bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A rapid and robust method for simultaneously measuring changes in the phytohormones ABA, JA and SA in plants following biotic and abiotic stress
Authors: Forcat Silvia , Bennett Mark H , Mansfield John W , Grant Murray R 
Published: July 2008

Abstract
We describe an efficient method for the rapid quantitative determination of the abundance of three acidic plant hormones from a single crude extract directly by LC/MS/MS. The method exploits the sensitivity of MS and uses multiple reaction monitoring and isotopically labelled samples to quantify the phytohormones abscisic acid, jasmonic acid and salicylic acid in Arabidopsis leaf tissue.
A study of candidate genes for day blindness in the standard wire haired dachshund
Authors: Wiik Anne Caroline , Ropstad Ernst-Otto , Bjerkås Ellen , Lingaas Frode 
Published: July 2008

Abstract

Background
A genetic study was performed to identify candidate genes associated with day blindness in the standard wire haired dachshund. Based on a literature review of diseases in dogs and human with phenotypes similar to day blindness, ten genes were selected and evaluated as potential candidate genes associated with day blindness in the breed.

Results
Three of the genes, CNGB3, CNGA3 and GNAT2, involved in cone degeneration and seven genes and loci, ABCA4, RDH5, CORD8, CORD9, RPGRIP1, GUCY2D and CRX, reported to be involved in cone-rod dystrophies were studied. Polymorphic markers at each of the candidate loci were studied in a family with 36 informative offspring. The study revealed a high frequency of recombinations between the candidate marker alleles and the disease.

Conclusion
Since all of the markers were at the exact position of the candidate loci, and several recombinations were detected for each of the loci, all ten genes were excluded as causal for this canine, early onset cone-rod dystrophy. The described markers may, however, be useful to screen other canine resource families segregating eye diseases for association to the ten genes.
Flow: Statistics, visualization and informatics for flow cytometry
Authors: Frelinger Jacob , Kepler Thomas B , Chan Cliburn 
Published: July 2008

Abstract

Flow is an open source software application for clinical and experimental researchers to perform exploratory data analysis, clustering and annotation of flow cytometric data. Flow is an extensible system that offers the ease of use commonly found in commercial flow cytometry software packages and the statistical power of academic packages like the R BioConductor project.
Assignment of isochores for all completely sequenced vertebrate genomes using a consensus
Authors: Schmidt Thorsten , Frishman Dmitrij 
Published: July 2008

AbstractWe show that although the currently available isochore mapping methods agree on the isochore classification of about two-thirds of the human DNA, they produce significantly different results with regard to the location of isochore boundaries and isochore length distribution. We present a new consensus isochore assignment method based on majority voting and provide IsoBase, a comprehensive on-line database of isochore maps for all completely sequenced vertebrate genomes.
C-reactive protein (CRP) induces chemokine secretion via CD11b/ICAM-1 interaction in human adherent monocytes
Authors: Montecucco Fabrizio , Steffens Sabine , Burger Fabienne , Pelli Graziano , Monaco Claudia , Mach François 
Published: July 2008

AbstractSeveral studies support C-reactive protein (CRP) as a systemic cardiovascular risk factor. The recent detection of CRP in arterial intima suggests a dual activity in atherosclerosis as a circulating and tissue mediator on vascular and immune cells. In the present paper, we focused on the inflammatory effects of CRP on human monocytes, which were isolated by Ficoll-Percoll gradients and cultured in adherence to polystyrene, endothelial cell monolayer, or in suspension. Chemokine levels, adhesion molecule, and chemokine receptor expression were detected by ELISA, flow cytometry, and real-time RT-PCR. Migration assays were performed in a Boyden chamber. Stimulation with CRP induced release of CCL2, CCL3, and CCL4 in adherent monocytes through the binding to CD32a, CD32b, and CD64, whereas no effect was observed in suspension culture. This was associated with CRP-induced up-regulation of adhesion molecules membrane-activated complex 1 (Mac-1) and ICAM-1 on adherent monocytes. Blockade of Mac-1/ICAM-1 interaction inhibited the CRP-induced chemokine secretion. In addition, CRP reduced mRNA and surface expression of corresponding chemokine receptors CCR1, CCR2, and CCR5 in adherent monocytes. This effect was a result of chemokine secretion, as coincubation with neutralizing anti-CCL2, anti-CCL3, and anti-CCL4 antibodies reversed the effect of CRP. Accordingly, a reduced migration of CRP-treated monocytes to CCL2 and CCL3 was observed. In conclusion, our data suggest an in vitro model to study CRP activities in adherent and suspension human monocytes. CRP-mediated induction of adhesion molecules and a decrease of chemokine receptors on adherent monocytes might contribute to the retention of monocytes within atherosclerotic lesions and recruitment of other circulating cells.
Randomized Controlled Clinical Effectiveness Trial of Cognitive Behavior Therapy Compared With Treatment As Usual for Persistent Insomnia in Patients With Cancer
Authors: Espie Colin A. , Fleming Leanne , Cassidy James , Samuel Leslie , Taylor Lynne M. , White Craig A. , Douglas Neil J. , Engleman Heather M. , Kelly Heidi-Louise , Paul James 
Published: July 2008

