bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stability of Diluted Adenosine Solutions in Polyolefin Infusion Bags
Authors: Almagambetova Elise , Hutchinson David , Blais Danielle M. , Zhao Fang
Published: May 2013

Background

Intravenous or intracoronary adenosine is used in the cardiac catherization lab to achieve maximal coronary blood flow and determine fractional flow reserve.

Objective

To determine the stability of adenosine 10 and 50 µg/mL in either 0.9% sodium chloride injection or 5% dextrose injection in polyolefin infusion bags stored at 2 temperatures, refrigeration (2°C-8°C) or controlled room temperature (20°C-25°C).

Methods

Adenosine 10 µg/mL and 50 µg/mL solutions were prepared in 50 mL polyolefin infusion bags containing 0.9% sodium chloride injection or 5% dextrose injection and stored at controlled room temperature or under refrigeration. Each combination of concentration, diluent, and storage was prepared in triplicate. Samples were assayed using stability-indicating, reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography immediately at time 0 and at 24 hours, 48 hours, 7 days, and 14 days. Stability was defined as retaining 90% to 110% of the initial adenosine concentration. The samples were also visually inspected against a light background for clarity, color, and the presence of particulate matter.

Results

After 14 days, all samples retained 99% to 101% of the initial adenosine concentration. No considerable change in pH or visual appearance was noted. The stability data indicated no significant loss of drug due to chemical degradation or physical interactions during storage.

Conclusion

Adenosine solutions of 10 and 50 µg/mL were stable for at least 14 days in 50 mL polyolefin infusion bags of 0.9% sodium chloride injection or 5% dextrose injection stored at controlled room temperature and refrigerated conditions.
iOCT with surgical microscopes: a new imaging during microsurgery
Authors: Lankenau Eva Maria , Krug Marc , Oelckers Stefan , Schrage Norbert , Just Tino , Hüttmann Gereon
Published: May 2013

The optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive imaging technique, which recently has found important clinical micrometer applications. It allows noncontact and non-invasive cross-section imaging of the tissues with a depth resolution of about 10 µm. Similar to high-frequency ultrasound, the OCT shows real-time cross-sectional images of the tissue structures and tissue layers in a depth of a few millimeters. The OCT has evolved to an indispensable tool in ophthalmic diagnosis. An emerging application is the intraoperative use of OCT (iOCT). We developed the first commercially available device for the OCT, a universal OCT-Camera, which can be attached to the camera port of the different surgical microscopes. The OCT-Camera is completely integrated into the surgical procedure by enabling the OCT imaging before, during, and after microsurgery without interruption. The individual steps and the outcome of the surgical procedures, such as transplantation of the thin membranes or micro implants, are visualized in real time. The easy handling and first clinical applications of the iOCT were successfully demonstrated.
RDA in der bibliothekarischen Ausbildung
Authors: Wiesenmüller Heidrun
Published: May 2013

Die Einführung des neuen Katalogisierungsstandards RDA stellt eine besondere Herausforderung für Lehrende und Unterrichtende in der bibliothekarischen Ausbildung dar. Da die Details der Umsetzung noch nicht bekannt sind, ist die Vermittlung vorerst nur sehr eingeschränkt möglich. In einer Online-Umfrage wurden der Stand der Vorbereitungen bei den Lehrenden, ihre besonderen Bedürfnisse und Schwierigkeiten sowie ihre Erwartungen für die Zukunft erfragt. Der Beitrag stellt die Ergebnisse vor und interpretiert sie.
Monopolistic Signal Provision
Authors: Rayo Luis
Published: May 2013

I study a monopolist who sells a signal to a consumer with a hidden type. The consumer uses this signal to obtain social status, defined as the expectation of the consumer’s type conditional on the signal. The monopolist must decide how accurately different types are revealed. When pooling subsets of types, she reduces social surplus, but extracts greater information rents. I derive the optimal mechanism by examining the covariance between the consumer’s type and his virtual marginal value of social status.
Optimal Use of Rewards as Commitment Device When Bidding Is Costly
Authors: Hu Luke
Published: May 2013

This paper considers procurement auctions with costly bidding when the auctioneer is unable to commit himself to restrict the number of bidders. The auctioneer can, however, publicly pledge to pay a financial reward to every contractor he has invited to bid, as an indirect commitment device. Rewards for short-listed bidders are costly. Nevertheless, it is generally optimal for the procurer to credibly implement the same restriction of the number of bidders that is optimal under full commitment.
The variety of nilpotent elements and invariant polynomial functions on the special algebra Sn
Authors: Wei Junyan , Chang Hao , Lu Xin
Published: May 2013

In the study of the variety of nilpotent elements in a Lie algebra,
Premet conjectured that this variety is irreducible for any finite dimensional
restricted Lie algebra. In this paper, with the assumption that the ground field is algebraically closed of characteristic p > 3, we confirm this conjecture
for the Lie algebras of Cartan type S˜
n
and Sn
.
Moreover, we show that the variety of nilpotent elements in Sn

is a complete intersection.
Motivated by the proof of the irreducibility, we describe explicitly the ring of invariant polynomial functions on Sn
.
The Lefschetz coincidence class of p maps
Authors: Biasi Carlos , Libardi Alice K. M. , Monis Thaís F. M.
Published: May 2013

