bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
First‐Order system least squares for generalized‐Newtonian coupled Stokes‐Darcy flow
Authors: Münzenmaier Steffen
Published: November 2014

The coupled problem for a generalized Newtonian Stokes flow in one domain and a generalized Newtonian Darcy flow in a porous medium is studied in this work. Both flows are treated as a first‐order system in a stress‐velocity formulation for the Stokes problem and a volumetric flux‐hydraulic potential formulation for the Darcy problem. The coupling along an interface is done using the well‐known Beavers–Joseph–Saffman interface condition. A least squares finite element method is used for the numerical approximation of the solution. It is shown that under some assumptions on the viscosity the error is bounded from above and below by the least squares functional. An adaptive refinement strategy is examined in several numerical examples where boundary singularities are present. Due to the nonlinearity of the problem a Gauss–Newton method is used to iteratively solve the problem. It is shown that the linear variational problems arising in the Gauss–Newton method are well posed. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 31: 1150–1173, 2015
Distributed MPC for resource‐constrained control systems
Authors: Scherer Helton , Camponogara Eduardo , Normey‐Rico Júlio , Álvarez José Domingo , Guzmán José Luis
Published: November 2014

This article presents a distributed model predictive control methodology to manage energy resources for a set of consumer subsystems. The objective of the controller is to optimally distribute the allowable energy to the subsystems. The proposed methodology yields a distributed solution that converges to the optimum that would be obtained by a centralized controller. This optimal performance is achieved by expressing the problem in terms of slack variables and the global coupling constraint as a set of local subsystem constraints, thereby favoring the application of distributed model predictive control. Hardware‐in‐the‐loop experiments with an air‐conditioning thermal solar plant are performed to show the good performance of the proposed distributed controller. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Insensitive Energetic Material Trifurazano‐oxacycloheptatriene (TFO): Synthesis and Detonation Properties
Authors: Wang Xijie , Xu Kangzhen , Sun Qian , Wang Bozhou , Zhou Cheng , Zhao Fengli
Published: November 2014

The high‐energy insensitive compound trifurazano‐oxacycloheptatriene (TFO) was first by synthesized through special etherification. The reaction mechanism and reaction conditions were discussed. TFO has a low melting point (78.6 °C) and good compatibility. TFO is insensitive to impact and friction and has similar detonation velocity (7.7 km s−1) and detonation pressure (35.6 GPa) to RDX.
Statistical Analysis of an Inter‐Laboratory Comparison of Small‐Scale Safety and Thermal Testing of RDX
Authors: Brown Geoffrey W. , Sandstrom Mary M. , Preston Daniel N. , Pollard Colin J. , Warner Kirstin F. , Sorensen Daniel N. , Remmers Daniel L. , Phillips Jason J. , Shelley Timothy J. , Reyes Jose A. , Hsu Peter C. , Reynolds John G.
Published: November 2014

The Integrated Data Collection Analysis (IDCA) program has conducted a proficiency test for small‐scale safety and thermal (SSST) testing of homemade explosives (HMEs). Described here are statistical analyses of the results from this test for impact, friction, electrostatic discharge, and differential scanning calorimetry analysis of the RDX Class 5 Type II standard. The material was tested as a well‐characterized standard several times during the proficiency test to assess differences among participants and the range of results that may arise for well‐behaved explosive materials. The analyses show there are detectable differences among the results from IDCA participants. While these differences are statistically significant, most of them can be justified for comparison purposes to assess potential variability when laboratories attempt to measure identical samples using methods assumed to be nominally the same. The results presented in this report include the average sensitivity results from the IDCA participants and the ranges of values obtained. The ranges represent variation about the mean values of the tests of between 26 % and 42 %. The magnitude of this variation is attributed to differences in operator, method, and environment as well as the use of different instruments that are also of varying age. The results appear to be a good representation of results generated by the broader safety testing community based on the range of methods, instruments, and environments included in the IDCA proficiency test.
An Energetic N‐Oxide and N‐Amino Heterocycle and its Transformation to 1,2,3,4‐Tetrazine‐1‐oxide
Authors: Piercey Davin G. , Chavez David E. , Heimsch Stefanie , Kirst Christin , Klapötke Thomas M. , Stierstorfer Jörg
Published: November 2014

This study reports the preparation of 1‐amino‐1,2,3‐triazole‐3‐oxide (DPX2) and its transformation to 1,2,3,4‐tetrazine‐1‐oxide. DPX‐2 provides insight into a novel N‐oxide/N‐amino high‐nitrogen system, being the first energetic material in this class. The ability of this material to undergo a nitrene insertion forming 1,2,3,4‐tetrazine‐1‐oxide was also studied, and evidence for this material, the first non‐benzoannulated 1,2,3,4‐tetrazine‐1‐oxide, is presented. The existence of both of these materials opens new strategies in energetic materials design. DPX2 was characterized chemically (Infrared, Raman, NMR, X‐ray) and as a high explosive in terms of energetic performances (detonation velocity, pressure, etc.) and sensitivities (impact, friction, electrostatic). DPX‐2 was found to possess good thermal stability and moderate sensitivities, indicating the viability of N‐amino N‐oxides as a strategy for the preparation of new energetic materials.
Intrinsic flexibility of NLRP pyrin domains is a key factor in their conformational dynamics, fold stability, and dimerization
Authors: Huber Roland G. , Eibl Clarissa , Fuchs Julian E.
Published: November 2014

