bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inverse ductile thinning via lower crustal flow and fold‐induced doming in the West Carpathian Eo‐Alpine collisional wedge
Authors: Jeřábek P. , Lexa O. , Schulmann K. , Plašienka D.
Published: August 2012

Continental core complexes are generally interpreted to result from extensional doming due to gravity‐driven upflow of lower crust. In contrast, the Vepor Dome is characterized by the lack of inverted density profile and relatively cold metamorphic field gradient which precludes an activation of Rayleigh‐Taylor instability. Instead, the crustal structure of the Vepor Unit is marked by dense and weak metapelitic lower crust and light and strong granitoid upper crust inherited from Variscan nappe stacking. It is shown that the Cretaceous Eo‐Alpine tectonic evolution of the Vepor Dome is controlled by the dynamics of two neighboring mechanically strong continental blocks, i.e., the overthrusting of the suprastructural Gemer Unit from the south and the underthrusting of the Fatric basement from the north. Structural, metamorphic and geochronological data from the Vepor Unit imply two main phases of the convergent process: (1) Lower Cretaceous crustal thickening due to overthrusting and internal deformation of the Gemer Unit together with upper crustal folding in the Vepor Unit led to the progressive development of the orogenic front parallel pressure gradient. The instantaneous response of the lower crustal and low‐viscosity metapelites led to an along‐strike lower crustal flow accompanied by prograde Barrovian‐type metamorphism. (2) As the south vergent underthrusting of the Fatric basement propagated to greater depths during the Upper Cretaceous, the convergent process switched from top driven to bottom driven, and the exhumation of the lower crust occurred via polyharmonic folding. Overall doming of the Vepor Unit induced upper crustal detachment faulting and eastward unroofing of the dome.
SDiff(2) and uniqueness of the Plebański equation
Authors: Kruglikov Boris , Morozov Oleg
Published: August 2012

The group of area preserving diffeomorphisms showed importance in the problems of self-dual gravity and integrability theory. We discuss how representations of this infinite-dimensional Lie group can arise in mathematical physics from pure local considerations. Then using Lie algebra extensions and cohomology we derive the second Plebański equation and its geometry. We do not use Kähler or other additional structures but obtain the equation solely from the geometry of area preserving transformations group. We conclude that the Plebański equation is Lie remarkable.
Thermodynamic and transport properties of two-temperature SF6 plasmas
Authors: Wang WeiZong , Rong MingZhe , Wu Yi , Spencer Joseph W. , Yan Joseph D. , Mei DanHua
Published: August 2012

This paper deals with thermodynamic and transport properties of SF6 plasmas in a two-temperature model for both thermal equilibrium and non-equilibrium conditions. The species composition and thermodynamic properties are numerically determined using the two-temperature Saha equation and Guldberg-Waage equation according to deviation of van de Sanden et al. Transport properties including diffusion coefficient, viscosity, thermal conductivity, and electrical conductivity are calculated with most recent collision interaction potentials by adopting Devoto’s electron and heavy particle decoupling approach but expanded to the third-order approximation (second-order for viscosity) in the frame of Chapman–Enskog method. The results are computed for various values of pressures from 0.1 atm to 10 atm and ratios of the electron temperature to the heavy particle temperature from 1 to 20 with electron temperature range from 300 to 40 000 K. In the local thermodynamic equilibrium regime, results are compared with available results of previously published studies.
Nonadiabatic generation of coherent phonons
Authors: Shinohara Y. , Sato S. A. , Yabana K. , Iwata J.-I. , Otobe T. , Bertsch G. F.
Published: August 2012

The time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) is the leading computationally feasible theory to treat excitations by strong electromagnetic fields. Here the theory is applied to coherent optical phonon generation produced by intense laser pulses. We examine the process in the crystalline semimetal antimony (Sb), where nonadiabatic coupling is very important. This material is of particular interest because it exhibits strong phonon coupling and optical phonons of different symmetries can be observed. The TDDFT is able to account for a number of qualitative features of the observed coherent phonons, despite its unsatisfactory performance on reproducing the observed dielectric functions of Sb. A simple dielectric model for nonadiabatic coherent phonon generation is also examined and compared with the TDDFT calculations.
Nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations of the thermal conductivity of water: A systematic investigation of the SPC/E and TIP4P/2005 models
Authors: Römer Frank , Lervik Anders , Bresme Fernando
Published: August 2012

We report an extensive nonequilibrium molecular dynamics investigation of the thermal conductivity of water using two of the most accurate rigid nonpolarizable empirical models available, SPC/E and TIP4P/2005. Our study covers liquid and supercritical states. Both models predict the anomalous increase of the thermal conductivity with temperature and the thermal conductivity maximum, hence confirming their ability to reproduce the complex anomalous behaviour of water. The performance of the models strongly depends on the thermodynamic state investigated, and best agreement with experiment is obtained for states close to the liquid coexistence line and at high densities and temperatures. Considering the simplicity of these two models the overall agreement with experiments is remarkable. Our results show that explicit polarizability and molecular flexibility are not needed to reproduce the anomalous heat conduction of water.
Local structure, paramagnetic properties, and porosity of natural coals: Spectroscopic studies
Authors: Konchits A. A. , Shanina B. D. , Valakh M. Ya. , Yanchuk I. B. , Yukhymchuk V. O. , Alexeev A. D. , Vasilenko T. A. , Molchanov A. N. , Kirillov A. K.
Published: August 2012

