bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Wolbachiado not live by reproductive manipulation alone: infection polymorphism inDrosophila suzukiiandD. subpulchrella
Authors: Hamm Christopher A. , Begun David J. , Vo Alexandre , Smith Chris C. R. , Saelao Perot , Shaver Amanda O. , Jaenike John , Turelli Michael
Published: August 2014

Drosophila suzukiirecently invaded North America and Europe. Populations in Hawaii, California, New York and Nova Scotia are polymorphic forWolbachia, typically with <20% infection frequency. TheWolbachiainD. suzukii, denotedwSuz, is closely related towRi, the variant prevalent in continental populations ofD. simulans.wSuz is also nearly identical toWolbachiafound inD. subpulchrella, plausiblyD. suzukii's sister species. This suggests verticalWolbachiatransmission through cladogenesis (‘cladogenic transmission’). The widespread occurrence of 7–20% infection frequencies indicates a stable polymorphism.wSuz is imperfectly maternally transmitted, with wild infected females producing on average 5–10% uninfected progeny. As expected from its low frequency,wSuz produces no cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), that is, no increased embryo mortality when infected males mate with uninfected females, and no appreciable sex‐ratio distortion. The persistence ofwSuz despite imperfect maternal transmission suggests positive fitness effects. Assuming a balance between selection and imperfect transmission, we expect a fitness advantage on the order of 20%. Unexpectedly,Wolbachia‐infected females produce fewer progeny than do uninfected females. We do not yet understand the maintenance ofwSuz inD. suzukii. The absence of detectable CI inD. suzukiiandD. subpulchrellamakes it unlikely that CI‐based mechanisms could be used to control this species without transinfection using novelWolbachia. Contrary to their reputation as horizontally transmitted reproductive parasites, manyWolbachiainfections are acquired through introgression or cladogenesis and many cause no appreciable reproductive manipulation. Such infections, likely to be mutualistic, may be central to understanding the pervasiveness ofWolbachiaamong arthropods.
Odalisken und Liebessklavinnen
Authors: Tafazoli Hamid
Published: August 2014

Die literarische Analyse textueller Vermittlung desBlickesauf Frauen im Kontext von kultureller Aterität,Orientalismund Gender Studies ist keine Seltenheit. Innovativ ist im vorliegenden Beitrag die Erschließung von Repräsentationen persischer Frauen im Kontext der Alteritätsforschung im doppelten Sinne: Zum einen soll die Perspektive auf den Umgang mit kultureller Andersartigkeit und deren Reflexionen in einem persisch‐deutschen Kontext und zum anderen auf die geschlechtsspezifische Alterität aus der Perspektive der Gender Studies erweitert werden. Der Beitrag setzt in der frühen Phase kultureller Fremdkonstruktion und im Aufkommen einer Reisebeschreibungskultur an, blickt in die zweite Phase des Wissenserwerbs über fremde Kulturen und möchte die Annahme begründen, dass das Bild persischer Frauen zum einen im Kontext einer dem Beobachter als fremd geltenden Kultur und zum anderen im Kontext eines geschlechtsspezifisch Anderen, d.h. männlichen Blickes entsteht und so einer zweifachen Fremdheit ausgesetzt ist: der gesellschaftlich‐kulturellen und der geschlechtsspezifischen.
Gillian Mears'sFoal's Breadas a Postcolonial Pastoral
Authors: Nyman Jopi
Published: August 2014

This article presents a reading of Gillian Mears's novelFoal's Bread(2011) as a postcolonial counter‐pastoral that problematizes conventional mythologies of Australian identity and rethinks the relationships with humans, land, and non‐humans. By challenging naturalized ways of telling stories of the relationship between humans and nature, Mears's novel deconstructs the anthropocentric and hierarchical world view promoted in the discourses of modernity and colonialism and underlines the entanglement of humans, animals, and their shared natural world. Horses, in particular, play an important role in the novel both thematically and in terms of its imagery. This essay suggests thatFoal's Breadreconstructs the pastoral mode and reworks the connection between humans and the natural world from a perspective that rethinks interspecies relations and the division into human and non‐human animals. In so doing the novel inserts humans into the contexts of land and landscape, making them inseparable from it, and also reconstructs the text as a form of nature.
Quantitative Risk Assessment of Haemolytic and Uremic Syndrome Linked to O157:H7 and Non‐O157:H7 Shiga‐Toxin Producing Escherichia coli Strains in Raw Milk Soft Cheeses
Authors: Perrin Frédérique , Tenenhaus‐Aziza Fanny , Michel Valérie , Miszczycha Stéphane , Bel Nadège , Sanaa Moez
Published: August 2014

