bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mechanical Performance of Nail-Laminated Posts Manufactured from Reclaimed Chromated Copper Arsenate–Treated Decking Lumber
Authors: Janowiak John J , Falk Robert H , Gething Brad A , Tsirigotis John A
Published: March 2014

This study determined the mechanical properties of nail-laminated (nail-lam) posts manufactured from reclaimed chromated copper arsenate (CCA)–treated decking lumber. Though CCA-treated lumber is no longer accepted for use in residential applications, it is permitted in agricultural and industrial applications where health and environmental impacts are deemed to be minimal. This project focused on the reuse potential of this lumber for fabricating structural nail-lam members commonly used in agricultural post frame utility buildings. Significant amounts of waste CCA-treated lumber are generated by people replacing decks. Currently, this lumber is mostly landfilled as disposal waste. Finding other uses for this discarded material could reduce the waste burden of decking removed from service each year. For this study, 15-year-old decking material slated for removal and composed of nominal 2 by 6 CCA-treated Southern yellow pine (SYP; Pinus spp.) lumber was carefully reclaimed for structural post member fabrications. Similar structural nail-lam posts were fabricated from new, micronized copper azole–treated SYP lumber for comparative test purposes. Three experimental treatments were evaluated to examine mechanical performance in terms of bending strength, flexural rigidity, and ultimate compressive strength. The comparative results show slightly lower flexural performance but equivalent or slightly higher compressive strength for structural post member fabrications when constructed from the supply of reclaimed decking material. These results help to demonstrate the technical feasibility or reuse potential of recycled decking for this type of second-generation application.
Prenatal Nutrient Supplementation and Postnatal Growth in a Developing Nation: An RCT
Authors: Lanou Hermann , Huybregts Lieven , Roberfroid Dominique , Nikièma Laetitia , Kouanda Séni , Van Camp John , Kolsteren Patrick
Published: March 2014

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

Prenatal lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS) have been shown to improve birth anthropometry. However, little is known about the effects of such supplements on infant health. We hypothesized that prenatal LNS compared with multiple micronutrient supplement for pregnant and lactating women would improve survival, growth, and morbidity during infancy.

METHODS:

Infants’ weight, length, head, chest, and mid-upper arm circumferences were measured during monthly home visits from birth to 12 months of age in the Micronutriments et Santé de la Mère et de l’Enfant—2 trial. Differences in stunting and wasting episodes between study arms were assessed by Cox regression for recurrent event models. Morbidity signs during the 2 weeks before the visits and death cases were also assessed by multilevel analysis accounting for repeated individual measurements.

RESULTS:

Infant length-for-age growth (–0.033 z score/month; 95% confidence interval: –0.601 to –0.006; P = .018) for the LNS group was inferior to that of the control group. We did not find evidence of significant difference in mortality or morbidity between groups.

CONCLUSIONS:

The previously reported positive effect of prenatal LNS on birth length was not sustained during the postnatal phase. Prenatal LNS does not appear to make a long-lasting difference in child linear growth.
Clostridium difficile Infection Among Children Across Diverse US Geographic Locations
Authors: Wendt Joyanna M. , Cohen Jessica A. , Mu Yi , Dumyati Ghinwa K. , Dunn John R. , Holzbauer Stacy M. , Winston Lisa G. , Johnston Helen L. , Meek James I. , Farley Monica M. , Wilson Lucy E. , Phipps Erin C. , Beldavs Zintars G. , Gerding Dale N. , McDonald L. Clifford , Gould Carolyn V. , Lessa Fernanda C.
Published: March 2014

OBJECTIVE:

Little is known about the epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) among children, particularly children ≤3 years of age in whom colonization is common but pathogenicity uncertain. We sought to describe pediatric CDI incidence, clinical presentation, and outcomes across age groups.

METHODS:

Data from an active population- and laboratory-based CDI surveillance in 10 US geographic areas during 2010–2011 were used to identify cases (ie, residents with C difficile–positive stool without a positive test in the previous 8 weeks). Community-associated (CA) cases had stool collected as outpatients or ≤3 days after hospital admission and no overnight health care facility stay in the previous 12 weeks. A convenience sample of CA cases were interviewed. Demographic, exposure, and clinical data for cases aged 1 to 17 years were compared across 4 age groups: 1 year, 2 to 3 years, 4 to 9 years, and 10 to 17 years.

RESULTS:

Of 944 pediatric CDI cases identified, 71% were CA. CDI incidence per 100 000 children was highest among 1-year-old (66.3) and white (23.9) cases. The proportion of cases with documented diarrhea (72%) or severe disease (8%) was similar across age groups; no cases died. Among the 84 cases interviewed who reported diarrhea on the day of stool collection, 73% received antibiotics during the previous 12 weeks.

