bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Paradoxical roles of autophagy in different stages of tumorigenesis: protector for normal or cancer cells
Authors: Sun Kai , Deng Weijie , Zhang Shanshan , Cai Ning , Jiao Shufan , Song Jianrui , Wei Lixin
Published: September 2013

Autophagy serves as a dynamic degradation and recycling system that provides biological materials and energy in response to stress. The role of autophagy in tumor development is complex. Various studies suggest that autophagy mainly contributes to tumor suppression during the early stage of tumorigenesis and tumor promotion during the late stage of tumorigenesis. During the tumorization of normal cells, autophagy protects genomic stability by retarding stem cells-involved damage/repair cycle, and inhibits the formation of chronic inflammatory microenvironment, thus protecting normal cell homeostasis and preventing tumor generation. On the other hand, autophagy also protects tumor cells survival during malignant progression by supporting cellular metabolic demands, decreasing metabolic damage and supporting anoikis resistance and dormancy. Taken together, autophagy appears to play a role as a protector for either normal or tumor cells during the early or late stage of tumorigenesis, respectively. The process of tumorigenesis perhaps needs to undergo twice autophagy-associated screening. The normal cells that have lower autophagy capacity are prone to tumorization, and the incipient tumor cells that have higher autophagy capacity possibly are easier to survival in the hash microenvironment and accumulate more mutations to promote malignant progression.
Analysis of functional xylanases in xylan degradation by Aspergillus niger E-1 and characterization of the GH family 10 xylanase XynVII
Authors: Takahashi Yui , Kawabata Hiroaki , Murakami Shuichiro
Published: September 2013

Xylanases produced by Aspergillus niger are industrially important and many types of xylanases have been reported. Individual xylanases have been well studied for their enzymatic properties, gene cloning, and heterologous expression. However, less attention has been paid to the relationship between xylanase genes carried on the A. niger genome and xylanases produced by A. niger strains. Therefore, we examined xylanase genes encoded on the genome of A. niger E-1 and xylanases produced in culture. Seven putative xylanase genes, xynI–VII (named in ascending order of the molecular masses of the deduced amino acid sequences), were amplified from the strain E-1 genome using primers designed from the genome sequence of A. niger CBS 513.88 by PCR and phylogenetically classified into three clusters. Additionally, culture supernatant analysis by DE52 anion–exchange column chromatography revealed that this strain produced three xylanases, XynII, XynIII, and XynVII, which were identified by N-terminal amino acid sequencing and MALDI-TOF-MS analyses, in culture when gown in 0.5% xylan medium supplemented with 50 mM succinate. Furthermore, XynVII, the only GH family 10 xylanase in A. niger E-1, was purified and characterized. The purified enzyme showed a single band with a molecular mass of 35 kDa by SDS-PAGE. The highest activity of purified XynVII was observed at 55°C and pH 5.5. The enzyme was stable in the broad pH range of 3–10 and up to 60°C and was resistant to most metal ions and modifying regents. XynVII showed high specificity against beechwood xylan with K
m and V
max values of 2.8 mg mL–1 and 127 μmol min–1mg–1, respectively. TLC and MALDI-TOF-MS analyses showed that the final hydrolyzed products of the enzyme from beechwood xylan were xylose, xylobiose, and xylotriose substituted with a 4-o-metylglucuronic acid residue.
Teaching Close Reading Skills in a Large Lecture Course
Authors: Tinkle Theresa , Atias Daphna , McAdams Ruth M. , Zukerman Cordelia
Published: September 2013

This article presents the authors’ innovative approach to the challenges of teaching students in a large lecture survey course to perform effective close readings, and sets forth a rigorous qualitative assessment of students’ learning. It describes a combination of teaching strategies integrated to encourage students’ skills acquisition as well as content mastery, and to make the course writing intensive without also being grading intensive. It demonstrates the effectiveness of these strategies by analyzing evidence of student learning. The authors advocate for an instructional model that gives students ample opportunity for active learning and for practicing close reading skills. The authors conclude with a brief coda calling for more scholarship and reflection on faculty-graduate student collaboration in both scholarship and teaching.
Ocular emergencies in the dog and cat: part 1
Authors: Gent Georgina
Published: September 2013

The aim of the two articles in this series is to describe common conditions of the eye and adnexa in canine and feline patients that require urgent action to avoid loss of vision or even loss of the globe. Most ocular emergencies are painful, with analgesia and sometimes sedation required to facilitate examination (topical analgesia with local anaesthetic may be sufficient). A full ocular examination should be performed, with physical examination for other injuries. Where possible tests such as the Schirmer tear test, intraocular pressure measurement, visual reflex testing and fluorescein staining should be included. Ocular ultrasound may also be necessary in cases with opaque ocular media. Using the findings of examination the practitioner can develop a diagnostic and therapeutic plan to stabilise the globe in the emergency situation with the aim to return comfort and preserve vision long term.
Taxonomic notes on the genera Hedyphanes Fischer von Waldheim, 1820 and Entomogonus Solier, 1848 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) of Turkey
Authors: Nabozhenko Maxim
Published: September 2013

