bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On using the levelling of the free surface of a Newtonian fluid to measure viscosity and Navier slip length
Authors: Gilormini P. , Teyssèdre H.
Published: October 2013

Measuring the relaxation time involved in the levelling of a free surface of a Newtonian fluid laid on a substrate can give access to material parameters. It is shown here how most favourable pattern geometries of the free surface and film thicknesses can be defined for the measures of viscosity and Navier slip length at the fluid–solid interface, respectively. Moreover, we put special emphasis on the conditions required to avoid shear thinning by controlling the maximum shear rate. For initially sinusoidal patterns with infinitesimal amplitudes, an analytical solution including slip at the fluid–solid interface is used, and numerical simulations based on the natural element method allow one to discuss the effect of finite amplitudes. This leads to the definition of a relevance domain for the analytical solution that avoids the need for numerical simulations in practical applications. It is also shown how these results can be applied to crenelated profiles, where Fourier series expansion can be used, but with caution.
An ITS-based phylogenetic framework for the genus
Vorticella
: finding the molecular and morphological gaps in a taxonomically difficult group
Authors: Sun Ping , Clamp John C. , Xu Dapeng , Huang Bangqin , Shin Mann Kyoon , Turner Franziska
Published: October 2013

Vorticella
includes more than 100 currently recognized species and represents one of the most taxonomically challenging genera of ciliates. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of
Vorticella
has been performed so far with only sequences coding for small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA); only a few of its species have been investigated using other genetic markers owing to a lack of similar sequences for comparison. Consequently, phylogenetic relationships within the genus remain unclear, and molecular discrimination between morphospecies is often difficult because most regions of the SSU rRNA gene are too highly conserved to be helpful. In this paper, we move molecular systematics for this group of ciliates to the infrageneric level by sequencing additional molecular markers—fast-evolving internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions—in a broad sample of 66 individual samples of 28 morphospecies of
Vorticella
collected from Asia, North America and Europe. Our phylogenies all featured two strongly supported, highly divergent, paraphyletic clades (I, II) comprising the morphologically defined genus
Vorticella
. Three major lineages made up clade I, with a relatively well-resolved branching order in each one. The marked divergence of clade II from clade I confirms that the former should be recognized as a separate taxonomic unit as indicated by SSU rRNA phylogenies. We made the first attempt to elucidate relationships between species in clade II using both morphological and multi-gene approaches, and our data supported a close relationship between some morphospecies of
Vorticella
and
Opisthonecta
, indicating that relationships between species in the clade are far more complex than would be expected from their morphology. Different patterns of helix III of ITS2 secondary structure were clearly specific to clades and subclades of
Vorticella
and, therefore, may prove useful for resolving phylogenetic relationships in other groups of ciliates.
Headwaters are critical reservoirs of microbial diversity for fluvial networks
Authors: Besemer Katharina , Singer Gabriel , Quince Christopher , Bertuzzo Enrico , Sloan William , Battin Tom J.
Published: October 2013

Streams and rivers form conspicuous networks on the Earth and are among nature's most effective integrators. Their dendritic structure reaches into the terrestrial landscape and accumulates water and sediment en route from abundant headwater streams to a single river mouth. The prevailing view over the last decades has been that biological diversity also accumulates downstream. Here, we show that this pattern does not hold for fluvial biofilms, which are the dominant mode of microbial life in streams and rivers and which fulfil critical ecosystem functions therein. Using 454 pyrosequencing on benthic biofilms from 114 streams, we found that microbial diversity decreased from headwaters downstream and especially at confluences. We suggest that the local environment and biotic interactions may modify the influence of metacommunity connectivity on local biofilm biodiversity throughout the network. In addition, there was a high degree of variability in species composition among headwater streams that could not be explained by geographical distance between catchments. This suggests that the dendritic nature of fluvial networks constrains the distributional patterns of microbial diversity similar to that of animals. Our observations highlight the contributions that headwaters make in the maintenance of microbial biodiversity in fluvial networks.
The impact of specific and non-specific immunity on the ecology of
Streptococcus pneumoniae
and the implications for vaccination
Authors: Flasche Stefan , Edmunds W. John , Miller Elizabeth , Goldblatt David , Robertson Chris , Choi Yoon Hong
Published: October 2013

More than 90 capsular serotypes of
Streptococcus pneumoniae
coexist despite competing for nasopharyngeal carriage and a gradient in fitness. The underlying mechanisms for this are poorly understood and make assessment of the likely population impact of vaccination challenging. We use an individual-based simulation model to generalize widely used deterministic models for pneumococcal competition and show that in these models short-term serotype-specific and serotype non-specific immunity could constitute the mechanism governing between-host competition and coexistence. We find that non-specific immunity induces between-host competition and that serotype-specific immunity limits a type's competitive advantage and allows stable coexistence of multiple serotypes. Serotypes carried at low prevalence show high variance in carriage levels, which would result in apparent outbreaks if they were highly pathogenic. Vaccination against few serotypes can lead to elimination of the vaccine types and induces replacement by others. However, in simulations where the elimination of the targeted types is achieved only by a combination of vaccine effects and the competitive pressure of the non-vaccine types, a universal vaccine with similar-type-specific effectiveness can fail to eliminate pneumococcal carriage and offers limited herd immunity. Hence, if vaccine effects are insufficient to control the majority of serotypes at the same time, then exploiting the competitive pressure by selective vaccination can help control the most pathogenic serotypes.
Experimental evidence that extra-pair mating drives asymmetrical introgression of a sexual trait
Authors: Baldassarre Daniel T. , Webster Michael S.
Published: October 2013

