bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Thermal and Flexural Properties and Water Absorption of Caulis Spatholobi Residue Fiber Reinforced Biodegradable Poly(propylene carbonate) Composites
Authors: Li W. , Chen F.-Q. , Yin X.-C. , Qu J.-P. , Yan M. 
Published: June 2015

Abstract
This paper investigated and compared the thermal and flexural properties and water absorption of natural caulis spatholobi residue fibers reinforced PPC/CSRF composites. Polypropylene carbonate (PPC) was reinforced by caulis spatholobi residue fibers (CSRF) which had been pretreated by continuous steam explosion. The effect of fiber content (10 to 60 wt%) on the properties and water absorption of PPC/CSRF biodegradable composites was investigated. The thermal properties of PPC/CSRF composites indicated that the addition of CSRF could improve the thermal stability of the composites. The flexural strength and modulus of the composites were found to be improved as the content of fiber increased. From the SEM micrographs, it was found that a small amount of fibers were pulled out on fractured surfaces of the composites, showing good network structure between the fiber and PPC matrix. The water absorption amount of the composites increased with increasing the fiber content. This paper demonstrates that the incorporation of low-cost and biodegradable caulis spatholobi residue fiber into PPC provides a practical way to produce completely biodegradable and cost-competitive composites with good mechanical properties.
Prediction and Validation of Short Fiber Orientation in a Complex Injection Molded Part with Chunky Geometry
Authors: Kleindel S. , Salaberger D. , Eder R. , Schretter H. , Hochenauer C. 
Published: June 2015

Abstract
The paper shows the capability of state-of-the-art models and software to predict the fiber orientation distribution (FOD) on injection molded parts with a complex and thick-walled geometry. Predictions by the standard Folgar-Tucker model and the Reduced Strain Closure model were compared to measurements of the fiber orientation distribution obtained by X-ray Computed Tomography. Measurements and simulations were performed under different processing conditions to investigate the influence of injection velocity and packing pressure on the FOD. It was found that the predicted fiber orientation is in good qualitative agreement with the measurements. The measured orientation shows a distinct shell-core structure with high alignment of the fibers in flow direction in the shell layer and a orientation perpendicular to the flow direction in the core layer. While the orientation in the shell layer is predicted fairly well, a significant deviation is found in the prediction of the orientation in the core layer.
Ice processes and surface ablation in a shallow thermokarst lake in the central Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Huang Wenfeng , Li Runling , Han Hongwei , Niu Fujun , Wu Qingbai , Wang Wenke 
Published: June 2015

AbstractThe Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) is characterized by a cold climate and a large number of lakes. The long ice season necessitates study of the widespread ice covers in the region. An unprecedented multidisciplinary field campaign was conducted on lake ice processes in the central QTP during the period 2019–13. The study lake generally froze up in late October or early November, and broke up in mid or late April, with a maximum ice thickness of 50–70 cm. The mass balances at both ice surface and bottom were measured continuously. Significant ice surface sublimation/ablation was detected and accounted for up to 40% of the whole ice thickness over the ice season. A simple heat-transfer model was developed for the surface ice loss. The calculated values were in good agreement with the observations. They also indicated that atmospheric conditions, including low air humidity and prevailing strong winds, are the primary drivers of the ice surface sublimation.
Glacier shrinkage across High Mountain Asia
Authors: Cogley J. Graham 
Published: June 2015

