bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Event‐triggered communication in wide‐area damping control: a limited output feedback‐based approach
Authors: Bhadu Mahendra , Tripathy Niladri Sekhar , Narayan Kar Indra , Senroy Nilanjan
Published: August 2016

A conceptual design methodology is proposed for event‐triggered based communication for wide‐area damping controller in power systems. The event‐triggering mechanism is adopted to reduce the communication burden between the origin of the remote signal and the wide‐area damping controller (WADC) location. The remote signal is transmitted to the WADC only when an event‐triggering condition based on a predefined system output, is satisfied. The triggering condition is derived from a stability criterion, and is monitored continuously by a separate event‐monitoring unit located at the origin of the remote signal. The stability of the resulting closed‐loop system is guaranteed via the input‐to‐state stability technique. The proposed event‐triggered WADC is implemented on two typical test power systems – two area four machine and IEEE 39‐bus 10‐machine. The validation of proposed mechanism is carried out through non‐linear simulation studies on MATLAB/Simulink platform. The numerical results show the efficacy of the controller in managing the communication channel usage without compromising the stated system stability objectives.
Heuristic failure prediction model of transmission line under natural disasters
Authors: Gao Wensheng , Zhou Ruixu , Zhao Dongbo
Published: August 2016

Natural disasters caused by tropical cyclones such as Typhoon, Hurricane, Tornados, etc., are bringing severe damage to modern power transmission systems throughout the world. These natural disasters each have their individual patterns at specific locations, and the current pre‐disaster analysis is performed primarily relying on simple weather forecasting results, which lacks the acknowledgment of microclimate analytics. This paper presents heuristic transmission line failure model regarding microclimate analysis, which serves as more accurate and active prediction reference for regional transmission lines. Anti‐disaster preventive activities can be thereafter designed prior to the occurrence of the disaster, and post‐disaster remedy actions can be well prepared accordingly as well to prevent severe damages. This paper provides detailed modelling of Typhoon in typical areas of China as examples, and comes up with the corresponding transmission line failure model by accounting the microclimate prediction method and historical line tripping data sets. Validation process of the model returns a passing result of the vast majority of prediction equations for trip‐out rate of transmission lines on the significant test with the confidence level of 95%, and a reasonable prediction ratio of all the transmission lines.
Carbon nanotubes pickup by van der Waals force based on nanorobotics manipulation inside SEM
Authors: Yang Zhan , Chen Tao , Wang Yaqiong , Sun Lining , Fukuda Toshio
Published: August 2016

A method of picking up carbon nanotubes (CNTs) from nanotube bulk by van der Waals force inside a scanning electron microscopy is presented. An atomic force microscope cantilever was employed as end effector of nanorobotics manipulators for CNT picking up. A manipulation strategy was established by analysing the van der Waals force of three different types of contacting models. Three groups of experiments were designed and carried out to investigate the effects of different factors. Factors including pickup angle, pickup contact area between the CNT and the cantilever and pickup speed of the end effector were discussed. The results shown that a pickup angle at 90.1° and a pickup speed lower than 10 nm/step with a pickup contact length more than 1.5 µm would increase the probability of picking up CNT successfully.
Preparation and oxygen sensing properties of Ti3O5 submicron rods
Authors: Zhang Xiaoyan , Liu Wanying , Yu Hua , Zhong Xiaoxi , Wang Lijun , Singh Ambrish , Lin Yuanhua
Published: August 2016

Ti3O5 submicron rods, typically 0.5–2 µm in length and 100–300 nm in diameter, have been successfully synthesised via a facile approach combined hydrothermal and carbothermal reduction route. H3TiO5 nanofibres blended with nano‐sized carbon black were first prepared by the direct hydrothermal processing, and then Ti3O5 submicron rods could be obtained by sintering the prepared nanofibres at 1250°C for 3 h. The microstructure and formation of phases in the reduction process were investigated, respectively. In addition, the oxygen sensing properties of the synthesised materials were preliminarily investigated by gas‐sensing measurement. The results indicated that the electrical conductivity of the Ti3O5 submicron rods varied with the oxygen concentration, and the responses increased as the oxygen concentration increased at 200°C.
Reconstruction of the Cranial Vault Contour Using Tissue Expander and Castor Oil Prosthesis
Authors: de Moraes Sylvio Luiz Costa , de Paula Afonso Alexandre Maurity , dos Santos Roberto Gomes , Mattos Ricardo Pereira , Duarte Bruno Gomes
Published: August 2016

Nowadays the reconstruction of craniofacial defects can be performed with different kinds of materials, which include the bone and the so-called biomaterials, which have the advantage of not needing a surgical site donor. Among these materials, great attention is given to polymers. In this large group, current attention is focused on the castor oil polymer, since this polymer is biocompatible, low cost, and has adequate strength for reconstruction of the craniomaxillofacial complex. This study aims to report the use of a prosthetic castor oil polymer for reconstruction of extensive defect, caused by a trauma, in the temporoparietal region.
Operation of bolometer system using Pt foil on SiN substrate detector for EAST tokamak
Authors: Duan Y. M. , Mao S. T. , Hu L. Q. , Xu P. , Xu L. Q. , Zhang J. Z. , Lin S. Y.
Published: August 2016

