bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lost in Translation—Basic Science in the Era of Translational Research
Authors: Fang Ferric C. , Casadevall Arturo
Published: December 2009

The concept of translational research, which aims to facilitate the application of basic scientific discoveries in clinical and community settings, is currently in vogue. While there are powerful forces driving this trend, support for translational research must be accompanied by a robust investment in basic science, which provides the essential raw material for translation and continues to represent humanity's best hope to meet a wide range of public health challenges.
Proteolytic Regulation of Toxin-Antitoxin Systems by ClpPC in
Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Donegan Niles P. , Thompson Earl T. , Fu Zhibiao , Cheung Ambrose L.
Published: December 2009

Bacterial toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems typically consist of a small, labile antitoxin that inactivates a specific longer-lived toxin. In
Escherichia coli
, such antitoxins are proteolytically regulated by the ATP-dependent proteases Lon and ClpP. Under normal conditions, antitoxin synthesis is sufficient to replace this loss from proteolysis, and the bacterium remains protected from the toxin. However, if TA production is interrupted, antitoxin levels decrease, and the cognate toxin is free to inhibit the specific cellular component, such as mRNA, DnaB, or gyrase. To date, antitoxin degradation has been studied only in
E. coli
, so it remains unclear whether similar mechanisms of regulation exist in other organisms. To address this, we followed antitoxin levels over time for the three known TA systems of the major human pathogen
Staphylococcus aureus
,
mazEF
,
axe1
-
txe1
, and
axe2
-
txe2
. We observed that the antitoxins of these systems, MazE

sa

, Axe1, and Axe2, respectively, were all degraded rapidly (half-life [
t
1/2
], ∼18 min) at rates notably higher than those of their
E. coli
counterparts, such as MazE (
t
1/2
, ∼30 to 60 min). Furthermore, when
S. aureus
strains deficient for various proteolytic systems were examined for changes in the half-lives of these antitoxins, only strains with
clpC
or
clpP
deletions showed increased stability of the molecules. From these studies, we concluded that ClpPC serves as the functional unit for the degradation of all known antitoxins in
S. aureus
.
Sequence Motifs and Proteolytic Cleavage of the Collagen-Like Glycoprotein BclA Required for Its Attachment to the Exosporium of
Bacillus anthracis
Authors: Tan Li , Turnbough Charles L.
Published: December 2009

Bacillus anthracis
spores are enclosed by an exosporium comprised of a basal layer and an external hair-like nap. The filaments of the nap are composed of trimers of the collagen-like glycoprotein BclA. The attachment of essentially all BclA trimers to the exosporium requires the basal layer protein BxpB, and both proteins are included in stable high-molecular-mass exosporium complexes. BclA contains a proteolytically processed 38-residue amino-terminal domain (NTD) that is essential for basal-layer attachment. In this report, we identify three NTD submotifs (SM1a, SM1b, and SM2, located within residues 21 to 33) that are important for BclA attachment and demonstrate that residue A20, the amino-terminal residue of processed BclA, is not required for attachment. We show that the shortest NTD of BclA—or of a recombinant protein—sufficient for high-level basal-layer attachment is a 10-residue motif consisting of an initiating methionine, an apparently arbitrary second residue, SM1a or SM1b, and SM2. We also demonstrate that cleavage of the BclA NTD is necessary for efficient attachment to the basal layer and that the site of cleavage is somewhat flexible, at least in certain mutant NTDs. Finally, we propose a mechanism for BclA attachment and discuss the possibility that analogous mechanisms are involved in the attachment of many different collagen-like proteins of
B. anthracis
and closely related
Bacillus
species.
Coordinated Regulation of 23S rRNA Maturation in
Escherichia coli
Authors: Gutgsell Nancy S. , Jain Chaitanya
Published: December 2009

In
Escherichia coli
, rRNAs are transcribed as precursors and require processing at the 3′ and 5′ ends to generate mature RNA molecules. The largest of these RNAs, 23S rRNA, is matured at the 3′ end by a set of exonucleases and at the 5′ end by an unknown RNase. Whether the 3′ and 5′ maturation steps occur independently or are coupled has previously been unclear. By assessing the levels of precursors accumulating at the 3′ and 5′ ends, we provide evidence that these processes may be linked. Thus, each of several conditions that led to precursor accumulation at one end also did so at the other end. We also observed that each end undergoes maturation at similar rates, suggesting that the two processes could be coupled. Finally, we provide evidence that processing at the 3′ end facilitates 5′-end maturation. A model to explain the basis for the observed directionality of the reactions is proposed. This information will aid in the search for the enzyme responsible for final maturation of the 5′ end of 23S rRNA.
Coproporphyrin Excretion and Low Thiol Levels Caused by Point Mutation in the
Rhodobacter sphaeroides S
-Adenosylmethionine Synthetase Gene
Authors: Sabaty Monique , Adryanczyk Géraldine , Roustan Chloë , Cuiné Stephan , Lamouroux Christine , Pignol David
Published: December 2009

