bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
LABOR AND OCCUPY WALL STREET: COMMON CAUSES AND UNEASY ALLIANCES
Authors: Shepard Benjamin Heim
Published: March 2012

Forty‐two years after the Hard Riot of May 1970, organized labor seems to have embraced the goals of a new social movement, Occupy Wall Street (OWS). Both movements have benefited from mutual association, with labor finding new vitality in its connection with a mobilized social movement. And OWS has been able to dismiss the charge that this is a counterculture movement, by connecting itself with labor. Labor helped mobilize a successful action in Wall Street on May 12, 2011, which anticipated OWS. Still, challenges remain if labor is to maintain its uneasy alliance with this anarchist‐inspired movement. Labor must learn to show solidity and respect not only to the message of OWS but to the movement's nonhierarchical organizing process if the alliance to endure.
Structural and Dielectric Studies of Nanocrystalline Calcium Substituted Magnesium Titanate Synthesized Through an Auto‐Igniting Combustion Technique
Authors: Suresh Madukayil Kunjoonju , Thomas Jijimon Kumpukattu , Sreemoolanadhan Hariharan , George Chandy Nellimmoottil , John Annamma , Solomon Sam , Wariar Palakkattumala Ramachandra Sobhana , Koshy Jacob
Published: March 2012

Nanocrystalline calcium substituted magnesium titanate was synthesized through an auto‐igniting combustion technique. The phase constitution of the powder was examined using X‐ray diffraction, thermal analyses, and spectroscopic studies. The particle size of ~30 nm was obtained, and that could be sintered to 96% of the theoretic density at 1150°C/2 h. The microstructure of the sintered surface was examined using scanning electron microscopy. The quality factor (Qu × f ) of 65,110 GHz, dielectric constant (εr) of 20.25, and temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τf) of ~0 ppm/°C suggest that the sintered sample can be used for microwave applications.
Capacity for Freedom – Using a New Poverty Measure to Look at Regional Differences in Living Standards within Australia
Authors: CALLANDER EMILY J. , SCHOFIELD DEBORAH J. , SHRESTHA RUPENDRA N.
Published: March 2012

Using a recently developed measure of multidimensional poverty, the Freedom Poverty Measure, the difference in poverty rates of major cities, inner regional, and other areas have been compared. The population living in ‘other areas’ had the highest proportion of individuals living in freedom poverty. Those in inner regional areas (P = 0.0303) and those in major cities (P < 0.0001) were significantly less likely to be in freedom poverty than those in ‘other areas’. However, when breaking the analysis down to look at the different poverty rates for different age groups across the three regional classifications, it was found that there was no difference in the likelihood of being in freedom poverty between children in inner regional and other areas, adults in inner regional and other areas, and older people in inner regional and other areas. This may indicate that the disadvantage experienced by those living in regional centres has been overlooked in the past and is an emerging contemporary issue for health and education equity as well as economic equality.
Urban Homebodies: Embodiment, Masculinity, and Domesticity in Inner Sydney
Authors: GORMAN‐MURRAY ANDREW
Published: March 2012

Gender is a key lens for interpreting meanings and practices of home(making) in urban neighbourhoods, but while there is a rich understanding of women's experiences, there is a paucity of work on men's. To advance insights into gendered dimensions of home in urban contexts, this paper discusses men's embodied experiences of home in inner Sydney, drawing data from fieldwork with 52 men. This focus is prompted by scholarly and policy concern with men's emotional wellbeing. I seek to understand how these men deploy their homes to pursue work/life balance and how domestic activities contribute to their emotional wellbeing. I find that these men use their bodies as emotional and sensuous instruments to manage the interplay of work(place) and home(place). Moreover, I suggest that these men's embodied emotional engagements with domesticity reconfigure the gendered practices and imaginaries of homelife, and challenge persistent gender inequalities and stereotypes by providing alternatives to hegemonic masculinity.
Preliminary Investigations of the Effect of Lipophilic Analogues of the Active Metabolite of Isoniazid Toward Bacterial and Plasmodial Strains
Authors: Delaine Tamara , Bernardes‐Génisson Vania , Quémard Annaïk , Constant Patricia , Cosledan Frédéric , Meunier Bernard , Bernadou Jean
Published: March 2012

Five lipophilic analogues 1–5 of the active metabolite of the antitubercular drug isoniazid (INH), selected as inhibitors of Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth, were evaluated for their activity against Corynebacterium glutamicum (lacking in InhA activity), Escherichia coli (to test mycobacteria selectivity), and Plasmodium falciparum (as possible parasite target). Compound 3 was the only one that did not inhibit C. glutamicum growth. The poor InhA inhibitors 1 and 2 were able to inhibit C. glutamicum and their anti(myco)bacterial mechanisms of action involve targets other than InhA. For the effective InhA inhibitors 4 and 5, also active against C. glutamicum and M. tuberculosis strains, more than one pathway should be envisaged to explain their actions. Pyridine‐base ring analogues (1, 2, and 3) have no ability to inhibit the growth of E. coli even at a high concentration. Compound 3 thus exhibited a selective inhibitory action toward M. tuberculosis, while it was inactive on C. glutamicum and on E. coli growth. It presented an activity profile similar to that of INH suggesting InhA inhibition as one of the possible mechanisms of action. Finally, although a homologue of the reductase InhA exists in the FAS‐II system of P. falciparum, 3 was unable to display antiplasmodial activity.
Computational Insights into the Inhibition of Inosine 5′‐Monophosphate Dehydrogenase by Mycophenolic Acid Analogs: Three‐Dimensional Quantitative Structure–Activity Relationship and Molecular Docking Studies
Authors: Yang Na , Wang Jian , Wang Zhi‐Wei , Wang Qing‐He , Yang Hong‐Guang , Wang Xiu‐Jun , Cheng Mao‐Sheng
Published: March 2012

