bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bridging the HSE Risk Management Competence Gap
Authors: Book Gareth , Lewis Steve
Published: April 2012

The demands on health, safety and environment (HSE) risk management professionals have never been so high. Regulators are requiring more formal demonstration that HSE risks are being properly controlled. Companies are operating in progressively more harsh and hazardous environments in the pursuit of future resources. There is frequent ‘raising of the bar’ in industry HSE standards to meet the expectations of the many stakeholders.

Yet HSE risk management is relatively new compared to other professions and there is no ‘fast track’ way of bringing new professionals into the industry, unlike mature professions such as civil engineering and accountancy. Therefore those organisations that develop programmes delivering competent HSE risk management professionals are more likely to benefit from better risk-informed decisions than those organisations that simply recruit new personnel and expect them to provide good advice.

This paper suggests an approach to HSE risk management learning which delivers a competent professional by combining the positive aspects of:

training, with practical experience of applying risk management techniques in the real-world; formal assessment of competence and qualification; and understanding of industry-specific issues.
Uncertainty-based automatic calibration of HEC-HMS model using sequential uncertainty fitting approach
Authors: Mousavi S. Jamshid , Abbaspour K. C. , Kamali B. , Amini M. , Yang H.
Published: April 2012

This study presents the application of an uncertainty-based technique for automatic calibration of the well-known Hydrologic Engineering Center-Hydrologic Modelling System (HEC-HMS) model. Sequential uncertainty fitting (SUFI2) approach has been used in calibration of the HEC-HMS model built for Tamar basin located in north of Iran. The basin was divided into seven sub-basins and three routing reaches with 24 parameters to be estimated. From the four events, three were used for calibration and one for verification. Each event was initially calibrated separately. As there was no unique parameter set identified, all events were then calibrated jointly. Based on the scenarios of separately and jointly calibrated events, different candidate parameter sets were inputted to the model verification stage where recalibration of initial abstraction parameters commenced. Some of the candidate parameter sets with no physically meaningful parameter values were withdrawn after recalibration. Then new ranges of parameters were identified based on minimum and maximum values of the remaining parameter sets. The new parameter ranges were used in an uncertainty analysis using SUFI2 technique resulting in much narrower parameter intervals that can simulate both verification and calibration events satisfactorily in a probabilistic sense. Results show that the SUFI2 technique linked to HEC-HMS as a simulation–optimization model can provide a basis for performing uncertainty-based automatic calibration of event-based hydrologic models.
Robustness of the microaerobic removal of hydrogen sulfide from biogas
Authors: Díaz I. , Fdz-Polanco M.
Published: April 2012

Several disturbances presented in full-scale digesters can potentially affect the efficiency of the microaerobic removal process. This study evaluates the variation of the sulfur load and the performance of the system in situations of oxygen lack or excess and after normal rates are recovered. The process was shown to recover from oxygen lack or excess within 28 h when the original conditions were restored in a pilot-plant digester of 200 L treating sewage sludge with HRT of 20 days. The decrease of the sulfur load to the digester did not affect the biogas composition in the short-term and when oxygen rate was reduced to adjust to the lower hydrogen sulfide production, the removal proceeded normally with a lower unemployed oxygen amount. The digester opening to remove accumulated sulfur in the headspace did not alter process performance once the microaerobic removal was restarted.
Finite-time stability of discrete-time systems with time-varying delay
Authors: Stojanovic Sreten , Debeljkovic Dragutin , Dimitrijevic Nebojsa
Published: April 2012

Finite-time stability can be used in all applications where large values of
the state are not acceptable. In this paper, finite-time stability problem
for a class of linear time-varying delay systems is studied. Based on
Lyapunov-like functions method and using an appropriate model transformation
of the original system, the sufficient delay-dependent finite-time stability
conditions are derived. The criteria are presented in the form of LMIs, which
are dependent on the minimum and maximum delay bounds. The numerical examples
are presented to illustrate the applicability of the developed results.
Flow and heat transfer characteristics around an elliptic cylinder placed in front of a curved plate
Authors: Mostafa Mahmoud , Kamal Radwan , Gobran Mohamed
Published: April 2012

An experimental investigation has been conducted to clarify heat transfer
characteristics and flow behaviors around an elliptic cylinder. Also, flow
visualization was carried out to clarify the flow patterns around the
cylinder. The elliptic cylinder examined has an axis ratio of 1:2.17, was
placed in the focus of parabolic plate. The test fluid is air and the
Reynolds number based on the major axis length, c, ranged from 5 x 103 to 3 x
104. The angle of attack (?) was changed from 0? to 90? at 15? interval. It
is found that the pressure distribution, form drag, location of separation
point, and heat transfer coefficient depend strongly upon the angle of
attack. Over the Reynolds number range examined, the mean heat transfer
coefficient is at its highest at ? = 60? - 90?. The values of heat transfer
coefficient in the case of free cylinder are higher than those for
cylinder/plate combination at all angles of attack and Reynolds number range
examined.
In vivo and in vitro antioxidant effects of three Veronica species
Authors: Živković Jelena , Ćebović Tatjana , Maksimović Zoran
Published: April 2012

