bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of dietary restriction on metabolic, anatomic and molecular traits in mice depends on the initial level of basal metabolic rate (BMR)
Authors: Brzęk Paweł , Książek Aneta , Dobrzyń Agnieszka , Konarzewski Marek
Published: June 2012

Dietary restriction (DR)-related delay of ageing is hypothesized to be mediated by the reduction of the metabolic rate (MR). However, studies on the effect of DR on MR have produced equivocal results. We demonstrated that this lack of congruency can be due to a variation in the initial level of MR within a given pool of experimental subjects. We subjected laboratory mice from two line-types divergently selected for basal MR (BMR) to 30% DR lasting 6 months, to test whether the effect of DR depends on the initial variation in BMR and peak MR. BMR and peak MR were independently affected by DR. The effect of DR was stronger in line-types with higher initial levels of MR. Line-type specific changes in the proportions of body components explained contrasting effects of DR on the mass-corrected BMR, which decreased in the high, and did not change in the low BMR line-type. We conclude that the initial variation in MR can significantly affect response to DR. However, we found no association between the level of MR and mechanisms underlying susceptibility to or protection against oxidative stress.
Ammonia excretion in the freshwater planarianSchmidtea mediterranea
Authors: Weihrauch Dirk , Chan Ainsley C , Meyer Heiko , Döring Carmen , Sourial Mary M , O'Donnell Michael J
Published: June 2012

In aquatic invertebrates metabolic nitrogenous waste is excreted predominately as ammonia. Very little is known, however, of the underlying mechanisms of ammonia excretion, particularly in freshwater species. Our results indicate that in the non-parasitic freshwater planarian Schmidtea mediterranea ammonia excretion depends on an acidification of the apical unstirred layer of the body surface and consequent ammonia trapping. Buffering of the environment to a pH of 7 or higher decreased excretion rate. Inhibitor experiments suggested further that the excretion mechanism involves the participation of the V-type H+-ATPase and carbonic anhydrase and possibly also the Na+/K+-ATPase and Na+/H+ exchangers (NHEs). Alkalinization (pH 8.5, 2 days) of the environment led to a 1.9-fold increase in body ammonia levels and to a down-regulation of V-ATPase (subunit A) and Rh-protein mRNA. Further, a two day exposure to non-lethal ammonia concentrations (1 mmol L-1) caused a doubling of body ammonia levels and led to an increase in Rh-protein and Na+/K+-ATPase (α-subunit) mRNA expression levels. In-situ hybridization studies indicated a strong mRNA expression of the Rh-protein in the epidermal epithelium. The ammonia excretion mechanism proposed for S. mediterranea reveals striking similarities to the current model suggested to function in gills of freshwater fish.
Mitochondrial dynamics underlying thermal plasticity of cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) hearts
Authors: Oellermann Michael , Pörtner Hans Otto , Mark Felix C.
Published: June 2012

In the eurythermal cuttlefish Sepia officinalis, performance greatly depends on hearts that ensure systemic oxygen supply over a broad range of temperatures. We therefore aimed to identify adjustments in energetic cardiac capacity and underlying mitochondrial function supporting thermal acclimation that could be critical for the cuttlefish's competitive success in variable environments. Two genetically distinct cuttlefish populations were acclimated to 11°C, 16°C and 21°C, respectively. Subsequently, skinned and permeabilised heart fibres were used to assess mitochondrial functioning by means of high-resolution respirometry and a substrate-inhibitor protocol, followed by measurements of cardiac citrate synthase activity. In cuttlefish hearts, thermal sensitivity of mitochondrial substrate oxidation was high for proline and pyruvate but low for succinate. Oxygen efficiency of catabolism rose from 11°C to 21°C via shifts to oxygen-conserving oxidation of proline and pyruvate as well as via reduced proton leak. Acclimation to 21°C decreased mitochondrial complex I activity in Adriatic cuttlefish and increased complex IV activity in English Channel cuttlefish. However, compensation of mitochondrial capacities did not occur during cold acclimation to 11°C. Moreover, cold adapted English Channel cuttlefish had larger hearts with lower mitochondrial capacities than warm adapted Adriatic cuttlefish. The changes observed for substrate oxidation, mitochondrial complexes, proton leak or heart weights improve energetic efficiency and essentially seem to extend tolerance to high temperatures and reduce associated tissue hypoxia. We conclude that cuttlefish sustain cardiac performance and thus, systemic oxygen delivery over short and long-term changes of temperature and environmental conditions by multiple adjustments in cellular and mitochondrial energetics.
Mechanisms contributing to the dopamine induction of crawl-like bursting in leech motoneurons
Authors: Crisp Kevin M , Gallagher Brian R , Mesce Karen A
Published: June 2012

