bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Protection against experimental visceral leishmaniasis by immunostimulation with herbal drugs derived from Withania somnifera and Asparagus racemosus
Authors: Kaur Sukhbir , Chauhan Kalpana , Sachdeva Heena
Published: August 2014

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a vector-borne parasitic disease targeting tissue macrophages. It is among the most neglected infectious diseases. As available therapeutics for treatment of this disease have many side effects, there is a need for safer alternatives. One of the immunopathological consequences of active visceral leishmaniasis is suppression of protective T-helper (Th)-1 cells and induction of disease-promoting Th-2 cells, and thus the treatment of VL relies on immunomodulation. In the current study, herbal drugs derived as whole-plant extracts ofAsparagus racemosusandWithania somniferawere used to treatLeishmania donovani-infected BALB/c mice. Keeping the scenario of immunosuppression during VL in mind, the potential of these drugs in the restoration of murine Th-1-type protective immune responses was evaluated. To investigate the propensity of these drugs to treat VL, liver parasite load, delayed-type hypersensitivity responses and parasite-specific immunoglobulin levels were studied. Various biochemical and haematological tests were also carried out. A positive-control group used the standard drug treatment of sodium stibogluconate. Treatment of infected mice withA. racemosusandW. somniferain combination at the higher dose of 200 mg (kg body weight)−1not only resulted in a successful reduction in parasite load but also generated protective Th1-type immune responses with normalization of biochemical and haematological parameters, suggesting their potential as potent anti-leishmanial agents.
Role of gliotoxin in the symbiotic and pathogenic interactions of Trichoderma virens
Authors: Vargas Walter A. , Mukherjee Prasun K. , Laughlin David , Wiest Aric , Moran-Diez Maria E. , Kenerley Charles M.
Published: August 2014

Using a gene disruption strategy, we generated mutants in thegliPlocus of the plant-beneficial fungusTrichoderma virensthat were no longer capable of producing gliotoxin. Phenotypic assays demonstrated that thegliP-disrupted mutants grew faster, were more sensitive to oxidative stress and exhibited a sparse colony edge compared with the WT strain. In a plate confrontation assay, the mutants deficient in gliotoxin production were ineffective as mycoparasites against the oomycete,Pythium ultimum, and the necrotrophic fungal pathogen,Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, but retained mycoparasitic ability againstRhizoctonia solani. Biocontrol assays in soil showed that the mutants were incapable of protecting cotton seedlings from attack byP. ultimum, against which the WT strain was highly effective. The mutants, however, were as effective as the WT strain in protecting cotton seedlings againstR. solani. Loss of gliotoxin production also resulted in a reduced ability of the mutants to attack the sclerotia ofS. sclerotiorumcompared with the WT. The addition of exogenous gliotoxin to the sclerotia colonized by the mutants partially restored their degradative abilities. Interestingly, as inAspergillus fumigatus, an opportunistic human pathogen, gliotoxin was found to be involved in pathogenicity ofT. virensagainst larvae of the wax moth,Galleria mellonella. The loss of gliotoxin production inT. virenswas restored by complementation with thegliPgene fromA. fumigatus. We have, thus, demonstrated that the putativegliPcluster ofT. virensis responsible for the biosynthesis of gliotoxin, and gliotoxin is involved in mycoparasitism and biocontrol properties of this plant-beneficial fungus.
Two distinct promoter architectures centered on dynamic nucleosomes control ribosomal protein gene transcription
Authors: Knight Britta , Kubik Slawomir , Ghosh Bhaswar , Bruzzone Maria Jessica , Geertz Marcel , Martin Victoria , Dénervaud Nicolas , Jacquet Philippe , Ozkan Burak , Rougemont Jacques , Maerkl Sebastian J. , Naef Félix , Shore David
Published: August 2014

In yeast, ribosome production is controlled transcriptionally by tight coregulation of the 138 ribosomal protein genes (RPGs). RPG promoters display limited sequence homology, and the molecular basis for their coregulation remains largely unknown. Here we identify two prevalent RPG promoter types, both characterized by upstream binding of the general transcription factor (TF) Rap1 followed by the RPG-specific Fhl1/Ifh1 pair, with one type also binding the HMG-B protein Hmo1. We show that the regulatory properties of the two promoter types are remarkably similar, suggesting that they are determined to a large extent by Rap1 and the Fhl1/Ifh1 pair. Rapid depletion experiments allowed us to define a hierarchy of TF binding in which Rap1 acts as a pioneer factor required for binding of all other TFs. We also uncovered unexpected features underlying recruitment of Fhl1, whose forkhead DNA-binding domain is not required for binding at most promoters, and Hmo1, whose binding is supported by repeated motifs. Finally, we describe unusually micrococcal nuclease (MNase)-sensitive nucleosomes at all RPG promoters, located between the canonical +1 and −1 nucleosomes, which coincide with sites of Fhl1/Ifh1 and Hmo1 binding. We speculate that these “fragile” nucleosomes play an important role in regulating RPG transcriptional output.
Self-regulation of exopolysaccharide production in Bacillus subtilis by a tyrosine kinase
Authors: Elsholz Alexander K.W. , Wacker Sarah A. , Losick Richard
Published: August 2014

