bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design and Performance Evaluation of Fine-Graded Permeable Friction Course
Authors: Estakhri Cindy , Scullion Tom , Hu Xiaodi
Published: December 2012

Permeable friction courses (PFCs) are popular in Texas, where the current specification for PFC (Item 342) has a maximum aggregate size of 1/2 in. and is typically placed in layer thicknesses of 1.5 to 2 in. In this study fine-graded PFCs composed of a single aggregate fraction are proposed for placement at a nominal thickness of 1 in. Initial laboratory testing found that the target air void content for volumetric design would be around 26% air voids, substantially higher than the current PFC designs, which are between 18% and 22% air voids. To minimize the likelihood of failure, extensive laboratory testing was performed to arrive at the proposed design. Tests included Hamburg wheel-track testing, overlay tester cracking, and Cantabro, draindown, and water flow tests. The proposed fine PFC mix was first placed on a test track in Pecos, Texas. Two designs were placed and subjected to limited traffic loadings, field water flow, noise, and skid measurements. These test sections performed well. The next section was placed on a Texas Department of Transportation project in May 2011 and subjected to extremely intense traffic loading conditions on an exit ramp on US-59 in Lufkin. This ramp has a high frequency of wet-weather accidents. In addition to extreme traffic loads, the surface experienced extreme heat (air temperatures approaching 105°F) and heavy localized rain (a 6-in. rain event within a 24-h period). After 3 months the fine PFC is holding up well.
Impact of Water on Asphalt Aging
Authors: Huang Shin-Che , Glaser Ron , Turner Fred
Published: December 2012

Atmospheric pressure aging experiments were conducted to determine whether the presence of moisture during aging at a pavement service temperature of 60°C had any significant influence on the aging kinetics of thin (100-micron) asphalt binders. The five binders studied were aged in both dry and humid atmospheres. Infrared spectra of the dry- and moist-aged binders were compared. Master curves (dry aged and moist aged) generated from dynamic shear rheometry tests were also compared. The results showed that moisture had no significant effect on the oxidation rate at atmospheric pressure. A first-order and zero-order aging kinetic model was applied to fit all the chemical results. The Arrhenius equation was employed to calculate the activation energy for carbonyl and sulfoxide formations on all of the asphalts. The observed activation energies indicated that asphalt AAD-1 was more sensitive to the aging temperatures than the other four tested asphalts on the rapid carbonyl formation. However, after the initial spurt, the reaction rate of asphalt AAD-1 became more stable than in the other four asphalts. Sulfoxide formation was also evaluated. Rheological property changes with aging correlated reasonably well with carbonyl and sulfoxide concentration changes of asphalt binders as a consequence of atmospheric pressure aging. The master curves of complex modulus and phase angle for dry-aged and moist-aged asphalt binders fall right on top of each other and indicate that aging in the presence of water (99% of relative humidity) at the ambient pressure at pavement service temperature does not influence the rheological properties of asphalt binders.
Investigation of Ultra-Rapid-Setting Emulsion for Tack Coat Applications
Authors: Medeiros Marcelo S. , Chehab Ghassan R. , Solaimanian Mansour
Published: December 2012

The presence and the proper application of bituminous tack coat between pavement layers are critical elements to the effective functionality and longevity of multilayered flexible pavements. This study assessed the performance of a newly developed ultra-rapid-setting (URS) emulsion as a tack coat, with particular emphasis on its adhesive properties. The experimental testing matrix included physical and rheological tests consistent with relevant specifications of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Superpave® binder grading. Bonding performance was evaluated on the basis of results from shear tests conducted with a modified Marshall setup and the Superpave shear tester (SST). The results revealed that the new product set faster than the typical cationic rapid-setting emulsion (CRS-1h) used as a control tack coat in this study. The physical and rheological properties of the URS residue indicated a reduction in density, stiffness, and viscosity. The changes in the properties of the residue, however, were not significant enough to alter its performance grade. Results from the modified Marshall test at 25°C and SST tests at 25°C and 51°C revealed similar values for shear strength for both types of emulsions. The strengths of the specimens with the CRS-1h tack coat were slightly higher than those of the URS when tested in the modified Marshall setup, while the opposite was true for the SST setup at 51°C. This study demonstrated no statistical difference between the performances of the two products regarding adhesion for all conditions and tests performed.
Chromatic and Rheological Characteristics of Clear Road Binders
Authors: Merusi Filippo , Giuliani Felice
Published: December 2012

Clear asphalt pavements provide specific functional characteristics to improve safety and climatic conditions in urban areas. The technological development of clear pavements refers to the formulation of special binders with particular chromatic characteristics. This research evaluated three clear binders with different chemical formulations with the aim of establishing the effectiveness of their mechanical properties and chromatic characteristics. Mechanical properties were analyzed by rheological methods. All clear binders were found to have specific dependence on stress levels, time, and temperatures. Different behaviors emerged, depending on the chemical origin of the binders. Chromatic characteristics were quantitatively evaluated by means of a digital image analysis. Red–green–blue as well as hue, saturation, and brightness models were used to determine and compare the chromatic performances of the three binders. The stability of the chromatic characteristics was also estimated with a laboratory aging process. Relationships were found between the chemical origin of the clear binder and its chromatic performance.
Land Tenure Change and Sustainable Management of Alpine Grasslands on the Tibetan Plateau: A Case from Hongyuan County, Sichuan Province, China
Authors: Li Jin
Published: December 2012