Shiga‐toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains may cause human infections ranging from simple diarrhea to Haemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). The five main pathogenic serotypes of STEC (MPS‐STEC) identified thus far in Europe are O157:H7, O26:H11, O103:H2, O111:H8, and O145:H28. Because STEC strains can survive or grow during cheese making, particularly in soft cheeses, a stochastic quantitative microbial risk assessment model was developed to assess the risk of HUS associated with the five MPS‐STEC in raw milk soft cheeses. A baseline scenario represents a theoretical worst‐case scenario where no intervention was considered throughout the farm‐to‐fork continuum. The risk level assessed with this baseline scenario is the risk‐based level. The impact of seven preharvest scenarios (vaccines, probiotic, milk farm sorting) on the risk‐based level was expressed in terms of risk reduction. Impact of the preharvest intervention ranges from 76% to 98% of risk reduction with highest values predicted with scenarios combining a decrease of the number of cow shedding STEC and of the STEC concentration in feces. The impact of postharvest interventions on the risk‐based level was also tested by applying five microbiological criteria (MC) at the end of ripening. The five MCs differ in terms of sample size, the number of samples that may yield a value larger than the microbiological limit, and the analysis methods. The risk reduction predicted varies from 25% to 96% by applying MCs without preharvest interventions and from 1% to 96% with combination of pre‐ and postharvest interventions.
Wildfire Risk Transmission in the Colorado Front Range, USA
Authors: Haas Jessica R. , Calkin David E. , Thompson Matthew P.
Published: August 2014

Wildfires are a global phenomenon that in some circumstances can result in human casualties, economic loss, and ecosystem service degradation. In this article we spatially identify wildfire risk transmission pathways and locate the areas of highest exposure of human populations to wildland fires under severe, but not uncommon, weather events. We quantify varying levels of exposure in terms of population potentially affected and tie the exposure back to the spatial source of the risk for the Front Range of Colorado, USA. We use probabilistic fire simulation modeling to address where fire ignitions are most likely to cause the highest impact to human communities, and to explore the role that various landowners play in that transmission of risk. Our results indicated that, given an ignition and the right fire weather conditions, large areas along the Front Range in Colorado could be exposed to wildfires with high potential to impact human populations, and that overall private ignitions have the potential to impact more people than federal ignitions. These results can be used to identify high‐priority areas for wildfire risk mitigation using various mitigation tools.
The Aggregation of Expert Judgment: Do Good Things Come to Those Who Weight?
Authors: Bolger Fergus , Rowe Gene
Published: August 2014

Good policy making should be based on available scientific knowledge. Sometimes this knowledge is well established through research, but often scientists must simply express their judgment, and this is particularly so in risk scenarios that are characterized by high levels of uncertainty. Usually in such cases, the opinions of several experts will be sought in order to pool knowledge and reduce error, raising the question of whether individual expert judgments should be given different weights. We argue—against the commonly advocated “classical method”—that no significant benefits are likely to accrue from unequal weighting in mathematical aggregation. Our argument hinges on the difficulty of constructing reliable and valid measures of substantive expertise upon which to base weights. Practical problems associated with attempts to evaluate experts are also addressed. While our discussion focuses on one specific weighting scheme that is currently gaining in popularity for expert knowledge elicitation, our general thesis applies to externally imposed unequal weighting schemes more generally.
Airway remodeling is reversed by aerobic training in a murine model of chronic asthma
Authors: Silva R. A. , Almeida F. M. , Olivo C. R. , Saraiva‐Romanholo B. M. , Martins M. A. , Carvalho C. R. F.
Published: August 2014

The aim of this study was to investigate if the aerobic training (AT) reverses airway remodeling (AR) in an asthma model. BALB/c were divided into four groups: control (unsensitized and untrained); ovalbumin (OVA: sensitized and untrained); AT (unsensitized and trained) and OVA + AT. Allergic inflammation was induced with intraperitoneal and OVA inhalation. AT (low intensity; 5×/week; 60 min/session) was performed at 7, 15, and 30 days. Leukocyte counting in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid; the expression of IL‐5, eotaxin, RANTES, intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1), vascular cell adhesion molecule‐1 (VCAM‐1); AR features (airway smooth muscle, epithelium thickness, collagen and elastic fibers, mucus production); and AR inducers (transforming growing factor‐beta, osteopontin, vascular endothelial growth factor). OVA induced an increase in leukocyte airway migration and increased AR features (P < 0.05). After 7 days, AT reversed the OVA‐induced eosinophil and macrophage airway migration, the expression of IL‐5, eotaxin, RANTES, ICAM‐1, VCAM‐1, and all AR inducers. However, total reversion of the AR features and inducers and airway inflammation occurred only after 15 days of AT compared with the OVA groups (P < 0.05) and the effects were maintained until the 30th day. AT reverses AR after 15 days and this effect is preceded by the inhibition of leukocyte migration and occurs simultaneously with the reduction in the expression of inflammatory mediators and AR inducers.
The Semiclosed Recuperated Cycle With Intercooled Compressors
Authors: Wettstein Hans E.
Published: August 2014

