bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Theoretical Framework for the Analysis of Residential Solid Wastes Generation and Composition (SWGC) in Bauchi Metropolis, Nigeria
Authors: Isa Harir Adamu , Kasim Rozila , Ishiyaku Bala
Published: July 2015

Solid wastes varies extremely in generation rates and types of materials compositions across countries and cities or even within the city parts due to changing socio-economic and climate conditions which also differs with location and time. Thus, studies to define these parameters are essential for achieving efficiency of waste management. This paper reviewed literature and proposed a framework for the analysis of residential solid wastes generation and composition in Bauchi metropolis Nigeria, being an extract of PhD research in progress. The framework suggested a mixed approach with mainly quantitative. The framework paradigm moves toward positivism school. Case studies and stratified random technique is suggested for sample selection and Experiment and questionnaire surveys will constitute data collection instruments. SPSS software can be used for data analysis. The framework will develop reliable data base to underpin policies for efficient solid waste management in Bauchi metropolis, Nigeria.
Leaching Behavior of Lead Contaminated Soil Sample by Using Sugarcane Bagasse in Stabilization/Solidification Method
Authors: Mohammad Azmi Mohamad Azim , Ahmad Tajudin Saiful Azhar , Abdul Kadir Aeslina , Mohamed Hanif Mohamed Nur Shafiq , Nordin Nurul Syakeera , Adnan Mohd Shalahuddin
Published: July 2015

Recently, Stabilization/Solidification (S/S) method has been focusing on the usage of agricultural waste as an alternative towards environmental friendly and low cost material to substitute cement. The aim of this study is to determine the leachability of lead contaminated soil by using sugarcane bagasse as partial replacement of cement in S/S method. In this study, different percentages (2.5%, 5% and 7.5%) of treated and untreated sugarcane bagasse have been utilized as a partial replacement to cement. Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) and Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure (SPLP) have been conducted to determine the leachability of lead contaminated soil. The results indicate that with 7.5% of treated sugarcane bagasse replacement in cement resulted significant reduction of lead contaminant in soil up to 99 % after 28 days. As a conclusion, treated sugarcane bagasse could be an alternative low cost material in the S/S method as it can significantly reduce the remediation cost normally incurred by the usage of cement.
Green Density Optimisation with Sustainable Sewage Fat as Binder Components in SS316L Feedstock of Metal Injection Moulding Process (MIM) by Taguchi Method
Authors: Amin Azriszul Mohd , Ibrahim Mohd Halim Irwan , Asmawi Rosli , Mustapha Najwa , Hashim Mohd Yussni
Published: July 2015

Metal injection moulding has gain much attention due to flexibility and high productivity of the plastics injection moulding with the powder metallurgy method of sintering. In order to gain better shape retention, optimum density of green part is required. This paper deals with the application of Taguchi optimisation technique on getting the optimum density for Metal Injection Moulding (MIM) components base on certain parameters in process injection. For this purposes only 3 process parameters were considered here including its interactions which are injection pressure, injection temperature and mould temperature. Since its more close to the final products these parameters were selected and other parameters will be kept constant. An orthogonal array of L16 experimental base design was conducted. Confirmation test will be done base on Signal-to-Noise (S/N) ratio and it Means.
Theoretical Modelling of Plate with Attached Vibration Absorber
Authors: Zaman Izzuddin , Mohamed Salleh Muhammad , Manshoor Bukhari , Khalid Amir , Ngali Mohd Zamani , Mohd Sani Mohd Shahrir
Published: July 2015

There are many ways to control the vibration of plate structure. Conventional approaches that include structural alterations are frequently time consuming and costly. One of the common schemes is using vibration absorber attached to a structure. In this paper, a mathematical model is developed to determine the frequency response of fixed-fixed ends plate with attached vibration absorber. A finite element analysis was performed and compared with the theoretical predictions and showed that there was good resemblance. The results demonstrated that the addition of vibration absorber onto plate can attenuate vibration considerably at a constant frequency.
CFD Analysis of Industrial Multi-Stage Impeller in Stirred Tank with Fractal Pattern Baffled and Impeller
Authors: Manshoor Bukhari , Mdsaufi Muhammad Faiq , Zaman Izzuddin , Khalid Amir
Published: July 2015

This paper presents tool for analysis of CFD adapted for flows in multi-staged stirred vessels with fractal pattern baffled for industrial. In order to develop a good mixing process model for stirred tanks, several way have been investigated by using the computational fluid dynamic. Implementing fractal design into stirred tank’s baffle and impeller are believed to influence the flow characteristic inside the stirred tank. The mixing process will be conduct by using multi-stage stirred tanks. Hence, the study is to simulate a fractal pattern baffled stirred vessels with fractal base of impeller. Four models with a new concept and different design of stirred tank have been introduced and studied. The multi-stages stirred tanks will adapted with fractal base pattern concept. The simulation is carry out by using the standard k-ε turbulence model. The results have been analysis in order to prove that which one of that model is the most effective in mixing. The flows produced in stirred tank are different and relevant with each model. The velocity profiles also give a relevant and quite impressive result by each model. At the end, the results will be examined and compared with each data that use a common type of baffle and impeller design.
Parametric Study on Geometrical Arrangement of Sister Hole
Authors: Abdullah Kamil , Amon Firdauz , Mohd Ali Mas Fawzi
Published: July 2015

