bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
English in Italian advertising
Authors: VETTOREL PAOLA
Published: May 2013

Language mixing in advertising, particularly with the English language, has been a widely researched area. English is generally used to connote products with a cosmopolitan, international, modern and ‘cool’ hue, and is increasingly mixed with local languages to combine global with local appeal. This paper provides a qualitative investigation of print advertisements selected from a corpus collected in 2009/2010, which discusses processes of language creativity exploiting both English, and English and Italian language mixing. The findings suggest that English is occurs frequently in print adverts addressed to Italian readers/consumers. While slogans and headlines still represent the main areas where English is employed as an authoritative, dominant voice, language mixing with English appears not to be limited to isolated lexical borrowings. English is exploited as an attention‐getter, as a marker of cosmopolitan and international values, but also as a resource upon which to draw in terms of linguistic and cross‐linguistic creativity.
Guidelines for Repair Welding of Pressure Equipment in Refineries and Chemical Plants
Authors: Yamamoto Eiichi , Shiga Keisuke , Kayano Rinzo , Okazaki Tsukasa , Watanabe Hirohisa , Kiso Tomoaki , Tahara Takayasu , Minami Fumiyoshi
Published: May 2013

This paper outlines the technical logic/steps that have been documented in JWES-CP-0902, “Guidelines for Repair Welding on Pressure Equipment”(hereinafter the Guidelines). The paper covers the work flow logic that can be followed by maintenance personnel as they address making a repair welding in pressure vessels/piping made of both ferrous and nonferrous materials after flaw detection during inspection during refinery operation. Material degradation factors that are considered include: strength loss, ductility loss, temper embrittlement, σ embrittlement, corrosion metal loss, stress corrosion cracking, fatigue, and creep.
Estimation of the Time Delay Associated With Damping Controlled Fluidelastic Instability in a Normal Triangular Tube Array
Authors: Mahon John , Meskell Craig
Published: May 2013

Fluidelastic instability (FEI) produces large amplitude self-excited vibrations close to the natural frequency of the structure. For fluidelastic instability caused by the damping controlled mechanism, there is a time delay between tube motion and the resulting fluid forces but magnitude and physical cause of this is unclear. This study measures the time delay between tube motion and the resulting fluid forces in a normal triangular tube array with a pitch ratio of 1.32 subject to air cross-flow. The instrumented cylinder was forced to oscillate in the lift direction at three excitation frequencies for a range of flow velocities. Unsteady surface pressures were monitored with a sample frequency of 2 kHz at the mid plane of the instrumented cylinder. The instantaneous fluid forces were obtained by integrating the surface pressure data. A time delay between the tube motion and resulting fluid forces was obtained. The nondimensionalized time delay was of the same order of magnitude assumed in the semi-empirical quasi-steady model (i.e., τ2 = 0.29 d/U). Although, further work is required to provide a parameterized model of the time delay which can be embedded in a model of damping controlled fluidelastic forces, the data already provides some insight into the physical mechanism responsible.
Atom probe tomography of AlInN/GaN HEMT structures
Authors: Dawahre Nabil , Shen Gang , Renfrow Steven N. , Kim Seongsin M. , Kung Patrick
Published: May 2013

The authors report a correlated study of the atom probe tomography (APT) of lattice matched AlInN/GaN and strained AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor structures, before and after exposure to 60Co irradiation. The AlInN/GaN exhibited a decrease in carrier density while the AlGaN/GaN was found to be more radiation tolerant. Analysis of the APT data revealed that the buried interface near the channel exhibited a much larger increase in isosurface roughness at the AlInN/GaN than at the AlGaN/GaN interfaces. This is believed to contribute to the scattering of carriers out of the channel, and the resulting deterioration of the charge transport characteristics. A proxigram analysis showed that the observed increased roughness at the AlInN/GaN heterointerface was not concurrent with a significant change in its diffuseness.
Experimental analysis of general ion recombination in a liquid‐filled ionization chamber in high‐energy photon beams
Authors: Chung Eunah , Davis Stephen , Seuntjens Jan
Published: May 2013

Purpose:

To study experimentally the general ion recombination effect in a liquid‐filled ionization chamber (LIC) in high‐energy photon beams.

Methods:

The general ion recombination effect on the response of a micro liquid ion chamber (microLion) was investigated with a 6 MV photon beam in normal and SRS modes produced from a Varian® Novalis TxTM linear accelerator. Dose rates of the linear accelerator were set to 100, 400, and 1000 MU/min, which correspond to pulse repetition frequencies of 60, 240, and 600 Hz, respectively. Polarization voltages applied to the microLion were +800 and +400 V. The relative collection efficiency of the microLion response as a function of dose per pulse was experimentally measured with changing polarization voltage and pulse repetition frequencies and was compared with the theoretically calculated value.

Results:

For the 60 Hz pulse repetition frequency, the experimental relative collection efficiency was not different from the theoretical one for a pulsed beam more than 0.3% for both polarization voltages. For a pulsed radiation beam with a higher pulse repetition frequency, the experimental relative collection efficiency converged to the theoretically calculated efficiency for continuous beams. This result indicates that the response of the microLion tends toward the response to a continuous beam with increasing pulse repetition frequency of a pulsed beam because of low ion mobility in the liquid.