The gas turbine combined cycle (GTCC) is the best currently available choice, if gaps in the renewable electric power supply need being filled with power from fossil fuels. The GTCC manufacturers are in a fierce competition responding to these needs, especially for the best part load efficiency, the fastest load ramp capability and for the lowest low load power parking at an acceptable NOx and CO emission level. But there is an option outperforming the GTCC technology for the above mentioned requirements, which is theoretically known since years but it has not yet been practically developed. It is the semiclosed recuperated cycle (SCRC). Wettstein (2013) has described this recently in “The Air Breathing Semiclosed Recuperated Cycle and Its Super Chargeable Predecessors,” Gas Turbine World 2013, March/April Issue, Vol. 42, No. 2). The SCRC does not require any component technology, which is not yet proven in operating large commercial GTCC or GT plants. But of course the cycle integration is a different one, requiring a specific design of the components. An inherent side feature of the SCRC is the exhaust gas composition, which corresponds to a near-stoichiometric combustion gas. This allows comparing the SCRC with a (CO2−) capture ready GTCC having exhaust gas recirculation. The above mentioned article, the thermodynamic performance analysis of a SCRC with an adiabatic compressor is described. But the cycle becomes even more attractive with an intercooling stage in each of the two compressors. Here, this is quantified with another detailed thermodynamic analysis. Additionally, also an ideal case with isothermal compression is analyzed. The latter is of course unrealistic for a practical realization. But it indicates the potential of using more than one intercooling stage per compressor. The aim of this paper is to quantitatively compare the three variants with adiabatic, intercooled and isothermal compressors. In all three cases the same turbine and recuperator temperature limitations are used while some other cycle data assumptions are adapted to the compressor technology in order to achieve an optimal performance level for each variant. The thermodynamic results have been cross-checked with a breakdown of the exergy losses in the three variants. The final results for base load operation indicate that the intercooled variant could become the best choice.
Integral Pumping Devices for Dual Mechanical Seals: Experiments and Numerical Simulations
Authors: Warda H. A. , Wahba E. M. , Selim E. A.
Published: August 2014

An experimental and numerical investigation is carried out to evaluate the performance of alternative pumping ring designs for dual mechanical seals. Both radial-flow and axial-flow pumping rings are considered in the present study. An experimental setup is constructed, and appropriate instrumentation are employed to measure the pressure, temperature, and flow rate of the barrier fluid. A parametric study is carried out to investigate the effect of pump rotational speed, barrier fluid accumulator pressure, and barrier fluid inlet temperature on the performance of the pumping rings. Experiments are also used to evaluate the effect of different geometric parameters such as the radial clearance between the pumping ring and the surrounding gland, and the outlet port orientation. Moreover, a numerical study is conducted to simulate the flow field for the radial pumping ring designs under different operating parameters. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model implements a multiple reference frame (MRF) technique, while turbulence is modeled using the standard k-epsilon model. Numerical simulations are also used to visualize the flow of the barrier fluid within the dual seal cavity. Present results indicate that the pump rotational speed and the orientation of the outlet port have a significant effect on the performance of the pumping ring. On the other hand, the effects of barrier fluid accumulator pressure and inlet temperature are minimal on the performance. The study also shows that reducing the radial clearance between the rotating ring and the stationary outer gland would significantly improve the performance of axial pumping rings. Moreover, comparisons between the computational and experimental results show good agreement for pumping ring configurations with tangential outlet (TO) ports and at moderate rotational speeds.
Slow Crack Growth of a Pyroceram Glass Ceramic Under Static Fatigue Loading—Commonality of Slow Crack Growth in Advanced Ceramics
Authors: Choi Sung R. , Calvin Faucett D. , Skelley Brenna
Published: August 2014

An extensive experimental work for Pyroceram™ 9606 glass–ceramic was conducted to determine static fatigue at ambient temperature in distilled water. This work was an extension and companion of the previous work conducted in dynamic fatigue. Four different applied stresses ranging from 120 to 170 MPa was incorporated with a total of 20–23 test specimens used at each of four applied stresses. The slow crack growth (SCG) parameters n and D were found to be n = 19 and D = 45 with a coefficient of correlation of rcoef = 0.9653. The Weibull modulus of time to failure was in a range of msf = 1.6–1.9 with an average of msf = 1.7 ± 0.2. A life prediction using the previously determined dynamic fatigue data was in excellent agreement with the static fatigue data. The life prediction approach was also applied to advanced monolithic ceramics and ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) based on their dynamic and static fatigue data determined at elevated temperatures. All of these results indicated that a SCG mechanism governed by a power-law crack growth formulation was operative, a commonality of SCG in these materials systems.
Investigation on a Modified 11-Level Cascaded Inverter Fed by Photovoltaic Array for Standalone Applications
Authors: Sridhar R. , Jeevananthan S. , Dash S. S. , Vemula Kiran
Published: August 2014

This paper suggests a modified 11-level reduced switch inverter fed by photovoltaic (PV) array feeding standalone AC loads. Multilevel inverters (MLIs) have great influence in distributed power system due to their high power capability with reduced harmonic content. Among the various topologies of MLI, cascaded MLIs are widely adopted for PV applications since batteries charged by PV panels can serve as DC voltage sources for MLI. The PV system charges the batteries through a buck converter, controlled by a smart perturb and observe (P&O) maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technique. The perturb and observe MPPT described in this work is capable of not only extracting maximum power from the panel but also regulate the charging mechanism of the battery. This work also aims at enhancing the performance of existing reduced switch topology, which is having higher harmonic and switching complexity by adopting a structural change. This topology uses less number of controlled switches compared to the existing method which aids in reducing losses and switching complexity. In addition to that, with a reduced switch count, it can be configured and realized easily. The proposed work is successfully realized in Matlab/Simulink and hardware environment. The simulation and hardware results prove that proposed work is highly viable.
Framework for Monitoring and Assessing Small and Medium Solar Energy Plants
Authors: Martínez Marchena Ildefonso , Sidrach-de-Cardona Mariano , Mora-López Llanos
Published: August 2014