Inosine 5′‐monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH) is a key enzyme in the de novo synthesis of guanosine nucleotides. It is considered as an important target in the quest for drugs in the immunosuppressive, antiviral, antibacterial, and anticancer therapeutic areas. Herein, we report the 3D‐QSAR analyses using comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA), comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA) and docking on mycophenolic acid derivates for the first time. We obtained cross‐validated q2 value of 0.805 for CoMFA and 0.620 for CoMSIA, while the non‐cross‐validated r2 values for them were 0.969 and 0.935, respectively. Based on the CoMFA and CoMSIA contour maps and docking analyses, some key structural factors responsible for inhibitory activity were revealed. The results obtained from this study could be used for the rational design of potent inhibitors against IMPDH.
Insights into the Uptake Mechanism of NrTP, A Cell‐Penetrating Peptide Preferentially Targeting the Nucleolus of Tumour Cells
Authors: Rádis‐Baptista Gandhi , de la Torre Beatriz G. , Andreu David
Published: March 2012

Nucleolar targeting peptides are 14–15 residue‐long sequences designed by structural minimization of a snake toxin (J Med Chem 2008;50:7041). Peptides such as NrTP1 (YKQCHKKGGKK GSG) and analogues are capable of penetrating human cervix epithelial carcinoma cells and homing into their nucleoli. We now show that NrTP1 similarly penetrates and localizes in the nucleolus of tumour cells derived from human pancreatic (BxPC‐3) and human ductal mammary gland (BT‐474) carcinomas. Live cell confocal microscopy imaging, combined with flow cytometry analysis of cells arrested to defined phases of their cycle, confirms that NrTP1 uptake and nucleolar homing are independent of cell cycle phase. Peptide uptake is significantly reduced at low temperature. Also, drugs inhibiting chlatrin‐mediated endocytosis severely decrease uptake, pointing to a clathrin‐dependent route as the primary NrTP1 internalization mechanism. These results highlight nucleolar targeting peptides not only as a novel and efficient class of cell‐penetrating peptides but also for their exceptional ability to target preferentially an essential and dynamic subnuclear structure such as the nucleolus.
Identification In Silico and In Vitro of Novel Trypanosomicidal Drug‐Like Compounds
Authors: Castillo‐Garit Juan A. , del Toro‐Cortés Oremia , Kouznetsov Vladimir V. , Puentes Cristian Ochoa , Romero Bohórquez Arnold R. , Vega Maria C. , Rolón Miriam , Escario José A. , Gómez‐Barrio Alicia , Marrero‐Ponce Yovani , Torrens Francisco , Abad Concepción
Published: March 2012

Atom‐based bilinear indices and linear discriminant analysis are used to discover novel trypanosomicidal compounds. The obtained linear discriminant analysis‐based quantitative structure–activity relationship models, using non‐stochastic and stochastic indices, provide accuracies of 89.02% (85.11%) and 89.60% (88.30%) of the chemicals in the training (test) sets, respectively. Later, both models were applied to the virtual screening of 18 in‐house synthesized compounds to find new pro‐lead antitrypanosomal agents. The in vitro antitrypanosomal activity of this set against epimastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi is assayed. Predictions agree with experimental results to a great extent (16/18) of the chemicals. Sixteen compounds show more than 70% of epimastigote inhibition at a concentration 100 μg/mL. In addition, three compounds (CRIS 112, CRIS 140 and CRIS 147) present more than 70% of epimastigote inhibition at a concentration of 10 μg/mL (79.95%, 73.97% and 78.13%, respectively) with low values of cytotoxicity (19.7%, 7.44% and 20.63%, correspondingly).Taking into account all these results, we could say that these three compounds could be optimized in forthcoming works. Even though none of them resulted more active than nifurtimox, the current results constitute a step forward in the search for efficient ways to discover new lead antitrypanosomals.
Involvement of the γ‐Secretase‐Mediated EphA4 Signaling Pathway in Synaptic Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Matsui Chiyuki , Inoue Eiji , Kakita Akiyoshi , Arita Kohei , Deguchi‐Tawarada Maki , Togawa Aki , Yamada Akio , Takai Yoshimi , Takahashi Hitoshi
Published: March 2012

Loss of synapses is associated with cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the molecular mechanism underlying this synaptic impairment is not well understood. EphA4 is a substrate of γ‐secretase, and the γ‐secretase‐cleaved EphA4 intracellular domain (EICD) is known to enhance the formation of dendritic spines via activation of the Rac signaling pathway. Here, we show that the amount of Rac1 is significantly reduced, and correlated with the level of EICD in the frontal lobes of AD patients. Biochemical analyses revealed that the amount of membrane‐associated EICD was decreased and strongly correlated with the level of membrane‐associated Rac1, which is considered to be active Rac1. The synaptic scaffolding protein, postsynaptic density (PSD)‐95, was specifically decreased in AD, and the amount of PSD‐95 correlated with the level of Rac1. Moreover, the amounts of Rac1 and PSD‐95 were negatively correlated with the extent of tau phosphorylation, which is crucial for neurofibrillary tangle formation. These results suggest that attenuation of the EICD‐mediated Rac signaling pathway is involved in the synaptic pathogenesis of AD.
Transnasal esophagogastroduodenoscopy for placement of nasoenteric feeding tubes in patients with severe upper gastrointestinal diseases
Authors: ZHANG Li , HUANG Yong Hui , YAO Wei , CHANG Hong , GUO Chang Ji , LIN San Ren
Published: March 2012

OBJECTIVE:  To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of small‐caliber transnasal esophagogastroduodenoscopy for the placement of nasoenteric feeding tubes (NET) in patients with severe upper gastrointestinal (GI) diseases.

