bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the Environmental Sustainability of Building Integrated Solar Technologies in a Coastal City
Authors: Lebassi B. , González J. E. , Bornstein R. D.
Published: September 2013

In this study, a first-order environmental impact study of a large-scale deployment of solar energy-installed technologies in a complex coastal urban environment is conducted. The work is motivated by the positive prospects of building-integrated solar technologies as a sustainable alternative to energy demands and reduction of green house gases. Large-scale deployment of solar technologies in rooftops of densely populated cities may have the potential of modifying surface energy budgets resulting in cooling or heating of the urban environment. To investigate this case, a mesoscale simulation (regional atmospheric simulation system (RAMS)) effort was undertaken, with a horizontal grid resolution of 4 km on an innermost grid over Southern California (South Coast Air Basin (SoCAB)). The simulation period was selected in summer 2002 where strong urban heat islands (UHIs) were observed for the region. The urban landscape was modified to represent a percentage of the rooftops with optical and thermal properties corresponding to solar PV and thermal collectors. Results show that the large-scale presence of solar technologies in rooftops of SoCAB may have a net positive thermal storage of the buildings, an effect enhancing the existing UHI by up to 0.2 °C. This additional heat is advected inland as the sea breeze develops warming further inland areas. The net environmental effect of solar technologies when compared with solar energy production was not investigated in this study.
Performance Evaluation of Dynamic Model of Compact Heat Exchange Reformer for High-Temperature Fuel Cell Systems
Authors: Ki Jeongpill , Kim Daejong
Published: September 2013

Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems are the most advanced power generation system with the highest thermal efficiency. The current trend of research on the SOFC systems is focused on multikilowatt scale systems, which require either internal reforming within the stack or a compact external reformer. Even if the internal reforming within the SOFC stack allows compact system configuration, it causes significant and complicated temperature gradients within the stack, due to endothermic reforming reactions and exothermic electrochemical reactions. As an alternative solution to the internal reforming, an external compact heat exchange reformer (CHER) is investigated in this work. The CHER is based on a typical plate-fin counterflow or coflow heat exchanger platform, and it can save space without causing large thermal stress and degradation to the SOFC stack (i.e., eventually reducing the overall system cost). In this work, a previously developed transient dynamic model of the CHER is validated by experiments. An experimental apparatus, which comprises the CHER, air heater, gas heater, steam generator, several mass flow controllers, and controller cabinet, was designed to investigate steady state reforming performance of the CHER for various hot air inlet temperatures (thermal energy source) and steam to carbon ratios (SCRs). The transient thermal dynamics of the CHER was also measured and compared with simulations when the CHER is used as a heat exchanger with inert gas. The measured transient dynamics of CHER matches very well with simulations, validating the heat transfer model within the CHER. The measured molar fractions of reformate gases at steady state also agree well with the simulations validating the used reaction kinetics. The transient CHER model can be easily integrated into a total integrated SOFC system, and the model can be also used for optimal design of similar CHERs and provides a guideline to select optimal operating conditions of the CHERs and the integrated SOFC system.
Hygromechanical Analysis of Liquid Crystal Display Panels
Authors: Ikeda Toru , Mizutani Tomonori , Miyake Kiyoshi , Miyazaki Noriyuki
Published: September 2013

Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are getting larger, and the homogeneity of an LCD panel is becoming very important for the quality of the display. Inhomogeneity in an LCD panel can be caused by inhomogeneity of its materials and the defective production process, warpage of the panel due to changes in the temperature and humidity, and so on. In this study, we developed a scheme of hygromechanical analysis to reduce the warpage of an LCD. First, we measured the diffusion coefficients and Henry's law coefficients of the respective components of an LCD using a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) under controlled humidity. We then measured the coefficients of moisture expansion (CME) of the components using a humidity-controlled thermomechanical analyzer (TMA). We analyzed the hygromechanical deformations of the respective components, a polarizing plate and an LCD panel using the finite element method (FEM) with measured diffusion coefficients, Henry's law coefficients and the CMEs of the respective components. The analyzed deformations of the respective components corresponded quantitatively with the deformations measured experimentally. However, the analyzed deformation of the polarizing plate did not correspond with the measured deformation perfectly. A polarizing plate is made by sandwiching a polarizer between two sheets of protection film. We ignored the effect of the thin boundary layer between the polarizer and its protecting film in this analysis, and the effect of this boundary layer on the diffusion of moisture may have caused the difference between the analysis and the measurement. The expected warpage of the analyzed LCD corresponded qualitatively with the measured warpage. However, the numerical analyzed strains near the edge of the LCD panel strongly shifted to the compression side compared to the experimental measured strains. A possible reason for this shift was the difference in the boundary condition at the edge of the LCD panel between the numerical analysis and the experimental measurement. The actual edge of the LCD panel was fastened by a bezel, and the contact condition between the LCD panel and the bezel was ambiguous. To perform a quantitative analysis, we will need to investigate the contact condition between the LCD panel and the bezel and introduce it to the numerical analysis. This is left for a future study. We qualitatively investigated the warpage of LCDs with two types of protecting film and different directions of polarizing plates using the developed technique of FEM analysis.
Electromechanical Bistable Behavior of a Novel Dielectric Elastomer Actuator
Authors: Li Tiefeng , Zou Zhanan , Mao Guoyong , Qu Shaoxing
Published: September 2013