The aim of the present study was to examine the antioxidant activity of three Veronica species (Plantaginaceae). The antioxidant potential of various extracts obtained from aerial flowering parts was evaluated by DPPH-free (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl-free) radical scavenging activity and ferric-reducing antioxidant power assays. Considerable antioxidant activity was observed in the plant samples (FRAP values ranged from 0.97 to 4.85 mmol Fe2+/g, and DPPH IC50 values from 12.58 to 66.34 µg/ml); however, these levels were lower than the activity of the control compound butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) (FRAP: 10.58 mmol Fe2+/g; DPPH IC50: 9.57 µg/ml). Also, the in vivo antioxidant effects were evaluated in several hepatic antioxidant systems in rats (activities of glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, peroxidase, catalase, xanthine oxidase, glutathione content and level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) after treatment with different Veronica extracts, or in combination with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). Pretreatment with 100 mg/kg b.w. of Veronica extracts inhibited CCl4-induced liver injury by decreasing TBA-RS level, increasing GSH content, and bringing the activities of CAT and Px to control levels. The present study suggests that the extracts analyzed could protect the liver cells from CCl4-induced liver damage by their antioxidative effect on hepatocytes.
CyBy2: A Structure-based Data Management Tool for Chemical and Biological Data
Authors: Höck Stefan , Riedl Rainer
Published: April 2012

We report the development of a powerful data management tool for chemical and biological data: CyBy2. CyBy2 is a structure-based information management tool used to store and visualize structural data alongside additional information such as project
assignment, physical information, spectroscopic data, biological activity, functional data and synthetic procedures. The application consists of a database, an application server, used to query and update the database, and a client application with a rich graphical user interface (GUI) used
to interact with the server.
Toward the Understanding of the Metabolism of Levodopa I. DFT Investigation of the Equilibrium Geometries, Acid-Base Properties and Levodopa-Water Complexes
Authors: Elroby Shabaan A. K. , Makki Mohamed S. I. , Sobahi Tariq R. , Hilal Rifaat H.
Published: April 2012

Levodopa (LD) is used to increase dopamine level for treating Parkinson’s disease. The major metabolism of LD to produce dopamine is decarboxylation. In order to understand the metabolism of LD; the electronic structure of levodopa was investigated at the Density Functional DFT/B3LYP level of theory using the 6-311+G** basis set, in the gas phase and in solution. LD is not planar, with the amino acid side chain acting as a free rotator around several single bonds. The potential energy surface is broad and flat. Full geometry optimization enabled locating and identifying the global minimum on this Potential energy surface (PES). All possible protonation/deprotonation forms of LD were examined and analyzed. Protonation/deprotonation is local in nature, i.e., is not transmitted through the molecular framework. The isogyric protonation/deprotonation reactions seem to involve two subsequent steps: First, deprotonation, then rearrangement to form H-bonded structures, which is the origin of the extra stability of the deprotonated forms. Natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis of LD and its deprotonated forms reveals detailed information of bonding characteristics and interactions across the molecular framework. The effect of deprotonation on the donor-acceptor interaction across the molecular framework and within the two subsystems has also been examined. Attempts to mimic the complex formation of LD with water have been performed.
Phytotoxic Effects and a Phytotoxin from the Invasive Plant Xanthium italicum Moretti
Authors: Shao Hua , Huang Xiaoli , Wei Xiaoyi , Zhang Chi
Published: April 2012

The allelopathic effects of different parts of the plant Xanthium italicum Moretti were evaluated by conducting bioassays against two dicot plants, amaranth (Amaranthus mangostanus L.) and lettuce (Lectuca sativa L.), and two monocot plants, wheat (Triticum aestivum Linn) and ryegrass (Lolium multiforum). Leaf and fruit extract possessed the strongest biological activity, killing all seeds of four test species at 0.05 g/mL concentration. Fruits were chosen for further investigation because of their high biomass. This led to the isolation and identification of a phytotoxin—Xanthinosin—a known sesquiterpene lactone. Xanthinosin significantly affected seedling growth of all test species at 160 µM concentration. Cultivating seeds in 800 μM xanthinosin solution resulted in a great decrease in seedling growth of all test species, especially for the two dicot plants, amaranth and lettuce, whose root length was inhibited by 78% and 89%, respectively. By comparison, the numbers were 69% lower for wheat, and 66% for ryegrass, two monocot plants. When treated with 4 mM xanthinosin solution, seed germination of all test plants was almost completely inhibited. The possibility of utilizing xanthinosin as an eco-friendly herbicide was discussed.
Graphite, graphene on SiC, and graphene nanoribbons: Calculated images with a numerical FM-AFM
Authors: Castanié Fabien , Nony Laurent , Gauthier Sébastien , Bouju Xavier
Published: April 2012

Background: Characterization at the atomic scale is becoming an achievable task for FM-AFM users equipped, for example, with a qPlus sensor. Nevertheless, calculations are necessary to fully interpret experimental images in some specific cases. In this context, we developed a numerical AFM (n-AFM) able to be used in different modes and under different usage conditions.

Results: Here, we tackled FM-AFM image calculations of three types of graphitic structures, namely a graphite surface, a graphene sheet on a silicon carbide substrate with a Si-terminated surface, and finally, a graphene nanoribbon. We compared static structures, meaning that all the tip and sample atoms are kept frozen in their equilibrium position, with dynamic systems, obtained with a molecular dynamics module allowing all the atoms to move freely during the probe oscillations.