Modern gas turbines require a sophisticated cooling scheme to remove the heat from its component to ensure it durability. One of the common techniques applied in the cooling scheme is film cooling The present study focuses numerical investigation of an sister cooling hole design. The investigations make use of commercial CFD software, ANSYS CFX. The numerical investigations have been carried out at Reynolds number, Re = 21,000 involving three differens blowing ratios, BR = 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5. Four different cases have been considered; STA, STB STC and SH. The results show promising improvement in terms of film cooling effectiveness with the implementation of sister holes in certain geometrical arrangements.
Review on Restructuring of Malaysia Electricity Supply Industry
Authors: Ngadiron Zuraidah , Radzi N.H. , Yassin Zaris , Amin Izzati
Published: July 2015

The global trend in electricity market has put pressure for Malaysia to restructure industry to be more reliable, transparent, efficient and sustainable. Besides, centralized power purchasing units that exist within a vertically-integrated entity have been criticized for failure to provide a truly playing field for the player in the generation sector competing to sell power to the single buyer. The Malaysian Electricity Supply Industry (MESI) has gone through various stages of reform and has evolved from predominantly single entity to a multiplayer industry particularly in the generation sector. This literature review covers the evolution of MESI from the introducing of the Independent Power Producers (IPPs), issues surrounding and implementation of single buyer which had continued until now. The MESI reformed a single buyer functional structure and framework is also included. However, this model does not offer transparent competition. Thus, other alternative electricity market model, pool/hybrid market model could be applied in order to carry on the MESI previous plan towards restructuring. The significance and relevance of the pool market model and its advantages in the Malaysian context is also discussed.
Application of Injector-Volume Ratio Values in the Development of a Fuel Injection Controller
Authors: Fawzi Mas , Mustaffa Norrizal , Hushim Mohd Faisal , Osman Shahrul Azmir
Published: July 2015

The primary function of an electronic control unit (ECU) of an engine is to calculate the amount of fuel to be delivered into the combustion chamber. The injection duration and duty cycle of the injector will be based on several sensors whose signals the ECU will process to ensure the best engine running condition. However, to study new injection and combustion strategies, where such operation is unavailable in standard ECU, a custom-built fuel injection control system need to be made. This paper describes the development of a fuel injector signal controller, which is being used for internal combustion engine experiment or for the evaluation of any fuel injector static flow rate. Herewith a new term Injector-Volume Ratio (IVR) was introduced to assist the development process. Using the custom-built fuel injection controller, the static flow rate of an injector for a single cylinder 125cc motorcycle engine was determined in accordance to SAEJ1832. From the experiment, the IVR value is proven useful in choosing the right size of a fuel injector to fit any specified engine displacement of a spark ignition engine.
Accelerometer Performance for Maker Faire Quadrotor with Kalman Filtering Using PID Controller
Authors: Zaim Muhammad , Abu Bakar Elmi , Soon Low Hock
Published: July 2015

This paper presents a study on quadrotor using PID controller together with the application of Kalman Filter. Purpose of this project is to study effect of separate Kalman filter in overcoming the signal noise and gyro drift in the attitude sensors and simulate the PID controller which controlling the quadrotor dynamics through damping the vehicle oscillation. In this research, simulation of Kalman Filter in filtering the noise from the inertial moment unit (IMU) and PID controller in damping on unstable oscillation has been conducted to observe the performance of the quadrotor.
Direct Growth of Copper(II) Oxide (CuO) Nanostructures Films via One-Step Chemical Bath Deposition by pH Variation
Authors: Nurfazliana M.F. , Kamaruddin Sharul Ashikin , Nafarizal Nayan , Saim Hashim , Lias Jais , Sahdan Mohd Zainizan
Published: July 2015

An aqueous solution was prepared by mixing the copper(II) sulfate pentahydrate (CuSO4), lactic acid, sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and de-ionized (DI) water. Direct deposition of copper(II) oxide (CuO) nanostructures films on glass substrates was achieved by a simple, inexpensive and one-step chemical bath deposition method. The pH of the solution was varied at 11.7, 12.0, 12.3 and 12.6 and immersed at low temperature (90 °C). The influences of the pH solution towards the surface topography, morphology and thickness were investigated by a field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), an atomic force microscope (AFM) and a surface profiler. Meanwhile, an X-ray diffractometer (XRD) was used to examine the structural properties of CuO films. The optical properties were measured by a UV-Vis spectroscopy. It was found that the grain size of the films decreases and the surface becomes smoother and more uniform by increasing the pH solution. The CuO nanostructures have high crystallinity with monoclinic structure which is preferentially grown along ( ) and (200) directions. Therefore, the film has great potential for gas sensor device.
A Comparative Study of Reassigned Conventional Wavelet Transform for Machinery Faults Detection
Authors: Abdelrhman Ahmed M. , Leong M. Salman , Hee Lim Meng , Ngui Wai Keng
Published: July 2015

Application of Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) in machinery faults detection is known to be only effective if fault is of repetitive in nature and considering severe. While minor and transient faults are usually remain undetected based on vibration spectrum analysis. Wavelet analysis is relatively new technique which is still suffered from inadequately in its time-frequency resolution. In this paper, ahmedrabak_time wavelet is proposed based on the wavelet reassignment technique for Morlet mother wavelet. The proposed wavelet analysis is compared to the conventional wavelet analysis for machinery faults detection based on simulated signal. The results showed that the proposed wavelet has a better resolution than conventional wavelet analysis which could clearly indicate the presence and the location of the fault.
Vehicle Induced Vibration on Real Bridge and Integral Abutment Bridge – A Short Review
Authors: Ibrahim Muhammad Khairil , Ab Rahman Azlan , Hisham Ahmad Baderul
Published: July 2015

