bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cognitive Garment Panel Design Based on BSG Representation and Matching
Authors: Liang Shuang , Li Rong-Hua , Baciu George
Published: June 2012

Previously, the fashion industry and apparel manufacturing have been applying intelligent CAD technologies with sketching interfaces to operate garment panel shapes in digital form. The authors propose a novel bi-segment graph (BSG) representation and matching approach to facilitate the searching of panel shapes for sketch-based cognitive garment design and recommendation. First in the front-tier, they provide a sketching interface for designers to input and edit the clothing panels. A panel shape is then decomposed into a sequence of connected segments and represented by the proposed BSG model to encode its intrinsic features. A new matching metric based on minimal spanning tree is also proposed to compute the similarity between two BSG models. The simulation of the resulting garment design is also visualized and returned to the user in 3D. Experiment results show the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method.
Tropospheric column ozone: matching individual profiles from Aura OMI and TES with a chemistry-transport model
Authors: Tang Q. , Prather M. J.
Published: June 2012

Abstract. Of all satellite measurements of ozone, only two instruments have coincident, spatially overlapping measurements to allow direct comparison of tropospheric column ozone (TCO): the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) and Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) on the NASA Aura spacecraft. For two years (2005–2006), we collect all observations between 60° S and 60° N from nadir (~65 000 from OMI and TES) and cross-track swaths (~30 000 000 from OMI) and compare with a chemistry-transport model (CTM) simulating each observation with corresponding spatial and temporal coincidence. High-frequency TCO variations are indicative of stratospheric intrusions of ozone-rich air, and the individual, level 2 data provide access to these short-lived phenomena. Although we can identify some seasonal and large-scale biases in the model, the CTM as a transfer standard identifies weaknesses in the observations and further helps quantify the measurement noise of individual profiles. The relatively noise-free CTM bridges these two satellite measurements and improves their cross-validation to better precision than a simple direct comparison. Previous validation studies of TES TCO versus ozonesondes found a bias of about +4 Dobson Units (DU) for large regions. The three-way comparison, with a far greater number of coincidences, indicates that monthly mean OMI-TES TCO biases fall within a few percent, and thus quantifies the OMI TCO bias at a few DU. For small regions (i.e., 5 × 5°), however, the monthly mean OMI-TES differences can exceed ±10 DU at many places (e.g., tropics) due to different tropospheric sensitivities of the two instruments at these locations. In addition, the CTM-TES comparison split into day versus night observations shows no apparent bias in TES at very low levels, ±1 DU. These OMI-TES-CTM comparisons highlighted the importance of the a priori ozone profiles that went into each satellite retrieval, including a false agreement due to CTM-a priori similarity. This study highlights the advantages of overlapping measurements in terms of cross-validation and the application of a model as a transfer standard.
On the efficient treatment of temperature profiles for the estimation of atmospheric transmittance under scattering conditions
Authors: Lindstrot R. , Preusker R.
Published: June 2012

Abstract. The vertical temperature profile in the atmosphere influences the top-of-atmosphere radiance in regions of atmospheric absorption bands. In the visible and near infrared part of the spectrum, this poses a problem for the fast forward simulation of the radiative transfer, needed in algorithms for the retrieval of any atmospheric or surface-related parameter. We show that the main part of the global variability of temperature profiles can be described by their first 2 to 6 eigenvectors, depending on the accuracy requirement, by performing a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) on a global set of temperature profiles from the Global Forecast System (GFS). Furthermore, we demonstrate the possibility to approximate the atmospheric transmittance in the oxygen A band for any temperature profile with almost perfect accuracy by a linear combination of the transmittances attributed to each of the significant temperature eigenvectors. For the retrieval of surface pressure from oxygen A band measurements, this reduces the global root mean square error from > 30 hPa to better than 1 hPa by strongly reducing the regional bias of surface pressure, retrieved on the assumption of an average temperature profile. The technique can be applied under scattering conditions, to eliminate any temperature-induced errors in e.g. simulated radiances. Generally, the method can be applied to any problem including gaseous absorption or emission, such as e.g. the retrieval of water vapour content or sea surface temperature.
Calcium carbonate production response to future ocean warming and acidification
Authors: Pinsonneault A. J. , Matthews H. D. , Galbraith E. D. , Schmittner A.
Published: June 2012

Abstract. Anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are acidifying the ocean, affecting calcification rates in pelagic organisms, and thereby modifying the oceanic carbon and alkalinity cycles. However, the responses of pelagic calcifying organisms to acidification vary widely between species, contributing uncertainty to predictions of atmospheric CO2 and the resulting climate change. At the same time, ocean warming caused by rising CO2 is expected to drive increased growth rates of all pelagic organisms, including calcifiers. It thus remains unclear whether anthropogenic CO2 emissions will ultimately increase or decrease pelagic calcification rates. Here, we assess the importance of this uncertainty by introducing a dependence of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) production on calcite saturation state (ΩCaCO3) in an intermediate complexity coupled carbon-climate model. In a series of model simulations, we examine the impact of several variants of this dependence on global ocean carbon cycling between 1800 and 3500 under two different CO2 emissions scenarios. Introducing a calcification-saturation state dependence has a significant effect on the vertical and surface horizontal alkalinity gradients, as well as on the removal of alkalinity from the ocean through CaCO3 burial. These changes result in an additional oceanic uptake of carbon when calcification depends on ΩCaCO3 (of up to 270 Pg C), compared to the case where calcification does not depend on acidification. In turn, this response causes a reduction of global surface air temperature of up to 0.4 °C in year 3500. Different versions of the model produced varying results, and narrowing this range of uncertainty will require better understanding of both temperature and acidification effects on pelagic calcifiers. Nevertheless, our results suggest that alkalinity observations can be used to constrain model results, and may not be consistent with the model versions that simulated stronger responses of CaCO3 production to changing saturation state.
Early and mid-Holocene climate in the tropical Pacific: seasonal cycle and interannual variability induced by insolation changes
Authors: Luan Y. , Braconnot P. , Yu Y. , Zheng W. , Marti O.
Published: June 2012