The monitoring and assessment of small and medium solar energy plants were ruled out as the existing programs for these tasks are expensive and they are designed to run directly on the installation site, making it necessary to have both a monitoring system, such as data logger, and specialized staff capable of analyzing the monitoring data. To address these problems, this paper presents a framework that allows the development of programs for remote monitoring and automatic evaluation of solar energy plants without using any additional hardware. Software architecture based on separating the software functionalities into several layers and on using a hierarchical model of the plant elements is proposed. This framework allows the integration of different technologies and communication protocols of devices used in solar energy plants. A monitoring and assessing program for several dispersed solar energy installations has been developed as practical example.
Sport Without Management
Authors: Newman Joshua I.
Published: August 2014

This article seeks to unsettle the taken-for-granted epistemological and ontological foundations upon which many curricular and research-based activities in contemporary sport management are grounded. With an emphasis on that academic field’s development in the United States in particular, the author problematizes the underlying assumptions that guide many of sport management’s concomitant scientific and industrial projects. The article concludes with a brief discussion on how we might reenvisage both the study and praxis of sport management in ways that are not just economically generative, but in ways that might also bring about cultural and social transformation.
Ischaemia due to a vascular malformation causing focal myositis
Authors: Alkhawajah Nuha Marwan , Kiehl Tim-Rasmus , Bril Vera
Published: August 2014

Focal myositis secondary to an intramuscular vascular malformation has rarely been reported in the literature. We describe a 21-year-old woman presenting with left thigh pain. Imaging of the thigh muscles showed a vascular malformation and muscle biopsy demonstrated focal changes diagnosed initially as myositis. Ischaemia is thought to be the responsible mechanism.
Fatal cardiac involvement complicating antisynthetase syndrome
Authors: Brady Stefen , Melath Sunil , Scalco Renata S , Penn Henry
Published: August 2014

A 35-year-old Afro-Caribbean woman presented with dyspnoea, urticarial rash and myalgia 1 month after treatment for a community-acquired respiratory tract infection. Investigations revealed raised antisynthetase antibodies, lung fibrosis and an inflammatory myopathy. The patient was diagnosed with antisynthetase syndrome (ASS) and started on immunosuppressive medication. Despite treatment she died 4 weeks after presentation from a fulminant cardiomyopathy. ASS is a rare condition and is not typically associated with a cardiomyopathy. This case report intends to raise awareness that cardiomyopathy is a potentially fatal complication of ASS.
Smoothelin-B is not a target of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 in the vasculature of endotoxemic rats
Authors: de Souza Priscila , Mazzaron de Castro Michele , Goobie Gillian , da Silva-Santos Jose Eduardo , Schulz Richard
Published: August 2014

Smoothelin-B (SMTL-B) and calponin-1 are important regulators of vascular contraction. SMTL-B contains a calponin-homology domain and is structurally similar to cardiac troponin T. As calponin-1 and troponin T are proteolyzed by intracellular matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 in oxidative stress injury, we hypothesized that SMTL-B is also cleaved by MMP-2 and contributes to lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced vascular hypocontractility. Rats received ONO-4817 (an MMP inhibitor) or its vehicle, 2 h prior to being administered lipopolysaccharide (LPS). LPS-induced aorta hypocontractility to potassium chloride or phenylephrine, and reduction of calponin-1 levels, were abolished by ONO-4817 at 6 but not 3 h after LPS. However, the level of SMTL-B was unaltered in LPS aortas and further unaffected by ONO-4817. Despite the importance of SMTL-B in vascular tone, it is not a target of MMP-2 in LPS-induced hypocontractility.
Time-dependent coupled harmonic oscillators: Classical and quantum solutions
Authors: Macedo D. X. , Guedes I.
Published: August 2014

In this work we present the classical and quantum solutions for an arbitrary system of time-dependent coupled harmonic oscillators, where the masses (m), frequencies (ω) and coupling parameter (k) are functions of time. To obtain the classical solutions, we use a coordinate and momentum transformations along with a canonical transformation to write the original Hamiltonian as the sum of two Hamiltonians of uncoupled harmonic oscillators with modified time-dependent frequencies and unitary masses. To obtain the exact quantum solutions we use a unitary transformation and the Lewis and Riesenfeld (LR) invariant method. The exact wave functions are obtained by solving the respective Milne–Pinney (MP) equation for each system. We obtain the solutions for the system with m1 = m2 = m0eγt, ω1 = ω01e-γt/2, ω2 = ω02e-γt/2 and k = k0.
CRESCENT FLAP FOR FINGERTIP RECONSTRUCTION
Authors: Chung Sze-Ryn , Foo Tun-Lin
Published: August 2014

A volar advancement flap based on V-Y concept for fingertip reconstruction is described. The crescent flap utilises curved incision to preserve fingertip contour and distal digital crease. Satisfactory outcome was achieved in two patients who underwent fingertip reconstruction using this technique. Its advantages are technical simplicity, minimal donor morbidity, and may be used in situation where conventional V-Y incision is unsuitable.
Multibiometric System Using Level Set, Modified LBP and Random Forest
Authors: Roy Kaushik , O'Connor Brian , Ahmad Foysal , Kamel Mohamed S.
Published: August 2014