The Chinese government has introduced a grassland Household-Contracted Responsibility System (HCRS) to contract out pasture use rights to households. This aims to strengthen exclusive use and to achieve sustainable management through privatization of user rights. The author undertook a case-study in the alpine grasslands of Hongyuan County on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau to document the initiation and impact of these changes. Herders in this location have traditionally utilized complex user-right arrangements to manage their grassland common pool resources. Analysis of changes brought about through the HCRS process indicate that sustainable management of alpine grasslands aims at the establishment and maintenance of cooperative management institutions and mechanisms that can (a) negotiate between the Tibetan communities and the state, and (b) recognize and support the existing, traditional, management capacity of these communities.
Swinging between Nomadism and Sedentarism: A Case Study of Social and Environmental Change in the Nomadic Society of the Altay Steppes, Xinjiang
Authors: Tsui Yenhu
Published: December 2012

The Altay Steppes are part of the vast Eurasian grasslands where nomadic peoples have lived for thousands of years. Mobile pastoral production is still practised in these steppes. In recent years, however, dramatic changes have occurred in the rangeland society and production system. These have mainly resulted from modernization policies at both state and Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region level. Mobile pastoral production is shrinking and herders are switching between subsistence farming and other livelihood alternatives, at times managing to follow specialized livestock production strategies involving seasonal livestock migrations along transhumance routes. This paper uses original ethnographic data in the form of two case studies to describe this flux in a southern Altay Steppe community. Its Kazakh and Altay Uranghay Mongol herders alternate between sedentary subsistence farming and nomadic pastoralism. The paper looks first at the ways people negotiate these swings between different lifestyles and livelihood options. Second, it considers the environmental changes that result from this uncertainty, and particularly the changing patterns of grassland management in the area. Special attention is given to discussion of the complex impact of the national and regional development strategies and of the ways in which those strategies affect the economic and cultural responses of the local community. Study findings suggest a correlation between cultural fragmentation, which undermines grassland management institutions, and grassland fragmentation and pasture degradation.
Resettlement as Development and Progress? Eight Years On: Review of Emerging Social and Development Impacts of an 'Ecological Resettlement' Project in Tibet Autonomous Region, China
Authors: Tashi Gongbo , Foggin Marc
Published: December 2012

The relocation of rural people away from marginal or fragile lands is an increasingly common approach used in China to achieve environmental protection and development objectives. However at present few studies have been made of the social impacts of such resettlement projects in China. Several key social dimensions of a significant resettlement project in the Tibet Autonomous Region are therefore analysed and discussed in this paper. It was specifically posited that the research findings presented here would (1) provide useful guidance for local government offices and government staff workers who are engaged in poverty reduction and agricultural development work; and (2) help to give residents of the community under consideration more voice and opportunity to interact with the outside world. A field survey was designed and led by the lead author in June 2009, with semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire, to ascertain the present situation in the target village and thus help to provide a useful basis for future policy recommendations.
Effect of Caffeine on Plasma Glucose and Insulin Response to Mixed Meal Tolerance Test in Type II Diabetes
Authors: Moosa Abu Saleh Md. , Akther Shahina
Published: December 2012

Caffeine containing beverages is widely used and popular world-wide. Studies showed that caffeine acutely decreased insulin sensitivity in young, non-diabetic adults.3-5 This double-blind study was carried out with habitual coffee drinkers who had at least a 6-months history of type II diabetes. The effects of caffeine on fasting glucose & insulin levels and on glucose & insulin response to a mixed-meal tolerance test were studied. The total daily caffeine intake was 375 mg in a divided schedule. Overnight fast and caffeine abstinence baseline fasting blood samples were drawn then after administration of caffeine (250 mg/day) or placebo they consumed a commercial meal that contained 75 gram of carbohydrate for mixed-meal tolerance test. Comparisons of the AUC2h values demonstrated significant caffeine effects for both plasma glucose and plasma insulin (P < 0.05) responses to the mixed-meal tolerance test. Caffeine did not affect the fasting levels of plasma glucose or insulin when compared with placebo. It may be concluded that acute administration of caffeine plus carbohydrate impaired post-prandial glucose metabolism and insulin responses. Such effects could have implication for the management of type II diabetic patients. Medicine Today 2010 Volume 22 Number 02 Page 73-74 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/medtoday.v22i2.12437
Observation of Pyramidal Lobe and Levator Glandulae Thyroideae and Their Macroscopic Feature and Relation with Whole Thyroid Gland: A Postmortem Study.
Authors: Banna Fakhrul Amin Mohammad Hasanul , Sultana Zakia , Khalil Mansur , Begum Jahan Ara , Begum Manowara , Islam Mohammod Towhidul
Published: December 2012