Theory suggests that traits under positive selection may introgress asymmetrically across a hybrid zone, potentially driven by sexual selection. Two subspecies of the red-backed fairy-wren (
Malurus melanocephalus
) differ primarily in a sexual signal used in mate choice—red versus orange male back plumage colour—but phylogeographic analyses suggest asymmetrical introgression of red plumage into the genetic background of the orange subspecies. We hypothesized that this asymmetrical introgression may be facilitated by sexual selection if red males have a mating advantage over orange males. We tested this hypothesis with correlational data and a plumage manipulation experiment where we reddened the back plumage of a subset of orange males to mimic males of the red subspecies. There was no correlational evidence of a mating advantage to naturally redder males in this population. Experimentally reddened males sired a similar amount of within-pair young and lost paternity at the same rate as orange males, but they sired significantly more extra-pair young, leading to substantially higher total reproductive success. Thus, we conclude that sexual selection via extra-pair mating is a likely mechanism responsible for the asymmetrical introgression of plumage colour in this system, and is potentially driven by a sensory bias for the red plumage signal.
A new Late Eocene primate from the Krabi Basin (Thailand) and the diversity of Palaeogene anthropoids in southeast Asia
Authors: Chaimanee Yaowalak , Chavasseau Olivier , Lazzari Vincent , Euriat Adélaïde , Jaeger Jean-Jacques
Published: October 2013

According to the most recent discoveries from the Middle Eocene of Myanmar and China, anthropoid primates originated in Asia rather than in Africa, as was previously considered. But the Asian Palaeogene anthropoid community remains poorly known and inadequately sampled, being represented only from China, Myanmar, Pakistan and Thailand. Asian Eocene anthropoids can be divided into two distinct groups, the stem group eosimiiforms and the possible crown group amphipithecids, but the phylogenetic relationships between these two groups are not well understood. Therefore, it is critical to understand their evolutionary history and relationships by finding additional fossil taxa. Here, we describe a new small-sized fossil anthropoid primate from the Late Eocene Krabi locality in Thailand,Krabia minuta, which shares several derived characters with the amphipithecids. It displays several unique dental characters, such as extreme bunodonty and reduced trigon surface area, that have never been observed in other Eocene Asian anthropoids. These features indicate that morphological adaptations were more diversified among amphipithecids than was previously expected, and raises the problem of the phylogenetic relations between the crown anthropoids and their stem group eosimiiforms, on one side, and the modern anthropoids, on the other side.
A critical role for suppressor of cytokine signalling 3 in promoting M1 macrophage activation and function in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Arnold Christina E. , Whyte Claire S. , Gordon Peter , Barker Robert N. , Rees Andrew J. , Wilson Heather M.
Published: October 2013

Macrophages respond to their microenvironment and develop polarized functions critical for orchestrating appropriate inflammatory responses. Classical (M1) activation eliminates pathogens while alternative (M2) activation promotes regulation and repair. M1 macrophage activation is strongly associated with suppressor of cytokine signalling 3 (SOCS3) expression in vitro, but the functional consequences of this are unclear and the role of SOCS3 in M1‐macrophage polarization in vivo remains controversial. To address these questions, we defined the characteristics and function of SOCS3‐expressing macrophages in vivo and identified potential mechanisms of SOCS3 action. Macrophages infiltrating inflamed glomeruli in a model of acute nephritis show significant up‐regulation of SOCS3 that co‐localizes with the M1‐activation marker, inducible nitric oxide synthase. Numbers of SOCS3hi‐expressing, but not SOCS1hi‐expressing, macrophages correlate strongly with the severity of renal injury, supporting their inflammatory role in vivo. Adoptive transfer of SOCS3‐short interfering RNA‐silenced macrophages into a peritonitis model demonstrated the importance of SOCS3 in driving production of pro‐inflammatory IL‐6 and nitric oxide, while curtailing expression of anti‐inflammatory IL‐10 and SOCS1. SOCS3‐induced pro‐inflammatory effects were due, at least in part, to its role in controlling activation and nuclear accumulation of nuclear factor‐κB and activity of phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase. We show for the first time that SOCS3 also directs the functions of human monocyte‐derived macrophages, including efficient M1‐induced cytokine production (IL‐1β, IL‐6, IL‐23, IL‐12), attenuated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 activity and ability of antigen‐loaded macrophages to drive T‐cell responses. Hence, M1‐associated SOCS3 was a positive regulator of pro‐inflammatory responses in our rodent models and up‐regulated SOCS3 is essential for effective M1‐macrophage activation and function in human macrophages.
Confidence Distribution, the Frequentist Distribution Estimator of a Parameter: A Review
Authors: Xie Min‐ge , Singh Kesar
Published: October 2013

