bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A young cluster with an extended main-sequence turnoff: confirmation of a prediction of the stellar rotation scenario
Authors: Bastian N. , Niederhofer F. , Kozhurina-Platais V. , Salaris M. , Larsen S. , Cabrera-Ziri I. , Cordero M. , Ekström S. , Geisler D. , Georgy C. , Hilker M. , Kacharov N. , Li C. , Mackey D. , Mucciarelli A. , Platais I.
Published: April 2016

We present Hubble Space Telescope photometry of NGC 1850, a ∼100 Myr, ∼105 M⊙ cluster in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The colour–magnitude diagram clearly shows the presence of an extended main-sequence turnoff (eMSTO). The use of non-rotating stellar isochrones leads to an age spread of ∼40 Myr. This is in good agreement with the age range expected when the effects of rotation in the main-sequence turnoff (MSTO) stars are wrongly interpreted in terms of age spread. We also do not find evidence for multiple, isolated episodes of star formation bursts within the cluster, in contradiction to scenarios that invoke actual age spreads to explain the eMSTO phenomenon. NGC 1850 therefore continues the trend of eMSTO clusters, where the inferred age spread is proportional to the age of the cluster. While our results confirm a key prediction of the scenario where stellar rotation causes the eMSTO feature, direct measurements of the rotational rate of MSTO stars is required to definitively confirm or refute whether stellar rotation is the origin of the eMSTO phenomenon or if it is due to an as yet undiscovered effect.
Turbulent cosmic ray reacceleration and the curved radio spectrum of the radio relic in the Sausage Cluster
Authors: Fujita Yutaka , Akamatsu Hiroki , Kimura Shigeo S.
Published: April 2016

It has often been thought that the northern radio relic in the galaxy cluster CIZA J2242.8+5301 (the “Sausage” Cluster) is associated with cosmic ray (CR) electrons that are accelerated at a shock through the diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) mechanism. However, recent radio observations have shown that the radio spectrum is curved, which is inconsistent with the prediction of a simple DSA model. Moreover, the CR electron spectrum before being affected by radiative cooling seems to be too hard for DSA. In this study, we show that these facts are natural consequences if the electrons are reaccelerated in turbulence downstream of the shock. In this model, DSA is not the main mechanism for generating high-energy electrons. We find that the mean free path of the electrons should be much shorter than the Coulomb mean free path for efficient reacceleration. The scale of the turbulent eddies must be smaller than the width of the relic. We also predict hard X-ray spectra of inverse Compton scattering of photons.
Prevalent Presence of Periodic Actin-spectrin-based Membrane Skeleton in a Broad Range of Neuronal Cell Types and Animal Species
Authors: He Jiang , Zhou Ruobo , Wu Zhuhao , Carrasco Monica , Kurshan Peri , Farley Jonathan , Simon David , Wang Guiping , Han Boran , Hao Junjie , Heller Evan , Freeman Marc , Shen Kang , Maniatis Tom , Tessier-Lavigne Marc , Zhuang Xiaowei
Published: April 2016

Actin, spectrin and associated molecules form a periodic, sub-membrane cytoskeleton in the axons of neurons. For a better understanding of this membrane-associated periodic skeleton (MPS), it is important to address how prevalent this structure is in different neuronal types, different subcellular compartments, and across different animal species. Here, we investigated the organization of spectrin in a variety of neuronal and glial-cell types. We observed the presence of MPS in all of the tested neuronal types cultured from mouse central and peripheral nervous systems, including excitatory and inhibitory neurons from several brain regions, as well as sensory and motor neurons. Quantitative analyses show that MPS is preferentially formed in axons in all neuronal types tested here: spectrin shows a long-range, periodic distribution throughout all axons, but only appears periodic in a small fraction of dendrites, typically in the form of isolated patches in sub-regions of these dendrites. As in dendrites, we also observed patches of periodic spectrin structures in a small fraction of glial-cell processes in four types of glial cells cultured from rodent tissues. Interestingly, despite its strong presence in the axonal shaft, MPS is absent in most presynaptic boutons, but is present in a substantial fraction of dendritic spine necks, including some projecting from dendrites where such a periodic structure is not observed in the shaft. Finally, we found that spectrin is capable of adopting a similar periodic organization in neurons of a variety of animal species, includingCaenorhabditis elegans,Drosophila,Gallus gallus,Mus musculusandHomo sapiens.
Why Mutant Allele Frequencies in Oncogenes Peak Around 0.40 and Rapidly Decrease?
Authors: Kannan Kasthuri , Heguy Adriana
Published: April 2016