Abstract. Using a coupled atmosphere-ocean model we analyze the responses of the mean climate and interannual variations in the tropical Pacific to the changes in insolation during the early and mid-Holocene, with experiments in which only the variations of Earth's orbital configuration are considered. We first discuss common features of the Early and mid-Holocene climates compared to the pre-industrial conditions. In particular, an equatorial annual mean cooling that has a "U" shape across the tropical Pacific is simulated, whereas the ocean heat content is enhanced in the western tropical Pacific and decreased in the east. Similarly, the seasonality is enhanced in the west and reduced in the east. We show that the seasonality of the insolation forcing, the cloud radiative forcing and ocean dynamics all contribute to increasing these east–west contrasts. ENSO variability is reduced in the early Holocene and increases towards present-day conditions. Obliquity alone does not affect ENSO characteristics in the model. The reduction of ENSO magnitude results from the relationship between changes in seasonality, which involves wave propagation along the thermocline, and the timing of the development of ENSO anomalies. All these effects are larger in the Early Holocene compared to the mid-Holocene. Despite a one-month difference in the insolation forcing and corresponding response of SST, winds and thermocline depth between these two periods, the timing and changes in the east–west temperature and heat content gradients are similar. We suggest that it explains why the timing of development of ENSO is quite similar between these two climates and does not reflect the differences in the seasonal timing.
Low-cost multi-stage filtration enhanced by coagulation-flocculation in upflow gravel filtration
Authors: Sánchez L. D. , Marin L. M. , Visscher J. T. , Rietveld L. C.
Published: June 2012

Abstract. This paper assesses the operational and design aspects of coagulation and flocculation in upflow gravel filters (CF-UGF) in a multi-stage filtration (MSF) plant. This study shows that CF-UGF units improve the performance of MSF considerably, when the system operates with turbidity above 30 NTU. It strongly reduces the load of particulate material before the water enters in the slow sand filters (SSF) and therewith avoids short filter runs and prevents early interruption in SSF operations. The removal efficiency of turbidity in the CF-UGF with coagulant was between 85 and 96%, whereas the average efficiency without coagulant dosing was 46% (range: 21–76%). Operating with coagulant also improves the removal efficiency for total coliforms, E-coli and HPC. No reduction was observed in the microbial activity of the SSF, no obstruction of the SSF bed was demonstrated and SSF runs were maintained between 50 and 70 days for a maximum head loss of 0.70 m. The most important advantage is the flexibility of the system to operate with and without coagulant according to the influent turbidity. It was only necessary for 20% of the time to operate with the coagulant. The CF-UGF unit represented 7% of total construction costs and the O&M cost for the use of coagulant represented only 0.3%.
Application of time domain induced polarization to the mapping of lithotypes in a landfill site
Authors: Gazoty A. , Fiandaca G. , Pedersen J. , Auken E. , Christiansen A. V. , Pedersen J. K.
Published: June 2012

Abstract. A direct current (DC) resistivity and time domain induced polarization (TDIP) survey was undertaken at a decommissioned landfill site situated in Hørløkke, Denmark, for the purpose of mapping the waste deposits and to discriminate important geological units that control the hydrology of the surrounding area. It is known that both waste deposits and clay have clear signatures in TDIP data, making it possible to enhance the resolution of geological structures compared to DC surveys alone. Four DC/TDIP profiles were carried out crossing the landfill, and another seven profiles in the surroundings provide a sufficiently dense coverage of the entire area. The whole dataset was inverted using a 1-D laterally constrained inversion scheme, recently implemented for TDIP data, in order to use the entire decay curves for reconstructing the electrical parameters of the soil in terms of the Cole-Cole polarization model. Results show that it is possible to resolve both the geometry of the buried waste body and key geological structures. In particular, it was possible to find a silt/clay lens at depth that correlates with the flow direction of the pollution plume spreading out from the landfill and to map a shallow sandy layer rich in clay that likely has a strong influence on the hydrology of the site. This interpretation of the geophysical findings was constrained by borehole data, in terms of geology and gamma ray logging. The results of this study are important for the impact of the resolved geological units on the hydrology of the area, making it possible to construct more realistic scenarios of the variation of the pollution plume as a function of the climate change.
Structural and Catalytic Characterization of Pichia stipitis OYE 2.6, a Useful Biocatalyst for Asymmetric Alkene Reductions
Authors: Pompeu Yuri A. , Sullivan Bradford , Walton Adam Z. , Stewart Jon D.
Published: June 2012

