bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Brevibacillus fulvus sp. nov., isolated from a compost pile
Authors: Hatayama Kouta , Shoun Hirofumi , Ueda Yasuichi , Nakamura Akira
Published: October 2013

Two strains, designated K2814Tand K282, were isolated from a compost pile in Japan. These strains were Gram-stain-variable, aerobic, motile and endospore-forming rods. The strains produced a characteristic brown non-diffusible pigment. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of the strains were 100 % identical and had high similarity to that ofBrevibacillus levickiiLMG 22481T(97.3 %). Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that these strains belong to the genusBrevibacillus.Strains K2814Tand K282 containedmeso-diaminopimelic acid in their cell walls. Strains K2814Tand K282 contained MK-7 (96.0 and 97.2 %, respectively) and MK-8 (4.0 and 2.8 %, respectively) as the major and minor menaquinones, respectively. Their major cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C17 : 0, iso-C15 : 0and iso-C17 : 0. The DNA G+C contents of strains K2814Tand K282 were 48.8 and 49.8 mol%, respectively. Polar lipids of strain K2814Twere composed of phosphatidyl-N-methylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, an unidentified phospholipid, three unidentified polar lipids, an unidentified aminophospholipid and an unidentified aminolipid. The level of DNA–DNA relatedness between strains K2814Tand K282 was 99 or 100 %, and levels between strain K2814Tand the type strains of seven related species of the genusBrevibacillus, includingBrevibacillus levickiiLMG 22481T, were below 59 %. From the chemotaxonomic and physiological data and the levels of DNA–DNA relatedness, these two strains should be classified as representing a novel species of the genusBrevibacillus, for which the nameBrevibacillus fulvussp. nov. (type strain K2814T = JCM 18162T = ATCC BAA-2417T = DSM 25523T) is proposed.
Cellvibrio diazotrophicus sp. nov., a nitrogen-fixing bacteria isolated from the rhizosphere of salt meadow plants and emended description of the genus Cellvibrio
Authors: Suarez Christian , Ratering Stefan , Kramer Irina , Schnell Sylvia
Published: October 2013

Two Gram-reaction-negative, aerobic, nitrogen-fixing, rod-shaped bacteria, designated strains E20 and E50T, were isolated from the rhizosphere of salt meadow plants Plantago winteri and Hordeum secalinum, respectively, near Münzenberg, Germany. Based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis both strains E20 and E50T are affiliated with the genus

Cellvibrio

, sharing the highest similarity with

Cellvibrio gandavensis

LMG 18551T (96.4 %) and (97.1 %), respectively. Strains E20 and E50T were oxidase and catalase-positive, grew at a temperature range between 16 and 37 °C and in the presence of 0–5 % NaCl (w/v). The DNA G+C contents were 52.1 mol% (E20) and 51.6 mol% (E50T). Major fatty acids of strains E20 and E50T were summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or iso-C15 : 0 2-OH), C16 : 0, C18 : 1ω7c, C12 : 0, C18 : 0 and C12 : 0 3-OH. The DNA–DNA relatedness of the strains to

Cellvibrio gandavensis

LMG 18551T was 39 % for strain E20 and 58 % for strain E50T. The nitrogen fixation capability of strains E20 and E50T was confirmed by the acetylene reduction assay. On the basis of our polyphasic taxonomic study, strains E20 and E50T represent a novel species of the genus

Cellvibrio

, for which the name

Cellvibrio

diazotrophicus is proposed. The type strain of

Cellvibrio

diazotrophicus is E50T ( = LMG 27267T = KACC 17069T). An emended description of the genus

Cellvibrio

is proposed based on the capability of fixing nitrogen and growth in presence of up to 5 % NaCl (w/v).
Klebsiella pneumoniae meningitis induces memory impairment and increases pro-inflammatory host response in the central nervous system of Wistar rats
Authors: Barichello Tatiana , Simões Lutiana R. , Valvassori Samira S. , Generoso Jaqueline S. , Aveline Paulo Eduardo D. V. , Dominguini Diogo , Elias Samuel G. , Vilela Marcia C. , Quevedo João , Teixeira Antonio Lucio
Published: October 2013

Klebsiella pneumoniae meningitis has recently become an increasingly common cause of central nervous system infection. The invasion of bacteria within the subarachnoid space stimulates the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, triggering a host immune response. The aim of the present study was to evaluate memory and pro-inflammatory mediators at different times in the brains of adult Wistar rats with K. pneumoniae meningitis. The animals were sacrificed at 6, 12, 24, 48 and 96 h after meningitis induction. The hippocampus, frontal cortex and cerebrospinal fluid were isolated to determine the cytokine, chemokine and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. In the first 6 and 24 h following meningitis induction, there was a significant increase of the TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant-1 and BDNF levels in the central nervous system. Ten days after meningitis induction, cognitive memory was evaluated using an open-field task and step-down inhibitory avoidance task. In the control group, significant differences in behaviour were observed between the training and testing sessions for both tasks, demonstrating habituation and aversive memory. However, the meningitis group did not exhibit any difference between the training and testing sessions in either task, demonstrating memory impairment. As a result of these observations, we believe that the meningitis model may be a good research tool to study the biological mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of this illness, while recognizing that animal models should be interpreted with caution before extrapolation to the clinic.
Campylobacter concisus and exotoxin 9 levels in paediatric patients with Crohn’s disease and their association with the intestinal microbiota
Authors: Kaakoush Nadeem O. , Castaño-Rodríguez Natalia , Day Andrew S. , Lemberg Daniel A. , Leach Steven T. , Mitchell Hazel M.
Published: October 2013

