bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dexmedetomidine-Induced Fever
Authors: Reeve Amanda R. , Cooper Brad E.
Published: September 2013

Objective: To report a case of a patient who developed high fever shortly after dexmedetomidine was started and resolved rapidly after discontinuation. This appears to be a rare adverse event that should be brought to the attention of critical care practitioners. Case Summary: A 68-year-old male with no previous medical history was admitted after experiencing a non-ST elevation myocardial infarction. On hospital day 10, he underwent coronary artery bypass grafting and mitral valve replacement. Initially, he did well and was extubated the following day. On postoperative day (POD) 2, he went into respiratory failure and was intubated and started on lorazepam and fentanyl infusions for sedation. His maximum temperature at this point was 38.7°C. He was treated appropriately for a possible systemic inflammatory response syndrome/septic shock. On POD 4, he was initiated on a lidocaine drip following 2 episodes of ventricular fibrillation. On POD 5, the patient was initiated on dexmedetomidine for sedation, and his temperature was 36.8°C. A maximum temperature of 40.6°C was reached 17 hours after the initiation of the drip. Lidocaine was discontinued, and the temperature decreased from 39.7°C to 39.2°C over 2 hours. At this time, dexmedetomidine was discontinued, and within 2 hours his temperature decreased from 39.2°C to 38.4°C. Discussion: There has only been one other published case reported in the literature regarding fever with dexmedetomidine. Since lidocaine cannot be completely ruled out, the Naranjo probability scale indicated that dexmedetomidine was the possible cause of the fever; however, the patient remained afebrile while on lidocaine until dexmedetomidine was initiated. Conclusions: This case demonstrates a possible cause of dexmedetomidine-induced fever. It is important for physicians to recognize this as a possible side effect and consider dexmedetomidine in the differential diagnosis of patients who develop fever in the intensive care unit.
Systematic study of effect of cross-drafts and nozzle diameter on shield gas coverage in MIG welding
Authors: Beyer V , Campbell S W , Ramsey G M , Galloway A M , Moore A J , McPherson N A
Published: September 2013

A shield gas flowrate of 15–20 L min−1 is typically specified in metal inert gas welding, but is often adjusted to as high as 36 L min−1 by welders in practice. Not only is this overuse of shield gas wasteful, but uncontrolled high gas flows can lead to significant turbulence induced porosity in the final weld. There is therefore a need to understand and control the minimum shield gas flowrate used in practical welding where cross-drafts may affect the coverage. Very low gas coverage or no shielding leads to porosity and spatter development in the weld region. A systematic study is reported of the weld quality achieved for a range of shield gas flowrates, cross-draft speeds and nozzle diameters using optical visualisation and numerical modelling to determine the shield gas coverage. As a consequence of the study, the shield gas flow has been reduced to 12 L min−1 in production welding, representing a significant process cost saving and reduced environmental impact with no compromise to the final weld quality.
Subshoulder formation during friction stir welding of steel using tungsten alloy tool
Authors: Pradeep A , Muthukumaran S , Dhanush P R
Published: September 2013

A study was carried out on the friction stir welding of low alloy steel plates, to understand the influence of the tool profile on the tool wear rate, using a tungsten alloy tool. Three tool profiles were used for the wear study, namely, tool A with a concave shoulder and tapered pin of 2·8 mm, tool B with a flat shoulder and tapered pin of 2·6 mm and tool C with a concave shoulder and tapered pin of 2·6 mm. The tool wear characteristic was analysed by three methods, namely, the profile projector, weight loss and the image processing technique, and it was found that tool C gave reduced tool wear, when compared to the other tool profiles. In tool C, an impression of a step-like formation was generated automatically in the pin during welding and named as a subshoulder, which proved to be the optimised design.
Frictions stir welding of copper under different welding parameters and media
Authors: Farrokhi H , Heidarzadeh A , Saeid T
Published: September 2013

Defect free friction stir welding of pure copper plates was conducted in air condition at a rotation speed of 1600 rev min−1 and traverse speeds of 50 and 100 mm min−1. The microstructural and mechanical properties of defect free joints produced in air and underwater conditions were compared. The results revealed that a finer microstructure can be achieved by underwater friction stir welding. The hardness of joints welded in both conditions was higher compared to the base metal. Moreover, in comparison with the base metal, the joints welded in air and underwater conditions exhibited lower and higher tensile properties respectively.
Welding and weldability of candidate ferritic alloys for future advanced ultrasupercritical fossil power plants
Authors: David S A , Siefert J A , Feng Z
Published: September 2013

Fossil fuels continue to be the primary source of energy in the world. The worldwide demand for clean and affordable energy will continue to grow, and a strong emphasis has been placed on increasing the efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint of new and existing fossil fired power plants. Throughout Asia, Europe and the USA, this demand is being met with programmes to develop advanced materials that have enhanced high temperature creep and corrosion properties. A new class of ferritic alloys, known as creep strength enhanced ferritic steels, has been developed to meet these requirements. This article focuses on the weldability of the advanced ferritic alloys used in boilers and boiler components of ultrasupercritical coal fired power plants. This review focuses on alloy selection; welding and weldability issues, including in service weld failure such as type IV cracking; welding of dissimilar metals; and weld repair. Future articles will address the welding and weldability issues of two other classes of materials, namely austenitic stainless steels and nickel base superalloys.
Effect of friction stir welding speed on mechanical properties and microstructure of nickel based super alloy Inconel 718
Authors: Ahmed M M Z , Wynne B P , Martin J P
Published: September 2013

