bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Proton beam therapy for pediatric ependymoma
Authors: Mizumoto Masashi , Oshiro Yoshiko , Takizawa Daichi , Fukushima Takashi , Fukushima Hiroko , Yamamoto Tetsuya , Muroi Ai , Okumura Toshiyuki , Tsuboi Koji , Sakurai Hideyuki
Published: March 2015

Background

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of proton beam therapy for pediatric patients with ependymoma.

Methods

Proton beam therapy was conducted for six patients (three boys and three girls; age, 2–6 years; median, 5 years) with ependymoma. The tumors were WHO grades 2 and 3 in two and four patients, respectively. All patients underwent surgery (subtotal and gross total resection in three patients each) and proton beam therapy at doses of 50.4–61.2 GyE (median, 56.7 GyE). The mean doses to normal brain tissue in proton beam therapy and photon radiotherapy were simulated using the same treatment planning computed tomography images.

Results

All patients completed the planned irradiation. The follow‐up period was 13–44 months (median, 24.5 months) from completion of proton beam therapy and all patients were alive at the end of this period. Local recurrence in the treatment field occurred in one patient at 4 months after proton beam therapy at 50.4 GyE. Alopecia and mild dermatitis occurred in all patients, but there was no severe toxicity. One patient had a once‐off seizure after proton beam therapy and alopecia persisted in another patient for 31 months, but no patients had difficulty with daily life. The simulation showed that proton beam therapy reduces the dose to normal brain tissue by approximately half compared with photon radiotherapy.

Conclusions

Proton beam therapy for pediatric ependymoma is safe, does not have specific toxicities, and can reduce irradiation of normal brain tissue.
Climate Change Justice
Authors: Moellendorf Darrel
Published: March 2015

Anthropogenic climate change is a global process affecting the lives and well‐being of millions of people now and countless number of people in the future. For humans, the consequences may include significant threats to food security globally and regionally, increased risks of from food‐borne and water‐borne as well as vector‐borne diseases, increased displacement of people due migrations, increased risks of violent conflicts, slowed economic growth and poverty eradication, and the creation of new poverty traps. Principles of justice are statements of what persons are owed either by others or by institutions and policies. Climate change gives rise to many concern of justice. This article briefly summarizes some of the most important of these, including claims to have climate change mitigated, claims regarding the sharing of the costs of climate change mitigation, claims for investment into adaptation, and claims to be compensated.
Continental Approaches in Bioethics
Authors: Hall Melinda C.
Published: March 2015

Bioethics influences public policy, scientific research, and clinical practice. Thinkers in Continental traditions have increasingly contributed scholarship to this field, and their approaches allow new insights and alternative normative guidance. In this essay, examples of the following Continental approaches in bioethics are presented and considered: phenomenology and existentialism; deconstruction; Foucauldian methodologies; and biopolitical analyses. Also highlighted are Continental feminisms and the philosophy of disability. Continental approaches are importantly diverse, but those I focus upon here reveal embedded models of individualized autonomy in medical discourses and encourage awareness of medicine's normalizing edges, thereby drawing attention to lacunae in traditional bioethical frameworks.
The Metaphysics of Omissions
Authors: Bernstein Sara
Published: March 2015

Omissions– any events, actions, or things that do not occur – are central to numerous debates in causation and ethics. This article surveys views on what omissions are, whether they are causally efficacious, and how they ground moral responsibility.
Experts and Deviants: The Story of Agentive Control
Authors: Wu Wayne
Published: March 2015

This essay argues that current theories of action fail to explain agentive control because they have left out a psychological capacity central to control: attention. This makes it impossible to give a complete account of the mental antecedents that generate action. By investigating attention, and in particular theintention‐attention nexus, we can characterize the functional role of intention in an illuminating way, explicate agentive control so that we have a uniform explanation of basic cases of causal deviance in action as well as other defects of agency (distraction), explain cases of skilled agency and sharpen questions about the role of thought in agency. This provides for a different orientation in the theory of action.
Biological control of sclerotinia stem rot of canola using antagonistic bacteria
Authors: Kamal M. M. , Lindbeck K. D. , Savocchia S. , Ash G. J.
Published: March 2015

Stem rot caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a major fungal disease of canola worldwide. In Australia the management of stem rot relies primarily on strategic application of synthetic fungicides. In an attempt to find alternative strategies for the management of the disease, 514 naturally occurring bacterial isolates were screened for antagonism to S. sclerotiorum. Antifungal activity against mycelial growth of the fungus was exhibited by three isolates of bacteria. The bacteria were identified as Bacillus cereus (SC‐1 and P‐1) and Bacillus subtilis (W‐67) via 16S rRNA sequencing. In vitro antagonism assays using these isolates resulted in significant inhibition of mycelial elongation and complete inhibition of sclerotial germination by both non‐volatile and volatile metabolites. The antagonistic strains caused a significant reduction in the viability of sclerotia when tested in a greenhouse pot trial with soil collected from the field. Spray treatments of bacterial strains reduced disease incidence and yielded higher control efficacy both on inoculated cotyledons and stems. Application of SC‐1 and W‐67 in the field at 10% flowering stage (growth stage 4·00) of canola demonstrated that control efficacy of SC‐1 was significantly higher in all three trials (over 2 years) when sprayed twice at 7‐day intervals. The greatest control of disease was observed with the fungicide Prosaro® 420SC or with two applications of SC‐1. The results demonstrated that, in the light of environmental concerns and increasing cost of fungicides, B. cereus SC‐1 may have potential as a biological control agent of sclerotinia stem rot of canola in Australia.
The role of trust in restoration success: public engagement and temporal and spatial scale in a complex social‐ecological system
Authors: Metcalf Elizabeth Covelli , Mohr Jakki J. , Yung Laurie , Metcalf Peter , Craig David
Published: March 2015