Nowadays, vehicle-induced vibration is a subject matter interest in the bridge monitoring field. As compared to other types of excitation such as earthquake and accidental impact, the vehicle-induced vibration is often being less considered during the design process of the bridge. The newly implemented code also does not emphasize on the vibration check for vehicular bridge and requires the engineers to refer to other “unnamed literature” if they would want to consider vibration check during the design process. However, in recent years there were few reported cases of road users experiencing the excessive vibration when they travelled on certain bridges, therefore raising concern among the bridge designer community the need for vibration check. This paper reviews several conducted researches on vehicle-induced vibration on the real bridge, the methodologies adopted and the outcome from each research. While there are extensive research been conducted on the real bridge, this review is limited to the conducted research into the different categories of bridges. Vehicle- induced vibration usually used for modal testing of the vehicular bridges and is chosen due to the flexibility offered by this method as type of excitation. Most of the researchers focused on the vibration by the vehicle of common bridge while less researches for the integral type. In the context of the integral bridge construction in Malaysia, bored pile is widely being used rather than H-type piles for integral bridges. Hence, there is a need for further exploration on the combination of integral type bridges with the bored pile foundation to assess their dynamic characteristics.
The Mechanical Properties of Steel-Polypropylene Fibre Composites Concrete (HyFRCC)
Authors: Ibrahim Izni Syahrizal , Wan Jusoh Wan Amizah , Mohd Sam Abdul Rahman , Mustapa Nur Ain , Sk Abdul Razak Sk Muiz
Published: July 2015

This paper discusses the experimental results on the mechanical properties of hybrid fibre reinforced composite concrete (HyFRCC) containing different proportions of steel fibre (SF) and polypropylene fibre (PPF). The mechanical properties include compressive strength, tensile strength, and flexural strength. SF is known to enhance the flexural and tensile strengths, and at the same time is able to resist the formation of macro cracking. Meanwhile, PPF contributes to the tensile strain capacity and compressive strength, and also delay the formation of micro cracks. Hooked-end deformed type SF fibre with 60 mm length and fibrillated virgin type PPF fibre with 19 mm length are used in this study. Meanwhile, the concrete strength is maintained for grade C30. The percentage proportion of SF-PPF fibres are varied in the range of 100-0%, 75-25%, 50-50%, 25-75% and 0-100% of which the total fibre volume fraction (Vf) is fixed at 0.5%. The experimental results reveal that the percentage proportion of SF-PPF fibres with 75-25% produced the maximum performance of flexural strength, tensile strength and flexural toughness. Meanwhile, the percentage proportion of SF-PPF fibres with 100-0% contributes to the improvement of the compressive strength compared to that of plain concrete.
Synthesis and Characterization of CoFe2O4 & NiFe2O4 Magnetic Nanoparticles for Various Biomedical Applications: Cell Viability and Cell Death Evaluations
Authors: Momin Nooris , Deshmukh Aparna , Radha Srinivasan
Published: July 2015

In this study, we report the synthesis and characterization studies of amine functionalized CoFe2O4and NiFe2O4nanoparticles (NPs). The synthesis process was accomplished by refluxing metal chloride precursors in ethylene glycol in presence of sodium acetate and ethanolamine. The average crystallite sizes of the synthesized particles are found to be in the range of 8-10 nm. The synthesized particles are characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) technique, FTIR, Raman and UV-visible spectroscopy for crystal structure, average size, surface area, phase and functional group determination. The surface morphology and elemental composition were studied by Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) respectively. Magnetic behavior upto fields of 3T at room temperature measured in PPMS magnetometer showed the superparamagnetic behavior of these particles. Analysis of cytotoxicity was carried out by examining their effect on cell viability of human peripheral blood lymphocytes so as to assess biocompatibility for various biomedical applications.
Substrate Selection and Management Strategies for Aqueous EPD
Authors: Hope Peter , Hope Janet
Published: July 2015

Classical EPD has typically been conducted in organic solvent media. Many suitable solvents are volatile and highly flammable and this limits the industrial application of the technique on the basis of safety alone. Aqueous EPD may be seen as a safer method, but issues relating to electrolysis and surface energy phenomena become prominent and can create interferences and variability unless the substrate type and its preparation are compatible with the aqueous EPD chemistry and its deposition method. As EPD layers become thinner, factors such as substrate surface structure and wettability become more critical. Industrial processes utilising some principles of EPD for applying paint from water-based preparations are well established in the metal finishing sector. Consequently there is a significant body of practical experience available from this sector that can be of use in translating classical EPD from a solvent to an aqueous technique while avoiding interferences inherent in the use of water as the deposition medium. In this paper, substrate selection is discussed in relation to the electrolyte content of the system where phenomena such as dissolution and micro-arcing can occur. The initial wetting of the substrate must be considered prior to applying voltage. Surface preparation techniques and the methods of introducing the substrate into the EPD dispersion all can have an impact on the final result. Note: This paper is based on the authors’ personal and practical experience of industrial electrophoretic painting over more than 40 years. Only metal substrates are discussed because these have been almost exclusive in this sector during that time. Non-metal substrates such as conductive plastics, graphite and carbon fibre have also been coated with electrophoretic paints but this is not yet at any significant scale and so no general principles have been established
Surface Modification of Complex Oxide Powder with Polyelectrolyte Layers Improving EPD Characteristics
Authors: Uchikoshi Tetsuo , Eto Eiji , Suzuki Harue T. , Matsunaga Chika , Kobayashi Kiyoshi , Suzuki Tohru S. , Muto Hiroyuki , Matsuda Atsunori
Published: July 2015