We have probed Pichia stipitis CBS 6054 Old Yellow Enzyme 2.6 (OYE 2.6) by several strategies including X‐ray crystallography, ligand binding and catalytic assays using the wild‐type as well as libraries of site‐saturation mutants. The alkene reductase crystallized in space group P 63 2 2 with unit cell dimensions of 127.1×123.4 Å and its structure was solved to 1.5 Å resolution by molecular replacement. The protein environment surrounding the flavin mononucleotide (FMN) cofactor was very similar to those of other OYE superfamily members; however, differences in the putative substrate binding site were also observed. Substrate analog complexes were analyzed by both UV‐Vis titration and X‐ray crystallography to provide information on possible substrate binding interactions. In addition, four active site residues were targeted for site saturation mutagenesis (Thr 35, Ile 113, His 188, His 191) and each library was tested against three representative Baylis–Hillman adducts. Thr 35 could be replaced by Ser with no change in activity; other amino acids (Ala, Cys, Leu, Met, Gln and Val) resulted in diminished catalytic efficiency. The Ile 113 replacement library yielded a range of catalytic activities, but had very little impact on stereoselectivity. Finally, the two His residues (188 and 191) were essentially intolerant of substitutions with the exception of the His 191 Asn mutant, which did show significant catalytic ability. Structural comparisons between OYE 2.6 and Saccharomyces pastorianus OYE1 suggest that the key interactions between the substrate hydroxymethyl groups and the side‐chain of Thr 35 and/or Tyr 78 play an important role in making OYE 2.6 an (S)‐selective alkene reductase.
Dose dependent expression of HDAC4 causes variable expressivity in a novel inherited case of brachydactyly mental retardation syndrome
Authors: Morris Benjamin , Etoubleau Cécile , Bourthoumieu Sylvie , Reynaud‐Perrine Sandrine , Laroche Cécile , Lebbar Aziza , Yardin Catherine , Elsea Sarah H.
Published: June 2012

Histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) serves important roles in multiple human systems, including neurological, cardiac, and skeletal functions. Mutation or deletion of HDAC4 causes brachydactyly mental retardation syndrome (BDMR), a disorder that includes intellectual disability, behavioral abnormalities, autism spectrum disorder, and craniofacial and skeletal anomalies, including brachydactyly type E. We present a case of familial BDMR, including a parent with mild symptoms of the disorder and a child exhibiting a more severe phenotype. Cytogenetic testing showed a cryptic balanced translocation in the mother that resulted in a 2q37.1 monosomy and a 10q26.1 trisomy in the son. Gene expression analyses demonstrated 67% HDAC4 expression in the mother and 23% HDAC4 expression in the son relative to normal controls, lending evidence to the hypothesis that HDAC4 modulates severity of this disorder in a dosage‐dependent manner. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Narrative medicine in clinical genetics practice
Authors: Nowaczyk Małgorzata J.M.
Published: June 2012

Over the last 30 years medicine has undergone a significant paradigm shift. Due to the tremendous advances of modern medicine more and more people are living longer with their illnesses. These people have stories to tell, and they want these stories to be heard: They are reclaiming their voices. As clinical geneticists we need to hear what these voices are telling us, especially so in our area of clinical care where cures are rare, and disease states can be permanent. Narrative medicine is an important new skill set that hones abilities to do just that.This article highlights how integral narrative medicine is to clinical genetics practice, how geneticists already employ many of its tools and how they practice it diligently every day. I will show how geneticists can further improve their abilities to hear and honor patients' stories by writing and sharing stories with patients and with each other as doctors, counselors, and nurses, social workers and chaplains. The review presents the skills of close reading and how they improve patient care and illustrates how geneticists can, by using reflective writing, reshape their emotions in order to understand them, to let them go, and to make room for more. It presents the major types of illness narratives whose recognition allows us to hear and understand patients' stories. When used, the tools of narrative medicine can result in better patient care. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Synergistic effects of hydroxides and dimethyl methylphosphonate on rigid halogen‐free and flame‐retarding polyurethane foams
Authors: Zhang Anzhen , Zhang Yihe , Lv Fengzhu , Chu Paul K.
Published: June 2012

Rigid halogen‐free and flame‐retarding polyurethane foams are prepared with aluminum hydroxide, brucite, and DMMP. The effects of the hydroxides and DMMP on the foaming process and flame retarding properties of the foams are investigated by thermo gravimetric analysis, limiting oxygen index, and X‐ray powder diffraction. The thermal stability of the rigid polyurethane foams is close to that of the hydroxide fillers, with aluminum hydroxide providing better flammability performance than brucite. The hydroxide fillers and DMMP play a synergistic role in the rigid polyurethane foams and the limiting oxygen indices are up to 28.4% and 32.4%, respectively. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
High‐throughput process development of chromatography steps: Advantages and limitations of different formats used
Authors: Łącki Karol M.
Published: June 2012

