bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Age‐related changes in the tooth–bone interface area of acrodont dentition in the chameleon
Authors: Dosedělová Hana , Štěpánková Kateřina , Zikmund Tomáš , Lesot Herve , Kaiser Jozef , Novotný Karel , Štembírek Jan , Knotek Zdeněk , Zahradníček Oldřich , Buchtová Marcela
Published: May 2016

Chameleon teeth develop as individual structures at a distance from the developing jaw bone during the pre‐hatching period and also partially during the post‐hatching period. However, in the adult, all teeth are fused together and tightly attached to the jaw bone by mineralized attachment tissue to form one functional unit. Tooth to bone as well as tooth to tooth attachments are so firm that if injury to the oral cavity occurs, several neighbouring teeth and pieces of jaw can be broken off. We analysed age‐related changes in chameleon acrodont dentition, where ankylosis represents a physiological condition, whereas in mammals, ankylosis only occurs in a pathological context. The changes in hard‐tissue morphology and mineral composition leading to this fusion were analysed. For this purpose, the lower jaws of chameleons were investigated using X‐ray micro‐computed tomography, laser‐induced breakdown spectroscopy and microprobe analysis. For a long time, the dental pulp cavity remained connected with neighbouring teeth and also to the underlying bone marrow cavity. Then, a progressive filling of the dental pulp cavity by a mineralized matrix occurred, and a complex network of non‐mineralized channels remained. The size of these unmineralized channels progressively decreased until they completely disappeared, and the dental pulp cavity was filled by a mineralized matrix over time. Moreover, the distribution of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium showed distinct patterns in the different regions of the tooth–bone interface, with a significant progression of mineralization in dentin as well as in the supporting bone. In conclusion, tooth–bone fusion in chameleons results from an enhanced production of mineralized tissue during post‐hatching development. Uncovering the developmental processes underlying these outcomes and performing comparative studies is necessary to better understand physiological ankylosis; for that purpose, the chameleon can serve as a useful model species.
The organization of spinal motor neurons in a monotreme is consistent with a six‐region schema of the mammalian spinal cord
Authors: Mitchelle Amer , Watson Charles
Published: May 2016

The motor neurons in the spinal cord of an echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) have been mapped in Nissl‐stained sections from spinal cord segments defined by spinal nerve anatomy. A medial motor column of motor neurons is found at all spinal cord levels, and a hypaxial column is found at most levels. The organization of the motor neuron clusters in the lateral motor column of the brachial (C5 to T3) and crural (L2 to S3) limb enlargements is very similar to the pattern previously revealed by retrograde tracing in placental mammals, and the motor neuron clusters have been tentatively identified according to the muscle groups they are likely to supply. The region separating the two limb enlargements (T4 to L1) contains preganglionic motor neurons that appear to represent the spinal sympathetic outflow. Immediately caudal to the crural limb enlargement is a short column of preganglionic motor neurons (S3 to S4), which it is believed represents the pelvic parasympathetic outflow. The rostral and caudal ends of the spinal cord contain neither a lateral motor column nor a preganglionic column. Branchial motor neurons (which are believed to supply the sternomastoid and trapezius muscles) are present at the lateral margin of the ventral horn in rostral cervical segments (C2–C4). These same segments contain the phrenic nucleus, which belongs to the hypaxial column. The presence or absence of the main spinal motor neuron columns in the different regions echidna spinal cord (and also in that of other amniote vertebrates) provides a basis for dividing the spinal cord into six main regions – prebrachial, brachial, postbrachial, crural, postcrural and caudal. The considerable biological and functional significance of this subdivision pattern is supported by recent studies on spinal cord hox gene expression in chicks and mice. On the other hand, the familiar ‘segments’ of the spinal cord are defined only by the anatomy of adjacent vertebrae, and are not demarcated by intrinsic gene expression. The recognition of segments defined by vertebrae (somites) is obviously of great value in defining topography, but the emphasis on such segments obscures the underlying evolutionary reality of a spinal cord comprised of six genetically defined regions. The six‐region system can be usefully applied to the spinal cord of any amniote (and probably most anurans), independent of the number of vertebral segments in each part of the spinal column.
Complete physical mapping of IL6 reveals a new marker associated with chronic periodontitis
Authors: Farhat S. B. , de Souza C. M. , Braosi A. P. R. , Kim S. H. , Tramontina V. A. , Papalexiou V. , Olandoski M. , Mira M. T. , Luczyszyn S. M. , Trevilatto P. C.
Published: May 2016

Background and Objective

Interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) is a powerful stimulator of osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption. Production of IL‐6 is modulated by polymorphisms, and higher levels of this cytokine are found locally in patients with chronic periodontitis. In this study we performed a modern approach – Complete physical mapping of the IL6 gene – to identify the polymorphisms associated with chronic periodontitis in a southern Brazilian population sample.