Nucleotide‐binding domain leucine‐rich repeat‐containing receptors (NLRs) are key proteins in the innate immune system. The 14 members of the NLRP family of NLRs contain an N‐terminal pyrin domain which is central for complex formation and signal transduction. Recently, X‐ray structures of NLRP14 revealed an unexpected rearrangement of the α5/6 stem‐helix of the pyrin domain allowing a novel symmetric dimerization mode. We characterize the conformational transitions underlying NLRP oligomerization using molecular dynamics simulations. We describe conformational stability of native NLRP14 and mutants in their monomeric and dimeric states and compare them to NLRP4, a representative of a native pyrin domain fold. Thereby, we characterize the interplay of conformational dynamics, fold stability, and dimerization in NLRP pyrin domains. We show that intrinsic flexibility of NLRP pyrin domains is a key factor influencing their behavior in physiological conditions. Additionally, we provide further evidence for the crucial importance of a charge relay system within NLRPs that critically influences their conformational ensemble in solution.
Intrinsic site‐selectivity of ubiquitin dimer formation
Authors: Andersen Kristen A. , Martin Langdon J. , Prince Joel M. , Raines Ronald T.
Published: November 2014

The post‐translational modification of proteins with ubiquitin can take on many forms, including the decoration of substrates with polymeric ubiquitin chains. These chains are linked through one of the seven lysine residues in ubiquitin, with the potential to form a panoply of linkage combinations as the chain length increases. The ensuing structural diversity of modifications serves a variety of signaling functions. Still, some linkages are present at a much higher level than others in cellulo. Although ubiquitination is an enzyme‐catalyzed process, the large disparity of abundancies led us to the hypothesis that some linkages might be intrinsically faster to form than others, perhaps directing the course of enzyme evolution. Herein, we assess the kinetics of ubiquitin dimer formation in an enzyme‐free system by measuring the rate constants for thiol–disulfide interchange between appropriate ubiquitin variants. Remarkably, we find that the kinetically expedient linkages correlate with those that are most abundant in cellulo. As the abundant linkages also appear to function more broadly in cellulo, this correlation suggests that the more accessible chains were selected for global roles.
Extraction of interface trap density of Al2O3/AlGaN/GaN MIS heterostructure capacitance
Authors: Osvald J. , Stoklas R. , Kordoš P.
Published: November 2014

Interface traps between dielectric and barrier layers influence the electrical properties of MISHEMT (metal–insulator–semiconductor heterojunction field effect transistor) structures. We demonstrate an approximate method for extraction of the density of interface traps from experimental MISH structures. First, the capacitance curve of an ideal structure without interface traps was generated by fitting the experimental curve in the capacitance plateau and depletion region. Then, the fit in the forward part of the curve was found by a trial and error method using several interface trap distributions. Special U‐shape interface trap distributions were used with different ratio between the magnitudes of the trap densities at the conduction‐band and valence‐band extremes and the middle of the energy gap. A very good fit between the experimental and the theoretical curve has been obtained for the interface trap density 1.3 × 1013 eV−1 cm−2 at the band edges and 1.3 × 1011 eV−1 cm−2 in the middle of the gap.
Massively parallel MP2‐F12 calculations on the K computer
Authors: Ohnishi Yu‐ya , Ishimura Kazuya , Ten‐no Seiichiro
Published: November 2014

A hybrid MPI/OpenMP parallel code of the explicitly correlated second‐order Møller–Plesset perturbation theory (MP2‐F12) is implemented into the GELLAN program for massively parallel computations on the K computer in Japan. Various many‐electron integrals are generated using numerical quadrature techniques. For integral evaluation and transformation, we distribute the grid points to MPI processes to reduce the operation count and memory requirement. Operations over grid points are efficiently performed by the matrix–matrix product library (DGEMM). This numerical MP2‐F12 program achieves more than 30% of the peak performance of the K computer and the calculation of
with aug‐cc‐pVTZ basis set finishes in less than 15 min using 8148 nodes (65,184 cores) of the K computer. The implementation enables us to use MP2‐F12/aug‐cc‐pVTZ level of theory routinely for large molecules such as organic photovoltaics and electronic materials. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Simultaneous robust normalization and delay‐dependent robust H∞ stabilization for singular time‐delay systems with uncertainties in the derivative matrices
Authors: Ren Junchao , Zhang Qingling
Published: November 2014

This paper investigates the problem of simultaneous robust normalization and delay‐dependent H∞ control for a class of singular time‐delay systems with uncertainties. Not only the state and input matrices but also the derivative matrices of the considered systems are assumed to have uncertainties. New sufficient conditions for the existence of a proportional plus derivative state feedback H∞ controller are derived as LMIs such that the closed‐loop singular system is normal, stable, and guarantee a specific level of performance. Specially, a static state feedback H∞ controller alone or a state‐derivative feedback H∞ controller alone can unite to be dealt with by applying our proposed method. Two simulation examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in this paper. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Flame retardancy and mechanical properties of a novel intumescent flame‐retardant unsaturated polyester
Authors: Gao Ming , Wang Hao , Wang Yanxia , Shen Tengfei , Wu Weihong
Published: November 2014

