Core-shell nanoparticles as prodrugs: Possible cytotoxicological and biomedical impacts of batch-to-batch inconsistencies - França, R.; Zhang, X.-F.; Veres, T.; Yahia, L.; Sacher, E. (Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2013)
Numerous samples of magnetite@silica and magnetite@silica@silane core-shell nanoparticles, previously used as prodrugs, were prepared by an experienced chemist, using the same identical equipment and the same lots of reagents. Their surface analyses showed batch-to-batch chemical variations: no two batches were found to have the same surface chemistries, showing unexpected Si-O bond scission and amine oxidation. Because the preparations used reactions recognized to be mild, and bond scission and oxidation were never previously reported for similar reactions on larger surfaces, the Fe3O4 nanoparticles that form the nanoparticle core appear to have acted as catalysts for these side reactions. The intended use of these nanoparticles, as drug carriers, is discussed in terms of cytotoxicological and biomedical consequences. © 2012 Elsevier Inc.
Keywords: Amine oxidation; Batch-to-batch chemical inconsistency; Bond scissions; Chemical variations; Core-shell nanoparticles; Drug carrier; Prodrugs; Side reactions; Targeted drug delivery; Cytotoxicity; Drug delivery; Magnetite; Nanoparticles; Silica; Surface chemistry; Surface reactions; Magnetite nanoparticles; drug carrier; magnetite nanoparticle; reagent; silane; silicon dioxide; article; catalyst; chemical analysis; chemical reaction; chemical structure; cytotoxicity; medical research; oxidation; priority journal; surface property; Drug Carriers; Ferumoxytol; Humans; Nanoparticles; Oxidation-Reduction; Prodrugs; Silanes; Silicon Dioxide; Surface Properties

The scuba-2 cosmology legacy survey: Demographics of the 450-μm population - Roseboom, I.G.; Dunlop, J.S.; Cirasuolo, M.; Geach, J.E.; Smail, I.; Halpern, M.; Van der Werf, P.; Almaini, O.; Arumugam, V.; Asboth, V.; Auld, R.; Blain, A.; et al. (Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2013)
We investigate the multiwavelength properties of a sample of 450-μm-selected sources from the SCUBA-2 Cosmology Legacy Survey. A total of 69 sources were identified above 4σ in deep SCUBA-2 450-μm observations overlapping the UDS and COSMOS fields and covering 210 arcmin2 to a typical depth of σ450 = 1.5mJy. Reliable cross-identifications are found for 58 sources (84 per cent) in Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescope WFC3/IR data. The photometric redshift distribution (dN/dz) of 450-μm-selected sources is presented, showing a broad peak in the redshift range 1 < z < 3 and a median of z = 1.4. Combining the SCUBA-2 photometry with Herschel SPIRE data from HerMES, the submm spectral energy distribution (SED) is examined via the use of modified blackbody fits, yielding aggregate values for the IR luminosity, dust temperature and emissivity of (LIR) = 1012 ± 0.8 L, (TD) = 42 ± 11K and (βD) = 1.6 ± 0.5, respectively. The relationship between these SED parameters and the physical properties of galaxies is investigated, revealing correlations between TD and LIR and between βD and both stellar mass and effective radius. The connection between the star formation rate (SFR) and stellar mass is explored, with 24 per cent of 450-μm sources found to be 'starbursts', i.e. displaying anomalously high specific SFRs. However, both the number density and observed properties of these 'starburst' galaxies are found to be consistent with the population of normal star-forming galaxies. © 2013 The Authors Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society.

An exponential decline at the bright end of the z = 6 galaxy luminosity function - Willott, C.J.; McLure, R.J.; Hibon, P.; Bielby, R.; McCracken, H.J.; Kneib, J.-P.; Ilbert, O.; Bonfield, D.G.; Bruce, V.A.; Jarvis, M.J. (Astronomical Journal, 2013)
We present the results of a search for the most luminous star-forming galaxies at redshifts z ≈ 6 based on Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Legacy Survey data. We identify a sample of 40 Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) brighter than magnitude z′ = 25.3 across an area of almost 4 deg 2. Sensitive spectroscopic observations of seven galaxies provide redshifts for four, of which only two have moderate to strong Lyα emission lines. All four have clear continuum breaks in their spectra. Approximately half of the LBGs are spatially resolved in 0.7 arcsec seeing images, indicating larger sizes than lower luminosity galaxies discovered with the Hubble Space Telescope, possibly due to ongoing mergers. The stacked optical and infrared photometry is consistent with a galaxy model with stellar mass 10 10 M⊙. There is strong evidence for substantial dust reddening with a best-fit A V = 0.75 and A V > 0.48 at 2σ confidence, in contrast to the typical dust-free galaxies of lower luminosity at this epoch. The spatial extent and spectral energy distribution suggest that the most luminous z ≈ 6 galaxies are undergoing merger-induced starbursts. The luminosity function of z = 5.9 star-forming galaxies is derived. This agrees well with previous work and shows strong evidence for an exponential decline at the bright end, indicating that the feedback processes that govern the shape of the bright end are occurring effectively at this epoch. © 2013. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

A Stochastic XFEM Model to Study Delamination in PPS/Glass UD Composites: Effect of Uncertain Fracture Properties - Motamedi, D.; Milani, A.S.; Komeili, M.; Bureau, M.N.; Thibault, F.; Trudel-Boucher, D. (Applied Composite Materials, 2013)
A nonlinear extended finite element (XFEM) modeling framework under a stochastic cohesive zone is presented for realistic prediction of delamination in polyphenylene sulfide (PPS)/glass composites in mode I of fracture. The cohesive zone model adopts damage evolution of the material based on a bilinear traction-separation law, the critical energy release rate and the J-integral method to formulate the delamination interface under stochastic fracture properties. To demonstrate the application of the approach, numerical predictions are compared to experimental data using Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) tests. In particular, it is shown how the XFEM model can be used to capture test non-repeatability due to uncertain fracture properties, which is often the case during the characterization of composites using standard fracture tests. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

Investigating the candidacy of LPS-based glycoconjugates to prevent invasive meningococcal disease: conjugates based on core oligosaccharides - St. Michael, F.; Cairns, C.M.; Filion, A.L.; Biolchi, A.; Brunelli, B.; Giuliani, M.; Richards, J.C.; Cox, A.D. (Glycoconjugate Journal, 2013)
In this study we have prepared glycoconjugates with core oligosaccharides (OS) from the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Neisseria meningitidis, thus avoiding the neo-epitopes of the deacylated lipid A region of the derived LPS molecule identified in our previous studies. A comprehensive investigation was performed with glycoconjugates prepared from the most extended to the most truncated core OS still maintaining the conserved inner core epitope. As previously, we have established reproducible bactericidal killing of the homologous antigen elaborating strain, but a failure to kill wild-type strains. In these studies it was evident that the linker molecules used in the conjugation methodologies were dominating the immune response. However, when galE core OS based conjugates were prepared without utilizing linkers, via direct reductive amination, we failed to generate an immune response to even the homologous antigen. We also identified that immunisation with the galE antigen via linker methodologies provoked an immune response that was dependent upon key residues of the conserved inner core OS structure, whereas the immune responses to lgtB and lgtA antigens did not involve the inner core OS. This comprehensive study has, despite our best efforts, cast significant doubt as to the utility of the conserved inner core region of the meningococcal LPS as a potential vaccine antigen. © 2013 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada.

Normal adaptation of Candida albicans to the murine gastrointestinal tract requires Efg1p-dependent regulation of metabolic and host defense genes - Pierces, J.V.; Dignard, D.; Whiteway, M.; Kumamoto, C.A. (Eukaryotic Cell, 2013)
Although gastrointestinal colonization by the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans is generally benign, severe systemic infections are thought to arise due to escape of commensal C. albicans from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The C. albicans transcription factor Efg1p is a major regulator of GI colonization, hyphal morphogenesis, and virulence. The goals of this study were to identify the Efg1p regulon during GI tract colonization and to compare C. albicans gene expression during colonization of different organs of the GI tract. Our results identified significant differences in gene expression between cells colonizing the cecum and ileum. During colonization, efg1- null mutant cells expressed higher levels of genes involved in lipid catabolism, carnitine biosynthesis, and carnitine utilization than did colonizing wild-type (WT) cells. In addition, during laboratory growth, efg1- null mutant cells grew to a higher density than WT cells. The efg1- null mutant grew in depleted medium, while WT cells could grow only if the depleted medium was supplemented with carnitine, a compound that promotes the metabolism of fatty acids. Altered gene expression and altered growth capability support the ability of efg1- cells to hypercolonize naïve mice. Also, Efg1p was shown to be important for transcriptional responses to the stresses present in the cecum environment. For example, during colonization, SOD5, encoding a superoxide dismutase, was highly upregulated in an Efg1p-dependent manner. Ectopic expression of SOD5 in an efg1- null mutant increased the fitness of the efg1- null mutant cells during colonization. These data show that EFG1 is an important regulator of GI colonization. © American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Keywords: DNA binding protein; EFG1 protein, Candida albicans; fungal protein; superoxide dismutase; transcription factor; transcriptome; animal; article; Bagg albino mouse; Candida albicans; cecum; DNA microarray; fungal gene; fungus hyphae; gastrointestinal tract; gene expression; gene expression regulation; genetics; growth, development and aging; host pathogen interaction; ileum; lipid metabolism; metabolism; microbiology; mouse; physiology; upregulation; Animals; Candida albicans; Cecum; DNA-Binding Proteins; Fungal Proteins; Gastrointestinal Tract; Gene Expression; Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; Genes, Fungal; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Hyphae; Ileum; Lipid Metabolism; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; Superoxide Dismutase; Transcription Factors; Transcriptome; Up-Regulation; Candida albicans; Murinae; Mus

IL-10 produced by trophoblast cells inhibits phagosome maturation leading to profound intracellular proliferation of Salmonella enterica Typhimurium - Nguyen, T.; Robinson, N.; Allison, S.E.; Coombes, B.K.; Sad, S.; Krishnan, L. (Placenta, 2013)
Introduction Salmonella enterica Typhimurium (ST) is a phagosomal pathogen that can infect placental trophoblast cells leading to abortion and severe maternal illness. It is unclear how the trophoblast cells promote profound bacterial proliferation. Methods The mechanism of internalization, intracellular growth and phagosomal biogenesis in ST-infected human epithelial (HeLa), macrophage (THP-1) and trophoblast-derived cell lines (JEG-3, BeWo and HTR-8) was studied. Specific inhibitors were used to block bacterial internalization. Phagosomal maturation was determined by confocal microscopy, Western-blotting and release of lysosomal β-galactosidase by infected cells. Bacterial colony forming units were determined by plating infected cell lysates on agar plates. Results ST proliferated minimally in macrophages but replicated profoundly within trophoblast cells. The ST-ΔinvA (a mutant of Salmonella pathogenicity island-1 gene effector proteins) was unable to infect epithelial cells, but was internalized by scavenger receptors on trophoblasts and macrophages. However, ST was contrastingly localized in early (Rab5+) or late (LAMP1+) phagosomes within trophoblast cells and macrophages respectively. Furthermore trophoblast cells (unlike macrophages) did not exhibit phagoso-lysosomal fusion. ST-infected macrophages produced IL-6 whereas trophoblast cells produced IL-10. Neutralizing IL-10 in JEG-3 cells accelerated phagolysomal fusion and reduced proliferation of ST. Placental bacterial burden was curtailed in vivo in anti-IL-10 antibody treated and IL-10-deficient mice. Discussion Macrophages phagocytose but curtail intracellular replication of ST in late phagosomes. In contrast, phagocytosis by trophoblast cells results in an inappropriate cytokine response and proliferation of ST in early phagosomes. Conclusion IL-10 production by trophoblast cells that delays phagosomal maturation may facilitate proliferation of pathogens in placental cells. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: agar; bacterial protein; beta galactosidase; cytokine; interleukin 10; interleukin 10 antibody; interleukin 6; lysosome associated membrane protein 1; pathogenicity island 1 gene effector protein; Rab protein; Rab5 protein; unclassified drug; animal experiment; article; bacterial load; bacterial strain; bacterium colony; biogenesis; cell division; cell line; cell lysate; cell maturation; cell proliferation; cellular distribution; colony forming unit; confocal microscopy; controlled study; cytokine production; cytokine response; enzyme release; female; growth inhibition; HeLa cell; human; human cell; in vitro study; in vivo study; internalization; lysosome; macrophage; mouse; mutant; nonhuman; pathogenicity island; phagocytosis; phagosome; priority journal; protein localization; Salmonella typhimurium; trophoblast; Western blotting

Alkaline polymer electrolyte membranes for fuel cell applications - Wang, Y.-J.; Qiao, J.; Baker, R.; Zhang, J. (Chemical Society Reviews, 2013)
In this review, we examine the most recent progress and research trends in the area of alkaline polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) development in terms of material selection, synthesis, characterization, and theoretical approach, as well as their fabrication into alkaline PEM-based membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) and the corresponding performance/durability in alkaline polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Respective advantages and challenges are also reviewed. To overcome challenges hindering alkaline PEM technology advancement and commercialization, several research directions are then proposed. © 2013 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Comparison of T2 and T2 *-weighted MR molecular imaging of a mouse model of glioma - Blasiak, Barbara; Barnes, Samuel; Foniok, Tadeusz; Rushforth, David; Matyas, John; Ponjevic, Dragana; Weglarz, Wladyslaw P.; Tyson, Randy; Iqbal, Umar; Abulrob, Abedelnasser; Sutherland, Garnette R.; Obenaus, Andre; et al. (BMC Medical Imaging, 2013)
Background: Standard MRI has been used for high-grade gliomas detection, albeit with limited success as it does not provide sufficient specificity and sensitivity to detect complex tumor structure. Therefore targeted contrast agents based on iron oxide, that shorten mostly T2 relaxation time, have been recently applied. However pulse sequences for molecular imaging in animal models of gliomas have not been yet fully studied. The aim of this study was therefore to compare contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and explain its origin using spin-echo (SE), gradient echo (GE), GE with flow compensation (GEFC) as well as susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) in T2 and T2* contrast-enhanced molecular MRI of glioma.Methods: A mouse model was used. U87MGdEGFRvIII cells (U87MG), derived from a human tumor, were injected intracerebrally. A 9.4 T MRI system was used and MR imaging was performed on the 10 day after the inoculation of the tumor. The CNR was measured prior, 20 min, 2 hrs and 24 hrs post intravenous tail administration of glioma targeted paramagnetic nanoparticles (NPs) using SE, SWI, GE and GEFC pulse sequences.Results: The results showed significant differences in CNR among all pulse sequences prior injection. GEFC provided higher CNR post contrast agent injection when compared to GE and SE. Post injection CNR was the highest with SWI and significantly different from any other pulse sequence.Conclusions: Molecular MR imaging using targeted contrast agents can enhance the detection of glioma cells at 9.4 T if the optimal pulse sequence is used. Hence, the use of flow compensated pulse sequences, beside SWI, should to be considered in the molecular imaging studies.

Anion conducting poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) membranes with high durable alkaline stability for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells - Qiao, J.; Zhang, J. (Journal of Power Sources, 2013)
Novel and highly durable alkaline anion-exchange membranes, PVA/PDDA-OH-, are synthesized using a combined thermal and chemical cross-linking method. In the synthesis, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is used as polymer matrix and poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) as anion charge carriers. The resulting membrane exhibits a high hydroxide conductivity of 0.025 S cm-1 at a polymer composition PVA/PDDA being 1:0.5 by mass. A promising H2/O2 fuel cell peak power density of 32.7 mW cm-2 is reached for MEA fabricated with this PVA/PDDA-OH- at 25 °C. The membrane also shows a strong alkaline stability in 8 M KOH at 80 °C for 360 h. This is considered a new record for the fully cation-free hydrocarbon membranes for the use in alkaline fuel cell, seeing that PVA/PDDA-OH- is made simply of aliphatic skeletons. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Alkaline anion-exchange membranes; Chemical cross-linking; Diallyldimethylammonium chlorides; Hydrocarbon membrane; Hydroxide conductivities; Membrane electrode assemblies; Poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA); Poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride); Chlorine compounds; Crosslinking; Ions; Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC); Membranes

Generation of a near infra-red guide star catalog for thirty-meter telescope observations - Subramanian, S.; Subramaniam, A.; Simard, L.; Gillies, K.; Ramaprakash, A.N.; Anupama, G.C.; Stalin, C.S.; Ravindranath, S.; Reddy, B.E. (Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy, 2013)
The requirements for the production of a near Infra-Red Guide Star Catalog (IRGSC) for Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) observations are identified and presented. A methodology to compute the expected J band magnitude of stellar sources from their optical (g, r, i) magnitudes is developed. The computed and observed J magnitudes of sources in three test fields are compared and the methodology developed is found to be satisfactory for the magnitude range, JVega = 16-22 mag. From this analysis, we found that for the production of final TMT IRGSC (with a limiting magnitude of JVega = 22 mag), we need g, r, i bands optical data which go up to i AB ~ 23 mag. Fine tuning of the methodology developed, such as using Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) template fitting for optimal classification of stars in the fainter end, incorporating spectral libraries in the model, to reduce the scatter, and modification of the existing colour-temperature relation to increase the source density are planned for the subsequent phase of this work. © 2013 Indian Academy of Sciences.

Dynamics of Ag+ ions in RbAg4I5 probed indirectly via 87Rb solid-state NMR - Spencer, T.L.; O'Dell, L.A.; Moudrakovski, I.; Goward, G.R. (The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2013)
Solid-state 87Rb NMR has been used to determine the ionic hopping rate of Ag+ ions in a powdered sample of α-RbAg 4I5 as a function of temperature from 20 to 250 C. In this phase, Rb is a stationary framework atom, which does not take part in ionic conduction in this material. At the same time 87Rb has a large quadrupole moment, making 87Rb NMR capable of detecting mobile species in close proximity. Simulation of the static 87Rb NMR powder pattern under the influence of Ag+ motion was performed using the EXPRESS software. Lineshape simulations were used to extract an ionic hopping rate for each temperature, and changes in the line shape were correlated to changes in ion mobility, which increases with temperature. Ag+ hopping rates were found to be in the range of 7.0 ± 0.5 kHz to 30 ± 2 kHz within the temperature window of 20 to 100 C, resulting in an activation energy of 17 ± 3 kJ/mol (0.18 ± 0.03 eV), for silver ion hopping. This result is in agreement with previous studies, suggesting that this indirect method of detecting ion mobility can be extended to other ion conducting materials. © 2013 American Chemical Society.
Keywords: Close proximity; Indirect methods; Ion conducting materials; Powder patterns; Powdered samples; Quadrupole moments; Solid state NMR; Temperature window; Activation energy; Computer software; Metal ions; Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; Ionic conduction

Single-molecule approaches to prion protein misfolding - Yu, H.; Dee, D.R.; Woodside, M.T. (Prion, 2013)
The structural conversion of the prion protein PrP into a transmissible, misfolded form is the central element of prion disease, yet there is little consensus as to how it occurs. Key aspects of conversion into the diseased state remain unsettled, from details about the earliest stages of misfolding such as the involvement of partially- or fully-unfolded intermediates to the structure of the infectious state. Part of the difficulty in understanding the structural conversion arises from the complexity of the underlying energy landscapes. Single-molecule methods provide a powerful tool for probing complex folding pathways as in prion misfolding, because they allow rare and transient events to be observed directly. We discuss recent work applying single-molecule probes to study misfolding in prion proteins, and what it has revealed about the folding dynamics of PrP that may underlie its unique behavior. We also discuss single-molecule studies probing the interactions that stabilize non-native structures within aggregates, pointing the way to future work that may help identify the microscopic events triggering pathogenic conversion. Although single-molecule approaches to misfolding are relatively young, they have a promising future in prion science. © 2013 Landes Bioscience. © 2013 Landes Bioscience.
Keywords: oligomer; prion protein; atomic force microscopy; energy; fluorescence correlation spectroscopy; fluorescence resonance energy transfer; human; molecular dynamics; molecular probe; molecule; nonhuman; optical tweezers; prion disease; protein aggregation; protein analysis; protein conformation; protein folding; protein misfolding; protein structure; review; single molecule probe

Direct optical determination of interfacial transport barriers in molecular tunnel junctions - Fereiro, J.A.; McCreery, R.L.; Bergren, A.J. (Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2013)
Molecular electronics seeks to build circuitry using organic components with at least one dimension in the nanoscale domain. Progress in the field has been inhibited by the difficulty in determining the energy levels of molecules after being perturbed by interactions with the conducting contacts. We measured the photocurrent spectra for large-area aliphatic and aromatic molecular tunnel junctions with partially transparent copper top contacts. Where no molecular absorption takes place, the photocurrent is dominated by internal photoemission, which exhibits energy thresholds corresponding to interfacial transport barriers, enabling their direct measurement in a functioning junction. © 2013 American Chemical Society.
Keywords: Direct measurement; Energy thresholds; Interfacial transport; Internal photoemission; Molecular absorption; Optical determination; Organic components; Photocurrent spectrum; Synthesis (chemical); Chemistry; absorption; article; chemical structure; electron; energy; molecular electronics; molecule; temperature dependence; X ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Numerical and experimental investigation of the resistance performance of an icebreaking cargo vessel in pack ice conditions - Kim, M.-C.; Lee, S.-K.; Lee, W.-J.; Wang, J. (International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, 2013)
The resistance performance of an icebreaking cargo vessel in pack ice conditions was investigated numerically and experimentally using a recently developed finite element (FE) model and model tests. A comparison between numerical analysis and experimental results with synthetic ice in a standard towing tank was carried out. The comparison extended to results with refrigerated ice to examine the feasibility of using synthetic ice. Two experiments using two different ice materials gave a reasonable agreement. Ship-ice interaction loads are numerically calculated based on the fluid structure interaction (FSI) method using the commercial FE package LS-DYNA. Test results from model testing with synthetic ice at the Pusan National University towing tank, and with refrigerated ice at the National Research Council's (NRC) ice tank, are used to validate and benchmark the numerical simulations. The designed icegoing cargo vessel is used as a target ship for three concentrations (90%, 80%, and 60%) of pack ice conditions. Ice was modeled as a rigid body but the ice density was the same as that in the experiments. The numerical challenge is to evaluate hydrodynamic loads on the ship's hull; this is difficult because LS-DYNA is an explicit FE solver and the FSI value is calculated using a penalty method. Comparisons between numerical and experimental results are shown, and our main conclusions are given. © SNAK, 2013.
Keywords: Experimental investigations; Finite element models; Hydrodynamic loads; Model testing; National Research Council; Numerical challenges; Pack ice; Penalty methods; Experiments; Finite element method; Fluid structure interaction; Numerical methods; Ship model tanks; Ships; Ice

Experimental and numerical study of the effects of the oxygen index on the radiation characteristics of laminar coflow diffusion flames - Fuentes, Andrès; Henríquez, Rodrigo; Nmira, Fatiha; Liu, Fengshan; Consalvi, Jean-Louis (Combustion and Flame, 2013)
The oxygen concentration in the oxidizer stream (O₂+N₂) of laminar coflow ethylene diffusion flames is varied from 17% to 35% in order to study its influence on the flame height, the soot formation/oxidation processes, the smoke point characteristics, and the vertical distributions of radiative flux at a distance of 6.85cm from the flame axis. Measured values for all the investigated parameters are compared with the predictions provided by a numerical model based on a two-equation semiempirical acetylene-based soot model and on the statistical narrow-band correlated-k model to compute thermal radiation. Predictions are in overall reasonable agreement with the experiments for oxygen indices in the range 19-35%, whereas all the investigated parameters are significantly underestimated for an oxygen index of 17%. Measured flame heights based on CH* emission below, at, or slightly above the smoke point, as well as predicted stoichiometric flame heights, are found to be proportional to ζ=Vf[D∞ln(1+1/S)]-1(T∞/Tad)0.67, where Vf, D∞, S, and Tad are the volumetric flow rate of ethylene, the diffusion coefficient at ambient temperature, the stoichiometric molecular air-to-fuel ratio, and the adiabatic flame temperature. Soot formation processes are found to increase with the oxygen index, leading to higher values of the maximum soot volume fraction and the peak integrated soot volume fraction. In addition, the latter is reached at a nondimensional height (normalized by ζ of approximately 0.05, regardless of the oxygen index within the investigated range. Two regimes are evidenced: The first regime, occurring for oxygen indices lower than 25%, is dominated by soot oxidation and is characterized by an enhancement in both the maximum soot volume fraction and the fuel flow rate at the smoke point with the oxygen index. The second regime, occurring for oxygen indices higher than 25%, is dominated by soot formation; the rate of increase in the maximum soot volume fraction with the oxygen concentration is lower than in the first regime, whereas the fuel flow rate at the smoke point decreases. Finally, the peak of radiative flux increases with the oxygen index, but its rate of increase is also found to be considerably reduced for oxygen indices greater than 25%.
Keywords: Co-flow; Coflow diffusion flames; Correlated-k models; Ethylene diffusion flames; Experimental and numerical studies; Flame height; Fuel flow rates; Laminar diffusion flames; Measured values; Narrow bands; Nondimensional; Oxidizer stream; Oxygen concentrations; Oxygen index; Radiation characteristics; Radiative fluxes; Rate of increase; Semi-empirical; Smoke point; Soot formations; Soot model; Soot oxidation; Soot volume fraction; Two-equation; Two-regime; Vertical distributions; Volumetric flow rate; Acetylene; Diffusion; Ethylene; Flow rate; Forecasting; Heat radiation; Oxygen; Radiation effects; Smoke; Soot; Volume fraction; Dust; ethylene; oxygen; article; chemical parameters; diffusion coefficient; fire; flow rate; laminar coflow diffusion flame; oxidation; oxygen index; prediction; priority journal; radiation; stoichiometry; temperature

Low cost hydrogen fuel cell - Dara, M.S.; Lam, A; Fatih, K.; Wilkinson, D.P. (ECS Transactions, 2013)
In this paper a hydrogen fuel cell is operated in the absence of a membrane at 60°C. The fuel cell was fed a nonhumidified hydrogen fuel and a 2 M Fe(ClO4)3, 0.22M Fe(ClO4)2, and 0.2 M HClO4 oxidant catholyte. A 3-D carbon cathode in conjunction with a 0.5 M HClO4 liquid electrolyte was used to eliminate the membrane. Nonoptimized maximum power density upwards of 220 mW/cm2 was achieved with a total Pt content of the fuel cell as low as 0.05 mg/cm2. Elimination of the PEM and reduction in total fuel cell Pt-catalyst content are expected to offer significant cost savings over conventional fuel cell technology. © The Electrochemical Society.
Keywords: Carbon cathode; Conventional fuel; Cost saving; Liquid electrolytes; Low costs; Maximum power density; Binders; Hydrogen fuels; Platinum; Fuel cells

Variable stiffness smart structure systems to mitigate seismic induced building damages - Duerr, K.; Tesfamariam, S.; Wickramasinghe, V.; Grewal, A. (Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics, 2013)
Upgrading noncode conforming buildings to mitigate seismic induced damages is important in moderate to high seismic hazard regions. The damage, can be mitigated by using conventional (e.g. FRP wrapping) and emerging (e.g. smart structures) retrofit techniques. A model for the structure to be retrofitted should include relevant performance indicators. This paper proposes a variable stiffness smart structure device known as the Smart Spring to be integrated on building structures to mitigate seismic induced damage. The variable stiffness capability is of importance to structures that exhibit vertical (e.g. soft storey) irregularities and to meet different performance levels under seismic excitation. To demonstrate the utility of the proposed retrofitting technique, a four-storey steel building is modelled in MATLAB and appropriate performance indicators are chosen. Various return period seismic hazards are generated from past earthquake event records to predict the structure's performance. The performance improvement because of the retrofitting of building structures using the variable stiffness device is presented. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Keywords: Building damage; Building structure; Earthquake events; Induced damage; Performance improvements; Performance indicators; Performance level; Retrofit techniques; Return periods; Seismic excitations; Seismic hazards; Seismic Performance; Seismic retrofits; Semiactive control; Smart spring; Smart structure system; Steel buildings; Variable stiffness; Variable stiffness devices; Benchmarking; Buildings; Intelligent structures; Retrofitting; Seismic design; Stiffness; Earthquakes; building; earthquake damage; earthquake prediction; seismic design; seismic hazard; seismic retrofit; stiffness

Microstructure and fatigue properties of a friction stir lap welded magnesium alloy - Naik, B.S.; Chen, D.L.; Cao, X.; Wanjara, P. (Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A: Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science, 2013)
Friction stir welding (FSW), being an enabling solid-state joining technology, can be suitably applied for the assembly of lightweight magnesium (Mg) alloys. In this investigation, friction stir lap welded (FSLWed) joints of AZ31B-H24 Mg alloy were characterized in terms of the welding defects, microstructure, hardness, and fatigue properties at various combinations of tool rotational rates and welding speeds. It was observed that the hardness decreased from the base metal (BM) to the stir zone (SZ) across the heat-affected zone (HAZ) and thermomechanically affected zone (TMAZ). The lowest value of hardness appeared in the SZ. With increasing tool rotational rate or decreasing welding speed, the average hardness in the SZ decreased owing to increasing grain size, and a Hall-Petch-type relationship was established. Fatigue fracture of the lap welds always occurred at the interface between the SZ and TMAZ on the advancing side where a larger hooking defect was present (in comparison with the retreating side). The welding parameters had a significant influence on the hook height and the subsequent fatigue life. A relatively "cold" weld, conducted at a rotational rate of 1000 rpm and welding speed of 20 mm/s, gave rise to almost complete elimination of the hooking defect, thus considerably (over two orders of magnitude) improving the fatigue life. Fatigue crack propagation was basically characterized by the formation of fatigue striations concomitantly with secondary cracks.