Il est courant, en inférence fréquentielle, d'utiliser un point unique (une estimation ponctuelle) ou un intervalle (intervalle de confiance) dans le but d'estimer un paramètre d'intér^t. Une question très simple se pose: peut‐on également utiliser, dans le même but, et dans la même optique fréquentielle, à la façon dont les Bayésiens utilisent une loi a posteriori, une distribution de probabilité? La réponse est affirmative, et les distributions de confiance apparaissent comme un choix naturel dans ce contexte. Le concept de distribution de confiance a une longue histoire, longtemps associée, à tort, aux théories d'inférence fiducielle, ce qui a compromis son développement dans l'optique fréquentielle. Les distributions de confiance ont récemment attiré un regain d'intérêt, et plusieurs résultats ont mis en évidence leur potentiel considérable en tant qu'outil inférentiel. Cet article présente une définition moderne du concept, et examine les ses évolutions récentes. Il aborde les méthodes d'inférence, les problèmes d'optimalité, et les applications. A la lumière de ces nouveaux développements, le concept de distribution de confiance englobe et unifie un large éventail de cas particuliers, depuis les exemples paramétriques réguliers (distributions fiducielles), les lois de rééchantillonnage, lesp‐valeurs et les fonctions de vraisemblance normalisées jusqu'aux a priori et posteriori bayésiens. La discussion est entièrement menée d'un point de vue fréquentiel, et met l'accent sur les applications dans lesquelles les solutions fréquentielles sont inexistantes ou d'une application difficile. Bien que nous attirions également l'attention sur les similitudes et les différences que présentent les approches fréquentielle, fiducielle, et Bayésienne, notre intention n'est pas de rouvrir un débat philosophique qui dure depuis près de deux cents ans. Nous espérons bien au contraire contribuer à combler le fossé qui existe entre les différents points de vue.
Modelling Strategies for Repeated Multiple Response Data
Authors: Suesse Thomas , Liu Ivy
Published: October 2013

Cet article examine les stratégies de modélisation pour des mesures répétées de variables á réponses multiples. Ces donnes surviennent dans le contexte de variables catégoriques oú l'on peut sélectionner une ou plusieurs catégories de réponse. Nous considérons chacune des réponses multiples comme un résultat binaire et nous utilisons une approche de modélisation marginal (ou population‐moyenne) pour analyser ses esprances. Des équations d'estimation généralisées sont utilisées pour tenir compte des différentes structures de corrélation, á la fois dans le temps et entre les éléments. Nous examinons également une approche alternative en utilisant un modéle linéaire généralisé mixte avec des interprétations conditionnelles. Nous appliquons les diffrentes méthodes et comparons les résultats en utilisant des données provenant dun groupe détudes réalisé en Australie appelé “the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics Survey” (Enquéte dynamique sur les foyers, les revenus et le travail).
Reactive lesions of the gingiva
Authors: Eversole L. R. , Rovin S.
Published: October 2013

Abstract. A total of 279 cases of reactive lesions of the gingiva have been subdivided into three groups: pyogenic granuloma/gingival fibromatoid lesions, peripheral giant cell granuloma and peripheral ossifying fibroma. Age, sex and and site distribution arc similar for pyogenic granuloma/gingival fibromatoid lesions and peripheral giant cell granuloma; namely, comparable bimodal age peaks occur, women are affected more often, and a predilection exists for the anterior segment of the dental arch. Although peripheral ossifying fibromas also have the same sex and site predilection, incidence occurs as a single age peak in the second decade with a continuous decline thereafter. Clinical and histopathologic features invite speculation that all three lesions represent varied histologic responses to irritation.
What Happened to Discrete Chaos, the Quenouille Process, and the Sharp Markov Property? Some History of Stochastic Point Processes
Authors: Guttorp Peter , Thorarinsdottir Thordis L.
Published: October 2013

The use of properties of a Poisson process to study the randomness of stars is traced back to a 1767 paper. The process was used and rediscovered many times, and we mention some of the early scientific areas. The name Poisson process was first used in print in 1940, and we believe the term was coined in the corridors of Stockholm University some time between 1936 and 1939. We follow the early developments of doubly stochastic processes and cluster processes, and describe different efforts to apply the Markov property to point processes.
Assessing the Performance of Classification Methods
Authors: Hand David J.
Published: October 2013

A large number of measures have been developed for evaluating the performance of classification rules. Some of these have been developed to meet the practical requirements of specific applications, but many others—which here we call “classification accuracy” criteria—represent different ways of balancing the different kinds of misclassification which may be made. This paper reviews classification accuracy criteria. However, the literature is now so large and diverse that a comprehensive list, covering all the measures and their variants, would probably be impossible. Instead, this paper embeds such measures in general framework, spanning the possibilities, and draws attention to relationships between them. Important points to note are, firstly, that different performance measures, by definition, measure different aspects of performance; secondly, that one should therefore carefully choose a measure to match the objectives of one's study; and, thirdly, that empirical comparisons between instruments measuring different aspects are of limited value.
Interval Estimation of Treatment Effects In Randomized Trials: When do Confidence Intervals Have Nominal Coverage?
Authors: Scosyrev Emil
Published: October 2013