There is mounting evidence for a possible role for Campylobacter concisus in Crohn’s disease (CD). However, the pathogenic potential of C. concisus remains disputed due to its presence in healthy subjects. It is documented that genetic diversity exists within this species, with some strains possessing putative virulence determinants such as exotoxin 9/DnaI that may enable them to persist intracellularly in host cells. In order to clarify this, we employed real-time PCR to determine C. concisus and exotoxin 9 levels within faecal samples of CD patients and healthy controls, and correlated these levels with abundances of microbial taxa identified in a subset of subjects. Both C. concisus and exotoxin 9 levels were found to be higher in CD patients than healthy controls, suggesting not only that CD patients had a greater abundance of C. concisus but also that their strains were likely to be more virulent. Moreover, C. concisus levels correlated with the exotoxin 9 levels in CD patients but not in healthy controls, indicating that healthy controls were colonized by non-virulent C. concisus strains. Correlations with the intestinal microbiota found C. concisus levels to correlate with Eubacterium, Subdoligranulum and Blautia, while exotoxin 9 levels correlated with Dialister, Oscillospira, Lachnospira and Prevotella. This suggests that either the composition of the intestinal microbial flora has the ability to influence levels of both virulent and non-virulent C. concisus strains, or infection with C. concisus may modulate the levels of specific bacterial taxa within the gastrointestinal tract.
A SUMO-dependent interaction between Senataxin and the exosome, disrupted in the neurodegenerative disease AOA2, targets the exosome to sites of transcription-induced DNA damage
Authors: Richard Patricia , Feng Shuang , Manley James L.
Published: October 2013

Senataxin (SETX) is an RNA/DNA helicase implicated in transcription termination and the DNA damage response and is mutated in two distinct neurological disorders: AOA2 (ataxia oculomotor apraxia 2) and ALS4 (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis 4). Here we provide evidence that Rrp45, a subunit of the exosome, associates with SETX in a manner dependent on SETX sumoylation. We show that the interaction and SETX sumoylation are disrupted by SETX mutations associated with AOA2 but not ALS4. Furthermore, Rrp45 colocalizes with SETX in distinct foci upon induction of transcription-related DNA damage. Our results thus provide evidence for a SUMO-dependent interaction between SETX and the exosome, disrupted in AOA2, that targets the exosome to sites of DNA damage.
Oncogenic RAS directs silencing of tumor suppressor genes through ordered recruitment of transcriptional repressors
Authors: Wajapeyee Narendra , Malonia Sunil K. , Palakurthy Rajendra K. , Green Michael R.
Published: October 2013

We previously identified 28 cofactors through which a RAS oncoprotein directs transcriptional silencing of Fas and other tumor suppressor genes (TSGs). Here we performed RNAi-based epistasis experiments and found that RAS-directed silencing occurs through a highly ordered pathway that is initiated by binding of ZFP354B, a sequence-specific DNA-binding protein, and culminates in recruitment of the DNA methyltransferase DNMT1. RNAi and pharmacological inhibition experiments reveal that silencing requires continuous function of RAS and its cofactors and can be rapidly reversed, which may have therapeutic implications for reactivation of silenced TSGs in RAS-positive cancers.
A 7-Deoxyloganetic Acid Glucosyltransferase Contributes a Key Step in Secologanin Biosynthesis in Madagascar Periwinkle
Authors: Asada Keisuke , Salim Vonny , Masada-Atsumi Sayaka , Edmunds Elizabeth , Nagatoshi Mai , Terasaka Kazuyoshi , Mizukami Hajime , De Luca Vincenzo
Published: October 2013

Iridoids form a broad and versatile class of biologically active molecules found in thousands of plant species. In addition to the many hundreds of iridoids occurring in plants, some iridoids, such as secologanin, serve as key building blocks in the biosynthesis of thousands of monoterpene indole alkaloids (MIAs) and many quinoline alkaloids. This study describes the molecular cloning and functional characterization of three iridoid glucosyltransfeases (UDP-SUGAR GLYCOSYLTRANSFERASE6 [UGT6], UGT7, and UGT8) from Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) with remarkably different catalytic efficiencies. Biochemical analyses reveal that UGT8 possessed a high catalytic efficiency toward its exclusive iridoid substrate, 7-deoxyloganetic acid, making it better suited for the biosynthesis of iridoids in periwinkle than the other two iridoid glucosyltransfeases. The role of UGT8 in the fourth to last step in secologanin biosynthesis was confirmed by virus-induced gene silencing in periwinkle plants, which reduced expression of this gene and resulted in a large decline in secologanin and MIA accumulation within silenced plants. Localization studies of UGT8 using a carborundum abrasion method for RNA extraction show that its expression occurs preferentially within periwinkle leaves rather than in epidermal cells, and in situ hybridization studies confirm that UGT8 is preferentially expressed in internal phloem associated parenchyma cells of periwinkle species.
‘Soul Destroyers’: Soviet Reporting of Nazi Genocide and its Perpetrators at the Krasnodar and Khar′kov Trials
Authors: Hicks Jeremy
Published: October 2013