The surface modification of Gd doped ceria (GDC) and Sr-and Mg-codoped lanthanum gallate (LSGM) powders with cationic and anionic polyelectrolytes, Poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) and poly (2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid) (PAMPS), respevtively, was performed by the Layer by Layer (LbL) adsorption method to improve the surface-charging uniformity. The tri-layer of GDC/LSGM/GDC was deposited on a polypyrrole coated porous NiO-YSZ substrate by sequential EPD using the ethanol-based suspensions of the surface-modified powders. The topcoating of hydroxyl-propyl cellulose (HPC) on the deposited layers was conducted to control the drying rate with suppressing the cracking and peeling-off of the deposits. The advantage of the use of those polymers for the EPD process including the drying technique was demonstrated.
Textured Beta-Sialon:Eu2+ Phosphor Deposits Fabricated by Electrophoretic Deposition (EPD) Process within a Strong Magnetic Field: Preparation Process and Photoluminescence (PL) Properties Depending on Orientation
Authors: Zhang Chen Ning , Uchikoshi Tetsuo , Liu Li Hong , Dierre Benjamin , Cho Yu Jin , Sakka Yoshio , Hirosaki Naoto , Sekiguchi Takashi
Published: July 2015

Beta-sialon:Eu2+ phosphor deposits were fabricated by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) process within a strong magnetic field (12 T). The direction of the magnetic field was adjusted to be parallel or perpendicular to that of the electric field, that is, vertical-or horizontal setup. The oriented deposits were fabricated by aligning the β-sialon:Eu2+ particles along the higher magnetic-susceptibility c-crystal axis (a, b-crystal plane). For the case of vertically-setup magnetic field, the oriented deposit aligned along the c-axis possessed higher relative deposit density than the randomly fabricated deposit, as a result, varying the intensity ratio of emission and transmitted excitation, and therefore, presenting different chromaticity coordinates; for the case of horizontally-setup magnetic field, photoluminescence (PL) intensities of the deposits oriented along c-axis were significantly improved by comparing with those of the randomly-oriented ones.
Nickel-Cobalt Double Hydroxide Decorated Carbon Nanotubes via Aqueous Electrophoretic Deposition towards Catalytic Glucose Detection
Authors: Balram Anirudh , Jiang Jie Chao , Hernández Fernández Moisés , Meng Dennis De Sheng
Published: July 2015

In this work, we present a facile technique based on electrophoretic deposition (EPD) to produce transition metal hydroxide decorated carbon nanotubes (CNT) for electrochemical applications. We specifically explore the performance of nickel-cobalt hydroxides given their high activity, conductivity and stability as compared to the individual hydroxides. We exploit the high local pH at the negative electrodes during water-based EPD to form nanoparticles of nickel-cobalt hydroxides in situ on the CNT surface. We focus our work here on obtaining functional and conductive deposits on CNTs. The hydrophilic binderless deposits of Ni-Co double hydroxide decorated CNTs obtained here are used for non-enzymatic glucose detection. XPS data and electrochemical testing reveal difference in the deposited double hydroxide based on chronology of charging salt addition even at the same ratio. When cobalt and nickel salts are sequentially added at a ratio of 1:1, the deposited double hydroxides show excellent glucose sensitivity of ~3300μA/mM.cm2at applied potential of 0.55V vs. Ag/AgCl reference electrode.
Persistent Antigen and Prolonged AKT–mTORC1 Activation Underlie Memory CD8 T Cell Impairment in the Absence of CD4 T Cells
Authors: Li Yingzhong , Shen Chase , Zhu Bingdong , Shi Feng , Eisen Herman N. , Chen Jianzhu
Published: July 2015

Recall responses by memory CD8 T cells are impaired in the absence of CD4 T cells. Although several mechanisms have been proposed, the molecular basis is still largely unknown. Using a local influenza virus infection in the respiratory tract and the lung of CD4−/− mice, we show that memory CD8 T cell impairment is limited to the lungs and the lung-draining lymph nodes, where viral Ags are unusually persistent and abundant in these mice. Persistent Ag exposure results in prolonged activation of the AKT–mTORC1 pathway in Ag-specific CD8 T cells, favoring their development into effector memory T cells at the expense of central memory T cells, and inhibition of mTORC1 by rapamycin largely corrects the impairment by promoting central memory T cell development. The findings suggest that the prolonged AKT–mTORC1 activation driven by persistent Ag is a critical mechanism underlying the impaired memory CD8 T cell development and responses in the absence of CD4 T cells.
Dual Function of the IRF8 Transcription Factor in Autoimmune Uveitis: Loss of IRF8 in T Cells Exacerbates Uveitis, Whereas Irf8 Deletion in the Retina Confers Protection
Authors: Kim Sung-Hye , Burton Jenna , Yu Cheng-Rong , Sun Lin , He Chang , Wang Hongsheng , Morse Herbert C. , Egwuagu Charles E.
Published: July 2015