Four species of Hedyphanes F.-W. are distributed in Anatolia: H. cordicollis Seidlitz, 1896 (Diyarbakır), H. khachikovi sp. nov. (southern part of Tunceli Province), H. lutosus Allard, 1877 sp. resurr. (type locality: “Asia min.”) and H. roznerorum (Nabozhenko, 2008) comb. nov. (from Pseudoprobaticus) (type locality: Pamukkale, Denizli Province). A new subgenus Granulophanes subgen. nov. is erected for H. lutosus (type species) and H. roznerorum. The new subgenus differs from other subgenera by granulated and setose elytra on disk, and granulated epipleura. Original combination is resurrected and lectotype is designated for Entomogonus elongatus Allard, 1876 comb. resurr. (from Hedyphanes). Key to species of Hedyphanes of Turkey is given.
Synthesis of bicyclic oxepanes: an enantioselective approach to the western part of Shaagrockol C
Authors: Menhour Boudjema , Aclinou Paul , Pete Jean-Pierre
Published: September 2013

In this paper, we wish to report an efficient and flexible synthetic strategy towards the synthesis of Shaagrockol C. The strategy involves the construction of a bicyclic oxepane which possess several chiral centres. Such system is present in some complex natural products.
Kinetics of N-Deacetylation of Chitin Extracted from Shrimp Shells Collected from Coastal Area of Morocco
Authors: Ahlafi Hammou , Moussout Hamou , Boukhlifi Fatima , Echetna Mostafa , Naciri Bennani Mohamed , My Slimane Slimani
Published: September 2013

Chitosan was obtained from the alkaline N-deacetylation of ï¡-chitin, derived from shrimp shells (SS) collected from the Moroccan coast. Effects of temperature, NaOH concentration and reaction time on the kinetics of deacetylation were studied. The degree of deacetylation (DD = 75%) was obtained at T = 120 Â°C and CNaOH = 12N in a single step for 6h. It was found, from FTIR studies, that the removal of acetyl groups from chitin occur very fast for the reaction time t < 180 min and then becomes constant after, revealing two steps in the deacetylation of chitin following a first-order kinetics for each of them. The second step is considered the limiting step that has, in the temperature range of 25 â€“ 120 Â°C and maintained CNaOH = 12N, a low apparent rate constant. The activation energy of this step is about 48.76 kJ/mol. The biopolymer (Chitin and chitosan) produced were characterized by X-ray diffraction.
Biological Dialogues: How to Teach Your Students to Learn Fluency in Biology
Authors: May S. Randolph , Cook David L. , May Marilyn K.
Published: September 2013

Biology courses have thousands of words to learn in order to intelligently discuss the subject and take tests over the material. Biological fluency is an important goal for students, and practical methods based on constructivist pedagogies can be employed to promote it. We present a method in which pairs of students write dialogues from instructor-assigned word lists that the student pairs then present before the class. This method helps students understand the contextual meaning of the biological terms, achieving true fluency rather than just memorizing definitions.
The Developmental State and Electoral Markets in East Asia
Authors: Hellmann Olli
Published: September 2013

Party systems in East Asia are characterized by a wide variety of party types, as formally institutionalized parties coexist next to informally and weakly institutionalized parties. This variety can be explained in terms of whether political parties enjoyed access to the developmental state’s resources at the time of their formation.
The Case of the Missing German Quantum Chemists
Authors: Johnson Jeffrey Allan
Published: September 2013

This paper discusses factors limiting the development of a modern, quantum-based chemistry in Nazi Germany. The first part presents a case study of industrial research in Nazi Germany that suggests the delayed introduction of space-filling molecular models into structural analysis and synthesis in industrial organic chemistry, almost a decade after their invention by a German physicist. Was this symptomatic of a broader pattern of neglect of quantum chemistry in Nazi Germany? To answer this question this paper examines the origins of such models, and their appearance (or not) in selected textbooks and monographs dealing with problems in the interdisciplinary borderland between the physical and organic dimensions of chemistry. While it appears that those on the physical side were more comfortable with such models than those on the organic side, it is also clear that even a theoretically unsophisticated organic chemist could learn to use these models effectively, without necessarily understanding the intricacies of the quantum chemistry on which they were based. Why then were they not better integrated into mainstream chemical education? To this end the second part discusses three phases (pre-1933, 1933–38, 1939–43) of the broader scientific, institutional, and political contexts of efforts to reform or “modernize” chemical education among many groups in Germany, particularly through the Association of Laboratory Directors in German Universities and Colleges, the autonomous group that administered the predoctoral qualifying examination (Association Examination) for chemistry students until its dissolution in 1939 by the Education Ministry and the establishment of the first official certifying examination and associated title for chemists, the Diplom-Chemiker (certified chemist). Continuing debates modified the examination in 1942–43, but given the limitations imposed by the political and wartime contexts, and the need to accelerate chemical training for the purposes of industrial and military mobilization, the resulting chemical education could not produce students adequately trained in the modern physical science emerging elsewhere in the world. Quantum chemists remained missing in action in Nazi Germany.
The Concept of the Photon in Question
Authors: Silva Indianara , Freire Olival
Published: September 2013