In this study, 4 mm thick nickel based super alloy Inconel 718 has been friction stir welded using different traverse speeds of 30, 50 and 80 mm min−1 at a rotation rate of 400 rev min−1. Since the Inconel 718 alloy was friction stir welded in the annealed condition, a significant increase in mechanical properties has occurred. Microstructural evolution in the nugget (NG) zone has been investigated using electron back scattering diffraction (EBSD) at the top surface and near the base of the NG as well as across the transverse cross-section. Low resolution EBSD scan across the NG to the base material showed great reduction in grain size from the base material to the NG region. High resolution EBSD scans showed that the NG region is dominated by dynamically recrystallised grain structure with very fine grains that was varied in size from the top to the base of the NG.
BCOR and BCORL1 mutations in myelodysplastic syndromes and related disorders
Authors: Damm Frederik , Chesnais Virginie , Nagata Yasunobu , Yoshida Kenichi , Scourzic Laurianne , Okuno Yusuke , Itzykson Raphael , Sanada Masashi , Shiraishi Yuichi , Gelsi-Boyer Véronique , Renneville Aline , Miyano Satoru , Mori Hiraku , Shih Lee-Yung , Park Sophie , Dreyfus François , Guerci-Bresler Agnes , Solary Eric , Rose Christian , Cheze Stéphane , Prébet Thomas , Vey Norbert , Legentil Marion , Duffourd Yannis , de Botton Stéphane , Preudhomme Claude , Birnbaum Daniel , Bernard Olivier A. , Ogawa Seishi , Fontenay Michaela , Kosmider Olivier
Published: September 2013

Key Points

Despite a low frequency of mutations, BCOR might be considered as a key gene in risk stratification. Deep sequencing technologies show that BCOR mutations commonly arise after other concomitant mutations in MDS.
Prostaglandin E2 enhances long-term repopulation but does not permanently alter inherent stem cell competitiveness
Authors: Hoggatt Jonathan , Mohammad Khalid S. , Singh Pratibha , Pelus Louis M.
Published: September 2013

Key Points

16-16 dimethyl-PGE2 treatment enhances long-term HSC repopulation without lineage bias or transformation. Treatment of HSC with 16-16 dimethyl-PGE2 does not alter long-term competitiveness.
Methylglyoxal modulates endothelial nitric oxide synthase-associated functions in EA.hy926 endothelial cells
Authors: Su Yang , Qadri Syed M , Wu Lingyun , Liu Lixin
Published: September 2013

Background

Increased levels of the sugar metabolite methylglyoxal (MG)in vivowere shown to participate in the pathophysiology of vascular complications in diabetes. Alterations of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity by hypophosphorylation of the enzyme and enhanced monomerization are found in the diabetic milieu, and the regulation of this still remains undefined. Using various pharmacological approaches, we elucidate putative mechanisms by which MG modulates eNOS-associated functions of MG-stimulated superoxideO2•-production, phosphorylation status and eNOS uncoupling in EA.hy926 human endothelial cells.

Methods

In cultured EA.hy926 endothelial cells, the effects of MG treatment, tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4; 100 μM) and sepiapterin (20 μM) supplementation, NOS inhibition by NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 50 μM), and inhibition of peroxynitrite (ONOO-) formation (300 μM Tempol plus 50 μM L-NAME) on eNOS dimer/monomer ratios, Ser-1177 eNOS phosphorylation and 3-nitrotyrosine (3NT) abundance were quantified using immunoblotting.O2•-–dependent fluorescence was determined using a commercially available kit and tissue biopterin levels were measured by fluorometric HPLC analysis.

Results

In EA.hy926 cells, MG treatment significantly enhancedO2•-generation and 3NT expression and reduced Ser-1177 eNOS phosphorylation, eNOS dimer/monomer ratio and cellular biopterin levels indicative of eNOS uncoupling. These effects were significantly mitigated by administration of BH4, sepiapterin and suppression of ONOO-formation. L-NAME treatment significantly blunted eNOS-derivedO2•-generation but did not modify eNOS phosphorylation or monomerization.

Conclusion

MG triggers eNOS uncoupling and hypophosphorylation in EA.hy926 endothelial cells associated withO2•-generation and biopterin depletion. The observed effects of the glycolysis metabolite MG presumably account, at least in part, for endothelial dysfunction in diabetes.
Effect of the Mediterranean diet on blood pressure in the PREDIMED trial: results from a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Toledo Estefania , Hu Frank B , Estruch Ramon , Buil-Cosiales Pilar , Corella Dolores , Salas-Salvadó Jordi , Covas M Isabel , Arós Fernando , Gómez-Gracia Enrique , Fiol Miquel , Lapetra Jose , Serra-Majem Luis , Pinto Xavier , Lamuela-Raventós Rosa M , Saez Guillermo , Bulló Mònica , Ruiz-Gutiérrez Valentina , Ros Emilio , Sorli José V , Martinez-Gonzalez Miguel Angel
Published: September 2013

Background

Hypertension can be prevented by adopting healthy dietary patterns. Our aim was to assess the 4-year effect on blood pressure (BP) control of a randomized feeding trial promoting the traditional Mediterranean dietary pattern.