Oligomerization and hemolytic properties of the C-terminal domain of pyolysin, a cholesterol-dependent cytolysin - Pokrajac, L.; Harris, J.R.; Sarraf, N.; Palmer, M. (Biochemistry and Cell Biology, 2013)
Pyolysin (PLO) belongs to the homologous family of the cholesterol- dependent cytolysins (CDCs), which bind to cell membranes containing cholesterol to form oligomeric pores of large size. The CDC monomer structure consists of 4 domains. Among these, the C-terminal domain 4 has been implicated in membrane binding of the monomer, while the subsequent processes of oligomerization and membrane insertion have primarily been assigned to other domains of the molecule. Recombinantly expressed or proteolytic fragments that span domain 4 of the CDCs streptolysin O and perfringolysin O bind to membranes but fail to oligomerize, and they inhibit the activity of the respective wild-type toxins. We report here that the isolated domain 4 of pyolysin (PLO-D4) not only binds to membranes but also forms oligomers with itself, as well as hybrid oligomers with the full-length toxin. As expected, the pure PLO-D4 oligomers are devoid of pore-forming activity. Surprisingly, however, within hybrid oligomers, PLO-D4 not only fails to inhibit, but even amplifies the hemolytic activity of the full-length toxin, to an extent similar to that of doubling the amount of the full-length toxin alone. We propose that this amplification may be related to the kinetics of the oligomerization reaction. Overall, our findings indicate a greater role of domain 4 in the oligomerization of CDCs than previously demonstrated. © 2013 Published by NRC Research Press.
Keywords: C-terminal domains; Hemolysis; Hemolytic activity; Membrane binding; Membrane insertion; Monomer structures; Proteolytic fragments; Pyolysin; Cell membranes; Cholesterol; Cytology; Monomers; Oligomerization; Reaction kinetics; Toxic materials; Oligomers; cholesterol; cytolysin; oligomer; protein pyolysin; unclassified drug; article; carboxy terminal sequence; hemolysis; oligomerization; protein binding; protein domain

Histograms of fuzzy oriented gradients for face recognition - Salhi, A.I.; Kardouchi, M.; Belacel, N. (International Conference on Computer Applications Technology, ICCAT 2013, 2013)
Efficient face descriptors require a careful equilibration between accuracy and feature dimension. In recent years Histogram of Oriented Gradient (HOG) starts to be used in the face recognition task. However the best recognition rate for HOG requires a high dimensional feature. In this paper, we will incorporate fuzzy concept to HOG aiming to achieve a good recognition rate with a low feature vector dimension. The proposed Histogram of Fuzzy Oriented Gradient is applied to the face recognition task. Experimental results on ORL database have demonstrated that HFOG outperforms the original HOG with a lower dimensional vector. © 2013 IEEE.
Keywords: Dimensional vectors; Feature dimensions; Feature vectors; HFOG; High dimensional feature; Histogram of oriented gradients (HOG); HOG; Oriented gradients; Computer applications; Fuzzy sets; Graphic methods; Statistical methods; Face recognition

Review of phosphocholine substituents on bacterial pathogen glycans: Synthesis, structures and interactions with host proteins - Young, N.M.; Foote, S.J.; Wakarchuk, W.W. (Molecular Immunology, 2013)
Among the non-carbohydrate components of glycans, the addition of phosphocholine (ChoP) to the glycans of pathogens occurs more rarely than acetylation or methylation, but it has far more potent biological consequences. These arise from ChoP's multiple interactions with host proteins, which are important at all stages of the infection process. These stages include initial adherence to cells, encountering the host's innate immune system and then the adaptive immune system. Thus, in the initial stages of an infection, ChoP groups are an asset to the pathogen, but they can turn into a disadvantage subsequently. In this review, we have focussed on structural aspects of these phenomena. We describe the biosynthesis of the ChoP modification, the structures of the pathogen glycans known to carry ChoP groups and the host proteins that recognize ChoP. © 2013 The Authors.
Keywords: C reactive protein; citicoline; glycan; major histocompatibility antigen class 2; phosphorylcholine; protein; teichoic acid; toll like receptor 4; adaptive immunity; Haemophilus influenzae; Histophilus somni; innate immunity; Morganella morganii; nonhuman; Pasteurella multocida; priority journal; protein protein interaction; protein structure; protein synthesis; review; Streptococcus pneumoniae

Hydrocarbon-degrading potential of microbial communities from Arctic plants - Ferrera-Rodríguez, O.; Greer, C.W.; Juck, D.; Consaul, L.L.; Martínez-Romero, E.; Whyte, L.G. (Journal of Applied Microbiology, 2013)
Aims: To explore rhizospheric microbial communities from Arctic native plant species evaluating their bacterial hydrocarbon-degrading capacities. Methods and Results: Eriophorum scheuchzeri, Potentilla cf. rubricaulis, Oxyria digyna, Salix arctica and Puccinellia angustata plant species were collected at Eureka (Canadian high Arctic) along with their rhizospheric soil samples. Their bacterial community fingerprints (16S rRNA gene, DGGE) were distinctive encompassing members from the phyla: Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria. Isolated diesel-degrading bacteria belonged to the phyla Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria. Strains of Mycobacterium, Nocardia, Rhodococcus, Intrasporangiaceae, Leifsoni and Arthrobacter possessed alkB and Pseudomonas possessed both ndoB and xylE gene sequences. Two Rhodococcus strains mineralized [1-14C] hexadecane at 5 and -5°C. From the rhizosphere of P. angustata, larger numbers of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria were isolated than from other plant rhizosphere samples and all three genes alkB (from Actinobacteria), ndoB and xylE (from Pseudomonas) were detected by PCR. Conclusions: (i) Arctic plants have unique rhizospheric bacterial communities. (ii) P. angustata has potential for phytoremediation research at high Arctic soils. (iii) Isolated bacteria mineralized hydrocarbons at ambient low temperatures. Significance and Impact of the Study: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first rhizospheric exploration examining the phytoremediation potential of five Arctic plants and evaluating their microbial hydrocarbon-degrading capacities. © 2012 The Society for Applied Microbiology.
Keywords: hydrocarbon; RNA 16S; arctic environment; bacterium; biodegradation; hydrocarbon; microbial community; phytoremediation; rhizosphere; soil microorganism; taxonomy; Actinobacteria; Arctic plant; article; bacterial count; bacterial gene; Bacteroidetes; Firmicutes; gene sequence; incubation temperature; microbial community; Mycobacterium; nonhuman; nucleotide sequence; phylogeny; plant; Proteobacteria; Pseudomonas; rhizosphere; Canada; Canadian Arctic; Ellesmere Island; Eureka; Nunavut; Queen Elizabeth Islands; Actinobacteria; Arthrobacter; Bacteria (microorganisms); Bacteroidetes; Eriophorum scheuchzeri; Firmicutes; Intrasporangiaceae; Mycobacterium; Nocardia; Oxyria digyna; Potentilla rubricaulis; Proteobacteria; Pseudomonas; Puccinellia angustata; Rhodococcus; Salix arctica

Diversity and toxicity of the diatom Pseudo-nitzschia Peragallo in the Gulf of Maine, Northwestern Atlantic Ocean - Fernandes, L.F.; Hubbard, K.A.; Richlen, M.L.; Smith, J.; Bates, S.S.; Ehrman, J.; Léger, C.; Mafra Jr., L.L.; Kulis, D.; Quilliam, M.; Libera, K.; McCauley, L.; et al. (Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 2013)
Multiple species in the toxic marine diatom genus Pseudo-nitzschia have been identified in the Northwestern Atlantic region encompassing the Gulf of Maine (GOM), including the Bay of Fundy (BOF). To gain further knowledge of the taxonomic composition and toxicity of species in this region, Pseudo-nitzschia isolates (n=146) were cultured from samples collected during research cruises that provided broad spatial coverage across the GOM and the southern New England shelf, herein referred to as the GOM region, during 2007-2008. Isolates, and cells in field material collected at 28 stations, were identified using electron microscopy (EM). Eight species (P. americana, P. fraudulenta, P. subpacifica, P. heimii, P. pungens, P. seriata, P. delicatissima and P. turgidula), and a novel form, P. sp. GOM, were identified. Species identity was confirmed by sequencing the large subunit of the ribosomal rDNA (28S) and the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) for six species (36 isolates). Phylogenetic analyses (including neighbor joining, maximum parsimony, and maximum likelihood estimates and ITS2 secondary structure analysis) and morphometric data supported the placement of P. sp. GOM in a novel clade that includes morphologically and genetically similar isolates from Australia and Spain and is genetically most similar to P. pseudodelicatissima and P. cuspidata. Seven species (46 isolates) were grown in nutrient-replete batch culture and aliquots consisting of cells and growth medium were screened by Biosense ASP ELISA to measure total domoic acid (DA) produced (intracellular+extracellular); P. americana and P. heimii were excluded from all toxin analyses as they did not persist in culture long enough for testing. All 46 isolates screened produced DA in culture and total DA varied among species (e.g., 0.04-320 ng ml-1 for P. pungens and P. sp. GOM isolates) and among isolates of the same species (e.g., 0.24-320 ng ml-1 for P. sp. GOM). The 15 most toxic isolates corresponded to P. seriata, P. sp. GOM and P. pungens, and fg DA cell-1 was determined for whole cultures (cells and medium) using ELISA and liquid chromatography (LC) with fluorescence detection (FLD); for seven isolates, toxin levels were also estimated using LC with mass spectrometry and ultraviolet absorbance detection. P. seriata was the most toxic species (up to 3500 fg cell-1) and was observed in the GOM region during all cruises (i.e., during the months of April, May, June and October). P. sp. GOM, observed only during September and October 2007, was less toxic (19-380 fg cell-1) than P. seriata but more toxic than P. pungens var. pungens (0.4 fg cell-1). Quantitation of DA indicated that concentrations measured by LC and ELISA were positively and significantly correlated; the lower detection limit of the ELISA permitted quantification of toxicity in isolates that were found to be non-toxic with LC methods. The confirmation of at least seven toxic species and the broad spatial and temporal distribution of toxic Pseudo-nitzschia spp. have significant implications for the regional management of nearshore and offshore shellfisheries. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Biochemical characterization of a polysialyltransferase from Mannheimia haemolytica A2 and comparison to other bacterial polysialyltransferases - Lindhout, T.; Bainbridge, C.R.; Costain, W.J.; Gilbert, M.; Wakarchuk, W.W. (PLoS ONE, 2013)
Polysialic acids are bioactive carbohydrates found in eukaryotes and some bacterial pathogens. The bacterial polysialyltransferases (PSTs), which catalyze the synthesis of polysialic acid capsules, have previously been identified in select strains of Escherichia coli and Neisseria meningitidis and are classified in the Carbohydrate-Active enZYmes Database as glycosyltransferase family GT-38. In this study using DNA sequence analysis and functional characterization we have identified a novel polysialyltransferase from the bovine/ovine pathogen Mannheimia haemolytica A2 (PSTMh). The enzyme was expressed in recombinant form as a soluble maltose-binding-protein fusion in parallel with the related PSTs from E. coli K1 and N. meningitidis group B in order to perform a side-by-side comparison. Biochemical properties including solubility, acceptor preference, reaction pH optima, thermostability, kinetics, and product chain length for the enzymes were compared using a synthetic fluorescent acceptor molecule. PSTMh exhibited biochemical properties that make it an attractive candidate for chemi-enzymatic synthesis applications of polysialic acid. The activity of PSTMh was examined on a model glycoprotein and the surface of a neuroprogenitor cell line where the results supported its development for use in applications to therapeutic protein modification and cell surface glycan remodelling to enable cell migration at implantation sites to promote wound healing. The three PSTs examined here demonstrated different properties that would each be useful to therapeutic applications. © 2013 Lindhout et al.
Keywords: bacterial enzyme; glycan; glycoprotein; hybrid protein; maltose binding protein; polysialic acid; polysialyltransferase; recombinant enzyme; unclassified drug; article; binding site; carbohydrate analysis; cell migration; cell surface; comparative study; DNA sequence; enzyme activity; enzyme analysis; enzyme kinetics; enzyme stability; enzyme synthesis; Escherichia coli; Mannheimia haemolytica; Neisseria meningitidis; neuroprogenitor cell; nonhuman; nucleotide sequence; pH; protein expression; protein localization; protein modification; solubility; stem cell; suicide substrate; thermostability; wound healing

High crystallinity binuclear iron phthalocyanine catalyst with enhanced performance for oxygen reduction reaction - Hu, X.; Xia, D.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, J. (Journal of Power Sources, 2013)
High crystallinity binuclear iron phthalocyanine coated onto multi-walled carbon nanotubes (bi-FePc/MWNT), was synthesized. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirms that the crystalline bi-FePc forms a uniform coating on the carbon nanotubes with a thickness of about 20 nm. The plane of the macrocyle is perpendicular to the surface of the nanotube and the stacking axis of the bi-FePc molecules, which is the direction of high electrical conductivity, is found to be parallel to the substrate. The bi-FePc/MWNT show activity of 1.43 mA cm-2 at 0.66 V versus NHE indicating good activity and the current is stable for 14 h as electrocatalyst in oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) indicating good stability; the oxygen reduction current does not change in the presence of methanol showing the binuclear iron phthalocyanine coated onto multi-walled carbon nanotubes specifically catalyzes oxygen reduction and not methanol oxidation. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Good stability; High crystallinity; High electrical conductivity; Iron phthalocyanines; Macrocyles; Methanol Oxidation; Oxygen Reduction; Oxygen reduction currents; Oxygen reduction reaction; Transmission electron microscopy tem; Uniform coating; Electric conductivity; Electrocatalysts; Methanol; Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCN); Transmission electron microscopy; Electrolytic reduction

Microbial electrolysis cell scale-up for combined wastewater treatment and hydrogen production - Gil-Carrera, L.; Escapa, A.; Mehta, P.; Santoyo, G.; Guiot, S.R.; Morán, A.; Tartakovsky, B. (Bioresource Technology, 2013)
This study demonstrates microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) scale-up from a 50. mL to a 10. L cell. Initially, a 50. mL membraneless MEC with a gas diffusion cathode was operated on synthetic wastewater at different organic loads. It was concluded that process scale-up might be best accomplished using a " reactor-in-series" concept. Consequently, 855. mL and 10. L MECs were built and operated. By optimizing the hydraulic retention time (HRT) of the 855. mL MEC and individually controlling the applied voltages of three anodic compartments with a real-time optimization algorithm, a COD removal of 5.7. g LR-1d-1 and a hydrogen production of 1.0-2.6. L LR-1d-1 was achieved. Furthermore, a two MECs in series 10. L setup was constructed and operated on municipal wastewater. This test showed a COD removal rate of 0.5. g LR-1d-1, a removal efficiency of 60-76%, and an energy consumption of 0.9. Wh. per. g of COD removed. © 2012.
Keywords: Anodic compartment; Applied voltages; COD removal; COD removal rate; Domestic wastewater; Gas diffusion cathode; Hydraulic retention time; MEC; Membraneless; Microbial electrolysis cells; Municipal wastewaters; Organic load; Process scale-up; Real-time optimization; Removal efficiencies; Scale-up; Synthetic waste water; Algorithms; Electric reactors; Electrolytic cells; Energy utilization; Wastewater treatment; Hydrogen production; hydrogen; algorithm; chemical oxygen demand; electrokinesis; energy use; hydrogen; microbial activity; optimization; pollutant removal; real time; wastewater; water treatment; algorithm; article; chemical oxygen demand; electric potential; electrical equipment; energy consumption; gas diffusion; microbial electrolysis cell; priority journal; reactor; scale up; waste component removal; waste water management; Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; Electrolysis; Hydrogen; Industrial Microbiology; Waste Water; Water Purification

Regular frequency patterns in the young δ Scuti star HD 261711 observed by the CoRoT and MOST satellites - Zwintz, K.; Fossati, L.; Guenther, D.B.; Ryabchikova, T.; Baglin, A.; Themessl, N.; Barnes, T.G.; Matthews, J.M.; Auvergne, M.; Bohlender, D.; Chaintreuil, S.; Kuschnig, R.; et al. (Astronomy and Astrophysics, 2013)
Context. The internal structure of pre-main-sequence (PMS) stars is poorly constrained at present. This could change significantly through high-quality asteroseismological observations of a sample of such stars. Aims. We concentrate on an asteroseismological study of HD 261711, a rather hot δ Scuti-type pulsating member of the young open cluster NGC 2264 located at the blue border of the instability region. HD 261711 was discovered to be a PMS δ Scuti star using the time series photometry obtained by the MOST satellite in 2006. Methods. High-precision, time-series photometry of HD 261711 was obtained by the MOST and CoRoT satellites in four separate new observing runs that are put into context with the star's fundamental atmospheric parameters obtained from spectroscopy. Frequency Analysis was performed using Period04. The spectral analysis was performed using equivalent widths and spectral synthesis. Results. With the new MOST data set from 2011/12 and the two CoRoT light curves from 2008 and 2011/12, the δ Scuti variability was confirmed and regular groups of frequencies were discovered. The two pulsation frequencies identified in the data from the first MOST observing run in 2006 are confirmed and 23 new δ Scuti-type frequencies were discovered using the CoRoT data. Weighted average frequencies for each group were determined and are related to l = 0 and l = 1 p-modes. Evidence for amplitude modulation of the frequencies in two groups is seen. The effective temperature (Teff) was derived to be 8600 ± 200 K, log g is 4.1 ± 0.2, and the projected rotational velocity (υsini) is 53 ± 1 km s-1. Using our Teff value and the radius of 1.8 ± 0.5 R⊙ derived from spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting, we get a luminosity log L/L ⊙ of 1.20 ± 0.14 which agrees well to the seismologically determined values of 1.65 R⊙ and, hence, a log L/L ⊙ of 1.13. The radial velocity of 14 ± 2 km s -1 we derived for HD 261711, confirms the star's membership to NGC 2264. Conclusions. Our asteroseismic models suggest that HD 261711 is a δ Scuti-type star close to the zero-age main sequence (ZAMS) with a mass of 1.8 to 1.9 M⊙. With an age of about 10 million years derived from asteroseismology, the star is either a young ZAMS star or a late PMS star just before the onset of hydrogen-core burning. The observed splittings about the l = 0 and 1 parent modes may be an artifact of the Fourier derived spectrum of frequencies with varying amplitudes. © 2013 ESO.
Keywords: Stars: individual; Stars: oscillation; Stars: variables: delta scuti; Techniques: photometric; Techniques: spectroscopic; Fourier series; Photometry; Satellites; Spectroscopy; Spectrum analysis; Stars

Real-time diagnosis of gas-assisted hot embossing process by ultrasound - Cheng, C.-C.; Wu, C.-L.; Wu, K.-T.; Yang, S.-Y. (Polymer Engineering and Science, 2013)
An integrated high temperature ultrasonic transducer (HTUT) sensor has been utilized for diagnosis of gas-assisted hot embossing process to fabricate V-cut patterns real-time, nonintrusively and nondestructively. The progression of the process, including plastic plate soften, gas introducing, cooling, and plate detachment inside the chamber, was clearly observed using ultrasound. Ultrasonic velocity could not only indicate the four steps of process, but also evaluate the replicating degree of the V-cut patterns on surface of plastic plate under various temperature and gas pressure settings. The experimental results indicate that the heights of V-cut patterns increase with temperature and gas pressure. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers.
Keywords: Gas pressures; Gas-assisted hot embossing; High temperature ultrasonic transducers; Plastic plates; Real-time diagnosis; V-cut pattern; Sheet molding compounds; Ultrasonic transducers; Ultrasonics; Gases

Structural health monitoring of bonded composite repairs-A critical comparison between ultrasonic Lamb wave approach and surface mounted crack sensor approach - Habib, F.; Martinez, M.; Artemev, A.; Brothers, M. (Composites Part B: Engineering, 2013)
The effectiveness of the Lamb waves Acoustic-Ultrasound Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) technique for the determination of the adhesive joint failure was evaluated and compared to that of another SHM technique: Surface Mountable Crack Sensor (SMCS). A commercially available Acoustic-Ultrasound system was used. The SMCS consists of a "hot spot" monitoring system based on a three-layer electrically insulating and conductive paint. An electrical signal is used as a boolean operator for the characterization of the passage of damage through the sensor and the underlying material. The coupons consisted of carbon fiber substrates with boron patches bonded to them. The advantages and disadvantages of both techniques are discussed. It has been demonstrated that the Lamb waves Acoustic-Ultrasound technique possesses the capability to identify and quantify damage in a bonded repair. The SMCS proved to be a successful SHM technique for the monitoring of the formation of a disbond at the edges of the patch. All results were validated using the C-Scan ultrasound method. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Bonded repairs; Boolean operators; Conductive paints; Crack sensors; Disbond; Electrical signal; Fiber substrates; Hot spot; Monitoring system; Non destructive testing; Three-layer; Ultrasonic lamb waves; Ultrasound methods; Adhesive joints; Boron; Carbon fibers; Cracks; Debonding; Mechanical testing; Nondestructive examination; Sensors; Structural health monitoring; Ultrasonic waves; Ultrasonics; Ultrasonic applications

Modeling grain size and strain rate in linear friction welded Waspaloy - Chamanfar, A.; Jahazi, M.; Gholipour, J.; Wanjara, P.; Yue, S. (Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A: Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science, 2013)
The high-temperature deformation behavior of the Ni-base superalloy, Waspaloy, using uniaxial isothermal compression testing was investigated at temperatures above the γ′ solvus, 1333 K, 1373 K, 1413 K (1060 C, 1100 C, 1140 C) for constant true strain rates of 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1 s -1 and up to a true strain of 0.83. Flow softening and microstructural investigation indicated that dynamic recrystallization took place during deformation. For the investigated conditions, the strain rate sensitivity factor and the activation energy of hot deformation were 0.199 and 462 kJ/mol, respectively. Constitutive equations relating the dynamic recrystallized grain size to the deformation temperature and strain rate were developed and used to predict the grain size and strain rate in linear friction-welded (LFWed) Waspaloy. The predictions were validated against experimental findings and data reported in the literature. It was found that the equations can reliably predict the grain size of LFWed Waspaloy. Furthermore, the estimated strain rate was in agreement with finite element modeling data reported in the literature. © 2013 The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society and ASM International.
Keywords: Deformation temperatures; High temperature deformation; Isothermal compressions; Linear friction; Microstructural investigation; Ni-base superalloys; Recrystallized grain sizes; Strain rate sensitivity; Activation energy; Compression testing; Crystal microstructure; Deformation; Dynamic recrystallization; Friction welding; Grain size and shape; Nickel; Strain rate

Resonant laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (RLIBS) analysis of traces through selective excitation of aluminum in aluminum alloys - Rifai, K.; Vidal, F.; Chaker, M.; Sabsabi, M. (Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, 2013)
We investigated laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for the detection of traces of magnesium and silicon contained in aluminum alloys by using the same 5 ns optical parametric oscillator laser pulse to ablate the sample and excite selectively an atomic transition of vaporized aluminum (Al I 309.27 nm). The excitation energy of aluminum is then transferred to all components of the gas/plasma phase via particle collisions. The optical emission of the trace elements as a function of the laser wavelength exhibits a high peak when the laser is tuned exactly to the aluminum transition. The on-resonance signal-to-noise ratio of magnesium (Mg 285.21 nm) was maximized near the off-resonance threshold fluence for detection of the magnesium line (∼1.78 J cm-2). The detection threshold of the magnesium line decreases below 1.0 J cm-2 when the laser is on resonance for a sample of aluminum alloy containing 150 ppm of magnesium. Under optimal conditions, the limits of detection of magnesium and silicon in aluminum alloy were found to be 0.75 ppm and 80 ppm, respectively, compared to 39 ppm and 5000 ppm, respectively, when the laser was off resonance at the same fluence. The limits of detection obtained by using low fluences and low energy per pulse are similar to those obtained using conventional LIBS but with much higher fluences and higher energy per pulse. The main advantage of this technique is that it allows measuring simultaneously relatively low concentrations of several trace elements while minimizing the damage to the sample. © 2013 The Royal Society of Chemistry.
Keywords: Atomic transition; Detection threshold; Energy per pulse; Fluences; Laser wavelength; Limits of detection; Low concentrations; Off-resonance; Optical emissions; Optimal conditions; Particle collision; Selective excitations; Threshold fluences; Aluminum; Atomic emission spectroscopy; Optical parametric oscillators; Resonance; Silicon; Magnesium

Optimal dye-quencher pairs for the design of an "activatable" nanoprobe for optical imaging - Simard, B.; Tomanek, B.; Van Veggel, F.C.J.M.; Abulrob, A. (Photochemical and Photobiological Sciences, 2013)
Optical imaging offers high sensitivity and portability at low cost. The design of an optimal "activatable" imaging agent could greatly decrease the background noise and increase specificity of the signal. Five different molecules have been used to quench basal fluorescence of an enzyme substrate labeled with Cy5, Cy5.5 or IR800 at a distance of 8 amino acids (32 Å): a 6 nm gold nanoparticle (NP), a 20 nm and a 30 nm iron oxide (FeO) NP, the black hole quencher BHQ-3 and the IRdye quencher QC-1. The quenching efficiencies were 99% for QC1-IR800, 98% for QC1-Cy5.5, 96% for 30 nm FeO NP-Cy5.5, 89% for BHQ3-Cy5, 84% for BHQ3-Cy5.5, 77-90% for 6 nm gold NP-Cy5.5, depending on the number of dyes around the NP, 79% for 20 nm FeO NP-Cy5.5 and 77% for Cy5.5-Cy5. Signal activation upon cleavage by the matrix metalloproteinase MMP9 was proportional to the quenching efficiencies, ranging from 3-fold with Cy5.5-Cy5 to 67-fold with QC1-IR800. This independent work reports on the properties of the dyes and quenchers explaining the superior performance of QC-1 and 30 nm FeO NPs. © 2013 The Royal Society of Chemistry and Owner Societies.

Alignment between flattened protostellar infall envelopes and ambient magnetic fields - Chapman, N.L.; Davidson, J.A.; Goldsmith, P.F.; Houde, M.; Kwon, W.; Li, Z.-Y.; Looney, L.W.; Matthews, B.; Matthews, T.G.; Novak, G.; Peng, R.; Vaillancourt, J.E.; et al. (The Astrophysical Journal, 2013)
We present 350 μm polarization observations of four low-mass cores containing Class 0 protostars: L483, L1157, L1448-IRS2, and Serp-FIR1. This is the second paper in a larger survey aimed at testing magnetically regulated models for core-collapse. One key prediction of these models is that the mean magnetic field in a core should be aligned with the symmetry axis (minor axis) of the flattened young stellar object inner envelope (aka pseudodisk). Furthermore, the field should exhibit a pinched or hourglass-shaped morphology as gravity drags the field inward toward the central protostar. We combine our results for the four cores with results for three similar cores that were published in the first paper from our survey. An analysis of the 350 μm polarization data for the seven cores yields evidence of a positive correlation between mean field direction and pseudodisk symmetry axis. Our rough estimate for the probability of obtaining by pure chance a correlation as strong as the one we found is about 5%. In addition, we combine together data for multiple cores to create a source-averaged magnetic field map having improved signal-to-noise ratio, and this map shows good agreement between mean field direction and pseudodisk axis (they are within 15°). We also see hints of a magnetic pinch in the source-averaged map. We conclude that core-scale magnetic fields appear to be strong enough to guide gas infall, as predicted by the magnetically regulated models. Finally, we find evidence of a positive correlation between core magnetic field direction and bipolar outflow axis. © 2013. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved..