Dopamine (DA) activates fictive crawling behavior in the medicinal leech. To identify the cellular mechanisms underlying this activation at the level of crawl-specific motoneuronal bursting, we targeted potential cAMP-dependent events that are often activated through DA1-like receptor signaling pathways. We found that isolated ganglia produced crawl-like motoneuron bursting after bath application of phosphodiesterase inhibitors (PDIs) that up-regulated cAMP. This bursting persisted in salines in which calcium ions were replaced with equimolar cobalt or nickel, but was blocked by riluzole, an inhibitor of a persistent sodium current. PDI-induced bursting contained a number of patterned elements that were statistically similar to those observed during DA-induced fictive crawling, except that one motoneuron (CV) exhibited bursting during the contraction rather than the elongation phase of crawling. Although DA and the PDI produced similar bursting profiles, intracellular recordings from motoneurons revealed differences in altered membrane properties. For example, DA lowered motoneuron excitability while the PDI increased resting discharge rates. We suggest that PDIs (and DA) activate a sodium-influx-dependent timing mechanism capable of setting the crawl rhythm and that multiple DA receptor sub-types are involved in shaping and modulating the phase relationships and membrane properties of cell-specific members of the crawl network to generate crawling.
Evoked-potential audiogram of an Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis)
Authors: Li Songhai , Wang Ding , Wang Kexiong , Taylor Elizabeth A. , Cros Emilie , Shi Wenjing , Wang Zhitao , Fang Liang , Chen Yuefei , Kong Fanming
Published: June 2012

An evoked-potential audiogram was measured for an Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis) living in the Dolphinarium of Nanning Zoo, China. Rhythmic 20 ms pip trains composed of cosine-enveloped 0.25 ms tone pips at a pip rate of 1 kHz were presented as sound stimuli. The dolphin was trained to remain still at the water surface and to wear soft latex suction-cup electroencephalography (EEG) electrodes used to measure the animal's envelope-following evoked potentials to the sound stimuli. Responses to 1000 rhythmic 20 ms pip trains for each amplitude/frequency combination were averaged and analysed using a fast Fourier transform to obtain an evoked auditory response. The hearing threshold was defined as the zero crossing point of the response input-output function using linear regression. Fourteen frequencies ranging from 5.6 to 152 kHz were studied. The results showed that most of the thresholds were lower than 90 dB re. 1μPa (root mean square, r.m.s.), covering frequency range from 11.2 to 128 kHz, and the lowest threshold of 47 dB was measured at 45 kHz. The audiogram, which is a function of hearing threshold-versus-stimulus carrier frequency, presented a 'U'-shape with a region of high hearing sensitivity (within 20 dB of the lowest threshold) between approximately 20 and 120 kHz. At frequencies lower than this high-sensitivity region, thresholds increased at a rate of approximately 11 dB/octave, up to 93 dB at 5.6 kHz. The thresholds at high frequencies above 108 kHz increased steeply with a rate of 130 dB/octave, up to 127 dB at 152 kHz.
Non-invasive lipid measurement in living insects using NMR microscopy
Authors: Schilling Franz , Dworschak Kai , Schopf Reinhard , Kühn Ralph , Glaser Steffen J. , Haase Axel
Published: June 2012

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) microscopy allows to image and to quantify the distribution of NMR-active nuclei in living specimen. Using high-field NMR microscopy at 14.1 T magnetic field strength and strong gradients up to 3 T/m, we show in this study that separation of fat and water nuclear resonances in living insects can be achieved. Comparing it to destructive conventional photometric and weighing measurements, we demonstrate exemplarily in the European spruce bark beetle, that NMR can be efficiently used to quantify absolute fat and water content in living insects. Additionally, anatomic images with a spatial in-plane resolution up to 10 μm and with high soft tissue contrast were acquired. For the first time, we demonstrate, that fat distribution and fat consumption of living insects can be obtained by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This enables future research to address questions where single individuals have to be measured several times, which is not possible with conventional destructive methods.
The high aerobic capacity of a small, marsupial rat-kangaroo (Bettongia penicillata) is matched by the mitochondrial and capillary morphology of its skeletal muscles
Authors: Webster Koa N , Dawson Terence J
Published: June 2012

We examined the structure-function relationships that underlie the aerobic capacities of marsupial mammals that hop. Marsupials have relatively low basal metabolic rates (BMR) and historically were seen as 'low energy' mammals. However, the red kangaroo, Macropus rufus, (Family Macropodidae) has aerobic capacities equivalent to athletic placentals. It has an extreme aerobic scope (fAS) and its large locomotor muscles feature high mitochondrial and capillary volumes. M. rufus belongs to a modern group of kangaroos and its great fAS is not general for marsupials. However, other hopping marsupials may have elevated aerobic capacities. Bettongia penicillata, a rat-kangaroo (Family Potoroidae), is a small (1 kg) active hopper whose fAS is somewhat elevated. We examined the oxygen delivery system in its muscles to ascertain links with hopping. An elevated fAS of 23 provided a relatively high VO2max in B. penicillata; associated with this is a skeletal muscle mass of 44% of body mass. Ten muscles were sampled to estimate the total mitochondrial and capillary volume of the locomotor muscles. Values in B. penicillata were similar to those in M. rufus and in athletic placentals. This small hopper had high muscle mitochondrial volume densities (7.1-11.9%), and both a large total capillary volume (6 ml kg-1 body mass) and total capillary erythrocyte volume (3.2 ml kg-1). Apparently, a considerable aerobic capacity is required to achieve the benefits of the extended stride in fast hopping. Of note, the ratio of VO2max to total muscle mitochondrial volume in B. penicillata was 4.9 ml O2 min-1 ml-1. Similar values occur in M. rufus and also placental mammals generally, not only athletic species. If such relationships occur in other marsupials, a fundamental structure-function relationship for oxygen delivery to muscles likely originated with or before the earliest mammals.
High genetic diversity and low differentiation in mud crab (Scylla paramamosain) along southeastern coast of China revealed by microsatellite markers
Authors: Ma Hongyu , Cui Haiyu , Ma Chunyan , Ma Lingbo
Published: June 2012

