bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Storms or cold fronts? What is really responsible for the extreme waves regime in the Colombian Caribbean coast
Authors: Otero L. J. , Ortiz-Royero J. C. , Ruiz-Merchan J. K. , Higgins A. E. , Henriquez S. A.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. On Friday, 7 March 2009, a 200 m-long section of the tourist pier in Puerto Colombia collapsed under the impact of the waves generated by a cold front in the area. The aim of this study is to determine the contribution and importance of cold fronts and storms on extreme waves in different areas of the Colombian Caribbean to determine the degree of the threat posed by the flood processes to which these coastal populations are exposed and the actions to which coastal engineering constructions should be subject. In the calculation of maritime constructions, the most important parameter is the wave's height; therefore, it is necessary to definitively know the design wave height to which a coastal engineering structure should be resistant. This wave height varies according to the return period considered. Using Gumbel's extreme value methodology, the significant height values for the study area were calculated. The methodology was evaluated using data from the re-analysis of the spectral NOAA Wavewatch III (WW3) model for 15 points along the 1600 km of the Colombia Caribbean coast (continental and insular) of the last 15 years. The results demonstrated that the extreme waves caused by tropical cyclones and cold fronts have different effects along the Colombian Caribbean coast. Storms and hurricanes are of greater importance in the Guajira Peninsula (Alta Guajira). In the central area formed by Baja Guajira, Santa Marta, Barranquilla, and Cartagena, the strong influence of cold fronts on extreme waves is evident. On the other hand, in the southern region of the Colombian Caribbean coast, from the Gulf of Morrosquillo to the Gulf of Urabá, even though extreme waves are lower than in the previous regions, extreme waves are dominated mainly by the passage of cold fronts. Extreme waves in the San Andrés and Providencia insular region present a different dynamic from that in the continental area due to its geographic location. The wave heights in the extreme regime are similar in magnitude to those found in Alta Guajira, but the extreme waves associated with the passage of cold fronts in this region have lower return periods than the extreme waves associated with hurricane season. These results are of great importance when evaluating the threat of extreme waves in the coastal and port infrastructure, for purposes of the design of new constructions, and in the coastal flood processes due to run-up because, according to the site of interest in the coast, the forces that shape extreme waves are not the same.
Content of 4(5)-methylimidazole, caffeine and chlorogenic acid in commercial coffee brands
Authors: Dieu Phan Thi Thanh , Bittová Miroslava , Mikulášek Kamil , Kráčmar Stanislav , Kubáň Vlastimil , Valášek Pavel , Svobodová Blanka
Published: May 2015

Content of 4(5)-methylimidazole (4-MeI), caffeine and chlorogenic acid in commercial coffee brands were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV DAD and MS detectors. Positive ion ESI mass spectra of the 4-MeI standard yielded intense signals corresponding to [M+H]+ (83.0604) and [2M+H]+ ions (165.1115). Also, adducts of 4-MeI with acetonitrile from mobile were detected - [M+ACN]+ ions (124.0849). The LOD of 2.5 ng mL-1 and LOQ of 8.4 ng.mL-1 were calculated according to the following formulas: LOD = 3.SD/S, and LOQ = 10.SD/S, where S is the slope of the calibration curve and SD is the standard deviation of the noise. The caffeine content was compared to the results of the standard addition, 1st derivative and liquid-liquid extraction spectrophotometry. 4-MeI was in tens µg g-1 in the Vietnamese coffees while in units µg.g-1 in all Czech and Brazilian coffees (<2.4 µg.g-1 and <4.9 µg.g-1, respectively). The results for caffeine were within the documented range (0.31 - 2.20%) in all coffee samples. The lower content of caffeine and chlorogenic acid was observed in Vietnamese coffees. All the methods used for determination of caffeine in the Czech and Brazilian coffees gave acceptable precision and accuracy. However, there were significant differences in the results in Vietnamese coffees. The caffeine extractability (100 °C, 3 min brewing) almost reached 100% in Czech and Brazilian coffees, while it was less than 90% in Vietnamese coffees. The Czech and Brazilian coffees tend to produce more caffeine in brews than the Vietnamese coffee because of the different composition of blends and the particle size degree.
The content of total polyphenols and antioxidant activity in red beetroot
Authors: Kavalcová Petra , Bystrická Judita , Tomáš Ján , Karovičová Jolana , Kovarovič Ján , Lenková Marianna
Published: May 2015

Red beetroot (Beta vulgaris rubra) is an important raw material of plant origin with proven positive effects on the human body. They can be eaten raw, boiled, steamed and roasted. Red beetrooot is a rich source of minerals substances (manganese, sodium, potassium, magnesium, iron, copper). Beetroot contains a lot of antioxidants, vitamins (A, C, B), fiber and natural dyes. Red beetroot is also rich in phenol compounds, which have antioxidant properties. These colorful root vegetables help protect against heart disease and certain cancers (colon cancer). In this work we evaluated content of total polyphenols and antioxidant activity in red beetroot. Samples of plant material were collected at full maturity stages from areas of Zohor, Sihelné, and Sliač. Zohor, Sihelné, and Sliač are areas without negative influences and emission sources. Samples of fresh red beetroot were homogenized and were prepared as an extract: 50 g cut beetroot extracted by 100 ml 80% ethanol for sixteen hours. These extracts were used for analyses. The content of the total polyphenols was determined by using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent (FCR). The absorbance was measured at 765 nm of wavelength against blank. Antioxidant activity was measured using a compound DPPH˙ (2.2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) at 515.6 nm in the    spectrophotometer. In the present experiment it was detected, that total polyphenols content in samples ranges from 820.10 mg/kg to 1280.56 mg/kg. Statistically significant highest value of total polyphenols was recorded in beetroot in variety of Renova from locality of Sliač (1280.56 ±28.78 mg/kg). Statistically significant the lowest content of total polyphenols was recorded in beetroot in variety of Renova from the village Sihelné (820.10 ±37.57 mg/kg). In this experiment the antioxidant activity in beetroot was evaluated and compared. The values of antioxidant activity were in interval from 19.63% to 29.82%.
Historical Rightness
Authors: SMITH STEVEN G.
Published: May 2015

