bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Isolation and characterization of racemase from Ensifer sp. 23-3 that acts on α-aminolactams and α-amino acid amides
Authors: Matsui Daisuke , Fuhshuku Ken-ichi , Nagamori Shingo , Takata Momoko , Asano Yasuhisa 
Published: September 2017

Abstract
Limited information is available on α-amino-ε-caprolactam (ACL) racemase (ACLR), a pyridoxal 5′-phosphate-dependent enzyme that acts on ACL and α-amino acid amides. In the present study, eight bacterial strains with the ability to racemize α-amino-ε-caprolactam were isolated and one of them was identified as Ensifer sp. strain 23-3. The gene for ACLR from Ensifer sp. 23-3 was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant ACLR was then purified to homogeneity from the E. coli transformant harboring the ACLR gene from Ensifer sp. 23-3, and its properties were characterized. This enzyme acted not only on ACL but also on α-amino-δ-valerolactam, α-amino-ω-octalactam, α-aminobutyric acid amide, and alanine amide.
Retained Austenite Transformation during Heat Treatment of a 5 Wt Pct Cr Cold Work Tool Steel
Authors: Rehan M. Arbab , Medvedeva Anna , Svensson Lars-Erik , Karlsson Leif 
Published: September 2017

Abstract
Retained austenite transformation was studied for a 5 wt pct Cr cold work tool steel tempered at 798 K and 873 K (525 °C and 600 °C) followed by cooling to room temperature. Tempering cycles with variations in holding times were conducted to observe the mechanisms involved. Phase transformations were studied with dilatometry, and the resulting microstructures were characterized with X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Tempering treatments at 798 K (525 °C) resulted in retained austenite transformation to martensite on cooling. The martensite start (M

s
) and martensite finish (M

f
) temperatures increased with longer holding times at tempering temperature. At the same time, the lattice parameter of retained austenite decreased. Calculations from the M

s
temperatures and lattice parameters suggested that there was a decrease in carbon content of retained austenite as a result of precipitation of carbides prior to transformation. This was in agreement with the resulting microstructure and the contraction of the specimen during tempering, as observed by dilatometry. Tempering at 873 K (600 °C) resulted in precipitation of carbides in retained austenite followed by transformation to ferrite and carbides. This was further supported by the initial contraction and later expansion of the dilatometry specimen, the resulting microstructure, and the absence of any phase transformation on cooling from the tempering treatment. It was concluded that there are two mechanisms of retained austenite transformation occurring depending on tempering temperature and time. This was found useful in understanding the standard tempering treatment, and suggestions regarding alternative tempering treatments are discussed.
Assessment of Lithology and Geomorphic Control on Slope Instability in Raigad District, Maharashtra
Authors: Autade Sumant E. , Pardeshi Sudhakar D. 
Published: September 2017

ABSTRACT
Landslides are common along western slopes of Sahyadri ranges and isolated hills of coastal plains in Konkan region of Maharashtra. Numerous landslides with low magnitude is an important characteristic of slope failures in this region. Though the magnitude of landslides in this region is low, they result in huge losses in terms of property damage and even loss of lives especially those occur along major communication routes. Present paper deals with the spatial distribution of landslides in Raigad district, Maharashtra based on the historical landslide records and field investigations. The landslide occurrence and its relationship with the rainfall has been assessed to determine the role of rainfall, lithology and geomorphology in slope failures. The results of the study revealed that the concentration of landslides in Raigad district is observed in the south and south-eastern hilly tracts of the district. It is observed that the landslide process in this study area is also influenced by geo-environmental factors such as slope, aspect, structure, drainage, roads etc.
Complexity in Elucidating Crustal Thermal Regime in Geodynamically Affected Areas: A Case Study from the Deccan Large Igneous Province (Western India)
Authors: Pandey O. P. , Vedanti Nimisha , Srivastava Ravi P. 
Published: September 2017

