bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Subjective stressors moderate effectiveness of a multi‐component, multi‐site intervention on caregiver depression and burden
Authors: Hatch Daniel J. , DeHart William B. , Norton Maria C.
Published: August 2013

Objectives

The present study assessed whether caregiving contextual factors moderated outcomes of a caregiver intervention.

Methods

Extant data from the Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Health (REACH) II study, a randomized‐control trial of a multi‐component, multi‐site intervention for dementia caregivers was utilized. 498 caregivers {83.1% women; mean [standard deviation (SD)] age = 60.3 (13.1)}, and their care recipients [58.6% women, mean (SD) age = 78.5 (9.6)] were randomly assigned to intervention or control group. Multiple regression was used to regress Center for Epidemiological Studies of Depression Scale (CES‐D) and Zarit burden scores on the interaction between group membership and various factors reflecting the caregiving context.

Results

Lower follow‐up CES‐D scores in the intervention group were found only for those: in the fourth quartile of baseline CES‐D (β = −0.13, p = 0.05; overall interaction p = 0.009), with high Revised Memory and Behavior Problems Checklist (RMBPC) stress (β = −0.16, p = 0.03) and with a home health aide (β = −0.29, p = 0.009). Diminished burden was found in the intervention group only for the following: those in the fourth quartile of baseline burden (β = −0.16, p = 0.01), and in the fourth quartile (β = −0.16, p = 0.05) of Mini Mental State Examination, and with high RMBPC stress (β = −0.18, p = 0.008), with a trend for diminished burden among those with a paid homemaker (β = −0.19, p = 0.075).

Conclusion

Results suggest greater intervention efficacy among caregivers experiencing subjective stress. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mechanism of column and carrot sprites derived from optical and radio observations
Authors: Qin Jianqi , Celestin Sebastien , Pasko Victor P. , Cummer Steven A. , McHarg Matthew G. , Stenbaek‐Nielsen Hans C.
Published: August 2013

The lightning current waveforms observed simultaneously with high‐speed video records of a column and a carrot sprite event are incorporated in a plasma fluid model to provide quantitative explanation of these two distinct morphological classes of transient luminous events. We calculate the strength of the lightning‐induced electric field at sprite altitudes using a time integral of the ionization frequency . For the studied two events, modeling results indicate that these integral values never exceed 18 in the lower ionosphere, which is the minimum value required for the initiation of streamers from single seed electrons according to the Raether‐Meek criterion. It is therefore suggested that the presence of electron inhomogeneities is a necessary condition for the initiation of sprite streamers. It is further demonstrated using streamer modeling that a minimum value of the integral ∼10 is necessary to initiate upward negative streamers from inhomogeneities, corresponding to a minimum charge moment change of ∼500 C km under typical nighttime conditions. If the integral values in the entire upper atmosphere are smaller than ∼10, only column sprites can be produced, dominated by downward positive streamers.
Large‐scale circulation associated with moisture intrusions into the Arctic during winter
Authors: Woods Cian , Caballero Rodrigo , Svensson Gunilla
Published: August 2013

We examine the poleward transport of water vapor across 70°N during boreal winter in the ERA‐Interim reanalysis product, focusing on intense moisture intrusion events. We analyze the large‐scale circulation patterns associated with these intrusions and the impacts they have at the surface. A total of 298 events are identified between 1990 and 2010, an average of 14 per season, accounting for 28% of the total poleward transport of moisture across 70°N. They are concentrated over the main ocean basins at that latitude in the Labrador Sea, North Atlantic, Barents/Kara Sea, and Pacific. Composites of sea level pressure and potential temperature on the 2 potential vorticity unit surface during intrusions show a large‐scale blocking pattern to the east of each basin, deflecting midlatitude cyclones and their associated moisture poleward. The interannual variability of intrusions is strongly correlated with variability in winter‐mean surface downward longwave radiation and skin temperature averaged over the Arctic.
Liver-specific knockout of GRP94 in mice disrupts cell adhesion, activates liver progenitor cells, and accelerates liver tumorigenesis
Authors: Chen Wan-Ting , Tseng Chun-Chih , Pfaffenbach Kyle , Kanel Gary , Luo Biquan , Stiles Bangyan L. , Lee Amy S.
Published: August 2013

Liver cancer is one of the most common solid tumors, with poor prognosis and high mortality. Mutation or deletion of the tumor suppressor phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) is strongly correlated with human liver cancer. Glucose-regulated protein 94 (GRP94) is a major endoplasmic reticulum (ER) chaperone protein, but its in vivo function is still emerging. To study the role of GRP94 in maintaining liver homeostasis and tumor development, we created two liver-specific knockout mouse models with the deletion of Grp94 alone, or in combination with Pten, using the albumin-cre system. We demonstrated that while deletion of GRP94 in the liver led to hyperproliferation of liver progenitor cells, deletion of both GRP94 and PTEN accelerated development of liver tumors, including both hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CC), suggestive of progenitor cell origin. Furthermore, at the premalignant stage we observed disturbance of cell adhesion proteins and minor liver injury. When GRP94 was deleted in PTEN-null livers, ERK was selectively activated. Conclusion: GRP94 is a novel regulator of cell adhesion, liver homeostasis, and tumorigenesis. (HEPATOLOGY 2014;59:947–957)
Reciprocal Regulation of MicroRNA-122 and c-Myc in Hepatocellular Cancer: Role of E2F1 and Transcription Factor Dimerization Partner 2
Authors: Wang Bo , Hsu Shu-hao , Wang Xinmei , Kutay Huban , Bid Hemant Kumar , Yu Jianhua , Ganju Ramesh K. , Jacob Samson T. , Yuneva Mariia , Ghoshal Kalpana
Published: August 2013

