bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distinct Tissue Mineral Density in Plate- and Rod-like Trabeculae of Human Trabecular Bone
Authors: Wang Ji , Kazakia Galateia J , Zhou Bin , Shi X Tony , Guo X Edward
Published: March 2015

Trabecular bone quality includes both microstructural and intrinsic tissue mineralization properties. However, the tissue mineralization in individual trabeculae of different trabecular types and orientations has not yet been investigated. The aim of this study was to develop an individual trabecula mineralization (ITM) analysis technique to determine tissue mineral density (TMD) distributions in plate- and rod-like trabeculae, respectively, and to compare the TMD of trabeculae along various orientations in micro–computed tomography (μCT) images of trabecular bone samples from the femoral neck, greater trochanter, and proximal tibia. ITM analyses indicated that trabecular plates, on average, had significantly higher TMD than trabecular rods. In addition, the distribution of TMD in trabecular plates depended on trabecular orientation with the lowest TMD in longitudinal plates and the highest TMD in transverse plates. Conversely, there was a relatively uniform distribution of TMD among trabecular rods, with respect to trabecular orientation. Further analyses of TMD distribution revealed that trabecular plates had higher mean and peak TMD, whereas trabecular rods had a wider TMD distribution and a larger portion of low mineralized trabeculae. Comparison of apparent Young's moduli derived from micro–finite element models with and without heterogeneous TMD demonstrated that heterogeneous TMD in trabecular plates had a significant influence on the elastic mechanical property of trabecular bone. In conclusion, this study revealed differences in TMD between plate- and rod-like trabeculae and among various trabecular orientations. The observation of less mineralized longitudinal trabecular plates suggests interesting implications of these load-bearing plates in bone remodeling. The newly developed ITM analysis can be a valuable technique to assess the influence of metabolic bone diseases and their pharmaceutical treatments on not only microstructure of trabecular bone but also the microarchitectural heterogeneity of tissue mineralization. © 2015 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Evaluation of the effect of different root canal obturation techniques using two root canal sealers on the fracture resistance of endodontically treated roots
Authors: Ersoy Ibrahim , Evcil Mehmet Sinan
Published: March 2015

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the fracture resistance of teeth filled with AH Plus and MTA Fillapex root canal sealers by using different root canal obturation techniques. Materials and Methods: One hundred and twenty pieces of single‐rooted‐and‐canalled mandibular premolar teeth were selected. After the crowns were removed from the cemento‐enamel junction, they were divided into 10 groups (n = 12). All the root canals except for the Group 1 were shaped until F4 file with ProTaper Nickel‐ Titanyum (Ni‐Ti) rotary system. Group 1: was not instrumented. Group 2: the root canals were shaped but not filled. Group 3: roots were filled with cold lateral condensation technique (CLC) by using AH Plus. Group 4: roots were filled with CLC by using MTA Fillapex. Group 5: roots were filled with single cone technique by using AH Plus. Group 6: roots were filled with single cone technique by using MTA Fillapex. Group 7: roots were filled with AH Plus by using vertical compaction method with continuous heat. Group 8: roots were filled with MTA Fillapex by using vertical compaction method with continuous heat. Group 9: roots were filled with AH Plus by using thermoplastic core carrier method. Group 10: roots were filled with MTA Fillapex by using thermoplastic core carrier method. Before embedding the samples in acrylic resin after standing in an oven at 37°C for 2 weeks for the hardening of the root canal sealers the 5 mm apical portion of the roots were immersed in wax in order to imitate the surrounding tissues. Polyvinyl siloxane impression material was used for the samples which were embedded in acrylic resin in a way that the coronal 8 mm remained outside in order to imitate the periodontal ligament. Lateral force was applied to the samples with 1 mm/min speed in the Universal Tester. The maximum force values (F‐max) which cause fractures in the examples were determined and the results were subjected to statistical evaluation by using one‐way Anova and Tukey HSD tests with the significance set at (P < 0.05). Results: The control group showed the maximum fracture resistance (P < 0.05). Thermafil group showed higher fracture resistance than single cone technique, cold lateral condensation technique, and system B (P < 0.05). Conclusions: It was concluded that shaping and widening of the root canals reduced the fracture resistance of teeth while Thermafil increased the resistance of roots against fracture. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsc. Res. Tech. 78:404–407, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The long‐term effects of FSH and triiodothyronine administration during the pubertal period on Connexin 43 expression and spermatogenesis efficiency in adult rats
Authors: Marchlewska Katarzyna , Slowikowska‐Hilczer Jolanta , Walczak‐Jedrzejowska Renata , Oszukowska Elzbieta , Filipiak Eliza , Kula Krzysztof
Published: March 2015

Follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH) and triiodothyronine (T3) are known regulatory factors of spermatogenesis initiation. Hyperstimulation of both hormones evokes regressional changes in connexin 43 expression and the seminiferous epithelium in young rats during testicular maturation. However, separate treatments with T3 reduce Sertoli cell number, which seems to be closely connected with the maturation of connexin 43 gap junctions. FSH elevates Sertoli cell number and function, but this effect may take place regardless of the presence of connexin 43‐dependent intercellular communication. The aim of the study was to evaluate the later effects of such treatments. Newborn, male Wistar rats were divided randomly into experimental groups receiving daily subcutaneous injections of either 7.5 IU/animal FSH, or 100 mg/kg b.w. T3, or both substances or the same volume of vehicle (control group) until day 15 of life. The animals were sacrificed on day 50. Morphometric analysis and immunohistochemical reactions were performed using antibodies against Vimentin, Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen and Connexin 43 in the testis. Sertoli cell count, efficiency of spermatogenesis, and hormonal pattern were examined. Disturbances in the connexin 43 expression reduced the number of Sertoli cells, the efficiency of spermatogenesis and impaired endocrine function of testes in adult rats treated with FSH and T3 during puberty. Stimulation with FSH alone increased Sertoli cell number, but was associated with a negative effect on cell‐to‐cell connexin 43‐dependent communication, with a consequential reduction of spermatogenesis efficiency. J. Exp. Zool. 323A: 256–265, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
MAKING ANIMALS ALCOHOLIC: SHIFTING LABORATORY MODELS OF ADDICTION
Authors: RAMSDEN EDMUND
Published: March 2015

The use of animals as experimental organisms has been critical to the development of addiction research from the nineteenth century. They have been used as a means of generating reliable data regarding the processes of addiction that was not available from the study of human subjects. Their use, however, has been far from straightforward. Through focusing on the study of alcoholism, where the nonhuman animal proved a most reluctant collaborator, this paper will analyze the ways in which scientists attempted to deal with its determined sobriety and account for their consistent failure to replicate the volitional consumption of ethanol to the point of physical dependency. In doing so, we will see how the animal model not only served as a means of interrogating a complex pathology, but also came to embody competing definitions of alcoholism as a disease process, and alternative visions for the very structure and purpose of a research field.
Truncated low‐rank methods for solving general linear matrix equations
Authors: Kressner Daniel , Sirković Petar
Published: March 2015

This work is concerned with the numerical solution of large‐scale linear matrix equations . The most straightforward approach computes from the solution of an mn × mn linear system, typically limiting the feasible values of m,n to a few hundreds at most. Our new approach exploits the fact that X can often be well approximated by a low‐rank matrix. It combines greedy low‐rank techniques with Galerkin projection and preconditioned gradients. In turn, only linear systems of size m × m and n × n need to be solved. Moreover, these linear systems inherit the sparsity of the coefficient matrices, which allows to address linear matrix equations as large as m = n = O(105). Numerical experiments demonstrate that the proposed methods perform well for generalized Lyapunov equations. Even for the case of standard Lyapunov equations, our methods can be advantageous, as we do not need to assume that C has low rank. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Im Sog der fallenden Kugelkette
Authors: Schlichting Hans Joachim , Suhr Wilfried
Published: March 2015

Lässt man eine Kugelkette auf einen Tisch fallen, so bewegt sie sich schneller als im freien Fall. Ursache hierfür ist eine Art Sog auf den noch im Fall befindlichen Teil der Kette. Er entsteht, weil sich die Kettenglieder brettartig versteifen und eine Zugkraft ausüben. Insofern ist der Sog der fallenden Kugelkette das Gegenstück zum Schubs der aufsteigenden Kettenfontäne.
Forschen statt essen
Authors: Loos Andreas
Published: March 2015

Die große Weltpolitik sollte ihn das Leben kosten. Gerade 27 Jahre ist er alt, als die Briten und Franzosen beschließen, zusammen mit anderen Verbänden die Türken auf der Halbinsel Gallipoli anzugreifen. Die Schlacht um die strategisch wichtigen Felsen wird zu einer der blutigsten des Krieges. Einer der Toten ist der gesuchte Physiker. Und das Klagelied, dass die Wissenschaftswelt daraufhin anstimmt, beweist, dass da kein gewöhnlicher Physikstudent sein Ende gefunden hat.
Ein molekularer Blick in klare Suppen
Authors: Vilgis Thomas
Published: March 2015

Wie viel Thermodynamik eine einfache Gemüsebrühe offenbaren kann, zeigt sich beim Riechen. Der Brühenduft wird nachweisbar intensiver, wenn die Suppe stärker gesalzen ist. Was zunächst nach Chemie klingt, entpuppt sich als harte Molekülphysik und dem ausgeklügelten Wechselspiel zwischen hydrophoben Aromastoffen, dipolaren Wassermolekülen und Salzionen.
Das Spiel der Elektronen
Authors: Vrakking Marc
Published: March 2015

Wellenfunktionen erklären die mikroskopischen Eigenschaften von Materie und ihre Wechselwirkungen mit der Umgebung. In Atomen lassen sich mithilfe von elektronischen Wellenfunktionen unter anderem Ladungsverteilungen beschreiben, deren Größenordnung weit von unserem alltäglichen Erfahrungshorizont entfernt ist. Jetzt hat unsere Gruppe vom Max‐Born‐Institut in Berlin (MBI) ein Mikroskop entwickelt, das die Wellenfunktion angeregter Heliumatome um einen Faktor von mehr als zwanzigtausend vergrößert. Damit lassen sich neue Kenntnisse über Elektronenkorrelationen gewinnen.
Bewegungen mit der App Video Analysis analysieren
Authors: Klein Pascal , Gröber Sebastian , Kuhn Jochen , Wilhelm Thomas
Published: March 2015

