bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mediator facilitates transcriptional activation and dynamic long-range contacts at the IgH locus during class switch recombination
Authors: Thomas-Claudepierre Anne-Sophie , Robert Isabelle , Rocha Pedro P. , Raviram Ramya , Schiavo Ebe , Heyer Vincent , Bonneau Richard , Luo Vincent M. , Reddy Janardan K. , Borggrefe Tilman , Skok Jane A. , Reina-San-Martin Bernardo
Published: February 2016

Immunoglobulin (Ig) class switch recombination (CSR) is initiated by the transcription-coupled recruitment of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) to Ig switch regions (S regions). During CSR, the IgH locus undergoes dynamic three-dimensional structural changes in which promoters, enhancers, and S regions are brought to close proximity. Nevertheless, little is known about the underlying mechanisms. In this study, we show that Med1 and Med12, two subunits of the mediator complex implicated in transcription initiation and long-range enhancer/promoter loop formation, are dynamically recruited to the IgH locus enhancers and the acceptor regions during CSR and that their knockdown in CH12 cells results in impaired CSR. Furthermore, we show that conditional inactivation of Med1 in B cells results in defective CSR and reduced acceptor S region transcription. Finally, we show that in B cells undergoing CSR, the dynamic long-range contacts between the IgH enhancers and the acceptor regions correlate with Med1 and Med12 binding and that they happen at a reduced frequency in Med1-deficient B cells. Our results implicate the mediator complex in the mechanism of CSR and are consistent with a model in which mediator facilitates the long-range contacts between S regions and the IgH locus enhancers during CSR and their transcriptional activation.
Concomitant Migraine and Temporomandibular Disorders are Associated With Higher Heat Pain Hyperalgesia and Cephalic Cutaneous Allodynia
Authors: Chaves Thais C. , Dach Fabíola , Florencio Lidiane L. , Carvalho Gabriela F. , Gonçalves Maria C. , Bigal Marcelo E. , Speciali José G. , Bevilaqua-Grossi Débora
Published: February 2016

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to assess differences in the levels of hyperalgesia and cutaneous allodynia (CA) among women with migraine, temporomandibular disorders (TMD), or both.

Materials and Methods:

Eighty women participated in the study. Mean ages for the control group, TMD group, migraine group, and migraine+TMD group were 26.15 (95% confidence interval [CI], 28.73 to 23.57), 31.65 (95% CI, 37.82 to 25.48), 35.05 (95% CI, 40.37 to 29.73), and 34.20 (95% CI, 37.99 to 30.41) years, respectively. The 12-item Allodynia Symptom Checklist was administered to assess CA. All participants underwent the Quantitative Sensory Test to determine the cold-pain and heat-pain thresholds. Mechanical pain thresholds were assessed using Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments. One-way analysis of variance and χ2 tests were used for statistical analysis. Alpha was set at 0.05 level for statistical significance.

Results:

For all sites evaluated, the mean cold-pain threshold values were significantly lower in the TMD, migraine, and TMD+migraine groups compared with the control group. However, the mean heat-pain threshold values in the extracephalic region were significantly smaller only for the TMD+migraine group compared with the control group (41.94°C; 95% CI, 40.54 to 43.34 vs. 44.79°C; 95% CI, 43.45 to 46.12; P=0.03). Mechanical hyperalgesia in orofacial and neck sites was significantly lower in the TMD and TMD+migraine groups compared with the control group. Mean total 12-item Allodynia Symptom Checklist score in the TMD+migraine group was significantly higher than in the migraine group (9.53; 95% CI, 7.45 to 11.60 vs. 6.95; 95% CI, 5.35 to 8.55; P=0.02).

Conclusions:

More pronounced levels of hyperalgesia and CA were found in patients with both TMD and migraine. Thus, it is suggested that the concomitant presence of TMD and migraine may be related to intensification of central sensitization.
Severe Nausea and Vomiting in the Evaluation of Nitrous Oxide in the Gas Mixture for Anesthesia II Trial
Authors: Myles Paul S. , Chan Matthew T. V. , Kasza Jessica , Paech Michael J. , Leslie Kate , Peyton Philip J. , Sessler Daniel I. , Haller Guy , Beattie W. Scott , Osborne Cameron , Sneyd J. Robert , Forbes Andrew
Published: February 2016

AbstractAbstract

Nitrous oxide increased the risk of severe postoperative nausea and vomiting, more so in Asian subjects; the effect was eliminated by pretreatment with an antiemetic. Severe postoperative nausea and vomiting was associated with fever, poor quality of recovery, and increased hospital stay, indicating that its prevention is clinically important.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

Background

The Evaluation of Nitrous oxide in the Gas Mixture for Anesthesia II trial randomly assigned 7,112 noncardiac surgery patients to a nitrous oxide or nitrous oxide–free anesthetic; severe postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) was a prespecified secondary end point. Thus, the authors evaluated the association between nitrous oxide, severe PONV, and effectiveness of PONV prophylaxis in this setting.

Methods

Univariate and multivariate analyses of patient, surgical, and other perioperative characteristics were used to identify the risk factors for severe PONV and to measure the impact of severe PONV on patient outcomes.