The history of the concept of the photon in twentieth-century physics is far from a simple story opening with Einstein’s vision of light as a collection of indivisible particles whose energy and momentum are conserved during its interaction with matter, and reaching closure with the wave-particle duality as an accomplishment of quantum mechanics. Since then there has been an intermittent debate on the need for and adequacy of such a concept, even if this debate has been absent from the literature on the history of physics and from physics teaching. This paper analyzes a major event which led to the revival of this debate, namely, the experiment carried out by Robert Hanbury Brown and Richard Quentin Twiss (HBT) in 1956 in the context of low-intensity interferometry. As part of their work to build a new kind of interferometer to measure the diameter of optical stars, their results seemed to suggest that photons split through two different channels and detectors. These results stirred up a debate involving Edward Purcell, Eric Brannen, Harry Ferguson, Peter Fellgett, Richard Sillitto, Lajos Jánossy, Leonard Mandel, and Emil Wolf, in addition to Hanbury Brown and Twiss themselves. The building of this device in astronomy thus renewed the old controversy about the nature of light. Later on, with the invention of lasers, the HBT experimental results played a role in developments leading to the creation of quantum optics and currently play a role in various fields in physics.
Mapping Yeast Transcriptional Networks
Authors: Hughes Timothy R , de Boer Carl G
Published: September 2013

The term “transcriptional network” refers to the mechanism(s) that underlies coordinated expression of genes, typically involving transcription factors (TFs) binding to the promoters of multiple genes, and individual genes controlled by multiple TFs. A multitude of studies in the last two decades have aimed to map and characterize transcriptional networks in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We review the methodologies and accomplishments of these studies, as well as challenges we now face. For most yeast TFs, data have been collected on their sequence preferences, in vivo promoter occupancy, and gene expression profiles in deletion mutants. These systematic studies have led to the identification of new regulators of numerous cellular functions and shed light on the overall organization of yeast gene regulation. However, many yeast TFs appear to be inactive under standard laboratory growth conditions, and many of the available data were collected using techniques that have since been improved. Perhaps as a consequence, comprehensive and accurate mapping among TF sequence preferences, promoter binding, and gene expression remains an open challenge. We propose that the time is ripe for renewed systematic efforts toward a complete mapping of yeast transcriptional regulatory mechanisms.
Functional Genetics in the Post-Genomics Era: Building a Better Roadmap in Drosophila
Authors: Kulathinal Rob J
Published: September 2013

In this commentary, Rob Kulathinal describes two articles from the Perrimon lab, each describing a new online resource that can assist geneticists with the design of their RNA interference (RNAi) experiments. Hu et al.’s “UP-TORR: online tool for accurate and up-to-date annotation of RNAi reagents” and “FlyPrimerBank: An online database for Drosophila melanogaster gene expression analysis and knockdown evaluation of RNAi reagents” are published, respectively, in this month’s issues of GENETICS and G3.
Modeling nitrous oxide emissions from irrigated agriculture: testing DayCent with high‐frequency measurements
Authors: Scheer Clemens , Del Grosso Stephen J. , Parton William J. , Rowlings David W. , Grace Peter R.
Published: September 2013

A unique high temporal frequency data set from an irrigated cotton–wheat rotation was used to test the agroecosystem model DayCent to simulate daily N2O emissions from subtropical vertisols under different irrigation intensities. DayCent was able to simulate the effect of different irrigation intensities on N2O fluxes and yield, although it tended to overestimate seasonal fluxes during the cotton season. DayCent accurately predicted soil moisture dynamics and the timing and magnitude of high fluxes associated with fertilizer additions and irrigation events. At the daily scale we found a good correlation of predicted vs. measured N2O fluxes (r2 = 0.52), confirming that DayCent can be used to test agricultural practices for mitigating N2O emission from irrigated cropping systems. A 25‐year scenario analysis indicated that N2O losses from irrigated cotton–wheat rotations on black vertisols in Australia can be substantially reduced by an optimized fertilizer and irrigation management system (i.e., frequent irrigation, avoidance of excessive fertilizer application), while sustaining maximum yield potentials.
Carbon stocks of intact mangroves and carbon emissions arising from their conversion in the Dominican Republic
Authors: Kauffman J. Boone , Heider Chris , Norfolk Jennifer , Payton Frederick
Published: September 2013