Multibiometric systems alleviate some of the shortcomings possessed by the unimodal biometrics and provide better recognition performance. This paper presents a multibiometric system that integrates the iris and face features based on the fusion at the feature level. The proposed multibiometric system has three novelties as compared to the previous works. First, distance regularized level-set evolution (DRLSE) technique is utilized to localize the iris and pupil boundary from an iris image. The DRLSE maintains the regularity of the level set function intrinsically during the curve evolution process and increases the numerical accuracy substantially. The proposed iris localization scheme is robust against poor localization and weak iris/sclera boundaries. Second, a modified local binary pattern (MLBP), which combines both the sign and magnitude features for the improvement of recognition performance, is applied. Third, to select the optimal subset of features from the fused feature vector, a feature subset selection scheme based on random forest (RF) is proposed. To evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme, the facial images of Yale Extended B Face database are fused with the iris images of CASIA V4 interval dataset to construct an iris–face multimodal biometric dataset. The experimental results indicate that the proposed multimodal biometrics system is more reliable and robust than the unimodal biometric scheme.
A Learning-Based Framework for Supervised and Unsupervised Image Segmentation Evaluation
Authors: Lin Jian , Peng Bo , Li Tianrui
Published: August 2014

Image segmentation is a fundamental task in automatic image analysis. However, there is still no generally accepted effectiveness measure which is suitable for evaluating the segmentation quality in every application. In this paper, we propose an evaluation framework which benefits from multiple stand-alone measures. To this end, different segmentation evaluation measures are chosen to evaluate segmentation separately, and the results are effectively combined using machine learning methods. We train and implement this framework in our brand-new segmentation dataset which contains images of different contents with segmentation ground truth and Weizmann segmentation database (WSD). In addition, we provide human evaluation of image segmentation pairs to benchmark the evaluation results of the measures. Experimental results show a better performance than the stand-alone methods.
C–H bond activation with Ge-oxyl complex generated by photoinduced-electron-transfer of di(hydroxo)porphyrin GeIV complex
Authors: Shiragami Tsutomu , Kuroki Ayano , Matsumoto Jin , Yasuda Masahide
Published: August 2014

Visible-light irradiation of MeOH solution containing di(hydroxo)tetraphenylporphyrin atogermanium(IV) complex ( tppGe ( OH )2; 1a), cumene, and Fe 3+ ion ( Fe ( NO 3)3) as an electron acceptor gave cumyl alcohol as an oxidative product along with Fe 2+ ion as a reductive product. The quantum yield (Φox) and turn over frequency (TOF) for the formation of cumyl alcohol was 0.033 and 111.1 h-1, respectively. The addition of KOH aqueous solution (1 mM) into reaction solution led to an increase of Φox to 0.047. The free energy change (ΔG) with electron transfer from excited triplet state (31a*) to Fe 3+ was estimated as a large negative value (-1.37 eV). Furthermore, in 1a-photosensitized oxidation of MeOH in the presence of K 2 PtCl 6 as an electron acceptor, formaldehyde ( HCHO ) was formed in Φox = 0.034 and TOF = 120.0 h-1. The isotope effect for the formation of HCHO (Φox(H)/Φox(D) = 5.04) was observed when MeOH -d4 was employed as an substrate. Both formation of cumyl alcohol and formaldehyde was not observed at all in the case of photosensitized reactions by tppGe ( OMe )2 (1b) having two axial methoxo ligands. These findings indicate the photosensitized reaction was initiated by photoinduced electron transfer from 31a* to Fe 3+ or K 2 PtCl 6 to generate porphyrin radical cation (1a+•), which underwent a proton dissociation of hydroxo axial ligand to give tpp ( OH ) Ge - O • ( Ge -oxyl complex) as key intermediate. The Ge -oxyl complex oxidized substrates through a hydrogen-atom abstraction. It is strongly suggested that 1a can act as a good sensitizer for being able to activate C – H bond of organic compounds.
Photophysical and electrochemical properties of a novel 4f–3d heterometallic porphyrin
Authors: Chen Wen-Tong , Xu Ya-Ping , Luo Qiu-Yan , Dai Yan-Kang , Huang Shan-Lin , Guo Pei-Yu
Published: August 2014

A 4f-3d heterometallic porphyrin, [ TbCo ( TPPS ) H 3 O ]n (1) ( H 2 TPPS = tetra (4- sulfonatophenyl ) porphyrin ), has been synthesized via a hydrothermal reaction and structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The structure of 1 consists of [ TbCo ( TPPS ) H 3 O ]n molecules. The Tb 3+ ions are coordinated by eight oxygen atoms from eight sulfonic groups, yielding a distorted square anti-prism geometry. Compound 1 is characterized by a three-dimensional (3-D) porous open framework that is thermally stable up to 350°C. Compound 1 displays a fluorescent emission band in the ultraviolet region and its fluorescence lifetime is 1.14 ms. A slow scan CV curve of compound 1 reveals one reversible wave with E1/2 being equal to -0.78 V, which is close to the value -0.74 V of DPV diagram.
GREENHOUSE GAS OFFSETS: ANALYSIS OF BASELINE RULES AND ADDITIONALITY FOR REDUCED NITROGEN APPLICATION ON WHEAT
Authors: HOROWITZ JOHN
Published: August 2014