A spontaneous mutant of
Rhodobacter sphaeroides
f. sp.
denitrificans
IL-106 was found to excrete a large amount of a red compound identified as coproporphyrin III, an intermediate in bacteriochlorophyll and heme synthesis. The mutant, named PORF, is able to grow under phototrophic conditions but has low levels of intracellular cysteine and glutathione and overexpresses the cysteine synthase CysK. The expression of molybdoenzymes such as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and nitrate reductases is also affected under certain growth conditions. Excretion of coproporphyrin and overexpression of CysK are not directly related but were both found to be consequences of a diminished synthesis of the key metabolite
S
-adenosylmethionine (SAM). The wild-type phenotype is restored when the gene
metK
encoding SAM synthetase is supplied in
trans
. The
metK
gene in the mutant strain has a mutation leading to a single amino acid change (H145Y) in the encoded protein. This point mutation is responsible for a 70% decrease in intracellular SAM content which probably affects the activities of numerous SAM-dependent enzymes such as coproporphyrinogen oxidase (HemN); uroporphyrinogen III methyltransferase (CobA), which is involved in siroheme synthesis; and molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis protein A (MoaA). We propose a model showing that the attenuation of the activities of SAM-dependent enzymes in the mutant could be responsible for the coproporphyrin excretion, the low cysteine and glutathione contents, and the decrease in DMSO and nitrate reductase activities.
ClpP of
Streptococcus mutans
Differentially Regulates Expression of Genomic Islands, Mutacin Production, and Antibiotic Tolerance
Authors: Chattoraj Partho , Banerjee Anirban , Biswas Saswati , Biswas Indranil
Published: December 2009

Streptococcus mutans
is the primary etiological agent of human dental caries and, at times, of infective endocarditis. Within the oral cavity, the pathogen is subjected to conditions of stress. A well-conserved protein complex named ClpP (caseinolytic protease) plays a vital role in adaptation under stress conditions. To gain a better understanding of the global role of the ClpP protease in cellular homeostasis, a transcriptome analysis was performed using a Δ
clpP
mutant strain. The expression levels of more than 100 genes were up- or downregulated in the Δ
clpP
mutant compared to the wild type. Notably, the expression of genes in several genomic islands, such as TnSmu1 and TnSmu2, was differentially modulated in the Δ
clpP
mutant strain. ClpP deficiency also increased the expression of genes associated with a putative CRISPR locus. Furthermore, several stress-related genes and genes encoding bacteriocin-related peptides and many transcription factors were also found to be altered in the Δ
clpP
mutant strain. A comparative analysis of the two-dimensional protein profile of the wild type and the Δ
clpP
mutant strains showed altered protein profiles. Comparison of the transcriptome data with the proteomic data identified four common gene products, suggesting that the observed altered protein expression of these genes could be due to altered transcription. The results presented here indicate that ClpP-mediated proteolysis plays an important global role in the regulation of several important traits in this pathogen.
MODELING OF GLUTAMATE-INDUCED DYNAMICAL PATTERNS
Authors: BENTZEN N. C. K. , ZHABOTINSKY A. M. , LAUGESEN J. L.
Published: December 2009

Based on established physiological mechanisms, the paper presents a detailed computer model, which supports the hypothesis that temporal lobe epilepsy may be caused by failure of glutamate reuptake from the extracellular space. The elevated glutamate concentration causes an increased activation of NMDA receptors in pyramidal neurons, which in turn leads to neuronal dynamics that is qualitatively identical to epileptiform activity. We identify by chaos analysis a surprising possibility that muscarinergic receptors can help the system out of a chaotic regime.
MATHEMATICAL STUDY ON IONIC MECHANISM OF LAMPREY CENTRAL PATTERN GENERATOR MODEL
Authors: ZHANG DINGGUO , ZHU XIANGYANG , LAN LI , ZHU KUANYI
Published: December 2009

This paper studies the mechanisms of ionic channels in neurons of lamprey central pattern generator (CPG), such as the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor channel and the calcium-dependent potassium channel etc. The CPG properties on oscillation attributed to the ionic mechanisms are exploited. The conditions for oscillation, divergence, convergence and the guidelines on selection of the parameters are established. The effects of key parameters on CPG frequency and duty cycle are investigated. Mathematical analysis and simulation study is performed to verify these results. This study will potentially enhance the effective application of biological CPG model into engineering practice such as robotics.
FASTER TRAINING USING FUSION OF ACTIVATION FUNCTIONS FOR FEED FORWARD NEURAL NETWORKS
Authors: ASADUZZAMAN MD. , SHAHJAHAN MD. , MURASE KAZUYUKI
Published: December 2009

Multilayer feed-forward neural networks are widely used based on minimization of an error function. Back propagation (BP) is a famous training method used in the multilayer networks but it often suffers from the drawback of slow convergence. To make the learning faster, we propose 'Fusion of Activation Functions' (FAF) in which different conventional activation functions (AFs) are combined to compute final activation. This has not been studied extensively yet. One of the sub goals of the paper is to check the role of linear AFs in combination. We investigate whether FAF can enable the learning to be faster. Validity of the proposed method is examined by performing simulations on challenging nine real benchmark classification and time series prediction problems. The FAF has been applied to 2-bit, 3-bit and 4-bit parity, the breast cancer, Diabetes, Heart disease, Iris, wine, Glass and Soybean classification problems. The algorithm is also tested with Mackey-Glass chaotic time series prediction problem. The algorithm is shown to work better than other AFs used independently in BP such as sigmoid (SIG), arctangent (ATAN), logarithmic (LOG).
NO-REFERENCE VIDEO QUALITY MEASUREMENT WITH SUPPORT VECTOR REGRESSION
Authors: LIAN HUICHENG
Published: December 2009