Results

Avoiding nitrous oxide reduced the risk of severe PONV (11 vs. 15%; risk ratio [RR], 0.74 [95% CI, 0.63 to 0.84]; P < 0.001), with a stronger effect in Asian patients (RR, 0.55 [95% CI, 0.43 to 0.69]; interaction P = 0.004) but lower effect in those who received PONV prophylaxis (RR, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.76 to 1.05]; P = 0.18). Gastrointestinal surgery was associated with an increased risk of severe PONV when compared with most other types of surgery (P < 0.001). Patients with severe PONV had lower quality of recovery scores (10.4 [95% CI, 10.2 to 10.7] vs. 13.1 [95% CI, 13.0 to 13.2], P < 0.0005); severe PONV was associated with postoperative fever (15 vs. 20%, P = 0.001). Patients with severe PONV had a longer hospital stay (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.14 [95% CI, 1.05 to 1.23], P = 0.002).

Conclusions

The increased risk of PONV with nitrous oxide is near eliminated by antiemetic prophylaxis. Severe PONV, which is seen in more than 10% of patients, is associated with postoperative fever, poor quality of recovery, and prolonged hospitalization.
Prepregnancy obesity: a risk factor for future development of ovarian and breast cancer
Authors: Kessous Roy , Davidson Ehud , Meirovitz Mihai , Sergienko Ruslan , Sheiner Eyal
Published: February 2016

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between a history of prepregnancy obesity and a woman’s future long-term risk for the development of female malignancies. A population-based study compared the incidence of long-term female malignancies in a cohort of consecutive women with and without a diagnosis of prepregnancy obesity. Deliveries occurred between the years 1988 and 2013, with a mean follow-up duration of 11.6 years. Women with known malignancies before the index pregnancy and known genetic predisposition for malignancy were excluded from the study. Female malignancies were divided according to specific type (ovary, uterine, breast, and uterine cervix). A Kaplan–Meier survival curve was used to estimate the cumulative incidence of malignancies. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the adjusted hazard ratios for female malignancy. During the study period, 106 251 deliveries fulfilled the inclusion criteria; 2.2% (n=2360) occurred in patients with a history of prepregnancy obesity. During the follow-up period, patients with prepregnancy obesity had a significantly increased risk for hospitalization because of female malignancies as a group and specifically ovarian and breast cancer. Using a Kaplan–Meier survival curve, patients with a previous diagnosis of prepregnancy obesity had a significantly higher cumulative incidence of female malignancies. Using a Cox proportional hazards model, adjusted for confounders such as gestational diabetes mellitus and maternal age, prepregnancy obesity remained independently associated with long-term risk for female malignancies (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.4; 95% confidence interval: 1.1–1.9; P=0.045). Prepregnancy obesity is an independent risk factor for long-term female malignancies such as ovarian and breast cancer.
Minimally Invasive but Maximally Obstructive
Authors: Coiffard Benjamin , Laroumagne Sophie , Plojoux Jérôme , Garcia Stéphane , D’Journo Xavier B. , Astoul Philippe , Dutau Hervé
Published: February 2016

Here we report a case of mainstem bronchus obstruction due to a carcinoma in situ. Preinvasive lesions, such as carcinoma in situ, are usually small and limited to the bronchial wall. This exceptional presentation shows a tumor growth large enough to completely occlude the right mainstem bronchus. The endoluminal lesion was removed using rigid bronchoscopy. The patient, not eligible for a local treatment, has been treated with surgery.
Transesophageal Bronchoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle Aspiration for Metastatic Vertebral Body Lesion
Authors: Oki Masahide , Saka Hideo , Ichihara Shu , Moritani Suzuko
Published: February 2016

Malignant neoplasms frequently cause vertebral metastases. Traditionally, either image-guided percutaneous biopsy or open biopsy has been performed for sampling specimens for the definitive diagnosis. We herein report a case with suspected multiple metastases but unknown primary, who underwent endobronchial ultrasound–guided transbronchial needle aspiration for mediastinal lymph nodes with negative results by rapid onsite cytologic evaluation, followed by the transesophageal approach with the ultrasound bronchoscope for the vertebral body lesion at the same setting that provided a definitive diagnosis of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma.
Emergency Department Use Among Hispanic Adults
Authors: Allen Lindsay , Cummings Janet
Published: February 2016

Objectives:

We provide the first known examination of differences in nonurgent and urgent emergency department (ED) usage between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white individuals, with varying levels of acculturation.

Materials and Methods:

We pooled cross-sectional data for Hispanic and non-Hispanic white adults (ages 18–64) from the 2011 to 2013 National Health Interview Surveys. Using logistic regression models, we examined differences in past-year ED use, urgent ED use, and nonurgent ED use by acculturation level, which we measure by combining information on respondents’ citizenship status, birthplace, and length of stay (immigrants <5, 5–10, >10 y in the United States; naturalized citizens; US born).

Results:

Overall, 17.8% of Hispanic individuals and 18.5% of non-Hispanic white individuals use the ED annually. Compared with US-born non-Hispanic white individuals, the least acculturated Hispanic individuals are 14.4% points (P<0.001) less likely to use the ED for any reason, 9.8% points (P<0.001) less likely to use it for a nonurgent reason, and 5.3% points (P<0.01) less likely to use it for an urgent reason.