IFN regulatory factor 8 (IRF8) is constitutively expressed in monocytes and B cells and plays a critical role in the functional maturation of microglia cells. It is induced in T cells following Ag stimulation, but its functions are less well understood. However, recent studies in mice with T cell–specific Irf8 disruption under direction of the Lck promoter (LCK-IRF8KO) suggest that IRF8 directs a silencing program for Th17 differentiation, and IL-17 production is markedly increased in IRF8-deficient T cells. Paradoxically, loss of IRF8 in T cells has no effect on the development or severity of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), although exacerbating colitis in a mouse colitis model. In contrast, mice with a macrophage/microglia-specific Irf8 disruption are resistant to EAE, further confounding our understanding of the roles of IRF8 in host immunity and autoimmunity. To clarify the role of IRF8 in autoimmune diseases, we have generated two mouse strains with targeted deletion of Irf8 in retinal cells, including microglial cells and a third mouse strain with targeted Irf8 deletion in T cells under direction of the nonpromiscuous, CD4 promoter (CD4-IRF8KO). In contrast to the report that IRF8 deletion in T cells has no effect on EAE, experimental autoimmune uveitis is exacerbated in CD4-IRF8KO mice and disease enhancement correlates with significant expansion of Th17 cells and a reduction in T regulatory cells. In contrast to CD4-IRF8KO mice, Irf8 deletion in retinal cells confers protection from uveitis, underscoring divergent and tissue-specific roles of IRF8 in host immunity. These results raise a cautionary note in the context of therapeutic targeting of IRF8.
Natural Anti-Infective Pulmonary Proteins: In Vivo Cooperative Action of Surfactant Protein SP-A and the Lung Antimicrobial Peptide SP-BN
Authors: Coya Juan Manuel , Akinbi Henry T. , Sáenz Alejandra , Yang Li , Weaver Timothy E. , Casals Cristina
Published: July 2015

The anionic antimicrobial peptide SP-BN, derived from the N-terminal saposin-like domain of the surfactant protein (SP)-B proprotein, and SP-A are lung anti-infective proteins. SP-A–deficient mice are more susceptible than wild-type mice to lung infections, and bacterial killing is enhanced in transgenic mice overexpressing SP-BN. Despite their potential anti-infective action, in vitro studies indicate that several microorganisms are resistant to SP-A and SP-BN. In this study, we test the hypothesis that these proteins act synergistically or cooperatively to strengthen each other’s microbicidal activity. The results indicate that the proteins acted synergistically in vitro against SP-A– and SP-BN–resistant capsulated Klebsiella pneumoniae (serotype K2) at neutral pH. SP-A and SP-BN were able to interact in solution (Kd = 0.4 μM), which enabled their binding to bacteria with which SP-A or SP-BN alone could not interact. In vivo, we found that treatment of K. pneumoniae–infected mice with SP-A and SP-BN conferred more protection against K. pneumoniae infection than each protein individually. SP-A/SP-BN–treated infected mice showed significant reduction of bacterial burden, enhanced neutrophil recruitment, and ameliorated lung histopathology with respect to untreated infected mice. In addition, the concentrations of inflammatory mediators in lung homogenates increased early in infection in contrast with the weak inflammatory response of untreated K. pneumoniae–infected mice. Finally, we found that therapeutic treatment with SP-A and SP-BN 6 or 24 h after bacterial challenge conferred significant protection against K. pneumoniae infection. These studies show novel anti-infective pathways that could drive development of new strategies against pulmonary infections.
Adaptive Immunity against Streptococcus pyogenes in Adults Involves Increased IFN-γ and IgG3 Responses Compared with Children
Authors: Mortensen Rasmus , Nissen Thomas Nørrelykke , Blauenfeldt Thomas , Christensen Jan P. , Andersen Peter , Dietrich Jes
Published: July 2015

Each year, millions of people are infected with Streptococcus pyogenes, leading to an estimated 500,000 annual deaths worldwide. For unknown reasons, school-aged children have substantially higher infection rates than adults. The goal for this study was to provide, to our knowledge, the first detailed characterization of the human adaptive immune response against S. pyogenes in both children and adults. We report that all adults in our study, as well as most children, showed immunity against the two conserved group A streptococci (GAS) Ags, streptococcal C5a peptidase and immunogenic secreted protein. The response primarily consisted of three subsets of Th1 T cells, in which the TNF-α+ and IL-2+TNF-α+ subsets were most frequent. Humoral immunity was dominated by IgG1 and IgG3, whereas the Th2-associated IgG4 isotype was only detected at very low amounts. IgG3 levels correlated significantly with IFN-γ, but not with IL-5, IL-13, IL-17, or TNF-α. Interestingly, children showed a similar pattern of Ag-specific cytokine release, but displayed significantly lower levels of IgG3 and IFN-γ compared with adults. Thus, human immune responses against S. pyogenes consist of a robust Th1 cellular memory response in combination with IgG1/IgG3-dominated humoral immunity that increase with age. The significance of these data regarding both the increased GAS infection rate in children and the development of protective GAS vaccines is discussed.
Cutting Edge: Retinoic Acid Signaling in B Cells Is Essential for Oral Immunization and Microflora Composition
Authors: Pantazi Eirini , Marks Ellen , Stolarczyk Emilie , Lycke Nils , Noelle Randolph J. , Elgueta Raul
Published: July 2015

