bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ontology-based modeling and integration of morphological characteristics of assembly joints for network-based collaborative assembly design
Authors: Kim Kyoung-Yun , Chin Seongah , Kwon Ohbyung , Ellis R. Darin 
Published: December 2008

AbstractThis paper presents our research on developing an ontology-based framework that can represent morphological characteristics related to assembly joints. Joints within the physical structure of an assembly are inevitable because of the limitations of component geometries and the associated, required engineering properties. Consequently, a framework is needed that can capture and propagate assembly design and joint information in a robust assembly model throughout the entire product development processes. The framework and model are based on an understanding of the morphological characteristics of an assembly and its different physical effects. The morphological characteristics are consequences of the principal physical processes and of the design intentions. Therefore, the morphological characteristics should be carefully represented while considering the geometry and topology of assembly joints. In this research, assembly joint topology is defined by a mereotopology, which is a region-based theory for the parts and associated concepts. This formal ontology can differentiate often ambiguous assembly and joining relations. Furthermore, the mereotopological definitions for assembly joints are implemented in Semantic Web Rule Language (SWRL) rules and Web Ontology Language triples. This process provides universality to the mereotopological definitions. Two geometrically and topologically similar joint pairs are presented to describe how the assembly joints can be defined in mereotopology and be transformed into SWRL rules. Web3D is also employed to support network-enabled sharing of assembly geometry. Finally, the proposed modeling framework is demonstrated using a real fixture assembly. This case study demonstrates the usability of the proposed framework for network-based design collaboration.
IfcOWL: A case of transforming EXPRESS schemas into ontologies
Authors: Beetz Jakob , van Leeuwen Jos , de Vries Bauke 
Published: December 2008

AbstractOntologies have been successfully applied as a semantic enabler of communication between both users and applications in fragmented, heterogeneous multinational business environments. In this paper we discuss the underlying principles, their current implementation status, and most importantly, their applicability to problems in the building information modeling domain. We introduce the development of an ontology for the building and construction sector based on the industry foundation classes. We discuss several approaches of lifting modeling information that is based on the express family of languages for data modeling onto a logically rigid and semantically enhanced ontological level encoded in the W3C Ontology Web Language. We exemplify the added value of such formal notation of building models by providing several examples where generic query and reasoning algorithms can be applied to problems that otherwise have to be manually hard-wired into applications for processing building information. Furthermore, we show how the underlying resource description framework and the set of technologies evolving around it can be tailored to the need of distributed collaborative work in the building and construction industry.
Response to Sklar
Authors: Hahn Steven 
Published: December 2008

Near the end of his important and challenging essay, Martin J. Sklar briefly considers an alternative path of development to the corporate-liberal reorganization that he identifies with the era between the 1890s and 1916. “A statist resolution might have taken hold,” Sklar writes,had the American capitalist class, or its corporate sector, been less developed in its market powers and proficiencies and hence more dependent on the state for its wealth and power; had the liberal republican tradition of the supremacy of society over the state (the sovereignty of the people) been weaker; had the working class been less imbued with that republican ideology, less developed, and hence more inclined to statist rather than associative-constitutional ideas and principles; had the corporate sector of the capitalist class sought and found alliance with a statist-oriented sector of the working class or a statist-oriented petty bourgeoisie, especially in the farm and rural population; had the corporate sector of the capitalist class sought and found alliance with civilian or military professionals, technicians, administrators, and managers—or a “managerial class”—looking to the state as a base of power. (p. 210)
Du milieu favorable aux promesses des technologies de l'information et de la communication
Authors: Debrock Mark 
Published: December 2008

