bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Defensive slime formation in Pacific hagfish requires Ca2+ and aquaporin mediated swelling of released mucin vesicles
Authors: Herr Julia E. , Clifford Alex , Goss Greg G. , Fudge Douglas S.
Published: April 2014

Hagfishes defend themselves from fish predators via the rapid deployment of a fibrous slime that adheres to and clogs gills. The slime transforms from a thick glandular exudate to a fully hydrated product in a fraction of a second through a process that involves the swelling and rupture of numerous mucin vesicles. Here we demonstrate that the vesicle membrane plays an important role in regulating the swelling of mucin granules, and provide evidence that the membrane contains proteins that facilitate the movement of ions and water molecules. By exposing isolated mucin vesicles to varying combinations of inorganic ions, organic compounds, and membrane channel inhibitors, we found that the majority of hagfish mucin vesicles require Ca2+ to rupture. We also show that Ca2+-dependent rupture can be pharmacologically inhibited, which suggests a role for Ca2+-activated membrane transporters. We demonstrate that the aquaporin inhibitor mercuric chloride reduces the rate of vesicle swelling by an order of magnitude, which suggests that aquaporins facilitate the influx of water during vesicle deployment. Molecular evidence of two aquaporin homologs expressed in the slime glands further supports this idea. We propose a model of hagfish slime mucin vesicle rupture that involves Ca2+-activated transporters and aquaporins, and suggest that the presence of these proteins is an adaptation for increasing the speed of vesicle rupture and consequently the speed of the sliming response of hagfishes.
Rapid swimming and escape movements in the aquatic larvae and pupae of the phantom midgeChaoborus(Diptera, Chaoboridae)
Authors: Burrows Malcolm , Dorosenko Marina
Published: April 2014

Rapid locomotion in the aquatic larvae and pupae of the phantom midge Chaoborus was analysed. A 10 mm long larva moved sporadically by rapidly curling into a tight circle and then unfurling. The most common movement (70% of all movements) was a body rotation of 332 ± 22 degrees that lasted 63 ± 19 ms and reached a peak velocity of 0.07 ± 0.02 m s-1. If the head unfurled earlier in the cycle, the rotation was smaller and the larva dived downwards. A distinct category of single rotations of about 180 degrees (8%) resulted in a larva finishing with its head pointing in the opposite direction. A sequence of rotational movements (22%) resulted in more extensive displacements. The area of the tail fan was reduced by folding during part of a cycle. It was made of a row of 26 radiating filaments with interlacing hairs between adjacent filaments and resilin at their ventral midline articulations with the body. The fan sprang back passively to its splayed position after being forcibly folded. Reducing the area of the fan by 80% decreased angular rotation and impaired stability so that 33% of movements ended with the body upside down. A 6 mm long pupa also moved by curling and unfurling motions of the head and tail that lasted 215 ± 19 ms and generated slower velocities of 0.03 ± 0.01 m s-1. The pupal tail fan was membranous, oriented differently, had resilin at its articulations and its area could be changed.
Design and Fabrication of a Silicone Rubber-based Mediatorless Bioelectrode for Oxygen Reduction
Authors: Chen Meng Ying , Chen Xiao Dong , Wu Xue E
Published: April 2014

In this work, a mediatorless bioelectrode has been constructed for the first time on a flexible silicone rubber sheet coated with homogeneous chitosan–carbon nanotubes composites. Bilirubin oxidase was employed as a model biocatalyst to reduce O2 to H2O. These novel fabricated electrodes showed good electrochemical properties and exhibited comparatively high operational stability even after 5 days of continuous operation. The results obtained here demonstrated the potential of silicone rubber-based materials as a promising platform for flexible bioelectronics in medical devices.
A Blind Eye to Industry-Level Corruption? The Risk of Favouring Domestic Industries in the EU ETS
Authors: Brandt Urs Steiner , Svendsen Gert Tinggaard
Published: April 2014

We investigate the risk of favouring domestic industries in the current European Union Emission Trading System (EU ETS). As the EU forms a weak federal structure compared to the US, there is a risk that single countries may free ride on the others by choosing to take a blind eye to industry-level corruption when tempted to favour their own industries. In other words, the optimal level of national cheating may not take into account the external cost it imposes upon other countries and the risk of wide-scale cheating and the possibility of an EU ETS collapse. Such national incentives to cheat correspond to a well-known transnational externality problem from international environmental problems and multiplayer prisoners' dilemma games. Thus, there is a strong need for systematic empirical analysis of whether cheating actually occurs in the EU ETS as predicted by theory.
A Measurement for the Evolution of Renewable Energies: The Case of the European Union
Authors: Díaz-Chao Ángel , Montes José-Luis
Published: April 2014

When it comes to the construction of an index, one of the main problems is determining the weights that each variable carries. In this article, through models based on the Structural Equation Modelling methodology, an index for the measurement of the evolution of renewable energies is developed, and applied for a group of countries in the European Union. The results show that, in Europe, there are two groups clearly differentiated in terms of their level of development in renewable energy. In the first group, Germany, Spain, France, and Italy stand out while the second group is led by the United Kingdom, and includes countries like Portugal, Finland, and Greece.
Performance Analysis of Turkey's Transport Sector Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Authors: Çipil Fatih
Published: April 2014

In order to fulfill obligations under the Kyoto Protocol, Turkey must review the conditions of each sector and make strategic plans to reduce levels of emissions to values specified in the Protocol. As of 2009, with 40.17Mt of CO2 emissions, highway transportation comprised 84.61% of the overall transportation emissions in Turkey, the primary source of the greenhouse gas emission within the transportation sector. In this study, a relative activity analysis was performed so as to identify the position of Turkey with respect to EU countries in terms of greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector using data envelopment analysis.
Influence of Relative Humidity and Clouds on the Global Mean Surface Temperature
Authors: Kauppinen Jyrki , Heinonen Jorma , Malmi Pekka
Published: April 2014

The explanation for climate change is still searching for an experimental proof and the most important question is whether climate change is anthropogenic. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC global warming is mostly man made due to the increasing CO2 concentration. In this work we study the contributions of humidity and clouds to the surface temperature. We will show that changes of relative humidity or low cloud cover explain the major changes in the global mean temperature. We will present the evidence of this argument using the observed relative humidity between years 1970 and 2011 and the observed low cloud cover between years 1983 and 2008. One percent increase in relative humidity or in low cloud cover decreases the temperature by 0.15 °C and 0.11 °C, respectively. In the time periods mentioned before the contribution of the CO2 increase was less than 10% to the total temperature change.
Effect of nanoclay addition on mechanical and thermal behavior of vinyl ester based nanocomposites obtained by casting
Authors: Sepet Harun , Tarakçıoğlu Necmettin
Published: April 2014

This paper presents the experimental study of mechanical and thermal properties of organically modified montmorillonite clay (Nanoclay) (0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 wt.%) in the vinyl ester matrix by ultrasonic stirrer. The changes in mechanical properties are investigated by using tensile and impact testing machine. It was found that the addition of nanoclay particles significantly improved tensile properties of pure vinyl ester, but impact properties of pure vinyl ester were affected negatively with the nanoclay content in the nanocomposite. It was found that the absorbed energy and impact resistance of the nanocomposites decreased with increasing the nanoclay content. DSC curves showed the glass transition temperature change in the nanoclay reinforced vinyl ester nanocomposites as compared to the pure vinyl ester. XRD analysis was performed to identify the structure of nanocomposites. SEM results showed the change in fracture surface morphology of nanoclay reinforced vinyl ester nanocomposite. Also, homogeneous distribution of nanoclays in the matrix was showed by SEM micrographs. This observation helped in identifying the morphology of the nanocaly in the vinyl ester matrix.
Structural evaluation of coaxial joints for FRP rebars using winding wet fabrics composites
Authors: Yuan G. , Dong G. , Ma J. , Feo Luciano , Hui David
Published: April 2014

Owing to limit in transportation and production, the connection of FRP rebars is an unavoidable problem. A coaxial joining scheme for FRP rebars using winding wet fabrics and fiber bundle/belt composite is presented in this paper. The experimental results indicate that the connection method is effective. And it has the following characteristics: small size, light weight, high strength, corrosion resistance, easy to construction etc. Facing the development of the engineering application in the future, some works need further research are putting forward.
Simultaneous measurement of temperature and concentration during faceted cellular array growth under microgravity
Authors: Inatomi Yuko , Ashida Motohiro , Sakata Kaoruho , Okutani Takeshi
Published: April 2014

The authors performed FACET (Investigation on Mechanism of Faceted Cellular Array Growth) experiments under long duration microgravity on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2010. The temperature and concentration distributions in the melt during the growth were precisely measured with high spatial resolution. Negative temperature gradient as well as negative concentration gradient ahead of the S/L interface can be expected to be the driving forces of the morphological instability. It is evident that the conventional model based on the frozen temperature approximation is insufficient to explain the growth mechanism of the faceted cellular array.
Theoretical modeling of horizontal-vertical loading of circular foundation in the offshore Niger Delta of Nigeria
Authors: Akpila S. , Omunguye I.
Published: April 2014

Theoretical modeling on the performance of offshore circular foundation installed on clay and subjected to combined horizontal-vertical load in the Niger Delta has been attempted. Analytical methods of Skempton, Brinch Hanson, and Vesic were used to evaluate concentric vertical loads on offshore piles. Horizontal forces, H were evaluated for varying wave heights on circular piles of 1.0 to 2.0 m diameters using available meteorological and oceanographic offshore records. The results revealed that sliding failure commenced when the ratio of vertical load to footing area and undrained shear strength, V/Asu assumed negative values (i.e. at H > 0.082 Asu). The maximum mean vertical load is 6.107 Asu, and to guide against the occurrence of bearing capacity failure by sliding, V > 0.75H for cases where the ratio of footing depth to breadth ratio is lesser than one, (D/B < 1.0) and V > 0.70H when footing depth to breadth ratio is greater than one (D/B > 1.0).
Effect of small amount of alumina on structure, wear and mechanical properties of 3Y-TZP ceramics
Authors: Danilenko Igor , Prokhorenko Serhii , Konstantinova Tetyana , Ahkozov Leonid , Burkhovetski Valerii , Glazunova Valentina
Published: April 2014

The use of ceramic instead of metallic parts in devices that operate in aggressive conditions increases the service life of machines and equipment for chemical, metallurgical and other industries. The wear resistant zirconia/alumina composites were sintered from nanopowders obtained by co-precipitation technique. In the case of addition of 1wt% of alumina in zirconia ceramics the wear resistance increased by approximately 30%.

The formation of complex multilevel composite structures, such as Al3+ ion segregation on zirconia grain boundaries and intracrystalline alumina inclusions in zirconia grains, increased the fracture toughness values of composites obtained from co-precipitated nanopowders and consequently decreased the volume loss of ceramic material.

In this study, we investigated the effect of nanopowders synthesis methods and alumina concentration on composite structure, fracture toughness and tribological behavior of 3Y-TZP/alumina ceramic composites and searched correlation between structures and mechanical properties.
Wave Transformation along Southwest Coast of India Using MIKE 21
Authors: Parvathy K.G. , Gopinath Deepthi I. , Noujas V. , Thomas K. V.
Published: April 2014

Nearshore wave transformation is a complex coastal process of shoaling, refraction, diffraction, reflection, and energy dissipation due to bed friction and breaking contributing variations in the wave height, period and direction. A well defined sediment cell of about 45 km extending from Kovalam headland to Varkala cliff which forms a part of Thiruvananthapuram coast along the southwest coast of India, is selected for the wave transformation studies. In the present study MIKE 21 Spectral Wave model (DHI, 2011) was used. The model simulates the growth, decay and transformation of wind generated waves and swells both in offshore and coastal areas. Providing MIKE 21 SW with a suitable bathymetry is essential for obtaining reliable results from the model. Usually the offshore bathymetry is derived from C-MAP, ETOPO, GEBCO etc. and the nearshore bathymetry is generated from close grid bathymetric surveys. In this study offshore bathymetry was generated from GEBCO-08 grid which is a freely available software with 30 arc (∼ 1 km) resolution. In the nearshore zone, surveyed close grid bathymetric data were used. The other inputs such as wave measurements and wind data provided in the model were from observations in Lakshadweep Sea. Model result is calibrated with field observations along this sector. The model has efficiently simulated the process of shoaling and refraction along the coast. The percentage of observed shoaling is 12.7% at a distance of 24 km from the shoreline at a depth of 70m and it was seen to be increasing to 27.9% when it reached around 2.4 km from the shore at a depth of 10m. The model result also shows that the wave is almost aligned parallel to the coast as wave approaches the coast. This model result can be used for further applications in designing along this coast.
Emergent Life Cycle: The Tension Between Knowledge Change and Knowledge Retention in Open Online Coproduction Communities
Authors: Kane Gerald C. , Johnson Jeremiah , Majchrzak Ann
Published: April 2014

Online coproduction communities often face a challenge of whether to change or retain the knowledge they have created. Disparate and often conflicting theoretical models have been used to explain how these communities respond to this tension. We conducted a case study of how one online coproduction community—the nine-year history of the Wikipedia article on autism—handles this tension. We find that the nature of the change–retain tension and the community’s response to it fluctuates considerably over the life of the community. These changes bear striking similarities to processes associated with traditional software development life cycles, despite the absence of traditional control mechanisms. What initially appear to be conflicts in the extant literature actually describe different roles and production focus at the different stages of development. Disruptive events signal the need for the community to shift production focus, which often involves members joining and leaving the production process, rather than adopting new roles.

This paper was accepted by Sandra Slaughter, information systems.
Integration of Online and Offline Channels in Retail: The Impact of Sharing Reliable Inventory Availability Information
Authors: Gallino Santiago , Moreno Antonio
Published: April 2014

Using a proprietary data set, we analyze the impact of the implementation of a “buy-online, pick-up-in-store” (BOPS) project. The implementation of this project is associated with a reduction in online sales and an increase in store sales and traffic. These results can be explained by two simultaneous phenomena: (1) additional store sales from customers who use the BOPS functionality and buy additional products in the stores (cross-selling effect) and (2) the shift of some customers from the online to the brick-and-mortar channel and the conversion of noncustomers into store customers (channel-shift effect). We explain these channel-shift patterns as an increase in “research online, purchase offline” behavior enabled by BOPS implementation, and we validate this explanation with evidence from the change of cart abandonment and conversion rates of the brick-and-mortar and online channels. We interpret these results in light of recent operations management literature that analyzes the impact of sharing inventory availability information. Our analysis illustrates the limitations of drawing conclusions about complex interventions using single-channel data.

This paper was accepted by Alok Gupta, special issue on business analytics.
Path to Purchase: A Mutually Exciting Point Process Model for Online Advertising and Conversion
Authors: Xu Lizhen , Duan Jason A. , Whinston Andrew
Published: April 2014

This paper studies the effects of various types of online advertisements on purchase conversion by capturing the dynamic interactions among advertisement clicks themselves. It is motivated by the observation that certain advertisement clicks may not result in immediate purchases, but they stimulate subsequent clicks on other advertisements, which then lead to purchases. We develop a novel model based on mutually exciting point processes, which consider advertisement clicks and purchases as dependent random events in continuous time. We incorporate individual random effects to account for consumer heterogeneity and cast the model in the Bayesian hierarchical framework. We construct conversion probability to properly evaluate the conversion effects of online advertisements. We develop simulation algorithms for mutually exciting point processes to compute the conversion probability and for out-of-sample prediction. Model comparison results show the proposed model outperforms the benchmark models that ignore exciting effects among advertisement clicks. Using a proprietary data set, we find that display advertisements have relatively low direct effect on purchase conversion, but they are more likely to stimulate subsequent visits through other advertisement formats. We show that the commonly used measure of conversion rate is biased in favor of search advertisements and underestimates the conversion effect of display advertisements the most. Our model also furnishes a useful tool to predict future purchases and advertisement clicks for the purpose of targeted marketing and customer relationship management.

This paper was accepted by Eric Bradlow, special issue on business analytics.
Embracing Challenges When Co-Precepting Pharmacy Students
Authors: Hammond Drayton A. , Norris Kelley R. , Phillips Marjorie S.
Published: April 2014

Many residency programs have adopted formal training in clinical preceptorship as an additional opportunity for professional development. However, a balance must be struck between acting as a co-preceptor for pharmacy students and as a learner being precepted by a more experienced practitioner. A commonly utilized method for demonstrating skill in the 4 preceptor roles (direct instruction, modeling, coaching, and facilitating) is to co-precept students during a learning experience with the support of a preceptor or experiential mentor. The transition from learner to teacher can present many challenges. Awareness of some of the more common challenges and a review of hypothetical scenarios may promote proactive dialogue with the experienced preceptor and promote confidence as the resident embarks on a co-precepting assignment. The objective of this article is to present scenarios a resident may encounter when co-precepting students, focusing on professionalism, patient care, providing feedback, planning, and communication, and strategies for addressing potential challenges.
Hazardous Drug Residue on Exterior Vial Surfaces: Evaluation of a Commercial Manufacturing Process
Authors: Power Luci A. , Sessink Paul J. M. , Gesy Kathy , Charbonneau Flay
Published: April 2014

Purpose

Hazardous drug residue on the exterior surface of drug vials poses a potential risk for exposure of health care workers involved in handling these products. The purpose of this article is to heighten the awareness of this serious issue and to evaluate a commercial manufacturing process for removing and containing hazardous drug (HD) residue on exterior vial surfaces. Additionally, findings from this study are interpreted, incorporated into the current body of evidence, and discussed by experts in this field.

Methods

This study includes separate evaluations for the presence or absence of surface drug contamination on the vials of 3 HD products: 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin, and methotrexate. The drug products were packaged in vials using a patented prewashing/decontamination method, application of a polyvinylchloride (PVC) base, and use of clear glass vials. An additional step of encasing the vial in a shrink-wrapped sheath was used for 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin.

Results

Of all 5-fluorouracil (110 vials), methotrexate (60 vials), and cisplatin (60 vials) tested, only 2 had detectable amounts of surface residue. One 5-fluorouracil vial was found to have approximately 4 mg of 5-fluorouracil on the surface of the vial. The second contaminated vial was cisplatin, which was discovered to have 131 ng of platinum, equal to 200 ng of cisplatin or 0.2 μL of cisplatin solution, on the vial sheath.

Conclusion

Using validated extraction and analytic methods, all but 2 of the 230 tested vials were found to be free of surface drug contamination. Pharmacy leaders need to take an active role in promoting the need for clean HD vials. Manufacturers should be required to provide their clients with data derived from externally validated analytic studies, reporting the level of HD contamination on the exterior of their vial products.
Simeprevir Capsules
Authors: Cada Dennis J. , Levien Terri L. , Baker Danial E.
Published: April 2014

Each month, subscribers to The Formulary Monograph Service receive 5 to 6 well-documented monographs on drugs that are newly released or are in late phase 3 trials. The monographs are targeted to Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committees. Subscribers also receive monthly 1-page summary monographs on agents that are useful for agendas and pharmacy/nursing in-services. A comprehensive target drug utilization evaluation/medication use evaluation (DUE/MUE) is also provided each month. With a subscription, the monographs are sent in print and are also available on-line. Monographs can be customized to meet the needs of a facility. A drug class review is now published monthly with The Formulary Monograph Service. Through the cooperation of The Formulary, Hospital Pharmacy publishes selected reviews in this column. For more information about The Formulary Monograph Service, call The Formulary at 800-322-4349. The April 2014 monograph topics are dapagliflozin, tasimelteon, treprostinil diolamine, avarofloxacin, and idelalisib. The DUE/MUE is on dapagliflozin.
Pharmacy Leader's Role in Hospital Emergency Preparedness Planning
Authors: Bell Christopher , Daniel Sarah
Published: April 2014

The Director's Forum column is designed to guide pharmacy leaders in establishing patient-centered services in hospitals and health systems. Environmental disasters and terrorist attacks demonstrate that it is imperative for both a hospital and community to have an emergency preparedness plan. The goal of this article is to provide health-system pharmacy leaders with a practical approach in developing an emergency operations plan (EOP) that can be activated in the event of a disaster. Pharmacy leaders should (1) review government and community disaster responses and understand the movement of drug supply for each response, (2) create a pharmacy disaster plan, (3) list the essential medications and determine their inventory levels, and (4) establish a staff training program to enhance understanding and implementation of the EOP. If successfully developed and executed, a hospital pharmacy department's EOP has a high rating of success in meeting patient-centered needs in the unforeseen event of a disaster
Netrin and Frazzled Regulate Presynaptic Gap Junctions at aDrosophilaGiant Synapse
Authors: Orr Brian O. , Borgen Melissa A. , Caruccio Phyllis M. , Murphey Rodney K.
Published: April 2014

Netrin and its receptor, Frazzled, dictate the strength of synaptic connections in the giant fiber system (GFS) ofDrosophila melanogasterby regulating gap junction localization in the presynaptic terminal. InNetrinmutant animals, the synaptic coupling between a giant interneuron and the “jump” motor neuron was weakened and dye coupling between these two neurons was severely compromised or absent. In cases in whichNetrinmutants displayed apparently normal synaptic anatomy, half of the specimens exhibited physiologically defective synapses and dye coupling between the giant fiber (GF) and the motor neuron was reduced or eliminated, suggesting that gap junctions were disrupted in theNetrinmutants. When we examined the gap junctions with antibodies to Shaking-B (ShakB) Innexin, they were significantly decreased or absent in the presynaptic terminal of the mutant GF. Frazzled loss of function mutants exhibited similar defects in synaptic transmission, dye coupling, and gap junction localization. These data are the first to show that Netrin and Frazzled regulate the placement of gap junctions presynaptically at a synapse.
Neuroanatomical Profiles of Deafness in the Context of Native Language Experience
Authors: Olulade Olumide A. , Koo Daniel S. , LaSasso Carol J. , Eden Guinevere F.
Published: April 2014

The study of congenitally deaf adult humans provides an opportunity to examine neuroanatomical plasticity resulting from altered sensory experience. However, attributing the source of the brain's structural variance in the deaf is complicated by the fact that deaf individuals also differ in their language experiences (e.g., sign vs spoken), which likely influence brain anatomy independently. Although the majority of deaf individuals in the United States are born to hearing parents and are exposed to English, not American Sign Language (ASL) as their first language, most studies on deafness have been conducted with deaf native users of ASL (deaf signers). This raises the question of whether observations made in deaf signers can be generalized. Using a factorial design, we compared gray (GMV) and white (WMV) matter volume in deaf and hearing native users of ASL, as well as deaf and hearing native users of English. Main effects analysis of sensory experience revealed less GMV in the deaf groups combined (compared with hearing groups combined) in early visual areas and less WMV in a left early auditory region. The interaction of sensory experience and language experience revealed that deaf native users of English had fewer areas of anatomical differences than did deaf native users of ASL (each compared with their hearing counterparts). For deaf users of ASL specifically, WMV differences resided in language areas such as the left superior temporal and inferior frontal regions. Our results demonstrate that cortical plasticity resulting from deafness depends on language experience and that findings from native signers cannot be generalized.
Suppression of Salient Objects Prevents Distraction in Visual Search
Authors: Gaspar John M. , McDonald John J.
Published: April 2014

To find objects of interest in a cluttered and continually changing visual environment, humans must often ignore salient stimuli that are not currently relevant to the task at hand. Recent neuroimaging results indicate that the ability to prevent salience-driven distraction depends on the current level of attentional control activity in frontal cortex, but the specific mechanism by which this control activity prevents salience-driven distraction is still poorly understood. Here, we asked whether salience-driven distraction is prevented by suppressing salient distractors or by preferentially up-weighting the relevant visual dimension. We found that salient distractors were suppressed even when they resided in the same feature dimension as the target (that is, when dimensional weighting was not a viable selection strategy). Our neurophysiological measure of suppression—the PDcomponent of the event-related potential—was associated with variations in the amount of time it took to perform the search task: distractors triggered the PDon fast-response trials, but on slow-response trials they triggered activity associated with working memory representation instead. These results demonstrate that during search salience-driven distraction is mitigated by a suppressive mechanism that reduces the salience of potentially distracting visual objects.
Bridging the Gap between the Human and Macaque Connectome: A Quantitative Comparison of Global Interspecies Structure-Function Relationships and Network Topology
Authors: Miranda-Dominguez Oscar , Mills Brian D. , Grayson David , Woodall Andrew , Grant Kathleen A. , Kroenke Christopher D. , Fair Damien A.
Published: April 2014

Resting state functional connectivity MRI (rs-fcMRI) may provide a powerful and noninvasive “bridge” for comparing brain function between patients and experimental animal models; however, the relationship between human and macaque rs-fcMRI remains poorly understood. Here, using a novel surface deformation process for species comparisons in the same anatomical space (Van Essen, 2004, 2005), we found high correspondence, but also unique hub topology, between human and macaque functional connectomes. The global functional connectivity match between species was moderate to strong (r= 0.41) and increased when considering the top 15% strongest connections (r= 0.54). Analysis of the match between functional connectivity and the underlying anatomical connectivity, derived from a previous retrograde tracer study done in macaques (Markov et al., 2012), showed impressive structure–function correspondence in both the macaque and human. When examining the strongest structural connections, we found a 70–80% match between structural and functional connectivity matrices in both species. Finally, we compare species on two widely used metrics for studying hub topology: degree and betweenness centrality. The data showed topological agreement across the species, with nodes of the posterior cingulate showing high degree and betweenness centrality. In contrast, nodes in medial frontal and parietal cortices were identified as having high degree and betweenness in the human as opposed to the macaque. Our results provide: (1) a thorough examination and validation for a surface-based interspecies deformation process, (2) a strong theoretical foundation for making interspecies comparisons of rs-fcMRI, and (3) a unique look at topological distinctions between the species.
Leptin Modulates the Intrinsic Excitability of AgRP/NPY Neurons in the Arcuate Nucleus of the Hypothalamus
Authors: Baver Scott B. , Hope Kevin , Guyot Shannon , Bjørbaek Christian , Kaczorowski Catherine , O'Connell Kristen M. S.
Published: April 2014

The hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARH) is a brain region critical for regulation of food intake and a primary area for the action of leptin in the CNS. In lean mice, the adipokine leptin inhibits neuropeptide Y (NPY) and agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neuronal activity, resulting in decreased food intake. Here we show that diet-induced obesity in mice is associated with persistent activation of NPY neurons and a failure of leptin to reduce the firing rate or hyperpolarize the resting membrane potential. However, the molecular mechanism whereby diet uncouples leptin's effect on neuronal excitability remains to be fully elucidated. In NPY neurons from lean mice, the Kv channel blocker 4-aminopyridine inhibited leptin-induced changes in input resistance and spike rate. Consistent with this, we found that ARH NPY neurons have a large, leptin-sensitive delayed rectifier K+current and that leptin sensitivity of this current is blunted in neurons from diet-induced obese mice. This current is primarily carried by Kv2-containing channels, as the Kv2 channel inhibitor stromatoxin-1 significantly increased the spontaneous firing rate in NPY neurons from lean mice. In HEK cells, leptin induced a significant hyperpolarizing shift in the voltage dependence of Kv2.1 but had no effect on the function of the closely related channel Kv2.2 when these channels were coexpressed with the long isoform of the leptin receptor LepRb. Our results suggest that dynamic modulation of somatic Kv2.1 channels regulates the intrinsic excitability of NPY neurons to modulate the spontaneous activity and the integration of synaptic input onto these neurons in the ARH.
Edc3 Function in Yeast and Mammals Is Modulated by Interaction with NAD-Related Compounds
Authors: Walters Robert W , Shumilin Igor A , Yoon Je-Hyun , Minor Wladek , Parker Roy
Published: April 2014

The control of mRNA translation and degradation is mediated in part by a set of proteins that can inhibit translation and promote decapping, as well as function in the assembly of cytoplasmic mRNP granules referred to as processing bodies (P-bodies). The conserved enhancer of mRNA decapping 3 (Edc3) protein functions to promote both decapping and P-body assembly. Crystal structures of the YjeF_N domain in hEdc3 identified a putative binding site for a small molecule. Structure modeling of the human Edc3 Yjef_N along with other Yjef_N-containing proteins suggests that this molecule is related to NAD(H). We now show human Edc3 directly binds NADH. We also show that human and yeast Edc3 chemically modify NAD in vitro. Mutations that are predicted to disrupt the binding and/or hydrolysis of an NAD-related molecule by yeast and human Edc3 affect the control of mRNA degradation and/or P-body composition in vivo. This suggests that the interaction of Edc3 with an NAD-related molecule affects its function in the regulation of mRNA translation and degradation and provides a possible mechanism to couple the energetics of the cell to posttranscriptional control. Moreover, this provides a unique example of and lends strength to the postulated connection of metabolites, enzymes, and RNA.
DAIRRy-BLUP: A High-Performance Computing Approach to Genomic Prediction
Authors: Coninck Arne De , Fostier Jan , Maenhout Steven , De Baets Bernard
Published: April 2014

In genomic prediction, common analysis methods rely on a linear mixed-model framework to estimate SNP marker effects and breeding values of animals or plants. Ridge regression–best linear unbiased prediction (RR-BLUP) is based on the assumptions that SNP marker effects are normally distributed, are uncorrelated, and have equal variances. We propose DAIRRy-BLUP, a parallel, Distributed-memory RR-BLUP implementation, based on single-trait observations (y), that uses the Average Information algorithm for restricted maximum-likelihood estimation of the variance components. The goal of DAIRRy-BLUP is to enable the analysis of large-scale data sets to provide more accurate estimates of marker effects and breeding values. A distributed-memory framework is required since the dimensionality of the problem, determined by the number of SNP markers, can become too large to be analyzed by a single computing node. Initial results show that DAIRRy-BLUP enables the analysis of very large-scale data sets (up to 1,000,000 individuals and 360,000 SNPs) and indicate that increasing the number of phenotypic and genotypic records has a more significant effect on the prediction accuracy than increasing the density of SNP arrays.
Development of Cost Estimation Tools for Total Occupational Safety and Health Activities and Occupational Health Services: Cost Estimation from a Corporate Perspective
Authors: Nagata Tomohisa , Mori Koji , Aratake Yutaka , Ide Hiroshi , Ishida Hiromi , Nobori Junichiro , Kojima Reiko , Odagami Kiminori , Kato Anna , Tsutsumi Akizumi , Matsuda Shinya
Published: April 2014

Development of Cost Estimation Tools for Total Occupational Safety and Health Activities and Occupational Health Services: Cost Estimation from a Corporate Perspective: Tomohisa NAGATA,et al. Department of Occupational Health Practice and Management, Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan—

Objectives

The aim of the present study was to develop standardized cost estimation tools that provide information to employers about occupational safety and health (OSH) activities for effective and efficient decision making in Japanese companies.

Methods

We interviewed OSH staff members including full‐time professional occupational physicians to list all OSH activities. Using activity‐based costing, cost data were obtained from retrospective analyses of occupational safety and health costs over a 1‐year period in three manufacturing workplaces and were obtained from retrospective analyses of occupational health services costs in four manufacturing workplaces. We verified the tools additionally in four workplaces including service businesses.

Results

We created the OSH and occupational health standardized cost estimation tools. OSH costs consisted of personnel costs, expenses, outsourcing costs and investments for 15 OSH activities. The tools provided accurate, relevant information on OSH activities and occupational health services.

Conclusions

The standardized information obtained from our OSH and occupational health cost estimation tools can be used to manage OSH costs, make comparisons of OSH costs between companies and organizations and help occupational health physicians and employers to determine the best course of action.
Synthesis and Enhanced Electromagnetic Wave Absorption Properties of Fe3O4@ZnO Mesoporous Spheres
Authors: Sun Danping , Jiang Wei , Wang Yanping , Sun Chen , Zou Quan , Liu Gongzong , Liu Jie , Li Fengsheng
Published: April 2014

Mesoporous Fe3O4 nanoparticles coated with ZnO nanocrystals were successfully synthesized by a simple solution method at low temperature. The transmission electron microscopy analysis indicates that the mesoporous Fe3O4 nanoparticles are monodispersed with a mean diameter of 160 nm and the thickness of ZnO layer is 15 nm approximately. The porosity of the products was further substantiated by the nitrogen (N2) sorption measurement. The N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm curve can be identified as type IV, which is a characteristic of mesopores. Electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption properties of the as-prepared Fe3O4@ZnO mesoporous spheres-wax composites were investigated at a room temperature in the frequency range of 0.5∼18 GHz. Interestingly, the Fe3O4@ZnO mesoporous spheres exhibit an enhanced EM wave absorption due to the mesoporous structure. The multiple absorbing mechanisms result from the interface polarization induced by the special core/shell and mesoporous structures as well as dipole polarization of both Fe3O4 and ZnO. The results demonstrate that the Fe3O4@ZnO mesoporous spheres are attractive candidates for a new kind of EM wave absorption materials with wide absorption frequency band.
Helium Interaction with Y2Ti2O7: A First Principles Study
Authors: Danielson Thomas , Hin Celine
Published: April 2014

Helium embrittlement poses a great threat to materials used in both fusion and fissionreactor systems due to (n,α) transmutation reactions. Because of this, materials capable of moderating the helium content reaching grain boundaries and voids must be developed and improved to prevent catastrophic failure of reactor materials. Nanostructured ferritic alloys (NFAs) have shown great promise in preventing helium embrittlement due to the large number density of nanoscale precipitates acting as trapping sites for helium clusters and helium bubbles. In this study, we present density functional theory calculations on the interaction of helium with nanoscale precipitates found in NFAs as a preliminary study to furthering our understanding of the energetic mechanisms causing the precipitates to act as trapping sites for helium.
Determinação de temperatura de transição dúctil-frágil de plásticos através de testes de impacto instrumentado
Authors: Correa Carlos A. , Yamakawa Roberto S. , Hage Jr. Elias
Published: April 2014