CONCLUSIONS:

Similar disease severity across age groups suggests an etiologic role for C difficile in the high rates of CDI observed in younger children. Prevention efforts to reduce unnecessary antimicrobial use among young children in outpatient settings should be prioritized.
Electronic Transport Characterization of BiVO4 Using AC Field Hall Technique
Authors: Lindemuth Jeffery , Rettie Alexander J. E. , Marshall Luke G. , Zhou Jianshi , Mullins C. Buddie
Published: March 2014

Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) is a photoelectrode for the oxidation of water. It is of fundamental importance to understand the electrical and photoelectrochemical properties of this material. In metal oxides, the electronic transport is described by the small polaron model, first described by Mott. In this model, the resistivity varies with temperature as $\rho \,\left( T \right)\, \propto \,Te^{({{E_a } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{E_a } {(k_B T))}}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {(k_B T))}}} $, where Ea is the hopping activation energy, kB is the Boltzmann constant and T is the absolute temperature. Resistivity measurements confirm that small polaron hopping dominates in temperature ranges from 250 K to 300 K. In addition measurements from 175K to 250K show the variable range hopping dominates the transport. To this end, the electronic transport properties of BiVO4 single crystal were characterized using resistivity measurements and Hall effect measurements over temperatures ranging from 175 K to 300 K.
Experimenting with ecosystem interaction networks in search of threshold potentials in real‐world marine ecosystems
Authors: Thrush Simon F. , Hewitt Judi E. , Parkes Samantha , Lohrer Andrew M. , Pilditch Conrad , Woodin Sarah A. , Wethey David S. , Chiantore Mariachiara , Asnaghi Valentina , De Juan Silvia , Kraan Casper , Rodil Ivan , Savage Candida , Van Colen Carl
Published: March 2014

Thresholds profoundly affect our understanding and management of ecosystem dynamics, but we have yet to develop practical techniques to assess the risk that thresholds will be crossed. Combining ecological knowledge of critical system interdependencies with a large‐scale experiment, we tested for breaks in the ecosystem interaction network to identify threshold potential in real‐world ecosystem dynamics. Our experiment with the bivalves Macomona liliana and Austrovenus stutchburyi on marine sandflats in New Zealand demonstrated that reductions in incident sunlight changed the interaction network between sediment biogeochemical fluxes, productivity, and macrofauna. By demonstrating loss of positive feedbacks and changes in the architecture of the network, we provide mechanistic evidence that stressors lead to break points in dynamics, which theory predicts predispose a system to a critical transition.
Nursing Assessment of Guaiac-Positive and Occult Blood in Preterm Infant Stools
Authors: Carter Brigit M. , Knobel Robin B.
Published: March 2014

Guaiac testing the stool of very low birth weight (VLBW; <1,500 g) preterm infants has been a standard of care for many neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and considered a diagnostic tool that could potentially provide early warning of gastrointestinal disturbances, feeding intolerance (FI), or necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Evidence to either support or eliminate testing stool for occult blood from standard care practices is lacking. Support to eliminate testing is often based on the knowledge that neonatal treatment interventions—such as gastric tube placement, intubation, and/or suctioning—may often result in occult blood in stools. However, there is also reasonable concern that occult blood may indicate a cascade of pathophysiological events, which may lead to FI and NEC, is in progress.

Feeding intolerance remains one of the most consistent reasons VLBW preterm infants experience poor weight gain and extended hospital stays. Every nursing assessment is strategic to the early identification of contributing factors to either the development of FI or NEC. Including low-cost, noninvasive diagnostic tools to augment the findings of the nursing assessment can only help guide health care providers in appropriate decision making related to the feeding plan.
Fluconazole Administration Leading to Anaphylactic Shock in a Preterm Newborn
Authors: Koklu Esad , Kalay Salih , Koklu Selmin , Ariguloglu Erdal Avni
Published: March 2014

Preterm infants, born with immature innate immunity, are less likely to develop anaphylaxis. Fluconazole prophylaxis during the first six weeks of life decreases invasive candidiasis in very low birth weight infants. Adverse effects of fluconazole are very rare. In this study, we report a newborn (a male, 26 weeks gestation and 900 g birth weight) who developed anaphylaxis after fluconazole administration. Hypotension and erythematous rash were present. We believe this to be the first anaphylaxis case in newborns caused by fluconazole in literature. Clinicians should be aware of the possibility of this potentially fatal adverse effect occurring with intravenous fluconazole.
A Stab‐and‐Roll Biopsy Technique to Maintain Gingival Epithelium for Desquamative Gingivitis
Authors: Endo Hiroyasu , Rees Terry D. , Allen Edward P. , Kuyama Kayo , Aoki Shinichiro , Yamamoto Hirotsugu , Ito Takanori
Published: March 2014

Background: Desquamative gingivitis (DG) is a clinical manifestation common to several diseases. It is known that most cases of DG are caused by mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP), oral lichen planus (OLP), or pemphigus vulgaris (PV). Early recognition and treatment of these diseases can improve the prognosis, but diagnostic delays are common in patients with DG because obtaining a diagnostic biopsy is technically challenging. A biopsy technique designed to maintain the gingival epithelium for patients with DG was developed. The usefulness of this technique is discussed.

Methods: This study is based on a retrospective review of 27 DG cases. A stab‐and‐roll technique was used to obtain gingival tissue. This technique is designed to reduce lateral forces on the epithelium during the procedure and to thereby prevent the inadvertent removal of the epithelium from the biopsy specimen. A total of 52 biopsies comprising 27 for hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)–stained samples and 25 for direct immunofluorescence (DIF) testing were reviewed.

