bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Goal Instability in Relation to Career Thoughts, Decision State, and Performance in a Career Course
Authors: Bertoch Sara C. , Lenz Janet G. , Reardon Robert C. , Peterson Gary W.
Published: April 2013

Goal instability and its relation to career thoughts, decision state, and performance in an undergraduate career course in a large university were investigated in this study. Participants completed six instruments measuring the nature of goals, career thinking, occupational decision making, satisfaction with career choice, tension associated with career decisions, and a performance contract of course activities to be completed for a grade. Bivariate correlations and multiple regression analyses indicated that the degree of goal instability was directly related to negative career thoughts, dissatisfaction with career choice, career tension, and inversely related to classroom performance. Results of the analyses suggested that goal instability may serve as an initial global screening measure of readiness for career exploration in a classroom environment. The use of supplementary readiness measures is discussed.
What if? Politics and Post-Capitalism
Authors: Tabb William K.
Published: April 2013

A variety of pessimistic economic forecasts predicts a long period of poor growth and continued high levels of unemployment even as the stock market has reached new highs. Trend extrapolation suggests we can expect continued rising inequality in income, wealth and political influence. Because these developments are so visible there was widespread positive reaction to Occupy Wall Street and its analysis of the causal factors at work shaping the political economy of the contemporary conjuncture. This article argues that these developments should inform the work of social movements and considers the strengths and weaknesses of the Social Forum/Occupy activists and the socialist/Marxist wings of the broad left movement and drawing on contributions of selected European theorists suggests a perspective enabling these poles of the movement to work together while maintaining, as they must, their different foci and political philosophy priors.
Corrugated triangular tabs for supersonic jet control
Authors: Kumar P Arun , Rathakrishnan E
Published: April 2013

This article presents the effectiveness of a tab shedding small-scale vortices of continuously varying size, in enhancing the mixing of axisymmetric Mach 2 jet at different levels of expansion. Corrugations in the form of semicircle, triangle, and square geometries located on the slanting edges of two identical isosceles triangular tabs, placed at diametrically opposite locations of the circular nozzle exit have been studied. The corrugated tabs are found to be the better mixing promoter than uncorrugated tabs. Among the corrugation geometries, the semicircular corrugation with two sharp corners is found to be the best mixing promoter in the presence of marginally overexpanded and almost zero pressure gradients, for the Mach 2 jet. However, for a highly overexpanded state, the performance of semicircular and square corrugated tabs is comparable. A reduction in core length as high as 90% was achieved with semicircular corrugation tabs, compared to uncontrolled jet in the presence of marginally adverse pressure gradient, corresponding to nozzle pressure ratio 7.
Behind Closed Doors
Authors: Brewin Dorothy , Koren Ainat , Morgan Betty , Shipley Sara , Hardy Rachel L.
Published: April 2013

School nurses can play a key role in providing sexual education in schools. However, they often face barriers from the school administration and concerned parents. Additionally, school nurses may have limited formal preparation in managing sexual health issues. This study used a descriptive qualitative method to explore the school nurses’ experiences with facilitators and barriers to providing sexual education. Eighteen nurses from 12 Massachusetts high schools were interviewed. Results showed that the school nurses do not provide formal sexual education at their schools but frequently conduct informal sessions. School nurses reported that students needed more sexual health information, yet there was no collaboration with the school health teachers. Common barriers included lack of privacy and time, confidentiality issues, and fear of conflict. Nurses working in communities with high teen pregnancy rates reported more barriers. The findings can inform the development of policies and practices for sexual education by school nurses.
Maltreatment Profiles Among Incarcerated Boys With Callous-Unemotional Traits
Authors: Kimonis Eva R. , Fanti Kostas A. , Isoma Zachary , Donoghue Kathleen
Published: April 2013

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits in youth are believed to be a developmental precursor to adult psychopathy, tapping its affective dimension. There is growing support for the existence of variants of psychopathy that can be distinguished based on the presence of anxiety, maltreatment histories, and comorbid psychopathology. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether primary and secondary variants of CU traits could be differentiated according to their experiences of distinct types of childhood maltreatment among a sample of 227 incarcerated adolescent boys. Results indicated that variants of youth scoring high on CU traits could be identified which were consistent with theory and prior research. Greater sexual abuse histories, violent and property delinquency, and a sexually motivated index offense distinguished secondary variants, whereas greater neglect distinguished primary variants of youth with CU traits. Psychopathy variants were behaviorally indistinguishable with respect to their levels of aggression and drug delinquency, although they differed in several important ways from youth scoring low on CU traits. Variants also showed distinct patterns of scores on the measure of CU traits. These findings are important to informing developmental theories of psychopathy and have practical and policy implications for intervening with maltreated and antisocial youth.
Toxicity of Industrially Relevant Chlorinated Organic Solvents In Vitro
Authors: McDermott Catherine , Heffron James J.A.
Published: April 2013