Dank der integrierten Digitalkamera eignen sich Smartphones und Tablets zur Aufnahme von Bewegungen – im Labor und im Alltag. Mit Hilfe der Android‐App Video Analysis können diese Bewegungen nach physikalischen Aspekten analysiert werden.
Monitoring of the shrinkage during the photopolymerization of acrylates using hyphenated photorheometry/near‐infrared spectroscopy
Authors: Schmidt Christian , Scherzer Tom
Published: March 2015

This article describes a new method for the quantitative determination and time‐resolved monitoring of the polymerization shrinkage during ultraviolet (UV) photopolymerization. It is based on rheometry using a modified oscillating rheometer. Shrinkage is determined from the decrease of the gap between the rheometer plates. Moreover, near‐infrared (NIR) spectra can be recorded directly in the rheometer, which allows continuous determination of the conversion at any time of a shrinkage measurement. As both shrinkage and conversion data come from the same experiment, shrinkage can be analyzed in dependence on the current conversion achieved during UV irradiation, which enables direct investigation of correlations between both parameters. Hyphenated photorheometry/FT‐NIR spectroscopy was used for the determination of the polymerization shrinkage of pure acrylate monomers and oligomers as well as acrylate‐based formulations. Quantitative shrinkage values were found to be in excellent correlation with data that were determined by an independent method (via buoyancy measurements) and data from literature. Furthermore, the effect of ambient and irradiation conditions or the content of nanoparticles on the degree of shrinkage was studied. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015, 53, 729–739
Biophysical characterization of naturally occurring titin M10 mutations
Authors: Rudloff Michael W. , Woosley Alec N. , Wright Nathan T.
Published: March 2015

The giant proteins titin and obscurin are important for sarcomeric organization, stretch response, and sarcomerogenesis in myofibrils. The extreme C‐terminus of titin (the M10 domain) binds to the N‐terminus of obscurin (the Ig1 domain) in the M‐band. The high‐resolution structure of human M10 has been solved, along with M10 bound to one of its two known molecular targets, the Ig1 domain of obscurin‐like. Multiple M10 mutations are linked to limb‐girdle muscular dystrophy type 2J (LGMD2J) and tibial muscular dystrophy (TMD). The effect of the M10 mutations on protein structure and function has not been thoroughly characterized. We have engineered all four of the naturally occurring human M10 missense mutants and biophysically characterized them in vitro. Two of the four mutated constructs are severely misfolded, and cannot bind to the obscurin Ig1 domain. One mutation, H66P, is folded at room temperature but unfolds at 37°C, rendering it binding incompetent. The I57N mutation shows no significant structural, dynamic, or binding differences from the wild‐type domain. We suggest that this mutation is not directly responsible for muscle wasting disease, but is instead merely a silent mutation found in symptomatic patients. Understanding the biophysical basis of muscle wasting disease can help streamline potential future treatments.
Structure of amylase‐binding protein A of Streptococcus gordonii: A potential receptor for human salivary α‐amylase enzyme
Authors: Sethi Ashish , Mohanty Biswaranjan , Ramasubbu Narayanan , Gooley Paul R.
Published: March 2015

Amylase‐binding protein A (AbpA) of a number of oral streptococci is essential for the colonization of the dental pellicle. We have determined the solution structure of residues 24–195 of AbpA of Streptococcus gordonii and show a well‐defined core of five helices in the region of 45–115 and 135–145. 13Cα/β chemical shift and heteronuclear 15N‐{1H} NOE data are consistent with this fold and that the remainder of the protein is unstructured. The structure will inform future molecular experiments in defining the mechanism of human salivary α‐amylase binding and biofilm formation by streptococci.
Magnetic proximity effect in the topological insulator BiSbTeSe2
Authors: Banerjee Karan , Besbas Jean , Ren Peng , Wang* Lan , Yang Hyunsoo
Published: March 2015

Magnetic proximity effects can lead to novel phenomena in the transport properties of topological insulators. In this study, we demonstrate a characteristic fourfold symmetry in the angular dependence of magnetoresistance in the topological insulator BiSbTeSe2 exfoliated onto magnetic insulator yttrium iron garnet substrates. The observed symmetry is seen to arise when the external magnetic field is in‐plane to the current direction and gets enhanced at large field magnitudes. Increasing the temperature and current density diminishes the fourfold symmetry. The symmetry seems to be a signature of the proximity effect from the underlying magnetic substrate on BiSbTeSe2. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Surface Influences on the Electrodiffusive Behavior in Mesoporous Templates
Authors: Graf M. , Poppe J. , Eychmüller A.
Published: March 2015

