bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Noise sensitivity and loudness derivative index for urban road traffic noise annoyance computation
Authors: Gille Laure-Anne , Marquis-Favre Catherine , Weber Reinhard
Published: December 2016

Urban road traffic composed of powered-two-wheelers (PTWs), buses, heavy, and light vehicles is a major source of noise annoyance. In order to assess annoyance models considering different acoustical and non-acoustical factors, a laboratory experiment on short-term annoyance due to urban road traffic noise was conducted. At the end of the experiment, participants were asked to rate their noise sensitivity and to describe the noise sequences they heard. This verbalization task highlights that annoyance ratings are highly influenced by the presence of PTWs and by different acoustical features: noise intensity, irregular temporal amplitude variation, regular amplitude modulation, and spectral content. These features, except irregular temporal amplitude variation, are satisfactorily characterized by the loudness, the total energy of tonal components and the sputtering and nasal indices. Introduction of the temporal derivative of loudness allows successful modeling of perceived amplitude variations. Its contribution to the tested annoyance models is high and seems to be higher than the contribution of mean loudness index. A multilevel regression is performed to assess annoyance models using selected acoustical indices and noise sensitivity. Three models are found to be promising for further studies that aim to enhance current annoyance models.
Structure of a yeast step II catalytically activated spliceosome
Authors: Yan Chuangye , Wan Ruixue , Bai Rui , Huang Gaoxingyu , Shi Yigong
Published: December 2016

Poised for the second step of splicing

In eukaryotes, noncoding sequences in transcribed precursor mRNA are cut out by a dynamic macromolecular machine, the spliceosome. This involves two sequential reactions. The first cuts one end of the noncoding intron and loops it back on itself to form an intron lariat, and the next excises the intron and ligates the coding mRNA. Insights into the first step of splicing have come from the structures of two intermediates: the Bact complex, which is primed for catalysis, and the C complex, which is formed after the first splicing reaction. Yan
et al.
now report a high-resolution structure of the step II catalytically activated spliceosome (the C* complex). This structure shows conformational changes that position catalytic motifs to accomplish the second splicing reaction.

Science
, this issue p.
149
Comparative study of refractile (R) bodies and their genetic determinants: relationship of type 51 R bodies to R bodies produced by Pseudomonas taeniospiralis
Authors: Kanabrocki J A , Lalucat J , Cox B J , Quackenbush R L
Published: December 2016

The relationship of type 51 refractile (R) bodies to R bodies produced by Pseudomonas taeniospiralis was investigated. Proteins associated with type 51 R bodies were not serologically cross-reactive with proteins associated with R bodies from P. taeniospiralis. The genetic determinants for type 51 R bodies did not exhibit close homology with DNA sequences from P. taeniospiralis.
Expression of pili from Bacteroides nodosus in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Elleman T C , Hoyne P A , Stewart D J , McKern N M , Peterson J E
Published: December 2016

The pili of Bacteroides nodosus, the causative agent of ovine footrot, constitute the major host-protective immunogen against homologous serotypic challenge. The pilin gene from B. nodosus 198 has been cloned and morphologically expressed as extracellular pili in Pseudomonas aeruginosa by using a plasmid-borne, thermoregulated expression system. B. nodosus pilin could not be detected in cultures of P. aeruginosa grown at 32 degrees C, but after induction at 37 degrees C, B. nodosus pili were expressed on the cell surface of P. aeruginosa to the virtual exclusion of the host cell pili. Pili harvested from induced P. aeruginosa cultures were used to immunize sheep against footrot. The serum agglutinating antibody titers of vaccinated sheep were comparable to those of sheep receiving pili from B. nodosus. Subsequent challenge of the sheep with B. nodosus 198 indicated that the recombinant- DNA-derived pili vaccine and the B. nodosus pili vaccine provided similar levels of protection against footrot.
Proline transport in Salmonella typhimurium: putP permease mutants with altered substrate specificity
Authors: Dila D K , Maloy S R
Published: December 2016

The putP gene encodes a proline permease required for Salmonella typhimurium LT2 to grow on proline as the sole source of nitrogen. The wild-type strain is sensitive to two toxic proline analogs (azetidine-2-carboxylic acid and 3,4-dehydroproline) also transported by the putP permease. Most mutations in putP prevent transport of all three substrates. Such mutants are unable to grow on proline and are resistant to both of the analogs. To define domains of the putP gene that specify the substrate binding site, we used localized mutagenesis to isolate rare mutants with altered substrate specificity. The position of the mutations in the putP gene was determined by deletion mapping. Most of the mutations are located in three small (approximately 100-base-pair) deletion intervals of the putP gene. The sensitivity of the mutants to the proline analogs was quantitated by radial streaking to determine the affinity of the mutant permeases for the substrates. Some of the mutants showed apparent changes in the kinetics of the substrates transported. These results indicate that the substrate specificity mutations are probably due to amino acid substitutions at or near the active site of proline permease.
Expression of the cloned ColE1 kil gene in normal and Kilr Escherichia coli
Authors: Altieri M , Suit J L , Fan M L , Luria S E
Published: December 2016