High voltage is required for the existing dielectric elastomer (DE) actuators to convert electrical energy to mechanical energy. However, maintaining high voltage on DE membranes can cause various failures, such as current leakage and electrical breakdown, which limits their practical applications, especially in small-scale devices. To overcome the above drawback of DE actuators, this paper proposes a new actuation method using DE membranes with a properly designed bistable structure. Experiment shows that the actuator only requires a high-voltage pulse to drive the structure forward and backward with electromechanical snap-through instability. The actuator can maintain its stroke when the voltage is removed. An analytical model based on continuum mechanics is developed, showing good agreement with experiment. The study may inspire the design and optimization of DE transducers.
Fluconazole Assists Berberine To Kill Fluconazole-Resistant Candida albicans
Authors: Li De-Dong , Xu Yi , Zhang Da-Zhi , Quan Hua , Mylonakis Eleftherios , Hu Dan-Dan , Li Ming-Bang , Zhao Lan-Xue , Zhu Liang-Hua , Wang Yan , Jiang Yuan-Ying
Published: September 2013

It was found in our previous study that berberine (BBR) and fluconazole (FLC) used concomitantly exhibited a synergism against FLC-resistant
Candida albicans
in vitro
. The aim of the present study was to clarify how BBR and FLC worked synergistically and the underlying mechanism. Antifungal time-kill curves indicated that the synergistic effect of the two drugs was BBR dose dependent rather than FLC dose dependent. In addition, we found that BBR accumulated in
C. albicans
cells, especially in the nucleus, and resulted in cell cycle arrest and significant change in the transcription of cell cycle-related genes. Besides BBR, other DNA intercalators, including methylene blue, sanguinarine, and acridine orange, were all found to synergize with FLC against FLC-resistant
C. albicans
. Detection of intracellular BBR accumulation by fluorescence measurement showed that FLC played a role in increasing intracellular BBR concentration, probably due to its effect in disrupting the fungal cell membrane. Similar to the case with FLC, other antifungal agents acting on the cell membrane were able to synergize with BBR. Interestingly, we found that the efflux of intracellular BBR was FLC independent but strongly glucose dependent and associated with the drug efflux pump Cdr2p. These results suggest that BBR plays a major antifungal role in the synergism of FLC and BBR, while FLC plays a role in increasing the intracellular BBR concentration.
A Cysteine Protease Inhibitor Rescues Mice from a Lethal Cryptosporidium parvum Infection
Authors: Ndao Momar , Nath-Chowdhury Milli , Sajid Mohammed , Marcus Victoria , Mashiyama Susan T. , Sakanari Judy , Chow Eric , Mackey Zachary , Land Kirkwood M. , Jacobson Matthew P. , Kalyanaraman Chakrapani , McKerrow James H. , Arrowood Michael J. , Caffrey Conor R.
Published: September 2013

Cryptosporidiosis, caused by the protozoan parasite
Cryptosporidium parvum
, can stunt infant growth and can be lethal in immunocompromised individuals. The most widely used drugs for treating cryptosporidiosis are nitazoxanide and paromomycin, although both exhibit limited efficacy. To investigate an alternative approach to therapy, we demonstrate that the clan CA cysteine protease inhibitor
N
-methyl piperazine-Phe-homoPhe-vinylsulfone phenyl (K11777) inhibits
C. parvum
growth in mammalian cell lines in a concentration-dependent manner. Further, using the C57BL/6 gamma interferon receptor knockout (IFN-γR-KO) mouse model, which is highly susceptible to
C. parvum
, oral or intraperitoneal treatment with K11777 for 10 days rescued mice from otherwise lethal infections. Histologic examination of untreated mice showed intestinal inflammation, villous blunting, and abundant intracellular parasite stages. In contrast, K11777-treated mice (210 mg/kg of body weight/day) showed only minimal inflammation and no epithelial changes. Three putative protease targets (termed cryptopains 1 to 3, or CpaCATL-1, -2, and -3) were identified in the
C. parvum
genome, but only two are transcribed in infected mammals. A homology model predicted that K11777 would bind to cryptopain 1. Recombinant enzymatically active cryptopain 1 was successfully targeted by K11777 in a competition assay with a labeled active-site-directed probe. K11777 exhibited no toxicity
in vitro
and
in vivo
, and surviving animals remained free of parasites 3 weeks after treatment. The discovery that a cysteine protease inhibitor provides potent anticryptosporidial activity in an animal model of infection encourages the investigation and development of this biocide class as a new, and urgently needed, chemotherapy for cryptosporidiosis.
Can Inhibitor-Resistant Substitutions in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis β-Lactamase BlaC Lead to Clavulanate Resistance?: a Biochemical Rationale for the Use of β-Lactam–β-Lactamase Inhibitor Combinations
Authors: Kurz Sebastian G. , Wolff Kerstin A. , Hazra Saugata , Bethel Christopher R. , Hujer Andrea M. , Smith Kerri M. , Xu Yan , Tremblay Lee W. , Blanchard John S. , Nguyen Liem , Bonomo Robert A.
Published: September 2013