Methods

The PREDIMED primary prevention trial is a randomized, single-blinded, controlled trial conducted in Spanish primary healthcare centers. We recruited 7,447 men (aged 55 to 80 years) and women (aged 60 to 80 years) who had high risk for cardiovascular disease. Participants were assigned to a control group or to one of two Mediterranean diets. The control group received education on following a low-fat diet, while the groups on Mediterranean diets received nutritional education and also free foods; either extra virgin olive oil, or nuts. Trained personnel measured participants’ BP at baseline and once yearly during a 4-year follow-up. We used generalized estimating equations to assess the differences between groups during the follow-up.

Results

The percentage of participants with controlled BP increased in all three intervention groups (P-value for within-group changes: P<0.001). Participants allocated to either of the two Mediterranean diet groups had significantly lower diastolic BP than the participants in the control group (−1.53 mmHg (95% confidence interval (CI) −2.01 to −1.04) for the Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil, and −0.65 mmHg (95% CI -1.15 to −0.15) mmHg for the Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts). No between-group differences in changes of systolic BP were seen.

Conclusions

Both the traditional Mediterranean diet and a low-fat diet exerted beneficial effects on BP and could be part of advice to patients for controlling BP. However, we found lower values of diastolic BP in the two groups promoting the Mediterranean diet with extra virgin olive oil or with nuts than in the control group.

Trial registration

Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN35739639
Cytokine-induced changes in the gene expression profile of a human cerebral microvascular endothelial cell-line, hCMEC/D3
Authors: Lopez-Ramirez Miguel Alejandro , Male David Kingsley , Wang Chunfang , Sharrack Basil , Wu Dongsheng , Romero Ignacio Andres
Published: September 2013

Background

The human cerebral microvascular endothelial cell line, hCMEC/D3, has been used extensively to model the blood–brain barrier (BBB) in vitro. Recently, we reported that cytokine-treatment induced loss of brain endothelial barrier properties. In this study, we further determined the gene expression pattern of hCMEC/D3 cells in response to activation with TNFα and IFNγ.

Findings

Using a microarray approach, we observed that expression of genes involved in the control of barrier permeability, including inter-brain endothelial junctions (e.g. claudin-5, MARVELD-2), integrin-focal adhesions complexes (e.g. integrin β1, ELMO-1) and transporter systems (e.g. ABCB1, SLC2A1), are altered by pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Conclusions

Our study shows that previously-described cytokine-induced changes in the pattern of gene expression of endothelium are reproduced in hCMEC/D3 cells, suggesting that this model is suitable to study inflammation at the BBB, while at the same time it has provided insights into novel key molecular processes that are altered in brain endothelium during neuroinflammation, such as modulation of cell-to-matrix contacts.
Myb promotes centriole amplification and later steps of the multiciliogenesis program
Authors: Tan Fraser E. , Vladar Eszter K. , Ma Lina , Fuentealba Luis C. , Hoh Ramona , Espinoza F. Hernán , Axelrod Jeffrey D. , Alvarez-Buylla Arturo , Stearns Tim , Kintner Chris , Krasnow Mark A.
Published: September 2013

The transcriptional control of primary cilium formation and ciliary motility are beginning to be understood, but little is known about the transcriptional programs that control cilium number and other structural and functional specializations. One of the most intriguing ciliary specializations occurs in multiciliated cells (MCCs), which amplify their centrioles to nucleate hundreds of cilia per cell, instead of the usual monocilium. Here we report that the transcription factor MYB, which promotes S phase and drives cycling of a variety of progenitor cells, is expressed in postmitotic epithelial cells of the mouse airways and ependyma destined to become MCCs. MYB is expressed early in multiciliogenesis, as progenitors exit the cell cycle and amplify their centrioles, then switches off as MCCs mature. Conditional inactivation of Myb in the developing airways blocks or delays centriole amplification and expression of FOXJ1, a transcription factor that controls centriole docking and ciliary motility, and airways fail to become fully ciliated. We provide evidence that MYB acts in a conserved pathway downstream of Notch signaling and multicilin, a protein related to the S-phase regulator geminin, and upstream of FOXJ1. MYB can activate endogenous Foxj1 expression and stimulate a cotransfected Foxj1 reporter in heterologous cells, and it can drive the complete multiciliogenesis program in Xenopus embryonic epidermis. We conclude that MYB has an early, crucial and conserved role in multiciliogenesis, and propose that it promotes a novel S-like phase in which centriole amplification occurs uncoupled from DNA synthesis, and then drives later steps of multiciliogenesis through induction of Foxj1.
Diabetes induces stable intrinsic changes to myeloid cells that contribute to chronic inflammation during wound healing in mice
Authors: Bannon Pauline , Wood Sally , Restivo Terry , Campbell Laura , Hardman Matthew J. , Mace Kimberly A.
Published: September 2013