ABSTRACT
Complexity in the earth’s crustal structure plays an important role in governing earth’s thermal and geodynamic behavior. In the present study, an attempt has been made taking insights from our recent geological, geochemical, petrophysical and geophysical findings from specially drilled deep boreholes, to understand the lithospheric thermal evolution of the highly complex western India, which forms the core region of the Deccan large igneous province. This region was severely affected by the Deccan volcanic eruptions 65 Ma ago, which resulted in a totally degenerated, reworked and exhumed mafic crust, which presently contains several Tertiary basins with proven hydrocarbon reserves. Our detailed case study from the disastrous 1993 Killari earthquake (Mw 6.3) region, apart from some other geotectonically important localities like seismically active 2001 Bhuj and 1967 Koyna earthquake regions together with Tertiary Cambay graben, indicate that the western part of India, is perhaps one of the warmest segments of the earth. It is characterized by an average high mantle heat flow and Moho temperatures of about 43 mW/m2 (range: 31-65 mW/m2) and 660°C (range: 540-860°C) respectively. Estimated thickness of the lithosphere beneath these areas varies from as low as about 45 km to 100 km. Consequently, melting conditions in certain segments are expected at extremely shallow depths due to asthenospheric swell, like northern part of Cambay basin and Bhuj seismic zone beneath which only about half of original crystalline crust now remains due to sub-crustal melting and massive exhumation of deeper crustal layers. Sustained thermal heating and rise of isotherms appear to have resulted in substantial enhancement of hydrocarbon generation and maturation processes in Tertiary sediments. The present study highlights the need of an integrated geological, geochemical and geophysical study, if reasonably accurate deep crustal thermal regime is to be investigated.
Identification of Landslide Susceptible Villages around Kalsubai Region, Western Ghats of Maharashtra Using Geospatial Techniques
Authors: Gawali Praveen B. , Aher Sainath P. , Lakshmi B. V. , Gaikwad Ravindra D. , Deendayalan K. , Hanamgond Pramod T. , Babu J. L. V. Mahesh , Arote Sandeep A. , Bairage Shashikant I. 
Published: September 2017

ABSTRACT
Heavy rainfall triggered landslides are on the rise along the Western Ghats making it a matter of priority to identify landslide-prone areas well in advance. The present effort is aimed at identifying landslide susceptible villages (LSV) around the Kalsubai region of Deccan volcanic province (DVP), Maharashtra, India from 8 weighted landslide parameters-rainfall, slope, lithology, land use and land cover (LULC), soil properties, relative relief, aspect and lineament. These parameters were combined with advanced remote sensing (RS) data and processed in geographical information system (GIS) as well as in image processing software, which are an integral part of geospatial techniques. Out of the total 59 villages, the study identified 9 villages are situated in very high, 13 in high, 12 in moderate, 11 in low and 14 in very low risk zones. Our data reveals incessant heavy rains and steep slopes are the dominant factors in triggering landslides, exacerbated by anthropogenic activity prevalent in the study area. The spatial and non-spatial database created will help to take effective steps in preventing and/or mitigating landslide disasters in the study area. The methodology can be applied to identify other landslide prone areas in a cost effective way.
Mineralogical and Ash Geochemical Studies of Coal-mine Shale and its Hydrocarbon Potential: A Case Study of Shale from Makum Coalfield, Northeast India
Authors: Choudhury Rahul , Saikia Jyotilima , Saikia Binoy K. 
Published: September 2017