We report that the Bacillus subtilis exopolysaccharide (EPS) is a signaling molecule that controls its own production. EPS synthesis depends on a tyrosine kinase that consists of a membrane component (EpsA) and a kinase component (EpsB). EPS interacts with the extracellular domain of EpsA, which is a receptor, to control kinase activity. In the absence of EPS, the kinase is inactivated by autophosphorylation. The presence of EPS inhibits autophosphorylation and instead promotes the phosphorylation of a glycosyltransferase in the biosynthetic pathway, thereby stimulating the production of EPS. Thus, EPS production is subject to a positive feedback loop that ties its synthesis to its own concentration. Tyrosine kinase-mediated self-regulation could be a widespread feature of the control of exopolysaccharide production in bacteria.
Arabidopsis SNAREs SYP61 and SYP121 Coordinate the Trafficking of Plasma Membrane Aquaporin PIP2;7 to Modulate the Cell Membrane Water Permeability
Authors: Hachez Charles , Laloux Timothée , Reinhardt Hagen , Cavez Damien , Degand Hervé , Grefen Christopher , De Rycke Riet , Inzé Dirk , Blatt Michael R. , Russinova Eugenia , Chaumont François
Published: August 2014

Plant plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs) are aquaporins that facilitate the passive movement of water and small neutral solutes through biological membranes. Here, we report that post-Golgi trafficking of PIP2;7 in Arabidopsis thaliana involves specific interactions with two syntaxin proteins, namely, the Qc-SNARE SYP61 and the Qa-SNARE SYP121, that the proper delivery of PIP2;7 to the plasma membrane depends on the activity of the two SNAREs, and that the SNAREs colocalize and physically interact. These findings are indicative of an important role for SYP61 and SYP121, possibly forming a SNARE complex. Our data support a model in which direct interactions between specific SNARE proteins and PIP aquaporins modulate their post-Golgi trafficking and thus contribute to the fine-tuning of the water permeability of the plasma membrane.
Crystal structure of the solid solution (Sr1.65Pb0.35)Al6O11
Authors: Weil Matthias
Published: August 2014

The title compound, di(strontium/lead) hexaaluminate, is a member of the solid solution series (Sr2-xPbx)Al6O11. It contains two statistically occupiedM2+(M= Sr, Pb) sites [both with site symmetries ..m; Sr:Pb occupancy ratios = 0.756 (2):0.244 (2) and 0.8968 (19):0.1032 (19)] that are located in the voids of an aluminate framework. TheM2+sites are surrounded by six and seven O atoms, respectively, if a cut-offM—O distance of 3 Å is chosen, resulting in considerably distortedMOxpolyhedra. The aluminate framework consists of three AlO6octahedra (two with point-group symmetries ..2/mand one with ..2) sharing edges to form partially filled layers extending parallel to (100) and located atx= 0, 0.5. Adjacent AlO6layers are linked by a network made up from two crystallographically different AlO4tetrahedra by sharing corners.
Crystal structure of Hg2SO4– a redetermination
Authors: Weil Matthias
Published: August 2014

The crystal structure of mercury(I) sulfate (or mercurous sulfate), Hg2SO4, was re-determined based on modern CCD data. In comparison with the previous determination from Weissenberg film data [Dorm (1969).Acta Chem. Scand.23, 1607–1615], all atoms were refined with anisotropic displacement parameters, leading to higher precision in terms of bond lengths and angles [e.g. Hg—Hg = 2.5031 (7) compared to 2.500 (3)Å]. The structure consists of alternating rows along [001] of Hg22+dumbbells (generated by inversion symmetry) and SO42−tetrahedra (symmetry 2). The dumbbells are linkedviashort O—Hg—Hg—O bonds to the sulfate tetrahedra into chains extending parallel to [20-1]. More remote O—Hg—Hg—O bonds connect these chains into a three-dimensional framework.
Crystal structure of 2,2′-({[2-(tritylsulfanyl)benzyl]azanediyl}bis(ethane-2,1-diyl))bis(isoindoline-1,3-dione)
Authors: Flörke Ulrich , Neuba Adam , Ortmeyer Jochen , Henkel Gerald
Published: August 2014

In the structure of the title compound, C46H37N3O4S, the planes of the two isoindoline units make a dihedral angle of 77.86 (3)°. The dihedral angles between the benzyl plane and the isoindoline units are 79.56 (4) and 3.74 (9)°. The geometry at the S atom shows a short [1.7748 (17) Å] S—Cbenzyland a long [1.8820 (15) Å] S—Ctritylbond and the C—S—C angle is 108.40 (7)°. N—C bond lengths around the azane N atom are in the range 1.454 (2)–1.463 (2) Å. he crystal packing exhibts two rather `non-classical' C—H...O hydrogen bonds that result in stacking of the molecules along theaas well as thebaxis and give rise to columnar sub-structures.
Crystal structure of ethyl 2-(diethoxyphosphoryl)-2-(2,3,4-trimethoxyphenyl)acetate
Authors: Schubert Moritz , Schollmeyer Dieter , Waldvogel Siegfried R.
Published: August 2014

The title compound, C17H27O8P, was prepared by Michaelis–Arbuzov reaction of ethyl 2-bromo-2-(2,3,4-trimethoxyphenyl)acetate and triethyl phosphite. Such compounds rarely crystallize, but single crystals were recovered after the initial oil was left for approximately 10 years. The bond angle of thesp3-hybridized C atom connecting the benzene derivative with the phospho unit is widened marginally [112.5 (2)°]. The terminal P—O bond length of 1.464 (2) Å clearly indicates a double bond, whereas the two O atoms of the ethoxy groups connected to the phosphorous atom have bond lengths of 1.580 (2) Å and 1.581 (3) Å. The three methoxy groups emerge out of the benzene-ring plane due to steric hindrance [C—C—O—C torsion angles = −179.9 (3)°, −52.9 (4)° and 115.3 (4)°]. In the crystal, inversion dimers linked by pairs of C—H...O=P hydrogen bonds generateR22(14) loops. The chosen crystal was modelled as a non-merohedral twin.
Crystal structure of (E)-N-phenyl-N′-[1-(thiophen-2-yl)ethylidene]formohydrazide
Authors: Dileep C. S. , Raghavendra K. R. , Lokanath N. K. , Ajay Kumar K. , Sridhar M. A.
Published: August 2014