c-Myc

is a well-known oncogene frequently up-regulated in different malignancies, whereas liver-specific microRNA (miR)-122, a

bona fide

tumor suppressor, is down-regulated in hepatocellular cancer (HCC). Here we explored the underlying mechanism of reciprocal regulation of these two genes. Real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and northern blot analysis demonstrated reduced expression of the primary, precursor, and mature miR-122 in

c-MYC

-induced HCCs compared to the benign livers, indicating transcriptional suppression of

miR-122

upon MYC overexpression. Indeed, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay showed significantly reduced association of RNA polymerase II and histone H3K9Ac, markers of active chromatin, with the

miR-122

promoter in tumors relative to the c-MYC-uninduced livers, indicating transcriptional repression of

miR-122

in c-MYC-overexpressing tumors. The ChIP assay also demonstrated a significant increase in c-Myc association with the

miR-122

promoter region that harbors a conserved noncanonical c-Myc binding site in tumors compared to the livers. Ectopic expression and knockdown studies showed that c-Myc indeed suppresses expression of primary and mature miR-122 in hepatic cells. Additionally, Hnf-3β, a liver enriched transcription factor that activates

miR-122

gene, was suppressed in c-MYC-induced tumors. Notably, miR-122 also repressed

c-Myc

transcription by targeting transcriptional activator E2f1 and coactivator Tfdp2, as evident from ectopic expression and knockdown studies and luciferase reporter assays in mouse and human hepatic cells.

Conclusion

: c-Myc represses

miR-122

gene expression by associating with its promoter and by down-regulating Hnf-3β expression, whereas miR-122 indirectly inhibits

c-Myc

transcription by targeting Tfdp2 and E2f1. In essence, these results suggest a double-negative feedback loop between a tumor suppressor (

miR-122

) and an oncogene (

c-Myc

). (Hepatology 2014;59:555–566)
Hepatic Carboxylesterase 1 Is Essential for Both Normal and Farnesoid X Receptor-Controlled Lipid Homeostasis
Authors: Xu Jiesi , Li Yuanyuan , Chen Wei-Dong , Xu Yang , Yin Liya , Ge Xuemei , Jadhav Kavita , Adorini Luciano , Zhang Yanqiao
Published: August 2013

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the major health concerns worldwide. Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is considered a therapeutic target for treatment of NAFLD. However, the mechanism by which activation of FXR lowers hepatic triglyceride (TG) levels remains unknown. Here we investigated the role of hepatic carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) in regulating both normal and FXR-controlled lipid homeostasis. Overexpression of hepatic CES1 lowered hepatic TG and plasma glucose levels in both wild-type and diabetic mice. In contrast, knockdown of hepatic CES1 increased hepatic TG and plasma cholesterol levels. These effects likely resulted from the TG hydrolase activity of CES1, with subsequent changes in fatty acid oxidation and/or

de novo

lipogenesis. Activation of FXR induced hepatic CES1, and reduced the levels of hepatic and plasma TG as well as plasma cholesterol in a CES1-dependent manner.

Conclusion :

Hepatic CES1 plays a critical role in regulating both lipid and carbohydrate metabolism and FXR-controlled lipid homeostasis. (Hepatology 2014;59:1761–1771)
How hydrological factors initiate instability in a model sandy slope
Authors: Terajima Tomomi , Miyahira Ei‐ichiro , Miyajima Hiroyuki , Ochiai Hirotaka , Hattori Katsumi
Published: August 2013

Knowledge of the mechanisms of rain‐induced shallow landslides can improve the prediction of their occurrence and mitigate subsequent sediment disasters. Here, we examine an artificial slope's subsurface hydrology and propose a new slope stability analysis that includes seepage force and the down‐slope transfer of excess shear forces. We measured pore water pressure and volumetric water content immediately prior to a shallow landslide on an artificial sandy slope of 32°: The direction of the subsurface flow shifted from downward to parallel to the slope in the deepest part of the landslide mass, and this shift coincided with the start of soil displacement. A slope stability analysis that was restricted to individual segments of the landslide mass could not explain the initiation of the landslide; however, inclusion of the transfer of excess shear forces from up‐slope to down‐slope segments improved drastically the predictability. The improved stability analysis revealed that an unstable zone expanded down‐slope with an increase in soil water content, showing that the down‐slope soil initially supported the unstable up‐slope soil; destabilization of this down‐slope soil was the eventual trigger of total slope collapse. Initially, the effect of apparent soil cohesion was the most important factor promoting slope stability, but seepage force became the most important factor promoting slope instability closer to the landslide occurrence. These findings indicate that seepage forces, controlled by changes in direction and magnitude of saturated and unsaturated subsurface flows, may be the main cause of shallow landslides in sandy slopes. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cytokine and cytokine receptor genes of the adaptive immune response are differentially associated with breast cancer risk in American women of African and European ancestry
Authors: Quan Lei , Gong Zhihong , Yao Song , Bandera Elisa V. , Zirpoli Gary , Hwang Helena , Roberts Michelle , Ciupak Gregory , Davis Warren , Sucheston Lara , Pawlish Karen , Bovbjerg Dana H. , Jandorf Lina , Cabasag Citadel , Coignet Jean‐Gabriel , Ambrosone Christine B. , Hong Chi‐Chen
Published: August 2013