Conclusions:

This work suggests an empirical method to correct for differences in general ion recombination of a LIC between different radiation fields. More work is needed to quantitatively explain the LIC general ion recombination behavior in pulsed beams generated from linear accelerators.
Drugs in Search of Diseases
Authors: Paul Steven M. , Lewis-Hall Freda
Published: May 2013

Drug repurposing is in vogue, but stakeholders must address seminal challenges before this approach provides a reliable source of new medicines.
Erosive Rheumatoid Arthritis Is Associated with Antibodies That Activate PAD4 by Increasing Calcium Sensitivity
Authors: Darrah Erika , Giles Jon T. , Ols Michelle L. , Bull Herbert G. , Andrade Felipe , Rosen Antony
Published: May 2013

Autoantibodies from rheumatoid arthritis patients augment the function of PAD4 by decreasing its calcium requirement.
The Polyphosphate Kinase Gene
ppk2
Is Required for Mycobacterium tuberculosis Inorganic Polyphosphate Regulation and Virulence
Authors: Chuang Yu-Min , Belchis Deborah A. , Karakousis Petros C.
Published: May 2013

The
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
gene
Rv3232c
/
MT3329
(
ppk2
) encodes a class II polyphosphate kinase, which hydrolyzes inorganic polyphosphate (poly P) to synthesize GTP. We assessed the role of
ppk2
in
M. tuberculosis
poly P regulation, antibiotic tolerance, and virulence. A
ppk2
-deficient mutant (
ppk2
::Tn) and its isogenic wild-type (WT) and complemented (Comp) strains were studied. For each strain, the intrabacillary poly P content, MIC of isoniazid, and growth kinetics during infection of J774 macrophages were determined. Multiplex immunobead assays were used to evaluate cytokines elaborated during macrophage infection. The requirement of
ppk2
for
M. tuberculosis
virulence was assessed in the murine model. The
ppk2
::Tn mutant was found to have significantly increased poly P content and a 4-fold increase in the MIC of isoniazid relative to the WT and Comp strains. The
ppk2
::Tn mutant showed reduced survival at day 7 in activated and naive J774 macrophages relative to the WT. Naive
ppk2
::Tn mutant-infected macrophages showed increased expression of interleukin 2 (IL-2), IL-9, IL-10, IL-12p70, and gamma interferon (IFN-γ) relative to WT-infected macrophages. The
ppk2
::Tn mutant exhibited significantly lower lung CFU during acute murine infection compared to the control groups.
ppk2
is required for control of intrabacillary poly P levels and optimal
M. tuberculosis
growth and survival in macrophages and mouse lungs.

IMPORTANCE
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
, the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), is a highly successful human pathogen because it has developed mechanisms to multiply and survive in the lungs by circumventing the immune system. Identification of virulence factors responsible for
M. tuberculosis
growth and persistence in host tissues may assist in the development of novel strategies to treat TB. In this study, we found that the mycobacterial enzyme polyphosphate kinase 2 (PPK2) is required for controlling intracellular levels of important regulatory molecules and for maintaining susceptibility to the first-line anti-TB drug isoniazid. In addition, PPK2 was found to be required for
M. tuberculosis
growth in the lungs of mice, at least in part by suppressing the expression of certain key cytokines and chemokines by inactivated lung macrophages.
Physiological and Genetic Description of Dissimilatory Perchlorate Reduction by the Novel Marine Bacterium
Arcobacter
sp. Strain CAB
Authors: Carlström Charlotte I. , Wang Ouwei , Melnyk Ryan A. , Bauer Stefan , Lee Joyce , Engelbrektson Anna , Coates John D.
Published: May 2013

A novel dissimilatory perchlorate-reducing bacterium (DPRB),
Arcobacter
sp. strain CAB, was isolated from a marina in Berkeley, CA. Phylogenetically, this halophile was most closely related to
Arcobacter defluvii
strain SW30-2 and
Arcobacter ellisii
. With acetate as the electron donor, strain CAB completely reduced perchlorate (ClO
4
−
) or chlorate (ClO
3
−
) [collectively designated (per)chlorate] to innocuous chloride (Cl
−
), likely using the perchlorate reductase (Pcr) and chlorite dismutase (Cld) enzymes. When grown with perchlorate, optimum growth was observed at 25 to 30°C, pH 7, and 3% NaCl. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) preparations were dominated by free-swimming straight rods with 1 to 2 polar flagella per cell. Strain CAB utilized a variety of organic acids, fructose, and hydrogen as electron donors coupled to (per)chlorate reduction. Further, under anoxic growth conditions strain CAB utilized the biogenic oxygen produced as a result of chlorite dismutation to oxidize catechol via the
meta
-cleavage pathway of aerobic catechol degradation and the catechol 2,3-dioxygenase enzyme. In addition to (per)chlorate, oxygen and nitrate were alternatively used as electron acceptors. The 3.48-Mb draft genome encoded a distinct perchlorate reduction island (PRI) containing several transposases. The genome lacks the
pcrC
gene, which was previously thought to be essential for (per)chlorate reduction, and appears to use an unrelated
Arcobacter c
-type cytochrome to perform the same function.