In the title compound, C13H12N2OS, the planes of the thiophene and phenyl rings are nearly perpendicular to each other, making a dihedral angle of 86.42 (12)°. In the crystal, molecules are linked by C—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming a helical chain along theb-axis direction.
Crystal structure of (S)-1-(1,3-benzothiazol-2-yl)-2,2,2-trifluoroethanol
Authors: Shishkina Svitlana V. , Kucher Olexandr V. , Kolodiazhnaya Anastasiya O. , Smolii Oleg B. , Tolmachev Andrey A.
Published: August 2014

In the title compound, C9H6F3NOS, the 1,3-benzothiazole ring system is essentially planar, with an r.m.s. deviation of 0.006 Å. In the crystal, molecules are linkedviaO—H...N hydrogen bonds, forming zigzag chains along [010].
Crystal structure of {(E)-4-[(1-allyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methoxy]benzylidene}[2-(morpholin-4-yl)ethyl]amine
Authors: Çelikesir Sevim Türktekin , Akkurt Mehmet , Jarrahpour Aliasghar , Chermahini Mehdi Mohammadi , Shiri Pezhman , Büyükgüngör Orhan
Published: August 2014

In the title compound, C19H25N5O2, the morpholine ring has a chair conformation. The plane of the central benzene ring makes dihedral angles of 88.75 (12) and 60.02 (7)°, respectively, with the mean plane formed by the four planar C atoms of the morpholine ring and with the plane of the triazole ring. In the crystal, molecules are linkedviaC—H...π interactions, forming slabs lying parallel to (10-1). The C atoms of the bridging ethylene group, between the morpholine and benzene rings, and the terminal ethene group of the prop-1-ene substituent attached to the triazole ring, are disordered over two sets of sites, with an occupancy ratio of 0.634 (13):0.366 (13).
Crystal structure of (E)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethanoneO-dehydroabietyloxime
Authors: Rao Xiao-Ping , Cui Yan-Jie , Zheng Jian-Qiang
Published: August 2014

In the title compound, C29H37NO3{systematic name: (E)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethanoneO-[(1R,4aS,10aR)-7-isopropyl-1,4a-dimethyl-1,2,3,4,4a,9,10,10a-octahydrophenanthrene-1-carbonyl]oxime}, a new derivative of dehydroabietic acid, the two cyclohexane rings exhibit atrans-ring junction and are in chair and half-chair conformations. The C=N double bond exhibits anEconformation.
Crystal structure of 2-(2-bromophenyl)-4-(1H-indol-3-yl)-6-(thiophen-2-yl)pyridine-3-carbonitrile
Authors: Vishnupriya R. , Suresh J. , Bharkavi Shanmugavel , Perumal Subbu , Lakshman P. L. Nilantha
Published: August 2014

In the title compound, C24H14BrN3S, the dihedral angles between the planes of the pyridine ring and the pendant thiophene ring, the indole ring system (r.m.s. deviation = 0.022 Å) and the bromobenzene ring are 9.37 (17), 21.90 (12) and 69.01 (15)°, respectively. The approximate coplanarity of the central ring and the indole ring system is supported by two intramolecular C—H...N interactions. In the crystal, inversion dimers linked by pairs of N—H...N hydrogen bonds generateR22(16) loops and the dimers are linked by C—H...π and aromatic π–π stacking [shortest centroid–centroid separation = 3.729 (3) Å] into a three-dimensional network.
Public Support for Corporate Social Responsibility in the Welfare State: Evidence from Sweden
Authors: Lindh Arvid
Published: August 2014

Several scholars have claimed that we are currently witnessing a growing saliency of so‐called ‘corporate social responsibility’ (CSR). Yet, while there is a lot of work suggesting that public opinion might prompt firms to behave in socially responsible ways, there is a lack of empirical studies exploring the extent ordinary to which citizens actually support CSR. Moreover, the state is conventionally theorised as the main institutional device for governing markets and their social consequences, and there is a growing literature exploring the relationship between CSR and the state. On the basis of these observations, this article juxtaposes public attitudes towards CSR and state intervention in the market. Considering that attitudes might vary across groups with different structural relationships to the firm, this study also looks at the social bases of support for different attitude profiles. Using Swedish survey data collected in 2011 and latent class analysis, the empirical results demonstrate that most Swedes in favour of CSR are highly supportive of state intervention in the market. The study of social cleavages restates this pattern: social groups with fewer marketable resources are strongly over‐represented in supporting a combination of CSR and state intervention in the market. No clear social profile is found for the relatively small group of people who support CSR but not state intervention. It is concluded that voluntary CSR is unlikely to offer a serious full‐scale alternative to the welfare state: Swedes continue to think of public authorities as the ultimate institutional guarantor of social welfare.
In vitro study of the effect of small interfering ribonucleic acid on the expression of FOXN1 and B cell‐attracting chemokine 1 in thymoma cell lines
Authors: Zhang Hui , Zhang Peng , Liu Yimei , Lv Peng , Wang Yuanguo , Chen Yuan
Published: August 2014

Background

To determine the relationship between FOXN1 (a transcription factor) and B cell‐attracting chemokine 1 (BCA1, a chemotactic factor), and their influence on thymoma cell proliferation.