Back Ground: The thyroid is a brownish red, highly vascular earliest endocrine glandular structure appears in mammal. The size of thyroid gland varies considerably with age, sex, physiologic state, race and geographical location. It is larger and heavier in mature females than in males, and it hypertrophies during menstruation and pregnancy. Diseases of thyroid may need surgical intervention. During thyroid surgery, there is every possibility of occurrence of haemorrhage and recurrent laryngeal nerve injury. So this study is to carry out the macroscopic and microscopic architecture of thyroid gland of different age and sex groups in Bangladeshi people to establish a normal standard. This study will also help in minimizing complications of thyroid surgery and tracheostomy.Study design: Mainly descriptive cross-sectional study with an analytic component.Place and period of study: Department of Anatomy, Sylhet M. A. G. Osmani Medical College, Sylhet, from 1st July 2006 to 30th June 2007.Materials: The study was carried out on 54 autopsied human thyroid glands aged 5 to 65 years. Thyroid glands were collected from unclaimed dead bodies autopsied in morgue of Sylhet M. A. G. Osmani Medical College, Sylhet.Methods: The collected specimens were divided into age group A (10 years and below), group B (11 to 20 years), group C (21 to 30 years), group D (31 to 40 years), group E (41 to 50 years) and group F (51years and above). All specimens were examined morphologically by fine dissection method.Result: Pyramidal lobe and levator glandulae thyroideae were present in 37.04% and 59.26% cases respectively and were situated to the left side of midline in most of the cases. In most of the cases levator glandulae thyroideae had association with apex of pyramidal lobe to the body of the hyoid bone.Conclusion: From observation and results it reached conclusion that the present study will help to increase the information pool on the anatomy of thyroid gland of Bangladeshi people. To establish a normal standard for Bangladeshi people, further studies with large samples from different zones including goitre endemic zones of the country are suggested. Medicine Today 2010 Volume 22 Number 02 Page 83-87 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/medtoday.v22i2.12440
Expanding horizons in historical linguistics with the 400-million word Corpus of Historical American English
Authors: Davies Mark
Published: November 2012

The Corpus of Historical American English (COHA) contains 400 million words in more than 100,000 texts which date from the 1810s to the 2000s. The corpus contains texts from fiction, popular magazines, newspapers and non-fiction books, and is balanced by genre from decade to decade. It has been carefully lemmatised and tagged for part-of-speech, and uses the same architecture as the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA), BYU-BNC, the TIME Corpus and other corpora. COHA allows for a wide range of research on changes in lexis, morphology, syntax, semantics, and American culture and society (as viewed through language change), in ways that are probably not possible with any text archive (e.g., Google Books) or any other corpus of historical American English.
Emerging Roles for Non-Coding RNAs in Male Reproductive Development in Flowering Plants
Authors: Grant-Downton Robert , Rodriguez-Enriquez Josefina
Published: December 2012

Knowledge of sexual reproduction systems in flowering plants is essential to humankind, with crop fertility vitally important for food security. Here, we review rapidly emerging new evidence for the key importance of non-coding RNAs in male reproductive development in flowering plants. From the commitment of somatic cells to initiating reproductive development through to meiosis and the development of pollen—containing the male gametes (sperm cells)—in the anther, there is now overwhelming data for a diversity of non-coding RNAs and emerging evidence for crucial roles for them in regulating cellular events at these developmental stages. A particularly exciting development has been the association of one example of cytoplasmic male sterility, which has become an unparalleled breeding tool for producing new crop hybrids, with a non-coding RNA locus.
Alone in the Void: Getting Real about the Tenuous and Fragile Nature of Modern Civilization
Authors: Sutton Paul
Published: November 2012

It is estimated that roughly seventy billion human beings have lived out their lives on planet earth. It is very unlikely that any of the seven billion currently enjoying this planet will be living out the rest of their life any place else. Nonetheless, many of our movies and much of our literature envisions easy space travel that is scientifically unrealistic. On July 24th, 2012 Adam Frank, a professor of physics and astronomy, wrote an op-ed piece in the New York Times titled: Alone in the Void. This article posited that humanity (Homo sapiens) lives on a planet that is, for all intents and purposes, alone in a vast empty space. Reader comments to this editorial ranged from people who were very confident we were destined to colonize other galaxies to people who had little faith that humanity would even exist on the earth one hundred years from now. The reader’s responses mirror dominant and minority world views of economic theory. The dominant neo-classical economic paradigm is optimistic and growth oriented with faith in technological solutions to pressing social and environmental problems; whereas, the minority paradigm of ecological economics posits a need to move toward a steady state economy governed by the laws of thermodynamics as the preferred path for human progress. I side with ecological economics regarding what collective choices will result in a better future for humanity.
Optimization of the Bacterial Cytochrome P450 BM3 System for the Production of Human Drug Metabolites
Authors: Di Nardo Giovanna , Gilardi Gianfranco
Published: November 2012

Drug metabolism in human liver is a process involving many different enzymes. Among them, a number of cytochromes P450 isoforms catalyze the oxidation of most of the drugs commercially available. Each P450 isoform acts on more than one drug, and one drug may be oxidized by more than one enzyme. As a result, multiple products may be obtained from the same drug, and as the metabolites can be biologically active and may cause adverse drug reactions (ADRs), the metabolic profile of a new drug has to be known before this can be commercialized. Therefore, the metabolites of a certain drug must be identified, synthesized and tested for toxicity. Their synthesis must be in sufficient quantities to be used for metabolic tests. This review focuses on the progresses done in the field of the optimization of a bacterial self-sufficient and efficient cytochrome P450, P450 BM3 from Bacillus megaterium, used for the production of metabolites of human enzymes. The progress made in the improvement of its catalytic performance towards drugs, the substitution of the costly NADPH cofactor and its immobilization and scale-up of the process for industrial application are reported.
Properties of PEMA-NH4CF3SO3 Added to BMATSFI Ionic Liquid
Authors: Anuar Norwati , Subban Ri , Mohamed Nor
Published: December 2012