ABSTRACT
The mineralogy and geochemical studies of the coal-mine shale collected from the Tirap opencast coal-mine (Makum coalfield, Northeast India) are reported in this paper. Thermo-chemical conversion (pyrolysis) of coal-mine shale has been studied to see its hydrocarbon potential. A combined approach using X-Ray diffraction (LTA-XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with an energy-dispersive X-ray spectrophotometer (EDS), X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), thermogravimetry-derivative and differential thermogravimetric (TG-DTG and DTA) analysis is made to obtain new information on the mineralogical and geochemical studies of a coal-mine shale (CMS) sample. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis is performed to evaluate the quality of the liquid fraction (tar) obtained after pyrolysis at 600°C. The shale sample is dominated by quartz, clay minerals (kaolinite and illite), sulphate bearing phase like gypsum with minor proportion of anatase, probably as artifacts of the plasma-ashing process. GC-MS analysis illustrates the presence of highly oxygenated organic components (M.W. around 94-108) and high molecular weight (M.W. 256) cyclic sulphur (e.g. octathiocane with molecular formula S8) compounds along with the complex N-containing organic sulphur compounds (M.W. around 255-486) in the tar produced.
Groundwater Modeling of Hiranyakeshi Watershed of Ghataprabha Sub-basin
Authors: Patil Nagraj S. , Chetan N. L. 
Published: September 2017

ABSTRACT
Groundwater modeling is an effective tool for managing the groundwater resource and to predict for the future. There is a need for proper quantification of the scarce water resources that are under threat because of the population explosion, industrialization, urbanization and climate change. More than 60% of India is underlained by hard rock aquifers. The Hiranyakeshi watershed of Ghataprabha sub-basin, chosen for the study is also under hard rock aquifer and faces severe groundwater problems. This is due to majority of the agricultural and industrial activities in the watershed depend on the groundwater. A 3-D groundwater flow model, viz. Visual MODFLOW was used for the study with two conceptual layers. The first layer is a weathered zone which is about 20-30m from the top, followed by a second layerof fractured zone which is about 30-40m from the first. The model was simulated for a period of seven years (2008-2014), under transient case. The results from the modeling shows that for the next 10 years the water table is believed to decrease more than 50m in the study area. To overcome this critical stage, the present draft should be reduced by nearly 50%.
A systematic integrated analysis of brain expression profiles reveals YAP1 and other prioritized hub genes as important upstream regulators in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Xu Min , Zhang Deng‐Feng , Luo Rongcan , Wu Yong , Zhou Hejiang , Kong Li‐Li , Bi Rui , Yao Yong‐Gang 
Published: September 2017

AbstractIntroductionProfiling the spatial‐temporal expression pattern and characterizing the regulatory networks of brain tissues are vital for understanding the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD).MethodsWe performed a systematic integrated analysis of expression profiles of AD‐affected brain tissues (684 AD and 562 controls). A network‐based convergent functional genomic approach was used to prioritize possible regulator genes during AD development, followed by functional characterization.ResultsWe generated a complete list of differentially expressed genes and hub genes of the transcriptomic network in AD brain and constructed a Web server (www.alzdata.org) for public access. Seventeen hub genes active at the early stages, especially YAP1, were recognized as upstream regulators of the AD network. Cellular assays proved that early alteration of YAP1 could promote AD by influencing the whole transcriptional network.DiscussionEarly expression disturbance of hub genes is an important feature of AD development, and interfering with this process may reverse the disease progression.
Total Knee Replacement with iASSIST Navigation System
Authors: Lo Chi-Kin , Li Hok-Yin , Wong Yiu-Chung , Wai Yuk-Leung 
Published: September 2017

Background/Purpose The iASSIST system is a novel navigation system for total knee replacement. It is based on accelerometers built within electronic pods attached to the instruments within the operative field. The objective of this study was to compare the accuracy of iASSIST navigation with that of the conventional alignment technique. Methods A total of 91 patients (92 knees) retrospectively matched for age, gender, preoperative range of motion, and lower limb deformity underwent total knee replacement using iASSIST navigation (45 patients, 46 knees) or conventional instrumentation (46 patients, 46 knees). Operative time and radiological alignments were compared. Results The use of iASSIST navigation resulted in fewer outliners (as defined by >3° deviation from the neutral mechanical axis) in lower limb alignment. Operative time with iASSIST navigation was not longer than that using conventional instruments. Conclusion iASSIST navigation reduces the incidence of lower limb malalignment without adding extra time to the procedure.
Origin of false components of NRM during conventional stepwise thermal demagnetization
Authors: Shcherbakov V.P. , Latyshev A.V. , Veselovskiy R.V. , Tselmovich V.A. 
Published: September 2017