Disparities in breast cancer biology are evident between American women of African ancestry (AA) and European ancestry (EA) and may be due, in part, to differences in immune function. To assess the potential role of constitutional host immunity on breast carcinogenesis, we tested associations between breast cancer risk and 47 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 26 cytokine‐related genes of the adaptive immune system using 650 EA (n = 335 cases) and 864 AA (n = 458 cases) women from the Women's Circle of Health Study (WCHS). With additional participant accrual to the WCHS, promising SNPs from the initial analysis were evaluated in a larger sample size (1,307 EAs and 1,365 AAs). Multivariate logistic regression found SNPs in genes important for T helper type 1 (Th1) immunity (IFNGR2 rs1059293, IL15RA rs2296135, LTA rs1041981), Th2 immunity (IL4R rs1801275), and T regulatory cell‐mediated immunosuppression (TGFB1 rs1800469) associated with breast cancer risk, mainly among AAs. The combined effect of these five SNPs was highly significant among AAs (P‐trend = 0.0005). When stratified by estrogen receptor (ER) status, LTA rs1041981 was associated with ER‐positive breast cancers among EAs and marginally among AAs. Only among AA women, IL15 rs10833 and IL15RA rs2296135 were associated with ER‐positive tumors, and IL12RB1 rs375947, IL15 rs10833 and TGFB1 rs1800469 were associated with ER‐negative tumors. Our study systematically identified genetic variants in the adaptive immune response pathway associated with breast cancer risk, which appears to differ by ancestry groups, menopausal status and ER status.
A transplantable TH‐MYCN transgenic tumor model in C57Bl/6 mice for preclinical immunological studies in neuroblastoma
Authors: Kroesen Michiel , Nierkens Stefan , Ansems Marleen , Wassink Melissa , Orentas Rimas J. , Boon Louis , den Brok Martijn H. , Hoogerbrugge Peter M. , Adema Gosse J.
Published: August 2013

Current multimodal treatments for patients with neuroblastoma (NBL), including anti‐disialoganglioside (GD2) monoclonal antibody (mAb) based immunotherapy, result in a favorable outcome in around only half of the patients with advanced disease. To improve this, novel immunocombinational strategies need to be developed and tested in autologous preclinical NBL models. A genetically well‐explored autologous mouse model for NBL is the TH‐MYCN model. However, the immunobiology of the TH‐MYCN model remains largely unexplored. We developed a mouse model using a transplantable TH‐MYCN cell line in syngeneic C57Bl/6 mice and characterized the immunobiology of this model. In this report, we show the relevance and opportunities of this model to study immunotherapy for human NBL. Similar to human NBL cells, syngeneic TH‐MYCN‐derived 9464D cells endogenously express the tumor antigen GD2 and low levels of MHC Class I. The presence of the adaptive immune system had little or no influence on tumor growth, showing the low immunogenicity of the NBL cells. In contrast, depletion of NK1.1+ cells resulted in enhanced tumor outgrowth in both wild‐type and Rag1−/−mice, showing an important role for NK cells in the natural anti‐NBL immune response. Analysis of the tumor infiltrating leukocytesex vivorevealed the presence of both tumor associated myeloid cells and T regulatory cells, thus mimicking human NBL tumors. Finally, anti‐GD2 mAb mediated NBL therapy resulted in ADCCin vitroand delayed tumor outgrowthin vivo. We conclude that the transplantable TH‐MYCN model represents a relevant model for the development of novel immunocombinatorial approaches for NBL patients.
REDUCING CARBON EMISSIONS THROUGH IMPROVED IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT: A CASE STUDY FROM PAKISTAN
Authors: Qureshi Asad Sarwar
Published: August 2013

Increasing use of groundwater for irrigation is linked to high energy demand, depleting resources and resulting in a high carbon footprint. This paper explores how improved on‐farm irrigation management can help in reducing groundwater extraction, limiting energy consumption and CO2 emissions. In Pakistan, every year about 50 billion cubic metres (BCM) of groundwater is pumped for irrigation, which consumes more than 6 billion kWh of electricity and 3.5 billion litres of diesel. Carbon emissions attributed to this energy use amount to 3.8 million metric tons (MMT) of CO2 per year. Considerable research carried out in Pakistan has suggested that improved irrigation management can significantly reduce the irrigation water applied to different crops. This study revealed that by adopting improved irrigation schedules, water productivity will increase and groundwater withdrawals for irrigation can be reduced by 24 BCM. Reduced groundwater extraction will result in a 62% decline in energy demand (1.5 billion litres of diesel as most of the private tubewells run on diesel) and a 40% reduction in carbon emissions. In addition, a reduction in irrigation applications will also be beneficial for stabilizing groundwater tables and groundwater quality. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Changes in maternal posterior and anterior cerebral artery flow velocity during pregnancy and postpartum—A longitudinal study
Authors: van Veen Teelkien R. , Haeri Sina , Sangi‐Haghpeykar Haleh , Belfort Michael A.
Published: August 2013

Background

To evaluate the normal range of blood flow velocity in the maternal anterior (ACA) and posterior cerebral arteries (PCA) along the normal pregnancy and postpartum period.