The social dimensions of river restoration are not well understood especially in the context of large‐scale restoration projects embedded in a complex social‐ecological system. This study used in‐depth interviews with diverse stakeholders to examine perceptions of restoration success on the Clark Fork River Superfund project in Western Montana. Trust emerged as critical to restoration success and was influenced by public engagement, and by spatial and temporal scale. At this large scale, multiple relationships between agencies,NGOs, businesses, landowners, and other stakeholders meant that building trust was a complicated endeavor. The large spatial scale and long time frame made public engagement challenging, and landowners in particular were critical of the project, expressing mistrust in both agencies and the project as a whole. However, projects focused on smaller spatial scales, such as particular stream reaches, appeared to inspire more effective collaboration. Relationships between organizations were important at this large scale, but inter‐organizational conflict affected trust across the project. Further, because trust requires accepting vulnerability, recognizing the differential vulnerability that particular groups and communities experience, based on the risks and benefits they accrue relative to the project, is important.
Do not neglect surroundings in restoration of disturbed sites
Authors: Prach Karel , Karešová Petra , Jírová Alena , Dvořáková Helena , Konvalinková Petra , Řehounková Klára
Published: March 2015

We examined the influence of surroundings, i.e. proximity effects, on the course of spontaneous vegetation succession using two data sets. In the first data set, we tested the effects of surrounding vegetation (woodlands, wetlands, grasslands, and synanthropic) on succession in various disturbed habitats in the Czech Republic by comparing successional sites with more natural vegetation within 100 m and at 1 km from each site. The habitats included old fields, gravel‐sand pits, spoil heaps from black coal mining, industrially extracted peatlands, and acidic stone quarries. We found that, with the exception of wetlands, the influence of the vegetation types on seral vegetation was nearly always significant using marginal and partial Canonical Correspondence Analyses. In the second data set, which included 27 limestone quarries, we compared species lists outside (up to 100 m apart) and inside the quarries using Detrended Correspondence Analysis and the Sørensen similarity index. We found much higher species similarity between outside and inside particular limestone quarries than among the quarries themselves and among their surroundings, which also indicates that the seral vegetation is decisively influenced by the surroundings. We argue that restoration ecologists should carefully consider the nature of the surroundings of disturbed sites because of its profound impact on restoration processes. They should conduct inventories and prescribe some restoration measures not only inside a restored site, but also in its surroundings.
Top‐down control of rare species abundances by native ungulates in a grassland restoration
Authors: Wilsey Brian J. , Martin Leanne M.
Published: March 2015

Ecological restorations are predicted to increase in species diversity over time until they reach reference levels. However, chronosequence studies in grasslands often show that diversity peaks after the first few years and then declines over time as grasses become more dominant. We addressed whether bison grazing and seed additions could prevent this decline in diversity. Exclosures that prevented bison grazing were compared with grazed plots over 4 years, and seed additions were conducted inside and outside exclosures to test for seed and microsite limitations. A previous study conducted 4‐months post seeding found that local species richness was primarily seed limited, but that grazing could sometimes increase seedling emergence. Here, we tested whether increased seedling emergence led to longer‐term increases in the species diversity of the plant community. We found that the seed addition effect grew smaller and the grazing effect grew stronger over time, and that seed additions affected the abundance of added species only when plots were grazed. Grazed plots had higher species diversity and lower biomass and litter buildup compared to non‐grazed plots. Our results suggest that moderate grazing by bison or management that mimics grazing can maintain diversity in grass‐dominated situations. Our results also emphasize the need to follow seed additions over several years to assess correctly whether seed limitation exists.
Micro‐provision of Social Care Support for Marginalized Communities – Filling the Gap or Building Bridges to the Mainstream?
Authors: Needham Catherine , Carr Sarah
Published: March 2015

As English social care services reconstruct themselves in response to the personalization agenda, there is increased interest in the contribution of micro‐providers – very small community‐based organizations, which can work directly with individuals. These micro‐providers are assumed to be able to cater for the ‘seldom heard’ groups which have been marginalized within mainstream social care services. This article reviews recent literature from the UK published in peer‐reviewed journals from 2000 to 2013 on support provision for people with protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. It considers the marginalising dynamics in mainstream, statutory social care support provision, and how far local community, specialist or small‐scale services are responding to unmet need for support and advice among marginalized groups. The review found that there is a tradition of compensatory self‐organization, use of informal networks and a mobilization of social capital for all these groups in response to marginalization from mainstream, statutory services. This requires recognition and nurturing in ways that do not stifle its unique nature. Specialist and community‐based micro‐providers can contribute to a wider range of choices for people who feel larger, mainstream services are not suitable or accessible. However, the types of compensatory activity identified in the research need recognition and investment, and its existence does not imply that the mainstream should not address marginalization.
Carbon sequestration in a limestone quarry mine soil amended with sewage sludge
Authors: Ojeda G. , Ortiz O. , Medina C. R. , Perera I. , Alcañiz J. M.
Published: March 2015