Conclusion: We found a very good agreement with experimental graphite and graphene images. The imaging process for the deposited nanoribbon demonstrates the stability of our n-AFM to image a non-perfectly planar substrate exhibiting a geometrical step as well as a material step.
DIAGONAL TENSION FAILURE OF RC BEAMS WITHOUT STIRRUPS / SKERSINE ARMATŪRA NEARMUOTŲ GELŽBETONINIŲ SIJŲ TEMPIAMASIS SUIRIMAS ĮSTRIŽAJAME PJŪVYJE
Authors: Arslan Guray
Published: April 2012

The shear failure of reinforced concrete beams is one of the fundamental problems in civil engineering; however, the diagonal tension strength of reinforced concrete (RC) beams without stirrups is still in question. This paper focuses on the prediction of diagonal cracking strength of RC slender beams without stirrups. In slender beams, flexural cracks develop in the tension zone prior to a diagonal cracking. Using the basic principles of mechanics, but cracking included, and theory of elasticity, a diagonal cracking strength equation is proposed for both normal and high strength concrete beams. The proposed equation, the requirements of six codes of practice and seven equations proposed by different researchers are compared to the experimental results of 282 beams available in the literature. It is found that the predictions from the proposed equation are in good agreement with the experimental results. Santrauka Gelžbetoninių sijų suirimas įstrižajame pjūvyje – viena pagrindinių problemų statybos inžinerijoje. Tačiau skersine armatūra nearmuotų gelžbetoninių sijų įstrižasis tempiamasis stipris nėra visiškai ištirtas. Šiame straipsnyje nagrinėjamas siaurų, be skersinės armatūros gelžbetoninių sijų įstrižojo pjūvio pleišėjimas. Siaurose sijose plyšiai tempiamojoje zonoje atsiranda anksčiau negu įstrižajame pjūvyje. Taikant klasikinius mechanikos principus ir tamprumo teoriją, pasiūlyta normalaus stiprio arba stipriojo betono sijų istrižojo pjūvio atsparumo pleišėjimui apskaičiavimo lygtis. Siūloma lygtis, pagrįsta šešių projektavimo normų reikalavimais ir septyniomis kitų autorių lygtimis bei palyginta su literatūroje pateiktais 282 sijų eksperimentinių tyrimų rezultatais. Nustatyta, kad pagal siūlomą lygtį atlikti skaičiavimai gerai sutampa su eksperimentiniais rezultatais.
COMPARISON OF TESTING RESULTS OF THREE POORLY STREAMLINED ENTERTAINMENT VENUES / TRIJŲ SUDĖTINGO PAVIDALO PRAMOGINIŲ STATINIŲ MAKETŲ BANDYMŲ REZULTATŲ GRETINIMAS
Authors: Pavlovsky Roman M. , Lebedich Igor M. , Samofalov Michail , Orliansky Valerij V.
Published: April 2012

The article discusses experimental investigations of wind effects and use of design codes for solving aerodynamic problems. It provides data regarding wind-tunnel tests conducted on three buildings with poorly streamlined shapes, including: methodology and test conditions, aerodynamic properties of the designed structures, features of physical models and research results. All three civil buildings are multi-purpose stadiums of the European level. Despite the identical functional purpose, each building has a unique shape and volume. The paper analyses and compares testing conditions in the wind tunnel and some selective results. The authors propose a criterion for estimating aerodynamic properties of the overhanging roof over spectator stands. The article also considers dependencies of model surface pressures on airflow directions under various test conditions. Santrauka Darbe trumpai apžvelgti vėjo poveikių eksperimentiniai tyrimai ir projektavimo normų taikymas aerodinamikos uždaviniams spręsti. Pateikti duomenys apie trijų sudėtingo pavidalo statinių maketų eksperimentinius tyrimus aero-dinaminiame vamzdyje: metodika ir bandymų sąlygos, projektuojamų statinių aerodinaminės savybės, ypatingi maketų bruožai, bandymų rezultatai. Visi trys statiniai – europinio lygio universalieji stadionai. Nepaisant bendrosios funkcinės paskirties, kiekvieno statinio pavidalas ir tūrinis sprendinys yra originalūs. Darbe gretinamos bandymų sąlygos ir pasirinktiniai rezultatai, pasiūlytas sportinių ir pramoginių statinių gembinio stogo virš žiūrovų tribųnų aerodinaminių savybių nagrinejimo kriterijus. Išanalizuotos slėgio ant maketų paviršių priklausomybės nuo oro srauto krypties, esant įvairiems bandymų variantams.
Nucleation and condensational growth to CCN sizes during a sustained pristine biogenic SOA event in a forested mountain valley
Authors: Pierce J. R. , Leaitch W. R. , Liggio J. , Westervelt D. M. , Wainwright C. D. , Abbatt J. P. D. , Ahlm L. , Al-Basheer W. , Cziczo D. J. , Hayden K. L. , Lee A. K. Y. , Li S.-M. , Russell L. M. , Sjostedt S. J. , Strawbridge K. B. , Travis M. , Vlasenko A. , Wentzell J. J. B. , Wiebe H. A. , Wong J. P. S. , Macdonald A. M.
Published: April 2012