The current emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis calls for novel treatment strategies. Recently, BlaC, the principal β-lactamase ofMycobacterium tuberculosis, was recognized as a potential therapeutic target. The combination of meropenem and clavulanic acid, which inhibits BlaC, was found to be effective against even extensively drug-resistantM. tuberculosisstrains when testedin vitro. Yet there is significant concern that drug resistance against this combination will also emerge. To investigate the potential of BlaC to evolve variants resistant to clavulanic acid, we introduced substitutions at important amino acid residues ofM. tuberculosisBlaC (R220, A244, S130, and T237). Whereas the substitutions clearly led toin vitroclavulanic acid resistance in enzymatic assays but at the expense of catalytic activity, transformation of variant BlaCs into anM. tuberculosisH37Rv background revealed that impaired inhibition of BlaC did not affect inhibition of growth in the presence of ampicillin and clavulanate. From these data we propose that resistance to β-lactam–β-lactamase inhibitor combinations will likely not arise from structural alteration of BlaC, therefore establishing confidence that this therapeutic modality can be part of a successful treatment regimen againstM. tuberculosis.
Anidulafungin and Micafungin MIC Breakpoints Are Superior to That of Caspofungin for Identifying
FKS
Mutant Candida glabrata Strains and Echinocandin Resistance
Authors: Shields Ryan K. , Nguyen M. Hong , Press Ellen G. , Updike Cassaundra L. , Clancy Cornelius J.
Published: September 2013

By CLSI interpretive criteria, anidulafungin and micafungin MICs determined by various methods were sensitive (60 to 70%) and highly specific (94 to 100%) for identifying
FKS
mutations among 120
Candida glabrata
isolates. Anidulafungin and micafungin breakpoints were more specific than CLSI's caspofungin breakpoint in identifying
FKS
mutant strains and patients with invasive candidiasis who were likely to fail echinocandin treatment (
P
≤ 0.0001 for both). Echinocandin MICs were most useful clinically when interpreted in the context of prior echinocandin exposure.
In Vitro
Susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to Trimethoprim and Sulfonamides in France
Authors: Ameen Sirwan Muhammed , Drancourt Michel
Published: September 2013

Five type strains and 55
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
complex clinical isolates were found resistant to trimethoprim with a MIC of >200 mg/liter and susceptible to both sulfadiazine and cotrimoxazole with a MIC
90
of 10 mg/liter. Two
M. canettii
isolates uniquely yielded silent mutations C
156
→ T and G
238
→ C in the
folP1
gene. Combined with scarce published data, these data indicate that sulfamides could be considered alternative antituberculous antibiotics.
Broad fibrovascular cores may not be an exclusively benign feature in papillary lesions of the breast: a cautionary note
Authors: Yamaguchi Rin , Tanaka Maki , Tse Gary M , Yamaguchi Miki , Terasaki Hiroshi , Nomura Yoriko , Takenaka Miki , Naito Yoshiki , Akiba Jun , Yano Hirohisa
Published: September 2013

Aims

A prominent fibrovascular stromal core is one of the widely accepted histological features of breast papillomas, but some papillary carcinomas also show such broad fibrovascular cores, leading to confusion in diagnosis, particularly in needle biopsy specimens. We investigated the histological characteristics of papillary lesions, focusing on broad fibrovascular cores and their relationship with the architectural patterns.

Methods

Among 185 cases of needle biopsies of papillomas and papillary carcinomas, the number of cases with broad fibrovascular cores in each group was compared. The broad fibrovascular core density in the subsequently resected specimens was evaluated and compared between papillary predominant pattern (papillary structures >80% of tumours) and mixed pattern (papillary, solid, cribriform and others) within the lesions.

Results

Significantly more papillary carcinomas than papillomas and B3 atypical papillary lesions had broad fibrovascular cores (p=0.0091 and p=0.0164, respectively). The papillary predominant pattern was more prominent in carcinomas than in papillomas in the needle biopsies (p=0.048) and showed the same tendency in the resections (p=0.058). The broad fibrovascular core density was significantly lower in the 18 papillomas than in the 37 papillary carcinomas (p=0.0079) and was not significantly different between the papillary predominant and mixed patterns in carcinomas and papillomas.

Conclusions

Broad fibrovascular cores in mammary papillary lesions are not specific for papillomas, as they are also present focally in papillary carcinomas. As the frequency of papillary carcinoma with broad fibrovascular cores is relatively high, caution in diagnosis has to be exercised, especially in needle biopsy specimens.
Mind the gap: are NHS trusts falling short of recommended standards for consent to autopsy?
Authors: Eka Ime , Rowan Camilla , Osborn Michael
Published: September 2013

The decline of the hospital autopsy is a well-known phenomenon that shows no sign of ending. Debate continues for the reasons behind this, but inadequate consent practices are thought to play a role. The furore resulting from organ retention scandals at Bristol Royal Infirmary and The Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital led to widespread soul searching in the medical profession, and a fundamental change in how we treat the dead body. In response, the 2004 Human Tissue Act was created, and consent is now centrally placed to permit all activities dealing with the cadaver, including autopsy. This article reflects on consent practices for hospital autopsy in England and Wales. Relevant policies from 26 National Health Service trusts were examined against the recommended standards set by the Human Tissue Authority. We found numerous failures of multiple trusts to follow these standards. Several trust policies failed to outline basic information to guide staff in conducting the consent process, such as the training requirements of the consent taker, and the desired approach to take consent. Many trusts failed to outline vital recommendations of the Human tissue Authority, such as the requirement of the consent taker to be experienced, trained in dealing with the bereaved and well informed on autopsy practice, as well as the requirement to have witnessed an autopsy. We recommend trusts reassess their practices in order meet the established standards with an emphasis on educating staff and developing a team-based approach to consent taking.
S100A4 expression is a prognostic indicator in small intestine adenocarcinoma
Authors: Roh Jin , Knight Spencer , Chung Joon-Yong , Eo Soo-Heang , Goggins Michael , Kim Jihoon , Cho HyungJun , Yu Eunsil , Hong Seung-Mo
Published: September 2013

Aims

Due to the rarity of small intestine adenocarcinoma (SIAC), estimating the prognosis for patients with surgically resected SIAC is difficult. Overexpression of S100A4 has been linked to worse patient survival in several malignant neoplasms, but its significance in SIAC has not been determined.

