bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Juglone ameliorates skin wound healing by promoting skin cell migration through Rac1/Cdc42/PAK pathway
Authors: Wahedi Hussain M. , Park Yong U. , Moon Eun‐Yi , Kim Sun Y. 
Published: June 2016

ABSTRACTSkin cell regeneration and wound healing are key processes in the recovery from skin injuries. Rapid cell migration and regeneration of skin cells lead to faster and better healing of wounded skin. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the wound healing potential of juglone, a naturally occurring Pin1 inhibitor found in walnuts. Cultured skin cells (NHDF and HaCaT) and hairless mice were treated with juglone after wound creation to examine its effects on cell migration and wound healing rate. The expressions of cell migration related proteins (Rac1, Cdc42, and α‐PAK), collagen deposition, and angiogenesis were analyzed. Juglone treatment resulted in faster rate of growth and migration and recovered cell morphology, particularly at a concentration of 5 µM, in skin cells compared to the untreated group. In vivo experiments showed that mice treated with juglone showed faster wound healing rate with better skin morphology and collagen deposition than the vehicle group. Furthermore, juglone increased the activation and/or expression of Cdc42, Rac1, and α‐pak in HaCaT cells, and resulted in enhanced angiogenesis in endothelial cells (HUVECs). Juglone also activated MAPKs signaling by activation of ERK, JNK, and p38 proteins. Taken together, these data suggest that juglone may be a potential candidate for wound healing and skin regeneration which ameliorates wound healing mainly by promoting skin cell migration through Rac1/Cdc42/PAK pathway.
Estimating Deterioration in the Concrete Tie-Ballast Interface Based on Vertical Tie Deflection Profile: A Numerical Study
Authors: Yu Hailing 
Published: June 2016

In ballasted concrete tie track, the tie-ballast interface can deteriorate resulting in concrete tie bottom abrasion, ballast pulverization and/or voids in tie-ballast interfaces. Tie-ballast voids toward tie ends can lead to unfavorable center binding support conditions that can result in premature concrete tie failure and possible train derailment. Direct detection of these conditions is difficult. There is a strong interest in assessing the concrete tie-ballast interface conditions indirectly using measured vertical deflections.
This paper seeks to establish a link between the vertical deflection profile of a concrete tie top surface and the tie-ballast interface condition using the finite element analysis (FEA) method. The concrete tie is modeled as a concrete matrix embedded with prestressing steel strands or wires. The configurations of two commonly used concrete ties, one with 8 prestressing strands and the other with 20 prestressing wires, are employed in this study. All models are three-dimensional and symmetric about the tie center. A damaged plasticity model that can predict onset and propagation of tensile cracks is applied to the concrete material. The steel-concrete interface is homogenized and represented with a thin layer of cohesive elements sandwiched between steel and concrete elements. Strand- or wire-specific elasto-plastic bond models developed at the Volpe Center are applied to the cohesive elements to account for the interface bonding mechanisms. FE models are developed for both original and worn concrete ties, with the latter assuming hypothetical patterns of reduced cross sections resulting from abrasive interactions with the ballast. Static analyses of pretension release in these concrete ties are conducted, and vertical deflection gradients along tie lengths are calculated and shown to correspond well with the worn cross sectional patterns for a given reinforcement type.
The ballast is further modeled with Extended Drucker-Prager plasticity, and hypothetical voids are applied toward the tie ends along the concrete tie-ballast interface to simulate center binding support conditions. The distance range over which the concrete tie is supported in the center is variable and yields different center binding severity. Static simulations are completed with vertical rail seat loads applied on the concrete tie-ballast assembly. The influences of various factors on the vertical deflection profile, including tie type, vertical load magnitude, center binding severity, cross sectional material loss and prestress loss, are examined based on the FEA results.
The work presented in this paper demonstrates the potential of using the vertical deflection profile of concrete tie top surfaces to assess deteriorations in the tie-ballast interface. The simulation results further help to clarify minimum technical requirements on inspection technologies that measure concrete tie vertical deflection profiles.
Bond Index Numbers of Prestressed Concrete Reinforcement Wires and Their Relationships to Transfer Lengths and Pull-Out Forces
Authors: Haynes Mark D. , Wu Chih-Hang John , Arnold Matthew , Bodapati Naga Narendra B. , Beck B. Terry , Peterman Robert J. 
Published: June 2016