To reclaim a limestone quarry, 200 and 400 Mg/ha of municipal sewage sludge were mixed with an infertile calcareous substrate and spread as mine soil in 1992. Soil samples were taken 1 week later and again after 17 yr of mine soil rehabilitation so as to assess changes in the amount and persistence of soil organic carbon (SOC). Sludge application increased SOC as a function of the sludge rate at both sampling times. Seventeen years after the sludge amendments, the nonhydrolysable carbon was increased in the 400 Mg/ha of sludge treatment. The recalcitrance of SOC was less in sludge‐amended soils than in the control treatment at the initial sampling, but 17 yr later this trend had reversed, showing qualitative changes in soil organic carbon. The CO2‐C production had not differed between treatments, yet the percentage of mineralized SOC was less in the high sludge dose. When the size of active (Cactive) and slow (Cslow) potentially mineralizable C pools was calculated by curve fitting of a double‐exponential equation, the proportion of Cactivewas observed to be smaller in the 400 Mg/ha sludge treatment. Soil aggregate stability, represented by the mean weight diameter of water‐stable soil aggregates, was significantly greater in mine soil treated with the high dose of sludge (18.5%) and SOC tended to be concentrated in macro‐aggregates (5–2 mm). Results suggest that SOC content in sludge‐amended plots was preserved due by (i) replacement of the labile organic carbon of sludge by more stable compounds and (ii) protection of SOC in aggregates.
A ‘golden’ SNP in CmOr governs the fruit flesh color of melon (Cucumis melo)
Authors: Tzuri Galil , Zhou Xiangjun , Chayut Noam , Yuan Hui , Portnoy Vitaly , Meir Ayala , Sa'ar Uzi , Baumkoler Fabian , Mazourek Michael , Lewinsohn Efraim , Fei Zhangjun , Schaffer Arthur A. , Li Li , Burger Joseph , Katzir Nurit , Tadmor Yaakov
Published: March 2015

The flesh color of Cucumis melo (melon) is genetically determined, and can be white, light green or orange, with β–carotene being the predominant pigment. We associated carotenoid accumulation in melon fruit flesh with polymorphism within CmOr, a homolog of the cauliflower BoOr gene, and identified CmOr as the previously described gf locus in melon. CmOr was found to co‐segregate with fruit flesh color, and presented two haplotypes (alleles) in a broad germplasm collection, one being associated with orange flesh and the second being associated with either white or green flesh. Allelic variation of CmOr does not affect its transcription or protein level. The variation also does not affect its plastid subcellular localization. Among the identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between CmOr alleles in orange versus green/white‐flesh fruit, a single SNP causes a change of an evolutionarily highly conserved arginine to histidine in the CmOr protein. Functional analysis of CmOr haplotypes in an Arabidopsis callus system confirmed the ability of the CmOr orange haplotype to induce β–carotene accumulation. Site‐directed mutagenesis of the CmOr green/white haplotype to change the CmOR arginine to histidine triggered β–carotene accumulation. The identification of the ‘golden’ SNP in CmOr, which is responsible for the non‐orange and orange melon fruit phenotypes, provides new tools for studying the Or mechanism of action, and suggests genome editing of the Or gene for nutritional biofortification of crops.
The Chlamydomonas heat stress response
Authors: Schroda Michael , Hemme Dorothea , Mühlhaus Timo
Published: March 2015

Heat waves occurring at increased frequency as a consequence of global warming jeopardize crop yield safety. One way to encounter this problem is to genetically engineer crop plants toward increased thermotolerance. To identify entry points for genetic engineering, a thorough understanding of how plant cells perceive heat stress and respond to it is required. Using the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as a model system to study the fundamental mechanisms of the plant heat stress response has several advantages. Most prominent among them is the suitability of Chlamydomonas for studying stress responses system‐wide and in a time‐resolved manner under controlled conditions. Here we review current knowledge on how heat is sensed and signaled to trigger temporally and functionally grouped sub‐responses termed response elements to prevent damage and to maintain cellular homeostasis in plant cells.
Reevaluation of the CLV3‐receptor interaction in the shoot apical meristem: dissection of the CLV3 signaling pathway from a direct ligand‐binding point of view
Authors: Shinohara Hidefumi , Matsubayashi Yoshikatsu
Published: March 2015

The CLAVATA signaling pathway is a key component of the network that controls stem cell renewal and differentiation in Arabidopsis thaliana. CLAVATA3 (CLV3) is a post‐translationally arabinosylated secreted peptide signal that regulates WUSHEL (WUS) transcription to affect the balance of stem cell differentiation and proliferation in the shoot apical meristem (SAM). Known membrane‐localized receptors involved in the perception of CLV3 signaling include CLV1, the CLV2/CORYNE (CRN) complex and RPK2. The CLV3 peptide can directly bind to CLV1; however, it is unclear whether the CLV3 peptide directly binds to CLV2 or RPK2. In this study, we re‐evaluated the direct interaction between CLV3 and its receptors by photoaffinity labeling with photoactivatable arabinosylated CLV3. We showed that CLV2 and RPK2 exhibited no direct binding to the CLV3 peptide. Further analysis showed that the receptor kinase BAM1 directly binds the CLV3 peptide. A loss‐of‐function clv1 bam1 double mutant exhibited a large number of stem cells that accumulated in the SAM and was insensitive to exogenous treatment with the arabinosylated CLV3 peptide. WUS gene transcripts were up‐regulated, and the region of WUS expression was enlarged at the SAM in the clv1 bam1 double mutant. These results indicate that CLV1 and BAM1 are direct receptors that are sufficient to affect the regulatory network controlling stem cell number in the SAM. In contrast, the CLV2/CRN complex and RPK2 are not involved in direct ligand interactions but may act as co‐receptors.
Lysosomal Targeting of Cystinosin Requires AP‐3
Authors: Andrzejewska Zuzanna , Névo Nathalie , Thomas Lucie , Bailleux Anne , Chauvet Véronique , Benmerah Alexandre , Antignac Corinne
Published: March 2015