The mutant allele frequencies in oncogenes peak around 0.40 and rapidly decrease. In this article, we explain why this is the case. Invoking a key result from mathematical analysis in our model, namely, the inverse function theorem, we estimate the selection pressures of the mutations as a function of germline allele frequencies. Under complete dominance of oncogenic mutations, this selection function is expected to be linearly correlated with the distribution of the mutant alleles. We demonstrate that this is the case by investigating the allele frequencies of mutations in oncogenes across various cancer types, validating our model for mean effective selection. Consistent with the population genetics model of fitness, the selection function fits a gamma distribution curve that accurately describes the trend of the mutant allele frequencies. While existing equations for selection explain evolution at low allele frequencies, our equations are general formulas for natural selection under complete dominance operating at all frequencies. We show that selection exhibits linear behavior at all times, favoring dominant alleles with respect to the change in recessive allele frequency. Also, these equations show, selection behaves like power-law against the recessive alleles at low dominant allele frequency.
Discovery of a Natural Microsporidian Pathogen with a Broad Tissue Tropism inCaenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Luallen Robert J. , Reinke Aaron W. , Tong Linda , Botts Michael R. , Félix Marie-Anne , Troemel Emily R.
Published: April 2016

Microbial pathogens often establish infection within particular niches of their host for replication. Determining how infection occurs preferentially in specific host tissues is a key aspect of understanding host-microbe interactions. Here, we describe the discovery of a natural microsporidian parasite of the nematodeCaenorhabditis elegansthat has a unique tissue tropism compared to other parasites ofC. elegans. We characterize the life cycle of this new species,Nematocida displodere,including pathogen entry, intracellular replication, and exit.N. disploderecan invade multiple host tissues, including the epidermis, muscle, neurons, and intestine ofC. elegans. Despite robust invasion of the intestine very little replication occurs there, with the majority of replication occurring in the muscle and epidermis. This feature distinguishesN. disploderefrom two closely related microsporidian pathogens,N. parisiiandN. sp. 1, which exclusively invade and replicate in the intestine. Comparison of theN. disploderegenome withN. parisiiandN. sp. 1 reveals thatN. displodereis the earliest diverging species of theNematocidagenus and devotes over 10% of its genome to a single species-specific gene family that may be mediating host interactions upon infection. Altogether, this system provides a convenient whole-animal model to investigate factors responsible for pathogen growth in different tissue niches.
Proteolysis of HCF-1 by Ser/Thr glycosylation-incompetent O-GlcNAc transferase:UDP-GlcNAc complexes
Authors: Kapuria Vaibhav , Röhrig Ute F. , Bhuiyan Tanja , Borodkin Vladimir S. , van Aalten Daan M.F. , Zoete Vincent , Herr Winship
Published: April 2016

In complex with the cosubstrate UDP-N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc), O-linked-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) catalyzes Ser/Thr O-GlcNAcylation of many cellular proteins and proteolysis of the transcriptional coregulator HCF-1. Such a dual glycosyltransferase–protease activity, which occurs in the same active site, is unprecedented and integrates both reversible and irreversible forms of protein post-translational modification within one enzyme. Although occurring within the same active site, we show here that glycosylation and proteolysis occur through separable mechanisms. OGT consists of tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) and catalytic domains, which, together with UDP-GlcNAc, are required for both glycosylation and proteolysis. Nevertheless, a specific TPR domain contact with the HCF-1 substrate is critical for proteolysis but not Ser/Thr glycosylation. In contrast, key catalytic domain residues and even a UDP-GlcNAc oxygen important for Ser/Thr glycosylation are irrelevant for proteolysis. Thus, from a dual glycosyltransferase–protease, essentially single-activity enzymes can be engineered both in vitro and in vivo. Curiously, whereas OGT-mediated HCF-1 proteolysis is limited to vertebrate species, invertebrate OGTs can cleave human HCF-1. We present a model for the evolution of HCF-1 proteolysis by OGT.
Inactivation of prosurvival Bcl-2 proteins activates Bax/Bak through the outer mitochondrial membrane
Authors: O'Neill Katelyn L. , Huang Kai , Zhang Jingjing , Chen Yi , Luo Xu
Published: April 2016

The mechanism of Bax/Bak activation remains a central question in mitochondria-dependent apoptotic signaling. While it is established that all proapoptotic Bcl-2 homology 3 (BH3)-only proteins bind and neutralize the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins, how this neutralization leads to Bax/Bak activation has been actively debated. Here, genome editing was used to generate cells deficient for all eight proapoptotic BH3-only proteins (OctaKO) and those that lack the entire Bcl-2 family (Bcl-2 allKO). Although the OctaKO cells were resistant to most apoptotic stimuli tested, they underwent Bax/Bak-dependent and p53/Rb-independent apoptosis efficiently when both Bcl-xL and Mcl-1, two anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins, were inactivated or eliminated. Strikingly, when expressed in the Bcl-2 allKO cells, both Bax and Bak spontaneously associated with the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM) through their respective helix 9, and this association triggered their homo-oligomerization/activation. Together, these results strongly suggest that the OMM, not BH3-only proteins or p53/Rb, is the long-sought-after direct activator of Bax/Bak following BH3-only-mediated neutralization of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins.
The impact of Total Quality Management and entrepreneurial orientation on organizational performance
Authors: Al-Dhaafri Hassan Saleh , Al-Swidi Abdullah
Published: April 2016

Purpose

One of the primary goals of this study was to examine the joint effect of entrepreneurial orientation and Total Quality Management on the organizational performance.