Results: Fifty‐one of the 52 biopsies (98.1%) maintained the epithelium. Only one biopsy (1.9%) showed that the epithelium was totally absent. Therefore, H&E and DIF features of 51 biopsies were analyzed. Definitive diagnoses of the diseases causing DG included MMP (13 cases), PV (eight cases), and OLP (six cases).

Conclusions: A diagnostic biopsy was obtained from the gingiva of patients with DG using the stab‐and‐roll technique. The gingival epithelium was well maintained, and the relationship with the underlying connective tissue was diagnostic. In the future, this stab‐and‐roll biopsy technique may facilitate early diagnosis and treatment of diseases causing DG.
The Association of CSF‐1 Gene Polymorphism With Chronic Periodontitis in the Han Chinese Population
Authors: Chen Dong , Zhang Tian‐liang , Wang Li‐ming
Published: March 2014

Background: Chronic periodontitis (CP) is a multifactorial complex periodontal disease involving immune response, inflammation, alveolar bone resorption, and attachment loss. Colony stimulating factor‐1 (CSF‐1) controls the production, differentiation, and function of macrophages and plays a vital role in the innate immune response to the external microbial infections, suggesting the potential role of CSF‐1 in the pathogenesis of periodontitis. The objective of this study is to determine the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs333967, rs2297706, and rs1058885 with CP in the Han Chinese population.

Methods: Genomic DNA was isolated from buccal epithelial cells obtained from unrelated Chinese participants (440 patients with CP and 324 controls). The SNPs were genotyped by a matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry method.

Results: Three previously identified SNPs were genotyped in Han Chinese with Shanghai origin, but none of them was statistically significantly associated with CP. However, a T‐C‐G haplotype in male participants showed an observed P value of 4.52E‐08, with an odds ratio of 0.092.

Conclusion: None of the individual SNPs among rs333967, rs2297706, and rs1058885 in CSF‐1 was found statistically significantly associated with CP in the Han Chinese population with Shanghai origin, whereas a haplotype T‐C‐G showed an observed statistically significant association with decreased risk of CP susceptibility in males.
Anatase titania-vanadium polyphosphomolybdate as an efficient and reusable nano catalyst for desulphurization of gas oil
Authors: Ali Rezvani , Fallah Shojaei , Mohamadi Zonoz
Published: March 2014

(Bu4N)4H[PMo10V2O40]-TiO2 nanocomposite has been synthesized by a reaction of
(Bu4N)4H[PMo10V2O40] with titanium tetraisopropoxide at 100 ?C via sol-gel
method. The crushed nano layer of anatase phase is 20 nm in nature and fixing
of (Bu4N)4H[PMo10V2O40] decreases its size. This nano Polyphosphomolybdate
was shown be able to oxidative desulphurization of simulated gas oil with
high S conversion (more than 98%). In the present work, efficient oxidative
desulphurization of gas oil and simulated gas oil with formic acid/hydrogen
peroxide system is reported. This system provides an efficient, convenient
and practical method for scavenging sulfur compound.
Residence Time Distribution in a High Shear Twin Screw Extruder
Authors: Fel E. , Massardier V. , Mélis F. , Vergnes B. , Cassagnau P.
Published: March 2014

The residence time distributions (RTD) of a high shear twin screw extruder were measured by an on–line UV fluorescence device. First, by increasing throughput (Q) and screw speed (N), a decrease of the complex viscosity of the studied polypropylene (PP) was observed, revealing chain scissions. It was associated to high viscous dissipation taking place during extrusion, and more particularly under high shear conditions. Then the impact of these experimental conditions on the RTD was carried out. As expected, an increase of usual throughputs and screw speeds decrease mostly the RTD characteristic data. In this study industrial rate have been studied: throughput varied from 1.5 up to 22 kg h−1 and screw speed varied from 200 min−1 up to 1 200 min−1. However, by increasing the screw speed over usual values (from 500 up to 1 200 min−1), the variation of some experimental RTD characteristics were unexpected. Indeed, the slope of the shape of the experimental RTD function E(t) changed significantly. This phenomenon will be called lag or delay time. This result was only observed at low throughputs and high screw rotation speeds. To finish, a modeling software of twin screw extrusion process was used to compare experimental and calculated results. For usual processing conditions (up to 700 min−1), the simulation predicts nicely the experimental RTDs. However, at high screw speed (N > 800 min−1) and moderate throughput (Q = 4 kg h−1), the simulation fails to predict the RDT delay time. Hence, some side effects apparently occurred during high shear extrusion at low throughputs.
An Overview of Molten Polymer Drawing Instabilities
Authors: Demay Y. , Agassant J.-F.
Published: March 2014

Drawing instabilities and rupture are a serious limitation in polymer fibre and film processing. Draw resonance and fibre or film rupture depend on the processing conditions, heat transfer and on the rheology of the polymer and some of these defects may also be encountered for Newtonian fluids. This paper reviews the different instabilities observed in fibre spinning, cast-film and film blowing. The time dependent equations are presented for the simplified situation of constant width cast-film and two modelling strategies, linear stability analysis and direct simulation, are proposed and then applied to the different fibre and film processes.
Ecuador's “black site”
Authors: Garces Chris
Published: March 2014