Acute inflammation in response to injury is a tightly regulated process by which subsets of leukocytes are recruited to the injured tissue and undergo behavioural changes that are essential for effective tissue repair and regeneration. The diabetic wound environment is characterised by excessive and prolonged inflammation that is linked to poor progression of healing, and, in humans, the development of diabetic foot ulcers. However, the underlying mechanisms contributing to excessive inflammation remain poorly understood. Here we show in a murine model that the diabetic environment induces stable intrinsic changes in haematopoietic cells. These changes lead to a hyper-responsive phenotype to both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory stimuli, producing extreme M1 and M2 polarised cells. During early wound healing, myeloid cells in diabetic mice show hyper-polarisation towards both M1 and M2 phenotypes, whereas, at late stages of healing, when non-diabetic macrophages have transitioned to an M2 phenotype, diabetic wound macrophages continue to display an M1 phenotype. Intriguingly, we show that this population predominantly consists of Gr-1+ CD11b+ CD14+ cells that have been previously reported as 'inflammatory macrophages' recruited to injured tissue in the early stages of wound healing. Finally, we show that this phenomenon is directly relevant to human diabetic ulcers, for which M2 polarisation predicts healing outcome. Thus, treatments focused at targeting this inflammatory cell subset could prove beneficial for pathological tissue repair.
3d Analysis of Lift and Moment Adaptation via Control Surface Deployments on a 5 MW Wind Turbine Blade
Authors: Agarwala Ranjeet , Ro Paul I.
Published: September 2013

This paper investigates the impact of deploying control surfaces on a model 5 MW offshore wind turbine blade. The wind turbine blade is modeled in 3D based on NREL's 5 MW wind turbine and incorporates varying airfoil shapes and structural twist along the blade length. Lift and aero-dynamic moment at various angle of attack settings are simulated and analyzed. Partial span-wise trailing-edge 3D control surfaces are modeled, simulated and analyzed at various control angles. Results depict the onset of stall around 22 degrees and a larger lift gain versus 10–15 degrees for standard 2D airfoils. Mid-flap controller enhances lift by a factor 2 and mitigates moment a factor of around 7 while end-flap controller enhances lift by a factor of around 1.024 and mitigates moment by a factor of around 2. The results and comparisons obtained serve as one of many instruments for gauging, designing, analyzing, and optimizing wind turbine systems.
Influences of Soil-Structure Interaction on Coupled Vibration of Train-Bridge System: Theoretical and Experimental Study
Authors: Li Xiao-Zhen , Liu Xiao-Han , Liu De-Jun , Zhang Xun
Published: September 2013

A numerical solution for the dynamic response of train-track-bridge coupled system taking into account the influence of soil-structure interaction is studied and verified by field experiments. A three-dimensional vehicle–track-bridge coupling dynamics model is developed, in which the vehicle subsystem, the track subsystem and the bridge subsystem are coupled through wheel-rail interaction and track-bridge interaction, respectively. The soil-structure interaction between the bridge foundation and the soil is simulated by spring stiffness exerted on group-pile foundation. In a case study, the dynamic responses of a high-speed train and a continuous beam bridge are calculated by three models, that is fixed-base model, equivalent-stiffness model and the proposed whole-pile model. The comparison of simulated and experimental results show that soil-structure interaction has significant influence on the lateral dynamic response of the bridge; The whole-pile model is proposed to study the coupled vibration of bridge and vehicle, which gives more reasonable simulation result than the other two models.
Distributed Settlement and Lateral Displacement Monitoring for Shield Tunnel Based on an Improved Conjugated Beam Method
Authors: Shen Sheng , Wu Zhishen , Lin Meijin
Published: September 2013

Because of several unforeseen actions such as the deep excavation and long-term consolidation of ground, the settlement and lateral displacement have become important parameters for shield tunnel. Due to lack of distributed characteristic, the traditional monitoring methods based on manual observation on some preset uniformly spaced points, probably ignore some local settlements or lateral displacements which may occur anywhere along a shield tunnel. According to an improved conjugated beam method (ICBM) which uses the distributed fiber optic sensors to monitor the deflection of statically indeterminate structure with a finite number of supports, this paper first extends the ICBM to monitor distributed deflection of statically indeterminate structure with infinite number of supports. Then a settlement and lateral displacement monitoring method for shield tunnels is proposed. Two experiments including a scale-down longitudinal concrete model and a long steel tube model are carried out to verify the monitoring accuracy of the proposed method.
Impact of Shield Tunneling on Adjacent Pile Foundation in Sandy Cobble Strata
Authors: He Chuan , Jiang Yingchao , Fang Yong , Feng Kun , Wang Jun
Published: September 2013

