bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of photoperiod and diet on diapause tendency, maturation and fecundity in Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)
Authors: Reznik S. Ya. , Vaghina N. P.
Published: October 2012

The effects of photoperiodic conditions of larval development and adult maturation (L : D = 12 : 12 vs. 18 : 6) and different diets (sugar solution, frozen eggs of Sitotroga cerealella, different numbers of aphids Myzus persicae, and their combinations) on survival, reproductive maturation and fecundity of Harmonia axyridis were studied in laboratory conditions. The fundamental aim of the work was to distinguish between cue effect of diet (neurohormonal triggering of reproduction) and direct effect of diet (nutritional maintenance of reproduction). When adults were kept under short‐day conditions, the proportion of ovipositing females decreased and the duration of the pre‐oviposition period increased. Moreover, a strong reaction to the direction of changes in the day length was demonstrated: when larvae and pupae developed at long day and adults were transferred to short day, the proportion of ovipositing females was much lower than in individuals that were permanently kept under short‐day conditions. The percentage of ovipositing females, the rate of their reproductive maturation and the average daily fecundity gradually increased in the following succession of diets: ‘sugar + 5 aphids per day < sugar + eggs < sugar + eggs + 5 aphids per day < sugar + 100 aphids per day’. However, dissection showed that most of the non‐laying females fed on these diets (particularly those kept under long‐day conditions) have started reproductive maturation, while even first stages of oogenesis were not found in females fed on sugar solution alone. We conclude that cue effect of diet (reproductive activation) can be achieved almost independently of the number of prey consumed, while nutritional effects (the rate of reproductive maturation and fecundity) are sensitive both to the quality and quantity of food.
First report on Aonchotheca annulosa Dujardin, 1845 (Nematoda, Capillariidae) in a Hamadryas baboon (Papio hamadryas) from a zoo in northern Turkey
Authors: Umur Sinasi , Moravec Frantiśek , Gurler Ali , Bolukbas Cenk , Acici Mustafa
Published: October 2012

Background

A dead male Hamadryas baboon, Papio hamadryas, from a zoo in Samsun in northern Turkey was submitted for necropsy examination.

Methods

Standard techniques were performed for necropsy and for parasitic identification.

Results

A total of 14 nematodes were recovered from the small intestine. All nematodes were identified as Aonchotheca annulosa.

Conclusions

This nematode is most often reported from murid rodents under natural conditions. To date, little is known about the occurrence of A. annulosa in monkeys, with the exception of a single report in a capuchin monkey. This is the first record of A. annulosa from P. hamadryas.
Cranial myology and bite force performance of Erlikosaurus andrewsi: a novel approach for digital muscle reconstructions
Authors: Lautenschlager Stephan
Published: October 2012

The estimation of bite force and bite performance in fossil and extinct animals is a challenging subject in palaeontology and is highly dependent on the reconstruction of the cranial myology. Furthermore, the morphology and arrangement of the adductor muscles considerably affect feeding processes and mastication and thus also have important dietary and ecological ramifications. However, in the past, the reconstruction of the (cranial) muscles was restricted to the identification of muscle attachment sites or simplified computer models. This study presents a detailed reconstruction of the adductor musculature of the Cretaceous therizinosaur Erlikosaurus andrewsi based on a stepwise and iterative approach. The detailed, three‐dimensional models of the individual muscles allow for more accurate measurements of the muscle properties (length, cross‐section, attachment angle and volume), from which muscle and bite force estimates are calculated. Bite force estimations are found to be the lowest at the tip of the snout (43–65 N) and respectively higher at the first (59–88 N) and last tooth (90–134 N) position. Nevertheless, bite forces are comparatively low for E. andrewsi, both in actual numbers as well as in comparison with other theropod dinosaurs. The results further indicate that the low bite performance was mainly used for leaf‐stripping and plant cropping, rather than active mastication or chewing processes. Muscle and thus bite force in E. andrewsi (and most likely all therizinosaurs) is considerably constrained by the cranial anatomy and declines in derived taxa of this clade. This trend is reflected in the changes of dietary preferences from carnivory to herbivory in therizinosaurs.
Multivariate Approaches for Optimization of the Acceptance: Optimization of a Brazilian Cerrado Fruit Jam Using Mixture Design and Parallel Factor Analysis
Authors: de Souza Vanessa Rios , Pereira Patrícia Aparecida Pimenta , Pinheiro Ana Carla Marques , Nunes Cleiton Antônio , Silva Thais Lomônaco Teodoro , Borges Soraia Vilela , Queiroz Fabiana
Published: October 2012

Optimization is an important step in the development of a product. Optimization methods are used within the sensory science as a way to obtain results in a specific set of conditions useful to understand cause‐and‐effect questions for ingredients or to provide potential formulations and direction for product development. In this work, response surface methodology and parallel factor analysis‐based method were used for optimization of acceptance parameters in mixed fruit jam using a mixture design. Fruit (murici, marolo, jenipapo, sweet passion fruit and soursop) proportions in a formulation of Cerrado Brazilian fruit jam were optimized for consumer acceptance parameters. An optimized jam was suggested with 40% of marolo, 35% of soursop, 25% of sweet passion fruit, and 0% of murici and jenipapo.