In addressing issues of transgenerational justice, ethical analysis is overmatched by the challenge of assigning benefits and burdens to actors, monitoring cooperation between actors, and calculating the consequences of actions in long-term compound action. But justice-oriented ethics is not the only frame of reference in which rightness is judged. Our shared responsibility on a larger scale of action is the object of a distinctively historical reckoning that takes account of how action seems actually to have accumulated and seems likely to accumulate further over the long term. Historically responsible agents are obliged to act in accordance with more informed and considerate views of shared action over time. The most basic standard of historical rightness is greatness in the sense of a maximized participation of all actors in shared action. Actions can be responsible by promoting the freedom and solidarity of agents and the redemption of past actions without being demonstrably just.
The Intractable Dialectic of Tyranny and Terror
Authors: MARTIN TERENCE J.
Published: May 2015

This essay offers a reading of “A dung-beetle hunting an eagle,” a commentary by Erasmus of Rotterdam that addresses the tyrannical use of power, the terrorizing character of revolt, and hence the tangled and vicious web of conflict between ruler and ruled. My claim is that Erasmus confronts us with the deeply disturbing and even eerie suggestion that once unleashed, the dark dialectic of tyranny and terror is hopelessly intractable, even as one may continue to uphold an alternative ideal, however awkwardly and certainly precariously, but also necessarily and ironically. This challenge speaks with unsettling effect to perennial features of political life.
The Anti-Intellectualism of the American University
Authors: COBB JOHN B.
Published: May 2015

The dominant ideal of the American university is to excel in research. To this end it has organized itself in terms of academic disciplines. These discourage critical thought. Their goal of good research could be realized in the context of intellectual inquiry. But the most prestigious universities today are those that have most fully rejected this alternative. The liberal arts colleges that hire their graduates have great difficulty maintaining the tradition of liberal arts. Concern for the holistic development of students is in tension with studies that aim to be “value free.” Value free research is done for the highest bidder. There is no place in the university for discussing its assumptions or those of the academic disciplines that make up its curriculum. Even if academic disciplines operate on mutually inconsistent assumptions, the university does not consider this worthy of study. The experts produced by the anti-intellectual university contribute more to the global crisis than to a positive response.
Diffusion of Climate Technologies in the Presence of Commitment Problems
Authors: Fæhn Taran , Isaksen Elisabeth T.
Published: May 2015

Publicly announced greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation targets and emissions pricing strategies by individual governments may suffer from inherent commitment problems. When emission prices are perceived as short-lived, socially cost-effective upfront investment in climate technologies may be hampered. This paper compares the social abatement cost of a uniform GHG pricing system with two policy options for overcoming such regulatory uncertainty: One combines the emissions pricing with a state guarantee scheme whereby the regulatory risk is borne by the government and one combines the system with subsidies for upfront climate technology investments. A technology-rich computable general equilibrium model is applied that accounts for abatement both within and beyond existing technologies. Our findings suggest a tripling of abatement costs if domestic climate policies fail to stimulate investment in new technological solutions. Since the cost of funding investment subsidies is found to be small, the subsidy scheme performs almost as well as the guarantee scheme.
The Complexity of Simultaneous Geometric Graph Embedding
Authors: Cardinal Jean , Kusters Vincent
Published: May 2015

Given a collection of planar graphs G1,...,Gk on the same set V of n vertices, the simultaneous geometric embedding (with mapping) problem, or simply k-SGE, is to find a set P of n points in the plane and a bijection ϕ: V → P such that the induced straight-line drawings of G1,...,Gk under ϕ are all plane. This problem is polynomial-time equivalent to weak rectilinear realizability of abstract topological graphs, which Kyncl (doi:10.1007/s00454-010-9320-x) proved to be complete for ∃ℝ, the existential theory of the reals. Hence the problem k-SGE is polynomial-time equivalent to several other problems in computational geometry, such as recognizing intersection graphs of line segments or finding the rectilinear crossing number of a graph. We give an elementary reduction from the pseudoline stretchability problem to k-SGE, with the property that both numbers k and n are linear in the number of pseudolines. This implies not only the ∃ℝ-hardness result, but also a 22Ω(n) lower bound on the minimum size of a grid on which any such simultaneous embedding can be drawn. This bound is tight. Hence there exists such collections of graphs that can be simultaneously embedded, but every simultaneous drawing requires an exponential number of bits per coordinates. The best value that can be extracted from Kyncl's proof is only 22Ω(√n).
Características seminais de machos suínos no sul do Brasil: estudo retrospectivo
Authors: Ferreira Carlos Eduardo  Ranquetat , Moreira Fabiana , Goularte Karina Lemos , Gasperin Bernardo Garziera , Bianchi Ivan , Lucia Junior Thomaz , Corcini Carine Dahl
Published: May 2015