The assessment of the impact of urban area shield tunneling on adjacent pile foundations is essential to ensure the stability and integrity of the piled buildings. Sandy cobble strata has force transmission feature of strong dispersion; therefore the equilibrium state of original strata would be easily destroyed by shield tunneling. In this study, model tests referring to the Chengdu Metro Line 1 and using the Φ520 mm EPB model shield machine are carried out to investigate the impact of shield tunneling on the existing pile foundation deformation and internal forces. Meanwhile, particle distinct element method is applied to analyze the soil particle movement feature surrounding the pile foundation from the micro view. Results showed that soil disturbance surrounding the pile foundation caused by shield tunneling makes the ground surface subsidence and pile foundation tilt, leading to the occurrence of stress concentration at the pile foundation base and nearby regions. Cutter head positive resistance and friction effect between shield machine and surrounding strata lead to the pile foundation three-dimensional movement and deformation during the shield tunneling.
Age, Body Mass, Usage of Exogenous Estrogen, and Lifestyle Factors in Relation to Circulating Sex Hormone–Binding Globulin Concentrations in Postmenopausal Women
Authors: Goto Atsushi , Chen Brian H , Song Yiqing , Cauley Jane , Cummings Steven R , Farhat Ghada N , Gunter Marc , Van Horn Linda , Howard Barbara V , Jackson Rebecca , Lee Jennifer , Rexrode Kathryn M , Liu Simin
Published: September 2013

BACKGROUND

Circulating concentrations of sex hormone–binding globulin (SHBG) have been associated with cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and hormone-dependent cancers; however, correlates of SHBG concentrations are not well understood.

METHODS

We comprehensively investigated correlates of SHBG concentrations among 13 547 women who participated in the Women's Health Initiative and who had SHBG measurements. We estimated study- and ethnicity-specific associations of age, reproductive history, usage of exogenous estrogen, body mass index (BMI), and lifestyle factors such as physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, coffee intake, and dietary factors with SHBG concentrations. These estimates were pooled using random-effects models. We also examined potential nonlinear associations using spline analyses.

RESULTS

There was no significant ethnic difference in the age-adjusted mean concentrations of SHBG. Age, exogenous estrogen use, physical activity, and regular coffee intake were positively associated with SHBG concentrations, whereas BMI was inversely associated with SHBG concentrations after adjustment for potential confounding factors. Similar patterns were observed among both ever users and never users of exogenous estrogen. The spline analysis indicated nonlinear relations of regular intake of coffee, age, and BMI with SHBG concentrations. Two or more cups/day of regular coffee consumption and age of 60 years or older were associated with higher SHBG concentrations; the inverse BMI–SHBG relation was especially strong among women whose BMI was below 30.

CONCLUSIONS

In this large sample of postmenopausal women, age, exogenous estrogen use, physical activity, regular coffee intake, and BMI were significant correlates of SHBG concentrations, presenting potential targets for interventions.
Asymmetric Roles of Advertising and Marketing Capability in Financial Returns to News: Turning Bad into Good and Good into Great
Authors: Xiong Guiyang , Bharadwaj Sundar
Published: September 2013

News reports carrying positive or negative sentiment about a firm influence its stock market performance. This study examines how two firm-controllable marketing factors, advertising and marketing capability, moderate the relationship between news stories and firm stock returns. Analysis of a panel data set of more than 7,000 firm-month observations indicates asymmetric and complementary moderating roles of the two marketing variables: advertising reinforces the favorable impact of positive news on abnormal stock returns, and marketing capability mitigates the adverse impact of negative news. Moreover, these moderating effects operate through different stakeholders. Whereas the moderating effect of marketing capability is due to its influence on customers and thus affects the level and volatility of future cash flows, advertising moderates the effect of news through individual investors’ attention and response to the news. The econometric analysis accounts for potential endogeneity between news reports, stock returns, and marketing variables, and the results are robust to alternative measures and analysis approaches. The findings suggest the need for managers to broaden their stakeholder focus when evaluating advertising's returns and to communicate the value of marketing capability to investors.
Operation Strategies to Minimize Methanol Recovery in Batch Distillation of Hydroalcoholic Mixtures
Authors: De Lucca Franco , Munizaga-Miranda Raúl , Jopia-Castillo David , Gelmi Claudio A. , Pérez-Correa José R.
Published: September 2013

This work focuses on applying dynamic simulation to explore operating conditions of a packed batch distillation column for reducing the relative concentration of methanol in the distillate. Based on trial-and-error, we studied different cooling rate trajectories of the partial condenser, which has a direct impact on the reflux and distillate rates. Simulations showed that higher cooling rates and smaller cut times achieved lower relative concentrations of methanol in the distillate. Our study suggests that the best operating strategy cannot reduce the relative methanol concentration in the distillate more than 25% compared with the relative methanol concentration in the wine.
Measuring Water Retention Curves for Rough Joints with Random Apertures
Authors: Wang Y. , Li J. H. , Zhang L. M. , Li X. , Cai C. Z.
Published: September 2013

A water retention curve for joints is a crucial parameter function in the numerical modeling of slopes, liners, and covers containing cracks or joints. In this study, a laboratory apparatus was designed and used to measure the water retention curves for rough joints at very low suctions. The aperture characteristics of the joint change spatially and are described by random-field theory. The apparatus incorporates a uniquely designed end cap and a water-content monitoring and pressure-control system. Suctions can be applied to the joint at an accuracy of 0.005 kPa. Visual observations of the flow process reveal that capillary flow is dominant in a rough epoxy joint with an average aperture size of 0.4 mm. The air-entry value is 0.23 kPa for the joint and decreases with increasing joint aperture size. When the applied suction becomes high, the water phase becomes discontinuous and a residual condition is attained. The residual degree of saturation is 0.26 for the joint with an average aperture size of 0.4 mm and decreases with increasing average aperture size. The rough joint can be viewed as a heterogeneous porous medium. The van Genuchten model can be used to describe the measured water retention curves for the rough joint.
Improved Image-Based Deformation Measurement in the Centrifuge Environment
Authors: Stanier S. A. , White D. J.
Published: September 2013