Mud crab (Scylla paramamosain) is a carnivorous portunid crab, mainly distributed along southeastern coast of China. Mitochondrial DNA analysis in previous study indicated a high level of genetic diversity and low differentiation of it. In this study, population genetic diversity and differentiation of S. paramamosain were investigated using nine microsatellite markers. In total, 397 wild specimens of 11 locations from southeastern coast of China were sampled and genotyped. A high level of genetic diversity was observed, with Na, HO and HE per location ranging from 7.8 to 9.6, from 0.62 to 0.77 and from 0.66 to 0.76, respectively. AMOVA analysis indicated a low level of genetic differentiation among 11 locations, despite that a statistically significant FST value was found (FST=0.0183, P<0.05). Out of 55 pairwise location comparisons, 39 showed significant FST values (P<0.05), but all of them were lower than 0.05 except one between SM and ST locations. No significant deficiency of heterozygotes (FIS=0.0007, P>0.05) was detected for all locations except SM and ZJ. Cluster analysis using UPGMA showed that all locations fell into one group except SM. Significant association was found between genetic differentiation in terms of FST/(1-FST) and natural logarithm of geographical distance (r2=0.1139, P=0.02), indicating that the genetic variation pattern closely resembled an isolation by distance model. This study supports the viewpoint of high genetic diversity and low differentiation in Scylla paramamosain along southeastern coast of China.
The neural mechanisms of antennal positioning in flying moths
Authors: Krishnan Anand , Prabhakar Sunil , Sudarsan Subashini , Sane Sanjay P.
Published: June 2012

In diverse insects, the forward positioning of the antenna is often among the first behavioral indicators of the onset of flight. This behavior may be important for the proper acquisition of the mechanosensory and olfactory inputs by the antennae during flight. Here, we describe the neural mechanisms of antennal positioning in hawk moths from behavioral, neuroanatomical and neurophysiological perspectives. The behavioral experiments indicated that a set of sensory bristles called Böhm's bristles (or hair plates) mediate antennal positioning during flight. When these sensory structures were ablated from the basal segments of their antenna, moths were unable to bring their antennae in flight position causing frequent collisions with the flapping wing. Fluorescent dye-fills of the underlying sensory and motor neurons revealed that the axonal arbors of the mechanosensory bristle neurons spatially overlapped with the dendritic arbors of the antennal motor neurons. Moreover, the latency between the activation of antennal muscles following stimulation of sensory bristles was also very short (< 10 ms), indicating that the sensory-motor connections may be direct. Together, these data show that Böhm's bristles control antennal positioning in moths via a reflex mechanism. Because the sensory structures and motor organization is conserved across most Neoptera, the mechanisms underlying antennal positioning, as described here, is likely to be conserved in these diverse insects.
Trade-offs between burst performance and maximal exertion capacity in a wild amphibian, Xenopus tropicalis
Authors: Herrel Anthony , Bonneaud Camille
Published: June 2012

Trade-offs are thought to impose barriers to phenotypic diversification and may limit the evolutionary responses of organisms to environmental changes. In particular, locomotor trade-offs between endurance or maximal exertion capacity and burst performance capacity have been observed in some species and may constrain the ability of organisms to disperse. Here, we test for the presence of locomotor trade-offs between maximal exertion and burst performance capacity in an aquatic frog, the tropical clawed frog (Xenopus tropicalis). Given the importance of overland dispersal for this species, we focus on terrestrial exertion capacity (time and distance jumped until exhaustion) and test whether it trades-off with aquatic burst performance capacity (maximum instantaneous velocity and acceleration), which is likely relevant in the context of predator escape and prey capture. Our data show that in both sexes, individuals with longer hindlimbs display higher endurance. Additionally, in females forelimb length was positively correlated with aquatic burst performance capacity and negatively to terrestrial exertion. Trade-offs between endurance and burst performance capacity were detected, but were significant in males only. Finally, males and females differ in morphology and performance. Our data suggest that trade-offs are not universal and may be driven by sex-dependent selection on locomotor capacity. Moreover our results suggest that locomotor trade-offs may result in sex-biased dispersal under selection for improved endurance capacity as is expected under habitat fragmentation scenarios.
Relationships of hospital-based emergency department culture to work satisfaction and intent to leave of emergency physicians and nurses
Authors: Lin Blossom Yen-Ju , Wan Thomas T H , Hsu Chung-Ping Cliff , Hung Feng-Ru , Juan Chi-Wen , Lin Cheng-Chieh
Published: June 2012