In the past, development of a chromatographic separation method has been accomplished by performing a series of experiments using either manual or automated chromatography systems. The screening of a vast experimental space became very expensive because all experiments had to be performed in a serial manner, and the chromatography systems used were designed for relatively large columns and, therefore, the experiments required large sample volumes. To address these issues, high‐throughput miniaturized methods employing different operating principles and/or formats have been introduced. Herein, a technical review of the most common high‐throughput formats used for the development of chromatographic purification steps is presented. The formats considered include minicolumns, prefilled pipette tips, and microtiter filter plates prefilled with chromatography resins. Advantages and limitations of each format are discussed through the prism of chromatographic theory, engineering principles, and known mass‐transfer mechanisms. A roadmap for applicability of the different formats for process development purposes and implementation of a Quality by Design initiative for designing/optimization of chromatography steps is also discussed.
Maternal separation is associated with strain‐specific responses to stress and epigenetic alterations to Nr3c1, Avp, and Nr4a1 in mouse
Authors: Kember R. L. , Dempster E. L. , Lee T. H. A. , Schalkwyk L. C. , Mill J. , Fernandes C.
Published: June 2012

Stressful events early in life have been widely linked to behavioral phenotypes and have been implicated in the development of psychiatric disorders. Using a maternal separation paradigm, we investigated phenotypic and epigenetic changes following early life stress in two inbred strains of mice, C57BL/6J and DBA/2J. We found an increase in the corticosterone response to stress in male, C57BL/6J mice that had undergone maternal separation compared to controls. In addition, early life stress induced a number of mild but significant behavioral changes, many of which were sex and strain dependent. Following maternal separation anxiety was decreased in males but increased in DBA/2J females, DBA/2J males displayed reduced exploration of a novel object, and baseline activity was altered in males of both strains. Finally, we examined DNA methylation levels in the hippocampus across promoter regions of Nr3c1, Avp, and Nr4a1, and found altered levels at several CpG sites in maternally separated male mice compared to controls. This study contributes to a growing body of recent literature suggesting that epigenetic changes may mediate the impact of early life stress on behavior. In particular, we establish that the phenotypic and epigenetic responses to an adverse environment differ as a function of genetic background.
Does Risk Assessment Make a Difference? Results of Implementing the SAVRY in Juvenile Probation
Authors: Vincent Gina M. , Guy Laura S. , Gershenson Bernice G. , McCabe Patrick
Published: June 2012

An effective approach to reducing recidivism is, first, to identify a youth's risk of reoffending and then to match the intensity of interventions to that risk level. This pre–post quasi‐experimental, prospective study compared 247 (pre) with 217 (post) adjudicated youths to examine the implementation of the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY) and its effects on case management practices in Louisiana's Caddo parish probation office. The results indicated that placement rates dropped by 50%, use of maximum levels of supervision dropped by almost 30%, and use of community services decreased except for high‐risk youths, but only after the SAVRY was properly implemented. This shift towards more appropriate allocation of resources that are matched to risk level occurred without a significant increase in reoffending. The implications for implementation and for use of risk/needs assessment in juvenile probation are discussed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Volatile Lactones from Streptomycetes Arise via the Antimycin Biosynthetic Pathway
Authors: Riclea Ramona , Aigle Bertrand , Leblond Pierre , Schoenian Ilka , Spiteller Dieter , Dickschat Jeroen S.
Published: June 2012

The volatiles released by several streptomycetes were collected by using a closed‐loop stripping apparatus (CLSA) and analysed by GC–MS. The obtained headspace extracts of various species contained blastmycinone, a known degradation product of the fungicidal antibiotic, antimycin A3b, and several unknown derivatives. The suggested structures of these compounds, based on their mass spectra and GC retention indices, were confirmed by comparison to synthetic reference samples. Additional compounds found in the headspace extracts were butenolides formed from the blastmycinones by elimination of the carboxylic acid moiety. Analysis of a gene knockout mutant in the antimycin biosynthetic gene cluster demonstrated that all blastmycinones and butenolides are formed via the antimycin biosynthetic pathway. The structural variation of the blastmycinones identified here is much larger than within the known antimycins, thus suggesting that several antimycin derivatives remain to be discovered.
To close or not to close an atrial septal defect in ischemic cardiomyopathy
Authors: Bartel Thomas , Müller Silvana
Published: June 2012

A 67‐year‐old male presented with a left ventricular ejection fraction of 21% and an atrial septal defect (ASD), the closure of which carries a risk of worsening the patients' clinical situation. The ASD contributed significantly to heart failure according to NYHA class III to IV, on the other hand. Preconditioning, echocardiographic testing, and test closure were carried out in order to minimize the risk and to finally close the defect successfully in behoof of the patient. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Oxidation Kinetics of Carbon Deposited on Cerium‐Doped FePO4 during Dehydration of Glycerol to Acrolein
Authors: Patience G. S. , Farrie Y. , Devaux J.‐F. , Dubois J.‐L.
Published: June 2012

A cerium‐doped FePO4 catalyst dehydrates glycerol to acrolein in the gas phase but carbon accumulation reduces the reaction rate with time. Reaction rates may be maintained for longer times by co‐feeding low concentrations of oxygen together with the glycerol, but the acrolein yield drops proportionally to the oxygen concentration. The catalyst is easily regenerated by air and the reaction rate is proportional to both the oxygen concentration and quantity of carbon. The carbonaceous deposits may be due to both glycerol and acrolein: when either is fed to the catalyst, the CO2/CO ratio is close to 1; during the regeneration step, the CO2/CO ratio is near 4. A kinetic model of first order in both oxygen concentration and adsorbed sites characterizes the transient data very well.
The Stereoselective Sulfate Conjugation of 4′‐Methoxyfenoterol Stereoisomers by Sulfotransferase Enzymes
Authors: Iyer Lalitha V. , Ramamoorthy Anuradha , Rutkowska Ewelina , Furimsky Anna M. , Tang Liang , Catz Paul , Green Carol E. , Jozwiak Krzysztof , Wainer Irving W.
Published: June 2012