In the classical theory of randomized trials (RTs), the treatment effect is defined as a mean difference of potential outcomes. To achieve nominal coverage probability for confidence intervals (CIs) on treatment effects in RTs, certain assumptions are necessary. Specifically, one must either make assumptions about the joint distribution of potential outcomes or enroll subjects in the trial by random sampling of the target population on which the treatment effect is defined. In practice, no such sampling usually takes place and assumptions about the joint distribution of potential outcomes cannot be verified based on observed data. Furthermore, the most common of these assumptions, such as treatment‐unit additivity (TUA) or independence are biologically implausible in most RTs involving human subjects. Hence, it is not usually possible to construct CIs on treatment effects with nominal coverage probability. However, for any joint distribution of potential outcomes, the standard estimator of the variance of the difference of two independent sample means produces CIs with asymptotic coverage at least at the nominal level. This interpretation of CIs as conservative bounds may not always hold in conventional regression models applied to RT data.
Multi‐state Stochastic Processes: A Statistical Flowgraph Perspective
Authors: Collins David H. , Huzurbazar Aparna V.
Published: October 2013

Two‐state models (working/failed or alive/dead) are widely used in reliability and survival analysis. In contrast, multi‐state stochastic processes provide a richer framework for modeling and analyzing the progression of a process from an initial to a terminal state, allowing incorporation of more details of the process mechanism. We review multi‐state models, focusing on time‐homogeneous semi‐Markov processes (SMPs), and then describe the statistical flowgraph framework, which comprises analysis methods and algorithms for computing quantities of interest such as the distribution of first passage times to a terminal state. These algorithms algebraically combine integral transforms of the waiting time distributions in each state and invert them to get the required results. The estimated transforms may be based on parametric distributions or on empirical distributions of sample transition data, which may be censored. The methods are illustrated with several applications.
Origin of the Eocene planktonic foraminifer Hantkenina by gradual evolution
Authors: Pearson Paul N. , Coxall Helen K.
Published: October 2013

Hantkenina is a distinctive planktonic foraminiferal genus characterized by the presence of tubulospines (robust hollow projections) on each adult chamber, from Middle and Upper Eocene marine sediments worldwide. Here we illustrate its evolutionary origin using c. 150 specimens from 30 stratigraphic intervals in two sediment cores from Tanzania. The specimens, which span an estimated time interval of 300 ka, show four intermediate steps in the evolution of the tubulospines that amount to a complete intergradation from Clavigerinella caucasica, which does not possess them, to Hantkenina mexicana, which does. Stable isotope analyses indicate that the transitional forms evolved in a deep planktonic habitat not occupied at that time by other species of planktonic foraminifera. We discuss the morphogenetic constraints involved in the evolutionary transition and propose an ecological/adaptive model for the selective pressures that resulted in the evolution of tubulospines. We compare our record with similar, recently described assemblages from Austria and Italy, and we update the biostratigraphy and systematic taxonomy of the key morphospecies involved in the transition.
SiO2/TiO2 distributed Bragg reflector near 1.5 μm fabricated by e-beam evaporation
Authors: Feng I-Wen , Jin Sixuan , Li Jing , Lin Jingyu , Jiang Hongxing
Published: October 2013

The authors report on the fabrication and characterization of SiO2/TiO2 distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) mirrors operating at the eye safe and optical communication wavelength window, λ = 1.5 μm. Our experimental results demonstrated that SiO2/TiO2 DBR mirrors with reflectivity exceeding 95% at λ = 1.5 μm can be achieved using e-beam evaporation in conjunction with postdeposition thermal annealing process in ambient air. It was found that the postdeposition annealing process transformed the crystal structure of the as-deposited TixOy to TiO2, leading to a significant reduction in optical absorption. Erbium doped III-nitride semiconductors incorporating DBR mirrors at 1.5 μm emission may open up many novel applications, including infrared emitters, optical amplifiers, and high power infrared lasers.
Quantification of organ motion based on an adaptive image‐based scale invariant feature method
Authors: Paganelli Chiara , Peroni Marta , Baroni Guido , Riboldi Marco
Published: October 2013

Purpose:

The availability of corresponding landmarks in IGRT image series allows quantifying the inter and intrafractional motion of internal organs. In this study, an approach for the automatic localization of anatomical landmarks is presented, with the aim of describing the nonrigid motion of anatomo‐pathological structures in radiotherapy treatments according to local image contrast.

Methods:

An adaptive scale invariant feature transform (SIFT) was developed from the integration of a standard 3D SIFT approach with a local image‐based contrast definition. The robustness and invariance of the proposed method to shape‐preserving and deformable transforms were analyzed in a CT phantom study. The application of contrast transforms to the phantom images was also tested, in order to verify the variation of the local adaptive measure in relation to the modification of image contrast. The method was also applied to a lung 4D CT dataset, relying on manual feature identification by an expert user as ground truth. The 3D residual distance between matches obtained in adaptive‐SIFT was then computed to verify the internal motion quantification with respect to the expert user. Extracted corresponding features in the lungs were used as regularization landmarks in a multistage deformable image registration (DIR) mapping the inhale vs exhale phase. The residual distances between the warped manual landmarks and their reference position in the inhale phase were evaluated, in order to provide a quantitative indication of the registration performed with the three different point sets.