A eficiência reprodutiva dos rebanhos suínos está altamente correlacionada com a fertilidade, e análiseslaboratoriais relacionadas à qualidade e quantidade de sêmen produzida são fundamentais para avaliar odesempenho do macho reprodutor. O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar as principais influências do mês dacoleta sobre parâmetros qualitativos e quantitativos do sêmen de reprodutores suínos. Foi utilizado um totalde 9.540 registros de coletas de sêmen para estimar a qualidade seminal de 318 machos suínos. A avaliaçãofoi baseada no volume do ejaculado (VOL), motilidade espermática (MOT) e número de doses produzidas.A MOT dos ejaculados sofreu uma redução significativa entre os meses de maio a julho, em comparação aosdemais meses do ano (P<0,05). Houve influência (P<0,01) do mês sobre o número de doses produzidas porreprodutor, verificando que os meses de junho, julho e outubro diferiram dos demais meses. Nos meses maisquentes do ano foram observados os menores valores referentes ao VOL dos ejaculados com uma diferençade aproximadamente 47 mL a menos de sêmen coletado por reprodutor quando comparado aos meses demenor temperatura, consequentemente reduzindo o número de doses produzidas. O estudo conclui que o mês de coleta exerce influência direta sobre as características dos ejaculados, sendo o fator ambiental essencialpara que o reprodutor mantenha-se em bom nível para a produção de doses inseminantes.
Exercícios físicos em pacientes internados em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva: novas perspectivas
Authors: Raimundo Rodrigo Daminello
Published: May 2015

Não disponível
Burnout e sua relação com o clima organizacional em funcionários de um hospital
Authors: Santos Sônia Maria Pessoto dos , Sousa Vanessa De , Rueda Fabián Javier Marín
Published: May 2015

Introdução: Em contextos em que os contatos interpessoais são intensos, os profissionais estão sujeitos a diversas situações de estresse. A síndrome de burnout advém do contato com estressores interpessoais crônicos provenientes do ambiente de trabalho, e seu desenvolvimento é influenciado por alguns aspectos, entre eles, os socioambientais. Objetivo: Entender como se dá a interação entre os sintomas da síndrome de burnout e algumas variáveis do clima organizacional no ambiente hospitalar. Métodos: A amostra foi composta por 565 profissionais de um hospital do interior do estado de São Paulo. A idade variou de 18 a 63 anos, sendo 72,2% do sexo feminino. Os dados foram coletados no ambiente hospitalar, no período de outubro a dezembro de 2012, respeitando-se os devidos procedimentos éticos. Para a análise dos dados, foram realizadas as estatísticas descritivas, assim como teste t de Student e correlação de Pearson. Resultados: Os resultados mostraram que o fator exaustão emocional do MBI-HSS teve correlações estatisticamente significativas e negativas com todas as dimensões da CLIMOR, sendo elas moderadas com os fatores comunicação, integração e satisfação (r=-0,45); desenvolvimento profissional e benefícios (r=-0,46); e pontuação total (r=-0,52). As correlações dos fatores despersonalização e realização profissional do MBIHSS foram de magnitudes baixas com todas as dimensões da CLIMOR. Conclusão: Os dados corroboram a relação entre o clima organizacional e alguns sintomas do burnout. Há necessidade de que novas pesquisas sejam realizadas com delineamento e análises estatísticas mais sofisticadas e, ainda, que tenham grupos equiparados de pessoas com e sem síndrome de burnout.
Variations in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Somatic Dysfunction Between 4 Osteopathic Residency Programs
Authors: Hon Gregory A. , Snider Karen T. , Johnson Jane C.
Published: May 2015

Context: The American Osteopathic Association requires the integration of osteo-pathic principles and practice in all specialty residency training programs that it accredits, but the 4 residencies with the most integration of osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) have differences in training and emphasis on OMM as a primary treatment modality.

Objective: To study differences in OMM use for spinal pain between the neuro-musculoskeletal medicine/OMM (NMM/OMM), the family practice/osteopath-ic manipulative treatment (FP/OMT), the integrated FP/OMT and NMM/OMM (FP/NMM), and the internal medicine and NMM/OMM (IM/NMM) specialty residency training programs.

Methods: Medical records were reviewed for patient encounters from September 2011 through October 2013 at NMM/OMM, FP/OMT, FP/NMM, and IM/NMM residencies in a family medicine and OMM specialty clinic. Records were screened for a diagnosis of cervicalgia, thoracalgia, lumbago, or backache. The identifed encounters were compared to determine between-specialty differences in the number of chief complaints, non–somatic dysfunction assessments, body regions with diagnosed somatic dysfunction, body regions managed with OMT, and number and type of OMT techniques used.