Design/methodology/approach

To examine the hypothesized model of the study, the survey questionnaire research design was employed. The data were collected from Dubai police departments. The total number of questionnaires distributed was 320 out of which only 111 usable questionnaires were returned. The Structural Equation Modelling partial least squares approach was used.

Findings

The statistical results confirmed the effect of entrepreneurial orientation and TQM on the organizational performance.

Practical implications

. Further details and valuable implications of this study were discussed throughout the study. The results of this study have many practical implications. The results will help managers to take the proper decision when deciding to implement TQM in their organizations. The TQM can help managers with strong EO to achieve the maximum performance in organizations and to remain competitive in the market.

Originality/value

This study is considered one of the very few empirical studies that examine the effect of EO and TQM the organizational performance.
Dynamic quality cost model based on complexity theory
Authors: DUARTE JUNIOR NASARIO DE SOUSA FILIPE
Published: April 2016

Purpose

This article presents a dynamic model of decision-making on Quality Costs, using the concepts of the Complexity Theory, consistent with the PAF models (Prevention Appraisal-Failures) and with the “optimum” derivation feature (generally towards Zero Defects).

Design/methodology/approach

After a literature review and the mathematical model development, this model was simulated in several situations and the results were evaluated, producing new insights.

Findings

The results show that the larger the delay between action and reaction "t" is, the more complex the system will be, and the effects of the decisions are experienced for “k” later periods, but for some specific “t” a dynamic balance is possible.

Research limitations/implications

The strategy is immutable. The quantity produced is not a variable in the model. The investment amount “x” is fixed.

Originality/value

This model is original due to the use of the Complexity Theory, and also to show that the optimum in terms of quality costs can be a positive value or Zero Defects, being in fact a moving target, depending on external conditions. The model value lies in the fact that it is dynamic, so closer to the reality of decision-making enterprises, and for revealing the importance of factors involved with complexity has, such as the time lag "t" for the success of management strategies of Quality Costs.
Critical assessment on the Six Sigma Black Belt roles/ responsibilities, skills and training: a global empirical study
Authors: Antony Jiju , Karaminas Harry
Published: April 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of the first global empirical study on the roles/ responsibilities and skills of Six Sigma Black Belts (SSBBs), followed by the most recent trends on an effective Black Belt (BB) training curriculum.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on a survey questionnaire which was designed and distributed to (primarily) SSBBs around the world. A total of 105 responses from 14 different countries were received.

Findings

The results of the study show that change agent and advocate on the use of statistical tools are being considered as the most significant roles that a Black Belt undertakes. Additionally, analytical skills followed by expertise in Six Sigma method (DMAIC) along with all the related tools and techniques top the ranking with the most important skills that BBs should acquire. In terms of BB training, basic statistics appears to be the most important prerequisite, while the inclusion of soft skills in the BB curricula is being strongly supported. Finally, a consultation session after the formal training appears to be highly desired.

Practical implications

This study identifies the roles/ responsibilities that BBs should hold in organisations operating in the 21st century and the skills they should acquire. The findings are presented as a set of criteria on how to develop the world class Black Belts of the future. Companies and recruitment agencies could benefit from spotting the most talented BBs, resulting in cost savings in the recruiting and training processes.

Originality/value

Contribution is being made by identifying the most commonly cited roles/ responsibilities in the literature and comparing them to the practitioners’ views. A comparison on the characteristics of the currently provided BB training curricula and those of the best possible training program is also presented.
Change agent aides: effect in a public information campaign
Authors: Vejlgaard Henrik
Published: April 2016

Purpose

This study aims at establishing if the use of change agency aides can have an effect on a specific target group in a public information campaign. The target group is elderly citizens.

Design/methodology/approach

Using both diffusion theory and social network theory the theoretical concept for the interpersonal network communication campaign is presented. The object of this study is the analogue terrestrial television (ATT) switch-off in Denmark. The units of analysis are the whole Danish population and elderly Danish citizens. The rate of awareness-knowledge of the ATT switch-off among all Danish households and the rate of awareness-knowledge of the ATT switch-off among elderly citizens aged 65+ were measured.

Findings

In the 3 month campaign period the double-digit gab (12 percent) was reduced to a two percent gap. It appears that interpersonal network communication can have an effect, with respect to elderly citizens who are targeted by change agent aides.

Research limitations/implications

It is a limitation of this study that the change agent aides were not monitored and surveyed systematically to document their effort.

Practical implications

It is likely that the use of change agent aides can make sense with respect to other target groups. However, the use of change agent aides will not necessarily work with any subject matter. Who can benefit from using change agent aides, can vary from subject matter to subject matter, and with the complexity of the subject matter.

Originality/value

Little research appears to have been carried out in recent years. One can only speculate as to why apparently no research has been carried out in recent years, but if practitioners are unsure of the effect of using change agent aides, for instance, they may refrain from using them, and consequently there may not be many cases to study.
Civil servants as superior presidential spokespeople
Authors: Alaimo Kara
Published: April 2016

Purpose

This study investigated whether political appointees or civil servants are more effective spokespeople for the President of the United States.