Abstract
Many Permian–Triassic dolerite samples from the Siberian Trap Large Igneous Province exposed to conventional stepwise thermal demagnetization at 250–450 °C display mid-temperature remanence (MTC) directed opposite to the high-temperature NRM component. Alternating field (A.C.) demagnetization fails to isolate the antipodal component, but it appears during continuous thermal demagnetization, though in a different temperature range. Laboratory experiments and simulations prove that MTC remanence is an artifact resulting from magnetic memory of self-reversing titanomagnetite grains oxidized at low temperature. This effect can deform the results stepwise thermal cleaning and be responsible for misleading patterns of paleomagnetic directions. Given that oxidized titanomagnetite grains are widespread in volcanic rocks, we suggest to identify true paleodirections by combined continuous and stepwise thermal demagnetization. The extension of our model to the case of NRM2 overprint directed at some angle to partially reversed primary NRM1 component accounts for the difference between the results of stepwise and continuous thermal demagnetization observed in samples of the Steens Mountain basalt (USA).
Biomathematical screening of amyloid radiotracers with clinical usefulness index
Authors: Nai Ying‐Hwey , Shidahara Miho , Seki Chie , Watabe Hiroshi 
Published: September 2017

AbstractIntroductionTo facilitate radiotracers' development, a screening methodology using a biomathematical model and clinical usefulness index (CUI) was proposed to evaluate radiotracers' diagnostic capabilities.MethodsA total of 31 amyloid positron emission tomography radiotracers were evaluated. A previously developed biomathematical model was used to simulate 1000 standardized uptake value ratios with population and noise simulations, which were used to determine the integrated receiver operating characteristics curve (Az), effect size (Es), and standardized uptake value ratio (Sr) of conditions‐pairs of healthy control–mild cognitive impaired and mild cognitive impaired–Alzheimer's disease. CUI was obtained from the product of averaged , , and .ResultsThe relationships of , , and with CUI were different, suggesting that they assessed different radiotracer properties. The combination of Az, Es, and Sr complemented each other and resulted in CUI of 0.10 to 5.72, with clinically applied amyloid positron emission tomography radiotracers having CUI greater than 3.0.DiscussionThe CUI rankings of clinically applied radiotracers were close to their reported clinical results, attesting to the applicability of the screening methodology.
Thin blue lines: product placement and the drama of pregnancy testing in British cinema and television
Authors: OLSZYNKO-GRYN JESSE 
Published: September 2017

AbstractThis article uses the case of pregnancy testing in Britain to investigate the process whereby new and often controversial reproductive technologies are made visible and normalized in mainstream entertainment media. It shows how in the 1980s and 1990s the then nascent product placement industry was instrumental in embedding pregnancy testing in British cinema and television's dramatic productions. In this period, the pregnancy-test close-up became a conventional trope and the thin blue lines associated with Unilever's Clearblue rose to prominence in mainstream consumer culture. This article investigates the aestheticization of pregnancy testing and shows how increasingly visible public concerns about ‘schoolgirl mums’, abortion and the biological clock, dramatized on the big and small screen, propelled the commercial rise of Clearblue. It argues that the Clearblue close-up ambiguously concealed as much as it revealed; abstraction, ambiguity and flexibility were its keys to success.
‘A machine for recreating life’: an introduction to reproduction on film
Authors: OLSZYNKO-GRYN JESSE , ELLIS PATRICK 
Published: September 2017