Let X be an arbitrary topological space and let Y be a closed
connected oriented n-dimensional manifold. In this work we
consider p maps
f
1,...,fp
: X → Y, p ≥ 2, define
a Lefschetz class L(f
1,...,fp
) ∈ H

n(p-1)(X;ℚ) and prove that
L(f
1,...,fp
) ≠ 0 implies
f
1(x) = f
2(x) = ⋯ = fp
(x) for some x ∈ X. In the particular
case where Y is a homology sphere there are presented some formulas to
calculate L(f
1,...,fp
).
Thermochemical Heat Storage for High Temperature Applications – A Review
Authors: Felderhoff M. , Urbanczyk R. , Peil S.
Published: May 2013

Heat storage for high temperature applications can be performed by several heat storage techniques. Very promising heat storage methods are based on thermochemical gas solid reactions. Most known systems are metal oxide/steam (metal hydroxides), carbon dioxide (metal carbonates), and metal/hydrogen (metal hydrides) systems. These heat storage materials posses high gravimetric and volumetric heat storage densities and because of separation of the reaction products and their storage in different locations heat losses can be avoided. The reported volumetric heat storage densities are 615, 1340 and 1513 [kWh m
Esterified lignin coating as water vapor and oxygen barrier for fiber-based packaging
Authors: Hult Eva-Lena , Koivu Klaus , Asikkala Janne , Ropponen Jarmo , Wrigstedt Pauli , Sipilä Jussi , Poppius-Levlin Kristiina
Published: May 2013

Lignin, esterified with palmitic and lauric acid chloride, has been studied for the application as coating on fiber-based packaging material. The aim was to improve the barrier properties against water vapor and oxygen of paperboard. The esterification was followed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and gel permeation chromatography measurements. The lignin esters were applied on paperboard and formed a continuous film. The moisture barrier property of the coated paperboards was characterized by the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR). A significant decrease in WVTR was observed, for example, 40 g m-2 (for 24 h) for a paperboard coated with 10.4 g m-2 hardwood kraft lignin palmitate. The contact angle of water on the lignin ester coatings was high and stable. For all paperboard samples coated with lignin esters, a significant decrease in oxygen transmission rate was observed. Accordingly, lignin palmitate and laurate have a high potential as a barrier materials in packaging applications.
AFM nanoindentation of pulp fibers and thin cellulose films at varying relative humidity
Authors: Ganser Christian , Hirn Ulrich , Rohm Sebastian , Schennach Robert , Teichert Christian
Published: May 2013

In papermaking, the formation of bonds between single pulp fibers is influenced by the hardness of the fibers in their wet state. In this work, transversal hardness and modulus of pulp fibers have been studied via atomic force microscopy-based nanoindentation in dependence on relative humidity (RH). Additionally, the change in hardness of cellulose and xylan/cellulose model films was also investigated as a function of swelling in the presence of water and calcium chloride (CaCl2) solution. The hardness of pulp fibers is decreasing slowly from 240 MPa at 5% RH to 90 MPa at 80% RH and exhibits a distinct decrease to 2.7 MPa at the fully wet state. The hardness in water is reduced by a factor of almost 100 compared with the dry state; therefore, a form change is easily possible and facilitates the formation of hydrogen bonds on the fiber surfaces. The investigations on the model films reveal that pure cellulose hardens in the CaCl2 solution, compared with distilled water, whereas xylan on cellulose is becoming softer.
High level expression of the Drosophila Toll receptor ectodomain and crystallization of its complex with the morphogen Spätzle
Authors: Stelter Marco , Fandrich Uwe , Franzke Kati , Schierhorn Angelika , Breithaupt Constanze , Parthier Christoph , Stubbs Milton T.
Published: May 2013

Drosophila Toll receptors are involved in embryonic development and in the immune response of adult flies. In both processes, the Toll receptor ligand is the NGF-like cystine knot protein Spätzle. Here we present the expression of Toll receptor ectodomain in Schneider cells at high yields and demonstrate a high affinity interaction with the refolded and trypsin-processed Spätzle cystine knot domain dimer. Poorly and anisotropically diffracting crystals of the complex could be improved by deglycosylation and dehydration, paving the way for structural analyses of the Toll-Spätzle interaction.
Tribological Properties of WC-12Co Coating on AZ91 Magnesium Alloy Fabricated by High Velocity Oxy-Fuel Spray
Authors: Yıldız F.
Published: May 2013

In this study, conventional WC-12Co cermet coatings were deposited on AZ91 magnesium alloy using High Velocity Oxy-Fuel spray method. The effects of different coating thicknesses (60 and 120 µm) and wear loads (20 and 30 N) on tribological properties of AZ91 magnesium alloy coated with WC-12Co were investigated. Structural, mechanical and tribological properties of WC-12Co coatings were analyzed by means of X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope, micro-hardness tester and pin-on-disc tribotester. It was observed that WC-12Co coating is an effective method for improving the wear behavior of AZ91 magnesium alloy.
Enhanced Antibacterial Activity of CeO2 Nanoparticles by Surfactants
Authors: Cuahtecontzi-Delint Rosalia , Mendez-Rojas Miguel A , Bandala Erick R , Quiroz Marco A , Recillas Sonia , Sanchez-Salas Jose Luis
Published: May 2013