Design/methodology/approach

A series of rare, detailed, confidential interviews were conducted with civil servants and political appointees who worked in public affairs for the U.S. Department of the Treasury under Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, as well as with reporters who interacted with the officials frequently.

Findings

The findings suggest that civil servants more effectively advance the President’s positions in the press than political appointees. Reporters place significantly less trust in information they receive from political appointees because they assume that appointees are politically motivated – a phenomenon this study calls the “appointee discount.” Appointees also have significantly less knowledge of the policies they are responsible for communicating. Civil servants are therefore positioned to more effectively shape media coverage on behalf of the President.

Research limitations/implications

The findings suggest that the increased use of political appointees by modern Presidents may have been misguided. Further research should be conducted in other government agencies to confirm the findings.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that it would be in the interests of the President of the United States to use civil servants rather than political appointees as spokespeople for non-political policies.

Originality/value

This is the first study to investigate whether political appointees or civil servants better advance the interests of the President of the United States in the press.
Integrated commissioning and structural integration: the experience of Northern Ireland
Authors: Gray Ann Marie , Birrell Derek
Published: April 2016

Purpose

Across the UK integrated commissioning is seen as important to achieving integrated care. In Great Britain this has largely meant separate health and social care agencies coming together to assess need and the planning and delivery of services. Achieving integrated commissioning has proved difficult in the context of different funding systems and different organisational and professional values and cultures. Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom to have a system of total structural integration of all health and social care. The purpose of this paper is to examine the challenges of operationalising integrated commissioning in Great Britain and to assess whether the Northern Ireland model of structural integration has resolved such difficulties

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviews how integrated commissioning is working through analysis of published research. The authors draw on policy documents to assess and evaluate the structure and process of integrated commissioning in Northern Ireland.

Findings

It is concluded that structural integration is not a pre-requisite for integrated care and that there may be risks to social care in moving toward structural integration. While there is a rhetorical commitment to integrated care across the UK this is not followed through in commissioning practice.

Originality/value

The paper presents an original assessment of the operation of integrated commissioning in Northern Ireland that has relevance for debates in Britain about the integration of health and social care.
Multi-agency working and implications for care managers
Authors: Jasper Rowan , Wilberforce Mark , Verbeek Hilde , Challis David J
Published: April 2016

Purpose

To examine the association between multi-agency working and psychosocial characteristics of work, practitioner time-use and job satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

A comparison of practitioners working in multi-agency (health and social care) and single-agency (social care only) teams, using data from the 2008 evaluation of Individual Budgets pilots in England. Participants worked in care manager roles supporting adult social care service users, and comprised social workers and a smaller number of health professionals. Data was collected using a self-completed questionnaire.

Findings

Data were returned from 249 respondents (a 29 per cent response rate), with two-thirds working in single-agency teams. No significant differences were found between team type and job satisfaction. Respondents in multi-agency teams reported greater decision autonomy but poorer supervisory support than those in single-agency teams. The latter finding was robust to further exploration using regression to control for confounding factors.

Research limitations/implications

These data were not specifically collected for the study and response rates were relatively low due to organisational upheaval at the time of data collection, which may affect interpretation.

Practical implications

Government policy is dedicated to extending integrated forms of working, including multi-agency teamwork. This research suggests that such structures need careful planning for them to work effectively, with particular attention to supervision arrangements.

Originality/value

This research gives a systematic and objective exploration of the relationship between job characteristics, time-use and satisfaction of practitioners in single as compared to multi-agency teams.
Constructing ZSCORE-based financial crisis warning models using fruit fly optimization algorithm and general regression neural network
Authors: Huang Tsui-Hua , Leu Yungho , Pan Wen-Tsao
Published: April 2016

Purpose

– In order to avoid enterprise crisis and cause the domino effect, which influences the investment return of investors, the national economy, and financial crisis, establishing a complete set of feasible financial early warning model can help to prevent the possibility of enterprise crisis in advance, and thus, reduce the influence on society and the economy. The purpose of this paper is to develop an efficient financial crisis warning model.

Design/methodology/approach

– First, the fruit fly optimization algorithm (FOA) is used to adjust the coefficients of the parameters in the ZSCORE model (we call it the FOA_ZSCORE model), and the difference between the forecasted value and the real target value is calculated. Afterward, the generalized regressive neural network (GRNN model), with optimized spread by FOA (we call it FOA_GRNN model), is used to forecast the difference to promote the forecasting accuracy. Various models, including ZSCORE, FOA_ZSCORE, FOA_ZSCORE+GRNN, and FOA_ZSCORE+FOA_GRNN, are trained and tested. Finally, different models are compared based on their prediction accuracies and ROC curves. Furthermore, more appropriate parameters, which are different from the parameters in the original ZSCORE model, are selected by using the multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) method.