A novel macromolecular intumescent flame retardant (MIFR) was synthesized. Unsaturated polyester (UP) filled with MIFR as flame‐retardant additive was prepared. The effects of MIFR on properties such as tensile strength, impact strength, flame‐retardant behavior, thermal stability, and morphology of char were studied. Its flammability and burning behavior were characterized by UL 94 and limiting oxygen index. Twenty‐four percent of MIFR were doped into UP to get 30.5% of limiting oxygen index and UL 94 V‐0, whereas its tensile strength and the impact strength were decreased by only 7.2% and 7.0%, respectively. Activation energy for the decomposition of samples was obtained by using the Kissinger equation. The results for UP containing MIFR, compared with UP, show that the weight loss, thermal stability, and the decomposition activation energy decreased, and the char yield increased, showing that MIFR can catalyze decomposition and carbonization of UP to form an effective charring layer to protect the underlying substrate. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 22:350–355, 2016. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers
Dynamics of nematic liquid crystal flows: The quasilinear approach
Authors: Hieber Matthias , Nesensohn Manuel , Prüss Jan , Schade Katharina
Published: November 2014

Consider the (simplified) Leslie–Ericksen model for the flow of nematic liquid crystals in a bounded domain

\Omega \subset \mathbb{R}^{n}

for

n > 1

. This article develops a complete dynamic theory for these equations, analyzing the system as a quasilinear parabolic evolution equation in an

L_{p}−L_{q}

-setting. First, the existence of a unique local strong solution is proved. This solution extends to a global strong solution, provided the initial data are close to an equilibrium or the solution is eventually bounded in the natural norm of the underlying state space. In this case the solution converges exponentially to an equilibrium. Moreover, the solution is shown to be real analytic, jointly in time and space.

On considère le modèle de Leslie–Ericksen pour les cristaux liquides nématiques dans un domaine borné

\Omega \subset \mathbb{R}^{n}

. On obtient une théorie dynamique complète pour ce système, analysé comme une équation d'évolution quasi-linéare dans le cadre

L^{p}−L^{q}

. En particulier, on démontre l' existence et l'unicité locales d'une solution forte, qui s'étend en un solution forte globale si les conditions initiales sont près d'un équilibre. De plus, on montre que la solution est analytique réelle en espace et temps.
Incidental Findings on Bedside Ultrasonography: Detection Rate and Accuracy of Resident-Performed Examinations in the Acute Setting
Authors: Tewari Anuj , Shuaib Waqas , Maddu Kiran K. , Salastekar Ninad , Beck Sierra , Johnson Jamlik-Omari , Khosa Faisal
Published: November 2014

Background

Bedside ultrasonography has become a valuable tool in the emergent care setting for triage and rapid evaluation of patients who are acutely ill. Given the cross-sectional nature of ultrasound technology, incidental findings are frequently encountered during imaging. These can impact clinical management and can pose a diagnostic dilemma for emergency medicine (EM) physicians and EM residents.

Purpose

Our retrospective study was designed to evaluate the prevalence and detection rate of incidental findings on bedside ultrasound examinations performed by EM residents. We also sought to identify types of incidental findings encountered and the diagnostic accuracy of those findings.

Materials and Methods

Board-certified radiologists retrospectively reviewed bedside ultrasonography examinations performed and interpreted by EM residents at a large urban academic hospital. Our sample included patients who presented with traumatic and nontraumatic symptoms in the acute setting. Findings were defined as incidental only if they were previously unknown and not related to a patients presenting symptoms. The results were corroborated with electronic medical records and additional pertinent imaging when available.

Results

Of 196 examinations analysed, EM residents identified incidental findings on 26% of the studies, which mostly involved the renal and biliary system. Radiologist review detected incidental findings in 20.9% but was more accurate when supplemental imaging was available. EM residents detected incidental findings at rates similar to that published previously and had moderate interobserver agreement with radiologist review. Worrisome and indeterminate findings were confirmed by additional work-up and further imaging.

Conclusion

Incidental findings are frequently encountered on bedside ultrasonography and have the potential to alter clinical management. Expertise in detection and knowledge of the presence and spectrum of these incidental findings is essential for appropriate triage, patient management, and follow-up.
Chemical activation of the cyanobacterial orange carotenoid protein
Authors: King Jeremy D. , Liu Haijun , He Guannan , Orf Gregory S. , Blankenship Robert E.
Published: November 2014

The effects of the Hofmeister series of ions on the activation of the orange carotenoid protein (OCP) from the inactive orange form to the active red form were tested. Kosmotropes led to lower OCP activation, whereas chaotropes led to greater OCP activation. Concentrations of thiocyanate exceeding 1.5 M dark activate the orange carotenoid protein to its red form. This chemically activated OCP was studied by UV–vis and circular dichroism spectroscopies. The chemically‐activated OCP quenches the fluorescence of phycobilisomes in vitro, to a level comparable to that of the light‐activated OCP.
PACAP inhibits tumor growth and interferes with clusterin in cervical carcinomas
Authors: Lee Ji-Hae , Lee Ji-Yeon , Rho Seung Bae , Choi Jong-Soon , Lee Dong-Gi , An Sungwhan , Oh Taejeong , Choi Don-Chan , Lee Seung-Hoon
Published: November 2014