Results: Eighteen residents had 2925 patient encounters that included 1 or more spinal pain diagnoses. Overall, 2767 patients (95%) received OMT. The probability (95% CI) of residents using OMT was 0.99 (0.98-0.99) for the NMM/OMM residents, 0.66 (0.55-0.77) for the FP/OMT residents, 0.94 (0.88-0.97) for the FP/NMM residents, and 0.997 (0.98-1.0) for the IM/NMM residents. The FP/OMT residents were less likely to manage spinal pain using OMT (P<.001) and documented fewer somatic dysfunction assessments and fewer musculoskeletal assessments (P<.001), but they documented significantly more non–somatic dysfunction assessments (P<.001). When using OMT, the FP/OMT residents diagnosed somatic dysfunction in fewer mean (95% CI) body regions (2.9 [2.4-3.5]) than the NMM/OMM (5.5 [4.9-6.2]), the FP/NMM (5.5 [4.8-6.3]), or the IM/NMM (4.6 [3.4-6.0]) residents (P<.001). The FP/OMT residents also managed fewer mean (95% CI) body regions with OMT (3.5 [3.0-4.1]) than the NMM/OMM (5.7 [5.2-6.3]), the FP/NMM (5.6 [5.0-6.3]), or the IM/NMM (4.7 [3.7-6.0]) residents (P<.001).

Conclusion: Although the FP/OMT residents used OMT less frequently than the other residents during spinal pain encounters, they provided care for a larger number and a wider variety of non–somatic dysfunction assessments.
Research Dissemination: Guiding the Novice Researcher on the Publication Path
Authors: Collins Karen A. , Brannan Grace D. , Dogbey Godwin Y.
Published: May 2015

Dissemination is an important part of translational research. When the results of high-quality studies reach a wide audience of peers, they provide an evidence base that can guide practice and improve patient care and safety. From proposal to publication, the authors provide the novice researcher with advice on ethics, tips on selecting a journal, a summary of manuscript requirements, and a brief outline of the submission process and outcomes. By demystifying these processes and outlining some of the basic requirements, the authors hope to encourage novice researchers to engage in quality research and prepare them for disseminating their results.
亚诺斯盆地 LB 区块油气成藏特征与富集规律
Authors: Feng Fang , Wang Xiaojie , Hu Junfeng , Hu Ping , Wang Huan
Published: May 2015

Based on the analysis of hydrocarbon generation, migration and accumulation, the controlling elements and pattern of reservoirs in the LB block of the Llanos Basin were summarized. The influencing factors for local hydrocarbon enrichment were identified, and favorable exploration targets were predicted. The LB block had a good potential for hydrocarbon migration and accumulation. In the major reservoir (the Carbonera Formation), multiple sets of reservoir-cap assemblages developed. Traps included faulted noses and faulted anticlines associated with normal faults. Structure and reservoir were the main controlling factors of hydrocarbon accumulation. Hydrocarbon migrated laterally along massive sandstones in the C7 section of the Carbonera Formation. Firstly, they accumulated in structural traps in the C7 section, and then partially migrated upwards into the C5 section through faults and accumulated in structural and lithologic traps adjacent to the faults at the bottom of C5. Local hydrocarbon enrichment was affected by various factors, such as tectonic background, trap amplitude and reservoir quality.Low-amplitude faulted anticline reservoirs developed far away from faults in the C7 section and lithologic updip pinch-out reservoirs in the downthrown side of faults in the C5 section were predicted.
南美Llanos 盆地中部地区烃源岩与原油地球化学特征
Authors: Yu Qing , Xu guosheng , Xu Fanghao , Xu Shenghui , Zheng Lihui
Published: May 2015

The central Llanos Basin in South America is an important petroliferous province. The analysis of the geochemical features of source rocks and crude oils in the study area revealed the process of hydrocarbon expulsion, migration and accumulation as well as the biodegradation features of crude oils. According to rock evaluation and crude oil composition, and combined with a variety of biomarker parameters, the geochemical features of source rocks and crude oils were analyzed systematically and comprehensively. Several conclusions were made as follows. Firstly, source rocks in the Gacheta Formation were deposited in a saline-water and weakly oxidizing to weakly reducing environment with little terrestrial organic matter, and kerogen in the Gacheta Formation was of sapropel-humic type. Source rocks in the Los Cuervos Formation were deposited in an oxidizing brackish-water environment with abundant terrestrial organic matter, and kerogen in the Los Cuervos Formation was of sapropel- humic and humic types. Source rocks in the Gacheta and Los Cuervos formations were both low-maturity and medium-maturity, showing large hydrocarbon-generating potentials. Secondly, 3 crude oil families were found in the central basin, named families A, B and C. Crude oils of family A originated from Cretaceous source rocks, while those of family B from Paleogene, and those of family C were a mixture of families A and B. Thirdly, for most of the crude oil samples, rearranged sterane was abundant, the dibenzothiophene/ phenanthrene ratio was low, and the Pr/Ph value was high, indicating that the source rocks were marine-facies shales rather than carbonates. Finally, crude oil composition was controlled by biodegradation and recharge. From the Santiago Oilfield to the La Gloria Oilfield, biodegradation effect weakened toward the NE. Influenced by the recharge of light oils, crude oils from the Cupiagua and Buenos Aires Oilfields had much higher API gravity values than those from the La Gloria and other oilfields
渝东南两套富有机质页岩的孔隙结构特征
Authors: Ma Yong , Zhong Ningning , Cheng Lijun , Pan Zhejun , Li Hongying , Xie Qingming , Li Chao
Published: May 2015