The cytotoxic effects of 4 industrially important chlorinated organic solvents, dichloromethane (DCM), 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), and tetrachloroethylene (PERC) in vitro, were investigated. Jurkat T cells were exposed to the solvents individually for 72 hours and changes in reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, cell proliferation, intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]), and caspase-3 activity were measured. There was a concentration-dependent increase in the ROS formation and intracellular free [Ca2+] following exposure to each of the solvents. This was accompanied by a decrease in the cell proliferation. Solvent potency decreased in the following order: PERC > TCE > DCM > DCE. Caspase-3 activity was increased in a concentration-dependent manner by TCE and PERC but was not significantly altered by DCM or DCE. n-Acetyl-l-cysteine pretreatment showed that changes in the intracellular free [Ca2+] and caspase-3 activity were independent of ROS formation. However, increased ROS formation did play a causal role in the decreased cell proliferation observed.
The pragmatics of codeswitching on Ghanaian talk radio
Authors: Flamenbaum Rachel
Published: April 2013

Radio, in particular, the popular Asante Twi talk-radio format that emerged in the mid-1990s, provides a unique forum for analyzing the linguistic tensions of contemporary Ghana. Radio is a context where talk and debate are central; since language is foregrounded, anxieties and beliefs about what the use of a particular language indexes socially are thrown into stark relief. This paper draws on conversation analysis, information structure, and ethnography to make sense of the prevalence of intrasentential codeswitching into English in the context of predominantly Twi talk-radio debates. It proposes that switches into English mark new or salient information, and as such function as a pragmatic tool in radio discourse, allowing speakers to negotiate the conversational floor and metapragmatically frame the speech event. It is argued that English’s pragmatic force in this context is drawn from its ability to index a multivalent prestige born of contradictory sites of authority within contemporary Ghanaian life.
Acute hospital admissions from nursing homes: predictors of unwarranted variation?
Authors: Graverholt Birgitte , Riise Trond , Jamtvedt Gro , Husebo Bettina S. , Nortvedt Monica W.
Published: April 2013

Background: The geriatric nursing home population is frail and vulnerable to sudden changes in their health condition. Very often, these incidents lead to hospitalization, in which many cases represent an unfavourable discontinuity of care. Analysis of variation in hospitalization rates among nursing homes where similar rates are expected may identify factors associated with unwarranted variation. Objectives: To 1) quantify the overall and diagnosis specific variation in hospitalization rates among nursing homes in a well-defined area over a two-year period, and 2) estimate the associations between the hospitalization rates and characteristics of the nursing homes. Method: The acute hospital admissions from 38 nursing homes to two hospitals were identified through ambulance records and linked to hospital patient journals ( n = 2451). Overall variation in hospitalization rates for 2 consecutive years was tested using chi-square and diagnosis-specific variation using Systematic Component of Variation. Associations between rates and nursing home characteristics were tested using multiple regression and ANOVA. Results: Annual hospitalization rates varied significantly between 0.16 and 1.49 per nursing home. Diagnoses at discharge varied significantly between the nursing homes. The annual hospitalization rates correlated significantly with size ( r = −0.38) and percentage short-term beds ( r = 0.41), explaining 32% of the variation observed ( R2 = 0.319). No association was found for ownership status ( r = 0.05) or location of the nursing home ( p = 0.52). Conclusion: A more than nine-fold variation in annual hospitalization rates among the nursing homes in one municipality suggests the presence of unwarranted variation. This finding demands for political action to improve the premises for a more uniform practice in nursing homes.
Ageing of thermoplastic umbilical hose materials used in a marine environment II – Nylon
Authors: Pethrick Richard A , Banks William M , Brodesser Monika
Published: April 2013

In this study, measurements of nylon 11 pipes subjected to ageing at 40 ℃, 70 ℃ and 100 ℃ in water, methanol and xylene using both a constant pressure of 200 bar and a cyclic pressure regime are reported. Gravimetric measurements indicate the rate at which the solvent is absorbed by the polymer, and differential scanning calorimetry follows the changes in the crystallinity as the materials are aged. Dramatic changes in the tensile properties are observed when the pipes are subjected to high pressure and reflect a relaxation of the stress in the matrix introduced by the quenching process when the pipes were extruded. The magnitude of the change varies with the fluid and reflects their relative abilities to be absorbed by the polymer. Measurements of the relative viscosity for the polymer indicated that in the case of water and methanol, hydrolytic degradation of the polymer is time-dependent. The impact of the morphological changes in the dynamic mechanical properties revealed the movement of elasticity transition to higher temperatures and reduction in the chain mobility with time. Changes in the mechanical properties are a function of the initial stress relaxation and chain scission as a consequence of degradation and thermodynamically driven morphological changes increasing the crystallinity and embrittling the polymer. As the pipes aged the burst pressures progressively decreased. Examination of the failure surfaces indicated brittle failure and clear evidence of environmental stress cracking. Whilst the data indicate that the pipes might be used effectively for hydrophobic fluids, hydrophilic fluids and in particular methanol can significantly shorten their effective life.
Leveraging Lifestyle Medicine and Social Policy to Extend the Triple Aim From the Clinic Into the Community
Authors: Pronk Nicolaas P. , Kottke Thomas E. , Isham George J.
Published: April 2013