The purpose of this research is to establish mathematical models that predicts the bond strength of a reinforcement wire in prestressed concrete members, given the known geometrical features of the wire. A total of nineteen geometrical features of the reinforcement wire were measured and extracted by a precision non-contact profilometer. With these mathematical models, prestressing reinforcement wires can now be analyzed for their bond strength without destructive testing. These mathematical models, based upon a large collection of empirical data via prestressing reinforcement wires from various wire manufacturers in US and Europe, have the potential to serve as quality assessment tools in reinforcement wire and prestressed concrete member production. Most of these models are very simple and easy to implement in practice, which could provide insight into which reinforcement wires provide the greatest bond strength and which combinations of geometrical features of the reinforcement wire are responsible for providing the bond strength.
Our various empirical models have shown that the indent side-wall angle, which is suggested by the ASTM-A881/A881M, may not be the only significant geometrical feature correlated to the transfer length and bond strengths. On the contrary, features such as the indent surface area, indent width, indent edge surface area, indent volume, and release strengths do have significant correlations with the ultimate transfer lengths of the prestressed concrete members. Extensive experiments and testing performed at the Structures Laboratory in Kansas State University, as well as field tests at Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) and one Prestressed Concrete Railroad Tie manufacturing facility, have been used to confirm the model predictions.
In addition, our experimental results suggest that the maximum pull out force in the un-tensioned pullout testing has significant correlation with the ultimate transfer length. This finding could provide reinforcement wire manufactures with a quality assurance tool for testing their wires prior to the production.
The resultant mathematical model relating the wire geometrical features to transfer length is referred to as the Bond Index Number (BIN). The BIN is shown to provide a numerical measure of the bond strength of prestressing steel reinforcement wire, without the need for performing destructive tests with the reinforcement wire. We believe that with the BIN and the maximal pull-out forces from the un-tensioned pull-out tests, one can have better insight into the optimal reinforcement wire design by testing the performance of wires before they are put into production lines.
Wheel Temperature Reduction During Freight Car Braking
Authors: Stewart Monique F. , Singh Som P. , Andersen David R. , Wen Rou , Booth Graydon F. 
Published: June 2016

Since the adoption of 286,000 lb gross rail load (286K GRL) car service, an increase in wheel thermal damage and shelling has been observed. This is attributed to the increased braking horsepower in 286K GRL service as compared to the 263K GRL service environment. This study investigated possible designs and methods of braking that could lead to reduced heat input to the tread of freight car wheels in order to mitigate this damage and reduce its occurrence to a level closer to that seen with 263K GRL car service.
Fifteen potential concepts to lower the thermal input to wheels and/or accelerate heat removal from the tread were identified and evaluated using the following engineering categories: simplicity of design, maintenance requirements, weight considerations, material and manufacturing costs, controllability of braking effort, and market acceptability. Five final concepts — axle-mounted disc, cheek disc, wheel rim, axle-mounted drum, and high convection coating — were developed through preliminary design and thermal analysis to confirm their effectiveness in meeting the objectives.
Four concepts for alternative braking methods — axle-mounted disc brakes, cheek disc brakes, wheel rim clasp brakes, and axle-mounted drum brakes — were analyzed in considerable detail. Of the four concepts presented, the first three appear to be feasible and would be potential candidates for further detailed investigations/evaluation.
It is shown that as the demand on railway wheels to withstand increased mechanical and thermal loads grows, there are viable braking enhancements that can help manage the stress state in freight car wheels.
Rail Tank Car Total Containment Fire Testing: Results and Observations
Authors: Gonzalez Francisco , Prabhakaran Anand , Robitaille Andrew , Birk A. M. , Otremba Frank 
Published: June 2016