Practical Applications

Parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) was used in order to select relevant variables for a response surface methodology optimization of acceptance parameters in a product development. PARAFAC was useful to determine the importance (negative or positive influence) of variables in a mixture design. The method can be an interesting alternative to select relevant variables in optimization studies with various factors to be evaluated.
Modeling the Shelf Life of Fruit‐Filled Snack Bars Using Survival Analysis and Sensory Profiling Techniques
Authors: Corrigan Virginia , Hedderley Duncan , Harvey Winna
Published: October 2012

Survival analysis and accelerated storage techniques were used to evaluate the shelf life of fruit‐filled snack bars. Survival analysis of the consumer data gave estimated shelf lives of 37, 16 and 8 weeks for bars stored at 20, 25 and 30C, respectively. Reanalyzing the data with the first sample assessed excluded, greatly improved the shelf life confidence intervals indicating the value of including a warm‐up sample in the consumer sample set. Storage at 25 and 30C reduced the shelf life by a factor of approximately 2 for every 5‐C increase in storage temperature, as judged by consumer acceptability, and accelerated the rate of change of key sensory attributes evaluated by a trained sensory panel. The sensory attributes of fruit odor intensity, color development, sourness, freshness, uncharacteristic odors and uncharacteristic flavors were highly correlated with consumer rejection data and could be used as predictors of end of shelf life.

Practical Applications

This article supports survival analysis as a relatively simple methodology for use by the industry for the estimation of end of shelf life of shelf‐stable foods such as fruit‐filled snack bars, which can be slow and difficult to determine, driven by relatively small quality changes, rather than microbiological safety. Increased storage temperatures can be used to facilitate the process, accelerating the rate of change of key sensory attributes associated with consumer rejection. The data set can be modeled, allowing the estimation of such product rejection at any point in the product's shelf life and the level of risk selected accordingly. Shelf life confidence intervals are often wide when using this technique, but our findings indicate that including a warm‐up sample in the product sample set increases the precision of shelf life estimates. This has not been done previously, but we recommend that it be considered for future testing.
Broad Salinity Tolerance as a Refuge from Predation in the Harmful Raphidophyte Alga Heterosigma akashiwo (Raphidophyceae)
Authors: Strom Suzanne L. , Harvey Elizabeth L. , Fredrickson Kerri A. , Menden‐Deuer Susanne
Published: October 2012

The ability of harmful algal species to form dense, nearly monospecific blooms remains an ecological and evolutionary puzzle. We hypothesized that predation interacts with estuarine salinity gradients to promote blooms of Heterosigma akashiwo (Y. Hada) Y. Hada ex Y. Hara et M. Chihara, a cosmopolitan toxic raphidophyte. Specifically, H. akashiwo's broad salinity tolerance appears to provide a refuge from predation that enhances the net growth of H. akashiwo populations through several mechanisms. (1) Contrasting salinity tolerance of predators and prey. Estuarine H. akashiwo isolates from the west coast of North America grew rapidly at salinities as low as six, and distributed throughout experimental salinity gradients to salinities as low as three. In contrast, survival of most protistan predator species was restricted to salinities >15. (2) H. akashiwo physiological and behavioral plasticity. Acclimation to low salinity enhanced H. akashiwo's ability to accumulate and grow in low salinity waters. In addition, the presence of a ciliate predator altered H. akashiwo swimming behavior, promoting accumulation in low‐salinity surface layers inhospitable to the ciliate. (3) Negative effects of low salinity on predation processes. Ciliate predation rates decreased sharply at salinities <25 and, for one species, H. akashiwo toxicity increased at low salinities. Taken together, these behaviors and responses imply that blooms can readily initiate in low salinity waters where H. akashiwo would experience decreased predation pressure while maintaining near‐maximal growth rates. The salinity structure of a typical estuary would provide this HAB species a unique refuge from predation. Broad salinity tolerance in raphidophytes may have evolved in part as a response to selective pressures associated with predation.
Effect of three polyether ionophores on pharmacokinetics of florfenicol in male broilers
Authors: Wang G.‐Y. , Tu P. , Chen X. , Guo Y.‐G. , Jiang S.‐X.
Published: October 2012

Drug–drug interactions (DDIs) may adversely affect the prevention and cure of diseases. The effects of three polyether ionophore antibiotics, salinomycin (SAL), monensin (MON), and maduramycin (MAD) on the pharmacokinetics of florfenicol (FFC) were investigated in broilers. The chickens were fed rations with or without SAL (60 mg/kg feeds), MON (120 mg/kg feeds), or MAD (5 mg/kg feeds) for 14 consecutive days. FFC was given to the chickens either intravenously (i.v.) or orally (p.o.) at a single dose of 30 mg/kg body weight. Blood samples were taken from each chicken at 0–24 h postadministration of FFC. The plasma concentration of FFC was detected by high‐performance liquid chromatography. The plasma concentration of FFC decreased with i.v. or p.o. co‐administration of SAL, MON, or MAD in broilers, implying occurrence of DDIs during the co‐administration of FFC with these ionophores. Our findings suggest that more attention should be given to the use of FFC to treat bacterial infections in chickens supplemented with polyether ionophore antibiotics.
A comparison of intertidal species richness and composition between Central California and Oahu, Hawaii
Authors: Zabin Chela J. , Danner Eric M. , Baumgartner Erin P. , Spafford David , Miller Kathy Ann , Pearse John S.
Published: October 2012