Given the limited studies on emergency care management, this study aimed to explore the relationships of emergency department (ED) culture values to certain dimensions of ED physicians’ and nurses’ work satisfaction and intent to leave. Four hundred and forty-two emergency medical professionals completed the employee satisfaction questionnaire across 119 hospital-based EDs, which had culture value evaluations filed, were used as unit of analysis in this study. Adjusting the personal and employment backgrounds, and the surrounded EDs’ unit characteristics and environmental factors, multiple regression analyses revealed that clan and market cultures were related to emergency physicians’ work satisfaction and intent to leave. On the other hand, adhocracy, market and hierarchical cultures were related to emergency nurses’ work satisfaction. There do exist different patterns among various culture types on various work satisfaction dimensions and intent to leave of emergency physicians and nurses. The findings could offer hospital and ED leaders insights for changes or for building a better atmosphere to enhance the work life of emergency physicians and nurses.
Using preventive home monitoring to reduce hospital admission rates and reduce costs: a case study of telehealth among chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients
Authors: Dinesen Birthe , Haesum Lisa KE , Soerensen Natascha , Nielsen Carl , Grann Ove , Hejlesen Ole , Toft Egon , Ehlers Lars
Published: June 2012

We studied whether preventive home monitoring of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) could reduce the frequency of hospital admissions and lower the cost of hospitalization. Patients were recruited from a health centre, general practitioner (GP) or the pulmonary hospital ward. They were randomized to usual care or tele-rehabilitation with a telehealth monitoring device installed in their home for four months. A total of 111 patients were suitable for inclusion and consented to be randomized: 60 patients were allocated to intervention and three were lost to follow-up. In the control group 51 patients were allocated to usual care and three patients were lost to follow-up. In the tele-rehabilitation group, the mean hospital admission rate was 0.49 per patient per 10 months compared to the control group rate of 1.17; this difference was significant ( P = 0.041). The mean cost of admissions was €3461 per patient in the intervention group and €4576 in the control group; this difference was not significant. The Kaplan-Meier estimates for time to hospital admission were longer for the intervention group than the controls, but the difference was not significant. Future work requires large-scale studies of prolonged home monitoring with more extended follow-up.
Fuzzy Modeling of Service System Engagements
Authors: Badinelli Ralph D.
Published: June 2012

This paper presents a conceptual model of client epistemology and decision making in service engagements through the use of fuzzy variables and fuzzy relations, and it proposes a fuzzy system as a general mechanism for service innovation. A fuzzy systems approach to modeling service processes is shown to be a robust way to represent the abductive, inductive, and deductive stages of service development. Motivating examples include, but are not limited to, service in education, consulting, healthcare, government services, knowledge-intensive business service, and online intelligent services.

The paper's modeling framework is based on the view of agents as fuzzy controllers and fuzzy modelers. Fuzzy representations of variables represent vagueness through the mathematical representations of possibility and necessity instead of probability, and fuzzy relations capture incomplete specification of the relationships between the inputs and outputs of the processes of a service network. Cocreation of knowledge, with the specific intent of reducing client ambiguity and vagueness about a proposed service process, improves the cocreation of value by that process. This research responds to the challenge of endemic ambiguity and vagueness in the interactions of service clients and providers in a service system by providing robust and flexible models that can be applied to the design and management of service systems.
Rectal Bleeding and Hemostatic Disorders Induced by Dabigatran Etexilate in 2 Elderly Patients
Authors: Béné Johana , Saïd Worighi , Rannou Marianne , Deheul Sylvie , Coupe Patrick , Gautier Sophie
Published: June 2012

OBJECTIVE:

To report rectal bleeding associated with hemostatic disorders in 2 elderly patients treated with dabigatran etexilate.

CASE SUMMARY:

A 79-year-old woman (weight, 69 kg) was hospitalized in a gastroenterology unit for severe rectal bleeding. She had been treated for 2 months with dabigatran etexilate 110 mg twice daily for chronic atrial fibrillation. On admission, her creatinine clearance (CrCl) was 20.7 mL/min/1.73 m2, prothrombin time (PT) less than 10% (reference range 70-130%), and international normalized ratio (INR) 14.5 (venous blood). Eleven days after admission, hematologic and renal function were normalized and rectal bleeding stopped. An 84-year-old man (weight, 71 kg) was admitted for rectal bleeding with acute renal failure and dehydration that began while he was treated with dabigatran etexilate 110 mg twice daily for atrial fibrillation. On admission, CrCl was 33.5 mL/min/1.73 m2, PT 13%, and INR 7.53 (venous blood). Dabigatran etexilate was stopped on admission. At the end of the hospitalization, CrCl was 66.5 mL/min/1.73 m2, PT 54%, and INR 1.53. In both cases, an objective causality assessment revealed that those adverse reactions were probably related to dabigatran etexilate.

DISCUSSION:

In these 2 cases of rectal bleeding during dabigatran etexilate therapy, coagulation monitoring showed elevated PT and INR; neither patient had been exposed to vitamin K antagonists. These cases indicate the importance of PT and INR monitoring when using dabigatran etexilate, mainly in patients with a high risk of overdose, such as elderly patients or those with renal function impairment.