Despite spending more per capita on health care than any other country, health outcomes in the United States rank low. In 2001, in an attempt to improve the situation, The Institute of Medicine defined ideal health care as safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable, and patient centered. In 2008, to more clearly define the goals of health care, Berwick, Nolan, and Whittington of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) introduced the concept of the Triple Aim—the simultaneous improvement of population health and patient experience while controlling costs. In 2011, the 3 goals of the IHI Triple Aim were adopted by the US National Quality Strategy. Whereas the IHI Triple Aim represents a powerful innovation in health care, population health extends far beyond the care delivery system. To increase the potential impact of efforts that promote the Triple Aim, we offer a model that includes the addition of lifestyle medicine and social policy initiatives to provide a bridge from the clinic to the community and address nonmedical determinants of health. Addressing lifestyle and social policy will require the engagement of nonmedical sectors of the community in new partnerships with health care. The power of these partnerships could result in large and sustainable improvements in health, economic status, and well-being.
Stabilisation of plasma welding arcs by low power laser beams
Authors: Mahrle A , Rose S , Schnick M , Beyer E , Füssel U
Published: April 2013

Results of an experimental study are presented in which the impact of a low power laser beam on the stability behaviour of plasma arcs was investigated. Both heat sources were arranged in a recently developed coaxial set-up. Bead on plate welding trials on AISI 304 stainless steel sheets demonstrated that the additional laser beam is capable of extending existing limitations of low current plasma arc welding processes with respect to realisable welding speeds. In particular, an effective stabilisation of the anodic arc attachment under conditions of direct current electrode negative plasma arc welding was achieved by use of a laser beam with only 100 W output power. As a result of a performed stability analysis, the particular conditions for arc stabilisation are specified and conclusions about the most probable physical reasons for the stabilising action of the laser beam are drawn.
Effects of fluxes on distribution of SiC particles and microstructures and mechanical properties of nanoparticles strengthening A-TIG (NSA-TIG) welded magnesium alloy joints
Authors: Shen J , Liu K , Li Y , Li S Z , Wen L B
Published: April 2013

The effects of fluxes and the size of SiC particles on the morphologies, microstructures and mechanical properties of tungsten inert gas welded AZ31 magnesium alloy joints were investigated. The results showed that addition of SiC particles in the activating fluxes led to the decrease in all the weld penetrations while the surface appearance of welded joints improved in the case of TiO2 activating flux was adopted. Grain refinement was obtained in the welded seams with the addition of SiC particles in TiO2 flux and the effect of nanosized SiC particles on grain refinement is found to be more impressive than that of microsized SiC particles. The microhardness of the fusion zone and ultimate tensile strength of the welded joints increased with the addition of SiC particles in TiO2 activating flux and nanosized particles have more strong efficiency on the improvement of mechanical properties compared with microsized SiC particles. SiC particles did not improve the mechanical properties of A-TIG welded joints with CaF2 activating flux.
Microstructure evolution during novel rheorolling process for producing A356 alloy strip
Authors: Guan R G , Zhao Z Y , Wang X , Lee C S , Liu C M
Published: April 2013

Microstructure evolution during a novel rheorolling process for producing A356 alloy strip was investigated. Under the high cooling rate caused by the sloping plate and stirring action caused by the vibration and metal flow, high nucleation rate and dendrite breakage happened during the process, which causes the formation of fine spherical or rosette primary grains. The grain size of the primary α-Al phase decreased with the decrease in casting temperature in the cooling slope, but the volume fraction of the primary α-Al phase increased. The change of the primary grain shape is not obvious in the roll gap during the rolling process, and most of the primary grains nearly kept round or rosette shapes. When the casting temperature is 660°C, the strip with a cross-section of 4×160 mm was produced, and homogeneous microstructure was obtained.
Analysis of the mechanical deformation arising from investment casting of directionally solidified nickel-based superalloys
Authors: Panwisawas C , Gebelin J-C , Reed R C
Published: April 2013

To provide insight into the factors causing recrystallisation of nickel-based single crystal superalloys, analysis of the thermal–mechanical deformation caused by investment casting of these components is presented. Three-dimensional thermal–mechanical finite element analysis is first used to demonstrate that the reaction of the casting and mould—at least in the aerofoil section—can be approximated as one-dimensional. One-dimensional models are then built based upon static equilibrium for plasticity on the microscale caused by differential thermal contraction of metal, mould and core, using temperature dependent material properties. The models take various forms to study the mechanical response under different situations relevant to practical applications. The results indicate that the plastic strain causing recrystallisation is likely to be induced during cooling at temperatures above 1000°C. The relative importance of thicker and stiffer ceramic shells is studied. Our analysis indicates that it is important to account for creep deformation for such applications.
Effect of rejuvenation heat treatments on gamma prime distributions in a Ni based superalloy for power plant applications
Authors: Yao Z , Degnan C C , Jepson M A E , Thomson R C
Published: April 2013