The intertidal zone of tropical islands is particularly poorly known. In contrast, temperate locations such as California's Monterey Bay are fairly well studied. However, even in these locations, studies have tended to focus on a few species or locations. Here we present the results of the first broadscale surveys of invertebrate, fish and algal species richness from a tropical island, Oahu, Hawaii, and a temperate mainland coast, Central California. Data were gathered through surveys of 10 sites in the early 1970s and again in the mid‐1990s in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties, California, and of nine sites in 2001–2005 on Oahu. Surveys were conducted in a similar manner allowing for a comparison between Oahu and Central California and, for California, a comparison between time periods 24 years apart. We report a previously undocumented richness of intertidal species in both locations: 516 for Oahu and 801 for Central California. Surprisingly, when differences in search efforts are controlled, overall (alpha) diversity appears to be similar between locations, although site level (beta) diversity is much higher in California. Species richness in California generally increased along a wave exposure gradient and distance from an urban area. Much higher numbers of both invasive and endemic species were found on Oahu. In California, more invertebrate species were found in the 1990s, likely due to an improvement in taxonomic resources since the 1970s, and species composition was different in the two surveys due to the high incidence of rare species. Although some southern species increased in number between the two time periods and some northern species decreased, we detected little evidence of change favoring southern or northern species. These results are in line with recent findings that water temperatures in the Monterey Bay have been in a cooling trend since the 1980s, in contrast to many locations elsewhere in the world.
Knowledge, attitudes and perceptions on infant and young child nutrition and feeding among adolescent girls and young mothers in rural Bangladesh
Authors: Hackett Kristy M. , Mukta Umme S. , Jalal Chowdhury S.B. , Sellen Daniel W.
Published: October 2012

Improved infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices have the potential to improve child health and development outcomes in poorly resourced communities. In Bangladesh, approximately 60% of rural girls become mothers before the age of 18, but most interventions to improve IYCF practices target older mothers. We investigated the knowledge, attitudes and perceptions regarding IYCF among adolescent girls and young women aged 15–23 years old in two rural regions in north‐west Bangladesh and identified the main points of concordance with, or mismatch to, key international IYCF recommendations. We compared qualitative data collected during interviews and focus groups with participants who were unmarried, married without a child and married with at least one child, and stratified by region. Qualitative indicators of concordance with international recommendations suggest that IYCF knowledge of participants was limited, irrespective of marriage or maternity. Young mothers in our study were no more knowledgeable about feeding practices than their nulliparous peers. Some participants were well aware of an IYCF recommendation (e.g. to exclusively breastfeed for 6 months), but their interpretation of the recommendation deviated from the intended public health message. Notions of insufficient or ‘spoiled’ breast milk, gender‐based biases in feeding intentions and understandings of infant needs, and generational shifts in feeding practices were commonly reported. Conclusions are that female adolescence is a window of opportunity for improving health outcomes among future children, and increased investment in early education of adolescent girls regarding safe IYCF may be an effective strategy to promote and support improved infant feeding practices.
Long‐distance dispersal and genetic structure of natural populations: an assessment of the inverse isolation hypothesis in peat mosses
Authors: Szövényi Péter , Sundberg Sebastian , Shaw A. Jonathan
Published: October 2012

It is well accepted that the shape of the dispersal kernel, especially its tail, has a substantial effect on the genetic structure of species. Theory predicts that dispersal by fat‐tailed kernels reshuffles genetic material, and thus, preserves genetic diversity during colonization. Moreover, if efficient long‐distance dispersal is coupled with random colonization, an inverse isolation effect is predicted to develop in which increasing genetic diversity per colonizer is expected with increasing distance from a genetically variable source. By contrast, increasing isolation leads to decreasing genetic diversity when dispersal is via thin‐tailed kernels. Here, we use a well‐established model group for dispersal biology (peat mosses: genus Sphagnum) with a fat‐tailed dispersal kernel, and the natural laboratory of the Stockholm archipelago to study the validity of the inverse isolation hypothesis in spore‐dispersed plants in island colonization. Population genetic structure of three species (Sphagnum fallax, Sphagnum fimbriatum and Sphagnum palustre) with contrasting life histories and ploidy levels were investigated on a set of islands using microsatellites. Our data show (, amova, IBD) that dispersal of the two most abundant species can be well approximated by a random colonization model. We find that genetic diversity per colonizer on islands increases with distance from the mainland for S. fallax and S. fimbriatum. By contrast, S. palustre deviates from this pattern, owing to its restricted distribution in the region, affecting its source pool strength. Therefore, the inverse isolation effect appears to hold in natural populations of peat mosses and, likely, in other organisms with small diaspores.
Multidisciplinary perspectives on bacterial genome organization and dynamics
Authors: Dame Remus T. , Espéli Olivier , Grainger David C. , Wiggins Paul A.
Published: October 2012