A novel approach for no-reference video quality measurement is proposed in this paper. Firstly, various feature extraction methods are used to quantify the quality of videos. Then, a support vector regression model is trained and adopted to predict unseen samples. Six different regression models are compared with the support vector regression model. The experimental results indicate that the combination of different video quality features with a support vector regression model can outperform other methods for no-reference video quality measurement significantly.
CHAOS-BASED MIXED SIGNAL IMPLEMENTATION OF SPIKING NEURONS
Authors: ROSSELLO JOSEP L. , CANALS VINCENT , MORRO ANTONI , VERD JAUME
Published: December 2009

A new design of Spiking Neural Networks is proposed and fabricated using a 0.35 μm CMOS technology. The architecture is based on the use of both digital and analog circuitry. The digital circuitry is dedicated to the inter-neuron communication while the analog part implements the internal non-linear behavior associated to spiking neurons. The main advantages of the proposed system are the small area of integration with respect to digital solutions, its implementation using a standard CMOS process only and the reliability of the inter-neuron communication.
AN INTELLIGENT LOAD SHEDDING SCHEME USING NEURAL NETWORKS AND NEURO-FUZZY
Authors: HAIDAR AHMED M. A. , MOHAMED AZAH , AL-DABBAGH MAJID , HUSSAIN AINI , MASOUM MOHAMMAD
Published: December 2009

Load shedding is some of the essential requirement for maintaining security of modern power systems, particularly in competitive energy markets. This paper proposes an intelligent scheme for fast and accurate load shedding using neural networks for predicting the possible loss of load at the early stage and neuro-fuzzy for determining the amount of load shed in order to avoid a cascading outage. A large scale electrical power system has been considered to validate the performance of the proposed technique in determining the amount of load shed. The proposed techniques can provide tools for improving the reliability and continuity of power supply. This was confirmed by the results obtained in this research of which sample results are given in this paper.
NON-MINIMAL INFLATION ON THE RANDALL–SUNDRUM II BRANE WITH INDUCED GRAVITY
Authors: NOZARI KOUROSH , SHOUKRANI M.
Published: December 2009

We study an inflation model that inflaton field is non-minimally coupled to the scalar curvature on the Randall–Sundrum (RS) II brane. We investigate the effects of the non-minimal coupling on the inflationary dynamics of this braneworld model. Our study shows that the number of e-folds decreases by increasing the value of the conformal coupling. We compare our model parameters with the minimal case and also with recent observational data. In comparison with recent observation, we obtain a constraint on the values that conformal coupling attains.
A NOTE ON STRINGS IN DEFORMED AdS4 × ℂℙ3: GIANT MAGNON AND SINGLE SPIKE SOLUTIONS
Authors: SCHIMPF M. , RASHKOV R. C.
Published: December 2009

In this paper we study the solitonic string solutions of magnon and single spike type in the beta-deformed AdS4 × ℂℙ3 background. We find the dispersion relations which are supposed to give the anomalous dimension of the gauge theory operators.
LINEARIZED KOMPANEETZ EQUATION AS A RELATIVISTIC DIFFUSION
Authors: HABA Z.
Published: December 2009

We show that Kompaneetz equation describing photon diffusion in an environment of an electron gas, when linearized around its equilibrium distribution, coincides with the relativistic diffusion discussed in recent publications. The model of the relativistic diffusion is related to soluble models of imaginary time quantum mechanics. We suggest some nonlinear generalizations of the relativistic diffusion equation and their astrophysical applications (in particular to the Sunyaev–Zeldovich effect).
DESIGN FOR RELIABILITY AND ROBUSTNESS: A CASE STUDY
Authors: YANG GUANGBIN
Published: December 2009

Resistance welding is to bond two pieces of metal materials together by melting the materials in the contact area. An elevated temperature is generated by contact resistance when electrical current flows through the contact area of the two materials. Generally, a current is applied through two close electrodes. Sometimes, however, it is necessary to set the two electrodes far apart when the contact area is physically unreachable. The far separation of the electrodes makes difficult to generate reliable welds. This paper describes a reliability and robustness design method for the welding process. In particular, a concept design was conducted to avoid welding failure modes. The critical dimensions of a work piece were defined to make a successful weld. Then the welding processes for various dimensions of the work pieces were optimized using Taguchi's parameter design method. A thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the reliability of the welds. It is shown that the welding process is robust and the welds have high reliability.
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF PROCESS MONITORING DATA FOR SOFTWARE PROCESS IMPROVEMENT
Authors: YAMADA SHIGERU , KAWAHARA AKIHIRO
Published: December 2009

In recent years, software development has become more large-scaled, complicated, and diversified. At the same time, customer requirement of high quality and shortened delivery has increased. Therefore, we have to manage process quality and control product quality in the early-stage of software development in order to produce highly quality software products during the limited period. In this paper, we conduct multivariate linear analyses by using process monitoring data, derive effective process factors affecting the final product quality, and discuss the significant process factors with respect to software management measures of quality, cost, and delivery (QCD). Then, we discuss project management on the significant process factors affecting QCD and show its effect on QCD.
STATISTICAL INFERENCE AND UNCERTAINTY ASSESSMENT FOR MULTI-STATE SYSTEMS
Authors: FIONDELLA LANCE
Published: December 2009