Mangroves are recognized to possess a variety of ecosystem services including high rates of carbon sequestration and storage. Deforestation and conversion of these ecosystems continue to be high and have been predicted to result in significant carbon emissions to the atmosphere. Yet few studies have quantified the carbon stocks or losses associated with conversion of these ecosystems. In this study we quantified the ecosystem carbon stocks of three common mangrove types of the Caribbean as well as those of abandoned shrimp ponds in areas formerly occupied by mangrove—a common land‐use conversion of mangroves throughout the world. In the mangroves of the Montecristi Province in Northwest Dominican Republic we found C stocks ranged from 706 to 1131 Mg/ha. The medium‐statured mangroves (3–10 m in height) had the highest C stocks while the tall (>10 m) mangroves had the lowest ecosystem carbon storage. Carbon stocks of the low mangrove (shrub) type (<3 m) were relatively high due to the presence of carbon‐rich soils as deep as 2 m. Carbon stocks of abandoned shrimp ponds were 95 Mg/ha or ∼11% that of the mangroves. Using a stock‐change approach, the potential emissions from the conversion of mangroves to shrimp ponds ranged from 2244 to 3799 Mg CO2e/ha (CO2 equivalents). This is among the largest measured C emissions from land use in the tropics. The 6260 ha of mangroves and converted mangroves in the Montecristi Province are estimated to contain 3 841 490 Mg of C. Mangroves represented 76% of this area but currently store 97% of the carbon in this coastal wetland (3 696 722 Mg C). Converted lands store only 4% of the total ecosystem C (144 778 Mg C) while they comprised 24% of the area. By these metrics the replacement of mangroves with shrimp and salt ponds has resulted in estimated emissions from this region totaling 3.8 million Mg CO2e or ∼21% of the total C prior to conversion. Given the high C stocks of mangroves, the high emissions from their conversion, and the other important functions and services they provide, their inclusion in climate‐change mitigation strategies is warranted.
Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in idiopathic posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo
Authors: Talaat Hossam Sanyelbhaa , Metwaly Mohamed Akram , Khafagy Ahmed Hafez , Abdelraouf Hatem Ragaa , Moussa Isak Hoda Abu
Published: September 2013

Objective:

The involvement of the utricle and possibly the saccule in the pathogenesis of BPPV encouraged many investigators to study VEMP in patients with BPPV. The current study investigated VEMP results in patients with BPPV to determine different forms of VEMP abnormalities (if any) in patients with BPPV.

Study design:

The study group comprised 112 patients (52 males, 60 females; age range 26−60 years (46.2 ± 10.2)). The group was subdivided into a recurrent BPPV subgroup (32 patients) and a non-recurrent BPPV subgroup (80 patients). The control group included 100 healthy volunteers with matched age and gender distribution. Both ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (oVEMP) and cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMP) were registered in the different study subgroups. Abnormal VEMP was defined as: 1) VEMP pattern of ‘no response’; 2) VEMP asymmetry exceeding the mean + 2 SD of the control group; 3) delayed peak latency (P13 or N1) exceeding the mean + 2 SD of the control group.

Results:

The prevalence of VEMP abnormalities in patients with BPPV was 9.8% for oVEMP, 13.4% for cVEMP and 20.5% when VEMP abnormality was defined as an abnormal oVEMP and/or abnormal cVEMP. VEMP abnormalities in the recurrent BPPV patients were 40.3%, and 12.5% in the non-recurrent BPPV group. All forms of VEMP abnormalities were detected in the study group (i.e. absent, asymmetrical or delayed VEMP peaks); the absent VEMP was the most prevalent form of abnormality. The recurrent BPPV group had significantly higher oVEMP and cVEMP compared to either control or non-recurrent groups. cVEMP was significantly higher in the non-recurrent BPPV than controls, but oVEMP was not.

Conclusions:

VEMP abnormalities were detected more in patients with recurrent attacks of BPPV suggesting that VEMP abnormality may be indicative of the risk of BPPV recurrence. cVEMP may be a more sensitive tool for detection of early mild effects of pathological disorders causing dual affection of the utricle and saccule.
On the Current and Future Dry Spell Characteristics over Africa
Authors: Bouagila Bessam , Sushama Laxmi
Published: September 2013

Changes in precipitation frequency and intensity distribution over Africa will have a direct impact on dry spells and, therefore, will affect various climate sensitive sectors. In this study, the ability of the fifth generation of the Canadian Regional Climate Model (CRCM5) in simulating annual and seasonal dry spell characteristics is assessed for four precipitation thresholds (0.5 mm, 1 mm, 2 mm and 3 mm) over Africa. The dry spell characteristics considered are the number of dry days, number of dry spells and five-year return levels of maximum dry spell durations. The performance errors are assessed by comparing ERA-Interim driven CRCM5 with the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) dataset, for the common 1997–2008 period. Lateral boundary forcing errors, i.e., errors in the CRCM5 simulation created by errors in the driving Canadian Earth System model (CanESM2) data—as well as the added value—of CRCM5 over CanESM2 are also assessed for the current climate. This is followed by an assessment of projected changes to dry spell characteristics for two future climates (2041–2070 and 2071–2100) simulated by both CRCM5 driven by CanESM2 and CanESM2 itself, for Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5. Results suggest that CRCM5 driven by ERA-Interim has a tendency to overestimate the annual mean number of dry days and the five-year return level of the maximum dry spell duration in a majority of the regions while it slightly underestimates the number of dry spells. In general, the CRCM5 performance errors associated with the annual and seasonal dry spell characteristics are found to be larger in magnitude compared to the lateral boundary forcing errors. Projected changes to the dry spell characteristics for the 2041–2070 and 2071–2100 periods, with respect to the 1981–2010 period suggests significant changes in the tropics, with the mean number of dry days and the five-year return levels of maximum dry spell duration increasing, while the mean number of dry spell days decreases.
Towards Energy Efficiency: Forecasting Indoor Temperature via Multivariate Analysis
Authors: Zamora-Martínez Francisco , Romeu Pablo , Botella-Rocamora Paloma , Pardo Juan
Published: September 2013