The kil gene of the ColE1 plasmid was cloned under control of the lac promoter. Its expression under this promoter gave rise to the same pattern of bacterial cell damage and lethality as that which accompanies induction of the kil gene in the colicin operon by mitomycin C. This confirms that cell damage after induction is solely due to expression of kil and is independent of the cea or imm gene products. Escherichia coli derivatives resistant to the lethal effects of kil gene expression under either the normal or the lac promoter were isolated and found to fall into several classes, some of which were altered in sensitivity to agents that affect the bacterial envelope.
Tn5-induced mutants of Azotobacter vinelandii affected in nitrogen fixation under Mo-deficient and Mo-sufficient conditions
Authors: Joerger R D , Premakumar R , Bishop P E
Published: December 2016

Mutants of Azotobacter vinelandii affected in N2 fixation in the presence of 1 microM Na2MoO4 (conventional system), 50 nM V2O5, or under Mo deficiency (alternative system) have been isolated after Tn5 mutagenesis with the suicide plasmid pSUP1011. These mutants can be grouped into at least four broad phenotypic classes. Mutants in the first class are Nif- under Mo sufficiency but Nif+ under Mo deficiency or in the presence of V2O5. A nifk mutant and a mutant apparently affected in regulation of the conventional system belong to this class. Mutants in the second class are Nif- under all conditions. An FeMo-cofactor-negative mutant (NifB-) belongs to this class, implying an involvement of nifB in both the conventional and the alternative N2 fixation systems. The third mutant class consists of mutants incapable of N2-dependent growth under Mo deficiency. Most of the mutants in this class are also affected in N2 fixation in the presence of 1 microM Na2MoO4, with acetylene reduction rates ranging from 28 to 51% of the rates of the wild type. Strains constructed by genetic transfer of the Kanr marker of mutants from this class into nifHDK or nifK deletion mutants showed N2-dependent growth only in the presence of V2O5, suggesting that growth in the presence of V2O5 and growth under Mo deficiency are independent phenomena. The only mutant in the fourth class shows wild-type nitrogenase activity under Mo sufficiency, but only 10% of the acetylene reduction activity of the wild type in the presence of 50 nM V2O5. The acetylene reduction rates of whole cells of this mutant are identical in Mo-deficient medium and in medium containing V2O5. The conventional nitrogenase subunits are expressed in this mutant even under Mo deficiency or in the presence of V2O5; however, the NH4+- and Mo-repressible proteins normally seen under these conditions could not be detected on two-dimensional gels. The Tn5 insertion carried by this mutant makes N2 fixation dependent solely on the conventional system and consequently abolishes the vanadium effect.
Glyphosate catabolism by Pseudomonas sp. strain PG2982
Authors: Shinabarger D L , Braymer H D
Published: December 2016

The pathway for the degradation of glyphosate (N-phosphonomethylglycine) by Pseudomonas sp. PG2982 has been determined by using metabolic radiolabeling experiments. Radiorespirometry experiments utilizing [3-14C]glyphosate revealed that approximately 50 to 59% of the C-3 carbon was oxidized to CO2. Fractionation of stationary-phase cells labeled with [3-14C]glyphosate revealed that from 45 to 47% of the assimilated label is distributed to proteins and that the amino acids methionine and serine are highly labeled. Adenine and guanine received 90% of the C-3 label found in the nucleic acid fraction, and the only pyrimidine base labeled was thymine. These results indicated that C-3 of glyphosate was at some point metabolized to a C-1 compound whose ultimate fate could be both oxidation to CO2 and distribution to amino acids and nucleic acid bases that receive a C-1 group from the C-1-donating coenzyme tetrahydrofolate. Pulse-labeling of PG2982 cells with [3-14C]glyphosate resulted in the isolation of [3-14C]sarcosine as an intermediate in glyphosate degradation. Examination of crude extracts prepared from PG2982 cells revealed the presence of a sarcosine-oxidizing enzyme that oxidizes sarcosine to glycine and formaldehyde. These results indicate that the first step in glyphosate degradation by PG2982 is cleavage of the carbon-phosphorus bond, resulting in the release of sarcosine and a phosphate group. The phosphate group is utilized as a source of phosphorus, and the sarcosine is degraded to glycine and formaldehyde. This pathway is supported by the results of [1,2-14C]glyphosate metabolism studies, which show that radioactivity in the proteins of labeled cells is found only in the glycine and serine residues.
Linearization of donor DNA during plasmid transformation in Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Authors: Biswas G D , Burnstein K L , Sparling P F
Published: December 2016

We examined the fate of plasmid DNA after uptake during transformation in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. An 11.5-kilobase plasmid, pFA10, was processed to linear double-stranded DNA during uptake by competent cells, but cleavage of pFA10 was not site specific. A minority of pFA10 entered as open circles. A 42-kilobase plasmid, pFA14, was degraded into small fragments during uptake; no intracellular circular forms of pFA14 were evident. Since pFA10 DNA linearized by a restriction enzyme was not further cut during uptake, the endonucleolytic activity associated with entry of plasmid DNA appeared to act preferentially on circular DNA. Although linear plasmid DNA was taken up into a DNase-resistant state as efficiently as circular DNA, linear plasmid DNA transformed much less efficiently than circular plasmid DNA. These data suggest that during entry transforming plasmid DNA often is processed to double-stranded linear molecules; transformants may arise when some molecules are repaired to form circles. Occasional molecules which enter as intact circles may also lead to transformants.
In vitro packaging of heteroduplex bacteriophage T7 DNA: evidence for repair of mismatched bases
Authors: Masker W
Published: December 2016

