pathogens include
Campylobacter rectus
,
Porphyromonas gingivalis
,
Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans
,
Prevotella intermedia
, and
Tannerella forsythia
and were analyzed in the bacterial samples isolated from gingival sulcus, the dorsum of the tongue, and cheek mucosa of diverse age groups, using a bacterial DNA-specific PCR method. Results indicated that there are distinct age-related groups where initial colonization by the five periodontal pathogens examined in this study can be detected and that the presence of teeth is a permissive factor for colonization by
P. gingivalis
,
P. intermedia
, and
T. forsythia
. Although it remains unclear exactly how or when target pathogens colonize healthy subjects, an understanding of age-related groups does provide a potentially useful tool in the early detection and prevention of periodontitis in healthy individuals.
Fatal Levofloxacin Failure in Treatment of a Bacteremic Patient Infected with
Streptococcus pneumoniae
with a Preexisting
parC
Mutation
Authors: de Cueto M. , Rodríguez J. M. , Soriano M. J. , López-Cerero L. , Venero J. , Pascual A. 
Published: February 2008

ABSTRACT

The fatal outcome of levofloxacin treatment in a patient with bacteremic pneumonia caused by
Streptococcus pneumoniae
with a preexisting
parC
mutation is reported. Failure was due to the emergence of a
gyrA
mutation after 4 days of therapy. Problems encountered in detecting first-step mutation isolates are discussed.
Improved Detection of Circulating
Aspergillus
Antigen by Use of a Modified Pretreatment Procedure
Authors: Mennink-Kersten Monique A. S. H. , Ruegebrink Dorien , Klont Rocus R. , Warris Adilia , Blijlevens Nicole M. A. , Donnelly J. Peter , Verweij Paul E. 
Published: February 2008

ABSTRACT

Detection of circulating galactofuranose (gal
f
) antigens, including galactomannan (GM), by the Platelia
Aspergillus
(PA) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is an important tool in the early diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis (IA). We used a modified pretreatment technique (MT) on consecutive negative PA ELISA plasma samples from IA patients in order to improve the detection of the fungal components present. Plasma samples (52) were collected from healthy donors, and 174 plasma samples with a galactomannan index (GMI) below 0.5 were collected from 25 unclassifiable and 23 IA patients. The PA ELISA reactivity of pretreated samples was determined before (conventional technique [CT]) and after (MT) filtration using a Microcon filter with a 50-kDa cutoff (Millipore). For the MT, the sensitivity of the PA ELISA increased from 42.9% (CT) to 78.6% (MT) using a cutoff for the GMI of 1.5 in the probable and proven group, whereas specificity slightly decreased from 98.7% to 96.1% in the control group. The 10-fold concentration step increased the GMI as high as 121-fold. The MT resulted not only in positive reactivity in samples that tested negative with the CT but also in the earlier detection of antigen by 2 to 17 days.