The presystemic sulfate conjugation of the stereoisomers of 4′‐methoxyfenoterol, (R,R′)‐MF, (S,S′)‐MF, (R,S′)‐MF, and (S,R′)‐MF, was investigated using commercially available human intestinal S9 fractions, a mixture of sulfotransferase (SULT) enzymes. The results indicate that the sulfation was stereospecific and that an S‐configuration at the β‐OH carbon of the MF molecule enhanced the maximal formation rates with (S,R′)‐MF  (S,S′)‐MF  (R,S′)‐MF ≈ (R,R′)‐MF, and competition studies demonstrated that (S,R′)‐MF is an effective inhibitor of (R,R′)‐MF sulfation (IC50 = 60 μM). In addition, the results from a cDNA‐expressed human SULT isoform screen indicated that SULT1A1, SULT1A3, and SULT1E1 can mediate the sulfation of all four MF stereoisomers. Previously published molecular models of SULT1A3 and SULT1A1 were used in docking simulations of the MF stereoisomers using Molegro Virtual Docker. The models of the MF‐SULT1A3 and MF‐SULT1A1 complexes indicate that each of the two chiral centers of MF molecule plays a role in the observed relative stabilities. The observed stereoselectivity is the result of multiple hydrogen bonding interactions and induced conformational changes within the substrate–enzyme complex. In conclusion, the results suggest that a formulation developed from a mixture of (R,R′)‐MF and (S,R′)‐MF may increase the oral bioavailability of (R,R′)‐MF. Chirality 24:796–803, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Relationship Between Glycosylated Hemoglobin and Myocardial Perfusion Imaging
Authors: Lynn Fillipon Nicole M. , Kitkungvan Danai , Dani Sourbha S. , Downey Brian C.
Published: June 2012

Background:

The relationship between long‐term glucose control (measured by glycosylated hemoglobin [HgbA1C]) and myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) abnormalities in symptomatic diabetic patients has not been studied.

Hypothesis:

We hypothesized that diabetic patients with poorly controlled HgbA1C would have more abnormal MPI compared to both patients without diabetes and diabetic patients with tighter glycemic control.

Methods:

This was a retrospective evaluation of 1037 consecutive patients referred for MPI. All patients completed a 1‐day MPI protocol. The electronic medical records were accessed for demographics and relevant medical history.

Results:

Diabetic patients had a higher risk of abnormal MPI (including ischemia, infarction, and mixed ischemia/infarction) compared to nondiabetic patients (relative risk [RR] = 1.77). The populations with suboptimal (HgbA1C ≥7%) and poor (HgbA1C ≥8%) glycemic control had significantly higher risk of abnormal MPI (RR = 1.78 and 2.17, respectively) compared to nondiabetic patients. Coronary angiography supported the MPI results; 66% of diabetic patients had coronary artery disease (CAD), which was higher than the 53% of patients without diabetes found to have CAD.

Conclusions:

The importance of strict glycemic control to reduce cardiovascular complications in diabetic patients is well known. Our study shows a significantly higher risk of abnormal MPI and CAD in diabetic patients with suboptimal and poor long‐term glycemic control, further emphasizing the need for aggressive risk factor modification to minimize vascular complications from DM. Clin. Cardiol. 2012 doi: 10.1002/clc.22028

The authors have no funding, financial relationships, or conflicts of interest to disclose.
Actin cytoskeleton in cell polarity and asymmetric division during mouse oocyte maturation
Authors: Yi Kexi , Li Rong
Published: June 2012

Mammalian oocyte maturation involves two successive rounds of extremely asymmetric cell divisions (known as polar body extrusion) to generate a functional haploid egg. Successful polar body extrusion relies on establishment of an asymmetric spindle position and cortical polarity. Decades of studies using mouse oocytes as a model have revealed critical roles for a dynamic actin cytoskeleton in this process. Here, we review the contribution of actin to the critical events during oocyte meiotic cell divisions with an emphasis on recent advances in understanding the underlying molecular and physical mechanisms. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc
Dynamic branch speculation in a speculative parallelization architecture for computer clusters
Authors: Puiggali Joan , Szymanski Boleslaw K. , Jové Teo , Marzo Jose L.
Published: June 2012

This article describes a technique for path unfolding for conditional branches in parallel programs executed on clusters. Unfolding paths following control structures makes it possible to break the control dependencies existing in the code and consequently to obtain a high degree of parallelism through the use of idle CPUs. The main challenge of this technique is to deal with sequences of control statements. When a control statement appears in a path after a branch, a new conditional block needs to be opened, creating a new code split before the previous one is resolved. Such subsequent code splits increase the cost of speculation management, resulting in reduced profits. Several decision techniques have been developed for improving code splitting and speculation efficiency in single machine architecture. The main contribution of this paper is to apply such techniques to a cluster of single processor systems and evaluate them in such an environment. Our results demonstrate that code splitting in conjunction with branch speculation and the use of statistical information improves the performance measured by the number of processes executed in a time unit. This improvement is particularly significant when the parallelized programs contain iterative structures in which conditions are repeatedly executed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sustainable Production of Syngas from Biomass‐Derived Glycerol by Steam Reforming over Highly Stable Ni/SiC
Authors: Kim Sung Min , Woo Seong Ihl
Published: June 2012