Findings

– The hybrid model of the FOA_ZSCORE together with the FOA_GRNN offers the highest prediction accuracy, compared to other models; the MARS can be used to select more appropriate parameters to further improve the performance of the prediction models.

Originality/value

– This paper proposes a hybrid model, FOA_ZSCORE+FOA_GRNN which offers better performance than the original ZSCORE model.
Degradation of PBO Fiber by Heat and Light
Authors: Liu Xiaoyan , Yu Weidong
Published: April 2016

PBO and p-aramids fibers were compared on thermal degradation in TG and DTG experiments, and PBO fiber showed the highest degradation temperature in both air and nitrogen atmosphere. Annealed under high temperature of 100°C, 200°C, 300°C and 400°C for 1.5 hours, the tenacity of these samples all decreased with the temperature, while PBO fiber showed the best tensile retention property. Whereas using the xenon arc light to simulate sunlight irradiated on the PBO and Kevlar samples for different time respectively, PBO showed the worst tensile retention property. In contrast, the p-aramid fibers showed their relatively good mechanical stability when exposed to the simulated sunlight. Therefore, the application of PBO fibers should be careful in the state of sunlight irradiation although PBO has the highest original mechanical and thermal property.
On Assessing Flammability of Textiles
Authors: Cheng K.P.S. , Chow W.K. , Han S.S.
Published: April 2016

This study is to investigate the fire safety of textile and clothing materials. It also assesses the flammability for textiles in general.

With the increase in big fires, accidental or non-accidental, people are worrying about the fire behaviour of combustibles. The flammability of textile and clothing materials is a great concern. Appropriate tests should be developed to assess textile and clothing materials to ensure they are safe in a fire. In fact, textile products should satisfy some fire safety criteria depending on their uses. There are specified flammability requirements on selected products, though whether these are good enough for assessing modern textile materials should be watched.

Typical textile materials with and without fire retardants protection were selected for assessing the fire behaviour with a cone calorimeter. High radiative heat flux up to 70 kWm‒2 was applied to assess those selected textile materials. A cone calorimeter is suggested to be the minimum requirement, though some full-scale burning tests are necessary for some purposes. Heat release rate and flame spreading measures are proposed in ranking the fire safety of textile materials.
Study on the Color Design for Automobile Interior Textiles
Authors: Ru Ailin
Published: April 2016

The essence of the ornament phenomenon is a cultural one and a symbol of civilization progress. As for fashion and home textiles, automobile interior textiles play an important part in reflecting the styles of vehicles, the different cultures and personalities of the owners, and finally influence the sales volume of vehicles. With the development of the world economy and the improvement of life, people pay more attention to the color and pattern design of a car's interior decoration. This paper deals with the principles of color design for industrial textiles with automobile interior textiles as an example, and particularly deals with the color scheme for a combination of colors in the automobile interior textiles design. In terms of color design, automobile interior textiles with the aesthetic and technical design will be the preferred products in future, indicating that both aesthetic and pragmatic needs should be considered in the industrial textile design.
Activated Carbon Nonwoven as Chemical Protective Materials
Authors: Chen Y. , Jiang N. , Sun L. , Negulescu I.
Published: April 2016

The process of manufacturing an activated carbon nonwoven made by cotton fiber was investigated. The study was focused on cotton nonwoven formation, carbonization, activation, and characterization of the activated carbon nonwoven. Pyrolysis of the cotton carbonization was analyzed using TGA. There was a considerable decrease in weight loss in the region between 250°C to 400°C and the proper carbonized temperature was 400°C. The SEM examination indicated that the surface area of cotton fiber was increased significantly because the inside hollow of cotton fiber was widely opened and some small agglomerated particles were gasified after activation. Absorbability of the activated carbon nonwoven was evaluated using an instrument of inverse gas chromatography. Dispersive surface energy, specific free energy, and total surface energy all indicated this trend: Carbonized Cotton > Activated Cotton > Raw Cotton. The activated carbon nonwoven exhibited the potential for use as high adsorbent and absorbent materials. They are light weight and bulky, advantageous in protective clothing applications and other consumer and industrial applications.
Interlaminar Stresses in CFRP Composites with a Hole
Authors: Khoshravan M.R. , Jami A.R.
Published: April 2016

Based on theories of composite sheets, the generated stresses in a stratified composite loaded in monotonic tensile are composed of the σx, σy and τxy components, which are situated in the plane of the sheet. In fact in the interface of different layers, the σz normal stress and τxz and τyz shear stresses, normal to the plane are also generated, which are amplified in the vicinity of the holes. The generation of the interlaminar stresses is due to the difference in the poisson ratio between two neighbour layers. These interlaminar stresses lead to delamination and the failure of the composite. The evaluation of the value and the situation of these stresses would be useful to prevent the failure of the stratified composite by delamination. For this purpose a model composed of three dimensional 20- nodes quadric brick element was developed. The stratified composite with a hole in its center was loaded under monotonic tensile. The computation of stresses was carried out using Ansys software. The result was that interlaminar stresses were obtained for six different lay up sequences of the T300/934 CFRP composites. These results will be the base for the evaluation of delamination of the corresponding composite.
A Data Mining based Intelligent System for Worsted Process Decision
Authors: Lv Zhi-Jun , Xiang Qian , Yang Jian-guo , Cheng Long-di
Published: April 2016