We used a Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscope (FIB-SEM) to observe the pore structures of the Lower Cambrian Niutitang shale and the Upper Ordovician Wufeng to Lower Silurian Longmaxi shale, sampled in the southeast of Chongqing. Three-dimensional distributions of the nanometer-sized organic-matter pores were reconstructed and their pore structure parameters were analyzed quantitatively. Our work indicated that microfractures between strata, interparticle and intraparticle pores in the mineral matrix, and organic-matter pores were well-developed in the Wufeng-Longmaxi formations. Pores within organic matter form a well-distributed honeycomb like structure with good connectivity, and the pore radius is between 3 and 100 nm. Porosity of organic matter calculated using the FIB-SEM 3-D reconstruction is between 9.13% and 18.42%,and the contribution of organic-matter pores in the total porosity is correlated with the total organic carbon (TOC) content. Dissolution pores and interparticle pores are developed in the Niutitang Formation while organic-matter pores are unevenly distributed. The organic-matter pores are tabular or pinhole with the pore radius between 3 and 25 nm and have poor connectivity. The calculated organic-matter porosity is below 1.59% and has little relationship with the TOC content. So the total porosity in the Niutitang shale mainly comes from the mineral matrix pores. The FIB-SEM results have shown significant differences in the pore structure of the two shales.
Mapping auroral activity with Twitter
Authors: Case N. A. , MacDonald E. A. , Heavner M. , Tapia A. H. , Lalone N.
Published: May 2015

Twitter is a popular, publicly accessible, social media service that has proven useful in mapping large‐scale events in real time. In this study, for the first time, the use of Twitter as a measure of auroral activity is investigated. Peaks in the number of aurora‐related tweets are found to frequently coincide with geomagnetic disturbances (detection rate of 91%). Additionally, the number of daily aurora‐related tweets is found to strongly correlate with several auroral strength proxies (ravg≈0.7). An examination is made of the bias for location and time of day within Twitter data, and a first‐order correction of these effects is presented. Overall, the results suggest that Twitter can provide both specific details about an individual aurora and accurate real‐time indication of when, and even from where, an aurora is visible.
Air‐mass origin in the tropical lower stratosphere: The influence of Asian boundary layer air
Authors: Orbe Clara , Waugh Darryn W. , Newman Paul A.
Published: May 2015

A climatology of air‐mass origin in the tropical lower stratosphere is presented for the Goddard Earth Observing System Chemistry Climate Model. During late boreal summer and fall, air‐mass fractions reveal that as much as 20% of the air in the tropical lower stratosphere last contacted the planetary boundary layer (PBL) over Asia; by comparison, the air‐mass fractions corresponding to last PBL contact over North America and over Europe are negligible. Asian air reaches the extratropical tropopause within a few days of leaving the boundary layer and is quasi‐horizontally transported into the tropical lower stratosphere, where it persists until January. The rapid injection of Asian air into the lower stratosphere—and its persistence in the deep tropics through late (boreal) winter—is important as industrial emissions over East Asia continue to increase. Hence, the Asian monsoon may play an increasingly important role in shaping stratospheric composition.
Mammalian Cell Culture
Authors: Warner Dennis R. , Sakai Daisuke , Sandell Lisa L.
Published: May 2015

Mammalian cell culture is the process of growing animal cells in vitro in a flask or dish. This unit describes the methods, equipment, supplies, and reagents used in a cell culture laboratory. Because preventing contamination and maintaining purity of cell cultures is arguably the greatest challenge in animal cell culture, the principles of aseptic technique in mammalian cell culture are presented in detail. Cell culture media and additives are discussed. A method of counting cells and assessing their viability with a hemacytometer is illustrated. The steps needed to maintain an adherent cell line by feeding and passing cells from one culture vessel to another are presented, and variations for passing suspension‐grown cells are also outlined. Long‐term cryogenic storage of cells in liquid nitrogen is discussed and a protocol for freezing cells is provided, as are details for thawing and recovering viable cells from frozen stocks. © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Immunofluorescence Microscopy
Authors: Asai David J.
Published: May 2015

The visualization of fluorescently tagged molecules is a powerful strategy that can contribute to the understanding of the complex dynamics of the cell. A particularly robust and broadly applicable method is immunofluorescence microscopy, in which a specific fluorescently labeled antibody binds the molecule of interest and then the location of the antibody is determined by fluorescence microscopy. The effective application of this technique includes several considerations, including the nature of the antigen, specificity of the antibody, permeabilization and fixation of the specimen, and fluorescence imaging of the cell. Although each protocol will require fine‐tuning depending on the cell type, the antibody, and the antigen, there are steps common to nearly all applications. This unit provides protocols for visualization of the cytoskeleton in two very different kinds of cells: flat, adherent fibroblasts and thick, free‐swimming Tetrahymena cells. © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Isolation and Expansion of Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Human Conjunctival Tissue
Authors: Nadri Samad , Yazdani Shahin
Published: May 2015

Here we describe a simple protocol for the isolation and culture of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from conjunctiva stromal tissue, with applications to stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. This protocol is based on an explant culture protocol for the adhesion and migration of MSCs from tissue biopsy in primary culture and expansion of the MSC population by passaging cells on the surface of plastic culture dishes. Conjunctiva mesenchymal stem cells (CJMSCs) are generally isolated from small biopsies of human conjunctival tissue. Epithelial sheets are carefully loosened and removed by enzyme treatment after 18 hr and placed in fresh medium supplemented with growth factors. When the cells migrating from tissue segments in primary cultures become nearly confluent, the culture is treated with trypsin. A purified population of CJMSCs that retain proliferation and differentiation potential for many passages can be obtained 2 weeks after the initiation of culture. © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Design of Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Kamata Hiroyuki , Li Xiang , Chung Ung‐il , Sakai Takamasa
Published: May 2015