Abstract. The Whistler Aerosol and Cloud Study (WACS 2010), included intensive measurements of trace gases and particles at two sites on Whistler Mountain. Between 6–11 July 2010 there was a sustained high-pressure system over the region with cloud-free conditions and the highest temperatures of the study. During this period, the organic aerosol concentrations rose from <1 μg m−3 to ∼6 μg m−3. Precursor gas and aerosol composition measurements show that these organics were almost entirely of secondary biogenic nature. Throughout 6–11 July, the anthropogenic influence was minimal with sulfate concentrations <0.2 μg m−3 and SO2 mixing ratios ≈ 0.05–0.1 ppbv. Thus, this case provides excellent conditions to probe the role of biogenic secondary organic aerosol in aerosol microphysics. Although SO2 mixing ratios were relatively low, box-model simulations show that nucleation and growth may be modeled accurately if Jnuc = 3 × 10−7[H2SO4] and the organics are treated as effectively non-volatile. Due to the low condensation sink and the fast condensation rate of organics, the nucleated particles grew rapidly (2–5 nm h−1) with a 10–25% probability of growing to CCN sizes (100 nm) in the first two days as opposed to being scavenged by coagulation with larger particles. The nucleated particles were observed to grow to ∼200 nm after three days. Comparisons of size-distribution with CCN data show that particle hygroscopicity (κ) was ∼0.1 for particles larger 150 nm, but for smaller particles near 100 nm the κ value decreased near midway through the period from 0.17 to less than 0.06. In this environment of little anthropogenic influence and low SO2, the rapid growth rates of the regionally nucleated particles – due to condensation of biogenic SOA – results in an unusually high efficiency of conversion of the nucleated particles to CCN. Consequently, despite the low SO2, nucleation/growth appear to be the dominant source of particle number.
Mimicking floodplain reconnection and disconnection using 15N mesocosm incubations
Authors: Welti N. , Bondar-Kunze E. , Mair M. , Bonin P. , Wanek W. , Pinay G. , Hein T.
Published: April 2012

Abstract. Floodplain restoration changes the nitrate delivery pattern and dissolved organic matter pool in backwaters but other effects are not yet well known. We performed two mesocosm experiments to quantify the nitrate metabolism in two types of floodplains. Rates of denitrification, dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) and anammox were measured using 15N tracer additions in mesocosms containing undisturbed floodplain sediments originating from (1) restored and (2) disconnected sites in the Alluvial Zone National Park on the Danube River downstream of Vienna, Austria. DNRA rates were an order of magnitude lower than denitrification and neither rate was affected by changes in nitrate delivery pattern or organic matter quality. Anammox was not detected at any of the sites. Denitrification was out-competed by assimilation which was estimated to use up to 70% of the available nitrate. Overall, denitrification was higher in the restored sites, with mean rates of 5.7±2.8 mmol N m−2 h−1 compared to the disconnected site (0.6±0.5 mmol N m−1 h−1). In addition, ratios of N2O : N2 were lower in the restored site indicating a more complete denitrification. Nitrate addition did not have any effect on denitrification, nor on the N2O : N2 ratio. However, DOM quality significantly changed the N2O : N2 ratio in both sites. Addition of riverine derived organic matter lowered the N2O : N2 ratio in the disconnected site, whereas addition of floodplain derived organic matter increased the N2O : N2 ratio in the restored site. These results demonstrate that increasing floodplains hydrological connection to the main river channel increases nitrogen retention and decreases nitrous oxide emissions.
Technical Note: The normal quantile transformation and its application in a flood forecasting system
Authors: Bogner K. , Pappenberger F. , Cloke H. L.
Published: April 2012

Abstract. The Normal Quantile Transform (NQT) has been used in many hydrological and meteorological applications in order to make the Cumulated Distribution Function (CDF) of the observed, simulated and forecast river discharge, water level or precipitation data Gaussian. It is also the heart of the meta-Gaussian model for assessing the total predictive uncertainty of the Hydrological Uncertainty Processor (HUP) developed by Krzysztofowicz. In the field of geo-statistics this transformation is better known as the Normal-Score Transform. In this paper some possible problems caused by small sample sizes when applying the NQT in flood forecasting systems will be discussed and a novel way to solve the problem will be outlined by combining extreme value analysis and non-parametric regression methods. The method will be illustrated by examples of hydrological stream-flow forecasts.
Impacts of impervious cover, water withdrawals, and climate change on river flows in the Conterminous US
Authors: Caldwell P. V. , Sun G. , McNulty S. G. , Cohen E. C. , Moore Myers J. A.
Published: April 2012

Abstract. Rivers are essential to aquatic ecosystem and societal sustainability, but are increasingly impacted by water withdrawals, land use change, and climate change. The relative and cumulative effects of these stressors on continental river flows are relatively unknown. In this study, we used an integrated water balance and flow routing model to evaluate the impacts of 2010 impervious cover and water withdrawal on river flow across the Conterminous US at the 8-digit Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) watershed scale. We then estimated the impacts of projected change in withdrawals, impervious cover, and climate under the B1 "low" and A2 "high" emission scenarios on river flows by 2060. Our results suggest that compared to no impervious cover, 2010 levels of impervious cover increased river flows by 9.9% on average with larger impacts in and downstream of major metropolitan areas. In contrast, compared to no water withdrawals, 2010 withdrawals decreased river flows by 1.4% on average with larger impacts in heavily irrigated arid regions of Western US. By 2060, impacts of climate change were predicted to overwhelm the potential gain in river flow due to future changes in impervious cover and add to the potential reduction in river flows from withdrawals, decreasing mean annual river flows from 2010 levels by 16% on average. However, increases in impervious cover by 2060 may offset the impact of climate change during the growing season in some watersheds. Large water withdrawals will aggravate the predicted impact of climate change on river flows, particularly in the Western US. Given that the impacts of land use, withdrawals and climate may be either additive or offsetting in different magnitudes, integrated and spatially explicit modelling and management approaches are necessary to effectively manage water resources for aquatic life and human use in the face of global change.
Estimation of Configurational Probability and Phase Behaviour of N-n-undecyl-D-gluconamide having V-Shaped Conformation – A Molecular Simulation Approach
Authors: Lakshmi Praveen P. , Ojha Durga P.
Published: April 2012