The gamma prime ( γ′) distribution in the Ni based superalloy, CMSX-4, has been examined in detail using a field emission gun scanning electron microscope and a transmission electron microscope after high temperature degradation and the subsequent application of a number of rejuvenation heat treatments. The observed microstructures have been studied in order to explain the observed mechanical properties of the material and also to assess the effectiveness of the heat treatment procedures and their effect on the subsequent mechanical performance. It is shown that there are significant differences in the rafting behaviour and the size of the channels between the γ′ particles and the size of the tertiary γ′ particles in each of the different microstructural conditions. The aim of this research is to provide greater understanding of the suitability of rejuvenation heat treatments and their role in the extension of component life in power plant applications.
Experimental study on microstructural variation in near alpha titanium alloy during non-optimal regime of superplastic deformation
Authors: Sahoo R , Jha B B , Sahoo T K
Published: April 2013

Superplasticity is generally achieved in titanium alloys with a fine grained microstructure when deformation is carried out under narrow ranges of strain rate and temperature. Under these conditions, titanium alloys show large elongation with a relatively stable microstructure. When the aforesaid conditions lie beyond a certain limit during deformation process, non-optimal process of superplastic deformation is observed. The microstructure changes actively during the non-optimal process of superplastic deformation. Near alpha titanium alloy has been used in the present study to find out those parameters of microstructure, which are varying significantly during non-optimal process of superplastic deformation. Superplasticity tests have been carried out at 930°C with constant strain rates of 1×10−4 and 5×10−4 s−1 and jump wise varying strain rates between 1×10−4 and 5×10−4 s−1. Results indicated that microstructural parameters, i.e. percentage of alpha phase, number of alpha grains per unit area, average size of alpha grain, parameter of non-uniaxiality of alpha grain and grain boundary area of alpha grain, varied significantly during non-optimal process of superplastic deformation. Strain induced grain growth and deformation induced phase transformation are also observed in near alpha titanium alloy during non-optimal process of superplastic deformation. Optical microscope, micro-Vickers hardness test and X-ray diffraction have been used to characterise the microstructure of the near alpha titanium alloy.
Pressure depended elastic, vibration and optical properties of NbIrSn from first principles calculations
Authors: Kocak B , Ciftci Y O , Colakoglu K , Deligoz E , Tatar A
Published: April 2013

We have reported first principles calculations based on the density functional theory within the local density approximation to explain the structural, electronic, elastic, vibration (phonon dispersion curves and one-phonon density of states) and optical properties for NbIrSn, which is semiconductor half Heusler compound with a cubic MgAgAs type structure. The obtained results are compared with the available other theoretical data. Our band structure calculations show that NbIrSn has indirect energy band gap of ∼1 eV at Γ-X Brillouin zone. The elastic properties, namely, bulk modulus, elastic constants, shear modulus, Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, lame constants and Kleinmann parameter, are calculated under high pressure. The pressure effects for optical properties including the real and imaginary parts of the complex dielectric constant, refractive index n( ω), extinction coefficient k( ω), energy loss function L( ω) and reflectivity R( ω) are also computed and discussed.
Formation processes of dislocation cells in cryorolled Zr upon annealing
Authors: Shi Y D , Guo D F , Li M , Zhang Z B , Ma T Y , Zhang X Y
Published: April 2013

In the present study, the formation process of dislocation cells in cryorolled Zr has been studied. High density dislocations were introduced into pure Zr by employing cryorolling technique. Dislocation lamellas are yielded in cryorolled Zr at a high strain rate of [Formula: see text]  = 2·24 s−1, and these lamellas fragment or bend into dislocation cells during annealing processes. Instead, in the cryorolled Zr yielded at a low strain rate of [Formula: see text]  = 0·59 s−1, dislocation cells form by the fragmenting or the necking of dislocation tangle regions. The formation process of dislocation cells in cryorolled Zr is dependent on dislocation configurations induced in the metal.
Superplasticity and microstructure of TC21 titanium alloy during thermomechanical treatment
Authors: Dong H B , Wang G C
Published: April 2013

As rolled TC21 titanium alloy was subjected to isothermal constant strain rate tensile tests using an electronic tensile testing machine. After tensile deformation, the alloys were subjected to double annealing. Superplastic behaviour and microstructure evolution were systematically investigated. Experimental results show that as rolled TC21 alloy exhibits good superplasticity at temperatures ranging from 870 to 930°C and strain rates ranging from 3×10−4 to 3×10−2 s−1. A maximum elongation of 373·3 was obtained at 910°C and 3×10−4 s−1. In addition, the alloy microstructure comprises α and β phases during plastic deformation. The primary α-grains aggregate and merge to form new crystal grains with irregular grain boundaries because of dynamic recrystallisation. Furthermore, the primary α phase content gradually decreases with increasing temperature. The resulting microstructure after deformation and double annealing is a duplex microstructure comprising a primary equiaxed α phase and a β-transformed lamellar structure. The acicular α phase transformed from the β phase is mutually interlaced as a basketweave structure after deformation at 930°C and double annealing.
Annealing effect on microstructure and mechanical properties of magnetron sputtering Ti–Si–C thin film
Authors: Chen Z S , Li H J , Fu Q G , Yang D , Shen Q L
Published: April 2013