Methods

We initially used immunohistochemical methods to compare the expression levels of FOXN1 and BCA1 in thymoma and non‐thymomatous tissue samples. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) and Western blotting were used to compare the expression of FOXN1 and BCA1 in thymoma cells (Thy0517) and normal thymic epithelial cells (CRL7660). We used ribonucleic acid interference (RNAi) to downregulate FOXN1 and BCA1 expression in Thy0517 cells to determine the relationship of the two factors with cell regulation. We also performed methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) [3‐(4,5)‐dimethylthiahiazo(‐z‐y1)‐3,5‐di‐phenytetrazoliumromide] assays to detect the changes in Thy0517 cells after RNAi of FOXN1 and BCA1.

Results

FOXN1 and BCA1 expression levels were higher in thymoma tissues and Thy0517 cells compared to non‐thymomatous tissue and CRL7660 cells (P < 0.05). RT‐PCR and Western blot following RNAi showed that FOXN1 controlled BCA1 expression. MTT assay showed that FOXN1 and BCA1 downregulation rapidly inhibited Thy0517 cell proliferation.

Conclusions

FOXN1 and BCA1 expression was higher in thymoma tissue samples and cell lines than in non‐thymomatous tissue and normal thymic epithelial cells. FOXN1 acts upstream of BCA1 and both FOXN1 and BCA1 promote thymoma cell proliferation.
Inflated reward value in early opiate withdrawal
Authors: Wassum Kate M. , Greenfield Venuz Y. , Linker Kay E. , Maidment Nigel T. , Ostlund Sean B.
Published: August 2014

Through incentive learning, the emotional experience of a reward in a relevant need state (e.g. hunger for food) sets the incentive value that guides the performance of actions that earn that reward when the need state is encountered again. Opiate withdrawal has been proposed as a need state in which, through experience, opiate value can be increased, resulting in escalated opiate self‐administration. Endogenous opioid transmission plays anatomically dissociable roles in the positive emotional experience of reward consumption and incentive learning. We, therefore, sought to determine if chronic opiate exposure and withdrawal produces a disruption in the fundamental incentive learning process such that reward seeking, even for non‐opiate rewards, can become maladaptive, inconsistent with the emotional experience of reward consumption and irrespective of need. Rats trained to earn sucrose or water on a reward‐seeking chain were treated with morphine (10–30 mg/kg, s.c.) daily for 11 days prior to testing in withdrawal. Opiate‐withdrawn rats showed elevated reward‐seeking actions, but only after they experienced the reward in withdrawal, an effect that was strongest in early (1–3 days), as opposed to late (14–16 days), withdrawal. This was sufficient to overcome a negative reward value change induced by sucrose experience in satiety and, in certain circumstances, was inconsistent with the emotional experience of reward consumption. Lastly, we found that early opiate withdrawal‐induced inflation of reward value was blocked by inactivation of basolateral amygdala mu opioid receptors. These data suggest that in early opiate withdrawal, the incentive learning process is disrupted, resulting in maladaptive reward seeking.
The ISNT rule in glaucoma: revisiting with spectral domain optical coherence tomography
Authors: Rao Harsha L. , Yadav Ravi K. , Addepalli Uday K. , Begum Viquar U. , Senthil Sirisha , Choudhari Nikhil S. , Garudadri Chandra S.
Published: August 2014

Purpose

To evaluate the ability of the neuroretinal rim (NRR) rules determined using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT) in diagnosing glaucoma and to study the effect of optic disc size and disease severity on the diagnostic ability of these rules.

Methods

In a cross‐sectional study, 125 eyes of 96 glaucoma patients and 96 eyes of 72 control subjects underwent optic nerve head (ONH) imaging with SDOCT. Inferior (I), superior (S), nasal (N) and temporal (T) NRR areas were automatically determined by the sdoct software. Diagnostic abilities of ISNT (I > S > N > T), IT (I > T) and ST (S > T) rules in glaucoma were evaluated using sensitivity, specificity and likelihood ratios (LR). Effect of optic disc size and disease severity [based on mean deviation (MD) on visual fields] on the diagnostic ability of the NRR rules was evaluated using regression models.

Results

Sensitivities of ISNT, IT and ST rules were 80.8%, 60.0% and 29.6%, respectively, and the specificities were 32.3%, 84.4% and 93.8%, respectively. Positive LRs of ISNT, IT and ST rules were 1.19, 3.84 and 4.74, respectively, and negative LRs were 0.60, 0.47 and 0.75, respectively. Sensitivities of ISNT (coefficient: −1.06, p = 0.02) and IT (−0.71, 0.05) rules decreased with increasing disc size. Positive LR of IT rule increased significantly (−0.01, 0.04) with decreasing MD, and negative LR of IT rule decreased (got better) significantly (0.26, 0.05) with decreasing disc size.

Conclusions

Neuroretinal rim rules, as determined by SDOCT, do not allow robust differentiation of glaucomatous from non‐glaucomatous discs.
Oxidative status in the macula densa modulates tubuloglomerular feedback responsiveness in Angiotensin II‐induced hypertension
Authors: Song J. , Lu Y. , Lai E. Y. , Wei J. , Wang L. , Chandrashekar K. , Wang S. , Shen C. , Juncos L. A. , Liu R.
Published: August 2014

Aim

Tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) is an important mechanism in control of signal nephron glomerular filtration rate. The oxidative stress in the macula densa, primarily determined by the interactions between nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide (), is essential in maintaining the TGF responsiveness. However, few studies examining the interactions between and amount of NO and generated by the macula densa during normal and hypertensive states.