Material and Methods

One‐hundred and nine individuals of both genders (mean age: 41.5 ± 8.5 years) were divided into a study group (56 participants with periodontitis) and a control group (53 individuals without periodontitis). After collection and purification of DNA, nine tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs1524107, rs2069835, rs2069837, rs2069838, rs2069840, rs2069842, rs2069843, rs2069845 and rs2069849) covering the entire gene were selected according to the information available on the International HapMap Project website and evaluated using real‐time PCR.

Results

Differences in the distribution of the following parameters were statistically significant between study and control groups: number of teeth (p = 0.030); probing depth (p < 0.001); clinical attachment level (p < 0.001); gingival index (p < 0.001); plaque index (p = 0.003); calculus index (p < 0.001); and dental mobility (p < 0.001). It was found that marker rs2069837 (located in intron 2 of IL6) under G dominant was associated with protection against chronic periodontitis in a Brazilian population in the presence of clinical variables, such as visible plaque, dentist visit frequency and dental floss use, and was suggested for the first time as a marker of susceptibility to chronic periodontitis.

Conclusion

Complete physical mapping of IL6 (using tag SNPs) was carried out for the first time, unveiling allele G of polymorphism rs2069837 (located in the second intron of IL6) as a suggestive marker of protection against chronic periodontitis in a Brazilian population.
Writing creatively in a museum: tracing lines through persons, art objects and texts
Authors: Sabeti Shari
Published: May 2016

Creative writing is often thought of as an individual and solitary pursuit. This is partly owing to Romantic (and still popular) notions of creativity as residing in highly gifted individuals, but also to the widely held belief that writing is a lonely rather than a social activity. The research presented in this paper provides a unique insight into the creative process by tracing the way one poem is produced by a member of a creative writing class based on a major urban art gallery. Based on a 5‐year ethnographic study of this class, it employs interview material, field notes, photographs and creative writing as data. Using theories from both the “anthropology of writing” (Barton and Papen, ; Latour and Woolgar, 1986) and the “anthropology of creativity” (Ingold, ; Hallam and Ingold, ), I argue that creative writing is a relational and temporal process involving complex and multiple claims for agency. I also go on to show that when the text moves from a private to a public context, these multiple agencies are encompassed and erased under the umbrella of individual authorship.
Digital writing practices: a close look at one grade three author
Authors: Kervin Lisa , Mantei Jessica
Published: May 2016

This paper reports on the digital writing practices of a Grade Three primary school student as he used an iPad to plan, produce and share digital texts. The case study acknowledges that writing is undergoing a period of great change in many classrooms and works to show how a student author has interpreted and produced digital texts with new technologies. In particular, the specific practices, digital materials and literacy concepts will be explicated through analyses of two digital texts created by this author. This focus acknowledges the ways texts can be planned, produced and shared using multiple modes and media. These social practices and the wider learning opportunities afforded through the flexible and recursive ways students produce text have yet to be fully explored. This paper also extends current understandings about digital writing practices through its examination of the connections between and among multiple apps as an author crafts digital text.
Rules and Speeches: How Parliamentary Rules Affect Legislators' Speech‐Making Behavior
Authors: Giannetti Daniela , Pedrazzani Andrea
Published: May 2016

By extending existing theories of legislative speech making, this study explores the importance of parliamentary rules governing floor debates for government and opposition parties. An original data set including speeches of members of the Italian Chamber of Deputies between 2001 and 2006 is used to test two hypotheses under different institutional scenarios, that is, rules either restricting or granting open access to the floor. Parliamentary rules are found to affect allocation of speaking time within both governing and opposition parties. Governing parties' leaders exploit their agenda control to a higher degree when allocating speaking time. Under restrictive rules, government party leaders control their MPs by essentially limiting the number of speeches and allocating them to frontbenchers. Restrictive rules give opposition party leaders an important chance to select MPs who are closer to their own position.
Colletotrichum higginsianum extracellular LysM proteins play dual roles in appressorial function and suppression of chitin‐triggered plant immunity
Authors: Takahara Hiroyuki , Hacquard Stéphane , Kombrink Anja , Hughes H. Bleddyn , Halder Vivek , Robin Guillaume P. , Hiruma Kei , Neumann Ulla , Shinya Tomonori , Kombrink Erich , Shibuya Naoto , Thomma Bart P. H. J. , O'Connell Richard J.
Published: May 2016

The genome of the hemibiotrophic anthracnose fungus, Colletotrichum higginsianum, encodes a large repertoire of candidate‐secreted effectors containing LysM domains, but the role of such proteins in the pathogenicity of any Colletotrichum species is unknown.

Here, we characterized the function of two effectors, ChELP1 and ChELP2, which are transcriptionally activated during the initial intracellular biotrophic phase of infection.

Using immunocytochemistry, we found that ChELP2 is concentrated on the surface of bulbous biotrophic hyphae at the interface with living host cells but is absent from filamentous necrotrophic hyphae. We show that recombinant ChELP1 and ChELP2 bind chitin and chitin oligomers in vitro with high affinity and specificity and that both proteins suppress the chitin‐triggered activation of two immune‐related plant mitogen‐activated protein kinases in the host Arabidopsis. Using RNAi‐mediated gene silencing, we found that ChELP1 and ChELP2 are essential for fungal virulence and appressorium‐mediated penetration of both Arabidopsis epidermal cells and cellophane membranes in vitro.