The present article deals with the configurational probabilities of a smectogen N-n-undecyl-Dgluconamide (GAM11). The complete neglect differential overlap (CNDO/2) method has been employed to compute the net atomic charge and atomic dipole moment components at each atomic center. The modified Rayleigh-Schr¨odinger perturbation theory along with the multicentered-multipole expansion method has been employed to evaluate the long-range intermolecular interactions, while a ‘6-exp’ potential function has been assumed for short-range interactions. The total interaction energy values obtained during different modes of molecular interactions have been used as input to calculate the configurational probability at room temperature (300 K), and smectic-isotropic transition temperature (429:7 K) using the Maxwell-Boltzmann formula. The various possible geometrical arrangements of molecular pairs have been considered. Further, an attempt has been made to explain the smectic behaviour of GAM11 in terms of their relative order based on the molecular parameters introduced in this paper
Radiative Flow with Variable Thermal Conductivity in Porous Medium
Authors: Hayat Tasawar , Shehzad Sabir Ali , Qasim Muhammad , Alsaedi A.
Published: April 2012

This article considers the radiation effect on the flow of a Jeffery fluid with variable thermal conductivity. Similarity transformations are employed to convert the partial differential equations into ordinary differential equations. The resulting equations have been computed by the homotopy analysis method (HAM). The numerical values of the local Nusselt numbers are also computed. The comparison with the numerical solutions of qƟ'(0) is presented. The obtained results are displayed and physical aspects have been examined in detail
Mise en oeuvre des méthodes de la linguistique de corpus pour étudier les termes en situation d’innovation disciplinaire : le cas de l’exobiologie
Authors: Condamines Anne , Dehaut Nathalie
Published: April 2012

L’utilisation des méthodes de linguistique de corpus est particulièrement pertinente pour analyser la terminologie en prenant en compte la réalité des fonctionnements tels qu’on les appréhende dans les textes. La première partie de l’article présente les arguments en faveur de ces méthodes. Elles se focalisent sur le lexique, mais permettent aussi d’étudier d’autres phénomènes linguistiques, syntaxiques, sémantiques ou discursifs. En fait, l’intérêt de la terminologie textuelle est l’étude des usages réels en prenant en compte les contextes linguistiques, mais aussi extralinguistiques. Ainsi, la terminologie textuelle propose une méthode adaptée non seulement pour définir les termes, mais aussi pour répondre à d’autres objectifs. De cette manière, l’article explique comment les méthodes de linguistique de corpus peuvent être adoptées dans une situation d’interdisciplinarité, concernant l’émergence d’une nouvelle discipline : l’exobiologie. Nous montrons comment trois types d’indices (formel, quantitatif et distributionnel) sont mis en oeuvre pour repérer des phénomènes de polysémie ou de synonymie et des cas d’emprunts. Ces mêmes types d’indices sont utilisés pour mettre en lumière dans quels cas ces phénomènes sont conscients ou non, et surtout pour repérer les cas où ils peuvent être une source de conflit. Dans une telle étude, le rôle des experts est crucial, afin de valider les résultats, mais surtout parce qu’ils en sont les utilisateurs. Enfin, nous pensons, grâce à cette présentation du panorama des phénomènes linguistiques dans un corpus interdisciplinaire concernant l’exobiologie, contribuer à la définition de cette nouvelle discipline.
Use of YouScope to Implement Systematic Microscopy Protocols
Authors: Lang Moritz , Rudolf Fabian , Stelling Jörg
Published: April 2012

Complex microscopy protocols, e.g., to dynamically track multiple signals in living cells under different conditions, are becoming more common. However, the implementation of complex protocols on modern, motorized microscopes often requires their reformulation into low‐level machine language. This recoding is a time‐consuming and error‐prone task that often requires advanced programming skills. This unit describes how to use the high level, open‐source microscope control platform YouScope to implement complex measurement protocols. Three protocols detail how to install and configure YouScope on a motorized microscope, how to use YouScope to quickly assess the quality of a sample, and how to set up imaging protocols for cells in a microplate. In addition to these protocols, descriptions are given for the use of various other tools YouScope provides to successfully accomplish various microscopy tasks. Curr. Protoc. Mol. Biol. 98:14.21.1‐14.21.23. © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Impact of statin discontinuation on mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A population‐based study
Authors: De Vera Mary A. , Choi Hyon , Abrahamowicz Michal , Kopec Jacek , Lacaille Diane
Published: April 2012

Objective

To evaluate the impact of statin discontinuation on cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality and all‐cause mortality in a population‐based cohort of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods

We conducted a population‐based longitudinal study of RA patients with incident statin use followed from 1996 to 2006 using administrative health data. Statin discontinuation was defined as persistent nonuse for ≥3 months during the therapy course. Primary outcomes were mortality from all CVDs (CVD mortality) and secondary outcomes were deaths from all causes (all‐cause mortality). Cox proportional hazards models with statin discontinuation as a time‐dependent variable were used and multivariable models were adjusted for age, sex, comorbidities, and risk factors for mortality, and proxy indicators of RA severity.