IMPORTANCE
The study of dissimilatory perchlorate-reducing bacteria (DPRB) has largely focused on freshwater, mesophilic, neutral-pH environments. This study identifies a novel marine DPRB in the genus
Arcobacter
that represents the first description of a DPRB associated with the
Campylobacteraceae
. Strain CAB is currently the only epsilonproteobacterial DPRB in pure culture. The genome of strain CAB lacks the
pcrC
gene found in all other DPRB tested, demonstrating a new variation on the (per)chlorate reduction pathway. The ability of strain CAB to oxidize catechol via the oxygenase-dependent
meta
-cleavage pathway in the absence of external oxygen by using the biogenic oxygen produced from the dismutation of chlorite provides a valuable model for understanding the anaerobic degradation of a broad diversity of xenobiotics which are recalcitrant to anaerobic metabolism but labile to oxygenase-dependent mechanisms.
Pyrophosphate-Fueled Na+and H+Transport in Prokaryotes
Authors: Baykov Alexander A. , Malinen Anssi M. , Luoto Heidi H. , Lahti Reijo
Published: May 2013

In its early history, life appeared to depend on pyrophosphate rather than ATP as the source of energy. Ancient membrane pyrophosphatases that couple pyrophosphate hydrolysis to active H+transport across biological membranes (H+-pyrophosphatases) have long been known in prokaryotes, plants, and protists. Recent studies have identified two evolutionarily related and widespread prokaryotic relics that can pump Na+(Na+-pyrophosphatase) or both Na+and H+(Na+,H+-pyrophosphatase). Both these transporters require Na+for pyrophosphate hydrolysis and are further activated by K+. The determination of the three-dimensional structures of H+- and Na+-pyrophosphatases has been another recent breakthrough in the studies of these cation pumps. Structural and functional studies have highlighted the major determinants of the cation specificities of membrane pyrophosphatases and their potential use in constructing transgenic stress-resistant organisms.
Provision of hormonal and long-acting reversible contraceptive services by general practices in Scotland, UK (2004–2009)
Authors: Reddy Anusha , Watson Margaret , Hannaford Philip , Lefevre Karen , Ayansina Dolapo
Published: May 2013

Background

In the UK, a large proportion of contraceptive services are provided from general practice. However, little is known about which contraceptive services are provided and to whom.

Study design

Descriptive serial cross-sectional study of women aged 12–55 years, registered with 191 general practices in Scotland, UK between 2004 and 2009.

Results

Annual incidence of provision of hormonal and long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) increased from 27.7% in 2004 to 30.1% in 2009. Amongst those women registered with a general practice for the full 5-year period the provision of LARCs increased from 8.8% to 12.5% (p<0.001). For the same group, the provision of emergency hormonal contraception (EHC) decreased from 5.2% to 2.6% (p<0.001).

Conclusions

With the exception of EHC, there was an increase over time in the provision of hormonal contraceptives and LARCs from general practices. It is important that a full range of contraceptive options remains easily available to women.
Automated analysis of aerial photographs and potential for historic forest mapping
Authors: Morgan Jessica L. , Gergel Sarah E.
Published: May 2013

Historic information regarding forest status is essential to management and conservation. Manual interpretation of aerial photography has long been the standard for forest inventory; however, manual interpretation can be subjective, inconsistent, and labor-intensive. This research compares automated techniques with manual interpretation results. First, we used an automated process (called segmentation) to delineate homogeneous stands of forests (or objects), analogous to the goal of manually delineating of polygons. Second, we used classification and regression tree (CART) analysis to classify polygons into the forest and terrain schemes used in British Columbia. Most characteristics of objects created via segmentation were similar to manually delineated polygons, as >70% of attributes were statistically similar across local, polygon, and landscape-level comparisons. Using manual interpretations for comparative reference, automated classifications produced overall accuracies ranging from 62% to 86% with per-class accuracies ranging from 0% to 96%. Automated methods yielded classifications meeting provincial overlap accuracy targets and helped identify classifications most suited to automation. Automated procedures have potential for aiding swift utilization of extensive historical photography archives with several caveats for future consideration. While automated techniques may never replicate all aspects of forest inventory classification, automated techniques may be valuable in assisting different phases of the process.
Overcoming roundoff errors in the first-order amplitude for general state-to-state transitions in hydrogen by projectile impact
Authors: Straton Jack C.
Published: May 2013

A computer program to calculate the amplitude for general state-to-state transitions in hydrogen from the analytical result has the potential for significant numerical round-off errors whenever the sum of the angular momenta of the two states is greater than four and the projectile’s impact parameter is less than the ratio of its energy to velocity. This arises from high-order cancellation of terms in the MacDonald functions in that analytical result, whose polynomial portions have been found to obey a new multiplication theorem. The cost for correcting this instability is the replacement of a finite series of MacDonald functions by an infinite series via the multiplication theorem for the full MacDonald function.
Celiprolol induces β3-adrenoceptors-dependent relaxation in isolated porcine coronary arteries
Authors: Abdelkrim Mohammed Amine , Martignat Lionel , Gogny Marc , Desfontis Jean-Claude , Noireaud Jacques , Mallem Mohamed Yassine
Published: May 2013

In porcine coronary arteries (PCAs), celiprolol, a selective β1-adrenoceptors antagonist, induces vasodilatation by an endothelium- and nitric oxide (NO)-dependent pathway. However, the mechanisms of that vascular effect have not been precisely established. β3-Adrenoceptors have been shown to be involved in the relaxation per se of various vascular beds, including coronary vessels. Thus, we evaluated (i) the presence of β3-adrenoceptors in the PCA and (ii) their role in celiprolol-induced vasodilatation. PCA rings were placed in organ baths and preconstricted with KCl. All experiments were performed in the presence of nadolol (a β1/β2-adrenoceptor antagonist). Cumulative concentration–response curves to SR 58611A and ICI 215001 (2 β3-adrenoceptor agonists) and to celiprolol were constructed. We also used semiquantitative reverse transcription – polymerase chain reaction, which clearly showed the presence of β3-adrenoceptor transcripts. SR 58611A, ICI 215001, and celiprolol induced concentration-dependent relaxations in PCA rings. SR 58611A-induced relaxation was almost abolished after removal of endothelium or pretreatment with L-NAME (a NO synthase inhibitor). The vasorelaxations induced by SR 58611A and celiprolol were inhibited in the presence of SR 59230A and L-748337 (2 selective β3-adrenoceptor antagonists). We showed (i) that PCAs possess functional β3-adrenoceptors mediating endothelium- and NO-dependent relaxation, and (ii) that celiprolol exerts a β3-adrenoceptor agonistic activity in this vascular bed.
Predicting reinforced concrete response to blast loads
Authors: Jacques Eric , Lloyd Alan , Saatcioglu Murat
Published: May 2013