To investigate the influence of temperature on nucleation and growth of Ti3SiC2, Ti–Si–C thin films were deposited by magnetron sputtering from elemental targets of Ti, Si and C on Si(100) and Al2O3 substrates at temperature <200°C. Subsequently, the as deposited films were annealed in vacuum at 800, 950, 1100 and 1200°C respectively. The as deposited films consisted of amorphous TiC, amorphous Si and free C, as determined by X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Annealing in vacuum <950°C resulted in improved crystallinity of TiC and formation of SiCx and Ti5Si3 phases. However, the Ti3SiC2 phase forms in films at 1100°C owing to the increase in Si diffusion coefficient. Moreover, the evolution of hardness and elastics modulus with annealing temperatures was determined by nanoindentation. The results showed a continuous decline of film hardness with increasing annealing temperature due to the formation of Ti3SiC2 and Ti5Si3 phases.
Concurrent Inconel 625 wire and WC powder laser cladding: process stability and microstructural characterisation
Authors: Abioye T E , Folkes J , Clare A T , McCartney D G
Published: April 2013

The microstructure and hardness property of WC powder–Inconel 625 wire single tracks deposited by laser cladding at varying processing parameters were investigated using a combination of scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray diffraction, image processing software and hardness testing. The results include the generation of process maps that predict the cladding process characteristics at varying processing conditions. High dissolution of WC particles at high energy input resulted in a decrease in retained WC volume fraction with increasing laser power. The negative dependence of the retained WC volume fraction on the transverse speed and wire feedrate showed that the decreasing powder catchment efficiency with increasing the two parameters is primarily significant to the amount of WC contained in a track. The dissolution of WC in the matrix resulted in the formation of W2C and Fe3W3C hard phases, which mainly contributed to high hardness (540–690 HV0·3) of the composite matrix.
Effect of deposition parameters on TiAlN coating using pulsed DC CFUBMS
Authors: Mandal P , Beake B D , Paul S
Published: April 2013

This paper aims to investigate the parametric effect of deposition and target frequency on the mechanical properties and machining performance of the TiAlN coatings deposited in a dual cathode pulsed dc CFUBMS system. Coating composition is not directly dependent on deposition temperature or target frequency individually but increase in both the parameters has led to Al rich coating. The coating thickness is influenced by target frequency only. The fatigue fracture resistance of the TiAlN coating has been evaluated by the nanoimpact test and it has been found to be at least as good as commercial Ti0·5Al0·5N coating deposited on cemented carbide. In dry machining SAE 1037 steel, it has been observed that the resistance to crater wear is influenced by target frequency. Simultaneous increase in the deposition temperature and target frequency has provided improved resistance to crater wear due to their favourable influence on the coating thickness and Al percentage.
Deposition of plasma sprayed copper slag coatings on metal substrates
Authors: Mantry S , Behera D , Satapathy A , Jha B B , Mishra B K
Published: April 2013

Copper slag is a waste product obtained during matte smelting and refining of copper. The present work explores the coating potential of copper slag by plasma spraying. This work shows that copper slag is eminently coatable. When premixed with alumina powder, the coating exhibits higher interfacial adhesion as compared to pure copper slag coatings. Maximum adhesion strengths of about 23 and 27 MPa are recorded in for the coatings of copper slag with 15 wt.% of alumina on aluminium and mild steel substrates respectively. The input power to the plasma torch is found to affect the coating deposition efficiency and morphology of the coatings.
Influence of chromium buffer layer on Cr/ta-C composite films
Authors: Liu Y , Yu X , Ma L , Wang C B , Hua M
Published: April 2013

Cr buffer layers of six different thicknesses (100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and 600 nm) were respectively deposited on silicon substrate so as to constitute a series of Cr implantation layer/Cr buffer layer/tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) films. Analysis by SEM suggests that the implantation of Cr layer favourably improves the interfacial transition between ta-C film and Si substrate. X-ray diffraction detection reveals that the difference in thickness of Cr buffer layer does not significantly influence the crystalline structure. Raman result shows that the ductility of Cr buffer layer favours to remit stress of the ta-C film. Increase in Cr buffer layer thickness results in the reduction of nanohardness value. However, its elastic modulus and adhesion exhibit an initial increase followed by a decreasing fluctuation. Result of the study shows the accomplishment of superior mechanical properties for the ta-C film with 200 nm thick Cr buffer layer.
Corrosion study of ZrN deposited on 304L stainless steel
Authors: Ningshen S , Gupta R K , Kamal S , Chawla V , Chandra R , Mudali U K
Published: April 2013