When a state of emergency in Ecuador's prison system was declared in 2007, municipal leaders in Guayaquil built the country's first “supermax” prison, La Roca, for the administrative segregation of inmates considered a security threat. I suggest that administrative curtailment of access to these so-called “worst of the worst” prisoners merits legal comparisons with the juridical status of detainees in US “black site” facilities, the inter-American drug wars now paralleling the global war on terror insofar as prisoners' rights are concerned. Contrasting my brief visit to La Roca with political-economic and media analysis, my article draws two conclusions: (1) that limited physical access to prisoners, stimulated by administrative “zones of legal silence”, demands an ethnographic focus on daily conditions of prison life using inconsistencies in administrative rhetoric; and (2) that measures to securitize the prison system have augmented prison directors' powers to coerce inmates and to confound understandings of their living conditions.
What Can an Egoist Say against an Egoist? On Archibald Campbell's Criticisms of Bernard Mandeville
Authors: Maurer Christian
Published: March 2014

Like Bernard Mandeville, Archibald Campbell develops a profoundly egoistic conception of human psychology. However, Campbell attacks numerous points in Mandeville's moral philosophy, in particular Mandeville's treatment of self-love, the desire for esteem, and human nature in general as corrupt. He also criticises Mandeville's corresponding insistence on self-denial and his rigorist conception of luxury. Campbell himself is subsequently attacked by Scottish orthodox Calvinists - not for his egoism, but for his optimism regarding postlapsarian human nature and self-love. This episode demonstrates that the debates on egoism in Mandeville should be seen in the context of the debates on postlapsarian human nature.
Mandeville on Governability
Authors: Knott Martin Otero
Published: March 2014

This paper discusses Bernard Mandeville's (1670–1733) conception of governability. It grounds his key distinction between a submissive and a governable subject in terms of his alternative account of human sociability to demonstrate the nature and structure of relationships that are necessary for upholding stable and flourishing societies. Using Sir William Temple as an interlocutor (1628–1699), it also explores the role played by the cultivation of reverence to authority in Mandeville's analysis of governability.
Honestum is as Honestum Does: Reid, Hume – and Mandeville?!
Authors: Edwards Jeffrey
Published: March 2014

How are we to understand Thomas Reid in relation to Bernard de Mandeville? I answer this question by considering two components of the assessment of Hume's theory of morals that Reid provides in his Essays on the Active Powers of Man: first, Reid's claim that Hume's system of morals cannot accommodate the Stoic conception of moral worth (honestum); second, Reid's charge that Hume's account of morally meritorious action leads to an inflated and incoherent version of Epicurean virtue theory. I thus determine the character of Reid's relation to Mandeville by examining the Stoic and anti-Epicurean assumptions involved in Reid's criticism of Hume's ethics.
Embodied Cognition and Camera Mobility in F. W. Murnau's The Last Laugh and Fritz Lang's M
Authors: Müller Sabine
Published: March 2014

This essay employs insights from embodied approaches to cognition to develop a tighter grasp on the phenomenon of camera mobility. Close readings of two early masterpieces of German cinema investigate how the viewer relates to camera movement on the basis of kinaesthetic empathy and is thereby transported, emotionally gripped or expelled from the storyworld. I argue that the construction of the fictional world is based on this specific viewing attitude, which invites us either to merely observe or, in contrast, to engage with the events on screen. As a consequence, the investigation of camera movement on the basis of embodied cognition helps us both to gain a deeper understanding of how we are drawn into the space defined by camera movement and to open up the possibility of a ‘natural’ history of camera conventions as they were established at this early stage of cinema.
Quixotic Reasoning: Counterfactuals, Causation and Literary Storyworlds
Authors: Kukkonen Karin
Published: March 2014

Bayesian probability calculus has recently emerged as a model for how the mind learns about fictional and cultural environments. This essay considers reading a narrative as a process of learning about the probabilities of the fictional world and explores two novels about Quixotic readers from a Bayesian perspective. The juxtaposition of the fictional and the real, which the standard understanding of the Quixote relies on, is replaced by an outline of the dynamics of the learning process in Quixotes who already know ‘the rule’, that is, the probabilities of their fictional environment, but need to use this knowledge with discernment. The conclusion draws connexions between the Quixotic learning process and the ways in which fiction contributes to human mental, social and cultural development.
Reading Short Forms Cognitively: Mindreading and Procedural Expressions in La Rochefoucauld and La Bruyère
Authors: Sellevold Kirsti
Published: March 2014

Drawing primarily on Relevance Theory, this essay explores mindreading strategies in the works of La Rochefoucauld and La Bruyère. The first part shows how La Bruyère exploits such strategies in bridging the gap between author and reader and in building his character portraits through observation of bodily behaviour. It also shows how he stages mindreading between characters. The second part analyses the procedural expressions ‘souvent’ and ‘ne que’ as linguistic clues to mental processes, more specifically as a device for bypassing readers' epistemic vigilance mechanisms. Rather than providing evidence for exceptions to the ruling principle of self-interest (as is commonly argued), such expressions block readers' attempts to draw such conclusions, thereby rendering their cognitive environment more uncertain. Endemic in La Rochefoucauld's Maximes, they prepare the ground for and help to construct the pessimistic world-view and wit that characterize the work as a whole.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Biomolecules in 2013
Authors: Biomolecules Editorial Office
Published: March 2014