Computer software was developed for inelastic analysis of structural members subjected to blast-induced shock waves. The software can predict the dynamic response of structural elements, provided the load–deformation characteristics are defined. The software has built-in capabilities to generate the load–deformation characteristics of common structural and non-structural members. Currently this capability includes reinforced concrete columns, one-way walls, beams, and one-way slabs. The input consists of member geometry, boundary conditions, dynamic material properties, explosive threat parameters, and desired performance levels. The results are presented in graphical format in terms of structural load–deformation characteristics, single degree of freedom displacement – time histories and iso-displacement pressure–impulse diagrams. The program was verified extensively using experimental data generated from simulated explosive loading of reinforced concrete members at the University of Ottawa shock tube testing facility. The shock tube has been shown to generate a wide range of pressure–impulse combinations, accurately simulating free-field detonation of high explosives of various mass and standoff distances.
MAGNETIC AND STRUCTURAL TRANSITION PROPERTIES OF NIOBIUM-DOPED BiFeO3 THIN FILMS
Authors: CHEN H. Z. , KAO M. C. , YOUNG S. L.
Published: May 2013

Niobium-substituted BiFeO 3( BiFe 1-x Nb x O 3 BFNO ) thin films were successfully deposited on Pt(111)/Ti/SiO2/Si(100) substrates by spin coating with a sol–gel technology and rapid thermal annealing. The effects of Nb content (x = 0~0.08) on the microstructure, magnetic and multiferroic properties of thin films were investigated. The result of X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the BFNO thin films have rhombohedral (R3c) to tetragonal (P4mm) phase transition at x = 0.06. The Nb doping in the B-site of BiFeO 3 could induce the appearance of the spontaneous magnetization and polarization by the phase transition of rhombohedral-to-tetragonal. The BFNO thin films with x = 0.06 exhibits the maximum remanent magnetization (2Mr) of 5.2 emu/g.
FINITE SIZE EFFECT ON YBCO/PBCAO AND YBCO/PBCGO NANOMETER MULTILAYERS
Authors: CHEN TAR-PIN , WU KE , WANG S. Z. , LI QI , CHEN BENJAMIN , TIPPARAACH UDOM , CHEN CHI-JEN
Published: May 2013

We have fabricated (110) epitaxy YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ (YBCO), PrBa 2 Cu 0.8 Al 0.2 O 7 (PBCAO), PrBa 2 Cu 0.8 Ga 0.2 O 7-δ (PBCGO) nanometer-thin films and YBCO/PBCAO, YBCO/PBCGO multilayers of a variety of film thicknesses. Electrical resistivities measured from these systems were plotted against temperatures and film thicknesses and are presented in this paper. Superconducting onset temperature Tc of the YBCO films was estimated and plotted against YBCO film thickness. Superconducting coupling length was deduced. Finite size effect and 2D to 3D transition are also discussed.
ROOM-TEMPERATURE FERROMAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF Co-DOPED ZnO NAOROD ARRAYS
Authors: ZHANG C. L. , HU C. G.
Published: May 2013

Co -doped ZnO rod arrays were fabricated on zinc foils by a hydrothermal method. X-ray diffraction results indicate that the samples have wurtzite crystalline structure without metallic Co or other secondary phases detected. The nanorod arrays exhibit room-temperature ferromagnetic behavior for different Co concentration. The influence of Co on the magnetic properties of ZnO was studied by the first-principles calculations. The exchange interaction between local spin-polarized electrons and conductive electrons is proposed as a cause of the room-temperature ferromagnetism.
BORON/PHOSPHORUS CO-DOPING IN ZIGZAG SINGLE-WALLED CARBON NANOTUBES: A FIRST-PRINCIPLES STUDY
Authors: LUO FUSHENG , SHAO QINGYI , ZHANG LIXIA , ZHANG JUAN , PAN ZHONGLIANG
Published: May 2013

By using the first-principles methods based on density function theory (DFT), the effects of boron(B)/phosphorus(P) pair co-doping on the electrical properties of zigzag single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have been investigated. We calculated the formation energies and band structures of (6, 0) metallic and (8, 0) semiconducting SWNTs with different B/P co-doping sites and concentrations. The obtained formation energies suggest that the B/P co-doping configurations are energetically stable structures and the B and P tend to form a B–P bond. It shows that an energy gap is opened by B/P co-doping in (6, 0) metallic SWNTs and the metallic carbon nanotubes are converted into semiconductors. For the (8, 0) semiconducting SWNTs, B/P co-doping influences the band structure, but it does not change the attributes essentially and the SWNTs are still semiconducting. It was also found that the band structures depend on the doping concentration as well as the doping site of B/P pair.
SUPERCONDUCTING STATE OF A PERFORATED MESOSCOPIC DISK WITH A SQUARE OR TRIANGULAR TRENCH
Authors: BARBA-ORTEGA J. , JAIMEZ J. BARÓN , AGUIAR J. ALBINO
Published: May 2013