CONCLUSIONS:

It is critical to identify and subsequently manage dabigatran etexilate toxicity because there is no specific antidote to reverse the drug's anticoagulant effects.
Emotion, gender and genre: Investigating The Killing
Authors: Agger Gunhild
Published: June 2012

Traditionally, Scandinavian TV crime fiction has been regarded as a public arena for critical exhibition of and debate about salient features in contemporary social development. As a point of departure, the development of TV crime fiction in Sweden and Denmark is delineated. To explain
the continuing, acknowledged impact of this socially engaged crime fiction, both domestically and abroad, it is necessary to involve the notions of emotion and gender in combination with the mixing of genres, as especially the thriller and the melodrama have invaded the police procedural during
the last decade. These assumptions are displayed in an analysis of the Danish series The Killing, showing that it exhibits prevailing features of common public interest, representing a reversal of masculine and feminine stereotypes and the invalidation of family life in the process. The genre
mix and the style are essential ingredients in conveying this to the viewer in a way that both provokes debate and is emotively impressive.
The dark ambivalences of the welfare state: Investigating the transformations of the Swedish crime film
Authors: Brodén Daniel
Published: June 2012

This article presents a new analytical perspective for understanding the Swedish crime film. Ever since its emergence in the Swedish cinema in the 1940s, the crime genre has dealt with the perceived dark sides of social life in the welfare state. Based on an extensive historical overview
of cinema and television, I argue that the thematic transformations of the Swedish crime genre can be theorized in terms of a changing attitude towards crime as social ambivalence. Drawing on the works of Zygmunt Bauman, I conceptualize the cinematic representations of crime as a manifestation
of the disturbing ambivalences that otherwise have been downplayed in the media culture of the welfare state. Focusing on key films, the article elucidates a sociocultural process at the heart of the transformations of the genre: whereas movies of the past cautiously depicted crime in terms
of ambivalence, contemporary crime films portray brutal violence and human darkness as an inescapable condition of present-day Sweden.
Hydrogen Production for Fuel Cells by a Methane Reformer Integrated with Steam Generation
Authors: Xie Donglai , Peng Ang , Wang Ziliang , Zhang Yajun
Published: June 2012

The fuel cell based heat and power co-generation is considered to be well qualified for a distributed energy system for residential and small commercial applications. A kW-scale system is under development in the New Energy Group in South China University of Technology. Natural gas is selected as fuel for hydrogen production. The system mainly consists of a fuel processing unit, a power generation unit and an auxiliary unit. The fuel processing unit includes a reformer (integrated with steam generation), two high and low temperature shift reactors, and a preferential oxidation reactor. The reformer integrated with steam generation is designed to produce hydrogen-rich syngas from natural gas and water. It can be operated under steam methane reforming or oxidative steam reforming modes. 800 grams of commercial nickel catalyst supported on gamma alumina are loaded in the reformer. The reactor performances under typical steam reforming and oxidative reforming modes are tested. Influences of reaction temperature, steam-to-carbon ratio and methane space velocity on reactor performance under steam reforming mode are experimentally investigated. Influences of oxygen-to-carbon ratio, steam-to-carbon ratio and methane space velocity on reactor performance under oxidative reforming mode are also studied. The reformer will be integrated with the other parts of the system to build a complete system.
Puffing Characteristics of Blackcurrant Leather Under Microwave Vacuum Conditions
Authors: Liu Haijun , Liu Chenghai , Zheng Xianzhe , Lin Zhen
Published: June 2012

In order to obtain the blackcurrant snack with high quality and efficiency, the puffing characteristics of blackcurrant leather under microwave vacuum conditions were investigated using single factor experimental method. The puffing characteristics, repersented by the moisture content and expansion ratio were determined in the different vacuum pressure, initial moisture content and the microwave power. The results show that both the microwave power and initial moisture content have significant effect on the moisture content. And no significant effect of the vacuum pressure on the final moisture content was found. For the initial moisture content of 35 %（w.b.）, the optimum processing parameters for maximum expansion ratio with 200% were obtained in the condition of microwave power of 2.48 kW and vacuum pressure of 70 kPa.
Drying Properties and Parameters of Blue Honeysuckles Pulp under Foam Assisted Microwave Drying Conditions
Authors: Sun Yu , Zheng Xianzhe , Xu Xiangwen , Liu Chenghai , Li Qiang , Zhang Qinqin
Published: June 2012

The drying properties and optimal parameters of foamed blue honeysuckles pulp under microwave drying conditions were studied. The microwave power, loading mass and thickness were selected as the influencing factors, and objective factors were content of anthocyanin, vitamin C, moisture and values of color of the final blue honeysuckles powder. The drying process may be divided into three stages: acceleration stage, slow decline stage and quick decay stage. The initial drying phase lasted until the moisture content was less than 4 kg/kg. The constant drying phase was long when the influencing factor was loading mass. The deceleration drying phase is short in all conditions. This study achieve the continuous production of blue honeysuckles powder and the optimum experiment parameters were obtained as follows, the content of anthocyanin in honeysuckle powder is 64.58 mg/g, the content of vitamin C is 14.604 mg/g, moisture ratio is 9.88 % and the color value is 9.78 with the microwave power at 8.86 kW, loading mass at100 g and the thickness at 4mm.
Thermodynamic Investigation of an Integrated Gasification Plant with Solid Oxide Fuel Cell and Steam Cycles
Authors: Rokni Masoud
Published: June 2012