Polymer electrolyte films, comprising ammonium trifluoromethanesulfonate salt and butyl-trimethyl ammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ionic liquid immobilized in poly (ethyl methacrylate) was studied. Structural, morphological, thermal and electrical properties of the polymer electrolyte films were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, and impedance spectroscopy, respectively. Interactions of the salt and ionic liquid with the host polymer were investigated by Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy. Electrochemical stability of the electrolytes was determined using linear sweep voltammetry and transference numbers corresponding to ionic transport has been evaluated by means of the Wagner polarization technique. The highest conductivity achieved is in the order of 10−4 S cm−1 for the film added with 35 wt % butyl trimethylammonium bis (trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide. The film has high amorphicity and low glass transition temperature of 2 °C. The film is electrochemically stable up to 1.8 V. The ion transference number in the polymer film is 0.82 and the conductivity behavior obeys Vogel-Tamman-Fulcher equation.
Analysis of Heavy Metal in Electrocoagulated Metal Hydroxide Sludge (EMHS) from the Textile Industry by Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF)
Authors: Adyel Tanveer , Rahman Syed , Khan Mala , Islam S.M.
Published: December 2012

Environmental pollution due to discharges of heavy metal containing sludge from textile industries is a common nuisance in Bangladesh, where no treatment of sludge is carried out before final disposals. Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) was employed in the present study to analyze the heavy metal content of Electrocoagulated Metal Hydroxide Sludge (EMHS) collected from a composite textile industry. Thirteen heavy metals, viz., Mn, Ti, Cu, Zn, Ni, Sr, V, Cr, Zr, Hg, Cd, Nb and Ga, were detected. Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn and Cd exceeded the permissible limit to apply the EMHS in agricultural land. Cr, Ni, Cu and Zn were compared to the values of the European legislation to evaluate the environmental risk and to classify the wastes as inert wastes or as wastes that have to be control landfilled. EMHS was categorized as class I and needs to be deposited in controlled landfills.
Study of the Volatile Constituents in Radix Flemingiae Macrophyllae and a Substitute by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Chemometric Methods
Authors: Cheng Shen-Yu , Xie Yan , Feng Xiao-Liang , Huang Lan-Fang
Published: November 2012

A combined approach of subwindow factor analysis and spectral correlative chromatography was used to analyze the volatile components in Radix Flemingiae Macrophyllae and Flemingiae Latifolia Benth, one of its substitutes. After extraction by a water distillation method, the volatile components in Radix Flemingiae Macrophyllae and Flemingiae Latifolia Benth were detected by GC-MS. Then the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the volatile components in Radix Flemingiae Macrophyllae was completed with the help of subwindow factor analysis resolving two-dimensional original data into mass spectra and chromatograms. Sixty five of 82 separated constituents in the total ion chromatogram of the volatile components in Radix Flemingiae Macrophyllae were identified and quantified, accounting for about 88.79% of the total content. Then, spectral correlative chromatography was used to extract correlative constituents in Flemingiae Latifolia Benth. Fifty one correlative components were recognized in essential oil of Flemingiae Latifolia Benth. The result proves the combined approach is powerful in the analysis of complex herbal samples. The developed method can be used to compare the sameness and differences of Radix Flemingiae Macrophyllae and its substitutes and it can also be used for quality control of Radix Flemingiae Macrophyllae.
Assessment of the in Vitro Antiprotozoal and Cytotoxic Potential of 20 Selected Medicinal Plants from the Island of Soqotra
Authors: Mothana Ramzi , Al-Musayeib Nawal , Matheeussen An , Cos Paul , Maes Louis
Published: December 2012

Malaria, leishmaniasis and human African trypanosomiasis continue to be major public health problems in need of new and more effective drugs. The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro antiprotozoal activity of twenty endemic medicinal plants collected from the island of Soqotra in the Indian Ocean. The plant materials were extracted with methanol and tested for antiplasmodial activity against erythrocytic schizonts of Plasmodium falciparum, for antileishmanial activity against intracellular amastigotes of Leishmania infantum and for antitrypanosomal activity against intracellular amastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi and free trypomastigotes of T. brucei. To assess selectivity, cytotoxicity was determined against MRC-5 fibroblasts. Selective activity was obtained for Punica protopunica against Plasmodium (IC50 2.2 µg/mL) while Eureiandra balfourii and Hypoestes pubescens displayed activity against the three kinetoplastid parasites (IC50 < 10 µg/mL). Acridocarpus socotranus showed activity against T. brucei and T. cruzi (IC50 3.5 and 8.4 µg/mL). Ballochia atrovirgata, Dendrosicycos socotrana, Dracaena cinnabari and Euphorbia socotrana displayed non-specific inhibition of the parasites related to high cytotoxicity.
Experimental Investigation of the Cross-Sensitivity and Size Effects of Polyvinylidene Fluoride Film Sensors on Modal Testing
Authors: Chuang Kuo-Chih , Ma Chien-Ching , Liou Hong-Cin
Published: December 2012