Conclusions:

Contrary to popular perception, the least acculturated Hispanic individuals are the least likely to use the ED. As acculturation level rises, so does one’s likelihood of using the ED, particularly for nonurgent visits.
Surgery as a Recurrent Trigger for Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP) in a Patient Cured of M7 Acute Myelogenous Leukemia
Authors: Monfries Nicholas , Belletrutti Mark , McKillop Sarah
Published: February 2016

We report the case of a 10-year-old boy, 8 years post-M7 acute myeloid leukemia with a history of significant thrombocytopenia and bleeding, requiring treatment, after 2 surgical procedures performed under general anesthesia. In both instances, the thrombocytopenia and bleeding responded to intravenous immunoglobulin treatment. Between surgeries, the platelet counts were normal. Before a third surgical procedure, he was successfully pretreated with dexamethasone and experienced no bleeding or thrombocytopenia after the operation. This case highlights the potential utility of corticosteroid pretreatment in patients with a history of immune thrombocytopenia before surgical procedures under general anesthesia.
Dissemination of thermodynamic temperature above the freezing point of silver
Authors: Sadli M. , Machin G. , Anhalt K. , Bourson F. , Briaudeau S. , del Campo D. , Diril A. , Kozlova O. , Lowe D. H. , Mantilla Amor J. M. , Martin M. J. , McEvoy H. C. , Ojanen-Saloranta M. , Pehlivan Ö. , Rougié B. , Salim S. G. R.
Published: February 2016

The
mise-en-pratique
for the definition of the kelvin at high temperatures will formally allow dissemination of thermodynamic temperature either directly or mediated through high-temperature fixed points (HTFPs). In this paper, these two distinct dissemination methods are evaluated, namely source-based and detector-based. This was achieved by performing two distinct dissemination trials: one based on HTFPs, the other based on absolutely calibrated radiation thermometers or filter radiometers. These trials involved six national metrology institutes in Europe in the frame of the European Metrology Research Programme joint project ‘Implementing the new kelvin’ (InK). The results have shown that both dissemination routes are possible, with similar standard uncertainties of 1–2 K, over the range 1273–2773 K, showing that,
depending on the facilities available in the laboratory
, it will soon be possible to disseminate thermodynamic temperatures above 1273 K to users by either of the two methods with uncertainties comparable to the current temperature scale.
Thermodynamic temperature assignment to the point of inflection of the melting curve of high-temperature fixed points
Authors: Woolliams E. R. , Anhalt K. , Ballico M. , Bloembergen P. , Bourson F. , Briaudeau S. , Campos J. , Cox M. G. , del Campo D. , Dong W. , Dury M. R. , Gavrilov V. , Grigoryeva I. , Hernanz M. L. , Jahan F. , Khlevnoy B. , Khromchenko V. , Lowe D. H. , Lu X. , Machin G. , Mantilla J. M. , Martin M. J. , McEvoy H. C. , Rougié B. , Sadli M. , Salim S. G. R. , Sasajima N. , Taubert D. R. , Todd A. D. W. , Van den Bossche R. , van der Ham E. , Wang T. , Whittam A. , Wilthan B. , Woods D. J. , Woodward J. T. , Yamada Y. , Yamaguchi Y. , Yoon H. W. , Yuan Z.
Published: February 2016

The thermodynamic temperature of the point of inflection of the melting transition of Re-C, Pt-C and Co-C eutectics has been determined to be 2747.84 ± 0.35 K, 2011.43 ± 0.18 K and 1597.39 ± 0.13 K, respectively, and the thermodynamic temperature of the freezing transition of Cu has been determined to be 1357.80 ± 0.08 K, where the ± symbol represents 95% coverage. These results are the best consensus estimates obtained from measurements made using various spectroradiometric primary thermometry techniques by nine different national metrology institutes. The good agreement between the institutes suggests that spectroradiometric thermometry techniques are sufficiently mature (at least in those institutes) to allow the direct realization of thermodynamic temperature above 1234 K (rather than the use of a temperature scale) and that metal-carbon eutectics can be used as high-temperature fixed points for thermodynamic temperature dissemination. The results directly support the developing
mise en pratique
for the definition of the kelvin to include direct measurement of thermodynamic temperature.
Towards high-accuracy primary spectral radiometry from 400 K to 1300 K
Authors: Yoon H. W. , Khromchenko V. B. , Eppeldauer G. P. , Gibson C. E. , Woodward J. T. , Shaw P. S. , Lykke K. R.
Published: February 2016

We describe the design, construction, calibration and use of a near-infrared thermodynamic radiation thermometer to measure blackbodies from 400 K to 1300 K. The motivation for this work is the pending redefinition of the kelvin and the need for direct, thermodynamic temperature measurements of the fixed-point blackbodies presently used in the realization of the temperature scale. The challenges of accurately measuring Planck radiances which vary greatly in radiance level and spectral shape are discussed. Methods to characterize the components used in the radiation thermometer design are described. The use of this radiation thermometer as a relative primary thermometer and the resulting residuals are shown. We describe radiometric calibration procedures for using the radiation thermometer as an absolute primary thermometer. Preliminary data showing the initial radiometric calibration steps are discussed.
A SQUID-based primary noise thermometer for low-temperature metrology
Authors: Kirste A. , Engert J.
Published: February 2016