The Soviet war crimes trials at Krasnodar, in July 1943, and Khar′kov, in December 1943, are rarely considered, or thought to contribute to understanding of the Holocaust. This article argues that, despite their propagandist aims, unsound legal basis and silence over the specific fate of the Jews, the trials were discussed by the Soviet press in ways which anticipate understanding of the Holocaust. The picture of systematic gassings of civilians in gas vans, termed ‘soul destroyers’ by the Soviets, pointed to the industrialized approach to mass murder which defines the Holocaust and the camps. At Khar′kov, in journalistic reports, especially those of Konstantin Simonov and Il′ia Erenburg, the mentality of the murderers was for the first time revealed as one of bureaucratic routine and self‐interest, rather than demonic or animal brutality, thus pre‐empting Hannah Arendt's analysis of Adolf Eichmann as an example of the ‘banality of evil’. Likewise, the defendants' insistence that they were following orders foreshadowed the same defence at Nuremberg, and this issue was addressed in the Soviet press. Despite the insight into the criminals granted by this reporting, the Nazis' targeting of the Jews in the Krasnodar and Khar′kov regions was virtually passed over in silence during the trials, but extensively discussed in articles published separately by Aleksei Nikolaevich Tolstoi. These materials enable us to trace anew the process by which the reality of the Holocaust was first apprehended.
From the International Military Tribunal to the Subsequent Nuremberg Proceedings: The American Confrontation with Nazi Criminality Revisited
Authors: Bloxham Donald
Published: October 2013

Nuremberg as event and as process: what does ‘Nuremberg’ mean? At the simplest, literal level it refers to the prosecution, in the German city of that name, of twenty‐two senior German figures and six organizations before the International Military Tribunal (IMT) in 1945–6. It can also represent the tens of thousands of trials of greater and lesser war criminals and collaborators conducted in Europe and Southeast Asia in the post‐war period by the Allies, the liberated nations, and even erstwhile perpetrator states themselves. Figuratively, ‘Nuremberg’ can evoke any trial of transgressors of international humanitarian law anywhere since 1945. Pejoratively, and less often non‐pejoratively, it stands for ‘the political trial’ or ‘victor's justice’. To the lawyers, judges and defendants involved, and to the German public of the post‐war years, ‘Nuremberg’ might connote not just the IMT trial but also the twelve subsequent trials before the Nuremberg Military Tribunals (NMTs) conducted in 1946–9 by the American occupation authorities against ‘major war criminals of the second rank’. Finally, to those interested not just in the purely legal successes and controversies of the trials, ‘Nuremberg’ may embrace the political aftermaths, as many convicted war criminals were prematurely released in the changed international circumstances of the 1950s.
Watch on the Drina: Genocide, War and Nationalist Ideology
Authors: Carmichael Cathie
Published: October 2013

The Drina is a long winding river in the western Balkans, with many prosperous old towns on its banks. It had a central place in the mythologies of both Croatian and Serbian nationalists in the twentieth century. The idea that the river and its environs were unambiguously part of one national territory has led to the violent exclusion of other nationalities. This article looks at the Drina valley with a particular focus on the 1940s and 1990s.
Pictures of Peace and Justice from Nuremberg to the Holocaust: Nuremberg: Its Lesson for Today, Memory of the Camps, and Majdanek: Cemetery of Europe – Missing Films, Memory Gaps and the Impact beyond the Courtroom of Visual Material in War Crimes Prosecutions
Authors: Gow James , Michalski Milena , Kerr Rachel
Published: October 2013

The present article examines three ‘missing’ films and their significance for memory and historiography of the Nuremberg International Military Tribunal and the Holocaust: Nuremberg: Its Lesson for Today, Memory of the Camps and Majdanek: Cemetery of Europe. Between them, the three ‘missing’ films contain material that is absent from collective memory and, in some regards, scholarship. The ‘missing’ films reflect the ‘missing’ message of the ‘real’ Holocaust in the 1940s and 1950s. They offer the material that, with wider circulation, might have adjusted the character and compound fallacies of collective memory, and filled a ‘gap’ in that memory. The article contributes to the historiographies of film, Nuremberg and the Holocaust in three ways. First, we offer the first scholarly treatment of the document and film Nuremberg: Its Lesson for Today. Secondly, we offer the first examination of film and the IMT beyond the courtroom. Finally, we bring together the little‐known and little‐registered Soviet‐Polish material of Majdanek: Cemetery of Europe, which captures the apparatus of the Nazi extermination camps, in a unified analysis with the more familiar western Allies’ film and the Nuremberg narrative, which, uniquely for its time, clearly identified Jews as the primary victims of the Nazis. In doing so, we show that both film evidence of those camps and a focus on Jews as primary victims could have emerged far earlier had these film documents not been suppressed, unfinished or overlooked.
Species richness and abundance among macromoths: A comparison of taxonomic, temporal and spatial patterns in Oregon and South Korea
Authors: Choi Sei‐Woong , Miller Jeffrey C.
Published: October 2013

The present study aims to establish a long‐term intercontinental collaboration based on a sampling protocol using standardized repeated measures at permanent sites to document macromoth species richness and abundance through time and across the landscape. We pooled the data from two continental regions providing a total of 12 trap sites: Mt. Jirisan National Park in South Korea (2005–2007) and HJ Andrews Experimental Forest in Oregon, USA. (2004–2006). A synthesis of our data indicated that: (i) noctuids (43–52%) and geometrids (33–39%) dominated the measures of species richness; (ii) using our sampling protocols more than three years would be needed to obtain a value of 90% of empirical species richness relative to Chao‐1 estimated species richness; (iii) temperature alone could not explain the peak pattern in moth abundance and species richness; (iv) the highest/lowest proportion of species richness and abundance were present in similar elevation and forest sites. These observations established a foundation for developing a network‐oriented database for assessing biotic impact of environmental and contributed to identifying species at high risk to environmental change based on empirical measures of temporal and spatial breadth.
Comparative cardiovascular physiology: future trends, opportunities and challenges
Authors: Burggren W. W. , Christoffels V. M. , Crossley D. A. , Enok S. , Farrell A. P. , Hedrick M. S. , Hicks J. W. , Jensen B. , Moorman A. F. M. , Mueller C. A. , Skovgaard N. , Taylor E. W. , Wang T.
Published: October 2013