Most of the existing research in multi-state systems relies on point estimation for modeling and optimization. The assessment of uncertainty during design is essential, yet variability in system performance is commonly ignored. Unfortunately, unlimited testing which could provide these arbitrarily accurate estimates is not economical. This paper describes a statistical inference technique to quantify the uncertainties inherent in limited testing. The methodology enables estimation of joint confidence intervals for both system and component performance distributions and subsequently provides a hypothesis testing procedure to perform objective assessments. This builds on previous research which has only addressed confidence bounds for system reliability. Instead of dichotomizing systems into acceptable and unacceptable classes, our approach can handle the case when a system exhibits three or more distinct performance levels. Thus, the method does not place restrictions on the flexibility of the underlying multi-state system concept. The value of the approach is illustrated using a case study and several experiments. The results indicate that joint confidence intervals produced by this procedure are accurate for a range of common confidence levels and sample sizes. It is also demonstrated how hypothesis testing and uncertainty assessment may be used to objectively measure system readiness.
Feature
Authors: Steiner Hans , Huemer Julia , Karnik Niranjan , Friedrich Max
Published: December 2009

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: Psychopathology Viewed through the Developmental Lens.
*-PRIME GROUP RINGS
Authors: JOSHI KANCHAN , SHARMA R. K. , SRIVASTAVA J. B.
Published: December 2009

In this paper we characterize *-prime group rings. We prove that the group ring RG of the group G over the ring R is *-prime if and only if R is *-prime and Λ+(G) = (1). In the process we obtain more examples of group rings which are *-prime but not strongly prime.
DERIVATIONS AND SKEW DERIVATIONS OF THE GRASSMANN ALGEBRAS
Authors: BAVULA V. V.
Published: December 2009

Surprisingly, skew derivations rather than ordinary derivations are more basic (important) object in study of the Grassmann algebras. Let Λn = K ⌊x1, …, xn⌋ be the Grassmann algebra over a commutative ring K with ½ ∈ K, and δ be a skew K-derivation of Λn. It is proved that δ is a unique sum δ = δ ev + δ od of an even and odd skew derivation. Explicit formulae are given for δev and δod via the elements δ (x1), …, δ (xn). It is proved that the set of all even skew derivations of Λn coincides with the set of all the inner skew derivations. Similar results are proved for derivations of Λn. In particular, Der K(Λn) is a faithful but not simple Aut K(Λn)-module (where K is reduced and n ≥ 2). All differential and skew differential ideals of Λn are found. It is proved that the set of generic normal elements of Λn that are not units forms a single Aut K(Λn)-orbit (namely, Aut K(Λn)x1) if n is even and two orbits (namely, Aut K(Λn)x1 and Aut K(Λn)(x1 + x2 ⋯ xn)) if n is odd.
THE NAVARRO CONJECTURE FOR THE ALTERNATING GROUPS, p = 2
Authors: NATH RISHI
Published: December 2009

G. Navarro [10] proposed a refinement of the McKay conjecture involving a special class of automorphisms. We verify that this new conjecture holds in the case of the alternating groups for p = 2.
WARFIELD INVARIANTS IN COMMUTATIVE GROUP RINGS
Authors: DANCHEV PETER V.
Published: December 2009

We calculate, only in terms of a commutative unital ring R of prime characteristic p and an abelian p-mixed group G, the classical Warfield q-invariants Wα,q(VR(G)) of the group VR(G) of all normalized units in the group ring R(G). This continues our results in (Extr. Math., 2005), (Collect. Math., 2008) and (J. Alg. Appl., 2008).
A COMBINATORIAL PROPERTY OF BURNSIDE VARIETY OF GROUPS OF FINITE EXPONENT
Authors: FARAMARZI SALLES ASADOLLAH , KHOSRAVI HASSAN
Published: December 2009

Let w be a word in the free group on the set {x1, …, xn} and let [Formula: see text] be the variety of groups defined by the law w = 1. Define [Formula: see text], to be the class of all groups G in which for all infinite subsets Y1, …, Yn, there exist yi ∈ Yi such that w(y1, …, yn) = 1 and define [Formula: see text] (respectively [Formula: see text]) to be the class of all groups G in which for all infinite subset Y (respectively for all m-element subset Y) there exist n distinct elements y1, …, yn ∈ Y, such that w(y1, …, yn) = 1. In this paper we prove that [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] for some positive integer m, where w is a certain word and [Formula: see text] is the class of finite groups.
ARITHMETIC RANK, COHOMOLOGICAL DIMENSION AND FILTER REGULAR SEQUENCES
Authors: MEHRVARZ ALI AKBAR , BAHMANPOUR KAMAL , NAGHIPOUR REZA
Published: December 2009

Let I be an ideal of a commutative Noetherian ring R such that ara (I) = t ≥ 2. The purpose of this article is to show that there exists an I-filter regular sequence y1, …, yt for R such that Rad (I) = Rad (y1, …, yt) and cd ((y1, …, yi), R) = i for all 1 ≤ i < t. Also, it is shown that ara (I) ≤ dim R + 1, which is a generalization of a nice result of Kronecker [14]. In addition, some applications are included.
FIBONACCI AND LUCAS SEQUENCES AS THE PRINCIPAL MINORS OF SOME INFINITE MATRICES
Authors: MOGHADDAMFAR A. R. , POOYA S. M. H. , NAVID SALEHY S. , NIMA SALEHY S.
Published: December 2009