The ZrN films were deposited on type 304L stainless steel using dc magnetron sputtering technique at different substrate temperatures from room temperature up to 600°C. The ZrN films have been analysed for their composition, microstructure, surface morphology and their corrosion resistance in different nitric acid concentrations. The grazing incidence angle X-ray diffraction analysis showed the texture orientation of (111) or (200) plane depending on the substrate temperature. The atomic force microscopy analysis reveals the formation of ZrN agglomerates with no visible cracks or pores. However, increase in grain size (10–20 nm) and roughness (10–50 nm) with increase in the substrate temperature was observed. The potentiodynamic polarisation and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results indicated that the corrosion resistance of different ZrN films, although high in 1 mol L−1 HNO3, suffered a marked decrease in 8 mol L−1 HNO3 concentration.
High temperature oxidation effects on surface roughness of Ti–4Al–2V
Authors: Omidbakhsh F , Ebrahimi A R , Sojka J
Published: April 2013

The excellent properties of titanium and its alloys make them a perfect choice for many applications. In this paper, the effects of thermal oxidation condition on the surface morphology and surface roughness have been studied. The results showed that the average roughness at temperatures 450 and 600°C did not change significantly. Despite the constant average roughness, skewness and kurtosis parameters have been changed considerably during the thermal oxidation. The results suggest that the valleys are preferred sites for nucleation and growth of oxides. This mechanism changes the surface morphology from a scratched surface to a bumpy one.
AlPO4–C composite coating for high emissivity and oxidation protection applications
Authors: Roy S , Maharana R , Gokul Laxmi S , Sakthivel Y , Roy M , Bhanu Prasad V V , Das D K
Published: April 2013

AlPO4–C coating deposited by sol–gel technique on Ni base superalloy substrate Nimonic-75 has been examined for high emissivity applications. The coating showed a spectral (2–25 μm wavelength) emissivity in the range of 0·8–0·91, and the emissivity increased with coating thickness. The coating exhibited a reasonably good adhesion with the substrate, as determined from nanoscratch test. The above coating also had a good oxidation resistance in air at 800 and 900°C under cyclic heating and cooling conditions.
Wear resistance of hypereutectic Fe–Cr–C hardfacing coatings with in situ formed TiC
Authors: Zhou Y F , Yang Y L , Yang J , Zhang P F , Qi X W , Ren X J , Yang Q X
Published: April 2013

With excellent wear resistance, hypereutectic Fe–Cr–C coatings have caused great attention in the field of surface engineering. In this study, the hypereutectic Fe–Cr–C hardfacing coatings with certain amounts of titanium (Ti) additives were further developed. The precipitation of the carbides in the coatings was calculated. The microstructure of the coatings was observed and the phase structure of the coatings was determined. Besides, the wear resistance of the coatings was also measured. The experimental results show that the microstructure of the coatings mainly consists of primary (Cr,Fe)7C3 carbide and eutectic matrix. With increasing Ti additive, the primary carbide is refined, which in turn improves the wear resistance of the coatings.
Multiphase films bearing Ti2AlN by pulse plasma hollow cathode nitriding
Authors: Cong T , Yan M F , Liu R L
Published: April 2013

This study aims to resolve the wear resistance and extend the use of titanium aluminides. A novel method of obtaining multiphase films bearing Ti2AlN on the Ti–Al alloys is put forward. The Ti1−xAlx ( x = 0·25, 0·33 and 0·47) alloys were nitrided in a pulse plasma hollow cathode environment at 800–900°C for various durations in a mixture of 50%N2 and 50%H2 under pressures of 1·50–3·00 torr. The results show that the nitriding gas pressure has a strong influence on the phase structure of the surface films. The forming phases in the films are mainly composed of Ti2AlN and TiN compounds. The presence of Ti2AlN in the wear tracks apparently reduces the friction coefficient of the samples. The hardened phase TiN in the film improves the wear resistance of the Ti–33Al alloy.
A novel syndrome of congenital sideroblastic anemia, B-cell immunodeficiency, periodic fevers, and developmental delay (SIFD)
Authors: Wiseman Daniel H. , May Alison , Jolles Stephen , Connor Philip , Powell Colin , Heeney Matthew M. , Giardina Patricia J. , Klaassen Robert J. , Chakraborty Pranesh , Geraghty Michael T. , Major-Cook Nathalie , Kannengiesser Caroline , Thuret Isabelle , Thompson Alexis A. , Marques Laura , Hughes Stephen , Bonney Denise K. , Bottomley Sylvia S. , Fleming Mark D. , Wynn Robert F.
Published: April 2013

Key Points

A novel clinical syndrome of CSA, B-cell immunodeficiency, periodic fevers, and developmental delay is described. Bone marrow transplant resulted in complete and durable resolution of the hematologic and immunologic manifestations.
Integration of mate pair sequences to improve shotgun assemblies of flow-sorted chromosome arms of hexaploid wheat
Authors: Belova Tatiana , Zhan Bujie , Wright Jonathan , Caccamo Mario , Asp Torben , Šimková Hana , Kent Matthew , Bendixen Christian , Panitz Frank , Lien Sigbjørn , Doležel Jaroslav , Olsen Odd-Arne , Sandve Simen R
Published: April 2013

Background

The assembly of the bread wheat genome sequence is challenging due to allohexaploidy and extreme repeat content (>80%). Isolation of single chromosome arms by flow sorting can be used to overcome the polyploidy problem, but the repeat content cause extreme assembly fragmentation even at a single chromosome level. Long jump paired sequencing data (mate pairs) can help reduce assembly fragmentation by joining multiple contigs into single scaffolds. The aim of this work was to assess how mate pair data generated from multiple displacement amplified DNA of flow-sorted chromosomes affect assembly fragmentation of shotgun assemblies of the wheat chromosomes.