The inauguralKjellJohansenLecture in theZoophysiologyDepartment ofAarhusUniversity (Aarhus,Denmark) afforded the opportunity for a focused workshop comprising comparative cardiovascular physiologists to ponder some of the key unanswered questions in the field. Discussions were centred around three themes. The first considered function of the vertebrate heart in its various forms in extant vertebrates, with particular focus on the role of intracardiac shunts, the trabecular (‘spongy’) nature of the ventricle in many vertebrates, coronary blood supply and the building plan of the heart as revealed by molecular approaches. The second theme involved the key unanswered questions in the control of the cardiovascular system, emphasizing autonomic control, hypoxic vasoconstriction and developmental plasticity in cardiovascular control. The final theme involved poorly understood aspects of the interaction of the cardiovascular system with the lymphatic, renal and digestive systems. Having posed key questions around these three themes, it is increasingly clear that an abundance of new analytical tools and approaches will allow us to learn much about vertebrate cardiovascular systems in the coming years.
Passive leg movement‐induced hyperaemia with a spinal cord lesion: evidence of preserved vascular function
Authors: Venturelli M. , Amann M. , Layec G. , McDaniel J. , Trinity J. D. , Fjeldstad A. S. , Ives S. J. , Yonnet G. , Richardson R. S.
Published: October 2013

A spinal cord injury (SCI) clearly results in greater cardiovascular risk; however, accompanying changes in peripheral vascular structure below the lesion mean that the real impact of a SCI on vascular function is unclear.

Aim

Therefore, utilizing passive leg movement‐induced (PLM) hyperaemia, an index of nitric oxide (NO)‐dependent vascular function and the central hemodynamic response to this intervention, we studied eight individuals with a SCI and eight age‐matched controls (CTRL).

Methods

Specifically, we assessed heart rate (HR), stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO), mean arterial pressure (MAP), leg blood flow (LBF) and thigh composition.

Results

In CTRL, passive movement transiently decreased MAP and increased HR and CO from baseline by 2.5 ± 1 mmHg, 7 ± 2 bpm and 0.5 ± 0.1 L min−1 respectively. In SCI, HR and CO responses were unidentifiable. LBF increased to a greater extent in CTRL (515 ± 41 ∆mL min−1) compared with SCI, (126 ± 25 ∆mL min−1) (P < 0.05). There was a strong relationship between ∆LBF and thigh muscle volume (r = 0.95). After normalizing ∆LBF for this strong relationship (∆LBF/muscle volume), there was evidence of preserved vascular function in SCI (CTRL: 120 ± 9; SCI 104 ± 11 mL min−1 L−1). A comparison of ∆LBF in the passively moved and stationary leg, to partition the contribution of the blood flow response, implied that 35% of the hyperaemia resulted from cardioacceleration in the CTRL, whereas all the hyperaemia appeared peripheral in origin in the SCI.

Conclusion

Thus, utilizing PLM‐induced hyperaemia as marker of vascular function, it is evident that peripheral vascular impairment is not an obligatory accompaniment to a SCI.
A quantitative assessment of crop residue feedstocks for biofuel in North and Northeast China
Authors: Yang Lu , Wang Xiao Yu , Han Li Pu , Spiertz Huub , Liao Shu Hua , Wei Mao Gui , Xie Guang Hui
Published: October 2013

Crop residue resources may affect soil quality, global carbon balance, and stability of crop production, but also contribute to future energy security. This study was performed to evaluate the spatial and temporal variation in residue quantities of field crops in five provinces of North China (NC) and three provinces of Northeast China (NEC). The availability of biomass resources was derived from statistical data on crop yields for all crops on the provincial and even county level.

We found that cereals – wheat, maize, and rice – were the biggest resource of crop residue feedstock. The ranking of these crops as a source of biomass for bioenergy is determined by the acreage in each region and the crop‐specific yield. Annually, the average amount of total residue of 83.0 Mt (Mt = Mega tonnes) in NC (16.9 Million ha) comprised 76.6 Mt field residues and 6.4 Mt process residues on an air‐dried basis. The average amount of total biomass residue of 105.7 Mt in NEC (19.8 Million ha) comprised 92.8 Mt field residues and 12.9 Mt process residues. Averaged for 2008, 2009, and 2010, the total standard coal equivalent (SCE) in NC amounted to 46.4 Mt, which comprised 42.4 Mt field residues and of 3.9 Mt process residues. In NEC, the SCE value of 57.0 Mt comprised 49.7 Mt field residues and 7.4 Mt process residues. The temporal availability of field residues was mainly concentrated in the period between July and September, followed by the period between October and December. In the period between July and September, the amount of field residue available amounted to 40.9 and 53.1 Mt in NC and NEC, respectively. An accurate assessment of field residues may guide policy makers and industry to optimize the utilization of the crop residue resource.
The clinical utility of bone turnover markers in the evaluation of bone disease in patients with haemophilia A and B
Authors: Anagnostis P. , Vakalopoulou S. , Vyzantiadis T.‐A. , Charizopoulou M. , Karras S. , Goulis D. G. , Karagiannis A. , Gerou S. , Garipidou V.
Published: October 2013