The foil resistive bolometer diagnostic on experimental advanced superconducting tokamak has been upgraded partly with a new generation of detectors. The new detectors have faster response time. However, the microwave interference is still a serious issue for the bolometer system. The system response to microwave is tested, and the test results show that the closed Wheatstone bridge circuit in the detector is the most sensitive component to high power microwave field. Simulation results of microwave transmission by the high frequency structure simulator software and shielding design are also presented.
Modeling 15N NMR chemical shift changes in protein backbone with pressure
Authors: La Penna Giovanni , Mori Yoshiharu , Kitahara Ryo , Akasaka Kazuyuki , Okamoto Yuko
Published: August 2016

Nitrogen chemical shift is a useful parameter for determining the backbone three-dimensional structure of proteins. Empirical models for fast calculation of N chemical shift are improving their reliability, but there are subtle effects that cannot be easily interpreted. Among these, the effects of slight changes in hydrogen bonds, both intramolecular and with water molecules in the solvent, are particularly difficult to predict. On the other hand, these hydrogen bonds are sensitive to changes in protein environment. In this work, the change of N chemical shift with pressure for backbone segments in the protein ubiquitin is correlated with the change in the population of hydrogen bonds involving the backbone amide group. The different extent of interaction of protein backbone with the water molecules in the solvent is put in evidence.
Thermoelectric properties of semiconductor-metal composites produced by particle blending
Authors: Liu Yu , Cadavid Doris , Ibáñez Maria , Ortega Silvia , Martí-Sánchez Sara , Dobrozhan Oleksandr , Kovalenko Maksym V. , Arbiol Jordi , Cabot Andreu
Published: August 2016

In the quest for more efficient thermoelectric material able to convert thermal to electrical energy and vice versa, composites that combine a semiconductor host having a large Seebeck coefficient with metal nanodomains that provide phonon scattering and free charge carriers are particularly appealing. Here, we present our experimental results on the thermal and electrical transport properties of PbS-metal composites produced by a versatile particle blending procedure, and where the metal work function allows injecting electrons to the intrinsic PbS host. We compare the thermoelectric performance of composites with microcrystalline or nanocrystalline structures. The electrical conductivity of the microcrystalline host can be increased several orders of magnitude with the metal inclusion, while relatively high Seebeck coefficient can be simultaneously conserved. On the other hand, in nanostructured materials, the host crystallites are not able to sustain a band bending at its interface with the metal, becoming flooded with electrons. This translates into even higher electrical conductivities than the microcrystalline material, but at the expense of lower Seebeck coefficient values.
Molecular beam epitaxy growth of Al-rich AlGaN nanowires for deep ultraviolet optoelectronics
Authors: Zhao S. , Woo S. Y. , Sadaf S. M. , Wu Y. , Pofelski A. , Laleyan D. A. , Rashid R. T. , Wang Y. , Botton G. A. , Mi Z.
Published: August 2016

Self-organized AlGaN nanowires by molecular beam epitaxy have attracted significant attention for deep ultraviolet optoelectronics. However, due to the strong compositional modulations under conventional nitrogen rich growth conditions, emission wavelengths less than 250 nm have remained inaccessible. Here we show that Al-rich AlGaN nanowires with much improved compositional uniformity can be achieved in a new growth paradigm, wherein a precise control on the optical bandgap of ternary AlGaN nanowires can be achieved by varying the substrate temperature. AlGaN nanowire LEDs, with emission wavelengths spanning from 236 to 280 nm, are also demonstrated.
Invited Article: Electrically tunable silicon-based on-chip microdisk resonator for integrated microwave photonic applications
Authors: Zhang Weifeng , Yao Jianping
Published: August 2016

Silicon photonics with advantages of small footprint, compatibility with the mature CMOS fabrication technology, and its potential for seamless integration with electronics is making a significant difference in realizing on-chip integration of photonic systems. A microdisk resonator (MDR) with a strong capacity in trapping and storing photons is a versatile element in photonic integrated circuits. Thanks to the large index contrast, a silicon-based MDR with an ultra-compact footprint has a great potential for large-scale and high-density integrations. However, the existence of multiple whispering gallery modes (WGMs) and resonance splitting in an MDR imposes inherent limitations on its widespread applications. In addition, the waveguide structure of an MDR is incompatible with that of a lateral PN junction, which leads to the deprivation of its electrical tunability. To circumvent these limitations, in this paper we propose a novel design of a silicon-based MDR by introducing a specifically designed slab waveguide to surround the disk and the lateral sides of the bus waveguide to suppress higher-order WGMs and to support the incorporation of a lateral PN junction for electrical tunability. An MDR based on the proposed design is fabricated and its optical performance is evaluated. The fabricated MDR exhibits single-mode operation with a free spectral range of 28.85 nm. Its electrical tunability is also demonstrated and an electro-optic frequency response with a 3-dB modulation bandwidth of ∼30.5 GHz is measured. The use of the fabricated MDR for the implementation of an electrically tunable optical delay-line and a tunable fractional-order temporal photonic differentiator is demonstrated.
Interpreting anomalies observed in oxide semiconductor TFTs under negative and positive bias stress
Authors: Jin Jong Woo , Nathan Arokia , Barquinha Pedro , Pereira Luís , Fortunato Elvira , Martins Rodrigo , Cobb Brian
Published: August 2016