Secretory clusterin (sCLU), an anti‐apoptotic protein, is overexpressed in many tumors and enhances tumorigenesis and chemo‐resistance. However, the regulation mechanism controlling the sCLU maturation process or activity remains undetermined. In this study, we found PACAP as a negative regulator of CLU. Overexpression of the PACAP gene in cervical cancer cell lines lacking PACAP expression significantly inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis. We further demonstrated that interaction of PACAP with CLU significantly downregulated CLU expression and secretion, inhibited the Akt–Raf–ERK pathway, and suppressed the growth of human tumor xenografts in nude mice. This novel inhibitory function of PACAP may be applicable for developing novel molecular therapies for tumors with increased sCLU expression.
An improved capping unit for stabilizing the ends of associated β‐strands
Authors: Anderson Jordan M. , Kier Brandon L. , Shcherbakov Alexander A. , Andersen Niels H.
Published: November 2014

Understanding protein beta structures has been hindered by the challenge of designing small, well‐folded β‐sheet systems. A β‐capping motif was previously designed to help solve this problem, but not without limitations, as the termini of this β‐cap were not fully available for chain extension. Combining Coulombic side chain attractions with a Trp/Trp edge‐to‐face interaction we produced a new capping motif that provided greater β‐sheet stability. This stability was maintained even in systems lacking a turn locus with a high propensity for chain direction reversal. The Coulombic cap was shown to improve β‐sheet stability in a number of difficult systems, hence providing an additional tool for protein structure and folding studies.
Evaluation of spontaneous dense array gamma oscillatory activity and minor physical anomalies as a composite neurodevelopmental endophenotype in schizophrenia
Authors: Tikka Sai Krishna , Nizamie S. Haque , Goyal Nishant , Pradhan N. , Tikka Deyashini Lahiri , Katshu Mohammad Zia Ul Haq
Published: November 2014

Objective

Minor physical anomalies (MPAs) and gamma oscillatory activity have been proposed as associated endophenotypes in schizophrenia. Combining these endophenotypes to create a composite endophenotype may help identify those at risk for schizophrenia better. The present study aims to investigate MPAs and gamma oscillatory activity in schizophrenia patients, their unaffected first degree relatives and healthy controls and appreciate whether they can be used together as a composite endophenotype.

Methods

This was a cross sectional family study conducted at a tertiary care mental health setup. Ninety participants including schizophrenia patients, their first degree relatives and controls (thirty each) were assessed for MPAs on the Extended Waldrop Scale. All participants underwent an awake, resting 192‐channel EEG recording. Spectral power and coherence in 30–100 Hz gamma bands were estimated using Welch's averaged periodogram method. One‐way ANOVA, chi square test were used for comparing socio‐demographic‐clinical variables. MANOVA supplemented by one‐way ANOVAs (post hoc Tukey HSD) were done for comparison of spectral measures. Pearson's correlation, step‐by‐step linear discriminant functional and intra‐familial correlation analysis were subsequently performed.

Results

An endophenotype pattern of finding was found for MPAs in the craniofacial region, the total number of MPAs, spectral power in right temporal region on all bands and in the right parietal region in 50–70 Hz and 70–100 Hz gamma bands. The three groups were most accurately classified when MPA total score, right temporal 30–50 Hz gamma power and right occipital ‘intra hemispheric’ 50–70 Hz gamma coherence were considered together than when considered independently. Significant intra familial correlation was seen for MPA total score and right temporal gamma 30–50 Hz power.

Conclusion

Composite evaluation of two developmentally linked markers i.e. MPAs and gamma spectral measures may prove useful in categorizing schizophrenia and identifying at‐risk individuals.
Innovative diagnostic tools for early detection of Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Laske Christoph , Sohrabi Hamid R. , Frost Shaun M. , López-de-Ipiña Karmele , Garrard Peter , Buscema Massimo , Dauwels Justin , Soekadar Surjo R. , Mueller Stephan , Linnemann Christoph , Bridenbaugh Stephanie A. , Kanagasingam Yogesan , Martins Ralph N. , O'Bryant Sid E.
Published: November 2014

Current state‐of‐the‐art diagnostic measures of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are invasive (cerebrospinal fluid analysis), expensive (neuroimaging) and time‐consuming (neuropsychological assessment) and thus have limited accessibility as frontline screening and diagnostic tools for AD. Thus, there is an increasing need for additional noninvasive and/or cost‐effective tools, allowing identification of subjects in the preclinical or early clinical stages of AD who could be suitable for further cognitive evaluation and dementia diagnostics. Implementation of such tests may facilitate early and potentially more effective therapeutic and preventative strategies for AD. Before applying them in clinical practice, these tools should be examined in ongoing large clinical trials. This review will summarize and highlight the most promising screening tools including neuropsychometric, clinical, blood, and neurophysiological tests.
Imaging neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease and other dementias: Recent advances and future directions
Authors: Varley James , Brooks David J. , Edison Paul
Published: November 2014