The physicochemical details of the well‐established template‐assisted electrodeposition process for metal nanowire fabrication are investigated with respect to the physical origination for template geometry limitation. The overall process of metal reduction inside anodized Al2O3 (AAO) is divided into three parts: i) the electrochemical reduction at the pore bottom, ii) the diffusion of the electrolytic species, and iii) the capacitive interaction between pore surface and electrolyte. The results show that the reduction of Ni is controlled by the degree of electrode recession, i.e., the pore depth. Applying Cottrell's equation to pulsed electrodeposition enables experimental access to diffusion coefficients (). This gives a gradient in along with the filling process. The switch‐over from crystallization to diffusion control is investigated to depend on temperature and pore length. Additionally, the electrode surface capacitance scales non‐linearly with the pore depth. This is deduced as a consequence of electrostatic surface–electrolyte interaction. A minimum in the electrode capacitance at a pore length of 48 μm is identified as the point with maximum thickness of a double‐layer‐type surface effect to the electrolyte. The results extend the template's role from simply geometrically limiting metal growth and explain occurring process issues when filling especially high‐aspect‐ratio pores.
Modulation of Interparticle Distance in Discrete Gold Nanoparticle Dimers and Trimers by DNA Single‐Base Pairing
Authors: Akiyama Yoshitsugu , Shikagawa Hiroto , Kanayama Naoki , Takarada Tohru , Maeda Mizuo
Published: March 2015

Self‐assembled structures of metallic nanoparticles with dynamically changeable interparticle distance hold promise for the regulation of collective physical properties. This paper describes gold nanoparticle dimers and trimers that exhibit spontaneous and reversible changes in interparticle distance. To exploit this property, a gold nanoparticle is modified with precisely one long DNA strand and approximately five short DNA strands. The long DNA serves to align the nanoparticles on a template DNA via hybridization, while the short DNAs function to induce the interparticle distance changes. The obtained dimer and trimer are characterized with gel electrophoresis, dynamic light scattering measurements, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). When the complementary short DNA is added to form the fully matched duplexes on the particle surface in the presence of MgCl2, spontaneous reduction of the interparticle distance is observed with TEM and cryo‐electron microscopy. By contrast, when the terminal‐mismatched DNA is added, no structural change occurs under the same conditions. Therefore, the single base pairing/unpairing at the outermost surface of the nanoparticle impacts the interparticle distance. This unique feature could be applied to the regulation of structures and properties of various DNA‐functionalized nanoparticle assemblies.
Effectiveness of Rikkosan for intractable intraoral pain
Authors: Niimi Tomoko , Yamazaki Yoko , Shimada Masahiko
Published: March 2015

Case

Case 1 involved a 64‐year‐old man with dull pain in the posterior part of the left lower jaw when chewing. His lower left second and third molars were extracted for pain relief, but pain recurred in the same region. On examination there were no abnormalities. The symptoms were diagnosed as atypical odontalgia and Rikkosan was prescribed. Case 2 involved a 56‐year‐old woman with a feeling of clamping of her lower incisors and pain in the tip and the left margin of the tongue. The symptoms were diagnosed as burning mouth syndrome and 2 week Rikkosan treatment was prescribed.

Outcome

In case 1, the symptoms disappeared 1 month later. In case 2, visual analog scale pain score improved.

Conclusion

Rikkosan may be useful for intractable intraoral pain, such as atypical odontalgia and burning mouth syndrome, that does not respond to non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs.
A singularly perturbed Neumann problem for the Poisson equation in a periodically perforated domain. A functional analytic approach
Authors: Lanza de Cristoforis Massimo , Musolino Paolo
Published: March 2015

We consider a Neumann problem for the Poisson equation in the periodically perforated Euclidean space. Each periodic perforation has a size proportional to a positive parameter ε. For each positive and small ε, we denote by a suitably normalized solution. Then we are interested to analyze the behavior of when ε is close to the degenerate value , where the holes collapse to points. In particular we prove that if , then can be expanded into a convergent series expansion of powers of ε and that if then can be expanded into a convergent double series expansion of powers of ε and . Our approach is based on potential theory and functional analysis and is alternative to those of asymptotic analysis.
On perturbation method in mechanical, thermal and thermo‐mechanical loadings of plates: cylindrical bending of FG plates
Authors: Fallah F. , Nosier A. , Sharifi M. , Ghezelbash F.
Published: March 2015

The performance of perturbation method in nonlinear analyses of plates subjected to mechanical, thermal, and thermo‐mechanical loadings is investigated. To this end, cylindrical bending of FG plates with clamped and simply‐supported edges is considered. The governing equations of Mindlin's first‐order shear deformation theory with von Kármán's geometric nonlinearity are solved using one‐ and two‐parameter perturbation methods and the results are compared with the results of an analytical solution. The material properties are assumed to vary continuously through the thickness of the plate according to a power‐law distribution of the volume fraction of the constituents. It is shown that the accuracy of any‐order expansion in perturbation method depends not only on the perturbation parameter, but also on the location chosen for the perturbation parameter and, in general, the solution becomes more accurate when the perturbation parameter is specified at the location where its corresponding response quantity is a maximum. Under thermal loading the possibility of using different parameters as the perturbation parameter for various boundary conditions is investigated. It is observed that, instead of a one‐parameter perturbation method, a two‐parameter perturbation method must be used in the thermal analysis of FG plates. Also, buckling and post‐buckling behavior of FG plates in cylindrical bending is investigated. It is shown that under thermal loading, a bifurcation‐type buckling occurs in clamped FG plates. In addition, a snap‐through buckling may occur in simply‐supported FG plates under thermo‐mechanical loading.
Adsorption, Electrokinetic and Stabilizing Properties of the Guar Gum/Surfactant/Alumina System
Authors: Grządka Elżbieta , Wiśniewska Małgorzata , Gun'ko Vladimir M. , Zarko Vladimir I.
Published: March 2015