AbstractAn assessment of glacier shrinkage (reduction of area) for all of High Mountain Asia requires a complete compilation of measured rates of change and also a methodology for objective comparison of rates. I present a compilation from 155 publications reporting glacier area changes, and also a methodology that overcomes the main obstacles hindering comparison. Glacier areas are not always assigned uncertainties, and this problem is addressed with an error model derived from published estimates. The problem of discordant survey dates is addressed by interpolating measured areas to fixed dates at pentadal intervals. Interpolation error depends only incoherently on the time span between measurements, but strongly on glacier size: smaller glaciers, in addition to changing more rapidly on average, exhibit more variable rates of change. The overlapping boundaries of study regions are reconciled by mapping all of the information to a 0.5° geographical grid. When coupled with glacier area information from the Randolph Glacier Inventory, the widely observed inverse dependence of shrinkage rates on glacier size shows promise as a tool for treating incomplete spatial coverage. Over High Mountain Asia as a whole from 1960 to 2010, the unweighted average shrinkage rate is –0.57% a–1, but corrections for variable glacier size raise the average to –0.34% a–1, and filling unmeasured gridcells with rates based on size dependence alters the latter estimate to –0.40% a–1. The uncertainties in these rates are large. The Karakoram anomaly is found to be a zonal feature extending well to the east of the Karakoram proper.
Analysis of Clinical Cohort Data Using Nested Case-control and Case-cohort Sampling Designs
Authors: Wolkewitz M. , Beyersmann J. , Palomar-Martinez M. , Olaechea-Astigarraga P. , Alvarez-Lerma F. , Schumacher M. , Ohneberg K. 
Published: June 2015

SummaryBackground: Sampling from a large cohort in order to derive a subsample that would be sufficient for statistical analysis is a frequently used method for handling large data sets in epidemiological studies with limited resources for exposure measurement. For clinical studies however, when interest is in the influence of a potential risk factor, cohort studies are often the first choice with all individuals entering the analysis.Objectives: Our aim is to close the gap between epidemiological and clinical studies with respect to design and power considerations. Schoenfeld’s formula for the number of events required for a Cox’ proportional hazards model is fundamental. Our objective is to compare the power of analyzing the full cohort and the power of a nested case- control and a case-cohort design.Methods: We compare formulas for power for sampling designs and cohort studies. In our data example we simultaneously apply a nested case-control design with a varying number of controls matched to each case, a case cohort design with varying subcohort size, a random subsample and a full cohort analysis. For each design we calculate the standard error for estimated regression coefficients and the mean number of distinct persons, for whom covariate information is required.Results: The formula for the power of a nested case-control design and the power of a case-cohort design is directly connected to the power of a cohort study using the well known Schoenfeld formula. The loss in precision of parameter estimates is relatively small compared to the saving in resources.Conclusions: Nested case-control and case-cohort studies, but not random subsamples yield an attractive alternative for analyzing clinical studies in the situation of a low event rate. Power calculations can be conducted straightforwardly to quantify the loss of power compared to the savings in the number of patients using a sampling design instead of analyzing the full cohort.
Canadian contributions to forest insect pathology and to the use of pathogens in forest pest management
Authors: van Frankenhuyzen Kees , Lucarotti Christopher , Lavallée Robert 
Published: June 2015

AbstractThe study of insect pathogens became established as a distinct discipline in the late 1940s. In the ~65 years that followed, forest pest management was the main theatre for the development and practice of insect pathology in Canada. Researchers from the federal government and academic institutions contributed to the growing discipline by acquiring foundational knowledge on taxonomy, mode of action, natural occurrence, and ecological role of key pathogens infecting forest pest insects, covering an array of fungi, Microsporidia, viruses, and bacteria. The ultimate goal was to develop pathogen-based alternatives to synthetic insecticides used in large-scale forest protection programmes throughout eastern Canada. That goal was achieved through the development of baculovirus-based products for control of gypsy moths (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), tussock moths (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), and various sawfly (Hymenoptera) species, which are now in the hands of private industry and poised for growing operational use. The second success was the development of products based onBacillus thuringiensisBerliner (Bacillaceae), which have almost entirely replaced synthetic insecticides in forest protection. We review those successes and other key Canadian contributions to forest insect pathology within the context of emerging digital, molecular, and other technologies, and show how they have altered today’s face of forest pest management in Canada.
Bioclimatic approach to assessing the potential impact of climate change on wheat midge (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) in North America
Authors: Olfert O. , Weiss R.M. , Elliott R.H. 
Published: June 2015