Dans le tout recent ouvrage New Technologies for learning: contribution of ICT to innovation in education, les auteurs rapprochent les merveilles multimédiatiques du mythe de Sisyphe:“In the history of education the introduction of any new technological tool was accompanied with high expectations regarding its innovating power for learning and instruction. After a period of sporadic use, and some disappointment about the obtained learning outcomes, the arrival of any new technological tool generated a new set of expectations, limited use and resulting frustration. This is what we call the ‘Myth of Sisyphus’, the king of Corinth condemned for ever to roll his stone up a mountain in Hades only to have it roll down again when he neared the top.” (Dillemans, et al. 1998:41).
Powerful, personal: electronic mail and the L2 writing process
Authors: Hoffman Robert 
Published: December 2008

This paper reports action research into the use of electronic mail as a channel for giving feedback to English L2 writers in a sequence of writing process oriented technical communication courses. Four teachers used electronic mail feedback (EMF) regularly with 81 students on honours degree courses In information Systems and Computer Science. Electronic mail was used during planning and drafting stages in extended simulations of technical communication situations in concert with class meetings, workshop sessions, one-on-one and small group conference and with audiotaped summative feedback upon completion of major assignments.Teachers and students reported in response to a questionnaire and in interviews that they found EMF significantly advantageous in that it supports prompt, complete, and instrumental commentary on student work, empowers students to use English for authentic communication, and helps build positive relationships between students and native speaking teachers. All participants agreed that the extra channel of communication contributed to students' motivation to use invention techniques freely, to take risks with language and style in drafting, and to make substantive changes to text in drafting. Students reported that the objectivity of EMF was face saving, allowing them to use critical commentary from their teachers more productively. They also said that they found their teachers' use of EMF was a powerful demonstration of their willingness to make themselves available as mentors to their students.
Copper proteins and ferroxidases in human plasma and that of wild-type and ceruloplasmin knockout mice
Authors: Gray Lawrence W. , Kidane Theodros Z. , Nguyen Anh , Akagi Sheryl , Petrasek Kristina , Chu Yu-Ling , Cabrera Anthony , Kantardjieff Katherine , Mason Andrew Z. , Linder Maria C. 
Published: December 2008

In the blood plasma of humans and rats, ceruloplasmin is the major copper-binding protein and ferroxidase, accounting for 70% of the copper present in the plasma, with the rest binding primarily to albumin and a macroglobulin. Systematic studies with fresh plasma were carried out to compare what occurs in the mouse. C57BL6 mice had half as much copper and pPD (p-phenylene diamine) oxidase activity as humans and rats, 20–40% as much ferroxidase activity as humans (determined using three different assays) and less inhibition by azide. Plasma from ceruloplasmin knockout mice had no pPD oxidase activity, but retained &gt;50% ferroxidase activity (which was not as affected by azide). Modelling of mouse ceruloplasmin against the known X-ray structure of human ceruloplasmin indicated subtle but potentially significant changes in the pPD- and azide-binding sites. Purification and in-gel assays after native PAGE confirmed that mouse ceruloplasmin had ferroxidase activity but revealed an additional ferroxidase in ceruloplasmin knockout mouse plasma, which is also seen in size-exclusion chromatography. In the wild-type mouse, the ‘ceruloplasmin’ peak contained ∼55% of the total copper, but ceruloplasmin knockout plasma exposed a major additional peak (180 kDa) which co-eluted with ferroxidase activity. Two other ferroxidases (700 and 2000 Da) were also detected in mouse and human plasma. Mammalian blood thus contains copper components and ferroxidases not reported previously.
Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) is present in smooth muscle cells of human aneurysmal aorta and is induced by angiotensin II in vitro
Authors: Chen Xiao-feng , Wang Jian-an , Hou Jun , Gui Chun , Tang Li-jiang , Chen Xiao-quan , Xie Xiao-jie , Jiang Jian-jun , Cai Ju-fang , Chen Han-song , Lu Hong-sheng , Chen Han 
Published: December 2008