A novel branching pattern in the lipopolysaccharide expressed by non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae strain 1232 - Vitiazeva, V.; Li, J.; Hood, D.W.; Richard Moxon, E.; Schweda, E.K.H. (Carbohydrate Research, 2013)
We report the novel branching pattern in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) expressed by non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) strain 1232. The strain expressed the β-D-Glcp-(1→4)-[α-D-Galp-(1→4)-β-D-Galp- (1→7)]-D-α-D-Hepp-(1→6)-β-D-Glcp chain linked to the proximal heptose (HepI) of the conserved triheptosyl inner-core moiety of NTHi LPS: L-α-D-HepIIIp-(1→2)-[PEtn→6]-L-α-D-HepIIp-(1→3)- L-α-DHepIp-( 1→5)-[PPEtn→4]-α-Kdop-(2→6)-lipid A. The structure has been elucidated using NMR spectroscopy, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and capillary electrophoresis coupled to electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (CE-ESI-MSn) on O-deacylated LPS and core oligosaccharide (OS) materials, as well as HPLC-ESI-MSn on permethylated, dephosphorylated OS. It was also found that a tetrasaccharide unit bearing sialic acid [α-Neu5Ac-(2→3)-β-D-Galp-(1→4)- β-D-GlcNAcp-(1→3)-β-D-Galp-(1→] could substitute O-4 of the β-D-Glcp linked to HepI. In addition, the distal heptose (HepIII) was substituted by PCho→6-β-D-Galp-(1→ at the O-2 position. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Keywords: D-glycero-D-manno-Heptose; Haemophilus influenzae; Lipopolysaccharides; LosA1; Sialyllacto-N-neotetraose; Capillary electrophoresis; Electrospray ionization; Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; Mass spectrometry; heptose; lipopolysaccharide; oligosaccharide; sialic acid; tetrasaccharide; article; bacterial strain; capillary electrophoresis; carbohydrate analysis; deacylation; dephosphorylation; electrospray mass spectrometry; Haemophilus influenzae; high performance liquid chromatography; hydrolysis; methylation; nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; priority journal; sequence analysis; sialylation; tandem mass spectrometry; Haemophilus influenzae

On the effect of the peening trajectory in shot peen forming - Gariépy, A.; Larose, S.; Perron, C.; Bocher, P.; Lévesque, M. (Finite Elements in Analysis and Design, 2013)
Peen forming is a manufacturing process commonly used in the aerospace industry to shape large and thin panels such as wing and fuselage skins and rocket panels. Due to the large size of the components, this process is generally performed by moving the parts through a peening enclosure or by moving peening equipment following a trajectory on the parts. Previous research on peen forming simulation has rarely considered the influence of the peening pattern on the resulting deformed shape. The purpose of this work was therefore to evaluate experimentally and numerically this effect using small scale tests. A simple model was proposed to simulate incremental deflections as the shot stream traveled over the samples. Model parameters were calibrated experimentally and then applied to a different geometry for validation. Finite element analyses correctly predicted the complex radius distribution arising from the peening path and the constraints applied to the sample during peening. © 2013 Published by Elsevier B.V.
Erratum published in volume 74, page 111, October 2013. DOI: 10.1016/j.finel.2013.07.006
Keywords: Deformed shape; Different geometry; Finite Element; Local curvature; Manufacturing process; Model parameters; Peen forming; Small-scale tests; Aerospace industry; Boundary conditions; Rockets; Shot peening; Trajectories

Properties of excitons in quantum dots with a weak confinement - Gołasa, K.; Molas, M.; Goryca, M.; Kazimierczuk, T.; Smoleński, T.; Koperski, M.; Golnik, A.; Kossacki, P.; Potemski, M.; Wasilewski, Z.R.; Babiński, A. (Acta Physica Polonica A, 2013)
Statistical properties of neutral excitons, biexcitons and trions confined to natural quantum dots formed in the InAs/GaAs wetting layer are reported. The correlation of the trion binding energy and the biexciton binding energy was found. Magnetospectroscopic measurements of the excitons revealed also the correlation of excitonic effective g* factor of an exciton with the biexciton binding energy. The qualitative picture of the effect of quantum Confinement on the observed correlations is presented.

Design and performance of a resistor multiplexing readout circuit for a SiPM detector - Goertzen, A.L.; Zhang, X.; McClarty, M.M.; Berg, E.J.; Liu, C.-Y.; Kozlowski, P.; Retiere, F.; Ryner, L.; Sossi, V.; Stortz, G.; Thompson, C.J. (IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, 2013)
A silicon photomultiplier (SiPM)-based positron emission tomography (PET) detector was developed using a resistor network charge division multiplexing circuit for detector readout. The detector consists of a lutetium-yttrium oxy-orthosilicate (LYSO) scintillation crystal array, an SiPM array detector (SPMArray 4, SensL Inc., Cork, Ireland) and the resistor multiplexing network implemented in a through-hole package to facilitate changing of resistor values. For purposes of optimizing the readout circuit, the LYSO array used was a 4 × 4 crystal array with crystal size mm on a pitch of 3.37 mm, matched to the SiPM pixel size 3.17 × 3.17 × 10 mm3. Flood image, energy resolution, photopeak amplitude, timing resolution, and signal time-pickoff measurements were performed using standard NIM electronics. The resistor network values were optimized through an iterative process. The performance of the detector was evaluated over a range of temperatures from 23 °C to 60 °C by heating the detector. The ability of the detector to resolve crystals smaller than the SiPMpixel pitch was evaluated using a dual-layer LYSO array with crystals of 1.67-mm pitch. The optimal resistor network values were found to be 100 ω along the rows connecting the SiPM pixels and 56 ω for the columns. For these resistor value settings, the average energy resolution for the central four crystals in the array at 23.5 °C was 13.3% ± 0.3% and degraded to 16.3% ± 0.3% at 60 °C. The photopeak amplitude decreased by 2%/°C, and the timing resolution degraded from 3.43 ± 0.22 ns to 4.64 ± 0.25 ns for a 350-750-keV energy window over this temperature range. The signal time-pickoff point shifted earlier by 2.7 ns as the temperature increased, an effect likely due to changes in the signal shape with temperature. The detector was able to resolve all 113 crystals in the dual-layer LYSO array. These results demonstrate that the resistor multiplexing readout circuit functions well for reading out SiPM array based detectors, which use scintillator crystal arrays much smaller than the SiPM pixel pitch. The reduced number of output signals achieved through this signal multiplexing greatly reduces the number of signal cables required. In addition, the ability of this detector to function over a wide range of temperatures offers significant flexibility in defining the system operating temperature set point. © 1963-2012 IEEE.
Keywords: LYSO; Multiplexing networks; Operating temperature; Positron emission tomography (PET); Scintillation crystals; Scintillator crystals; Signal multiplexing; Silicon photomultiplier; Multiplexing; Optimization; Photomultipliers; Pixels; Positron emission tomography; Readout systems; Resistors; Scintillation counters; Silicon; Detectors

A cloud-based approach for smart facilities management - Laut, D.; Liu, J.; Majumdar, S.; Nandy, B.; St-Hilaire, M.; Yang, C.S. (PHM 2013 - 2013 IEEE International Conference on Prognostics and Health Management, Conference Proceedings, 2013)
One of the problems with the current practices in the various domains of facility management is that each facility is managed by its stake holder in isolation from the management of other similar facilities. However, with the advent of new technologies such as cloud computing, we have an opportunity to unify the management of multiple geographically dispersed facilities. To that end, this paper presents our joint research efforts on cloud-based smart facility management. More precisely, we present a cloud-based platform in order to manage sensor-based bridge infrastructures and smart machinery. Although the paper focuses on these two applications, the proposed cloud-based platform is designed to support/manage a multitude of smart facilities. © 2013 IEEE.

Antimicrobial peptides expressed in wheat reduce susceptibility to Fusarium head blight and powdery mildew - Badea, A.; Eudes, F.; Laroche, A.; Graf, R.; Doshi, K.; Amundsen, E.; Nilsson, D.; Puchalski, B. (Canadian Journal of Plant Science, 2013)
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have a broad spectrum of action against bacteria, fungi and viruses, which makes them attractive for building plant defense against a diversity of pathogens. Peptides MsrA2 and 10R were cloned in three genetic constructs for tissue-specific expressions in wheat, using either Lem1, GstA1WIR1a, or Ltp6 and LTP6 signal peptide targeting the lemma/palea, leaves and spikes, epicarp and endomembrane system, respectively. The minimal cassettes for these three genetic constructs and for Pat marker construct were co-delivered in immature wheat scutella using biolistics, and green plantlets were regenerated in presence of 5 mg L-1 glufosinate. Molecular screening confirmed one regenerated plant carried and expressed all transgenes (AMP+): one copy of 10R driven by Ltp6 promoter, one copy of msrA2 driven by GstA1Wir1a and two copies of msrA2 driven by Lem1. Its offspring and T3 generation were challenged with Fusarium graminearum and Blumeria graminis in a contained environment. A reduction of 50% in Fusarium head blight susceptibility was observed in T1, and was inherited through T3 generation. The latter, also presented a 53% reduction in Fusarium damaged kernels and 62% reduction in deoxynivalenol accumulation compared with wild cv. Fielder and sister lines AMP-. MsrA2 and 10R producing T3 lines showed an average significant reduction of 59% in powdery mildew susceptibility compared with cv. Fielder. Synthetic MsrA2 and 10R peptides were effective as in vivo antifungal peptides in wheat. The expression of antimicrobial peptides in plant cells or tissues may have great potential to limit pathogen infection or growth protecting wheat against a diversity of fungal diseases.
Keywords: antimicrobial activity; bacterium; disease resistance; fungal disease; fungus; infectivity; molecular analysis; pathogen; peptide; plant defense; virus; wheat

The debris disk around γ doradus resolved with Herschel - Broekhoven-Fiene, H.; Matthews, B.C.; Kennedy, G.M.; Booth, M.; Sibthorpe, B.; Lawler, S.M.; Kavelaars, J.J.; Wyatt, M.C.; Qi, C.; Koning, A.; Su, K.Y.L.; Rieke, G.H.; et al. (The Astrophysical Journal, 2013)
We present observations of the debris disk around γ Doradus, an F1V star, from the Herschel Key Programme DEBRIS (Disc Emission via Bias-free Reconnaissance in the Infrared/Submillimetre). The disk is well resolved at 70, 100, and 160 μm, resolved along its major axis at 250 μm, detected but not resolved at 350 μm, and confused with a background source at 500 μm. It is one of our best resolved targets and we find it to have a radially broad dust distribution. The modeling of the resolved images cannot distinguish between two configurations: an arrangement of a warm inner ring at several AU (best fit 4 AU) and a cool outer belt extending from ∼55 to 400 AU or an arrangement of two cool, narrow rings at ∼70 AU and ∼190 AU. This suggests that any configuration between these two is also possible. Both models have a total fractional luminosity of ∼10-5 and are consistent with the disk being aligned with the stellar equator. The inner edge of either possible configuration suggests that the most likely region to find planets in this system would be within ∼55 AU of the star. A transient event is not needed to explain the warm dust's fractional luminosity. © 2013. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

Extension of the B3LYP-dispersion-correcting potential approach to the accurate treatment of both inter- and intra-molecular interactions - DiLabio, G.A.; Koleini, M.; Torres, E. (Theoretical Chemistry Accounts, 2013)
We recently demonstrated that dispersion-correcting potentials (DCPs), which are atom-centered Gaussian-type functions that were developed for use with B3LYP (Torres and DiLabio in J Phys Chem Lett 3:1738-1744, 2012), greatly improved the ability of the underlying functional to predict non-covalent interactions. However, the recent application of the B3LYP-DCP approach to study the β-scission of the cumyloxyl radical led to a calculated barrier height that was over-estimated by ca. 8 kcal/mol. We demonstrate in the present work that the source of this error arises from the previously developed carbon atom DCPs, which erroneously alters the electron density in the C-C covalent-bonding region. In this work, we developed a new C-DCP with a form that was expected to less strongly influence the electron density in the covalent bonding region. Tests of the new C-DCP, in conjunction with previously published H-, N-, and O-DCPs, with B3LYP-DCP/6-31+G(2 d,2 p) on the S66, S22B, HSG-A, and HC12 databases of non-covalently interacting dimers showed that it is one of the most accurate methods available for treating intermolecular interactions, giving mean absolute errors (MAEs) of 0.19, 0.27, 0.16, and 0.18 kcal/mol, respectively. Additional testing on the S12L database of very large complexation systems gave an MAE of 2.6 kcal/mol, demonstrating that the B3LYP-DCP/6-31+G(2 d,2 p) approach to be one of the best-performing and most feasible methods for treating large systems containing significant non-covalent interactions. Finally, we showed that the modeling of C-C-making/C-C-breaking chemistry is well predicted using the newly developed DCPs. In addition to predicting a barrier height for the β-scission of the cumyloxyl radical, that is, within 1.7 kcal/mol of the high-level value, application of B3LYP-DCP/6-31+G(2 d,2 p) to 10 databases that include reaction barrier heights and energies, isomerization energies, and relative conformation energies gives performance that is among the best of all available dispersion-corrected density-functional theory approaches. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

The Canada-France high-z Quasar Survey: 1.2 mm observations - Omont, A.; Willott, C.J.; Beelen, A.; Bergeron, J.; Orellana, G.; Delorme, P. (Astronomy and Astrophysics, 2013)
We report 250 GHz (1.2 mm) observations of a sample of 20 quasars at redshifts 5.8 < z < 6.5 from the Canada-France High-z Quasar Survey (CFHQS), using the Max-Planck-Millimeter-Bolometer (MAMBO) array at the 30-metre telescope of the Institut de Radioastronomie Millmétrique (IRAM). An rms sensitivity of ≲0.6 mJy was achieved for 65% of the sample, and of ≲ 1.0 mJy for 90%. Only one quasar, CFHQS J142952+544717, was robustly detected with S250 GHz = 3.46 ± 0.52 mJy. This indicates that one of the most powerful known starbursts at z ∼ 6 is associated with this radio-loud quasar. On average, the other CFHQS quasars, which have a mean optical magnitude fainter than the previously studied samples of z ∼ 6 quasars of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), have a mean 1.2 mm flux density S250 GHz = 0.41 ± 0.14 mJy; this average detection with a signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio of 2.9 is hardly meaningful. It would correspond to LFIR ≈ 0.94 ± 0.32 × 1012 L ·, and an average star formation rate of a few 100 M ·/yr, depending on the stellar initial mass function (IMF) and a possible contribution of an active galactic nucleus (AGN) to LFIR . This is consistent with previous findings of Wang et al. on the far-infrared emission of z ∼ 6 quasars and extends their results toward optically fainter sources. © 2013 ESO.
Keywords: Galaxies : active; Galaxies: starbursts; Galaxies:high-redshift; Infrared: galaxies; Submillimeter: galaxies; Stars; Surveys; Galaxies

The mass, orbit, and tidal evolution of the Quaoar-Weywot system - Fraser, W.C.; Batygin, K.; Brown, M.E.; Bouchez, A. (Icarus, 2013)
Here we present new adaptive optics observations of the Quaoar-Weywot system. With these new observations we determine an improved system orbit. Due to a 0.39day alias that exists in available observations, four possible orbital solutions are available with periods of ∼11.6, ∼12.0, ∼12.4, and ∼12.8days. From the possible orbital solutions, system masses of 1.3-1.5±0.1×1021kg are found. These observations provide an updated density for Quaoar of 2.7-5.0gcm-3. In all cases, Weywot's orbit is eccentric, with possible values ∼0.13-0.16. We present a reanalysis of the tidal orbital evolution of the Quaoar-Weywot system. We have found that Weywot has probably evolved to a state of synchronous rotation, and has likely preserved its initial inclination over the age of the Solar System. We find that for plausible values of the effective tidal dissipation factor tides produce a very slow evolution of Weywot's eccentricity and semi-major axis. Accordingly, it appears that Weywot's eccentricity likely did not tidally evolve to its current value from an initially circular orbit. Rather, it seems that some other mechanism has raised its eccentricity post-formation, or Weywot formed with a non-negligible eccentricity. © 2012.

Structural influence of hydrophobic diamine in sulfonated poly(sulfide sulfone imide) copolymers on medium temperature PEM fuel cell - Lee, Kang Hyuck; Lee, So Young; Shin, Dong Won; Wang, Chenyi; Ahn, Sang-Hyun; Lee, Kee-Jung; Guiver, Michael D.; Lee, Young Moo (Polymer (United Kingdom), 2013)
Sulfonated poly(sulfide sulfone imide) copolymers containing flexible sulfide bond and six-membered imide ring were synthesized by random polycondensation. Two types of membranes were prepared by using sulfide (S-PSI) and sulfide sulfone (S-PSFI) based non-sulfonated diamines to investigate the effects of the hydrophobic component. IECw values were controlled to 1.51-1.94 meq g-1 depending on the degree of sulfonation (DS) which was in the range of 50-80%. The membrane series showed good thermal stability up to 310 °C and mechanical properties (tensile strength >30 MPa). Dimensional stabilities were excellent with 23-35% increases, even at 100 °C. Proton conductivities of membranes composed of different hydrophobic diamines display a relatively good correlation with water content and morphology. In fuel cell tests, the S-PSI60 membrane shows relatively high current density of 250 mA cm-2 at 0.6 V and maximum power density of 175 mW cm-2 at 120 °C, 35% RH, 1.5 atm.
Keywords: Medium temperature PEMFC; Polymer electrolyte membrane; Sulfonated polyimide

Nonlinear dynamics and analysis of a four-bar linkage with clearance - Tang, Y.; Chang, Z.; Dong, X.; Hu, Y.; Yu, Z. (Frontiers of Mechanical Engineering, 2013)
In this paper, nonlinear dynamic behavior of a four-bar linkage considering clearance is studied. The dynamic model of the linkage with a clearance between coupler and rocker is developed firstly. Then the dynamic equations of this mechanism are solved by a numerical method. According to the calculated response, compliance, force and trajectory of pin in joint bearing are obtained. Effects of clearance magnitude and the relationship between a mechanism with clearance and without clearance are studied. By using Poincare Map, it is proved that strange attractors or chaos exist in the dynamic response. In addition, phenomena of chaos, periodic response and subharmonic response also can be found in the special condition. Bifurcation diagram is used to suggest that bifurcation and fractal phenomena exist in the dynamic response of this mechanism. © 2013 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Establishment of channel networks in a digital elevation model of the prairie region through hydrological correction and geomorphological assessment - Zhang, H.; Huang, G.H.; Wang, D. (Canadian Water Resources Journal, 2013)
Building channel networks in flat regions of digital elevation models (DEMs) is important for watershed delineation and hydrological modeling, particularly for areas with gently-sloped terrain, such as the Canadian Prairies. Existing drainage analysis methods cannot effectively address the spatial correlations of elevation across the flat regions, and the quality of the DEM-derived channel network is mainly evaluated through visual inspection. In this study a hydrological correction method is developed that integrates elevation information from both the existing digital channel network and the original DEM. A set of geomorphological indices is then introduced for quantitative evaluation of DEM-derived channel networks from the perspectives of flow direction and drainage pattern. Both the DEM correction and network assessment methods are implemented in a GIS environment. Their performance is demonstrated through a case study in southern Saskatchewan, Canada. The generated channel network is consistent with the known hydrological information and contains fewer parallel channels compared with existing methods. The developed methods could be valuable for a wide range of applications using the Canadian Digital Elevation Data (CDED) within the context of the Canadian Prairie region. © 2013 Canadian Water Resources Association.
Keywords: Canadian digital elevation datum; Digital elevation model; Hydrological corrections; Hydrological modeling; Quantitative evaluation; Saskatchewan , Canada; Spatial correlations; Watershed delineation; Digital instruments; Forestry; Geomorphology; Quality control; Surveying

A Mouse model of acinetobacter baumannii-associated pneumonia using a clinically isolated hypervirulent strain - Harris, G.; Lee, R.K.; Lam, C.K.; Kanzaki, G.; Patel, G.B.; Xu, H.H.; Chen, W. (Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 2013)
Acinetobacter baumannii is an important emerging pathogen in health care-acquired infections and is responsible for severe nosocomial and community-acquired pneumonia. Currently available mouse models of A. baumannii pneumonia show poor colonization with little to no extrapulmonary dissemination. Here, we describe a mouse model of A. baumannii pneumonia using a clinical isolate (LAC-4 strain) that reliably reproduces the most relevant features of human pulmonary A. baumannii infection and pathology. Using this model, we have shown that LAC-4 infection induced rapid bacterial replication in the lungs, significant extrapulmonary dissemination, and severe bacteremia by 24 h postintranasal inoculation. Infected mice showed severe bronchopneumonia and dilatation and inflammatory cell infiltration in the perivascular space. More significantly, 100% of C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice succumbed to 108 CFU of LAC-4 inoculation within 48 h. When this model was used to assess the efficacy of antimicrobials, all mice treated with imipenem and tigecycline survived a lethal intranasal challenge, with minimal clinical signs and body weight loss. Moreover, intranasal immunization of mice with formalin-fixed LAC-4 protected 40% of mice from a lethal (100-100% lethal dose) intraperitoneal challenge. Thus, this model offers a reproducible acute course of A. baumannii pneumonia without requiring additional manipulation of host immune status, which will facilitate the development of therapeutic agents and vaccines against A. baumannii pneumonia in humans. © 2013, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Synthesis of Pd and Nb-doped TiO 2 composite supports and their corresponding Pt-Pd alloy catalysts by a two-step procedure for the oxygen reduction reaction - Wang, Y.-J.; Wilkinson, D.P.; Guest, A.; Neburchilov, V.; Baker, R.; Nan, F.; Botton, G.A.; Zhang, J. (Journal of Power Sources, 2013)
Several Pd-composite Nb 0.06Ti 0.94O 2 materials are synthesized by a two-step procedure, and employed as the Pt-Pd alloy catalyst support for the PEM fuel cell oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). These supports and their supported catalysts are characterized using analytical and electrochemical methods with respect to their material morphology, chemical/electrochemical stability, electronic conductivity as well as oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) mass activity/stability. For the supported Pt-Pd catalysts, the Pt-Pd nanoparticles adhered to both the Nb 0.06Ti 0.94O 2 and composited Pd surfaces to form Pt mPd n clusters. A possible synergetic interaction between the Pt-Pd alloy catalyst and its Pd-Nb 0.06Ti 0.94O 2 composite support is believed to exist which enhances the ORR activity of these catalysts. The electronic conductivity of Nb 0.06Ti 0.94O 2 can be greatly improved after forming composites with Pd to the desired levels required for electrocatalyst applications. Three supported Pt-Pd catalysts, 20 wt% Pt 0.62Pd 0.38/Pd 10wt%-(Nb 0.06Ti 0.94O 2) 90wt%, 20 wt% Pt 0.62Pd 0.38/Pd 30wt%-(Nb 0.06Ti 0.94O 2) 70wt%, and 20 wt% Pt 0.62Pd 0.38/Pd 50wt%-(Nb 0.06Ti 0.94O 2) 50wt%, are synthesized and tested using both cyclic voltammetric and rotating disk electrode techniques with respect to their surface electrochemistry, ORR mass activity, and electrochemical stability. All three catalysts show higher Pt mass activity (>130 mA mg Pt -1 at 0.9 V vs. RHE) than that of the baseline 47 wt% Pt C -1 carbon supported catalyst (110 mA mg Pt -1). However, the durability of these catalysts needs to be further improved.
Keywords: Clusters; Composite support; Mass activity; Oxygen reduction reaction; PEM fuel cell; Alloys; Catalyst activity; Catalyst supports; Electric conductivity; Electrocatalysts; Electrolytic reduction; Niobium; Platinum; Platinum compounds; Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC); Rotating disks; Titanium dioxide; Platinum alloys

A dynamical signature of multiple stellar populations in 47 tucanae - Richer, H.B.; Heyl, J.; Anderson, J.; Kalirai, J.S.; Shara, M.M.; Dotter, A.; Fahlman, G.G.; Rich, R.M. (The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 2013)
Based on the width of its main sequence, and an actual observed split when viewed through particular filters, it is widely accepted that 47 Tucanae contains multiple stellar populations. In this contribution, we divide the main sequence of 47 Tuc into four color groups, which presumably represent stars of various chemical compositions. The kinematic properties of each of these groups are explored via proper motions, and a strong signal emerges of differing proper-motion anisotropies with differing main-sequence color; the bluest main-sequence stars exhibit the largest proper-motion anisotropy which becomes undetectable for the reddest stars. In addition, the bluest stars are also the most centrally concentrated. A similar analysis for Small Magellanic Cloud stars, which are located in the background of 47 Tuc on our frames, yields none of the anisotropy exhibited by the 47 Tuc stars. We discuss implications of these results for possible formation scenarios of the various populations. © 2013. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

Interconnected carbon nanosheets derived from hemp for ultrafast supercapacitors with high energy - Wang, H.; Xu, Z.; Kohandehghan, A.; Li, Z.; Cui, K.; Tan, X.; Stephenson, T.J.; King'Ondu, C.K.; Holt, C.M.B.; Olsen, B.C.; Tak, J.K.; Harfield, D.; et al. (ACS Nano, 2013)
We created unique interconnected partially graphitic carbon nanosheets (10-30 nm in thickness) with high specific surface area (up to 2287 m 2 g-1), significant volume fraction of mesoporosity (up to 58%), and good electrical conductivity (211-226 S m-1) from hemp bast fiber. The nanosheets are ideally suited for low (down to 0 C) through high (100 C) temperature ionic-liquid-based supercapacitor applications: At 0 C and a current density of 10 A g-1, the electrode maintains a remarkable capacitance of 106 F g-1. At 20, 60, and 100 C and an extreme current density of 100 A g-1, there is excellent capacitance retention (72-92%) with the specific capacitances being 113, 144, and 142 F g -1, respectively. These characteristics favorably place the materials on a Ragone chart providing among the best power-energy characteristics (on an active mass normalized basis) ever reported for an electrochemical capacitor: At a very high power density of 20 kW kg-1 and 20, 60, and 100 C, the energy densities are 19, 34, and 40 Wh kg-1, respectively. Moreover the assembled supercapacitor device yields a maximum energy density of 12 Wh kg-1, which is higher than that of commercially available supercapacitors. By taking advantage of the complex multilayered structure of a hemp bast fiber precursor, such exquisite carbons were able to be achieved by simple hydrothermal carbonization combined with activation. This novel precursor-synthesis route presents a great potential for facile large-scale production of high-performance carbons for a variety of diverse applications including energy storage. © 2013 American Chemical Society.
Keywords: Carbon nanosheets; Electrochemical capacitor; Extreme current densities; High specific surface area; Hydrothermal carbonization; Multi-layered structure; Super capacitor; Supercapacitor application; Bast fibers; Biomass; Capacitance; Carbon; Energy storage; Hemp; Ionic liquids; Nanosheets; Electrolytic capacitors; Biomass; Capacitors; Carbon Fibers; Hemp; Ions; Liquids; Phloem; cannabis; graphite; nanomaterial; nitrogen; adsorption; article; chemistry; electric capacitance; electrochemistry; surface property; time; Adsorption; Cannabis; Electric Capacitance; Electrochemistry; Graphite; Nanostructures; Nitrogen; Surface Properties; Time Factors

Electric-field-controlled antiferromagnetic domains in epitaxial BiFeO 3 thin films probed by neutron diffraction - Ratcliff, W.; Yamani, Z.; Anbusathaiah, V.; Gao, T.R.; Kienzle, P.A.; Cao, H.; Takeuchi, I. (Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, 2013)
Direct evidence of controlling the population of magnetic domains in BiFeO3 thin films through electric field is reported using neutron diffraction. By fabricating BiFeO3 thin films on vicinal SrTiO 3 substrates, we have achieved ferroelectric monodomains as confirmed by piezoresponse force microscopy. The application of an electric field between the bottom SrRuO3 and the top electrode switches the ferroelectric domain state with concomitant changes in magnetic reflections observed with neutron diffraction, indicating changes in the antiferromagnetic domain populations. The observed magnetoelectric switching behavior by neutron diffraction is compared with the electric-field effect on the magneto-optical Kerr effect measurement on patterned pads of exchange coupled Co film deposited on top of the BiFeO3 films. The present result shows possible new directions for the realization of magnetoelectric devices. ©2013 American Physical Society.