Practical temperature measurements in accordance with the international system of units require traceability to the international temperature scales currently in force. Along with the awaited redefinition of the unit of temperature, the kelvin, on the basis of the Boltzmann constant, in future its
mise en pratique
will allow the use of approved methods of primary thermometry for the realization and dissemination of the kelvin. To support this process, we have developed a DC superconducting quantum interference device-based noise thermometer especially designed for measurements of thermodynamic temperature in a broad temperature range from 5 K down to below 1 mK. In this paper, we describe in detail the primary magnetic field fluctuation thermometer and the underlying model applied for the temperature determination. Experimental measurement results are presented for a comparison with the Provisional Low Temperature Scale 2000 between 0.7 K and 16 mK including an uncertainty budget for the measured thermodynamic temperatures. In this set-up, the relative combined standard uncertainty is equal to 0.6%.
Primary current-sensing noise thermometry in the millikelvin regime
Authors: Shibahara A. , Hahtela O. , Engert J. , van der Vliet H. , Levitin L. V. , Casey A. , Lusher C. P. , Saunders J. , Drung D. , Schurig Th.
Published: February 2016

The use of low-temperature platforms with base temperatures below 1 K is rapidly expanding, for fundamental science, sensitive instrumentation and new technologies of potentially significant commercial impact. Precise measurement of the thermodynamic temperature of these low-temperature platforms is crucial for their operation. In this paper, we describe a practical and user-friendly primary current-sensing noise thermometer (CSNT) for reliable and traceable thermometry and the dissemination of the new kelvin in this temperature regime. Design considerations of the thermometer are discussed, including the optimization of a thermometer for the temperature range to be measured, noise sources and thermalization. We show the procedure taken to make the thermometer primary and contributions to the uncertainty budget. With standard laboratory instrumentation, a relative uncertainty of 1.53% is obtainable. Initial comparison measurements between a primary CSNT and a superconducting reference device traceable to the PLTS-2000 (Provisional Low Temperature Scale of 2000) are presented between 66 and 208 mK, showing good agreement within the
k
=1 calculated uncertainty.
The molecular chaperone DnaK accelerates protein evolution
Authors: Aguilar-Rodríguez José , Sabater-Muñoz Beatriz , Berlanga Víctor , Alvarez-Ponce David , Wagner Andreas , Fares Mario A.
Published: February 2016

Molecular chaperones, also known as heat-shock proteins, refold misfolded proteins and help other proteins reach their native conformation. Thanks to these abilities, some chaperones, such as the Hsp90 protein or the chaperonin GroEL, can buffer the deleterious phenotypic effects of mutations that alter protein structure and function. Hsp70 chaperones use a chaperoning mechanism different from Hsp90 and GroEL, and it is not known whether they can also buffer mutations. Here, we show that they can. To this end, we performed a mutation accumulation experiment inEscherichia coli, followed by whole-genome resequencing. Our sequence data shows that overexpression of the Hsp70 chaperone DnaK increases the tolerance of its clients for nonsynonymous nucleotide substitutions and nucleotide insertions and deletions. We also show that this elevated mutational buffering on short evolutionary time scales translates into differences in evolutionary rates on intermediate and long evolutionary time scales. To this end, we compared the evolutionary rates of DnaK clients and nonclients using the genomes ofE. coli,Salmonella typhimurium, and 83 other gamma-proteobacterial species. We find that clients that interact strongly with DnaK evolve faster than weakly interacting clients. Our results imply that all three major chaperone classes can buffer mutations and affect protein evolution. They illustrate how an individual protein like a chaperone can have a disproportionate effect on proteome evolution.
BuddySuite: Command-line toolkits for manipulating sequences, alignments, and phylogenetic trees
Authors: Bond Stephen R. , Keat Karl E. , Barreira Sofia N. , Baxevanis Andreas D.
Published: February 2016

The ability to manipulate sequence, alignment, and phylogenetic tree files has become an increasingly important skill in the life sciences, whether to generate summary information or to prepare data for further downstream analysis. The command line can be an extremely powerful environment for interacting with these resources, but only if the user has the appropriate general-purpose tools on hand. BuddySuite is a collection of four independent yet interrelated command-line toolkits that facilitate each step in the workflow of sequence discovery, curation, alignment, and phylogenetic reconstruction. Most common sequence, alignment, and tree file formats are automatically detected and parsed, and over 100 tools have been implemented for manipulating these data. The project has been engineered to easily accommodate the addition of new tools, it is written in the popular programming language Python, and is hosted on the Python Package Index and GitHub to maximize accessibility. Documentation for each BuddySuite tool, including usage examples, is available at http://tiny.cc/buddysuite_wiki. All software is open source and freely available through http://research.nhgri.nih.gov/software/BuddySuite.
Arabidopsis Small Rubber Particle Protein Homolog SRPs Play Dual Roles as Positive Factors for Tissue Growth and Development and in Drought Stress Responses
Authors: Kim Eun Yu , Park Ki Youl , Seo Young Sam , Kim Woo Taek
Published: February 2016