Purpose Persistent insomnia is a common complaint in cancer survivors, but is seldom satisfactorily addressed. The adaptation to cancer care of a validated, cost-effective intervention may offer a practicable solution. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical effectiveness of protocol-driven cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for insomnia, delivered by oncology nurses. Patients and Methods Randomized, controlled, pragmatic, two-center trial of CBT versus treatment as usual (TAU) in 150 patients (103 females; mean age, 61 years.) who had completed active therapy for breast, prostate, colorectal, or gynecological cancer. The study conformed to CONSORT guidelines. Primary outcomes were sleep diary measures at baseline, post-treatment, and 6-month follow-up. Actigraphic sleep, health-related quality of life (QOL), psychopathology, and fatigue were secondary measures. CBT comprised five, small group sessions across consecutive weeks, after a manualized protocol. TAU represented normal clinical practice; the appropriate control for a clinical effectiveness study. Results CBT was associated with mean reductions in wakefulness of 55 minutes per night compared with no change in TAU. These outcomes were sustained 6 months after treatment. Standardized relative effect sizes were large for complaints of difficulty initiating sleep, waking from sleep during the night, and for sleep efficiency (percentage of time in bed spent asleep). CBT was associated with moderate to large effect sizes for five of seven QOL outcomes, including significant reduction in daytime fatigue. There was no significant interaction effect between any of these outcomes and baseline demographic, clinical, or sleep characteristics. Conclusion CBT for insomnia may be both clinically effective and feasible to deliver in real world practice.
Mutation of the Wilms’ Tumor 1 Gene Is a Poor Prognostic Factor Associated With Chemotherapy Resistance in Normal Karyotype Acute Myeloid Leukemia: The United Kingdom Medical Research Council Adult Leukaemia Working Party
Authors: Virappane Priya , Gale Rosemary , Hills Robert , Kakkas Ioannis , Summers Karin , Stevens Jane , Allen Christopher , Green Claire , Quentmeier Hilmar , Drexler Hans , Burnett Alan , Linch David , Bonnet Dominique , Lister T. Andrew , Fitzgibbon Jude 
Published: July 2008

Purpose To determine the clinical relevance of Wilms’ tumor 1 (WT1) gene mutations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with normal karyotype (NK). Patients and Methods Exons 7 and 9 of WT1 were screened in samples from 470 young adult NK AMLs using a combination of direct sequencing and high-resolution capillary electrophoresis. Results Overall, 51 mutations were detected in 47 cases (10%): 46 frameshift mutations with insertion/deletion of one to 28 base pairs in exon 7 (n = 45) or exon 9 (n = 1), with a median mutant level of 45% (range, 8% to 86%), and five substitutions in exon 9: D396N (n = 3), H397Y (n = 1) and H397Q (n = 1). Patients with WT1 mutations had an inferior response to induction chemotherapy compared with wild-type cases (complete remission rate, 79% v 90%, odds ratio [OR] = 3.02; 95% CI, 1.17 to 7.82; P = .02), a higher rate of resistant disease (15% v 4%; OR = 9.33; 95% CI, 2.38 to 36.6; P = .001), an increased cumulative incidence of relapse (67% v 43%, hazard ratio [HR] = 3.02; 95% CI, 1.69 to 5.38; P = .0008), with a reduction in both relapse-free survival (22% v 44%; HR = 2.16; 95% CI, 1.32 to 3.55; P = .005) and overall survival (26% v 47%; HR = 1.91; 95% CI, 1.23 to 2.95; P = .007) at 5 years. In multivariate analysis, which included FLT3 internal tandem duplication and NPM1 mutation status, the presence of a WT1 mutation remained an independent adverse prognostic factor. Conclusion WT1 mutations are a negative prognostic indicator in NK AML and may be suitable for the development of targeted therapy.
Low-Dose Interleukin-2 Immunotherapy Does Not Improve Outcome of Patients Age 60 Years and Older With Acute Myeloid Leukemia in First Complete Remission: Cancer and Leukemia Group B Study 9720
Authors: Baer Maria R. , George Stephen L. , Caligiuri Michael A. , Sanford Ben L. , Bothun Sandra M. , Mrózek Krzysztof , Kolitz Jonathan E. , Powell Bayard L. , Moore Joseph O. , Stone Richard M. , Anastasi John , Bloomfield Clara D. , Larson Richard A. 
Published: July 2008

PurposeCancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) 9720 evaluated subcutaneous low-dose recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) maintenance immunotherapy as a strategy for prolonging remission in older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).Patients and MethodsAML patients age 60 years and older in first complete remission after induction and consolidation chemotherapy were randomly assigned to no further therapy or a 90-day regimen of 14-day cycles of low-dose rIL-2, aimed at expanding natural killer (NK) cells, followed by 3-day higher doses aimed at activating cytotoxicity of expanded NK cells to lyse residual AML cells. All randomly assigned patients were included in an intention-to-treat analysis.ResultsA total of 163 (64%) of 254 patients who completed induction and consolidation chemotherapy on CALGB 9720 were randomly assigned to rIL-2 (n = 81) or no further therapy (n = 82); the most common reasons for lack of random assignment were patient refusal and relapse. Fifteen patients randomly assigned to rIL-2 never initiated it because of refusal, intercurrent medical problems, or relapse, and 24 patients initiated rIL-2 but stopped early because of toxicity or relapse. Grade 4 toxicities during rIL-2 therapy included thrombocytopenia (65%) and neutropenia (64%), and grade 3 toxicities included anemia (33%), infection (24%) and malaise/fatigue (14%). Forty-two patients (52%) randomly assigned to rIL-2 completed the full 90-day course. Patients in both arms had similar distributions of both disease-free (combined median = 6.1 months; P = .47) and overall survival (combined median = 14.7 months; P = .61) after random assignment. Moreover, the 42 patients who completed all planned therapy did not show prolongation of disease-free or overall survival.ConclusionLow-dose rIL-2 maintenance immunotherapy is not a successful strategy in older AML patients.
Buoyancy-induced convection in differentially heated superposed two fluid layers in a rectangular cavity
Authors: Punjabi S , Muralidhar K , Panigrahi P K 
Published: July 2008

Buoyancy-driven convection in a differentially heated rectangular cavity containing layers of air—water, air—silicone oil, and silicone oil—water has been experimentally studied using laser-interferometry. The cavity has dimensions 32 × 32 mm2 in the vertical plane and length 447 mm. The layer thicknesses were taken to be equal. Experiments are conducted with three cavity temperature differences of 10, 15, and 18 K. The flow field is mapped in the direction parallel to the cavity length using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The flow regimes (such as steady two-dimensional, time-dependent, etc.) established in the individual fluid layers were compared with the published regime diagrams of single fluid layer at different Rayleigh numbers. Quantities such as the interface temperature, average Nusselt number, and the temperature profiles were determined from the interferograms. The interface shapes are recorded in the form of shadowgraphs. These results were also looked upon in terms of the coupling mechanism established at the interface. The major conclusions arrived in this study are as follows. In the experiments involving air, the layers were found to be thermally coupled. The unsteadiness in water could however be transmitted to air in the mechanical coupling mode. The presence of silicone oil over water led to mechanical coupling in the sense that the convective field in water was visibly retarded. The interface temperature determined from the experiments matched those from correlations for a single fluid whenever the coupling was thermal in origin. The differences were higher during mechanical coupling. The interface deformation correlated well with the roll movement visible in the fringes.
Dynamic analysis using finite elements to calculate the critical wear section of the contact wire in suburban railway overhead conductor rails
Authors: Gonzalez F J , Chover J A , Suarez B , Vazquez M 
Published: July 2008