Haemophilia A and B have been associated with increased prevalence of low bone mineral density (BMD). However, the utility of bone turnover markers (BTM) remains unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate bone metabolism in men with haemophilia and to investigate associations betweenBTMand bone disease. Serum N‐ (NTX‐I), C‐terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX‐I) and tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase band‐5b (TRAP‐5b), as bone resorption markers, and osteocalcin (OC) and bone‐specific alkaline phosphatase (b‐ALP), as bone formation markers, were assessed. Seventy men with haemophilia A (n = 59) or B (n = 11) were studied. Patients with lowBMDhad significantly higher b‐ALPconcentrations compared with those with normalBMD(12.8 ± 1.60 vs. 9.72 ± 0.58 μg/L,P = 0.009), without any differences in the otherBTM.NTX‐I andCTX‐I concentrations were negatively associated with oestradiol levels and hipBMDand positively with human immunodeficiency virus infection, number of affected joints and arthropathy scores. B‐ALPandOCconcentrations were negatively associated with hipBMD, severity of haemophilia and fracture history, and positively with the number of affected joints and testosterone concentrations. After multivariate analysis,NTX‐I levels remained negatively associated with oestradiol levels, whereas b‐ALPconcentrations negatively correlated with the level of physical activity and positively with the number of affected joints. Increased bone metabolism exists in men with haemophilia and lowBMD. Increased b‐ALPlevels may identify patients at high risk for fracture. Increased number of target joints, low physical activity and low oestradiol concentrations are independently associated with increased bone metabolism.
The effect of glutathione on 2‐hydroxyethylmethacrylate cytotoxicity and on resin–dentine bond strength
Authors: Nassar M. , Hiraishi N. , Islam M. S. , Tamura Y. , Otsuki M. , Kasugai S. , Ohya K. , Tagami J. , Tay F. R.
Published: October 2013

Aim

To evaluate the influence of reduced glutathione (GSH) application on 2‐hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) cytotoxicity on rat pulpal cells and evaluate the effect of etched‐dentine treatment with GSH on the immediate microtensile bond strength (μTBS) of etch‐and‐rinse adhesive.

Methodology

The cytotoxicity of 10 mmol L−1 HEMA, 10 mmol L−1 HEMA + 1 mmol L−1 GSH, 10 mmol L−1 HEMA + 5 mmol L−1 GSH and 10 mmol L−1 HEMA + 10 mmol L−1 GSH was compared (6 h and 24 h). Cells viability was measured by means of 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, followed by morphological observation of cells. Etched‐dentine surfaces were rinsed and treated with one of the following solutions: 2% GSH, 5% GSH or 10% GSH, bonded with Adper Single Bond Plus (3M, ESPE, St. Paul, MN, USA) and restored with resin composite. The control group received no GSH treatment. After 1 day of water‐storage at 37 °C, the specimens were subjected to μTBS testing. Cytotoxicity and μTBS data were analysed by one‐way anova and Tukey post hoc tests (P < 0.05).

Results

There were significant differences between the groups. HEMA elicited a remarkable toxic effect. 10 mmol L−1 GSH prevented HEMA‐induced damage at both exposure times. Whilst 5 mmol L−1 GSH lost its protective effect at 24‐h exposure time and 1 mmol L−1 GSH showed no protective effect at both exposure times, GSH had no significant effect on the immediate μTBS; however, 5% GSH had higher bond strength value when compared to 10% GSH (P = 0.003).

Conclusion

Controlled concentrations of GSH had a protective effect against HEMA cytotoxicity. GSH had neither positive nor negative influence on μTBS.
Development of Hydrothermally Synthesized Hydroxyapatite Coatings on Metallic Substrates and Weibull's Reliability Analysis of its Shear Strength
Authors: Yang Chung‐Wei
Published: October 2013

Hydroxyapatite (HA) and Mg‐substituted HA coatings were synthesized on Mg‐9Al‐1Zn and Ti‐6Al‐4V by the hydrothermal process. Grazing‐incidence X‐ray diffractograms showed the formation of calcium–magnesium–phosphate is resulted from the substitution of Mg2+‐ions into HA crystal. The chemical state of Mg2+‐ions in Mg‐substituted HA coatings was examined by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The shear test results showed the Mg‐substituted HA coatings deposited on Mg‐9Al‐1Zn have higher shear strength than those coatings on Ti‐6Al‐4V. The Weibull model provided a powerful statistical method for assessing failure mechanism of hydrothermal coatings, which is attributed to a wear‐out failure model with a Weibull modulus m > 3.
Effect of Nigella sativa oil on postoperative peritoneal adhesion formation
Authors: Sahbaz Ahmet , Ersan Firat , Aydin Serdar
Published: October 2013

Aim

We aim to evaluate the effect of Nigella sativa oil (NSO) on postoperative peritoneal adhesion formation in female rats. This experimental study is the first on the prevention of postoperative adhesion formation by NSO.

Methods

Twenty‐four Wistar albino female rats were randomly assigned to three groups of eight rats each. Rats in group 1 were each injected i.p. with 1 mL of NSO. In group 2, an adhesion model was created with no injection of NSO. In group 3, an adhesion model was created and the area was covered with 1 mL of NSO. The rats were killed on postoperative day 8, and the severity of adhesions was evaluated macroscopically and histopathologically.

Results

There was a statistically significant difference in adhesion scores between group 2 (control) and group 3 (NSO‐treated) (P = 0.003). Statistically significant differences in angiogenesis, fibrosis and inflammation were observed between the control and Nigella sativa groups (P = 0.002, P = 0.001 and P = 0.004, respectively).