Hydrogels are considered key tools for the design of biomaterials, such as wound dressings, drug reservoirs, and temporary scaffolds for cells. Despite their potential, conventional hydrogels have limited applicability under wet physiological conditions because they suffer from the uncontrollable temporal change in shape: swelling takes place immediately after the installation. Swollen hydrogels easily fail under mechanical stress. The morphological change may cause not only the slippage from the installation site but also local nerve compression. The design of hydrogels that can retain their original shape and mechanical properties in an aqueous environment is, therefore, of great importance. On the one hand, the controlled degradation of used hydrogels has to be realized in some biomedical applications. This Progress Report provides a brief overview of the recent progress in the development of hydrogels for biomedical applications. Practical approaches to control the swelling properties of hydrogels are discussed. The designs of hydrogels with controlled degradation properties as well as the theoretical models to predict the degradation behavior are also introduced. Moreover, current challenges and limitation toward biomedical applications are discussed, and future directions are offered.
Catalytic activity of Ru/tetrahydropyrimidinium salts system for transfer hydrogenation reactions
Authors: Karaca Emine Özge , Gürbüz Nevin , Arslan Hakan , VanDerveer Don , Özdemir İsmail
Published: May 2015

New 1,3‐dialkyltetrahydropyrimidinium salts as NHC precursors have been synthesized and characterized. The in situ prepared three‐component 1,3‐dialkyltetrahydropyrimidinium salts/[RuCl2(p‐cymene)]2 and KOH catalyzes quantitatively the transfer hydrogenation of ketones under mild reaction conditions in 2‐propanol. Also, the molecular structure of 1,3‐bis(2‐methylbenzyl)‐3,4,5,6‐tetrahydropyrimidinium was determined using single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Ions of the title compound are linked by CH…Cl and OH…Cl hydrogen bonding interactions. The NCN bond angle (124.3(2)°) and CN bond lengths (1.316(3) and 1.314(3) Å) confirm the existence of strong resonance in this part of the molecule. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Transthyretin Deposition in Articular Cartilage: A Novel Mechanism in the Pathogenesis of Osteoarthritis
Authors: Akasaki Yukio , Reixach Natàlia , Matsuzaki Tokio , Alvarez‐Garcia Oscar , Olmer Merissa , Iwamoto Yukihide , Buxbaum Joel N. , Lotz Martin K.
Published: May 2015

Objective

Amyloid deposits are prevalent in osteoarthritic (OA) joints. We undertook this study to define the dominant precursor and to determine whether the deposits affect chondrocyte functions.

Methods

Amyloid deposition in human normal and OA knee cartilage was determined by Congo red staining. Transthyretin (TTR) in cartilage and synovial fluid was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. The effects of recombinant amyloidogenic and nonamyloidogenic TTR variants were tested in human chondrocyte cultures.

Results

Normal cartilage from young donors did not contain detectable amyloid deposits, but 7 of 12 aged normal cartilage samples (58%) and 12 of 12 OA cartilage samples (100%) had Congo red staining with green birefringence under polarized light. TTR, which is located predominantly at the cartilage surfaces, was detected in all OA cartilage samples and in a majority of aged normal cartilage samples, but not in normal cartilage samples from young donors. Chondrocytes and synoviocytes did not contain significant amounts of TTR messenger RNA. Synovial fluid TTR levels were similar in normal and OA knees. In cultured chondrocytes, only an amyloidogenic TTR variant induced cell death as well as the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and extracellular matrix–degrading enzymes. The effects of amyloidogenic TTR on gene expression were mediated in part by Toll‐like receptor 4, receptor for advanced glycation end products, and p38 MAPK. TTR‐induced cytotoxicity was inhibited by resveratrol, a plant polyphenol that stabilizes the native tetrameric structure of TTR.

Conclusion

These findings are the first to suggest that TTR amyloid deposition contributes to cell and extracellular matrix damage in articular cartilage in human OA and that therapies designed to reduce TTR amyloid formation might be useful.
Brief Report: Defining the Nasal Transcriptome in Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis (Wegener's)
Authors: Grayson Peter C. , Steiling Katrina , Platt Michael , Berman Jeffrey S. , Zhang Xiaohui , Xiao Ji , Alekseyev Yuriy O. , Liu Gang , Monach Paul A. , Kaplan Mariana J. , Spira Avrum , Merkel Peter A.
Published: May 2015

Objective

To determine whether disease processes related to granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener's) (GPA) are reflected in gene expression profiles of the nasal mucosa.

Methods

Nasal brushings of the inferior turbinate were obtained from 32 patients with GPA (10 with active nasal disease, 13 with prior nasal disease, and 9 with no history of nasal disease) and a composite comparator group with and without inflammatory nasal disease (12 healthy people, 15 with sarcoidosis, and 8 with allergic rhinitis). Differential gene expression was assessed between subgroups of GPA and comparators.

Results

A total of 339 genes were differentially expressed between the GPA and comparator groups (absolute fold change >1.5; false discovery rate <0.05). Top canonical pathways up‐regulated in nasal brushings from patients with GPA included granulocyte adhesion and diapedesis (P = 8.6−22), agranulocyte adhesion and diapedesis (P = 1.3−14), IL10 signaling (P = 3.0−11), LXR/RXR activation (P = 4.3−11), and TREM1 signaling (P = 9.0−11). A set of genes differentially expressed in GPA independently of nasal disease activity status included genes related to epithelial barrier integrity (fibronectin 1, desmosomal proteins) and several matricellular proteins (e.g., osteonectin, osteopontin). Significant overlap of differentially expressed genes was observed between active and prior nasal disease GPA subgroups. Peripheral blood neutrophil and mononuclear gene expression levels associated with GPA were similarly altered in the nasal gene expression profiles of patients with active or prior nasal disease.