The findings suggest a dual role for these LysM proteins as effectors for suppressing chitin‐triggered immunity and as proteins required for appressorium function.
Identification of peanut (Arachis hypogaea) chromosomes using a fluorescence in situ hybridization system reveals multiple hybridization events during tetraploid peanut formation
Authors: Zhang Laining , Yang Xiaoyu , Tian Li , Chen Lei , Yu Weichang
Published: May 2016

The cultivated peanut Arachis hypogaea (AABB) is thought to have originated from the hybridization of Arachis duranensis (AA) and Arachis ipaënsis (BB) followed by spontaneous chromosome doubling.

In this study, we cloned and analyzed chromosome markers from cultivated peanut and its wild relatives. A fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)‐based karyotyping cocktail was developed with which to study the karyotypes and chromosome evolution of peanut and its wild relatives.

Karyotypes were constructed in cultivated peanut and its two putative progenitors using our FISH‐based karyotyping system. Comparative karyotyping analysis revealed that chromosome organization was highly conserved in cultivated peanut and its two putative progenitors, especially in the B genome chromosomes. However, variations existed between A. duranensis and the A genome chromosomes in cultivated peanut, especially for the distribution of the interstitial telomere repeats (ITRs). A search of additional A. duranensis varieties from different geographic regions revealed both numeric and positional variations of ITRs, which were similar to the variations in tetraploid peanut varieties.

The results provide evidence for the origin of cultivated peanut from the two diploid ancestors, and also suggest that multiple hybridization events of A. ipaënsis with different varieties of A. duranensis may have occurred during the origination of peanut.
Genetic background of hyperphenylalaninemia in Nagasaki, Japan
Authors: Dateki Sumito , Watanabe Satoshi , Nakatomi Akiko , Kinoshita Eiichi , Matsumoto Tadashi , Yoshiura Koh‐ichiro , Moriuchi Hiroyuki
Published: May 2016

Phenylketonuria (PKU) and related hyperphenylalaninemia (HPA) are caused by a deficiency in hepatic phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH). The incidence of PKU in Nagasaki prefecture is higher than that in all parts of Japan (1/15 894 vs 1/120 000). To investigate the genetic background of patients with HPA in Nagasaki prefecture, mutation analysis was done in 14 patients with PKU or mild HPA. Homozygous or compound heterozygous PAH mutations were identified in all the patients. The spectrum of PAH mutations in the cohort was broad and similar to those in all parts of Japan and East Asian countries. R53H is the most common mutation in patients with mild HPA. The present results provide further support for genotype–phenotype correlations in patients with HPA. The high incidence of PKU in Nagasaki, the westernmost part of Japan, might be due to migration of people with PAH mutations from China and Korea, and geographic factors.
Citizen Oversight of Presidential Performance
Authors: Buchanan Bruce
Published: May 2016

Presidential oversight is a core citizen duty, yet competence is rarely assessed. I use 855 interviews conducted during the final Bush and initial Obama terms to test a novel citizen oversight assessment tool: a classification matrix created by juxtaposing historically important presidential assessment values (effectiveness, morality, and prudence) against equally familiar evaluative “targets” (presidential traits, actions, and results). Eighty‐one percent of mentioned evaluative criteria fit the matrix, establishing its construct validity and enabling meaningful assessment of citizen competence. The yield is (1) a cross‐time record of how Americans judge presidents and (2) new findings concerning the comparative importance of presidential results and actions, citizen sensitivity to presidential differences, and the worrisome rise of partisanship.
Can Microfiltered Seminal Plasma Preserve the Morphofunctional Characteristics of Porcine Spermatozoa in the Absence of Antibiotics? A Preliminary Study
Authors: Barone F , Ventrella D , Zannoni A , Forni M , Bacci ML
Published: May 2016

Contents

Artificial insemination is extensively performed in pig farms in Europe, the United States and Canada. Antibiotics are typically added to the inseminating dose to limit bacterial growth during liquid phase storage at 16°C, as bacterial contamination is unavoidable. The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) take action to control and reduce antibiotic use in animals as more bacteria are becoming resistant to antimicrobials. To avoid the use of antibiotics, we prepared inseminating doses using microfiltered seminal plasma (SP). Microfiltration is a common technology used to reduce bacterial contamination but may retain seminal substances, influencing sperm quality during storage. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the morphofunctional parameters of spermatozoa during storage at 16°C in doses prepared with or without microfiltered SP, with or without the addition of antibiotics, in a Latin square design. Artificial insemination doses with microfiltered SP and without antibiotic addition preserved spermatozoa viability, mitochondrial membrane potential, acrosome integrity and objective motility, with absolute values equal or even better than those observed in conventional doses. In conclusion, although the results could be considered preliminary due to the small sample size, this study suggests that microfiltration of SP can be a simple method, feasible on farms, to replace antibiotic use in extended doses stored in the liquid phase at 16°C for up to 7 days.
Effect of long‐term treatment with corticosteroids on skeletal muscle strength, functional exercise capacity and health status in patients with interstitial lung disease
Authors: Hanada Masatoshi , Sakamoto Noriho , Ishimatsu Yuji , Kakugawa Tomoyuki , Obase Yasushi , Kozu Ryo , Senjyu Hideaki , Izumikawa Koichi , Mukae Hiroshi , Kohno Shigeru
Published: May 2016