Alzheimer's disease (AD), dementia with Lewy bodies, frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and Huntington's disease (HD) are the main neurodegenerative causes of dementia. Causes and mechanisms of these diseases remain elusive. Neuroinflammation is increasingly emerging as an important pathological factor in their development. Positron emission tomography (PET) using [11C]PK11195 represents a method of visualizing the microglial component of neuroinflammation via the translocator protein (TSPO) and we discuss the valuable insights this has yielded in neurodegenerative diseases. We discuss the limitations of this method and the development of second generation TSPO PET ligands which hope to overcome these limitations. We also discuss other methods of visualizing neuroinflammation and review the state of current dementia treatments targeted at neuroinflammation. It is our view that a multimodal investigation into neuroinflammation in AD, Parkinson's disease dementia, FTD and HD will yield valuable pathological insights which will usefully inform development of therapeutic targets and biomarkers.
Does dirty money influence product valuations?
Authors: Galoni Chelsea , Noseworthy Theodore J.
Published: November 2014

Despite recent interest in examining the impact of dirty money on consumption‐related behavior, researchers have yet to look at the influence of dirty money on the consumable itself. Evidence from two studies suggest that the documented effects of dirty money on spending may have more to do with dirty money contaminating the purchase, as opposed to the current belief that consumers merely want to rid themselves of disgusting things. The authors find that people indeed spend more with dirty money, but only when the bills lower product valuations. This does not occur when people purchase products with inherent properties that cannot be contaminated; in fact, dirty money can increase valuations and preference for these products. The results suggest that the physical appearance of money plays a much larger, more nuanced role in consumption than previously thought, and this effect may not be entirely positive for the consumer.
Gas‐containing brain abscess: Etiology, clinical characteristics, and outcome
Authors: Su Tsung‐Ming , Lan Chu‐Mei , Lee Tsung‐Han , Hsu Shih‐Wei
Published: November 2014

Gas‐containing brain abscess remains a life‐threatening disease that requires immediate diagnostic and therapeutic intervention. The aim of this study is to report on a series of gas‐containing brain abscess and discuss its pathological mechanism and therapeutic consideration. This study included 11 patients with gas‐containing brain abscess at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan during a 27‐year period. The predisposing factors to infection included hematogenous spread in five patients, contiguous infection in one patient, and abnormal fistulous communication due to head injury in four patients. In one patient, the predisposing factor might be contiguous infection from frontal sinusitis or abnormal fistulous communication due to previous sinus surgery. Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most common causative pathogen that was isolated from the gas‐containing abscess not related to skull base defect. Among these 11 patients, six underwent excision and five accepted aspiration for the surgical treatment of abscess. In the five patients who underwent aspiration, two required repeated craniotomy to excise the recurrent abscess and repair the abnormal fistulous communication through the skull base. When encountered with a gas‐containing abscess in patients with an impaired host defense mechanism, K. pneumoniae infection should be suspected, and further attention should be paid to discovering if other metastatic septic abscesses exist. For patients with a history of basilar skull fracture or surgery involving the skull base, craniotomy is indicated to excise the abscess and repair the potential fistulous communication through the cranium. Aspiration may be a reasonable alternative to treat deep‐seated lesions, lesions in an eloquent area, patients with severe concomitant medical disease, or patients without a history of basilar skull fracture or surgery involving the skull base. Prompt diagnosis, appropriate antibiotic use, and meticulous surgical treatment are the only way to obtain a favorable outcome.
Socio-economic dietary inequalities in UK adults: an updated picture of key food groups and nutrients from national surveillance data
Authors: Maguire Eva R. , Monsivais Pablo
Published: November 2014

Socio-economic differences in diet are a potential contributor to health inequalities. The present study provides an up-to-date picture of socio-economic differences in diet in the UK, focusing on the consumption of three food groups and two nutrients of public health concern: fruit and vegetables; red and processed meat; oily fish; saturated fats; non-milk extrinsic sugars (NMES). We analysed data for 1491 adults (age  ≥ 19 years) from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey 2008–2011. Socio-economic indicators were household income, occupational social class and highest educational qualification. Covariate-adjusted estimates for intakes of fruit and vegetables, red and processed meat, and both nutrients were estimated using general linear models. Covariate-adjusted OR for oily fish consumption were derived with logistic regression models. We observed consistent socio-economic gradients in the consumption of the three food groups as estimated by all the three indicators. Contrasting highest and lowest levels of each socio-economic indicator, we observed significant differences in intakes for the three food groups and NMES. Depending on the socio-economic indicator, highest socio-economic groups consumed up to 128 g/d more fruit and vegetables, 26 g/d less red and processed meat, and 2·6 % points less NMES (P< 0·05 for all). Relative to lowest socio-economic groups, highest socio-economic groups were 2·4 to 4·0 times more likely to eat oily fish. No significant patterns in saturated fat consumption were apparent. In conclusion, socio-economic differences were identified in the consumption of food groups and one nutrient of public health importance. Aligning dietary intakes with public health guidance may require interventions specifically designed to reduce health inequalities.
A study on the influencing factors of urinary iodine concentration and the relationship between iodised salt concentration and urinary iodine concentration
Authors: Zou Yan , Ding Gangqiang , Lou Xiaoming , Mo Zhe , Zhu Wenming , Mao Guangming , Zhou Jinshui
Published: November 2014