Optimal routing strategies for autonomous underwater vehicles in time-varying environment - Eichhorn, M. (Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 2013)
This paper presents a mission system and the therein implemented algorithms for path planning in a time-varying environment based on graph methods. The basic task of the introduced path planning algorithms is to find a time-optimal path from a defined start position to a goal position with consideration of the time-varying ocean current for an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). Building on this, additional practice-oriented considerations in planning are discussed in this paper. Such points are the discussion of possible methods to accelerate the algorithms and the determination of the optimal departure time. The solutions and algorithms presented in this paper are focused on path planning requirements for the AUV "SLOCUM Glider". These algorithms are equally applicable to other AUVs or aerial mobile autonomous systems. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Static magnetic fields enhance lipid order in native plant plasma membrane - Poinapen, D.; Toppozini, L.; Dies, H.; Brown, D.C.W.; Rheinstädter, M.C. (Soft Matter, 2013)
We studied molecular order in native plant plasma membranes in the presence of static magnetic fields. Plasma membranes of seeds of the tomato plant were purified, extracted, and applied to a silicon substrate in a buffer suspension and their molecular structure was studied using X-ray diffraction. We observed correlation peaks that we assigned to the lipid and protein components of the plasma membrane. Two field strengths were available: B = 0.126 T and B = 0.208 T. While magnetic fields had no observable effect on protein structure, enhanced lipid order was observed, leading to an increase in the gel components and a decrease in the fluid component of the lipids. © 2013 The Royal Society of Chemistry.
Keywords: Correlation peaks; Field strengths; Fluid components; Molecular orders; Protein components; Protein structures; Silicon substrates; Static magnetic fields; Cell membranes; Proteins; X ray diffraction; Seed

Reaction of lines of the rapid cycling brassica collection and Arabidopsis thaliana to four pathotypes of Plasmodiophora brassicae - Sharma, K.; Gossen, B.D.; Greenshields, D.; Selvaraj, G.; Strelkov, S.E.; McDonald, M.R. (Plant Disease, 2013)
The clubroot reaction of five Rapid Cycling Brassica Collection (RCBC) lines (Brassica carinata, B. juncea, B. napus, B. oleracea, and B. rapa) and 84 lines of Arabidopsis thaliana to pathotypes 2, 3, 5, and 6 of Plasmodiophora brassicae (as classified on William's system) was assessed. Also, the reaction of the Arabidopsis lines to a single-spore isolate of each of pathotypes 3 and 6 was compared with that of a field isolate. Seedlings were inoculated with resting spores of P. brassicae, maintained at 25 and 20°C (day and night, respectively), and assessed for clubroot incidence and severity at 6 weeks after inoculation. Several lines of A. thaliana and RCBC exhibited a differential response to pathotype but none of the lines were immune. Among the RCBC lines, B. napus was resistant to all of the pathotypes; B. oleracea was resistant to pathotypes 2, 3, and 5; B carinata and B. rapa were resistant to pathotypes 2 and 5; and B. juncea was susceptible to pathotypes 5 and 6 and had an intermediate response to pathotypes 2 and 3. Line Ct- 1 of A. thaliana was highly resistant to pathotype 2, Pu2-23 was highly resistant to pathotype 5, and Ws-2 and Sorbo were highly resistant to pathotype 6. These results indicate that the lines of RCBC and A. thaliana have potential for use as model crops for a wide range of studies on clubroot, and could be used to differentiate these four pathotypes of P. brassicae. The reaction of the RCBC lines to pathotype 6 was highly correlated with response under field conditions but the reaction to the single-spore isolates of pathotypes 3 and 6 was not strongly correlated with reaction to the field collections in the Arabidopsis lines. © 2013 Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Government of Canada.

Supercapacitors based on carbons with tuned porosity derived from paper pulp mill sludge biowaste - Wang, H.; Li, Z.; Tak, J.K.; Holt, C.M.B.; Tan, X.; Xu, Z.; Amirkhiz, B.S.; Harfield, D.; Anyia, A.; Stephenson, T.; Mitlin, D. (Carbon, 2013)
Hydrothermal carbonization followed by chemical activation is utilized to convert paper pulp mill sludge biowaste into high surface area (up to 2980 m2 g-1) carbons. This synthesis process employs an otherwise unusable byproduct of paper manufacturing that is generated in thousands of tons per year. The textural properties of the carbons are tunable by the activation process, yielding controlled levels of micro and mesoporosity. The electrochemical results for the optimized carbon are very promising. An organic electrolyte yields a maximum capacitance of 166 F g-1, and a Ragone curve with 30 W h kg-1 at 57 W kg-1 and 20 W h kg-1 at 5450 W kg-1. Two ionic liquid electrolytes result in maximum capacitances of 180-190 F g-1 with up to 62% retention between 2 and 200 mV s-1. The ionic liquids yielded energy density-power density combinations of 51 W h kg-1 at 375 W kg -1 and 26-31 W h kg-1 at 6760-7000 W kg-1. After 5000 plus charge-discharge cycles the capacitance retention is as high at 91%. The scan rate dependence of the surface area normalized capacitance highlights the rich interplay of the electrolyte ions with pores of various sizes. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Activation process; Capacitance retention; Charge-discharge cycle; Hydrothermal carbonization; Ionic liquid electrolytes; Organic electrolyte; Paper manufacturing; Textural properties; Capacitance; Chemical activation; Electrolytes; Paper and pulp mills; Thermochemistry; Ionic liquids

Fast, Non-Competitive and Reversible Inhibition of NMDA-Activated Currents by 2-BFI Confers Neuroprotection - Han, Z.; Yang, J.-L.; Jiang, S.X.; Hou, S.-T.; Zheng, R.-Y. (PLoS ONE, 2013)
Excessive activation of the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) type glutamate receptors (NMDARs) causes excitotoxicity, a process important in stroke-induced neuronal death. Drugs that inhibit NMDA receptor-mediated [Ca2+]i influx are potential leads for development to treat excitotoxicity-induced brain damage. Our previous studies showed that 2-(2-benzofu-ranyl)-2-imidazoline (2-BFI), an immidazoline receptor ligand, dose-dependently protects rodent brains from cerebral ischemia injury. However, the molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we found that 2-BFI transiently and reversibly inhibits NMDA, but not AMPA currents, in a dose-dependent manner in cultured rat cortical neurons. The mechanism of 2-BFI inhibition of NMDAR is through a noncompetitive fashion with a faster on (Kon = 2.19±0.33×10-9 M-1 sec-1) and off rate (Koff = 0.67±0.02 sec-1) than those of memantine, a gold standard for therapeutic inhibition NMDAR-induced excitotoxicity. 2-BFI also transiently and reversibly blocked NMDA receptor-mediated calcium entry to cultured neurons and provided long-term neuroprotection against NMDA toxicity in vitro. Collectively, these studies demonstrated a potential mechanism of 2-BFI-mediated neuroprotection and indicated that 2-BFI is an excellent candidate for repositioning as a drug for stroke treatment. © 2013 Han et al.
Keywords: 2 (2 benzofuranyl) 2 imidazoline; alpha amino 3 hydroxy 5 methyl 4 isoxazolepropionic acid; calcium; imidazoline derivative; memantine; n methyl dextro aspartic acid; n methyl dextro aspartic acid receptor; unclassified drug; animal cell; article; brain cell; calcium transport; concentration response; controlled study; drug mechanism; drug receptor binding; drug selectivity; embryo; excitotoxicity; in vitro study; male; nerve cell culture; nerve cell excitability; neuroprotection; nonhuman; rat

Sensitivity of air-coupled ultrasound and eddy current sensors to bearing fault detection - Dadouche, A.; Rezaei, A.; Singhe, V.; Dmochowski, W.; Bird, J.W.; Nitzsche, F. (Tribology and Lubrication Technology, 2013)
For decades, vibration and oil analysis have usually been used to detect early bearing faults and track their progression over time. Progress has been seen in condition monitoring through vibration analysis of rolling element bearings using improved sensors and advanced signal processing techniques. In this paper, the authors investigate the use of air-coupled ultrasound and eddy current sensors as diagnostic tools for the detection of bearing faults. A series of experiments was carried out in a laboratory environment: localized defects with different sizes were created intentionally on the test bearing components simulating evolving cracks or other related faults. The resulting data for a constant bearing speed and load have shown that both sensors are capable of detecting different types of defects located on the bearing components. The data from the air-coupled ultrasound and eddy current sensors were also compared with those obtained from an accelerometer. The test method and the processing technique are described and the spectra of the different signals are analyzed and discussed.
Keywords: Advanced signal processing; Air-Coupled Ultrasound Sensor; Air-coupled ultrasounds; Bearing fault detection; Eddy current sensors; Envelope Detection; Laboratory environment; Rolling Element Bearing; Ball bearings; Condition monitoring; Cracks; Electromagnetic field effects; Sensors; Signal processing; Testing; Ultrasonics; Vibration analysis; Ultrasonic applications

Modeling of moving heat sources using meshless element free galerkin method - Pham, X.-T.; Pradinc, G.; Cao, X.; Fihey, J.-L. (ASM Proceedings of the International Conference: Trends in Welding Research, 2013)
This article deals with the quasi stationary-state solution of the two-dimensional Rosenthal equation for a moving heat source using a meshless element free Galerkin method. Node-based moving least square approximants are used to approximate the unknown function of temperature. Essential boundary conditions are enforced by using Lagrange multipliers. The results are obtained for a two-dimensional model with a Gaussian surface moving heat source and compared with the results of the finite-element method. Copyright © 2013 ASM International® All rights reserved.
Keywords: Approximants; Element free Galerkin methods; Essential boundary conditions; Gaussian surface; Moving heat sources; Moving least squares; Rosenthal equation; Two dimensional model; Finite element method; Lagrange multipliers; Two dimensional; Welding; Heat conduction

À la recherche du temps perdu: Extracting temporal relations from medical text in the 2012 i2b2 NLP challenge - Cherry, C.; Zhu, X.; Martin, J.; de Bruijn, B. (Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 2013)
Objective: An analysis of the timing of events is critical for a deeper understanding of the course of events within a patient record. The 2012 i2b2 NLP challenge focused on the extraction of temporal relationships between concepts within textual hospital discharge summaries. Materials and methods: The team from the National Research Council Canada (NRC) submitted three system runs to the second track of the challenge: typifying the time-relationship between pre-annotated entities. The NRC system was designed around four specialist modules containing statistical machine learning classifiers. Each specialist targeted distinct sets of relationships: local relationships, 'sectime'-type relationships, non-local overlap-type relationships, and non-local causal relationships. Results: The best NRC submission achieved a precision of 0.7499, a recall of 0.6431, and an F1 score of 0.6924, resulting in a statistical tie for first place. Post hoc improvements led to a precision of 0.7537, a recall of 0.6455, and an F1 score of 0.6954, giving the highest scores reported on this task to date. Discussion and conclusions: Methods for general relation extraction extended well to temporal relations, and gave top-ranked state-of-the-art results. Careful ordering of predictions within result sets proved critical to this success.
Keywords: accuracy; article; data extraction; hospital discharge; human; machine learning; medical record; medical specialist; prediction; semantics; temporal analysis; time

Effects of scalloping on the mixing mechanisms of forced mixers with highly swirling core flow - Wright, A.; Lei, Z.; Mahallati, A.; Cunningham, M.; Militzer, J. (Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, 2013)
This paper presents a detailed experimental and computational investigation of the effects of scalloping on the mixing mechanisms of a scaled 12-lobe turbofan mixer. Scalloping was achieved by eliminating approximately 70% of the lobe sidewall area. Measurements were made downstream of the mixer in a co-annular wind tunnel, and the simulations were carried out using an unstructured Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) solver, Numeca FINE/Hexa, with k-Ω SST model. In the core flow, the swirl angle was varied from 0 deg to 30 deg. At high swirl angles, a three-dimensional separation bubble was formed on the lobe's suction surface penetration region and resulted in the generation of a vortex at the lobe valley. The valley vortex quickly dissipated downstream. The mixer lobes removed most of the swirl, but scalloped lobes removed less swirl in the region of the scalloped notch. The residual swirl downstream of the scalloped mixer interacted with the vortices and improved mixing rates compared to the unscalloped mixer. Core flow swirl up to 10 deg provided improved mixing rates and reduced pressure and thrust losses for both mixers. As core flow swirl increased beyond 10 deg, the mixing rate continued to improve, but pressure and thrust losses declined compared to the zero swirl case. Lobe scalloping, in high swirl conditions, resulted in better mixing and improved pressure loss over the unscalloped mixer but at the expense of reduced thrust. Copyright © 2013 by ASME.
Keywords: Computational investigation; Mixing mechanisms; Pressure loss; Reduced pressure; Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes; Separation bubble; Suction surfaces; Swirl angles; Computer simulation; Mixing; Molluscs; Navier Stokes equations; Vortex flow; Mixers (machinery)

Characterization of hospital-associated lineages of ampicillin-resistant Enterococcus faecium from clinical cases in dogs and humans - Tremblay, C.-L.; Charlebois, A.; Masson, L.; Archambault, M. (Frontiers in Microbiology, 2013)
Ampicillin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (ARE) has rapidly emerged worldwide and is one of the most important pathogens. However, very few reports are available on ARE isolates from canine clinical cases. The objective characterize ARE strains of canine clinical origin from a veterinary teaching hospital in Canada and to compare strains. Ten ARE strains from dogs and humans were characterized by multilocus sequence typing (MLST), electrophoresis (PFGE), antibiotic susceptibility and biofilm activities, presence of rep-families, CRISPR genes. All ARE strains (n = 10) were resistant to ciprofloxacin and lincomycin. Resistances to tetracycline and to high concentrations of gentamicin, kanamycin and streptomycin (n = 5) were also observed. Canine be susceptible to vancomycin whereas resistance to this antibiotic was observed in human strains. PBP5 showing mutations at 25 amino acid positions. Fluoroquinolone resistance was attributable to ParC, Data demonstrated that all canine ARE were acm (collagen binding protein)-positive and that most harbored encoding for a cell wall adhesin. Biofilm formation was observed in two human strains but not in canine strains. families were observed per strain but no CRISPR sequences were found. A total of six STs (1, 18, 65, 202, 205, with one belonging to a new ST (ST803). These STs were identical or closely related to human hospital report describes for the first time the characterization of canine ARE hospital-associated strains in Canada importance of prudent antibiotic use in veterinary medicine to avoid zoonotic spread of canine ARE. © 2013 Tremblay, Charlebois, Masson and Archambault.

Integrating logistical and technical criteria into a multiteam, competitive watershed model ranking procedure - Cunderlik, J.M.; Fleming, S.W.; Jenkinson, R.W.; Thiemann, M.; Kouwen, N.; Quick, M. (Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, 2013)
A systematic and holistic watershed model comparison and selection process, integrating a full range of relevant criteria, is illustrated here. The process consists of screening for a set of candidate models on the basis of prerequisite model attributes; assessing hydrologic simulation performance using various conventional statistical metrics; assessing operational logistics performance, reflecting somewhat subjective but centrally important issues around relative feasibility and suitability of candidate models in the intended context of use; and integrating the hydrologic and operational performance results, which are each evaluated using a weighted-matrix approach, into a single coherent and comprehensive ranking system. The process was applied to evaluation of watershed models for operational hydroelectric inflow forecasting in British Columbia, Canada. An important feature of the study was its horse-race project management approach, involving a supervised competition between expert teams using different models but the same data sets. Four models passed the prescreening phase, and these were evaluated for three test basins representing contrasting geophysical regimes. The model selection process presented here is believed to be potentially very broadly useful. © 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
Keywords: British Columbia; Canada; Forecasting system; Model comparison; Model performance; Performance rankings; UBCWM; Watershed models; WATFLOOD; Forecasting; Human resource management; Logistics; Project management; Watersheds; Computer simulation; forecasting method; hydrological modeling; ranking; watershed; British Columbia; Canada

Redox-gated three-terminal organic memory devices: Effect of composition and environment on performance - Das, B.C.; Pillai, R.G.; Wu, Y.; Mccreery, R.L. (ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 2013)
The performance of redox-gated organic nonvolatile memory (NVM) based on conducting polymers was investigated by altering the polymer structure, composition, and local environment of three-terminal devices with a field-effect transistor (FET) geometry. The memory function was dependent on the presence of a redox active polymer with high conducting and low conducting states, the presence of a redox counter-reaction, and the ability to transport ions between the polymer and electrolyte phases. Simultaneous monitoring of both the "write" current and "readout" current revealed the switching dynamics of the devices and their dependence on the local atmosphere. Much faster and more durable response was observed in acetonitrile vapor than in a vacuum, indicating the importance of polar molecules for both ion motion and promotion of electrochemical reactions. The major factor determining "write" and "erase" speeds of redox-gated polymer memory devices was determined to be the rate of ion transport through the electrolyte layer to provide charge compensation for the conducting polarons in the active polymer layer. The results both confirm the mechanism of redox-gated memory action and identify the requirements of the conducting polymer, redox counter reaction, and electrolyte for practical applications as alternative solid-state nonvolatile memory devices. © 2013 American Chemical Society.
Keywords: Conductance switching; Multi-state memory; Non-volatile memory; Resistive memory; Solid-state redox reactions; Conducting polymers; Electrolytes; Field effect transistors; Nonvolatile storage; Redox reactions; Vapors; Ions

Identification of N-acylethanolamines in Dictyostelium discoideum and confirmation of their hydrolysis by fatty acid amide hydrolase - Hayes, A.C.; Stupak, J.; Li, J.; Cox, A.D. (Journal of Lipid Research, 2013)
N-acylethanolamines (NAEs) are endogenous lipid-based signaling molecules best known for their role in the endocannabinoid system in mammals, but they are also known to play roles in signaling pathways in plants. The regulation of NAEs in vivo is partly accomplished by the enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), which hydrolyses NAEs to ethanolamine and their corresponding fatty acid. Inhibition of FAAH has been shown to increase the levels of NAEs in vivo and to produce desirable phenotypes. This has led to the development of pharmaceutical-based therapies for a variety of conditions targeting FAAH. Recently, our group identified a functional FAAH homolog in Dictyostelium discoideum, leading to our hypothesis that D. discoideum also possesses NAEs. In this study, we provide a further characterization of FAAH and identify NAEs in D. discoideum for the first time. We also demonstrate the ability to modulate their levels in vivo through the use of a semispecific FAAH inhibitor and confirm that these NAEs are FAAH substrates through in vitro studies. We believe the demonstration of the in vivo modulation of NAE levels suggests that D. discoideum could be a good simple model organism in which to study NAE-mediated signaling. Copyright © 2013 by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.
Keywords: ethanolamine; fatty acid amidase; fatty acid amidase inhibitor; n acylethanolamine; recombinant enzyme; unclassified drug; article; controlled study; Dictyostelium discoideum; enzyme activity; enzyme inhibition; hydrolysis; in vitro study; in vivo study; lipid analysis; nonhuman; nucleotide sequence; phylogenetic tree; priority journal; signal transduction; Amidohydrolases; Animals; Computational Biology; Dictyostelium; Enzyme Inhibitors; Ethanolamines; Humans; Hydrolysis; Kinetics; Mice; Phylogeny

Morphology and properties of polymer/organoclay nanocomposites based on poly(ethylene terephthalate) and sulfopolyester blends - Ghanbari, A.; Heuzey, M.-C.; Carreau, P.J.; Ton-That, M.-T. (Polymer International, 2013)
Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) nanocomposite films containing two different organoclays, Cloisite 30B® (C30B) and Nanomer I.28E® (N28E), were prepared by melt blending. In order to increase the gallery spacing of the clay particles, a sulfopolyester (PET ionomer or PETi) was added to the nanocomposites via a master-batch approach. The morphological, thermal and gas barrier characteristics of the nanocomposite films were studied using several characterization techniques such as scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, rheometry and oxygen permeability. PET and PETi were found to form immiscible polymer blends and the nanoparticles were preferentially located in the PETi dispersed phase. A better dispersion of clay was obtained for nanocomposites containing N28E with PETi. On the contrary, for nanocomposites containing C30B and PETi, the number of tactoids increased and the clay distribution and dispersion became worse than for C30B alone. Overall, the best properties were obtained for the PET/C30B nanocomposite without PETi. Higher crystallinity was found for all nanocomposite films in comparison to that of neat PET. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry The effect of a sulfopolyester (poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) ionomer or PETi) on the properties of PET/clay nanocomposites was investigated. It was found that nanoclay particles have greater affinity for the PETi phase. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.
Keywords: Characterization techniques; Clay particles; Cloisite 30b; Crystallinities; Dispersed phase; Gas barrier; Immiscible polymer blends; Melt blending; Organoclays; Oxygen permeability; Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET); Rheometry; Scanning electrons; Tactoids; Blending; Differential scanning calorimetry; Dispersions; Ionomers; Nanocomposite films; Organoclay; Polyethylene terephthalates; Rheology; Scanning electron microscopy; Transmission electron microscopy; X ray diffraction; Nanocomposites

Conversion of bilayers of PS-b-PDMS block copolymer into closely packed, aligned silica nanopatterns - Wu, N.L.Y.; Harris, K.D.; Buriak, J.M. (ACS Nano, 2013)
Block copolymer (BCP) self-assembly is an effective and versatile approach for the production of complex nanopatterned interfaces. Monolayers of BCP films can be harnessed to produce a variety of different patterns, including lines, with specific spacings and order. In this work, bilayers of cylinder-forming polystyrene-block-polydimethylsiloxane block copolymer (PS-b-PDMS) were transformed into arrays of silica lines with half the pitch normally attained for conventional monolayers, with the PDMS acting as the source for the SiO x. The primary hurdle was ensuring the bilayer silica lines were distinctly separate; to attain the control necessary to prevent overlap, a number of variables related to the materials and self-assembly process were investigated in detail. Developing a detailed understanding of BCP film swelling during solvent annealing, blending of the PS-b-PDMS with PS homopolymer, utilization of a surface brush layer, and adjustment of the plasma exposure conditions, distinct and separate silica lines were prepared. On the microscale, the sample coverage of PS-b-PDMS bilayers was investigated and maximized to attain >95% bilayers under defined conditions. The bilayer BCP structures were also amenable to graphoepitaxy, and thus, dense and highly ordered arrays of silica line patterns with tightly controlled width and pitch were fabricated and distributed uniformly across a Si surface. © 2013 American Chemical Society.
Keywords: Brush layers; Graphoepitaxy; Homopolymer blends; patterning; Solvent annealing; Blending; Block copolymers; Brushes; Microchannels; Monolayers; Plasmas; Self assembly; Silica; Silicones

Influence of the process parameters on the spray pyrolysis technique, on the synthesis of gadolinium doped-ceria thin film - Halmenschlager, C.M.; Neagu, R.; Rose, L.; Malfatti, C.F.; Bergmann, C.P. (Materials Research Bulletin, 2013)
This work presents the results of a process of optimization applied to gadolinia-doped ceria (Ce0.8Gd0.2O1.9-x, or CGO) thin films, deposited by spray pyrolysis (SP). Spray pyrolysis is a high thermal deposition method that combines material deposition and heat treatment. This combination is advantageous since the post-deposition heat treatment step is not necessary. However, stresses are solidified in the coating during the deposition, which may lead to the initiation of a crack in the coating. The aim of this work was to achieve thin, dense, and continuous CGO coatings, which may be used as gas separation membranes and as a solid state electrochemical interfaces. Dense, flat, low-defect substrates such as silica slides, silicon mono crystal wafers, and porous substrates were used as substrates in this work. Cerium ammonium nitrate and gadolinium acetylacetonate were dissolved in ethanol and butyl carbitol to form a precursor solution that was sprayed on the heated substrates. Process parameters such as solvent composition, deposition rate and different heating regimes were analyzed. The microstructure was analyzed by secondary electron microscopy (SEM) and was found that thin, dense, and defect-free films could be produced on dense and porous substrates. The results obtained show that it is possible to obtain a CGO dense film deposited by spray pyrolysis. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that the films were crystalline after the deposition without requiring post-deposition heat treatment. The crystallite size does not vary significantly as a function of the annealing temperature. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.
Keywords: A. Ceramics; Acetylacetonates; Ammonium nitrate; Annealing temperatures; Carbitol; Defect-free; Dense films; Doped-ceria; Electrochemical interface; Gadolinia doped ceria; Gas separation membrane; Heated substrates; Heating regimes; High thermal; Material deposition; Mono-crystals; Porous substrates; Postdeposition heat treatment; Precursor solutions; Process parameters; Secondary electron microscopy; Solvent composition; Spray-pyrolysis techniques; Ammonium compounds; Cerium; Cerium compounds; Coatings; Defects; Deposits; Electron microscopy; Ethanol; Gadolinium; Heat treatment; Phase interfaces; Porous silicon; Silica; Silicon wafers; Spray pyrolysis; Substrates; Surface properties; Thin films; Vapor deposition; Gas permeable membranes

Reactions of the phthalimide N-oxyl radical (PINO) with activated phenols: The contribution of π-stacking interactions to hydrogen atom transfer rates - D'Alfonso, C.; Bietti, M.; Dilabio, G.A.; Lanzalunga, O.; Salamone, M. (Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2013)
The kinetics of reactions of the phthalimide N-oxyl radical (PINO) with a series of activated phenols (2,2,5,7,8-pentamethylchroman-6-ol (PMC), 2,6-dimethyl- and 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-substituted phenols) were investigated by laser flash photolysis in CH3CN and PhCl in order to establish if the reactions with PINO can provide a useful tool for evaluating the radical scavenging ability of phenolic antioxidants. On the basis of the small values of deuterium kinetic isotope effects, the relatively high and negative ρ values in the Hammett correlations and the results of theoretical calculations, we suggest that these reactions proceed by a hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) mechanism having a significant degree of charge transfer resulting from a π-stacked conformation between PINO and the aromatic ring of the phenols. Kinetic solvent effects were analyzed in detail for the hydrogen transfer from 2,4,6-trimethylphenol to PINO and the data obtained are in accordance with the Snelgrove-Ingold equation for HAT. Experimental rate constants for the reactions of PINO with activated phenols are in accordance with those predicted by applying the Marcus cross relation. © 2013 American Chemical Society.
Keywords: 2 ,4 ,6-trimethylphenol; Aromatic rings; Degree of Charge Transfer; Deuterium kinetic isotope effect; Hammett correlation; Hydrogen transfer; Hydrogen-atom transfer; Laser flash photolysis; Marcus cross-relations; N-oxyl radicals; Phenolic antioxidant; Phthalimide; Radical scavenging; Solvent effects; Stacking interaction; Theoretical calculations; Charge transfer; Deuterium; Free radical reactions; Hydrogen; Kinetics; Rate constants; Phenols; 2,2,5,7,8 pentamethylchroman 6 ol derivative; 2,6 di tert butyl 4 substituted phenol derivative; 2,6-dimethylphenol derivative; antioxidant; deuterium; hydrogen; phenol derivative; phthalimide derivative; phthalimide n oxyl radical; radical; scavenger; unclassified drug; article; chemical interaction; chemical structure; photolysis; transport kinetics

Numerical and experimental study of tube hydroforming for aerospace applications - Mojarad Farimani, S.; Champliaud, H.; Gholipour, J.; Savoie, J.; Wanjara, P. (Key Engineering Materials, 2013)
In the tube hydroforming (THF) process, a pressurized fluid is used to expand a thin walled tube inside a closed die in order to fill the die cavity. THF has many advantages that render this process interesting for different industries such as automotive and aerospace. In this work, to investigate the effect of different process parameters, such as the friction condition, tube thickness and end-feeding on the final product, THF experiments were performed on stainless steel 321 (SS 321) tubes using a round-to-square die. Experimental loading paths were obtained via the data acquisition system of the hydroforming press, which is fully instrumented. An automated deformation measurement system, Argus®, was used to measure the strains on the hydroformed tubes. The THF process was simulated using Ls-Dyna software. The variation in the strain and thickness measured from the experiments were compared to the simulation results at critical sections. Comparison of the results from the finite element (FE) simulations and experiments showed good agreement, indicating that the approach can be used for predicting the final shape and thickness variations of the hydroformed parts for more complex shapes in aerospace applications. Copyright © 2013 Trans Tech Publications Ltd.
Keywords: Aerospace alloys; Data acquisition system; Deformation measurements; Finite element simulations; Friction conditions; Numerical and experimental study; Thickness variation; Tube hydroforming; Aerospace applications; Experiments; Finite element method; Strain; Tubes (components); Loading

Diffuse surface calibration method to improve accuracy and dynamic range of aerosol elastic light scattering measurements - Crosland, B.M.; Johnson, M.R.; Thomson, K.A. (Applied Physics B: Lasers and Optics, 2013)
A new method to calibrate detectors for elastic light scattering (ELS) measurement based on diffuse scattering from a Lambertian surface is presented. The method produces a calibration signal that is approximately seven orders of magnitude larger than a propane gas Rayleigh scattering calibration. The method also allows for calibration of detectors such as photodiodes, which are not sensitive enough to detect Rayleigh scattering for calibration but possess characteristics desirable for the measurement of soot ELS. Since the method is only suitable for backward scattering calibrations, transfer of calibration data from a backward- to a forward-oriented detector is accomplished with a secondary laser and integrating sphere. In demonstration experiments, calibration constants for photomultiplier tube (PMT) detectors obtained using both Rayleigh scattering and diffuse surface scattering agreed within experimental uncertainties as did measurements of in-flame scattering coefficients obtained with PMTs and photodiodes. However, achievable uncertainties with the diffuse-surface calibration approach were significantly reduced. More importantly, by enabling the use of photodiode detectors in ELS measurements, the new method facilitates operation at higher photon fluxes resulting in improved signal-to-noise ratios, reduced influence of photon shot noise, and the ability to achieve higher dynamic range in transient measurements. © 2013 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada.