CeO2 nanoparticles (NPs) were tested to assess their toxicity on Escherichia coli strain in the presence of non-ionic surfactants. The NPs were dispersed in water by sonication at different pH values and times then mixed with three different surfactants (i.e., Triton X-100, Polyvinyl Pyrrolidone (PVP) and Tween 80) with a concentration of 0.001% v/v. It was found that sonication favored dispersion of the material and produced particles having 100 nm sizes in average. The material show toxicity to E. coli at pH 7 when growth using only minimal M9 media; no toxic response was observed for bacteria growth in rich media. The toxic effect in minimal media was enhanced by adding any of the non-ionic surfactants to the media. The use of CeO2 plus surfactant decreased the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of E. coli. The highest effect was observed for addition of Tween 80, in this case MIC value was 0.150 mg mL–1 compared to 3 mg mL–1 of CeO2 alone (almost 20 times improvement). These findings suggest the importance of different substances that can interact with NPs, like surfactants, usually present in wastewater systems that may lead to undesirable unexpected toxic characteristics in materials usually considered as innocuous.
Influence of Speed Governors of Hydropower Stations on Frequency Stabilization of Fixed-Speed Wind Farm
Authors: AL Jowder Fawzi A. Rahman
Published: May 2013

This paper uses a small power system, consisting of two hydropower stations and a fixed-speed wind farm as sources of power, to study the influence of type of speed governor of hydropower stations on the frequency stabilization of the fixed-speed wind farm. As an example, two types of speed governors are selected which are (1) mechanical-hydraulic speed governor and (2) electrical-hydraulic speed governor. Rest of the speed governors can be also examined following the same methodology presented in the research. Two transfer functions, which correspond to the two speed governors, are developed for each hydropower station. The overall transfer function of the test power system is developed, and different study cases are presented. The frequency response analysis of the different transfer functions is used to compare the two speed governors based on their ability to stabilize the frequency deviation of the fixed-speed wind resulting from electrical or mechanical disturbances in the power systems. Time-domain simulations under a mechanical disturbance, represented by a wind gust, and an electrical disturbance, represented by three-phase to ground fault, are performed to validate the results of the frequency response analysis.
A Multi-Scale Three-Dimensional CFD Model of a Full Loaded Cool Storage
Authors: Sajadiye Seyed Majid , Ahmadi Hojjat , Zolfaghari Maryam , Mohtasebi Seyed Saeid , Mostofi Younes , Raja Amir
Published: May 2013

A multi-scale three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was developed to predict airflow, heat and mass transfer in a typical full loaded cool storage. In order to reduce the computational costs, the porous media parameters of the bed of the apples inside the vented containers were extracted using a series of wind tunnel CFD simulations and then applied in the cool storage model. The model was validated against experiments by means of velocity, product temperature, and product weight loss measurements in cool storage. The errors of about 23.2 and 9.1% were achieved for velocity magnitude prediction in the cool storage and the product weight loss after 54 days of cooling in the loaded cool storage, respectively. The model over predicted the cooling rate of the products temperature; however, it showed a good trend of cooling rate. About 11°C difference was observed between the hottest and the coldest product temperatures at half cooling time by experiments that were in good agreement with the simulation results with about 10°C. This difference changes versus time of cooling and reached to about 4°C at the end of the cooling time. The product’s temperature heterogeneity was predicted 1.9°C between the 7 and 9 hours of cooling and reduced to 0.6°C at the end of the cooling. The multi-scale model was capable of predicting air velocity, product temperature, and weight loss with reasonable accuracy and was reliable enough for numerical studies on larger domain with high reduction in computational costs.
An Intelligent Signal Processing Method for High-Speed Weighing System
Authors: He Hui-Mei , Huang Pingjie , Hou Dibo , Cai Wen , Liu Zhe , Zhang Guangxin
Published: May 2013

The dynamic weighing signal processing method in high-speed fruits sorting system directly affects the weighing accuracy. This paper describes a basic modeling method for time series, including modeling, order determining, applicability analysis, and prediction. Considering the structural characteristics of weighing system and the limit of PLC sampling speed, a modified auto-regressive (AR) model for stable value prediction of the high-speed weighing signals is presented. Meanwhile, a simulation base on Matlab platform and an implementation example are used to test the method performance. At last, the impacts of environmental changes, sorting speeds, fruits shapes, and sizes on the method performance are discussed. In experimental conditions, this method can be applied to fruits sorting system with sorting speed up to 18 per second for standard fruit (smooth round surface without defects) and an acceptable weighing accuracy can be obtained.
Language maintenance and language loss in marginalized communities: the case of the bateyes in the Dominican Republic
Authors: Jansen Silke
Published: May 2013

The so called bateyes, former company towns for sugar workers in the Dominican Republic, are today marginalized communities with a high concentration of Dominicans of Haitian descent and illegal immigrants from Haiti. In this article, a first approach is made to describe the language contact situation in the Dominican
Effect of Jobelyn® on intruder- and isolation-induced aggressive behavior in mice
Authors: Umukoro Solomon , Omogbiya Itivere Adrian , Eduviere Taghogho Anthony
Published: May 2013

Background: Aggression is a violent behavior emitted against another organism that may lead to its harm or death and thus is of public health significance, which necessitates the search for agents with anti-aggressive property. This study investigated the effect of Jobelyn
®
(JB), a unique African polyherbal formulation, on intruder- and isolation-induced aggressive behaviors in mice.