In this paper, we report on the influence of a square (triangular) trench on the superconducting properties of a perforated mesoscopic sample. Effects associated to the pinning force of the hole versus the pinning by the trench and interplay between the shape of the outer boundary and the shape of the inner defects on the vortex configuration are studied for a thin disk. Using the Ginzburg–Landau theory, we calculate the magnetization, vorticity, free energy, magnetic induction, supercurrent and superconducting order parameter as a function of the applied perpendicular magnetic field. We show that only in a restricted range of the magnetic field the vortex configuration obeys the geometry of the trench. Nevertheless, we clearly demonstrate that in our sample new phenomena are possible due to competing interactions of the geometry of the sample and the added geometry of the nanoengineered trench.
ON THE GIRTH OF THE UNIT GRAPH OF A RING
Authors: SU HUADONG , ZHOU YIQIANG
Published: May 2013

The unit graph of a ring R, denoted G(R), is the simple graph defined on the elements of R with an edge between vertices x and y iff x + y is a unit of R. In this paper, we prove that the girth gr (G(R)) of the unit graph of an arbitrary ring R is 3, 4, 6 or ∞. We determine the rings R with R/J(R) semipotent and with gr (G(R)) = 6 or ∞, and classify the rings R with R/J(R) right self-injective and with gr (G(R)) = 3 or 4.
AXIAL-SYMMETRIC MODELING AND KINEMATIC ANALYSIS OF SPREADING OF SPARSELY CULTURED FIBROBLASTS
Authors: WU PEI-JUNG , LIN CHOU-CHING K. , JU MING-SHAUNG
Published: May 2013

Cell spreading plays an important role in the modulation of physiological functions such as inflammation and cancer metastasis. The Brownian ratchet model and Bell's model have been used to simulate actin dynamics and bond kinetics for focal adhesion dynamics, respectively. In the present study, these models were modified and two additional subcellular mechanisms, integrin and myosin kinetics, were incoporated. An integrin recruitment function was introduced to determine the size of a focal adhesion associated with the substrate stiffness. The relationship between myosin concentration and the actin protrusion velocity was described by a first-order differential equation. Subcellular processes, including cell protrusion, focal adhesion formation, and stress fiber formation, were integrated into an axial-symmetric biophysical model, while inputs to the model were kinematic data from time-lapse experiments. Numerical simulations of the model using the Gillespie algorithm showed that dynamics of cell spreading can be well described by the model.
INJECTIVE HULLS OF CERTAIN DISCRETE METRIC SPACES AND GROUPS
Authors: LANG URS
Published: May 2013

Injective metric spaces, or absolute 1-Lipschitz retracts, share a number of properties with CAT(0) spaces. In the '60s Isbell showed that every metric space X has an injective hull E (X). Here it is proved that if X is the vertex set of a connected locally finite graph with a uniform stability property of intervals, then E (X) is a locally finite polyhedral complex with finitely many isometry types of n-cells, isometric to polytopes in [Formula: see text], for each n. This applies to a class of finitely generated groups Γ, including all word hyperbolic groups and abelian groups, among others. Then Γ acts properly on E(Γ) by cellular isometries, and the first barycentric subdivision of E(Γ) is a model for the classifying space [Formula: see text] for proper actions. If Γ is hyperbolic, E(Γ) is finite dimensional and the action is cocompact. In particular, every hyperbolic group acts properly and cocompactly on a space of non-positive curvature in a weak (but non-coarse) sense.
Both aerobic exercise and resveratrol supplementation attenuate doxorubicin-induced cardiac injury in mice
Authors: Dolinsky Vernon W. , Rogan Kyle J. , Sung Miranda M. , Zordoky Beshay N. , Haykowsky Mark J. , Young Martin E. , Jones Lee W. , Dyck Jason R. B.
Published: May 2013

Because doxorubicin (DOX)-containing chemotherapy causes left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and remodeling that can progress to heart failure, strategies to alleviate DOX cardiotoxicity are necessary to improve health outcomes of patients surviving cancer. Although clinical evidence suggests that aerobic exercise training (ET) can prevent cardiotoxicity in patients undergoing DOX chemotherapy, the physiological mechanisms involved have not been extensively studied, nor is it known whether compounds [such as resveratrol (RESV)] have similar beneficial effects. With the use of a murine model of chronic DOX exposure, this study compared the efficacy of modest ET to RESV treatment on exercise performance, LV remodeling, and oxidative stress resistance. Mice were divided into four groups that received saline, DOX (8 mg/kg ip, one time per week), DOX + RESV (4 g/kg diet, ad libitum), and DOX + ET (45 min of treadmill exercise, 5 days/wk) for 8 wk. LV function and morphology were evaluated by in vivo echocardiography. DOX caused adverse LV remodeling that was partially attenuated by modest ET and completely prevented by RESV. These effects were paralleled by improvements in exercise performance. The cardioprotective properties of ET and RESV were associated with reduced levels of atrial natriuretic peptide and the lipid peroxidation by-product, 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal. In addition, ET and RESV increased the expression of cardiac sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum calcium-ATPase 2a, superoxide dismutase, mitochondrial electron transport chain complexes, and mitofusin-1 and -2 in mice administered DOX. Compared with modest ET, RESV more effectively prevented DOX-induced LV remodeling and was associated with the reduction of DOX-induced oxidative stress. Our findings have important implications for protecting patients against DOX-associated cardiac injury.
Focal adhesion kinase is required for IGF-I-mediated growth of skeletal muscle cells via a TSC2/mTOR/S6K1-associated pathway
Authors: Crossland Hannah , Kazi Abid A. , Lang Charles H. , Timmons James A. , Pierre Philippe , Wilkinson Daniel J. , Smith Kenneth , Szewczyk Nathaniel J. , Atherton Philip J.
Published: May 2013