Conclusion

Profiling the nasal transcriptome in GPA reveals gene expression signatures related to innate immunity, inflammatory cell chemotaxis, extracellular matrix composition, and epithelial barrier integrity. Thus, airway‐based expression profiling is feasible and informative in GPA.
Investigation of Association Between Hip Osteoarthritis Susceptibility Loci and Radiographic Proximal Femur Shape
Authors: Lindner Claudia , Thiagarajah Shankar , Wilkinson J. Mark , Panoutsopoulou Kalliope , Day‐Williams Aaron G. ,   The arcOGEN Consortium, Cootes Timothy F. , Wallis Gillian A.
Published: May 2015

Objective

To test whether previously reported hip morphology or osteoarthritis (OA) susceptibility loci are associated with proximal femur shape as represented by statistical shape model (SSM) modes and as univariate or multivariate quantitative traits.

Methods

We used pelvic radiographs and genotype data from 929 subjects with unilateral hip OA who had been recruited previously for the Arthritis Research UK Osteoarthritis Genetics Consortium genome‐wide association study. We built 3 SSMs capturing the shape variation of the OA‐unaffected proximal femur in the entire mixed‐sex cohort and for male/female‐stratified cohorts. We selected 41 candidate single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) previously reported as being associated with hip morphology (for replication analysis) or OA (for discovery analysis) and for which genotype data were available. We performed 2 types of analysis for genotype–phenotype associations between these SNPs and the modes of the SSMs: 1) a univariate analysis using individual SSM modes and 2) a multivariate analysis using combinations of SSM modes.

Results

The univariate analysis identified association between rs4836732 (within the ASTN2 gene) and mode 5 of the female SSM (P = 0.0016) and between rs6976 (within the GLT8D1 gene) and mode 7 of the mixed‐sex SSM (P = 0.0003). The multivariate analysis identified association between rs5009270 (near the IFRD1 gene) and a combination of modes 3, 4, and 9 of the mixed‐sex SSM (P = 0.0004). Evidence of associations remained significant following adjustment for multiple testing. All 3 SNPs had previously been associated with hip OA.

Conclusion

These de novo findings suggest that rs4836732, rs6976, and rs5009270 may contribute to hip OA susceptibility by altering proximal femur shape.
Environmental impacts of bioethanol using the NREL biochemical conversion route: multivariate analysis and single score results
Authors: Daystar Jesse , Treasure Trevor , Reeb Carter , Venditti Richard , Gonzalez Ronalds , Kelley Steve
Published: May 2015

Mandated Environmental Protection Agency biofuel qualifications focused on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and fossil fuel use are limited in perspective and have the potential to encourage burden shifting. When a broader host of environmental impacts are examined, environmental trade‐offs often exist when biofuels are compared to gasoline. Multivariate analysis methods examining a wide variety of weighting value systems and methodology assumptions were used to determine process design options with the lowest overall environmental impact. A multivariate environmental analysis was applied to the dilute acid pre‐treatment process followed by enzymatic hydrolysis and the fermentation process for converting loblolly pine, eucalyptus, natural hardwood, switchgrass, and sweet sorghum biomass to ethanol. The influence of co‐product treatment method choices, inclusion of direct land‐use change, and electrical grid assumptions were examined using 16 different weighting methods to create a single score result. Biofuel system rankings based on GHG emissions following the Renewable Fuel Standards 2 (RFS2) methods were very sensitive to the co‐product treatment method, inclusion of land‐use change emissions, and energy grid assumptions. The multivariate analysis ranking was heavily influenced by other environmental impacts resulting from the production of process chemicals used in ethanol conversion. Weighting methods examined had no influence on the environmental preference ranking of the biofuel scenarios. Additionally, the biofuel ranking based on the RFS2 methodology was different than the ranking following the multivariate approach examining additional impacts. These findings demonstrate a robust approach to biofuel life cycle assessment (LCA) scenario analysis and suggest that the limited scope of the RFS2 environmental analysis could result in burden shifting. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Spark‐assisted HCCI engine using hydrous methanol as a fuel: an ANN approach
Authors: Muthu Venkatesan , NavaneethaKrishnan Shenbaga Vinayaga Moorthi , Panimayam Arul Franco , Ramaiya Karthikeyan , AyyaSamy Manivannan
Published: May 2015

The main purpose of the experiment is to investigate the performance and emission characteristics of a hydrous methanol (85% methanol and 15% water) fueled homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine through various spark timings (SPT) (32°, 34°, 36°, 38° and 40° before Top Dead Centre). In this study a spark plug is used for assisting auto‐ignition. Experimental investigation reveals that the brake thermal efficiency (BTE) of an HCCI engine increases when the SPT is increased and a maximum BTE of 28.5% was obtained for 40°SPT. Emission analysis reveals a significant decrease in nitrogen oxides (NOx) as there are slightly higher emissions of hydrocarbon (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO). An artificial neural network (ANN) was developed with brake mean effective pressure (BMEP), SPT, and energy share as the input data and BTE, NOx, HC, CO, and rate of pressure rise as output data. In this prediction technique, about 80% of experimental data obtained were used in training and 20% of data were used to test the model developed. The performance in the developed ANN models was compared with experimental data, and statistically evaluated; they are seen to have good agreement. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Großbrände mit Brandüberschlag in Stahlbeton‐Straßentunneln
Authors: Schmidt Jörg , Bergerhausen Ulrich , Dehn Frank
Published: May 2015