Methods: Male mice that showed aggression after being housed individually with female counterparts for 3 weeks or kept in isolation for 4 weeks were treated orally (p.o.) with JB (5, 10 or 50 mg/kg), haloperidol (HP) (1 mg/kg), fluoxetine (FL) (10 mg/kg), p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA) (20 mg/kg), mianserin (MS) (50 mg/kg) or distilled water (10 mL/kg) 60 min before being tested for aggression. Interaction studies involving oral administration of PCPA (20 mg/kg), FL (10 mg/kg) or MS (50 mg/kg) to aggressive mice that had received JB (5 or 10 mg/kg, p.o.) 30 min earlier were assessed. The effect of JB (5, 10 or 50 mg/kg, p.o.) on defensive behaviors was also evaluated.

Results: JB (5, 10 or 50 mg/kg) decreased aggressive behaviors without impairing the defensive mechanisms of mice. PCPA (20 mg/kg), an inhibitor of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) biosynthesis, increased aggressive responses and reduced the anti-aggressive effect of JB. FL (10 mg/kg), a 5-HT reuptake inhibitor, significantly suppressed aggression but did not alter the effect of JB on aggression. MS (50 mg/kg), a 5-HT receptor antagonist, reduced aggression and enhanced the effect of JB on aggression.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that JB has anti-aggressive activity, which may be related to the enhancement of serotonergic system.
More hyperelastic models for rubber-like materials: consistent tangent operators and comparative study
Authors: Hossain Mokarram , Steinmann Paul
Published: May 2013

Rubber-like materials can deform largely and nonlinearly upon loading, and they return to the initial configuration when the load is removed. Such rubber elasticity is achieved due to very flexible long-chain molecules and a three-dimensional network structure that is formed via cross-linking or entanglements between molecules. Over the years, to model the mechanical behavior of such randomly oriented microstructures, several phenomenological and micromechanically motivated network models for nearly incompressible hyperelastic polymeric materials have been proposed in the literature. To implement these models for polymeric material (undoubtedly with widespread engineering applications) in the finite element framework for solving a boundary value problem, one would require two important ingredients, i.e., the stress tensor and the consistent fourth-order tangent operator, where the latter is the result of linearization of the former. In our previous work, 14 such material models are reviewed by deriving the accurate stress tensors and tangent operators from a group of phenomenological and micromechanical models at large deformations. The current contribution will supplement some further important models that were not included in the previous work. For comparison of all selected models in reproducing the well-known Treloar data, the analytical expressions for the three homogeneous defomation modes, i.e., uniaxial tension, equibiaxial tension, and pure shear, have been derived and the performances of the models are analyzed.
Modeling and simulation of size effects in metallic glasses with a nonlocal continuum mechanics theory
Authors: Klusemann Benjamin , Bargmann Swantje
Published: May 2013

The present contribution is concerned with the modeling and computation of size effects in metallic glasses. For the underlying model description, we resort to a thermodynamically consistent, gradient-extended continuum mechanics approach. The numerical implementation is carried out with the help of the finite element method. Numerical examples are presented and compared with existing experimental findings to illustrate the performance of the constitutive model. In this regard, the influence of the material length scale is investigated. It is shown that with decreasing sample size or decreasing material length scale, a delay of the shear localization is obtained. In addition, the tension-compression asymmetry observed in experiments is captured by the proposed model. Further, the rate-dependent behavior as well as the influence of the results to initial local defects are investigated.
The role of rhythm class, speaking rate, and F0 in language discrimination
Authors: Arvaniti Amalia , Rodriquez Tara
Published: May 2013

The division of languages into stress-, syllable-, and mora-timing is said to be supported by experiments showing that languages are discriminated only if they belong to different rhythm classes, a distinction said to be reflected in the duration and variability of consonantal and vocalic intervals (timing). The role of rhythm classes in discrimination is tested here along with the alternative that discrimination is due to speaking rate and
Toward nanotechnology-based solutions for a particular disease: ovarian cancer as an example
Authors: Youkhanna Joseph , Syoufjy Joan , Rhorer Mary , Oladeinde Oyebola , Zeineldin Reema
Published: May 2013

Recent nanotechnology research has been enhancing or creating new applications that have the potential to advance the diagnosis or therapy of diseases. These contributions to the field of nanomedicine have so far been focused on creating the new technologies rather than focusing on particular diseases in order to improve their outcomes. For the latter to occur, we recommend the following: (1) creation of interdisciplinary research funding that awards collaborations between biological, medical, clinical, and pharmaceutical scientists with their colleagues in engineering, physics, and chemistry, (2) increasing the training of bio- and medical students in the field of nanotechnology, and (3) focusing on specific diseases for creating nano-based solutions. In this review, we focus on ovarian cancer as an example of a disease that could benefit from advances in nanotechnology to enhance its understanding, diagnosis, and therapy. We also stress the need to train biological, medical, clinical, and pharmaceutical students in the field of nanotechnology with presenting results on such training in USA pharmacy schools.
Morphology control of bimetallic nanostructures for electrochemical catalysts
Authors: Zhang Weiqing , Lu Xianmao
Published: May 2013