Using methods of the scanning electron microscopy, Raman scattering of light(RS), and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), consistent research of the local structure and magnetic features of different types of raw coal samples from Donetsk basin is carried out. It is established that the ratio of the main peak intensities of RS spectrum D and G is inversely related to the volatile substance amount Vdaf in the coal samples. The study of the kinetic behavior of the EPR line width in hydrogen, oxygen, and methane sorption-desorption processes in each coal sample helped determine that the diffusion coefficient value for hydrogen in coal at room temperature is equal to DН = (2 ÷ 7) × 10−5 cm2/s. It is demonstrated that the oxygen diffusion occurs with time according to two different exponential laws with diffusion coefficients DO,1 = 5 × 10−6 cm2/s and DO,2 = 5.5 × 10−7 cm2/s, respectively. The smaller coefficient corresponds to the diffusion caused by the hopping process. Finally, it is established that the anthracite is a unique type of coal which does not possess the ability “to conserve” the significant EPR line width after oxygen pumping out from the samples.
One-step synthesis of single-walled carbon nanohorns dispersed with Pd-Ni alloy nanoparticles by gas-injected arc-in-water method and effects of synthesis factors on their hydrogen sensor sensitivity
Authors: Sano Noriaki , Ishii Taiga , Mori Hiroki , Ikeyama Yusuke , Tamon Hajime
Published: August 2012

Single-walled carbon nanohorns (SWCNHs) dispersed with Pd-Ni alloy nanoparticles were synthesized in a technique requiring a single step by a gas-injected arc-in-water method using Pd-Ni-C mixed powders charged in an anode hole. It was found that the Ni/Pd weight ratio in the alloy nanoparticles dispersed in the products uniquely depended on the initial Ni/Pd weight ratio; Pd in the products was enriched by a factor of two when the Ni/Pd weight ratio in the initial mixture was higher than 0.1, while Ni was enriched at a Ni/Pd weight ratio below this threshold. The average diameter of alloy nanoparticles increased with the initial weight of the metallic components, while the average diameter of the discrete forms of the SWCNH aggregates exhibited the opposite tendency. Increasing the amount of the metallic compounds in the initial mixed powders caused the enrichment of Pd. The effect of adding Pd-Ni alloy nanoparticles into the products on the carbonaceous structures of SWCNHs was not detected by Raman analysis. The sensitivities of H2 sensors using the SWCNHs dispersed with Ni, Pd, and Pd-Ni alloy nanoparticles were compared, and the sensitivity of the sensor using the Pd-Ni alloy was the highest.
Electron transfer through a single barrier inside a molecule: From strong to weak coupling
Authors: Stadler Robert , Cornil Jérôme , Geskin Victor
Published: August 2012

In all theoretical treatments of electron transport through single molecules between two metal electrodes, a clear distinction has to be made between a coherent transport regime with a strong coupling throughout the junction and a Coulomb blockade regime in which the molecule is only weakly coupled to both leads. The former case where the tunnelling barrier is considered to be delocalized across the system can be well described with common mean-field techniques based on density functional theory (DFT), while the latter case with its two distinct barriers localized at the interfaces usually requires a multideterminant description. There is a third scenario with just one barrier localized inside the molecule, which we investigate here using a variety of quantum-chemical methods by studying partial charge shifts in biphenyl radical ions induced by an electric field at different angles to modulate the coupling and thereby the barrier within the π-system. We find steps rounded off at the edges in the charge versus field curves for weak and intermediate coupling, whose accurate description requires a correct treatment of both exchange and dynamical correlation effects is essential. We establish that DFT standard functionals fail to reproduce this feature, while a long range corrected hybrid functional fares much better, which makes it a reasonable choice for a proper DFT-based transport description of such single barrier systems.
Sol-gel auto-combustion synthesis of Li3xMnFe2−xO4 and their characterizations
Authors: Kadam R. H. , Biradar A. R. , Mane M. L. , Shirsath Sagar E.
Published: August 2012

Ferrite samples of Li+ substituted MnFe2O4 nano particles were synthesized by sol-gel auto-combustion method. The samples were obtained by annealing at relatively low temperature at 600 °C and characterized by x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, and infrared (IR) spectroscopy. Lattice parameter, x-ray density, specific surface area, and porosity are found to increase, whereas bulk density and crystallite size showed the decreasing trend with the Li+ content. Splitting of major absorption bands related to Li+ substituted ferrites were observed in IR spectra. Substitution of Li+ ions for Fe3+ caused a decrease in the saturation magnetization from 75.69 to 58.57 emu/g and the coercivity increased from 157 to 308 Oe. DC resistivity decreases with increase in Li+ content. The temperature dependent results indicate that the values of dielectric constant (ε′) and loss tangent (ε″) increase with the increase in temperature.
Genomic analysis of carbon isotope discrimination, photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, and grain yield in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under water-stressed conditions
Authors: Mohammady Shahram , Aminian Roghayeh , Hoshmand Sadolla , Khodombashi Mahmood
Published: August 2012