Oxide semiconductor thin-film transistors can show anomalous behavior under bias stress. Two types of anomalies are discussed in this paper. The first is the shift in threshold voltage (VTH) in a direction opposite to the applied bias stress, and highly dependent on gate dielectric material. We attribute this to charge trapping/detrapping and charge migration within the gate dielectric. We emphasize the fundamental difference between trapping/detrapping events occurring at the semiconductor/dielectric interface and those occurring at gate/dielectric interface, and show that charge migration is essential to explain the first anomaly. We model charge migration in terms of the non-instantaneous polarization density. The second type of anomaly is negative VTH shift under high positive bias stress, with logarithmic evolution in time. This can be argued as electron-donating reactions involving H2O molecules or derived species, with a reaction rate exponentially accelerated by positive gate bias and exponentially decreased by the number of reactions already occurred.
Associations between early lactation milk protein concentrations and the intervals to calving for Holstein cows of differing parity
Authors: Fahey Jack , Morton John M. , Auldist Martin J. , Macmillan Keith L.
Published: August 2016

High milk protein concentrations (MP%) have been positively associated with the reproductive performance of lactating dairy cows. No studies have measured the effects of this association on subsequent calving dates in multiparous cows, nor assessed whether the underlying causal mechanisms are present in nulliparous heifers. Holstein cows (primiparous = 918; multiparous = 4242) were selected from herds that had seasonally concentrated calving patterns resulting from seasonally restricted breeding periods. In seasonally calving herds, the date of a herd’s planned start of calving (PSC date) is the average gestation length of 282 days after the date that the preceding breeding period commenced, so that the interval from the herd’s PSC date to each cow’s actual calving date (PSC-to-calving interval) primarily reflects the time to conception from the start of the breeding period in the previous year. This measure was used to compare associations between the average MP% during the first 120 days of lactation and time to the calving that initiated that lactation in primiparous and multiparous cows. Early lactation MP% was negatively associated with PSC-to-calving interval. A 1% difference in MP% was associated with an 8-day difference in the average PSC-to-calving interval in primiparous cows and a 31–35-day difference in the average interval in multiparous cows. The observed associations between early lactation MP% and PSC-to-calving interval are likely to involve determinants present during a cow’s breeding period that affect the probability of conception. Some of these determinants are not restricted to early lactation as the association between MP% and PSC-to-calving interval in primiparous cows is a reflection of the reproductive performance in nulliparous heifers at ~15 months of age.
Carcass traits and meat quality of quails from both sexes and eight distinct strains
Authors: Gontijo Ronan P. , Boari Cleube A. , Pires Aldrin V. , Silva Martinho A. , Abreu Luíza R. A. , Martins Paulo G. M. A.
Published: August 2016

Our objective was to evaluate carcass traits and meat quality of quails from different strains and both sexes pertaining to three breeding-improvement programs. Quails from seven meat-type strains (UFV1, UFV2, UFV3, EV1, EV2, LF1 and LF2) and from one egg-laying (Japanese quail) strain (LAY) were slaughtered at 35 days of age. A completely randomised 8 (strain) × 2 (sex) factorial design was used for data analysis. Bodyweight, hot carcass weight and breast (musculus pectoralis major and m. pectoralis minor) and legs (thigh and drumstick) weights and their respective yields were determined. Ultimate pH, colour measurements, water-holding capacity, cooking loss and shear force were assessed. No difference in ultimate pH, shear force and hue was observed. The UFV3 strain had the greatest bodyweight at slaughter. The UFV3 strain had the greatest hot carcass weight in both sexes. The heaviest breasts were observed in both sexes of the UFV3 strain and in males of the UFV2 strain. The UFV3 quails had greater leg weight. The hot carcass yields of meat-type strains were greater than that of the LAY strain. The UFV3 and LAY females furnished a greater breast yield than did male quails. For males, the UFV1 strain had a greater yield of breast than that of LAY quails. The LAY quails presented the greatest yields of leg. The LAY quails had the least luminance, and the greatest water-holding capacity, cooking loss, red and yellow intensity, and chroma. In summary, meat obtained from meat-type strains had a greater water-holding capacity, lower cooking loss and greater luminance than that of the LAY strain. In addition, the meat-type strains grew appreciably faster, but the difference in yields of breast and leg meat between meat and layer strains was small. We conclude that meat-type strains, especially the UFV3, are more appropriate for enterprises focussed on meat production.
Fetal and lamb losses from pregnancy scanning to lamb marking in commercial sheep flocks in southern New South Wales
Authors: Allworth M. B. , Wrigley H. A. , Cowling A.
Published: August 2016