Due to advantages such as light weight, flexibility, and low cost, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) films have been widely used in engineering applications as sensors for detecting strain, pressure, or micro-force. However, it is known that PVDF strain sensors have strain cross-sensitivity in mutually orthogonal directions. Furthermore, the size of the PVDF film sensor would also affect the dynamic strain sensing performance. In this paper, to investigate the cross-sensitivity and size effects experimentally, we employ PVDF film sensors to perform dynamic measurements on a cantilever beam. Since the vibrations of the cantilever beam are excited by impacts of a steel ball, the induced highly repeatable transient responses contain a wide range of resonant frequencies and thus can be used to investigate both the size and cross-sensitivity effects of the PVDF film sensors in a dynamic sensing environment. Based on the experimental results of the identified resonant frequencies compared with results obtained from a strain gauge, finite element calculations, and theoretical predictions, suggestions for the use of the PVDF strain sensor in modal testing are given in this paper.
Development of a One-Step Immunocapture Real-Time RT-PCR Assay for Detection of Tobacco Mosaic Virus in Soil
Authors: Yang Jin-Guang , Wang Feng-Long , Chen De-Xin , Shen Li-Li , Qian Yu-Mei , Liang Zhi-Yong , Zhou Wen-Chang , Yan Tai-He
Published: December 2012

Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) causes significant losses in many economically important crops. Contaminated soils may play roles as reservoirs and sources of transmission for TMV. In this study we report the development of an immunocapture real-time RT-PCR (IC-real-time RT-PCR) assay for direct detection of TMV in soils without RNA isolation. A series of TMV infected leaf sap dilutions of 1:101, 1:102, 1:103, 1:104, 1:105 and 1:106 (w/v, g/mL) were added to one gram of soil. The reactivity of DAS-ELISA and conventional RT-PCR was in the range of 1:102 and 1:103 dilution in TMV-infested soils, respectively. Meanwhile, the detection limit of IC-real-time RT-PCR sensitivity was up to 1:106 dilution. However, in plant sap infected by TMV, both IC-real-time RT-PCR and real-time RT-PCR were up to 1:106 dilution, DAS-ELISA could detect at least 1:103 dilution. IC-real-time RT-PCR method can use either plant sample extracts or cultivated soils, and show higher sensitivity than RT-PCR and DAS-ELISA for detection of TMV in soils. Therefore, the proposed IC-real-time RT-PCR assay provides an alternative for quick and very sensitive detection of TMV in soils, with the advantage of not requiring a concentration or RNA purification steps while still allowing detection of TMV for disease control.
Occurrence of Ochratoxin A in the Wild Boar (Sus scrofa): Chemical and Histological Analysis
Authors: Bozzo Giancarlo , Ceci Edmondo , Bonerba Elisabetta , Di Pinto Angela , Tantillo Giuseppina , De Giglio Elvira
Published: December 2012

Ochratoxins are fungal secondary metabolites that may contaminate a broad variety of foodstuffs, such as grains, vegetables, coffee, dried fruits, beer, wine and meats. Ochratoxins are nephrotoxins, carcinogens, teratogens and immunotoxins in rats and are also likely to be in humans. In 2009/2010, a survey of the presence of Ochratoxin A (OTA) in regularly hunted wild boars in the Calabria region of southern Italy detected OTA in 23 animals in the kidney, urinary bladder, liver and muscles: 1.1 ± 1.15, 0.6 ± 0.58, 0.5 ± 0.54 and 0.3 ± 0.26 μg/kg, respectively. Twelve tissue samples showed levels of OTA higher than the guideline level (1 μg/kg) established by the Italian Ministry of Health. In five wild boars, gross-microscopic lesions were described for the organs displaying the highest concentrations of OTA determined by HPLC-FLD analysis, i.e., the kidney, liver and urinary bladder.
Regulation of Water Pollution from Hydraulic Fracturing in Horizontally-Drilled Wells in the Marcellus Shale Region, USA
Authors: Hatzenbuhler Heather , Centner Terence
Published: December 2012

Hydraulic fracturing is an industrial process used to extract fossil fuel reserves that lie deep underground. With the introduction of horizontal drilling, new commercial sources of energy have become available. Wells are drilled and injected with large quantities of water mixed with specially selected chemicals at high pressures that allow petroleum reserves to flow to the surface. While the increased economic activities and the outputs of domestic energy are welcomed, there is growing concern over negative environmental impacts from horizontal drilling in shale formations. The potential for water contamination, land destruction, air pollution, and geologic disruption has raised concerns about the merits of production activities used during extraction. This paper looks at the impacts of horizontal drilling using hydraulic fracturing on water supplies and takes a comprehensive look at legislative and regulatory approaches to mitigate environmental risks in the Marcellus shale region. The overview identifies shortcomings associated with regulatory controls by local and state governments and offers two policy suggestions to better protect waters of the region.
Dermal Papilla Cells Serially Cultured with Wnt-10b Sustain their Hair Follicle Induction Activity after Transplantation into Nude Mice
Authors: Ouji Yukiteru , Ishizaka Shigeaki , Yoshikawa Masahide
Published: December 2012