The editors of Biomolecules would like to express their sincere gratitude to the following reviewers for assessing manuscripts in 2013. [...]
Aspects of Landscape and Pollinators—What is Important to Bee Conservation?
Authors: Patrício-Roberto Gleiciani , Campos Maria
Published: March 2014

Pollinators, especially bees, are essential to terrestrial ecosystems. They ensure the maintenance of certain ecological processes, like superior plants’ reproduction. In the past decades, agricultural intensification has caused extensive environmental changes, with major impacts on biodiversity, especially on the pollinators, which reflects the loss of fruits and seeds sets. Here, we review studies that elucidate the causes of decline of pollinators, consequences of landscape changes to agriculture and possibilities to bees’ conservation. Many studies have related the loss of pollinators to changes in the landscape, such as the conversion of native forests into cultivated areas, which causes loss of important elements for bees (e.g., sources of pollen, nectar and oil, as well as varied nesting sites). Studies involving landscape ecology allow us to assess the effects of different farming practices over the richness and abundance of pollinators. Among the landscape elements performing positive influence on bees, the presence of remaining forests nearby cultivated areas proved to be a very important factor. Nevertheless, studies that evaluate all ground cover with a more integrated approach are still required to assess the effects of landscape context on the diversity and on the abundance of bees related to productivity of crops. Researches like these could provide specific data that strengthen the need for the conservation of different plants and animals, and could offer subsidies to propose necessary information for the execution of public and private policies, aimed at the conservation of the biodiversity.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Diversity in 2013
Authors: Diversity Editorial Office
Published: March 2014

The editors of Diversity would like to express their sincere gratitude to the following reviewers for assessing manuscripts in 2013. [...]
A Fast Solution for the Lagrange Multiplier-Based Electric Power Network Parameter Error Identification Model
Authors: Guo Ye , Wu Wenchuan , Zhang Boming , Sun Hongbin
Published: March 2014

The Lagrange multiplier-based method is an effective network parameter error identification method. However, two full matrices with high-dimensions are involved in the calculation procedure; these create huge computational burdens for large-scale power systems. To solve this problem, a fast solution is proposed in this paper, where special treatment techniques for full matrices are used to dramatically improve the calculation efficiency. A practical parameter error identification program has been developed and used in many electric power control centers. In this paper, the results for test systems and on-site applications are given, which show that the proposed approach is very efficient.
Impacts of Irrigation on the Heat Fluxes and Near-Surface Temperature in an Inland Irrigation Area of Northern China
Authors: Jiang Li , Ma Enjun , Deng Xiangzheng
Published: March 2014

Irrigated agriculture has the potential to alter regional to global climate significantly. We investigate how irrigation will affect regional climate in the future in an inland irrigation area of northern China, focusing on its effects on heat fluxes and near-surface temperature. Using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, we compare simulations among three land cover scenarios: the control scenario (CON), the irrigation scenario (IRR), and the irrigated cropland expansion scenario (ICE). Our results show that the surface energy budgets and temperature are sensitive to changes in the extent and spatial pattern of irrigated land. Conversion to irrigated agriculture at the contemporary scale leads to an increase in annual mean latent heat fluxes of 12.10 W m−2, a decrease in annual mean sensible heat fluxes of 8.85 W m−2, and a decrease in annual mean temperature of 1.3 °C across the study region. Further expansion of irrigated land increases annual mean latent heat fluxes by 18.08 W m−2, decreases annual mean sensible heat fluxes by 12.31 W m−2, and decreases annual mean temperature by 1.7 °C. Our simulated effects of irrigation show that changes in land use management such as irrigation can be an important component of climate change and need to be considered together with greenhouse forcing in climate change assessments.
A Combination of Cross Correlation and Trend Analyses Reveals that Kawasaki Disease is a Pollen-Induced Delayed-Type Hyper-Sensitivity Disease
Authors: Awaya Akira , Nishimura Chiaki
Published: March 2014

Based on ecological analyses we proposed in 2003 the relation of Kawasaki Disease (KD) onset causing acute febrile systemic vasculitis, and pollen exposure. This study was aimed at investigating the correlation between pollen release and the change in the numbers of KD patients from 1991 to 2002 in Kanagawa, Japan. Short-term changes in the number of KD patients and medium- to long-term trends were analyzed separately. Short-term changes in the number of KD patients showed a significant positive cross correlation (CC) with 9- to 10-month delay following pollen releases, and a smaller but significant CC with 3- to 4-month delay. Further, a temporal relationship revealed by positive CC distribution showed that pollen release preceded KD development, suggesting that pollen release leads to KD development. A trend in patient numbers was fitted by an exponential curve with the time constant of 0.005494. We hypothesized that the trend was caused by the cumulative effects of pollen exposure for elapsed months on patients who may develop KD. By comparing the time constants of fitted exponential curve for each pollen accumulation period with 0.005494, the exposure period was estimated to be 21.4 months, which explains why approximately 50% of patients developed KD within 24 months from birth.
Inhibition of Aflatoxin Synthesis in Aspergillus flavus by Three Structurally Modified Lentinans
Authors: Ma Jinyou , Mo Haizhen , Chen Ying , Ding Ding , Hu Liangbin
Published: March 2014