Conclusion

Covering peritoneal surfaces with NSO after peritoneal trauma is effective in decreasing peritoneal adhesion formation.
The effects of glucose and lipids in steatotic and non‐steatotic livers in conditions of partial hepatectomy under ischaemia‐reperfusion
Authors: Mendes‐Braz Mariana , Elias‐Miró Maria , Kleuser Burkhard , Fayyaz Susann , Jiménez‐Castro Mónica B. , Massip‐Salcedo Marta , Gracia‐Sancho Jordi , Ramalho Fernando S. , Rodes Juan , Peralta Carmen
Published: October 2013

Background

Steatosis is a risk factor in partial hepatectomy (PH) under ischaemia‐reperfusion (I/R), which is commonly applied in clinical practice to reduce bleeding. Nutritional support strategies, as well as the role of peripheral adipose tissue as energy source for liver regeneration, remain poorly investigated.

Aims

To investigate whether the administration of either glucose or a lipid emulsion could protect steatotic and non‐steatotic livers against damage and regenerative failure in an experimental model of PH under I/R. The relevance of peripheral adipose tissue in liver regeneration following surgery is studied.

Methods

Steatotic and non‐steatotic rat livers were subjected to surgery and the effects of either glucose or lipid treatment on damage and regeneration, and part of the underlying mechanisms, were investigated.

Results

In non‐steatotic livers, treatment with lipids or glucose provided the same protection against damage, regeneration failure and ATP drop. Adipose tissue was not required to regenerate non‐steatotic livers. In the presence of hepatic steatosis, lipid treatment, but not glucose, protected against damage and regenerative failure by induction of cell cycle, maintenance of ATP levels and elevation of sphingosine‐1‐phosphate/ceramide ratio and phospholipid levels. Peripheral adipose tissue was required for regenerating the steatotic liver but it was not used as an energy source.

Conclusion

Lipid treatment in non‐steatotic livers provides the same protection as that afforded by glucose in conditions of PH under I/R, whereas the treatment with lipids is preferable to reduce the injurious effects of liver surgery in the presence of steatosis.
Novel inhibitory function of miR‐125b in melanogenesis
Authors: Kim Kyu‐Han , Bin Bum‐Ho , Kim Juewon , Dong Son Eui , Park Phil June , Choi Hyunjung , Kim Beom Joon , Yu Seok Jong , Kang Hyojin , Kang Hak Hee , Cho Eun‐Gyung , Lee Tae Ryong
Published: October 2013

MicroRNAs are known to be the important regulators of skin physiology and considered as new therapeutic targets to treat skin diseases. In this study, miR‐125b was identified as a potent regulator of steady‐state melanogenesis. We found that the expression of miR‐125b was inversely related to pigment levels. A miR‐125b mimic decreased the expression of pigmentation‐related gene and melanin content, implying that miR‐125b functions to decrease pigmentation. Moreover, we observed that the reduction in miR‐125b expression in pigmented cells was at least partially due to the hypermethylation of the MIR125B‐1 promoter, and miR‐125b expression was regulated by intracellular cAMP levels.
Complexes of Chlorin e6 with Pluronics and Polyvinylpyrrolidone: Structure and Photodynamic Activity in Cell Culture
Authors: Zhiyentayev Timur M. , Boltaev Umed T. , Solov'eva Anna B. , Aksenova Nadezhda A. , Glagolev Nickolay N. , Chernjak Alexander V. , Melik‐Nubarov Nickolay S.
Published: October 2013

Polymeric carriers are extensively used in photodynamic therapy (PDT) for increase of efficacy of photosensitizers. Here, we report the influence of nine Pluronic copolymers on phototoxicity of chlorin e6 (Ce6), in particular 5‐ to 7‐fold rise in the phototoxicity caused by hydrophilic Pluronics F127, F108, F68 and F87 and practically no influence on Ce6 of more hydrophobic polymers. The revealed value of 0.2 mg mL−1 of Pluronic F127 concentration sufficient for half‐of‐maximal increase of Ce6 photodynamic activity proved to be close to 0.16 mg mL−1 inherent in well‐documented carrier poly(N‐vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP). The dissociation constants of Ce6 complexes with Pluronic F127 and PVP that were estimated from UV spectra were 0.252 and 0.036 mg mL−1, respectively, indicating higher stability of Ce6 complex with PVP. According to the results of 1H‐NMR studies of Ce6 complexes, the porphyrin interacts not only with hydrophobic regions but also with hydrophilic sides of both polymers.
Use of prednisolone as monotherapy in the treatment of feline pemphigus foliaceus: a retrospective study of 37 cats
Authors: Simpson Deborah L. , Burton Gregory G.
Published: October 2013

Background

Prednisone doses of up to 8 mg/kg/day have been used to treat feline pemphigus foliaceus (PF). Oral prednisolone has more favourable pharmacokinetics in cats than prednisone; therefore, lower doses of prednisolone may be effective in treating feline PF.

Hypothesis/Objectives

To assess the dose of prednisolone required to induce and maintain remission of PF in cats.

Animals

Thirty‐seven client‐owned cats with a diagnosis of PF treated with prednisolone monotherapy for induction of remission.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of records of a veterinary dermatology referral practice between the years of 1995 and 2013 was carried out. History, clinical signs, cytological and/or histopathological findings, lack of response to antimicrobials, absence of fungal hyphae on periodic acid Schiff staining and/or negative fungal culture and positive response to immunosuppressive therapy were used to confirm the diagnosis. Cats were included in the study if prednisolone was used as the monotherapy induction protocol.