Dermal papilla (DP) cells are associated with the development of hair follicles (HFs) and regulation of the hair cycle. However, primary DP cells prepared from cultured HFs are known to lose their ability to induce HF after culturing in standard media, for example, fibroblast growth conditions. We explored a new culture condition by which DP cells maintained their HF induction ability. The addition of Wnt-10b to the first culture of primary DP cells promoted their proliferation and maintained their Wnt responsiveness and HF induction ability. Furthermore, DP cells in Wnt-10b-containing medium sustained those characteristics after 10 passages (100 days), which encompassed the entire experimental period. These results suggest that Wnt-10b plays a pivotal role in proliferation and maintenance of DP cells in vitro.
Noninvasive Monitoring of Immunosuppressive Drug Efficacy to Prevent Rejection of Intracerebral Glial Precursor Allografts
Authors: Gorelik Michael , Janowski Miroslaw , Galpoththawela Chulani , Rifkin Robert , Levy Michael , Lukomska Barbara , Kerr Douglas A. , Bulte Jeff W. M. , Walczak Piotr , Morgan Russell H.
Published: December 2012

The development of cell-based therapies opens up new avenues for treating a myriad of diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). While significant effort is being directed toward development of patient-specific, autologous transplantable cells, at present, the majority of cell transplantation studies performed clinically utilize allografts. In this context, the issue of graft rejection and immunoprotection is of key importance. In this study, we transplanted mouse glial-restricted progenitors into immunodeficient, immunocompetent, and immunosuppressed mice and monitored their survival noninvasively using bioluminescence imaging (BLI). With the use of serial BLI, we evaluated both the prevalence and dynamics of cell rejection. We demonstrate that allografts in immunocompetent mice were rejected at a rate of 69.2% ( n = 13) indicating that graft tolerance is possible even without immunosuppression. Immunosuppression using a combination of rapamycin and FK506 or cyclosporin failed to fully protect the grafts. FK506 and rapamycin treatment resulted in a slight improvement of immunoprotection (22.2% rejected, n = 9) compared to cyclosporin A (55.6% rejected, n = 9); however, the difference was not significant. Notably, immunohistochemistry revealed leukocytes infiltrating the graft area in both rejecting and nonrejecting immunocompetent animals, but not in immunodeficient animals. The induction of an inflammatory process, even in surviving allografts, has implications for their long-term survival and functionality.
Comparing Scaffold-Free and Fibrin-Based Adipose-Derived Stromal Cell Constructs for Adipose Tissue Engineering: An In Vitro and in Vivo Study
Authors: Verseijden Femke , Sluijs Sandra J. Posthumus-Van , Van Neck Johan W. , Hofer Stefan O. P. , Hovius Stevan E. R. , Van Osch Gerjo J. V. M.
Published: December 2012

Success of adipose tissue engineering for soft tissue repair has been limited by insufficient adipogenic differentiation, an unfavorable host response, and insufficient vascularization. In this study, we examined how scaffold-free spheroid and fibrin-based environments impact these parameters in human adipose-derived stromal cell (ASC)-based adipose constructs. ASCs were differentiated in spheroids or fibrin-based constructs. After 7 days, conditioned medium was collected and spheroids/fibrin-based constructs were either harvested or implanted subcutaneously in athymic mice. Following 7 days of implantation, the number of blood vessels in fibrin-based constructs was significantly higher than in spheroids (93 ± 45 vs. 23 ± 11 vessels/mm2) and the inflammatory response to fibrin-based constructs was less severe. The reasons for these results were investigated further in vitro. We found that ASCs in fibrin-based constructs secreted significantly higher levels of the angiogenic factors VEGF and HGF and lower levels of the inflammatory cytokine IL-8. Furthermore, ASCs in fibrin-based constructs secreted significantly higher levels of leptin and showed a 2.5-fold upregulation of the adipogenic transcription factor PPARG and a fourfold to fivefold upregulation of the adipocyte-specific markers FABP4, perilipin, and leptin. These results indicate that fibrin-based ASC constructs are potentially more suitable for ASC-based adipose tissue reconstruction than scaffold-free spheroids.
Study on seroprevalence of hepatitis delta in a regional hospital in western Turkey
Authors: Kose Sukran , Ece Gulfem , Gozaydin Ayhan , Turken Melda
Published: November 2012

Introduction: Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) is an incomplete virus dependent on hepatitis B virus (HBV) for its multiplication. It can infect individuals with active HBV infection and cause severe liver disease. It is less prevalent than hepatitis B virus, but it causes more serious clinical pictures. In this study we investigated anti-HDV seroprevalance and epidemiological features among HBsAg seropositive outclinic patients at Izmir Tepecik Educational and Research Hospital. Methodology: Serum samples collected from outpatients at Izmir Tepecik Educational and Research Hospital between 1 September 2007 and 30 August 2009 were evaluated. Anti-HDV assay was performed by enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Patients over the age of fourteen who were referred to our hospital were taken into the study. Results: Out of 3,094 HBsAg positive patients, 79 (2.5%) had anti-HDV IgG seroprevalance. Of these 79 patients, 42 were hepatitis B carriers, 34 had chronic hepatitis B, two had liver cirrhosis, and one had hepatocellular carcinoma. Conclusion: Although superinfection and co-infection of HDV are less prevalent than hepatitis B infection, the prognosis is worse as the response to therapy is poor; therefore, patients with hepatitis B should be evaluated further for HDV infection.
Coordination fiscale dans l'Union Économique et Monétaire Ouest Africaine
Authors: Mansour Mario , Rota-Graziosi Grégoire
Published: December 2012