Results:

The phantom study confirmed the method invariance and robustness properties to shape‐preserving and deformable transforms, showing residual matching errors below the voxel dimension. The adapted SIFT algorithm on the 4D CT dataset provided automated and accurate motion detection of peak to peak breathing motion. The proposed method resulted in reduced residual errors with respect to standard SIFT, providing a motion description comparable to expert manual identification, as confirmed by DIR.

Conclusions:

The application of the method to a 4D lung CT patient dataset demonstrated adaptive‐SIFT potential as an automatic tool to detect landmarks for DIR regularization and internal motion quantification. Future works should include the optimization of the computational cost and the application of the method to other anatomical sites and image modalities.
Model System to Define Pharmacokinetic Requirements for Antimalarial Drug Efficacy
Authors: Bakshi Rahul P. , Nenortas Elizabeth , Tripathi Abhai K. , Sullivan David J. , Shapiro Theresa A.
Published: October 2013

An in vitro system can determine the pharmacokinetic drivers of antimalarial drug pharmacodynamics, leading to more rationally developed new drug candidates.
Neutrophils Block Bacterial Flood in Gut Infection
Authors: Polage Christopher R.
Published: October 2013

Neutrophils form a protective cast around commensal bacteria to limit mucosal exposure during intestinal infections.
Staphylococcus aureus Protein A Promotes Immune Suppression
Authors: Kobayashi Scott D. , DeLeo Frank R.
Published: October 2013

Staphylococcus aureusis a prominent cause of human infections worldwide and is notorious for its ability to acquire resistance to antibiotics. Methicillin-resistantS. aureus(MRSA), in particular, is endemic in hospitals and is the most frequent cause of community-associated bacterial infections in the United States. Inasmuch as treatment options for severe MRSA infections are limited, there is need for a vaccine that protects against such infections. However, recent efforts to generate a staphylococcal vaccine have met with little success in human clinical trials. These failures are somewhat puzzling, since the vaccine antigens tested promote opsonophagocytosisin vitroand confer protection in animal infection models. One possibility is that the pathogen inhibits (and/or fails to elicit) the development of protective immunity in humans. Indeed,S. aureusproduces numerous molecules that can potentially promote immune evasion, including protein A (SpA), an immunoglobulin (Ig)-binding protein present on the bacterial surface and freely secreted into the extracellular environment. SpA binds the Fc region of antibody and the Fab regions of the B-cell receptor, processes that are known to block opsonophagocytosis and cause B-cell deathin vitro. In a recent study, Falugi et al. [F. Falugi, H. K. Kim, D. M. Missiakas, and O. Schneewind, mBio 4(5):e00575-13, 2013] showed that vaccination withspamutantS. aureusstrains lacking antibody Fc- and/or Fab-binding capacity protects against subsequent challenge with the USA300 epidemic strain. The findings provide strong support for the idea that SpA promotesS. aureusimmune evasionin vivoand form the foundation for a new approach in our efforts to develop a vaccine that prevents severeS. aureusinfections.
Hormonal responses after resistance exercise performed with maximum and submaximum movement velocities
Authors: Smilios Ilias , Tsoukos Panagiotis , Zafeiridis Andreas , Spassis Apostolos , Tokmakidis Savvas P.
Published: October 2013

This study examined the effects of maximum and submaximum movement velocities after a muscular hypertrophy type resistance exercise protocol on testosterone, human growth hormone (hGH) and cortisol concentrations and on neuromuscular performance assessed with a vertical jump. Eleven males performed a control and 3 resistance exercise protocols (4 sets of squat and 4 sets of leg-press exercises, 8 repetitions/set, 10-repetition maximum load). The first exercise protocol was performed at maximum velocity (Vmax); the second at 70% of Vmax with equal training volume (70%VmaxEV) to Vmax; and the third at 70% of Vmax (70%Vmax) with a 10.6% higher training volume to Vmax. Testosterone and hGH increased after all exercise protocols (p < 0.05) compared with baseline and were higher versus control values (p < 0.05). Cortisol concentrations gradually decreased in 70%Vmax, 70%VmaxEV and control protocols following a typical circadian rhythm (p < 0.05), but remained relatively constant in Vmax protocol. Comparisons among protocols showed that hGH was higher in 70%Vmax versus Vmax (p < 0.05), while cortisol was higher in Vmax versus 70%VmaxEV and control (p < 0.05). The greatest reduction in vertical jump and increase in heart rate were observed after the Vmax protocol (p < 0.05). In conclusion, a hypertrophy type resistance exercise protocol performed at maximum movement velocity increases testosterone and hGH and generates a greater biological stress, as evident by a higher cortisol concentrations and heart rate responses, and a greater reduction in neuromuscular performance. A protocol, however, performed at submaximum movement velocity combined with greater training volume stimulates to a greater extent the hGH response with no effect on cortisol.
Elastoplastic numerical approach for predicting the electro-osmotic consolidation behaviour of soft clays
Authors: Jeyakanthan V. , Gnanendran C.T.
Published: October 2013