The aim of the present study was to explore the influencing factors of urinary iodine concentration (UIC) and the relationship between iodised salt concentration and UIC in order to give suggestions for the surveillance of iodine nutrition status. For this purpose, a multi-stage cluster sampling technique was employed in the present cross-sectional study. Correlations between UIC and salt iodine concentration were evaluated by Spearmen's correlation analysis. Risk factors of having a lower UIC were identified by logistic regression analysis, and the equations of UIC and salt iodine concentration were fitted by curve regression analysis. The median UIC was found to be 162·0 (25th–75th percentile 98·2–248·6) μg/l. The UIC was correlated with salt iodine concentration (Spearman's ρ = 0·144, P< 0·05). The multiple logistic regression analysis found the following influencing factors for having a lower UIC: age (OR 0·98, 95 % CI 0·98, 0·98, P< 0·05); sex (OR 0·81, 95 % CI 0·71, 0·92, P< 0·05); education level (OR 0·87, 95 % CI 0·83, 0·90, P< 0·05); status of occupation (OR 0·91, 95 % CI 0·86, 0·96, P< 0·05); occupation (OR 1·03, 95 % CI 1·00, 1·05, P< 0·05); pickled food (OR 1·24, 95 % CI 1·08, 1·42, P< 0·05); salt iodine concentration (OR 1·03, 95 % CI 1·02, 1·03, P< 0·05). The curve regression analysis found that UIC (y) and salt iodine concentration (x) could be expressed by the following equation: y= 1·5772x1·4845. In conclusion, the median UIC of individuals in Zhejiang Province falls within optimal status as recommended by the WHO/UNICEF/International Council for Control of IDD. To maintain optimal iodine nutrition status, salt iodine concentration should be in the range of 16·4 to 34·3 mg/kg.
Is cooking at home associated with better diet quality or weight-loss intention?
Authors: Wolfson Julia A , Bleich Sara N
Published: November 2014

Objective

To examine national patterns in cooking frequency and diet quality among adults in the USA, overall and by weight-loss intention.

Design

Analysis of cross-sectional 24 h dietary recall and interview data. Diet quality measures included total kilojoules per day, grams of fat, sugar and carbohydrates per day, fast-food meals per week, and frozen/pizza and ready-to-eat meals consumed in the past 30 d. Multivariable regression analysis was used to test associations between frequency of cooking dinner per week (low (0–1), medium (2–5) and high (6–7)), dietary outcomes and weight-loss intention.

Setting

The 2007–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Subjects

Adults aged 20 years and over (n9569).

Results

In 2007–2010, 8 % of adults lived in households in which someone cooked dinner 0–1 times/week and consumed, on an average day, 9627 total kilojoules, 86 g fat and 135 g sugar. Overall, compared with low cookers (0–1 times/week), a high frequency of cooking dinner (6–7 times/week) was associated with lower consumption of daily kilojoules (9054v. 9627 kJ,P=0·002), fat (81v. 86 g,P=0·016) and sugar (119v. 135 g,P<0·001). Individuals trying to lose weight consumed fewer kilojoules than those not trying to lose weight, regardless of household cooking frequency (2111v. 2281 kJ/d,P<0·006).

Conclusions

Cooking dinner frequently at home is associated with consumption of a healthier diet whether or not one is trying to lose weight. Strategies are needed to encourage more cooking among the general population and help infrequent cookers better navigate the food environment outside the home.
Validating Whole Slide Digital Morphometric Analysis as a Microscopy Tool
Authors: Diller Robert B. , Kellar Robert S.
Published: November 2014

Whole slide imaging (WSI) can be used to quantify multiple responses within tissue sections during histological analysis. Feature Analysis on Consecutive Tissue Sections (FACTS®) allows the investigator to perform digital morphometric analysis (DMA) within specified regions of interest (ROI) across multiple serial sections at faster rates when compared with manual morphometry methods. Using FACTS® in conjunction with WSI is a powerful analysis tool, which allows DMA to target specific ROI across multiple tissue sections stained for different biomarkers. DMA may serve as an appropriate alternative to classic, manual, histologic morphometric measures, which have historically relied on the selection of high-powered fields of views and manual scoring (e.g., a gold standard). In the current study, existing preserved samples were used to determine if DMA would provide similar results to manual counting methods. Rodent hearts (n=14, left ventricles) were stained with Masson’s trichrome, and reacted for cluster of differentiation 68 (CD-68). This study found no statistical significant difference between a classic, manual method and the use of digital algorithms to perform the similar counts (p=0.38). DMA offers researchers the ability to accurately evaluate morphological characteristics in a reproducible fashion without investigator bias and with higher throughput.
Modelling cause-of-death mortality and the impact of cause-elimination
Authors: Alai Daniel H. , Arnold (-Gaille) Séverine , Sherris Michael
Published: November 2014

The analysis of causal mortality provides rich insight into changes in mortality trends that are hidden in population-level data. Therefore, we develop and apply a multinomial logistic framework to model causal mortality. We use internationally classified cause-of-death categories and data obtained from the World Health Organization. Inherent dependence amongst the competing causes is accounted for in the framework, which also allows us to investigate the effects of improvements in, or the elimination of, cause-specific mortality. This has applications to scenario-based forecasting often used to assess the impact of changes in mortality. The multinomial model is shown to be more conservative than commonly used approaches based on the force of mortality. We use the model to demonstrate the impact of cause-elimination on aggregate mortality using residual life expectancy and apply the model to a French case study.
Omega-1 knockdown in Schistosoma mansoni eggs by lentivirus transduction reduces granuloma size in vivo
Authors: Hagen Jana , Young Neil D. , Every Alison L. , Pagel Charles N. , Schnoeller Corinna , Scheerlinck Jean-Pierre Y. , Gasser Robin B. , Kalinna Bernd H.
Published: November 2014