Textile production is a very complex industrial process, whose planning still depends on experts' knowledge and experience. With traditional techniques, a great many process parameters have to be repeatedly computed and the optimization of process parameters is also getting more and more difficult. However the proliferation of a huge mass of data from real production has been creating many new opportunities for those working in textile science, engineering and business. The field of data mining (DM) and knowledge discovery from database (KDD) has emerged as a new discipline in engineering and computer science. This paper investigates data mining methods from the industrial database, and presents a novel DM-based intelligent model (DMIM) for worsted process decisions through an integral application of case-based reasoning (CBR) and artificial neural network (ANN) techniques. First, from the rich existing process database, CBR is able to retrieve and recommend a similar process case as a process template; then, by means of modification on these parameters in the existing cases, ANN model is used to predict the yarn quality and make the best process decision. The basic concept and system modeling are presented in this paper. An applied case with DMIM is also given to demonstrate that the best process decision can be made and important process parameters such as those for raw materials can be optimized.
Performance of Bioactive Molecules on Cotton and Other Textiles
Authors: Edwards J. Vincent , Goheen Steven C.
Published: April 2016

Four types of biologically active molecules were examined for their structure/activity relationships as applied to textile functionalization. Bio-molecules including enzymes, peptides, carbohydrates, and lipids have been found to retain their activity when linked to cotton fabrics. Wound dressing protection against the protease destruction caused by human neutrophil elastase was examined with cellulose conjugates and formulations of peptides, carbohydrates, and lipids attached with various chemistries to cotton dressings. These serve as a model for protective textiles at the surface of the skin. Additional biological activities that were explored included antibacterial and haemostatic fabrics related to wound healing, and neurotoxin neutralization related to decontamination. Lysozyme was found to have robust antibacterial activity when conjugated to cotton. Peptide conjugates of cellulose have been explored as enzyme substrates, antimicrobial agents, and cell adhesion promoters on textiles for wound healing. Carbohydrates ranging from low molecular weight monosaccharides to high molecular weight polysaccharides have both molecular and functional activity when crosslinked or grafted onto cotton with numerous textile performance properties. Textile bound lipids have been explored for a variety of applications including antibacterial, hygienic function, and enzyme inhibition. A lipid: albumin complex that serves as a carrier transfer agent involved in enzyme inhibition is given as an example.
Cotton-Comfortable Face Masks with Protective Finishes and Electret Filter Media for Safety from Microbial Threats
Authors: Wadsworth JLarry C. , Tsai Peter P.
Published: April 2016

Cotton-comfortable multi-ply face mask fabrics have been developed at The University of Tennessee's Textiles and Nonwovens Development Center (TANDEC) which have a repellent finished outer spunbond (SB) polypropylene (PP) layer, a middle layer of electrostatically charged (EC) melt blown (MB) PP, and a face side of a cotton-rich nonwoven. The EC MB PP layer effectively filters out aerosols and particulate containing bacteria and viruses, thereby protecting both the wearer and other personnel in the environment. In addition, a cotton-rich nonwoven layer on the body side provides the aesthetics and comfort of cotton, and also better retains antibacterial finish for neutralizing any microbes that penetrate the EC filter media. Filtration efficiency (FE) against 0.1 μm NaCl particles and the pressure drop were determined at TANDEC. FE to water aerosol containing Staphyloccus aureus bacteria per the In Vitro Bacterial Filtration Efficiency (BFE) test and to virus (φX174) per the In Vitro Viral Filtration Efficiency (VFE) were determined at Nelson Laboratories. The percent reduction of bacteria after the BFE test was also ascertained by Nelson Laboratories by a method adapted from AATCC 100.
Parameter Extraction of Solar Cell Models Using the Lightning Search Algorithm in Different Weather Conditions
Authors: Sirjani Reza , Shareef Hussain
Published: April 2016

Recently, accurate modeling of the differences between the current and voltage (I–V) characteristics of solar cells has been the main focus of many research studies. Mostly the results were obtained only for single diode or double diode solar cells, not for both or even for photovoltaic (PV) modules. Moreover, the effect of different shading conditions and different temperatures should be considered; otherwise, the obtained results would be reliable for specific weather conditions and unreliable for all real conditions. In this study, a novel nature-inspired optimization method known as the lightning search algorithm (LSA) was developed to extract the parameters of single diode and double diode solar cells as well as for a PV module. LSA is formulated based on lightning, which originates from thunderstorms. Experimental data from multicrystalline KC200GT solar panels were used to test the single diode and double diode solar panel models, and experimental data from the monocrystalline SQ150-PC solar panels were used to test the PV module model. The experimental data are first collected at the same temperature at five different irradiance levels. In the second stage, variations in temperature are considered at the same irradiance level. The extraction results in the LSA I–V curves accurately fit the entire range of the experimental data, while many fluctuations were seen in the particle swarm optimization (PSO) and bee colony optimization (BCO) I–V curves. The convergence characteristics of LSA were also evaluated in terms of accuracy and speed. For all cases, when LSA was used, the accuracies matched well with the entire range of experimental data. In addition, the value of the objective function using LSA was lower, and that method converged much faster than PSO and BCO.
Revisiting the Compressibility of Oil/Refrigerant Lubricants
Authors: Bair Scott , Baker Mark , Pallister David M.
Published: April 2016