This paper describes a new apparatus and techniques for performing deformation measurements using particle image velocimetry in the centrifuge environment. The new system includes camera, lighting, and control equipment that facilitates image capture at least 30 times faster than that in legacy systems. Methods for optimizing the addition of artificial seeding on the exposed plane of a geotechnical model are also set out. These techniques ensure that the precision of the deformation calculations is optimized even in models with multiple layers of different soils, fully harnessing the method's capabilities. An example application of a flat footing penetrating sand overlying clay is used to illustrate the performance of the equipment and the artificial seeding optimization technique. Deformation fields at the point of peak resistance during punch-through are presented in the form of vector fields, normalized displacement contours, and shear strain contours. It is shown that the advances in equipment and artificial seeding allow both macroscopic and grain-scale deformation features to be identified. These analyses highlight not only the benefits of the new technology, but also the need for carefully optimized experimental procedures to maximize the measurement precision.
Failure Analysis of a Shaft-Coupling Bracket
Authors: Olanrewaju O. A. , Adeoye M. O. , Olawale J. O. , Shittu M. D.
Published: September 2013

A failure investigation was conducted on a shaft-coupling bracket used in mounting horizontal and vertical shafts of a wire-conductor stranding machine. The investigation was conducted using a systematic approach by assembling background information; performing visual, fractographic, and metallographic examinations; performing chemical analysis; and conducting mechanical testing. The result indicates that the bracket was produced from gray cast iron, subjected to cyclic loading, and the fracture surface shows transgranular fracture features with the presence of beach marks ridges and striation markings. The stranding machine cycled 600 times a day, 200 days a year, and the shaft-coupling bracket failed after a period between 4.5 and 5 years. We concluded that the bracket failed as a result of high-cycle, low-load fatigue, which was initiated in a highly stressed graphite flakes region, propagated under the application of reversed stresses, and eventually fractured after it reached between 540 000 to 600 000 cycles. To prevent a future occurrence, it was recommended that the component should be made out of ductile iron and replaced after a life of 500 000 cycles.
Frieda Hempel and the Historical Imagination
Authors: Tunbridge Laura
Published: September 2013

The recreation of Jenny Lind's first American concert by soprano Frieda Hempel in 1920 was a popular success, but raised a number of questions for critics. Examining its reception—and that of the concert on tour in Britain—shines light on postwar attitudes toward music history, as manifest in responses to particular repertoires, and to sound recordings. Hempel's hybrid programs, which included operatic coloratura arias, lieder, and American popular song, ran counter to the trend elsewhere toward specialization. At the same time, they resonated with attempts to cultivate a newly minted sociocultural group, the middlebrow. And, while the Lind project on many levels strove for historical accuracy, on others it overturned ideas of authentic performance. An altogether more complex picture of vocal performance in the age of mechanical reproduction thus emerges.
A new link between diabetes and cancer: enhanced WNT/β-catenin signaling by high glucose
Authors: García-Jiménez Custodia , García-Martínez Jose Manuel , Chocarro-Calvo Ana , De la Vieja Antonio
Published: September 2013

Extensive epidemiological studies suggest that the diabetic population is at higher risk of site-specific cancers. The diabetes–cancer link has been hypothesized to rely on various hormonal (insulin, IGF1, adipokines), immunological (inflammation), or metabolic (hyperglycemia) characteristics of the disease and even on certain treatments. Inflammation may have an important but incompletely understood role. As a growth factor, insulin directly, or indirectly through IGF1, has been considered the major link between diabetes and cancer, while high glucose has been considered as a subordinate cause. Here we discuss the evidence that supports a role for insulin/IGF1 in general in cancer, and the mechanism by which hyperglycemia may enhance the appearance, growth and survival of diabetes-associated cancers. High glucose triggers several direct and indirect mechanisms that cooperate to promote cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion and immunological escape. In particular, high glucose enhancement of WNT/β-catenin signaling in cancer cells promotes proliferation, survival and senescence bypass, and represents a previously unrecognized direct mechanism linking diabetes-associated hyperglycemia to cancer. Increased glucose uptake is a hallmark of tumor cells and may ensure enhanced WNT signaling for continuous proliferation. Mechanistically, high glucose unbalances acetylation through increased p300 acetyl transferase and decreased sirtuin 1 deacetylase activity, leading to β-catenin acetylation at lysine K354, a requirement for nuclear accumulation and transcriptional activation of WNT-target genes. The impact of high glucose on β-catenin illustrates the remodeling of cancer-associated signaling pathways by metabolites. Metabolic remodeling of cancer-associated signaling will receive much research attention in the coming years. Future epidemiological studies may be guided and complemented by the identification of these metabolic interplays. Together, these studies should lead to the development of new preventive strategies for diabetes-associated cancers.
FOXL2: a central transcription factor of the ovary
Authors: Georges Adrien , Auguste Aurelie , Bessière Laurianne , Vanet Anne , Todeschini Anne-Laure , Veitia Reiner A
Published: September 2013