Agriculture is a source of greenhouse gas emissions that could be included as offsets in a cap-and-trade system. This paper describes offset rules that could be applied to reduced nitrogen fertilizer application on wheat, a source of nitrous oxide emissions. Unlike other papers that have examined offset rules, we do not assume that farmers' business-as-usual nitrogen emissions can be perfectly predicted. We construct a structural model of wheat production and use this, along with Agricultural Resource Management Survey data, to model or estimate participation in the offset market, offset supply conditional on participation, and business-as-usual emissions. We find that roughly two-thirds of the supplied offsets would be non-additional at an allowance price of $15/tonne CO 2-e. Under assumptions about the social damages from greenhouse gas emissions, we find that allowing nitrogen offsets would marginally pass a standard benefit-cost test.
Formulation Development and Characterization of Meclizine Hydrochloride Sublimated Fast Dissolving Tablets
Authors: Vemula Sateesh Kumar , Vangala Mohan
Published: August 2014

The intention of present research is to formulate and develop the meclizine hydrochloride fast dissolving tablets using sublimation method to enhance the dissolution rate. In this study an attempt was made to fasten the drug release from the oral tablets by incorporating the superdisintegrants and camphor as sublimating agent. The prepared fast dissolving tablets were subjected to precompression properties and characterized for hardness, weight variation, friability, wetting time, water absorption ratio, and disintegration time. From in vitro release studies, the formulation F9 exhibited fast release profile of about 98.61% in 30 min, and disintegration time 47 sec when compared with other formulations. The percent drug release in 30 min (Q30) and initial dissolution rate for formulation F9 was 98.61 ± 0.25%, 3.29%/min. These were very much higher compared to marketed tablets (65.43 ± 0.57%, 2.18%/min). The dissolution efficiency was found to be 63.37 and it is increased by 1.4-fold with F9 FDT tablets compared to marketed tablets. Differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies revealed that there was no possibility of interactions. Thus the development of meclizine hydrochloride fast dissolving tablets by sublimation method is a suitable approach to improve the dissolution rate.
Vitamin D Insufficiency Is Associated with Lower Physical Function in Patients with Heart Failure and Diabetes
Authors: Lopes M. R. , Ribeiro Paula A. B. , Ledur Priscila , Souza Gabriela C. , Clausell Nadine , Schaan Beatriz D.
Published: August 2014

Vitamin D deficiency is frequent among patients with heart failure (HF) and diabetes, disorders associated with exercise intolerance and muscle weakness. This study aims to search for associations between vitamin D sufficiency and physical function indexes in patients with HF and diabetes. A cross-sectional study of 146 HF patients, 39.7% with diabetes, at a Brazilian tertiary outpatient clinic was performed. Patients underwent clinical evaluation, 6-minute walk test (6 MWT), handgrip strength, physical activity level (IPAQ), and biochemical evaluations including serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Classification was done according to vitamin D status (≥30 ng/dL, sufficient) and presence/absence of diabetes in vitamin sufficient, no diabetes (DS-C,n=25), vitamin sufficient, diabetes (DS-DM,n=18), vitamin deficient, no diabetes (DD-C,n= 63), and vitamin deficient, diabetes (DD-DM,n=40). Patients age was 55.4 ± 8 yrs; 70.5% had vitamin D deficiency. Clinical characteristics were similar among groups. Total time expended in physical activity was similar among groups(P=0.26). DS-C covered higher distances in the 6 MWT (392 ± 60 m)versusDD-DM (309 ± 116 m);P=0.024. Handgrip strength was similar among groups but tended to lower levels in DD-DM(P=0.074)even after being adjusted to physical activity(P=0.069). Vitamin D deficiency can influence physical function in HF diabetic patients.
Kinetic Studies on Saponification of Poly(ethylene
terephthalate) Waste Powder Using Conductivity Measurements
Authors: Patil Dilip B. , Batra Vijendra , Kapoor Sushil B.
Published: August 2014

Conductometric measurement technique has been deployed to study the kinetic behavior during the reaction of poly(ethylene terepthalate) (PET) and NaOH. A laboratory made arrangement with facility of continuous stirring was used to carry out experiments at desired temperature. With conductometry, the determination of kinetic as well as thermodynamic parameters becomes more simple and faster as compared to gravimetry. Chemical kinetics of this reaction shows that it is a second order reaction with reaction rate constant 2.88×10-3 g−1 s−1 at 70°C. The specific reaction rates of the saponification reaction in the temperature range at various temperatures (50–80°C) were determined. From the data, thermodynamic parameters such as activation energy, Arrhenius constant (frequency factor), activation enthalpy, activation entropy, and free energy of activation obtained were 54.2 KJ g−1, 5.0×106 min−1, 90.8 KJ g−1, -126.5 JK−1 g−1, and 49.9 KJ g−1, respectively.
The Design of Frequency Filters of Iterative Feedback Tuning Using Particle Swarm Optimization
Authors: Sharifi Arman
Published: August 2014