A gasification plant is integrated on the top of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cycle, while a steam turbine (ST) cycle is used as a bottoming cycle for the SOFC plant. The gasification plant was fueled by woodchips to produce biogas and the SOFC stacks were fired with biogas. The produced gas was rather clean for feeding to the SOFC stacks after a simple cleaning step. Because all the fuel cannot be burned in the SOFC stacks, a burner was used to combust the remaining fuel. The off-gases from the burner were then used to produce steam for the bottoming steam cycle in a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG). The steam cycle was modeled with a simple single pressure level. In addition, a hybrid recuperator was used to recover more energy from the HRSG and send it back to the SOFC cycle. Thus two different configurations were investigated to study the plants characteristic. Such system integration configurations are completely novel and have not been studied elsewhere. Plant efficiencies of 56% were achieved under normal operation which was considerably higher than the IGCC (Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle) in which a gasification plant is integrated with a gas turbine and a steam turbine. Furthermore, it is shown that under certain operating conditions, plant efficiency of about 62 is also possible to achieve.
Effects of polymeric matrix on accelerated UV weathering properties of wood-plastic composites
Authors: Lee Chia-Huang , Hung Ke-Chang , Chen Yong-Long , Wu Tung-Lin , Chien Yi-Chi , Wu Jyh-Horng
Published: June 2012

The purpose of this work is to compare the weathering properties of different types of wood-plastic composites (WPCs) based on high-density polyethylene (HDPE), recycled high-density polyethylene (rHDPE-I and rHDPE-II), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), recycled polypropylene (rPP), polystyrene (PS), and recycled polystyrene (rPS). The modulus of rupture (MOR) and modulus of elasticity (MOE) of all WPCs decreased with increasing exposure time of weathering. Of these, the rHDPE-II-based composite exhibited the highest MOR and MOE retention ratios after 2000 h of accelerated ultraviolet (UV) weathering, while the PS-based WPC had the lowest values. In addition, the carbonyl index difference (CID) of various WPCs increased significantly as a function of exposure time. Among them, the PS-based WPCs exhibited the most severe degradation due to photo-oxidation on the surface, while the degradation of PE-based WPCs was the mildest. These results are consistent with the change in the surface cracking and flexural properties of the composites. The PS-based WPCs also exhibited higher moisture diffusion coefficients. The mechanical behavior of WPCs after weathering is influenced by a combination of factors, such as surface oxidation, morphology changes, and moisture absorption.
Mode II critical stress intensity factor of wood measured by the asymmetric four-point bending test of single-edge-notched specimen while considering an additional crack length
Authors: Yoshihara Hiroshi
Published: June 2012

No abstract available.
Weathering Evaluation of Structural Silicone Sealants Used in Korea
Authors: Jung Jinyoung , Hahn Kendo , Lee Hyoungwook
Published: June 2012

Super-tall buildings of over 100 stories are coming to Korea. To prove its economic prosperity, which was developed over the last 50 years after the Korean War, Korea is willing to have super-tall buildings as a symbol of its success. Locally, structural silicone glazing has become very common to achieve aesthetically pleasing and high utilization of small land for both residential and commercial building. Because there has been no industry-wide guideline or specification for structural silicone sealants in Korea, it is worthwhile to look at the performance of locally available structural silicone sealants. In this paper, several weathering techniques were adapted from various global industry standards. Artificial weathering using filtered xenon arc radiation was applied to specimens prepared in accordance with ASTM C1135. Comparative evaluations for temperature variations and salt spraying exposure were conducted as well. Silicones in general are known to have excellent resistance to such exposure. However, since the weathering performance of a sealant can be affected by its overall composition (not just the polymer type), some silicone products showed noticeable changes in our testing when compared to their initial properties.
Entropic Disorder: New Frontiers in Environmental Sociology
Authors: McKinney Laura A.
Published: June 2012

Environmental sociologists have identified various facets of anthropogenic ecological degradation such as deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, natural resource depletion, and water and land pollution. Virtually all of these outcomes are encompassed by one important dimension—the introduction of “entropy” or disorder via processes of production, consumption, and waste creation that are critical to understanding current cleavages in sustainability profiles of nations. This article synthesizes thermodynamic laws with global political-economic interpretations on the environment. A cross-national structural equation model demonstrates the theoretical and empirical importance of entropy as it relates to natural resources and environmental degradation. Conclusions and implications for research in environmental sociology, particularly, and sociology, generally, are discussed.
Do Women Managers Ameliorate Gender Differences in Wages? Evidence from a Large Grocery Retailer
Authors: Penner Andrew M. , Toro-Tulla Harold J. , Huffman Matt L.
Published: June 2012

Women's disadvantages in labor market outcomes are often attributed to the preponderance of men at or near the top of organizational hierarchies. While theories of homophily predict that women in positions of power ameliorate gender differences in wages for employees under them, status characteristics theory suggests that women face comparable disadvantages when working under men and women. Despite the existence of competing theoretical perspectives, there is little empirical work investigating the effect of women in positions of organizational power on gender inequality among their subordinates. This study makes an important contribution to this literature by using employment records from 3,707 employees at a large U.S.-based grocery retailer over nine years to examine how the gender gap in wages varies in establishments with male and female managers. Consistent with status characteristics theory, the authors find no significant differences between male and female managers in terms of gender-based wage inequality among their employees.
Effect of parathyroidectomy on subclinical cardiovascular disease in mild primary hyperparathyroidism
Authors: Walker M D , Rundek T , Homma S , DiTullio M , Iwata S , Lee J A , Choi J , Liu R , Zhang C , McMahon D J , Sacco R L , Silverberg S J
Published: June 2012

Objective

We recently demonstrated that mild primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is associated with increased carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and stiffness, and increased aortic valve calcification. It is unclear whether parathyroidectomy (PTX) improves these abnormalities. The purpose of this study was to determine whether cardiovascular abnormalities in PHPT improve with PTX.