METHODS:  Between January 2007 and March 2010, 51 patients underwent transnasal endoscopy for the placement of NET in Peking University Third Hospital. Indications for NET included esophageal stricture or gastric outlet obstruction because of corrosive esophagitis or gastritis, partial obstruction due to malignancy, stenosis in stoma or efferent loop, gastroparesis, metallic stent in upper GI tract, tracheoesophageal fistula, severe acute pancreatitis, anorexia nervosa and intensive care patients. The tubes were endoscopically placed using the guidewire technique. The position of the tube was confirmed by the immediate second endoscopy or abdominal X‐ray. If the initiate placement was not correct, an adjustment or a second placement was conducted immediately.

RESULTS:  Initial post‐pyloric placement of NET was achieved in 43 of 51 patients (84.3%), but the total success rate reached 98.0% (50/51) after the second placement. The time required for the procedure ranged from 10 to 35 min, with a median time of 20.4 min. Epistaxis occurred in 2 patients. There were no complications of hemorrhage, perforation or aspiration.

CONCLUSION:  The transnasal endoscopic placement of NET was feasible in patients with upper GI diseases, especially in those with changed anatomy.
On the Generalized Bootstrap for Sample Surveys with Special Attention to Poisson Sampling
Authors: Beaumont Jean‐François , Patak Zdenek
Published: March 2012

Nous étudions la technique du bootstrap généralisé pour des plans de sondage généraux. Nous nous concentrons principalement sur l’estimation bootstrap de la variance mais nous étudions également les propriétés empiriques des intervalles de confiance bootstrap obtenus en utilisant la méthode des percentiles. Le bootstrap généralisé consiste à générer aléatoirement des poids bootstrap de telle sorte que les deux (ou plus) premiers moments selon le plan de l’erreur d’échantillonnage soient approchés par leurs moments correspondants selon le mécanisme bootstrap. On peut voir la plupart des méthodes bootstrap dans la littérature comme étant des cas particuliers du bootstrap généralisé. Nous discutons de considérations telles que le choix de la distribution utilisée pour générer les poids bootstrap, le choix du nombre de répliques bootstrap et la présence possible de poids bootstrap négatifs. Nous décrivons d’abord le bootstrap généralisé pour l’estimateur linéaire de Horvitz‐Thompson et considérons ensuite les estimateurs non linéaires tels que ceux définis au moyen d’équations d’estimation. Nous développons également deux façons d’appliquer le bootstrap à l’estimateur par la régression généralisée du total d’une population. Nous étudions plus en profondeur le cas de l’échantillonnage de Poisson qui est souvent utilisé pour sélectionner des échantillons dans les enquêtes sur les indices de prix effectuées par les agences statistiques nationales dans le monde. Pour l’échantillonnage de Poisson, nous considérons une approche par pseudo‐population et montrons que les poids bootstrap qui en résultent capturent les trois premiers moments sous le plan de l’erreur d’échantillonnage. Nous utilisons une étude par simulation et un exemple avec des données d’enquêtes réelles pour illustrer la théorie.
Can they keep up with climate change? – Integrating specific dispersal abilities of protected Odonata in species distribution modelling
Authors: JAESCHKE ANJA , BITTNER TORSTEN , REINEKING BJÖRN , BEIERKUHNLEIN CARL
Published: March 2012

Abstract.  1. The effects of climate change on the distribution of species are typically inferred using bioclimatic envelope models, assuming either no or unrestricted dispersal abilities. Information on species‐specific dispersal abilities, especially of animals, is rarely incorporated.

2. We analysed European records of two damselflies and four dragonflies protected by the Habitats Directive of the European Union. In addition to no or unrestricted dispersal scenarios, we considered species‐specific dispersal distances based on literature information to improve realism in assessing conservation implications of climate change. The climate model HadCM3 and the emission scenario A2 were applied to project potential changes in occurrence probabilities up to 2035. As modelling algorithms, generalised linear models (GLM) and boosted regression trees (BRT) were used.

3. The species Coenagrion ornatum, Coenagrion mercuriale and Ophiogomphus cecilia are projected to lose range (up to −68%) when incorporating specific dispersal distances, while they are projected to extend their range (up to +23%) in the unrestricted dispersal scenario. Furthermore, suitable climatic conditions tend to decline for Leucorrhinia albifrons and Leucorrhina caudalis (up to −73%), whereas Leucorrhinia pectoralis is projected to gain distribution area (up to +37%) assuming either species‐specific or unrestricted dispersal and subsequently successful breeding. Cross‐validated model performance (AUC values) ranges between 0.77 and 0.92.