Heteroduplex DNA molecules that were wild type or contained combinations of amber, missense, and temperature-sensitive mutations were prepared from bacteriophage T7. These DNA molecules were then encapsulated in in vitro packaging reactions so as to produce infective T7 phage. The genotypes of the phage were examined to determine the degree to which mismatched base pairs in the heteroduplex had been corrected. The data show that conversion of the mismatches took place either during in vitro packaging or immediately after infection of either an Escherichia coli or Shigella sonnei host. The mode of mismatch conversion observed in these experiments was independent of the host mutH, mutL, mutS, and uvrD genes. There was no significant amount of discrimination between markers on either of the two complementary strands. The observed frequency of conversion of a mismatch depended on the genetic marker being monitored and on experimental conditions but was generally in the range between 5 and 30%.
Paraquat-mediated selection for mutations in the manganese-superoxide dismutase gene sodA
Authors: Bloch C A , Ausubel F M
Published: December 2016

We report the unexpected result that Escherichia coli isolates containing a multicopy plasmid (pDT1.5) carrying the manganese-superoxide dismutase gene sodA were more sensitive than the wild type to paraquat-mediated growth inhibition. The pDT1.5 locus responsible for the paraquat-sensitive phenotype was delimited to a 0.6-kilobase segment by transposon Tn5 mutagenesis. Moreover, superoxide dismutase activity was the same as in the wild type in strains carrying pDT1.5::Tn5 insertions mapping to the 0.6-kilobase locus. These data identify the 0.6-kilobase segment as the locus of sodA and establish an association between growth inhibition by paraquat and the function of the plasmid-borne sodA gene.
Cloning and expression of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus catechol 1,2-dioxygenase structural gene catA in Escherichia coli
Authors: Neidle E L , Ornston L N
Published: December 2016

Catechol 1,2-dioxygenase (EC 1.13.1.1), the product of the catA gene, catalyzes the first step in catechol utilization via the beta-ketoadipate pathway. Enzymes mediating subsequent steps in the pathway are encoded by the catBCDE genes which are carried on a 5-kilobase-pair (kbp) EcoRI restriction fragment isolated from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus. This DNA was used as a probe to identify Escherichia coli colonies carrying recombinant pUC19 plasmids with overlapping sequences. Repetition of the procedure yielded an A. calcoaceticus 6.7-kbp EcoRI restriction fragment which contained the catA gene and bordered the original 5-kbp EcoRI restriction fragment. When the catA-containing fragment was placed under the control of the lac promoter on pUC19 and induced with isopropylthiogalactopyranoside, catechol dioxygenase was formed in E. coli at twice the level found in fully induced cultures of A. calcoaceticus. A. calcoaceticus strains with mutations in the catA gene were transformed to wild type by DNA from lysates of E. coli strains carrying the catA gene on recombinant plasmids. Thus, A. calcoaceticus strains with a mutated gene can be used in a transformation assay to identify E. coli clones in which at least part of the wild-type gene is present but not necessarily expressed.
Expression of alpha-amylase in Bacillus licheniformis
Authors: Rothstein D M , Devlin P E , Cate R L
Published: December 2016

In Bacillus licheniformis, alpha-amylase production varied more than 100-fold depending on the presence or absence of a catabolite-repressing carbon source in the growth medium. alpha-Amylase was produced during the growth phase and not at the onset of the stationary phase. Induction of alpha-amylase correlated with synthesis of mRNA initiating at the promoter of the alpha-amylase gene.
Transcriptional regulation of the spo0F gene of Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Lewandoski M , Dubnau E , Smith I
Published: December 2016

We have cloned the early sporulation gene spo0F, which encodes an open reading frame of 124 codons. The putative Spo0F protein derived from this open reading frame, which has been shown to share homology with the Spo0A protein as well as several other regulatory proteins from Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, also shares homology with the E. coli EcoRI methyltransferase. We have shown by S1 nuclease mapping of in vivo transcripts that spo0F is regulated from dual promoters: RNA II was transcribed from an upstream promoter, and RNA I was initated 30 base pairs downstream from RNA II. The promoter sequences for RNA II, but not those for RNA I, conformed to the -10 region consensus sequence for sigma 43 promoters. RNA II was found in low amounts in exponentially growing cells but was not observed in stationary-phase cells, and the presence of RNA II was glucose insensitive. RNA I was found in low amounts in exponentially growing cells, increased three- to fivefold at the end of exponential growth, and remained at this higher level for at least 3 h into stationary phase. RNA I was repressed by glucose during exponential growth but not during stationary phase.
Methanogenesis and ATP synthesis in a protoplast system of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum
Authors: Mountfort D O , Mörschel E , Beimborn D B , Schönheit P
Published: December 2016

When Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum cells were incubated in 50 mM potassium phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) containing 1 M sucrose and autolysate from Methanobacterium wolfei, they were transformed into protoplasts. The protoplasts, which possessed no cell wall, lysed in buffer without sucrose. Unlike whole cells, the protoplasts did not show convoluted internal membrane structures. The protoplasts produced methane from H2-CO2 (approximately 1 mumol min-1 mg of protein-1) at about 50% the rate obtained for whole cells, and methanogenesis was coupled with ATP synthesis. Addition of the protonophore 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzylidenemalononitrile (SF-6847) to protoplast suspensions resulted in a dissipation of the membrane potential (delta psi), and this was accompanied by a parallel decrease in the rates of ATP synthesis and methanogenesis. In this respect protoplasts differed from whole cells in which ATP synthesis and methanogenesis were virtually unaffected by the addition of the protonophore. It is concluded that the insensitivity of whole cells to protonophores could be due to internal membrane structures. Membrane preparations produced from lysis of protoplasts or by sonication of whole cells gave comparatively low rates of methanogenesis (methylcoenzyme M methylreductase activity, less than or equal to 100 nmol of CH4 min-1 mg of protein-1), and no coupling with ATP synthesis could be demonstrated.
Diglycosyl diacylglycerol of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Hunter S W , McNeil M R , Brennan P J
Published: December 2016

A diglycosyl diacylglycerol was isolated from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and its structure was established by a combination of methylation analysis, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance, and fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry. It is a 1,2-diacyl-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1"----6')-beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1'---- 3)]- sn-glycerol and exists in at least five molecular species differing in fatty acyl substituents. The major constituent fatty acids were identified as iso- and anteisopentadecanoate, iso- and n-hexadecanoate, and iso- and anteisoheptadecanoate. Although glycosyl diacylglycerols are common membrane components of gram-positive bacteria, this report represents the first substantial evidence for the presence of a glycosyl diacylglycerol within a member of the Mycobacterium genus. Although the glycolipid is not a major component of M. tuberculosis, it reacts readily in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay against rabbit antibodies raised against whole bacteria and thus may be useful for the serodiagnosis of tuberculosis.
Heat shock protein synthesis during development in Caulobacter crescentus
Authors: Gomes S L , Juliani M H , Maia J C , Silva A M
Published: December 2016

Caulobacter crescentus cells respond to a sudden increase in temperature by transiently inducing the synthesis of several polypeptides. Two of the proteins induced, Hsp62 and Hsp70, were shown to be analogous to the heat shock proteins of Escherichia coli, GroEL and DnaK, respectively, by immunological cross-reactivity with antibodies raised against the E. coli proteins. Two-dimensional gel electrophoretic resolution of extracts of cells labeled with [35S]methionine during heat shock led to the identification of 20 distinct Hsps in C. crescentus which are coordinately expressed, in response to heat, at the various stages of the cell division cycle. Thus, a developmental control does not seem to be superimposed on the transient activation of the heat shock genes. Nonetheless, under normal temperature conditions, four Hsps (Hsp70, Hsp62, Hsp24b, and Hsp23a) were shown to be synthesized, and their synthesis was cell cycle regulated.
Escherichia coli DnaK protein possesses a 5'-nucleotidase activity that is inhibited by AppppA
Authors: Bochner B R , Zylicz M , Georgopoulos C
Published: December 2016

AppppA and the DnaK protein have both been hypothesized to function in regulating the heat shock response of Escherichia coli. The proposals are that AppppA serves as a signal (alarmone) to turn on the heat shock response, whereas the DnaK protein is necessary to turn off the heat shock response. A simple model would be that the DnaK protein turns off the response by degrading AppppA. We disproved this model by demonstrating that the DnaK protein possesses a 5'-nucleotidase activity capable of degrading many cellular nucleotides but not AppppA. Although AppppA was not a substrate, it did inhibit the 5'-nucleotidase activity of the DnaK protein. This inhibition may be specific and have biological function since the mutant DnaK756 protein, which is defective in turning off the heat shock response, is partially desensitized to AppppA inhibition. These findings led us to consider other possible mechanisms for AppppA and the DnaK protein in heat shock regulation.
Induction of SOS functions by alkaline intracellular pH in Escherichia coli
Authors: Schuldiner S , Agmon V , Brandsma J , Cohen A , Friedman E , Padan E
Published: December 2016

Alkalinization of intracellular pH (pHi) causes an increase in UV resistance in wild-type and pH-sensitive mutant (DZ3) cells of Escherichia coli. Utilizing cells transformed with a plasmid (pA7) which bears the uvrA promoter fused to galK galactokinase structural gene, it was shown that alkaline pHi leads to an increase in the specific activity of galactokinase. This effect was not displayed in a mutant bearing a recA-insensitive lexA gene, nor in cells harboring a plasmid (pA8) in which the galK is fused to a lexA-insensitive uvrA promoter. Hence, the effects of pHi on cells functions may involve the lexA product of the SOS system.
Cloning and expression of the Rhodobacter sphaeroides reaction center H gene
Authors: Donohue T J , Hoger J H , Kaplan S
Published: December 2016