The small medium large system (SMLsystem) is a house built at the Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera (CEU-UCH) for participation in the Solar Decathlon 2013 competition. Several technologies have been integrated to reduce power consumption. One of these is a forecasting system based on artificial neural networks (ANNs), which is able to predict indoor temperature in the near future using captured data by a complex monitoring system as the input. A study of the impact on forecasting performance of different covariate combinations is presented in this paper. Additionally, a comparison of ANNs with the standard statistical forecasting methods is shown. The research in this paper has been focused on forecasting the indoor temperature of a house, as it is directly related to HVAC—heating, ventilation and air conditioning—system consumption. HVAC systems at the SMLsystem house represent 53:89% of the overall power consumption. The energy used to maintain temperature was measured to be 30%–38:9% of the energy needed to lower it. Hence, these forecasting measures allow the house to adapt itself to future temperature conditions by using home automation in an energy-efficient manner. Experimental results show a high forecasting accuracy and therefore, they might be used to efficiently control an HVAC system.
Experimentally Based Model to Size the Geometry of a New OWC Device, with Reference to the Mediterranean Sea Wave Environment
Authors: Martinelli Luca , Pezzutto Paolo , Ruol Piero
Published: September 2013

This note presents the Seabreath wave energy converter, basically a multi-chamber floating oscillating water column device, and the lumped model used to size its chambers, the ducts and the turbine. The model is based on extensive testing carried out in the wave flume of the University of Padova using fixed and floating models with a dummy power take off and indirect measurement of the produced power. A map with the available energy in the Mediterranean Sea is also proposed, showing possible ideal application sites. The Seabreath is finally dimensioned for a quarter scale test application in the Adriatic Sea, with a 3 kW turbine, and a capacity factor of 40%.
Gold Standard Program for Heavy Smokers in a Real-Life Setting
Authors: Neumann Tim , Rasmussen Mette , Heitmann Berit , Tønnesen Hanne
Published: September 2013

Background: High-intensity smoking cessation programs generally lead to more continuous abstinence, however, lower rates of success have been reported among heavy smokers. The aim was to evaluate continuous abstinence among heavy smokers during the intensive 6-week Gold Standard Program (GSP) and to identify modifiable factors associated with continuous abstinence. Methods: In this nationwide clinical study based on 36,550 smokers attending an intensive cessation program in Denmark. Heavy smoking was defined as ≥7 points in the Fagerström Nicotine Dependency Test, smoking ≥20 cigarettes daily or ≥20 pack-years. Results: Overall, 28% had a Fagerström score ≥7 points, 58% smoked ≥20 cigarettes daily and 68% smoked ≥20 pack-years. Continuous abstinence was 33% in responders (6-months response rate: 78%); however, abstinence was approximately 1–6% lower in the heavy smokers than the overall population. Attending GSP with an individual format (vs. group/other, OR 1.23–1.44); in a hospital setting (vs. pharmacy/municipality services, OR 1.05–1.11); and being compliant (attending the planned meetings OR 4.36–4.89) were associated with abstinence. Abstinence decreased in a dose-dependent manner with increasing smoking severity. Conclusions: Abstinence after GSP was 1–6% lower in the heavy smokers than in the overall study population. Modifiable factors may be used for small improvements in continued abstinence. However attempts to improve compliance seemed especially promising.
The Influence of Marketing Scholarship’s Legacy on Nonprofit Marketing
Authors: Wymer Walter
Published: September 2013

This inquiry contributes to the literature on the development of “nonprofit marketing thought” by describing how the field’s early period established a legacy effect on nonprofit marketing scholarship to the present day. This qualitative work uses a wide variety of sources from a protracted historical period in order to more fully inform a perspective on the relevant issues that have influenced the development of nonprofit marketing scholarship. The investigation suggests that, although the debate on whether or not marketing is a science was nominally resolved years ago, the origins of marketing scholarships as an applied business discipline remain influential. The effects on this influence is a body of research that is fragmented, conflicted, sometimes invalid, and has produced few general theories indicative of a social science. Recommendations are offered for improving the quality of nonprofit marketing scholarship.
Differential Polarization Nonlinear Optical Microscopy with Adaptive Optics Controlled Multiplexed Beams
Authors: Samim Masood , Sandkuijl Daaf , Tretyakov Ian , Cisek Richard , Barzda Virginijus
Published: September 2013