Bacterial genomes are organized by a plethora of chromatin proteins and physical mechanisms. This organization appears to be hierarchical with DNA folding events at the nm scale influencing higher levels of chromosome organization. Besides acting in shaping the genome these factors also play important regulatory roles in numerous DNA transactions. While DNA folding mechanisms operating at the nm scale are fairly well understood, it has been hard to translate this knowledge into accurate models that describe the complete dynamics of the genome. In recent years new techniques have evolved that are key to filling the current gaps in understanding. Particularly insightful in this light appear techniques that probe architectural properties of chromatin proteins on single molecules, techniques that map the binding of protein components and spatial structure on a genome‐wide basis and improved imaging techniques that provide resolutions capable of resolving substructures/heterogeneities in the nucleoid. Moreover, bioinformatic and polymer physics approaches are starting to provide novel insights. In our opinion, an important aim in the field is to generate an accurate and complete description of the nucleoid and its dynamics at all scales. A first step towards this aim has now been set by bringing together people from diverse disciplinary backgrounds at the Lorentz centre workshop ‘Biology and Physics of Bacterial Genome Organization’ in Leiden, the Netherlands from 18 to 22 June 2012.
Bacterial growth does require peptidoglycan hydrolases
Authors: Vollmer Waldemar
Published: October 2012

Most bacteria surround their cytoplasmic membrane with a net‐like, elastic heteropolymer, the peptidoglycan sacculus, to protect themselves from bursting due to the turgor and to maintain cell shape. It has been assumed that growing bacteria require peptidoglycan hydrolases to open meshes in the peptidoglycan net allowing the insertion of the newly synthesized material for surface expansion. However, peptidoglycan hydrolases essential for bacterial growth have long remained elusive. In this issue of Molecular Microbiology Singh et al. () report the identification in Escherichia coli of three new DD‐endopeptidases (Spr, YdhO and YebA) which are collectively required for peptidoglycan growth. Cells depleted of the three enzymes fail to incorporate new peptidoglycan, indicating that the cleavage of cross‐links by the new endopeptidases is needed for surface growth of the sacculus. These results are corroborated by recent data showing that Bacillus subtilis cells require the DL‐endopeptidase activity of CwlO or LytE for growth.
Environmental Factors Associated with Overweight and Obesity in Taiwanese Children
Authors: Chen Yang‐Ching , Chen Pau‐Chung , Hsieh Wu‐Shiun , Portnov Boris A. , Chen Yu‐An , Lee Yungling Leo
Published: October 2012

Background:  We explored the relationship among sociodemographic, behavioural, household environmental and perinatal factors, and risks of childhood overweight and obesity in Taiwan.

Methods:  A total of 7930 children aged 9 to 14 years were recruited from 14 randomly selected Taiwanese communities in 2007 and 2010. Height and weight were measured using standard protocols during school visits. Questionnaires that contained children's family information, birth conditions, exercise habits and household environmental factors were answered by the parents. Associations between risk factors and childhood overweight and obesity were estimated through odds ratio and 95% confidence interval from mixed models.

Results:  In this cohort, 32.3% of the children were overweight and 17.5% were obese. Male gender, high birthweight, exposure to in utero maternal smoking and current exposure to household environmental tobacco smoke (stronger effect of maternal than paternal smoking) were positively associated with childhood overweight/obesity. In contrast, higher parental education level, number of siblings, active exercise habits and taking vitamins were associated with reduced risks of childhood obesity. Birthweight revealed a J‐shaped relationship with the probability of childhood overweight/obesity.

Conclusions:  This study uncovers several modifiable risk factors for childhood overweight and obesity, and parents are encouraged to provide an anti‐obesity environment such as quitting smoking, controlling birthweight of child during pregnancy and building up exercise habits.
Perinatal Outcomes in Large Infants Using Customised Birthweight Centiles and Conventional Measures of High Birthweight
Authors: Pasupathy Dharmintra , McCowan Lesley M. E. , Poston Lucilla , Kenny Louise C. , Dekker Gus A. , North Robyn A. ,   SCOPE consortium
Published: October 2012

Background:  Large‐for‐gestational‐age (LGA) or macrosomic infants are associated with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. It is unclear if these associations are stronger using customised birthweight centiles. We compared outcomes between term infants defined macrosomic by birthweight >4000 g (Macro4000) or LGA by population centiles (LGApop) with those defined LGA by customised centiles (LGAcust).

Methods:  This is a prospective cohort study of 2668 term nulliparous women recruited into the Screening for Pregnancy Endpoints (SCOPE) study centres in Auckland, New Zealand and Adelaide, Australia. Maternal (caesarean delivery, postpartum haemorrhage) and infant (severe neonatal morbidity/mortality and admission to neonatal intensive care) outcomes in Macro4000 and LGA groups were compared with appropriate‐for‐gestational‐age infants by customised centiles using logistic regression.