Bimetallic nanostructures with well-defined shapes have shown distinct and advantageous catalytic properties compared to their monometallic counterparts. The use of bimetallic electrocatalysts may improve activity and durability, in addition to the possibility of reducing the loading of precious metals. A variety of bimetallic nanocrystals with different shapes has been reported in recent years. Their activities toward electrochemical catalytic reactions such as oxygen reduction and alcohol oxidations have been intensively studied. In this review, we discuss some latest developments in the morphology-controlled synthesis of Pt- and Pd-based bimetallic nanocrystals with shapes such as nanodendrites, polyhedra, porous hollow structures, and core shells, as well as their applications as electrochemical catalysts.
The diverse biological functions of glutathione S-transferase omega in Drosophila
Authors: Kim Kiyoung , Yim Jeongbin
Published: May 2013

Glutathione S-transferase omega (GSTO) genes in eukaryotic organisms encode proteins that are important for cell defense. However, the physiological roles of GSTOs have not been fully elucidated yet. Recently, genetic and molecular studies with Drosophila demonstrated that CG6781 is the structural gene of the eye color mutant sepia and that CG6673 is a novel genetic suppressor of the parkin mutant. These results provide valuable insight into the diverse functions of GSTOs in vivo. In this review, we briefly introduce recent studies and summarize the novel biological functions of GSTOs in Drosophila.
Possible involvement of matrix metalloproteinase-3 in the pathogenesis of macroprolactinaemia in some patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Adachi Takashi , Hattori Naoki , Ishihara Takashi , Iida Hirokazu , Saito Takanori , Miyashima Shigeo , Shimatsu Akira
Published: May 2013

Objective

Macroprolactin primarily comprises a complex of prolactin (PRL) and IgG molecules, particularly anti-PRL autoantibodies. However, it is unknown why autoantibodies against PRL develop in certain subjects. This study aimed to elucidate post-translational modifications in the PRL molecule that may be involved in the pathogenesis of macroprolactinaemia.

Methods

Macroprolactinaemia was screened with a polyethylene glycol method in 238 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 302 control subjects and confirmed by gel chromatography. We examined the relationship between macroprolactinaemia and several RA-related laboratory tests including matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibody titres. The effect of MMP-3 on the PRL molecule was examined by western blotting.

Results

Patients with RA exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of macroprolactinaemia (15/238; 6.3%) than the young control subjects (5/219 subjects; 2.3%), but the prevalence was not different from that observed in the elderly control subjects (5/83 subjects; 6.0%). The prevalence of macroprolactinaemia in patients with elevated MMP-3 levels (9.68%) was significantly higher than that in those with normal MMP-3 levels (2.63%). Digestion of PRL with MMP-3 produced vasoinhibins with several molecular species. Serum total and free PRL levels in RA patients were higher than those in the age- and gender-matched control subjects. The levels of macroprolactin were not significantly correlated with those of RA-specific anti-CCP antibody.

Conclusions

We speculate that elevated MMP-3 levels may lead to the formation of new epitopes on the PRL molecule that might trigger an immune response to produce anti-PRL autoantibodies in some patients with RA. Such post-translational modifications may possibly contribute to the increased prevalence of macroprolactinaemia in elderly subjects.
Antioxidant and antigrowth action of peracetylated oleuropein in thyroid cancer cells
Authors: Bulotta Stefania , Corradino Rosanna , Celano Marilena , Maiuolo Jessica , D'Agostino Maria , Oliverio Manuela , Procopio Antonio , Filetti Sebastiano , Russo Diego
Published: May 2013

The olive tree phenolic component oleuropein (OLE) and its derivatives have shown many biological properties, thus representing promising novel therapeutics for the treatment of several diseases, including neoplasia. In this study, we evaluated the activities of OLE and its peracetylated derivative (peracetylated oleuropein, Ac-OLE) against two thyroid tumor cell lines that host genotypic alterations detected in human papillary thyroid cancer. TPC-1 and BCPAP cells were treated with OLE and Ac-OLE, and the effects on viability were evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, cell counting, and trypan blue exclusion assays. Antioxidant effects were analyzed by measuring the reactive oxygen species (ROS) in basal conditions and after treatment with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Activity of MAP kinase and PI3K–Akt signaling pathways was evaluated by examining the levels of phosphorylated ERK and Akt by western blot. We found that OLE significantly inhibited the proliferation of both cell lines. This effect was paralleled by a reduction of basal phospho-Akt and phospho-ERK levels and H2O2-induced ROS levels. A stronger effect was elicited by Ac-OLE either in inhibiting cell growth or as an antioxidant, in particular on BCPAP cells. Our results demonstrate that OLE and especially Ac-OLE inhibitin vitrothyroid cancer cell proliferation acting on growth-promoting signal pathways, as well as exerting antioxidant effects. Further studies will reveal the potential application as novel targeted therapeutics in thyroid cancer.
Predicting life expectancy of concrete septic tanks exposed to sulfuric acid attack
Authors: Hasan Md Saeed , Setunge Sujeeva , Law David W. , Molyneaux Tom C. K.
Published: May 2013