Methods

S100A4 protein expression was assessed in 197 surgically resected SIAC cases and compared with clinicopathological factors, including patient survival.

Results

A progressive increase in S100A4 labelling was observed in normal intestinal epithelium, adenoma and adenocarcinoma (p<0.001), and 50 SIAC cases (26.2%) showed strong S100A4 expression. Patients with SIAC with strong S100A4 expression had a higher pT classification (p=0.05), as well as increased lymph node metastasis (p=0.009) and perineural invasion (p=0.002). Patients with SIAC with strong S100A4 expression had significantly worse survival (median survival, 21 months) than those with weak/no S100A4 expression (42.5 months) byunivariable(p=0.04) andmultivariable(p=0.01) analyses.

Conclusions

S100A4 overexpression is observed in a subset of SIACs, is associated with advanced disease and can be used as a prognostic indicator of poor prognosis in patients with SIAC.
Intelligence in early adulthood and mortality from natural and unnatural causes in middle-aged Danish men
Authors: Meincke Rikke Hodal , Mortensen Erik Lykke , Avlund Kirsten , Rosthøj Susanne , Sørensen Holger Jelling , Osler Merete
Published: September 2013

Background

High intelligence early in life has consistently been associated with decreased mortality, but the mechanisms are still not fully understood. In this cohort study, we examined the association between intelligence in early adulthood and later mortality from natural and unnatural causes taking birth weight, parental socioeconomic position, participants’ own education and body mass index into account.

Methods

13 536 Danish men born in 1953 and 1959–1961 with data from birth certificates and intelligence test scores from conscription were followed until 2009. Information on vital status was obtained from the Civil Registration System. Mortality risks were analysed by the multiple Cox proportional hazards model.

Results

The risk of mortality from natural as well as unnatural causes was more than twice as high among men in the lowest scoring intelligence tertile (HRnatural deaths=2.24; 1.90–2.65 and HRunnatural deaths=2.67; 2.03–3.53). Adjusting for all covariates attenuated the estimates, but the association remained (HRnatural deaths=1.82; 1.48–2.25 and HRunnatural deaths=2.30; 1.63–3.25).

Conclusions

In men, intelligence in early adulthood was inversely associated with midlife mortality from natural and unnatural causes. The associations remained after adjustments for a range of covariates.
Is participation contagious? Evidence from a household vector control campaign in urban Peru
Authors: Buttenheim Alison M , Paz-Soldan Valerie , Barbu Corentin , Skovira Christine , Quintanilla Calderón Javier , Mollesaca Riveros Lina Margot , Cornejo Juan Oswaldo , Small Dylan S , Bicchieri Christina , Naquira Cesar , Levy Michael Z
Published: September 2013

Objectives

High rates of household participation are critical to the success of door-to-door vector control campaigns. We used the Health Belief Model to assess determinants of participation, including neighbour participation as a cue to action, in a Chagas disease vector control campaign in Peru.

Methods

We evaluated clustering of participation among neighbours; estimated participation as a function of household infestation status, neighbourhood type and number of participating neighbours; and described the reported reasons for refusal to participate in a district of 2911 households.

Results

We observed significant clustering of participation along city blocks (p<0.0001). Participation was significantly higher for households in new versus established neighbourhoods, for infested households, and for households with more participating neighbours. The effect of neighbour participation was greater in new neighbourhoods.

Conclusions

Results support a ‘contagion’ model of participation, highlighting the possibility that one or two participating households can tip a block towards full participation. Future campaigns can leverage these findings by making participation more visible, by addressing stigma associated with spraying, and by employing group incentives to spray.
Role of argatroban during neurointerventional procedures in patients with heparin induced thrombocytopenia
Authors: Alaraj Ali , Tobin Matthew , Birk Daniel , Aletich Victor
Published: September 2013

Background

Currently, heparin is used routinely for anticoagulation during cerebral angiography and neurointerventional procedures. In patients with heparin sensitivity, however, heparin cannot be used. Therefore, an alternative method of anticoagulation is necessary to prevent clot formation during such procedures.

Methods

Argatroban, a direct thrombin inhibitor, is used as an alternate to heparin for anticoagulation. It is indicated for treatment of heparin induced thrombocytopenia as well as for prophylaxis during percutaneous coronary intervention. There are no reports describing the protocols for its use during neurointerventional procedures. We report on a series of three patients where argatroban was used in a series of three patients who underwent endovascular interventional procedures.

Results

Argatroban was given in a loading dosage of 4 μg/kg/min for 10 min followed by an infusion of 1.0 μg/kg/min. During the procedure, no procedural complications were reported. Activated thrombin time was used to monitor anticoagulation.