Results:  Customised centiles defined fewer infants as LGA (10.3% LGAcust, 14.8% Macro4000, 11.2% LGApop). However customised centiles showed stronger association with adverse outcomes. Pre‐labour and intrapartum caesarean section were increased twofold in LGAcust pregnancies, including those that were not Macro4000 or LGApop. Postpartum haemorrhage was increased twofold in mothers of LGAcust infants only when infants were also LGApop. Severe neonatal morbidity/mortality or admission to neonatal intensive care was increased twofold in LGAcust who were also either Macro4000 or LGApop. Importantly 52.3% of Macro4000 and 25.5% of LGApop infants were AGAcust and not at increased risk of most adverse maternal or neonatal outcomes.

Conclusions:  The use of customised centiles are more strongly associated with adverse birth outcomes and its use should be considered in the definition of LGA.
Genetic and Environmental Influences on Chest Circumference during Infancy: A Longitudinal Study of Japanese Twins
Authors: Silventoinen Karri , Kaprio Jaakko , Dunkel Leo , Yokoyama Yoshie
Published: October 2012

Background:  Chest circumference (CC) is suggested to be a good indicator of early life nutrition, but little is known on the heritability of CC. Thus we analysed the effects of genetic and environmental factors on the development of CC in Japanese infants.

Methods:  CC was measured longitudinally from birth until 1 year of age in a cohort of 211 monozygotic and 160 dizygotic complete Japanese twin pairs born in 1989–2002. The data were analysed using applications of structural linear equation modelling for twin data.

Results:  No sex‐specific differences in the variance components were found. Environmental factors unique to each twin explained the major part of the variation of CC at birth whereas environmental factors shared by co‐twins were more important at 1–3 months of age. From 3 months of age, the effect of genetic factors become steadily stronger and they explained the majority of the variation at 1 year of age. Strong genetic continuity in the development of CC was found, but also new sets of genes were activated during the first year of life. The origin of the environmental part of the variation could be tracked before 3 months of age. A substantial part of common and specific environmental factors affecting CC affected also birthweight.

Conclusions:  CC is sensitive to intrauterine environmental factors, but these effects diminish during the first year of life, at least if postnatal environment is good. CC can be a useful indicator when identifying newborns who have suffered suboptimal pre‐natal conditions.
The Agent‐Relative Probability Threshold of Hope
Authors: Williams Bekka
Published: October 2012

Nearly all contributors to the philosophical analysis of hope agree that if an agent hopes that p, she both desires that p and assigns to p a probability which is greater than zero, but less than one. According to the widely‐endorsed Standard Account, these two conditions are also (jointly) sufficient for ‘hoping that’. Ariel Meirav has recently argued, however, that the Standard Account fails to distinguish hoping for a prospect from despairing of it – due to cases where two agents equally desire an outcome and assign to it the same probability, yet one hopes for the outcome while the other despairs of it. I argue, against Meirav, that these putative counterexamples depend crucially on the assumption – previously unquestioned – that the degree of probability necessary for hope is invariant across individuals. If the probability threshold is instead understood as agent‐relative, the difficulty disappears. Further, I argue that there is strong independent reason for taking the probability threshold of hope to be agent‐relative, based on similarities to the widely‐accepted agent‐relative probability thresholds of industriousness and risk aversion. And I conclude by noting how the agent‐relative modification to the Standard Account is better equipped than is Meirav's positive view to yield intuitive results.
Policy Style and Governing without Consensus: Devolution and Education Policy inNorthernIreland
Authors: Birrell Derek , Heenan Deirdre
Published: October 2012

Devolved government was established inNorthernIreland in 1999 at the same time asScotland andWales with a varying range of powers, particularly over the major areas of social policy including education. Devolution inNorthernIreland was set up on the basis of statutory power‐sharing in the core executive with a number of mechanisms to promote involvement by all sections of the community through their political representatives. This marked a departure from the traditional majoritarian and hierarchical model ofUKgovernment. The operation of devolved government inNorthernIreland requires a consensus on major policy items requiring legislation. The main aim of the article is to assess whether or not there is a devolved policy style inNorthernIreland and to compare this policy style with the findings of similar analysis inScotland andWales. Consideration is then given to the impact of both the distinctive policy processes which reflect the consociational nature of theGoodFriday Agreement and wider social, political and administrative factors. Decision‐making on education policy is a totally devolved function and thus serves as an important example of autonomous policy formulation and policy‐making. The three main topics of current policy debate in education are selected for analysis to determine the nature of the decision‐making process and the existence of a distinct devolved policy style.
AtMYB44 regulates WRKY70 expression and modulates antagonistic interaction between salicylic acid and jasmonic acid signaling
Authors: Shim Jae Sung , Jung Choonkyun , Lee Sangjoon , Min Kyunghun , Lee Yin‐Won , Choi Yeonhee , Lee Jong Seob , Song Jong Tae , Kim Ju‐Kon , Choi Yang Do
Published: October 2012