Lipid droplets (LDs) act as repositories for fatty acids and sterols, which are used for various cellular processes such as energy production and membrane and hormone synthesis. LD-associated proteins play important roles in seed development and germination, but their functions in postgermination growth are not well understood. Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) contains three SRP homologs (SRP1, SRP2, and SRP3) that share sequence identities with small rubber particle proteins of the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis). In this report, the possible cellular roles of SRPs in postgermination growth and the drought tolerance response were investigated. Arabidopsis SRPs appeared to be LD-associated proteins and displayed polymerization properties in vivo and in vitro. SRP-overexpressing transgenic Arabidopsis plants (35S:SRP1, 35S:SRP2, and 35S:SRP3) exhibited higher vegetative and reproductive growth and markedly better tolerance to drought stress than wild-type Arabidopsis. In addition, constitutive over-expression of SRPs resulted in increased numbers of large LDs in postgermination seedlings. In contrast, single (srp1, 35S:SRP2-RNAi, and srp3) and triple (35S:SRP2-RNAi/srp1srp3) loss-of-function mutant lines exhibited the opposite phenotypes. Our results suggest that Arabidopsis SRPs play dual roles as positive factors in postgermination growth and the drought stress tolerance response. The possible relationships between LD-associated proteins and the drought stress response are discussed.
Crystal structure of dichloridobis(dimethylN-cyanodithioiminocarbonate)zinc
Authors: Diop Mouhamadou Birame , Diop Libasse , Oliver Allen G.
Published: February 2016

The ZnIIatom in the title complex, [ZnCl2(C4H6N2S2)2], is coordinated in a distorted tetrahedral manner by two Cl atoms and two terminal N atoms of two dimethylN-cyanodithioiminocarbonate ligands. In the crystal, the complex molecules are connected through C—H...Cl hydrogen bonds and Cl...S contacts, leading to a two-dimensional structure extending parallel to theabplane.
New platinum(II) complexes with benzothiazole ligands
Authors: Carmona-Negrón José A. , Cádiz Mayra E. , Moore Curtis E. , Rheingold Arnold L. , Meléndez Enrique
Published: February 2016

Four new platinum(II) complexes, namely tetraethylammonium tribromido(2-methyl-1,3-benzothiazole-κN)platinate(II), [NEt4][PtBr3(C8H7NS)] (1), tetraethylammonium tribromido(6-methoxy-2-methyl-1,3-benzothiazole-κN)platinate(II), [NEt4][PtBr3(C9H9NOS)] (2), tetraethylammonium tribromido(2,5,6-trimethyl-1,3-benzothiazole-κN)platinate(II), [NEt4][PtBr3(C10H11NS)] (3), and tetraethylammonium tribromido(2-methyl-5-nitro-1,3-benzothiazole-κN)platinate(II), [NEt4][PtBr3(C8H6N2O2S)] (4), have been synthesized and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. These species are precursors of compounds with potential application in cancer chemotherapy. All four platinum(II) complexes adopt the expected square-planar coordination geometry, and the benzothiazole ligand is engaged in bonding to the metal atom through the imine N atom (Pt—N). The Pt—N bond lengths are normal: 2.035 (5), 2.025 (4), 2.027 (5) and 2.041 (4) Å for complexes1,2,3and4, respectively. The benzothiazole ligands are positioned out of the square plane, with dihedral angles ranging from 76.4 (4) to 88.1 (4)°. The NEt4cation in3is disordered with 0.57/0.43 occupancies.
Crystal structure of the salt bis(triethanolamine-κ3N,O,O′)cobalt(II) bis[2-(2-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1,3-benzothiazol-3-yl)acetate]
Authors: Ashurov Jamshid M. , Obidova Nodira J. , Abdireymov Hudaybergen B. , Ibragimov Bakhtiyar T.
Published: February 2016

The reaction of 2-(2-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1,3-benzothiazol-3-yl)acetic acid (NBTA) and triethanolamine (TEA) with Co(NO3)2results in the formation of the title complex, [Co(C6H15NO3)2](C9H6NO3S)2, which is formed as a result of the association of bis(triethanolamine)cobalt(II) and 2-(2-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1,3-benzothiazol-3-yl)acetate units. It crystallizes in the monoclinic centrosymmetric space groupP21/c, with the CoIIion situated on an inversion centre. In the complex cation, the CoIIion is octahedrally coordinated by twoN,O,O′-tridentate TEA molecules with a facial distribution and the N atoms in atransarrangement. Two ethanol groups of each TEA molecule form two five-membered chelate rings around the CoIIion, while the third ethanol group does not coordinate to the metal. The free and coordinating hydroxy groups of the TEA molecules are involved in hydrogen bonding with the O atoms of NBTA anions, forming an infinite two-dimensional network extending parallel to thebcplane.
4,4′-(1,2-Diazaniumylethane-1,2-diyl)dibenzoate trihydrate
Authors: Numata Takashi , Ikenomoto Shun , Akitsu Takashiro
Published: February 2016

The title compound, C16H16N2O4·3H2O, was synthesized from (1R,2R)-1,2-bis(2-hydroxyphenyl)ethylenediamine and terephthalaldehydic acid. The compound crystallizes from water as a double zwitterion with protonated amine groups and deprotonated carboxylate groups. The dihedral angle formed by the aromatic rings is 3.86 (11)°. In the crystal, N—H...O and O—H...O hydrogen bonds link molecules into a three-dimensional network.
Moderating roles of customer characteristics on the link between service factors and satisfaction in a buffet restaurant
Authors: Ramanathan Ramakrishnan , Di Yun , Ramanathan Usha
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– In service sector, measuring quality of services is generally acknowledged to be difficult as it involves many psychological features. Hence, identifying the determinants of service quality and linkages with customer satisfaction is a challenging research topic. In this study, the authors take up a research study to address this challenge. The purpose of this paper is to examine the importance of factors influencing customer satisfaction in the context of a Chinese buffet restaurant in the UK.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors use a questionnaire based on the SERVQUAL instrument for the purpose. Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, the authors have found that service quality could be grouped into four main factors – service, food, ambience and price.