The aim of the present study was to determine whether EMMPRIN (extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer) is present and is up-regulated in human aneurysmal aortas, and to assess a possible association with AngII (angiotensin II)-induced aneurysm formation. The presence of EMMPRIN was assessed in 41 surgical specimens from patients with a TAA (thoracic aortic aneurysm) (Type A aortic dissection, n=12; Type B aortic dissection, n=7; and TAA without dissection, n=7) or an AAA (abdominal aortic aneurysm, n=15) by immunohistochemistry. EMMPRIN expression in aortic aneurysm tissues was compared with 12 aortas obtained during autopsy (free of any vascular diseases), and scored for both staining intensity and the percentage of vascular cells stained. EMMPRIN protein levels in cultured human aortic SMCs (smooth muscle cells) following stimulation of AngII were analysed by Western blotting. Significant EMMPRIN immunoreactivity was detected in aortic aneurysm lesions from patients with TAAs and AAAs. In the aneurysmal wall, α-actin-positive SMCs were the main source of EMMPRIN. The frequency of EMMPRIN overexpression was significantly higher (P=0.026) in TAAs with dissection (68.4%) than TAAs without dissection (14.3%). AngII stimulation up-regulated the expression of EMMPIRN in cultured human aortic SMCs, which was suppressed by the addition of the AT1R (AngII type 1 receptor) antagonist losartan. In conclusion, the present study is the first to report the expression of EMMPRIN in aortic aneurysmal diseases, and we speculate that EMMPRIN may be important in the pathogenesis of these diseases. Whether these abnormalities are potential therapeutic targets deserve further investigation.
ATOM: a powerful gene-based association test by combining optimally weighted markers
Authors: Li Mingyao , Wang Kai , Grant Struan F. A. , Hakonarson Hakon , Li Chun 
Published: December 2008

Abstract
Background: Large-scale candidate-gene and genome-wide association studies genotype multiple SNPs within or surrounding a gene, including both tag and functional SNPs. The immense amount of data generated in these studies poses new challenges to analysis. One particularly challenging yet important question is how to best use all genetic information to test whether a gene or a region is associated with the trait of interest.
Methods: Here we propose a powerful gene-based Association Test by combining Optimally Weighted Markers (ATOM) within a genomic region. Due to variation in linkage disequilibrium, different markers often associate with the trait of interest at different levels. To appropriately apportion their contributions, we assign a weight to each marker that is proportional to the amount of information it captures about the trait locus. We analytically derive the optimal weights for both quantitative and binary traits, and describe a procedure for estimating the weights from a reference database such as the HapMap. Compared with existing approaches, our method has several distinct advantages, including (i) the ability to borrow information from an external database to increase power, (ii) the theoretical derivation of optimal marker weights and (iii) the scalability to simultaneous analysis of all SNPs in candidate genes and pathways.
Results: Through extensive simulations and analysis of the FTO gene in our ongoing genome-wide association study on childhood obesity, we demonstrate that ATOM increases the power to detect genetic association as compared with several commonly used multi-marker association tests.
Contact: mingyao@mail.med.upenn.edu; chun.li@vanderbilt.edu
Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Induction of autoimmune cholangitis in non-obese diabetic (NOD).1101 mice following a chemical xenobiotic immunization
Authors: Wakabayashi K , Yoshida K , Leung P S C , Moritoki Y , Yang G-X , Tsuneyama K , Lian Z-X , Hibi T , Ansari A A , Wicker L S , Ridgway W M , Coppel R L , Mackay I R , Gershwin M E 
Published: December 2008

SummaryOur laboratory has suggested that loss of tolerance to pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDC-E2) leads to an anti-mitochondrial antibody response and autoimmune cholangitis, similar to human primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). We have suggested that this loss of tolerance can be induced either via chemical xenobiotic immunization or exposure to select bacteria. Our work has also highlighted the importance of genetic susceptibility. Using the non-obese diabetic (NOD) congenic strain 1101 (hereafter referred to as NOD.1101 mice), which has chromosome 3 regions from B6 introgressed onto a NOD background, we exposed animals to 2-octynoic acid (2OA) coupled to bovine serum albumin (BSA). 2OA has been demonstrated previously by a quantitative structural activity relationship to react as well as or better than lipoic acid to anti-mitochondrial antibodies. We demonstrate herein that NOD.1101 mice immunized with 2OA-BSA, but not with BSA alone, develop high titre anti-mitochondrial antibodies and histological features, including portal infiltrates enriched in CD8+ cells and liver granulomas, similar to human PBC. We believe this model will allow the rigorous dissection of early immunogenetic cause of biliary damage.
Effect of the preliminary hydration on gastric emptying time for water in healthy volunteers
Authors: UMENAI T. , ARAI N. , CHIHARA E. 
Published: December 2008