Forkhead box L2 (FOXL2) is a gene encoding a forkhead transcription factor preferentially expressed in the ovary, the eyelids and the pituitary gland. Its germline mutations are responsible for the blepharophimosis ptosis epicanthus inversus syndrome, which includes eyelid and mild craniofacial defects associated with primary ovarian insufficiency. Recent studies have shown the involvement of FOXL2 in virtually all stages of ovarian development and function, as well as in granulosa cell (GC)-related pathologies. A central role of FOXL2 is the lifetime maintenance of GC identity through the repression of testis-specific genes. Recently, a highly recurrent somatic FOXL2 mutation leading to the p.C134W subtitution has been linked to the development of GC tumours in the adult, which account for up to 5% of ovarian malignancies. In this review, we summarise data on FOXL2 modulators, targets, partners and post-translational modifications. Despite the progresses made thus far, a better understanding of the impact of FOXL2 mutations and of the molecular aspects of its function is required to rationalise its implication in various pathophysiological processes.
Corticosteroid-binding globulin contributes to the neuroendocrine phenotype of mice selected for extremes in stress reactivity
Authors: Mattos Gabriele E , Heinzmann Jan-Michael , Norkowski Stefanie , Helbling Jean-Christophe , Minni Amandine M , Moisan Marie-Pierre , Touma Chadi
Published: September 2013

Increasing evidence indicates an important role of steroid-binding proteins in endocrine functions, including hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis activity and regulation, as they influence bioavailability, local delivery, and cellular signal transduction of steroid hormones. In the plasma, glucocorticoids (GCs) are mainly bound to the corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) and to a lesser extend to albumin. Plasma CBG levels are therefore involved in the adaptive stress response, as they determine the concentration of free, biologically active GCs. In this study, we investigated whether male mice with a genetic predisposition for high-reactivity (HR), intermediate-reactivity (IR), or low-reactivity (LR) stress-induced corticosterone (CORT) secretion present different levels of free CORT and CORT-binding proteins, basally and in response to stressors of different intensity. Our results suggest a fine control interaction between plasma CBG expression and stress-induced CORT release. Although plasma CBG levels, and therefore CBG binding capacity, were higher in HR animals, CORT secretion overloaded the CBG buffering function in response to stressors, resulting in clearly higher free CORT levels in HR compared with IR and LR mice (HR>IR>LR), resembling the pattern of total CORT increase in all three lines. Both stressors, restraint or forced swimming, did not evoke fast CBG release from the liver into the bloodstream and therefore CBG binding capacity was not altered in our three mouse lines. Thus, we confirm CBG functions in maintaining a dynamic equilibrium between CBG-bound and unbound CORT, but could not verify its role in delaying the rise of plasma free CORT immediately after stress exposure.
A Genome-Wide Association Study Reveals Genes Associated with Fusarium Ear Rot Resistance in a Maize Core Diversity Panel
Authors: Zila Charles T , Samayoa L Fernando , Santiago Rogelio , Butrón Ana , Holland James B
Published: September 2013

Fusarium ear rot is a common disease of maize that affects food and feed quality globally. Resistance to the disease is highly quantitative, and maize breeders have difficulty incorporating polygenic resistance alleles from unadapted donor sources into elite breeding populations without having a negative impact on agronomic performance. Identification of specific allele variants contributing to improved resistance may be useful to breeders by allowing selection of resistance alleles in coupling phase linkage with favorable agronomic characteristics. We report the results of a genome-wide association study to detect allele variants associated with increased resistance to Fusarium ear rot in a maize core diversity panel of 267 inbred lines evaluated in two sets of environments. We performed association tests with 47,445 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) while controlling for background genomic relationships with a mixed model and identified three marker loci significantly associated with disease resistance in at least one subset of environments. Each associated SNP locus had relatively small additive effects on disease resistance (±1.1% on a 0–100% scale), but nevertheless were associated with 3 to 12% of the genotypic variation within or across environment subsets. Two of three identified SNPs colocalized with genes that have been implicated with programmed cell death. An analysis of associated allele frequencies within the major maize subpopulations revealed enrichment for resistance alleles in the tropical/subtropical and popcorn subpopulations compared with other temperate breeding pools.
Characterization and Prediction of Haploinsufficiency Using Systems-Level Gene Properties in Yeast
Authors: Norris Matthew , Lovell Simon , Delneri Daniela
Published: September 2013