The adsorption of non‐ionic polysaccharide guar gum (GG) in the presence of surfactants (anionic SDS, non‐ionic TX‐100, cationic CTAB and their equimolar mixtures) from their NaCl solutions onto an alumina surface (Al2O3) was studied spectrophotometrically. This study is important in light of the many disagreements concerning the structure and behaviour of mixtures containing polymers and surfactants at the surface of an adsorbent. The presence of surfactant caused an increase in the GG adsorption in all studied systems as a consequence of the formation of complexes. Among the single surfactants the highest increase in the GG adsorption was observed in the presence of CTAB. However, the usage of mixtures of the surfactants caused a much more effective increase in the GG adsorption on the alumina surface because of the synergistic effect of the surfactants. In order to get some information on the structure of the electrical double layer (edl), the surface charge density of alumina was determined and zeta potential measurements were conducted. The obtained data showed that the adsorption of GG or GG/surfactant complexes on the metal oxide surface strongly influences a diffused part of the edl, whereas a compact part of the edl is not affected. The colloidal stability of the alumina suspensions was measured in the presence and absence of GG and surfactants. It was found that GG and the mixtures of GG and surfactants can improve the stability of the suspensions.
Investigation of Oil and Protein Contents of Eight Sudanese Lagenaria siceraria Varieties
Authors: Mariod Abdalbasit Adam , Mustafa Makarim Mutasim M. , Nour Abdelazim Ahmed M. , Abdulla Mahmood Ameen , Cheng Sit Foon
Published: March 2015

The composition of the oil and protein contents of eight Lagenaria siceraria varieties was characterized in order to evaluate their suitability as a source of edible oil and protein. The physicochemical properties and fatty acids of seed oils were determined. The oil yield ranged from 24.11 to 26.32 %. The refractive indices and relative densities of the oils fell within the narrow ranges of 1.464–1.468 and 0.857–0.907 g/cm3, respectively. The saponification value ranged from 158.48 to 179.52 mg KOH/g, unsaponifiable matter was between 0.749 and 0.937 %, and the peroxide values were lower than Codex values for vegetable oils. The principal fatty acids were linoleic (62.1–67.9 %), oleic (11.54–15.46 %), palmitic (12.13–14.03 %), and stearic (6.71–7.71 %) acids. Low linolenic acid levels were also observed (<1 %) within the range of 0.32–0.44 %. The major essential amino acids were arginine (2.04–3.77 g/100 g), leucine (1.245–1.726 g/100 g), phenylalanine (0.803–1.396 g/100 g), and lysine (0.921–1.383 g/100 g). The non‐essential amino acids were glutamic acid (2.5–4.37 g/100 g), aspartic acid (1.39–2.36 g/100 g), serine (0.69–1.19 g/100 g), glycine (0.79–1.37 g/100 g), alanine (0.72–1.37 g/100 g), and proline (0.63–1.02 g/100 g). Nine minerals (Na, Ca, Mg, K, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, and P) were determined with significant (p < 0.05) differences. The studied oils showed promising results and can be used in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. This is the first study on the eight L. siceraria seed varieties grown in Sudan, opening the way for further studies on these seeds.
Effect of Lard Quality on Chemical Interesterification Catalyzed by KOH/Glycerol
Authors: Zhang Linshang , Yang Guolong , Chen Jingnan , Bi Yanlan , Chen Shuai , Tan Dandan , Fu Jing , Peng Dan
Published: March 2015

The effects of water content, acid value, and peroxide value on interesterification catalyzed by potassium glycerolate (in situ KOH/glycerol) were investigated using lard as a model fat. SEM analysis of KOH/glycerol powder showed that numerous 0.5‐ to 5‐μm porous structures were formed and may play an important role in the interesterification reaction. Water content (up to 10 %, oil weight) and peroxide value (4.29 and 7.11 mmol/kg) significantly extended the induction period of interesterification but complete randomization was still achievable. However, when the acid value reached 5.13 mg KOH/g, complete deactivation of the catalyst was observed at 1 % catalyst content (by oil weight). The sn‐2 fatty acid composition of fully randomized lard was similar to that of non‐randomized lard. Interesterification resulted in substantial rearrangement of the triacylglycerol species and alteration of thermal behaviors. The interesterified lard exhibited a predominant β′ polymorph, as opposed to the dominating β‐form crystals found in the original lard.
PICan: An integromics framework for dynamic cancer biomarker discovery
Authors: McArt Darragh G. , Blayney Jaine K. , Boyle David P. , Irwin Gareth W. , Moran Michael , Hutchinson Ryan A. , Bankhead Peter , Kieran Declan , Wang Yinhai , Dunne Philip D. , Kennedy Richard D. , Mullan Paul B. , Harkin D. Paul , Catherwood Mark A. , James Jacqueline A. , Salto-Tellez Manuel , Hamilton Peter W.
Published: March 2015