The attack of concrete owing to sulfate present in sewage is a major problem, both in Australia and worldwide. The prediction of the expected long-term performance of concrete exposed to sewerage and similar environments can be difficult as it is affected by a large number of parameters. In addition the deterioration process in concrete takes a long time to reach a significant level. Whereas considerable research has been undertaken in flowing sewage systems in pipes, little research has been undertaken on static systems contained in septic tanks. A research project conducted at RMIT University has investigated the deterioration of concrete septic tanks located in rural Victoria. A comprehensive set of laboratory experiments was established to measure the accelerated deterioration of concrete under exposure to sulfuric acid. The specimens were manufactured using the same mix design and ingredients used in septic tank production in rural Victoria prior to 1990. The mass changes in the concrete specimens have been recorded and based on the data, a statistical model has been developed to predict the mass change of concrete with time as a function of the cement content and acid concentration observed in sewage.
Moving to stay in place: behavioral mechanisms for coexistence of African large carnivores
Authors: Vanak Abi Tamim , Fortin Daniel , Thaker Maria , Ogden Monika , Owen Cailey , Greatwood Sophie , Slotow Rob
Published: May 2013

Most ecosystems have multiple predator species that not only compete for shared prey, but also pose direct threats to each other. These intraguild interactions are key drivers of carnivore community structure, with ecosystem‐wide cascading effects. Yet, behavioral mechanisms for coexistence of multiple carnivore species remain poorly understood. The challenges of studying large, free‐ranging carnivores have resulted in mainly coarse‐scale examination of behavioral strategies without information about all interacting competitors. We overcame some of these challenges by examining the concurrent fine‐scale movement decisions of almost all individuals of four large mammalian carnivore species in a closed terrestrial system. We found that the intensity of intraguild interactions did not follow a simple hierarchical allometric pattern, because spatial and behavioral tactics of subordinate species changed with threat and resource levels across seasons. Lions (Panthera leo) were generally unrestricted and anchored themselves in areas rich in not only their principal prey, but also, during periods of resource limitation (dry season), rich in the main prey for other carnivores. Because of this, the greatest cost (potential intraguild predation) for subordinate carnivores was spatially coupled with the highest potential benefit of resource acquisition (prey‐rich areas), especially in the dry season. Leopard (P. pardus) and cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) overlapped with the home range of lions but minimized their risk using fine‐scaled avoidance behaviors and restricted resource acquisition tactics. The cost of intraguild competition was most apparent for cheetahs, especially during the wet season, as areas with energetically rewarding large prey (wildebeest) were avoided when they overlapped highly with the activity areas of lions. Contrary to expectation, the smallest species (African wild dog,Lycaon pictus) did not avoid only lions, but also used multiple tactics to minimize encountering all other competitors. Intraguild competition thus forced wild dogs into areas with the lowest resource availability year round. Coexistence of multiple carnivore species has typically been explained by dietary niche separation, but our multi‐scaled movement results suggest that differences in resource acquisition may instead be a consequence of avoiding intraguild competition. We generate a more realistic representation of hierarchical behavioral interactions that may ultimately drive spatially explicit trophic structures of multi‐predator communities.
Implementation of a process internal control to monitor the performance of real-time PCR assays for the detection of Vibrio cholerae in water
Authors: Ntema V. M. , Barnard T. G.
Published: May 2013

The process control utilised in this study was an Escherichia coli (E. coli-GFP) strain carrying a chromosomally integrated copy of the green fluorescent protein (gfp) gene of the jelly fish Aequorea victoria. Application of the process control involved spiking samples with the E. coli-GFP containing cells and detecting gfp using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The process control was implemented in the context of two multiplex real-time PCR assays. The first multiplex targeted the ctxA, hlyA and gfp genes, while the second targeted the gfp, O1-rfb, and O139-rfb loci. The detection limits for both the multiplex real-time PCR assays were 20 CFU (colony forming units) per reaction. This method was evaluated using spiked and unspiked Alkaline Peptone Water (APW) enrichments of sewage, dam, catchment and tap water. The internal process control showed no substantial inhibition in the APW enriched water samples, assuring the integrity of negative results. The results from this study showed that the use of the E. coli-GFP strain as a process internal control could provide quality assurance and increase the reliable interpretation of real-time PCR results.
Water supply structures of the Ottoman period in Istanbul (Asian side)
Authors: Aydin A. F. , Koyuncu I. , Demir A. , Aydin D. , Guclu S. , Turken T.
Published: May 2013