Conclusions

We describe here the use of argatroban as an alternate anticoagulant during such procedures, as well as outline our protocol for its administration.
Neuroangiography simulation using a silicone model in the angiography suite improves trainee skills
Authors: Miranpuri Amrendra S , Nickele Christopher M , Akture Erinc , Royalty Kevin , Niemann David B
Published: September 2013

Purpose

Simulation techniques in neurosurgical training are becoming more important. The purpose of this study was to determine whether silicone vascular models used in the angiography suite can render improvement in trainee performance and safety in neuroendovascular procedures.

Methods

10 residents from neurosurgery and radiology training programs were asked to perform a diagnostic angiogram on a silicone based vascular model (United Biologics, Tustin, USA). This was done in the angiography suite with the full biplane fluoroscopy machine (Siemens, Munich, Germany). On their first attempt, they were coached by a faculty member trained in endovascular neurosurgery; on their second attempt, they received coaching only if the procedure had stalled. Technique was scored on multiple criteria by the faculty, and total time and fluoroscopy time were recorded on both attempts.

Results

In this group of 10 residents, overall procedure time significantly decreased from 51 to 42 min (p=0.01), and total fluoro time significantly decreased from 12 to 9 min (p=0.002) between the first attempt and the second attempt. Technical skill increased significantly in navigation, vessel selection, projection setup, and road map usage.

Conclusions

Silicone vascular models used in the angiography suite, with the clinical working tools and biplane fluoroscopy, provide a valuable experience for training residents in diagnostic angiography, and improved performance and safety.
The effects of a 6-month resistance training and dried plum consumption intervention on strength, body composition, blood markers of bone turnover, and inflammation in breast cancer survivors
Authors: Simonavice Emily , Liu Pei-Yang , Ilich Jasminka Z. , Kim Jeong-Su , Arjmandi Bahram , Panton Lynn B.
Published: September 2013

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of resistance training (RT) and dried plum (DP) consumption on strength, body composition, blood markers of bone, and inflammation in breast cancer survivors (BCS). Twenty-three BCS (RT, n = 12; RT+DP, n = 11), aged 64 ± 7 years, were evaluated at baseline and after 6 months of intervention on the following: muscular strength (chest press and leg extension) via 1-repetition maximums (1RMs); body composition, specifically bone mineral density (BMD) by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry; biochemical markers of bone turnover (bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP), tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP-5b)); and inflammation (C-reactive protein (CRP)). Target RT prescription was 2 days/week of 10 exercises, including 2 sets of 8–12 repetitions at ∼60%–80% of 1RM. RT+DP also consumed 90 g of DP daily. There were no baseline differences between groups or any group-by-time interactions for any of the variables. BCS increased upper (p < 0.05) (RT: 64 ± 14 to 80 ± 17 kg; RT+DP: 72 ± 23 to 91 ± 20 kg) and lower (p < 0.05) (RT: 69 ± 20 to 87 ± 28 kg; RT+DP: 78 ± 19 to 100 ± 21 kg) body strength. Body composition and BMD improvements were not observed. TRAP-5b decreased in the RT group (p < 0.05) (4.55 ± 1.57 to 4.04 ± 1.63 U/L) and the RT+DP group (p = 0.07) (5.10 ± 2.75 to 4.27 ± 2.03 U/L). Changes in BAP and CRP were not observed. RT was effective for improving biochemical markers of bone turnover and muscular strength in BCS. A longer and higher intensity intervention may be needed to reveal the true effects of RT and DP on body composition and biochemical markers of inflammation.
A xyloglucan-induced increase in lettuce germination and seedling elongation is not related to the degradation of the exogenous xyloglucan
Authors: Pereira-Netto Adaucto B. , Petkowicz Carmen L.O.
Published: September 2013

Xyloglucans are the main hemicellulosic polysaccharides found in the primary cell walls of dicots and nongraminaceous monocots. Although xyloglucans are building blocks used in plant cell wall assembly, the function of these molecules in the structure and growth of the primary cell wall remains poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrate that treatment of lettuce seeds with a xyloglucan extracted from cotyledons of Hymenaea courbaril L. (Leguminosae (Fabaceae) – Caesalpinioideae) in the 0.1 to 10 nmol·L−1 range resulted in significantly increased germination percentage. In addition, lettuce seedlings grown in the presence of 500 nmol·L−1 xyloglucan presented a significantly larger length compared with seedlings grown in the absence of xyloglucan. Furthermore, the H. courbaril xyloglucan was not able to reverse a 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid induced inhibition of seedling elongation. High performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses indicated that the xyloglucan-induced enhancement of germination percentage and seedling elongation in lettuce does not rely on the release of monomers, i.e., glucose, xylose, and galactose from the exogenous xyloglucan.
Pt−Me bond cleavage in the reactions of dimethylplatinum(II) complexes containing chelating phosphine ligands with organotin(IV) chlorides
Authors: Momeni Badri Z. , Eatezadi Sedigheh
Published: September 2013