The purpose of this study is to determine the critical wear levels of the contact wire of the catenary on metropolitan lines. The study has focussed on the zones of contact wire where localized wear is produced, normally associated with the appearance of electric arcs. To this end, a finite element model has been developed to study the dynamics of pantograph—catenary interaction. The model includes a zone of localized wear and a singularity in the contact wire in order to simulate the worst case scenario from the point of view of stresses. In order to consider the different stages in the wire wear process, different depths and widths of the localized wear zone were defined. The results of the dynamic simulations performed for each stage of wear let the area of the minimum resistant section of the contact wire be determined for which stresses are greater than the allowable stress. The maximum tensile stress reached in the contact wire shows a clear sensitivity to the size of the local wear zone, defined by its width and depth. In this way, if the wear measurements taken with an overhead line-recording vehicle are analysed, it will be possible to calculate the potential breakage risk of the wire. A strong dependence of the tensile forces of the contact wire has also been observed. These results will allow priorities to be set for replacing the most critical sections of wire, thereby making maintenance much more efficient. The results obtained show that the wire replacement criteria currently borne in mind have turned out to be appropriate, although in some wear scenarios these criteria could be adjusted even more, and so prolong the life cycle of the contact wire.
Experimental identification and characterization of the effects of contaminants in the wheel—rail contact
Authors: Descartes S , Desrayaud C , Berthier Y 
Published: July 2008

Previous results have highlighted the presence of a natural third body ranging in thickness from a few micrometres to several dozen micrometres on the rail and wheel. The third body layer, initially composed of particles stemming from the wheels and rails, flows into the contact to accommodate local sliding inside it. The work presented in this paper focuses on the identification of contaminants whose influence on the wheel—rail contact is significant. This influence can be considered as significant if it enters the contact, affects surface properties, modifies the third body layer, and possibly damages or protects the rail. The third body layer can progressively absorb and assimilate solid (ballast stone, sand) and fluid (oil) contaminants existing on rails, and thus reduce their negative consequences on rail lifetime. These phenomena are the result of the exchange of third body flows between the wheel and rail. A high-speed camera was used for this experimental study performed on a real site. The analyses of the dynamic images are coupled with tribological analyses of the surfaces by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray energy dispersive analysis.
Real-time reliability index of a steam power plant: A systems approach
Authors: Mohan M , Gandhi O P , Agrawal V P 
Published: July 2008

The present system of reporting reliability (also known as product performance) of a power generating plant on annualized basis has failed to serve the plant managers to take technocommercial decisions. Moreover, these indices show a wide variance depending upon the method of selection by the peer group for indexing purposes. For assessing reliability, a model has been developed for a steam power plant (SPP) in this paper using a systems approach of graph theory in conjunction with matrix method. A concept of real-time reliability index (RTRI) of the SPP has also been proposed, which overcomes the problems associated with the selection of a peer group for comparison. The value of RTRI indicates the probability of complete shut down or operation of the SPP at partial load. For finding the reliability of a SPP in real-time, its system structure graph (SSG), variable permanent system structure matrix and variable permanent function (VPF-s) have been converted into the corresponding reliability graph, matrix, and variable permanent function (VPF-r), respectively by associating reliability attribute to the nodes (S i) and the edges (c ij) of the SSG. When all the equipment, subsystems in different systems (S i) of a SPP are performing as per design specifications, the corresponding value of the VPF-r is termed as VPF-r design. Under real-time operation when, some of the equipment/subsystem of a particular system(s) may not be available or not performing at the designed level; the corresponding value of VPF-r is different from its design value and is termed as VPF-r real-time and the ratio of the real-time-value to the design value is the RTRI value. The proposed model is capable of taking real-time situations of various systems of the SPP simultaneously. A step-by-step procedure for calculation of RTRI has been suggested and also been illustrated by means of an example.
Effects of Fe powder on sliding wear processes under lubricants with different viscosities
Authors: Yuan C Q , Yan X P , Zhou X C 
Published: July 2008