Retinoic acid (RA) is a critical regulator of the intestinal adaptive immune response. However, the intrinsic impact of RA on B cell differentiation in the regulation of gut humoral immunity in vivo has never been directly shown. To address this issue, we have been able to generate a mouse model where B cells specifically express a dominant-negative receptor α for RA. In this study, we show that the silencing of RA signaling in B cells reduces the numbers of IgA+ Ab-secreting cells both in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that RA has a direct effect on IgA plasma cell differentiation. Moreover, the lack of RA signaling in B cells abrogates Ag-specific IgA responses after oral immunization and affects the microbiota composition. In conclusion, these results suggest that RA signaling in B cells through the RA receptor α is important to generate an effective gut humoral response and to maintain a normal microbiota composition.
The time-dependent quantitative analysis of a polytetrafluoroethylene pyrolysis product stream by inline FTIR spectroscopy
Authors: Bezuidenhoudt Anya
Published: July 2015

No abstract available
An assessment of environmental impact assessment report quality pertaining to renewable energy projects in South Africa
Authors: Boshoff Daniel
Published: July 2015

No abstract available
Germinação e vigor de sementes de pau d’alho sob estresse salino
Authors: Lopes José Carlos , Freitas Allan Rocha de , Beltrame Rômulo André , Venancio Luan Peroni , Manhone Pedro Ramon , Silva Fernanda Rodrigues Nunes e
Published: July 2015

 A salinidade dos solos é um dos mais importantes fatores de estresse abiótico, afetando negativamente diversos aspectos da fisiologia e bioquímica das plantas. Este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar o efeito do pré-condicionamento de sementes de Gallesia integrifolia sob de estresse salino com nitrato de potássio (KNO3) e nitropurinato de sódio (SNP). As sementes foram tratadas através do pré-condicionamento de imersão em soluções com cinco concentrações de KNO3 (0,0, 0,01, 0,1, 1 e 10 mg L-1) e de SNP (0, 0,01, 0,1, 1 e 10 mg L-1) por uma hora. Em seguida, as sementes foram distribuídas em folhas de papel filtro previamente umedecidos com soluções salinas em três potenciais osmóticos (0,0, -0,6 e - 1,2 MPa), sendo os rolos de papel mantidos em câmara de germinação do tipo BOD sob temperatura alternada de 20-30 ºC com fotoperíodo de 8/16 h durante 22 dias. Observou-se que o menor potencial osmótico acarretou redução das médias para todas as variáveis avaliadas. O potencial osmótico de -1,2 MPa influenciou negativamente a germinação e vigor de sementes de pau d’alho. KNO3 e SNP na concentração de 1 mg L-1 proporcionam redução do efeito salino nas sementes.
Germinação de sementes de três espécies de Fabaceae típicas de floresta estacional decidual
Authors: Arruda Daniel Meira , Brandão Diego Oliveira , Veloso Maria das Dores Magalhães , Nunes Yule Roberta Ferreira
Published: July 2015

O presente estudo avalia a germinação de sementes de Anadenanthera colubrina, Acacia polyphylla e Bauhinia cheilantha, espécies típicas de florestas decíduas, submetidas a tratamentos pré-germinativos e ataque de insetos nativos. As sementes de cada espécie foram agrupadas em: sementes escarificadas com lixa, sementes imergidas em água aquecida a 70 °C, sementes com sinais de ataque por insetos e o grupo controle. A maior proporção de sementes germinadas ocorreu na primeira semana de incubação, com pico de germinação variando do primeiro ao terceiro dia. Independente do grupo avaliado, A. polyphylla e B. cheilantha apresentaram elevada taxa de germinação (> 90%), sendo reduzida apenas quando as sementes apresentaram ataque por insetos (< 25%). O grupo de escarificação mecânica em A. polyphylla apresentou máxima germinação (100%) e aumentou a velocidade da germinação. Em A. colubrina, não houve diferença entre os grupos e a taxa de germinação foi inferior (< 50%), a qual foi atribuída à infestação por fungos, comumente relatada em experimentos com a espécie, independente dos procedimentos usuais de higienização. Salvo efeito de infestação por fungos em A. colubrina, as espécies avaliadas mostraram-se independentes de tratamentos pré-germinativos para obter uma elevada taxa de germinação.
Produção de mudas de cedro em função de tipos de recipiente e fontes de fertilizante
Authors: De Castro Pias Osmar Henrique , Berghetti Juliano , Somavilla Lucindo , Bisognin Cantarelli Edison
Published: July 2015

A fonte de fertilizante e o tipo de recipiente utilizado na produção de mudas em um viveiro estão diretamente relacionados com o custo e a qualidade das mudas. Neste sentido, o objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a produção de mudas de cedro em função do tamanho de recipientes e fontes de adubação. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos inteiramente casualizados, em um esquema fatorial 3 x 3 x 7, com 3 repetições. Os tratamentos consistiram em três tipos de recipiente (Tubete, saco plástico e bombona), três fontes de adubação (Convencional, Kimcoat® e Osmocote®) e sete épocas de avaliação. Foi avaliado a altura, diâmetro de colo, relação altura/diâmetro de colo e índice de clorofila das folhas das mudas. A partir dos resultados pode-se concluir que as mudas de cedro-rosa adubadas com Osmocote® apresentam os maiores índices de crescimento, já as produzidas com o fertilizante Kimcoat® não diferem das produzidas com o fertilizante convencional. Os recipientes sacos plásticos e bombonas proporcionam crescimentos similares em altura, e índice de clorofila das mudas de cedro-rosa, no entanto as produzidas em bombonas possuem uma melhor qualidade, devido ao maior desenvolvimento em diâmetro de colo.
Equação de volume para espécies comerciais em Floresta Ombrófila Densa no sul de Roraima
Authors: Tonini Helio , Borges Renato Alves
Published: July 2015