Variation in gene copy number can significantly affect organism fitness. When one allele is missing in a diploid, the phenotype can be compromised because of haploinsufficiency. In this work, we identified associations between Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene properties and genome-scale haploinsufficiency phenotypes from previous work. We compared the haploinsufficiency profiles against 23 gene properties and found that genes with higher level of connectivity (degree) in a protein–protein interaction network, higher genetic interaction degree, greater gene sequence conservation, and higher protein expression were significantly more likely to be haploinsufficient. Additionally, haploinsufficiency showed negative relationships with cell cycle regulation and promoter sequence conservation.
The interactive effects of climate change, riparian management, and a nonnative predator on stream‐rearing salmon
Authors: Lawrence David J. , Stewart-Koster Ben , Olden Julian D. , Ruesch Aaron S. , Torgersen Christian E. , Lawler Joshua J. , Butcher Don P. , Crown Julia K.
Published: September 2013

Predicting how climate change is likely to interact with myriad other stressors that threaten species of conservation concern is an essential challenge in aquatic ecosystems. This study provides a framework to accomplish this task in salmon‐bearing streams of the northwestern United States, where land‐use‐related reductions in riparian shading have caused changes in stream thermal regimes, and additional warming from projected climate change may result in significant losses of coldwater fish habitat over the next century. Predatory, nonnative smallmouth bass have also been introduced into many northwestern streams, and their range is likely to expand as streams warm, presenting an additional challenge to the persistence of threatened Pacific salmon. The goal of this work was to forecast the interactive effects of climate change, riparian management, and nonnative species on stream‐rearing salmon and to evaluate the capacity of restoration to mitigate these effects. We intersected downscaled global climate forecasts with a local‐scale water temperature model to predict mid‐ and end‐of‐century temperatures in streams in the Columbia River basin. We compared one stream that is thermally impaired due to the loss of riparian vegetation and another that is cooler and has a largely intact riparian corridor. Using the forecasted stream temperatures in conjunction with fish–habitat models, we predicted how stream‐rearing chinook salmon and bass distributions would change as each stream warmed. In the highly modified stream, end‐of‐century warming may cause near total loss of chinook salmon‐rearing habitat and a complete invasion of the upper watershed by bass. In the less modified stream, bass were thermally restricted from the upstream‐most areas. In both systems, temperature increases resulted in higher predicted spatial overlap between stream‐rearing chinook salmon and potentially predatory bass in the early summer (two‐ to fourfold increase) and greater abundance of bass. We found that riparian restoration could prevent the extirpation of chinook salmon from the more altered stream and could also restrict bass from occupying the upper 31 km of salmon‐rearing habitat. The proposed methodology and model predictions are critical for prioritizing climate‐change adaptation strategies before salmonids are exposed to both warmer water and greater predation risk by nonnative species.
A review of methods for determining stress fields from earthquakes focal mechanisms; Application to the Sierentz 1980 seismic crisis (Upper Rhine graben)
Authors: Maury Julie , Cornet François H. , Dorbath Louis
Published: September 2013

The inversion of earthquake focal mechanisms is one of the few tools available for determining principal stress directions at seismogenic depths. Various methods have been proposed for performing such inversions. For three of the most commonly used methods, including one that has been proposed by Jacques Angelier, we discuss the physical assumptions and the error determination and then we propose an extension for one of the methods. All four methods are then applied for evaluating the stress field in the Upper Rhine graben. They are applied to seismic data recorded with a temporary monitoring network that was deployed 12 hours after the magnitude Mw = 4.4 Sierentz earthquake, which occurred on July 15, 1980. While differences in principal stress directions can be as much as 28° depending on the method used for the principal stress direction determination (orientation of the minimum principal stress has been found to range from N051°E with a 27° plunge to N090° E with a 20° plunge), the 90% confidence level associated with each method varies from 11° to 27°. Moreover, these various methods yield fairly diverse values for the R factor that characterizes relative differences between principal stress magnitudes (from R = 0.7 with a 0.2 90% confidence level to R = 0.3 with a 0.2 90% confidence level). Furthermore all three methods leave some focal mechanisms unexplained. These are then declared to be the result of heterogeneity and are not considered for the inversion. It is concluded that earthquake focal mechanisms inversions lack resolution for stress field evaluation at depth if no proper attention is given to the event independence hypothesis. When proper attention is given to this hypothesis, a resolution of the order of 15° may be achieved. The minimum principal stress orientation derived with these various focal mechanisms inversions differs by 4 to 36° from the orientation determined from borehole breakouts observed in Basel, in a 5 km deep well (N054°E ± 14°), located some 20 km from Sierentz. The solution that fits best borehole breakout observations is that which satisfies the minimum number (three) of prerequisite physical assumptions.
Rupture propagation in strong earthquake sources and tectonic stress field
Authors: Rebetsky Yu. L. , Tatevossian R.E.
Published: September 2013

Problems of physical basis of earthquake source mechanics are discussed. Results of stress state reconstruction based on the cataclastic analysis of discontinuous dislocations in some seismotectonic active earth crust domains are presented. Common features of the stress state in areas of preparation of strong earthquake in this century are revealed. It is demonstrated that the distribution of the effective isotropic pressure and of the maximal shear stress in areas of earthquake source preparation is characterized by essential heterogeneity. The main part of the source is always associated to crust domain under low effective confining pressure. Specific role of crust domains characterized by high stress gradients is recognized. The nucleation point of the earthquake is usually associated to such domains. Based on some strong earthquake case studies it is demonstrated that usually the rupture propagates from the region of high gradients of stresses toward the crust domains characterized by low effective compression.