Perinatal lamb mortality is a major challenge for sheep producers worldwide. Lamb losses from ultrasound pregnancy scanning to lamb marking were assessed in 125 mobs of ewes sourced predominantly from sheep flocks in southern New South Wales. In total, 103 086 lambs were marked from100 165 ewes present at joining. Despite the majority of producers undertaking best-practice ewe management, including ultrasound scanning for pregnancy and preferential feeding of multiple bearing ewes, losses were similar to those reported previously (11% and 29% for singles and twins respectively). Non-Merino ewes had significantly lower losses than did Merino ewes, irrespective of ram type (13% versus 21%, P < 0.001). There was a tendency for mob size in twin-bearing ewes to influence survival, with a lower mob size (<200) having lower losses (29% versus 33%, P = 0.07). These results are discussed in the context of existing extension advice about ewe management and perinatal lamb mortality.
Bacteria in tropical floodplain soils are sensitive to changes in saltwater
Authors: Nelson Tiffanie M. , Streten Claire , Gibb Karen S. , Chariton Anthony A.
Published: August 2016

Bacterial communities in floodplain and wetland soils cycle elements essential for flora and fauna. The coastal habitats of northern Australia are threatened with increasing saltwater intrusion (SWI) events that will destroy freshwater habitats. The effect of the impending SWI on bacterial communities is unknown. Here, we examined the bacterial communities of a tropical river floodplain located in World Heritage Kakadu National Park. Using 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing, we measured the baseline bacterial communities from three morphologically distinct regions of the floodplain (lower, upper and backwater swamp), within three zones of the South Alligator River (upstream, cuspate and estuarine funnel or sinuous). Significant differences in the bacterial community were observed at each category of floodplain morphology and river zone. The greatest differences were due to pH and salinity. Large changes in bacterial compositions are predicted to occur with increases in salinity and pH. Saltwater intrusion is predicted to increase substantially in the next decades with sea-level rise, and is likely to cause large and significant changes to the bacterial community with unknown consequences for biogeochemical cycling. Kakadu National Park may benefit from incorporating bacteria into routine studies, because we have shown here that they are sensitive indicators of change, even across small ranges of abiotic variables.
Soil charcoal prediction using attenuated total reflectance mid-infrared spectroscopy
Authors: Hobley E. U. , Brereton A. J. L. E. Gay , Wilson B.
Published: August 2016

Despite strong evidence for the importance of charcoal as a long-term carbon sink in soils, simple methods to quantify charcoal in soil are still lacking. In this study, we tested the application of attenuated total reflectance mid-infrared spectroscopy (ATR-MIR) for quantification of charcoal in soil. To do this, we created calibration samples from defined quantities of pulverised rock, charcoal and litter sampled from a forest floor in Guy Fawkes National Park, New South Wales, Australia, and analysed them via ATR-MIR and dry combustion. The organic carbon concentration (mass proportion) of the samples ranged from 0.1 to 15% and the charcoal mass proportion from 0.02–11% (10–50% of soil organic matter). We then trained randomForest models to the spectral data and assessed the predictive performance of the models for both the quantity of charcoal and litter in the samples. The models were excellent at predicting both charcoal and litter contents of the samples, explaining 94% of variance in the mass proportion of charcoal and 93% of the variance in the litter content of the validation dataset (i.e. out-of-bag estimates of the models). Extracting the variable importance from the models showed that the spectral regions important to charcoal prediction differed from those important to litter prediction, highlighting the capacity of the models to distinguish between charcoal and litter components based upon ATR-MIR spectra. Our method enables a simple, cheap and efficient prediction of litter and charcoal without the need for complex chemical extraction or analyses.
Comprehensive structural and dynamical view of an unfolded protein from the combination of single-molecule FRET, NMR, and SAXS
Authors: Aznauryan Mikayel , Delgado Leonildo , Soranno Andrea , Nettels Daniel , Huang Jie-rong , Labhardt Alexander M. , Grzesiek Stephan , Schuler Benjamin
Published: August 2016

Significance

Proteins are the most versatile components of the molecular machinery of life. Synthesized as linear polymers of amino acids, proteins start out in their unfolded state and perform their function either in well-defined folded conformations or as intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) lacking tertiary structure. Both for the folding process and the properties of IDPs, a quantitative understanding of the conformational distributions and dynamics of unfolded proteins is thus essential. However, reaching this goal has been challenging owing to the large conformational heterogeneity and rapid dynamics of these systems. Here we combine three of the most powerful biophysical methods available to obtain a comprehensive view of an unfolded protein that would not be available from any of the individual methods.
Your blog is (the) shit
Authors: Lutzky Ursula , Kehoe Andrew
Published: August 2016

The study of swearing has increased in the last decade, diversifying to include a wider range of data and methods of analysis. Nevertheless, certain types of data and specifically large corpora of computer mediated communication (CMC) have not been studied extensively. In this paper, we fill a gap in research by studying the use of swearwords in blog data, and illustrate ways of identifying swearing in a large corpus by taking context into account. This approach, based on the examination of shared and unique collocates of known expletives, facilitates the distinction of attestations of swearing from non-swearing in the case of polysemous lexemes, and the analysis of overlaps in usage and meaning of swearwords. This work therefore goes beyond basic sentiment analysis and offers new insights into the use of collocation for refining profanity filters, providing innovative perspectives on issues of growing importance as online interaction becomes more widespread.
Profiling verb complementation constructions across New Englishes
Authors: Deshors Sandra C. , Gries Stefan Th.
Published: August 2016