A finite element (FE) formulation for electro-osmotic consolidation (EOC) analysis is developed in this paper which was implemented in a FE analysis (FEA) program. This formulation is integrated with the elastoplastic Modified Cam Clay (MCC) model to capture the nonlinear stress–strain behaviour of the soil during EOC using the fully coupled analysis approach. The numerical model is verified against triaxial EOC test data and close form solutions of typical one-dimensional EOC problems. Details of the formulation and the results of the validation analyses are reported in this paper.
Population decline in semi-migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus): intrinsic or extrinsic drivers?
Authors: Bastille-Rousseau Guillaume , Schaefer James A. , Mahoney Shane P. , Murray Dennis L.
Published: October 2013

Many populations of caribou (Rangifer tarandus (L., 1758)) across North America, including Newfoundland, are in a state of decline. This phenomenon may reflect continental-scale changes in either the extrinsic or the intrinsic factors affecting caribou abundance. We hypothesized that caribou decline reflected marked resource limitation and predicted that fluctuations should correspond to time-delayed density dependence associated with a decline in range quality and decadal trends in winter severity. By conducting time-series analysis using 12 populations and evaluating correlations between caribou abundance and trends in (i) vegetation available at calving (normalized difference vegetation index, NDVI), (ii) winter weather severity (index of North Atlantic Oscillation, NAO), and (iii) caribou morphometrics, we observed strong evidence of density dependence in population dynamics (i.e., a negative relationship between caribou population size and caribou morphometrics). Caribou population trajectories were time-delayed relative to winter severity, but not relative to calving-ground greenness. These island-wide correlations could not be traced to dispersal between herds, which appears rare at least for adult females. Our results suggest that trends in winter severity may synchronize broad-scale changes in caribou abundance that are driven by time-delayed density dependence, although it remains possible that calving-ground deterioration also may contribute to population limitation in Newfoundland. Our findings provide the basis for additional research into density dependence and caribou population decline.
GIBBS ENTROPY APPROACH TO THE REALIZATION OF QUBITS AND QUTRITS
Authors: SARRIS CLAUDIA M. , PROTO ARACELI N. , MALIK F. BARY
Published: October 2013

We investigate, in this paper, the possibilities of generating qubits and qutrits in strongly correlated systems described by a modified of Hubbard Hamiltonian. Out of the complete set of commutating operators that form a close Lie algebra with this Hamiltonian, one can generate a particular operator, the expectation values of which, with respect to the density matrix generated from the Gibbs entropy by Maximum Entropy Principle (MEP), are 0 and ±1 near a particular temperature. This density matrix is generated by the superposition of highly coherent two-electronic states, analogous to the BCS ones. The concurrent existence of the expectation values of 0, +1 and -1 of this operator with respect to the density matrix occurs near the phase transition of aligned states to anti-aligned states. These are qutrits, which in the absence of a magnetic field reduces to qubits. We also present the general uncertainty principle (GUP) valid for the set of these operators, evaluate its value for specific heat, and examine the behavior of the specific heat and the related GUP as a function of the temperature. This temperature dependence of the specific heat, exhibits the expected trend of phase transition near the transition temperature. For the chosen Hamiltonian, we present the derivation of the postulate of Weiss' mean field theory. This relation points to the fact that to generate qubits and qutrits for the system investigated here, it must have an intrinsic magnetic field and be a strongly correlated system such as manganites. This investigation further points to the fact that the qutrits gate may be a suitable quantum computing algorithm for systems with intrinsic magnetic and applied electromagnetic fields, since in the presence of such fields z-projections of the state with spin-1 are no longer degenerate. This investigation establishes that the thermodynamical evolution of fermion pair in the presence of an interaction with its environment are different for qubits and qutrits, particularly in the presence of an internal and external magnetic field and possibly for the general case of electro-magnetic field.
DONOR BOUND EXCITONS CONFINED IN WURTZITE InGaN/GaN QUANTUM DOT NANOWIRE HETEROSTRUCTURES
Authors: ZHANG MIN , SHI JUN-JIE
Published: October 2013

Within the framework of the effective-mass approximation, the donor bound exciton states and interband optical transitions in InGaN / GaN strained quantum dot (QD) nanowire heterostructures (NWHETs) are investigated using a variational method, in which the built-in electric field (BEF) effect due to the spontaneous and piezoelectric polarizations and the three-dimensional (3D) confinement of the electron and hole in the QD are considered. Our results show that the position of the ionized donor, the strong BEF, the In-composition and the QD structural parameters have a significant influence on the donor bound exciton binding energy, the electron interband optical transitions and the exciton oscillator strength. The donor bound exciton binding energy increases obviously if the donor position changes from the left-interface to the right-interface. The BEF reduces the bound exciton binding energy and the exciton oscillator strength. The donor bound exciton binding energy increases, if the In-fraction increases. The emission wavelength monotonically increases if the QD height and radius increase.
RICH TOMOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES FOR THE ANALYSIS OF MICROSTRUCTURE AND DEFORMATION
Authors: BAIMPAS NIKOLAOS , XIE MENGYIN , SONG XU , HOFMANN FELIX , ABBEY BRIAN , MARROW JAMES , MOSTAFAVI MAHMOUD , MI JIAWEI , KORSUNSKY ALEXANDER M.
Published: October 2013

Until very recently, the three-dimensionality of the material world presented numerous challenges in terms of characterization, data handling, visualization, and modeling. For this reason, 2D representation of sections, projections, or surfaces remained the mainstay of most popular imaging techniques, such as optical and electron microscopy and X-ray radiography. However, the advent of faster computers with greater memory capacity ensured that large 3D matrices can now not only be stored and manipulated efficiently, but also that advanced algorithms such as algebraic reconstruction techniques (ART) can be used to interpret redundant datasets containing multiple projections or averages across the object obtained by some suitable analytical measurement technique. These tools open up unprecedented opportunities for numerical simulation. Model formulation can be accomplished semi-automatically on the basis of microstructurally-informed 3D imaging, while model validation can be achieved by direct comparison of 3D maps of complex quantities, such as displacement vectors or strain tensor components. In this paper, we review several modalities of what can be referred to as "rich" tomography: strain tomography in the bulk of a load bearing structural component; Laue orientation tomography for nondestructive mapping of grain orientation within a polycrystal, and the use of sequences of tomographic reconstructions for digital volume correlation (DVC) analysis of in situ deformation.
A NODE-BASED ERROR ESTIMATOR FOR THE ELEMENT-FREE GALERKIN (EFG) METHOD
Authors: HE YIQIAN , YANG HAITIAN , DEEKS ANDREW J.
Published: October 2013

Meshless methods are suitable for adaptive analysis, as the nodes are unstructured, and can be added or deleted freely. However, the smooth shape functions may produce spurious oscillation away from the region containing error, which may result in addition of unnecessary nodes. In order to avoid the influence of spurious oscillation on adaptive analysis, a node-based error estimator is presented. The recovered nodal stress value is obtained from a reference solution using a double refinement technique. Numerical tests are presented illustrating the effectiveness of the proposed approach in the terms of the number and distribution of nodes compared with traditional approaches.
A REFINED AND SIMPLE SHEAR DEFORMATION THEORY FOR THERMAL BUCKLING OF SOLAR FUNCTIONALLY GRADED PLATES ON ELASTIC FOUNDATION
Authors: KHALFI YACINE , HOUARI MOHAMMED SID AHMED , TOUNSI ABDELOUAHED
Published: October 2013

A refined and simple shear deformation theory for thermal buckling of solar functionally graded plate (SFGP) resting on two-parameter Pasternak's foundations is developed. The displacement field is chosen based on assumptions that the in-plane and transverse displacements consist of bending and shear components, and the shear components of in-plane displacements give rise to the parabolic variation of shear strain through the thickness in such a way that shear stresses vanish on the plate surfaces. Therefore, there is no need to use shear correction factor. The number of independent unknowns of present theory is four, as against five in other shear deformation theories. It is assumed that the material properties of the plate vary through the thickness of the plate as a power function. The neutral surface position for such plate is determined, and the present plate theory based on exact neutral surface position is employed to derive the governing stability equations. The nonlinear strain-displacement relations are also taken into consideration. The boundary conditions for the plate are assumed to be simply supported in all edges. Closed-form solutions are presented to calculate the critical buckling temperature, which are useful for engineers in design. The effects of the foundation parameters, plate dimensions, and power law index are presented comprehensively for the thermal buckling of solar functionally graded plates.
SEMIDERIVATIONS SATISFYING CERTAIN ALGEBRAIC IDENTITIES ON PRIME NEAR-RINGS
Authors: Boua Abdelkarim , Oukhtite Lahcen
Published: October 2013

In this paper it is shown that zero symmetric prime left near-rings satisfying certain identities involving semiderivations are commutative rings.
Dominant vs. nondominant arm advantage in mentally simulated actions in right handers
Authors: Gandrey Philippe , Paizis Christos , Karathanasis Vassilis , Gueugneau Nicolas , Papaxanthis Charalambos
Published: October 2013