In the literature one may encounter certain infinite tridiagonal matrices, the principal minors of which, constitute the Fibonacci or Lucas sequence. The major purpose of this article is to find new infinite matrices with this property. It is interesting to mention that the matrices found are not tridiagonal which have been investigated before. Furthermore, we introduce the sequences composed of Fibonacci and Lucas k-numbers for the positive integer k and we construct the infinite matrices the principal minors of which generate these sequences.
LOCALLY FINITELY GENERATED MODULES OVER RINGS WITH ENOUGH IDEMPOTENTS
Authors: ANGELERI HÜGEL LIDIA , DE LA PEÑA JOSÉ ANTONIO
Published: December 2009

Let R = ⊕ Reλ = ⊕ eλ R be an associative ring with enough idempotents indexed over a possibly infinite set Λ. Assume that {eλ : λ ∈ Λ} is a set of pairwise orthogonal primitive idempotents, and that R is locally bounded, that is, the projective modules eλR and Reλ are of finite length for each λ ∈ Λ. We prove the existence of almost split sequences ending at the indecomposable finitely generated non-projective unital R-modules. Moreover, we consider the unital R-modules X that are locally finitely generated, that is, Xeλ is a finitely generated eλ Reλ-module for all λ ∈ Λ. We show that such X accept perfect decompositionsX = ⊕ Xi as direct sums of indecomposable modules.
SYSTEMATIC APPROXIMATIONS FOR GENETIC DYNAMICS
Authors: STEPHENS CHRISTOPHER R. , ZAMORA ADOLFO
Published: December 2009

Although much progress has been made in recent years in describing the dynamics of genetic systems, both in population genetics and evolutionary computation, there is still a conspicuous lack of tools with which to derive systematic, approximate solutions to their dynamics. In this article, we propose and study perturbation theory and the renormalization group as potential tools to fill this gap. We concentrate mainly on selection–mutation systems, showing different implementations of the perturbative framework, developing, for example, perturbative expansions for the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the transition matrix. The main focus, however, is on diagrammatic methods, taken from physics, where we show how approximations can be built up using a pictorial representation generated by a simple set of rules, and how the renormalization group can be used to systematically improve the perturbation theory.
COMPLEX DEPENDENCIES IN LARGE SOFTWARE SYSTEMS
Authors: KOHRING G. A.
Published: December 2009

Two large, open source software systems are analyzed from the vantage point of complex adaptive systems theory. For both systems, the full dependency graphs are constructed and their properties are shown to be consistent with the assumption of stochastic growth. In particular, the afferent links are distributed according to Zipf's law for both systems. Using the small-world criterion for directed graphs, it is shown that contrary to claims in the literature, these software systems do not possess small-world properties. Furthermore, it is argued that the small-world property is not of any particular advantage in a standard layered architecture. Finally, it is suggested that the eigenvector centrality can play an important role in deciding which open source software packages to use in mission-critical applications. This comes about because knowing the absolute number of afferent links alone is insufficient to decide how important a package is to the system as a whole, instead the importance of the linking package plays a major role as well.
BIOLOGISTICS AND THE STRUGGLE FOR EFFICIENCY: CONCEPTS AND PERSPECTIVES
Authors: HELBING DIRK , DEUTSCH ANDREAS , DIEZ STEFAN , PETERS KARSTEN , KALAIDZIDIS YANNIS , PADBERG-GEHLE KATHRIN , LÄMMER STEFAN , JOHANSSON ANDERS , BREIER GEORG , SCHULZE FRANK , ZERIAL MARINO
Published: December 2009

The growth of world population, limitation of resources, economic problems, and environmental issues force engineers to develop increasingly efficient solutions for logistic systems. Pure optimization for efficiency, however, has often led to technical solutions that are vulnerable to variations in supply and demand, and to perturbations. In contrast, nature already provides a large variety of efficient, flexible, and robust logistic solutions. Can we utilize biological principles to design systems, which can flexibly adapt to hardly predictable, fluctuating conditions? We propose a bio-inspired "BioLogistics" approach to deduce dynamic organization processes and principles of adaptive self-control from biological systems, and to transfer them to man-made logistics (including nanologistics), using principles of modularity, self-assembly, self-organization, and decentralized coordination. Conversely, logistic models can help revealing the logic of biological processes at the systems level.
A MODEL OF GRAPH COLORING DYNAMICS WITH ATTENTION WAVES AND STRATEGIC WAITING
Authors: HADZHIEV BORISLAV , WINDT KATJA , BERGHOLZ WERNER , HÜTT MARC-THORSTEN
Published: December 2009

Recently, Kearns et al. [Kearns, M., Suri, S. and Montfort, N., An experimental study of the coloring problem on human subject networks, Science313 (2006) 824–827] studied the topology dependence of graph coloring dynamics. In their empirical study, the authors analyze, how a network of human subjects acting as autonomous agents performs in solving a conflict-avoidance task (the graph coloring problem) for different network architectures. A surprising result was that the run-time of the empirical dynamics decreases with the number of shortcuts in a Watts–Strogatz small-world graph. In a simulation of the dynamics based on randomly selecting color conflicts for update, they observe a strong increase of the run-time with the number of shortcuts. Here, we propose classes of strategies, which are capable of explaining the decrease in run-time with an increasing number of shortcuts. We show that the agent's strategy, the graph topology, and the complexity of the problem (essentially given by the graph's chromatic number) interact nontrivially yielding unexpected insights into the problem-solving capacity of organizational structures.
PHENOMENOLOGY OF MINORITY GAMES IN EFFICIENT REGIME
Authors: WAWRZYNIAK KAROL , WISLICKI WOJCIECH
Published: December 2009