In this paper, we explore verb complementation patterns withtoandingin native English (British and American English) as compared to three Asian Englishes (Hong Kong, Indian, and Singaporean English). Based on data from the International Corpus of English annotated for variables describing the matrix verb and the complement, we run two random forests analyses to determine where the Asian Englishes have developed complementation preferences different from the two native speaker varieties. We find not only a variety of differences between the Asian and the native Englishes, but also that the Asian Englishes are more similar (i.e. ‘better predicted by’) the American English data. Further, as the first study of its kind to extend the MuPDAR approach from the now frequent regression analyses to random forests analysis, this study adds a potentially useful analytical tool to the often messy and skewed observational data corpus linguists need to deal with.
The root of ruthless
Authors: De Smet Hendrik
Published: August 2016

Linguistic variation between individuals must be linked to how linguistic material is mentally represented. Therefore, by examining individual variation, light can be shed on the nature of mental representation itself. This paper presents an individual differences study of semi-opaque derivations (e.g. ruthless) to establish whether their representations are mentally associated to those of fully segmentable forms with the same suffix (e.g. sightless). This way, a prediction of connectionist and exemplar models of morphology is tested, namely that to language users semi-opaque forms are likely to retain some degree of internal complexity, despite the fact that they are not segmentable. Using corpus data, it is demonstrated that individuals who rely more heavily on the segmentable forms are also more likely to use the semi-opaque forms. This pattern in the variation across individuals indicates that semi-opaque derivations are not represented independently of the derivational paradigm from which they historically derive.
Finding frequency effects in the usage of NOT collocations in American Sign Language
Authors: Wilkinson Erin
Published: August 2016

This study explores whether American Sign Language (ASL) users exhibit frequency effects on two-sign combinations as observed in spoken languages. Studies on spoken languages have demonstrated that frequency of usage influences the emergence of grammatical constructions; however, there has been less investigation of this question for signed languages. To examine frequency effects in ASL, this study analyzes patterns of a grammatical manual negation morpheme glossed as NOT produced sequentially with other signs. Findings reveal that NOT is produced with specific signs, demonstrating that the grammaticalization of NOT increases as frequency does in ASL collocations. The analysis shows that a few signs are highly phonologically fused with the negation marker, providing emerging evidence that these collocations have experiencedchunking, as they are schematic, fused constituent structures in ASL. Given frequency effects found in the study, chunking appears to be a domain-general cognitive processing mechanism independent of modality effects.
An siRNA screen for ATG protein depletion reveals the extent of the unconventional functions of the autophagy proteome in virus replication
Authors: Mauthe Mario , Langereis Martijn , Jung Jennifer , Zhou Xingdong , Jones Alex , Omta Wienand , Tooze Sharon A. , Stork Björn , Paludan Søren Riis , Ahola Tero , Egan Dave , Behrends Christian , Mokry Michal , de Haan Cornelis , van Kuppeveld Frank , Reggiori Fulvio
Published: August 2016

Autophagy is a catabolic process regulated by the orchestrated action of the autophagy-related (ATG) proteins. Recent work indicates that some of the ATG proteins also have autophagy-independent roles. Using an unbiased siRNA screen approach, we explored the extent of these unconventional functions of ATG proteins. We determined the effects of the depletion of each ATG proteome component on the replication of six different viruses. Our screen reveals that up to 36% of the ATG proteins significantly alter the replication of at least one virus in an unconventional fashion. Detailed analysis of two candidates revealed an undocumented role for ATG13 and FIP200 in picornavirus replication that is independent of their function in autophagy as part of the ULK complex. The high numbers of unveiled ATG gene-specific and pathogen-specific functions of the ATG proteins calls for caution in the interpretation of data, which rely solely on the depletion of a single ATG protein to specifically ablate autophagy.
Genotype‐Phenotype Effects of Bmpr2 Mutations on Disease Severity in Mouse Models of Pulmonary Hypertension
Authors: Frump Andrea L. , Datta Arunima , Ghose Sampa , West James , de Caestecker Mark P.
Published: August 2016

More than 350 mutations in the type‐2 BMP (bone morphogenetic protein) receptor, BMPR2, have been identified in patients with heritable pulmonary arterial hypertension (HPAH). However, only 30% of BMPR2 mutation carriers develop PAH, and we cannot predict which of these carriers will develop clinical disease. One possibility is that the nature of the BMPR2 mutation affects disease severity. This hypothesis has been difficult to test clinically, given the rarity of HPAH and the complexity of the confounding genetic and environmental risk factors. To test this hypothesis, therefore, we evaluated the susceptibility to experimental pulmonary hypertension (PH) of mice carrying different HPAH‐associated Bmpr2 mutations on otherwise identical genetic backgrounds. Mice with Bmpr2ΔEx4–5 mutations (Bmpr2+/−), in which the mutant protein is not expressed, develop less severe PH in response to hypoxia or hypoxia with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor inhibition than mice with an extracellular‐domain Bmpr2ΔEx2 mutation (Bmpr2ΔEx2/+), in which the mutant protein is expressed. This was associated with a marked decrease in stabilizing phosphorylation of threonine 495 endothelial nitric oxide synthase (pThr495 eNOS) in Bmpr2ΔEx2/+ compared to wild‐type and Bmpr2+/− mouse lungs. These findings provide the first experimental evidence that BMPR2 mutation types influence the severity of HPAH and suggest that patients with BMPR2 mutations who express mutant BMPR2 proteins by escaping non‐sense‐mediated messenger RNA decay (NMD– mutations) will develop more severe disease than HPAH patients with NMD+ mutations who do not express BMPR2 mutant proteins. Since decreased levels of pThr495 eNOS are associated with increased eNOS uncoupling, our data also suggest that this effect may result from defects in eNOS function.
Three‐Dimensional Micro Computed Tomography Analysis of the Lung Vasculature and Differential Adipose Proteomics in the Sugen/Hypoxia Rat Model of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Authors: Shields Kelly J. , Verdelis Kostas , Passineau Michael J. , Faight Erin M. , Zourelias Lee , Wu Changgong , Chong Rong , Benza Raymond L.
Published: August 2016