Schistosomiasis, one of the most important neglected tropical diseases worldwide, is caused by flatworms (blood flukes or schistosomes) that live in the bloodstream of humans. The hepatointestinal form of this debilitating disease results from a chronic infection with Schistosoma mansoni or Schistosoma japonicum. No vaccine is available to prevent schistosomiasis, and treatment relies predominantly on the use of a single drug, praziquantel. In spite of considerable research effort over the years, very little is known about the complex in vivo events that lead to granuloma formation and other pathological changes during infection. Here we use, for the first time, a lentivirus-based transduction system to deliver microRNA-adapted short hairpin RNAs (shRNAmirs) into the parasite to silence and explore selected protein-encoding genes of S. mansoni implicated in the disease process. This gene-silencing system has potential to be used for functional genomic–phenomic studies of a range of socioeconomically important pathogens.
TRF2 and lamin A/C interact to facilitate the functional organization of chromosome ends
Authors: Wood Ashley M. , Danielsen Jannie M. Rendtlew , Lucas Catherine A. , Rice Ellen L. , Scalzo David , Shimi Takeshi , Goldman Robert D. , Smith Erica D. , Le Beau Michelle M. , Kosak Steven T.
Published: November 2014

Telomeres protect the ends of linear genomes, and the gradual loss of telomeres is associated with cellular ageing. Telomere protection involves the insertion of the 3′ overhang facilitated by telomere repeat-binding factor 2 (TRF2) into telomeric DNA, forming t-loops. We present evidence suggesting that t-loops can also form at interstitial telomeric sequences in a TRF2-dependent manner, forming an interstitial t-loop (ITL). We demonstrate that TRF2 association with interstitial telomeric sequences is stabilized by co-localization with A-type lamins (lamin A/C). We also find that lamin A/C interacts with TRF2 and that reduction in levels of lamin A/C or mutations in LMNA that cause an autosomal dominant premature ageing disorder—Hutchinson Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS)—lead to reduced ITL formation and telomere loss. We propose that cellular and organismal ageing are intertwined through the effects of the interaction between TRF2 and lamin A/C on chromosome structure.
BRCA1 haploinsufficiency for replication stress suppression in primary cells
Authors: Pathania Shailja , Bade Sangeeta , Le Guillou Morwenna , Burke Karly , Reed Rachel , Bowman-Colin Christian , Su Ying , Ting David T. , Polyak Kornelia , Richardson Andrea L. , Feunteun Jean , Garber Judy E. , Livingston David M.
Published: November 2014

BRCA1—a breast and ovarian cancer suppressor gene—promotes genome integrity. To study the functionality of BRCA1 in the heterozygous state, we established a collection of primary human BRCA1+/+ and BRCA1mut/+ mammary epithelial cells and fibroblasts. Here we report that all BRCA1mut/+ cells exhibited multiple normal BRCA1 functions, including the support of homologous recombination- type double-strand break repair (HR-DSBR), checkpoint functions, centrosome number control, spindle pole formation, Slug expression and satellite RNA suppression. In contrast, the same cells were defective in stalled replication fork repair and/or suppression of fork collapse, that is, replication stress. These defects were rescued by reconstituting BRCA1mut/+ cells with wt BRCA1. In addition, we observed ‘conditional’ haploinsufficiency for HR-DSBR in BRCA1mut/+ cells in the face of replication stress. Given the importance of replication stress in epithelial cancer development and of an HR defect in breast cancer pathogenesis, both defects are candidate contributors to tumorigenesis in BRCA1-deficient mammary tissue.
Pulse delay control for capacitor voltage balancing in a three‐level boost neutral point clamped inverter
Authors: Krishna Remya , Soman Deepak E. , Kottayil Sasi K. , Leijon Mats
Published: November 2014

The cross regulation effect in multi‐output DC/DC converters offers a reliable support for the grid integration of multilevel inverters by balancing the capacitor voltages. The capacitor voltage balancing by single input dual output boost converter is often realised by conventional three‐level switching scheme. The three‐level operation benefits lower inductor ripple current, but it limits the maximum possible compensation voltages. In this study, the entire operating modes of the boost converter is presented and all the possible cases which contribute to the voltage balancing are employed for balancing the capacitor voltages in a three‐level neutral point clamped inverter. A proportional‐integral controller based duty ratio control and pulse delay control are used for DC link voltage regulation and capacitor voltage balancing. Since the classical state‐space averaging technique is not suitable for SIDO converters, inductor current ripple averaging technique is utilised for controller design. The circuit simulation is performed in Matlab/Simulink. The digital controller is realised using the Virtex‐5FPGA in Labview/CompactRIO module. Both simulation and experimental results are presented to validate the controller performance.
A Simple and Efficient Two-Step Synthesis of 1,2,3-Triiodoarenes via Consecutive C–H Iodination/ipso-Iododecarboxylation Strategy: A Potential Application towards ortho-Diiodoarenes by Regioselective Metal–Iodine Exchange Reaction
Authors: Al-Zoubi Raed M. , Al-Mughaid Hussein , McDonald Robert
Published: November 2014