Background and objective

Corticosteroids are occasionally used in the treatment of ILD. Chronic corticosteroid administration induces skeletal muscle weakness. However, it is unclear whether chronic corticosteroid treatment could further reduce skeletal muscle strength in patients with ILD who are weaker than healthy controls. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of chronic corticosteroid administration on skeletal muscle strength, exercise capacity, activities of daily living (ADL) and health status in ILD patients.

Methods

Forty‐seven ILD patients treated with corticosteroids and 51 Medical Research Council dyspnea grade‐matched ILD patients not treated with corticosteroids were assessed by isometric quadriceps muscle force (QF) and handgrip force (HF), pulmonary function, 6‐min walk distance, ADL score and health status (Medical Outcomes Study 36‐Item Short‐Form Health Survey), and the two groups' results were compared.

Results

QF and HF were significantly lower in subjects on corticosteroids than in the control patients (QF, 52.6 ± 25.6 vs 77.1 ± 33.3 %predicted, P < 0.001; HF, 63.8 ± 22.4 vs 81.8 ± 28.3 %predicted, P < 0.001, respectively). There were no significant differences in the 6MWD, ADL score and all subscales of the SF‐36 between the groups. Inverse correlations were found between skeletal muscle strength and total amount of corticosteroids administered (QF, r = −0.401, P = 0.005; HF, r = −0.403, P = 0.005). On multiple regression analysis, the total amount of corticosteroids was an independent predictor of HF.

Conclusion

Chronic cor3ticosteroid treatment contributes to muscle weakness in ILD patients, and muscle weakness is inversely correlated to the total amount of corticosteroids administered.
Asymptotic Theory of Outlier Detection Algorithms for Linear Time Series Regression Models
Authors: Johansen Søren , Nielsen Bent
Published: May 2016

Outlier detection algorithms are intimately connected with robust statistics that down‐weight some observations to zero. We define a number of outlier detection algorithms related to the Huber‐skip and least trimmed squares estimators, including the one‐step Huber‐skip estimator and the forward search. Next, we review a recently developed asymptotic theory of these. Finally, we analyse the gauge, the fraction of wrongly detected outliers, for a number of outlier detection algorithms and establish an asymptotic normal and a Poisson theory for the gauge.
The Grid Method for In‐plane Displacement and Strain Measurement: A Review and Analysis
Authors: Grédiac M. , Sur F. , Blaysat B.
Published: May 2016

The grid method is a technique suitable for the measurement of in‐plane displacement and strain components on specimens undergoing a small deformation. It relies on a regular marking of the surfaces under investigation. Various techniques are proposed in the literature to retrieve these sought quantities from images of regular markings, but recent advances show that techniques developed initially to process fringe patterns lead to the best results. The grid method features a good compromise between measurement resolution and spatial resolution, thus making it an efficient tool to characterise strain gradients. Another advantage of this technique is the ability to establish closed‐form expressions between its main metrological characteristics, thus enabling to predict them within certain limits. In this context, the objective of this paper is to give the state of the art in the grid method, the information being currently spread out in the literature. We propose first to recall various techniques that were used in the past to process grid images, to focus progressively on the one that is the most used in recent examples: the windowed Fourier transform. From a practical point of view, surfaces under investigation must be marked with grids, so the techniques available to mark specimens with grids are presented. Then we gather the information available in the recent literature to synthesise the connection between three important characteristics of full‐field measurement techniques: the spatial resolution, the measurement resolution and the measurement bias. Some practical information is then offered to help the readers who discover this technique to start using it. In particular, programmes used here to process the grid images are offered to the readers on a dedicated website. We finally present some recent examples available in the literature to highlight the effectiveness of the grid method for in‐plane displacement and strain measurement in real situations.
Does Presentation Order Impact Choice After Delay?
Authors: Berger Jonah
Published: May 2016

Options are often presented incidentally in a sequence, but does serial position impact choice after delay, and if so, how? We address this question in a consequential real‐world choice domain. Using 25 years of citation data, and a unique identification strategy, we examine the relationship between article order (i.e., position in a journal issue) and citation count. Results indicate that mere serial position affects the prominence that research achieves: Earlier‐listed articles receive more citations. Furthermore, our identification strategy allows us to cast doubt on alternative explanations (i.e., editorial placement) and instead indicate that the effect is driven by psychological processes of attention and memory. These findings deepen the understanding of how presentation order impacts choice, suggest that subtle presentation factors can bias an important scientific metric, and shed light on how psychological processes shape collective outcomes.
Declining blood collection and utilization in the United States
Authors: Chung Koo‐Whang , Basavaraju Sridhar V. , Mu Yi , van Santen Katharina L. , Haass Kathryn A. , Henry Richard , Berger James , Kuehnert Matthew J.
Published: May 2016

BACKGROUND

The Department of Health and Human Services National Blood Collection and Utilization Survey (NBCUS) has been conducted biennially since 1997. Data are used to estimate national blood collection and utilization.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

The 2013 Department of Health and Human Services NBCUS is a cross‐sectional survey of all US blood collection centers and hospitals as listed in the 2012 American Hospital Association Annual Survey database that perform at least 100 inpatient surgical procedures annually. The study objective was to estimate, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), the number of blood and blood components collected and transfused in the United States.