4. The integration of species‐specific knowledge about dispersal distances in species distribution models promises to improve estimates of potential range changes and their implications for conservation management. Contrasting model results under different dispersal scenarios highlight the importance of research on species’ ecology including dispersal distances.
Response‐guided peginterferon‐alpha‐2b plus ribavirin therapy for chronic hepatitis C patients with genotype 2 and high viral loads
Authors: Sato Ken , Hashizume Hiroaki , Yamazaki Yuichi , Horiguchi Norio , Kakizaki Satoru , Takagi Hitoshi , Mori Masatomo ,   the Gunma Liver Study Group
Published: March 2012

Aims:  Optimization of the duration of peginterferon‐α/ribavirin therapy in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 2 and high viral loads remains to be established. We sought to prospectively optimize the treatment duration based on their virological responses.

Methods:  Serum HCV RNA levels of less than 50 IU/mL at weeks 2 and 4, and of 50 IU/mL or more at week 4, were defined as a super‐rapid virological response (SRVR), rapid virological response (RVR) and late virological response (LVR), respectively. Treatment for 12, 24 or 48 weeks was assigned to the patients with an SRVR, RVR or LVR, respectively. However, patients with an LVR who expressed a desire to receive the standard therapy duration were given the 24‐week therapy.

Results:  The overall sustained virological response (SVR) rate was 78.1% (118/151). The SVR rate in the SRVR group was 93.8% (15/16), which was comparable to the 93.0% (66/71) SVR rate in the RVR group. In the LVR patients, the 48‐week treatment slightly increased the SVR rate to 76.5% (13/17) compared with the 51.1% (24/47) SVR rate in LVR patients who underwent the standard 24‐week treatment. The relapse rate in LVR patients was significantly decreased in patients treated for 48 weeks compared with patients treated for 24 weeks. Multivariate analysis identified the predictive factors for SVR as RVR, prior interferon therapy and total peginterferon‐α‐2b adherence in patients treated for 24 weeks.

Conclusion:  Response‐guided therapy may be effective and useful for optimization of the treatment duration.
A propensity for n‐ω‐amino acids in thermally altered Antarctic meteorites
Authors: BURTON Aaron S. , ELSILA Jamie E. , CALLAHAN Michael P. , MARTIN Mildred G. , GLAVIN Daniel P. , JOHNSON Natasha M. , DWORKIN Jason P.
Published: March 2012

Abstract– Asteroids and their fragments have impacted the Earth for the last 4.5 Gyr. Carbonaceous meteorites are known to contain a wealth of indigenous organic molecules, including amino acids, which suggests that these meteorites could have been an important source of prebiotic organic material during the origins of life on Earth and possibly elsewhere. We report the detection of extraterrestrial amino acids in thermally altered type 3 CV and CO carbonaceous chondrites and ureilites recovered from Antarctica. The amino acid concentrations of the thirteen Antarctic meteorites ranged from 300 to 3200 parts‐per‐billion (ppb), generally much less abundant than in amino acid‐rich CI, CM, and CR carbonaceous chondrites that experienced much lower temperature aqueous alteration on their parent bodies. In contrast to low‐temperature aqueously altered meteorites that show complete structural diversity in amino acids formed predominantly by Strecker–cyanohydrin synthesis, the thermally altered meteorites studied here are dominated by small, straight‐chain, amine terminal (n‐ω‐amino) amino acids that are not consistent with Strecker formation. The carbon isotopic ratios of two extraterrestrial n‐ω‐amino acids measured in one of the CV chondrites (δ13C approximately −25‰) are consistent with 13C‐depletions observed previously in hydrocarbons produced by Fischer‐Tropsch type reactions. The predominance of n‐ω‐amino acid isomers in thermally altered meteorites hints at cosmochemical mechanisms for the preferential formation and preservation of a small subset of the possible amino acids.
Accelerated in-vitro release testing methods for extended-release parenteral dosage forms
Authors: Shen Jie , Burgess Diane J
Published: March 2012

Objectives

This review highlights current methods and strategies for accelerated in-vitro drug release testing of extended-release parenteral dosage forms such as polymeric microparticulate systems, lipid microparticulate systems, in-situ depot-forming systems and implants.

Key findings

Extended-release parenteral dosage forms are typically designed to maintain the effective drug concentration over periods of weeks, months or even years. Consequently, ‘real-time’ in-vitro release tests for these dosage forms are often run over a long time period. Accelerated in-vitro release methods can provide rapid evaluation and therefore are desirable for quality control purposes. To this end, different accelerated in-vitro release methods using United States Pharmacopeia (USP) apparatus have been developed. Different mechanisms of accelerating drug release from extended-release parenteral dosage forms, along with the accelerated in-vitro release testing methods currently employed are discussed.