Résumé L’Union Économique et Monétaire Ouest Africaine (UEMOA) est l’une des régions du monde où la coordination fiscale entre États souverains est la plus avancée, de jure du moins. Depuis la fin des années 1990, plusieurs directives communautaires ont encadré la fiscalité directe et indirecte des États membres. Cette coordination vise notamment à créer un cadre fiscal propice à l’intégration économique régionale, à assurer la transition fiscale en substituant les recettes de la fiscalité intérieure à celles douanières compromises par la libéralisation des échanges internationaux et à mobiliser les recettes fiscales. L’objet principal de cet article est de présenter l’état actuel de cette coordination fiscale. Nous examinons les directives et règlements pertinents, la coordination de jure , et leur état d’application dans les pays membres, la coordination de facto . Une brève appréciation des recettes fiscales complète cette analyse qui se conclut par quelques observations sur les enjeux principaux de la coordination fiscale dans la région et les leçons apprises. Classification JEL : O1, H2, H7
Réforme et modernisation des douanes en Afrique subsaharienne francophone, 1995-2010
Authors: Montagnat-Rentier Gilles , Parent Gilles
Published: December 2012

Résumé Cet article expose les grandes lignes des réformes de modernisation des douanes réalisées dans les pays francophones d’Afrique subsaharienne depuis le milieu des années 1990. Il met également en évidence les problèmes non encore résolus de ce processus. Des progrès sont enregistrés en matière d’automatisation des opérations et de procédures, avec des efforts importants et constants pour mobiliser les recettes douanières et améliorer la facilitation du commerce dans un certain nombre de pays. Cependant, le rythme et l’étendue de la modernisation restent insuffisants, particulièrement en ce qui concerne le développement des contrôles douaniers et la capacité de lutte contre la fraude, le renforcement des ressources opérationnelles, et l’amélioration de la gestion et de l’encadrement des services. Les constats suggèrent qu’un fort engagement des autorités dans la réforme, des transformations dans l’organisation et la gestion, une assistance technique et une gestion de projet adéquates, ainsi que la mise en œuvre effective des normes douanières modernes sont essentiels à l’accélération de la modernisation des douanes en Afrique subsaharienne francophone. Classification JEL : H29, O57
An Effective Reversible Watermarking for 2D CAD Engineering Graphics Based on Improved QIM
Authors: Peng Fei , Lei Yu-Zhou
Published: December 2012

Quantization index modulation (QIM) is widely used in watermarking, but QIM cannot be applied to reversible watermarking directly due to its inherent limitations. In this paper, an improvement is made to QIM to make it suitable for reversible watermarking. Based on the improved QIM (IQIM), a reversible watermarking scheme for 2D CAD engineering graphics is proposed. The relative amplitudes and the relative phases of entity vertices are used as hosts to carry the watermark, respectively, and the data recovery is controlled by a secret key. Experimental results indicate that the proposed scheme can strike a good balance between capacity, imperceptibility, robustness, security and complexity.
Previous exposure to other males leads to prolonged copulation by a predatory true bug (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Anthocoridae)
Authors: Horton David R.
Published: November 2012

Mating pairs ofAnthocoris whiteiReuter (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Anthocoridae) irregularly exhibit copulations exceeding five hours in duration. In other Heteroptera, male-biased sex ratios or high densities of male conspecifics may lead to prolonged copulation. I tested whether exposure to conspecific males preceding access to females led to prolonged copulations byA. whitei. Copulations in which the male had been exposed to other males were significantly longer (by 60+ minutes) than copulations in which the male had not been exposed to other males. Durations exceeded five hours in several pairings following exposure to other males. Almost 75% of copulations in which males had not been exposed to other males were <100 minutes in duration, whereas only 22%–29% of copulations involving males that had been exposed to other males were <100 minutes in duration. Atypically long copulations by this species may be a form of postinsemination mate guarding to prevent insemination of a guarded female by other males.
Complete Dependence on IRAK4 Kinase Activity in TLR2, but Not TLR4, Signaling Pathways Underlies Decreased Cytokine Production and Increased Susceptibility to Streptococcus pneumoniae Infection in IRAK4 Kinase–Inactive Mice
Authors: Pennini Meghan E. , Perkins Darren J. , Salazar Andres M. , Lipsky Michael , Vogel Stefanie N.
Published: December 2012

IRAK4 is critical for MyD88-dependent TLR signaling, and patients with Irak4 mutations are extremely susceptible to recurrent bacterial infections. In these studies, mice homozygous for a mutant IRAK4 that lacks kinase activity (IRAK4KDKI) were used to address the role of IRAK4 in response to TLR agonists or bacterial infection. IRAK4KDKI macrophages exhibited diminished responsiveness to the TLR4 agonist LPS and little to no response to the TLR2 agonist Pam3Cys compared with wild-type macrophages as measured by cytokine mRNA, cytokine protein expression, and MAPK activation. Importantly, we identified two kinases downstream of the MAPKs, MNK1 and MSK1, whose phosphorylation is deficient in IRAK4KDKI macrophages stimulated through either TLR2 or TLR4, suggesting that IRAK4 contributes to TLR signaling beyond the initial phosphorylation of MAPKs. Additionally, IRAK4KDKI macrophages produced minimal cytokine mRNA expression in response to the Gram-positive bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus compared with WT cells, and IRAK4KDKI mice exhibited increased susceptibility and decreased cytokine production in vivo upon S. pneumoniae infection. Treatment of infected mice with a complex of polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid with poly-L-lysine and carboxymethyl cellulose (Hiltonol), a potent TLR3 agonist, significantly improved survival of both WT and IRAK4KDKI mice, thereby providing a potential treatment strategy in both normal and immunocompromised patients.
CD11b/CD18 (Mac-1) Is a Novel Surface Receptor for Extracellular Double-Stranded RNA To Mediate Cellular Inflammatory Responses
Authors: Zhou Hui , Liao Jieying , Aloor Jim , Nie Hui , Wilson Belinda C. , Fessler Michael B. , Gao Hui-Ming , Hong Jau-Shyong
Published: December 2012