The chemical properties of β-glucans leading to their inhibition on aflatoxin (AF) production by Aspergillus flavus remain unclear. In this study, structurally modified lentinan derivatives were prepared by carboxymethylation, sulfation, and phosphorylation to explore their inhibition activity to AF synthesis. The results demonstrated that inhibitory activity of lentinan decreased at higher or lower concentrations than 200 μg/mL. Compared with lentinan, the sulphated derivatives only performed a reduced optimal inhibition rate at a higher concentration. The phosphorylated derivatives achieved complete inhibition of AF production at 50 μg/mL, but the inhibitory activity was attenuated with an increase of concentration. The minimum concentration of carboxymethylated derivatives to completely inhibit AF synthesis was the same as that of the original lentinan, whereas their inhibition activity was not reduced at the increasing concentration. RT-PCR analyses were conducted to understand the effects of lentinan and its carboxymethylated derivatives on the transcription of certain genes associated with AF biosynthesis. The results showed that lentinan delayed the transcription of aflQ, whereas its carboxymethylated derivatives promoted the transcriptions of all the tested genes. Our results revealed that some chemical group features apart from the β-bond could play the vital role in the prevention of AF formation by polysaccharide, and highlighted the structural modifications which could promote its practicability in the control of aflatoxin contamination.
Isolation and Characterization of the Brassinosteroid Receptor Gene (GmBRI1) from Glycine max
Authors: Wang Miao , Sun Shi , Wu Cunxiang , Han Tianfu , Wang Qingyu
Published: March 2014

Brassinosteroids (BRs) constitute a group of steroidal phytohormones that contribute to a wide range of plant growth and development functions. The genetic modulation of BR receptor genes, which play major roles in the BR signaling pathway, can create semi-dwarf plants that have great advantages in crop production. In this study, a brassinosteroid insensitive gene homologous with AtBRI1 and other BRIs was isolated from Glycine max and designated as GmBRI1. A bioinformatic analysis revealed that GmBRI1 shares a conserved kinase domain and 25 tandem leucine-rich repeats (LRRs) that are characteristic of a BR receptor for BR reception and reaction and bear a striking similarity in protein tertiary structure to AtBRI1. GmBRI1 transcripts were more abundant in soybean hypocotyls and could be upregulated in response to exogenous BR treatment. The transformation of GmBRI1 into the Arabidopsis dwarf mutant bri1-5 restored the phenotype, especially regarding pod size and plant height. Additionally, this complementation is a consequence of a restored BR signaling pathway demonstrated in the light/dark analysis, root inhibition assay and BR-response gene expression. Therefore, GmBRI1 functions as a BR receptor to alter BR-mediated signaling and is valuable for improving plant architecture and enhancing the yield of soybean.
Nanomedicine-Based Neuroprotective Strategies in Patient Specific-iPSC and Personalized Medicine
Authors: Jang Shih-Fan , Liu Wei-Hsiu , Song Wen-Shin , Chiang Kuan-Lin , Ma Hsin-I , Kao Chung-Lan , Chen Ming-Teh
Published: March 2014

In recent decades, nanotechnology has attracted major interests in view of drug delivery systems and therapies against diseases, such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and many others. Nanotechnology provides the opportunity for nanoscale particles or molecules (so called “Nanomedicine”) to be delivered to the targeted sites, thereby, reducing toxicity (or side effects) and improving drug bioavailability. Nowadays, a great deal of nano-structured particles/vehicles has been discovered, including polymeric nanoparticles, lipid-based nanoparticles, and mesoporous silica nanoparticles. Nanomedical utilizations have already been well developed in many different aspects, including disease treatment, diagnostic, medical devices designing, and visualization (i.e., cell trafficking). However, while quite a few successful progressions on chemotherapy using nanotechnology have been developed, the implementations of nanoparticles on stem cell research are still sparsely populated. Stem cell applications and therapies are being considered to offer an outstanding potential in the treatment for numbers of maladies. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are adult cells that have been genetically reprogrammed to an embryonic stem cell-like state. Although the exact mechanisms underlying are still unclear, iPSCs are already being considered as useful tools for drug development/screening and modeling of diseases. Recently, personalized medicines have drawn great attentions in biological and pharmaceutical studies. Generally speaking, personalized medicine is a therapeutic model that offers a customized healthcare/cure being tailored to a specific patient based on his own genetic information. Consequently, the combination of nanomedicine and iPSCs could actually be the potent arms for remedies in transplantation medicine and personalized medicine. This review will focus on current use of nanoparticles on therapeutical applications, nanomedicine-based neuroprotective manipulations in patient specific-iPSCs and personalized medicine.
Topological Defects in Topological Insulators and Bound States at Topological Superconductor Vortices
Authors: Parente Vincenzo , Campagnano Gabriele , Giuliano Domenico , Tagliacozzo Arturo , Guinea Francisco
Published: March 2014