Accelerated in-vitro release testing methods with good discriminatory ability are critical for quality control of extended-release parenteral products. Methods that can be used in the development of in-vitro–in-vivo correlation (IVIVC) are desirable; however, for complex parenteral products this may not always be achievable.
Estimating Track Capacity Based on Rail Stresses and Metal Fatigue
Authors: Jeong David Y. , Perlman A. Benjamin
Published: March 2012

This paper describes a framework to evaluate the structural capacity of railroad track to train-induced loads. The framework is applied to estimate structural performance in terms of allowable limits for crosstie spacing. Evaluation of the load-carrying capacity of track is conducted by examining the state of stress in the rail. Rail stresses are estimated by superimposing the contributions from different sources: (1) live-load stresses, (2) thermal stresses, and (3) residual stresses. Rail bending and thermal stresses are calculated based on assuming that the rail behaves as a beam supported by a linear elastic foundation. The classical beam on elastic foundation analysis is modified in the present work to account for crosstie spacing that exceeds the limits of the classical theory. Finite element methods are used to develop an amplification factor on the bending moment calculated from beam on elastic foundation theory, which is applied when the spacing between crossties becomes discrete and the foundation support is no longer considered as continuous. The rail stress analysis is then used in conjunction with a failure criterion based on the formation and growth of internal defects in rail due to the repeated passage of wheels, i.e. metal fatigue. A similar methodology was applied in previous work to estimate allowable limits for rail head wear in terms of vertical head-height loss and gage-face side wear. Moreover, allowable limits estimated from this methodology are inherently linked with the frequency of rail testing to detect internal rail head defects and mitigate the likelihood of accidents from broken rails. The analyses described in this paper depend on various assumptions regarding operational, structural and environmental factors. These factors include vehicle weight, train speed, rail size, foundation modulus, temperature differential (i.e. difference between the rail temperature and the stress-free or neutral temperature), and rail test interval (i.e. tonnage between rail tests). Sensitivity studies are conducted to examine the relative effect of these factors on the estimation of maximum free span between effective ties. In addition, results from applying the methodology described in this paper are compared to the limits specified in the current track safety regulations.
Preliminary Finite Element Analysis of Locomotive Crashworthy Components
Authors: Llana Patricia , Stringfellow Richard
Published: March 2012

The Office of Research and Development of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Volpe Center are continuing to evaluate new technologies for increasing the safety of passengers and operators in rail equipment. In recognition of the importance of override prevention in train-to-train collisions in which one of the vehicles is a locomotive, and in light of the success of crash energy management technologies in cab car-led passenger trains, the Volpe Center seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of components that could be integrated into the end structure of a locomotive that are specifically designed to mitigate the effects of a collision and, in particular, to prevent override of one of the lead vehicles onto the other. A research program is being conducted that aims to develop, fabricate and test two crashworthy components for the forward end of a locomotive: (1) a deformable anti-climber, and (2) a push-back coupler. Preliminary designs for these components have been developed. This paper provides details on the finite element models of the crashworthy components and how the component designs behave in the finite element analyses. The component designs will be evaluated to determine if the requirements have been met, such as the energy absorption capability, deformation modes, and force/crush characteristics.
Stress and Fatigue Analysis of a Fiberglass 3rd Rail Support Bracket
Authors: Smyth A. , Winter C.
Published: March 2012

For mass transit rail systems employing a 3rd rail to provide the electric traction power, the 3rd rail support bracket must have the capability to withstand the dynamically applied service loads while also providing the necessary electric arc resistance. To meet the arc resistance requirement, fiberglass brackets have been steadily replacing metallic type brackets in fire retardation critical locations; therefore it was necessary to validate their structural performance when used in general service. To this end, a general stress analysis was performed on a representative support bracket to investigate potential stress profiles experienced under various static loading conditions. Historically, metallic brackets have not been susceptible to fatigue failures in service. In order to determine fatigue life characteristics of fiberglass brackets, service strains were collected and analyzed to compare the behavior of the fiberglass and metallic brackets and evaluate whether the service life of the new material is sufficient. Furthermore, the fatigue life of a support bracket is highly dependent on the operational conditions. Thus, a service fatigue life analysis was performed to determine the bracket’s response to the variation of operating environment parameters such as the 3rd rail material and track location. From the analyses performed, it was concluded that the current design was not sufficient in replacing the metallic brackets. A possible redesign was then analyzed and it can be shown that a fiberglass material is suitable for the service application if the proper bracket design is incorporated.
Whole-Body Vibration in Locomotive Cabs
Authors: DiFiore Amanda M. , Zaouk Abdullatif K. , Mansfield Neil J. , Punwani S. K. John
Published: March 2012

Locomotives produce vibrations and mechanical shocks from irregularities in the track, structural dynamics, the engines, the trucks, and train slack movement (Mansfield, 2005). The different directions of the irregularities give rise to car-body vibrations in multiple axes including the following: • Longitudinal, or along the length of the train (x); • Lateral, or the side-to-side direction of the train (y); • Vertical (z). Some reports suggest that acceleration at the seat pan is greater than that at the floor, indicating that the seat may amplify the vibration (Johanning, et al., 2006; Mansfield, 2005; Oborne & Clarke, 1974; Transport, 1980). The magnitude of vertical vibration in rail vehicles is reportedly well below many other types of vehicles (Dupuis & Zerlett, 1986; Griffin, 1990; Johanning, 1998). However, some research reports that rail vehicles experience far more lateral vibratory motion than cars and trucks (Lundstrom & Lindberg, 1983). Many factors influence the impact of shock felt by the engineer including train speed, consist, engineer control skills, anticipation of the shock, motion amplitude, shock duration, and body posture. Shock events and vibration affect ride quality; however, shocks are less controllable by locomotive design. Common sources of mechanical shock are coupling and slack run-ins and run-outs (Multer, et al., 1998). While there are investigations of whole-body vibration (WBV) in locomotive cabs reported in the literature, there have been no studies to date that have examined long-haul continuous vibrations (> 16 hr). The authors describe a long-haul WBV study collected on a 2007 GE ES44DC locomotive. It is the first in a series of studies sponsored by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to examine WBV and shock in locomotive cabs. The researchers recorded vibration data using 2 triaxial accelerometers on the engineers’ seat: a seat pad accelerometer placed on the seat cushion and a frame accelerometer attached to the seat frame at the base. Data collection occurred over 550 track miles for 16hr 44min. ISO 2631-1 defines methods for the measurement of periodic, random and transient WBV. The focus of ISO 2631-5 is to evaluate the exposure of a seated person to multiple mechanical shocks from seat pad measurements. The research team collected and analyzed vibrations in accordance with ISO 2631-1 and ISO 2631-5. The results from the study as well as future planned long-haul studies will provide a benchmark set of WBV metrics that define the vibration environment of present-day locomotive operations.
Design Outline for a Lightweight Inside Frame Freight Car Truck
Authors: Engle Thomas H.
Published: March 2012