The role of AtMYB44, an R2R3 MYB transcription factor, in signaling mediated by jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) is examined. AtMYB44 is induced by JA through CORONATINE INSENSITIVE 1 (COI1). AtMYB44 over‐expression down‐regulated defense responses against the necrotrophic pathogen Alternaria brassicicola, but up‐regulated WRKY70 and PR genes, leading to enhanced resistance to the biotrophic pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000. The knockout mutant atmyb44 shows opposite effects. Induction of WRKY70 by SA is reduced in atmyb44 and npr1‐1 mutants, and is totally abolished in atmyb44 npr1‐1 double mutants, showing that WRKY70 is regulated independently through both NPR1 and AtMYB44. AtMYB44 over‐expression does not change SA content, but AtMYB44 over‐expression phenotypes, such as retarded growth, up‐regulated PR1 and down‐regulated PDF1.2 are reversed by SA depletion. The wrky70 mutation suppressed AtMYB44 over‐expression phenotypes, including up‐regulation of PR1 expression and down‐regulation of PDF1.2 expression. β‐estradiol‐induced expression of AtMYB44 led to WRKY70 activation and thus PR1 activation. AtMYB44 binds to the WRKY70 promoter region, indicating that AtMYB44 acts as a transcriptional activator of WRKY70 by directly binding to a conserved sequence element in the WRKY70 promoter. These results demonstrate that AtMYB44 modulates antagonistic interaction by activating SA‐mediated defenses and repressing JA‐mediated defenses through direct control of WRKY70.
Importin‐7 Mediates Nuclear Trafficking of DNA in Mammalian Cells
Authors: Dhanoya Arjun , Wang Tse , Keshavarz‐Moore Eli , Fassati Ariberto , Chain Benjamin M.
Published: October 2012

Eukaryotic cells have the ability to uptake and transport endogenous and exogenous DNA in their nuclei, however little is known about the specific pathways involved. Here we show that the nuclear transport receptor importin 7 (imp7) supports nuclear import of supercoiled plasmid DNA and human mitochondrial DNA in a Ran and energy‐dependent way. The imp7‐dependent pathway was specifically competed by excess DNA but not by excess of maltose‐binding protein fused with the classical nuclear localizing signal (NLS) or the M9 peptides. Transport of DNA molecules complexed with poly‐l‐lysine was impaired in intact cells depleted of imp7, and DNA complexes remained localized in the cytoplasm. Poor DNA nuclear import in cells depleted of imp7 directly correlated with lower gene expression levels in these cells compared to controls. Inefficient nuclear import of transfected DNA induced greater upregulation of the interferon pathway, suggesting that rapid DNA nuclear import may prevent uncontrolled activation of the innate immune response. Our results provide evidence that imp7 is a non‐redundant component of an intrinsic pathway in mammalian cells for efficient accumulation of exogenous and endogenous DNA in the nucleus, which may be critical for the exchange of genetic information between mitochondria and nuclear genomes and to control activation of the innate immune response.
In Situ Characterization of Ash Thermal Conductivity for Three Coal Types Formed Under Oxidizing and Reducing Conditions in a Laboratory Furnace
Authors: Cundick D. , Maynes D. , Moore T. , Tree D. R. , Jones M. R. , Baxter L. L.
Published: October 2012

This work presents in situ measurements of the effective thermal conductivity in particulate coal ash deposits under both reducing and oxidizing environments. Laboratory experiments generated deposits on an instrumented deposition probe of loosely bound particulate ash from three coals generated in a down-fired flow reactor with optical access. An approach is presented for making in situ measurements of the temperature difference across the ash deposits, the thickness of the deposits, and the total heat transfer rate through the ash deposits. Using this approach, the effective thermal conductivity was determined for coal ash deposits formed under oxidizing and reducing conditions. Three coals were tested under oxidizing conditions: two bituminous coals derived from the Illinois #6 basin and a subbituminous Powder River Basin coal. The subbituminous coal exhibited the lowest range of effective thermal conductivities (0.05–0.18 W/m K) while the Illinois #6 coals showed higher effective thermal conductivities (0.2–0.5 W/m K). One of the bituminous coals and the subbituminous coal were also tested under reducing conditions. A comparison of the ash deposits from these two coals showed no discernible difference in the effective thermal conductivity based on stoichiometry. All experiments indicated an increase in effective thermal conductivity with deposit thickness, probably associated with deposit sintering.
Design Methodology of Large-Scale Thermoelectric Generation: A Hierarchical Modeling Approach
Authors: Chen Min , Gao Junling , Kang Zhengdong , Zhang Jianzhong
Published: October 2012

A thermoelectric generation system (TEGS) used in the practical industry of waste heat recovery consists of the fluidic heat sources, the external load circuitry, and many thermoelectric modules (TEMs) connected as a battery bank. In this paper, a system-level model is proposed to seamlessly integrate the complete fluid-thermal-electric-circuit multiphysics behaviors in a single circuit simulator using electrothermal analogy. First, a quasi one-dimension numerical model for the thermal fluids and their nonuniform temperature distribution as the boundary condition for TEMs is implemented in simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis (SPICE)-compatible environment. Second, the electric field calculation of the device-level model is upgraded to reflect the resistive behaviors of thermoelements, so that the electric connections among spatially distributed TEMs and the load circuitry can be freely combined in the simulation. Third, a hierarchical and TEM-object oriented strategy are developed to make the system modeling as well as the design scalable, flexible, and programmable. To validate the proposed system model, a TEGS, including eight TEMs is constructed. Through comparisons between simulation results and experimental data, the proposed model shows sufficient accuracy so that a straightforward cooptimization of the entire TEGS of large scale can be carried out.
Performance Analysis of a Countercurrent Flow Heat Exchanger Placed on the Truck Compartment Roof
Authors: Lin Wamei , Yuan Jinliang , Sundén Bengt
Published: October 2012