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is an attachment complex protein associated with the regulation of muscle mass through as-of-yet unclear mechanisms. We tested whether FAK is functionally important for muscle hypertrophy, with the hypothesis that FAK knockdown (FAK-KD) would impede cell growth associated with a trophic stimulus. C2C12 skeletal muscle cells harboring FAK-targeted (FAK-KD) or scrambled (SCR) shRNA were created using lentiviral transfection techniques. Both FAK-KD and SCR myotubes were incubated for 24 h with IGF-I (10 ng/ml), and additional SCR cells (±IGF-1) were incubated with a FAK kinase inhibitor before assay of cell growth. Muscle protein synthesis (MPS) and putative FAK signaling mechanisms (immunoblotting and coimmunoprecipitation) were assessed. IGF-I-induced increases in myotube width (+41 ± 7% vs. non-IGF-I-treated) and total protein (+44 ± 6%) were, after 24 h, attenuated in FAK-KD cells, whereas MPS was suppressed in FAK-KD vs. SCR after 4 h. These blunted responses were associated with attenuated IGF-I-induced FAK Tyr397 phosphorylation and markedly suppressed phosphorylation of tuberous sclerosis complex 2 (TSC2) and critical downstream mTOR signaling (ribosomal S6 kinase, eIF4F assembly) in FAK shRNA cells (all P < 0.05 vs. IGF-I-treated SCR cells). However, binding of FAK to TSC2 or its phosphatase Shp-2 was not affected by IGF-I or cell phenotype. Finally, FAK-KD-mediated suppression of cell growth was recapitulated by direct inhibition of FAK kinase activity in SCR cells. We conclude that FAK is required for IGF-I-induced muscle hypertrophy, signaling through a TSC2/mTOR/S6K1-dependent pathway via means requiring the kinase activity of FAK but not altered FAK-TSC2 or FAK-Shp-2 binding.
The in vivo regulation of heart rate in the murine sinoatrial node by stimulatory and inhibitory heterotrimeric G proteins
Authors: Sebastian Sonia , Ang Richard , Abramowitz Joel , Weinstein Lee S. , Chen Min , Ludwig Andreas , Birnbaumer Lutz , Tinker Andrew
Published: May 2013

Reciprocal physiological modulation of heart rate is controlled by the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems acting on the sinoatrial (SA) node. However, there is little direct in vivo work examining the role of stimulatory and inhibitory G protein signaling in the SA node. Thus, we designed a study to examine the role of the stimulatory (Gαs) and inhibitory G protein (Gαi2) in in vivo heart rate regulation in the SA node in the mouse. We studied mice with conditional deletion of Gαs and Gαi2 in the conduction system using cre-loxP technology. We crossed mice in which cre recombinase expression was driven by a tamoxifen-inducible conduction system-specific construct with “Gαs floxed” and “Gαi2 floxed” mice. We studied the heart rate responses of adult mice compared with littermate controls by using radiotelemetry before and after administration of tamoxifen. The mice with conditional deletion of Gαs and Gαi2 had a loss of diurnal variation and were bradycardic or tachycardic, respectively, in the daytime. In mice with conditional deletion of Gαs, there was a selective loss of low-frequency power, while with deletion of Gαi2, there was a loss of high-frequency power in power spectral analysis of heart rate variability. There was no evidence of pathological arrhythmia. Pharmacological modulation of heart rate by isoprenaline was impaired in the Gαs mice, but a muscarinic agonist was still able to slow the heart rate in Gαi2 mice. We conclude that Gαs- and Gαi2-mediated signaling in the sinoatrial node is important in the reciprocal regulation of heart rate through the autonomic nervous system.
Transcriptional profiling by RNA-Seq of peri-attachment porcine embryos generated by a variety of assisted reproductive technologies
Authors: Isom S. Clay , Stevens John R. , Li Rongfeng , Spollen William G. , Cox Lindsay , Spate Lee D. , Murphy Clifton N. , Prather Randall S.
Published: May 2013

Substantial mortality of in vitro manipulated porcine embryos is observed during peri-attachment development. Herein we describe our efforts to characterize the transcriptomes of embryonic disc (ED) and trophectoderm (TE) cells from porcine embryos derived from in vivo fertilization, in vitro fertilization (IVF), parthenogenetic oocyte activation (PA), and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) on days 10, 12, and 14 of gestation. The IVF, PA, and SCNT embryos were generated with in vitro matured oocytes and were cultured overnight in vitro before being transferred to recipient females. Sequencing of cDNA from the resulting embryonic samples was accomplished with the Genome Analyzer IIx platform from Illumina. Reads were aligned to a custom-built swine transcriptome. A generalized linear model was fit for ED and TE samples separately, accounting for embryo type, gestation day, and their interaction. Those genes with significant differences between embryo types were characterized in terms of gene ontologies and KEGG pathways. Transforming growth factor-β signaling was downregulated in the EDs of IVF embryos. In TE cells from IVF embryos, ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis and ErbB signaling were aberrantly regulated. Expression of genes involved in chromatin modification, gene silencing by RNA, and apoptosis was significantly disrupted in ED cells from SCNT embryos. In summary, we have used high-throughput sequencing technologies to compare gene expression profiles of various embryo types during peri-attachment development. We expect that these data will provide important insight into the root causes of (and possible opportunities for mitigation of) suboptimal development of embryos derived from assisted reproductive technologies.
Metabolic Causes of Epileptic Encephalopathy
Authors: Yu Joe Yuezhou , Pearl Phillip L.
Published: May 2013