Four sliding wear tests were conducted using a ball-on-disc tester at room temperature to investigate sliding wear processes in which Fe powders were added to the lubricant. The ball sample was a standard E52100 ball of 8 mm in diameter. The disc samples were made of 5140 steel and heat-treated to a hardness of 52 HRC. Wear debris analysis and surface analysis of the tested samples were carried out to investigate the wear particles generated from the wear process and to study the effects of the soft Fe powder. It was proved that Fe powders in the lubricant played an important role in the wear process and had a significant effect on the main wear mechanisms, resulting in wear-out failure.
Sliding wear performance of high-velocity oxy-fuel spray Al2O3/TiO2 and Cr2O3 coatings
Authors: Singh H , Grewal M S , Sekhon H S , Rao R G 
Published: July 2008

High-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) spray ceramic oxide coatings have immense potential in industrial applications. However, they are not widely used yet due to the lack of an adequate scientific database created after testing these coatings for specific industrial applications. Two such ceramic coating powders, Al2O3+(40%)TiO2 and Cr2O3, were deposited on AISI 309 SS stainless steel by the HVOF spray technique, in order to enhance its wear resistance. This stainless steel is used in many components of thermal power plants in India, where it suffers one or more types of wear. The as-sprayed coatings were characterized by XRD and SEM analyses. Subsequently, the sliding wear behaviours of the uncoated, HVOF spray Al2O3+(40%)TiO2 and Cr2O3 coated AISI 309 SS were investigated according to ASTM standard G99-03 on a pin-on-disc wear test rig. Cumulative wear rate and coefficient of friction (μ) were calculated for the coated as well as the uncoated specimens for 30, 50, and 70 N normal loads at a constant sliding velocity of 1 m/s. Some of the worn-out surfaces were characterized by SEM analysis. Both the as-sprayed coatings exhibited typical splat morphology of a thermal spray process. The XRD analysis indicated the formation of Al2O3 and TiO2 phases for the Al2O3+(40%)TiO2 coating, and Cr2O3 phase for the Cr2O3 coating. It has been concluded that HVOF spray Al2O3+(40%)TiO2 and Cr2O3 coatings can be useful in minimizing the wear problem of AISI 309 SS. These coatings were found to be successful in retaining their surface contact with the substrate after the wear tests. The HVOF spray Cr2O3 coating can be recommended as a slightly better choice to reduce the wear of AISI 309 SS in comparison with the Al2O3+(40%)TiO2 coating.
Automatic path control based on integrated steering and external yaw-moment control
Authors: Goodarzi A , Sabooteh A , Esmailzadeh E 
Published: July 2008

Nowadays improving safety is an indispensable part of research issues in the automotive industry. Due to increased travelling time, accident potentials and also traffic congestions, automated vehicles are seen as a way to increase freeway capacity and vehicle speed while reducing accidents resulted from human errors. In order to guide a vehicle automatically, vehicle lateral motion should be controlled, active steering control (ASC) and direct yaw-moment control (DYC) are two common methods to control the vehicle lateral dynamic, automatically. For higher vehicle lateral acceleration, where the tyres will not be capable of producing enough lateral forces (yaw-moment), ASC could not be useful. In such situation, the advantages of DYC can be clearly observed. Indent In this paper, a novel optimal control law is proposed to control the vehicle path, automatically. The control law uses the vehicle dynamic variables such as the yaw and lateral velocities, lateral offset, and the heading error as well as the road-related variables. These are the road curvature and the lateral offset between the desired path and the vehicle as the feedback/feed-forward signals to produce both the front steering angle and the external yaw-moment signals as the control efforts. Simulation results illustrate the dominant power of the front steering/DYC in the control of the vehicle lateral motion.
Kinematic design and multi-body analysis of Rzeppa pilot-lever joint
Authors: Pennestrì E , Valentini P P 
Published: July 2008

Rzeppa pilot-lever joint represents a classical solution to the problem of transmitting torque between angularly misaligned shafts. Homokineticity is one of the most important requirement in industrial applications. The Myard's theorem gives the geometrical conditions which ensure the satisfaction of such requirement. In this paper, two different original proofs of this theorem are offered. An algorithm for the optimal kinematic synthesis of the pilot-lever mechanism is then proposed. The pilot-lever mechanism is designed to minimize the maximum angle between the transmission and the homokinetic plane. Finally, a multi-body dynamic analysis of the Rzeppa pilot-lever joint is made by means of a commercial software. The modelling of contact conditions between the balls and the guides is discussed in particular. Finally, the contact forces between spheres and guides for different angles between input and output shafts are computed.