Texture analysis of optical coherence tomography speckle for characterizing biological tissues in vivo - Lindenmaier, A.A.; Conroy, L.; Farhat, G.; DaCosta, R.S.; Flueraru, C.; Vitkin, I.A. (Optics Letters, 2013)
We demonstrate a method for differentiating tissue disease states using the intrinsic texture properties of speckle in optical coherence tomography (OCT) images of normal and tumor tissues obtained in vivo. This approach fits a gamma distribution function to the nonlog-compressed OCT image intensities, thus allowing differentiation of normal and tumor tissues in an ME-180 human cervical cancer mouse xenograft model. Quantitative speckle intensity distribution analysis thus shows promise for identifying tissue pathologies, with potential for early cancer detection in vivo. © 2013 Optical Society of America.
Keywords: Cervical cancers; Characterizing biological tissues; Early cancer detection; Gamma distribution function; Intrinsic textures; Speckle intensity; Texture analysis; Tissue pathology; Histology; Speckle; Textures; Tumors; Optical tomography; animal; article; cell transformation; female; human; methodology; mouse; optical coherence tomography; pathology; tumor cell line; uterine cervix tumor; Animals; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Female; Humans; Mice; Tomography, Optical Coherence; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

Effect of cooling rate on iron-rich intermetallic phases in 206 cast alloys - Liu, K.; Cao, X.; Chen, X.-G. (TMS Light Metals, 2013)
The effect of cooling rate on the solidification characteristics of the iron-rich intermetallics in 206 cast alloys with iron contents up to 0.5 wt% was investigated. The iron-rich intermetallics were analyzed and characterized by using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) and Thermal Analysis (TA). It was found that Chinese script α-Fe and platelet β-Fe phases are the two main iron-rich intermetallics up to 0.3 wt% Fe. With increasing cooling rate, the precipitate temperature increases for α-Fe but decreases for β-Fe and eventually the formation of the β-Fe will be completely suppressed. At 0.5 wt% Fe, two extra iron-rich intermetallics, Chinese script Alm(FeMn) and platelet Al 3(FeMn) are experimentally observed. With increasing cooling rate, the Al3(FeMn) or Al6(FeMn) phases that precipitated at relatively low cooling rate can be replaced by Alm(FeMn) and α-Fe. The critical cooling rate to effectively suppress the formation of the platelet β-Fe and obtain dominant Chinese script α-Fe or Al m(FeMn) decreases with increasing iron level.
Keywords: Cast alloys; Cooling rates; Critical cooling rate; Differential scanning calorimeters; Intermetallic phase; Intermetallic phasis; Solidification characteristics; Temperature increase; Aluminum; Cast iron; Cerium alloys; Cooling; Copper alloys; Differential scanning calorimetry; Exhibitions; Iron; Iron alloys; Platelets; Scanning electron microscopy; Solidification; Thermoanalysis; Intermetallics

Reporting performance in organic photovoltaic devices - Luber, E.J.; Buriak, J.M. (ACS Nano, 2013)
Research into organic photovoltaics (OPVs) is rapidly growing worldwide because it offers a route to low temperature, inexpensive processing of lightweight, flexible solar cells that can be mass manufactured cheaply. Unlike silicon or other inorganic semiconductors (e.g., CdTe, CIGs), OPVs are complicated by the requirement of having multiple materials and layers that must be integrated to enable the cell to function. The enormous number of research hours required to optimize all aspects of OPVs and to integrate them successfully is typically boiled down to one number-the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the device. The PCE is the value by which comparisons are routinely made when modifications are made to devices; new bulk heterojunction materials, electron- and hole-transport layers, electrodes, plasmonic additives, and many other new advances are incorporated into OPV devices and compared with one, or a series of, control device(s). The concern relates to the statistical significance of this all-important efficiency/PCE value: is the observed change or improvement in performance truly greater than experimental error? If it is not, then the field can and will be misled by improper reporting of efficiencies, and future research in OPVs could be frustrated and, ultimately, irreversibly damaged. In this Perspective, the dangers of, for instance, cherry-picking of data and poor descriptions of experimental procedures, are outlined, followed by a discussion of a real data set of OPV devices, and how a simple and easy statistical treatment can help to distinguish between results that are indistinguishable experimentally, and those that do appear to be different. © 2013 American Chemical Society.
Keywords: Experimental procedure; Hole transport layers; Inorganic semiconductors; Organic photovoltaic devices; Organic photovoltaics; Power conversion efficiencies; Statistical significance; Statistical treatment; Heterojunctions; Research

Commercial considerations for immunoproteomics - Ferguson, S.M. (Methods in Molecular Biology, 2013)
The underlying drivers of scientific processes have been rapidly evolving, but the ever-present need for research funding is typically foremost amongst these. Successful laboratories are embracing this reality by making certain that their projects have commercial value right from the beginning of the project conception. Which factors to be considered for commercial success need to be well thought out and incorporated into a project plan with similar levels of detail as would be the technical elements. Specific examples of commercial outcomes in the field of Immunoproteomics are exemplified in this discussion. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.
Keywords: article; commercial phenomena; immunoproteomics; outcome assessment; priority journal; proteomics; technology

Nuciferine prevents hepatic steatosis and injury induced by a high-fat diet in hamsters - Guo, F.; Yang, X.; Li, X.; Feng, R.; Guan, C.; Wang, Y.; Li, Y.; Sun, C. (PLoS ONE, 2013)
Background:Nuciferine is a major active aporphine alkaloid from the leaves of N. nucifera Gaertn that possesses anti-hyperlipidemia, anti-hypotensive, anti-arrhythmic, and insulin secretagogue activities. However, it is currently unknown whether nuciferine can benefit hepatic lipid metabolism.Methodology/Principal Findings:In the current study, male golden hamsters were randomly divided into four groups fed a normal diet, a high-fat diet (HFD), or a HFD supplemented with nuciferine (10 and 15 mg/kg·BW/day). After 8 weeks of intervention, HFD-induced increases in liver and visceral adipose tissue weight, dyslipidemia, liver steatosis, and mild necroinflammation in hamsters were analyzed. Nuciferine supplementation protected against HFD-induced changes, alleviated necroinflammation, and reversed serum markers of metabolic syndrome in hamsters fed a HFD. RT-PCR and western blot analyses revealed that hamsters fed a HFD had up-regulated levels of genes related to lipogenesis, increased free fatty acid infiltration, and down-regulated genes involved in lipolysis and very low density lipoprotein secretion. In addition, gene expression of cytochrome P4502E1 and tumor necrosis factor-α were also increased in the HFD group. Nuciferine supplementation clearly suppressed HFD-induced alterations in the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism.Conclusions/Significance:Nuciferine supplementation ameliorated HFD-induced dyslipidemia as well as liver steatosis and injury. The beneficial effects of nuciferine were associated with altered expression of hepatic genes involved in lipid metabolism. © 2013 Guo et al.
Keywords: aporphine derivative; cholesterol; cytochrome P450 2E1; fatty acid; high density lipoprotein cholesterol; low density lipoprotein cholesterol; nuciferine; triacylglycerol; tumor necrosis factor alpha; unclassified drug; very low density lipoprotein; adipose tissue; animal experiment; animal model; animal tissue; article; body weight; caloric intake; controlled study; down regulation; drug effect; dyslipidemia; fatty liver; food intake; gene expression; hamster; lipid diet; lipogenesis; lipolysis; liver injury; liver weight; male; metabolic syndrome X; nonhuman; protein secretion; reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction; supplementation; upregulation; Western blotting

The rich globular cluster system of Abell 1689 and the radial dependence of the globular cluster formation efficiency - Alamo-Martínez, K.A.; Blakeslee, J.P.; Jee, M.J.; Côté, P.; Ferrarese, L.; González-Lópezlira, R.A.; Jordán, A.; Meurer, G.R.; Peng, E.W.; West, M.J. (The Astrophysical Journal, 2013)
We study the rich globular cluster (GC) system in the center of the massive cluster of galaxies Abell 1689 (z = 0.18), one of the most powerful gravitational lenses known. With 28 Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys orbits in the F814W bandpass, we reach a magnitude I 814 = 29 with ≳90% completeness and sample the brightest ∼5% of the GC system. Assuming the well-known Gaussian form of the GC luminosity function (GCLF), we estimate a total population of GCs within a projected radius of 400 kpc. As many as half of the GCs may comprise an intracluster component. Even with the sizable uncertainties, which mainly result from the uncertain GCLF parameters, this system is by far the largest GC population studied to date. The specific frequency SN is high, but not uncommon for central galaxies in massive clusters, rising from SN ≈ 5 near the center to ∼12 at large radii. Passive galaxy fading would increase SN by ∼20% at z = 0. We construct the radial mass profiles of the GCs, stars, intracluster gas, and lensing-derived total mass, and we compare the mass fractions as a function of radius. The estimated mass in GCs, = 3.9 × 1010 Mȯ, is comparable to ∼80% of the total stellar mass of the Milky Way. The shape of the GC mass profile appears intermediate between those of the stellar light and total cluster mass. Despite the extreme nature of this system, the ratios of the GC mass to the baryonic and total masses, and thus the GC formation efficiency, are typical of those in other rich clusters when comparing at the same physical radii. The GC formation efficiency is not constant, but varies with radius, in a manner that appears similar for different clusters; we speculate on the reasons for this similarity in profile. © 2013. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved..

A comparison of microstructural strengthening for thermal creep and radiation damage resistance of titanium aluminide alloys - Zhu, H.; Wei, T.; Carr, D.; Harrison, R.; Edwards, L.; Seo, D.; Maruyama, K. (Journal of Nuclear Materials, 2013)

Toward a mechanistic understanding of ionic self-complementary peptide self-assembly: Role of water molecules and ions - Kabiri, M.; Bushnak, I.; McDermot, M.T.; Unsworth, L.D. (Biomacromolecules, 2013)
Ionic self-complementary peptides are considered an important class of self-assembling peptides. In particular, RADARADARADARADA (RADA4) is well-known to form a relatively regular nanofiber structure that has been primarily studied in terms of its physicochemical properties, as related to its biomedical applications. However, the molecular level interactions that are involved in promoting the self-assembly of this peptide into nanofibers have not been fully elucidated. Herein, a thermodynamic analysis of the influences of peptide chemistry upon self-assembly is discussed for RADA4, RADA4-K5, and RADA4-S5. The regular nanofiber structure of the assembled peptides makes it a good candidate for isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) studies for determining the propensity for self-assembly, the critical assembly concentration (CAC), and the role hydration and ion content play in the assembly of these peptides. First, solutions containing only RADA4-K5 did not self-assemble; illustrating even slight alterations in the asymmetric terminal amino acid chemistry affects assembly. The CAC of the remaining self-assembling peptides was between ∼0.1 and ∼0.15 mM. Interestingly, we found that self-assembly was entropically driven with hydrophobic forces being the main driving force for RADA4 and hydrogen bonding for RADA 4-S5. The role of water molecules and counterions in self-assembly was also highlighted: assembly of RADA4 led to desolvation of interfacial surfaces, whereas the net number of water molecules in the assembled complex increased upon RADA4-S5 self-assembly. Moreover, it was found that counterions did not seem to contribute significantly to self-assembly: a result in contrast to current concepts regarding the role of electrostatic interactions in self-assembly of RADA4-like peptides. A molecular level understanding of peptide self-assembly will allow for further engineering of peptides for a vast array of biomedical applications. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Immunoproteomics: Current technology and applications - Fulton, K.M.; Twine, S.M. (Methods in Molecular Biology, 2013)
The varied landscape of the adaptive immune response is determined by the peptides presented by immune cells, derived from viral or microbial pathogens or cancerous cells. The study of immune biomarkers or antigens is not new and classical methods such as agglutination, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, or Western blotting have been used for many years to study the immune response to vaccination or disease. However, in many of these traditional techniques, protein or peptide identification has often been the bottleneck. Recent advances in genomics and proteomics, has led to many of the rapid advances in proteomics approaches. Immunoproteomics describes a rapidly growing collection of approaches that have the common goal of identifying and measuring antigenic peptides or proteins. This includes gel based, array based, mass spectrometry, DNA based, or in silico approaches. Immunoproteomics is yielding an understanding of disease and disease progression, vaccine candidates, and biomarkers. This review gives an overview of immunoproteomics and closely related technologies that are used to define the full set of antigens targeted by the immune system during disease. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.
Keywords: antigen; biological marker; cytokine; epitope; proteome; adaptive immunity; antigen antibody complex; antigen presenting cell; article; B lymphocyte; binding affinity; bioinformatics; cell surface; cytokine release; enzyme linked immunosorbent assay; human; humoral immunity; immune response; immunogenicity; immunoproteomics; major histocompatibility complex; matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry; nonhuman; peptide synthesis; polymerase chain reaction; priority journal; protein analysis; protein expression; protein processing; proteomics; T lymphocyte

Identity verification based on handwritten signatures with haptic information using genetic programming - Alsulaiman, Fawaz A.; Sakr, Nizar; Valdes, Julio J.; El Saddik, Abdulmotaleb (ACM Transactions on Multimedia Computing, Communications and Applications, 2013)
In this article, haptic-based handwritten signature verification using Genetic Programming (GP) classification is presented. A comparison of GP-based classification with classical classifiers including support vector machine, k-nearest neighbors, naive Bayes, and random forest is conducted. In addition, the use of GP in discovering small knowledge-preserving subsets of features in high-dimensional datasets of haptic-based signatures is investigated and several approaches are explored. Subsets of features extracted from GP-generated models (analytic functions) are also exploited to determine the importance and relevance of different haptic data types (e.g., force, position, torque, and orientation) in user identity verification. The results revealed that GP classifiers compare favorably with the classical methods and use a much fewer number of attributes (with simple function sets).
Keywords: Haptics; Biometrics; Genetic Programming; user verification; classification

Hypocholesterolemic and hypotensive effects of a fruit-based functional beverage in spontaneously hypertensive rats fed with cholesterol-rich diet - Gunathilake, K.D.P.P.; Wang, Y.; Rupasinghe, H.P.V. (Journal of Functional Foods, 2013)
This study was designed to evaluate a polyphenols-rich fruit-based functional beverage on blood pressure, serum and liver lipid profiles in vivo. Sixty spontaneously hypertensive rats were divided into five groups and were fed with a AIN-93G-diet as the normal control (NC), high cholesterol diet as atherogenic control (AC), and the AC diet with three different beverage dosages (0.5. X, 1. X, 2. X), where X is the equivalence of two portion sizes for an adult (X = 10. mL/kg. BW/day) after dose translation. Blood pressure was measured during weeks 2 and 4 using a tail-cuff method. Systolic blood pressures were lowered by the beverage at the supplementation of 1. X/2. X after 2. week but not after 4. week. The oral administration of the beverage at 1. X/2. X significantly lowered liver cholesterol and total and non-HDL-cholesterol levels in the serum. Thus, the newly formulated beverage possessed hypolipidaemic effects while showing inconsistent effect in lowering the blood pressure. © 2013 The Authors.
Keywords: Rattus

Correlated turbulence modelling: An advancing Fourier series method - Wall, A.S.; Zan, S.J.; Langlois, R.G.; Afagh, F.F. (Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, 2013)
The simulation of correlated non-uniform flowfields in the time domain is required for the study of many time-dependent aeroelastic phenomena. A novel method for achieving representative spatially- and temporally-correlated flow simulation for a moving point in space, such as a point on a helicopter rotor, is discussed herein. This method uses the Fourier series to take frequency-domain information and from it reconstructs a time-domain velocity signal. It differs, however, from the traditional application in that the coefficients and phase angles for the Fourier components are modified at each time step to accommodate changing flowfield characteristics and achieve the correct correlations between one point in space and the next. This method is named the advancing Fourier series method. This paper covers the specifics of the method, including its advantages and disadvantages relative to other correlated flow modelling techniques. © 2013.
Keywords: Aeroelastic phenomenon; Auto-spectra; Correlated flow; Correlations; Cross spectra; Fourier components; Fourier series method; Frequency domains; Flow fields; Fourier series; Time domain analysis

Enrichment and characterization of glycopeptide epitopes from complex mixtures - Tessier, L.; Fulton, K.M.; Twine, S.M. (Methods in Molecular Biology, 2013)
Antigen posttranslational modifications, including glycosylation, are recognized by the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system. Analytical approaches, including mass spectrometry and allied techniques, have allowed advances in the enrichment and identification of glyco-antigens, particularly T-cell epitopes. Similarly, major advances have been made in the identification, isolation, and detailed characterization of prokaryotic and eukaryotic glycoproteins and glycopeptides. In particular, peptide centric approaches are now capable of enriching low level glycopeptides from highly complex peptide mixtures. Similarly, advanced mass spectrometry methods allow identification of glycopeptides, characterization of glycans, and mapping of modification sites. Herein, we describe methods developed in our laboratory for the broad study of glycopeptides and illustrate how these approaches can be exploited to further our understanding of the identity and nature of glycopeptide epitopes in various diseases or auto immune disorders. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.
Keywords: epitope; glycan; glycopeptide; glycoprotein; adaptive immunity; article; autoimmune disease; complex formation; electron transport; glycosylation; high performance liquid chromatography; immune system; innate immunity; mass spectrometry; priority journal; protein analysis; protein processing; tandem mass spectrometry

Structure and biosynthetic locus of the lipopolysaccharide outer core produced by Pasteurella multocida serovars 8 and 13 and the identification of a novel phospho-glycero moiety - Harper, M.; Michael, F.S.; Vinogradov, E.; John, M.; Steen, J.A.; Van Dorsten, L.; Boyce, J.D.; Adler, B.; Cox, A.D. (Glycobiology, 2013)
Pasteurella multocida strains are classified into 16 Heddleston serovars on the basis of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) antigens expressed on the surface of the bacteria. The LPS structure and the corresponding LPS outer core biosynthesis loci of strains belonging to serovars 1, 2, 3, 5, 9 and 14 have been characterized, revealing a clear structural basis for serovar classification. However, several of these serovars are genetically related, sharing the same LPS outer core biosynthesis locus, but producing different LPS molecules as a result of mutations within LPS assembly genes. In this article, we report that the P. multocida type strains belonging to serovars 8 and 13 share the same LPS outer core biosynthesis locus and produce structurally related LPS molecules. Structural analysis of the serovar 8 LPS revealed an inner core that is conserved among P. multocida strains and the following outer core structure: X-(1-6)-(1S)GalaNAC-(1-4-6)-α-Gal-(1-3)-β-Gal(PEtn)- (1-4)-L,D-α-Hep-(1-6) where X is a unique phospho-glycero moiety, 1-((4- aminobutyl)amino)-3-hydroxy-1-oxopropan-2-yl hydrogen phosphate, attached to the sixth position of (1S)GalaNAc. For serovar 13, the LPS structure is the same except for the absence of the terminal phospho-glycero moiety. Analysis of the common outer core biosynthesis locus from the serovar 8 and 13 type strains identified three genes that we predict are involved in the biosynthesis of this terminal moiety. Furthermore, bioinformatic comparisons with the characterized LPS outer core glycosyltransferases from Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serovar 1, strain 4074, allowed us to assign a function for each of the glycosyltransferases encoded within the serovar 8/13 LPS outer core biosynthesis locus. © The Author 2012.
Keywords: lipopolysaccharide; article; bacterial growth; bacterial strain; biosynthesis; chemical composition; chemical structure; genetic analysis; nonhuman; nucleotide sequence; Pasteurella multocida; priority journal; serotype; Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae; Carbohydrate Conformation; Carbohydrate Sequence; Genes, Bacterial; Genetic Loci; Glycosyltransferases; Lipopolysaccharides; Pasteurella multocida; Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serovar 1; Pasteurella multocida

High-yield soluble expression and simple purification of the antimicrobial peptide OG2 using the intein system in Escherichia coli - Xie, Y.-G.; Han, F.-F.; Luan, C.; Zhang, H.-W.; Feng, J.; Choi, Y.-J.; Groleau, D.; Wang, Y.-Z. (BioMed Research International, 2013)
OG2 is a modified antimicrobial peptide, that is, derived from the frog peptide Palustrin-OG1. It has high antimicrobial activity and low cytotoxicity, and it is therefore promising as a therapeutic agent. Both prokaryotic (Escherichia coli) and eukaryotic (Pichia pastoris) production host systems were used to produce OG2 in our previous study; however, it was difficult to achieve high expression yields and efficient purification. In this study, we achieved high-yield OG2 expression using the intein fusion system. The optimized OG2 gene was cloned into the pTWIN1 vector to generate pTWIN-OG2-intein2 (C-terminal fusion vector) and pTWIN-intein1-OG2 (N-terminal fusion vector). Nearly 70% of the expressed OG2-intein2 was soluble after the IPTG concentration and induction temperature were decreased, whereas only 42% of the expressed of intein1-OG2 was soluble. Up to 75 mg of OG2-intein2 was obtained from a 1 l culture, and 85% of the protein was cleaved by 100 mM DTT. Intein1-OG2 was less amenable to cleavage due to the inhibition of cleavage by the N-terminal amino acid of OG2. The purified OG2 exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against E. coli K88. The intein system is the best currently available system for the cost-effective production of OG2. © 2013 Yong-Gang Xie et al.
Keywords: bacterial protein; intein; og 2 protein; polypeptide antibiotic agent; unclassified drug; antimicrobial activity; article; Escherichia coli; molecular cloning; nonhuman; protein expression; protein purification

Synthesis of novel mesoporous carbon spheres and their supported Fe-based electrocatalysts for PEM fuel cell oxygen reduction reaction - Zhang, L.; Kim, J.; Dy, E.; Ban, S.; Tsay, K.-C.; Kawai, H.; Shi, Z.; Zhang, J. (Electrochimica Acta, 2013)
Mesoporous carbon spheres (MPCs) are synthesized using a template assisted ultrasonic spray pyrolysistechnique and explored as the support materials for non-noble metal electrocatalysts intended to beused for PEM fuel cell oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). TEM images show that MPCs synthesized are thehoneycomb-like carbon spheres with uniform nanosized pores. MPC's surface area thermal stability andaffinity to catalyst are improved by a second heat treatment and an acidic treatment confirmed by BET TGA and electrochemical measurements respectively. The synthesized Fe-Nxcatalyst with MPC supportshows an improved ORR activity when compared to the catalyst supported by commercially available Black Pearl 2000. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Keywords: Acid treatments; Acidic treatment; Electrochemical measurements; Mesoporous carbon; Oxygen reduction reaction; Support materials; Ultrasonic spray; Ultrasonic spray pyrolysis; Carbon; Electrocatalysts; Electrolytic reduction; Model predictive control; Precious metals; Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC); Spheres; Spray pyrolysis; Mesoporous materials

The comparative chemical evolution of an isolated dwarf galaxy: A vlt and keck spectroscopic survey of wlm - Leaman, R.; Venn, K.A.; Brooks, A.M.; Battaglia, G.; Cole, A.A.; Ibata, R.A.; Irwin, M.J.; McConnachie, A.W.; Mendel, J.T.; Starkenburg, E.; Tolstoy, E. (The Astrophysical Journal, 2013)
Building on our previous spectroscopic and photometric analysis of the isolated Local Group dwarf irregular (dIrr) galaxy WLM, we present a comparison of the metallicities of its red giant branch stars with respect to the well-studied Local Group dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) and Magellanic Clouds. We calculate a mean metallicity of [Fe/H] =-1.28 ± 0.02 and an intrinsic spread in metallicity of σ = 0.38 ± 0.04 dex, similar to the mean and spread observed in the massive dSph Fornax and the Small Magellanic Cloud. Thus, despite WLM's isolated environment, its global metallicity still follows expectations for mass and its global chemical evolution is similar to other nearby luminous dwarf galaxies (gas-rich or gas-poor). The data also show a radial gradient in [Fe/H] of d[Fe/H]/drc = -0.04 ± 0.04 dex , which is flatter than that seen in the unbiased and spatially extended surveys of dSphs. Comparison of the spatial distribution of [Fe/H] in WLM, the Magellanic Clouds, and a sample of Local Group dSphs shows an apparent dichotomy in the sense that the dIrrs have statistically flatter radial [Fe/H] gradients than the low angular momentum dSphs. The correlation between angular momentum and radial metallicity gradient is further supported when considering the Local Group dEs. This chemodynamic relationship offers a new and useful constraint for environment-driven dwarf galaxy evolution models in the Local Group. © 2013. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved..