Results

Over 16,144 person‐years of followup in the cohort of 4,102 incident statin users, we documented 198 deaths due to CVD and 467 deaths overall. Adjusted hazard ratios for the association of statin discontinuation with death were 1.60 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.15–2.23) for CVD mortality and 1.79 (95% CI 1.46–2.20) for all‐cause mortality. The association between statin discontinuation and mortality outcomes was not modified by timing of the first statin prescription, age, and sex (P values for interaction ≥0.29).

Conclusion

These population‐based data indicate that statin discontinuation in patients with RA is associated with an increased risk of death from CVD and all causes. Findings provide support for the importance of compliance with therapy in RA patients who are prescribed statins.
Water interaction differences determine the relative energetic stability of the polyproline II conformation of the alanine dipeptide in aqueous environments
Authors: Mirkin Noemi G. , Krimm Samuel
Published: April 2012

Although subsequent studies have provided extensive support for the 1968 Tiffany and Krimm proposal (Biopolymers 6, 1379) that the polyproline II (PPII) conformation is a significant component of the structure of unordered polypeptide chains, two issues are still not fully resolved: the PPII persistence length in a chain and the source of its relative stability with respect to the β‐conformation. We examine the latter question by studying the B97‐D/6‐31++G** energy, in the absence and presence of a reaction field, of the alanine dipeptide hydrated by various amounts of explicit waters and resolving this into its three components: the energies of the individual solvated peptides and water structures plus the interaction energy involving them. We find that the relative stability of the PPII conformation is determined mainly by the difference in the interaction energies of the water structures in the near‐peptide layers. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 97: 789–794, 2012.
Immobilization of Escherichia coli containing ω‐transaminase activity in LentiKats®
Authors: Cárdenas‐Fernández Max , Neto Watson , López Carmen , Álvaro Gregorio , Tufvesson Pär , Woodley John M.
Published: April 2012

Whole Escherichia coli cells overexpressing ω‐transaminase (ω‐TA) and immobilized cells entrapped in LentiKats® were used as biocatalysts in the asymmetric synthesis of the aromatic chiral amines 1‐phenylethylamine (PEA) and 3‐amino‐1‐phenylbutane (APB). Whole cells were permeabilized with different concentrations of cetrimonium bromide (CTAB) and ethanol; the best results were obtained with CTAB 0.1% which resulted in an increase in reaction rate by 40% compared to the whole cells. The synthesis of PEA was carried out using isopropyl amine (IPA) and L‐alanine (Ala) as amino donors. Using whole cell biocatalysis, the reaction with IPA was one order of magnitude faster than with Ala. No reaction was detected when permeabilized E. coli cells containing ω‐TA were employed using Ala as the amino donor. Additionally, the synthesis of APB from 4‐phenyl‐2‐butanone and IPA was studied. Whole and permeabilized cells containing ω‐TA and their immobilized LentiKats® counterparts showed similar initial reactions rates and yields in the reaction systems, indicating 100% of immobilization efficiency (observed activity/activity immobilized) and absence of diffusional limitations (due to the immobilization). Immobilization of whole and permeabilized cells containing ω‐TA in LentiKats® allowed improved stability as the biocatalyst was shown to be efficiently reused for five reaction cycles, retaining around 80% of original activity. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2012
Theoretical investigation of biomass productivities achievable in solar rectangular photobioreactors for the cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis
Authors: Pruvost Jeremy , Cornet J. F. , Goetz Vincent , Legrand Jack
Published: April 2012

Modeling was done to simulate whole‐year running of solar rectangular photobioreactors (PBRs). Introducing the concept of ideal reactor, the maximal biomass productivity that could be achieved on Earth on nitrate as N‐source was calculated. Two additional factors were also analyzed with respect to dynamic calculations over the whole year: the effect of PBR location and the effects of given operating conditions on the resulting decrease in productivity compared with the ideal one. Simulations were conducted for the cyanobacterium Arthospira platensis, giving an ideal productivity (upper limit) in the range 55–60 tX ha−1 year−1 for a sun tracking system (and around 35–40 tX ha−1 year−1 for a fixed horizontal PBR). For an implantation in France (Nantes, west coast), the modification in irradiation conditions resulted in a decrease in biomass productivity of 40%. Various parameters were investigated, with special emphasis on the influence of the incident angle of solar illumination on resulting productivities, affecting both light capture and light transfer inside the bulk culture. It was also found that with appropriate optimization of the residence time as permitted by the model, productivities close to maximal could be achieved for a given location. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2012
Growth hormone synergizes with BMP9 in osteogenic differentiation by activating the JAK/STAT/IGF1 pathway in murine multilineage cells
Authors: Huang Enyi , Zhu Gaohui , Jiang Wei , Yang Ke , Gao Yanhong , Luo Qing , Gao Jian-Li , Kim Stephanie H , Liu Xing , Li Mi , Shi Qiong , Hu Ning , Wang Linyuan , Liu Hong , Cui Jing , Zhang Wenwen , Li Ruidong , Chen Xiang , Kong Yu-Han , Zhang Jiye , Wang Jinhua , Shen Jikun , Bi Yang , Statz Joseph , He Bai-Cheng , Luo Jinyong , Wang Huicong , Xiong Feng , Luu Hue H , Haydon Rex C , Yang Li , He Tong-Chuan
Published: April 2012