Selective Pt−Me bond activation of dimethylplatinum(II) complexes [PtMe2(PP)] (PP = dppm (bis(diphenylphosphino)methane), dppe (1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane), dppp (1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane)) was achieved by SnMe2Cl2 to yield the corresponding platinum(II) complexes [PtMeCl(PP)] (PP = dppm, dppe, dppp) and cis-[PtCl2(PP)] (PP = dppm, dppp). On the other hand, the reactions of complexes [PtMe2(PP)] (PP = dppm, dppe, dppp) with SnPh3Cl resulted in the selective cleavage of the Pt−Me bond to afford the methylplatinum(II) complexes [PtMeCl(PP)]. Notably, the reaction of [PtMe2(dppm)] with SnMe2Cl2 and SnPh3Cl also gave the ionic A-frame complex [Pt2Me2(μ-Cl)(μ-dppm)2]Cl. The variable-temperature 1H and 31P NMR spectroscopy shows that the cleavage of the Pt−Me bond occurs very rapidly and the short-lived platinum(IV) intermediate is difficult to detect during the reaction. An explanation is presented on the basis of the nature of the strong π-acceptance of the phosphine ligand, which resulted in the formation of a very unstable platinum(IV) intermediate.
Influence of silver nanoparticles on absorption and fluorescence properties of laser dyes
Authors: Deepa H.R. , Kumar H.M. Suresh , Basanagouda M. , Thipperudrappa J.
Published: September 2013

The interaction of silver nanoparticles with four laser dyes, namely, LD-425, LD-489, LD-473, and LD-423, dispersed in methanol has been studied at room temperature by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. The silver nanoparticles were synthesized by chemical reduction and estimated size is 11 nm according to Mie theory. The changes in absorption spectrum of these dyes with the addition of silver nanoparticles suggest possible interaction with the silver nanoparticles. The magnitudes of the association constants are estimated using the Benesi–Hildebrand model. Fluorescence quenching has been observed for all the dyes with the addition of silver nanoparticles of different concentrations. The Stern–Volmer plots of fluorescence quenching in the case of LD-425 and LD-489 are found to be linear, suggesting the fluorescence quenching is because of the dynamic quenching process. But in the case of LD-473 and LD-423, the Stern–Volmer plots are nonlinear showing positive deviation and the fluorescence quenching in these dyes is because of static quenching processes. Also, it is found that the fluorescence quenching is not solely due to diffusion.
Effect of juvenile steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) on age-O and age-1 brown t rout (Salmo trutta) survival and growth in a sympatric nursery stream.
Authors: Kocik John F. , Taylor William W.
Published: September 2013

We determined that juvenile steelhead (Oncorynchus mykiss) had little effect on the survival and growth of age-0 and age-1 brown trout (Salmo trutta) in a Lake Huron tributary. Starting in 1989, we surveyed wild brown trout juveniles in two stream sections. Unfed steelhead fry were introduced into one section in May of 1990 and 1991, establishing moderate populations. Assessments continued through 1992. Steelhead had no measurable effect on juvenile brown trout abundance or survival. Steelhead did negatively influence age-0 brown trout growth, but this effect was minor compared with intraspecific interactions and abiotic factors. We attribute much of the brown trout success to their larger size. In June sampling, brown trout were typically 42% larger than steelhead, as would be common in the region. Variability in factors such as spawner-alevin interactions or climate could alter the timing of emergence or initial abundance, causing a more substantial effect on growth and, potentially, survival. Fishery managers need to evaluate these factors for the stocks in question before combining these species.
Patterns of genome size diversity in bats (order Chiroptera)
Authors: Smith Jillian D.L. , Bickham John W. , Gregory T. Ryan
Published: September 2013

Despite being a group of particular interest in considering relationships between genome size and metabolic parameters, bats have not been well studied from this perspective. This study presents new estimates for 121 “microbat” species from 12 families and complements a previous study on members of the family Pteropodidae (“megabats”). The results confirm that diversity in genome size in bats is very limited even compared with other mammals, varying approximately 2-fold from 1.63 pg in Lophostoma carrikeri to 3.17 pg in Rhinopoma hardwickii and averaging only 2.35 pg ± 0.02 SE (versus 3.5 pg overall for mammals). However, contrary to some other vertebrate groups, and perhaps owing to the narrow range observed, genome size correlations were not apparent with any chromosomal, physiological, flight-related, developmental, or ecological characteristics within the order Chiroptera. Genome size is positively correlated with measures of body size in bats, though the strength of the relationships differs between pteropodids (“megabats”) and nonpteropodids (“microbats”).
SYNDETIC SUBMEASURES AND PARTITIONS OF G-SPACES AND GROUPS
Authors: BANAKH TARAS , PROTASOV IGOR , SLOBODIANIUK SERGIY
Published: September 2013

We prove that for every k ∈ ℕ, each countable infinite group G admits a partition G = A ∪ B into two sets which are k-meager in the sense that for every k-element subset K ⊂ G the sets KA and KB are not thick. The proof is based on the fact that G possesses a syndetic submeasure, i.e. a left-invariant submeasure [Formula: see text] such that for each [Formula: see text] and subset A ⊂ G with μ(A) < 1 there is a set B ⊂ G\A such that μ(B) < ε and FB = G for some finite subset F ⊂ G.
G-LINKS INVARIANTS, MARKOV TRACES AND THE SEMI-CYCLIC Uq𝔰𝔩(2)-MODULES
Authors: GEER NATHAN , PATUREAU-MIRAND BERTRAND
Published: September 2013

Kashaev and Reshetikhin proposed a generalization of the Reshetikhin–Turaev link invariant construction to tangles with a flat connection in a principal G-bundle of the complement of the tangle. The purpose of this paper is to adapt and renormalize their construction to define invariants of G-links using the semi-cyclic representations of the non-restricted quantum group associated to 𝔰𝔩(2), defined by De Concini and Kac. Our construction uses a modified Markov trace. In our main example, the semi-cyclic invariants are a natural extension of the generalized Alexander polynomial invariants defined by Akutsu, Deguchi and Ohtsuki. Surprisingly, direct computations suggest that these invariants are actually equal.
STRANGENESS IN THE NUCLEON
Authors: HENLEY ERNEST M.
Published: September 2013