Este trabalho teve como objetivo ajustar e selecionar modelos matemáticos para a estimativa do volume comercial com casca para espécies comerciais de uma Floresta Ombrófila Densa de Terra Firme localizada no sul de Roraima. Foram abatidas e cubadas pelo método de Smalian 122 árvores de 18 espécies com diâmetro à altura do peito maior do que 50 cm. Foram testados nove modelos, ajustados pelos métodos dos mínimos quadrados, e selecionados em função do coeficiente de determinação ajustado, do erro padrão de estimativa em porcentagem, do valor de F calculado e da análise gráfica da distribuição dos resíduos. Recomendou-se o modelo de Schumacher-Hall. O modelo de Kopezki-Gherardt pode ser empregado, quando não se utilizar dados de altura comercial.
Registro da presença e danos causados por coleopteros em macaúba
Authors: Giraldo Montoya Sebastián , Motoike Sergio Yoshimitsu , Kuki Kacilda Naomi , De Oliveira Cleber Macedo , Gomes Honorio Isabela Cristina
Published: July 2015

O objetivo deste trabalho foi identificar as espécies de besouros coletados em uma população nativa de macaúba (Acrocomia aculeata (Jacq.) Lodd), bem como caracterizar suas atividades, para futuros estudos da interação planta x inseto. Indivíduos adultos do gorgulho dos frutos e do besouro pardo foram capturados manualmente nos frutos e nos folíolos de plantas adultas de macaúba. Os insetos foram associados com o abortamento prematuro dos frutos e com a redução da área fotossintetizante das plantas.
Estrutura da vegetação colonizadora em ambiente degradado por extração de cascalho em Diamantina, MG
Authors: Pereira Israel Marinho , Gonzaga Anne Priscila Dias , Machado Evandro Luiz Mendonça , Oliveira Marcio Leles Romarco , Marques Izabel Cristina
Published: July 2015

Este trabalho procurou identificar e quantificar espécies colonizadoras e estrutura em área de empréstimo, assim como listar espécies para recuperação de áreas degradadas. Foram selecionados três ambientes, sendo o ambiente 1 (A1) com histórico de uso menos intenso; ambiente 2 (A2) nível de degradação intermediário e ambiente 3 (A3) com maior degradação. Nos três ambientes foram sorteadas 20 parcelas de 25 m2. Nestas, foram amostrados todos os indivíduos com altura ≥ 0,10 m e DAS ≤ 5,0 cm. Foram calculados os índices de diversidade de Shannon (H’), equabilidade de Pielou (J’), similaridade de Jaccard e Czekanowski, assim como os parâmetros fitossiológicos e a análise de espécies indicadoras. Foram registradas 32 espécies pertencentes a 15 famílias. O ambiente A1 foi o mais rico em espécies e com maior densidade e A2 apresentou a menor riqueza e densidade. Os ambientes apresentaram baixa similaridade florística e estrutural, sendo observadas diferenças estatísticas para a densidade (sendo encontrados 844, 270 e 497 indivíduos em A1, A2 e A3, respectivamente) e diversidade que variou entre 1,680 a 2,074 nats.indivíduo-1. Provavelmente, estas divergências se devem às variações do ambiente impostas pelas diferentes intensidades de degradação.
Crescimento de mudas de angico-vermelho em diferentes volumes de substratos
Authors: Baldin Talita , Conte Bruno , Denardi Luciano , Moraes Rosana De , Witt Saldanha Cleber
Published: July 2015

Objetivou-se nesse trabalho avaliar a influência de diferentes volumes de substratos na qualidade de mudas de angico-vermelho (Parapiptadenia rigida (Benth.) Brenan). Foram utilizados tubetes plásticos de seção circular com volume de 50, 100 e 175 cm³. O delineamento experimental adotado consistiu no inteiramente casualizado, com três tratamentos (volume de substrato) e seis repetições. A qualidade das plântulas foi avaliada através dos atributos: altura da parte aérea, diâmetro do colo, número de folhas, biomassa seca aérea e radicular, e biomassa seca total. Através dessas variáveis, foram determinadas as relações: altura/diâmetro do colo, biomassa seca radicular/biomassa seca aérea, altura/biomassa seca aérea, bem como o índice de qualidade de Dickson. O volume do recipiente influenciou nas características das mudas, visto que as plântulas produzidas em tubetes de maior volume (175 cm³) apresentaram melhor desempenho. A menor dimensão de recipiente (50 cm³) limitou o crescimento das plantas, acarretando em mudas com qualidade inferior.
The Department of Defense and Homeland Security relationship: Hurricane Katrina through Hurricane Irene
Authors: Weaver, DPA John Michael
Published: July 2015

This research explored federal intervention with the particular emphasis on examining how a collaborative relationship between Department of Defense (DOD) and Homeland Security (DHS) led to greater effectiveness between these two federal departments and their subordinates (United States Northern Command and Federal Emergency Management Agency, respectively) during the preparation and response phases of the disaster cycle regarding US continental-based hurricanes. Through the application of a two-phased, sequential mixed methods approach, this study determined how their relationship has led to longitudinal improvements in the years following Hurricane Katrina, focusing on hurricanes as the primary unit of analysis.
Explaining state-level differences in brain cancer mortality in the United States by population ancestries: a spatial approach
Authors: Voutilainen Ari , Sherwood Paula R.
Published: July 2015