During viral infection, extracellular dsRNA is a potent signaling molecule that activates many innate immune cells, including macrophages. TLR3 is a well-known receptor for extracellular dsRNA, and internalization of extracellular dsRNA is required for endosomal TLR3 activation. Preserved inflammatory responses of TLR3-deficient macrophages to extracellular dsRNA strongly support a TLR3-independent mechanism in dsRNA-mediated immune responses. The present study demonstrated that CD11b/CD18 (Mac-1 [macrophage-1 Ag]), a surface integrin receptor, recognized extracellular dsRNA and induced macrophage immune responses. CD11b deficiency reduced inflammatory cytokine induction elicited by polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C; a synthetic dsRNA) in mouse sera and livers, as well as in cultured peritoneal macrophages. dsRNA-binding assay and confocal immunofluorescence showed that Mac-1, especially the CD11b subunit, interacted and colocalized with poly I:C on the surface of macrophages. Further mechanistic studies revealed two distinct signaling events following dsRNA recognition by Mac-1. First, Mac-1 facilitated poly I:C internalization through the activation of PI3K signaling and enhanced TLR3-dependent activation of IRF3 in macrophages. Second, poly I:C induced activation of phagocyte NADPH oxidase in a TLR3-independent, but Mac-1–dependent, manner. Subsequently, phagocyte NADPH oxidase–derived intracellular reactive oxygen species activated MAPK and NF-κB pathways. Our results indicate that extracellular dsRNA activates Mac-1 to enhance TLR3-dependent signaling and to trigger TLR3-independent, but Mac-1–dependent, inflammatory oxidative signaling, identifying a novel mechanistic basis for macrophages to recognize extracellular dsRNA to regulate innate immune responses. This study identifies Mac-1 as a novel surface receptor for extracellular dsRNA and implicates it as a potential therapeutic target for virus-related inflammatory diseases.
Role of Novel and Rare Nucleotide Substitutions of the β-Globin Gene
Authors: Vinciguerra Margherita , Cannata Monica , Cassarà Filippo , Lo Gioco Pina , Leto Filippo , Passarello Cristina , Giambona Antonino
Published: November 2012

The Laboratory for Molecular Prenatal Diagnosis of Hemoglobinopathies at the Villa Sofia-Cervello Hospital in Palermo, Italy, carries out an intensive screening program aimed at identifying the healthy carriers of thalassemia and, consequently, the couples at risk of bearing an affected fetus. The diagnostic process is basically divided into two phases: (i) hematologic and hemoglobin data; (ii) molecular analysis of globin genes and, when possible, a genetic study of the family. Since 2003, we have been performing DNA sequence analysis on those cases in which classical molecular methods failed to give a complete diagnostic response, particularly in phenotypes with borderline values of HbA2 with mild or absent microcytosis. During ten years of screening activities (from 2003 to 2012), twenty-seven unknown or rare nucleotide changes of the β-globin gene have been identified; hematologic and hemoglobin data have been carefully evaluated and, wherever possible, we have conducted a family study to evaluate whether a phenotypic expression could be associated to these nucleotide changes. Because of the limited numbers of cases for each mutation, the significance of these nucleotide substitutions has still not been fully clarified, and this raises a number of questions that need to be answered when carrying out appropriate genetic counseling for couples presumed to be at risk.
Lithalsa distribution, morphology and landscape associations in the Great Slave Lowlands, Northwest Territories
Authors: Stevens C W , Wolfe S A , Gaanderse A J
R
Published: December 2012

The distribution of ice-rich terrain is an important geotechnical consideration for the engineering of northern infrastructure. Lithalsas represent one form of ice-rich terrain that can be identified on the basis of surface geomorphology and cryostratigraphy. A
total of 1,777 ice-rich lithalsas were mapped over 3,680 km2 using monochromatic stereo-pair airphotos, across the Great Slave Lowlands and Uplands, NWT, Canada. Boreholes indicate lithalsas in this region consist of ice-rich silt and clay, with segregated ice lenses up to 10 cm thick. Three
distinct morphologies are recognized from LiDAR bare-earth DEMs including; (i) circular, (ii) linear and (iii) crescentic plan-view shapes, which exhibit hill-like or ridge-like forms up to 8 m in height and more than 100 m in width. The linear relationship between lithalsa height and width
indicates that 1 cm of vertical growth may be accompanied by 15 cm of lateral growth at the peripheral edges. Lithalsa distribution is skewed towards lower elevations, with 97.7% located within the Great Slave Lowlands. These features predominately occur adjacent to water bodies and follow the
regional distribution of frost susceptible glaciolacustrine silt and clay. Landscape associations suggest lithalsa formation is controlled by sedimentological, thermal and hydrological conditions. This Open File reports the first account of lithalsas within this region.