Methods

In this study, we used isolated perfused juxtaglomerular apparatus to directly measure the amount and also studied the interactions between NO and in macula densa in both physiological and slow pressor Angiotensin II (Ang II)‐induced hypertensive mice.

Results

We found that slow pressor Ang II at a dose of 600 ng kg−1 min−1 for two weeks increased mean arterial pressure by 26.1 ± 5.7 mmHg. TGF response increased from 3.4 ± 0.2 μm in control to 5.2 ± 0.2 μm in hypertensive mice. We first measured generation by the macula densa and found it was undetectable in control mice. However, generation by the macula densa increased to 21.4 ± 2.5 unit min−1 in Ang II‐induced hypertensive mice. We then measured NO generation and found that NO generation by the macula densa was 138.5 ± 9.3 unit min−1 in control mice. The NO was undetectable in the macula densa in hypertensive mice infused with Ang II.

Conclusions

Under physiological conditions, TGF response is mainly controlled by the NO generated in the macula densa; in Ang II induced hypertension, the TGF response is mainly controlled by the generated by the macula densa.
E‐learning in multicultural environments: An analysis of online flight attendant training
Authors: de Brito Neto Jose Felix , Smith MaryJo , Pedersen David
Published: August 2014

Throughout the first decade of this century, financial challenges in the airline industry compelled airlines to maximize competitive advantage through a focus on human resource management. Consequently, e‐learning gained increasing attention as it imparted knowledge on an asynchronous and global basis with substantially reduced costs. However, while focusing on learning technologies, airlines failed to acknowledge learners' needs and cultural backgrounds by creating culturally neutral e‐learning environments, resulting in ineffective training and negligible performance improvement. This research aimed to study the perceptions of a multicultural group of flight attendants about e‐learning courses developed by their employing airline. A questionnaire verified the opinion of these flight attendants on course relevance and learner motivation; cultural sensitivity; course organization; and course interactivity. The results showed that the employing airline developed e‐learning courses that were highly technological and interactive, but had little regard for learners' cultural and language backgrounds. Consequently, ineffective e‐learning prevailed.
Impact of pretransplant serum ferritin level on risk of invasive mold infection after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Dadwal Sanjeet S. , Tegtmeier Bernard , Liu Xueli , Frankel Paul , Ito James , Forman Stephen J. , Pullarkat Vinod
Published: August 2014

Invasive mold infections (IMI) are life‐threatening complications of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and are mostly caused by Aspergillus species and Mucorales. We examined whether elevated serum ferritin prior to HSCT was associated with increased risk of IMI after allogeneic HSCT. Elevated serum ferritin was defined as values ≥1000 ng/mL. Pretransplant ferritin levels were available for 477 transplants. Nine developed IMI at day 30 and 21 had IMI at day 100 for a cumulative incidence of 1.9% and 4.4%, respectively. Among the high ferritin group, eight of 220 transplant cases (3.6%) developed an IMI within 30 d after HSCT compared with one of 257 (0.4%) in the low ferritin group (P = 0.01). Fourteen of 220 (6.4%) and seven of 257 transplant cases (2.7%) in the high and low ferritin groups, respectively, had developed an IMI by day 100 after HSCT (P = 0.07). Nine of 53 (17%) patients with grades III and IV acute GVHD and iron overload experienced IMI, when compared to three of 37 (8.1%) with high‐grade aGVHD, but no iron overload. Among patients without aGVHD, those with elevated ferritin had a 2.7% incidence of IMI compared with 0.9% for patients without elevated ferritin. There was a marginally significant difference in cumulative incidence function between high and low ferritin groups for IMI (P = 0.06). However, elevated serum ferritin (≥1000 ng/mL) was not a significant risk factor for IMI in a multivariate competing risk regression model after adjusting for aGVHD.
Truth Scribbled in Blood: Women's Work, Menstruation and Poetry
Authors: Sayers Janet Grace , Jones Deborah
Published: August 2014

Inspired by Hélène Cixous's ‘The laugh of the Medusa’, this paper revisits a public uproar over menstruation in the workplace triggered by a statement from the CEO of New Zealand's largest body of private sector employers, that periods make women take more sick leave than men. The utterance triggered an astonishing outpouring of public discussion and writing about working while menstruating, as well as about productivity and equal pay. We discuss how a comment about women's periods ruptured the status quo of menstrual repression by using selected online posts rendered as poems. Then, drawing on Cixous and the idea of poetic rapture, we discuss women's online writing in tandem with feminist writing on menstruation. In our theoretical reflections we consider how poetry, menstruation and social media can ‘make trouble’ for regimes of power. We argue that menstruation should be a required topic for organizational studies.
Sensory characteristics and storage quality indicators of surimi franks nutritionally enhanced with omega‐3 rich flaxseed oil and salmon oil
Authors: Sell Christin , Beamer Sarah , Jaczynski Jacek , Matak Kristen E.
Published: August 2014