Methods

Transcranial Doppler ultrasound was used to measure the systolic, diastolic, and mean blood velocities in the ACA and PCA during normal gestation. The resistance and pulsatility indices were calculated. Data were analyzed using multilevel modeling, incorporating random effects models, to construct mean and percentile curves.

Results

We performed 355 measurements on 59 patients, which showed that systolic and mean velocity in the ACA decreased, whereas diastolic velocity increased in the PCA during normal pregnancy. Resistance and pulsatility indices in both vessels increased to a maximum in the second trimester, decreased during the third trimester, and increased during the postpartum period.

Conclusions

This study provides normative data for ACA and PCA velocity and indices during pregnancy and postpartum, demonstrating changes in velocity that suggest a shift of cerebral blood flow from the anterior to the posterior cerebral circulation. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 41:532–537, 2013.
Dear Doctor: A tool to facilitate patient‐centered communication
Authors: Farberg Aaron S. , Lin Andrew M. , Kuhn Latoya , Flanders Scott A. , Kim Christopher S.
Published: August 2013

BACKGROUND

Patient‐centered care has been identified as 1 of the 6 aims for the 21st century healthcare system. The notepad is a simple tool for reminders and personal interactions. We introduced Dear Doctor (DD) notes, a bedside notepad designed to prompt patient questions and improve patient satisfaction.

OBJECTIVE

To provide DD notes as a bedside tool to facilitate patient communication and improve patient encounters with physicians in the hospital.

DESIGN

This is a single‐center, cross‐sectional survey.

METHODS

Over a 3‐month period (July 2009–September 2009), all hospitalized patients in the intervention group (1 general medicine and 1 cardiology unit) at a large academic medical center received a DD notepad, a pen, and instructions on its use. We surveyed patients who received the DD notes on the intervention group (n = 440) and compared their responses to those from a matched control group (1 general medicine and 1 cardiology unit, n = 224).

RESULTS

Of the 440 patients surveyed in the intervention group, 78% (n = 343) received the notepads in their rooms and 47% (n = 207) used them. Of the 343 patients who received the DD notepads, 65% (n = 223) reported that they took notes related to their hospital stay compared to only 22% of 224 patients (n = 50) in the control group (P < 0.001). The 207 patients using the DD notes had their questions more often answered by their physicians as measured on a 5‐point Likert scale, compared to the control group (4.63 vs 4.45; P < 0.001). However, overall rating of communication did not differ between intervention and control groups in an intention‐to‐treat analysis (4.55 vs 4.55, P = 0.89). All patients who used the DD notepads responded on the survey that communication with their physicians was enhanced to at least some degree.

CONCLUSIONS

Utilizing a bedside notepad improved patients' satisfaction with physician communication. A simple, low‐cost, patient‐centered tool such as the DD notes may enhance a patient's overall experience with their providers and the hospital. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2013;8:553–558. © 2013 Society of Hospital Medicine
Innovation and Leapfrogging in the Chinese Automobile Industry: Examples From Geely, BYD, and Shifeng
Authors: Wang Hua , Kimble Chris
Published: August 2013

History provides numerous examples of incumbent market leaders being leapfrogged by newcomers that have exploited the opportunities offered by new technologies. In light of the growing number of ecological threats linked to the use of the internal combustion engine, can Chinese auto manufacturers, which are newcomers to the industry, beat out the established Japanese, European, and North American automakers in the race to produce a less environmentally damaging form of transport? Three case studies from the Chinese automobile industry reveal the different ways in which this leapfrogging might take place and highlight the impact that such developments might have on automobile manufacturers in Japan and the West, both for conventional and electric vehicles. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
New‐Hire Retention Woes Drive Change in Health Insurer's Employee‐Selection Process
Authors: Odom Curtis L.
Published: August 2013

When turnover among new hires with less than 18 months of service at a New England–based health insurance provider doubled in two years, the organization examined its recruitment process and then redesigned it to align with research‐based best practices. Revamped to address candidates' cultural fit in a collaborative environment, the new process requires analyzing the target job; identifying relevant dimensions of job performance; identifying the abilities, skills, and knowledge (ASKs) required to successfully perform the job; adopting tools to measure the ASKs; and validating tools to ensure they accurately predict performance. As a result of the company's efforts to consider cultural fit during the selection process, the organization reduced new‐hire turnover by 40 percent in 18 months. Encouraged by this success, the company now has a multipronged approach to workforce planning that encompasses a combination of strategies to ensure effective external recruitment while fostering the development of in‐house talent. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Exploring the Relationship Between Organizational Citizenship Behavior and Job Satisfaction Among Shift Workers in India
Authors: Jena Rabindra Kumar , Goswami Rupashree
Published: August 2013

A growing body of research supports the contention that organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) improves an enterprise's efficiency by enhancing the level of job satisfaction among employees. Therefore, researchers' and practitioners' interest in the ramifications of OCB is on the rise. A study of 240 shift workers in five ferro‐alloy industries in Odisha, India, investigated the relationship between two types of OCB and five principal facets of job satisfaction. The results of the study showed that there was a significant relationship between OCB and several workplace elements that contribute to employees' job satisfaction. These findings have important implications for business leaders charged with improving organizational performance. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Elements of Leadership
Authors: Schultz John R.
Published: August 2013