Background: International guidelines allow healthy patients to drink clear liquid up to 2 h before general anesthesia. Recently, MRI measurements have been used for tracking gastric volume in humans. Hence, we used MRI to examine the gastric emptying rate of water in healthy volunteers with or without prior water loading.Methods: Fifteen healthy volunteers were enrolled. The participants had MRI examinations on separate days under two different protocols: The preliminary hydration protocol (group H) and the water restriction protocol (group R). After the intake of water, MR imaging was performed every 10 min for 60 min. The gastric content was outlined as area of interest (AOI), and the AOI area of each slice was summated to calculate the volume of gastric contents.Results: The 50% reduction time of gastric volume in group R and group H was 18±9 and 16±8 min (mean±SD), respectively. There were no significant changes between the two groups.Conclusion: The gastric emptying time for water evaluated with MRI was not affected by preliminary hydration, which shows the safety of repeated oral hydrations in the pre‐operative period.
Persistent pain after groin hernia surgery: a qualitative analysis of pain and its consequences for quality of life
Authors: KALLIOMÄKI M.‐L. , SANDBLOM G. , GUNNARSSON U. , GORDH T. 
Published: December 2008

Background: Despite a high prevalence of persistent groin pain after hernia repair, the specific nature of the pain and its clinical manifestation are poorly known. The aim of this study was to determine the type of post‐herniorrhaphy pain and its influence on daily life.Methods: In order to assess long‐term pain qualitatively and to explore how it affects quality of life, 100 individuals with persisting pain, identified in a cohort study of patients operated for groin hernia, were neurologically examined, along with 100 pain‐free controls matched for age, gender and type of operation. The patients were asked to answer the SF‐36 questionnaire, the hospital anxiety and depression scale, the Swedish Scales of Personality (SSP) and a standardised questionnaire for assessing everyday life coping. The patients were approached approximately 4.9 years after surgery.Results: Twenty‐two patients from the pain group had become pain free by the time of examination, whereas 76 patients still had pain, of whom 47 (68%) suffered from neuropathic pain and 11 from nociceptive pain. The remaining patients suffered from mixed pain, neuropathic and nociceptive, or were found to have another reason for pain. All dimensions of SF‐36 were poorer for the pain group than the control group.Conclusion: Persistent post‐herniorrhaphy pain is mainly neuropathic and has a substantial impact on health‐related quality of life.
Urea derivatives on the move: cytokinin‐like activity and adventitious rooting enhancement depend on chemical structure
Authors: Ricci A. , Bertoletti C. 
Published: December 2008

AbstractUrea derivatives are synthetic compounds, some of which have proved to be positive regulators of cell division and differentiation.N‐phenyl‐N′‐(2‐chloro‐4‐pyridyl)urea (forchlorofenuron, CPPU) andN‐phenyl‐N′‐(1,2,3‐thiadiazol‐5‐yl)urea (thidiazuron, TDZ), well known urea cytokinin representatives, are extensively used inin vitroplant morphogenesis studies, as they show cytokinin‐like activity often exceeding that of adenine compounds. In recent years, renewed interest in structure–activity relationship studies allowed identification of new urea cytokinins and other urea derivatives that specifically enhance adventitious root formation. In this review, we report the research history of urea derivatives, new insights into their biological activity, and recent progress on their mode of action.
Vagus nerve stimulation for refractory epilepsy in children: More to VNS than seizure frequency reduction
Authors: Shahwan Amre , Bailey Catherine , Maxiner Wirginia , Harvey A. Simon 
Published: December 2008