The Rhodobacter sphaeroides structural gene (puhA) for the reaction center H polypeptide has been identified and cloned by using restriction fragements specific for the analogous Rhodobacter capsulatus gene as a heterologous hybridization probe. The presence of puhA on a 1.45-kilobase BamHI restriction fragment was confirmed by partial DNA sequence analysis and by the synthesis of an immunoreactive Mr-28,000 reaction center H polypeptide in an R. sphaeroides coupled transcription-translation system. Approximately 450 base pairs of DNA upstream of the puhA gene were sufficient for expression of this protein in vitro. Northern RNA-DNA blot analysis with an internal puhA-specific probe identified at least two, apparently monocistronic, transcripts present at different cellular levels under physiological conditions known to affect the cellular content of both reaction center complexes and photosynthetic membrane. Northern blot analysis with specific upstream restriction fragment probes revealed that the 1,400-nucleotide puhA-specific mRNA had a 5' terminus upstream of the 1,130-nucleotide transcript. Both puhA-specific mRNA and immunoreactive reaction center H protein were detectable in chemoheterotrophically grown cells which lacked detectable bacteriochlorophyll and photosynthetic membrane.
Cloning, DNA sequence, and expression of the Rhodobacter sphaeroides cytochrome c2 gene
Authors: Donohue T J , McEwan A G , Kaplan S
Published: December 2016

The Rhodobacter sphaeroides cytochrome c2 functions as a mobile electron carrier in both aerobic and photosynthetic electron transport chains. Synthetic deoxyoligonucleotide probes, based on the known amino acid sequence of this protein (Mr 14,000), were used to identify and clone the cytochrome c2 structural gene (cycA). DNA sequence analysis of the cycA gene indicated the presence of a typical procaryotic 21-residue signal sequence, suggesting that this periplasmic protein is synthesized in vivo as a precursor. Synthesis of an immunoreactive cytochrome c2 precursor protein (Mr 15,500) was observed in vitro when plasmids containing the cycA gene were used as templates in an R. sphaeroides coupled transcription-translation system. Approximately 500 base pairs of DNA upstream of the cycA gene was sufficient to allow expression of this gene product in vitro. Northern blot analysis with an internal cycA-specific probe identified at least two possibly monocistronic transcripts present in both different cellular levels and relative stoichiometries in steady-state cells grown under different physiological conditions. The ratio of the small (740-nucleotide) and large (920-nucleotide) cycA-specific mRNA species was dependent on cultural conditions but was not affected by light intensity under photosynthetic conditions. Our results suggest that the increase in the cellular level of the cytochrome c2 protein found in photosynthetic cells was due, in part, to increased transcription of the single-copy cyc operon.
Intergenerational social mobility and leisure-time physical activity in adulthood: a systematic review
Authors: Elhakeem Ahmed , Hardy Rebecca , Bann David , Caleyachetty Rishi , Cosco Theodore D , Hayhoe Richard PG , Muthuri Stella G , Wilson Rebecca , Cooper Rachel
Published: December 2016

Aim

To systematically review the association between intergenerational social mobility and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) in adulthood, in order to assess all published evidence relating to the hypothesis that adults socially mobile between childhood and adulthood will have different levels of LTPA than those in the same socioeconomic group across life.

Methods

A systematic review was carried out following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies were identified by searching databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO) and reference lists. Eligible studies examined associations between any indicator of social mobility, based on at least one measure of parental socioeconomic position (SEP) and one measure of own adult SEP, and LTPA in adulthood.

Results

13 studies comprising a total of 44 000 participants from the UK, Finland, Sweden, Australia, USA and Brazil were included. Participants were aged 16–70 years and were from population-based surveys, occupational cohorts and primary care registries. Most studies (n=9) used occupational class measures to identify social mobility; education (n=4) and income (n=1) were also used. There was consistent evidence in nine of the 13 studies that stable high socioeconomic groups tended to report the highest levels of participation in LTPA and stable low socioeconomic groups the lowest. Upward and downwardly mobile groups participated in LTPA at levels between these stable groups.

Conclusions

Cumulative exposure to higher SEP in childhood and adulthood was associated with higher LTPA in adulthood. Thus, a potential outcome of policies and interventions which aim to minimise exposure to socioeconomic adversity may be increased LTPA among adults.

Trial registration number

CRD42016036538.
Reconstructed anisotropic models in F(T, TG) gravity
Authors: Sharif M. , Nazir Kanwal
Published: December 2016

We explore the reconstruction scenario of a spatially homogenous and anisotropic universe model in the framework of F(T, TG) gravity (T represents the torsion scalar and TG is the teleparallel equivalent of the Gauss–Bonnet term). We construct F(T, TG) models by assuming different phases of the universe, like a dark energy dominated era, non-relativistic as well as relativistic matter eras, and their combinations. The graphical behavior of these models indicates a decreasing pattern for ω = −1 and its combination with ω = 0 and 1/3. Finally, we evaluate the equation of state parameter by considering the F(T, TG) model and study its evolutionary behavior for particular values of dimensionless coupling parameters.
Analytical solution of transient heat conduction in a bi-layered circular plate irradiated by laser pulse
Authors: Sun Yuxin , Ma Jingxuan , Liu Shoubin , Yang Jialing
Published: December 2016