Leadership is not merely a matter of possessing certain traits, such as tough‐mindedness or bottom‐line thinking. Leadership requires mastery of a competency‐based skill set that can be learned and practiced by anyone so inclined. The only limitations are personal preferences, convictions, determination, and situational constraints. Leaders are those who can inspire others to work for the benefit of the entire organization by articulating a compelling future, focusing on the long term, coordinating diverse efforts, providing enabling structures, appreciating variation, facilitating individual and organizational development, and fostering behaviors that contribute to the common good, while always displaying personal credibility. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
In‐situ spectroscopic assessment of the conservation state of building materials from a Palace house affected by infiltration water
Authors: Gómez‐Laserna Olivia , Olazabal María Ángeles , Morillas Héctor , Prieto‐Taboada Nagore , Martinez‐Arkarazo Irantzu , Arana Gorka , Madariaga Juan Manuel
Published: August 2013

The built Heritage constantly suffers different deterioration processes caused by the action of external agents, being one of the main consequences of the formation of soluble salts. These salts appear as efflorescences or subefflorescences that by hydration and dehydration cycles and/or dissolution processes producing crystallization of salts within the pores may promote internal fractures and material loss. The assessment of building material conservation on a 15th century Palace house, located close to the Urola river (Azpeitia, Basque Country, North of Spain), has been performed by in‐situ characterization of pathologies on sandstone, mortar and limestone affected by infiltration waters. Portable Raman and X‐ray fluorescence spectrometers have been used to characterize the bulk materials as well as the salts present along the different walls of the Palace. The in‐situ analysis by those portable equipments has been complemented with laboratory measurements on selected samples, taken close to the spots analysed by the portable instruments. Different carbonates (natrite, termonatrite, natron, calcite and gaylussite), oxides (hematite, limonite and rutile), feldspar (orthoclase) and silicates (quartz) have been identified as original compounds. Furthermore, nitrates (niter, nitrocalcite and nitratine) and sulphates (gypsum and thenardite) have been found as decaying compounds permitting to establish the degradation processes of the attack produced by the infiltration waters on the different building materials. Moreover, the study revealed that certain materials used in a previous restoration produced new degradation processes, evidencing the importance of a proper selection of the materials to be used in the interventions. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of a combined machining/burnishing tool on the roughness and mechanical properties
Authors: Mezlini S. , Mzali S. , Sghaier S. , Braham C. , Kapsa Ph.
Published: August 2013

Burnishing is a cold working surface treatment process in which plastic deformation of surface irregularities occurs by exerting pressure through a very hard and a very smooth roller or ball on a surface to generate a uniform and work‐hardened surface. This treatment occurs generally after the machining process. In this study, a new combined machining/burnishing tool is designed and is fabricated. This tool allows for generating simultaneously the machining (turning) and the burnishing of the cylindrical surface using a turning machine.

First, turned surfaces at different conditions, sketches, finishing and half finishing were performed using only the cutting tool. The evolutions of a surface roughness parameter and the technological time relative to every test condition have been investigated. Second, using the combined machining/burnishing tool at coarse conditions, the evolutions of the surface roughness and the technological time have been also investigated. A comparison among the parameters obtained under different machining conditions and those obtained using the combined machining/burnishing tool has been carried out. Moreover, the analyses of the layers obtained on the combined machined/burnished surface have shown that the burnishing process induces compressive residual stresses on the subsurface treated specimens. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Micropatterning Polypyrrole Conducting Polymer by Pulsed Electrical Discharge
Authors: Anwar Mohammed Muntakim , Saleh Tanveer , Madden John D. W. , Takahata Kenichi
Published: August 2013

Polypyrrole and other conducting polymers are of interest in actuators, sensors, energy storage devices and organic electronics. The patterning of these polymers can be challenging, particularly polypyrrole due to its insolubility. This paper reports the first micropatterning of polypyrrole using high‐frequency pulses of extremely miniaturized electrical discharge. Microstructures with surface roughness of 70 nm are produced in the polymer with sub‐micron depth control. Patterning of polypyrrole film deposited on a commercial medical catheter is demonstrated toward enabling smart catheters that use the patterned film as integrated actuators. This novel micropatterning capability opens up new possibilities for polypyrrole and likely other polymers, promoting micro‐device applications for them.
Optically Active Particles of Chiral Polymers
Authors: Song Ci , Liu Xuan , Liu Dong , Ren Chonglei , Yang Wantai , Deng Jianping
Published: August 2013

Particles constructed by chiral polymers (defined as PCPs) have emerged as a rapidly expanding research field in recent years because of their potentially wide‐ranging applications in asymmetric catalysis, enantioselective crystallization, enantioselective release, amongst many others. The particles show considerable optical activity, due to the chirality of the corresponding polymers from which the particles are derived. This review article presents an overview on PCPs with emphasis on our group's recent achievements in the preparation of PCPs derived from optically active helical polymers and their applications. PCPs can be prepared via emulsion polymerization, precipitation polymerization, and suspension polymerization by starting from monomers. Emulsification of preformed chiral polymers and self‐assembly approaches also can lead to PCPs. Chiral polymer‐based core/shell particles, hollow particles, and magnetic particles are also covered because of their remarkable properties and significant potential applications.