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare disease characterized by significant vascular remodeling. The obesity epidemic has produced great interest in the relationship between small visceral adipose tissue depots producing localized inflammatory conditions, which may link metabolism, innate immunity, and vascular remodeling. This study used novel micro computed tomography (microCT) three‐dimensional modeling to investigate the degree of remodeling of the lung vasculature and differential proteomics to determine small visceral adipose dysfunction in rats with severe PAH. Sprague‐Dawley rats were subjected to a subcutaneous injection of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor blocker (Sugen 5416) with subsequent hypoxia exposure for 3 weeks (SU/hyp). At 12 weeks after hypoxia, microCT analysis showed a decrease in the ratio of vascular to total tissue volume within the SU/hyp group (mean ± standard deviation: 0.27 ± 0.066;P= 0.02) with increased vascular separation (0.37 ± 0.062 mm;P= 0.02) when compared with the control (0.34 ± 0.084 and 0.30 ± 0.072 mm). Differential proteomics detected an up‐regulation of complement protein 3 (C3; SU/hyp: control ratio = 2.86) and the adipose tissue–specific fatty acid binding protein‐4 (FABP4, 2.66) in the heart adipose of the SU/hyp. Significant remodeling of the lung vasculature validates the efficacy of the SU/hyp rat for modeling human PAH. The upregulation of C3 and FABP4 within the heart adipose implicates small visceral adipose dysfunction. C3 has been associated with vascular stiffness, and FABP4 suppresses peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor, which is a major regulator of adipose function and known to be downregulated in PAH. These findings reveal that small visceral adipose tissue within the SU/hyp model provides mechanistic links for vascular remodeling and adipose dysfunction in the pathophysiology of PAH.
Modeling the Interplay between Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and Tariff‐rate Quotas under Partial Trade Liberalization
Authors: Beckman Jayson , Arita Shawn
Published: August 2016

Non‐tariff measures, particularly sanitary and phytosanitary measures and tariff‐rate quotas, are two critical policy barriers that impede agricultural trade. Unlike simple tariffs, both measures contain non‐linear effects and binding conditions that make their treatment in modeling trade liberalization challenging. In addition, the coexistence of these measures carries important interactive effects that restrict trade. This study investigates these joint effects by developing a conceptual framework that considers different partial liberalization scenarios. Our framework points to three cases that may arise: (a) binding tariff‐rate quota, non‐prohibitive sanitary and phytosanitary measure; (b) non‐binding tariff‐rate quota, non‐prohibitive sanitary and phytosanitary measure; and (c) non‐binding tariff‐rate quota, prohibitive sanitary and phytosanitary measure. We then use a Computable General Equilibrium model to examine partial trade liberalization scenarios for these cases, using the ongoing Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations as our motivation. Our simulations provide a more nuanced analysis of complex trade liberalization and demonstrate the importance of modeling the interplay between these different types of barriers.
Adverse Effect of High-Fat Diet on Metabolic Programming in Offspring Born to a Murine Model of Maternal Hypertension
Authors: Longo Monica , Refuerzo Jerrie S. , Mann Lovepreet , Leon Mateo , Moussa Hind N. , Sibai Baha M. , Blackwell Sean C.
Published: August 2016

BACKGROUND

We previously reported that offspring heterozygous mice partially lacking endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene, and born to hypertensive eNOS−/− Knockout mother, are hypertensive. We hypothesized that those offspring when placed on high-fat diet (HFD) will undergo altered metabolic programming increasing their risk for developing metabolic syndrome.

METHODS

eNOS−/−KO and wild-type mice (eNOS+/+WT) were cross-bred to produce heterozygous offspring: maternal heterozygous (Mat, eNOS−/+), born from hypertensive eNOS−/−KO mothers; and paternal heterozygous (Pat, eNOS−/+), born from normotensive WT mothers. Mat, eNOS−/+ and Pat, eNOS−/+ female were allocated to HFD or control diet (CD) until 8 weeks of age. Then a metabolic profile was obtained: weight, glucose/insulin tolerance test (GTT, ITT), systolic blood pressure (SBP), serum fasting levels of insulin, adiponectin, leptin, and a lipid panel.