Findings

– Using multiple-regression analysis, the authors have found that food is the most significant factor influencing customer satisfaction, followed by price, ambience and service, respectively. Using a multi-group analysis, the authors have found interesting moderating roles of age, gender and annual income on the influence of the four factors on satisfaction: ambience is considered significant by male customers while it is not significant for female customers; the influence of price on satisfaction is much higher for female customers than for male customers; food and service factors are important for younger customers while price is important for older customers; price is important for customers with lower levels of income but not important for high-income customers.

Practical implications

– These results are useful to restaurant managers in allocating appropriate levels of resources to different factors based on their contributions to customer satisfaction in order to maximize customer satisfaction efficiently and effectively.

Originality/value

– Analysis and findings of this research are based on the customers’ survey data of a Chinese buffet restaurant in the UK. The authors have found an interesting ranking of the importance of service factors: food followed by price, ambience and service. The results on the moderating role of customer characteristics provide newer insights in the literature on service quality. The research findings can help the hotel management to improve their service levels to attain maximum customer satisfaction.
A methodology for analyzing shipyard supply chains and supplier selection
Authors: Vlachakis Nikolaos , Mihiotis Athanassios , Pappis Costas P , Lagoudis Ioannis N
Published: February 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to focus on shipyard supply chains in order to identify the processes that take place and evaluate the risks associated with suppliers.

Design/methodology/approach

– For this analysis two methodologies are applied. The first is the understand, document, simplify, optimize, where the first two steps are used for analysing the processes and the documentation of the best practices, which take place in the daily operations. The second tool is Kraljic’s matrix, which is applied for the identification of supplier selection and associated risks.

Findings

– The analysis shows that strategic co-operations between shipyards suppliers are essential for improved supply chain performance since supplier improvement in terms of lead times and product quality are achieved. It is also seen that the shipyard supply chain performance can be improved by adjusting the best practices to the needs dictated each time by the project’s specifications.

Practical implications

– The findings provide valuable insights for practitioners, as well as academicians, policy makers and also integrate supplier selection under the supply chain. Managers can acquire reliable information about those suppliers who exhibit best practice.

Originality/value

– A number of key processes and best practices have been identified, which are essential for the upstream and downstream coordination of the shipyard supply chain. The present work is an approach to evaluating the risks associated with the shipyard’s suppliers and assists in benchmarking their risk profile.
Innovation Front and Technology Linkage
Authors: Jibu Mari , Osabe Yoshiyuki
Published: February 2016

This paper presents new indicators of knowledge flows by linking scientific articles to patents. The citations between scientific articles and patents have been analyzed since Narin started the study of science linkage, which is seen in administrative process as patent examiners refer scientific articles in examining a patent (Narin, 1988, 1997). The new indicators introduced in this paper, “Innovation Front” and “Technology Linkage,” are considered important, especially for policy-makers and strategy planners. These new indicators show that innovation in biotechnology field depends on a wide range of scientific knowledge and elicit a new geography of innovation hot spots.
Maximum Wave Energy Conversion by Two Interconnected Floaters
Authors: Zheng Siming , Zhang Yongliang , Sheng Wanan
Published: February 2016

Interconnected floaters could use relative rotations around connection joints to drive a power take-off (PTO) system, such that the ocean wave energy can be converted into a useful energy. In this paper, our attention is on the PTO optimization for the interconnected floaters. A fully linear dynamic system, including the linear hydrodynamics of the interconnected floaters and a linear PTO system, is considered. Under assumptions of linear theory, we present a mathematical model for evaluating the maximum wave energy conversion of two interconnected floaters based on the three-dimensional wave radiation–diffraction theory. The model is validated by comparison of the present results with the published data, and there is a good agreement. The model can be employed to calculate the maximum power absorbed by the interconnected floaters under motion constraints due to the restraints of pump stroke or/and collision problem between the floaters. The influence of wave frequency, PTO system, floater rotary inertia radius, and motion constraints on the power capture capability of the two interconnected floaters is also examined. It can be concluded that enlarging the rotary inertia of each floater by using mass nonuniform distribution can be seen as an alternative way of adding PTO inertia. The maximum relative power capture width of the two interconnected floaters with optimized PTO system under constraints is much smaller than that without any motion constraints for long waves.
Team-Based Development of Medical Devices: An Engineering–Business Collaborative
Authors: Eberhardt Alan W. , Johnson Ophelia L. , Kirkland William B. , Dobbs Joel H. , Moradi Lee G.
Published: February 2016