To some extent, the spatial differences in brain cancer mortality rate appear to arise from the difference in the mortality betweenethnic groups. In the United States (US), for example, brain cancer mortality rate is higher among White Non-Hispanic thanother groups. The US brain cancer mortality data (age-adjusted and pooled over 2007-2011) were gathered from the State CancerProfiles web site. The brain cancer mortality rates were associated with the geographic distribution of different ancestral andethnic groups at the state-level by applying three different statistical analyses to find out the most evident spatial patterns. Thegeographic distribution of the brain cancer mortality was related to the proportion of foreign-born Black and White in the USpopulation so that the mortality rate was high in the states were the proportion of foreign-born was low and vice versa. The onlyancestries which increased the mortality among White Non-Hispanic in the US population were from a relatively restricted area inEurope including Germany, Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Luxemburg, Belgium, and the Nordic countries except for Iceland.This study gave reasons for the discussion about the possible existence of population-level genetic susceptibilities to the braincancer and/or higher risk of mortality. Brain cancer mortality in general as well as the present results apply mainly to gliomas.
Envisioning Colonial Landscapes Using Mission Registers, Radiocarbon, and Stable Isotopes: An Experimental Approach from San Francisco Bay
Authors: Schneider Tsim D.
Published: July 2015

The periodization used to distinguish sites and artifacts as "prehistoric" or "historic" translates to the selection of field methods and analytical techniques. This comes at the expense of developing new approaches to track continuities and adjustments in Native American site use, technologies, and other cultural traditions, such as mobility across an artificial divide between prehistory and history. To evaluate the mobility of Coast Miwok people in colonial San Francisco Bay, California, this article presents an experimental technique that compares radiocarbon and geochemical data from a Late period Phase 2(A.D. 1500-1800) shellmound (CA-MRN-114) to baptismal records from Spanish missions (A.D.l 776-1830s). Supported by eyewitness accounts of native fugitivism, furlough, and foraging at the missions, Coast Miwok baptisms before 1817 are at their lowest during traditional times of mussel harvests. After 1817, a different pattern is examined vis-d-vis the colonial landscapes taking shape in the region. Radiocarbon, geochemical, and documentary evidence supports the conclusion that seasonally oriented Coast Miwok mobility involving the collection of shellfish continued even during missionization. With further refinement, the proposed methodological framework holds promise for documenting patterns that often go unseen in the historical record and enhancing the archaeology of colonialism in North America.
MutS/MutL crystal structure reveals that the MutS sliding clamp loads MutL onto DNA
Authors: Groothuizen Flora S , Winkler Ines , Cristóvão Michele , Fish Alexander , Winterwerp Herrie HK , Reumer Annet , Marx Andreas D , Hermans Nicolaas , Nicholls Robert A , Murshudov Garib N , Lebbink Joyce HG , Friedhoff Peter , Sixma Titia K
Published: July 2015

To avoid mutations in the genome, DNA replication is generally followed by DNA mismatch repair (MMR). MMR starts when a MutS homolog recognizes a mismatch and undergoes an ATP-dependent transformation to an elusive sliding clamp state. How this transient state promotes MutL homolog recruitment and activation of repair is unclear. Here we present a crystal structure of the MutS/MutL complex using a site-specifically crosslinked complex and examine how large conformational changes lead to activation of MutL. The structure captures MutS in the sliding clamp conformation, where tilting of the MutS subunits across each other pushes DNA into a new channel, and reorientation of the connector domain creates an interface for MutL with both MutS subunits. Our work explains how the sliding clamp promotes loading of MutL onto DNA, to activate downstream effectors. We thus elucidate a crucial mechanism that ensures that MMR is initiated only after detection of a DNA mismatch.
Differential inhibition onto developing and mature granule cells generates high-frequency filters with variable gain
Authors: Pardi María Belén , Ogando Mora Belén , Schinder Alejandro F , Marin-Burgin Antonia
Published: July 2015

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis provides the dentate gyrus with heterogeneous populations of granule cells (GC) originated at different times. The contribution of these cells to information encoding is under current investigation. Here, we show that incoming spike trains activate different populations of GC determined by the stimulation frequency and GC age. Immature GC respond to a wider range of stimulus frequencies, whereas mature GC are less responsive at high frequencies. This difference is dictated by feedforward inhibition, which restricts mature GC activation. Yet, the stronger inhibition of mature GC results in a higher temporal fidelity compared to that of immature GC. Thus, hippocampal inputs activate two populations of neurons with variable frequency filters: immature cells, with wide‐range responses, that are reliable transmitters of the incoming frequency, and mature neurons, with narrow frequency response, that are precise at informing the beginning of the stimulus, but with a sparse activity.
Descripción y análisis de la interactividad asociada al contenido televisivo en Chile: sitios web y TV de pago
Authors:   Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Fernández Medina Francisco
Published: July 2015

La oportunidad de prestación de nuevos servicios y contenidos interactivos que surge del proceso de digitalización de la señal televisiva no se da en la oferta actual de contenidos de la televisión terrestre en Chile, aunque sí en las páginas web de los canales y en la televisión de pago. Este artículo da cuenta de los principales resultados de una investigación que describe las opciones de interactividad de los sitios web de los canales de televisión y evalúa, mediante el uso de un test de usabilidad, las interfaces de contenido televisivo ofrecidas por la televisión de pago en Chile. Las pruebas demostraron que tanto la presentación de los contenidos como el diseño de interacción están lejos de una experiencia de usuario positiva.