The production of syngas was investigated by steam reforming glycerol over Ni/Al2O3, Ni/CeO2, and Ni/SiC (which have acidic, basic, and neutral properties) at temperatures below 773 K. The complete and stable conversion of glycerol with a yield (higher than 90 %) of gaseous products (mainly syngas) was achieved over Ni/SiC during a 60 h reaction, whereas the conversion of glycerol continually decreases over Ni/Al2O3 (by 49.8 %) and Ni/CeO2 (by 77.1 %). The deactivation of Ni/Al2O3 and Ni/CeO2 is mainly caused by coke deposition because of the CC cleavage of the byproducts produced by dehydration over acidic sites and condensation over basic sites. Gaseous products with a 1.0–1.9 syngas ratio (H2/CO) are produced over Ni/SiC. This ratio is required for the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis. However, a syngas ratio of more than 3.0 was observed over Ni/Al2O3 and Ni/CeO2 because of the high activity of the water–gas‐shift reaction. Any dissociative or associative adsorption of water on Al2O3 and CeO2 promotes a water–gas‐shift reaction and produces a higher syngas ratio. H2 and CO were mainly produced by decomposition of glycerol through dehydrogenation and decarbonylation over Ni sites. Thus, SiC promotes an intrinsic contribution of nickel (dehydrogenation, and decarbonylation) without any byproducts from the dehydration and condensation.
Privacy‐preserving multireceiver ID‐based encryption with provable security
Authors: Tseng Yuh‐Min , Huang Yi‐Hung , Chang Hui‐Ju
Published: June 2012

Multireceiver identity (ID) based encryption and ID‐based broadcast encryption allow a sender to use the public identities of multiple receivers to encrypt messages so that only the selected receivers or a privileged set of users can decrypt the messages. It can be used for many practical applications such as digital content distribution, pay‐per‐view and multicast communication. For protecting the privacy of receivers or providing receiver anonymity, several privacy‐preserving (or anonymous) multireceiver ID‐based encryption and ID‐based broadcast encryption schemes were recently proposed, in which receiver anonymity means that nobody (including any selected receiver), except the sender, knows who the other selected receivers are. However, security incompleteness or flaws were found in these schemes. In this paper, we propose a new privacy‐preserving multireceiver ID‐based encryption scheme with provable security. We formally prove that the proposed scheme is semantically secure for confidentiality and receiver anonymity. Compared with the previously proposed anonymous multireceiver ID‐based encryption and ID‐based broadcast encryption schemes, the proposed scheme has better performance and robust security. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Placental regulation of maternal‐fetal interactions and brain development
Authors: Hsiao Elaine Y. , Patterson Paul H.
Published: June 2012

A variety prenatal insults are associated with the incidence of neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia, autism and cerebral palsy. While the precise mechanisms underlying how transient gestational challenges can lead to later life dysfunctions are largely unknown, the placenta is likely to play a key role. The literal interface between maternal and fetal cells resides in the placenta, and disruptions to the maternal or intrauterine environment are necessarily conveyed to the developing embryo via the placenta. Placental cells bear the responsibility of promoting maternal tolerance of the semiallogeneic fetus and regulating selective permeability of nutrients, gases, and antibodies, while still providing physiological protection of the embryo from adversity. The placenta's critical role in modulating immune protection and the availability of nutrients and endocrine factors to the offspring implicates its involvement in autoimmunity, growth restriction and hypoxia, all factors associated with the development of neurological complications. In this review, we summarize primary maternal‐fetal interactions that occur in the placenta and describe pathways by which maternal insults can impair these processes and disrupt fetal brain development. We also review emerging evidence for placental dysfunction in the prenatal programming of neurodevelopmental disorders. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol, 2012
Structure–Property Relationships in PtII Diimine‐Dithiolate Nonlinear Optical Chromophores Based on Arylethylene‐1,2‐dithiolate and 2‐Thioxothiazoline‐4,5‐dithiolate
Authors: Pintus Anna , Aragoni M. Carla , Bellec Nathalie , Devillanova Francesco A. , Lorcy Dominique , Isaia Francesco , Lippolis Vito , Randall Rebecca A. M. , Roisnel Thierry , Slawin Alexandra M. Z. , Woollins J. Derek , Arca Massimiliano
Published: June 2012