In einem vorangegangenen Beitrag wurden verschiedene Brandszenarien mit Flüssigkeitslachenbränden von bis zu 28 t Benzin untersucht [1]. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass diese Brände durch die ZTV‐ING‐Temperatur‐Zeit‐Kurve abgedeckt werden. Im Rahmen eines weiteren Forschungsvorhabens für die Bundesanstalt für Straßenwesen (BASt) wurden darauf aufbauend Brandszenarien untersucht, bei denen ausgehend von diesem Flüssigkeitslachenbrand infolge Leckage eines mit 28 t Benzin beladenen Tanklastzugs der Brand auf weitere im Tunnel befindliche Fahrzeuge übergreift, wobei sich in unmittelbarer Nähe zum Tanklastzug ein mit Holzpaletten beladener LKW befindet. Der vorliegende Beitrag gibt die wesentlichen Ergebnisse in Bezug auf das Tragverhalten und die Tunnelsicherheit der mittels numerischer Strömungssimulationen und Finite‐Elemente‐Berechnungen durchgeführten Untersuchungen wieder.

Fires with fire spread in reinforced concrete road tunnels – temperature loads, temperature distribution and concrete spalling.

Different fire scenarios with liquid laugh burns up to 28 tons of gasoline were investigated in a further article. It could be shown that these fires can be covered by the ZTV‐ING temperature time curve. Within the framework of a further research project for the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt), further fire scenarios were investigated, where the fire starts from this liquid laughter fire due to leakage of a tank truck loaded with 28 t gasoline. The fire spread on other vehicles in the tunnel and his effect is einvestigated, whereas a truck laden with wooden pallets is located immediate to the tanker. The present article reflects the significant results in terms of the structural behaviour and the tunnel safety of the investigations carried out by means of computational fluid simulations and finite element calculations.
Self‐Assembled Architectures with Segregated Donor and Acceptor Units of a Dyad Based on a Monopyrrolo‐Annulated TTF–PTM Radical
Authors: Souto Manuel , Solano Marta V. , Jensen Morten , Bendixen Dan , Delchiaro Francesca , Girlando Alberto , Painelli Anna , Jeppesen Jan O. , Rovira Concepció , Ratera Imma , Veciana Jaume
Published: May 2015

An electron donor–acceptor dyad based on a polychlorotriphenylmethyl (PTM) radical subunit linked to a tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) unit through a π‐conjugated N‐phenyl–pyrrole–vinylene bridge has been synthesized and characterized. The intramolecular electron transfer process and magnetic properties of the radical dyad have been evaluated by cyclic voltammetry, UV/Vis spectroscopy, vibrational spectroscopy, and ESR spectroscopy in solution and in the solid state. The self‐assembling abilities of the radical dyad and of its protonated non‐radical analogue have been investigated by X‐ray crystallographic analysis, which revealed that the radical dyad produced a supramolecular architecture with segregated donor and acceptor units in which the TTF subunits were arranged in 1D herringbone‐type stacks. Analysis of the X‐ray data at different temperatures suggests that the two inequivalent molecules that form the asymmetric unit of the crystal of the radical dyad evolve into an opposite degree of electronic delocalization as the temperature decreases.
Hypercondensation of an Amino Acid: Synthesis and Characterization of a Black Glycine Polymer
Authors: Fox Stefan , Dalai Punam , Lambert Jean‐François , Strasdeit Henry
Published: May 2015

A granular material was obtained by thermal polymerization of glycine at 200 °C. It has been named “thermomelanoid” because of its strikingly deep‐black color. The polymerization process is mainly a dehydration condensation leading to conventional amide bonds, and also CC double bonds that are formed from CO and CH2 groups (“hypercondensation”). Spectroscopic data, in particular from 13C and 15N solid‐state cross‐polarization magic angle spinning (CP‐MAS) NMR spectra, suggest that the black color is due to (cross‐)conjugated CC, CO, and NH groups. Small glycine peptides, especially triglycine, appear to be key intermediates in the formation of the thermomelanoid. This has been concluded by comparing the thermal behavior of glyn homopeptides (n=2–6) and glycine. The glycine polymerization was accompanied by the formation of small amounts of byproducts. Notably, a few percent of alanine and aspartic acid could be detected in the polymer. By using 13C‐labeled glycine, it was shown that these two amino acids formed through a common pathway, namely CαCα bond formation between glycine molecules. The thermomelanoid is hydrolyzed by strong acids and bases at room temperature, forming brown solutions.
The Pap test and Bethesda 2014
Authors: Nayar Ritu , Wilbur David C.
Published: May 2015

The history of “The Bethesda System” for reporting cervical cytology goes back almost 3 decades. This terminology and the process that created it have had a profound impact on the practice of cervical cytology for laboratorians and clinicians alike. Herein, we summarize the process and rationale by which updates were made to the terminology in 2014 and outline the contents of the new, third edition of the Bethesda atlas and corresponding website.