Remarks on strange quarks in the nucleon.
EXFOLIATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF LAYERED SILICATE MINERALS: A REVIEW
Authors: JIA FEIFEI , SONG SHAOXIAN
Published: September 2013

Exfoliated silicate minerals have attracted great attentions because of the dramatic improvement in properties. This paper highlights the preparation of exfoliated silicate minerals, including physical, chemical, mixed physical and chemical methods. The mechanisms by which silicates are exfoliated and the important influential factors are also summarized. Finally, the instrumental techniques to characterize the exfoliated structure and exfoliation degree are presented.
FIRST-PRINCIPLES STUDY OF ELECTRONIC AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF Mn-DOPED 3C-SiC FILMS
Authors: CHEN NAICHAO , REN JIANGXIN , ZHU QUNZHI , HE PING
Published: September 2013

The electronic and optical properties of Mn -doped 3 C - SiC films are investigated by the first-principles calculation. The structure of Mn -doped 3 C - SiC is modeled by substituting Mn atom for C or Si atom in 3 C - SiC lattice. The results suggest that Mn - C and Mn - Si bonds can exist in the Mn -doped 3 C - SiC . Mn location in 3 C - SiC lattice significantly affects the crystal structure of Mn -doped 3 C - SiC , and the Mn atom substitution for C or Si sites of 3 C - SiC lattice can induce to the difference of indirect or direct band structure. The calculated results also show that some new impurity energy levels occur in the band gap of Mn -doped 3 C - SiC , and the imaginary part of dielectric function of Mn -doped 3 C - SiC shifts toward the infrared region in comparison with the primitive 3 C - SiC . The adsorption spectrum of Mn -doping 3 C - SiC , due to the transition of electrons between Mn 3d states, presents some new prominent peaks at low frequency. These results can further confirm Mn -doped 3 C - SiC to act as a potential material for optical applications.
AN EPISTEMIC RATIONALE FOR ORDER INDEPENDENCE
Authors: TROST MICHAEL
Published: September 2013

The issue of the order dependence of iterative deletion procedures is well known in the game theory community, and conditions on the dominance concept underlying these procedures have meanwhile been detected which ensure order independence (see, e.g., the criteria of Gilboa et al. (1990) and Apt (2011)). While this kind of research deals with the technical issue whether certain iterative deletion procedures are order independent, or not, our focus is on the normative issue whether there are weighty reasons for applying order-independent iterative deletion procedures to strategic games. We tackle this question from an epistemic perspective and attempt to figure out whether order independence contains some specific epistemic meaning. It turns out that, under fairly general conditions on the choice rules underlying the iterative deletion procedures, their order independence coincides with the epistemic characterization of their solutions by the common belief of choice rule following behavior. Presumably, the most challenging condition of this coincidence is the property of independence of unfavorable acts. We also examine the consequences of two weakenings of this property on our epistemic motivation for order independence. Although the coincidence mentioned above does not hold for both weakenings, there still exist links between the order independence of iterative deletion procedures and their epistemic characterization by the common belief of following the choice rules on which these procedures are based.
A GENERAL NOTION OF UNIFORM STRATEGIES
Authors: MAUBERT BASTIEN , PINCHINAT SOPHIE
Published: September 2013

We consider two-player turn-based game arenas for which we investigate uniformity properties of strategies. These properties involve sets of plays in order to express useful constraints on strategies that are not μ-calculus definable. Typically, we can represent constraints on allowed strategies, such as being observation-based. We propose a formal language to specify uniformity properties, involving an original modality called R, meaning "for all related plays". Its semantics is given by some binary relation between plays. We demonstrate the relevance of our approach by rephrasing various known problems from the literature. We also study an automated procedure to synthesize strategies subject to a uniformity property, which strictly extends existing results based on, say standard temporal logics. We exhibit a generic solution for the synthesis problem provided the binary relation that defines the sets of related plays is recognizable by a finite state transducer. This solution yields a nonelementary procedure.
BACKWARD INDUCTION OR FORWARD REASONING? – AN EXPERIMENT OF STOCHASTIC ALTERNATING OFFER BARGAINING
Authors: BERNINGHAUS SIEGFRIED K. , GÜTH WERNER , SCHOSSER STEPHAN
Published: September 2013

Bounded rationality questions backward induction without necessarily excluding such reasoning when anticipation is easy. In our stochastic (alternating offer) bargaining experiment, there is a certain first-period pie and a known finite deadline. What is uncertain (except for the final period) is whether there is a further period. Whereas backward induction requires information about all later pie sizes and probabilities, forward reasoning is expected to rely on reasoning for which only the immediate prospects may be relevant. Rather than relying only on decision data, we assess forward reasoning by control of information retrieval before the first move. Participants begin with the shortest games before playing possibly longer games. Surprisingly they rely on forward reasoning already for the shortest game as revealed by their information retrieval and choice data.
COMMUTATIVE TALL RINGS
Authors: PENK TOMÁŠ , ŽEMLIČKA JAN
Published: September 2013