Cystinosin is a lysosomal cystine transporter defective in cystinosis, an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder. It is composed of seven transmembrane (TM) domains and contains two lysosomal targeting motifs: a tyrosine‐based signal (GYDQL) in its C‐terminal tail and a non‐classical motif in its fifth inter‐TM loop. Using the yeast two‐hybrid system, we showed that the GYDQL motif specifically interacted with the μ subunit of the adaptor protein complex 3 (AP‐3). Moreover, cell surface biotinylation and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy revealed that cystinosin was partially mislocalized to the plasma membrane (PM) in AP‐3‐depleted cells. We generated a chimeric CD63 protein to specifically analyze the function of the GYDQL motif. This chimeric protein was targeted to lysosomes in a manner similar to cystinosin and was partially mislocalized to the PM in AP‐3 knockdown cells where it also accumulated in the trans‐Golgi network and early endosomes. Together with the fact that the surface levels of cystinosin and of the CD63‐GYDQL chimeric protein were not increased when clathrin‐mediated endocytosis was impaired, our data show that the tyrosine‐based motif of cystinosin is a ‘strong’ AP‐3 interacting motif responsible for lysosomal targeting of cystinosin by a direct intracellular pathway.
In vivo ocular imaging of the cornea of the normal female laboratory beagle using confocal microscopy
Authors: Strom Ann R. , Cortés Dennis E. , Thomasy Sara M. , Kass Philip H. , Mannis Mark J. , Murphy Christopher J.
Published: March 2015

Objective

To obtain normative data for the normal laboratory beagle cornea using high‐resolution in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM).

Animals studied

Sixteen eyes of eight healthy young female intact beagles.

Procedures

The central cornea was imaged using IVCM. Mixed effects linear regression was used for statistical analysis.

Results

in vivo confocal microscopy allowed detailed visualization and quantification of epithelial cells (superficial epithelial cell diameter: 43.25 ± 6.64 μm, basal cell diameter: 4.43 ± 0.67 μm), and nerve fibers (subepithelial nerve fiber diameter: 2.38 ± 0.69 μm, anterior stromal nerve fiber diameter: 16.93 ± 4.55 μm). Keratocyte density (anterior stroma 993.38 ± 134.24 cells/mm2, posterior stroma 789.38 ± 87.13 cells/mm2) and endothelial cell density (2815.18 ± 212.59 cells/mm2) were also measured.

Conclusion

High‐resolution IVCM provides detailed noninvasive evaluation of the cornea in the normal laboratory beagle.
Haemostatic function and biomarkers of endothelial damage before and after RBC transfusion in patients with haematologic disease
Authors: Larsen A. M. , Leinøe E. B. , Johansson P. I. , Birgens H. , Ostrowski S. R.
Published: March 2015

Background and objectives

Transfusion of red blood cells (RBC) is beneficial for the patient but can also be harmful, as randomized trials have demonstrated increased infection rates, bleeding and mortality. The study aim was to investigate the response of the vascular system (the haemostatic function and the endothelium) to RBC transfusion.

Materials and Methods

Blood was sampled from patients with various transfusion‐dependent haematologic diseases before 1 and 24 h after RBC transfusion. Primary and secondary haemostasis was evaluated by whole‐blood impedance aggregometry (Multiplate) and by thromboelastography (TEG). Samples were analysed by ELISA for biomarkers reflecting endothelial activation and damage (sICAM‐1, syndecan‐1, sThrombomodulin (sTM), sVE‐Cadherin), platelet activation (sCD40L) and inflammation (hsCRP).

Results

A total of 58 patients were enrolled in the study. Median age was 71 years. Compared to before transfusion, patients had slightly reduced coagulability 1 h after RBC transfusion, assessed by TEG. However, transfusion of older RBC products (>14 days) was associated with increased coagulability (all P < 0·05). The level of syndecan‐1 increased slightly 24 h after transfusion (median 12·4 (IQR 9–23) vs. 13·2 (9–25) ng/ml, P < 0·01), indicating increased glycocalyx degradation.

Conclusion

Overall, RBC transfusion was associated with reduced coagulability and endothelial glycocalyx degradation. Transfusion of older RBCs was however associated with increased coagulability. The changes observed were small to moderate and the clinical relevance of these findings should be investigated in larger studies.
Prevalence, Antimicrobial Resistance and Risk Factors for ThermophilicCampylobacterInfections in Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Humans in Tanzania
Authors: Komba E. V. G. , Mdegela R. H. , Msoffe P. L. M. , Nielsen L. N. , Ingmer H.
Published: March 2015