AbstractWheat midge,Sitodiplosis mosellana(Géhin) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), Palaearctic in origin, is thought to have been introduced into North America in the early 1800s. It is a major pest of spring wheat (Triticum aestivumLinnaeus (Poaceae)), durum wheat (T. durumDesfontaines), triticale (X-Triticosecale), and, to a lesser extent, spring rye (Secale cerealeLinnaeus (Poaceae)) throughout the northern Great Plains. Climate is the principal factor regulating the distribution and abundance of most insects. A bioclimate simulation model was developed to explain the current distribution and abundance ofS. mosellana. The current distribution for North America, Europe, and Asia was consistent with model projections. General circulation model scenarios (CSIRO-MK 3.0 and MIROC-H) for the 2030 and 2070 time periods were applied to the bioclimate simulation model ofS. mosellanato assess the potential impact of changing climates on their distribution and relative abundance. Potential changes to relative abundance and distribution were most sensitive to time period, as opposed to climate change scenario. Differences between the MIROC-H and CSIRO-MK 3.0 models were restricted to particular regions in North America. The study found that the range and abundance ofS. mosellana, and associated crop risk, was predicted to expand in a northerly direction and contract across the present southern limits.
Bacterial Membrane Vesicles Mediate the Release of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Lipoglycans and Lipoproteins from Infected Macrophages
Authors: Athman Jaffre J. , Wang Ying , McDonald David J. , Boom W. Henry , Harding Clifford V. , Wearsch Pamela A. 
Published: June 2015

Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an intracellular pathogen that infects lung macrophages and releases microbial factors that regulate host defense. M. tuberculosis lipoproteins and lipoglycans block phagosome maturation, inhibit class II MHC Ag presentation, and modulate TLR2-dependent cytokine production, but the mechanisms for their release during infection are poorly defined. Furthermore, these molecules are thought to be incorporated into host membranes and released from infected macrophages within exosomes, 40–150-nm extracellular vesicles that derive from multivesicular endosomes. However, our studies revealed that extracellular vesicles released from infected macrophages include two distinct, largely nonoverlapping populations: one containing host cell markers of exosomes (CD9, CD63) and the other containing M. tuberculosis molecules (lipoglycans, lipoproteins). These vesicle populations are similar in size but have distinct densities, as determined by separation on sucrose gradients. Release of lipoglycans and lipoproteins from infected macrophages was dependent on bacterial viability, implicating active bacterial mechanisms in their secretion. Consistent with recent reports of extracellular vesicle production by bacteria (including M. tuberculosis), we propose that bacterial membrane vesicles are secreted by M. tuberculosis within infected macrophages and subsequently are released into the extracellular environment. Furthermore, extracellular vesicles released from M. tuberculosis–infected cells activate TLR2 and induce cytokine responses by uninfected macrophages. We demonstrate that these activities derive from the bacterial membrane vesicles rather than exosomes. Our findings suggest that bacterial membrane vesicles are the primary means by which M. tuberculosis exports lipoglycans and lipoproteins to impair effector functions of infected macrophages and circulate bacterial components beyond the site of infection to regulate immune responses by uninfected cells.
Cutting Edge: Inflammasome Activation in Primary Human Macrophages Is Dependent on Flagellin
Authors: Kortmann Jens , Brubaker Sky W. , Monack Denise M. 
Published: June 2015

Abstract
Murine NLR family, apoptosis inhibitory protein (Naip)1, Naip2, and Naip5/6 are host sensors that detect the cytosolic presence of needle and rod proteins from bacterial type III secretion systems and flagellin, respectively. Previous studies using human-derived macrophage-like cell lines indicate that human macrophages sense the cytosolic needle protein, but not bacterial flagellin. In this study, we show that primary human macrophages readily sense cytosolic flagellin. Infection of primary human macrophages with Salmonella elicits robust cell death and IL-1β secretion that is dependent on flagellin. We show that flagellin detection requires a full-length isoform of human Naip. This full-length Naip isoform is robustly expressed in primary macrophages from healthy human donors, but it is drastically reduced in monocytic tumor cells, THP-1, and U937, rendering them insensitive to cytosolic flagellin. However, ectopic expression of full-length Naip rescues the ability of U937 cells to sense flagellin. In conclusion, human Naip functions to activate the inflammasome in response to flagellin, similar to murine Naip5/6.
Reversing Tolerance in Isotype Switch–Competent Anti-Insulin B Lymphocytes
Authors: Williams Jonathan M. , Bonami Rachel H. , Hulbert Chrys , Thomas James W. 
Published: June 2015