The city of Istanbul has land on both the Asian and European continents. On the European side, many waterways (culverts) were constructed to supply water to the old city; however, on the Asian (Anatolian) side, such water supply structures were limited in number and capacity. Therefore in order to meet the water demand of this side of the city, foundation waterways were built. This study discusses the foundation waterways in the Anatolian side of Istanbul; of which the most important ones are Atikvalide and Kayışdağı. Foundation waterways which were constructed by benefactors performed their functions for centuries and a number of them continue to be in use.
An approach for determining the most critical among a suite of chemical contaminants at a drinking water intake
Authors: Chen Fei , Anderson William B. , Huck Peter M.
Published: May 2013

An integrated approach for the identification and assessment of the most critical chemical contaminant(s) at a drinking water intake has been developed. It involves the determination of a threshold or critical raw water concentration (CRWC) for target contaminants using the observed overall removal efficiency of a specific water treatment plant (WTP) and regulated drinking water concentrations for the target contaminants. The exceedance probability relative to the CRWC based on historical raw water quality monitoring data is then calculated. Finally, the integration of the raw water quality data and the overall efficiency of a particular WTP sequence allows for identification of the most critical contaminant(s) as well as an advance indication of which contaminants are most likely to challenge a plant. The proactive nature of this approach gives a utility the impetus and time to assess current treatment processes and potential alternatives. In addition, it was found that three- or four-parameter theoretical distributions are more appropriate than two-parameter probability distributions for the fitting of raw water quality data. This study reveals that the reliance on raw and/or treated water contaminant concentrations in isolation or on theoretical removals through treatment processes can, in some circumstances, be misguided.
Water resourses management and natural environment changes in ancient Pleurona, Greece
Authors: Diamanti M. , Kalavrouziotis I.
Published: May 2013

The site of New Pleurona, a well fortified city of the Hellenistic period, is located in the western part of Greece. Archaeological and geophysical evidence indicates that the city, during its existence, was connected to the sea. The geomorphological changes are linked to the delta's progression of the two neighboring rivers, Acheloos and Evinos. In addition to the city's impressive fortifications, Pleurona had an extensive network of water supply and storage, including one of the most impressive cisterns of the ancient world. The case of Plevrona can be viewed as an example of adapting a city's needs through environmental changes and as a best practice in the use of its water resources.
Water management in a city of southwest China before the 17th century
Authors: Zheng Xiao Yun
Published: May 2013

Kunming City is the capital of Yunnan Province, China. From the 12th century, it has developed from a remote rural town to become a large city. Successful water management was one of the key dynamic factors in the city's development. As a result of the location of Kunming City, in its early age it was in a narrow area between the north bank of Dian Chi lake and the mountains, therefore the water management in the history of Kunming City mainly focused on two key projects, one being the Song Hua Ba Dam with the function to control flooding from Pang Long Jiang river, and the other the Hai Kou He river dredging project to control the drainage from Dian Chi lake, therefore shaping a water supply system for the city in the upper basin of the Yangtze River. Pang Long Jiang river is only one large river from the mountains flowing across the city into Dian Chi lake. Therefore the city's development from its early age (11th century) mainly depended on irrigation and flood control of Pan Long Jiang river basin and the basic water system for the city was formed before the 17th century (Ming Dynasty), the most important period of the city's water history.
The assessment of potential operation of wastewater treatment plant by dynamic simulations
Authors: Pijáková Ivana , Derco Ján
Published: May 2013

In this study, Activated Sludge Model No. 1 (ASM1) was used for modelling of wastewater treatment plant. The operational data of municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) were collected and treated. Experimental data and biological treatment technology were structured according to the mathematical model requirements. They were implemented into computer scheme of the plant. Very good agreement between the experimental and calculated MLSS and effluent concentrations of the monitored pollution indicators was obtained after calibration of the model. The calibrated model was used to analyze the influence of oxygen concentration in the reactor and the influence of the prepared substitution of anaerobic sludge stabilization by aerobic technology on effluent quality. Changes of oxygen concentration significantly influenced the effluent values of ammonium nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen. Considerable increase of MLSS resulted from dynamic simulations performed for biological treatment with aerobic sludge stabilization. In both cases the results of dynamic simulation indicate that the WWTP will comply with the effluent standard values.
Effi ciency of dye sensitized solar cells with various compositions of TiO2 based screen printed photoactive electrodes
Authors: Gemeiner Pavol , Mikula Milan
Published: May 2013

The TiO2 electrode has a key role in dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) technology in the charge generation and charge transportation. The properties of TiO2 layer affect resulting efficiency of DSSC and can be controlled by printing process and chemical composition of printing paste. TiO2 pastes with different compositions of TiO2 nanoparticles, ethanol, ethyl cellulose, water, acetic acid, α-terpineol were prepared and screen printed onto the glass substrate with fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO). The TiO2 pastes for screen printing were characterized by rheological measurements and screen printed TiO2 electrodes by atomic force microscopy and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The photocurrent - voltage characteristics and efficiencies of DSSC were evaluated and compared. All prepared TiO2 pastes were suitable for screen printing with ideal rheological characteristics. The highest efficiency 0.68 % and current density ISC = 1.21 mA/cm2 reached by the DSSC based on TiO2 electrode with thickness 1.5 μm, with amount of absorbed dye 1.1 × 10-8 mol/cm2 and without visible cracks and particles aggregation. This TiO2 electrode was prepared from the paste containing 5.4 wt. % of TiO2, 65.3 wt. % of ethanol, 1.8 wt. % of ethyl cellulose, 23 wt. % of H2O and 4.5 wt. % of CH3COOH.
Solvation enthalpies of the proton in polar and non-polar solvents: Theoretical study
Authors: Rottmannová Lenka , Škorňa Peter , Rimarčík Ján , Lukeš Vladimír , Klein Erik
Published: May 2013