Chromosomal substitution lines of wheat variety Timstein (Tim) into the genetic background of variety Chinese Spring (CS) were used to evaluate the chromosomal location of genes controlling carbon isotope discrimination (Δ), photosynthesis rate (PR), stomatal conductance (SC), and grain yield. The experiment was carried out in the field at Shahrekord University Research Station. Considerable variation was observed among the substitution lines and between the parents for all traits. Chinese Spring had smaller values for the characters under study than Timstein. Significant correlations were found for grain yield with PR (r = 0.556) and Δ (r = 0.619). The substitution line CS (Tim2B) was significantly different from CS for Δ (P < 0.01). The substitution of homeologous group 3 chromosomes produced significant differences from the recipient variety for PR. Substitution lines CS (Tim3A), CS (Tim3B), CS (Tim4B), and CS (Tim1D) were significantly different from CS for SC. Genomic comparisons indicated that genome B had higher values of all four characters compared with the A and D genomes. Homeologous effects of genomes were documented for Δ and PR only and not for SC and grain yield.
Hydraulic lift promotes selective root foraging in nutrient-rich soil patches
Authors: Prieto Iván , Armas Cristina , Pugnaire Francisco I.
Published: August 2012

Hydraulic lift (HL) – the passive movement of water through plant roots from deep wet to shallow drier soil layers – can improve root survival in dry soils by providing a source of moisture to shallow roots. It may also enhance plant nutrient capture, though empirical evidence for this is scarce and whether HL promotes the selective placement of roots in nutrient-rich soil enhancing nutrient capture in dry soils remains unknown. We tested this with a split-pot design in which we separated the root system of Retama sphaerocarpa (L.) Boiss shrubs into two pot compartments: a lower, well-watered one; and an upper, drier one. Half the shrubs grew under natural light conditions hence allowed to perform HL, whereas the other half had impaired HL by maintaining continuous illumination at night. Resource-rich (organic matter enriched in 15N and P) and resource-poor soil patches were inserted in the upper compartment after a drought treatment was imposed. Artificial illumination did impair HL at night. Soil moisture in both the whole upper compartment and in soil patches was lower in plants illuminated at night and reduced the allocation of roots to nutrient-rich soil patches at the expense of root growth in nutrient-poor patches (i.e. root foraging precision). Plant nitrogen capture was also lower in shrubs with impaired HL. Overall, these results demonstrate that HL favoured the selective placement of roots in nutrient-rich patches as well as nutrient capture under drought, a process that may secure nutrient capture and maintain plant performance during drought periods.
Identification of benzodiazepine Ro5-3335 as an inhibitor of CBF leukemia through quantitative high throughput screen against RUNX1–CBFβ interaction
Authors: Cunningham Lea , Finckbeiner Steven , Hyde R. Katherine , Southall Noel , Marugan Juan , Yedavalli Venkat R. K. , Dehdashti Seameen Jean , Reinhold William C. , Alemu Lemlem , Zhao Ling , Yeh Jing-Ruey Joanna , Sood Raman , Pommier Yves , Austin Christopher P. , Jeang Kuan-Teh , Zheng Wei , Liu Paul
Published: August 2012

Core binding factor (CBF) leukemias, those with translocations or inversions that affect transcription factor genes
RUNX1
or
CBFB
, account for ∼24% of adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and 25% of pediatric acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). Current treatments for CBF leukemias are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, with a 5-y survival rate of ∼50%. We hypothesize that the interaction between RUNX1 and CBFβ is critical for CBF leukemia and can be targeted for drug development. We developed high-throughput AlphaScreen and time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) methods to quantify the RUNX1–CBFβ interaction and screen a library collection of 243,398 compounds. Ro5-3335, a benzodiazepine identified from the screen, was able to interact with RUNX1 and CBFβ directly, repress
RUNX1/CBFB
-dependent transactivation in reporter assays, and repress
runx1
-dependent hematopoiesis in zebrafish embryos. Ro5-3335 preferentially killed human CBF leukemia cell lines, rescued preleukemic phenotype in a
RUNX1–ETO
transgenic zebrafish, and reduced leukemia burden in a mouse
CBFB–MYH11
leukemia model. Our data thus confirmed that RUNX1–CBFβ interaction can be targeted for leukemia treatment and we have identified a promising lead compound for this purpose.
Conserved tyrosine kinase promotes the import of silencing RNA into
Caenorhabditis elegans
cells
Authors: Jose Antony M. , Kim Yunsoo A. , Leal-Ekman Steven , Hunter Craig P.
Published: August 2012

RNA silencing in
Caenorhabditis elegans
is transmitted between cells by the transport of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). The efficiency of such transmission, however, depends on both the cell type and the environment. Here, we identify systemic RNAi defective-3 (SID-3) as a conserved tyrosine kinase required for the efficient import of dsRNA. Without SID-3, cells perform RNA silencing well but import dsRNA poorly. Upon overexpression of SID-3, cells import dsRNA more efficiently than do wild-type cells and such efficient import of dsRNA requires an intact SID-3 kinase domain. The mammalian homolog of SID-3, activated cdc-42–associated kinase (ACK), acts in many signaling pathways that respond to environmental changes and is known to directly associate with endocytic vesicles, which have been implicated in dsRNA transport. Therefore, our results suggest that the SID-3/ACK tyrosine kinase acts as a regulator of RNA import into animal cells.
Selective inhibition of CD4
+
T-cell cytokine production and autoimmunity by BET protein and c-Myc inhibitors
Authors: Bandukwala Hozefa S. , Gagnon John , Togher Susan , Greenbaum Jason A. , Lamperti Edward D. , Parr Nigel J. , Molesworth Amy M. H. , Smithers Nicholas , Lee Kevin , Witherington Jason , Tough David F. , Prinjha Rab K. , Peters Bjoern , Rao Anjana
Published: August 2012

Bromodomain-containing proteins bind acetylated lysine residues on histone tails and are involved in the recruitment of additional factors that mediate histone modifications and enable transcription. A compound, I-BET-762, that inhibits binding of an acetylated histone peptide to proteins of the bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) family, was previously shown to suppress the production of proinflammatory proteins by macrophages and block acute inflammation in mice. Here, we investigated the effect of short-term treatment with I-BET-762 on T-cell function. Treatment of naïve CD4
+
T cells with I-BET-762 during the first 2 d of differentiation had long-lasting effects on subsequent gene expression and cytokine production. Gene expression analysis revealed up-regulated expression of several antiinflammatory gene products, including IL-10, Lag3, and Egr2, and down-regulated expression of several proinflammatory cytokines including GM-CSF and IL-17. The short 2-d treatment with I-BET-762 inhibited the ability of antigen-specific T cells, differentiated under Th1 but not Th17 conditions in vitro, to induce pathogenesis in an adoptive transfer model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. The suppressive effects of I-BET-762 on T-cell mediated inflammation in vivo were accompanied by decreased recruitment of macrophages, consistent with decreased GM-CSF production by CNS-infiltrating T cells. These effects were mimicked by an inhibitor of c-myc function, implicating reduced expression of c-myc and GM-CSF as one avenue by which I-BET-762 suppresses the inflammatory functions of T cells. Our study demonstrates that inhibiting the functions of BET-family proteins during early T-cell differentiation causes long-lasting suppression of the proinflammatory functions of Th1 cells.
Cross-talk between the fat body and brain regulates insect developmental arrest
Authors: Xu Wei-Hua , Lu Yu-Xuan , Denlinger David L.
Published: August 2012

Developmental arrest, a critical component of the life cycle in animals as diverse as nematodes (dauer state), insects (diapause), and vertebrates (hibernation), results in dramatic depression of the metabolic rate and a profound extension in longevity. Although many details of the hormonal systems controlling developmental arrest are well-known, we know little about the interactions between metabolic events and the hormones controlling the arrested state. Here, we show that diapause is regulated by an interplay between blood-borne metabolites and regulatory centers within the brain. Gene expression in the fat body, the insect equivalent of the liver, is strongly suppressed during diapause, resulting in low levels of tricarboxylic acid (TCA) intermediates circulating within the blood, and at diapause termination, the fat body becomes activated, releasing an abundance of TCA intermediates that act on the brain to stimulate synthesis of regulatory peptides that prompt production of the insect growth hormone ecdysone. This model is supported by our success in breaking diapause by injecting a mixture of TCA intermediates and upstream metabolites. The results underscore the importance of cross-talk between the brain and fat body as a regulator of diapause and suggest that the TCA cycle may be a checkpoint for regulating different forms of animal dormancy.
Vertical Distribution of Heterodera schachtii under Susceptible, Resistant, or Tolerant Sugar Beet Cultivars
Authors: Westphal Andreas
Published: August 2012

Heterodera schachtii is managed by rotation with non-hosts, resistant cover crops, and resistant and tolerant sugar beet cultivars. Microplots 60 cm deep and 30 cm in diameter containing steamed field soil were (i) noninfested or infested with 550 H. schachtii eggs per 100 g at (ii) 0 to 60 cm, (iii) 0 to 30 cm or (iv) 30 to 60 cm in depth. Plots were planted to susceptible, resistant, and tolerant sugar beets. Five weeks later, the sugar beet canopy was largest in condition i, smallest in condition ii, and intermediate in conditions iii and iv. White sugar yield (WSY) was highest in condition i, second in condition iv, lowest in condition ii, and intermediate in condition iii. Cultivar-specific final nematode numbers were independent of the level of infestation. In two experiments utilizing 1-m2 microplots, naturally occurring H. schachtii populations were suppressed with fosthiazate at depth layers in reverse to those infested in the first experiment, and planted to susceptible, resistant, and tolerant sugar beets. In one experiment, WSY was highest in soil treated with fosthiazate at 0 to 60 cm in depth, lowest in nontreated, unaffected in soil treated at 30 to 60 cm in depth, and somewhat lower in soil treated at 0 to 30 cm in depth. In all cultivars, early root penetration predicted canopy diameter; only in the susceptible cultivar did the canopy diameter predict WSY. Deep-occurring H. schachtii can impact productivity in sugar beet cropping.
Identification and Characterization of Citrus yellow vein clearing virus, A Putative New Member of the Genus Mandarivirus
Authors: Loconsole G. , Önelge N. , Potere O. , Giampetruzzi A. , Bozan O. , Satar S. , De Stradis A. , Savino V. , Yokomi R. K. , Saponari M.
Published: August 2012

Molecular features and genomic organization were determined for Citrus yellow vein clearing virus (CYVCV), the putative viral causal agent of yellow vein clearing disease of lemon trees, reported in Pakistan, India, and more recently in Turkey and China. CYVCV isolate Y1 from Adana, Turkey, was used for deep sequencing analysis of the virus-induced small RNA fractions and for mechanical and graft inoculation of herbaceous and citrus indicator plants. A polyclonal antiserum was developed from CYVCV-Y1 purified from Phaseolus vulgaris and used in western blot assays to characterize the coat protein of CYVCV-Y1 and determine its serological relationship with related viruses. Contigs assembled from the Illumina sequenced short reads were used to construct the whole genome of Citrus yellow vein clearing virus (CYVCV), consisting in a positive-sense RNA of 7,529 nucleotides and containing six predicted open reading frames. The CYVCV genome organization and size resembled that of flexiviruses, and search for sequence homologies revealed that Indian citrus ringspot virus (ICRSV) (Mandarivirus, Alphaflexiviridae) is the most closely related virus. However, CYVCV had an overall nucleotide sequence identity of ≈74% with ICRSV. Although the two viruses were similar with regard to genome organization, viral particles, and herbaceous host range, CYVCV caused different symptoms in citrus and was serologically distinct from ICRSV. Primer pairs were designed and used to detect the virus by conventional and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction on yellow vein clearing symptomatic field trees as well as graft- and mechanically inoculated host plants. Collectively, these data suggest that CYVCV is the causal agent of yellow vein clearing disease and represents a new species in the genus Mandarivirus.
Evidence that gestation duration and lactation duration are coupled traits in primates
Authors: Dubman Evgenia , Collard Mark , Mooers Arne Ø.
Published: August 2012

Gestation duration and lactation duration are usually treated as independently evolving traits in primates, but the metabolic theory of ecology (MTE) suggests both durations should be determined by metabolic rate. We used phylogenetic generalized least-squares linear regression to test these different perspectives. We found that the allometries of the durations are divergent from each other and different from the scaling exponent predicted by the MTE (0.25). Gestation duration increases much more slowly (0.06 <
m
< 0.12), and lactation duration much more quickly (0.36 <
m
< 0.52) with body mass than the MTE predicts. By contrast, we found that the combined duration of gestation and lactation is consistent with the MTE's predictions (0.22 <
m
< 0.35). These results suggest that gestation duration and lactation duration might best be viewed as distinct but coupled adaptations. When transferring energy to their offspring, primate mothers must meet metabolically dictated physiological requirements while optimizing the timing of the switch from gestation to lactation in relation to some as-yet-unidentified body-size-related factor.
Quantitative biology of single neurons
Authors: Eberwine James , Lovatt Ditte , Buckley Peter , Dueck Hannah , Francis Chantal , Kim Tae Kyung , Lee Jaehee , Lee Miler , Miyashiro Kevin , Morris Jacqueline , Peritz Tiina , Schochet Terri , Spaethling Jennifer , Sul Jai-Yoon , Kim Junhyong
Published: August 2012

The building blocks of complex biological systems are single cells. Fundamental insights gained from single-cell analysis promise to provide the framework for understanding normal biological systems development as well as the limits on systems/cellular ability to respond to disease. The interplay of cells to create functional systems is not well understood. Until recently, the study of single cells has concentrated primarily on morphological and physiological characterization. With the application of new highly sensitive molecular and genomic technologies, the quantitative biochemistry of single cells is now accessible.
The biological seal of the implant–soft tissue interface evaluated in a tissue-engineered oral mucosal model
Authors: Chai Wen L. , Brook Ian M. , Palmquist Anders , van Noort Richard , Moharamzadeh Keyvan
Published: August 2012

For dental implants, it is vital that an initial soft tissue seal is achieved as this helps to stabilize and preserve the peri-implant tissues during the restorative stages following placement. The study of the implant–soft tissue interface is usually undertaken in animal models. We have developed an
in vitro
three-dimensional tissue-engineered oral mucosal model (3D OMM), which lends itself to the study of the implant–soft tissue interface as it has been shown that cells from the three-dimensional OMM attach onto titanium (Ti) surfaces forming a biological seal (BS). This study compares the quality of the BS achieved using the three-dimensional OMM for four types of Ti surfaces: polished, machined, sandblasted and anodized (TiUnite). The BS was evaluated quantitatively by permeability and cell attachment tests. Tritiated water (HTO) was used as the tracing agent for the permeability test. At the end of the permeability test, the Ti discs were removed from the three-dimensional OMM and an Alamar Blue assay was used for the measurement of residual cells attached to the Ti discs. The penetration of the HTO through the BS for the four types of Ti surfaces was not significantly different, and there was no significant difference in the viability of residual cells that attached to the Ti surfaces. The BS of the tissue-engineered oral mucosa around the four types of Ti surface topographies was not significantly different.
Sexes suffer from suboptimal lifespan because of genetic conflict in a seed beetle
Authors: Berg Elena C. , Maklakov Alexei A.
Published: August 2012

Males and females have different routes to successful reproduction, resulting in sex differences in lifespan and age-specific allocation of reproductive effort. The trade-off between current and future reproduction is often resolved differently by males and females, and both sexes can be constrained in their ability to reach their sex-specific optima owing to intralocus sexual conflict. Such genetic antagonism may have profound implications for evolution, but its role in ageing and lifespan remains unresolved. We provide direct experimental evidence that males live longer and females live shorter than necessary to maximize their relative fitness in
Callosobruchus maculatus
seed beetles. Using artificial selection in a genetically heterogeneous population, we created replicate long-life lines where males lived on average 27 per cent longer than in short-life lines. As predicted by theory, subsequent assays revealed that upward selection on male lifespan decreased relative male fitness but increased relative female fitness compared with downward selection. Thus, we demonstrate that lifespan-extending genes can help one sex while harming the other. Our results show that sexual antagonism constrains adaptive life-history evolution, support a novel way of maintaining genetic variation for lifespan and argue for better integration of sex effects into applied research programmes aimed at lifespan extension.
Terrimonas pekingensis sp. nov., isolated from bulking sludge, and emended descriptions of the genus

Terrimonas

,

Terrimonas ferruginea

,

Terrimonas lutea

and

Terrimonas aquatica
Authors: Jin Decai , Wang Ping , Bai Zhihui , Jin Bo , Yu Zhisheng , Wang Xinxin , Zhuang Guoqiang , Zhang Hongxun
Published: August 2012

A Gram-negative, strictly aerobic, non-motile and non-spore-forming rod that produced white, viscous colonies, designated QHT, was isolated from bulking sludge collected from a municipal wastewater treatment plant in Beijing, China. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain QHT belonged to the genus

Terrimonas

and shared 96.3 % sequence similarity with

Terrimonas lutea

DYT, 94.1 % with

Terrimonas ferruginea

ATCC 13524T and 93.8 % with

Terrimonas aquatica

RIB1-6T. Strain QHT contained iso-C15 : 0, summed feature 3 (comprising one or more of C16 : 1ω7c, C16 : 1ω6c and iso-C15 : 0 2-OH) and iso-C15 : 1 G as the predominant fatty acids. The predominant polar lipid of strain QHT and members of the genus

Terrimonas

was phosphatidylethanolamine. The major isoprenoid quinone of strain QHT was MK-7 and the DNA G+C content was 41.0 mol%. DNA–DNA relatedness between strain QHT and

T. lutea

BCRC 17944T,

T. ferruginea

BCRC 17943T and

T. aquatica

BCRC 17941T was 32, 23 and 22 %, respectively. On the basis of phylogenetic inference, differential phenotypic data and low DNA–DNA relatedness with members of the genus

Terrimonas

, strain QHT represents a novel species, for which the name Terrimonas pekingensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is QHT ( = CICC 10452T  = NCCB 100397T). The descriptions of the genus

Terrimonas

and

T. ferruginea

,

T. lutea

and

T. aquatica

are also emended.
Arcticibacter svalbardensis gen. nov., sp. nov., of the family

Sphingobacteriaceae

in the phylum

Bacteroidetes

, isolated from Arctic soil
Authors: Prasad Sathish , Manasa B. Poorna , Buddhi Sailaja , Pratibha Mambatta S. , Begum Zareena , Bandi Sunil , Tirunagari Preethi , Shivaji Sisinthy
Published: August 2012

In the course of a study aimed at isolating bacteria from Arctic soils by a method that selectively enriches for rare bioactive actinomycetes, a Gram-stain-negative, pigmented, non-motile rod, designated MN12-7T, was isolated. The salmon-pink strain was, based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, found to be affiliated with the family

Sphingobacteriaceae

. Strain MN12-7T was catalase-, oxidase- and cellulase-positive and lacked gelatinase, urease, lipase and pectinase. The predominant cellular fatty acids were summed feature 3 (comprising C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c), iso-C15 : 0 and C15 : 1ω6c. The major respiratory quinone of strain MN12-7T was MK-7, and the major polar lipid was phosphatidylethanolamine in addition to phosphatidylserine, seven unidentified lipids and six unidentified aminolipids. The DNA G+C content of strain MN12-7T was 38 mol%. Strain MN12-7T formed a separate lineage in a cluster containing ‘Candidatus comitans’, with which it shared 92.3 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity. Based on the phenotypic characteristics and phylogenetic inference, strain MN12-7T is proposed as a representative of a novel species in a new genus, Arcticibacter svalbardensis gen. nov., sp. nov. The type strain of the type species is MN12-7T ( = KCTC 32015T = CIP 110422T).
Flavobacterium fontis sp. nov., isolated from freshwater
Authors: Chun Jeesun , Kang Ji Young , Jahng Kwang Yeop
Published: August 2012

A taxonomic study was carried out on a novel bacterial strain, designated MIC3010T, which was isolated from a freshwater pond in Jeonju, Republic of Korea. Cells of the isolate were Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped and non-motile. Comparison of the 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the isolate belonged to the family

Flavobacteriaceae

, with

Flavobacterium haoranii

LQY-7T as its closest relative, with a similarity of 94.2 %. The predominant fatty acids of strain MIC3010T were iso-C15 : 1 G, iso-C15 : 0 and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH. The polar lipid profile of strain MIC3010T revealed the presence of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and one unidentified lipid (L1) as major components. In addition, two aminolipids (AL1, AL2) and one glycolipid were present in small amounts. The DNA G+C content of the strain was 41.0 mol%. The strain contained MK-6 as the major quinone and sym-homospermidine as the predominant polyamine. On the basis of the evidence presented, it is concluded that strain MIC3010T represents a novel species of the genus

Flavobacterium

, for which the name Flavobacterium fontis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is MIC3010T ( = KACC 16593T = JCM 18212T).
Reflective Journals of Students Taking a Positive Youth-Development Course in a University Context in Hong Kong
Authors: Shek Daniel T. L. , Wu Florence K. Y.
Published: August 2012

To promote the holistic development of university students, a course entitled “Tomorrow's Leaders” was developed and offered at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Based on a case study approach, reflective journals of five outstanding students of the course are presented and analyzed (i.e., thick description), with several themes emerging from the reflection. First, the students liked the course, and they identified many positive attributes. Second, the students appreciated the instructors. Third, the students viewed that the course contributed to different aspects of their development. Fourth, some areas of improvements were proposed. In conjunction with other evaluation mechanisms, the present findings strongly suggest that the course is able to promote psychosocial competencies in university students taking this course.
Temozolomide as Second or Third Line Treatment of Patients with Neuroendocrine Carcinomas
Authors: Olsen Ingrid H. , Sørensen Jens B. , Federspiel Birgitte , Kjaer Andreas , Hansen Carsten P. , Knigge Ulrich , Langer Seppo W.
Published: August 2012

Background. Knowledge of the clinical efficacy in recurrent neuroendocrine carcinomas is sparse. Treatment with temozolomide alone or in combination with capecitabine and bevacizumab has recently shown promising results.Patients and Methods. Analysis of consecutive patients with neuroendocrine carcinomas (Ki-67 proliferation index >20%) and performance status 0–2 treated with temozolomide 200 mg/sqm orally days 1–5 every 28 days after at least one previous platin-containing chemotherapy regimen.Results. Twenty-eight eligible patients received a median of 3 courses. Sixteen patients were evaluable for response: Six achieved stable disease and ten progressed. The median survival for the 28 patients was 3.5 months. Survival in patients with tumors of pancreatic origin (n=7) was 7.0 months versus 2.9 months in non-pancreatic origin (n=21). Patients in PS 0-1 (n=22) had a median survival of 4.5 months versus 1.1 months in patients in PS 2 (n=6). Ki-67 index ≥50% was associated with a significantly shorter median survival than Ki-67 index <50% (2.7 months versus 10.9 months). The treatment was well tolerated.Conclusion. Temozolomide monotherapy has limited effect in treatment of recurrent neuroendocrine carcinomas. Second line treatment with temozolomide in combination with other compounds should be further investigated in patients in good performance with Ki-67 index <50%.
An Assessment of Whole Blood and Fractions by Nested PCR as a DNA Source for Diagnosing Canine Ehrlichiosis and Anaplasmosis
Authors: Rotondano Tereza Emmanuelle de Farias , de Almeida Alzira Maria Paiva , Lustosa Elane Maria Camboim , Cordeiro Aline Antas , Camboim Expedito Kennedy Alves , de Azevedo Sérgio Santos , de Andrade Paulo Paes , de Melo Marcia Almeida
Published: August 2012

Ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis are tick-borne diseases.Ehrlichia canisandAnaplasma platysinfect mainly white cells and platelets, respectively. The main DNA source for PCR is peripheral blood, but the potential of blood cell fractions has not been extensively investigated. This study aims at assessment of whole blood (WB) and blood fractions potential in nested PCR (nPCR) to diagnose canine ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis. The 16S rRNA gene was amplified in 71.4, 17.8, 31.57, and 30% of the WB, granulocyte (G), mononuclear cells (M), and buffy coat (BC) samples. Compared to the WB, the sensitivity of the PCR was 42.86% for the M, and BC fractions, 21.43% for the G, and 33.33% for the blood clot (C). There was fair agreement between the WB and M, BC and C, and slight with the G. Fair agreement occurred between the nPCR and morulae in the blood smear. One animal was coinfected withA. platysandE. canis. This study provided the first evidence ofA. platysinfection in dogs in Paraíba, Brazil, and demonstrated that WB is a better DNA source than blood fractions to detectEhrlichiaandAnaplasmaby nPCR, probably because of the plasma bacterial concentration following host cell lysis.
Exergetic Assessment for Resources Input and Environmental Emissions by Chinese Industry during 1997–2006
Authors: Zhang Bo , Peng Beihua , Liu Mingchu
Published: August 2012

This paper presents an overview of the resources use and environmental impact of the Chinese industry during 1997–2006. For the purpose of this analysis the thermodynamic concept of exergy has been employed both to quantify and aggregate the resources input and the environmental emissions arising from the sector. The resources input and environmental emissions show an increasing trend in this period. Compared with 47568.7 PJ in 1997, resources input in 2006 increased by 75.4% and reached 83437.9 PJ, of which 82.5% came from nonrenewable resources, mainly from coal and other energy minerals. Furthermore, the total exergy of environmental emissions was estimated to be 3499.3 PJ in 2006, 1.7 times of that in 1997, of which 93.4% was from GHG emissions and only 6.6% from “three wastes” emissions. A rapid increment of the nonrenewable resources input and GHG emissions over 2002–2006 can be found, owing to the excessive expansion of resource- and energy-intensive subsectors. Exergy intensities in terms of resource input intensity and environmental emission intensity time-series are also calculated, and the trends are influenced by the macroeconomic situation evidently, particularly by the investment-derived economic development in recent years. Corresponding policy implications to guide a more sustainable industry system are addressed.
Comparison of Central Macular Thickness Measured by Three OCT Models and Study of Interoperator Variability
Authors: Bentaleb-Machkour Zaïnab , Jouffroy Eléonore , Rabilloud Muriel , Grange Jean-Daniel , Kodjikian Laurent
Published: August 2012

Purpose. To compare central macular thickness (CMT) measurement on healthy patient using 3 different OCT devices by two operators.Methods. Prospective, monocentricstudy. Right eye’s central macular thickness (CMT) of 30 healthy patients has been measured three times using a time-domain (TD) OCT (Stratus OCT, Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, Ca) and two spectral domain (SD) OCTs (Cirrus HD-OCT, Carl ZeissMeditec, Dublin, Ca) and 3D-OCT 1000 (Topcon, Tokyo, Japan) by two operators. Six measurements were taken randomly for each patient the same day.Results. No significant difference between measurements obtained by the two operators has been observed, whatever the studied OCT.Pvalue was 0.164, 0.193, and 0.147 for Stratus OCT, Cirrus HD-OCT and 3D-OCT, respectively. Mean CMT significantly differed from instrument to instrument (P<0.001) and was, respectively, 197 μm, 254 μm, and 236 μm using Stratus OCT, Cirrus HD-OCT, and 3D-OCT 1000. Using Cirrus OCT and 3D-OCT 1000, CMT was, respectively, 57 μm and 39 μm thicker than using Stratus OCT (P<0.05).Conclusions. Whatever the OCT device, on healthy patients CMT was not operator dependent. CMT measurements obtained by SD-OCTs are greater than those obtained by TD-OCT. These data imply that the different OCT devices cannot be used interchangeably in clinical monitoring.
Green Revolution Trees: Semidwarfism Transgenes Modify Gibberellins, Promote Root Growth, Enhance Morphological Diversity, and Reduce Competitiveness in Hybrid Poplar
Authors: Elias Ani A. , Busov Victor B. , Kosola Kevin R. , Ma Cathleen , Etherington Elizabeth , Shevchenko Olga , Gandhi Harish , Pearce David W. , Rood Stewart B. , Strauss Steven H.
Published: August 2012

Semidwarfism has been used extensively in row crops and horticulture to promote yield, reduce lodging, and improve harvest index, and it might have similar benefits for trees for short-rotation forestry or energy plantations, reclamation, phytoremediation, or other applications. We studied the effects of the dominant semidwarfism transgenes GA Insensitive (GAI) and Repressor of GAI-Like, which affect gibberellin (GA) action, and the GA catabolic gene, GA 2-oxidase, in nursery beds and in 2-year-old high-density stands of hybrid poplar (Populus tremula × Populus alba). Twenty-nine traits were analyzed, including measures of growth, morphology, and physiology. Endogenous GA levels were modified in most transgenic events; GA20 and GA8, in particular, had strong inverse associations with tree height. Nearly all measured traits varied significantly among genotypes, and several traits interacted with planting density, including aboveground biomass, root-shoot ratio, root fraction, branch angle, and crown depth. Semidwarfism promoted biomass allocation to roots over shoots and substantially increased rooting efficiency with most genes tested. The increased root proportion and increased leaf chlorophyll levels were associated with changes in leaf carbon isotope discrimination, indicating altered water use efficiency. Semidwarf trees had dramatically reduced growth when in direct competition with wild-type trees, supporting the hypothesis that semidwarfism genes could be effective tools to mitigate the spread of exotic, hybrid, and transgenic plants in wild and feral populations.
Implementing cloud learning in an organization: a training perspective
Authors: Ratten Vanessa
Published: August 2012

Purpose

This paper aims to assist those involved with personnel training and training management in the implementation of cloud learning in their organization.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper focuses on practical examples and provides a discussion on the importance of cloud learning as part of the application of new technology in an organizational context.

Findings

Managers need to consider a number of factors when implementing cloud learning including: technology adoption, organizational control and participation of skill development.

Practical implications

Managers can assist the development of cloud learning activities by focusing on the training of employees who may require additional time spent on technology adoption and job‐related information.

Originality/value

This paper provides practical insight into the implementation of cloud learning in an organization and includes insight into how technological innovation is used to support employee training.
Communication overload: a phenomenological inquiry into academic reference librarianship
Authors: Sean Burns C. , Bossaller Jenny
Published: August 2012

Purpose

This study aims to provide insight on the meaning of communication overload as experienced by modern academic librarians. Communication is the essence of reference librarianship, and a practically endless array of synchronous and asynchronous communication tools (ICTs) are available to facilitate communication.

Design/methodology/approach

This study relied on a phenomenological methodology, which included nine in‐depth interviews with academic librarians. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using RQDA, a qualitative analysis software package that facilitates coding, category building, and project management.

Findings

Seven themes about librarianship emerged from this research: attending to communication abundance, librarians of two types, instruction not reference, twenty‐first century librarianship, user needs, trusted methods: filter not retrieve, and self‐impact. The shared meaning of communication overload among these librarians is that it is a problem when it detracts from or hinders their ability to assist their users.

Practical implications

Further research should contribute to an understanding of communication as a problem when it interferes with serving the librarians' users, or to an understanding of interpersonal communication within the librarians' organizational structures and in their broader professional networks.

Social implications

Research in popular psychology has focused on the negative impacts on productivity and concentration of living in an always‐plugged‐in environment. This research confirms that librarians should have time to work away from digital distractions to maintain job satisfaction.

Originality/value

Important work by Radford and Dervin has focused on communication with users. This study focuses on the impact of ICTs on librarians' work and personal lives.