Results

Complete remission was achieved within 8 weeks in 97% of cats with a median induction dose of 2 mg/kg prednisolone daily. In cats requiring ongoing treatment, 67% were maintained in remission with prednisolone monotherapy. The median maintenance dose was 1.2 mg/kg/week. In 14% of cats, medication was eventually discontinued.

Conclusions and clinical importance

Daily prednisolone at 2 mg/kg is an effective dose for inducing remission of PF in cats. Adverse effects were uncommon with this dose. In a small population, permanent remission may be induced. Secondary bacterial overgrowth and exudate in claw folds resolved in all cases with immunosuppressive therapy; therefore, antimicrobial therapy may be unnecessary.
Classification and Regression Trees Approach for Predicting Current-Induced Scour Depth Under Pipelines
Authors: Yasa R. , Etemad-Shahidi A.
Published: October 2013

Reliable prediction of scour depth is important in engineering analysis concerned with pipeline stability. The aim of this study is to develop an accurate formula for prediction of the current-induced scour depth under pipelines. Previous experimental data are collected and used as a database by which to study the effect of different parameters on the scour depth. Decision tree and nonlinear regression approaches are used to develop engineering design formulae for estimation of the current induced scour depth in both live bed and clear water conditions. It is demonstrated that the proposed formulas are more accurate than previous ones in predicting the scour depth in all conditions. Probabilistic formulas are also presented for different levels of risk, aimed at safe and economic design of submerged pipelines.
The Wear and Friction Behavior of Novel Polytetrafluoroethylene/Expanded Graphite Nanocomposites for Tribology Application
Authors: Goyal R. K. , Yadav M.
Published: October 2013

The tribological properties of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)/expanded graphite (EG) nanocomposites were evaluated on a pin-on-disk wear tester under dry conditions for the first time. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine worn surfaces and debris of the worn samples. The wear rate and coefficient of friction of 2 wt. % EG filled nanocomposite were reduced approximately 162 times and 38%, respectively. The significant decrease in wear rate was attributed to a thin and tenacious transfer film on the counter-surface. However, when 5 wt. % EG was filled into the PTFE/EG nanocomposite, the wear rate did not decrease further.
Traversing Hot-Jet Ignition in a Constant-Volume Combustor
Authors: Karimi Abdullah , Rajagopal Manikanda , Nalim Razi
Published: October 2013

Hot-jet ignition of a combustible mixture has application in internal combustion engines, detonation initiation, and wave rotor combustion. Numerical predictions are made for ignition of combustible mixtures using a traversing jet of chemically active gas at one end of a long constant-volume combustor (CVC) with an aspect ratio similar to a wave rotor channel. The CVC initially contains a stoichiometric mixture of ethylene or methane at atmospheric conditions. The traversing jet issues from a rotating prechamber that generates gaseous combustion products, assumed at chemical equilibrium for estimating major species. Turbulent combustion uses a hybrid eddy-breakup model with detailed finite-rate kinetics and a two-equation k-ω model. The confined jet is observed to behave initially as a wall jet and later as a wall-impinging jet. The jet evolution, vortex structure, and mixing behavior are significantly different for traversing jets, stationary centered jets, and near-wall jets. Pressure waves in the CVC chamber affect ignition through flame vorticity generation and compression. The jet and ignition behavior are compared with high-speed video images from a prior experiment. Production of unstable intermediate species like C2H4 and CH3 appears to depend significantly on the initial jet location while relatively stable species like OH are less sensitive.
Prediction of Reaction Force on External Indenter in Cell Injection Experiment Using Support Vector Machine Technique
Authors: Abbasi Ali A. , Ahmadian M. T.
Published: October 2013

Evaluation of the reaction force on a tool which is used for exertion of force on biomaterials such as biological cells or soft tissues has applications in virtual reality based medical simulators or haptic tools. In this study, two least square based support vector machine (SVM) models have been constructed to predict the indentation or reaction force on mouse oocyte and embryo cells in cell injection experiment. Inputs of these two models are geometrical parameters of indented cell, namely dimple radius (a), dimple depth (w) and radius of the semicircular curve (R). Experimental data for calibration and prediction of the models have been captured from literatures. The performance of the models has been evaluated using root mean square error (RMSE), correlation coefficient (r), relative error of prediction (REP), Nash-sutcliffe coefficient of efficiency (Ef) and accuracy factor (Af). Comparison of the prediction results of the SVM models with experimental datapoints shows that the proposed SVM models have the potential to be used for force prediction applications.
Localized Stresses Combined With Geometric Discontinuities: Study of a Shaft
Authors: Amé Ricardo M. , Dasso Gabriel M.
Published: October 2013

Due to its functional characteristics, machine components are designed with various geometrical discontinuities, usually combined in a single section or sections very close. Localized stresses they generate are difficult to obtain if not by computer. The classical literature offers no stress concentration factors for cases as common as those seen in, for example, the design of a shaft, where they coexist, with various geometric discontinuities, efforts as torque and bending combined. In this work we present and analyze the results obtained from the Von Mises stress occurring in areas of a shaft with a change in diameter and a keyway, considering the load applied as a lateral pressure from the key generated to transmit a given torque. It is also considered a bending effort. The objective is to obtain the Von Mises stress values for different positions of the keyway with respect to the fillet radius for the change in diameters and also to find the influence of the proximity of the keyway on the values of the stress in the fillet radius.
Forensic Analysis of an Accidental Firearm Discharge due to a Blow to an Exposed Hammer Spur
Authors: Knox Michael A.
Published: October 2013

While firearms designers have for many decades explored ways to prevent the accidental discharge of firearms that are dropped or that otherwise impact another object, such discharges continue to occur, sometimes resulting in injury or death. Although there are a multitude of mechanisms that can cause a drop fire, one particularly dangerous situation is that of a blow to an exposed hammer spur in a firearm with the hammer down on a chambered live round. In some firearms, a drop of only a few inches has been shown to result in a discharge.