In this study, the heat conduction behavior of a bi-layered circular plate during pulsed laser heating is investigated. A laser pulse with non-Gaussian temporal form is applied to the center of the top surface of the plate at the beginning of time. The spatial distribution of the heat energy of the laser pulse is also considered. The Green’s function for heat conduction equation of two-dimensional laminated structure is determined and is used to derive the analytical expression of temperature increment of the problem. The validation of this theoretical model is obtained through comparison with numerical results obtained by the ANSYS software package. The spatial and temporal variations of the temperature increment are illustrated. The influence of the duration time of the laser pulse on the temperature increment is also analyzed.
Sub-half-wavelength atom localization via two standing waves
Authors: Xu Haifeng
Published: December 2016

We present a simple scheme of high-efficiency one-dimensional (1D) atom localization via manipulation of excited state population in a four-level inverted-Y atomic system. Because of the joint quantum interference induced by the two standing-wave fields, the 100% detecting probability of the atom in the subwavelength domain appears when the corresponding conditions are satisfied. The proposed scheme may open a promising way to achieve high-precision and high-efficiency 1D atom localization, which provides some potential applications to spatially selective single-qubit phase gate, entangling gates, and quantum error correction for quantum information processing.
Relativistic Dirac analyses of polarized proton scatterings to the 2+ gamma vibrational band in 24Mg and 26Mg
Authors: Shim Sugie
Published: December 2016

Relativistic Dirac analyses are performed phenomenologically for the high-lying excited states that belong to the 2+ gamma vibrational band at the 800 MeV polarized proton inelastic scatterings from the s-d shell nuclei, 24Mg and 26Mg. Optical potential model is used and scalar and time-like vector potentials are considered as direct potentials. First-order vibrational collective models are used to obtain the transition optical potentials to accommodate the high-lying excited vibrational collective states. The complicated Dirac coupled channel equations are solved phenomenologically to reproduce the differential cross section and analyzing power data by varying the optical potential and deformation parameters. It is found that the relativistic Dirac coupled channel calculation could describe the high-lying excited states of the 2+ gamma vibrational band at the 800 MeV polarized proton inelastic scatterings from s-d shell nuclei 24Mg and 26Mg reasonably well, showing mostly better agreement with the experimental data compared to the results obtained from the nonrelativistic calculations. Calculated deformation parameters for the excited states are analyzed and compared with those of nonrelativistic calculations.
EFFECT OF FRACTAL DIMENSION ON THE STRAIN BEHAVIOR OF PARTICULATE MEDIA
Authors: ALTUN SELIM , SEZER ALPER , GOKTEPE A. BURAK
Published: December 2016

In this study, the influence of several fractal identifiers of granular materials on dynamic behavior of a flexible pavement structure as a particulate stratum is considered. Using experimental results and numerical methods as well, 15 different grain-shaped sands obtained from 5 different sources were analyzed as pavement base course materials. Image analyses were carried out by use of a stereomicroscope on 15 different samples to obtain quantitative particle shape information. Furthermore, triaxial compression tests were conducted to determine stress–strain and shear strength parameters of sands. Additionally, the dynamic response of the particulate media to standard traffic loads was computed using finite element modeling (FEM) technique. Using area-perimeter, line divider and box counting methods, over a hundred grains for each sand type were subjected to fractal analysis. Relationships among fractal dimension descriptors and dynamic strain levels were established for assessment of importance of shape descriptors of sands at various scales on the dynamic behavior. In this context, the advantage of fractal geometry concept to describe irregular and fractured shapes was used to characterize the sands used as base course materials. Results indicated that fractal identifiers can be preferred to analyze the effect of shape properties of sands on dynamic behavior of pavement base layers.
STUDY ON PREPARATION TECHNOLOGIES OF THERMAL BARRIER COATINGS
Authors: WANG TAO , WANG NING , LI YANG , WANG HAO , TANG JIE , WANG YUNSHAN
Published: December 2016

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) is one of the main key technology for the high-pressure turbine blades which are the main components of the high-performance aerospace engines. It offers protection for underline metallic components from corrosion, oxidation and localized melting by insulating the metal from hot gases in the engine core. The properties and lifetime of TBCs are greatly influenced by the preparation technology, which includes plasma spraying (PS), physical vapor deposition (PVD) and laser re-melting (LM). In this paper, three technologies used to prepare the TBCs are reviewed. Resulting features of coating fabricated by each technology are also discussed such as: the porosity, the thermally grown oxide (TGO), the erosion resistance, the thermal shock and so on. Especially, it is pointed out that the performances of gradient coating and nano-coating are better than the traditional coatings. In addition, it is widely accepted that laser can be applied to re-melt the PS coating and even directly clad the gradient coating. In the future, the traditional preparation technology should be improved continually in order to enhance the coating lifetime, enhance the properties of coating and lower the cost of process. Moreover, the researches on gradient-nano-structured coatings preparation are absent and should be done with emphasis since the nano-structure and gradient structure can both benefit the lifetime and properties of coatings.
Large Deflections and Buckling Loads of Cantilever Columns with Constant Volume
Authors: Lee Joon Kyu , Lee Byoung Koo
Published: December 2016