We present a comprehensive study of utility function of the minority game in its efficient regime. We develop an effective description of state of the game. For the payoff function g(x) = sgn (x), we explicitly represent the game as the Markov process and prove the finiteness of number of states. We also demonstrate boundedness of the utility function. Using these facts we can explain all interesting observable features of the aggregated demand: appearance of strong fluctuations, their periodicity, and existence of preferred levels. For another payoff, g(x) = x, the number of states is still finite and utility remains bounded but the number of states cannot be reduced and probabilities of states are not calculated. However, using properties of the utility and analyzing the game in terms of de Bruijn graphs, we can also explain distinct peaks of demand and their frequencies.
Glinide, but Not Sulfonylurea, Can Evoke Insulin Exocytosis by Repetitive Stimulation: Imaging Analysis of Insulin Exocytosis by Secretagogue-Induced Repetitive Stimulations
Authors: Aoyagi Kyota , Ohara-Imaizumi Mica , Nishiwaki Chiyono , Nakamichi Yoko , Nagamatsu Shinya
Published: December 2009

To investigate the different effects between sulfonylurea (SU) and glinide drugs in insulin secretion, pancreaticβ-cells were repeatedly stimulated with SU (glimepiride) or glinide (mitiglinide). Total internal reflection fluorescent (TIRF) microscopy revealed that secondary stimulation with glimepiride, but not glucose and mitiglinide, failed to evoke fusions of insulin granules although primary stimulation with glucose, glimepiride, and mitiglinide induced equivalent numbers of exocytotic responses. Glimepiride, but not glucose and mitiglinide, induced abnormally sustained[Ca2+]ielevations and reductions of docked insulin granules on the plasma membrane. Our data suggest that the effect of glinide on insulin secretory mechanisms is similar to that of glucose.
The Influence of Form and Rate on the Efficacy of Matrix-Based Fertilizers to Reduce Nutrient Leaching
Authors: Entry James A. , Sojka R. E.
Published: December 2009

We tested the efficacy of matrix-based fertilizers (MBFs) to reduce , , and total phosphorus (TP) leaching compared to Osmocote 14-14-14, a commercial slow release fertilizer (SRF) in greenhouse column studies. The MBFs covered a range of inorganic N and P in compounds that are relatively loosely bound (MBF4) and more tightly bound compounds (MBF5) with and/or and with high ionic exchange compounds starch, chitosan, and lignin. When N and P are released, the chemicals containing these nutrients in the MBF bind N and P to an and/or starch- chitosan- lignin matrix. SRF leachate contained a greater amount of , , DRP, and TP than leachate from MBF4 and MBF5 regardless of whether fertilizers were pellets, banded or broadcast, or fertilizer rate. St Augustine grass growing in soils receiving MBF4 and MBF5 had decreased shoot biomass by 49% to 56% and decreased total biomass by 33% to 46% respectively as grass receiving SRF. Although further greenhouse and field testing are necessary, results of this initial investigation are promising and with further development, testing, and rate calibration should be competitive with commercial fertilizers in environmentally sensitive markets.
Synthetic Conditions and Color Characteristics of Tantalum Oxynitride Prepared via Liquid‐NH3 Process
Authors: Sasaki Yo , Tokuyasu Zentaro , Ono Yoichi , Iwasaki Mitsunobu , Ito Seishiro
Published: December 2009

Tantalum oxynitrides, such as TaON, exhibit promising color properties and can be employed as nontoxic yellow pigments containing no heavy metals. We have developed a process for preparing nitrides or oxynitrides involving the vacuum‐calcination of a precursor material obtained via reaction between a metal halide and liquid NH3. Herein, we describe the synthetic conditions of the liquid‐NH3 process that affect the color, and thus the color characteristics, of the resulting pigments. Reaction and postreaction treatment conditions were adjusted to obtain the desired yellow color. The liquid‐NH3 process was performed using 1.0 eq of H2O (relative to TaCl5) as the oxygen source and 30.0 eq of KCl (relative to TaCl5) as flux. Calcination of the precursor at 1073 K under vacuum was followed by recalcination from room temperature to 973 K at rate of 10 K min−1 under air. A powder with a color index of L∗ = 84.20, a∗ = −2.71, and b∗ = 44.07 was obtained.
Reparative Dentinogenesis Induced by Mineral Trioxide Aggregate: A Review from the Biological and Physicochemical Points of View
Authors: Okiji Takashi , Yoshiba Kunihiko
Published: December 2009

This paper aims to review the biological and physicochemical properties of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) with respect to its ability to induce reparative dentinogenesis, which involves complex cellular and molecular events leading to hard-tissue repair by newly differentiated odontoblast-like cells. Compared with that of calcium hydroxide-based materials, MTA is more efficient at inducing reparative dentinogenesis in vivo. The available literature suggests that the action of MTA is attributable to the natural wound healing process of exposed pulps, although MTA can stimulate hard-tissue-forming cells to induce matrix formation and mineralization in vitro. Physicochemical analyses have revealed that MTA not only acts as a “calcium hydroxide-releasing” material, but also interacts with phosphate-containing fluids to form apatite precipitates. MTA also shows better sealing ability and structural stability, but less potent antimicrobial activity compared with that of calcium hydroxide. The clinical outcome of direct pulp capping and pulpotomy with MTA appears quite favorable, although the number of controled prospective studies is still limited. Attempts are being conducted to improve the properties of MTA by the addition of setting accelerators and the development of new calcium silicate-based materials.
Temperature Dependent Electrical Properties and Catalytic Activities of La2O3–CO2–H2O Phase System
Authors: Bakiz Bahcine , Guinneton Frédéric , Arab Madjid , Villain Sylvie , Benlhachemi Abdeljalil , Gavarri Jean Raymond
Published: December 2009