RESULTS

In 2013, a total of 14,237,000 whole blood and apheresis red blood cell (RBC) units (95% CI, 13,639,000‐14,835,000) were collected with 13,395,000 available for transfusion. Of these, 13,180,000 (95% CI, 12,389,000‐13,972,000) whole blood and RBC units were transfused. This represented a 4.4% decline in the number of transfused units compared to 2011. Outdated (i.e., expired without being transfused) whole blood and RBC units declined by 17.3%. Apheresis (2,318,000; 95% CI, 2,154,000‐2,482,000) and whole blood–derived platelet (PLT; 130,000; 95% CI, 23,000‐237,000) distribution declined in 2013. Total PLT transfusions increased in 2013 (2,281,000) in comparison to 2011 (2,169,000). Total plasma units distributed (4,338,000) and transfused (3,624,000) declined.

CONCLUSION

Both blood collection and utilization have declined, but the gap between collection and utilization is narrowing. As collections decline further and hospitals decrease transfusions and manage products more efficiently, the decline in surplus inventory may be a concern for disaster preparedness or other unexpected utilization needs.
Dynamic Weighted Bar for Upper Limb Rehabilitation
Authors: Hornung Taylor C. , Piazza Stephen J. , Hills Everett C. , Moore Jason Z.
Published: May 2016

This paper explores the design of a dynamically weighted therapy bar, which can provide real-time quantitative performance information and adjustments during rehabilitation exercise. In contrast, typical therapy equipment is passive, offering no feedback to the patient or clinician. The dynamic weighted bar (DWB) was designed and fabricated containing an inertial sensor which tracks the orientation of the bar and adjusts the position of an internal weight accordingly, in turn providing a targeted force imbalance between the patient's two arms. Step input experiments were performed on the device while it was held in various stationary positions. The DWB was able to successfully function and transmit motion information. It was able to produce a center of mass shift of 101.6 mm, and a complete travel time between 0.96 s and 1.41 s over the entire length. The use of the DWB device can offer many benefits during rehabilitation including access to more quantitative information for clinicians as well as the potential for more personalized therapy programs.
Development of an Analytical Unsteady Model for Wind Turbine Aerodynamic Response to Linear Pitch Changes
Authors: Hammam Mohamed M. , Wood David H. , Crawford Curran
Published: May 2016

A simple unsteady blade element analysis is used to account for the effect of the trailing wake on the induced velocity of a wind turbine rotor undergoing fast changes in pitch angle. At sufficiently high tip speed ratio, the equation describing the thrust of the element reduces to a first order, nonlinear Riccti's equation which is solved in a closed form for a ramp change in pitch followed by a constant pitch. Finite tip speed ratio results in a first order, nonlinear Abel's equation. The unsteady aerodynamic forces on the NREL VI wind turbine are analyzed at different pitch rates and tip speed ratio, and it is found that the overshoot in the forces increases as the tip speed ratio and/or the pitch angle increase. The analytical solution of the Riccati's equation and numerical solution of Abel's equation gave very similar results at high tip speed ratio but the solutions differ as the tip speed ratio reduces, partly because the Abel's equation was found to magnify the error of assuming linear lift at low tip speed ratio. The unsteady tangential induction factor is expressed in the form of first order differential equation with the time constant estimated using Jowkowsky's vortex model and it was found that it is negligible for large tip speed ratio operation.
Experimental Study of the Influence of Light Intensity on Solar Organic Rankine Cycle Power Generation System
Authors: Wang Yuping , Tang Lei , Weng Yiwu
Published: May 2016

A low-temperature (<120 °C) solar organic Rankine cycle (ORC) power generation experimental facility is designed and built. The influence of light intensity on the system performance is investigated using the experimental facility. The results indicate that the system efficiency can reach 2.2%. The temperature of heat transfer fluid (HTF) decreases linearly with light intensity (I). However, both system efficiency and thermoelectric efficiency first decrease linearly and then drop sharply as I decreases at working fluid flow rates (Vwf) of 200 and 160 L/hr, while they only decrease slightly with I at Vwf of 120 L/hr. The light intensity of the turning point is 824 W/m2 at Vwf of 200 L/hr, which corresponds to an HTF temperature of 75 °C. In addition, it is found that the influence of light intensity on the performance of ORC becomes stronger for higher working fluid flow rate. Moreover, the light intensity and HTF temperature at the turning point increase with working fluid flow rate. The experimental results are of great significance for the design and operation of low-temperature solar ORC power generation system.
Intradiscal Microprobe With a Vibrational Optical Fiber for Diagnosis and Thermal Therapy of Discogenic Pain Due to an Annular Fissure
Authors: Kang Giseok , Kim Jae-Cheon , Jeong Sangdo , Kim Hyoung-Ihl , Lee Jong-Hyun
Published: May 2016