Microstructure and tribological properties of solution-treated Tribaloy alloy - Jiang, K.; Liu, R.; Chen, K.; Liang, M. (Wear, 2013)
A novel Tribaloy alloy, designated as T-400C9, has been developed for enhanced high-temperature oxidation resistance. This new alloy has been used as surface coating for environmental protection. One of the popular coating techniques, slurry coating, which is applied on T-400C, includes a sintering process at the temperature of solution treatment. This article presents a study of the influence of solution treatment on the microstructure and tribological properties of T-400C. The wear test is conducted on a temperature-controlled pin-on-disc tribometer at room temperature and elevated temperatures. The SEM/EDX analysis reveals that this treatment process promotes Laves phase precipitates within the solid solution matrix of this alloy. The sliding wear test demonstrates that the Laves phase precipitates enhance the wear resistance of this alloy. At high temperatures material oxidation affects the wear behavior of this alloy significantly. The worn surfaces are analyzed using SEM/EDX to help investigate the wear mechanisms of T-400C at high temperatures. © 2013 .
Keywords: Elevated temperature; Laves-phase; Pin on disc tribometer; Sliding wear tests; Solid solution matrices; Solution treatments; Tribaloy alloy; Tribological properties; Alloys; Coatings; Microstructure; Sintering; Solid solutions; Temperature; Tribology; Wear of materials; Cerium alloys

Unraveling the Rhizosphere using the cpn 60 genomic marker and pyrosequencing - Lazarovits, George; Turnbull, Amy L.; Haug, Brenda; Links, Matthew G.; Hill, Janet E.; Hemmingsen, Sean M. (Molecular Microbial Ecology of the Rhizosphere, 2013)
The microbial communities of two distinct soils and of the rhizosphere, tuber-associated soil, and washed roots of potato plants grown in each soil were profiled by cpn60 gene-targeted metagenomics. DNA samples extracted from these sources were used as templates for PCR amplification of the cpn60 universal target regions present in each metagenomic sample. The cpn60 amplicons were analyzed by pyrosequencing. The 914,932 sequence reads obtained were aligned and assembled into unique cpn60 nucleotide sequences in an autonomous process that did not refer to a database of known cpn60 sequences. This process identified 27,222 unique nucleotide sequences, corresponding to 21,396 unique peptide sequences. The closest matches for each of these sequences in a database of cpn60 sequences, cpnDB, were determined. Bulk soil microbial richness [i.e., total number of unique operational taxonomic units (OTU)] was much greater than that of the plant-associated samples, as expected. The richness of the microbial communities associated with the plant samples ranged from 13% to 44% of that of the bulk soil in which it was grown. When only distinct peptide sequences derived from the nucleotide sequence OTU) were included, the apparent richness was reduced for all samples. If only OTU with higher relative abundances in the plant-associated sample than those in the bulk soil were considered, the apparent richness of the plant-associated microbial communities was significantly reduced. Clustering analysis identified OTU with distributions among the samples that strongly suggested a functional relationship with the plant. Classification of the reads observed in each sample the taxonomic level of bacterial Order revealed major differences between bulk soil and plant-associated communities. The distributions of a small number of OTU between samples suggest that these organisms had privileged relationships with the plant.
Keywords: Potato; rhizosphere; pyrosequencing; bacteria; fungi; Rhizobium

Assessment of an experimental setup for high speed grinding using vitrified CBN wheels - Shi, Z.; Agapiou, J.S.; Attia, H. (International Journal of Abrasive Technology, 2013)
This paper is concerned with the assessment of an experimental setup for grinding experiments with a top wheel speed of 250 m/s. Among other considerations, high speed grinding is widely considered as a way for enhancing material removal rates by utilising large depths of cut and/or high workspeeds. Performing high speed grinding operations, however, presents challenges to the setup due to the high wheel speeds involved. An experimental setup was established in this study for high speed grinding of hardened nodular cast iron and steel using vitrified CBN wheels. This setup was assessed prior to grinding for wheel balancing and guarding, wheel core expansion and temperature rise, grinding fluid delivery, and idle power consumptions. It was found that high speed wheel rotations caused wheel expansion and temperature rise. A significant portion of the total power was consumed on actions other than material removals. The preliminary grinding tests indicated that the setup met the requirements for high speed grinding in general. Copyright © 2013 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.
Keywords: Grinding power; High speed grinding; HSG; Run outs; Vitrified CBN; Expansion; Grinding wheels; Nodular iron; Grinding (machining)

Friction stir welded AZ31 magnesium alloy: Microstructure, texture, and tensile properties - Chowdhury, S.H.; Chen, D.L.; Bhole, S.D.; Cao, X.; Wanjara, P. (Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A: Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science, 2013)
This study was aimed at characterizing the microstructure, texture and tensile properties of a friction stir welded AZ31B-H24 Mg alloy with varying tool rotational rates and welding speeds. Friction stir welding (FSW) resulted in the presence of recrystallized grains and the relevant drop in hardness in the stir zone (SZ). The base alloy contained a strong crystallographic texture with basal planes (0002) largely parallel to the rolling sheet surface and 1120 directions aligned in the rolling direction (RD). After FSW the basal planes in the SZ were slightly tilted toward the TD determined from the sheet normal direction (or top surface) and also slightly inclined toward the RD determined from the transverse direction (or cross section) due to the intense shear plastic flow near the pin surface. The prismatic planes (1010) and pyramidal planes (1011) formed fiber textures. After FSW both the strength and ductility of the AZ31B-H24 Mg alloy decreased with a joint efficiency in-between about 75 and 82 pct due to the changes in both grain structure and texture, which also weakened the strain rate dependence of tensile properties. The welding speed and rotational rate exhibited a stronger effect on the YS than the UTS. Despite the lower ductility, strain-hardening exponent and hardening capacity, a higher YS was obtained at a higher welding speed and lower rotational rate mainly due to the smaller recrystallized grains in the SZ arising from the lower heat input. © 2012 The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society and ASM International.
Keywords: AZ31 magnesium alloy; Basal planes; Base alloys; Crystallographic textures; Fiber texture; Friction stir; Hardening capacities; Heat input; Mg alloy; Normal direction; Prismatic planes; Pyramidal planes; Recrystallized grains; Rolling direction; Rolling sheet; Rotational rates; Stir zones; Strain rate dependence; Strain-hardening exponent; Top surface; Transverse directions; Welding speed; Alloys; Ductility; Magnesium alloys; Recrystallization (metallurgy); Textures; Welding; Friction stir welding

Assessing the performance of commercial and biological gas hydrate inhibitors using nuclear magnetic resonance microscopy and a stirred autoclave - Daraboina, N.; Moudrakovski, I.L.; Ripmeester, J.A.; Walker, V.K.; Englezos, P. (Fuel, 2013)
The formation kinetics of methane/ethane/propane hydrate in the presence of kinetic inhibitors was investigated using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as well as a more-traditional method using a stirred autoclave. These studies were facilitated by fabricating a multi-drop insert for 1H NMR micro-imaging, which allowed the comparison of the performance of microliter quantities of several inhibitors simultaneously and under the same conditions. Both methods showed that hydrate nucleation and growth were delayed significantly in the presence of inhibitors, which included two biological inhibitors (antifreeze proteins) and a commercial inhibitor. The results demonstrate that MRI is a useful tool for the visualization and evaluation of the performance of kinetic inhibitors on mixed gas hydrate formation. The MRI technique should prove especially valuable in the case of analysis of potential inhibitors, pre-commercialization, which are available in only limited quantities, such as biological inhibitors. This technique may also find utility in the exploration of differences in inhibitor performance, which may suggest distinct mechanisms of inhibitor action.
Keywords: Antifreeze protein; Formation kinetics; Hydrate inhibitors; Hydrate nucleation; Inhibitor performance; Kinetic inhibitor; Magnetic resonance microscopy; Micro-imaging; Microliters; Potential inhibitors; Biogas; Hydrates; Kinetics; Magnetic resonance imaging; Pressure vessels; Hydration

Bidding specification language and winner determination for Grid computing scheduling - Aburukba, R.O.; Ghenniwa, H.; Shen, W. (Proceedings of the 2013 IEEE 17th International Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work in Design, CSCWD 2013, 2013)
In the Grid computing environment, computation, services, and storage belong to different organizations or individuals with different objectives. Entities in this domain are autonomous and self-interested; however, they are willingly to share their resources to achieve their individual and collective goals. In such open environment, the scheduling decision is a challenge given the decentralized nature of the environment. Each entity has specific requirements that need to achieve. This work analysis the environment structure for the Grid, proposes a bidding language that is expressive and a winner determination algorithm that is adequate for the Grid computing environment. © 2013 IEEE.
Keywords: Bidding languages; Grid/Cloud computing; Resource-scheduling; Winner determination; Winner determination algorithm; Interactive computer systems; Scheduling; Specification languages; Surface measurement; Grid computing

Nanoformulation of paclitaxel to enhance cancer therapy - Gu, Q.; Xing, J.Z.; Huang, M.; Zhang, X.; Chen, J. (Journal of Biomaterials Applications, 2013)
Paclitaxel is a microtubule inhibitor causing mitotic arrest and is widely used in cancer chemotherapy. However, its poor water solubility restricts its direct clinical applications. In this article, we report paclitaxel-loaded nanoparticles that are water soluble and that can improve the drug's bio-distribution and therapeutic efficacy. Paclitaxel-loaded nanoparticles were synthesized by using Pluronic copolymers (F-68 and P-123) and surfactant (Span 40) as nanocarrier. The toxicity and cellular uptake of paclitaxel-loaded nanoparticles were evaluated. The paclitaxel-loaded nanoparticles can completely disperse into phosphate buffer saline to produce a clear aqueous suspension. Based on HPLC analysis, the drug-loading rate is 9.0 ± 0.1% while drug encapsulation efficiency is 99.0 ± 1.0%. The cytotoxicity assay was performed using breast cancer MCF-7 and cervical cancer Hela cells. For MCF-7 cells, the half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of paclitaxel-loaded nanoparticles and paclitaxel are 8.5 ± 0.3 and 14.0 ± 0.7 ng/mL at 48 hours and 3.5 ± 0.4 and 5.2 ± 0.5 ng/mL at 72 hours across several runs. IC50 of paclitaxel-loaded nanoparticles and paclitaxel for Hela cells are 5.0 ± 0.3 and 8.0 ± 0.3 ng/mL at 48 hours and 2.0 ± 0.1 and 6.5 ± 0.3 ng/mL at 72 hours. In-vitro studies show that the drug's nanoformulation gives obvious enhancements in the drug's efficiency at killing cancer cells over paclitaxel alone. Materials of the nanocarrier used for nanoformulation are approved with low toxicity according to the result of cell studies. Conclusion: paclitaxel-loaded nanoparticles greatly improved the physicochemical properties of paclitaxel without modifying its chemical structure, allowing for deep-site cancer drug delivery and enhancing the drug therapeutic efficiency. © 2012 The Author(s).
Keywords: Cancer Chemotherapy; Nanoformulation; Paclitaxel; Pluronic copolymers; water-soluble; Chemotherapy; Copolymers; Diseases; Drug delivery; Enzyme inhibition; Loading; Nanoparticles; Synthesis (chemical); Toxicity; Hydrogels; nanocarrier; paclitaxel; phosphate buffered saline; poloxamer; sorbitan palmitate; antineoplastic activity; aqueous solution; article; cancer cell culture; cancer therapy; cell killing; cell strain MCF 7; cell viability; controlled study; cytotoxicity; drug delivery system; drug distribution; drug efficacy; drug formulation; drug solubility; drug structure; drug uptake; HeLa cell; high performance liquid chromatography; IC 50; in vitro study; nanoencapsulation; nanopharmaceutics; nanotoxicology; particle size; physical chemistry; proton nuclear magnetic resonance; scanning electron microscopy; toxicity testing; transmission electron microscopy

A study of transition-metal organometallic complexes combining 35Cl solid-state NMR spectroscopy and 35Cl NQR spectroscopy and first-principles DFT calculations - Johnston, K.E.; O'Keefe, C.A.; Gauvin, R.M.; Trébosc, J.; Delevoye, L.; Amoureux, J.-P.; Popoff, N.; Taoufik, M.; Oudatchin, K.; Schurko, R.W. (Chemistry - A European Journal, 2013)
A series of transition-metal organometallic complexes with commonly occurring metal-chlorine bonding motifs were characterized using 35Cl solid-state NMR (SSNMR) spectroscopy, 35Cl nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) spectroscopy, and first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations of NMR interaction tensors. Static 35Cl ultra-wideline NMR spectra were acquired in a piecewise manner at standard (9.4 T) and high (21.1 T) magnetic field strengths using the WURST-QCPMG pulse sequence. The 35Cl electric field gradient (EFG) and chemical shielding (CS) tensor parameters were readily extracted from analytical simulations of the spectra; in particular, the quadrupolar parameters are shown to be very sensitive to structural differences, and can easily differentiate between chlorine atoms in bridging and terminal bonding environments. 35Cl NQR spectra were acquired for many of the complexes, which aided in resolving structurally similar, yet crystallographically distinct and magnetically inequivalent chlorine sites, and with the interpretation and assignment of 35Cl SSNMR spectra. 35Cl EFG tensors obtained from first-principles DFT calculations are consistently in good agreement with experiment, highlighting the importance of using a combined approach of theoretical and experimental methods for structural characterization. Finally, a preliminary example of a 35Cl SSNMR spectrum of a transition-metal species (TiCl4) diluted and supported on non-porous silica is presented. The combination of 35Cl SSNMR and 35Cl NQR spectroscopy and DFT calculations is shown to be a promising and simple methodology for the characterization of all manner of chlorine-containing transition-metal complexes, in pure, impure bulk and supported forms. Fast and furious: A series of transition-metal organometallic complexes with commonly occurring metal-chlorine bonding motifs were characterized using a combination of 35Cl solid-state NMR (SSNMR) spectroscopy, 35Cl nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) spectroscopy and first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Static 35Cl ultra-wideline NMR spectra were rapidly acquired in a piecewise manner at high magnetic field strengths. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
Keywords: Electric field gradients; First principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations; First-principles DFT calculations; Organo-metallic complexes; Solid-state NMR spectroscopy; Structural characterization; Structure determination; Transition-metal complex; Calculations; Chemical analysis; Chemical bonds; Chlorine; Density functional theory; Electric fields; Magnetic fields; Metal complexes; Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; Nuclear quadrupole resonance; Organometallics; Solid state physics; Tensors; Transition metals; Chlorine compounds

Simulation studies of the Cl- + CH3I SN2 nucleophilic substitution reaction: Comparison with ion imaging experiments - Zhang, J.; Lourderaj, U.; Sun, R.; Mikosch, J.; Wester, R.; Hase, W.L. (Journal of Chemical Physics, 2013)
In the previous work of Mikosch Science 319, 183 (2008)10.1126/science. 1150238, ion imaging experiments were used to study the Cl- CH 3I → ClCH3 I- reaction at collision energies Erel of 0.39, 0.76, 1.07, and 1.9 eV. For the work reported here MP2(fc)ECPd direct dynamics simulations were performed to obtain an atomistic understanding of the experiments. There is good agreement with the experimental product energy and scattering angle distributions for the highest three Erel, and at these energies 80 or more of the reaction is direct, primarily occurring by a rebound mechanism with backward scattering. At 0.76 eV there is a small indirect component, with isotropic scattering, involving formation of the pre- and post-reaction complexes. All of the reaction is direct at 1.07 eV. Increasing Erel to 1.9 eV opens up a new indirect pathway, the roundabout mechanism. The product energy is primarily partitioned into relative translation for the direct reactions, but to CH 3Cl internal energy for the indirect reactions. The roundabout mechanism transfers substantial energy to CH3Cl rotation. At E rel 0.39 eV both the experimental product energy partitioning and scattering are statistical, suggesting the reaction is primarily indirect with formation of the pre- and post-reaction complexes. However, neither MP2 nor BhandHECPd simulations agree with experiment and, instead, give reaction dominated by direct processes as found for the higher collision energies. Decreasing the simulation Erel to 0.20 eV results in product energy partitioning and scattering which agree with the 0.39 eV experiment. The sharp transition from a dominant direct to indirect reaction as Erel is lowered from 0.39 to 0.20 eV is striking. The lack of agreement between the simulations and experiment for Erel 0.39 eV may result from a distribution of collision energies in the experiment andor a shortcoming in both the MP2 and BhandH simulations. Increasing the reactant rotational temperature from 75 to 300 K for the 1.9 eV collisions, results in more rotational energy in the CH3Cl product and a larger fraction of roundabout trajectories. Even though a ClCH3-I- post-reaction complex is not formed and the mechanistic dynamics are not statistical, the roundabout mechanism gives product energy partitioning in approximate agreement with phase space theory. © 2013 American Institute of Physics.
Keywords: Approximate agreement; Backward scattering; Energy partitioning; Isotropic scattering; Nucleophilic substitution reactions; Phase space theories; Rotational temperature; Scattering angle distribution; Imaging systems; Phase space methods; Scattering; Substitution reactions; Experiments

Transient gene expression in serum-free suspension-growing mammalian cells for the production of Foot-and-mouth disease virus empty capsids - Mignaqui, A.C.; Ruiz, V.; Perret, S.; St-Laurent, G.; Singh Chahal, P.; Transfiguracion, J.; Sammarruco, A.; Gnazzo, V.; Durocher, Y.; Wigdorovitz, A. (PLoS ONE, 2013)
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious disease of cloven-hoofed animals. It produces severe economic losses in the livestock industry. Currently available vaccines are based on inactivated FMD virus (FMDV). The use of empty capsids as a subunit vaccine has been reported to be a promising candidate because it avoids the use of virus in the vaccine production and conserves the conformational epitopes of the virus. In this report, we explored transient gene expression (TGE) in serum-free suspension-growing mammalian cells for the production of FMDV recombinant empty capsids as a subunit vaccine. The recombinant proteins produced, assembled into empty capsids and induced protective immune response against viral challenge in mice. Furthermore, they were recognized by anti-FMDV bovine sera. By using this technology, we were able to achieve expression levels that are compatible with the development of a vaccine. Thus, TGE of mammalian cells is an easy to perform, scalable and cost-effective technology for the production of a recombinant subunit vaccine against FMDV. © 2013 Mignaqui et al.
Keywords: polyethyleneimine; protein VP0; protein VP1; protein VP3; pTT5 vector; recombinant subunit vaccine; subunit vaccine; unclassified drug; virus protein; virus vector; animal cell; animal experiment; article; cell growth; controlled study; cost effectiveness analysis; empty virus capsid; foot and mouth disease; Foot and mouth disease virus; gene; gene cassette; genetic transfection; human; human cell; male; mammal cell; mouse; nonhuman; p12A gene; P12A3C gene; transient expression; vaccine production; virus capsid; virus immunity; VP0 gene; vp1 gene; VP3 gene

Introduction to the immune system - McComb, S.; Thiriot, A.; Krishnan, L.; Stark, F. (Methods in Molecular Biology, 2013)
The immune system in a broad sense is a mechanism that allows a living organism to discriminate between "self" and "non-self." Examples of immune systems occur in multicellular organisms as simple and ancient as sea sponges. In fact, complex multicellular life would be impossible without the ability to exclude external life from the internal environment. This introduction to the immune system explores the cell types and soluble factors involved in immune reactions, as well as their location in the body during development and maintenance. Additionally, a description of the immunological events during an innate and adaptive immune reaction to an infection is discussed, as well as a brief introduction to autoimmunity and cancer immunity. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.
Keywords: cytokine; adaptive immunity; autoimmunity; bone marrow; cell function; cell size; cell type; human; immune system; immunity; immunocompetent cell; inflammation; innate immunity; liver; lymph node; lymph vessel; Peyer patch; priority journal; review; spleen; thymus; tonsil; tumor immunity

Structure and immunogenicity of the rough-type lipopolysaccharide from the periodontal pathogen Tannerella forsythia - Posch, G.; Andrukhov, O.; Vinogradov, E.; Lindner, B.; Messner, P.; Holst, O.; Schäffer, C. (Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, 2013)
Tannerella forsythia is a Gram-negative anaerobic organism that inhabits subgingival plaque biofilms and is covered with a so far unique surface layer composed of two glycoproteins. It belongs to the so-called "red complex" of bacteria comprising species that are associated with periodontal disease. While the surface layer glycoprotein glycan structure had been elucidated recently and found to be a virulence factor, no structural data on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of this organism were available. In this study, the T. forsythia LPS structure was partially elucidated by a combined mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) approach and initial experiments to characterize its immunostimulatory potential were performed. The T. forsythia LPS is a complex, rough-type LPS with a core region composed of one 3-deoxy-D-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid (Kdo) residue, three mannose residues, and two glucosamine residues. MS analyses of O-deacylated LPS proved that, in addition, one phosphoethanolamine residue and most likely one galactose-phosphate residue were present, however, their positions could not be identified. Stimulation of human macrophages with T. forsythia LPS resulted in the production of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha in a dose-dependent manner. The response to T. forsythia LPS was observed only upon stimulation in the presence of fetal calf serum (FCS), whereas no cytokine production was observed in the absence of FCS. This finding suggests that the presence of certain additional cofactors is crucial for the immune response induced by T. forsythia LPS. Copyright © 2013, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Keywords: bacterium lipopolysaccharide; galactose; glucosamine; interleukin 1; interleukin 6; mannose; phosphate; phosphoethanolamine; tumor necrosis factor alpha; article; carbohydrate analysis; controlled study; cytokine production; fetal calf serum; host pathogen interaction; human; human cell; immunogenicity; immunostimulation; macrophage activation; nonhuman; periodontium; priority journal; structure analysis; surface property; Tannerella forsythensis

Compositional and material properties of rat bone after bisphosphonate and/or strontium ranelate drug treatment - Wu, Y.; Adeeb, S.M.; John Duke, M.; Munoz-Paniagua, D.; Doschak, M.R. (Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2013)
Purpose. We investigated elemental strontium and/or bisphosphonate drug incorporation upon the compositional and biomechanical properties of vertebral bone, in a rat model of Osteoporosis secondary to ovariectomy. Methods. Six month old female rats were ovariectomized (OVX) and divided into untreated OVXVehicle, OVX-RIS (Risedronate bisphosphonate [BP] treated), OVX-SrR (Strontium Ranelate [Protos®] treated), combination OVX-RIS+SrR, and sham-operated controls. After 16 weeks of treatment, rats were euthanized and lumbar vertebra were dissected. Micro-Computed Tomography (micro-CT), Electron Probe Micro-Analysis (EPMA), mechanical testing in compression and nano-indentation testing were then undertaken to evaluate bone morphometry, elemental composition, material properties and strength. Results. Bone Volume was significantly reduced in the OVX-Vehicle (133±10mm3) compared with OVX-RIS (169±22mm3), OVXSrR (145±2mm3), and OVX-RIS+SrR (172±3). EPMA mapped elemental Sr deposition to the periosteal surface of cortical bone (50-100 μm thick), endosteal trabecular surfaces (20 μm thick), as well as to both vertebral growth plates. The atomic ratios of (Ca+Sr)/P were significantly reduced with SrR treatment (2.4%- 6.6%), indicating Sr incorporation into bone mineral. No significant differences were measured in vertebral bone reduced modulus by nano-indentation. Conversely, all BP-dosed groups had significantly increased structural bone strength. Conclusions. Thus, we conclude that BP drugs dominate the conservation of trabecular geometry and structural strength in OP rats, whereas Sr drugs likely influence bone volume and material composition locally.
Keywords: calcium; phosphorus; risedronic acid; strontium; strontium ranelate; animal experiment; animal model; animal tissue; article; biomechanics; bone mass; bone strength; bone structure; combination chemotherapy; composite material; compressive strength; controlled study; cortical bone; drug efficacy; drug mechanism; electron probe microanalysis; female; growth plate; lumbar vertebra; micro-computed tomography; monotherapy; nonhuman; osteoporosis; ovariectomy; periosteum; rat; trabecular bone; treatment duration; Young modulus; Animals; Bone and Bones; Bone Density Conservation Agents; Calcium; Diphosphonates; Female; Hardness Tests; Osteoporosis; Ovariectomy; Phosphorus; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Strontium; Thiophenes; X-Ray Microtomography

A convenient and highly stereoselective method for synthesis of octahydropyrano[3,2-b]pyrrole derivatives - Ma, X.; Tang, Q.; Ke, J.; Wang, H.; Zou, W.; Shao, H. (Carbohydrate Research, 2013)
The octahydropyrano[3,2-b]pyrrole derivatives are synthesized by a double reductive amination from pyranose derivatives of nono-2,5-diuloses and octos-4-uloses and various amines. The cyclization proceeded smoothly in the presence of sodium triacetoxyborohydride to produce a series of novel fused N-heterobicyclic compounds with high stereoselectivity. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Bicyclic compounds; Pyranose; Pyrrole derivatives; Pyrrolidines; Reductive amination; Sodium triacetoxyborohydride; Stereoselective method; Stereoselective synthesis; Amines; Cyclization; Sodium; Stereochemistry; Stereoselectivity; Aromatic compounds; 1 benzyl 6,7 bis(benzyloxy) 5 [(benzyloxy)methyl] 2 methyl octahydropyrano(3,2 b)pyrrole; 1 hydroxyethyl 6,7 bis(benzyloxy) 5 [(benzyloxy)methyl] 2 methyl octahydropyrano(3,2 b)pyrrole; 3,7 anhydro 5,6,8 tri o benzyl 2 deoxy dextro manno octos 4 ulose; 4,8 anhydro 6,7,9 tri o benzyl 1,3 dideoxy dextro manno nono 2,5 diulose; 6,7 bis(benzyloxy) 5 [(benzyloxy)methyl] 1 (2 methoxy phenethyl)octahydropyrano(3,2 b)pyrrole; 6,7 bis(benzyloxy) 5 [(benzyloxy)methyl] 1 (4 fluorophenethyl)octahydropyrano(3,2 b)pyrrole; 6,7 bis(benzyloxy) 5 [(benzyloxy)methyl] 1 (4 tolyl) octahydropyrano(3,2 b)pyrrole; 6,7 bis(benzyloxy) 5 [(benzyloxy)methyl] 1 [2 (4 fluorophenyl)ethyl] 2 methyl octahydropyrano(3,2 b)pyrrole; 6,7 bis(benzyloxy) 5 [(benzyloxy)methyl] 1 butyl 2 methyl octahydropyrano(3,2 b)pyrrole; 6,7 bis(benzyloxy) 5 [(benzyloxy)methyl] 1 butyl octahydropyrano(3,2 b)pyrrole; 6,7 bis(benzyloxy) 5 [(benzyloxy)methyl] 1 hexyl 2 methyl octahydropyrano(3,2 b)pyrrole; 6,7 bis(benzyloxy) 5 [(benzyloxy)methyl] 1 hexyl octahydropyrano(3,2 b)pyrrole; 6,7 bis(benzyloxy) 5 [(benzyloxy)methyl] 1 hydroxyethyl octahydropyrano(3,2 b)pyrrole; 6,7 bis(benzyloxy) 5 [(benzyloxy)methyl] 1 octyl octahydropyrano(3,2 b)pyrrole; 6,7 bis(benzyloxy) 5 [(benzyloxy)methyl] 2 methyl 1 (4 methylphenyl)octahydropyrano[3,2 b)pyrrole; 6,7 bis(benzyloxy) 5 [(benzyloxy)methyl] 2 methyl 1 (o tolyl) octahydropyrano(3,2 b)pyrrole; 6,7 bis(benzyloxy) 5 [(benzyloxy)methyl] 2 methyl 1 octyl octahydropyrano(3,2 b)pyrrole; 6,7 bis(benzyloxy) 5 [(benzyloxy)methyl] 2 methyl 1 phenyl octahydropyrano(3,2 b)pyrrole; pyrrole derivative; unclassified drug; amination; article; biological activity; carbohydrate analysis; chemical interaction; column chromatography; cyclization; diastereoisomer; nuclear Overhauser effect; oxidation; ozonolysis; priority journal; proton nuclear magnetic resonance; purification; stereochemistry; thin layer chromatography

Solubility of cholesterol in lipid membranes and the formation of immiscible cholesterol plaques at high cholesterol concentrations - Barrett, M.A.; Zheng, S.; Toppozini, L.A.; Alsop, R.J.; Dies, H.; Wang, A.; Jago, N.; Moore, M.; Rheinstädter, M.C. (Soft Matter, 2013)
The molecular in-plane and out-of-plane structure of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) membranes containing up to 60 mol% of cholesterol was studied using X-ray diffraction. Up to 37.5 mol% cholesterol could be dissolved in the membranes, resulting in a disordered lateral membrane structure. Highly ordered cholesterol structures were observed at cholesterol concentrations of more than 40 mol% cholesterol. These structures were characterized as immiscible cholesterol plaques, i.e., bilayers of cholesterol molecules coexisting with the lipid bilayer. The cholesterol molecules were found to form a monoclinic structure at 40 mol% cholesterol, which transformed into a triclinic arrangement at the highest concentration of 60 mol%. Monoclinic and triclinic structures were found to coexist at cholesterol concentrations between 50 and 55 mol%. © 2013 The Royal Society of Chemistry.
Keywords: Bi-layer; Cholesterol molecules; Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine; High cholesterols; Lipid membranes; Monoclinic structures; Out-of-plane; Triclinic structures; Lipid bilayers; Molecules; X ray diffraction; Cholesterol

Perspectives in molecular imaging using staging biomarkers and immunotherapies in alzheimer's disease - Leclerc, B.; Abulrob, A. (The Scientific World Journal, 2013)
Sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an emerging chronic illness characterized by a progressive pleiotropic pathophysiological mode of actions triggered during the senescence process and affecting the elderly worldwide. The complex molecular mechanisms of AD not only are supported by cholinergic, beta-amyloid, and tau theories but also have a genetic basis that accounts for the difference in symptomatology processes activation among human population which will evolve into divergent neuropathological features underlying cognitive and behaviour alterations. Distinct immune system tolerance could also influence divergent responses among AD patients treated by immunotherapy. The complexity in nature increases when taken together the genetic/immune tolerance with the patient's brain reserve and with neuropathological evolution from early till advance AD clinical stages. The most promising diagnostic strategies in today's world would consist in performing high diagnostic accuracy of combined modality imaging technologies using beta-amyloid 42 peptide-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) positron emission tomography (PET), Pittsburgh compound B-PET, fluorodeoxyglucose-PET, total and phosphorylated tau-CSF, and volumetric magnetic resonance imaging hippocampus biomarkers for criteria evaluation and validation. Early diagnosis is the challenge task that needs to look first at plausible mechanisms of actions behind therapies, and combining them would allow for the development of efficient AD treatment in a near future. © 2013 Benoît Leclerc and Abedelnasser Abulrob.
Keywords: ABC transporter; alpha 2 macroglobulin; amyloid beta protein; apolipoprotein E4; biological marker; bleomycin hydrolase; CD33 antigen; clusterin; endothelial nitric oxide synthase; fluorodeoxyglucose; myeloperoxidase; oxidized low density lipoprotein receptor 1; Pittsburgh compound B; presenilin 1; presenilin 2; sortilin; tau protein; thioflavine; urokinase; amyloid beta protein; biological marker; muscarinic receptor; Alzheimer disease; article; cerebrospinal fluid; early diagnosis; histopathology; human; molecular imaging; neuropathology; nonhuman; nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; positron emission tomography; risk factor; Alzheimer disease; disease course; hippocampus; immunotherapy; metabolism; molecular imaging; multimodality cancer therapy; pathology; pathophysiology; review; severity of illness index; Alzheimer Disease; Amyloid beta-Peptides; Biological Markers; Combined Modality Therapy; Disease Progression; Early Diagnosis; Hippocampus; Humans; Immunotherapy; Molecular Imaging; Receptors, Muscarinic; Risk Factors; Severity of Illness Index

Preliminary DIMM and MASS nighttime seeing measurements at PEARL in the Canadian High Arctic - Steinbring, E.; Millar-Blanchaer, M.; Ngan, W.; Murowinski, R.; Leckie, B.; Carlberg, R. (Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 2013)
Results of deploying a differential image motion monitor (DIMM) and a DIMM combined with a multiaperture scintillation sensor (MASS/DIMM) are reported for campaigns in 2011 and 2012 on the roof of the Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory (PEARL). This facility is on a 610 m high ridge at latitude 80°N, near the Eureka weather station on Ellesmere Island, Canada. The median seeing at 8 m elevation is 0″.85 or better based on DIMM data alone, but is dependent on wind direction and likely includes a component due to the PEARL building itself. Results with MASS/DIMM yield a median seeing less than 0″.76. A semiempirical model of seeing versus ground wind speed is introduced which allows agreement between these datasets, and with previous boundary-layer profiling by lunar scintillometry from the same location. This further suggests that best 20th percentile seeing reaches 0″.53, of which typically 0″.30 is due to the free atmosphere. Some discussion for guiding future seeing instrumentation and characterization at this site is provided. © 2013. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific. All rights reserved.