We present a study of electrical properties and catalytic activities of materials belonging to the hydrated carbonated system La2O3–CO2–H2O. The polycrystalline hydroxycarbonate, dioxycarbonate, and oxide are prepared via a coprecipitation route followed by heat treatment. The electrical conduction of the phases obtained by thermal decomposition from LaOHCO3, H2O is analyzed by electrical impedance spectroscopy, from 25°C to 950°C, under air. The catalytic properties of LaOHCO3, La2O2CO3 and La2O3 polycrystalline phases are studied by FTIR spectroscopy, in presence of gas mixtures CO‐air and CH4‐air, at temperatures ranging between 100°C to 525°C. The three materials behave differently in presence of CO or CH4 gases.
An Advanced Microturbine System with Water‐Lubricated Bearings
Authors: Nakano Susumu , Kishibe Tadaharu , Inoue Tomoaki , Shiraiwa Hiroyuki
Published: December 2009

A prototype of the next‐generation, high‐performance microturbine system was developed for laboratory evaluation. Its unique feature is its utilization of water. Water is the lubricant for the bearings in this first reported application of water‐lubricated bearings in gas turbines. Bearing losses and limitations under usage conditions were found from component tests done on the bearings and load tests done on the prototype microturbine. The rotor system using the water‐lubricated bearings achieved stable rotating conditions at a rated rotational speed of 51,000 rpm. An electrical output of 135 kW with an efficiency of more than 33% was obtained. Water was also utilized to improve electrical output and efficiency through water atomizing inlet air cooling (WAC) and a humid air turbine (HAT). The operation test results for the WAC and HAT revealed the WAC and HAT operations had significant effects on both electrical output and electrical efficiency.
Pretreatment with Pancaspase Inhibitor (Z-VAD-FMK) Delays but Does Not Prevent Intraperitoneal Heat-Killed Group B Streptococcus-Induced Preterm Delivery in a Pregnant Mouse Model
Authors: Equils Ozlem , Moffatt-Blue Chantelle , Ishikawa Tomo-o , Simmons Charles F. , Ilievski Vladimir , Hirsch Emmet
Published: December 2009

Caspases and apoptosis are thought to play a role in infection-associated preterm-delivery. We have shown that in vitro treatment with pancaspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK protects trophoblasts from microbial antigen-induced apoptosis.Objective. To examine whether in vivo administration of Z-VAD-FMK would prevent infection-induced preterm-delivery.Methods. We injected 14.5 day-pregnant-mice with heat-killed group B streptococcus (HK-GBS). Apoptosis within placentas and membranes was assessed by TUNEL staining. Calpain expression and caspase-3 activation were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Preterm-delivery was defined as expulsion of a fetus within 48 hours after injection.Results. Intrauterine (i.u.) or intraperitoneal (i.p.) HK-GBS injection led to preterm-delivery and induced apoptosis in placentas and membranes at 14 hours. The expression of calpain, a caspase-independent inducer of apoptosis, was increased in placenta. Treatment with the specific caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK (i.p.) prior to HK-GBS (i.p.) delayed but did not prevent preterm-delivery.Conclusion. Caspase-dependent apoptosis appears to play a role in the timing but not the occurrence of GBS-induced preterm delivery in the mouse.
Buckling of a Shallow Rectangular Bimetallic Shell Subjected to Outer Loads and Temperature and Supported at Four Opposite Points
Authors: Jakomin M. , Kosel F. , Kosel T.
Published: December 2009

We have formulated a geometric non-linear mathematical-physical model of the snap-through of the system of a thin-walled shallow bimetallic translation shell in a homogenous temperature field according to the theory of large displacements, moderate rotations, and small strains of the shell element. The model enables the calculation of the geometric conditions, of shallow translation shells, due to the influences of temperature and mechanical loads. The results are based on the numeric solution of a non-linear system of partial differential equations with boundary conditions according to the finite difference method.
Cognitive Behavioral Treatment to Improve Adherence to Hemodialysis Fluid Restrictions: A Case Report
Authors: Anson Heather M. , Byrd Michelle R. , Koch Ellen I.
Published: December 2009

This case report describes outpatient psychological treatment targeting adherence to fluid restrictions in a hemodialysis patient. The consequences of nonadherence to fluid restrictions in hemodialysis patients range from minor discomfort to increased hospitalizations and mortality rates. In addition, when patients chronically fail to adhere, they may no longer be candidates for kidney transplant. The interventions focused on polydipsia, characterized by excessive fluid intake. The methods involved 11-sessions of individual psychotherapy incorporating strategies including increasing awareness, decreasing motivation, increasing effort, engaging in competing events, conducting thought stopping, breaking repetitive routines, eliciting social support, and receiving reinforcement. Results demonstrated that the patient successfully restricted his fluid intake at or below recommended levels 83% of days after fading of treatment began. This case report demonstrates the success of cognitive behavioral treatment strategies with a nonpsychiatric hemodialysis patient.
Tyrosinase‐Immobilized Biosensor Based on the Functionalized Hydroxyl Group‐MWNT and Detection of Phenolic Compounds in Red Wines
Authors: Yang Ji-Hoon , Lee Jae-Chan , Choi Seong-Ho
Published: December 2009