The scattering of Dirac electrons by topological defects could be one of the most relevant sources of resistance in graphene and at the boundary surfaces of a three-dimensional topological insulator (3D TI). In the long wavelength, continuous limit of the Dirac equation, the topological defect can be described as a distortion of the metric in curved space, which can be accounted for by a rotation of the Gamma matrices and by a spin connection inherited with the curvature. These features modify the scattering properties of the carriers. We discuss the self-energy of defect formation with this approach and the electron cross-section for intra-valley scattering at an edge dislocation in graphene, including corrections coming from the local stress. The cross-section contribution to the resistivity, ρ, is derived within the Boltzmann theory of transport. On the same lines, we discuss the scattering of a screw dislocation in a two-band 3D TI, like Bi1-xSbx, and we present the analytical simplified form of the wavefunction for gapless helical states bound at the defect. When a 3D TI is sandwiched between two even-parity superconductors, Dirac boundary states acquire superconductive correlations by proximity. In the presence of a magnetic vortex piercing the heterostructure, two Majorana states are localized at the two interfaces and bound to the vortex core. They have a half integer total angular momentum each, to match with the unitary orbital angular momentum of the vortex charge.
Electrophoretic Deposition of Chitosan/h-BN and Chitosan/h-BN/TiO2 Composite Coatings on Stainless Steel (316L) Substrates
Authors: Raddaha Namir , Cordero-Arias Luis , Cabanas-Polo Sandra , Virtanen Sannakaisa , Roether Judith , Boccaccini Aldo
Published: March 2014

This article presents the results of an experimental investigation designed to deposit chitosan/hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and chitosan/h-BN/titania (TiO2) composites on SS316L substrates using electrophoretic deposition (EPD) for potential antibacterial applications. The influence of EPD parameters (voltage and deposition time) and relative concentrations of chitosan, h-BN and TiO2 in suspension on deposition yield was studied. The composition and structure of deposited coatings were investigated by FTIR, XRD and SEM. It was observed that h-BN and TiO2 particles were dispersed in the chitosan matrix through simultaneous deposition. The adhesion between the electrophoretic coatings and the stainless steel substrates was tested by using tape test technique, and the results showed that the adhesion strength corresponded to 3B and 4B classes. Corrosion resistance was evaluated by electrochemical polarization curves, indicating enhanced corrosion resistance of the chitosan/h-BN/TiO2 and chitosan/h-BN coatings compared to the bare stainless steel substrate. In order to investigate the in-vitro inorganic bioactivity, coatings were immersed in simulated body fluid (SBF) for 28 days. FTIR and XRD results showed no formation of hydroxyapatite on the surface of chitosan/h-BN/TiO2 and chitosan/h-BN coatings, which are therefore non bioactive but potentially useful as antibacterial coatings.
A New Epoxy-Based Layered Silicate Nanocomposite Using a Hyperbranched Polymer: Study of the Curing Reaction and Nanostructure Development
Authors: Cortés Pilar , Fraga Iria , Calventus Yolanda , Román Frida , Hutchinson John , Ferrando Francesc
Published: March 2014

Polymer layered silicate (PLS) nanocomposites have been prepared with diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA) epoxy resin as the matrix and organically modified montmorillonite (MMT) as the clay nanofiller. Resin-clay mixtures with different clay contents (zero, two, five and 10 wt%) were cured, both isothermally and non-isothermally, using a poly(ethyleneimine) hyperbranched polymer (HBP), the cure kinetics being monitored by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The nanostructure of the cured nanocomposites was characterized by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and their mechanical properties were determined by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and impact testing. The results are compared with an earlier study of the structure and properties of the same DGEBA-MMT system cured with a polyoxypropylene diamine, Jeffamine. There are very few examples of the use of HBP as a curing agent in epoxy PLS nanocomposites; here, it is found to enhance significantly the degree of exfoliation of these nanocomposites compared with those cured with Jeffamine, with a corresponding enhancement in the impact energy for nanocomposites with the low clay content of 2 wt%. These changes are attributed to the different cure kinetics with the HBP, in which the intra-gallery homopolymerization reaction is accelerated, such that it occurs before the bulk cross-linking reaction.
Applications of NMR in Dairy Research
Authors: Maher Anthony , Rochfort Simone
Published: March 2014

NMR is a robust analytical technique that has been employed to investigate the properties of many substances of agricultural relevance. NMR was first used to investigate the properties of milk in the 1950s and has since been employed in a wide range of studies; including properties analysis of specific milk proteins to metabolomics techniques used to monitor the health of dairy cows. In this brief review, we highlight the different uses of NMR in the dairy industry.
Water Organization and Dynamics on Mineral Surfaces Interrogated by Graph Theoretical Analyses of Intermolecular Chemical Networks
Authors: Ozkanlar Abdullah , Kelley Morgan , Clark Aurora
Published: March 2014