In spite of the importance of proton transfer in solution-phase processes, there is still no systematic theoretical study of proton solvation enthalpies. We have investigated the solvation enthalpies of the proton in seven solvents of various polarities (benzene, chloroform, acetone, methanol, ethanol, DMSO, water) using the Integral Equation Formalism Polarized Continuum Model (IEF-PCM). All computations were performed at the B3LYP and BHLYP levels of theory with aug-cc-pVDZ, aug-cc-pVTZ and aug-cc-pVQZ basis sets. Our calculations have shown that the B3LYP and BHLYP functionals provide similar solvation enthalpies. Finally, differences in the solvation enthalpy of the proton values stemming from the various basis sets do not exceed 6 kJ mol-1, with exception of DMSO and chloroform. Distance between H+ and the acceptor atom of the solvent molecule is the shortest in the case of water. It has been also found that the B3LYP distances are slightly longer.
Synergetic effects of Cu2O photocatalyst with titania and enhanced photoactivity under visible irradiation
Authors: Zhang Dongfang
Published: May 2013

Heterogeneous TiO2/Cu2O nanocomposite was synthesized for photocatalysis through surface impregnation in conjunction with the environmentally friendly soft chemical reduction strategy. The detailed structural, compositional, optical and photoelectrochemical properties of the obtained products are analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS), photoluminescence spectra (PL) and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy techniques. Moreover, methyl orange (MO) dye was chosen as the probe molecule for evaluation of the photocatalytic activities of the samples under visible light (λ > 420 nm) irradiation. The experiments demonstrated that MO in aqueous solution was more efficiently photodegraded using TiO2/Cu2O composite photocatalysts than pure Cu2O alone. This was attributed to the good crystallinity, wide visible-light absorption range, and the efficient electron-hole pair separation properties of the TiO2/Cu2O nanoheterostructures. In this photocatalyst, visiblelight- active Cu2O component was used as a medium to absorb photons and convert them into photogenerated charges, and TiO2 nanoparticles were used as charge collectors to transport the photoinduced charges. The TiO2/Cu2O hybrid material showed improved separation of photoinduced electron-hole pairs owing to the potential-energy differences between Cu2O and TiO2, and therefore exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity.
Reorganization in Multi-Agent Architectures: An Active Graph Grammar Approach
Authors: Schatten Markus
Published: May 2013

Background: Organizational architecture is a holistic approach to design of humane organizations and studies an organization from five perspectives: structure, culture, processes, strategy and individuals. In this paper, the concept of organizational architecture is firstly formalized using the fractal principle and then applied to multi-agent systems’ (MAS) organizations. Objectives: Providing a holistic framework for modeling all aspects of MAS reorganization. Methods/Approach: MAS organizations are formalized using graph theoryand a new active graph rewriting formalism inspired by active database theory is intoduced. Results: The newly developed framework is graphical, event-driven and applicable in a distributed MAS environment. Conclusions: By defining organizational units, processes, strategies and cultural artefacts in a recursive way, it is shown that labeled graphs andhypergraphs can be used to model various levels of organizational architecture while active graph grammars allow one to model reorganization of each of the architectural perspectives.
Monitoring SOA Applications with SOOM Tools: A Competitive Analysis
Authors: Zoraja Ivan , Trlin Goran , Matijević Marko
Published: May 2013

Background: Monitoring systems decouple monitoring functionality from application and infrastructure layers and provide a set of tools that can invoke operations on the application to be monitored. Objectives: Our monitoring system is a powerful yet agile solution that is able to online observe and manipulate SOA (Service-oriented Architecture) applications. The basic monitoring functionality is implemented via lightweight components inserted into SOA frameworks thereby keeping the monitoring impact minimal. Methods/Approach: Our solution is software that hides the complexity of SOA applications being monitored via an architecture where its designated components deal with specific SOA aspects such as distribution and communication. Results: We implement an application-level and end-to-end monitoring with the end user experience in focus. Our tools are connected to a single monitoring system which provides consistent operations, resolves concurrent requests, and abstracts away the underlying mechanisms that cater for the SOA paradigm. Conclusions: Due to its flexible architecture and design our monitoring tools are capable of monitoring SOA application in Cloud environments without significant modifications. In comparisons with related systems we proved that our agile approaches are the areas where our monitoring system excels
On a New Csiszar’s f-Divergence Measure
Authors: Bhatia P. K. , Singh Surender
Published: May 2013

A new parametric probabilistic measure of information and a corresponding symmetric divergence (distance) measure is proposed. The information measure is useful to study the uncertainty and the corresponding divergence measure is useful for comparing two probability distributions. The proposed parametric divergence measure belongs to the family of Csiszar’s f-divergence measures. The bounds of this divergence measures are obtained in terms of some well known divergence measures. Some properties of the proposed information and divergence measures are studied.