Differential polarization nonlinear optical microscopy has the potential to become an indispensable tool for structural investigations of ordered biological assemblies and microcrystalline aggregates. Their microscopic organization can be probed through fast and sensitive measurements of nonlinear optical signal anisotropy, which can be achieved with microscopic spatial resolution by using time-multiplexed pulsed laser beams with perpendicular polarization orientations and photon-counting detection electronics for signal demultiplexing. In addition, deformable membrane mirrors can be used to correct for optical aberrations in the microscope and simultaneously optimize beam overlap using a genetic algorithm. The beam overlap can be achieved with better accuracy than diffraction limited point-spread function, which allows to perform polarization-resolved measurements on the pixel-by-pixel basis. We describe a newly developed differential polarization microscope and present applications of the differential microscopy technique for structural studies of collagen and cellulose. Both, second harmonic generation, and fluorescence-detected nonlinear absorption anisotropy are used in these investigations. It is shown that the orientation and structural properties of the fibers in biological tissue can be deduced and that the orientation of fluorescent molecules (Congo Red), which label the fibers, can be determined. Differential polarization microscopy sidesteps common issues such as photobleaching and sample movement. Due to tens of megahertz alternating polarization of excitation pulses fast data acquisition can be conveniently applied to measure changes in the nonlinear signal anisotropy in dynamically changing in vivo structures.
Plastids of Marine Phytoplankton Produce Bioactive Pigments and Lipids
Authors: Heydarizadeh Parisa , Poirier Isabelle , Loizeau Damien , Ulmann Lionel , Mimouni Virginie , Schoefs Benoît , Bertrand Martine
Published: September 2013

Phytoplankton is acknowledged to be a very diverse source of bioactive molecules. These compounds play physiological roles that allow cells to deal with changes of the environmental constrains. For example, the diversity of light harvesting pigments allows efficient photosynthesis at different depths in the seawater column. Identically, lipid composition of cell membranes can vary according to environmental factors. This, together with the heterogenous evolutionary origin of taxa, makes the chemical diversity of phytoplankton compounds much larger than in terrestrial plants. This contribution is dedicated to pigments and lipids synthesized within or from plastids/photosynthetic membranes. It starts with a short review of cyanobacteria and microalgae phylogeny. Then the bioactivity of pigments and lipids (anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic, anti-cancer, anti-obesity, anti-allergic activities, and cardio- neuro-, hepato- and photoprotective effects), alone or in combination, is detailed. To increase the cellular production of bioactive compounds, specific culture conditions may be applied (e.g., high light intensity, nitrogen starvation). Regardless of the progress made in blue biotechnologies, the production of bioactive compounds is still limited. However, some examples of large scale production are given, and perspectives are suggested in the final section.
Characterizing the Absorption Properties for Remote Sensing of Three Small Optically-Diverse South African Reservoirs
Authors: Matthews Mark , Bernard Stewart
Published: September 2013

Characterizing the specific inherent optical properties (SIOPs) of water constituents is fundamental to remote sensing applications. Therefore, this paper presents the absorption properties of phytoplankton, gelbstoff and tripton for three small, optically-diverse South African inland waters. The three reservoirs, Hartbeespoort, Loskop and Theewaterskloof, are challenging for remote sensing, due to differences in phytoplankton assemblage and the considerable range of constituent concentrations. Relationships between the absorption properties and biogeophysical parameters, chlorophyll-a (chl-a), TChl (chl-a plus phaeopigments), seston, minerals and tripton, are established. The value determined for the mass-specific tripton absorption coefficient at 442 nm, a∗ (442), ranges from 0.024 to 0.263 m2·g−1. The value of the TChl-specific phytoplankton absorption coefficient (a∗ ) was strongly influenced by phytoplankton species, size, accessory pigmentation and biomass. a∗ (440) ranged from 0.056 to 0.018 m2·mg−1 in oligotrophic to hypertrophic waters. The positive relationship between cell size and trophic state observed in open ocean waters was violated by significant small cyanobacterial populations. The phycocyanin-specific phytoplankton absorption at 620 nm, a∗ (620), was determined as 0.007 m2·g−1 in a M. aeruginosa bloom. Chl-a was a better indicator of phytoplankton biomass than phycocyanin (PC) in surface scums, due to reduced accessory pigment production. Absorption budgets demonstrate that monospecific blooms of M. aeruginosa and C. hirundinella may be treated as “cultures”, removing some complexities for remote sensing applications. These results contribute toward a better understanding of IOPs and remote sensing applications in hypertrophic inland waters. However, the majority of the water is optically complex, requiring the usage of all the SIOPs derived here for remote sensing applications. The SIOPs may be used for developing remote sensing algorithms for the detection of biogeophysical parameters, including chl-a, suspended matter, tripton and gelbstoff, and in advanced remote sensing studies for phytoplankton type detection.
PTR-MS in Italy: A Multipurpose Sensor with Applications in Environmental, Agri-Food and Health Science
Authors: Cappellin Luca , Loreto Francesco , Aprea Eugenio , Romano Andrea , Del Pulgar José , Gasperi Flavia , Biasioli Franco
Published: September 2013

Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS) has evolved in the last decade as a fast and high sensitivity sensor for the real-time monitoring of volatile compounds. Its applications range from environmental sciences to medical sciences, from food technology to bioprocess monitoring. Italian scientists and institutions participated from the very beginning in fundamental and applied research aiming at exploiting the potentialities of this technique and providing relevant methodological advances and new fundamental indications. In this review we describe this activity on the basis of the available literature. The Italian scientific community has been active mostly in food science and technology, plant physiology and environmental studies and also pioneered the applications of the recently released PTR-ToF-MS (Proton Transfer Reaction-Time of Flight-Mass Spectrometry) in food science and in plant physiology. In the very last years new results related to bioprocess monitoring and health science have been published as well. PTR-MS data analysis, particularly in the case of the ToF based version, and the application of advanced chemometrics and data mining are also aspects characterising the activity of the Italian community.
Through-the-Wall Localization of a Moving Target by Two Independent Ultra Wideband (UWB) Radar Systems
Authors: Kocur Dušan , Švecová Mária , Rovňáková Jana
Published: September 2013

In the case of through-the-wall localization of moving targets by ultra wideband (UWB) radars, there are applications in which handheld sensors equipped only with one transmitting and two receiving antennas are applied. Sometimes, the radar using such a small antenna array is not able to localize the target with the required accuracy. With a view to improve through-the-wall target localization, cooperative positioning based on a fusion of data retrieved from two independent radar systems can be used. In this paper, the novel method of the cooperative localization referred to as joining intersections of the ellipses is introduced. This method is based on a geometrical interpretation of target localization where the target position is estimated using a properly created cluster of the ellipse intersections representing potential positions of the target. The performance of the proposed method is compared with the direct calculation method and two alternative methods of cooperative localization using data obtained by measurements with the M-sequence UWB radars. The direct calculation method is applied for the target localization by particular radar systems. As alternative methods of cooperative localization, the arithmetic average of the target coordinates estimated by two single independent UWB radars and the Taylor series method is considered.
A Study on Rational Function Model Generation for TerraSAR-X Imagery
Authors: Eftekhari Akram , Saadatseresht Mohammad , Motagh Mahdi
Published: September 2013

The Rational Function Model (RFM) has been widely used as an alternative to rigorous sensor models of high-resolution optical imagery in photogrammetry and remote sensing geometric processing. However, not much work has been done to evaluate the applicability of the RF model for Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image processing. This paper investigates how to generate a Rational Polynomial Coefficient (RPC) for high-resolution TerraSAR-X imagery using an independent approach. The experimental results demonstrate that the RFM obtained using the independent approach fits the Range-Doppler physical sensor model with an accuracy of greater than 10−3 pixel. Because independent RPCs indicate absolute errors in geolocation, two methods can be used to improve the geometric accuracy of the RFM. In the first method, Ground Control Points (GCPs) are used to update SAR sensor orientation parameters, and the RPCs are calculated using the updated parameters. Our experiment demonstrates that by using three control points in the corners of the image, an accuracy of 0.69 pixels in range and 0.88 pixels in the azimuth direction is achieved. For the second method, we tested the use of an affine model for refining RPCs. In this case, by applying four GCPs in the corners of the image, the accuracy reached 0.75 pixels in range and 0.82 pixels in the azimuth direction.
CD28: Direct and Critical Receptor for Superantigen Toxins
Authors: Kaempfer Raymond , Arad Gila , Levy Revital , Hillman Dalia , Nasie Iris , Rotfogel Ziv
Published: September 2013

Every adaptive immune response requires costimulation through the B7/CD28 axis, with CD28 on T-cells functioning as principal costimulatory receptor. Staphylococcal and streptococcal superantigen toxins hyperstimulate the T-cell-mediated immune response by orders of magnitude, inducing a lethal cytokine storm. We show that to elicit an inflammatory cytokine storm and lethality, superantigens must bind directly to CD28. Blocking access of the superantigen to its CD28 receptor with peptides mimicking the contact domains in either toxin or CD28 suffices to protect mice effectively from lethal shock. Our finding that CD28 is a direct receptor of superantigen toxins broadens the scope of microbial pathogen recognition mechanisms.
Movements of Wild Ruddy Shelducks in the Central Asian Flyway and Their Spatial Relationship to Outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1
Authors: Takekawa John , Prosser Diann , Collins Bridget , Douglas David , Perry William , Yan Baoping , Ze Luo , Hou Yuansheng , Lei Fumin , Li Tianxian , Li Yongdong , Newman Scott
Published: September 2013

Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 remains a serious concern for both poultry and human health. Wild waterfowl are considered to be the reservoir for low pathogenic avian influenza viruses; however, relatively little is known about their movement ecology in regions where HPAI H5N1 outbreaks regularly occur. We studied movements of the ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea), a wild migratory waterfowl species that was infected in the 2005 Qinghai Lake outbreak. We defined their migration with Brownian Bridge utilization distribution models and their breeding and wintering grounds with fixed kernel home ranges. We correlated their movements with HPAI H5N1 outbreaks, poultry density, land cover, and latitude in the Central Asian Flyway. Our Akaike Information Criterion analysis indicated that outbreaks were correlated with land cover, latitude, and poultry density. Although shelduck movements were included in the top two models, they were not a top parameter selected in AICc stepwise regression results. However, timing of outbreaks suggested that outbreaks in the flyway began during the winter in poultry with spillover to wild birds during the spring migration. Thus, studies of the movement ecology of wild birds in areas with persistent HPAI H5N1 outbreaks may contribute to understanding their role in transmission of this disease.
Factors Influencing Survival of White-tailed Deer Fawns in Coastal South Carolina
Authors: McCoy J. Clint , Ditchkoff Stephen S. , Raglin Joshua B. , Collier Bret A. , Ruth Charles
Published: September 2013