Due to the increasing power requirement and the limited available space in vehicles, placing the heat exchanger at the roof or the underbody of vehicles might increase the possibility to handle the cooling requirement. A new configuration of the heat exchanger has to be developed to accommodate with the position change. In this paper, a countercurrent heat exchanger is developed for position on the roof of the vehicle compartment. In order to find an appropriate configuration of fins with high thermal performance on the air side, the computational fluid dynamics approach is applied for a comparative study among louver fin, wavy fin, and pin fin by using ANSYS FLUENT software. It is found that the louver fin performs high thermal performance and low pressure drop. Thus, the louver fin is chosen to be the configuration of the countercurrent flow heat exchanger. It is also found that the countercurrent flow heat exchanger presents higher heat transfer coefficient than the cross flow heat exchanger. Furthermore, the overall size and the air pumping power of the countercurrent flow heat exchanger are lower than those in the cross flow heat exchanger. Several suggestions and recommendations are highlighted.
Activation of Nanoflows for Fuel Cells
Authors: Insepov Z. , Miller R. J.
Published: October 2012

Propagation of Rayleigh traveling waves from a gas on a nanotube surface activates a macroscopic flow of the gas (or gases) that depends critically on the atomic mass of the gas. Our molecular dynamics simulations show that the surface waves are capable of actuating significant macroscopic flows of atomic and molecular hydrogen, helium, and a mixture of both gases both inside and outside carbon nanotubes (CNT). In addition, our simulations predict a new “nanoseparation” effect when a nanotube is filled with a mixture of two gases with different masses or placed inside a volume filled with a mixture of several gases with different masses. The mass selectivity of the nanopumping can be used to develop a highly selective filter for various gases. Gas flow rates, pumping, and separation efficiencies were calculated at various wave frequencies and phase velocities of the surface waves. The nanopumping effect was analyzed for its applicability to actuate nanofluids into fuel cells through carbon nanotubes.
Image quality and pattern transfer in directed self assembly with block-selective atomic layer deposition
Authors: Ruiz Ricardo , Wan Lei , Lille Jeffrey , Patel Kanaiyalal C. , Dobisz Elizabeth , Johnston Danvers E. , Kisslinger Kim , Black Charles T.
Published: October 2012

Self-assembled block copolymer patterns may render more robust masks for plasma etch transfer through block-selective infiltration with metal oxides, affording opportunities for improved high contrast, high fidelity pattern transfer for sub-15 nm lithography in wafer-scale processes. However, block selective infiltration alters the self-assembled block copolymer latent image by changing feature size, duty cycle, and sidewall profile. The authors systematically investigate the effects of aluminum oxide infiltration of 27 and 41 nm pitch line/space patterns formed using polystyrene-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) block copolymers and evaluate the process compatibility with directed self assembly. The degree of image distortion depends on the amount of infiltrated material, with smaller amounts resulting in complete mask hardening and larger amounts shifting and collapsing pattern features. An attractive feature of the resulting oxide mask is the relatively smooth line edge roughness of the final transferred features into Si with a 3σ = 2.9 nm line edge roughness.
Identification of residual-type defect on extreme ultraviolet mask by projection electron microscope using Monte Carlo simulation
Authors: Iida Susumu , Amano Tsuyoshi , Hirano Ryoichi , Terasawa Tsuneo , Watanabe Hidehiro
Published: October 2012

Thin absorber defects called residual-type defects are etching residues that tend to become more discernible as the pattern size of the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask shrinks. Projection electron microscope (PEM) images of the residual-type defects with various thicknesses were investigated using Monte Carlo simulation. In the case of the secondary electron image, the thickness of the defect was identified by the defect's signal intensity. It was found that the material and its relative thickness affected the signal intensity. In the case of the mirror electron image, three kinds of defects were selectively identified by controlling the primary electron energy. When the energy distribution of the primary electrons was taken into account, these defects were identified by the defects' signal intensities. It was found that the surface potential of the residual-type defects on the EUV mask greatly affected the mirror electron image. These results suggest that the thickness of the residual-type defect is identifiable by the PEM technique, and the defect selectivity is greatly affected by the thickness of the oxide layer when mirror electrons are used.
HUMAN ACTION RECOGNITION USING META-COGNITIVE NEURO-FUZZY INFERENCE SYSTEM
Authors: SUBRAMANIAN K. , SURESH S.
Published: October 2012