The frequent incidences of Non-Accident Releases (NARs) of lading from tank cars have resulted in an increasing interest in transporting hazardous materials in total containment conditions (i.e., no pressure relief devices). However, the ability of tank cars to meet thermal protection requirements provided in the Code of Federal Regulations under conditions of total containment has not been established. The intent of this effort was to evaluate through a series of third-scale fire tests, the ability of tank cars to meet the thermal protection requirements under total containment conditions, with a particular focus on caustic ladings. A previous paper on this effort described the test design and planning effort associated with this research effort.
A series of seven fire tests were conducted using third scale tanks. The test fires simulated fully engulfing, hydrocarbon fueled, pool fire conditions. The initial tests were conducted with water as a lading under jacketed and non-jacketed conditions and also with different fill levels (98% full or 50% full). Additionally, two tests were conducted with the caustic, Sodium Hydroxide as the lading, each test with a different fill level. In general, the tanks with water were allowed to fail or reach near-failure conditions, whereas, the tests with the caustic lading were not allowed to proceed near failure for safety reasons. This paper describes the results and observations from the fire tests, and discusses the various factors that affected the fire test performance of the test tanks.
Review of results from the one-third scale tests, and subsequent scaling to full-scale suggest that a full-scale tank car filled with 50% NaOH solution is unlikely to meet the 100-minute survival requirement under conditions of total containment.
A GPU‐accelerated Monte Carlo dose calculation platform and its application toward validating an MRI‐guided radiation therapy beam model
Authors: Wang Yuhe , Mazur Thomas R. , Green Olga , Hu Yanle , Li Hua , Rodriguez Vivian , Wooten H. Omar , Yang Deshan , Zhao Tianyu , Mutic Sasa , Li H. Harold 
Published: June 2016

Purpose:The clinical commissioning of IMRT subject to a magnetic field is challenging. The purpose of this work is to develop a GPU‐accelerated Monte Carlo dose calculation platform based on penelope and then use the platform to validate a vendor‐provided MRIdian head model toward quality assurance of clinical IMRT treatment plans subject to a 0.35 T magnetic field.Methods:penelope was first translated from fortran to c++ and the result was confirmed to produce equivalent results to the original code. The c++ code was then adapted to cuda in a workflow optimized for GPU architecture. The original code was expanded to include voxelized transport with Woodcock tracking, faster electron/positron propagation in a magnetic field, and several features that make gpenelope highly user‐friendly. Moreover, the vendor‐provided MRIdian head model was incorporated into the code in an effort to apply gpenelope as both an accurate and rapid dose validation system. A set of experimental measurements were performed on the MRIdian system to examine the accuracy of both the head model and gpenelope. Ultimately, gpenelope was applied toward independent validation of patient doses calculated by MRIdian's kmc.Results:An acceleration factor of 152 was achieved in comparison to the original single‐thread fortran implementation with the original accuracy being preserved. For 16 treatment plans including stomach (4), lung (2), liver (3), adrenal gland (2), pancreas (2), spleen(1), mediastinum (1), and breast (1), the MRIdian dose calculation engine agrees with gpenelope with a mean gamma passing rate of 99.1% ± 0.6% (2%/2 mm).Conclusions:A Monte Carlo simulation platform was developed based on a GPU‐ accelerated version of penelope. This platform was used to validate that both the vendor‐provided head model and fast Monte Carlo engine used by the MRIdian system are accurate in modeling radiation transport in a patient using 2%/2 mm gamma criteria. Future applications of this platform will include dose validation and accumulation, IMRT optimization, and dosimetry system modeling for next generation MR‐IGRT systems.
Genome Sequence of Hafnia alvei bta3_1, a Bacterium with Antimicrobial Properties Isolated from Honey Bee Gut
Authors: Tian Baoyu , Moran Nancy A. 
Published: June 2016

ABSTRACT

Hafnia alvei
bta3_1, a strain with antibacterial properties, was isolated from honey bee gut and cultured under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. To explore the potential genetic bases of its antibacterial and possible pathogenic properties, the complete genome of this organism was sequenced and analyzed.
Complete Genome Sequence of Soil Fungus Aspergillus terreus (KM017963), a Potent Lovastatin Producer
Authors: Savitha Janakiraman , Bhargavi S. D. , Praveen V. K. 
Published: June 2016