Inside frame trucks were historically unacceptable on freight cars, because of bearing maintenance problems which the modern roller bearing eliminated. This paper is a design study showing the potential advantages of a modern inside frame truck particularly in improvements in reducing weight and maintenance requirements, and was inspired by a short wheelbase inside bearing four wheel truck that the auhor designed to replace the original single axle trucks on an updated version of the Iron Highway articulated integral train. The new truck had to be interchangeable with the original without frame or car structure: a four wheel truck in a two wheel space! The design was completed, operation simulated, and a truck built, but the development stopped, for economic reasons, prior to equipping a demonstration train. This effort, though, suggested that an AAR compatible version of that truck might be advantageous, and this paper outlines how and why such a truck might be built. The paper is divided into six sections: 1) Background in the Iron Highway; 2) Requirement dictating conversion to a 4 wheel truck; 3) Design of a 286,000lb. GRL North American freight truck; 4) Maintenance considerations; 5) Economic Considerations; and 6) an Annex describing testing by the Pennsylvania Railroad of Timken inside frame roller bearing trucks 80 years ago.
Magnetophoretic assembly and printing of nanowires
Authors: Wright Andrew C. , Faulkner Michael
Published: March 2012

Nanowires are a well-established class of materials covering both metals and semiconductors. Although the synthesis of nanowires has been highly developed, their manipulation into specific device structures has lagged behind. Here we report a simple room temperature method for creating directly patterned structures out of nickel nanowires of submicron diameters as previously formed by electrotemplating. Specially shaped magnetic pole-pieces are used to form patterns of these ferromagnetic rods on thin flexible plastic foils, which were then fixed permanently into place either by electrodepositing an additional thin nickel coating or by a UV-curable polymer solution. It is shown that it is possible with oriented and patterned magnetic fields to create both vertically and, by using additional surface tension forces upon drying, horizontally aligned arrays of nickel rods. The authors show that linewidths down to 50 μm can easily be realized with this technique and also show that direct printing of these magnetophoretically assembled structures onto adhesive or rubber substrates is also possible. The simplicity and low-cost inherent in this lithography-free method suggests that it is suitable as a general manufacturing method for nanowire assembly. As an example, a simple field emission display device is demonstrated.
Quality assurance for nonradiographic radiotherapy localization and positioning systems: Report of Task Group 147
Authors: Willoughby Twyla , Lehmann Joerg , Bencomo José A. , Jani Shirish K. , Santanam Lakshmi , Sethi Anil , Solberg Timothy D. , Tomé Wolfgang A. , Waldron Timothy J.
Published: March 2012

New technologies continue to be developed to improve the practice of radiation therapy. As several of these technologies have been implemented clinically, the Therapy Committee and the Quality Assurance and Outcomes Improvement Subcommittee of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine commissioned Task Group 147 to review the current nonradiographic technologies used for localization and tracking in radiotherapy. The specific charge of this task group was to make recommendations about the use of nonradiographic methods of localization, specifically; radiofrequency, infrared, laser, and video based patient localization and monitoring systems. The charge of this task group was to review the current use of these technologies and to write quality assurance guidelines for the use of these technologies in the clinical setting. Recommendations include testing of equipment for initial installation as well as ongoing quality assurance. As the equipment included in this task group continues to evolve, both in the type and sophistication of technology and in level of integration with treatment devices, some of the details of how one would conduct such testing will also continue to evolve. This task group, therefore, is focused on providing recommendations on the use of this equipment rather than on the equipment itself, and should be adaptable to each user's situation in helping develop a comprehensive quality assurance program.
Computer‐aided diagnosis for dynamic contrast‐enhanced breast MRI of mass‐like lesions using a multiparametric model combining a selection of morphological, kinetic, and spatiotemporal features
Authors: Agliozzo S. , De Luca M. , Bracco C. , Vignati A. , Giannini V. , Martincich L. , Carbonaro L. A. , Bert A. , Sardanelli F. , Regge D.
Published: March 2012

Purpose

: Dynamic contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE‐MRI) is a radiological tool for the detection and discrimination of breast lesions. The aim of this study is to evaluate a computer‐aided diagnosis (CAD) system for discriminating malignant from benign breast lesions at DCE‐MRI by the combined use of morphological, kinetic, and spatiotemporal lesion features.