Eighteen new [PtII(N∧N)(S∧S)] complexes [23–40; N∧N = diimine: 2,2′‐bipyridine, 1,10‐phenanthroline and alkyl/aryl‐substituted derivatives; S∧S = arylethylene‐1,2‐dithiolate (R‐edt2–: R = phenyl, 2‐naphthyl, 1‐pyrenyl), N‐substituted 2‐thioxothiazoline‐4,5‐dithiolate (R‐dmet2–: R = methyl, ethyl, phenyl)] have been synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic (UV/Vis/NIR, fluorescence) and electrochemical (CV) measurements. Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis allowed structural characterization of five of the complexes (27–29, 31, and 37). Structural modifications capable of affecting the nature and energies of the frontier molecular orbitals in these systems were assessed and hybrid DFT and time‐dependent (TD) DFT calculations, carried out both in the gas phase and in the presence of several solvents (CH2Cl2, CHCl3, CH3CN, acetone, thf, dmf, dmso, and toluene), allowed the trends observed in the voltammetric data and in the energies of the peculiar solvatochromic visible absorption bands to be rationalized. In addition, to evaluate the second‐order nonlinear optical properties of 23–40, first static hyperpolarizability values βtot were calculated both in the gas phase and in CH2Cl2, the highest values being obtained for [Pt(N∧N)(Me‐dmet)] complexes (N∧N = 4,4′‐diphenyl‐2,2′‐bipyridine and 4,7‐diphenyl‐1,10‐phenanthroline; βtot = 691 × 10–30 and 604 × 10–30 esu, respectively).
Reactivity of (β‐Diketiminato)zinc Hydride toward Lewis Bases, Heterocumulenes and Cyclohexene Oxide
Authors: Bendt Georg , Schulz Stephan , Spielmann Jan , Schmidt Sarah , Bläser Dieter , Wölper Christoph
Published: June 2012

The reaction of LZnH (1) {L = Mesnacnac = [(2,4,6‐Me3C6H2)NC(Me)]2CH} with 4‐(dimethylamino)pyridine (dmap) yielded the Lewis acid–base adduct LZn(H)dmap (2), whereas LZn(Cl)dmap (3) was obtained from the equimolar reaction of LZnCl with dmap. In addition, reactions of 1 with di‐tert‐butylcarbodiimide [C(NtBu)2] and tert‐butyl thioisocyanate (tBuNCS) proceeded with insertion of the heterocumulene into the Zn–H bond and formation of [LZn(tBuNC(H)NtBu)] (4) and [LZn(tBuNC(H)S)] (5), whereas 1 reacted with Me3SiN3 with the elimination of Me3SiH and formation of [LZnN3]2 (6). Moreover, the reaction of 1 with cyclohexene oxide (CHO) occurred with ring opening and formation of [LZnOCy]2 (7) (Cy = cyclohexyl). Complexes 2–7 were characterized by multinuclear NMR (1H, 13C) and IR spectroscopy, elemental analyses and by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction (2, 3, 6, 7).
Cross‐linked Poly(arylene ether ketone) Proton Exchange Membranes with High Ion Exchange Capacity for Fuel Cells
Authors: Zhou S. , Hai S. D. , Kim D.
Published: June 2012

Sulfonated poly(arylene ether ketone) (SPAEK) possessing the pendant carboxylic acid groups was synthesized. The carboxylic acid groups of SPAEK were reacted with a cross‐linking reagent to prepare a cross‐linked membrane with a high ion exchange capacity (IEC), a high oxidative stability, and an excellent mechanical strength. The cross‐linking hindered the mobility of the polymer chains and thus strongly affected the water uptake and the methanol permeability of the membranes. Also, as the cross‐linker used in this study bore sulfonic acid groups, cross‐linking did not lead to a noticeable loss of the proton conductivity. The cross‐linked SPAEK membrane with 20% cross‐linking density, CSPAEK‐20% membrane, exhibited a high proton conductivity of 0.045 S cm–1 associated with a high IEC value of 1.78 mmol g–1 but a low methanol permeability of 4.3 × 10–7 cm2 s–1. The CSPAEK‐20% membrane also showed excellent cell performance and oxidation resistance.
Evaluation of a Non‐sealed Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Stack with Cells Embedded in Plane Configuration
Authors: Tian Y. , Lü Z. , Wei B. , Zhu X. , Li W. , Wang Z. , Pan W. , Su W.
Published: June 2012

A non‐sealed solid oxide fuel cell stack with cells embedded in plane configuration was fabricated and operated successfully in a box‐like stainless‐steel chamber. For a two‐cell stack, it demonstrated an open circuit voltage (OCV) of 2.13 V and a maximum power output of 569 mW at the flow rate of 67 sccm CH4 and 33 sccm O2. A fuel utilization of 4.16% was obtained. The cell performance was dominated by two different mechanisms, the polarization of the cathode at low current and the concentration polarization of the anode at high current. Finally, a scaled‐up stack with six cells in series generated an OCV of 6.4 V and a maximum power output of 8.18 W.
Zircon evaporation ages and geochemistry of metamorphosed volcanic rocks from the Vinjamuru domain, Krishna Province: evidence for 1.78 Ga convergent tectonics along the southeastern margin of the Eastern Dharwar Craton
Authors: Vadlamani Ravikant , Kröner A. , Vasudevan D. , Wendt I. , Tobschall H. , Chatterjee C.
Published: June 2012

Palaeoproterozoic intermediate to potassic felsic volcanism in volcano‐sedimentary sequences could either have occurred in continental rift or at convergent magmatic arc tectonic settings. The Vinjamuru domain of the Krishna Province in Andhra Pradesh, SE India, contains such felsic and intermediate metavolcanic rocks, whose geochemistry constrains their probable tectonic setting and which were dated by the zircon Pb evaporation method in order to constrain their time of formation. These rocks consist of interlayered quartz–garnet–biotite schist, quartz–hematite–baryte–sericite schist as well as cherty quartzite, and represent a calc‐alkaline volcanic sequence of andesitic to rhyolitic rocks that underwent amphibolite‐facies metamorphism at ~1.61 Ga.