Major studies have shown that discogenic pain is the most common cause of chronic lower back pain, accounting for 40% of all the causes. Provocation discography—inducing pains by pressing nerve structures around the annular fissures—is recognized as the only method for diagnosing discogenic pain. However, the method is not available to the patient with full-thickness fissures because of a contrast media leakage through the fissure. In this paper, intradiscal microprobes (IDMPs) affecting direct mechanical stimulus on the nerve fiber are presented for diagnosis of the fissure. The plastic optical fiber (POF), located in the flexible polymer tube, can be navigated to fissure vicinities. Then, a linear or rotational motor placed inside the probe grip generates a minute axial or radial vibration of the fiber tip, which irritates the tiny pain nerve fiber around the fissure. The intensity of the pain can serve as a guideline to determine the level of discogenic disease. The frequency and amplitude of the axial (radial) vibration discography were 2.9–5.7 (4.0–7.0) Hz and 1.5–3.4 (0.06–3.25) mm, respectively. Furthermore, the optical experiments for evaluation of thermal therapy application were successfully confirmed.
Informative Data for Model Calibration of Locally Nonlinear Structures Based on Multiharmonic Frequency Responses
Authors: Chen Yousheng , Yaghoubi Vahid , Linderholt Andreas , Abrahamsson Thomas J. S.
Published: May 2016

In industry, linear finite element (FE) models commonly serve as baseline models to represent the global structural dynamics behavior. However, available test data may show evidence of significant nonlinear characteristics. In such a case, the baseline linear model may be insufficient to represent the dynamics of the structure. The causes of the nonlinear characteristics may be local in nature and the remaining parts of the structure may be satisfactorily represented by linear descriptions. Although the baseline model can then serve as a good foundation, the physical phenomena needed to substantially increase the model's capability of representing the real structure are most likely not modeled in it. Therefore, a set of candidate parameters to control the nonlinear effects have to be added and subjected to calibration to form a credible model. An overparameterized model for calibration may results in parameter value estimates that do not survive a validation test. The parameterization is coupled to the test data and should be chosen so that the expected covariance matrix of the parameter estimates is made small. Accurate test data, suitable for calibration, is often obtained from sinusoidal testing. Because a pure monosinusoidal excitation is difficult to achieve during a physical test of a nonlinear structure, a multisinusoidal excitation is here designed. In this paper, synthetic test data from a model of a nonlinear benchmark structure are used for illustration. The steady-state solutions of the nonlinear system are found using the multiharmonic balance (MHB) method. The steady-state responses at the side frequencies are shown to contain valuable information for the calibration process that can improve the accuracy of the parameters' estimates. The model calibration made and the associated κ-fold cross-validation used is based on the Levenberg–Marquardt and the undamped Gauss–Newton algorithm, respectively. Starting seed candidates for calibration are found by the Latin hypercube sampling method. The candidate that gives the smallest deviation to test data is selected as a starting point for the iterative search for a calibration solution. The calibration result shows good agreement with the true parameter setting and the κ-fold cross validation result shows that the variances of the estimated parameters shrink when multiharmonics nonlinear frequency response functions (FRFs) are included in the data used for calibration.
Gelatin methacrylamide as coating material in cell culture
Authors: Egger Michael , Tovar Günter E. M. , Hoch Eva , Southan Alexander
Published: May 2016

Unmodified gelatin (uG) is widely used as a coating material in cell culture for improving surface properties. In this study, the authors investigated if gelatin methacrylamide (GM) with a medium degree of methacrylamide modification (GM1.5) and a high degree of methacrylamide modification (GM4) are equally suitable for this purpose. Therefore, gold surfaces were coated with uG, GM1.5, and GM4 by adsorption of the polymers on the surfaces. Coating success was confirmed by spectroscopic ellipsometry, contact angle measurements, surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy (SPRS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The authors found that upon adsorption of uG, GM1.5, a nd GM4 on gold, thin films with thicknesses of 2.95 nm, 2.50 nm, and 2.26 nm were formed. The coated surfaces showed advancing contact angles of 46° (uG and GM1.5) and 52° (GM4) without alteration of the surface roughness determined by AFM. Protein adsorption taking place on the coated surfaces was measured during contact of the surfaces with fetal calf serum by SPRS. Protein adsorption on the coated surfaces was reduced by the factor of 6.4 (uG), 5.4 (GM1.5), and 4.6 (GM4) compared to gold surfaces. Human fibroblasts cultured on the surfaces showed excellent viability shown by water soluble tetrazolium salt assay as well as live/dead staining with propidium iodide and fluorescein diacetate. No cytotoxic effects of the GM coated surfaces were observed, giving rise to the conclusion that GMs are suitable materials as coatings in cell culture.
Combination of voxel‐based and projection‐based methods in terms of convergence for CT reconstruction
Authors: Chukanov Viacheslav , Bergner Frank
Published: May 2016