Modern cancer research on prognostic and predictive biomarkers demands the integration of established and emerging high‐throughput technologies. However, these data are meaningless unless carefully integrated with patient clinical outcome and epidemiological information. Integrated datasets hold the key to discovering new biomarkers and therapeutic targets in cancer. We have developed a novel approach and set of methods for integrating and interrogating phenomic, genomic and clinical data sets to facilitate cancer biomarker discovery and patient stratification. Applied to a known paradigm, the biological and clinical relevance of TP53, PICan was able to recapitulate the known biomarker status and prognostic significance at a DNA, RNA and protein levels.
A 2500-Yr late Holocene multi-proxy record of vegetation and hydrologic changes from a cave guano-clay sequence in Sw Romania
Authors: Onac Bogdan P. , Hutchinson Simon M. , Geantă Anca , Forray Ferenc L. , Wynn Jonathan G. , Giurgiu Alexandra M. , Coroiu Ioan
Published: March 2015

We provide sedimentological, geochemical, mineral magnetic, stable carbon isotope, charcoal, and pollen-based evidence from a guano/clay sequence in Gaura cu Muscă Cave (SW Romania), from which we deduced that from ~ 1230 BC to ~ AD 1240 climate oscillated between wet and dry. From ~ 1230 BC to AD 1000 the climate was wetter than the present, prompting flooding of the cave, preventing bats from roosting, and resulting in a slow rate of clay accumulation. The second half of the Medieval Warm Period (MWP) was generally drier; the cave experienced occasional flash flooding in between which maternity bat roosts established in the cave. One extremely wet event occurred around AD 1170, when Fe/Mn and Ti/Zr ratios show the highest values coincident with a substantial increase of sediment load in the underground stream. The mineral magnetic characteristics for the second part of the MWP indicate the partial input of surface-sourced sediments reflecting agricultural development and forest clearance in the area. Pollen and microcharcoal studies confirm that the overall vegetation cover and human land use have not changed much in this region since the medieval times.
Identification of Disaster-Vulnerable Communities by Use of Census Data Prior to the Great East Japan Earthquake
Authors: Ishiguro Aya , Togita Yuriko , Inoue Mariko , Ohkubo Takayoshi , Yano Eiji
Published: March 2015

Objectives

The role of the community is becoming increasingly recognized as a crucial determinant of human health, particularly during a disaster and during disaster recovery. To identify disaster-vulnerable communities, we sought factors related to communities in need of support by using census information from before the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Methods

We identified vulnerable communities by using a needs-assessment survey conducted 6 to 12 months after the Great East Japan Earthquake in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, as indicated by higher proportions of households with at least 1 of 3 major support needs (medical, elderly, psychological, and dwelling environment). The associations between the need for support and 9 demographic characteristics of the community from census data prior to the Great East Japan Earthquake were examined for 71 communities by use of logistic regression analysis.

Results

The need for elderly support was positively associated with the proportions of aged people (odds ratio [OR]=1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2–1.8) and one-person households (OR=1.3; 95% CI: 1.0–1.7), whereas the need for psychological support was associated with the proportion of people engaged in agriculture (OR=4.6; 95% CI: 1.0–20.7). The proportion of fisheries was negatively associated with the need for dwelling environment support (OR=0.5; 95% CI: 0.3–0.9).

Conclusions

The consideration of simple demographic characteristics from the census may be useful for identifying vulnerable communities and preparing for future disasters. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2015;9:19-28)
Experimental investigation of the vortex breakdown in a lean premixing prevaporizing burner
Authors: Canepa E. , Cattanei A. , Lengani D. , Ubaldi M. , Zunino P.
Published: March 2015

The spiral vortex breakdown has been experimentally studied in the flow field generated by a lean premixing prevaporizing (LPP) combustor model. The vortex breakdown structures are characterized by a solid-body rotation. Hence, phase-locked laser Doppler velocimeter measurements, performed in a meridional plane, have allowed reconstruction of the periodic velocity and Reynolds stress fields within a time period and in a relative cylindrical frame of reference. Then, the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) production term has been computed. The velocity distribution analysis indicates that a spiral vortex core wraps around an inner reverse flow zone. Both are characterized by a precessing motion. Then, the main contributions to the TKE production have been identified together with their spatial locations. Their distribution indicates that the maxima are placed in two regions: one located between the inner reverse flow and the spiral vortex and the second between the spiral vortex core and the external nearly quiescent fluid. In the latter, the TKE production term distributions have the features of a Kelvin–Helmholtz-like instability. In the former, the TKE production seems to be related to a Kelvin–Helmholtz-like instability only at the interface between the bubble and the spiral vortex core.
High spatial and temporal resolution study of shock wave reflection over a coupled convex–concave cylindrical surface
Authors: Ram O. , Geva M. , Sadot O.
Published: March 2015