RESULTS

Weight was not different between all offspring within each diet. GTT curve was higher in Mat, eNOS−/+ vs. Pat, eNOS−/+ offspring on both diet (P < 0.001). In ITT, glucose level at 15 minutes was higher in Mat, eNOS−/+ on HFD. Insulin level was increased in Mat, eNOS−/+ vs. Pat, eNOS−/+ on either diet. SBP was elevated in Mat, eNOS−/+ vs. Pat, eNOS−/+ on CD and was further raised in Mat, eNOS−/+ offspring on HFD (P < 0.001). No other differences were seen except for lower high-density lipoprotein levels in Mat, eNOS−/+ fed HFD (P < 0.003).

CONCLUSIONS

Mat, eNOS−/+ offspring exposed in utero to maternal hypertension and fed HFD postnatally have increased susceptibility for metabolic abnormalities. Thus, maternal HTN is a risk factor for altered fetal metabolic programming.
PseKRAAC: a flexible web server for generating pseudo K-tuple reduced amino acids composition
Authors: Zuo Yongchun , Li Yuan , Chen Yingli , Li Guangpeng , Yan Zhenhe , Yang Lei
Published: August 2016

The reduced amino acids perform powerful ability for both simplifying protein complexity and identifying functional conserved regions. However, dealing with different protein problems may need different kinds of cluster methods. Encouraged by the success of pseudo-amino acid composition algorithm, we developed a freely available web server, called PseKRAAC (the pseudo K-tuple reduced amino acids composition). By implementing reduced amino acid alphabets, the protein complexity can be significantly simplified, which leads to decrease chance of overfitting, lower computational handicap and reduce information redundancy. PseKRAAC delivers more capability for protein research by incorporating three crucial parameters that describes protein composition. Users can easily generate many different modes of PseKRAAC tailored to their needs by selecting various reduced amino acids alphabets and other characteristic parameters. It is anticipated that the PseKRAAC web server will become a very useful tool in computational proteomics and protein sequence analysis.

Availability and Implementation

Freely available on the web at http://bigdata.imu.edu.cn/psekraac

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Alternate Dough Preparation Protocol for Extensigraph Test of Dough Strength
Authors: Suchy Jerry , Dupuis Brigitte , Sakamoto Jun , Fu Bin Xiao
Published: August 2016

The extensigraph is an internationally accepted method for measurement of physical properties of dough subjected to mechanical handling and resting. Standard extensigraph methods (AACC International Approved Method 54‐10.01, ISO 5530‐2) use the farinograph for the preparation of dough in the presence of 2% salt at reduced water absorption (farinograph absorption minus 2–3%). However, the dough so prepared is usually underdeveloped and drier than typically seen in common baking processes. In addition, the standard extensigraph test is time consuming and requires a large sample size. In this study, an alternate dough preparation protocol is proposed, consisting of a Swanson‐type pin mixer at reduced salt (1%) and elevated water absorption (farinograph absorption plus 4%). With the alternate method, dough is fully developed and similar to bread dough in physical properties. AACCI Approved Method 54‐10.01 is followed for dough rounding, molding, resting, and stretching by using the Brabender Extensograph‐E instrument. Strong correlations for resistance to extension (r = 0.90) and area (r = 0.92) were found between the modified and standard dough preparation methods. This protocol requires much less flour sample and significantly increases sample throughput.
Occurrence of Fungicide Resistance in Botrytis cinerea from Greenhouse Tomato in Hubei Province, China
Authors: Fan F. , Li N. , Li G. Q. , Luo C. X.
Published: August 2016

During the early summer of 2012 and 2013, samples of gray mold were collected from greenhouse tomato at eight locations in Hubei Province, and 221 isolates of Botrytis cinerea were obtained and evaluated for the sensitivity to fungicides carbendazim, diethofencarb, boscalid, fludioxonil, and cyprodinil. Results showed that isolates with resistance to carbendazim and cyprodinil were widespread, whereas isolates with resistance to carbendazim and diethofencarb were found at only two locations. No isolates with resistance to boscalid or fludioxonil were detected. Altogether, four resistant phenotypes were determined (i.e., CarRDieSCypS, CarRDieRCypS, CarRDieSCypR, and CarRDieRCypR). Among them, CarRDieSCypS and CarRDieSCypR were widely distributed, and there was a dominant resistant phenotype at each location. Interestingly, isolates resistant only to cyprodinil were not obtained because the resistance to cyprodinil was always associated with the resistance to carbendazim, demonstrating that a phenotype of multiple fungicide resistance of B. cinerea was more likely to have evolved from previously resistant subpopulations. Stability of resistance to carbendazim, diethofencarb, and cyprodinil was assessed, and the resistance was stable. Fitness tests showed that, as a group, the carbendazim-resistant isolates were not significantly different from sensitive isolates. However, the mycelial growth and virulence of the carbendazim, diethofencarb, and cyprodinil triple-resistant group were significantly lower than the sensitive group, indicating that the triple-resistant isolates suffered from the disability of colonizing the hosts. It should be noted that there was no significant difference for other fitness components (e.g., sporulation or osmotic sensitivity to NaCl), suggesting that the triple-resistant isolates were still competitive in these traits. To investigate the mechanisms of resistance to carbendazim and diethofencarb, partial β-tubulin genes of 10 carbendazim-resistant isolates and 5 isolates resistant to carbendazim and diethofencarb were sequenced, and all 10 carbendazim-resistant isolates harbored the mutation E198V or E198A. For the 5 isolates resistant to carbendazim and diethofencarb, all of them possessed the mutation E198K, and no other mutations were detected. The location-specific resistance profiles found in this study are crucial in designing proper gray mold management strategies in these areas.
Spatial and Temporal Pattern Analyses of Esca Grapevine Disease in Vineyards in France
Authors: Li S. , Bonneu F. , Chadoeuf J. , Picart D. , Gégout-Petit A. , Guérin-Dubrana L.
Published: August 2016