Nesse trabalho é realizada uma análise descritiva do teste de impacto tipo Izod instrumentado e são mostradas suas vantagens em relação ao impacto convencional na obtenção de diagramas de força e energia de fratura em tempo-real. Estes diagramas além de fornecerem dados do material em termos de sua resistência ao impacto tradicional, contém informações detalhadas sobre os mecanismos de fratura e as principais características apresentadas durante a propagação da trinca no corpo de prova. A medida da variação da resistência ao impacto com a temperatura pode ser utilizada como uma forma de se determinar a existência de transições dúctil-frágeis ou alternativamente a suscetibilidade de materiais poliméricos à concentração de tensões, i.e., profundidade e raio da extremidade do entalhe. As curvas de carga e energia, obtidas à várias temperaturas, são utilizadas na determinação de parâmetros do material e da temperatura de transição dúctil-frágil de um copolímero de acrilonitrila-butadieno-estireno (ABS). A análise da superfície de fratura por microscopia eletrônica de varredura, (MEV) permitiu a correlação da forma das curvas de impacto com o modo de fratura observado e detalhes da microestrutura do material.
Microsimulation – a robust technical planning method with strong visual output
Authors: Kara Devrim , Koesling Sonja , Kretz Tobias , Laugel Yves , Reutenauer Frédéric , Schubert Florian
Published: April 2014

Planning of urban spaces and mobility has become a demanding task. All modes of transport have to be granted their very own right of way. Stakeholders of particular modes, tourists and commuters, old and young have their own needs and ideas and they all demand to be involved in the planning process of transport projects without having to dig into the words and numbers produced by traffic engineers. Microsimulation is a tool which accommodates both: the requirements that are set by the complexity of such projects, as well as the needs to produce easy-to-understand information and communication material. This paper demonstrates the capability of microsimulation through a French case study, including the planning and design of transport schemes for a busy city centre and urban area where all modes of transport are being used and there is a strong focus of public attention.
Comparison of carbonation resistance and uniformity of SCC and CC core samples
Authors: Demirci Emine Ebru , Şahin Remzi
Published: April 2014

The purpose of this research was to compare self-compacting concrete (SCC) and conventional concrete (CC), which are used in beams with dense reinforcement, in terms of their carbonation resistance. It was observed that, in both air and moist curing environments, SCC had less carbonation depth than CC and the carbonation depths of both SCC and CC samples stored under moist curing were less than those of samples undergoing air curing. The experiments also showed that, regardless of the type of concrete, carbonation depth decreased with increasing concrete strength class. Furthermore, the study showed that beams produced from SCC were more uniform than CC beams. Consequently, instead of CC, SCC can be used to produce any reinforced concrete components in order to provide increased carbonation resistance and uniformity. The findings of this study may thus lead to increased usage of SCC in construction sites.
Agrochemicals indirectly increase survival of E. coli O157:H7 and indicator bacteria by reducing ecosystem services
Authors: Staley Zachery R. , Rohr Jason R. , Senkbeil Jacob K. , Harwood Valerie J.
Published: April 2014

Storm water and agricultural runoff frequently contain agrochemicals, fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), and zoonotic pathogens. Entry of such contaminants into aquatic ecosystems may affect ecology and human health. This study tested the hypothesis that the herbicide atrazine and the fungicide chlorothalonil indirectly affect the survival of FIB (Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis) and a pathogen (E. coli O157:H7) by altering densities of protozoan predators or by altering competition from autochthonous bacteria. Streptomycin‐resistant E. coli, En. faecalis, and E. coli O157:H7 were added to microcosms composed of Florida river water containing natural protozoan and bacterial populations. FIB, pathogen, and protozoan densities were monitored over six days. Known metabolic inhibitors, cycloheximide and streptomycin, were used to inhibit autochthonous protozoa or bacteria, respectively. The inhibitors made it possible to isolate the effects of predation or competition on survival of allochthonous bacteria, and each treatment increased the survival of FIB and pathogens. Chlorothalonil's effect was similar to that of cycloheximide, significantly reducing protozoan densities and elevating densities of FIB and pathogens relative to the control. Atrazine treatment did not affect protozoan densities, but, through an effect on competition, resulted in significantly greater densities of En. faecalis and E. coli O157:H7. Hence, by reducing predaceous protozoa and bacterial competitors that facilitate purifying water bodies of FIBs and human pathogens, chlorothalonil and atrazine indirectly diminished an ecosystem service of fresh water.
The Effect of Low Concentrations of Bedload on the Erosion Pattern and the Structural Strength of Rigid Force Mains
Authors: Rubin Hillel , Tokarev Dmitry , Schüttrumpf Holger
Published: April 2014

This manuscript concerns the decrease of the structural strength and possible collapse of force (pressure) mains
due to bedload erosion (abrasion), caused by low concentrations of hard solid particles transported with the sanitary sewage.
Such a phenomenon may probably occur in combined sanitary systems (CSS), but it has also been observed in force
mains delivering domestic sewage, due to occasional penetration of hard solid particles into the sanitary sewerage system.
Force mains are usually subject to stresses originating from the internal pressure combined with those of the external
load. For the design of such pipelines, Schlick's formula is usually applied. The present study applies Schlick's formula
to represent the pipe failure curve. Then by properly introducing safety factors into Schlicks' formula the study defines
service curves of the pipe. Each service curve is associated with a particular value of the pipe construction safety factor.
In the next step by applying the concept of service curves the study hypothesizes the extension of Schlick's formula for
possible calculation of the decrease of the pipe safety factor due to the presence of the invert groove. Calculations are
made by using the ANSYS code, and the numerical results are applied to evaluate a particular case history of an asbestoscement
(AC) force main collapse.