The tyrosinase‐immobilized biosensor was developed with the hydroxyl group‐functionalized multiwall carbon nanotube (MWNT) for phenol detection. The hydroxyl group‐modified MWNT was modified to include poly(GVPB)‐g‐MWNT, or poly(HEMA), by a radiation‐induced graft polymerization of glucosyl 4‐vinylphenylboronate (GVPB) or 2‐hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) on the surface of MWNT. The response of biosensor was in the range of 0.6–7.0 mM for concentration and in the range of 0.05–0.35 mM for phenol in a phosphate buffer solution, respectively. Various parameters influencing biosensor performance have been optimized: for pH, temperature, and the response to various phenolic compounds. The biosensor was then tested on phenolic compounds contained in three different commercial red wines.
Experiencing a Problem‐Based Learning Approach for Teaching Reconfigurable Architecture Design
Authors: Fabiani Erwan
Published: December 2009

This paper presents the “reconfigurable computing” teaching part of a computer science master course (first year) on parallel architectures. The practical work sessions of this course rely on active pedagogy using problem‐based learning, focused on designing a reconfigurable architecture for the implementation of an application class of image processing algorithms. We show how the successive steps of this project permit the student to experiment with several fundamental concepts of reconfigurable computing at different levels. Specific experiments include exploitation of architectural parallelism, dataflow and communicating component‐based design, and configurability‐specificity tradeoffs.
Targeting the EGF Receptor for Ovarian Cancer Therapy
Authors: Zeineldin Reema , Muller Carolyn Y. , Stack M. Sharon , Hudson Laurie G.
Published: December 2009

Ovarian carcinoma is the leading cause of death from gynecologic malignancy in the US. Factors such as the molecular heterogeneity of ovarian tumors and frequent diagnosis at advanced stages hamper effective disease treatment. There is growing emphasis on the identification and development of targeted therapies to disrupt molecular pathways in cancer. The epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor is one such protein target with potential utility in the management of ovarian cancer. This paper will discuss contributions of EGF receptor activation to ovarian cancer pathogenesis and the status of EGF receptor inhibitors and EGF receptor targeted therapies in ovarian cancer treatment.
Influence of Soy Lecithin Administration on Hypercholesterolemia
Authors: Mourad Amouni Mohamed , de Carvalho Pincinato Eder , Mazzola Priscila Gava , Sabha Maricene , Moriel Patricia
Published: December 2009

Recent studies suggest that lecithin-rich diet can modify cholesterol homeostasis and hepatic lipoprotein metabolism. Considering the phytotherapeutic impact of lecithin, this work hypothesizes that lecithin administration in hypercholesterolemic patients may reduce cholesterol concentrations by increasing biliary secretion. Total cholesterol and LDL were evaluated after soy lecithin administration in hypercholesterolemic patients. One soy lecithin capsule (500 mg/RP-Sherer) was administrated daily. One-two months before the treatment beginning, blood samples were collected for total lipids and cholesterol fractions analysis. The results showed a reduction of 40.66% and 42.00% in total cholesterol and of 42.05% and 56.15% in LDL cholesterol after treatment for one and two months, respectively. A significant reduction in total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentrations was observed during the first month of treatment, suggesting that the administration of soy lecithin daily may be used as a supplemental treatment in hypercholesterolemia.
On the Selection and Meaning of Variable Order Operators for Dynamic Modeling
Authors: Ramirez Lynnette E. S. , Coimbra Carlos F. M.
Published: December 2009

We review the application of differential operators of noninteger order to
the modeling of dynamic systems. We compare all the definitions of Variable Order
(VO) operators recently proposed in literature and select the VO operator that has
the desirable property of continuous transition between integer and non‐integer order
derivatives. We use the selected VO operator to connect the meaning of functional order
to the dynamic properties of a viscoelastic oscillator. We conclude that the order of
differentiation of a single VO operator that represents the dynamics of a viscoelastic
oscillator in stationary motion is a normalized phase shift. The normalization constant
is found by taking the difference between the order of the inertial term (2) and the order
of the spring term (0) and dividing this difference by the angular phase shift between
acceleration and position in radians (π), so that the normalization constant is simply
2/π.
Nutrient Status of Vermicompost of Urban Green Waste Processed by Three Earthworm Species—Eisenia fetida, Eudrilus eugeniae,andPerionyx excavatus
Authors: Pattnaik Swati , Reddy M. Vikram
Published: December 2009

Major nutrient status of vermicompost of vegetable market waste (MW) and floral waste (FW) processed by three species of earthworms namely,Eudrilus eugeniae, Eisenia fetida, andPerionyx excavatusand its simple compost were assessed across different periods in relation to their respective initiative substrates. Their physical parameters—temperature, moisture, pH, and electrical conductivity—were also recorded. The nutrients—nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium—increased in the vermicompost and compost while the organic carbon, C/N and C/P ratios decreased as the composting process progressed from 0 to 15, 30, 45, and 60 days. The nutrient statuses of vermicomposts of all earthworm species produced from both the wastes were more than that of the compost and that of their respective substrates. Moreover, the vermicompost produced byE. eugeniaepossessed higher nutrient contents than that ofE. fetida, P. excavatus, and compost. The MW showed higher nutrient contents than the FW. Thus, vermicomposting is the paramount approach of nutrient recovery of urban green waste.