Purpose:

Recent applications of iterative image reconstruction algorithms to multislice helical CT have shown that iterative reconstruction can significantly improve image quality and reduce artifacts. In this paper, the authors introduce a combination of two different algorithms with different convergence properties: ordered subsets separable paraboloidal surrogates (OS‐SPS) and iterative coordinate descent (ICD). The first one updates image voxels simultaneously, slightly changing attenuation values iteration by iteration. The second algorithm updates image voxel by voxel, each time performing full forward and backward projections of the voxel. It has been shown that ICD converges better at high‐frequency areas and requires more iterations to reconstruct low‐frequency components of the image. In contrast to ICD, SPS requires multiple iterations to reconstruct high‐frequency areas. In this paper, the authors introduce an algorithm which leverages the benefits of both ICD and SPS.

Methods:

The idea is to update the entire image with SPS, determine high‐frequency components, and focus ICD computations on it using nonhomogeneous ICD update.

Results:

The authors have successfully implemented OS‐SPS, ICD, their hybrid approach, and few variations of ICD based on spatially nonuniform updates.

Conclusions:

The authors have examined the convergence of different algorithms and found that proposed algorithm converges better than OS‐SPS, ICD, as well as various improved variants of ICD.
Elastic parabolic equation and normal mode solutions for seismo-acoustic propagation in underwater environments with ice covers
Authors: Collis Jon M. , Frank Scott D. , Metzler Adam M. , Preston Kimberly S.
Published: May 2016

Sound propagation predictions for ice-covered ocean acoustic environments do not match observational data: received levels in nature are less than expected, suggesting that the effects of the ice are substantial. Effects due to elasticity in overlying ice can be significant enough that low-shear approximations, such as effective complex density treatments, may not be appropriate. Building on recent elastic seafloor modeling developments, a range-dependent parabolic equation solution that treats the ice as an elastic medium is presented. The solution is benchmarked against a derived elastic normal mode solution for range-independent underwater acoustic propagation. Results from both solutions accurately predict plate flexural modes that propagate in the ice layer, as well as Scholte interface waves that propagate at the boundary between the water and the seafloor. The parabolic equation solution is used to model a scenario with range-dependent ice thickness and a water sound speed profile similar to those observed during the 2009 Ice Exercise (ICEX) in the Beaufort Sea.
Dual instrument passive acoustic monitoring of belugas in Cook Inlet, Alaska
Authors: Castellote Manuel , Small Robert J. , Lammers Marc O. , Jenniges Justin J. , Mondragon Jeff , Atkinson Shannon
Published: May 2016

As part of a long-term research program, Cook Inlet beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) presence was acoustically monitored with two types of acoustic sensors utilized in tandem in moorings deployed year-round: an ecological acoustic recorder (EAR) and a cetacean and porpoise detector (C-POD). The EAR was used primarily to record the calls, whistles, and buzzes produced by belugas and killer whales (Orcinus orca). The C-POD was used to log and classify echolocation clicks from belugas, killer whales, and porpoises. This paper describes mooring packages that maximized the chances of successful long-term data collection in the particularly challenging Cook Inlet environment, and presents an analytical comparison of odontocete detections obtained by the collocated EAR and C-POD instruments from two mooring locations in the upper inlet. Results from this study illustrate a significant improvement in detecting beluga and killer whale presence when the different acoustic signals detected by EARs and C-PODs are considered together. Further, results from concurrent porpoise detections indicating prey competition and feeding interference with beluga, and porpoise displacement due to ice formation are described.
New scrutiny for a slowing Atlantic conveyor
Authors: Hand Eric
Published: May 2016

Researchers retrieve data from biggest effort yet to monitor currents that warm Europe.
Thresholds and ultrasensitivity from negative cooperativity
Authors: Ha S. H. , Ferrell J. E.
Published: May 2016

The secrets of making signaling responsive

Many receptor proteins that respond to biological signals form multimeric complexes, which gives them more sophisticated regulatory properties than those of simple one-to-one binding reactions. Ha
et al.
describe how the binding of multiple ligands to receptor complexes can generate threshold effects and switch-like ultrasensitivity. If binding of the first ligand makes binding of a second less likely (a property known as negative cooperativity), and binding can also deplete the total amount of ligand present, the way the system responds to various doses of the ligand can change dramatically from a very gradual one to a switch-like behavior. The authors provide theory and experiments that explain how such systems function and may be suited to biological regulation.