The genusCampylobactercomprises members known to be a leading cause of foodborne gastrointestinal illness worldwide. A study was conducted to determine the epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance ofCampylobacterin humans in Morogoro, Eastern Tanzania. Isolation ofCampylobacterfrom stool specimens adopted the Cape Town protocol.Campylobacterisolates were preliminarily identified by conventional phenotypic tests and subsequently confirmed by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization–time‐of‐flight (MALDI‐TOF) mass spectrometry and polymerase chain reaction. Antimicrobial resistance testing employed the disc diffusion method. A small proportion of the test isolates was also subjected to agar dilution method. Risk factors for human illness were determined in an unmatched case–control study. ThermophilicCampylobacterwere isolated from 11.4% of the screened individuals (n = 1195). The agreement betweenPCRandMALDI‐TOFwas perfect (κ = 1.0). Symptomatics and young individuals were infected with higher numbers than asymptomatic and adults, respectively. The majority (84.6%) of the isolates wereC. jejuniand the remaining wereC. coli. Isolates had highest resistance (95.6%) for colistin sulphate and lowest for ciprofloxacin (22.1%). The rates of resistance for other antibiotics (azithromycin, erythromycin, tetracycline, cephalothin, gentamycin, nalidixic acid, ampicillin, amoxycillin, norfloxacin, chloramphenicol) ranged from 44.1% to 89%. Comparison between disc diffusion and agar dilution methods indicated a good correlation, and the tests were in agreement to each other (κ ≥ 0.75). Human illness was found to be associated with young age and consumption of chicken meat and pre‐prepared salad. Our data indicate the presence of antibiotic‐resistant thermophilicCampylobacterin humans in the study area. There is a need for routine investigation of the presence of the organisms in gastroenteritis aetiology, including determination of their antibiotic susceptibilities.
Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation of Gasoline Compression Ignition
Authors: Kodavasal Janardhan , Kolodziej Christopher P. , Ciatti Stephen A. , Som Sibendu
Published: March 2015

Gasoline compression ignition (GCI) is a low temperature combustion (LTC) concept that has been gaining increasing interest over the recent years owing to its potential to achieve diesel-like thermal efficiencies with significantly reduced engine-out nitrogen oxides (NOx) and soot emissions compared to diesel engines. In this work, closed-cycle computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are performed of this combustion mode using a sector mesh in an effort to understand effects of model settings on simulation results. One goal of this work is to provide recommendations for grid resolution, combustion model, chemical kinetic mechanism, and turbulence model to accurately capture experimental combustion characteristics. Grid resolutions ranging from 0.7 mm to 0.1 mm minimum cell sizes were evaluated in conjunction with both Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) and large eddy simulation (LES) based turbulence models. Solution of chemical kinetics using the multizone approach is evaluated against the detailed approach of solving chemistry in every cell. The relatively small primary reference fuel (PRF) mechanism (48 species) used in this study is also evaluated against a larger 312-species gasoline mechanism. Based on these studies, the following model settings are chosen keeping in mind both accuracy and computation costs—0.175 mm minimum cell size grid, RANS turbulence model, 48-species PRF mechanism, and multizone chemistry solution with bin limits of 5 K in temperature and 0.05 in equivalence ratio. With these settings, the performance of the CFD model is evaluated against experimental results corresponding to a low load start of injection (SOI) timing sweep. The model is then exercised to investigate the effect of SOI on combustion phasing with constant intake valve closing (IVC) conditions and fueling over a range of SOI timings to isolate the impact of SOI on charge preparation and ignition. Simulation results indicate that there is an optimum SOI timing, in this case −30 deg aTDC (after top dead center), which results in the most stable combustion. Advancing injection with respect to this point leads to significant fuel mass burning in the colder squish region, leading to retarded phasing and ultimately misfire for SOI timings earlier than −42 deg aTDC. On the other hand, retarding injection beyond this optimum timing results in reduced residence time available for gasoline ignition kinetics, and also leads to retarded phasing, with misfire at SOI timings later than −15 deg aTDC.
Experimental Investigation on the Thermal and Hydraulic Performance of Alumina–Water Nanofluids in Single-Phase Liquid-Cooled Cold Plates
Authors: Yakhshi-Tafti Ehsan , Tamanna Sanjida , Pearlman Howard
Published: March 2015

The thermal and hydraulic performance of single-phase water-based alumina nanofluids used as coolants in liquid-cooled cold plates are reported and results baselined against those using water. Experimental results show that the heat transfer coefficient of the nanofluids increases with increasing particle loading at a fixed Reynolds number. When compared on the basis of a fixed volumetric coolant flowrate, pressure drop, and pumping power, however, no significant enhancements were observed using dilute (2%, 4%, and 6% volume fraction) alumina–water nanofluids (having an average diameter of 50 nm). In some cases, the thermal performance using nanofluids deteriorated. These results suggest that water-based alumina nanofluids do not offer a significant benefit for single-phase cooling in cold plates for the alumina nanofluids tested; yet, there remains an opportunity to identify nanoparticles—base fluid combinations that may improve performance with suggestions made herein. It should also be noted that the results reported in this study have been obtained at different degrees of dilution of a given alumina–water nanofluid having an average particle size of 50 nm.
Film-Cooling Performance of a Turbine Vane Suction Side: The Showerhead Effect on Film-Cooling Hole Placement for Cylindrical and Fan-Shaped Holes
Authors: Najafabadi Hossein Nadali , Karlsson Matts , Kinell Mats , Utriainen Esa
Published: March 2015