To assess the capacity of esca to spread within vineyards of the Bordeaux region, over 8 years of annual records, containing between 1,200 and 2,300 contiguous Cabernet Sauvignon vines from 15 mature vineyards, were used for spatial statistical analyses. A group of nonparametric tests, based on join count statistics and on permutation methods, was developed to characterize the spatial structure of esca-symptomatic vines in terms of spread in any direction or within-row only. Among vineyards, a large range of spatial patterns, from random to strongly structured, associated with various prevalence rates that increased over time were observed. In four vineyards, the complex esca distribution pattern indicated different levels of clustering. By contrast, in other vineyards, only small clusters of two adjacent symptomatic vines were observed, and they were localized along rows, without enlargement over time, except in one vineyard. An analysis of spatial dependence between previously and newly symptomatic vines within k-order neighborhoods (k = 1 to 5), showed, for 5 of the 15 vineyards, that the newly symptomatic vines were located close to previously infected vines, without a favored orientation or neighbor order. All the results together suggested a limited potential for secondary local spread from neighboring symptomatic vines.
STR-324, a Stable Analog of Opiorphin, Causes Analgesia in Postoperative Pain by Activating Endogenous Opioid Receptor–dependent Pathways
Authors: Sitbon Philippe , Van Elstraete Alain , Hamdi Leila , Juarez-Perez Victor , Mazoit Jean-Xavier , Benhamou Dan , Rougeot Catherine
Published: August 2016

Background

Opiorphin is a naturally occurring potent analgesic human peptide. It protects enkephalins from degradation and inhibits pain perception in various acute pain models via activation of endogenous opioid pathways. However, the efficacy of opiorphin continuous infusion and its chemically stable form, STR-324, in postoperative pain is unknown.

Methods

Using the Brennan model of plantar incision–induced hypersensitivity, the authors examined the postsurgical analgesic response to mechanical and thermal stimuli of 7-day continuously intravenously infused drugs (8 to 10 rats per group). Antinociception from opiorphin with reference to morphine and STR-324 was assessed. Spinal c-Fos expression and the involvement of opioid receptor–dependent pathways were investigated. The occurrence of respiratory and hemodynamic adverse effects of opiorphin was also tested.

Results

Intravenous infusion of opiorphin significantly reduced responses to mechanical stimuli from days 1 to 4 post surgical period at 143 to 175-kPa mean ranges compared with 23 to 30-kPa mean ranges for vehicle (P < 0.05). During the 3-day postoperative period, no respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, arterial pressure, or heart rate adverse effects were induced by opiorphin. STR-324 consistently inhibited mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia with similar potency as that of opiorphin. Mechanistic analyses demonstrated that the STR-324 antinociceptive effect was reversed by the opioid antagonist, naloxone. Also, STR-324 significantly reduced the number of pain-evoked spinal cFos-immunoreactive nuclei.

Conclusion

Intravenous infusion of opiorphin and STR-324 produced significant antinociceptive effect in a postoperative pain model. This study demonstrates that STR-324 is effective in postoperative pain management due to its strong antihyperalgesic effects mediated via opioid-dependent antinociceptive pathways. Opiorphin analog should represent a new class of potent and safe analgesics.
“iM Ready to Learn”: Undergraduate Nursing Students Knowledge, Preferences, and Practice of Mobile Technology and Social Media
Authors: Hay Benjamin , Carr Peter J. , Dawe Lydia , Clark-Burg Karen
Published: August 2016

The purpose of this study was to identify in what way social media and mobile technology assist with learning and education of the undergraduate nurse. The study involved undergraduate nursing students across three campuses from the University of Notre Dame Australia. Participants were invited to complete an online questionnaire that related to their current knowledge, preferences, and practice with mobile technology and social media within their undergraduate nursing degree. A quantitative descriptive survey design was adapted from an initial pilot survey by the authors. A total of 386 nursing students (23.47% of the total enrolment) completed the online survey. Overall, results suggested that students are more supportive of social media and mobile technology in principle than in practice. Students who frequently use mobile technologies prefer to print out, highlight, and annotate the lecture material. Findings suggest that nursing students currently use mobile technology and social media and are keen to engage in ongoing learning and collaboration using these resources. Therefore, nursing academia should encourage the appropriate use of mobile technology and social media within the undergraduate curriculum so that responsible use of such technologies positively affects the future nursing workforce.