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3‐D Interdigitated electrodes for uniform stimulation of electro‐responsive hydrogels for biomedical applications
Authors: Jackson Nathan , Cordero Nicolas , Stam Frank
Published: August 2013

Stimuli‐responsive hydrogels are continuing to increase in demand in biomedical applications. Occluding a blood vessel is one possible application which is ideal for a hydrogel because of their ability to expand in a fluid environment. However, typically stimuli‐responsive hydrogels focus on bending instead of radial uniform expansion, which is required for an occlusion application. This article focuses on using an interdigitated electrode device to stimulate an electro‐responsive hydrogel in order to demonstrate a uniform swelling/deswelling of the hydrogel. A Pluronic‐bismethacrylate (PF127‐BMA) hydrogel modified with hydrolyzed methacrylic acid, in order to make it electrically responsive, is used in this article. An interdigitated electrode device was manufactured containing Platinum electrodes. The results in this paper show that the electrically biased hydrogels deswelled 230% more than the non‐biased samples on average. The hydrogels deswelled uniformly and showed no visual deformations due to the electrical bias. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2013, 51, 1523–1528
Data‐driven models for protein interaction and design
Authors: Zhu Xiaolei , Ericksen Spencer S. , Demerdash Omar N. A. , Mitchell Julie C.
Published: August 2013

We describe methods and results for four new types of challenge in the Critical Assessment of PRedicted Interactions (CAPRI). Two new challenges asked predictors to create models related to protein interface design. The first of these was to distinguish binding interfaces from designed nonbinding interfaces. The second was to predict the effects of all single‐point mutations on hemagglutinin binding to two small designed proteins. Two additional challenges asked predictors to submit high‐resolution structures for interface‐bound crystallographic waters and for binding heparin to a putative glycosylase. Proteins 2013; 81:2221–2228. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The crystal structure of human quinolinic acid phosphoribosyltransferase in complex with its inhibitor phthalic acid
Authors: Malik Shuja S. , Patterson Dimeka N. , Ncube Ziphezinhle , Toth Eric A.
Published: August 2013

Quinolinic acid (QA), a biologically potent but neurodestructive metabolite is catabolized by quinolinic acid phosphoribosyltransferase (QPRT) in the first step of the de novo NAD+ biosynthesis pathway. This puts QPRT at the junction of two different pathways, that is, de novo NAD+ biosynthesis and the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan degradation. Thus, QPRT is an important enzyme in terms of its biological impact and its potential as a therapeutic target. Here, we report the crystal structure of human QPRT bound to its inhibitor phthalic acid (PHT) and kinetic analysis of PHT inhibition of human QPRT. This structure, determined at 2.55 Å resolution, shows an elaborate hydrogen bonding network that helps in recognition of PHT and consequently its substrate QA. In addition to this hydrogen bonding network, we observe extensive van der Waals contacts with the PHT ring that might be important for correctly orientating the substrate QA during catalysis. Moreover, our crystal form allows us to observe an intact hexamer in both the apo‐ and PHT‐bound forms in the same crystal system, which provides a direct comparison of unique subunit interfaces formed in hexameric human QPRT. We call these interfaces “nondimeric interfaces” to distinguish them from the typical dimeric interfaces observed in all QPRTs. We observe significant changes in the nondimeric interfaces in the QPRT hexamer upon binding PHT. Thus, the new structural and functional features of this enzyme we describe here will aid in understanding the function of hexameric QPRTs, which includes all eukaryotic and select prokaryotic QPRTs. Proteins 2014; 82:405–414. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
EPR of new phosphorus‐containing centers in synthetic diamonds
Authors: Nadolinny Vladimir , Komarovskikh Andrey , Pal'yanov Yuri , Kupriyanov Igor
Published: August 2013

This work is devoted to studying the effect of electron and X‐ray irradiation on phosphorus centers in synthetic diamonds grown in the P–C system by high‐pressure high‐temperature method (BARS technology). A new paramagnetic NP6 phosphorus‐containing center was found in annealed at 2573 K and 7.5 GPa diamonds after X‐ray irradiation in addition to NP4 and NP5 phosphorus centers. NP6 center has electron spin S = 1/2, g1 = 2.00085, g2 = 2.00083, g3 = 2.00083 and hyperfine structure (HFS) of one phosphorus atom with parameters: A1 = 7.585 mT, A2 = 2.942 mT, A3 = 2.328 mT. It is supposed that NP4–NP6 centers are genetically related to three NP1–NP3 nitrogen–phosphorus centers and are formed as the tetrahedral environment of a phosphorus atom is transformed into the octahedral environment at annealing temperature of 2573 K. Synthetic diamonds annealed at 2573 K were subsequently subjected to irradiation with electrons with energy of 3.5 MeV (5 × 1017 e cm−2) and annealing at 773 and 973 K. It was ascertained by the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies that annealing of the crystals irradiated with electrons gave rise to a new paramagnetic center NP7 with electron spin S = 1 and HFS of one phosphorus atom with parameters: g = 2.0012, D = 1.97 mT and A(P) = 0.36 mT. The center hypothetically has a structure of eight‐vacancy chain with a phosphorus atom in its center.
Femtosecond laser micromachined optical waveguides in LiTaO3 crystal
Authors: Xu Miaomiao , He Ruiyun , Sun Shuqian , Aldana Javier R. Vázquez de , Chen Feng
Published: August 2013