In this paper, the transient IR-thermography method is used to investigate the effect of showerhead cooling on the film-cooling performance of the suction side of a turbine guide vane working under engine-representative conditions. The resulting adiabatic film effectiveness, heat transfer coefficient (HTC) augmentation, and net heat flux reduction (NHFR) due to insertion of rows of cooling holes at two different locations in the presence and absence of the showerhead cooling are presented. One row of cooling holes is located in the relatively high convex surface curvature region, while the other is situated closer to the maximum throat velocity. In the latter case, a double staggered row of fan-shaped cooling holes has been considered for cross-comparison with the single row at the same position. Both cylindrical and fan-shaped holes have been examined, where the characteristics of fan-shaped holes are based on design constraints for medium size gas turbines. The blowing rates tested are 0.6, 0.9, and 1.2 for single and double cooling rows, whereas the showerhead blowing is maintained at constant nominal blowing rate. The adiabatic film effectiveness results indicate that most noticable effects from the showerhead can be seen for the cooling row located on the higher convex surface curvature. This observation holds for both cylindrical and fan-shaped holes. These findings suggest that while the showerhead blowing does not have much impact on this cooling row from HTC enhancement perspective, it is influential in determination of the HTC augmentation for the cooling row close to the maximum throat velocity. The double-row fan-shaped cooling seems to be less affected by an upstream showerhead blowing when considering HTC enhancement, but it makes a major contribution in defining adiabatic film effectiveness. The NHFR results highlight the fact that cylindrical holes are not significantly affected by the showerhead cooling regardless of their position, but showerhead blowing can play an important role in determining the overall film-cooling performance of fan-shaped holes (for both the cooling row located on the higher convex surface curvature and the cooling row close to the maximum throat velocity), for both the single and the double row cases.
Boiling Heat Transfer From an Array of Round Jets With Hybrid Surface Enhancements
Authors: Rau Matthew J. , Garimella Suresh V. , Dede Ercan M. , Joshi Shailesh N.
Published: March 2015

The effect of a variety of surface enhancements on the heat transfer achieved with an array of impinging jets is experimentally investigated using the dielectric fluid HFE-7100 at different volumetric flow rates. The performance of a 5 × 5 array of jets, each 0.75 mm in diameter, is compared to that of a single 3.75 mm diameter jet with the same total open orifice area, in single-and two-phase operation. Four different target copper surfaces are evaluated: a baseline smooth flat surface, a flat surface coated with a microporous layer, a surface with macroscale area enhancement (extended square pin–fins), and a hybrid surface on which the pin–fins are coated with the microporous layer; area-averaged heat transfer and pressure drop measurements are reported. The array of jets enhances the single-phase heat transfer coefficients by 1.13–1.29 times and extends the critical heat flux (CHF) on all surfaces compared to the single jet at the same volumetric flow rates. Additionally, the array greatly enhances the heat flux dissipation capability of the hybrid coated pin–fin surface, extending CHF by 1.89–2.33 times compared to the single jet on this surface, with a minimal increase in pressure drop. The jet array coupled with the hybrid enhancement dissipates a maximum heat flux of 205.8 W/cm2 (heat input of 1.33 kW) at a flow rate of 1800 ml/min (corresponding to a jet diameter-based Reynolds number of 7800) with a pressure drop incurred of only 10.9 kPa. Compared to the single jet impinging on the smooth flat surface, the array of jets on the coated pin–fin enhanced surface increased CHF by a factor of over four at all flow rates.
Editorial: Surveillance, Copyright, Privacy
Authors: Farnsworth John , Fisher Kevin , Pearson Erika
Published: March 2015

Editorial
Cybersearching: The Computer Search Provisions of the Search and Surveillance Act 2012
Authors: Harvey David
Published: March 2015

Cybersearching: The Computer Search Provisions of the Search and Surveillance Act 2012
Comparison of thermal annealing effects on electrical activation of MBE grown and ion implant Si-doped In0.53Ga0.47As
Authors: Lind Aaron G. , Aldridge Henry L. , Bomberger Cory C. , Hatem Christopher , Zide Joshua M. O. , Jones Kevin S.
Published: March 2015

The effect of thermal annealing on the net donor concentration and diffusion of Si in In0.53Ga0.47As is compared for electrically active layers formed by ion implantation versus molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Upon thermal treatment at temperatures of 700 °C or higher for 10 min, both ion implanted and growth-doped substrates converge to a common net donor solubility. These results indicate that while MBE doped substrates typically exhibit higher active concentrations relative to implanted substrates, the higher active Si concentrations from MBE growth are metastable and susceptible to deactivation upon subsequent thermal treatments after growth. Active Si doping concentrations in MBE doped material and ion-implanted materials are shown to converge toward a fixed net donor solubility limit of 1.4 × 1019 cm−3. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy of annealed samples indicates that the diffusivity of Si in MBE doped substrates is higher than those of ion implanted substrates presumably due to concentration-dependent diffusion effects.
A shed NKG2D ligand that promotes natural killer cell activation and tumor rejection
Authors: Deng Weiwen , Gowen Benjamin G. , Zhang Li , Wang Lin , Lau Stephanie , Iannello Alexandre , Xu Jianfeng , Rovis Tihana L. , Xiong Na , Raulet David H.
Published: March 2015