There is a global shift in the teaching methodology of science and engineering toward multidisciplinary, team-based processes. To meet the demands of an evolving technical industry and lead the way in engineering education, innovative curricula are essential. This paper describes the development of multidisciplinary, team-based learning environments in undergraduate and graduate engineering curricula focused on medical device design. In these programs, students actively collaborate with clinicians, professional engineers, business professionals, and their peers to develop innovative solutions to real-world problems. In the undergraduate senior capstone courses, teams of biomedical engineering (BME) and business students have produced and delivered numerous functional prototypes to satisfied clients. Pursuit of commercialization of devices has led to intellectual property (IP) disclosures and patents. Assessments have indicated high levels of success in attainment of student learning outcomes and student satisfaction with their undergraduate design experience. To advance these projects toward commercialization and further promote innovative team-based learning, a Master of Engineering (MEng) in Design and Commercialization was recently launched. The MEng facilitates teams of graduate students in engineering, life sciences, and business who engage in innovation-commercialization (IC) projects and coursework that take innovative ideas through research and development (R&D) to create marketable devices. The activities are structured with students working together as a “virtual company,” with targeted outcomes of commercialization (license agreements and new start-ups), competitive job placement, and/or career advancement.
Modeling the Time-Varying Advantages of a Remanufactured Product: Is “Reman” Better Than “Brand New”?1
Authors: Kwak Minjung , Kim Harrison
Published: February 2016

In order for remanufacturers to succeed in the market, it is important for them to be capable of ensuring in advance that a product is suitable for remanufacturing and that a remanufactured product will provide greater economic and environmental value than a brand-new product. This paper provides an approach to estimate the economic and environmental advantages of a remanufactured product. Focusing on the fact that advantages are greatly influenced by the nature of a product (i.e., its design and lifetime characteristics) as well as the timing of the remanufacturing, this paper proposes a model for assessing the time-varying advantages of remanufacturing a given product. The model provides an objective, quantitative method to compare a remanufactured product with an equivalent brand-new version of the product. Focus is placed on three perspectives: unit production cost, environmental impact, and net profit. By providing a multidimensional assessment tool for measuring product remanufacturability, the model is expected to assist remanufacturers make informed and effective decisions concerning product planning. It also helps marketing activities by supporting an effective sustainability communication with customers. Two versions of the model are presented, each of which targets a specific product type: (1) a product with only physical deterioration and (2) a product with both physical deterioration and technological obsolescence. Each version of the model is illustrated by utilizing an automotive alternator and a desktop computer, respectively.
Development of Inverse Analysis of Heat Conduction and Thermal Stress for Elbow (Part I)
Authors: Ioka Seiji , Kubo Shiro , Ochi Mayumi , Hojo Kiminobu
Published: February 2016

High temperature stratified flow sometimes caused thermal fatigue cracking in power plants. To prevent fatigue damage by stratified flow, it is important to know temperature distribution history in a pipe. In this study, inverse heat conduction analysis method for an elbow model was developed to estimate the inner surface temperature from the measured outer surface temperature. In the method, the transfer function database inter-relating the inner surface temperature with the outer one was used. For several patterns of the temperature history, the inverse analysis simulations were performed and the accuracy of the estimated inner surface temperature was shown.
Growth per cycle of alumina atomic layer deposition on nano- and micro-powders
Authors: Manandhar Kedar , Wollmershauser James A. , Boercker Janice E. , Feigelson Boris N.
Published: February 2016

Core–shell powders consisting of a tungsten particle core and thin alumina shell have been synthesized using atomic layer deposition in a rotary reactor. Standard atomic layer deposition of trimethylaluminum/water at 150 °C utilizing a microdosing technique was performed on four different batches of powder with different average particle sizes. The particle size of the powders studied ranges from ∼25 to 1500 nm. The high mass-thickness contrast between alumina and tungsten in transmission electron microscopy images demonstrates that the particle core/shell interface is abrupt. This allows for the uncomplicated measurement of alumina thickness and therefore the accurate determination of growth per cycle. In agreement with prior works, the highest growth per cycle of ∼2 Å/cycle occurred on the batch of powder with the smallest average particle size and the growth per cycle decreased with increasing average particle size of a powder batch. However, the growth per cycle of the alumina film on an individual particle in a batch is shown to be independent of the size of an individual particle, and therefore, a powder batch which consists of particles size spanning orders of magnitude has constant shell thickness on all particles. This uniformity of thickness on different particle sizes in a particular batch is determined to be due to the difficulty of removing residual water molecules from the powder during the purging cycle of the atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. Therefore, rotary ALD on a single batch of powder with wide particle size distribution provides the same shell thickness regardless of individual particle size, which may have positive implications for particle ALD applications where the shell thickness determines critical parameters, such as particle passivation and manipulation of optical properties.
Evolution of the temporal slope density function for waves propagating according to the inviscid Burgers equation
Authors: Muhlestein Michael B. , Gee Kent L.
Published: February 2016

An exact formulation for the evolution of the probability density function of the time derivative of a waveform (slope density) propagating according to the one-dimensional inviscid Burgers equation is given. The formulation relies on the implicit Earnshaw solution and therefore is only valid prior to shock formation. As explicit examples, the slope density evolution of an initially sinusoidal plane wave, initially Gaussian-distributed planar noise, and an initially triangular wave are presented. The triangular wave is used to examine weak-shock limits without violating the theoretical assumptions. It is also shown that the moments of the slope density function as a function of distance may be written as an expansion in terms of the moments of the source slope density function. From this expansion, approximate expressions are presented for the above cases as well as a specific non-Gaussian noise case intended to mimic features of jet noise. Finally, analytical predictions of the propagation of initially Gaussian-distributed noise are compared favorably with plane-wave tube measurements.
Nonlinear frequency compression: Influence of start frequency and input bandwidth on consonant and vowel recognition
Authors: Alexander Joshua M.
Published: February 2016