Studying the nature of transient reflections of shock waves from surfaces is important in many engineering fields, e.g. blast protection, supersonic flights, shock focusing, medical and industrial applications and more. The recent advancements in this field reveal that the major obstacle in better understanding this phenomenon by means of experimental investigations is the limited temporal and spatial resolution. An alternative approach to commonly used high-speed photography is based on the use of a single-lens reflex (SLR) camera that captures only one image per experiment. Using this method to study a transient reflection process necessitates repeating each experiment many times while retaining extremely high repeatability. In the present study, we present a solution to this obstacle by means of a fully automated shock tube facility, which has been developed in the course of this study. A typical experiment can be executed a few hundred times with a repeatability of less than 0.01 in the incident-shock-wave Mach number at moderate shock strengths ($M=1.2{-}1.4$). The system offers a very high spatial and temporal resolution description of the transient reflection process of a shock wave over a coupled convex–concave surface. The study of this complex configuration using a fully automated shock tube enables one to observe, in greater detail than ever before, both the transient transition from regular reflection, RR, to Mach reflection, MR, and the reverse transient transition from MR to RR. The geometry studied can also be found in blunt leading-edge reflectors in which higher pressures were recorded, and the results presented also describe in detail the shock reflection process inside such a reflector. The results highlight and strengthen the recent understanding of the importance of high spatial and temporal resolution in determining the transition process from RR to MR over a coupled concave–convex surface. However, despite achieving very high statistical certainty in the experimental measurements, the question of the difference between the pseudo-steady transition criterion and the experimental results remains unresolved.
Stability of Filaments in Star-Forming Clouds and the Formation of Prestellar Cores in Them
Authors: Anathpindika S. , Freundlich J.
Published: March 2015

The exact process(es) that generate(s) dense filaments which then form prestellar cores within them is unclear. Here we study the formation of a dense filament using a relatively simple set-up of a pressure-confined, uniform-density cylinder. We examine if its propensity to form a dense filament and further, to the formation of prestellar cores along this filament, bears on the gravitational state of the initial volume of gas. We report a radial collapse leading to the formation of a dense filamentary cloud is likely when the initial volume of gas is at least critically stable (characterised by the approximate equality between the mass line-density for this volume and its maximum value). Though self-gravitating, this volume of gas, however, is not seen to be in free-fall. This post-collapse filament then fragments along its length due to the growth of a Jeans-like instability to form prestellar cores. We suggest dense filaments in typical star-forming clouds classified as gravitationally super-critical under the assumption of: (i) isothermality when in fact, they are not, and (ii) extended radial profiles as against pressure-truncated, that significantly over-estimates their mass line-density, are unlikely to experience gravitational free-fall. The radial density and temperature profile derived for this post-collapse filament is consistent with that deduced for typical filamentary clouds mapped in recent surveys of nearby star-forming regions.
Were the National Socialists aVölkischParty? Paganism, Christianity, and the Nazi Christmas
Authors: Koehne Samuel
Published: March 2015

A trend in studies about National Socialism and religion in recent years argues for a deliberate distinction between the Nazi Party (NSDAP) and the antisemiticvölkischmovement of nineteenth-century Germany. This article challenges that contention. Several researchers have published comprehensive studies on the heterogeneous nature of Christian responses to the Nazis, but a comparable approach looking at how the Nazis viewed religion has not yet been undertaken. A study of the latter type is certainly necessary, given that one of the consistent features of the völkisch movement was its diversity. As Roger Griffin has argued, a “striking feature of the sub-culture . . . was just how prolific and variegated it was . . . [T]he only denominator common to all was the myth of national rebirth.” In short, the völkisch movement contained a colorful, varied, and often bewildering range of religious beliefs.
The Homosexual Scare and the Masculinization of German Politics before World War I
Authors: Domeier Norman
Published: March 2015

It may seem strange today to study aspects of the political sphere—from foreign policy to diplomacy and the military—in the context of sexuality. But the Belle Epoque (1871–1914) was an era of prestige politics, also with respect to the politics of sexuality. This article reveals how the Eulenburg Scandal of 1906 to 1909 used sexual morality as a way to explain and interpret the tensions that pervaded Germany's domestic affairs and international relations. The reliance on sexual mores as an explanation for large-scale political events was the result of an ever-intensifying chain of national and international complications—complications that later undermined Germany's sense of national honor. The Eulenburg Scandal is remembered today mainly as the first major homosexual scandal of the twentieth century, but contemporaries experienced it in a wider sense: it became Germany's counterpart to the Dreyfus Affair in France—two examples of political, social, and cultural conflict that threatened the foundations of their respective countries.
A Gulag in the Erzgebirge? Forced Labor, Political Legitimacy, and Eastern German Uranium Mining in the Early Cold War, 1946–1949
Authors: Murdock Caitlin E.
Published: March 2015

“Dear Papa! I have been conscripted into a living grave. . . .” So began a letter in the West Berlin newspaperDer Sozialdemokratin March 1948. The young man had been sent to work in the Soviet occupation zone's uranium mines, near Aue in the Saxon Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains), and had written to his parents in despair. The news article that accompanied the letter explained, “The uranium mines… are not in the Urals, but in the Erzgebirge. But reports from [the Erzgebirge] are as hard to come by as [ones] from the Urals.” Other newspapers in Germany's Western zones of occupation also published reports of “slave conditions,” and “forced labor” in the mines.
Hegel’s Pragmatic Critique and Reconstruction of Kant’s System of Principles in theLogicandEncyclopaedia
Authors: WESTPHAL KENNETH R.
Published: March 2015

In theScience of LogicandPhilosophical Encyclopaedia, Hegel reconstructs Kant’s Critical philosophy by developing: a transcendental logic in theScience of LogicandPhilosophy of Nature(§2), a pragmatic account of the a priori (§3), and a crucial use of the verb “realisieren” in connection with concepts and principles (§4). These three points are central to Hegel’s specifically cognitive semantics, which Hegel developed from Kant’s Thesis of Singular Cognitive Reference into a systematic, pragmatic realism. Hegel’s re-analysis of Kant’s Critical philosophy is thus the first and still one of the most adequate forms of pragmatic realism.
Molecular and morphological characterization ofAustrodiplostomum ostrowskiaeDronen, 2009 (Digenea: Diplostomatidae), a parasite of cormorants in the Americas
Authors: García-Varela M. , Sereno-Uribe A.L. , Pinacho-Pinacho C.D. , Domínguez-Domínguez O. , Pérez-Ponce de León G.
Published: March 2015