A ring is right tall if every non-noetherian right module contains a proper non-noetherian submodule. We prove a ring-theoretical criterion of tall commutative rings. Besides other examples which illustrate limits of proven necessary and sufficient conditions, we construct an example of a tall commutative ring that is non-max.
δ-DERIVATIONS OF SEMISIMPLE FINITE-DIMENSIONAL STRUCTURABLE ALGEBRAS
Authors: KAYGORODOV IVAN , OKHAPKINA ELIZAVETA
Published: September 2013

In this paper, we show the absence of nontrivial δ-derivations of semisimple finite-dimensional structurable algebras over an algebraically closed field of characteristic not equal to 2, 3, 5.
MAXIMAL IDEALS OF THE ENDOMORPHISM RING OF AN INJECTIVE MODULE
Authors: FACCHINI ALBERTO , BIEN MAI HOANG
Published: September 2013

In this paper, we describe the maximal ideals of the endomorphism ring of an injective module.
ON THE $\mathcal {F}$-RESIDUALS NORM OF A GROUP
Authors: SHEN ZHENCAI , LI SHIRONG
Published: September 2013

Let [Formula: see text] be a formation and for a group G, we define [Formula: see text] be the intersection of the normalizers of the [Formula: see text]-residuals of all subgroups of G. Similar to the ascending center series, set [Formula: see text] and define [Formula: see text] for i ≥ 1. By [Formula: see text] denote the terminal term of the ascending series. In this paper, we give some applications on the subgroup [Formula: see text] when [Formula: see text] is the class of all abelian groups or the class of all nilpotent groups.
ODEion — A SOFTWARE MODULE FOR STRUCTURAL IDENTIFICATION OF ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
Authors: GENNEMARK PETER , WEDELIN DAG
Published: September 2013

In the systems biology field, algorithms for structural identification of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) have mainly focused on fixed model spaces like S-systems and/or on methods that require sufficiently good data so that derivatives can be accurately estimated. There is therefore a lack of methods and software that can handle more general models and realistic data.

We present ODEion, a software module for structural identification of ODEs. Main characteristic features of the software are:

• The model space is defined by arbitrary user-defined functions that can be nonlinear in both variables and parameters, such as for example chemical rate reactions.

• ODEion implements computationally efficient algorithms that have been shown to efficiently handle sparse and noisy data. It can run a range of realistic problems that previously required a supercomputer.

• ODEion is easy to use and provides SBML output.

We describe the mathematical problem, the ODEion system itself, and provide several examples of how the system can be used.

Available at: http://www.odeidentification.org .
FUNCTIONAL EQUATION OF CHARACTERISTIC ELEMENTS OF ABELIAN VARIETIES OVER FUNCTION FIELDS (ℓ ≠ p)
Authors: PAL APRAMEYO
Published: September 2013

In this paper we apply methods from the number field case of Perrin-Riou [20] and Zábrádi [32] in the function field setup. In ℤℓ- and GL2-cases (ℓ ≠ p), we prove algebraic functional equations of the Pontryagin dual of Selmer group which give further evidence of the main conjectures of Iwasawa theory. We also prove some parity conjectures in commutative and non-commutative cases. As a consequence, we also get results on the growth behavior of Selmer groups in commutative and non-commutative extension of function fields.
MODELING AND ANALYSIS OF SALT TRANSPORT IN THE SINGLE CYLINDRICAL ROOT WITH FINITE LENGTH
Authors: KUMAR ARUN , SHARMA BEENA , RANI ASHU
Published: September 2013

A mathematical model for salt transport by a cylindrical root in an infinite extent of soil is derived and solved analytically by asymptotic matching of the inner and outer solutions. By asymptotic analysis it is shown that the salt solution uptake by a single cylindrical root in the absence of competition does not influence the overall salt concentration in the soil even when the soil moisture concentration is less than full saturation.
DYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF AN SIR MODEL WITH STOCHASTIC PERTURBATIONS
Authors: LIU ZHENJIE , WANG JINLIANG , XU YALAN , LI GUOQIANG
Published: September 2013

In this paper, we present a differential infectivity SIR epidemic model with modified saturation incidences and stochastic perturbations. We show that the stochastic epidemic model has a unique global positive solution, and we utilize stochastic Lyapunov functions to show the asymptotic behavior of the solution.
Dynamical modeling and controllability analysis of a flexible needle in soft tissue
Authors: Boroomand Arefeh , Tavakoli Mahdi , Sloboda Ron , Usmani Nawaid
Published: September 2013

This paper is concerned with deriving a dynamic model of a moderately flexible needle inserted into soft tissue, where the model's output is the needle deflection. The main advantages of the proposed dynamic modeling approach are that the presented model structure involves parameters that are all measurable or identifiable by simple experiments and that it considers the same inputs that are currently used in the clinical practice of manual needle insertion. Conventional manual needle insertion suffers from the fact that flexible needles bend during insertion and their trajectories often vary from those planned, resulting in positioning errors. Enhancement of needle insertion accuracy via robot-assisted needle steering has received significant attention in the past decade. A common assumption in previous research has been that the needle behavior during insertion can be adequately described by static models relating the needle's forces and torques to its deflection. For closed-loop control purposes, however, a dynamic model of the flexible needle in soft tissue is desired. In this paper, we propose a Lagrangian-based dynamic model for the coupled needle/tissue system, and analyze the response of the dynamic system. Steerability (controllability) analysis is also performed, which is only possible with a dynamic model. The proposed dynamic model can serve as a cornerstone of future research into designing dynamics-based control strategies for closed-loop needle steering in soft tissue aimed at minimizing position error.