ABSTRACT

We report the complete genome of
Aspergillus terreus
(KM017963), a tropical soil isolate. The genome sequence is 29 Mb, with a G+C content of 51.12%. The genome sequence of
A. terreus
shows the presence of the complete gene cluster responsible for lovastatin (an anti-cholesterol drug) production in a single scaffold (1.16).
Complete Genome and Plasmid Sequences for Rhodococcus fascians D188 and Draft Sequences for
Rhodococcus
Isolates PBTS 1 and PBTS 2
Authors: Stamler Rio A. , Vereecke Danny , Zhang Yucheng , Schilkey Faye , Devitt Nico , Randall Jennifer J. 
Published: June 2016

ABSTRACT

Rhodococcus fascians
, a phytopathogen that alters plant development, inflicts significant losses in plant production around the world. We report here the complete genome sequence of
R. fascians
D188, a well-characterized model isolate, and
Rhodococcus
species PBTS (pistachio bushy top syndrome) 1 and 2, which were shown to be responsible for a disease outbreak in pistachios.
Draft Genome Sequence of Aeribacillus pallidus Strain 8m3, a Thermophilic Hydrocarbon-Oxidizing Bacterium Isolated from the Dagang Oil Field (China)
Authors: Poltaraus Andrey B. , Sokolova Diyana S. , Grouzdev Denis S. , Ivanov Timophey M. , Malakho Sophia G. , Korshunova Alena V. , Rozanov Aleksey S. , Tourova Tatiyana P. , Nazina Tamara N. 
Published: June 2016

ABSTRACT

The draft genome sequence of
Aeribacillus pallidus
strain 8m3, a thermophilic aerobic oil-oxidizing bacterium isolated from production water from the Dagang high-temperature oil field, China, is presented here. The genome is annotated to provide insights into the genomic and phenotypic diversity of the genus
Aeribacillus
.
Genome Sequence of a Novel H14N7 Subtype Influenza A Virus Isolated from a Blue-Winged Teal (
Anas discors
) Harvested in Texas, USA
Authors: Ramey Andrew M. , Reeves Andrew B. , Poulson Rebecca L. , Carter Deborah L. , Davis-Fields Nicholas , Stallknecht David E. 
Published: June 2016

ABSTRACT

We report here the complete genome sequence of a novel H14N7 subtype influenza A virus (IAV) isolated from a blue-winged teal (
Anas discors
) harvested in Texas, USA. The genomic characteristics of this IAV strain with a previously undetected subtype combination suggest recent viral evolution within the New World wild-bird IAV reservoir.
Complete Chloroplast and Mitochondrial Genome Sequences of the Hydrocarbon Oil-Producing Green Microalga
Botryococcus braunii
Race B (Showa)
Authors: Blifernez-Klassen Olga , Wibberg Daniel , Winkler Anika , Blom Jochen , Goesmann Alexander , Kalinowski Jörn , Kruse Olaf 
Published: June 2016

ABSTRACT

The green alga
Botryococcus braunii
is capable of the production and excretion of high quantities of long-chain hydrocarbons and exopolysaccharides. In this study, we present the complete plastid and mitochondrial genomes of the hydrocarbon-producing microalga
Botryococcus braunii
race B (Showa), with a total length of 156,498 and 129,356 bp, respectively.
Draft Genome Sequence of Hydrotalea flava Strain CCUG 51397
T
Authors: Leite Laura Rabelo , Medeiros Julliane Dutra , Fernandes Gabriel Rocha , Araújo Flávio , Pylro Victor Satler , Salim Anna Christina , Volpini Ângela , Oliveira Guilherme , Cuadros-Orellana Sara 
Published: June 2016

ABSTRACT

We report the draft genome sequence of
Hydrotalea flava
CCUG 51397
T
, the type strain of the genus
Hydrotalea
(family
Chitinophagaceae
), isolated from water samples in southern Sweden.
Complete Genome Sequence of Sphingopyxis macrogoltabida Strain 203N (NBRC 111659), a Polyethylene Glycol Degrader
Authors: Ohtsubo Yoshiyuki , Nonoyama Shouta , Nagata Yuji , Numata Mitsuru , Tsuchikane Keiko , Hosoyama Akira , Yamazoe Atsushi , Tsuda Masataka , Fujita Nobuyuki , Kawai Fusako 
Published: June 2016