By using femtosecond laser micromachining, optical wave guides in both depressed cladding and dual‐line configurations have been produced in LiTaO3 crystal. The guiding properties and the thermal stability have been investigated for both geometries, which exhibit different performance. Depressed cladding waveguides support guidance along both extraordinary and ordinary index polarizations, while dual‐line waveguides support only extraordinary index polarization. Thermal annealing has been proved to be an effective method to reduce the propagation losses. For the cladding waveguide, the lowest propagation loss was as low as 0.38 dB/cm after the annealing treatment at 400 °C. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Latent semantic analysis
Authors: Evangelopoulos Nicholas E.
Published: August 2013

This article reviews latent semantic analysis (LSA), a theory of meaning as well as a method for extracting that meaning from passages of text, based on statistical computations over a collection of documents.LSAas a theory of meaning defines a latent semantic space where documents and individual words are represented as vectors.LSAas a computational technique uses linear algebra to extract dimensions that represent that space. This representation enables the computation of similarity among terms and documents, categorization of terms and documents, and summarization of large collections of documents using automated procedures that mimic the way humans perform similar cognitive tasks. We present some technical details, various illustrative examples, and discuss a number of applications from linguistics, psychology, cognitive science, education, information science, and analysis of textual data in general.WIREs Cogn Sci2013, 4:683–692. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1254

This article is categorized under:

Linguistics > Computational Models of Language

Psychology > Language
Copula‐based model for wind turbine power curve outlier rejection
Authors: Wang Yue , Infield David G. , Stephen Bruce , Galloway Stuart J.
Published: August 2013

Power curve measurements provide a conventional and effective means of assessing the performance of a wind turbine, both commercially and technically. Increasingly high wind penetration in power systems and offshore accessibility issues make it even more important to monitor the condition and performance of wind turbines based on timely and accurate wind speed and power measurements. Power curve data from Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system records, however, often contain significant measurement deviations, which are commonly produced as a consequence of wind turbine operational transitions rather than stemming from physical degradation of the plant. Using such raw data for wind turbine condition monitoring purposes is thus likely to lead to high false alarm rates, which would make the actual fault detection unreliable and would potentially add unnecessarily to the costs of maintenance. To this end, this paper proposes a probabilistic method for excluding outliers, developed around a copula‐based joint probability model. This approach has the capability of capturing the complex non‐linear multivariate relationship between parameters, based on their univariate marginal distributions; through the use of a copula, data points that deviate significantly from the consolidated power curve can then be removed depending on this derived joint probability distribution. After filtering the data in this manner, it is shown how the resulting power curves are better defined and less subject to uncertainty, whilst broadly retaining the dominant statistical characteristics. These improved power curves make subsequent condition monitoring more effective in the reliable detection of faults. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bi65Cu13Ge41O6Br122, a Low‐Valent Compound of High Structural Complexity Featuring the Trigonal Anion [O(GeIIBr2)3]2–with an sp2‐Hybridized μ3‐Oxide Ion
Authors: Gerisch Alexander , Isaeva Anna , Ruck Michael
Published: August 2013

Thiny black air‐sensitive crystals of Bi65Cu13Ge41O6Br122= (Bi5)2(Bi9)6[O(GeBr2)3]6[Cu6Ge5Br20][BiCu7Ge18Br66] were obtained by very slow cooling of a melt of bismuth, bismuth tribromide, copper, and partly oxidized germanium. The crystal structure was described in the hexagonal space groupP63(no. 173) witha= 2584.2(4) pm andc= 1277.4(3) pm at 296(1) K. The polarity of the structure is subtle; large parts of the structure show a pseudo mirror plane. The highly diversified structure comprises five distinct structural fragments. For the first time, two polyhedral bismuth polycations, Bi53+(trigonal bipyramid,D3h) and Bi95+(tricapped trigonal prism,D3h), occur in one and the same chemical compound. A hitherto unknown group is theC3h‐symmetric μ3‐oxido‐tris[dibromidogermanate(II)] anion [O(GeBr2)3]2–, in which the germanium atoms of three GeIIBr2units bind to a central oxide ion with sp2hybridization. Density‐functional‐theory‐based calculations on an isolated [O(GeBr2)3]2–anion confirm the stability of the group and its shape. Real‐space chemical bonding analysis supports the polar nature of the Ge–O and Ge–Br bonds as well as the assigned oxidation states. The [O(GeBr2)3]2–anion and the bismuth polycations are embedded between two kinds of one‐dimensional networks, which are running parallel to thecaxis, a bromido‐cuprate(I)‐germanate(II) network1∞[Cu6Ge5Br20]4–and a bromido‐bismuthate(III)‐cuprate(I)‐germanate(II) network1∞[BiCu7Ge18Br66]20–. The latter features pentacoordinate germanium(II) atoms with bond angles close to 90°. The solution of the crystal structure from X‐ray diffraction data was hampered not only by severe pseudo‐symmetry and the similar scattering power of copper, germanium, and bromine atoms, but also by substantial atomic disorder and orientational disorder of the Bi53+polycation. Bi65Cu13Ge41O6Br122may be seen as a link between low‐valent germanium compounds and low‐valent bismuth compounds.
BPS black holes in AdS
4 from M-theory
Authors: Halmagyi Nick , Petrini Michela , Zaffaroni Alberto
Published: August 2013