By varying parameters that control nonlinear frequency compression (NFC), this study examined how different ways of compressing inaudible mid- and/or high-frequency information at lower frequencies influences perception of consonants and vowels. Twenty-eight listeners with mild to moderately severe hearing loss identified consonants and vowels from nonsense syllables in noise following amplification via a hearing aid simulator. Low-pass filtering and the selection of NFC parameters fixed the output bandwidth at a frequency representing a moderately severe (3.3 kHz, group MS) or a mild-to-moderate (5.0 kHz, group MM) high-frequency loss. For each group (n = 14), effects of six combinations of NFC start frequency (SF) and input bandwidth [by varying the compression ratio (CR)] were examined. For both groups, the 1.6 kHz SF significantly reduced vowel and consonant recognition, especially as CR increased; whereas, recognition was generally unaffected if SF increased at the expense of a higher CR. Vowel recognition detriments for group MS were moderately correlated with the size of the second formant frequency shift following NFC. For both groups, significant improvement (33%–50%) with NFC was confined to final /s/ and /z/ and to some VCV tokens, perhaps because of listeners' limited exposure to each setting. No set of parameters simultaneously maximized recognition across all tokens.
Endothelial cells decode VEGF-mediated Ca
2+
signaling patterns to produce distinct functional responses
Authors: Noren David P. , Chou Wesley H. , Lee Sung Hoon , Qutub Amina A. , Warmflash Aryeh , Wagner Daniel S. , Popel Aleksander S. , Levchenko Andre
Published: February 2016

A proangiogenic factor triggers proliferation or migration in endothelial cells by stimulating different calcium signaling patterns.
Science Signaling
Podcast for 23 February 2016: G proteins in neutrophil migration
Authors: Smrcka Alan V. , VanHook Annalisa M.
Published: February 2016

The heterotrimeric G protein subunits Gα
i
and Gβγ make distinct contributions to neutrophil migration.
Incorporating Stage-Specific Drug Action into Pharmacological Modeling of Antimalarial Drug Treatment
Authors: Hodel Eva Maria , Kay Katherine , Hastings Ian M.
Published: February 2016

Pharmacological modeling of antiparasitic treatment based on a drug's pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties plays an increasingly important role in identifying optimal drug dosing regimens and predicting their potential impact on control and elimination programs. Conventional modeling of treatment relies on methods that do not distinguish between parasites at different developmental stages. This is problematic for malaria parasites, as their sensitivity to drugs varies substantially during their 48-h developmental cycle. We investigated four drug types (short or long half-lives with or without stage-specific killing) to quantify the accuracy of the standard methodology. The treatment dynamics of three drug types were well characterized with standard modeling. The exception were short-half-life drugs with stage-specific killing (i.e., artemisinins) because, depending on time of treatment, parasites might be in highly drug-sensitive stages or in much less sensitive stages. We describe how to bring such drugs into pharmacological modeling by including additional variation into the drug's maximal killing rate. Finally, we show that artemisinin kill rates may have been substantially overestimated in previous modeling studies because (i) the parasite reduction ratio (PRR) (generally estimated to be 10
4
) is based on observed changes in circulating parasite numbers, which generally overestimate the “true” PRR, which should include both circulating and sequestered parasites, and (ii) the third dose of artemisinin at 48 h targets exactly those stages initially hit at time zero, so it is incorrect to extrapolate the PRR measured over 48 h to predict the impact of doses at 48 h and later.
Compensatory Mutations of Rifampin Resistance Are Associated with Transmission of Multidrug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis Beijing Genotype Strains in China
Authors: Li Qin-jing , Jiao Wei-wei , Yin Qing-qin , Xu Fang , Li Jie-qiong , Sun Lin , Xiao Jing , Li Ying-jia , Mokrousov Igor , Huang Hai-rong , Shen A-dong
Published: February 2016

Mycobacterium tuberculosis
can acquire resistance to rifampin (RIF) through mutations in the
rpoB
gene. This is usually accompanied by a fitness cost, which, however, can be mitigated by secondary mutations in the
rpoA
or
rpoC
gene. This study aimed to identify
rpoA
and
rpoC
mutations in clinical
M. tuberculosis
isolates in northern China in order to clarify their role in the transmission of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB). The study collection included 332 RIF-resistant and 178 RIF-susceptible isolates. The majority of isolates belonged to the Beijing genotype (95.3%, 486/510 isolates), and no mutation was found in
rpoA
or
rpoC
of the non-Beijing genotype strains. Among the Beijing genotype strains, 27.8% (89/320) of RIF-resistant isolates harbored nonsynonymous mutations in the
rpoA
(
n
= 6) or
rpoC
(
n
= 83) gene. The proportion of
rpoC
mutations was significantly higher in new cases (
P
= 0.023) and in strains with the
rpoB
S531L mutation (
P
< 0.001). In addition, multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains with
rpoC
mutations were significantly associated with 24-locus mycobacterial interspersed repetitive-unit–variable-number tandem-repeat clustering (
P
= 0.016). In summary, we believe that these findings indirectly suggest an epistatic interaction of particular mutations related to RIF resistance and strain fitness and, consequently, the role of such mutations in the spread of MDR
M. tuberculosis
strains.