Surimi franks were fortified with flaxseed or salmon oil at 2 g/100 g sample, franks without added oil served as a control. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances values were highest (P < 0.001) in salmon oil franks; however, these values did not change over the 21‐day storage period regardless of frank type (P > 0.05). Frank pH decreased over time (P = 0.011) for all frank types. There were differences in textural properties between frank types (P < 0.05), with the flaxseed franks being softer and less gummy, cohesive and chewy than the control franks. Participants (n = 79; age 18–35) evaluated visual appeal, colour, aroma, texture, flavour and acceptability on a hedonic scale; there were no differences (P > 0.05) between franks. Fifty‐four panellists reported consuming sausage on a weekly to monthly basis, and most (50/79) indicated interest in purchasing this type product. The surimi franks were accepted by young adult consumers, which may indicate market potential of these types of products.
Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance Induced by Cr Doping at Ca‐Sites in Ca3Co4O9 System
Authors: Huang Yanan , Zhao Bangchuan , Lin Shuai , Ang Ran , Sun Yuping
Published: August 2014

Thermoelectric performance of Ca3Co4O9 system has been enhanced through the misplaced substitution with Cr doping at Ca‐sites. The study of Cr doping at Co‐sites has also been performed for comparing. Base on the analysis of the structural data, we conclude that the doped Cr ions should be in the form of Cr+6, and enter into Ca‐sites of Ca2CoO3 layers in Ca3−xCrxCo4O9 lattice and Co‐sites of CoO2 layers in Ca3Co3.90Cr0.10O9 lattice, respectively. As Cr ions are doped into Ca‐sites in Ca3−xCrxCo4O9 lattice, both resistivity and thermopower increase obviously, while thermal conductivity decreases. Among all samples, Ca2.95Cr0.05Co4O9 shows the maximum ZT value, which is enhanced by 12% than that of Ca3Co4O9. The results show that the misplaced substitution with a proper Cr doping at Ca‐sites is beneficial to the enhancement of the thermoelectric performance in Ca3Co4O9 system compared to the traditional idea: Cr doping at Co‐sites, which is suggested to originate from the combined action of the carrier concentration, the electronic correlation, and the lattice disharmony.
A social cognitive explanation of situational and individual effects on moral sensitivity
Authors: Sparks John R.
Published: August 2014

Models of moral decision making describe the process as beginning with the recognition of moral content in the decision environment. This recognition ability, or moral sensitivity, represents a key input to moral decision making. Adopting a social cognitive perspective, this paper studies the degree to which moral sensitivity is explained in terms of moral schema activation. In a single experiment, two situational factors (moral content priming and issue moral intensity) and two individual characteristics (moral identity and need for cognition) are tested for their effects on moral sensitivity. Results support the social cognitive explanation of moral sensitivity. The moral schema's propensity for activation, development, and accessibility significantly influence the ability to recognize moral issues in the decision environment.
The Impact of Ambiguity on Managerial Investment and Cash Holdings
Authors: Neamtiu Monica , Shroff Nemit , White Hal D. , Williams Christopher D.
Published: August 2014

Standard finance theory suggests that managers invest in projects that, in expectation, produce returns that justify the use of capital. An underlying assumption is that managers have the information necessary to understand the distributional properties of the pay‐offs underlying the decision. This paper examines firm investment behavior when managers are likely to find it more challenging to develop expectations of pay‐offs, namely during periods of increased macroeconomic ambiguity. In particular, we examine how macroeconomic ambiguity – proxied by the variance premium (Drechsler, ) and the dispersion in forecasts of corporate profits from the Survey of Professional Forecasters (Anderson et al., ) – impacts managerial capital investment and cash holdings. Consistent with ambiguity theory, we find that macroeconomic ambiguity is negatively associated with capital investment and positively associated with cash holdings. These results are robust to alternative explanations related to risk, investor sentiment and economic conditions. Moreover, consistent with recent theoretical real options literature, we find that ambiguity reduces the value of investment opportunities, while risk increases the value of such opportunities. Overall, these findings provide initial empirical evidence on the economic distinction between ambiguity and risk with respect to managerial investment and cash holdings.
Research Review: Polygenic methods and their application to psychiatric traits
Authors: Wray Naomi R. , Lee Sang Hong , Mehta Divya , Vinkhuyzen Anna A.E. , Dudbridge Frank , Middeldorp Christel M.
Published: August 2014

Background

Despite evidence from twin and family studies for an important contribution of genetic factors to both childhood and adult onset psychiatric disorders, identifying robustly associated specific DNA variants has proved challenging. In the pregenomics era the genetic architecture (number, frequency and effect size of risk variants) of complex genetic disorders was unknown. Empirical evidence for the genetic architecture of psychiatric disorders is emerging from the genetic studies of the last 5 years.

Methods and scope

We review the methods investigating the polygenic nature of complex disorders. We provide mini‐guides to genomic profile (or polygenic) risk scoring and to estimation of variance (or heritability) from common SNPs; a glossary of key terms is also provided. We review results of applications of the methods to psychiatric disorders and related traits and consider how these methods inform on missing heritability, hidden heritability and still‐missing heritability.

Findings

Genome‐wide genotyping and sequencing studies are providing evidence that psychiatric disorders are truly polygenic, that is they have a genetic architecture of many genetic variants, including risk variants that are both common and rare in the population. Sample sizes published to date are mostly underpowered to detect effect sizes of the magnitude presented by nature, and these effect sizes may be constrained by the biological validity of the diagnostic constructs.