Immune cells, including natural killer (NK) cells, recognize transformed cells and eliminate them in a process termed immunosurveillance. It is thought that tumor cells evade immunosurveillance by shedding membrane ligands that bind to the NKG2D-activating receptor on NK cells and/or T cells, and desensitize these cells. In contrast, we show that in mice, a shed form of MULT1, a high-affinity NKG2D ligand, causes NK cell activation and tumor rejection. Recombinant soluble MULT1 stimulated tumor rejection in mice. Soluble MULT1 functions, at least in part, by competitively reversing a global desensitization of NK cells imposed by engagement of membrane NKG2D ligands on tumor-associated cells, such as myeloid cells. The results overturn conventional wisdom that soluble ligands are always inhibitory and suggest a new approach for cancer immunotherapy.
Zoonotic and Potentially Host-Adapted Enterocytozoon bieneusi Genotypes in Sheep and Cattle in Northeast China and an Increasing Concern about the Zoonotic Importance of Previously Considered Ruminant-Adapted Genotypes
Authors: Jiang Yanxue , Tao Wei , Wan Qiang , Li Qiao , Yang Yuqi , Lin Yongchao , Zhang Siwen , Li Wei
Published: March 2015

This study investigated fecal specimens from 489 sheep and 537 cattle in multiple cities in northeast China for the prevalence and genetic characteristics of
Enterocytozoon bieneusi
by PCR and sequencing of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer. Sixty-eight sheep specimens (13.9%) and 32 cattle specimens (6.0%) were positive for
E. bieneusi
. Sequence polymorphisms enabled the identification of 9 known genotypes (BEB4, BEB6, CM7, CS-4, EbpC, G, I, J, and OEB1) and 11 new genotypes (NESH1 to NESH6 and NECA1 to NECA5). The genotypes formed two genetic clusters in a phylogenetic analysis, with CS-4, EbpC, G, NESH1 to NESH3, and NECA1 to NECA5 distributed in zoonotic group 1 and BEB4, BEB6, CM7, EbpI, J, OEB1, and NESH4 to NESH6 distributed in potentially host-adapted group 2. Nearly 70% of cases of
E. bieneusi
infections in sheep were contributed by human-pathogenic genotypes BEB6, CS-4, and EbpC, and over 80% of those in cattle were by genotypes BEB4, CS-4, EbpC, I, and J. The cooccurrence of genotypes BEB4, CS-4, EbpC, I, and J in domestic ruminants and children in northeast China and the identification of BEB6 and EbpC in humans and water in central China imply the possibility of zoonotic transmission. This study also summarizes
E. bieneusi
genotypes obtained from ruminants worldwide and displays their host ranges, geographical distributions, and phylogenetic relationships. The data suggest a host range expansion in some group 2 genotypes (notably BEB4, BEB6, I, and J) that were previously considered to be adapted to ruminants. We should be concerned about the increasing zoonotic importance of group 2 genotypes with low host specificity.
Draft Genome Sequence of the Terrestrial Cyanobacterium Scytonema millei VB511283, Isolated from Eastern India
Authors: Sen Diya , Chandrababunaidu Mathu Malar , Singh Deeksha , Sanghi Neha , Ghorai Arpita , Mishra Gyan Prakash , Madduluri Madhavi , Adhikary Siba Prasad , Tripathy Sucheta
Published: March 2015

We report here the draft genome sequence of Scytonema millei VB511283, a cyanobacterium isolated from biofilms on the exterior of stone monuments in Santiniketan, eastern India. The draft genome is 11,627,246 bp long (11.63 Mb), with 118 scaffolds. About 9,011 protein-coding genes, 117 tRNAs, and 12 rRNAs are predicted from this assembly.
Complete Genome of Geobacter pickeringii G13
T
, a Metal-Reducing Isolate from Sedimentary Kaolin Deposits
Authors: Badalamenti Jonathan P. , Bond Daniel R.
Published: March 2015

We used PacBio sequencing to assemble the genome of the pristine freshwater isolate
Geobacter pickeringii
G13
T
into a single 3,618,700-bp circular chromosome polished to 99.999% accuracy (quality value [QV], 50). This isolate shares several features with other Geobacter spp., including genes for degradation of aromatics and an abundance of multiheme
c
-type cytochromes.
Draft Genome Sequence of “
Terrisporobacter othiniensis
” Isolated from a Blood Culture from a Human Patient
Authors: Lund Lars Christian , Sydenham Thomas Vognbjerg , Høgh Silje Vermedal , Skov Marianne , Kemp Michael , Justesen Ulrik Stenz
Published: March 2015

“Terrisporobacter othiniensis” (proposed species) was isolated from a blood culture. Genomic DNA was sequenced using a MiSeq benchtop sequencer (Illumina) and assembled using the SPAdes genome assembler. This resulted in a draft genome sequence comprising 3,980,019 bp in 167 contigs containing 3,449 coding sequences, 7 rRNAs, and 58 tRNAs.
Whole-Genome Sequence of Listeria monocytogenes Serovar 4b Strain IZSAM_Lm_hs2008, Isolated from a Human Infection in Italy
Authors: Centorame Patrizia , Acciari Vicdalia Aniela , Orsini Massimiliano , Torresi Marina , Iannetti Luigi , Angius Andrea , Di Giammartino Dante , Prencipe Vincenza Annunziata , Migliorati Giacomo
Published: March 2015

Listeria monocytogenes
is one of the most important foodborne pathogens. In this report, we present the complete and annotated genome of
L. monocytogenes
sequence type 06 (ST06) serovar 4b strain IZSAM_Lm_hs2008, isolated from an adult immunocompetent patient who developed the disease and died.
Burkholderia cenocepacia Strain CEIB S5-1, a Rhizosphere-Inhabiting Bacterium with Potential in Bioremediation
Authors: Martínez-Ocampo Fernando , Lozano-Aguirre Beltrán Luis Fernando , Hernández-Mendoza Armando , Rojas-Espinoza Luis Enrique , Popoca-Ursino Elida Carolina , Ortiz-Hernández María Laura , Sánchez-Salinas Enrique , Ramos Quintana Fernando , Dantán-González Edgar
Published: March 2015