Iterative feedback tuning (IFT) is a data-based tuning approach that minimizes a quadratic performance index using some closed-loop experimental data. A control weighting coefficient, known as lambda, and two frequency filters are the most important parameters which can significantly improve the performance of the method. One of the major problems in IFT is tuning these parameters. This paper presents a new approach to tune frequency filters using particle swarm optimization (PSO). At the end, the performance of the proposed method is evaluated by two case study simulations.
Electrochemical Study of Ni20Cr Coatings Applied by HVOF Process in ZnCl2-KCl at High Temperatures
Authors: Porcayo-Calderón J. , Sotelo-Mazón O. , Casales-Diaz M. , Ascencio-Gutierrez J. A. , Salinas-Bravo V. M. , Martinez-Gomez L.
Published: August 2014

Corrosion behavior of Ni20Cr coatings deposited by HVOF (high velocity oxygen-fuel) process was evaluated in ZnCl2-KCl (1 : 1 mole ratio) molten salts. Electrochemical techniques employed were potentiodynamic polarization curves, open circuit potential, and linear polarization resistance (LPR) measurements. Experimental conditions included static air and temperatures of 350, 400, and 450°C. 304-type SS was evaluated in the same conditions as the Ni20Cr coatings and it was used as a reference material to assess the coatings corrosion resistance. Coatings were evaluated as-deposited and with a grinded surface finished condition. Results showed that Ni20Cr coatings have a better corrosion performance than 304-type SS. Analysis showed that Ni content of the coatings improved its corrosion resistance, and the low corrosion resistance of 304 stainless steel was attributed to the low stability of Fe and Cr and their oxides in the corrosive media used.
Mechanisms of Myofascial Pain
Authors: Jafri M. Saleet
Published: August 2014

Myofascial pain syndrome is an important health problem. It affects a majority of the general population, impairs mobility, causes pain, and reduces the overall sense of well-being. Underlying this syndrome is the existence of painful taut bands of muscle that contain discrete, hypersensitive foci called myofascial trigger points. In spite of the significant impact on public health, a clear mechanistic understanding of the disorder does not exist. This is likely due to the complex nature of the disorder which involves the integration of cellular signaling, excitation-contraction coupling, neuromuscular inputs, local circulation, and energy metabolism. The difficulties are further exacerbated by the lack of an animal model for myofascial pain to test mechanistic hypothesis. In this review, current theories for myofascial pain are presented and their relative strengths and weaknesses are discussed. Based on new findings linking mechanoactivation of reactive oxygen species signaling to destabilized calcium signaling, we put forth a novel mechanistic hypothesis for the initiation and maintenance of myofascial trigger points. It is hoped that this lays a new foundation for understanding myofascial pain syndrome and how current therapies work, and gives key insights that will lead to the improvement of therapies for its treatment.
Efficient Time-Frequency Localization of a Signal
Authors: Chand Satish
Published: August 2014

A new representation of the Fourier transform in terms of time and scale localization is discussed that uses a newly coinedA-wavelet transform (Grigoryan 2005). TheA-wavelet transform uses cosine- and sine-wavelet type functions, which employ, respectively, cosine and sine signals of length2π. For a given frequencyω, the cosine- and sine-wavelet type functions are evaluated at time points separated by2π/ωon the time-axis. This is a two-parameter representation of a signal in terms of time and scale (frequency), and can find out frequency contents present in the signal at any time point using less computation. In this paper, we extend this work to provide further signal information in a better way and name it asA*-wavelet transform. In our proposed work, we use cosine and sine signals defined over the time intervals, each of length2πm/(2nω),m≤2n,mandnare nonnegative integers, to develop cosine- and sine-type wavelets. Using smaller time intervals provides sharper frequency localization in the time-frequency plane as the frequency is inversely proportional to the time. It further reduces the computation for evaluating the Fourier transform at a given frequency. TheA-wavelet transform can be derived as a special case of theA*-wavelet transform.
Prevalence of Anemia and Associated Factors among Pregnant Women in an Urban Area of Eastern Ethiopia
Authors: Addis Alene Kefyalew , Mohamed Dohe Abdulahi
Published: August 2014

This research work presents the magnitude of anemia and its determinant factors among pregnant women. As far as this research is done in the eastern part of Ethiopia, where there is a different cultural issue related to pregnancy and dietary habit, it will help the researchers to know the problem in different parts of the country.
Genes Acting on Transcriptional Control during Abiotic Stress Responses
Authors: da Silva Glacy Jaqueline , Costa de Oliveira Antonio
Published: August 2014

Abiotic stresses are the major cause of yield loss in crops around the world. Greater genetic gains are possible by combining the classical genetic improvement with advanced molecular biology techniques. The understanding of mechanisms triggered by plants to meet conditions of stress is of fundamental importance for the elucidation of these processes. Current genetically modified crops help to mitigate the effects of these stresses, increasing genetic gains in order to supply the agricultural market and the demand for better quality food throughout the world. To obtain safe genetic modified organisms for planting and consumption, a thorough grasp of the routes and genes that act in response to these stresses is necessary. This work was developed in order to collect important information about essential TF gene families for transcriptional control under abiotic stress responses.
Surgical Repair of Lower Extremity Vascular Injuries in Children: Two Cases
Authors: Tasar Mehmet , Yaman Nur Dikmen , Saricaoglu Cahit , Eyileten Zeynep , Kaya Bulent , Uysalel Adnan
Published: August 2014