Zircons from four felsic metavolcanic rock samples yielded youngest mean 207Pb/206Pb ages between 1771 and 1791 Ma, whereas the youngest zircon age for a meta‐andesite is 1868 Ma. A ~2.43 Ga zircon xenocryst reflects incorporation of Neoarchaean basement gneisses. Their calc‐alkaline trends, higher LILE, enriched chondrite‐normalized LREE pattern and negative Nb and Ti anomalies on primitive mantle‐normalized diagrams, suggest formation in a continental magmatic arc tectonic setting. Whereas the intermediate rocks may have been derived from mantle‐source parental arc magmas by fractionation and crustal contamination, the rhyolitic rocks had crustal parental magmas. The Vinjamuru Palaeoproterozoic volcanic eruption implies an event of convergent tectonism at the southeastern margin of the Eastern Dharwar Craton at ~1.78 Ga forming one of the major crustal domains of the Krishna Province. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Genotoxicity evaluation of titanium dioxide nanoparticles using the Ames test and Comet assay
Authors: Woodruff Robert S. , Li Yan , Yan Jian , Bishop Michelle , Jones M. Yvonne , Watanabe Fumiya , Biris Alexandru S. , Rice Penelope , Zhou Tong , Chen Tao
Published: June 2012

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2‐NPs) are being used increasingly for various industrial and consumer products, including cosmetics and sunscreens because of their photoactive properties. Therefore, the toxicity of TiO2‐NPs needs to be thoroughly understood. In the present study, the genotoxicity of 10nm uncoated sphere TiO2‐NPs with an anatase crystalline structure, which has been well characterized in a previous study, was assessed using the Salmonella reverse mutation assay (Ames test) and the single‐cell gel electrophoresis (Comet) assay. For the Ames test, Salmonella strains TA102, TA100, TA1537, TA98 and TA1535 were preincubated with eight different concentrations of the TiO2‐NPs for 4 h at 37 °C, ranging from 0 to 4915.2 µg per plate. No mutation induction was found. Analyses with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS) showed that the TiO2‐NPs were not able to enter the bacterial cell. For the Comet assay, TK6 cells were treated with 0–200 µg ml–1 TiO2‐NPs for 24 h at 37 °C to detect DNA damage. Although the TK6 cells did take up TiO2‐NPs, no significant induction of DNA breakage or oxidative DNA damage was observed in the treated cells using the standard alkaline Comet assay and the endonuclease III (EndoIII) and human 8‐hydroxyguanine DNA‐glycosylase (hOGG1)‐modified Comet assay, respectively. These results suggest that TiO2‐NPs are not genotoxic under the conditions of the Ames test and Comet assay. Published 2012. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Turbulent forward–reverse mixing characteristics in vessel with multiple‐turbine impellers
Authors: Woziwodzki Szymon
Published: June 2012

BACKGROUND: Mixing in unbaffled vessel with multiple‐turbine impellers was studied. The mixing time and mixing power were evaluated in relation to the distance between impellers and the number of impellers.

RESULTS: It has been confirmed that frequency of oscillation has no influence on the mixing time and mixing power values or on drag and added mass coefficients. The coefficients were greater when distance between impellers was smaller. Moreover added mass coefficient was dependent on Reynolds number (ni > 2). Compared with unidirectional mixing conditions, for systems with one type of impeller, the power requirement was about 38% higher for forward‐reverse mixing. Despite the fact that the power demand was greater, the mixing time was not shorter, but about 30% higher than unidirectional mixing in a baffled vessel. However, the forward‐reverse mixing mode exhibits a higher level of homogeneity which it achieved faster than unidirectional mixing.

CONCLUSION: The power requirements and mixing time for forward‐reverse mixing mode were higher in comparison with unidirectional mixing. Despite this, higher values of homogeneity were achieved faster. Higher levels of shear rate and better homogeneity indicate that forward‐reverse mixing can be beneficial for multi‐phase mixing in vessels with multiple impellers. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Interference of EDTA in the treatment of metal plating wastewater by biosorption
Authors: Izquierdo Marta , Gabaldón Carmen , Marzal Paula
Published: June 2012

BACKGROUND: The applicability of biosorption for the treatment of metal plating wastewater is adversely affected by the presence of complexing agents. To investigate this limitation on the removal of copper(II) onto peat, batch and column experiments were carried out using EDTA as the model complexing agent. The influence of pH and copper(II):EDTA mass ratios were evaluated for copper(II) concentrations between 5 and 100 mg Cu(II) dm−3.

RESULTS: EDTA negatively affected the copper(II) uptake of peat for pH > 5. Batch and column experiments showed that copper(II)‐EDTA complexes were not sorbed by peat. The leaks of copper(II) detected from the beginning of the column operation matched the copper(II)‐EDTA concentration in the feed solutions. To overcome the interference of EDTA, a novel approach based on the combination of peat + activated carbon was proposed. Nearly complete removal of copper(II) was maintained over 70 h in the treatment of a solution containing 20 mg Cu(II) dm−3 with 11% of copper(II)‐EDTA complexes.

CONCLUSION: A new mass transport model coupling copper(II) speciation in the feed and mass transfer rate‐controlled process simulated the copper(II) breakthrough curves in the presence of EDTA and could be used to successfully predict the breakthrough point. This work demonstrated that biosorption can also be applied for the treatment of wastewater containing complexing agents with the proper combination of sorbent materials. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry