bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PREVALENCE OF INCIDENTAL THYROID NODULES IN ULTRASOUND STUDIES OF DOGS WITH HYPERCALCEMIA (2008–2013)
Authors: Pollard Rachel E. , Bohannon Laurie K. , Feldman Edward C.
Published: June 2014

Ultrasound is commonly used to evaluate the cervical region in dogs with hypercalcemia due to suspected hyperparathyroidism. Incidental thyroid nodules may be detected during these studies, however little information has been published to guide clinical decision‐making when this occurs. The purpose of this cross‐sectional study was to determine the prevalence of incidental thyroid nodules in hypercalcemic dogs undergoing cervical ultrasound at our hospital during the period of 2008–2013. Dogs with a palpable neck mass were excluded. Cervical ultrasound images for each dog were retrieved and reviewed by a board certified veterinary radiologist who was unaware of patient outcome. Presence, number, and dimensions of thyroid nodules were recorded. Results of thyroid nodule aspirate, biopsy or necropsy were recorded from medical records when available. Ninety‐one dogs met inclusion criteria. Of these, 14/91 (15%) dogs had at least one thyroid nodule. Mean (± standard deviation) thyroid gland nodule length, width, and height were 1.51 ± 0.74, 0.96 ± 0.73, and 0.75 ± 0.36 cm, respectively. A histologic diagnosis was available for the incidental thyroid lesions in eight dogs, including one dog with two nodules. Confirmed diagnoses for these nodules were thyroid cyst (3/9, 33%), thyroid adenoma (3/9, 33%), thyroid adenocarcinoma (2/9, 22%) and nodular hyperplasia (1/9, 11%). Findings indicated that incidental thyroid nodules may be present in hypercalcemic dogs with no palpable neck mass and no clinical signs of thyroid disease. Some of these nodules may be malignant and therefore a recommendation for cytology or biopsy may be justified.
Specialization Slicing
Authors: Aung Min , Horwitz Susan , Joiner Rich , Reps Thomas
Published: June 2014

This paper defines a new variant of program slicing, called
specialization slicing
, and presents an algorithm for the specialization-slicing problem that creates an optimal output slice. An algorithm for specialization slicing is
polyvariant
: for a given procedure р, the algorithm may create multiple specialized copies of р. In creating specialized procedures, the algorithm must decide for which patterns of formal parameters a given procedure should be specialized and which program elements should be included in each specialized procedure.

We formalize the specialization-slicing problem as a partitioning problem on the elements of the possibly
infinite
unrolled program. To manipulate possibly infinite sets of program elements, the algorithm makes use of automata-theoretic techniques originally developed in the model-checking community. The algorithm returns a
finite answer
that is optimal (with respect to a criterion defined in the article). In particular, (i) each element replicated by the specialization-slicing algorithm provides information about specialized patterns of program behavior that are intrinsic to the program, and (ii) the answer is of minimal size (i.e., among all possible answers with property (i), there is no smaller one).

The specialization-slicing algorithm provides a new way to create executable slices. Moreover, by combining specialization slicing with forward slicing, we obtain a method for removing unwanted features from a program. While it was previously known how to solve the feature-removal problem for single-procedure programs, it was not known how to solve it for programs with procedure calls.
Solving the Caputo Fractional Reaction-Diffusion Equation on GPU
Authors: Liu Jie , Gong Chunye , Bao Weimin , Tang Guojian , Jiang Yuewen
Published: June 2014

We present a parallel GPU solution of the Caputo fractional reaction-diffusion equation in one spatial dimension with explicit finite difference approximation. The parallel solution, which is implemented with CUDA programming model, consists of three procedures: preprocessing, parallel solver, and postprocessing. The parallel solver involves the parallel tridiagonal matrix vector multiplication, vector-vector addition, and constant vector multiplication. The most time consuming loop of vector-vector addition and constant vector multiplication is optimized and impressive performance improvement is got. The experimental results show that the GPU solution compares well with the exact solution. The optimized GPU solution on NVIDIA Quadro FX 5800 is 2.26 times faster than the optimized parallel CPU solution on multicore Intel Xeon E5540 CPU.
Synthetic Lethality in ATM-Deficient RAD50-Mutant Tumors Underlies Outlier Response to Cancer Therapy
Authors: Al-Ahmadie Hikmat , Iyer Gopa , Hohl Marcel , Asthana Saurabh , Inagaki Akiko , Schultz Nikolaus , Hanrahan Aphrothiti J. , Scott Sasinya N. , Brannon A. Rose , McDermott Gregory C. , Pirun Mono , Ostrovnaya Irina , Kim Philip , Socci Nicholas D. , Viale Agnes , Schwartz Gary K. , Reuter Victor , Bochner Bernard H. , Rosenberg Jonathan E. , Bajorin Dean F. , Berger Michael F. , Petrini John H.J. , Solit David B. , Taylor Barry S.
Published: June 2014

Metastatic solid tumors are almost invariably fatal. Patients with disseminated small-cell cancers have a particularly unfavorable prognosis, with most succumbing to their disease within two years. Here, we report on the genetic and functional analysis of an outlier curative response of a patient with metastatic small-cell cancer to combined checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) inhibition and DNA-damaging chemotherapy. Whole-genome sequencing revealed a clonal hemizygous mutation in the Mre11 complex gene RAD50 that attenuated ATM signaling which in the context of CHK1 inhibition contributed, via synthetic lethality, to extreme sensitivity to irinotecan. As Mre11 mutations occur in a diversity of human tumors, the results suggest a tumor-specific combination therapy strategy in which checkpoint inhibition in combination with DNA-damaging chemotherapy is synthetically lethal in tumor cells but not normal cells with somatic mutations that impair Mre11 complex function.

Significance: Strategies to effect deep and lasting responses to cancer therapy in patients with metastatic disease have remained difficult to attain, especially in early-phase clinical trials. Here, we present an in-depth genomic and functional genetic analysis identifying RAD50 hypomorphism as a contributing factor to a curative response to systemic combination therapy in a patient with recurrent, metastatic small-cell cancer. Cancer Discov; 4(9); 1014–21. ©2014 AACR.

See related commentary by Peng et al., p. 988

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 973
Origens da noção de preservação do patrimônio cultural no Brasil
Authors: Pinheiro Maria Lucia Bressan
Published: June 2014

Pretende-se no presente trabalho discutir as características de que se revestiram as noções preservacionistas no Brasil, desde as primeiras preocupações com a evasão de obras de arte para o estrangeiro - manifestadas nas primeiras décadas do século XX - até a atuação do SPHAN em sua fase pioneira, com ênfase no movimento neocolonial da década de 1920 e suas implicações quanto à defesa do patrimônio histórico e artístico nacional. Espera-se contribuir, assim, para o entendimento das vicissitudes por que passam atualmente projetos voltados à preservação do patrimônio no Brasil, particularmente em sua dimensão urbana.
Déficit habitacional: um problema a ser resolvido ou uma lição a ser aprendida?
Authors: Nascimento Denise Morado , Braga Raquel Carvalho de Queiroz
Published: June 2014

O artigo trata da análise histórica e crítica da habitação social no Brasil, explicitando os primórdios que a transformaram num problema, expresso numericamente como déficit e acompanhado da perspectiva de uma solução. O objetivo aqui é expor criticamente a construção histórica do deficit habitacional em busca daquilo que lhe 'deu forma', evitando o entendimento de que o aumento de estoque de unidades de habitação, como o proposto pelo programa do governo federal Minha Casa, Minha Vida, seja solução à crise habitacional brasileira.
Exhibiting text works
Authors: Cheek Cris
Published: June 2014

This think piece about past present and emergent means for the exhibition of text works uses embodiment and proximity as its lens. Texts inscribed onto and through and from the body of the humanimal, both in terms of ongoing traditions and immanent capabilities are considered. Body-mind, skin, clothing, paper, architexture and landscape are drawn into play here. I wanted to stir memory and imagination and speculation, to incite ambition and reflection, more than to focus onto a few specific works in detail. In that sense its contribution remains rumination on our contemporary moment in terms of textual production and circulation.
Publishing as a praxis of conceptualist reading performances
Authors: Thurston Nick
Published: June 2014

Since 2006 I have been a co-editor of the independent publishing imprint information as material. This article is a position statement about my understanding of what we try to do together through a mode of ‘publishing as praxis’. The first half outlines the intersecting concerns shared by Craig Dworkin, Simon Morris and I, explaining how our collective identity functions as a self-publishing framework for writers who produce ‘conceptualist reading performances’. Following this I explain how certain kinds of self-publishing can be differentiated from vanity publishing by analysing how the two differently relate to the subject-status of the authorial self that they make public. In the second half I speculatively map these ideas onto the emergent field of Conceptual Writing, re-positioning it as an extra-literary approach to writing that performs on the outside of literature’s territory to alter the question of authoriality so central to how we understand literature’s horizons.
Slings in the Ancient Near East with Reference to the Egyptian Material
Authors: Wernick Nicholas
Published: June 2014

A survey of the sling’s composition, ammo and capabilities has not been completed despite this weapon has been known to have been used in ancient warfare contexts in the ancient Near East. By utilizing the three extant examples from the pharaonic period in Egypt, the reader will gain a better understanding of the weapon’s construction and usage. In addition, a brief analysis of the variety of sling-shot artefacts will be performed, including the torpedo-shaped shot from the fortress of Buhen. After an examination of the physical remains, the capabilities of the range of this weapon will be assessed.
Treatment of Tetralogy of Fallot Hypoxic Spell With Intranasal Fentanyl
Authors: Tsze Daniel S. , Vitberg Yaffa M. , Berezow Joel , Starc Thomas J. , Dayan Peter S.
Published: June 2014

We present the case of a 3-month-old girl who had unrepaired Tetralogy of Fallot who presented to the emergency department with an acute hypoxic episode. The patient was hyperpneic and cyanotic, with an initial oxygen saturation of 56%. She did not respond to knee-to-chest positioning. A single dose of intranasal fentanyl was administered with subsequent resolution of her symptoms and improvement of her oxygen saturation to 78% within 10 minutes. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the successful treatment of a hypoxic episode of Tetralogy of Fallot using intranasal fentanyl.
Using graphical statistics to better understand market segmentation solutions
Authors: Dolnicar Sara , Leisch Friedrich
Published: June 2014

Market segmentation lies ‘at the heart of successful marketing’ (McDonald 2010), yet market segmentation solutions are not trivial to interpret, especially if consumers are segmented using post hoc or a posteriori or data-driven segmentation, where several consumer characteristics are analysed simultaneously to identify or construct market segments. In fact, 65% of marketing managers admit to having difficulties with the interpretation of data-driven market segmentation solutions. In this study we develop novel ways of visualising segmentation solutions using graphical statistics methodology. The proposed plots help academics and practitioners to interpret complex market segmentation solutions, thus improving the practical usability of market segmentation, reducing the risk of misinterpretation and contributing to closing the much-lamented ‘theoryâ€“practice divide’ in market segmentation.
An Agent Based Hydro Informatics Approach for the Engagement of Farmers in Irrigation Water Management in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Gasmelseid Tagelsir Mohamed
Published: June 2014

The use of software agent systems and technologies to simulate water resources management scenarios and improve the engagement of stakeholders in policy making is gaining paramount importance. Such importance originates from two main concerns or change agents. Firstly, the context of water management is becoming highly complicated due to the intensity of connections with other systems, the diversity of stakeholders and the multiplicity (and sometime conflicting) objectives of decision partners. Moreover, the domain used for capitalizing on water management issues is becoming planetary (as it is the case of shared basins) rather than being local (watershed, watercourse, scheme, etc.). As a result, the concern is not limited to the optimization of the utility matrix of stakeholders but additional attention is required to incorporate many emerging issues such as the maintenance of financial sustainability, functional mainstreaming and improving engagement to promote reconciliation and change of water use behaviors. Secondly, the recent technological developments have improved the processing capacity of hardware, software functionalities and the accessibility of telecommunication platforms. Such developments have been reflected in the improvement of the capacities of decision makers to address complex problem domains. Software agents' technologies possess the qualities that make them useful for the provision of decision support in water management domains. As it is the case of irrigated agriculture, software agents' technology can be used for the design of farm surface irrigation systems, the improvement of irrigation systems management and the enhancement of the involvement of farmers in the processes of integrated water management. This paper is concerned with the use of agent based systems to facilitate the engagement of farmers in Al Ahsaa area in the management of water resources. The government of the Kingdom is adopting a demand management approach for the management of irrigation water by discouraging the cultivation of water-consuming crops such as wheat and dates. Improving the ability of farmers to analyze alternative cropping patterns significantly affects their water use behavior.
Hybrid Simulation Based Approach for Embedded Systems Reliability Analysis
Authors: Ghenai Afifa , Benmohammed Mohamed
Published: June 2014

This paper describes a reliability approach based on a coupling of discrete and continuous dynamics simulation of embedded systems. This hybrid simulation is a combination in the same formalism of the discrete simulation of an algorithm allowing the extraction of feared scenarios that lead an embedded system to a critical situation without generating the associated reachability graph in order to avoid the eternal combinative explosion problem, and, the continuous dynamics of the embedded system represented by a Java code. The simulation of discrete and continuous dynamics is coupled in object-oriented stopwatch Petri net models that allow the representation of the suspension and resumption of task execution.
Wireless Sensor Network Using ARM Processors
Authors: Doraipandian Manivannan , Neelamegam Periasamy
Published: June 2014

The hardware design of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) is the crux of its effective deployment. Nowadays these networks are used in microscopic, secure and high-end embedded products. WSN's potentiality in terms of efficient data sensing and distributed data processing has led to its usage in applications for measurement and tracking. WSN comprises of small number of embedded devices known as sensor nodes, gateways and base stations. Sensor nodes consist of sensors, processors and transceivers. The property of embedded sensor devices, also called motes, is to determine the strength of WSN. Thus processor selection for the motes plays a critical role in determining a WSN's competency. In this article, the absolute and obvious hardware characteristics of available and proposed sensor nodes are discussed. The objective of this work was to increase the efficiency and provision of sensor nodes by evaluating their processing and transceiver units. During this work, a sensor node was developed with ARM processor and XBee series 2 Unit. LPC 2148, LPC 2378 ARM processors were posed as processing unit and XBee series 2 acted as communication unit. Results of this experimental setup were recorded. Also a comparative study of the various available sensor nodes and proposed sensor nodes was done extensively.
Intent-Based User Segmentation with Query Enhancement
Authors: Xiong Wei , Recce Michael , Wu Brook
Published: June 2014

With the rapid advancement of the internet, accurate prediction of user's online intent underlying their search queries has received increasing attention from online advertising community. This paper aims to address the major challenges with user queries in the context of behavioral targeting advertising by proposing a query enhancement mechanism that augments user's queries by leveraging a user query log. The empirical evaluation demonstrates that the authors' methodology for query enhancement achieves greater improvement than the baseline models in both intent-based user classification and user segmentation. Different from traditional user segmentation methods, which take little semantics of user behaviors into consideration, the authors propose a novel user segmentation strategy by incorporating the query enhancement mechanism with a topic model to mine the relationships between users and their behaviors in order to segment users in a semantic manner. Comparing with a classical clustering algorithm, K-means, the experimental results indicate that the proposed user segmentation strategy helps improve behavioral targeting effectiveness significantly. This paper also proposes an alternative to define user's search intent for the evaluation purpose, in the case that the dataset is sanitized. This approach automatically labels users in a click graph, which are then used in training an intent-based user classifier.
A Schematic Description of the Nature of Video-Conferencing and Internet Exchange
Authors: Mupepi Mambo
Published: June 2014

The world is becoming increasingly one multicultural Global village and business and education transnational, which implies that students will need to recognize accept and adjust to cultural differences in communications to succeed in their studies as well as in their future careers. This presentation is fundamentally about a niftier way of intercultural learning and knowledge-acquisition that adapts video-conferencing and Internet technology to build Web-based successful learning communities. Students can meet on interactive camera at least twice per week and thereafter at any time using Google-mail during the semester effectively forming a knowledge community. The learning community can collaborate to develop the capacity to create diffuse and distribute experiential knowledge in boundary-less and Global-campuses in virtual environments. Students from different universities will cohere to understand each other's culture without leaving their own countries. The method is cost-effective as compared to similar costly semester abroad and hiked out-of-state tuition rates. Students can access additional resources to enhance cultural competencies from the virtual libraries and faculty facilitating in the program without leaving their campuses.
Some Information Systems Requirements in View of Organizational Sustainability in an Information Society
Authors: Esteves Francisco Madeira , Anunciação Pedro Fernandes , Santos João Rocha
Published: June 2014

The importance of information in the world and the so-called information society places information systems in the center of organizations sustainability. The authors are all both producers and consumers of economic information, there aren't any owners of it and there isn´t any real domain over economic information systems, infrastructures and technologies and particularly over communications. Organizations and economic agents are pieces from a dynamic “puzzle” that adjust itself according to the requirements of consumers and users of information and communication technologies, promoting new developments in markets and society. These challenges display the relevance of all who assume the responsibility for management of information and technologies systems which can affect the normal functioning of markets and economic organizations. Sustainability questions focus themselves on the articulation from several economic agents, on the management of information and technological resources and on the efficiency of markets, aiming to grant a peaceful and consolidated continuity of society. Beyond several factors which can be considered relevant to achieve organizational sustainability in the frame of information and knowledge society, there are some nuclear pillars in which managers and organizations need to develop competences. In this theoretical approach, supported in a focus group research, the authors aim to propose and evaluate a group of key elements to be measured for a proper evaluation of organizations sustainability in the context of information society, taking in view future empirical studies and the application of the concept in management tasks. This article is a development, made by invitation of the scientific committee, of the investigation presented in the “Centeris 2012 International Conference” held in Vilamoura (Portugal).
A New Approach for Schematics for Public Transport Spider Maps
Authors: Ribeiro João Tiago , Rijo Rui , Leal António
Published: June 2014

This research aims to create a new approach for spider maps production that results in a fast and automatic method having as input only network location data. Schematization task is commonly done by hand or by purely graphics software. This is a difficult and time consuming task that also needs a skilled map designer, which results in an expensive outcome. A configurable force-directed algorithm allows fast creation of eye-pleasing schematic maps, avoiding labor-intensive manual arrangement. In the other hand, different sets of design rules and constraints may be used to quickly generate alternatives, and allow the configuration of a distinctive graphic style. This document presents some of the rules and constraints that may be used to output a map that meets certain criteria in order to be used as a spider map in transportation systems. We present results with real public transport network datasets, and discuss possible evaluation criteria. The present work introduces a new set of experimental validations that confirm the previous research but also leading to new open issues for future work.
Pathways for Small Molecule Delivery to the Central Nervous System across the Blood-Brain Barrier
Authors: Mikitsh John L. , Chacko Ann-Marie
Published: June 2014

The treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disease has long been difficult due to the ineffectiveness of drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). This review summarizes important concepts of the BBB in normal versus pathophysiology and how this physical, enzymatic, and efflux barrier provides necessary protection to the CNS during drug delivery, and consequently treatment challenging. Small molecules account for the vast majority of available CNS drugs primarily due to their ability to penetrate the phospholipid membrane of the BBB by passive or carrier-mediated mechanisms. Physiochemical and biological factors relevant for designing small molecules with optimal capabilities for BBB permeability are discussed, as well as the most promising classes of transporters suitable for small-molecule drug delivery. Clinically translatable imaging methodologies for detecting and quantifying drug uptake and targeting in the brain are discussed as a means of further understanding and refining delivery parameters for both drugs and imaging probes in preclinical and clinical domains. This information can be used as a guide to design drugs with preserved drug action and better delivery profiles for improved treatment outcomes over existing therapeutic approaches.
Crustal and upper mantle structure beneath south‐western margin of the Arabian Peninsula from teleseismic tomography
Authors: Korostelev Félicie , Basuyau Clémence , Leroy Sylvie , Tiberi Christel , Ahmed Abdulhakim , Stuart Graham W. , Keir Derek , Rolandone Frédérique , Al Ganad Ismail , Khanbari Khaled , Boschi Lapo
Published: June 2014

We image the lithospheric and upper asthenospheric structure of western continental Yemen with 24 broadband stations to evaluate the role of the Afar plume on the evolution of the continental margin and its extent eastward along the Gulf of Aden. We use teleseismic tomography to compute relative P wave velocity variations in south‐western Yemen down to 300 km depth. Published receiver function analysis suggest a dramatic and localized thinning of the crust in the vicinity of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, consistent with the velocity structure that we retrieve in our model. The mantle part of the model is dominated by the presence of a low‐velocity anomaly in which we infer partial melting just below thick Oligocene flood basalts and recent off‐axis volcanic events (from 15 Ma to present). This low‐velocity anomaly could correspond to an abnormally hot mantle and could be responsible for dynamic topography and recent magmatism in western Yemen. Our new P wave velocity model beneath western Yemen suggests the young rift flank volcanoes beneath margins and on the flanks of the Red Sea rift are caused by focused small‐scale diapiric upwelling from a broad region of hot mantle beneath the area. Our work shows that relatively hot mantle, along with partial melting of the mantle, can persist beneath rifted margins after breakup has occurred.
A one‐parameter Budyko model for water balance captures emergent behavior in darwinian hydrologic models
Authors: Wang Dingbao , Tang Yin
Published: June 2014

Hydrologic models can be categorized as being either Newtonian or Darwinian in nature. The Newtonian approach requires a thorough understanding of the individual physical processes acting in a watershed in order to build a detailed hydrologic model based on the conservation equations. The Darwinian approach seeks to explain the behavior of a hydrologic system as a whole by identifying simple and robust temporal or spatial patterns that capture the relevant processes. Darwinian‐based hydrologic models include the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) curve number model, the “abcd” model, and the Budyko‐type models. However, these models were developed based on widely differing principles and assumptions and applied to distinct time scales. Here, we derive a one‐parameter Budyko‐type model for mean annual water balance which is based on a generalization of the proportionality hypothesis of the SCS model and therefore is independent of temporal scale. Furthermore, we show that the new model is equivalent to the key equation of the “abcd” model. Theoretical lower and upper bounds of the new model are identified and validated based on previous observations. Thus, we illustrate a temporal pattern of water balance amongst Darwinian hydrologic models, which allows for synthesis with the Newtonian approach and offers opportunities for progress in hydrologic modeling.
Three‐dimensional lunar wake reconstructed from ARTEMIS data
Authors: Zhang H. , Khurana K. K. , Kivelson M. G. , Angelopoulos V. , Wan W. X. , Liu L. B. , Zong Q.‐G. , Pu Z. Y. , Shi Q. Q. , Liu W. L.
Published: June 2014

Data from the two‐spacecraft Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence and Electrodynamics of the Moon's Interaction with the Sun mission to the Moon have been exploited to characterize the lunar wake with unprecedented fidelity. The differences between measurements made by a spacecraft in the solar wind very near the Moon and concurrent measurements made by a second spacecraft in the near lunar wake are small but systematic. They enabled us to establish the perturbations of plasma density, temperature, thermal, magnetic and total pressure, field, and flow downstream of the Moon to distances of 12 lunar radii (RM). The wake disturbances are initiated immediately behind the Moon by the diamagnetic currents at the lunar terminator. Rarefaction waves propagate outward at fast MHD wave velocities. Beyond ~6.5 RM, all plasma and field parameters are poorly structured which suggests the presence of instabilities excited by counter‐streaming particles. Inward flowing plasma accelerated through pressure gradient force and ambipolar electric field compresses the magnetic field and leads to continuous increase in magnitude of magnetic perturbations. Besides the downstream distance, the field perturbation magnitude is also a function of the solar wind ion beta and the angle between the solar wind and the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). Both ion and electron temperatures increase as a consequence of an energy dispersion effect, whose explanation requires fully kinetic models. Downstream of the Moon, the IMF field lines are observed to bulge toward the Moon, which is unexpected and may be caused by a plasma pressure gradient force or/and the pickup of heavy charged dust grains behind the Moon.
Spontaneous development of arcuate single‐sided subduction in global 3‐D mantle convection models with a free surface
Authors: Crameri Fabio , Tackley Paul J.
Published: June 2014

We present temporally evolving 3‐D global mantle convection models with single‐sided subduction and a free surface in both 3‐D Cartesian and fully spherical geometry. Special focus is given to the spontaneous development of three‐dimensional structures at the surface and in the upper mantle. We find that an arcuate shape is the natural form for trenches and slabs. Cartesian models are used first to study the dynamic evolution of subduction zones, spreading ridges, and interconnected transform features. These experiments highlight the strong variation of spontaneously developing, arcuate slab curvature and subduction polarity along the trench strike. The spontaneous development of spreading ridges leads to lateral offsets between separated segments that are characterized by normal transform motion. Spherical models then allow insights into the evolution of plate tectonics on a sphere. Investigated are the spontaneous evolution of slab geometry, trench motion, and subduction‐induced mantle flow. Two new dynamical features are discovered: “back‐slab spiral flow” and “slab tunneling.” © 2014. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.
Varying seismic‐acoustic properties of the fluctuating lava lake at Villarrica volcano, Chile
Authors: Richardson Joshua P. , Waite Gregory P. , Palma José Luis
Published: June 2014

Villarrica volcano outgasses through an open lava lake, with bubbles ranging in size from submillimeter to several meters, the largest of which produce strombolian bursting events that are visible from the crater rim. Thousands of shallow strombolian events identified through seismic waveform cross correlation were found to produce discrete and repetitive long‐period seismic and infrasonic signals. We identified variations of up to 0.7 s in seismic‐acoustic arrival delay times between April and July 2010 at a station ~750 m from the vent, which we interpret as due to fluctuations in the level of lava lake. During time periods interpreted as having high lava lake levels, based on reduced time delays, interevent times were also reduced, and average seismic amplitude measurements, seismic and acoustic event energies, and volcano acoustic‐seismic ratios were all high as compared to times when the lava lake was lower. The crater is also a source of nearly continuous, monotonic infrasonic tremor. We found that the peak frequency of this infrasonic tremor, typically around 0.5–1.0 Hz, was inversely correlated with seismic‐acoustic delay times and therefore an indicator of lava lake level. We use this correlation to propose a new model for infrasonic tremor generation, namely, using crater geometry to approximate a Bessel horn. We interpret the two clearest cycles of elevated seismicity and lava lake level as due to an increase in exsolved gas, resulting from an injection of volatile‐rich magma or an overturn in a deeper magma reservoir.
Transgenic Animals
Authors: Houdebine Louis Marie
Published: June 2014

Transgenesis implies that a foreign
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
fragment is introduced into the genome of a multicellular organism and transmitted to progeny. Transgenesis, therefore, differs from gene transfer into cultured cells (transfection) or into the somatic cells of a patient (gene therapy). The foreign DNA can integrate randomly in host genome leading to gene addition or in a targeted manner making it possible precise endogenous gene inactivation or replacement. Transgenesis allows transferring genes from any source in a single generation. Transgenesis is, therefore, complementary to spontaneous mutations, which take place at each reproduction cycle or which are experimentally induced by mutagenic compounds or irradiation. These conventional approaches must be followed by appropriate selection of animals. Transgenesis has become an essential tool to study gene function especially in the medical and pharmaceutical fields. Improvements of breeding and food are also in course.

Key Concepts:

Transgenesis is more precise and more diverse than conventional selection.

Transgenesis and conventional selection are complementary.

Transgenesis is an essential tool to study gene action and control.

Cloning is presently intensively used to generate transgenic farm animals.

Stem cells are currently used for random and targeted gene integration.

Transposons and lentiviral vectors are highly efficient for random gene integration.

Targeted gene integration using double‐strand genomic DNA break provides researchers with exceptionally efficient new tools.

Random gene integration is still intensively used despite its technical limits.

Conventional targeted gene transfer is limited by its low efficiency.

SiRNAs are efficient tools to inhibit gene expression at the mRNA level.

The available tools to generate transgenic animals offer the possibility to develop more relevant biological models and to prepare safer food.

Targeted gene transfer should greatly improve transgene expression.

Animal behaviourists must participate in conservation planning to protect the future of biodiversity.
Nucleotide Synthesis
De Novo
Authors: Traut Thomas
Published: June 2014

Nucleosides are composed of a heterocyclic ring (defined as the base) that is attached to a ribose. Addition of a phosphate to a nucleoside, at carbon 5 of the ribose, produces a nucleotide. Nucleotides function as ubiquitous building blocks for the synthesis of all nucleic acids, and also function in enzymatic reactions as cofactors and as a source of energy. These central metabolic roles require their continued biosynthesis from readily available precursors, and this process is defined as
de novo
nucleotide synthesis. The synthesis of purines starts with ribose‐phosphate, to which are attached the individual atoms of the heterocyclic base in a stepwise fashion. Pyrimidine synthesis starts with the stepwise formation of the base, to which is then added the ribose‐phosphate. Bases and nucleosides may also be recycled in salvage pathways.

Key Concepts:

Nucleotides form the building blocks for the synthesis of DNA and RNA, which store and transmit genetic information. They also serve as cofactors in many metabolic reactions.

All four ribonucleoside triphosphates are important sources of energy for metabolic reactions, though ATP – being more abundant – is the most common cosubstrate in many metabolic reactions.

Nucleotides are so essential to metabolism that genetic defects generally are lethal, and for humans only a few gene defects are observed, at a low frequency.

Many of the enzymatic reactions in the
de novo
biosynthesis of nucleotides are combined as two or more reactions catalysed by a single multidomain protein. This has made nucleotide biosynthesis more efficient.

For a few of the biosynthetic steps alternate enzymatic strategies have emerged between bacteria and vertebrates, and for such unique bacterial enzymes these present possible targets for drugs as selective antibiotics.
Frontal Lobe Disorders
Authors: Rodríguez‐Porcel Federico , Espay Alberto J
Published: June 2014

The frontal lobes are the largest and most likely the complex structure in the brain. Among other functions, it allows the expression of personality and language, the planning and sequencing of desired movements or actions as well as inhibition of unwanted or undesirable ones. Given the regional distribution of function, lesions or dysfunction in the frontal lobes may lead to a wide variety of presentations, including weakness, aphasia, perseveration, disinhibition, personality changes and acquired sociopathy. Besides trauma, tumours, infections and toxins, abnormal disorders of tau and ubiquitin proteins may lead to neurodegenerative diseases that predominantly affect the frontal lobes. These so‐called frontotemporal dementias or frontotemporal lobar degenerations have become one of the most active and exciting field of research.

Key Concepts:

Frontal lobes mediate various processes, ranging from simple motor function to personality and inhibition.

The frontal lobes can be divided in different areas, which can be associated with different functions.

Multiple pathologic processes can affect the frontal lobes.

Disorders affecting the frontal lobes can present in various ways ranging from weakness to personality changes.

Some of these changes might be undetectable at the bedside examination and might require thorough neuropsychological evaluation.
Gravitropic Signaling in Plants
Authors: Gilroy Simon , Swanson Sarah J
Published: June 2014

The direction of gravity represents a fundamental signal that plants use to shape their growth and development. In the simplest description of this phenomenon, roots grow down and shoots grow up; however, closer examination reveals that different plant organs such as the individual branches of a tree, maintain different angles to gravity, their ‘gravitropic set‐point angle’. When displaced from this orientation, plant organs have the ability to redirect growth to regain their preferred angle through the process of gravitropism. The starch‐statolith hypothesis describes the cellular mechanism whereby plants can sense the direction of gravity and so regulate growth in response to this signal. The sedimentation of dense starch‐filled amyloplasts within specialised sensory cells is thought to generate an as yet undefined directional biochemical signal. This signalling system then modulates transport of the plant hormone auxin resulting in its accumulation and the localisation of growth that leads to the gravitropic response.

Key Concepts:

Plants sense the direction of gravity and regulate growth of roots and shoots using this information.

Directional growth in response to gravity is known as gravitropism.

Different organs can use gravitropism to maintain different genetically defined angles, or gravitropic set‐point angles, relative to the gravity vector.

Sensing the direction of gravity is achieved by dense starch‐filled amyloplasts sedimenting in specialised sensory cells, called statocytes.

The statocytes are the columella cells of the root cap and the endodermal cells in the shoot.

Sedimentation of amyloplasts generates an initial biochemical signal within the statocytes that has yet to be defined.

Signalling within the statocytes triggers redistribution of transporters for the hormone auxin to the plasma membrane on the lower side of the cell.

Asymmetrical activity of auxin transport causes this hormone to accumulate on the lower side of the root or shoot.

Auxin promotes cell elongation in shoots and inhibits this process in roots.

Differential cell elongation between one side of an organ and the other causes the root to bend downwards and the shoot upwards.
Ionic liquid recovery alternatives in ionic liquid‐based three‐phase partitioning (ILTPP)
Authors: Alvarez‐Guerra Enrique , Irabien Angel , Ventura Sónia P. M. , Coutinho João A. P.
Published: June 2014

Ionic liquid‐based three‐phase partitioning (ILTPP) is a promising technique to recover high‐added value proteins at the liquid–liquid interface. Its economic and environmental performance highly depends on the net ionic liquid consumption. Alternatives to maximize the fraction of ionic liquid that can be recycled are studied. It is demonstrated that the addition of extra salt, previously proposed in literature, has a very limited effect on ionic liquid recovery for relatively high protein concentrations in the feed stream, and that it may even lead to an increase of the ionic liquid losses under certain conditions. However, small additions of salt are shown to be effective and profitable from an economic point of view. Vacuum evaporation is shown to allow for the complete ionic liquid and salt recovery, reinforcing the sustainability and viability of ILTPP processes. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 60: 3577–3586, 2014
Critical isotherms from virial series using asymptotically consistent approximants
Authors: Barlow Nathaniel S. , Schultz Andrew J. , Kofke David A. , Weinstein Steven J.
Published: June 2014

The low‐density equation of state of a fluid along its critical isotherm is considered. An asymptotically consistent approximant is formed having the correct leading‐order scaling behavior near the vapor‐liquid critical point, while retaining the correct low‐density behavior as expressed by the virial equation of state. The formulation is demonstrated for the Lennard–Jones fluid, and models for helium, water, and n‐alkanes. The ability of the approximant to augment virial series predictions of critical properties is explored, both in conjunction with and in the absence of critical‐property data obtained by other means. Given estimates of the critical point from molecular simulation or experiment, the approximant can refine the critical pressure or density by ensuring that the critical isotherm remains well‐behaved from low density to the critical region. Alternatively, when applied in the absence of other data, the approximant remedies a consistent underestimation of the critical density when computed from the virial series alone. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 60: 3336–3349, 2014
Kinetics of CO2 absorption into a novel 1‐diethylamino‐2‐propanol solvent using stopped‐flow technique
Authors: Liu Helei , Liang Zhiwu , Sema Teerawat , Rongwong Wichitpan , Li Chen , Na Yanqing , Idem Raphael , Tontiwachwuthikul Paitoon , Idem Raphael , Tontiwachwuthikul Paitoon
Published: June 2014

A stopped‐flow apparatus was used to measure the kinetics of carbon dioxide (CO2) absorption into aqueous solution of 1‐diethylamino‐2‐propanol (1DEA2P) in terms of observed pseudo‐first‐order rate constant (ko) and second‐order reaction rate constant (k2), in this work. The experiments were conducted over a 1DEA2P concentration range of 120–751 mol/m3, and a temperature range of 298–313 K. As 1DEA2P is a tertiary amine, the base‐catalyzed hydration mechanism was, then, applied to correlate the experimental CO2 absorption rate constants obtained from stopped‐flow apparatus. In addition, the pKa of 1DEA2P was experimentally measured over a temperature range of 278–333 K. The Brønsted relationship between reaction rate constant (obtained from stopped‐flow apparatus) and pKa was, then, studied. The results showed that the correlation based on the Brønsted relationship performed very well for predicting the absorption rate constant with an absolute average deviation of 5.2%, which is in an acceptable range of less than 10%. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 60: 3502–3510, 2014
Severe manifestations of hand‐foot‐genital syndrome associated with a novel HOXA13 mutation
Authors: Imagawa Eri , Kayserili Hülya , Nishimura Gen , Nakashima Mitsuko , Tsurusaki Yoshinori , Saitsu Hirotomo , Ikegawa Shiro , Matsumoto Naomichi , Miyake Noriko
Published: June 2014

We report on a girl with absent nails, short/absent distal phalanges of the second to fifth fingers and toes, short thumbs, absent halluces, and carpo‐tarsal coalition who also had genitourinary malformations. Trio‐based whole exome sequencing identified a novel de novo mutation (c.1102A>T, p.Ile368Phe) in the HOXA13 gene. Heterozygous HOXA13 mutations have been previously reported in hand‐foot‐genital syndrome and Guttmacher syndrome, which are variably associated with small nails, short distal and middle phalanges, short thumbs and halluces, but not absent nails. Considering the molecular data, the phenotype in the present patient was defined as the severe end of hand‐foot‐genital and Guttmacher syndrome spectrum. Our observation expands the clinical spectrum caused by heterozygous HOXA13 mutations and reinforces the difficulty of differential diagnosis on clinical grounds for the disorders with short distal phalanges, short thumbs, and short halluces. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Preparation, characterization and application of silica‐supported palladium complex as a new and heterogeneous catalyst for Suzuki and Sonogashira reactions
Authors: Ghiaci Mehran , Zarghani Monireh , Moeinpour Farid , Khojastehnezhad Amir
Published: June 2014

An efficient heterogeneous Pd catalytic system has been developed, based on immobilization of Pd nanoparticles (PNPs) on a silica‐bonded propylamine–cyanuric–cysteine (SiO2–pA–Cyan–Cys) substrate. The synthesized catalyst was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, FT‐IR, N2 adsorption analysis (BET), TGA and inductively coupled plasma/atomic emission spectroscopy, and catalytic activity of this catalyst was investigated in the Suzuki and Sonogashira cross‐coupling reactions. The catalysts showed excellent performance in these two reactions, including various aryl halide derivatives (except aryl chloride derivatives) with phenylboronic acid and phenylacetylene under green conditions. Moreover, the catalyst was recycled for several runs without any significant loss of catalytic activity. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis, characterization and application of novel polyacrylamide‐grafted barley
Authors: Sen Gautam , Mishra Sumit , Prasad Dey Kartick , Bharti Srijita
Published: June 2014

Polyacrylamide‐grafted barley (BAR‐g‐PAM) was synthesized by ceric ion‐based conventional method. The grafting of polyacrylamide chains on the polysaccharide backbone was confirmed through various physicochemical techniques such as intrinsic viscosity measurement, 13C‐NMR spectra, FTIR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, scanning electron microscopy morphology, thermogravimetric analysis study, number‐average molecular weight, and aqueous solubility. Furthermore, flocculation efficacy of the graft copolymers was studied in coal fine suspension through “jar test” procedure, toward its possible application as a novel flocculant for treatment of coal washery effluent. BAR‐g‐PAM is reported as a novel flocculant that can be used for bulk treatment of coal washery effluents. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 41046.