Conclusions

Increasing the sample size for genome wide association studies of psychiatric disorders will lead to the identification of more associated genetic variants, as already found for schizophrenia. These loci provide the starting point of functional analyses that might eventually lead to new prevention and treatment options and to improved biological validity of diagnostic constructs. Polygenic analyses will contribute further to our understanding of complex genetic traits as sample sizes increase and as sample resources become richer in phenotypic descriptors, both in terms of clinical symptoms and of nongenetic risk factors.
Prostaglandin E2 as a read out for endotoxin detection in a bovine whole blood assay
Authors: Wunderlich C. , Schumacher S. , Kietzmann M.
Published: August 2014

The detection of endotoxin contamination is an essential part of drug safety testing. The rabbit pyrogen test (RPT), the limulus amoebocyte lysate (LAL) test, and the monocyte activation test (MAT) are established methods for the detection of pyrogens. However, the RPT is insufficiently standardized; the LAL test is solely capable of identifying the presence of endotoxins, whereas the use of the MAT is limited by the availability of human blood. Here, we introduce a new procedure for testing endotoxin contamination using prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) release from bovine whole blood. We incubated bovine whole blood overnight with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Escherichia coli 0111:B4, concentrations ranging from 1.56 to 12.5 pg/mL, and found significantly increased PGE2 production for even the lowest LPS concentrations. Testing the possibility of storing the blood at 4 °C before use also yielded positive results as 1.56 pg/mL still significantly increased PGE2 production, thus suggesting some flexibility of the assay regarding time. These results emphasize the potential of using bovine whole blood for highly sensitive endotoxin testing. As a perspective, currently ongoing research aims to show whether the assay is also capable of detecting nonendotoxin pyrogens.
Mixed signals from hybrid genomes
Authors: Orozco‐terWengel Pablo A. , Bruford Michael W.
Published: August 2014

Admixture results from interbreeding between individuals from different populations or species that were previously genetically isolated from each other (Fig. ). Identifying admixture events in the genome is not always a straightforward task, because the genetic signature left behind fades with time as recombination events fragment the genomic segments introduced during the interbreeding event. Additionally, when the genetic architecture of populations or species that admix is not very different (e.g. they coalesce to a common ancestor recently), admixture signatures may be difficult to detect. Ignoring the effects of admixture can, however, pose severe problems for population genetic analyses that rely on the distribution of polymorphic markers across the genome. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Bosse et al. () analyse genomic data from modern pigs to understand hybridization processes that occurred between domestic pigs from European and Asiatic origin, and between pigs and wild boars. Their results are interesting regarding the fine‐scale distribution of admixture across the pig genome, and the way in which this admixture biases estimates of the effective population size in European domestic pigs. The implications of these results are significant, as they serve as a cautionary note on genomic analyses that depend on the distribution of polymorphic variants in potentially admixed populations.
Distribution of permanent canine agenesis in Down syndrome: 15 cases from a Centre for Special Care Dentistry
Authors: Reuland‐Bosma Wimke , Reuland Merijn C. , Bronkhorst Ewald
Published: August 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate the distribution of permanent canine agenesis in subjects with Down syndrome (DS). Subjects with canine agenesis were determined by means of panoramic radiographs from 150 DS subjects attending a center for special care dentistry. Our results confirm the high prevalence of agenetic canines in DS (21 canines, 14%). We found specific effects on the distribution both of phenotype and of location (jaw). In subjects with a mild expression of hypodontia (phenotype nonoligodontia) agenetic canines primarily occurred in the mandibula, whereas in subjects with severe hypodontia (phenotype oligodontia) agenetic canines virtually only occurred in the maxilla. In both phenotypes cooccurrence of an agenetic lateral incisor with an agenetic canine was observed in the maxilla. It was striking that canine agenesis in the mandibula did not cooccur with agenesis of other teeth. These results can be important for treatment planning.
GSP, a Generic Object-Oriented Gas Turbine Simulation Environment
Authors: Visser Wilfried P. J. , Broomhead Michael J.
Published: August 2014

NLR’s primary tool for gas turbine engine performance analysis is the ‘Gas turbine Simulation Program’ (GSP), a component based modeling environment. GSP’s flexible object-oriented architecture allows steady-state and transient simulation of any gas turbine configuration using a user-friendly drag&drop interface with on-line help running under Windows95/98/NT.

GSP has been used for a variety of applications such as various types of off-design performance analysis, emission calculations, control system design and diagnostics of both aircraft and industrial gas turbines. More advanced applications include analysis of recuperated turboshaft engine performance, lift-fan STOVL propulsion systems, control logic validation and analysis of thermal load calculation for hot section life consumption modeling.

In this paper the GSP modeling system and object-oriented architecture are described. Examples of applications for both aircraft and industrial gas turbine performance analysis are presented.
The Last 1/3
Authors: Carpenter David M.
Published: August 2014

The evolution of the American Jet engine owes much to the advances in early Turbosupercharger development, carried out by the General Electric Co. at the vast Riverworks plant in Lynn, Massachusetts USA. This paper will show how during World War II an engineer built a test rig to run up Turbosuperchargers that in fact was a Jet Engine. With the addition of a combustor, he had added The Last 1/3, that is, the impeller was the compressor, the exhaust turbine wheel acted as the GG turbine and with his bootstrap combustor a Jet Engine was born. All this work was done without the engineer realizing what he had accomplished. He was in fact told to stop work on the device, because unknown to him was the concurrent secret development of the Whittle Jet in another part of the Riverworks.
Study of an External Fired Gas Turbine Power Plant Fed by Solid Fuel
Authors: Riccio G. , Martelli F. , Maltagliati S.
Published: August 2014