ABSTRACT

We determined the complete genome sequence of
Sphingopyxis macrogoltabida
strain 203N, a polyethylene glycol degrader. Because the PacBio assembly (285× coverage) seemed to be full of nucleotide-level mismatches, the Newbler assembly of MiSeq mate-pair and paired-end data was used for finishing and the PacBio assembly was used as a reference. The PacBio assembly carried 414 nucleotide mismatches over 5,953,153 bases of the 203N genome.
Complete Coding Sequences of One H9 and Three H7 Low-Pathogenic Influenza Viruses Circulating in Wild Birds in Belgium, 2009 to 2012
Authors: Van Borm Steven , Rosseel Toon , Marché Sylvie , Steensels Mieke , Vangeluwe Didier , Linden Annick , van den Berg Thierry , Lambrecht Bénédicte 
Published: June 2016

ABSTRACT
The complete coding sequences of four avian influenza A viruses (two H7N7, one H7N1, and one H9N2) circulating in wild waterfowl in Belgium from 2009 to 2012 were determined using Illumina sequencing. All viral genome segments represent viruses circulating in the Eurasian wild bird population.
Complete Genome Sequence of Mycobacterium abscessus subsp.
bolletii
Authors: Caverly Lindsay J. , Spilker Theodore , LiPuma John J. 
Published: June 2016

ABSTRACT

We report the complete genome sequence of a
Mycobacterium abscessus
subsp.
bolletii
isolate recovered from a sputum culture from an individual with cystic fibrosis. This sequence is the first completed whole-genome sequence of
M. abscessus
subsp.
bolletii
and adds value to studies of
M. abscessus
complex genomics.
Heuristic Evaluation for Novice Programming Systems
Authors: Kölling Michael , McKay Fraser 
Published: June 2016

The past few years has seen a proliferation of novice programming tools. The availability of a large number of systems has made it difficult for many users to choose among them. Even for education researchers, comparing the relative quality of these tools, or judging their respective suitability for a given context, is hard in many instances. For designers of such systems, assessing the respective quality of competing design decisions can be equally difficult.
Heuristic evaluation provides a practical method of assessing the quality of alternatives in these situations and of identifying potential problems with existing systems for a given target group or context. Existing sets of heuristics, however, are not specific to the domain of novice programming and thus do not evaluate all aspects of interest to us in this specialised application domain.
In this article, we propose a set of heuristics to be used in heuristic evaluations of novice programming systems. These heuristics have the potential to allow a useful assessment of the quality of a given system with lower cost than full formal user studies and greater precision than the use of existing sets of heuristics. The heuristics are described and discussed in detail. We present an evaluation of the effectiveness of the heuristics that suggests that the new set of heuristics provides additional useful information to designers not obtained with existing heuristics sets.
Whirlpool
Authors: Mukkara Anurag , Beckmann Nathan , Sanchez Daniel 
Published: June 2016

Cache hierarchies are increasingly non-uniform and difficult to manage. Several techniques, such as scratchpads or reuse hints, use static information about how programs access data to manage the memory hierarchy. Static techniques are effective on regular programs, but because they set fixed policies, they are vulnerable to changes in program behavior or available cache space. Instead, most systems rely on dynamic caching policies that adapt to observed program behavior. Unfortunately, dynamic policies spend significant resources trying to learn how programs use memory, and yet they often perform worse than a static policy. We present Whirlpool, a novel approach that combines static information with dynamic policies to reap the benefits of each. Whirlpool statically classifies data into pools based on how the program uses memory. Whirlpool then uses dynamic policies to tune the cache to each pool. Hence, rather than setting policies statically, Whirlpool uses static analysis to guide dynamic policies. We present both an API that lets programmers specify pools manually and a profiling tool that discovers pools automatically in unmodified binaries.
We evaluate Whirlpool on a state-of-the-art NUCA cache. Whirlpool significantly outperforms prior approaches: on sequential programs, Whirlpool improves performance by up to 38% and reduces data movement energy by up to 53%; on parallel programs, Whirlpool improves performance by up to 67% and reduces data movement energy by up to 2.6x.