Methods

: Fifty‐four malignant and 19 benign breast lesions in 51 patients were retrospectively evaluated. Images were acquired at two centers at 1.5 T. Mass‐like lesions were automatically segmented after image normalization and elastic coregistration of contrast‐enhanced frames. For each lesion, a set of 28 3D features were extracted: ten morphological (related to shape, margins, and internal enhancement distribution); nine kinetic (computed from signal‐to‐time curves); and nine spatiotemporal (related to the variation of the signal between adjacent frames). A support vector machine (SVM) was trained with feature subsets selected by a genetic search. Best subsets were composed of the most frequent features selected by majority rule. The performance was measured by receiver operator characteristics analysis with a stratified tenfold cross‐validation and bootstrap method for confidence intervals.

Results

: SVM training by the three separated classes of features resulted in an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.90 0.04 (mean standard deviation), 0.87 0.06, and 0.86 0.06 for morphological, kinetic, and spatiotemporal feature, respectively. Combined training with all 28 features resulted in AUC of 0.96 0.02 obtained with a selected feature subset composed by two morphological, one kinetic, and two spatiotemporal features.

Conclusions

: Quantitative combination of morphological, kinetic, and spatiotemporal features is feasible and provides a higher discriminating power than using the three different classes of features separately.
Particle therapy for noncancer diseases
Authors: Bert Christoph , Engenhart‐Cabillic Rita , Durante Marco
Published: March 2012

Radiation therapy using high‐energy charged particles is generally acknowledged as a powerful new technique in cancer treatment. However, particle therapy in oncology is still controversial, specifically because it is unclear whether the putative clinical advantages justify the high additional costs. However, particle therapy can find important applications in the management of noncancer diseases, especially in radiosurgery. Extension to other diseases and targets (both cranial and extracranial) may widen the applications of the technique and decrease the cost/benefit ratio of the accelerator facilities. Future challenges in this field include the use of different particles and energies, motion management in particle body radiotherapy and extension to new targets currently treated by catheter ablation (atrial fibrillation and renal denervation) or stereotactic radiation therapy (trigeminal neuralgia, epilepsy, and macular degeneration). Particle body radiosurgery could be a future key application of accelerator‐based particle therapy facilities in 10 years from today.
Reconstruction of
Microraptor
and the Evolution of Iridescent Plumage
Authors: Li Quanguo , Gao Ke-Qin , Meng Qingjin , Clarke Julia A. , Shawkey Matthew D. , D’Alba Liliana , Pei Rui , Ellison Mick , Norell Mark A. , Vinther Jakob
Published: March 2012

Flashy Feathers

Feather colors play key roles in the lives of birds, functioning in everything from camouflage, to thermoregulation, to sexual signaling. Much recent research has revealed that some dinosaurs also had feathers, and examination of feather components in fossil and preserved feathers has begun to reveal how feather color may have played a role in the lives of these dinosaurs.

Li
et al.

(p.
1215
) compared the characteristics of the melanosomes of the paravian dinosaur
Microraptor
to those found in extant birds, which suggest that its feathers were black and iridescent. The existence of this subtle color reflectance, together with morphological aspects of the feathered tail, suggests an important role for signaling in the early evolution of feathers.
Molecular Determinants of Scouting Behavior in Honey Bees
Authors: Liang Zhengzheng S. , Nguyen Trang , Mattila Heather R. , Rodriguez-Zas Sandra L. , Seeley Thomas D. , Robinson Gene E.
Published: March 2012

Bee Adventurous

Individuals differ in their behavior, sometimes in consistent ways. For example, some people may seek out new experiences, while others prefer to stick with what they know. This is true in bees as well, where some workers take on the dangerous, novelty-seeking task of scouting more often than others.

Liang
et al.

(p.
1225
) found that bees that display such scouting behavior not only tend to scout in multiple contexts (both foraging and searching for nests) but also show differences in gene expression in their brains. Experimental manipulation of gene expression predictably changed scouting behavior. The molecular underpinnings of bee scouting behavior appear to be similar to those associated with novelty-seeking in vertebrate species, including humans.
Moonstruck Magnetism
Authors: Collins Gareth S.
Published: March 2012

Do magnetic anomalies on the Moon indicate the remains of a giant asteroid impact?
Fluorescence Imaging of Cellular Metabolites with RNA
Authors: Paige Jeremy S. , Nguyen-Duc Thinh , Song Wenjiao , Jaffrey Samie R.
Published: March 2012

Cellular metabolites are detected within living cells by fluorescent RNA-based ligand-binding sensors.
The Human Factor
Authors: Dupont Lydie
Published: March 2012

Marine sediments suggest that climate was not the sole driver of the African rainforest crisis 3000 years ago.
Reviewer's Déjà Vu, French Science Sleuthing Uncover Plagiarized Papers
Authors: Balter Michael
Published: March 2012

An investigation by a French ecologist into papers authored by Serge Valentin Pangou, director of the Study and Research Group on Biological Diversity in the Republic of the Congo, concluded that at least nine contained material plagiarized from other researchers' work.
Report on Future of Fusion Research Says U.S. Should Hedge Its Bets
Authors: Clery Daniel
Published: March 2012

The United States should fund a national program of research into inertial fusion energy, but it's too early to pick a winning technology, according to an interim report released this week.
The Next Big(ger) Thing
Authors: Service Robert F.
Published: March 2012