Growth hormone (GH) is usually released by somatotrophs in the anterior pituitary in response to the GH-releasing hormone and plays an important role in skeleton development and postnatal growth. However, it is unclear if extrapituitary GH exerts any effect on murine multilineage cells (MMCs). MMCs are multipotent progenitors that give rise to several lineages, including bone, cartilage, and fat. We have identified bone morphogenic protein 9 (BMP9) as one of the most osteogenic BMPs in MMCs by regulating a distinct set of downstream mediators. In this study, we find that GH is one of the most significantly upregulated genes by BMP9 in mouse MMCs through expression-profiling analysis. We confirm that GH is a direct early target of and upregulated by BMP9 signaling. Exogenous GH synergizes with BMP9 on inducing early and late osteogenic markers in MMCs. Furthermore, BMP9 and GH costimulation leads to a significant expansion of growth plate in cultured limb explants. Although GH alone does not induce de novo bone formation in an ectopic bone formation model, BMP9 and GH costimulated MMCs form more mature bone, which can be inhibited by silencing GH expression. The synergistic osteogenic activity between BMP9 and GH can be significantly blunted by JAK/STAT inhibitors, leading to a decrease in GH-regulated insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) expression in MMCs. Our results strongly suggest that BMP9 may effectively regulate extrapituitary GH expression in MMCs. Thus, it is conceivable that the BMP9-GH-IGF axis may be exploited as an innovative strategy to enhance osteogenesis in regenerative medicine. © 2012 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Anisotropy of electromechanical properties and hydrostatic response of advanced 2–2‐type composites
Authors: Topolov Vitaly Yu. , Krivoruchko Andrey V. , Bowen Christopher R.
Published: April 2012

The paper reports results on the high performance of novel piezo‐active composites based on relaxor‐ferroelectric single crystals (SCs) of xPb(In0.5Nb0.5)O3–yPb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–(1 − x − y)PbTiO3. We present a comparative analysis of the electromechanical properties of 2–2‐type composites based on single‐domain SCs from symmetry classes 3m and mm2. The parallel connection of the layers, the presence of an auxetic polymer component and the appropriate orientation of the main crystallographic axes of the single‐crystal layers lead to the development of large piezoelectric anisotropy and considerable hydrostatic piezoelectric response in comparison to the single‐crystal component. Effective piezoelectric coefficients $d_{3j}^{*} $ and electromechanical coupling factors $k_{3j}^{*} $ of the composites obey the conditions $d_{33}^{*} $/|$d_{31}^{*} $| ≥ 10, $d_{33}^{*} $/|$d_{32}^{*} $| ≥ 10, $k_{33}^{*} $/|$k_{31}^{*} $| ≥ 10, and $k_{33}^{*} $/|$k_{32}^{*} $| ≥ 10 at $k_{33}^{*} $ ≈ 0.6. Hydrostatic piezoelectric coefficients $d_{{\rm h}}^{*} $ ≈ 470 pC/N and $g_{{\rm h}}^{*} $ ∼ (102–103) mV m/N are one to two orders‐of‐magnitude larger than those of the single‐crystal component, which make it attractive for various piezotechnical applications. The role of the elastic properties of the components is discussed in connection with the large hydrostatic parameters.
Electoral Systems, Voters’ Interests and Geographic Dispersion
Authors: Rickard Stephanie J.
Published: April 2012

There is general agreement that democratic institutions shape politicians’ incentives to cater to certain constituencies, but which electoral system causes politicians to be most responsive to narrow interests is still debateable. Some argue that plurality electoral rules provide the greatest incentives for politicians to cater to the interests of a few; others say proportional systems prompt politicians to be relatively more prone to narrow interests. This study suggests that both positions can be correct under different conditions. Politicians competing in plurality systems privilege voters with a shared narrow interest when such voters are geographically concentrated, but when they are geographically diffuse, such voters have greater political influence in proportional electoral systems. Government spending on subsidies in fourteen developed countries provides empirical support for this argument.
New records of three moss species (Ptychostomum pseudotriquetrum, Schistidium antarctici, and Coscinodon lawianus) from the southern Prince Charles Mountains, Mac.Robertson Land, Antarctica
Authors: Skotnicki M. L. , Selkirk P. M. , Boger S. D.
Published: April 2012

We have used a combination of traditional morphological examination and molecular DNA analysis to characterise 16 moss specimens collected from the Mawson Escarpment and Clemence Massif, exposures of bedrock and glacial debris in the southern Prince Charles Mountains of East Antarctica. The nuclear ribosomal ITS region and the chloroplast rps4 gene were sequenced and compared with those of other mosses known from coastal East Antarctica. The moss specimens from the southern Prince Charles Mountains were identified as Ptychostomum pseudotriquetrum (Hedw.) D. T. Holyoak and N. Pedersen, Schistidium antarctici (Cardot) ‘L.I. Savicz & Smirnova’ and Coscinodon lawianus (J.H. Willis) Ochyra. These constitute a new record for S. antarctici in the Prince Charles Mountains, and confirm and extend southwards previous records for P. pseudotriquetrum and C. lawianus in the region.
The making of a nutrition professional: the Association for Nutrition register
Authors: Cade JE , Eccles E , Hartwell H , Radford S , Douglas A , Milliner L
Published: April 2012

Objective

Nutritionists in the UK are at the start of an exciting time of professional development. The establishment of the Association for Nutrition in 2010 has presented an opportunity to review, revitalize and expand the UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists. In the UK and elsewhere, there is a need for a specialist register of nutritionists with title protection as a public safeguard.