A fixture was fabricated for the purpose of restraining the expansion of an existing metal bellows piezometer so that a refrigerant and oil mixture can be admitted under pressure. Measurements on a polyol ester (POE) with 9.2 wt.% of R134a show that the addition of refrigerant slightly increases compressibility. The previously reported reduction in compressibility (increase in bulk modulus) by Tuomas and Isaksson (2006, “Compressibility of Oil/Refrigerant Lubricants in Elasto-Hydrodynamic Contacts,” ASME J. Tribol., 128(1), pp. 218–220) of an ISO 68 POE when mixed with R134a cannot be supported by precise measurements of the volume compression. The increased compressibility found by Comuñas and co-workers (2002, “High-Pressure Volumetric Behavior of x 1, 1, 1, 2-Tetrafluoroethane + (1 − x) 2, 5, 8, 11, 14-Pentaoxapentadecane (TEGDME) Mixtures,” J. Chem. Eng. Data, 47(2), pp. 233–238) is the correct trend. The Tait equation of state (EoS) has been fitted to the data for both the neat POE and its 9.2% by weight mixture with refrigerant. The usual problem was encountered for the mixture with the Tait EoS at low pressure where the compressibility becomes greater than predicted due to proximity to the vapor dome. The measured relative volumes of the mixture can be used to collapse the viscosity to a master curve when plotted against the Ashurst–Hoover thermodynamic scaling parameter. The thermodynamic scaling interaction parameter is approximately the same as for the neat oil.
Fracture Formation in Axisymmetrical Layered Materials
Authors: Colin Jérôme
Published: April 2016

A stress-based criterion for the formation of a periodic distribution of cracks in an infinite-length cylindrical inclusion of radius R embedded in an infinite-size matrix has been established when the inclusion undergoes intrinsic strain. In agreement with previous studies, it is found that the distance separating two consecutive circular cracks of the same radius than that of inclusion does not depend on stress nor elastic coefficients of the material. This critical distance has been found to be of the order of 1.67 R.
Numerical Investigation of the Air Pumping Noise Generation Mechanism in Tire Grooves
Authors: Gautam Prashanta , Chandy Abhilash J.
Published: April 2016

Tire noise has been a topic of increased focus of research in industrial countries in the recent years, due to its contribution to traffic noise. However, knowledge about aerodynamic noise generation mechanisms, which are responsible for the high frequency noise in tires is lacking. This study focuses on the aerodynamic mechanism of small-scale air pumping in tire grooves, where computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used to investigate the flow and noise features resulting from two different types of deformation in the process of a tire groove interacting with a smooth road surface. The two deformation types include (a) a commonly used piston-type motion of the bottom wall and (b) a more realistic bulging in/out of the side walls of a tire groove. The large eddy simulation (LES)-based approach consisting of the filtered Navier–Stokes equations is employed here along with the appropriate boundary conditions to accurately calculate the solution of the fluid flow resulting from the compression and expansion of air in the groove. Flow patterns are analyzed using velocity and pressure field data, whereas noise analysis is carried out using temporal pressure profiles and corresponding frequency spectra. The comparative study presented here provides a better understanding of the small-scale air pumping phenomenon in tire grooves and also demonstrates the significance of the choice of deformation type employed in such numerical simulations. The latter is critical in designing a more complete CFD model, which can further be used to optimize the tire acoustics.
Diffuse ultrasound monitoring of stress and damage development on a 15-ton concrete beam
Authors: Zhang Yuxiang , Planès Thomas , Larose Eric , Obermann Anne , Rospars Claude , Moreau Gautier
Published: April 2016

This paper describes the use of an ultrasonic imaging technique (Locadiff) for the Non-Destructive Testing & Evaluation of a concrete structure. By combining coda wave interferometry and a sensitivity kernel for diffuse waves, Locadiff can monitor the elastic and structural properties of a heterogeneous material with a high sensitivity, and can map changes of these properties over time when a perturbation occurs in the bulk of the material. The applicability of the technique to life-size concrete structures is demonstrated through the monitoring of a 15-ton reinforced concrete beam subject to a four-point bending test causing cracking. The experimental results show that Locadiff achieved to (1) detect and locate the cracking zones in the core of the concrete beam at an early stage by mapping the changes in the concrete's micro-structure; (2) monitor the internal stress level in both temporal and spatial domains by mapping the variation in velocity caused by the acousto-elastic effect. The mechanical behavior of the concrete structure is also studied using conventional techniques such as acoustic emission, vibrating wire extensometers, and digital image correlation. The performances of the Locadiff technique in the detection of early stage cracking are assessed and discussed.
Draft Genome Sequence of the New Pathogen for Bivalve Larvae
Vibrio bivalvicida
Authors: Dubert Javier , Spinard Edward J. , Nelson David R. , Gomez-Chiarri Marta , Romalde Jesús L. , Barja Juan L.
Published: April 2016