Design

Forty-four patients with PHPT were studied using carotid ultrasound and transthoracic echocardiography before and after PTX. Carotid IMT, carotid plaque and stiffness, left ventricular mass index (LVMI), myocardial and valvular calcification, and diastolic function were measured before, 1- and 2-year post-PTX.

Results

Two years after PTX, increased carotid stiffness tended to decline to the normal range (17%, P=0.056) while elevated carotid IMT did not improve. Carotid plaque number and thickness, LVMI and cardiac calcifications did not change after PTX, while some measures of diastolic function (isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT) and tissue Doppler peak early diastolic velocity) worsened within the normal range. Indices did improve in patients with cardiovascular abnormalities at baseline. Increased carotid stiffness improved by 28% (P=0.004), a decline likely to be of clinical significance. More limited improvements also occurred in elevated IMT (3%, P=0.017) and abnormal IVRT (13%, P<0.05), a measure of diastolic dysfunction.

Conclusions

In mild PHPT, PTX led to modest changes in some cardiovascular indices. Improvements were mainly evident in those with preexisting cardiovascular abnormalities, particularly elevated carotid stiffness. These findings are reassuring with regard to current international guidelines that do not include cardiovascular disease as a criterion for PTX.
Comparison of a soluble co-formulation of insulin degludec/insulin aspart vs biphasic insulin aspart 30 in type 2 diabetes: a randomised trial
Authors: Niskanen Leo , Leiter Lawrence A , Franek Edward , Weng Jianping , Damci Taner , Muñoz-Torres Manuel , Donnet Jean-Paul , Endahl Lars , Skjøth Trine Vang , Vaag Allan
Published: June 2012

Objective

Insulin degludec/insulin aspart (IDegAsp) is a soluble co-formulation of insulin degludec (70%) and insulin aspart (IAsp: 30%). Here, we compare the efficacy and safety of IDegAsp, an alternative IDegAsp formulation (AF: containing 45% IAsp), and biphasic IAsp 30 (BIAsp 30).

Design

Sixteen-week, open-label, randomised, treat-to-target trial.

Methods

Insulin-naive subjects with type 2 diabetes (18–75 years) and a HbA1c of 7–11% were randomised to twice-daily IDegAsp (n=61), AF (n=59) or BIAsp 30 (n=62), all in combination with metformin. Insulin was administered pre-breakfast and dinner (main evening meal) and titrated to pre-breakfast and pre-dinner plasma glucose (PG) targets of 4.0–6.0 mmol/l.

Results

Mean HbA1c after 16 weeks was comparable for IDegAsp, AF and BIAsp 30 (6.7, 6.6 and 6.7% respectively). With IDegAsp, 67% of subjects achieved HbA1c <7.0% without confirmed hypoglycaemia in the last 4 weeks of treatment compared with 53% (AF) and 40% (BIAsp 30). Mean fasting PG was significantly lower for IDegAsp vs BIAsp 30 (treatment difference (TD): −0.99 mmol/l (95% confidence interval: −1.68; 0.29)) and AF vs BIAsp 30 (TD: −0.88 mmol/l (−1.58; −0.18)). A significant, 58% lower rate of confirmed hypoglycaemia was found for IDegAsp vs BIAsp 30 (rate ratio (RR): 0.42 (0.23; 0.75)); rates were similar for AF vs BIAsp 30 (RR: 0.92 (0.54; 1.57)). IDegAsp and AF had numerically lower rates of nocturnal confirmed hypoglycaemia vs BIAsp 30 (RR: 0.33 (0.09; 1.14) and 0.66 (0.22; 1.93) respectively).

Conclusions

IDegAsp provided comparable overall glycaemic control to BIAsp 30 with a significantly lower rate of hypoglycaemia.
Quantile-Based Permutation Thresholds for Quantitative Trait Loci Hotspots
Authors: Neto Elias Chaibub , Keller Mark P , Broman Andrew F , Attie Alan D , Jansen Ritsert C , Broman Karl W , Yandell Brian S
Published: June 2012

Quantitative trait loci (QTL) hotspots (genomic locations affecting many traits) are a common feature in genetical genomics studies and are biologically interesting since they may harbor critical regulators. Therefore, statistical procedures to assess the significance of hotspots are of key importance. One approach, randomly allocating observed QTL across the genomic locations separately by trait, implicitly assumes all traits are uncorrelated. Recently, an empirical test for QTL hotspots was proposed on the basis of the number of traits that exceed a predetermined LOD value, such as the standard permutation LOD threshold. The permutation null distribution of the maximum number of traits across all genomic locations preserves the correlation structure among the phenotypes, avoiding the detection of spurious hotspots due to nongenetic correlation induced by uncontrolled environmental factors and unmeasured variables. However, by considering only the number of traits above a threshold, without accounting for the magnitude of the LOD scores, relevant information is lost. In particular, biologically interesting hotspots composed of a moderate to small number of traits with strong LOD scores may be neglected as nonsignificant. In this article we propose a quantile-based permutation approach that simultaneously accounts for the number and the LOD scores of traits within the hotspots. By considering a sliding scale of mapping thresholds, our method can assess the statistical significance of both small and large hotspots. Although the proposed approach can be applied to any type of heritable high-volume “omic” data set, we restrict our attention to expression (e)QTL analysis. We assess and compare the performances of these three methods in simulations and we illustrate how our approach can effectively assess the significance of moderate and small hotspots with strong LOD scores in a yeast expression data set.
Dynamics of Neutral and Selected Alleles When the Offspring Distribution Is Skewed
Authors: Der Ricky , Epstein Charles , Plotkin Joshua B
Published: June 2012