Epileptic encephalopathy can be induced by inborn metabolic defects that may be rare individually but in aggregate represent a substantial clinical portion of child neurology. These may present with various epilepsy phenotypes including refractory neonatal seizures, early myoclonic encephalopathy, early infantile epileptic encephalopathy, infantile spasms, and generalized epilepsies which in particular include myoclonic seizures. There are varying degrees of treatability, but the outcome if untreated can often be catastrophic. The importance of early recognition cannot be overemphasized. This paper provides an overview of inborn metabolic errors associated with persistent brain disturbances due to highly active clinical or electrographic ictal activity. Selected diseases are organized by the defective molecule or mechanism and categorized as small molecule disorders (involving amino and organic acids, fatty acids, neurotransmitters, urea cycle, vitamers and cofactors, and mitochondria) and large molecule disorders (including lysosomal storage disorders, peroxisomal disorders, glycosylation disorders, and leukodystrophies). Details including key clinical features, salient electrophysiological and neuroradiological findings, biochemical findings, and treatment options are summarized for prominent disorders in each category.
Water‐Protein Interactions: The Secret of Protein Dynamics
Authors: Martini Silvia , Bonechi Claudia , Foletti Alberto , Rossi Claudio
Published: May 2013

Water‐protein interactions help to maintain flexible conformation conditions which are required for multifunctional protein recognition processes. The intimate relationship between the protein surface and hydration water can be analyzed by studying experimental water properties measured in protein systems in solution. In particular, proteins in solution modify the structure and the dynamics of the bulk water at the solute‐solvent interface. The ordering effects of proteins on hydration water are extended for several angstroms. In this paper we propose a method for analyzing the dynamical properties of the water molecules present in the hydration shells of proteins. The approach is based on the analysis of the effects of protein‐solvent interactions on water protons NMR relaxation parameters. NMR relaxation parameters, especially the nonselective ( ) and selective ( ) spin‐lattice relaxation rates of water protons, are useful for investigating the solvent dynamics at the macromolecule‐solvent interfaces as well as the perturbation effects caused by the water‐macromolecule interactions on the solvent dynamical properties. In this paper we demonstrate that Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy can be used to determine the dynamical contributions of proteins to the water molecules belonging to their hydration shells.
Delayed Antiwindup Control Using a Decoupling Structure
Authors: Zhu Huawei , Qin Guozheng , Yan Yingxin , Jiang Zhichao , Duan Zhisheng
Published: May 2013

This paper investigates the antiwindup (AW) control problem for plants with input saturation. The AW compensator is not activated as soon as input saturation occurs as usual. A delayed decoupling structure is first proposed. Then, appropriate linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) are developed to determine a plant-order AW compensator. Effectiveness of the presented AW technique is illustrated by a fighter aircraft model.
Identification of Lung-Cancer-Related Genes with the Shortest Path Approach in a Protein-Protein Interaction Network
Authors: Li Bi-Qing , You Jin , Chen Lei , Zhang Jian , Zhang Ning , Li Hai-Peng , Huang Tao , Kong Xiang-Yin , Cai Yu-Dong
Published: May 2013

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer mortality worldwide. The main types of lung cancer are small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this work, a computational method was proposed for identifying lung-cancer-related genes with a shortest path approach in a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Based on the PPI data from STRING, a weighted PPI network was constructed. 54 NSCLC- and 84 SCLC-related genes were retrieved from associated KEGG pathways. Then the shortest paths between each pair of these 54 NSCLC genes and 84 SCLC genes were obtained with Dijkstra’s algorithm. Finally, all the genes on the shortest paths were extracted, and 25 and 38 shortest genes with a permutationPvalue less than 0.05 for NSCLC and SCLC were selected for further analysis. Some of the shortest path genes have been reported to be related to lung cancer. Intriguingly, the candidate genes we identified from the PPI network contained more cancer genes than those identified from the gene expression profiles. Furthermore, these genes possessed more functional similarity with the known cancer genes than those identified from the gene expression profiles. This study proved the efficiency of the proposed method and showed promising results.
A Pilot Study on Intravesical Administration of Curcumin for Cystitis Glandularis
Authors: Lu Qiong , Jiang Fen , Xu Ran , Zhao Xiao-Kun , Zhong Zhao-Hui , Zhang Lei , Jiang Hong-Yi , Yi Lu , Hou Yi , Zhu Xuan
Published: May 2013

Cystitis glandularis (CG) is a proliferative disorder in the urinary bladder. The outcome of current treatments in some patients is not satisfactory. Curcumin, a herbal medicine that has been used for centuries, has shown great potential in treating various diseases. Our pilot study aimed to explore the feasibility of an intravesical treatment for CG using curcumin. 14 patients diagnosed with CG that remained symptomatic after primary treatments were enrolled, underwent a 3-month curcumin intravesical treatment (50 mg/50 mL, 1 hour, once per week for first 4 weeks and once per month for next 2 months) and were followed up for 3 months. Efficacy of the treatment was evaluated using core lower urinary tract symptom score (CLSS) questionnaire. 10 patients demonstrated persistent improvement in symptoms up to the end of the 6-month study. Their CLSS decreased significantly after the 3-month treatment (6.0±0.8;P<0.01) from the baseline (10.5±1.6) and maintained decreasing till the end of the study (6.2±0.7;P<0.01). 4 patients were classified as nonresponders. Our study suggests the feasibility of further randomized controlled trials on curcumin intravesical treatment in CG patients who remain symptomatic after primary treatments.
Sivelestat Attenuates Myocardial Reperfusion Injury during Brief Low Flow Postischemic Infusion
Authors: Aune Sverre E. , Yeh Steve T. , Kuppusamy Periannan , Kuppusamy M. Lakshmi , Khan Mahmood , Angelos Mark G.
Published: May 2013