The study of a gas turbine plant fed by solid fuel is discussed in this paper. The plant presented is a small one, 3 MWel, externally fired by the combustion of solid biomass. The aim of the technical discussion is to find both the energetic optimisation and the actual feasibility of the plant through available industrial components (gas turbine, heat exchanger, biomass combustor). The final optimal configuration found in the present study allows for a mix of internal (gas) and external (solid fuel) combustion. In this way higher maximum cycle temperature than in standard biomasss combustors are reached through a small addition of gaseous or liquid fuel. The technical study is based on an optimum size and configuration of the power plant, previously defined, with respect to the performance and the complexity of the plant, and in comparison with other energy conversion processes of biomass such as pyrolysis or gasification. A sensitivity analysis permits the determination an optimal gas turbine in terms of pressure ratio and TIT for the current application and indicates the most important parameters that affect the power plant performance, i.e. the components on which the performance of the plant may depend. Economic data show that the direct external combustion of solid fuel has a more favourable trade-off than the configuration of the plant with gasifier.
Integration of Advanced Gas Turbines in Pulp and Paper Mills for Increased Power Generation
Authors: Maunsbach Katarina , Isaksson Anna , Yan Jinyue , Svedberg Gunnar , Eidensten Lars
Published: August 2014

The pulp and paper industry handles large amounts of energy and today produces the steam needed for the process and some of the required electricity. Several studies have shown that black liquor gasification and combined cycles increase the power production significantly compared to the traditional processes used today. It is of interest to investigate the performance when advanced gas turbines are integrated with next-generation pulp and paper mills. The present study focused on comparing the combined cycle with the integration of advanced gas turbines such as steam injected gas turbine (STIG) and evaporative gas turbine (EvGT) in pulp and paper mills.

Two categories of simulations have been performed: (1) comparison of gasification of both black liquor and biomass connected to either a combined cycle or steam injected gas turbine with a heat recovery steam generator; (2) externally fired gas turbine in combination with the traditional recovery boiler. The energy demand of the pulp and paper mills is satisfied in all cases and the possibility to deliver a power surplus for external use is verified. The study investigates new system combinations of applications for advanced gas turbines.
Simulation of Steam-Based Gasification Processes for Topping Combustion in the Biomass Air Turbine (BAT) Cycle
Authors: Wolf Jens , Yan Jinyue
Published: August 2014

In this work, steam-based gasification is investigated as a technology for fuel gas production for topping combustion in a biomass air turbine (BAT) cycle. For different systems, based on flash or conventional pyrolysis, the characteristics of the product gas quality are studied. The gas composition and the heating value of the produced gas are simulated by changing the main system parameters such as the moisture content of the biomass, the operating temperature and the composition of the biomass.

A model of the gasification process has been developed to evaluate each process. The model is based on mass conservation, the thermodynamic equilibrium of the water-gas-shift reaction and the methane yield during pyrolysis.

A gasification system with flash pyrolysis is identified as a promising technology for fuel gas production for use in topping combustion. The major features of the system are: first, the system provides a gas with a heating value of near to 16 MJ/Nm3 and small amounts of nitrogen gas; second, the application of a water knock out unit eliminates the influence of the water content in the feedstock on the product gas quality; third, the gasification process can be conducted in a tubular reactor within the furnace of the BAT cycle. This reduces the number of reactors and keeps the costs low.
Development of Low NOx Combustion Technology in Medium-Btu Fueled 1300 °C-Class Gas Turbine Combustor in IGCC
Authors: Hasegawa Takeharu , Hisamatsu Tohru , Katsuki Yasunari , Sato Mikio , Koizumi Hiromi , Hayashi Akinori , Kobayasi Nariyoshi
Published: August 2014

The development of integrated coal gasification combined cycle (IGCC) systems ensures higher thermal efficiency and environmentally sound options for supplying future coal utilizing power generation needs. The Japanese government and electric power industries in Japan promoted research and development of an IGCC system using an air-blown entrained-flow coal gasifier. On the other hand, Europe and the United States are now developing the oxygen-blown IGCC demonstration plants.

Gasified coal fuel produced in an oxygen-blown entrained-flow coal gasifier, has a calorific value of 8–13MJ/m3 which is only 1/5–1/3 that of natural gas. However, the flame temperature of medium-Btu gasified coal fuel is higher than that of natural gas and so NOx production from nitrogen fixation is expected to increase significantly. In the oxygen-blown IGCC, a surplus nitrogen produced in the air-separation unit (ASU) is premixed with gasified coal fuel (medium-Btu fuel) and injected into the combustor, to reduce thermal-NOx production and to recover the power used for the ASU. In this case, the power to compress nitrogen increases. Low NOx emission technology which is capable of decreasing the power to compress nitrogen is a significant advance in gas turbine development with an oxygen-blown IGCC system. Analyses confirmed that the thermal efficiency of the plant improved by approximately 0.3 percent (absolute) by means of nitrogen direct injection into the combustor, compared with a case where nitrogen is premixed with gasified coal fuel before injection into the combustor.

In this study, based on the fundamental test results using a small diffusion burner and a model combustor, we designed the combustor in which the nitrogen injection nozzles arranged on the burner were combined with the lean combustion technique for low-NOx emission. In this way, we could reduce the high temperature region, where originated the thermal-NOx production, near the burner positively. And then, a combustor with a swirling nitrogen injection function used for a gas turbine, was designed and constructed, and its performance was evaluated under pressurized conditions of actual operations using a simulated gasified coal fuel. From the combustion test results, the thermal-NOx emission decreased under 11ppm (corrected at 16% O2), combustion efficiency was higher than 99.9% at any gas turbine load. Moreover, there was different effects of pressure on thermal-NOx emission in medium-Btu fuel fired combustor from the case of natural gas fired combustor.