This paper will present examination and testing methods for the forensic engineer evaluating cases involving actual or alleged discharges of firearms due to a blow to the hammer spur. Examination of the firearm, mechanical function of safety mechanisms, and evaluation of primer indents will be discussed. Experimental results will be presented, along with an actual case study involving hammer spur discharges of the pre-1984 Winchester Model 94 rifle. Design factors that have been employed as a means of preventing such discharges will also be explored.
Dry Sliding Wear Studies of Cu-Based Powder Metallurgy Brake Materials
Authors: Gyimah Glenn K. , Chen Dong , Huang Ping
Published: October 2013

A novel friction material based on Cu-based powder with several additional elements, such as Al, SiO2, Fe, graphite, Sn, Mn and MoS2, has been developed by PM techniques in order to study the wear to improve mechanical and tribological characteristics of train brake pads. The materials used were sintered at three different temperatures (850°C, 900°C and 950°C). A high pressure pad-on-disc braking tester was developed to test the wear behavior of these materials without lubrication. Wear was measured by microscopic examination of the pad after the tribometer test. The tests showed that the coefficient of friction (COF), wear rate and wear number were improved immensely by high temperature sintering. This shows that the sintering temperature level plays an important role in the performance of the braking material. In addition, the tribological and the mechanical properties were found to be temperature sensitive.
An Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Thickness Effect on Cross-Ply GLARE 5 FML Plates Subjected to Ballistic Impact
Authors: Seyed Yaghoubi A. , Liaw B.
Published: October 2013

GLARE 5 fiber-metal laminated (FML) plates of dimensions: 152.4 mm × 101.6 mm with various thicknesses, ranging from 1.12 mm up to 4.37 mm, were impacted by a 0.22 caliber bullet-shaped projectile using a high-speed gas gun. A high-speed camera was used to measure the projectile velocity along its ballistic trajectory. The post-impact damage characteristics were evaluated using both nondestructive ultrasonic and destructive mechanical sectioning techniques. Only the contour of the entire damage area could be obtained using ultrasonic C-scan; whereas more details of the damage were provided through the mechanical cross-sectioning technique. As expected, thicker GLARE 5 offered higher impact resistance. It was found that by increasing the specimen thickness, the damage contour increased. In addition, the results showed that for a given specimen thickness, the damage contour was maximized near its ballistic limit velocity. The 3D dynamic nonlinear finite element (FE) software, LS-DYNA, was used to validate the experimental results. Good agreement between experimental and FE results was obtained.
Flow Behavior of a Centrifugal Compressor With Vaneless Diffuser at Design and Off Design Conditions
Authors: Gao Chuang , Huang Weiguang , Liu Haiqing , Zhang Hongwu , Shi Jundang
Published: October 2013

This paper concerns with the numerical and experimental aspects of both steady and unsteady flow behavior in a centrifugal compressor with vaneless diffuser and downstream collector. Specifically, the appearance of flow instabilities i.e., rotating stall and surge is investigated in great detail.

As the first step, the static performance of both stage and component was analyzed and possible root cause of system surge was put forward based on the classic stability theory. Then the unsteady pressure data was utilized to find rotating stall and surge in frequency domain which could be classified as mild surge and deep surge. With the circumferentially installed transducers at impeller inlet, backward travelling waves during stall ramp could be observed. The modes of stall waves could be clearly identified which is caused by impeller leading edge flow recirculation at Mu = 0.96. However, for the unstable flow at Mu = 1.08, the system instability seems to be caused by reversal flow in vaneless diffuser where the pressure oscillation was strongest. Thus steady numerical simulation were performed and validated with the experimental performance data. With the help of numerical analysis, the conjectures are proved.
Optimization of Low-Velocity Impact Properties of E-Glass/Epoxy Composites Using Plasticizing Modifiers
Authors: Rahman M. M. , Jahan N. , Zainuddin S. , Hosur M. V. , Jeelani S. , Kumar Ashok
Published: October 2013

The prime aim of this work is to enhance the energy absorbing capabilities of e-glass/epoxy composite under low velocity impact using plasticizing modifiers. Epoxy terminated polyol at 5–15 phr loading levels as plasticizing modifier was mixed into two-phase SC-15 epoxy resin system by a high speed mechanical stirrer. Modified epoxy resin system was then used to fabricate E-glass/epoxy composites by hot press processing. Low velocity impact test at two different energy levels was carried out to investigate the effectiveness of incorporating plasticizing modifier on impact properties of these composites. In addition, three point bend test was also conducted to examine the effects on flexure properties with plasticizing modifiers. Incorporation of epoxy terminated polyol in E-glass/epoxy laminates proved efficient with a significant improvement of 23% in impact energy absorption capability over control counterpart. On the other hand, flexure strength and modulus has been decreased upon polyol loading whereas failure strain has been increased. The flexible polymer chain of polyol group inserted between epoxy molecules by chemical reaction enhances the ductility of the composites and reduces the number of cross-linking. Hence, energy absorption capability or overall toughness was found to increase with a slight reduction of peak strength and flexure strength and stiffness.