We propose a sequential Meta-Cognitive learning algorithm for Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (McFIS) to efficiently recognize human actions from video sequence. Optical flow information between two consecutive image planes can represent actions hierarchically from local pixel level to global object level, and hence are used to describe the human action in McFIS classifier. McFIS classifier and its sequential learning algorithm is developed based on the principles of self-regulation observed in human meta-cognition. McFIS decides on what-to-learn, when-to-learn and how-to-learn based on the knowledge stored in the classifier and the information contained in the new training samples. The sequential learning algorithm of McFIS is controlled and monitored by the meta-cognitive components which uses class-specific, knowledge based criteria along with self-regulatory thresholds to decide on one of the following strategies: (i) Sample deletion (ii) Sample learning and (iii) Sample reserve. Performance of proposed McFIS based human action recognition system is evaluated using benchmark Weizmann and KTH video sequences. The simulation results are compared with well known SVM classifier and also with state-of-the-art action recognition results reported in the literature. The results clearly indicates McFIS action recognition system achieves better performances with minimal computational effort.
BRIEF REVIEW ON SEMILEPTONIC B-DECAYS
Authors: RICCIARDI GIULIA
Published: October 2012

We concisely review semileptonic B-decays, focusing on recent progress on both theoretical and experimental sides.
SYMMETRY INSIGHTS FOR DESIGN OF SUPERCOMPUTER NETWORK TOPOLOGIES: ROOTS AND WEIGHTS LATTICES
Authors: DENG YUEFAN , RAMOS ALEXANDRE F. , HORNOS JOSÉ EDUARDO M.
Published: October 2012

We present a family of networks whose local interconnection topologies are generated by the root vectors of a semi-simple complex Lie algebra. Cartan classification theorem of those algebras ensures those families of interconnection topologies to be exhaustive. The global arrangement of the network is defined in terms of integer or half-integer weight lattices. The mesh or torus topologies that network millions of processing cores, such as those in the IBM BlueGene series, are the simplest member of that category. The symmetries of the root systems of an algebra, manifested by their Weyl group, lends great convenience for the design and analysis of hardware architecture, algorithms and programs.
WORM ALGORITHM PATH INTEGRAL MONTE CARLO APPLIED TO THE 3He–4He II SANDWICH SYSTEM
Authors: AL-OQALI AMER , SAKHEL ASAAD R. , GHASSIB HUMAM B. , SAKHEL ROGER R.
Published: October 2012

We present a numerical investigation of the thermal and structural properties of the 3 He –4 He sandwich system adsorbed on a graphite substrate using the worm algorithm path integral Monte Carlo (WAPIMC) method [M. Boninsegni, N. Prokof'ev and B. Svistunov, Phys. Rev. E74, 036701 (2006)]. For this purpose, we have modified a previously written WAPIMC code originally adapted for 4 He on graphite, by including the second 3 He -component. To describe the fermions, a temperature-dependent statistical potential has been used. This has proven very effective. The WAPIMC calculations have been conducted in the millikelvin temperature regime. However, because of the heavy computations involved, only 30, 40 and 50 mK have been considered for the time being. The pair correlations, Matsubara Green's function, structure factor, and density profiles have been explored at these temperatures.
ON LASER-INDUCED MAGNETORESISTANCE EFFECT IN MAGNETIC JUNCTIONS
Authors: KRUPA M. M. , KOROSTIL A. M.
Published: October 2012

We have studied the laser-induced high-speed remagnetization and tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) effects in tunnel magnetic junctions (TMJ). Using magneto-optical investigations, all-optical pump and probe technique, we have studied mechanisms of the laser-induced remagnetization and shown feasibility of the high-speed laser-controlled remagnetization and resistance switching in the TMJ. It is shown that the laser-induced remagnetization is caused by the internal effective magnetic fields of the inverse magneto-optical Faraday effect and the effective magnetic field of s–d-exchange interaction between the laser-induced spin-polarized current and a lattice magnetization together with a laser-induced thermal demagnetization.
THE ELASTIC AND THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES OF Lu DOPED ScVO3
Authors: PARVEEN ATAHAR , GAUR N. K.
Published: October 2012

We have investigated the elastic, cohesive and thermal properties of (Lu, Sc) VO 3 and Sc 1-x Lu x VO 3(0.6 ≤ x ≤ 0.9) perovskites by means of a modified rigid ion model (MRIM). The variation of specific heat is determined following the temperature driven structural phase transitions. Also, the effect of lattice distortions on the elastic and thermal properties of the present pure and doped vanadates has been studied by an atomistic approach. The calculated bulk modulus (BT), reststrahlen frequency (ν0), cohesive energy (ϕ), Debye temperature (θD) and Gruneisen parameter (γ) reproduce well with the corresponding experimental data. The specific heat results can further be improved by including the magnetic ordering contributions to the specific heat.
CHAOS IN CYLINDRICAL STADIUM BILLIARDS VIA A GENERIC NONLINEAR MECHANISM
Authors: GILBERT THOMAS , SANDERS DAVID P.
Published: October 2012

We describe conditions under which higher-dimensional billiard models in bounded, convex regions are fully chaotic, generalizing the Bunimovich stadium to dimensions above two. An example is a three-dimensional stadium bounded by a cylinder and several planes; the combination of these elements may give rise to defocusing, allowing large chaotic regions in phase space. By studying families of marginally-stable periodic orbits that populate the residual part of phase space, we identify conditions under which a nonlinear instability mechanism arises in their vicinity. For particular geometries, this mechanism rather induces stable nonlinear oscillations, including in the form of whispering-gallery modes.