The diplostomid genusAustrodiplostomumcurrently contains two species, i.e.A. mordaxandA. ostrowskiae. Adults of these species inhabit the intestine of cormorants of the genusNannopterum, whereas larval forms (metacercariae) are found in the eyes (vitreous humor) of freshwater fishes. Records of both species have been established across a wide geographic range in the Americas. Diplostomid adults and metacercariae were collected from a wide geographical range that spans from south-eastern Mexico, southwards to Central and South America. Even though the diplostomid has been largely reported in Mexico asDiplostomum(Austrodiplostomum)compactum, our specimens were identified morphologically asA. ostrowskiae. Sequences of the mitochondrial gene cytochromecoxidase (cox1) were obtained for 86 individuals, including 15 adults recovered from the intestine ofNannopterum brasilianus, in five localities, and 71 metacercariae from the eyes of ten fish species, in 13 localities. Sequences were used to evaluate the genetic diversity, and to test conspecificity of these specimens with the available sequence ofA. ostrowskiae. Sequences were aligned with another 12 taxa representing five genera of Diplostomatidae, forming a dataset of 104 taxa with 478 nucleotides. The genetic divergence estimated among the 86 sequenced individuals, and that ofA. ostrowskiaefrom the double-crested cormorant,Nannopterum auritus, in the USA, was very low, ranging from 0 to 0.8%. The maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian consensus trees showed that all sequences nested within a monophyletic lineage, with strong bootstrap and Bayesian posterior probability support values (100/1.0). In conclusion, a link between the metacercariae in fish and the adults in cormorants was established, indicating also that a single species is found in the distribution range comprising southern USA, southwards to Venezuela. Previous records of this species, particularly from Mexico, need to be corrected.
Evidence-based management of epistaxis in hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia
Authors: Syed I , Sunkaraneni V S
Published: March 2015

Background:

There are currently no guidelines in the UK for the specific management of hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia related epistaxis. The authors aimed to review the literature and provide an algorithm for the management of hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia related epistaxis.

Method:

The Medline and Embase databases were interrogated on 15 November 2013 using the search items ‘hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia’ (title), ‘epistaxis’ (title) and ‘treatment’ (title and abstract), and limiting the search to articles published in English.

Results:

A total of 46 publications were identified, comprising 1 systematic review, 2 randomised, controlled trials, 27 case series, 9 case reports, 4 questionnaire studies and 3in vitrostudies.

Conclusion:

There is a lack of high-level evidence for the use of many of the available treatments for the specific management of epistaxis in hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia. Current management should be based on a multidisciplinary team approach involving both a hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia physician and an ENT surgeon, especially when systemic therapy is being considered. The suggested treatment algorithm considers that the severity of epistaxis merits intervention at different levels of the treatment ladder. The patient should be assessed using a reproducible validated assessment tool, for example an epistaxis severity score, to guide treatment. More research is required, particularly in the investigation of topical agents targeting the development and fragility of telangiectasiae in hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia.
Ecology of malaria infections in western lowland gorillas inhabiting Dzanga Sangha Protected Areas, Central African Republic
Authors: MAPUA MWANAHAMISI I. , QABLAN MONEEB A. , POMAJBÍKOVÁ KATEŘINA , PETRŽELKOVÁ KLÁRA J. , HŮZOVÁ ZUZANA , RÁDROVÁ JANA , VOTÝPKA JAN , TODD ANGELIQUE , JIRKŮ MILAN , LEENDERTZ FABIAN H. , LUKEŠ JULIUS , NEEL CECILE , MODRÝ DAVID
Published: March 2015

African great apes are susceptible to infections with several species of Plasmodium, including the predecessor of Plasmodium falciparum. Little is known about the ecology of these pathogens in gorillas. A total of 131 gorilla fecal samples were collected from Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas to study the diversity and prevalence of Plasmodium species. The effects of sex and age as factors influencing levels of infection with Plasmodium in habituated gorilla groups were assessed. Ninety-five human blood samples from the same locality were also analysed to test for cross-transmission between humans and gorillas. According to a cytB PCR assay 32% of gorilla's fecal samples and 43·1% human individuals were infected with Plasmodium spp. All Laverania species, Plasmodium vivax, and for the first time Plasmodium ovale were identified from gorilla samples. Plasmodium praefalciparum was present only from habituated individuals and P. falciparum was detected from human samples. Although few P. vivax and P. ovale sequences were obtained from gorillas, the evidence for cross-species transmission between humans and gorillas requires more in depth analysis. No association was found between malaria infection and sex, however, younger individuals aged ≤6 years were more susceptible. Switching between two different Plasmodium spp. was observed in three individuals. Prolonged monitoring of Plasmodium infection during various seasons and recording behavioural data is necessary to draw a precise picture about the infection dynamics.