Burkholderia cenocepacia
is considered an opportunistic pathogen from humans and may cause disease in plants. A bioprospection from a plaguicide-contaminated agricultural field in Mexico identified several methyl parathion-degrading bacteria. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of
B. cenocepacia
strain CEIB S5-1, which gave us clues into ecological biodiversity.
Complete Genome Sequence of the Urethral Catheter Isolate Myroides sp. A21
Authors: Burghartz Melanie , Bunk Boyke , Spröer Cathrin , Voget Sonja , Daniel Rolf , Overmann Jörg , Jahn Martina
Published: March 2015

Myroides sp. A21, isolated from a urethral catheterized patient without symptoms of a urinary tract infection in Germany, proved to be extensively drug resistant. Here, we report the 4.16-Mb complete genome sequence of strain A21, carrying unusual pathogenicity islands and explaining the features of multidrug resistance.
Draft Genome Sequences of Six Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae Serotype 8 Brazilian Clinical Isolates: Insight into New Applications
Authors: Pereira Monalessa Fábia , Rossi Ciro César , de Carvalho Fabíola Marques , de Almeida Luiz Gonzaga Paula , Souza Rangel Celso , de Vasconcelos Ana Tereza Ribeiro , Bazzolli Denise Mara Soares
Published: March 2015

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae
is the causative agent of swine pleuropneumonia, a highly contagious disease associated with pigs of all ages that results in severe economic losses to the industry. Here, we report for the first time six genome sequences of
A. pleuropneumoniae
clinical isolates of serotype 8, found worldwide.
SLE or hypothyroidism: who can triumph in cardiac tamponade?
Authors: Chaudhari Sameer Sadashiv , Wankhedkar Kashmira Pramod , Mushiyev Savi
Published: March 2015

A 36-year-old Hispanic woman with a history of systemic lupus erythaematosus (SLE) in remission presented with progressive dyspnoea, bilateral leg swelling and increasing fatigue with rapid weight gain over the past few months. Her physical examination showed mildly tender thyromegaly and pericardial rub. Investigations showed new onset marked hypothyroidism as well as an active lupus serology with echocardiogram confirming severe pericardial effusion and a tamponade phenomenon. Urgent pericardiocentesis relieved her acute symptoms, and prompt treatment with thyroxine replacement and immunosuppression for lupus disease was initiated. Pericardial fluid analysis remained negative for any malignancy and/or infection/s. The patient had a gradual and consistent improvement with this treatment. She was discharged and appeared to be clinically stable at subsequent follow-up visits. However, the case remained a diagnostic dilemma over whether the tamponade was being driven by hypothyroidism versus lupus, leaving us with an opportunity to explore further.
Endocarditis of the native aortic valve caused byLactobacillus jensenii
Authors: Patnaik Soumya , Davila Carlos Daniel , Chennupati Anupama , Rubin Alexander
Published: March 2015

Lactobacilli are Gram-positive anaerobic rods or coccobacilli, commonly found as commensals in human mucosa. Rarely, they can cause serious infections such as infective endocarditis (IE), and the most frequently implicated species causing serious infections areL. caseiandL. rhamnosus. IE caused byLactobacillus jenseniiis very rare, with only six reported cases so far, to the best of our knowledge. We present a case of native aortic valve endocarditis caused byL. jensenii, complicated by root abscess and complete heart block, and requiring emergent surgical intervention.
Massive surgical emphysema secondary to iatrogenic tracheal laceration
Authors: Chamberlain Sarah , Rahman Habib , Frunza Gabriela , Wickham Alexander
Published: March 2015

A 78-year-old woman was admitted for a revision total hip replacement following a failed dynamic hip screw placed emergently 4 months earlier. Anaesthetic management consisted of general anaesthesia with endotracheal intubation and femoral nerve block. The patient's perioperative course was unremarkable except for a promptly recognised and corrected oesophageal intubation and a short period of breathing against a closed adjustable pressure limiting valve. In recovery, following a period of hypotension resistant to fluid therapy, she suddenly desaturated, developed severe facial and upper thoracic subcutaneous emphysema and type 2 respiratory failure. She was diagnosed with bilateral pneumothoraces, pneumomediastinum, pneumopericardium and surgical emphysema. This was treated emergently with supplemental oxygen and bilateral chest drains. A CT scan demonstrated a tracheal laceration, which was managed conservatively in the critical care unit. The patient had a tracheostomy on day 5 to treat an on-going air leak and later made a full recovery.
Gross haematuria associated with penetration of an inferior vena cava filter into the right renal collecting system
Authors: Cusano Antonio , Rosenberg David , Haddock Peter , Meraney Anoop
Published: March 2015

Inferior vena cava (IVC) filters are a viable alternative for patients with venous thromboembolic disease for whom standard anticoagulation therapy is contraindicated. Rare complications associated with their use, however, include misplacement and IVC penetration. We report a case of a 63-year-old woman who developed gross haematuria following IVC filter penetration into both the right renal collecting system and renal pelvis, for which open caval removal and reconstruction was required. This is an unusual case of IVC filter penetration causing symptomatic haematuria and requiring surgical intervention.