Results

Three mate pair (MP) libraries (2 Kb, 3 Kb, and 5 Kb) were sequenced to a total coverage of 89x and 64x for the short and long arm of chromosome 7B, respectively. Scaffolding using SSPACE improved the 7B assembly contiguity and decreased gene space fragmentation, but the degree of improvement was greatly affected by scaffolding stringency applied. At the lowest stringency the assembly N50 increased by ~7 fold, while at the highest stringency N50 was only increased by ~1.5 fold. Furthermore, a strong positive correlation between estimated scaffold reliability and scaffold assembly stringency was observed. A 7BS scaffold assembly with reduced MP coverage proved that assembly contiguity was affected only to a small degree down to ~50% of the original coverage.

Conclusion

The effect of MP data integration into pair end shotgun assemblies of wheat chromosome was moderate; possibly due to poor contig assembly contiguity, the extreme repeat content of wheat, and the use of amplified chromosomal DNA for MP library construction.
Adalimumab for orbital myositis in a patient with Crohn’s disease who discontinued infliximab: a case report and review of the literature
Authors: Verma Sanam , Kroeker Karen I , Fedorak Richard N
Published: April 2013

Background

Orbital myositis is a rare extra-intestinal manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease. Seventeen cases of Crohn’s disease associated orbital myositis and 3 cases of ulcerative colitis associated orbital myositis have been reported in the published literature since 1970. We report the use of adalimumab (Abbott, Canada, Inc.) for orbital myositis in a patient with Crohn’s disease who discontinued infliximab (Janssen, Canada, Inc.) and review of the published literature.

Case presentation

A 35 year-old male with a 7-year history of Crohn’s disease was treated with an ileocolonic resection and re-anastomosis followed by infliximab which maintained full endoscopic and clinical remission for four years. After stopping the infliximab for infusion-related reactions he presented with 3-day history of severe right eye pain, pain with ocular movement, proptosis, and conjunctival injection. He had no intestinal symptoms and endoscopic assessment revealed no active luminal disease. CT of the orbit revealed an enlarged right medial rectus muscle with tendonous involvement and a diagnosis of orbital myositis was made. Treatment with 80 mg per day prednisone with tapering dose and adalimumab, induction and maintenance, resulted in rapid resolution of the orbital myositis and ocular symptoms with no recurrences on follow-up at 10 months.

Conclusions

The current case demonstrates a rare extraintestinal manifestation of Crohn’s disease, orbital myositis, and its temporal relationship to the discontinuance of infliximab therapy and its successful treatment, without recurrence with tapering prednisone and adalimumab.
Rubella seroprevalence among pregnant women in Burkina Faso
Authors: Tahita Marc C , Hübschen Judith M , Tarnagda Zekiba , Ernest Da , Charpentier Emilie , Kremer Jacques R , Muller Claude P , Ouedraogo Jean B
Published: April 2013

Background

Despite the serious consequences of rubella infection during early pregnancy, very little is known about the rubella seroprevalence in a number of African countries including Burkina Faso.

Methods

Between December 2007 and March 2008 serum samples were collected from 341 pregnant women in Bobo (n = 132, urban area) and Houndé (n = 209, rural area) and were tested for rubella-specific IgG antibodies with a commercial ELISA kit.

Results

An overall seropositivity rate of 95.0% (324/341) was found, with a higher percentage in the urban population and in the oldest age group. Considering an antibody titer of at least 10 International Units per ml as protective, the overall immunity rate in the cohort of pregnant women was 93.3% (318/341).

Conclusions

The high overall seropositivity rate in the absence of routine immunization suggests a continuous transmission of endemic rubella virus in Burkina Faso, posing a threat to non-immune pregnant women.
Disruption of AP3B1by a chromosome 5 inversion: a new disease mechanism in Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome type 2
Authors: Jones Matthew L , Murden Sherina L , Brooks Claire , Maloney Viv , Manning Richard A , Gilmour Kimberly C , Bharadwaj Vandana , de la Fuente Josu , Chakravorty Subarna , Mumford Andrew D
Published: April 2013

Background

Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome 2 (HPS2; OMIM #608233) is a rare, autosomal recessive disorder caused by loss-of-function genetic variations affecting AP3B1, which encodes the β3A subunit of the adaptor-related protein complex 3 (AP3). Phenotypic characteristics include reduced pigmentation, absent platelet dense granule secretion, neutropenia and reduced cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) and natural killer (NK) cell function. To date HPS2 has been associated with non-synonymous, stop-gain or deletion-insertion nucleotide variations within the coding region of AP3B1.