Intermolecular chemical networks defined by the hydrogen bonds formed at the α-quartz|water interface have been data-mined using graph theoretical methods so as to identify and quantify structural patterns and dynamic behavior. Using molecular-dynamics simulations data, the hydrogen bond (H-bond) distributions for the water-water and water-silanol H-bond networks have been determined followed by the calculation of the persistence of the H-bond, the dipole-angle oscillations that water makes with the surface silanol groups over time, and the contiguous H-bonded chains formed at the interface. Changes in these properties have been monitored as a function of surface coverage. Using the H-bond distribution between water and the surface silanol groups, the actual number of waters adsorbed to the surface is found to be 0.6 H2O/10 Å2, irrespective of the total concentration of waters within the system. The unbroken H-bond network of interfacial waters extends farther than in the bulk liquid; however, it is more fluxional at low surface coverages (i.e., the H-bond persistence in a monolayer of water is shorter than in the bulk) Concentrations of H2O at previously determined water adsorption sites have also been quantified. This work demonstrates the complementary information that can be obtained through graph theoretical analysis of the intermolecular H-bond networks relative to standard analyses of molecular simulation data.
Classification of Plot-Level Fire-Caused Tree Mortality in a Redwood Forest Using Digital Orthophotography and LiDAR
Authors: Bishop Brian , Dietterick Brian , White Russell , Mastin Tom
Published: March 2014

Aerial and satellite imagery are widely used to assess the severity and impact of wildfires. Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) is a newer remote sensing technology that has demonstrated utility in measuring vegetation structure. Combined use of imagery and LiDAR may improve the assessment of wildfire impacts compared to imagery alone. Estimation of tree mortality at the plot scale could serve for more rapid, broad-scale, and lower cost post-fire assessments than feasible through field assessment. We assessed the accuracy of classifying color-infrared imagery in combination with post-fire LiDAR, and with differenced (pre- and post-fire) LiDAR, in estimating plot percent mortality in a second-growth coast redwood forest near Santa Cruz, CA. Percent mortality of trees greater than 25.4 cm DBH in 47 permanent 0.08 ha plots was categorized as low (<25%), moderate (25%–50%), or high (>50%). The model using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP) was 74% accurate; the model using NDVI and post-fire LiDAR was 85% accurate, while the model using NDVI and differenced LiDAR was 83% accurate. The addition of post-fire LiDAR data provided a modest increase in accuracy compared to imagery alone, which may not justify the substantial cost of data acquisition. The method demonstrated could be applied to rapidly estimate tree mortality resulting from wildfires at fine to moderate scale.
Staphylococcal Bicomponent Pore-Forming Toxins: Targets for Prophylaxis and Immunotherapy
Authors: Aman M. , Adhikari Rajan
Published: March 2014

Staphylococccus aureus represents one of the most challenging human pathogens as well as a common colonizer of human skin and mucosal surfaces. S. aureus causes a wide range of diseases from skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI) to debilitating and life-threatening conditions such as osteomyelitis, endocarditis, and necrotizing pneumonia. The range of diseases reflects the remarkable diversity of the virulence factors produced by this pathogen, including surface antigens involved in the establishment of infection and a large number of toxins that mediate a vast array of cellular responses. The staphylococcal toxins are generally believed to have evolved to disarm the innate immune system, the first line of defense against this pathogen. This review focuses on recent advances on elucidating the biological functions of S. aureus bicomponent pore-forming toxins (BCPFTs) and their utility as targets for preventive and therapeutic intervention. These toxins are cytolytic to a variety of immune cells, primarily neutrophils, as well as cells with a critical barrier function. The lytic activity of BCPFTs towards immune cells implies a critical role in immune evasion, and a number of epidemiological studies and animal experiments relate these toxins to clinical disease, particularly SSTI and necrotizing pneumonia. Antibody-mediated neutralization of this lytic activity may provide a strategy for development of toxoid-based vaccines or immunotherapeutics for prevention or mitigation of clinical diseases. However, certain BCPFTs have been proposed to act as danger signals that may alert the immune system through an inflammatory response. The utility of a neutralizing vaccination strategy must be weighed against such immune-activating potential.
Depletion of Alloreactive T-Cells by Anti-CD137-Saporin Immunotoxin
Authors: Lee Sang C. , Seo Kwang W. , Kim Hye J. , Kang Sang W. , Choi Hye-Jeong , Kim Ansuk , Kwon Byoung S. , Cho Hong R. , Kwon Byungsuk
Published: March 2014

Depletion of alloreactive T-lymphocytes from allogeneic bone marrow tansplants may prevent graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) without impairing donor cell engraftment, immunity, and the graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect. Alloreactive T-cells may be identified by their expression, upon activation, of CD137, a costimulatory receptor and putative surrogate marker for antigen-specific effector T-cells. In this context, we tested the use of anti-CD137-saporin immunotoxin to selectively deplete mouse and human alloreactive T-cells. Anti-CD137 antibodies were internalized by cells within 4 h of binding to the cell surface CD137, and anti-CD137-saporin immunotoxin effectively killed polyclonally activated T-cells or antigen-stimulated T-cells. Transfer of donor T-cells after allodepletion with anti-CD137-saporin immunotoxin failed to induce any evident expression of GVHD; however, a significant GVL effect was observed. Targeting of CD137 with an immunotoxin was also effective in killing polyclonally activated or alloreactive human T-cells. Our results indicate that anti-CD137-saporin immunotoxin may be used to deplete alloreactive T-cells prior to bone marrow transplantation and thereby prevent GVHD and the relapse of leukemia.