AbstractReproduction is one of the most persistently generative themes in the history of science and cinema. Cabbage fairies, clones and monstrous creations have fascinated filmmakers and audiences for more than a century. Today we have grown accustomed not only to the once controversial portrayals of sperm, eggs and embryos in biology and medicine, but also to the artificial wombs and dystopian futures of science fiction and fantasy. Yet, while scholars have examined key films and genres, especially in response to the recent cycle of Hollywood ‘mom coms’, the analytic potential of reproduction on film as a larger theme remains largely untapped. This introduction to a special issue aims to consolidate a disparate literature by exploring diverse strands of film studies that are rarely considered in the same frame. It traces the contours of a little-studied history, pauses to consider in greater detail a few particularly instructive examples, and underscores some promising lines of inquiry. Along the way, it introduces the six original articles that constituteReproduction on Film.
Foraging behaviour of the exotic waspVespula germanica(Hymenoptera: Vespidae) on a native caterpillar defoliator
Authors: Pietrantuono A.L. , Moreyra S. , Lozada M. 
Published: September 2017

AbstractVespula germanicais a social wasp and an opportunistic predator. While foraging, these wasps learn and integrate different kinds of cues. They have successfully invaded many parts of the world, including nativeNothofagusandLophozoniaforests located in the Andean-Patagonian region, where they forage on native arthropods.Perzelia arda,a lepidopteron defoliator ofLophozonia obliqua,uses the foliage to hide in and feed on. The purpose of this work is to study whetherV. germanicause olfactory cues when foraging onP. arda. To do this, we used a Y-tube olfactometer and established three treatments to compare pairs of all combinations of stimuli (larvae, leaves with larval traces, and leaves without larval traces) and controls. Data were analysed via two developed models that showed decisions made byV. germanicaand allowed to establish a scale of preferences between the stimuli. The analysis demonstrates thatV. germanicawasps chooseP. ardaas larval prey and are capable of discriminating between the offered stimuli (deviance information criterion (DIC) null model = 873.97; DIC simple model = 84.5,n= 152). According to the preference scale,V. germanicapreferred leaves with traces of larvae,suggesting its ability to associate these traces with the presence of the prey. This may be because, under natural conditions, larvae are never exposed outside their shelters of leaves and thereforeV. germanicauses indirect signals. The presence ofV. germanicaforaging onP. ardahighlights the flexible foraging behaviour of this wasp which may also act as a positive biological control, reducing lepidopteran populations.
CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE IN THE INDOGANGETIC PLAINS OF INDIA: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
Authors: HOBBS PETER , GUPTA RAJ , JAT RAJ KUMAR , MALIK R. K. 
Published: September 2017

SUMMARYThis paper follows the progress made in India for research and farmer adoption of conservation agriculture (CA) since the publication of Erenstein (2012), who contested the idea that zero-till (ZT) establishment of wheat in rice–wheat systems could be further developed into full CA systems. Data presented in this paper show that research has successfully found solutions for both the wheat and rice phases of the rice–wheat systems of the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) in the past 8 years. It shows that by finding solutions in both the rice and wheat phases, yields, water use efficiency and profits increased, while labour needs reduced. Indian scientists have also confirmed these benefits in participatory on-farm research in various locations, both east and west regions of the IGP. Farmers see for themselves through experimentation that they get higher yields with less cost and with more efficient use of inputs and water. A key factor has been the development of improved seed drills with the help of Indian private sector manufacturers of agricultural equipment. Indian scientists have also successfully conducted CA research on several other crops and in other regions besides the IGP. The paper shows that it is better to introduce parts of the CA management practices in a step-wise fashion first, rather than introducing the entire package at once since farmers first have to test and evaluate a new technology to understand how it benefits them personally before they will adopt it. The paper concludes that in the rice–wheat systems of South Asia, adoption of CA is indeed possible to achieve although it is still a work in progress. CA is a complex technology package and it takes time to overcome all of the contested issues mentioned in Erenstein (2012).