Abstract
Autoreactive B lymphocytes that escape central tolerance and mature in the periphery are a liability for developing autoimmunity. IgG insulin autoantibodies that predict type 1 diabetes and complicate insulin therapies indicate that mechanisms for tolerance to insulin are flawed. To examine peripheral tolerance in anti-insulin B cells, we generated C57BL/6 mice that harbor anti-insulin VDJH-125 site directed to the native IgH locus (VH125SD). Class switch–competent anti-insulin B cells fail to produce IgG Abs following T cell–dependent immunization of VH125SD mice with heterologous insulin, and they exhibit markedly impaired proliferation to anti-CD40 plus insulin in vitro. In contrast, costimulation with LPS plus insulin drives robust anti-insulin B cell proliferation. Furthermore, VH125SD mice produce both IgM and IgG2a anti-insulin Abs following immunization with insulin conjugated to type 1 T cell–independent Brucella abortus ring test Ag (BRT). Anti-insulin B cells undergo clonal expansion in vivo and emerge as IgM+ and IgM− GL7+Fas+ germinal center (GC) B cells following immunization with insulin-BRT, but not BRT alone. Analysis of Igκ genes in VH125SD mice immunized with insulin-BRT reveals that anti-insulin Vκ from the preimmune repertoire is selected into GCs. These data demonstrate that class switch–competent anti-insulin B cells remain functionally silent in T cell–dependent immune responses, yet these B cells are vulnerable to reversal of anergy following combined BCR/TLR engagement that promotes Ag-specific GC responses and Ab production. Environmental factors that lead to infection and inflammation could play a critical yet underappreciated role in driving loss of tolerance and promoting autoimmune disease.
TGF-β–Dependent Dendritic Cell Chemokinesis in Murine Models of Airway Disease
Authors: Hashimoto Mitsuo , Yanagisawa Haruhiko , Minagawa Shunsuke , Sen Debasish , Ma Royce , Murray Lynne A. , Tsui Ping , Lou Jianlong , Marks James D. , Baron Jody L. , Krummel Matthew F. , Nishimura Stephen L. 
Published: June 2015

Abstract
Small airway chronic inflammation is a major pathologic feature of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and is refractory to current treatments. Dendritic cells (DCs) accumulate around small airways in COPD. DCs are critical mediators of Ag surveillance and Ag presentation and amplify adaptive immune responses. How DCs accumulate around airways remains largely unknown. We use 2-photon DC imaging of living murine lung sections to directly visualize the dynamic movement of living DCs around airways in response to either soluble mediators (IL-1β) or environmental stimuli (cigarette smoke or TLR3 ligands) implicated in COPD pathogenesis. We find that DCs accumulate around murine airways primarily by increasing velocity (chemokinesis) rather than directional migration (chemotaxis) in response to all three stimuli. DC accumulation maximally occurs in a specific zone located 26–50 μm from small airways, which overlaps with zones of maximal DC velocity. Our data suggest that increased accumulation of DCs around airways results from increased numbers of highly chemokinetic DCs entering the lung from the circulation with balanced rates of immigration and emigration. Increases in DC accumulation and chemokinesis are partially dependent on ccr6, a crucial DC chemokine receptor, and fibroblast expression of the integrin αvβ8, a critical activator of TGF-β. αvβ8-Mediated TGF-β activation is known to enhance IL-1β–dependent fibroblast expression of the only known endogenous ccr6 chemokine ligand, ccl20. Taken together, these data suggest a mechanism by which αvβ8, ccl20, and ccr6 interact to lead to DC accumulation around airways in response to COPD-relevant stimuli.
Cutting Edge: Regulation of Exosome Secretion by the Integral MAL Protein in T Cells
Authors: Ventimiglia Leandro N. , Fernández-Martín Laura , Martínez-Alonso Emma , Antón Olga M. , Guerra Milagros , Martínez-Menárguez José Angel , Andrés Germán , Alonso Miguel A. 
Published: June 2015