Science
, this issue p.
990
Characterization and Sequencing of an H6N6 Avian Influenza Virus Isolated from Sansui Sheldrake Ducks in Guizhou, Southwestern China
Authors: Duan Zhiqiang , Chen Jiaqi , Ji Xinqin , Xu Houqiang , Ruan Yong , Zhao Jiafu
Published: May 2016

Here, we report the complete genome sequence of an H6N6 avian influenza virus (AIV) isolated from Sansui Sheldrake ducks in Guizhou Province, China, in 2014. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the H6N6 virus was a reassortant virus derived from three different H6 subtype lineages. The finding of this study will help us understand the epidemiology and the evolutionary characteristics of H6 subtypes of AIV in ducks in southwestern China.
Draft Genome Sequence of Hydrocarbon-Degrading Enterobacter cloacae Strain S1:CND1, Isolated from Crude Oil-Contaminated Soil from the Noonmati Oil Refinery, Guwahati, Assam, India
Authors: Mukherjee Arghya , Chettri Bobby , Langpoklakpam James S. , Singh Arvind K. , Chattopadhyay Dhrubajyoti
Published: May 2016

We report here the 4.57-Mb draft genome sequence of hydrocarbon-degrading
Enterobacter cloacae
strain S1:CND1 isolated from oil-contaminated soil in Guwahati, India. S1:CND1 contains 4,205 coding sequences and has a G+C content of 57.45%. This is the first report of the genome sequence of an
E. cloacae
adapted to an oil-contaminated environment.
Draft Genome Sequence of
Branchiibius
sp. NY16-3462-2, Isolated from a Mixed Clinical Sample
Authors: Lapierre Pascal , Halse Tanya A. , Shea Joseph , Escuyer Vincent E. , Musser Kimberlee A.
Published: May 2016

Here, we report the release of a draft genome assembly of a Gram-positive cocci
Branchiibius
sp. NY16-3462-2 with a high-GC content, sequenced from a mixed clinical sample containing
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
. This genome is the first publicly available sequence from a representative of the genus
Branchiibius
.
The Response Regulator BfmR Is a Potential Drug Target for Acinetobacter baumannii
Authors: Russo Thomas A. , Manohar Akshay , Beanan Janet M. , Olson Ruth , MacDonald Ulrike , Graham Jessica , Umland Timothy C.
Published: May 2016

Increasing antibiotic resistance in bacteria, particularly Gram-negative bacilli, has significantly affected the ability of physicians to treat infections, with resultant increased morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. In fact, some strains of bacteria are resistant to all available antibiotics, such as
Acinetobacter baumannii
, which is the focus of this report. Therefore, the development of new antibiotics active against these resistant strains is urgently needed. In this study, BfmR is further validated as an intriguing target for a novel class of antibiotics. Successful inactivation of BfmR would confer the multiple benefits of a decreased ability of
A. baumannii
to survive in human body fluids, increased sensitivity to complement-mediated bactericidal activity and, importantly, increased sensitivity to other antibiotics. Structural studies support the potential for this “druggable” target, as they identify the potential for small-molecule binding at functionally relevant sites. Next-phase high-throughput screening studies utilizing BfmR are warranted.
Single-incision laparoscopic (SIL) sigmoid colectomy and uterus-preserving repair for colo-uterine fistula secondary to severe diverticular disease: an unusual technical solution for an unusual presentation of a common disease
Authors: Banky Balazs , Marlborough Fergal , MacLeod Iona , Gill Talvinder S
Published: May 2016

Colouterine fistula as a potential complication of chronic diverticulitis is a rare entity with less than 30 cases reported worldwide. Generally, patients require a multidisciplinary approach including a major laparotomy with hysterectomy and sigmoid colectomy, and, occasionally, temporary colostomy. We report the first attempt of a novel, minimally invasive technique for managing a case of benign colouterine fistula with single-incision laparoscopic (SIL) sigmoid colectomy and uterus preservation. A small, 3 cm incision site provided access for the whole operation, as well as played a role as the specimen extraction site. Malignant fistulas and large uterine defects may require hysterectomy, however, laparoscopic closure of uterine wall defects can be considered as a reasonable alternative in selected patients, avoiding the higher risks associated with hysterectomy and keeping fertility at younger ages. Single incision laparoscopy in complicated diverticular disease and fistula formation cases is a challenging but technically feasible option, in experienced hands.
A micro-simulation study on proactive coordinated ramp metering for relieving freeway congestion
Authors: Wang Xu , Qiu Tony Z. , Niu Lei , Zhang Ruhua , Wang Lu
Published: May 2016

To relieve freeway congestion during peak periods, ramp metering (RM) is often implemented to control the input flow from onramps on freeways. Many studies focus on proactive coordinated RM controls; however, successful implementation of proactive RM control still requires a more accurate prediction model and a less complex control algorithm. To this end, this study tests a proactive RM approach in micro-simulation, with goals to improve network-wide travel time and traffic flow. A METANET-based dynamic traffic model was adopted as a prediction model within a predictive control framework. The evaluation revealed a 6.50% amelioration in total travel time on the mainline and a 2.52% reduction of total time spent in the network. The applied algorithm was compared with the HERO algorithm and implemented in various peak demand scenarios. This analysis could lead to efficient and effective field applications of proactive coordinated RM control to improve freeway operation.