We analyze the dynamics of two alternative alleles in a simple model of a population that allows for large family sizes in the distribution of offspring number. This population model was first introduced by Eldon and Wakeley, who described the backward-time genealogical relationships among sampled individuals, assuming neutrality. We study the corresponding forward-time dynamics of allele frequencies, with or without selection. We derive a continuum approximation, analogous to Kimura’s diffusion approximation, and we describe three distinct regimes of behavior that correspond to distinct regimes in the coalescent processes of Eldon and Wakeley. We demonstrate that the effect of selection is strongly amplified in the Eldon–Wakeley model, compared to the Wright–Fisher model with the same variance effective population size. Remarkably, an advantageous allele can even be guaranteed to fix in the Eldon–Wakeley model, despite the presence of genetic drift. We compute the selection coefficient required for such behavior in populations of Pacific oysters, based on estimates of their family sizes. Our analysis underscores that populations with the same effective population size may nevertheless experience radically different forms of genetic drift, depending on the reproductive mechanism, with significant consequences for the resulting allele dynamics.
A Resolution of the Mutation Load Paradox in Humans
Authors: Lesecque Yann , Keightley Peter D , Eyre-Walker Adam
Published: June 2012

Current information on the rate of mutation and the fraction of sites in the genome that are subject to selection suggests that each human has received, on average, at least two new harmful mutations from its parents. These mutations were subsequently removed by natural selection through reduced survival or fertility. It has been argued that the mutation load, the proportional reduction in population mean fitness relative to the fitness of an idealized mutation-free individual, allows a theoretical prediction of the proportion of individuals in the population that fail to reproduce as a consequence of these harmful mutations. Application of this theory to humans implies that at least 88% of individuals should fail to reproduce and that each female would need to have more than 16 offspring to maintain population size. This prediction is clearly at odds with the low reproductive excess of human populations. Here, we derive expressions for the fraction of individuals that fail to reproduce as a consequence of recurrent deleterious mutation (ϕ) for a model in which selection occurs via differences in relative fitness, such as would occur through competition between individuals. We show that ϕ is much smaller than the value predicted by comparing fitness to that of a mutation-free genotype. Under the relative fitness model, we show that ϕ depends jointly on U and the selective effects of new deleterious mutations and that a species could tolerate 10’s or even 100’s of new deleterious mutations per genome each generation.
The Importance of Conserved Features of Yeast Actin-Binding Protein 1 (Abp1p): The Conditional Nature of Essentiality
Authors: Garcia Bianca , Stollar Elliott J , Davidson Alan R
Published: June 2012

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Actin-Binding Protein 1 (Abp1p) is a member of the Abp1 family of proteins, which are in diverse organisms including fungi, nematodes, flies, and mammals. All proteins in this family possess an N-terminal Actin Depolymerizing Factor Homology (ADF-H) domain, a central Proline-Rich Region (PRR), and a C-terminal SH3 domain. In this study, we employed sequence analysis to identify additional conserved features of the family, including sequences rich in proline, glutamic acid, serine, and threonine amino acids (PEST), which are found in all family members examined, and two motifs, Conserved Fungal Motifs 1 and 2 (CFM1 and CFM2), that are conserved in fungi. We also discovered that, similar to its mammalian homologs, Abp1p is phosphorylated in its PRR. This phosphorylation is mediated by the Cdc28p and Pho85p kinases, and it protects Abp1p from proteolysis mediated by the conserved PEST sequences. We provide evidence for an intramolecular interaction between the PRR region and SH3 domain that may be affected by phosphorylation. Although deletion of CFM1 alone caused no detectable phenotype in any genetic backgrounds or conditions tested, deletion of this motif resulted in a significant reduction of growth when it was combined with a deletion of the ADF-H domain. Importantly, this result demonstrates that deletion of highly conserved domains on its own may produce no phenotype unless the domains are assayed in conjunction with deletions of other functionally important elements within the same protein. Detection of this type of intragenic synthetic lethality provides an important approach for understanding the function of individual protein domains or motifs.
Between History and Divine Plan
Authors: Hiltebeitel Alf
Published: June 2012

The Mahabharata royal patriline is tracked and contextualized here in relation to two prominent themes: its concept of a divine plan (somewhat paralleled in the Ramayana) and its chief genre term itihasa or ‘history’. It is found that these two themes intersect in the Mahabharata at the point where the goddess Ganga ‘descends’ into the royal line as the wife of King Samtanu. Ganga’s intervention then provides new means to interpret the part played by Samtanu’s second wife, Kali Satyavati. Attention is given to etymological clues to the ways these two mothers, and their sons Bhisma and Vyasa respectively, supply continuity to the dynastic line.