Vibrio bivalvicida
is a novel pathogen of bivalve larvae responsible for recent vibriosis outbreaks affecting shellfish hatcheries. Here, we announce the draft genome sequence of
V. bivalvicida
605
T
and describe potential virulence factors.
Genome Sequence of
Bacillus anthracis
Strain Stendal, Isolated from an Anthrax Outbreak in Cattle in Germany
Authors: Antwerpen Markus , Elschner Mandy , Gaede Wolfgang , Schliephake Annette , Grass Gregor , Tomaso Herbert
Published: April 2016

In July 2012, an anthrax outbreak occurred among cattle in northern Germany resulting in ten losses. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of
Bacillus anthracis
strain Stendal, isolated from one of the diseased cows.
Draft Genome Sequence of Low-Passage Clinical Isolate
Porphyromonas gingivalis
MP4-504
Authors: To Thao T. , Liu Quanhui , Watling Michael , Bumgarner Roger E. , Darveau Richard P. , McLean Jeffrey S.
Published: April 2016

We present the draft genome of
Porphyromonas gingivalis
MP4-504, a low-passage clinical isolate obtained from a periodontitis patient. The genome is composed of 92 contigs for a length of 2,373,453 bp and a G+C of 48.3%. The
traA-Q
conjugative transfer locus is genetically distinct from W83 but highly similar to ATCC 33277.
Complete Genome Sequence of the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Strain SLO/JH-11/2015
Authors: Toplak Ivan , Ipavec Manica , Kuhar Urška , Kušar Darja , Papić Bojan , Koren Simon , Toplak Nataša
Published: April 2016

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) was detected for the first time in Slovenia in January 2015. The complete genome sequence of PEDV strain SLO/JH-11/2015, obtained from a fecal sample of a fattening pig with diarrhea in September 2015, is closely related to recently detected European strains.
Type V Secretion Systems in Bacteria
Authors: Fan Enguo , Chauhan Nandini , Udatha D. B. R. K. Gupta , Leo Jack C. , Linke Dirk
Published: April 2016

Type V secretion denotes a variety of secretion systems that cross the outer membrane in Gram-negative bacteria but that depend on the Sec machinery for transport through the inner membrane. They are possibly the simplest bacterial secretion systems, because they consist only of a single polypeptide chain (or two chains in the case of two-partner secretion). Their seemingly autonomous transport through the outer membrane has led to the term “autotransporters” for various subclasses of type V secretion. In this chapter, we review the structure and function of these transporters and review recent findings on additional factors involved in the secretion process, which have put the term “autotransporter” to debate.
Adenocarcinoma of the ampulla of Vater metastasising into the right ventricle
Authors: Moser Magdalena , Wiedemann Dominik , Kitzwögerer Melitta , Frank Herbert
Published: April 2016

A 43-year-old woman, after resected adenocarcinoma of the ampulla of Vater, presented dyspnoea and beginning signs of right heart failure. Echocardiography revealed a mass within the right ventricle (RV) suspicious for a metastasis of the known adenocarcinoma. The decision for surgical resection was made by cardiovascular MR, which was able to delineate the infiltrative growth of a metastasis. An extensive resection had to be performed. Parts of the intraventricular septum as well as the tricuspid valve had to be resected. After six cycles of adjuvant systemic chemotherapy with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel, the patient had no macroscopic tumour recurrence. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a pancreatobiliary tumour metastasising exclusively to the RV of the heart. We conclude that in this special case aggressive surgical management following chemotherapy was very effective in controlling the disseminated adenocarcinoma of the ampulla of Vater.
Complete reversal of hypertensive cardiomyopathy after initiating combined antihypertensive therapy
Authors: Holl Marijn J , van de Poll Sweder W , Michels Michelle
Published: April 2016

Hypertensive cardiomyopathy is a common complication of hypertension, with a prevalence ranging from 12% to 26%. It is associated with an increased cardiac mortality and morbidity. Lifestyle changes and antihypertensive therapy usually have a significant, but relatively small effect on left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), which is associated with a reduction in cardiovascular risk. In this paper, we describe a 39-year-old woman with severe LVH. On transthoracic echocardiogram there was concentric LVH, systolic function was a mildly reduced and there was diastolic dysfunction grade III. After only 6 months of therapy with a combination of antihypertensive agents, the left ventricular mass index was reduced by 29%, systolic function was normal and the diastolic dysfunction improved to grade I. This paper shows that in hypertensive cardiomyopathy, even severe LVH can be completely reversible.