A general, robust, and efficient method for the conversion of benzoic acids to 1,2,3-triiodoarenes and 1,2,3-trihaloarenes via a two-step synthesis is reported. Commercially available benzoic acids were used that can allow the reactions to be performed on multi-gram scales with good-to-excellent yields. This report discloses a practical method for the synthesis of 1,2,3-triiodoarenes and 1,2,3-trihaloarenes that is general in scope, scalable, and easy to workup and purify. A potential application of the target compounds as precursors for novel regioselective metal–iodine exchange reaction of 1,2,3-triiodoarenes was also demonstrated. It provided ortho-diiodoaryl derivatives in a high regioselective fashion that are useful intermediates in synthesis and indeed are hard to synthesize by any other means.
Control of Gold Nanostructure Morphology by Variation of Temperature and Reagent Ratios in the Turkevich Reaction
Authors: Poonthiyil Vivek , Golovko Vladimir B. , Fairbanks Antony J.
Published: November 2014

In this paper, we demonstrate that the Turkevich reaction can be used to obtain not only spherical gold nanoparticles of various sizes, but also nanoparticles of different morphologies. The effect of the molar ratios of citrate to HAuCl4 at various temperatures has been studied. It was found that the reagent ratio plays a significant role in defining the morphology of the gold nanosystems formed at low temperatures. This study shows that by controlling the reagent ratios and the reaction temperature of the Turkevich reaction, nano-structured gold systems with various shapes, including spheres, wires, networks, and systems comprising polygonal nanoparticles only or nanochains only, with the latter two morphologies reported for the first time, can be obtained. The gold nanosystems obtained in this fashion were characterised by transmission electron microscopy and UV–visible absorption spectroscopy.
Neonatal testicular cell transplantation restores murine spermatogenesis damaged in the course of herpes simplex virus-induced orchitis
Authors: Malolina Ekaterina A. , Kulibin Andrey Yu. , Kushch Alla A.
Published: November 2014

Genital tract infection and inflammation may affect male fertility, causing germ and Sertoli cell loss. We determined if testicular cell transplantation is effective at repairing testicular injury induced by herpes simplex virus (HSV) orchitis. ROSA26 mice were used as donors and the recipients were C57BL/6 mice after HSV testicular inoculation; some of the recipients were treated with the antiviral drug acyclovir (ACV). ACV reduced the amount of HSV antigen in testes on Day 3 after transplantation and enhanced the efficacy of transplantation at Day 30. In recipient testes, donor Sertoli cells formed new seminiferous tubules; significantly more new tubules were observed in the testes of ACV-treated mice compared with mice not treated with ACV (17.8% vs 3.6%). Over half (50.4%) of new tubules in ACV-treated testes contained germ cells and round spermatids were detected in 14.2% of new tubules compared with 15.9% and 5.3% in testes not treated with ACV, respectively. At Day 150 the seminiferous epithelium was completely recovered in some donor tubules and elongated spermatids were observed inside it. Thus, our findings reveal the effectiveness of the combination of antiviral therapy with neonatal testis-cell transplantation for the restoration of spermatogenesis damaged by viral infection.
Increased dipicolinic acid production with an enhanced spoVF operon in Bacillus subtilis and medium optimization
Authors: Takahashi Fumikazu , Sumitomo Nobuyuki , Hagihara Hiroshi , Ozaki Katsuya
Published: November 2014

Dipicolinic acid (DPA) is a multi-functional agent for cosmetics, antimicrobial products, detergents, and functional polymers. The aim of this study was to design a new method for producing DPA from renewable material. The Bacillus subtilis spoVF operon encodes enzymes for DPA synthase and the part of lysine biosynthetic pathway. However, DPA is only synthesized in the sporulation phase, so the productivity of DPA is low level. Here, we report that DPA synthase was expressed in vegetative cells, and DPA was produced in the culture medium by replacement of the spoVFA promoter with other highly expressed promoter in B. subtilis vegetative cells, such as spoVG promoter. DPA levels were increased in the culture medium of genetically modified strains. DPA productivity was significantly improved up to 29.14 g/L in 72 h culture by improving the medium composition using a two-step optimization technique with the Taguchi methodology.
Characterization and expression analyses of two plastidic enolase genes in rice
Authors: Fukayama Hiroshi , Masumoto Chisato , Taniguchi Yojiro , Baba-Kasai Akiko , Katoh Yuuki , Ohkawa Hiroshi , Miyao Mitsue
Published: November 2014

To verify the presence of enolase related to the chloroplastic glycolysis in rice, database search was carried out and identified seven putative enolase genes in the rice genome. Among them, OsEno1 and OsEno3 encode long proteins with N-terminal extensions. GFP protein fusions of these N-terminal extensions were both targeted to plastids of onion epidermal cell. Promoter::GUS analysis showed that OsEno3 was highly expressed in young developing leaves, but its expression was drastically decreased during leaf development and greening. On the other hand, the expression of OsEno1 was low and detected in limited portions such as leaf sheath at the tiller base. Recombinant OsEno1 protein showed enolase activity with a pH optimum at pH 8.0, whereas OsEno3 did not exhibit detectable activity. Although it remains obscure if OsEno3 encodes a functional enolase in vivo, our results demonstrate that the entire glycolytic pathway does not operate in rice chloroplasts.