This paper deals with the large deflections and buckling loads of tapered cantilever columns with a constant volume. The column member has a solid regular polygonal cross-section. The depth of this cross-section is functionally varied along the column axis. Geometrical nonlinear differential equations, which govern the buckled shape of the column, are derived using the large deflection theory, considering the effect of shear deformation. The buckling load of the column is approximately equivalent to the load under which a very small tip deflection occurs. In regard to the numerical results, both the elastica and buckling loads with varying column parameters are discussed. The configurations of the strongest column are also presented.
Synthesis and electrical properties of BaBiO3 and high resistivity BaTiO3–BaBiO3 ceramics
Authors: Kumar Nitish , Golledge Stephen L. , Cann David P.
Published: December 2016

Ceramics of the composition BaBiO3 (BB) were sintered in oxygen to obtain a single phase with monoclinic [Formula: see text]2/[Formula: see text] symmetry as suggested by high-resolution X-ray diffraction. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the presence of bismuth in two valence states — 3[Formula: see text] and 5[Formula: see text]. Optical spectroscopy showed presence of a direct bandgap at [Formula: see text] 2.2[Formula: see text]eV and a possible indirect bandgap at [Formula: see text] 0.9[Formula: see text]eV. This combined with determination of the activation energy for conduction of 0.25[Formula: see text]eV, as obtained from ac impedance spectroscopy, suggested that a polaron-mediated conduction mechanism was prevalent in BB. The BB ceramics were crushed, mixed with BaTiO3 (BT), and sintered to obtain BT–BB solid solutions. All the ceramics had tetragonal symmetry and exhibited a normal ferroelectric-like dielectric response. Using ac impedance and optical spectroscopy, it was shown that resistivity values of BT–BB were orders of magnitude higher than BT or BB alone, indicating a change in the fundamental defect equilibrium conditions. A shift in the site occupancy of Bi to the A-site is proposed to be the mechanism for the increased electrical resistivity.
Old challenges, new developments and new plays in Irish offshore exploration
Authors: Shannon Patrick M.
Published: December 2016

More than 46 years of exploration in the Irish offshore has yielded modest commercial success. However, working petroleum systems have been proven in all the offshore basins. The pace of exploration has been controlled by: (a) data quality and technological advances; (b) geological understanding and plays; (c) fiscal and infrastructural environments; and (d) international conditions. Irish offshore exploration drilling started in the Celtic Sea basins in 1970 and the region has seen a recent renewal of exploration interest, stimulated by new and much improved seismic data. In the Atlantic margin basins west of Ireland, there has been a recent significant improvement in the understanding of the geological evolution and petroleum systems, especially in the hyperextended basins such as the Porcupine and Rockall basins. Here the major targets of current exploration are stratigraphic traps at Lower Cretaceous and Lower Cenozoic levels. The application of new and innovative seismic and other geophysical technologies in a number of the Irish offshore basins has led to significant enhancement in data quality and in resolving imaging challenges. Combined with recent geological learnings, they offer renewed hope for exploration success in the Irish offshore basins.
Shale prospectivity onshore Britain
Authors: Harvey Antoinette L. , Andrews Ian J. , Monaghan Alison A.
Published: December 2016

The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) commissioned the British Geological Survey (BGS) to summarize the available geological knowledge, integrate new seismic mapping and well analysis, and make preliminary in-place resource assessments for the three most prospective areas onshore Britain to foster a greater understanding of the unconventional shale resource potential in advance of the 14th Landward Licensing Round.

The first study, published in June 2013, reviewed the Carboniferous Bowland–Hodder shales across central Britain where a large volume of in-place gas was assessed to be present. The second study, of the Jurassic shale of the Weald Basin in southern England, published in May 2014, concluded that owing to insufficient burial there was no significant Jurassic shale gas potential, but there could still be shale oil resources at several levels in the centre of the basin. The third study, published in June 2014, covered the Midland Valley of Scotland where both oil and gas potential in Carboniferous shales was identified.

A large volume of in-place gas and oil resource has been assessed to be present. However, not enough is known at the time of writing to estimate a recovery factor or to estimate potential producible reserves. This paper summarizes the results of the BGS reports and their impact on the subsequent licensing process in England.
Pyroclastic deposits of San Diego maar, central Colombia: an example of a silicic magma-related monogenetic eruption in a hard substrate
Authors: Borrero C. , Murcia H. , Agustin-Flores J. , Arboleda M. T. , Giraldo A. M.
Published: December 2016

The San Diego maar is a volcano located at the middle of the Colombian Central Cordillera that forms part of the dispersed and isolated Samaná Volcanic Field (with at least three volcanoes). San Diego is excavated on Triassic metamorphic rocks and Neogene sub-volcanic andesitic units, and forms approximately 15 m of mostly unconsolidated eruption-related deposits. These deposits were divided into four stratigraphic units (U1–U4) that together define the evolution of the eruption: (1) an unsteady vent-clearing stage; (2) drier to wet pyroclastic base surges; (3) dry base surges; and (4) a final wet stage. At the end of the activity, the crater was enlarged due to a complex set of rock falls and slides in the crater walls. Finally, the volcanic activity switched to a magmatic phase, creating a dacitic dome. The northern dome flank was affected by a gravitational collapse that produced a small-volume debris avalanche.