Physicists, chemists, and materials scientists are looking to build on the success of nanoscale science by unraveling the mysteries at the mesoscale.
DNA and Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara Vaccines Encoding Multiple Cytotoxic and Helper T-Lymphocyte Epitopes of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) Are Safe but Weakly Immunogenic in HIV-1-Uninfected, Vaccinia Virus-Naive Adults
Authors: Gorse Geoffrey J. , Newman Mark J. , deCamp Allan , Hay Christine Mhorag , De Rosa Stephen C. , Noonan Elizabeth , Livingston Brian D. , Fuchs Jonathan D. , Kalams Spyros A. , Cassis-Ghavami Farah L. ,   the NIAID HIV Vaccine Trials Network
Published: March 2012

We evaluated a DNA plasmid-vectored vaccine and a recombinant modified vaccinia virus Ankara vaccine (MVA-mBN32), each encoding cytotoxic and helper T-lymphocyte epitopes of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial in 36 HIV-1-uninfected adults using a heterologous prime-boost schedule. HIV-1-specific cellular immune responses, measured as interleukin-2 and/or gamma interferon production, were induced in 1 (4%) of 28 subjects after the first MVA-mBN32 immunization and in 3 (12%) of 25 subjects after the second MVA-mBN32 immunization. Among these responders, polyfunctional T-cell responses, including the production of tumor necrosis factor alpha and perforin, were detected. Vaccinia virus-specific antibodies were induced to the MVA vector in 27 (93%) of 29 and 26 (93%) of 28 subjects after the first and second immunizations with MVA-mBN32. These peptide-based vaccines were safe but were ineffective at inducing HIV-1-specific immune responses and induced much weaker responses than MVA vaccines expressing the entire open reading frames of HIV-1 proteins.
Humoral Immune Responses in a Human Case of Glanders
Authors: Waag David M. , England Marilyn J. , DeShazer David
Published: March 2012

Within 2 months of acquiring glanders, a patient developed 8-, 16-, and 4-fold increases, respectively, in specific IgA, IgG, and IgM serological titers againstBurkholderia mallei. Within 14 months of infection, the titers decreased to the baseline. Serum from this patient was also highly reactive againstBurkholderia pseudomalleiwhole cells.Burkholderia malleiwhole cells did not react with sera from patients with other diseases. Therefore, an assay using aB. malleicellular diagnostic antigen may be useful for the serodiagnosis of glanders.
Reduced Frequencies and Heightened CD103 Expression among Virus-Induced CD8+T Cells in the Respiratory Tract Airways of Vitamin A-Deficient Mice
Authors: Rudraraju Rajeev , Surman Sherri L. , Jones Bart G. , Sealy Robert , Woodland David L. , Hurwitz Julia L.
Published: March 2012

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) has profound effects on immune responses in the gut, but its effect on other mucosal responses is less well understood. Sendai virus (SeV) is a candidate human parainfluenza virus type 1 (hPIV-1) vaccine and a candidate vaccine vector for other respiratory viruses. A single intranasal dose of SeV elicits a protective immune response against hPIV-1 within days after vaccination. To define the effect of VAD on acute responses toward SeV, we monitored both antibodies and CD8+T cells in mice. On day 10 following SeV infection, there was a trend toward lower antibody activities in the nasal washes of VAD mice than in those of controls, while bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and serum antibodies were not reduced. In contrast, there was a dramatic reduction of immunodominant CD8+T cell frequencies in the lower respiratory tract (LRT) airways of VAD animals. These T cells also showed unusually high CD103 (the αE subunit of αEβ7) expression patterns. In both VAD and control mice, E-cadherin (the ligand for αEβ7) was better expressed among epithelial cells lining the upper respiratory tract (URT) than in LRT airways. The results support a working hypothesis that the high CD103 expression among T cell populations in VAD mice alters mechanisms of T cell cross talk with URT and LRT epithelial cells, thereby inhibiting T cell migration and egress into the lower airway. Our data emphasize that the consequences of VAD are not limited to gut-resident cells and characterize VAD influences on an immune response to a respiratory virus vaccine.
Rapid Identification of Sporothrix Species by T3B Fingerprinting
Authors: de Oliveira Manoel Marques Evangelista , Sampaio Paula , Almeida-Paes Rodrigo , Pais Célia , Gutierrez-Galhardo Maria Clara , Zancope-Oliveira Rosely Maria
Published: March 2012

This article describes PCR fingerprinting using the universal primer T3B to distinguish among species of the
Sporothrix
complex,
S. brasiliensis
,
S. globosa
,
S. mexicana
, and
S. schenckii
. This methodology generated distinct banding patterns, allowing the correct identification of all 35 clinical isolates at the species level, confirmed by partial calmodulin (CAL) gene sequence analyses. This methodology is simple, reliable, rapid, and cheap, making it an ideal routine identification system for clinical mycology laboratories.
Characterization of Microbiota of Root Canal-Treated Teeth with Posttreatment Disease
Authors: Rôças Isabela N. , Siqueira José F.
Published: March 2012

This study evaluated the microbiota of root canals undergoing retreatment. The most prevalent taxa detected by checkerboard included
Propionibacterium
species,
Fusobacterium nucleatum
, streptococci, and
Pseudoramibacter alactolyticus
. Quantitative real-time PCR detected
Enterococcus faecalis
and streptococci in 38% and 41% of the cases, comprising 9.76% and 65.78% of the total bacterial counts, respectively. The findings call into question the status of
E. faecalis
as the main pathogen and suggest that other species can be candidate pathogens associated with persistent/secondary endodontic infections.