The neutrophil elastase inhibitor sivelestat (ONO-5046) possesses unknown mechanisms of cardioprotection when infused following global ischemia, even in the absence of neutrophils. Since myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury is strongly associated with endothelial dysfunction and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation during reperfusion, we have tested the hypothesis that infusion of sivelestat during postischemic low flow would preserve endothelial and contractile function and reduce infarct size through an ROS-mediated mechanism. Isolated male rat hearts, subjected to global ischemia of 25 minutes, were reperfused with low flow with or without sivelestat followed by a full flow reperfusion. Hearts treated with sivelestat showed a significant improvement of LV contractile function and a reduction in infarct size. Infusion of L-NAME (nonspecific blocker of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS)) along with sivelestat during reperfusion reversed the preservation of contractile function and infarct size.In vitroEPR spin trapping experiments showed that sivelestat treatment decreased superoxide adduct formation in bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) subjected to hypoxia-reoxygenation. Similarly, dihydroethidine (DHE) staining showed decreased superoxide production in LV sections from sivelestat-treated hearts. Taken together, these results indicate that sivelestat infusion during postischemic low flow reduces infarct size and preserves vasoreactivity in association with decreased ROS formation and the preservation of nitric oxide.
Recognizing Amino Acid Chirality with Surface-Imprinted Polymers Prepared in W/O Emulsions
Authors: Shin Min Jae , Shin Young Jae , Hwang Seung Won , Shin Jae Sup
Published: May 2013

A molecularly imprinted polymer was prepared by a surface molecular imprinting technique in water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion. In this technique, the solid polymer, which is molecularly imprinted at the internal cavity surface, is prepared by polymerizing W/O emulsions consisting of a water-soluble imprinted molecule, a functional host molecule, an emulsion stabilizer, and a crosslinking agent. Dioleoyl phosphate was used as an emulsion stabilizer, and this compound also acted as a monomer and a host functional group in the imprinted cavity. Divinylbenzene was used as a crosslinker. Tryptophan methyl ester and phenylalanine methyl ester were used as the target template materials. These imprinted polymers exhibited enantiomeric selectivity in absorption experiments, and the maximum separation factor was 1.58. The enantiomeric selectivity with tryptophan methyl ester was higher than that with phenylalanine methyl ester.
Research on the Microstructure and Property of an Anion Rubber Modified Asphalt
Authors: Hong Wei , Li Qingshan , Guan Guoquan , Di Youbo , Sun Jing , Jiao Tifeng , Xing Guangzhong
Published: May 2013

The anion rubber modified asphalt (ARMA) mixture was first successfully developed with a unique process. In the development process, rubber and asphalt were mixed in the same proportion. Furthermore, the microstructure and modification mechanism of the material were characterized by SEM, FT‐IR, TG, and XRD tests. The mechanical property of the mixture was also tested in accordance with the relevant standards. In the end, the material’s capacity of releasing anion was measured by DLY‐6A232 atmospheric ion gauge. The results indicated that the addition of anion additive into the rubber modified asphalt (RMA) was a mere physical mixture, and the anion additives and rubber particles uniformly dispersed in the ARMA. The addition of anion additive could improve the thermal stability of the RMA. Compared with the traditional asphalt pavement material, the ARMA material shows excellent mechanical properties as well as the ability of releasing anion. Moreover, the material has enormous economic and social benefits by taking full advantage of a large amount of waste tires, thus improving the road surrounding environment.
Health Monitoring for Elderly: An Application Using Case-Based Reasoning and Cluster Analysis
Authors: Ahmed Mobyen Uddin , Banaee Hadi , Loutfi Amy
Published: May 2013

This paper presents a framework to process and analyze data from a pulse oximeter which remotely measures pulse rate and blood oxygen saturation from a set of individuals. Using case-based reasoning (CBR) as the backbone to the framework, records are analyzed and categorized according to their similarity. Record collection has been performed using a personalized health profiling approach in which participants wore a pulse oximeter sensor for a fixed period of time and performed specific activities for pre-determined intervals. Using a variety of feature extraction methods in time, frequency, and time-frequency domains, as well as data processing techniques, the data is fed into a CBR system which retrieves most similar cases and generates an alarm according to the case outcomes. The system has been compared with an expert's classification, and a 90% match is achieved between the expert's and CBR classification. Again, considering the clustered measurements, the CBR approach classifies 93% correctly both for the pulse rate and oxygen saturation. Along with the proposed methodology, this paper provides a basis for which the system can be used in the analysis of continuous health monitoring and can be used as a suitable method in home/remote monitoring systems.
Resonance Analysis for Tilted Support Spring Coupled Nonlinear Packaging System Applying Variational Iteration Method
Authors: Chen An-Jun
Published: May 2013

The coupled nonlinear dynamical equations were developed for a tilted spring packaging system with critical components. The approximate solution and resonance conditions of system were obtained applying a variational iteration method. The resonance conditions, which should be avoided in the packaging design, can be easily obtained by VIM.