The use of percutaneous devices is commonplace for the treatment of many congenital heart defects. However, there are some situations where procedure-related complications are encountered and surgical help is required to ameliorate this issue. Vascular injury due to transcatheter intervention is a significant and challenging complication and occasionally requires surgical approach. In this case report, we aimed to present successful surgical management of vascular injuries associated with percutaneous interventions in children.
The Effectiveness of Modified Cottle Maneuver in Predicting Outcomes in Functional Rhinoplasty
Authors: Fung Elaine , Hong Paul , Moore Corey , Taylor S. Mark
Published: August 2014

Objective. To assess the outcomes of functional rhinoplasty for nasal valve incompetence and to evaluate an in-office test used to select appropriate surgical techniques.Methods. Patients with nasal obstruction due to nasal valve incompetence were enrolled. The modified Cottle maneuver was used to assess the internal and external nasal valves to help select the appropriate surgical method. The rhinoplasty outcomes evaluation (ROE) form and a 10-point visual analog scale (VAS) of nasal breathing were used to compare preoperative and postoperative symptoms.Results. Forty-nine patients underwent functional rhinoplasty evaluation. Of those, 35 isolated batten or spreader grafts were inserted without additional procedures. Overall mean ROE score increased significantly (P<0.0001) from 41.9 ± 2.4 to 81.7 ± 2.5 after surgery. Subjective improvement in nasal breathing was also observed with the VAS (mean improvement of 4.5 (95% CI 3.8–5.2) from baseline (P=0.000)). Spearman rank correlation between predicted outcomes using the modified Cottle maneuver and postoperative outcomes was strong for the internal nasal valve (Rho = 0.80;P=0.0029) and moderate for the external nasal valve (Rho = 0.50;P=0.013).Conclusion.Functional rhinoplasty improved subjective nasal airflow in our population. The modified Cottle maneuver was effective in predicting positive surgical outcomes.
Biological Treatment of Textile Effluent Using Candida zeylanoides and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Isolated from Soil
Authors: Abioye O. P. , Mustapha O. T. , Aransiola S. A.
Published: August 2014

This study evaluates the efficacy of yeasts isolated from soil in the treatment of textile wastewater. Two yeast species were isolated from soil; they were identified as Candida zeylanoides and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The yeasts were inoculated into flask containing effluent and incubated for 15 days. Saccharomyces cerevisiae showed the most significant treatment capacity with a 66% reduction in BOD; this was followed closely by Candida zeylanoides with 57.3% reduction in BOD and a consortium of the two species showed the least remediation potential of 36.9%. The use of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida zeylanoides in treatment of textile wastewater will help to limit the adverse environmental and health implications associated with disposal of untreated effluent into water bodies.
Self-Awareness in Computer Networks
Authors: Keller Ariane , Borkmann Daniel , Neuhaus Stephan , Happe Markus
Published: August 2014

The Internet architecture works well for a wide variety of communication scenarios. However, its flexibility is limited because it was initially designed to provide communication links between a few static nodes in a homogeneous network and did not attempt to solve the challenges of today’s dynamic network environments. Although the Internet has evolved to a global system of interconnected computer networks, which links together billions of heterogeneous compute nodes, its static architecture remained more or less the same. Nowadays the diversity in networked devices, communication requirements, and network conditions vary heavily, which makes it difficult for a static set of protocols to provide the required functionality. Therefore, we propose a self-aware network architecture in which protocol stacks can be built dynamically. Those protocol stacks can be optimized continuously during communication according to the current requirements. For this network architecture we propose an FPGA-based execution environment called EmbedNet that allows for a dynamic mapping of network protocols to either hardware or software. We show that our architecture can reduce the communication overhead significantly by adapting the protocol stack and that the dynamic hardware/software mapping of protocols considerably reduces the CPU load introduced by packet processing.
A Possible Role for Pioglitazone in the Management of Depressive Symptoms in Metabolic Syndrome Patients (EPICAMP Study): A Double Blind, Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Roohafza Hamidreza , Shokouh Pedram , Sadeghi Masoumeh , Alikhassy Zahra , Sarrafzadegan Nizal
Published: August 2014

The present trial aimed to evaluate the effects of pioglitazone on the mental status of nondiabetic metabolic syndrome patients. From 145 patients screened, 104 eligible volunteers (57% female; age 20–70 years) were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive either pioglitazone (uptitrated to 30 mg/day; P=53) or matching placebo (P=51) for 24 weeks. Depression and anxiety were quantified using the hospital anxiety and depression scale and stress level using the general health questionnaire 12 at baseline, week 12, and endpoint. Homeostasis model assessment was used to estimate insulin resistance. At week 24, pioglitazone was superior in mitigating depression score (P=0.011). In trend analysis, the effect of time (P<0.001) and group (P=0.023) as well as the time by group interaction (P=0.032) on the mean depression score was considerable. In contrast, significant decrements in anxiety and stress levels (P<0.001 and P=0.012, resp.) were comparable between two groups. With respect to our findings, alterations in depression severity were not correlated with changes in insulin resistance level (P=0.145). In conclusion, our findings suggest that pioglitazone might be able to improve mood in nondiabetic insulin resistant patients. (Registered at Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry; ACTRN12611000351910.)