The eruption style of the San Diego maar was controlled by the stratigraphic, structural and hydrogeological characteristics of the substrate, as well as the surficial environmental condition. In addition, the mountainous terrain around the maar crater controlled the deposit extension. These constraints provide additional information for a hazard assessment related to this type of eruption in the region.
Where are the flying cars?
Authors: Lifshitz-Assaf Hila
Published: December 2016

Will the digital revolution actually transform the process of innovation? A professor from NYU spent three years with NASA's engineers and scientists to uncover the significant opportunities and challenges involved with new models for R&D work.
Protective roles of hepatic GABA signaling in acute liver injury of rats
Authors: Wang Shuanglian , Xiang Yun-Yan , Zhu Jianchun , Yi Fan , Li Jingxin , Liu Chuanyong , Lu Wei-Yang
Published: December 2016

γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is produced by various cells through the catalytic activity of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD). Activation of type-A GABA receptor (GABAAR) inhibits stem cell proliferation but protects differentiated cells from injures. The present study investigated hepatic GABA signaling system and the role of this system in liver physiology and pathophysiology. RT-PCR and immunoblot assays identified GAD and GABAAR subunits in rat livers and in HepG2 and Clone 9 hepatocytes. Patch-clamp recording detected GABA-induced currents in Clone 9 hepatocytes and depolarization in WITT cholangiocytes. The function of hepatic GABA signaling system in rats was examined using models of d-galactosamine (GalN)-induced acute hepatocytic injury in vivo and in vitro. The expression of GAD increased whereas GABAAR subunits decreased in the liver of GalN-treated rats. Remarkably, treating rats with GABA or the GABAAR agonist muscimol, but not the GABABR agonist baclofen, protected hepatocytes against GalN toxicity and improved liver function. In addition, muscimol treatment decreased the formation of pseudobile ductules and the enlargement of hepatocytic canaliculi in GalN-treated rats. Our results revealed that a complex GABA signaling system exists in the rat liver. Activation of this intrahepatic GABAergic system protected the liver against toxic injury.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Auto- and paracrine GABAergic signaling systems exist in the rat hepatocytes and cholangiocytes. Activation of GABA signaling protects liver function from d-galactosamine injury by reducing toxic impairment of hepatocytes and by decreasing cholangiocyte proliferation.
Changes in muscle fiber contractility and extracellular matrix production during skeletal muscle hypertrophy
Authors: Mendias Christopher L. , Schwartz Andrew J. , Grekin Jeremy A. , Gumucio Jonathan P. , Sugg Kristoffer B.
Published: December 2016

Skeletal muscle can adapt to increased mechanical loads by undergoing hypertrophy. Transient reductions in whole muscle force production have been reported during the onset of hypertrophy, but contractile changes in individual muscle fibers have not been previously studied. Additionally, the extracellular matrix (ECM) stores and transmits forces from muscle fibers to tendons and bones, and determining how the ECM changes during hypertrophy is important in understanding the adaptation of muscle tissue to mechanical loading. Using the synergist ablation model, we sought to measure changes in muscle fiber contractility, collagen content, and cross-linking, and in the expression of several genes and activation of signaling proteins that regulate critical components of myogenesis and ECM synthesis and remodeling during muscle hypertrophy. Tissues were harvested 3, 7, and 28 days after induction of hypertrophy, and nonoverloaded rats served as controls. Muscle fiber specific force (sFo), which is the maximum isometric force normalized to cross-sectional area, was reduced 3 and 7 days after the onset of mechanical overload, but returned to control levels by 28 days. Collagen abundance displayed a similar pattern of change. Nearly a quarter of the transcriptome changed over the course of overload, as well as the activation of signaling pathways related to hypertrophy and atrophy. Overall, this study provides insight into fundamental mechanisms of muscle and ECM growth, and indicates that although muscle fibers appear to have completed remodeling and regeneration 1 mo after synergist ablation, the ECM continues to be actively remodeling at this time point.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study utilized a rat synergist ablation model to integrate changes in single muscle fiber contractility, extracellular matrix composition, activation of important signaling pathways in muscle adaption, and corresponding changes in the muscle transcriptome to provide novel insight into the basic biological mechanisms of muscle fiber hypertrophy.
Salt Damage and Rising Damp Treatment in Building Structures
Authors: Delgado J. M. P. Q. , Guimarães A. S. , de Freitas V. P. , Antepara Iñigo , Kočí Václav , Černý Robert
Published: December 2016

Salt damage can affect the service life of numerous building structures, both historical and contemporary, in a significant way. In this review, various damage mechanisms to porous building materials induced by salt action are analyzed. The importance of pretreatment investigations is discussed as well; in combination with the knowledge of salt and moisture transport mechanisms they can give useful indications regarding treatment options. The methods of salt damage treatment are assessed then, including both passive techniques based on environmental control, reduction of water transport, or conversion to less soluble salts and active procedures resulting in the removal of salts from deterioration zones. It is concluded that cellulose can still be considered as the favorite material presently used in desalination poultices but hydrophilic mineral wool can serve as its prospective alternative in future applications. Another important cause of building pathologies is the rising damp and, in this phenomenon, it is particularly severe considering the presence of salts in water. The treatment of rising damp in historic building walls is a very complex procedure and at Laboratory of Building Physics (LFC-FEUP) a wall base hygroregulated ventilation system was developed and patented.