Case presentation

We describe a consanguineous female infant with reduced pigmentation, neutropenia and recurrent infections. Platelets displayed reduced aggregation and absent ATP secretion in response to collagen and ADP, indicating a platelet dense granule defect. There was increased basal surface expression of CD107a (lysosome-associated membrane protein 1(LAMP-1)) on NK cells and CTLs from the study subject and a smaller increase in the percentage of CD107a positive cells after stimulation compared to most healthy controls. Immunoblotting of protein extracts from EBV-transformed lymphoblasts from the index case showed absent expression of full-length AP-3 β3A subunit protein, confirming a phenotypic diagnosis of HPS2.

The index case displayed a homozygous pericentric inv(5)(p15.1q14.1), which was also detected as a heterozygous defect in both parents of the index case. No loss of genetic material was demonstrated by microarray comparative genome hybridisation at 60kb resolution. Fluorescence in-situ hybridisation using the 189.6kb probe RP11-422I12, which maps to 5q14.1, demonstrated dual hybridisation to both 5q14.1 and 5p15.1 regions of the inverted Chr5. The RP11-422I12 probe maps from intron 1 to intron 16 of AP3B1, thus localising the 5q inversion breakpoint to within AP3B1. The probe RP11-211K15, which corresponds to an intergenic region on 5p also showed dual hybridisation, enabling localisation of the 5p inversion breakpoint.

Conclusion

This case report extends the phenotypic description of the very rare disorder HPS2. Our demonstration of a homozygous Chr5 inversion predicted to disrupt AP3B1 gene provides a novel pathogenic mechanism for this disorder.
JNK signaling maintains the mesenchymal properties of multi-drug resistant human epidermoid carcinoma KB cells through snail and twist1
Authors: Zhan Xia , Feng Xiaobing , Kong Ying , Chen Yi , Tan Wenfu
Published: April 2013

Background and methods

In addition to possess cross drug resistance characteristic, emerging evidences have shown that multiple-drug resistance (MDR) cancer cells exhibit aberrant metastatic capacity when compared to parental cells. In this study, we explored the contribution of c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) signaling to the mesenchymal phenotypes and the aberrant motile capacity of MDR cells utilizing a well characterized MDR cell line KB/VCR, which is established from KB human epidermoid carcinoma cells by vincristine (VCR), and its parental cell line KB.

Results

Taking advantage of experimental strategies including pharmacological tool and gene knockdown, we showed here that interference with JNK signaling pathway by targeting JNK1/2 or c-Jun reversed the mesenchymal properties of KB/VCR cells to epithelial phenotypes and suppressed the motile capacity of KB/VCR cells, such as migration and invasion. These observations support a critical role of JNK signaling in maintaining the mesenchymal properties of KB/VCR cells. Furthermore, we observed that JNK signaling may control the expression of both snail and twist1 in KB/VCR cells, indicating that both snail and twist1 are involved in controlling the mesenchymal characteristics of KB/VCR cells by JNK signaling.

Conclusion

JNK signaling is required for maintaining the mesenchymal phenotype of KB/VCR cells; and JNK signaling may maintain the mesenchymal characteristics of KB/VCR cells potentially through snail and twist1.
Effectiveness of intravitreal ranibizumab in exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD): comparison between typical neovascular AMD and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy over a 1 year follow-up
Authors: Matsumiya Wataru , Honda Shigeru , Kusuhara Sentaro , Tsukahara Yasutomo , Negi Akira
Published: April 2013

Background

The effects of intravitreal ranibizumab (IVR) against exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) may be different associated with the lesion phenotype. This study was conducted to compare the outcomes of IVR between two different phenotypes of exudative AMD: typical neovascular AMD (tAMD) and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV).

Methods

This is a retrospective cohort study of 54 eyes from 54 subfoveal exudative AMD patients (tAMD 24, PCV 30 eyes). Three consecutive IVR treatments (0.5 mg) were performed every month, followed by re-injections as needed. Change in the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central retinal thickness (CRT) were then compared between the tAMD and PCV groups over 12 months of follow-up.

Results

The mean BCVA was significantly improved (-0.11 logMAR units) at month 3 after the initial IVR (p <0 .001, Wilcoxon signed-rank test), and was sustained up to 12 months in all AMD patients (p =0.02). In the subgroup analysis, the tAMD group showed a significant improvement in their mean BCVA (-0.06, -0.17, -0.15 and -0.16 logMAR units at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months, respectively), but there was only a slight but non-significant improvement in the PCV group. The improvement in the BCVA was significantly greater in the tAMD group than in the PCV group (p = 0.043, repeated measures ANOVA) over 12 months. Both phenotypes showed significant improvements in the CRT during 12 months after the initial IVR.

Conclusions

IVR is an effective therapy for tAMD and PCV in the BCVA improvement in Japanese patients over 12 months of follow-up. The phenotype of tAMD showed a significantly better outcome with IVR than PCV in terms of BCVA improvement.