SummaryPurpose:  Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is used increasingly as adjunctive therapy for refractory epilepsy. Studies of VNS in children report mainly seizure frequency reduction as a measure of efficacy and clinical details are often scanty. We report our experience with VNS in children with refractory epilepsy and emphasize the positive effects of VNS in terms of seizure severity.Methods:  We reviewed 26 consecutive children who had VNS with a minimum follow‐up period of 18 months. We examined their clinical characteristics, seizure types, seizure frequency, epilepsy syndrome diagnosis, and response to VNS in terms of seizure frequency and seizure severity.Results:  Fifty‐four percent of patients responded to VNS with ≥50% seizure frequency reduction. Patients with Lennox‐Gastaut syndrome (LGS) and tonic seizures had a higher responder rate; 78% (seven of nine patients) (p < 0.01). Status epilepticus (SE) episodes were reduced or ceased in the four patients with recurrent SE. Seizure severity, duration, and recovery time decreased in all responders. Increased alertness was reported in all responders and three nonresponders.Conclusion:  Decreased seizure severity, recovery time, abolition of daytime drop attacks, and reduced hospitalization due to SE improved patients’ lives over and above the benefit from seizure frequency reduction.
Population Pharmacokinetic Analysis of Ceftobiprole for Treatment of Complicated Skin and Skin Structure Infections
Authors: Kimko Holly , Murthy Bindu , Xu Xu , Nandy Partha , Strauss Richard , Noel Gary J. 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACT

Population pharmacokinetic analysis demonstrated that renal function, as assessed by creatinine clearance (CL
CR
), was the patient characteristic that had a clinically relevant impact on ceftobiprole pharmacodynamics. Dosing adjustments based on CL
CR
for subjects with renal impairment should provide ceftobiprole exposure similar to that in patients with normal renal function.
Combination of Tenofovir and Emtricitabine plus Efavirenz: In Vitro Modulation of ABC Transporter and Intracellular Drug Accumulation
Authors: Bousquet Laurence , Pruvost Alain , Guyot Anne-Cécile , Farinotti Robert , Mabondzo Aloïse 
Published: December 2008

ABSTRACTEfflux proteins have been shown to greatly affect the uptake of antiretroviral drugs by cells and to hamper their access to the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 replication site. This study evaluated the factors that may lead to drug-drug interactions between emtricitabine (FTC), tenofovir (TFV), and efavirenz (EFV), including the modulation of efflux transporter expression and function. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy volunteers were used to determine whether or not an interaction between antiretroviral drugs and target cells occurred in any combination of FTC, TFV, EFV, FTC-TFV, TFV-EFV, or FTC-TFV-EFV. Following 20 h of treatment, intracellular drug concentrations were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Efflux transporter functionality and inhibitor drug properties were assessed by measuring fluorescent dye efflux. ABCB1 (P-glycoprotein), ABCC 1 to 6 (multidrug resistance-associated protein), and OAT (organic anion transporter) expression in response to the treatments was quantified by semiquantitative real-time PCR. Cells treated with a double combination (FTC-TFV or TFV-EFV) or the triple combination (FTC-TFV-EFV) produced higher FTC and TFV intracellular concentrations than cells treated with FTC or TFV alone. However, no change in the EFV intracellular concentration was observed. FTC tended to induceabcc5mRNA expression and EFV tended to induceabcc1andabcc6mRNA expression, whereas TFV tended to reducemdr1,abcc1,abcc5, andabcc6mRNA expression. Under these conditions, a decrease in the functionality of ABCC was observed, and this decrease was associated with the direct inhibitory actions of these drugs. This in vitro study reveals a benefit of the combination FTC-TFV-EFV in terms of the intracellular FTC and TFV concentrations and highlights the pharmacological mechanisms that lead to this effect.