Abstract

We study supersymmetric black holes in AdS
4 in the framework of four dimensional gauged
$ \mathcal{N}=2 $
supergravity coupled to hypermultiplets. We derive the flow equations for a general electrically gauged theory where the gauge group is Abelian and, restricting them to the fixed points, we derive the gauged supergravity analogue of the attractor equations for theories coupled to hypermultiplets. The particular models we analyze are consistent truncations of M-theory on certain Sasaki-Einstein seven-manifolds. We study the space of horizon solutions of the form AdS
2
× Σ
g
with both electric and magnetic charges and find a four-dimensional solution space when the theory arises from a reduction on Q
111. For other SE
7 reductions, the solutions space is a subspace of this. We construct explicit examples of spherically symmetric black holes numerically.
Genome mining of the Streptomyces avermitilis genome and development of genome-minimized hosts for heterologous expression of biosynthetic gene clusters
Authors: Ikeda Haruo , Shin-ya Kazuo , Omura Satoshi
Published: August 2013

To date, several actinomycete genomes have been completed and annotated. Among them, Streptomyces microorganisms are of major pharmaceutical interest because they are a rich source of numerous secondary metabolites. S. avermitilis is an industrial microorganism used for the production of an anthelmintic agent, avermectin, which is a commercially important antiparasitic agent in human and veterinary medicine, and agricultural pesticides. Genome analysis of S. avermitilis provides significant information for not only industrial applications but also understanding the features of this genus. On genome mining of S. avermitilis, the microorganism has been found to harbor at least 38 secondary metabolic gene clusters and 46 insertion sequence (IS)-like sequences on the genome, which have not been searched so far. A significant use of the genome data of Streptomyces microorganisms is the construction of a versatile host for heterologous expression of exogenous biosynthetic gene clusters by genetic engineering. Since S. avermitilis is used as an industrial microorganism, the microorganism is already optimized for the efficient supply of primary metabolic precursors and biochemical energy to support multistep biosynthesis. The feasibility of large-deletion mutants of S. avermitilis has been confirmed by heterologous expression of more than 20 exogenous biosynthetic gene clusters.
Gratitude is associated with greater levels of protective factors and lower levels of risks in African American adolescents
Authors: Ma Mindy , Kibler Jeffrey L. , Sly Kaye
Published: August 2013

The literature suggests gratitude is associated with positive youth development. The current study examined the relationship between gratitude and protective/risk factors among African American youth. Adolescents (N = 389; 50.4% males) ages 12–14 completed measures of gratitude (moral affect and life‐orientation), protective factors (e.g., academic and activity engagement, family relationship), and high‐risk behaviors (e.g., sexual attitudes and behaviors, drug/alcohol use). Results indicated greater moral affect gratitude was the only variable significantly associated with greater academic interest, better academic performance, and more extra‐curricular activity engagement. Greater moral affect and life‐orientation gratitude both significantly correlated with positive family relationship. Greater life‐orientation gratitude was the only variable significantly associated with abstinence from sexual intimacy, sexual intercourse, likelihood of engaging in sex during primary school, and abstinence from drug/alcohol use. The findings suggest that moral affect gratitude may enhance protective factors while life‐orientation gratitude may buffer against high‐risk behaviors among African American youth.
Role of toll-like receptors in systemic sclerosis
Authors: Ciechomska Marzena , Cant Rachel , Finnigan James , van Laar Jacob M. , O'Reilly Steven
Published: August 2013

Accumulative evidence demonstrates the crucial role of evolutionary conserved Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in identifying microbial or viral compounds. TLRs are also able to recognise endogenous molecules which are released upon cell damage or stress and have been shown to play a key role in numerous autoimmune diseases including systemic sclerosis (SSc). A classic feature of SSc, is vascular injury manifested as Raynaud's phenomenon and ischaemia of the skin, resulting in the release of endogenous TLR ligands during inflammation and local tissue damage. These locally released TLR ligands bind TLRs possibly complexed to autoantibodies, and initiate intracellular signalling pathways and may be one of the mechanisms that initiate and drive autoimmunity and subsequent fibrosis. Activation of the immune system results in interferon (IFN) sensitive gene transcription. There is also an IFN gene signature in SSc peripheral blood. TLRs may represent the link between immune activation, common in SSc, and tissue fibrosis. Therefore, a better understanding of the mechanisms of TLR-mediated pathogenesis and therapies targeting individual TLRs, may provide a more specific approach of treating multi-systemic autoimmune diseases. This review aims to integrate the current knowledge of TLR function in the autoimmune disorders with particular emphasis on SSc. We suggest the TLR system as a new therapeutic target.
Invariant measures for interval maps with different one-sided critical orders
Authors: CUI HONGFEI , DING YIMING
Published: August 2013

For an interval map whose critical point set may contain critical points with different one-sided critical orders and jump discontinuities, under a mild condition on critical orbits, we prove that it has an invariant probability measure which is absolutely continuous with respect to Lebesgue measure by using the methods of Bruin et al [Invent. Math. 172(3) (2008), 509–533], together with ideas from Nowicki and van Strien [Invent. Math. 105(1) (1991), 123–136]. We also show that it admits no wandering intervals.