The social and environmental pressures exerted on white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus in the southeastern United States are dynamic. Understanding factors that contribute to neonatal white-tailed deer mortality is vital to population management. To determine survival rates and causes of mortality, we captured and radio-monitored neonate white-tailed deer in the coastal plain of South Carolina. Using date of birth, mass, sex, age, and year as predictor variables, we created a candidate set of survival models to evaluate which factors influenced daily survival rates. We captured and monitored 210 fawns and recorded 68 total mortalities (32.3%). We recorded few mortalities in 2006 (n  =  5; 12.8%) and 2007 (n  =  5; 12.5%), but we observed a significant increase in mortality in 2008 (n  =  18; 37.5%), 2009 (n  =  28; 53.8%), and 2010 (n  =  12; 38.7%). Predation accounted for the majority of mortalities (n  =  29; 42.6%). We found that male fawns were more than twice as likely to survive as females, and older fawns were more likely to succumb to predation than younger fawns. Overall survival in our study was higher than estimates recently reported in the southeastern United States. Recent increases in coyote predation have been cause for concern in some parts of the Southeast, but our results indicate that although it appeared coyote predation increased over the course of our study, predation did not reach levels that have been reported elsewhere, possibly due to predator-control activities on our study site. Close monitoring of the deer population at Brosnan Forest allowed managers to adequately adjust harvest prescriptions to maintain deer populations at the desired level despite an apparent decline in fawn survival.
Non-Wood Lignocellulosic Composites
Authors: Barbu Marius C. , Reh Roman , Çavdar Ayfer Dönmez
Published: September 2013

It would seem that with appropriate treatment almost any agricultural residue may be used as a suitable raw material for the wood-based panels like particle- and fiberboard production. The literature on wood-ligno-cellulose plant composite boards highlights steady interest for the design of new structures and technologies towards products for special applications with higher physical-mechanical properties at relatively low prices. Experimental studies have revealed particular aspects related to the structural composition of ligno-cellulose materials, such as the ratio between the different composing elements, their compatibility, and the types and characteristics of the used resins. Various technologies have been developed for designing and processing composite materials by pressing, extrusion, airflow forming, dry, half-dry, and wet processes, including thermal, chemical, thermo-chemical, thermo-chemo-mechanical treatments, etc. Researchers have undertaken to determine the manufacturing parameters and the physical-mechanical properties of the composite boards and to compare them with the standard PB, MDF, HB, SB made from single-raw material (wood). A great emphasis is placed on the processability of the ligno-cellulose composite boards by classical methods, by modified manufacturing processes, on the types of tools and processing equipment, the automation of the manufacturing technologies, the specific labor conditions, etc. The combinations of wood and plant fibers are successful, since there is obvious compatibility between the macro- and microscopic structures, their chemical composition, and the relatively low manufacturing costs and high performances, as compared to synthetic fiber-based composite materials.
Using Pinching Gesture to Relate Applications Running on Discrete Touch-Screen Devices
Authors: Ohta Takashi , Tanaka Jun
Published: September 2013

The authors propose the use of a pinching gesture for relating the applications running on discrete mobile devices. The gesture is realized by swiping the touch-screen of two annexed mobile devices as if pinching them together. The authors believe that this user interface can create new user experiences of multiple-screen usages, especially by designing the applications’ content to react instantly to the connection and disconnection triggered by the gesture, and to make it happen even while applications are running in each device. The authors expect this interface to fulfill a great potential in inspiring application designers to conceive various ideas especially suited for visually fascinating contents that take advantage of the dynamic reconfigurable multi-display feature. To demonstrate that potential, the authors produced some sample applications. Herein, the authors explain the idea and details of the interface mechanism, and explain the design of sample applications.
A Virtual Train with a Container Using Visual and Auditory Representation of Train Movement
Authors: Nishimura Kunihiro , Suzuki Yasuhiro , Sato Munehiko , Hayashi Oribe , Yang LiWei , Kimura Kentaro , Nishizaka Shinya , Onojima Yusuke , Ban Yuki , Muroya Yuma , Yoshida Shigeo , Hirose Michitaka
Published: September 2013

The authors are used to riding a train in their daily life. If one could ride a train virtually without physical movement of the train, one could travel and see the world much more. Thus, the authors made a virtual train with a container. When you enter the virtual train, you can see various kinds of scenes through train windows and can also hear a sound of train movement. You can see scenes of foreign countries, such as Japan, Korea, France, and so on. In this paper, the authors propose a new experience-based system using a container to resemble to a train. The authors have implemented this system as a media art artwork named “Train Window of Container”. The authors discuss the system implemented in the container that provides us to feel a sense as if they were in a train. The authors use visual and auditory information that provides you a new sense of moving of a train car. The authors exhibited the artwork “Train Window of Container” for five days and had about 13,000 audiences and got feedbacks from them.