Although plentiful data are available regarding mental states involving the dominant-right arm, the evidence for the nondominant-left arm is sparse. Here, we investigated whether right-handers can generate accurate predictions with either the right or the left arm. Fifteen adults carried out actual and mental arm movements in two directions with varying inertial resistance (inertial anisotropy phenomenon). We recorded actual and mental movement times and used the degree of their similarity as an indicator for the accuracy of motor imagery/prediction process. We found timing correspondences (isochrony) between actual and mental right arm movements in both rightward (low inertia resistance) and leftward (high inertia resistance) directions. Timing similarities between actual and mental left arm movements existed for the leftward direction (low inertia resistance) but not for the rightward direction (high inertia resistance). We found similar results when participants reaching towards the midline of the workspace, a result that excludes a hemispace effect. Electromyographic analysis during mental movements showed that arm muscles remained inactivate, thus eliminating a muscle activation strategy that could explain intermanual differences. Furthermore, motor-evoked potentials enhancement in both right and left biceps brachii during mental actions indicated that subjects were actively engaged in mental movement simulation and that the disadvantage of the left arm cannot be attributed to the nonactivation of the right motor cortex. Our findings suggest that predictive mechanisms are more robust for the right than the left arm in right-handers. We discussed these findings from the perspective of the internal models theory and the dynamic-dominance hypothesis of laterality.
Functional difference in short- and long-latency interhemispheric inhibitions from active to resting hemisphere during a unilateral muscle contraction
Authors: Uehara Kazumasa , Morishita Takuya , Kubota Shinji , Hirano Masato , Funase Kozo
Published: October 2013

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether there is a functional difference in short-latency (SIHI) and long-latency (LIHI) interhemispheric inhibition from the active to the resting primary motor cortex (M1) with paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation during a unilateral muscle contraction. In nine healthy right-handed participants, IHI was tested from the dominant to the nondominant M1 and vice versa under resting conditions or during performance of a sustained unilateral muscle contraction with the right or left first dorsal interosseous muscle at 10% and 30% maximum voluntary contraction. To obtain measurements of SIHI and LIHI, a conditioning stimulus (CS) was applied over the M1 contralateral to the muscle contraction, followed by a test stimulus over the M1 ipsilateral to the muscle contraction at short (10 ms) and long (40 ms) interstimulus intervals. We used four CS intensities to investigate SIHI and LIHI from the active to the resting M1 systematically. The amount of IHI during the unilateral muscle contractions showed a significant difference between SIHI and LIHI, but the amount of IHI during the resting condition did not. In particular, SIHI during the muscle contractions, but not LIHI, significantly increased with increase in CS intensity compared with the resting condition. Laterality of IHI was not detected in any of the experimental conditions. The present study provides novel evidence that a functional difference between SIHI and LIHI from the active to the resting M1 exists during unilateral muscle contractions.
Fabrication of Conductive Polypyrrole Nanofibers by Electrospinning
Authors: Cong Yiqun , Liu Shize , Chen Haifeng
Published: October 2013

Electrospinning is employed to prepare conductive polypyrrole nanofibers with uniform morphology and good mechanical strength. Soluble PPy was synthesized with NaDEHS as dopant and then applied to electrospinning with or without PEO as carrier. The PEO contents had great influence on the morphology and conductivity of the electrospun material. The results of these experiments will allow us to have a better understanding of PPy electrospun nanofibers and will permit the design of effective electrodes in the BMIs fields.
A Novel Pseudo-PMOS Integrated ISFET Device for Water Quality Monitoring
Authors: Whig Pawan , Ahmad Syed Naseem
Published: October 2013

The paper presents a performance analysis of novel CMOS Integrated pseudo-PMOS ISFET (PP-ISFET) having zero static power dissipation. The main focus is on simulation of power and performance analysis along with the comparison with existing devices, which is used for water quality monitoring. The conventional devices, generally used, consume high power and are not stable for long term monitoring. The conventional device has the drawbacks of low value of slew rate, high power consumption, and nonlinear characteristics, but in this novel design, due to zero static power, less load capacitance on input signals, faster switching, fewer transistors, and higher circuit density, the device exhibits a better slew rate and piecewise linear characteristics and is seen consuming low power of the order of 30 mW. The proposed circuit reduces total power consumption per cycle, increases the speed of operation, is fairly linear, and is simple to implement.
Multicentric Castleman’s Disease, Associated with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura
Authors: Sood Ruchi , Taylor Harris C. , Daw Hamed
Published: October 2013

The most common cause of a neck mass in young adults is hyperplastic lymphadenopathy consequent to infection and inflammation. Castleman’s disease (CD), an unusual benign lymphoproliferative disorder, infrequently causes neck masses. It occurs in unicentric (UCD) and multicentric (MCD) forms and is associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8), and Kaposi's sarcoma. We present the third known association between MCD and previous immune thrombocytopenia in the absence of HIV and HHV-8 infection and review its association with other autoimmune disorders and attendant implications for pathogenesis. Finally, we summarize the current approach to therapy.
Development and Validation of an ELISA at Acidic pH for the Quantitative Determination of IL-13 in Human Plasma and Serum
Authors: Doucet Julie , Zhao An , Fu Jean , Avrameas Alexandre
Published: October 2013

A novel sandwich ELISA for the quantitative and sensitive determination of IL-13 in human serum and plasma was established. The assay employs an incubation step at acidic pH, which was shown to decrease nonspecific binding and interference from IL-13 binding proteins. The assay was validated and was shown to be accurate and precise over the entire quantification range (0.59 to 68.4 pg/mL in human EDTA plasma). The validated assay was successfully applied to samples from healthy volunteers and patients with atopic seasonal rhinitis. The assay is suitable for use in clinical trials to monitor efficacy or pharmacodynamic effects of drug candidates.