Abstract
Exosomes secreted by T cells play an important role in coordinating the immune response. HIV-1 Nef hijacks the route of exosome secretion of T cells to modulate the functioning of uninfected cells. Despite the importance of the process, the protein machinery involved in exosome biogenesis is yet to be identified. In this study, we show that MAL, a tetraspanning membrane protein expressed in human T cells, is present in endosomes that travel toward the plasma membrane for exosome secretion. In the absence of MAL, the release of exosome particles and markers was greatly impaired. This effect was accompanied by protein sorting defects at multivesicular endosomes that divert the exosomal marker CD63 to autophagic vacuoles. Exosome release induced by HIV-1 Nef was also dependent on MAL expression. Therefore, MAL is a critical element of the machinery for exosome secretion and may constitute a target for modulating exosome secretion by human T cells.
An intermediate state between the kagome-ice and the fully polarized state in Dy$_2$Ti$_2$O$_7$
Authors: Grigera S. A. , Borzi R. , Slobinsky D. G. , Gibbs A. S. , Higashinaka R. , Maeno Y. , Grigera T. S. 
Published: June 2015

Dy$_2$Ti$_2$O$_7$ is at present the cleanest example of a spin-ice material. Previous theoretical and experimental work on the first-order transition between the kagome-ice and the fully polarized state has been taken as a validation for the dipolar spin-ice model. Here we investigate in further depth this phase transition using ac-susceptibility and dc-magnetization, and compare this results with Monte-Carlo simulations and previous magnetization and specific heat measurements. We find signatures of an intermediate state between the kagome-ice and full polarization. This signatures are absent in current theoretical models used to describe spin-ice materials.Received: 17 May 2015, Accepted: 12 June 2015; Edited by: A. Vindigni; Reviewed by: M. Perfetti, Dipartimento di Chimica, Universitá di Firenze, Italy; DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4279/PIP.070009Cite as: S A Grigera, R A Borzi, D G Slobinsky, A S Gibbs, R Higashinaka, Y Maeno, T S Grigera, Papers in Physics 7, 070009 (2015)This paper, by S A Grigera, R A Borzi, D G Slobinsky, A S Gibbs, R Higashinaka, Y Maeno, T S Grigera, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0.
Modified Injector for Optimal Insertion of Standard Ctrs in Lax Zonules
Authors: Tataru Calin Petru , Dogaroiu Anca Cristina , Mihai Constantin 
Published: June 2015

Purpose Capsular tension rings (CTRs) are commonly used for stabilizing the capsule in lax zonules. Blind and uncontrolled maneuvering of the ring free end may cause intraoperative incidents during CTR insertion. We improved the design of a standard CTR typical injector that eliminates the risks associated with the lack of control during its insertion. Methods We present a modification of a typical injector used for insertion of standard CTR as well as the insertion technique. The modification consists of a metal anchoring element attached to the free end of the tube, on which the second eyelet of a standard CTR is fixed. The device was used in the surgical treatment of 50 adult patients with cataract associated with lax zonule. Results The improved injector led to a reduced injection duration and complexity, and there were no intraoperative incidents or postoperative complications. Conclusions The fixation of the second eyelet allows a controlled insertion of the standard CTRs, which facilitates the intraocular implantation technique, reduces surgical complications associated with the blind maneuvering of the free end of the ring inserted by traditional methods, and has a less disruptive action on the integrity of the remaining undamaged zonular fibers in the lax zonules. The accessory attached to the typical injector tube reduces the risk of surgical incidents caused by the uncontrolled progression of the ring's free end inside the capsular bag.