Design

The new structure will base professional registration on demonstration of knowledge and application in five core competencies. Initially, there will be five specialist areas: animal; public health; nutritional scientist; food; sports and exercise. The wording and requirements linking the specialist areas to the competencies have been carefully defined by leading individuals currently on the existing register in these specialist areas. These have been evaluated by a random sample of existing registrants to check for accuracy of definitions and examples. Other work aims to establish a clear quality assurance framework in nutrition for workers in the health and social care sectors (UK Public Health Skills and Career Framework Levels 1–4) who contribute to nutrition activity, such as community food workers, nutrition assistants and pharmacists. Students, co-professional affiliates and senior fellows will also find a place in the new Association. The title ‘nutritionist’ is not currently legally protected in the UK and it is used freely to cover a range of unregulated practice.

Conclusions

The establishment of a professional register to protect the public and to provide a clear identity for nutritionists is a vital step forward.
The role of care home fees in the public costs and distributional effects of potential reforms to care home funding for older people in England
Authors: Hancock Ruth , Malley Juliette , Wittenberg Raphael , Morciano Marcello , Pickard Linda , King Derek , Comas-Herrera Adelina
Published: April 2012

In England, Local Authorities (LAs) contribute to the care home fees of two-thirds of care home residents aged 65+ who pass a means test. LAs typically pay fees below those faced by residents excluded from state support. Most proposals for reform of the means test would increase the proportion of residents entitled to state support. If care homes receive the LA fee for more residents, they might increase fees for any remaining self-funders. Alternatively, the LA fee might have to rise. We use two linked simulation models to examine how alternative assumptions on post-reform fees affect projected public costs and financial gains to residents of three potential reforms to the means test. Raising the LA fee rate to maintain income per resident would increase the projected public cost of the reforms by between 22% and 72% in the base year. It would reduce the average gain to care home residents by between 8% and 12%. Raising post-reform fees for remaining self-funders or requiring pre-reform self-funders to meet the difference between the LA and self-funder fees, reduces the gains to residents by 28–37%. For one reform, residents in the highest income quintile would face losses if the self-funder fee rises.
TRACTARIAN FIRST-ORDER LOGIC: IDENTITY AND THE N-OPERATOR
Authors: ROGERS BRIAN , WEHMEIER KAI F.
Published: April 2012

In theTractatus, Wittgenstein advocates two major notational innovations in logic. First, identity is to be expressed by identity of the sign only, not by a sign for identity. Secondly, only one logical operator, called “N” by Wittgenstein, should be employed in the construction of compound formulas. We show that, despite claims to the contrary in the literature, both of these proposals can be realized, severally and jointly, in expressively complete systems of first-order logic. Building on early work of Hintikka’s, we identify three ways in which the first notational convention can be implemented, show that two of these are compatible with the text of theTractatus, and argue on systematic and historical grounds, adducing posthumous work of Ramsey’s, for one of these as Wittgenstein’s envisaged method. With respect to the second Tractarian proposal, we discuss how Wittgenstein distinguished between general and non-general propositions and argue that, claims to the contrary notwithstanding, an expressively adequate N-operator notation is implicit in theTractatuswhen taken in its intellectual environment. We finally introduce a variety of sound and complete tableau calculi for first-order logics formulated in a Wittgensteinian notation. The first of these is based on the contemporary notion of logical truth as truth in all structures. The others take into account the Tractarian notion of logical truth as truth in all structures over one fixed universe of objects. Here the appropriate tableau rules depend on whether this universe is infinite or finite in size, and in the latter case on its exact finite cardinality.

As it is obviously easy to express how propositions can be constructed by means of this operation and how propositions are not to be constructed by means of it, this must be capable of exact expression.

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Observations of exchange between the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea
Authors: Sprintall Janet , Gordon Arnold L. , Flament Pierre , Villanoy Cesar L.
Published: April 2012

The velocity and transport, with thermohaline properties, are determined from simultaneous moored time series within Mindoro, Tablas and Panay Straits that connect the South China Sea (SCS) and Sibuyan Sea to the Sulu Sea. These passages provide the only pathway for the SCS throughflow below thermocline depths and play a critical role in regulating the heat and freshwater balance within the Philippine archipelago. The upper layer in Mindoro Strait has a distinctly seasonal cycle with northward flow during the boreal summer southwest monsoon and southward flow during the winter northeast monsoon. In contrast, upper layer flow in Panay and Tablas Straits is intraseasonal. Extraordinarily strong pulses that begin at intermediate depth in the fall transition and shoal toward the sub‐thermocline during the northeast monsoon are found in Mindoro and Panay Straits. These southward flows are strongly correlated to the SCS large‐scale circulation and remote wind‐forcing off Vietnam. Temperature and salinity in Mindoro support the SCS source of this Subtropical Water. Southward benthic flow in Mindoro and Panay act to ventilate the deeper Sulu Sea. Bottom temperatures suggest the cooler Mindoro overflow mixes with the warmer benthic waters from Tablas before exiting Panay Strait into the Sulu Sea. The 2008 mean annual total‐depth transports were very small, O(0.1 Sv), although individual transport estimates of 1–2 Sv were observed in all depth layers over the year. The mooring deployment coincided with a strong La Niña when the Pacific inflow into the SCS is expected to be weaker, and subsequently transports are lower.