Phase behavior and domain size in sphingomyelin-containing lipid bilayers - Petruzielo, R.S.; Heberle, F.A.; Drazba, P.; Katsaras, J.; Feigenson, G.W. (Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Biomembranes, 2013)
Membrane raft size measurements are crucial to understanding the stability and functionality of rafts in cells. The challenge of accurately measuring raft size is evidenced by the disparate reports of domain sizes, which range from nanometers to microns for the ternary model membrane system sphingomyelin (SM)/1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC)/cholesterol (Chol). Using Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), we established phase diagrams for porcine brain SM (bSM)/dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC)/Chol and bSM/POPC/Chol at 15 and 25 C. By combining two techniques with different spatial sensitivities, namely FRET and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), we have significantly narrowed the uncertainty in domain size estimates for bSM/POPC/Chol mixtures. Compositional trends in FRET data revealed coexisting domains at 15 and 25 C for both mixtures, while SANS measurements detected no domain formation for bSM/POPC/Chol. Together these results indicate that liquid domains in bSM/POPC/Chol are between 2 and 7 nm in radius at 25 C: that is, domains must be on the order of the 2-6 nm Förster distance of the FRET probes, but smaller than the ~ 7 nm minimum cluster size detectable with SANS. However, for palmitoyl SM (PSM)/POPC/Chol at a similar composition, SANS detected coexisting liquid domains. This increase in domain size upon replacing the natural SM component (which consists of a mixture of chain lengths) with synthetic PSM, suggests a role for SM chain length in modulating raft size in vivo. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: 2 oleoyl 1 palmitoylphosphatidylcholine; cholesterol; dioleoylphosphatidylcholine; sphingomyelin; analytic method; animal cell; article; artificial membrane; brain cell; cell function; differential scanning calorimetry; Forster resonance energy transfer; in vivo study; lipid bilayer; molecular size; molecular stability; neutron scattering; nonhuman; phase separation; priority journal; sensitivity analysis; swine; Calorimetry, Differential Scanning; Cholesterol; Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; Lipid Bilayers; Neutrons; Phosphatidylcholines; Scattering, Radiation; Sphingomyelins; Sus

Catalytic epoxidation of C60 using Mo(O)2(acac) 2/tBuOOH - Anderson, R.E.; Barron, A.R. (Dalton Transactions, 2013)
Highly oxygenated fullerenes, C60On with 1 ≤ n ≤ 13, have been prepared by the Mo(O)2(acac)2 catalysed oxidation of C60 with tBuOOH. Increasing the catalystC60 ratio or increasing the reaction temperature increases the yield as well shifting the product distribution to higher oxygenated products, in contrast, increasing the tBuOOH concentration shifts the product distribution in the opposite manner. The MALDI mass spectra of reactions containing the highest oxygenated products (n > 5) show additional peaks (not observed for C60 under the same MS conditions) due to the cage-opened products Cx (x = 54, 56, 58) along with their oxygenated derivatives, CxOn (x = 54, 56, 58; n = 1-3). This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2013.
Keywords: Catalysed oxidation; Catalytic epoxidation; Mass spectra; Oxygenated derivatives; Oxygenated products; Product distributions; Reaction temperature; Chemistry; Inorganic compounds; Mass spectrometry

Behavior and response of lead-caulked bell-spigot joints in cast iron water mains - Rajani, B.; Abdel-Akher, A. (Engineering Structures, 2013)
The annular space between bell and spigot joints for cast iron pipes installed between 1850 and the early 1960s in North America was typically caulked with lead. Lead was caulked unto place using hand-held or pneumatic hammers and special chisels. Historical anecdotal evidence suggests that some bells may have cracked during caulking, especially if the jointer was over zealous in hammering the lead in place or used pneumatic hammers with excessive pressure to produce a tight joint. This paper examines two mechanistic models, one linear and another non-linear, to estimate the levels of hoop stress induced in the bell as a consequence of lead caulking. Illustrative analyses of lead caulking joints in 16" and 48" diameter pipes show that the linear model tends to predict unrealistic high stresses while the non-linear model produced more realistic stresses. Tensile hoop stresses can reach as high as 25% of the tensile strength of cast iron if the joint caulker is over zealous in the hammering action. The non-linear model was also used to reproduce caulking-induced stresses in tests conducted on 20" diameter pipes by Prior in 1935. © 2013.
Keywords: Anecdotal evidences; Annular space; Caulking; Linear modeling; Mechanistic models; Non-linear model; Pneumatic hammers; Spigot joints; Cast iron; Cast iron pipe; Hammers; Mathematical models; Pneumatics; Residual stresses; Tensile strength; Bells; joint; lead; modeling; pipe; stress

Absorbing gas around the wasp-12 planetary system - Fossati, L.; Ayres, T.R.; Haswell, C.A.; Bohlender, D.; Kochukhov, O.; Flöer, L. (The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 2013)
Near-UV observations of the planet host star WASP-12 uncovered the apparent absence of the normally conspicuous core emission of the Mg II h and k resonance lines. This anomaly could be due either to (1) a lack of stellar activity, which would be unprecedented for a solar-like star of the imputed age of WASP-12 or (2) extrinsic absorption, from the intervening interstellar medium (ISM) or from material within the WASP-12 system itself, presumably ablated from the extreme hot Jupiter WASP-12 b. HIRES archival spectra of the Ca II H and K lines of WASP-12 show broad depressions in the line cores, deeper than those of other inactive and similarly distant stars and similar to WASP-12's Mg II h and k line profiles. We took high-resolution ESPaDOnS and FIES spectra of three early-type stars within 20′ of WASP-12 and at similar distances, which show the ISM column is insufficient to produce the broad Ca II depression observed in WASP-12. The EBHIS H I column density map supports and strengthens this conclusion. Extrinsic absorption by material local to the WASP-12 system is therefore the most likely cause of the line core anomalies. Gas escaping from the heavily irradiated planet could form a stable and thick circumstellar disk/cloud. The anomalously low stellar activity index () of WASP-12 is evidently a direct consequence of the extra core absorption, so similar HK index deficiencies might signal the presence of translucent circumstellar gas around other stars hosting evaporating planets. © 2013. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved..

Feasibility of nanocrystalline cellulose production by endoglucanase treatment of natural bast fibers - Xu, Yali; Salmi, Jani; Kloser, Elisabeth; Perrin, Florence; Grosse, Stephan; Denault, Johanne; Lau, Peter C. K. (Industrial Crops and Products, 2013)
Whereas straw management presents a continuing challenge among farmers, tremendous opportunities may exist within the natural fibers in terms of value- added products or chemicals. This research provides the first assessment and demonstration of feasibility of an enzyme-assisted production of nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) from hemp and flax fibers. A newly cloned endoglucanase (AoEG), derived from Aspergillus oryzae and characterized to be a thermostable enzyme with a half-life of 50. h at 50. °C was used for the hydrolysis. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging of NCC produced from acid swollen cellulose and flax fibers indicated that they form aggregated network, showing rod-like nanofibrils of about 10. nm in height, and 200. nm in length. The yield of NCC using physical pretreatment only or combined physical-chemical pretreatment was compared. The highest yield of NCC was obtained under the conditions of 300. mg of flax fiber treated by 100. IU enzyme at 50. °C for 24. h after pretreatment of the fibers by sonication-microwave in 2% NaOH solution.
Keywords: Aggregated networks; Endoglucanase treatments; Endoglucanases; Fungal enzymes; Nanocrystalline cellulose; Nanocrystalline cellulose(NCC); Physical pre-treatment; Thermostable enzymes; Aspergillus; Atomic force microscopy; Cellulose derivatives; Cloning; Enzymes; Flax; Hemp fibers; Linen; Yarn; Fibers; assessment method; cellulose; crystallinity; enzyme activity; feasibility study; fungus; height; physicochemical property; temperature effect; Cellulose Derivatives; Endo Enzymes; Fibers; Flax; Glucanase; Linen; Yarn

Vesicular storage of glycine in glutamatergic terminals in mouse hippocampus - Muller, E.; Bakkar, W.; Martina, M.; Sokolovski, A.; Wong, A. Y. C.; Legendre, P.; Bergeron, R. (Neuroscience, 2013)
Glycine acts as a neuromodulator to regions rich in glutamatergic synapses, such as the forebrain. However, recent evidences for synaptic release of glycine in hippocampal cultured neurons and synaptosomes argue for the existence of functional glycinergic synapses in the hippocampus. It is well established that GABA and glycine act in concert at inhibitory synapses, while the existence of synapses which utilize both glutamate and glycine is less common. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the distribution of glycine and its role in hippocampal neurotransmission. Using immunohistochemistry, we demonstrate that vesicular glycine is preferentially stored in glutamatergic, rather than GABAergic presynaptic terminals. Using the sniffer patch technique, we found that glycine could be released upon presynaptic activity. Furthermore, using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings, we show for the first time the presence of a postsynaptic strychnine-sensitive chloride current in response to presynaptic stimulation. The small amplitude of this current is likely due to the paucity of postsynaptic glycine receptors rather than a low level of glycine release. Taken together, our results suggest that glycine is stored in glutamatergic presynaptic terminals. It is likely that the major role of glycine that is released from presynaptic terminals is to modulate N-methyl-. d-aspartate receptor function but may also play a role in decreasing neuronal excitability by opposing glutamatergic neurotransmission in pathological states such as epilepsy or ischemia.
Keywords: immunohistochemistry; sniffer patch technique; whole-cell patch-clamp; bafilomycin; 4-AP; synaptic transmission; vesicular release

Theoretical study of Oxygen reduction reaction catalysts: From Pt to non-precious metal catalysts - Chen, X.; Xia, D.; Shi, Z.; Zhang, J. (Lecture Notes in Energy, 2013)
Fuel cells are regarded as one of the most promising candidates for stationary and mobile power generation due to their high energy yield and low environmental impact of hydrogen oxidation. The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at cathode is a very complex process and plays a crucial role during operation of the PEM fuel cells. However, its mechanism and the nature of intermediates involved remain vague. This chapter focuses on the recent theoretical modeling studies of ORR catalysts for PEMFC. Recent theoretical investigations on oxygen reduction electrocatalysts, such as Pt-based catalysts, non-Pt metal catalysts (Pd, Ir, CuCl), and non-precious metal catalysts (transitional metal macrocyclic complexes, conductive polymer materials, and carbon-based materials), are reviewed. The oxygen reduction mechanisms catalyzed by these catalysts are discussed based on the results. © Springer-Verlag London 2013.
Keywords: Carbon based materials; Macrocyclic complex; Mobile power generation; Non-precious metal catalysts; Oxygen reduction reaction; Theoretical investigations; Theoretical modeling; Transitional metals; Catalysis; Electrocatalysis; Electrolysis; Electrolytic reduction; Environmental impact; Palladium compounds; Platinum; Precious metals; Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC); Catalysts

Robust pose estimation with an outlier diagnosis based on a relaxation of rigid body constraints - Lin, Y.; Tu, X.-W.; Xi, F.; Chan, V. (Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement and Control, Transactions of the ASME, 2013)
In this paper, we propose a novel outlier diagnosis method for robust pose estimation of rigid body motions from outlier contaminated 3D point measurements. Due to incorrect correspondences in a cluttered measuring environment, observed point data are contaminated by outliers, which are unusual gross errors that lie out of an overall error distribution. Standard least-squares methods for pose estimation are highly sensitive to outliers. For this reason, an outlier diagnosis method is developed to preprocess measured point data prior to pose estimation. This diagnosis method detects and removes outliers based on a relaxation method with rigid body constraints of a rigid body. Simulations and experiments prove the effectiveness and advantages of high breakdown point and ease of implementation. © 2013 American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Keywords: 3D point measurement; Diagnosis methods; Error distributions; Gross errors; High breakdown point; Least squares methods; Measured points; Point data; Pose estimation; Preprocess; Relaxation methods; Rigid body; Rigid-body motion; Large eddy simulation; Rigid structures; Statistics

Simultaneous multi-band detection of low surface brightness galaxies with markovian modeling - Vollmer, B.; Perret, B.; Petremand, M.; Lavigne, F.; Collet, Ch.; Van Driel, W.; Bonnarel, F.; Louys, M.; Sabatini, S.; MacArthur, L.A. (Astronomical Journal, 2013)
We present to the astronomical community an algorithm for the detection of low surface brightness (LSB) galaxies in images, called MARSIAA (MARkovian Software for Image Analysis in Astronomy), which is based on multi-scale Markovian modeling. MARSIAA can be applied simultaneously to different bands. It segments an image into a user-defined number of classes, according to their surface brightness and surroundings - typically, one or two classes contain the LSB structures. We have developed an algorithm, called DetectLSB, which allows the efficient identification of LSB galaxies from among the candidate sources selected by MARSIAA. The application of the method to two and three bands simultaneously was tested on simulated images. Based on our tests, we are confident that we can detect LSB galaxies down to a central surface brightness level of only 1.5 times the standard deviation from the mean pixel value in the image background. To assess the robustness of our method, the method was applied to a set of 18 B- and I-band images (covering 1.3 deg2 in total) of the Virgo Cluster to which Sabatini et al. previously applied a matched-filter dwarf LSB galaxy search algorithm. We have detected all 20 objects from the Sabatini et al. catalog which we could classify by eye as bona fide LSB galaxies. Our method has also detected four additional Virgo Cluster LSB galaxy candidates undetected by Sabatini et al. To further assess the completeness of the results of our method, both MARSIAA, SExtractor, and DetectLSB were applied to search for (1) mock Virgo LSB galaxies inserted into a set of deep Next Generation Virgo Survey (NGVS) gri-band subimages and (2) Virgo LSB galaxies identified by eye in a full set of NGVS square degree gri images. MARSIAA/DetectLSB recovered 20% more mock LSB galaxies and 40% more LSB galaxies identified by eye than SExtractor/DetectLSB. With a 90% fraction of false positives from an entirely unsupervised pipeline, a completeness of 90% is reached for sources with re > 3″ at a mean surface brightness level of μg = 27.7 mag arcsec-2 and a central surface brightness of μ0 g = 26.7 mag arcsec-2. About 10% of the false positives are artifacts, the rest being background galaxies. We have found our proposed Markovian LSB galaxy detection method to be complementary to the application of matched filters and an optimized use of SExtractor, and to have the following advantages: it is scale free, can be applied simultaneously to several bands, and is well adapted for crowded regions on the sky. © 2013. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

Effect of material model on finite element modeling of aerospace alloys - Saboori, M.; Gholipour, J.; Champliaud, H.; Gakwaya, A.; Savoie, J.; Wanjara, P. (Key Engineering Materials, 2013)
Increasing acceptance and use of hydroforming technology within the aerospace industry requires a comprehensive understanding of critical issues such as the material characteristics, friction condition and hydroformability of the material. Moreover, the cost of experiments can be reduced by accurate finite element modeling (FEM) entails the application of adapted constitutive laws for reproducing with confidence the material behavior. In this paper, the effect of different constitutive laws on FEM of tubular shapes is presented. The free expansion process was considered for developing the FEM. Bulge height, thickness reduction and strains were determined at the maximum bulge height using different constitutive models, including Hollomon, Ludwik, Swift, Voce and Ludwigson. In order to minimize the effect of friction, the free expansion experiments were performed with no end feeding. The simulation results were compared with the experimental data to find the appropriate constitutive law for the free expansion process. Copyright © 2013 Trans Tech Publications Ltd.
Keywords: Constitutive law; Expansion tests; Friction conditions; Hydroforming; Hydroforming technology; Material characteristics; Thickness reduction; Tube bulge; Aerospace industry; Cerium alloys; Expansion; Experiments; Friction; Materials; Metal forming; Finite element method

Sensitivity to white matter fMRI activation increases with field strength - Mazerolle, E.L.; Gawryluk, J.R.; Dillen, K.N.H.; Patterson, S.A.; Feindel, K.W.; Beyea, S.D.; Stevens, M.T.R.; Newman, A.J.; Schmidt, M.H.; D'Arcy, R.C.N. (PLoS ONE, 2013)
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) activation in white matter is controversial. Given that many of the studies that report fMRI activation in white matter used high field MRI systems, we investigated the field strength dependence of sensitivity to white matter fMRI activation. In addition, we evaluated the temporal signal to noise ratio (tSNR) of the different tissue types as a function of field strength. Data were acquired during a motor task (finger tapping) at 1.5 T and 4 T. Group and individual level activation results were considered in both the sensorimotor cortex and the posterior limb of the internal capsule. We found that sensitivity increases associated with field strength were greater for white matter than gray matter. The analysis of tSNR suggested that white matter might be less susceptible to increases in physiological noise related to increased field strength. We therefore conclude that high field MRI may be particularly advantageous for fMRI studies aimed at investigating activation in both gray and white matter. © 2013 Mazerolle et al.
Keywords: adult; article; controlled study; female; field strength; functional magnetic resonance imaging; gray matter; human; human experiment; image analysis; male; motor performance; normal human; radiological parameters; sensorimotor cortex; signal noise ratio; task performance; white matter

Monoclonal antibodies recognizing the surface autolysin IspC of Listeria monocytogenes Serotype 4b: epitope localization, kinetic characterization, and cross-reaction studies - Ronholm, J.; van Faassen, H.; MacKenzie, R.; Zhang, Z.; Cao, X.; Lin, M. (PLoS ONE, 2013)
Listeria monocytogenes serotype 4b is responsible for a high percentage of fatal cases of food-borne infection. In a previous study, we created 15 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against a ~77 kDa antigen that is associated with the cell surface of live L. monocytogenes serotype 4b cells. Here we report an extensive characterization of these MAbs to further their development as diagnostic reagents. The ~77 kDa target antigen was identified by mass spectrometry and N-terminal sequencing to be IspC, a novel surface associated autolysin. Epitope localization experiments revealed that each of the 15 MAbs recognized the C-terminal cell-wall binding domain of IspC. The presence of IspC was shown to be highly conserved within L. monocytogenes serotype 4b, as evidenced by a strong reaction between anti-IspC MAbs and all 4b isolates. To determine the range of cross-reactivity with other L. monocytogenes serotypes ELISA was used to test each MAb against multiple isolates from each of the L. monocytogenes serotypes. Of the 15 MAbs, five: M2774, M2775, M2780, M2790 and M2797, showed specificity for L. monocytogenes serotype 4b and only cross reacted with serotype 4ab isolates. The kinetics of the interaction between each of the MAbs and IspC was measured using surface plasmon resonance. The MAbs M2773, M2792, M2775, M2797 and M2781 each had very low dissociation constants (4.5 × 10-9 to 1.2 × 10-8 M). While several of these antibodies have properties which could be useful in diagnostic tests, the combined high fidelity and affinity of M2775 for the IspC protein and serotype 4b isolates, makes it a particularly promising candidate for use in the development of a specific L. monocytogenes serotype 4b diagnostic test. © 2013 Ronholm et al.
Keywords: autolysin; epitope; immunogenic surface protein C; monoclonal antibody; monoclonal antibody M2773; monoclonal antibody M2774; monoclonal antibody M2775; monoclonal antibody M2777; monoclonal antibody M2778; monoclonal antibody M2779; monoclonal antibody M2780; monoclonal antibody M2781; monoclonal antibody M2785; monoclonal antibody M2787; monoclonal antibody M2790; monoclonal antibody M2791; monoclonal antibody M2792; monoclonal antibody M2795; monoclonal antibody M2797; monoclonal antibody M2799; monoclonal antibody M2800; unclassified drug; amino terminal sequence; antibody affinity; antibody specificity; article; bacterium isolate; C terminal cell wall binding domain; controlled study; cross reaction; dissociation constant; enzyme linked immunosorbent assay; epitope mapping; kinetics; Listeria monocytogenes; mass spectrometry; molecular weight; nonhuman; nucleotide sequence; protein domain; protein localization; serotype; surface plasmon resonance; Amino Acid Sequence; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Antibody Specificity; Antigens, Bacterial; Bacterial Proteins; Binding Sites; Cell Wall; Cross Reactions; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Epitopes; Kinetics; Listeria monocytogenes; Mass Spectrometry; Molecular Sequence Data; N-Acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine Amidase; Protein Binding; Sequence Alignment; Serotyping; Surface Plasmon Resonance

Herschel -HIFI observations of high- J CO and isotopologues in star-forming regions: From low to high mass - San José-García, I.; Mottram, J.C.; Kristensen, L.E.; Van Dishoeck, E.F.; Yildiz, U.A.; Van Der Tak, F.F.S.; Herpin, F.; Visser, R.; McCoey, C.; Wyrowski, F.; Braine, J.; Johnstone, D. (Astronomy and Astrophysics, 2013)
Context. Our understanding of the star formation process has traditionally been confined to certain mass or luminosity boundaries because most studies focus only on low-, intermediate-, or high-mass star-forming regions. Therefore, the processes that regulate the formation of these different objects have not been effectively linked. As part of the "Water In Star-forming regions with Herschel" (WISH) key programme, water and other important molecules, such as CO and OH, have been observed in 51 embedded young stellar objects (YSOs). The studied sample covers a range of luminosities from <1 to >10 5LâŠ™. Aims. We analyse the CO line emission towards a large sample of embedded protostars in terms of both line intensities and profiles. This analysis covers a wide luminosity range in order to achieve better understanding of star formation without imposing luminosity boundaries. In particular, this paper aims to constrain the dynamics of the environment in which YSOs form. Methods. Herschel-HIFI spectra of the 12CO J = 10-9, 13CO J = 10-9 and C18O J = 5-4, J = 9-8 and J = 10-9 lines were analysed for a sample of 51 embedded protostars. In addition, JCMT spectra of 12CO J = 3-2 and C18O J = 3-2 extend this analysis to cooler gas components. We focussed on characterising the shape and intensity of the CO emission line profiles by fitting the lines with one or two Gaussian profiles. We compared the values and results of these fits across the entire luminosity range covered by WISH observations. The effects of different physical parameters as a function of luminosity and the dynamics of the envelope-outflow system were investigated. Results. All observed CO and isotopologue spectra show a strong linear correlation between the logarithms of the line and bolometric luminosities across six orders of magnitude on both axes. This suggests that the high-J CO lines primarily trace the amount of dense gas associated with YSOs and that this relation can be extended to larger (extragalactic) scales. The majority of the detected 12CO line profiles can be decomposed into a broad and a narrow Gaussian component, while the C18O spectra are mainly fitted with a single Gaussian. For low- and intermediate-mass protostars, the width of the C18O J = 9-8 line is roughly twice that of the C18O J = 3-2 line, suggesting increased turbulence/infall in the warmer inner envelope. For high-mass protostars, the line widths are comparable for lower- and higher-J lines. A broadening of the line profile is also observed from pre-stellar cores to embedded protostars, which is due mostly to non-thermal motions (turbulence/infall). The widths of the broad 12CO J = 3-2 and J = 10-9 velocity components correlate with those of the narrow C18O J = 9-8 profiles, suggesting that the entrained outflowing gas and envelope motions are related but independent of the mass of the protostar. These results indicate that physical processes in protostellar envelopes have similar characteristics across the studied luminosity range. © ESO, 2013.
Keywords: Astrochemistry; ISM: Kinematics and dynamics; ISM: molecules; Line: Profiles; Stars: formation; Stars: protostars; Dynamics; Luminance; Molecules; Stars

First results from the herschel gould belt survey in taurus - Kirk, J.M.; Ward-Thompson, D.; Palmeirim, P.; André, P.; Griffin, M.J.; Hargrave, P.J.; Könyves, V.; Bernard, J.-P.; Nutter, D.J.; Sibthorpe, B.; Di Francesco, J.; Abergel, A.; et al. (Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2013)
The whole of the Taurus region (a total area of 52 deg2) has been observed by the Herschel Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (SPIRE) and Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) instruments at wavelengths of 70, 160, 250, 350 and 500 μm as part of the Herschel Gould Belt Survey. In this paper we present the first results from the part of the Taurus re gion that includes the Barnard 18 and L1536 clouds. A new source-finding routine, the Cardiff Source-finding AlgoRithm (CSAR), is introduced, which is loosely based on CLUMPFIND, but that also generates a structure tree, or dendrogram, which can be used to interpret hierarchical clump structure in a complex region. Sources were extracted from the data using the hierarchical version of CSAR and plotted on a mass-size diagram. We found a hierarchy of objects with sizes in the range 0.024-2.7 pc. Previous studies showed that gravitationally bound prestellar cores and unbound starless clumps appeared in different places on the mass-size diagram. However, it was unclear whether this was due to a lack of instrumental dynamic range or whether they were actually two distinct populations. The excellent sensitivity of Herschel shows that our sources fill the gap in the mass-size plane between starless and pre-stellar cores, and gives the first clear supporting observational evidence for the theory that unbound clumps and (gravitationally bound) prestellar cores are all part of the same population, and hence presumably part of the same evolutionary sequence. © 2013 The Authors Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Three-mode electrochemical sensing of ultralow MicroRNA levels - Labib, M.; Khan, N.; Ghobadloo, S.M.; Cheng, J.; Pezacki, J.P.; Berezovski, M.V. (Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2013)
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an emerging class of biomarkers that are frequently deregulated in cancer cells and have shown great promise for cancer classification and prognosis. In this work, we developed a three-mode electrochemical sensor for detection and quantitation of ultralow levels of miRNAs in a wide dynamic range of measured concentrations. The sensor facilitates three detection modalities based on hybridization (H-SENS), p19 protein binding (P-SENS), and protein displacement (D-SENS). The combined three-mode sensor (HPD-SENS) identifies as low as 5 aM or 90 molecules of miRNA per 30 μL of sample without PCR amplification, and can be operated within the dynamic range from 10 aM to 1 μM. The HPD sensor is made on a commercially available gold nanoparticles-modified electrode and is suitable for analyzing multiple miRNAs on a single electrode. This three-mode sensor exhibits high selectivity and specificity and was used for sequential analysis of miR-32 and miR-122 on one electrode. In addition, the H-SENS can recognize miRNAs with different A/U and G/C content and distinguish between a fully matched miRNA and a miRNA comprising either a terminal or a middle single base mutation. Furthermore, the H- and P-SENS were successfully employed for direct detection and profiling of three endogenous miRNAs, including hsa-miR-21, hsa-miR-32, and hsa-miR-122 in human serum, and the sensor results were validated by qPCR. © 2013 American Chemical Society.
Keywords: Cancer cells; Cancer classification; Direct detection; Dynamic range; Electrochemical sensing; High selectivity; Human serum; MicroRNAs; PCR amplification; Protein binding; Sequential analysis; Single electrodes; Wide dynamic range; Biochemistry; Electrochemical sensors; Polymerase chain reaction; RNA; Sensors; microRNA; microRNA 122; microRNA 21; microRNA 32; protein p19; unclassified drug; article; concentration (parameters); electrochemical analysis; electrochemical detection; electrode; gene amplification; human; human tissue; hybridization; limit of detection; protein binding; protein localization; real time polymerase chain reaction; RNA analysis; sensor; Base Sequence; DNA Primers; Electrochemical Techniques; Humans; MicroRNAs; Nucleic Acid Hybridization; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction

Multiplexed evaluation of serum and CSF pharmacokinetics of brain-targeting single-domain antibodies using a NanoLC-SRM-ILIS method - Haqqani, A.S.; Caram-Salas, N.; Ding, W.; Brunette, E.; Delaney, C.E.; Baumann, E.; Boileau, E.; Stanimirovic, D. (Molecular Pharmaceutics, 2013)
FC5 and FC44 are single-domain antibodies (VHHs), selected by functional panning of phage-display llama VHH library for their ability to internalize human brain endothelial cells (BEC) and to transmigrate the in vitro BBB model. Quantification of brain delivery of FC5 and FC44 in vivo was challenging using classical methods because of their short plasma half-life and their loss of functionality with radioactive labeling. A highly sensitive (detection limit <2 ng/mL) and specific SRM-ILIS method to detect and quantify unlabeled VHHs in multiplexed assays was developed and applied to comparatively evaluate brain delivery of FC5 and FC44, and two control VHHs, EG2 and A20.1. FC5 and FC44 compared to control V HHs demonstrated significantly (p < 0.01) enhanced transport (50-100-fold) across rat in vitro BBB model as well as in vivo brain targeting assessed by optical imaging. The multiplexed SRM-ILIS analyses of plasma and CSF levels of codosed VHHs demonstrated that while all 4 VHHs have similar blood pharmacokinetics, only FC5 and FC44 show elevated CSF levels, suggesting that they are potential novel carriers for delivery of drugs and macromolecules across the BBB. © Published 2012 by the American Chemical Society.
Keywords: FC44 antibody; FC5 antibody; nanobody; peptides and proteins; unclassified drug; animal cell; animal experiment; animal tissue; article; binding affinity; blood brain barrier; blood cerebrospinal fluid barrier; brain cell; brain endothelial cell; cerebrospinal fluid; controlled study; drug cerebrospinal fluid level; endothelium cell; fluorescence imaging; human; human cell; in vitro study; isotope labeling; limit of detection; limit of quantitation; male; microvascular endothelial cell; molecular weight; nonhuman; nucleotide sequence; outcome assessment; phage display; plasma half life; priority journal; treatment duration

Bilayer thickness mismatch controls domain size in model membranes - Heberle, F.A.; Petruzielo, R.S.; Pan, J.; Drazba, P.; Kučerka, N.; Standaert, R.F.; Feigenson, G.W.; Katsaras, J. (Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2013)
The observation of lateral phase separation in lipid bilayers has received considerable attention, especially in connection to lipid raft phenomena in cells. It is widely accepted that rafts play a central role in cellular processes, notably signal transduction. While micrometer-sized domains are observed with some model membrane mixtures, rafts much smaller than 100 nm - beyond the reach of optical microscopy - are now thought to exist, both in vitro and in vivo. We have used small-angle neutron scattering, a probe free technique, to measure the size of nanoscopic membrane domains in unilamellar vesicles with unprecedented accuracy. These experiments were performed using a four-component model system containing fixed proportions of cholesterol and the saturated phospholipid 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DSPC), mixed with varying amounts of the unsaturated phospholipids 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn- glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) and 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC). We find that liquid domain size increases with the extent of acyl chain unsaturation (DOPC:POPC ratio). Furthermore, we find a direct correlation between domain size and the mismatch in bilayer thickness of the coexisting liquid-ordered and liquid-disordered phases, suggesting a dominant role for line tension in controlling domain size. While this result is expected from line tension theories, we provide the first experimental verification in free-floating bilayers. Importantly, we also find that changes in bilayer thickness, which accompany changes in the degree of lipid chain unsaturation, are entirely confined to the disordered phase. Together, these results suggest how the size of functional domains in homeothermic cells may be regulated through changes in lipid composition. © 2013 American Chemical Society.
Keywords: 1 ,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine; Experimental verification; Functional domains; Lateral phase separation; Lipid composition; Small-angle neutron scattering; Unilamellar vesicle; Unsaturated phospholipids; Lipid bilayers; Neutron scattering; Optical microscopy; Phase separation; Phospholipids; Signal transduction; Liquids; 1,2 distearoyl sn glycero 3 phosphocholine; 2 oleoyl 1 palmitoylphosphatidylcholine; cholesterol; dioleoylphosphatidylcholine; phospholipid; phosphorylcholine; unclassified drug; article; bilayer membrane; lipid composition; liquid; neutron scattering; thickness

Scattering detection using a photonic-microfluidic integrated device with on-chip collection capabilities - Watts, B.R.; Zhang, Z.; Xu, C.Q.; Cao, X.; Lin, M. (Electrophoresis, 2013)
SU-8-based photonic-microfluidic integrated devices with on-chip beam shaping and collection capabilities were demonstrated in a scattering detection and counting application. Through the proper deployment of the tailored beam geometries via the on-chip excitation optics, excellent CV values were measured for 1, 2, and 5 μm blank beads, 16.4, 11.0, and 12.5%, respectively, coupled with a simple free-space optical detection scheme. The performance of these devices was found dependent on the combination of on-chip, lens-shaped beam geometry and bead size. While very low CVs were obtained when the combination was ideal, a nonideal combination could still result in acceptable CVs for flow cytometry; the reliability was confirmed via devices being able to resolve separate populations of 2.0 and 5.0 μm beads from their mixture with low CV values of 15.9 and 18.5%, respectively. On-chip collection using integrated on-chip optical waveguides was shown to be very reliable in comparison with a free-space collection scheme, yielding a coincident rate of 94.2%. A CV as low as 19.2% was obtained from the on-chip excitation and collection of 5 μm beads when the on-chip lens-shaped beam had a 6.0-μm beam waist. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Optimization of thermoplastic composites resistance welding parameters based on transient heat transfer finite element modeling - Talbot, E.; Hubert, P.; Dubé, M.; Yousefpour, A. (Journal of Thermoplastic Composite Materials, 2013)
The use of resistance welding technology to join thermoplastic composite aerospace structures is still contingent upon a better understanding of the heat transfer mechanisms occurring during welding, which govern the joint quality and mechanical performance. In this study, two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) transient heat transfer finite element models were developed to simulate resistance welding of thermoplastic composites. The 2D model was used to investigate the effect of the length of the exposed areas of the heating element to air (clamping distance) on the local overheating at the edges and the effects of the input power level on the thermal behavior of the welds. It is shown that controlling the clamping distance improves the thermal uniformity of the weld. The 3D model shows that heat conduction along the length of the laminates influences the thermal uniformity of the weld interface. An optimization chart is developed in order to minimize the undesirable edge effect and to define the conditions required to obtain a complete weld. The results of the 3D model are compared with experimental data. © The Author(s) 2011.
Keywords: Experimental datum; Finite element modeling; Finite element models; Heat transfer mechanism; Joints/joining; Mechanical performance; Thermoplastic composite; Transient heat transfer; Composite materials; Finite element method; Heat transfer; Optimization; Polymer matrix composites; Resistance welding; Thermoplastics; Three dimensional computer graphics; Welds; Three dimensional

Witnessing the differential evolution of disk galaxies in luminosity and size via gravitational lensing - Bandara, K.; Crampton, D.; Peng, C.; Simard, L. (The Astrophysical Journal, 2013)
We take advantage of the magnification in size and flux of a galaxy provided by gravitational lensing to analyze the properties of 62 strongly lensed galaxies from the Sloan Lens ACS (SLACS) Survey. The sample of lensed galaxies spans a redshift range of 0.20 ≤ z ≤ 1.20 with a median redshift of z = 0.61. We use the lens modeling code LENSFIT to derive the luminosities, sizes, and Sérsic indices of the lensed galaxies. The measured properties of the lensed galaxies show a primarily compact, "disk"-like population with the peaks of the size and Sérsic index distributions corresponding to ∼1.50 kpc and n ∼ 1, respectively. Comparison of the SLACS galaxies to a non-lensing, broadband imaging survey shows that a lensing survey allows us to probe a galaxy population that reaches ∼2 mag fainter. Our analysis allows us to compare the 〈z〉 = 0.61 disk galaxy sample (n ≤ 2.5) to an unprecedented local galaxy sample of ∼670, 000 SDSS galaxies at z ∼ 0.1; this analysis indicates that the evolution of the luminosity-size relation since z ∼ 1 may not be fully explained by a pure-size or pure-luminosity evolution but may instead require a combination of both. Our observations are also in agreement with recent numerical simulations of disk galaxies that show evidence of a mass-dependent evolution since z ∼ 1, where high-mass disk galaxies (M * > 109 M⊙) evolve more in size and low-mass disk galaxies (M * ≤ 109 M⊙) evolve more in luminosity. © 2013. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved..

Rolled-up 1.5 μm InAs quantum dot tube lasers and integrated nanophotonic circuits on Si - Mi, Z.; Dastjerdi, M.H.T.; Bianucci, P.; Tian, Z.; Zhong, Q.; Veerasubramanian, V.; Poole, P.J.; Kirk, A.G.; Plant, D.V. (2013 IEEE Photonics Society Summer Topical Meeting Series, PSSTMS 2013, 2013)
Low threshold, ultrahigh speed micro- and nanoscale lasers that can be directly integrated with optoelectronic and electronic components on a CMOS chip are in demand for future chip-level optical communications. In this regard, rolled-up semiconductor tube optical cavities, formed when coherently strained nanomembranes are selectively released from the host substrate, have emerged as a promising approach to realize high performance lasers on Si. 1-3 We have investigated the design, fabrication, and characterization of InAs/InGaAsP quantum dot tube lasers. We report the first demonstration of semiconductor tube lasers that can operate at the telecom wavelength (∼ 1.5 μm). Such devices can exhibit an extremely low threshold (∼ 1.26 μW) and multiple emission wavelengths. The direct integration of quantum dot tube devices with Si waveguides has also been demonstrated. © 2013 IEEE.
Keywords: Direct integration; Electronic component; Emission wavelength; High performance lasers; InAs quantum dots; Nanophotonic circuits; Nanoscale lasers; Telecom wavelengths; Optical communication; Semiconducting silicon; Semiconductor quantum dots; Silicon; Tubes (components); Semiconductor lasers

Electrochemical SERS study of a biomimetic membrane supported at a nanocavity patterned Ag electrode - Vezvaie, M.; Brosseau, C.L.; Lipkowski, J. (Electrochimica Acta, 2013)
Lipid bilayers in which two leaflets were made of dimyristoyl- phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and hybrid bilayers with one leaflet composed of hydrogenated lipid and another leaflet of deuterium substituted molecules (d63-DMPC) were deposited on highly ordered nanocavity patterned Ag electrodes using LB-LS and vesicle fusion techniques. In situ electrochemical surface enhanced Raman scattering (EC-SERS) was then used to study potential driven changes in these model biological membranes. The nanocavity structures provided a SERS active substrate with uniformly distributed surface enhancement. To ensure that the bilayer was separated from the metal surface by a hydrophilic space layer, the electrodes were chemically modified with a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of β-thioglucose (TG) molecules. The monolayer of TG ensured that the solid substrate surface was hydrophilic. The electrochemical properties of the bilayer were monitored by recording differential capacitance curves. EC-SERS indicated that at the silver surface modified by the monolayer of TG the lower leaflet (in contact with the support) is more ordered than the top leaflet that is contact with solution. However, both leaflets remained in the liquid crystalline (LC) state for the entire range of investigated potentials. The results of this study show that the DMPC bilayer at the nanocavity patterned Ag surface may be used as a good biomimetic membrane model in future SERS studies of membrane proteins. The information concerning the effect of the electrode potential on membrane stability may be useful for the development of biosensors.© 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Study of the formation of soot and its precursors in flames using optical diagnostics - Desgroux, P.; Mercier, X.; Thomson, K.A. (Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 2013)
Soot particle emission from combustion processes is a significant environmental and health problem. Optical detection is clearly the only viable choice for in situ PAH and soot measurement in turbulent flames. This paper reviews the considerable progress made in optical diagnostics of soot and its precursors formed this last decade. Advances include the spectroscopy of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and optical diagnostics for PAHs in flames, new approaches to identify the structure and composition of incipient soot, and the latest refinements for soot particle detection and quantification. Improvements of selective and quantitative PAH measurements have been made possible with supersonic expansion of flame extracted samples, coupled with laser induced fluorescence (jet-cooled LIF) and mass-spectroscopy combined with resonance enhanced or synchrotron selective photoionisation. More accurate description of all facets of soot particles properties (optical properties, morphology, and volume fraction) has guided recent research. In particular, optical exploration has led to new insight into soot inception, including the identification of particular soot precursors from large PAHs to nanoparticles passing through stacked PAHs, polymeric-like structures and aliphatic-linked PAHs. Despite the various improvements, the ultimate accuracy of the soot diagnostic methods such as laser induced incandescence, light extinction and elastic light scattering relies on our knowledge of the soot optical properties which may vary as a function of soot age in flames. Nonetheless, with well designed experiments, comparative measurement of sooting trends within or between flames can be acquired with accuracies needed for the validation of numerical simulations of soot formation. These optical methods have been successfully adopted to classify the sooting tendencies of a large number of hydrocarbons and to examine the effect of pressure on soot formation. The ultimate objective is certainly to use optical diagnostics to provide useful data for soot formation modelling in turbulent flames and under practical combustion. © 2012 The Combustion Institute.
Keywords: Comparative measurements; Elastic light scattering; Flame; Laser induced fluorescence; Laser induced incandescence; Optical diagnostics; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHS); Soot precursors; Combustion; Dust; Optical properties; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Supersonic aerodynamics; Soot

Default mode network functional connectivity altered in failed back surgery syndrome - Kornelsen, J.; Sboto-Frankenstein, U.; McIver, T.; Gervai, P.; Wacnik, P.; Berrington, N.; Tomanek, B. (Journal of Pain, 2013)
The purpose of this study was to identify alterations in the default mode network of failed back surgery syndrome patients as compared to healthy subjects. Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging was conducted at 3 Tesla and data were analyzed with an independent component analysis. Results indicate an overall reduced functional connectivity of the default mode network and recruitment of additional pain modulation brain regions, including dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, insula, and additional sensory motor integration brain regions, including precentral and postcentral gyri, for failed back surgery syndrome patients. Perspective: This article presents alterations in the default mode network of chronic low back pain patients with failed back surgery syndrome as compared to healthy participants. © 2013 by the American Pain Society.
Keywords: adult; aged; article; clinical article; controlled study; default mode network; failed back surgery syndrome; female; functional magnetic resonance imaging; human; independent component analysis; insula; male; nerve cell network; postcentral gyrus; prefrontal cortex; primary motor cortex; sensorimotor integration

The K1 capsular polysaccharide from Acinetobacter baumannii Is a potential therapeutic target via passive immunization - Russo, T.A.; Beanan, J.M.; Olson, R.; MacDonald, U.; Cox, A.D.; St. Michael, F.; Vinogradov, E.V.; Spellberg, B.; Luke-Marshall, N.R.; Campagnari, A.A. (Infection and Immunity, 2013)
The emergence of extremely resistant and panresistant Gram-negative bacilli, such as Acinetobacter baumannii, requires consideration of nonantimicrobial therapeutic approaches. The goal of this report was to evaluate the K1 capsular polysaccharide from A. baumannii as a passive immunization target. Its structure was determined by a combination of mass spectrometric and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. Molecular mimics that might raise the concern for autoimmune disease were not identified. Immunization of CD1 mice demonstrated that the K1 capsule is immunogenic. The monoclonal antibody (MAb) 13D6, which is directed against the K1 capsule from A. baumannii, was used to determine the seroprevalence of the K1 capsule in a collection of 100 A. baumannii strains. Thirteen percent of the A. baumannii isolates from this collection were seroreactive to MAb 13D6. Opsonization of K1-positive strains, but not K1-negative strains, with MAb 13D6 significantly increased neutrophil-mediated bactericidal activity in vitro (P < 0.05). Lastly, treatment with MAb 13D6 3 and 24 h after bacterial challenge in a rat soft tissue infection model resulted in a significant decrease in the growth/survival of a K1-positive strain compared to that of a K1-negative strain or to treatment with a vehicle control (P < 0.0001). These data support the proof of principle that the K1 capsule is a potential therapeutic target via passive immunization. Other serotypes require assessment, and pragmatic challenges exist, such as the need to serotype infecting strains and utilize serotype-specific therapy. Nonetheless, this approach may become an important therapeutic option with increasing antimicrobial resistance and a diminishing number of active antimicrobials. © 2013, American Society for Microbiology.
Keywords: epitope; K1 capsular polysaccharide; monoclonal antibody; polysaccharide; unclassified drug; Acinetobacter baumannii; animal experiment; animal model; article; bacterial capsule; bacterial clearance; bacterial growth; bacterial strain; bacterial survival; bactericidal activity; carbohydrate analysis; controlled study; immunogenicity; male; mass spectrometry; molecular mimicry; mouse; neutrophil; nonhuman; nuclear magnetic resonance; opsonization; passive immunization; priority journal; rat; seroprevalence; serotype; soft tissue infection; Acinetobacter baumannii; Acinetobacter Infections; Animals; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Bacterial Capsules; Bacterial Vaccines; Epitopes; Flow Cytometry; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Immunization, Passive; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Male; Mass Spectrometry; Mice; Rats; Rats, Long-Evans

Structural and optical properties of Si/Ge nanowire heterojunctions - Tsybeskov, L.; Chang, H.-Y.; Mala, S.; Kamins, T.I.; Wu, X.; Lockwood, D.J. (ECS Transactions, 2013)
In crystalline, dislocation-free, Si/Ge nanowire (NW) axial heterojunctions grown using the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) technique, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) photoluminescence (PL) and Raman spectroscopy reveal a SiGe alloy transition layer with preferential chemical composition and strain. In addition to the lattice mismatch, strain due to the difference in Si and Ge thermal expansion is observed. We find, in agreement with theoretical predictions, that the strain can be partially relived by lateral nanowire expansion in the vicinity of the Si/Ge heteroj unction. In addition to the observed nanowire lateral expansion, the lattice mismatched induced strain could be relaxed by other mechanisms including intermixing, formation of structural defects and partial amorphization. The conclusions are supported by analytical TEM measurements. © The Electrochemical Society.
Keywords: Axial heterojunctions; Chemical compositions; Lateral expansion; Lattice-mismatched; Partial amorphization; Structural and optical properties; Structural defect; Vapor-liquid-solid techniques; Germanium; Graphene; Heterojunctions; Semiconductor quantum wells; Thermal expansion; Transmission electron microscopy; Vapors; Nanowires

2-Nitrobenzoate 2-Nitroreductase (NbaA) switches its substrate specificity from 2-Nitrobenzoic acid to 2,4-Dinitrobenzoic acid under oxidizing conditions - Kim, Y.-H.; Song, W.-S.; Go, H.; Cha, C.-J.; Lee, C.; Yu, M.-H.; Lau, P.C.K.; Lee, K. (Journal of Bacteriology, 2013)
2-Nitrobenzoate 2-nitroreductase (NbaA) of Pseudomonas fluorescens strain KU-7 is a unique enzyme, transforming 2-nitrobenzoic acid (2-NBA) and 2,4-dinitrobenzoic acid (2,4-DNBA) to the 2-hydroxylamine compounds. Sequence comparison reveals that NbaA contains a conserved cysteine residue at position 141 and two variable regions at amino acids 65 to 74 and 193 to 216. The truncated mutant Δ65-74 exhibited markedly reduced activity toward 2,4-DNBA, but its 2-NBA reductionactivity was unaffected; however, both activities were abolished in the Δ193-216 mutant, suggesting that these regions are necessary for the catalysis and specificity of NbaA. NbaA showed different lag times for the reduction of 2-NBA and 2,4-DNBA with NADPH, and the reduction of 2,4-DNBA, but not 2-NBA, failed in the presence of 1mMdithiothreitol or under anaerobic conditions, indicating oxidative modification of the enzyme for 2,4-DNBA. The enzyme was irreversibly inhibited by 5,5'-dithio-bis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) and ZnCl2, which bind to reactive thiol/thiolate groups, and was eventually inactivated during the formation of higherorder oligomers at high pH, high temperature, or in the presence of H2O2. SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometry revealed the formation of intermolecular disulfide bonds by involvement of the two cysteines at positions 141 and 194. Site-directed mutagenesis indicated that the cysteines at positions 39, 103, 141, and 194 played a role in changing the enzyme activity and specificity toward 2-NBA and 2,4-DNBA. This study suggests that oxidative modifications of NbaA are responsible for the differential specificity for the two substrates and further enzyme inactivation through the formation of disulfide bonds under oxidizing conditions. © 2013, American Society for Microbiology.
Keywords: 2 nitrobenzoate 2 nitroreductase; 2 nitrobenzoic acid; 2,4 dinitrobenzoic acid; cysteine; dithiothreitol; nitrobenzoic acid derivative; nitroreductase; oligomer; reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate; unclassified drug; anaerobic capacity; article; catalysis; disulfide bond; enzyme activity; enzyme modification; high performance liquid chromatography; nonhuman; nucleotide sequence; pH; polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; priority journal; tandem mass spectrometry; temperature; thin layer chromatography; Pseudomonas fluorescens

Neutron scattering study of correlated phase behavior in Sr 2IrO4 - Dhital, C.; Hogan, T.; Yamani, Z.; De La Cruz, C.; Chen, X.; Khadka, S.; Ren, Z.; Wilson, S.D. (Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, 2013)
Neutron diffraction measurements exploring the magnetic and structural phase behaviors of the candidate Jeff=1/2 Mott insulating iridate Sr2IrO4 are presented. Comparisons are drawn between the correlated magnetism in this single-layer system and its bilayer analog Sr 3Ir2O7, where both materials exhibit magnetic domains originating from crystallographic twinning and comparable moment sizes. Weakly temperature-dependent superlattice peaks violating the reported tetragonal space group of Sr2IrO4 are observed, supporting the notion of a lower structural symmetry arising from a high-temperature lattice distortion, and we use this to argue that moments orient along a unique in-plane axis demonstrating an orthorhombic symmetry in the resulting spin structure. Our results demonstrate that the correlated spin order and structural phase behaviors in both single-layer and bilayer Srn+1Ir nO3n+1 systems are remarkably similar and suggest comparable correlation strengths in each system. © 2013 American Physical Society.

Interconversion of linearly viscoelastic material functions expressed as Prony series: A closure - Luk-Cyr, J.; Crochon, T.; Li, C.; Lévesque, M. (Mechanics of Time-Dependent Materials, 2013)
Interconversion of viscoelastic material functions is a longstanding problem that has received attention since the 1950s. There is currently no accepted methodology for interconverting viscoelastic material functions due to the lack of stability and accuracy of the existing methods. This paper presents a new exact, analytical interconversion method for linearly viscoelastic material functions expressed as Prony series. The new algorithm relies on the equations of the thermodynamics of irreversible processes used for defining linearly viscoelastic constitutive theories. As a result, interconversion is made possible for unidimensional and tridimensional materials for arbitrary material symmetry. The algorithm has been tested over a broad range of cases and was found to deliver accurate interconversion in all cases. Based on its accuracy and stability, the authors believe that their algorithm provides a closure to the interconversion of linearly viscoelastic constitutive theories expressed with Prony series. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, B. V.
Keywords: Constitutive theory; Interconversions; Material symmetry; Prony series; Relaxation; Thermodynamics of irreversible process; Visco-elastic material; Algorithms; Creep; Viscoelasticity

Amine-decorated nanocrystalline cellulose surfaces: Synthesis, characterization, and surface properties - Hemraz, U.D.; Boluk, Y.; Sunasee, R. (Canadian Journal of Chemistry, 2013)
In this present work, terminal amino-functionalized nanocrystalline cellulose derivatives were prepared using a simple two-step protecting group-free protocol under aqueous reaction conditions at room temperature. Carboxylate groups were first introduced onto the surface of nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) via a TEMPO-mediated oxidation. Then, reaction of surface-carboxylated NCC with bifunctional amines of small alkyl chain length by EDC/NHS-mediated coupling furnished the desired aminated NCC via an amide linkage. Surface covalent functionalization was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Size, surface charge, morphology, and thermal properties were obtained by various techniques. STEM images revealed no change in structure and morphology of the materials after TEMPO-mediated oxidation but a slight agglomeration was observed after surface covalent functionalization with diamines. While amide linkage confers stability, terminal primary amine groups on the surface of NCC represent a versatile reactive functional group for bioconjugation with other biomolecules for potential biomedical applications. © 2013 Published by NRC Research Press.
Keywords: Aminated NCC; Covalent functionalizations; Nanocrystalline cellulose; Nanocrystalline cellulose(NCC); Reactive functional groups; Surface Functionalization; Tempo oxidations; TEMPO-mediated oxidation; Amides; Amination; Carboxylation; Cellulose derivatives; Characterization; Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; Functional groups; Medical applications; Oxidation; Photoelectrons; Surfaces; Synthesis (chemical); X ray photoelectron spectroscopy; Surface reactions; Amides; Carboxylation; Cellulose; Cellulose Derivatives; Esca; Functional Groups; Oxidation; Photoelectrons; Surfaces; Synthesis; X Ray Spectroscopy

Investigating the candidacy of a lipoteichoic acid-based glycoconjugate as a vaccine to combat Clostridium difficile infection - Cox, A.D.; St. Michael, F.; Aubry, A.; Cairns, C.M.; Strong, P.C.R.; Hayes, A.C.; Logan, S.M. (Glycoconjugate Journal, 2013)
A lipoteichoic acid has recently been shown to be conserved in the majority of strains from Clostridium difficile and as such is being considered as a possible vaccine antigen. In this study we examine the candidacy of the conserved lipoteichoic acid by demonstrating that it is possible to elicit antibodies against C. difficile strains following immunisation of rabbits and mice with glycoconjugates elaborating the conserved lipoteichoic acid antigen. The present study describes a conjugation strategy that utilises an amino functionality, present at approximately 33 % substitution of the N-acetyl-glucosamine residues within the LTA polymer repeating unit, as the attachment point for conjugation. A maleimide-thiol linker strategy with the maleimide linker on the carboxyl residues of the carrier protein and the thiol linker on the carbohydrate was employed. Immunisation derived antisera from rabbits and mice, recognised all strains of C. difficile vegetative cells examined, despite an immune response to the linkers also being observed. These sera recognised live cells in an immunofluorescence assay and were also able to recognise the spore form of the bacterium. This study has illustrated that the LTA polymer is a highly conserved surface polymer of C. difficile that is easily accessible to the immune system and as such merits consideration as a vaccine antigen to combat C. difficile infection. © 2013 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada.

Colloidal CuInSe2 nanocrystals: From gradient stoichiometry toward homogeneous alloyed structure mediated by conducting polymer P3HT - Liang, Y.N.; Yu, K.; Yan, Q.; Hu, X. (ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 2013)
We report, for the first time, the synthesis of colloidal copper indium selenide (CuInSe2) nanocrystals (NCs) possessing a gradient stoichiometry that is potentially tunable by the presence of a conducting polymer, i.e., poly(3-hexyl thiophene) (P3HT) in the synthesis medium. Dibenzyl ether (DBE) was used as a reaction medium, whereas copper acetylacetonate (Cu(acac)2), indium acetylacetonate (In(acac)3), and selenium powder were used as Cu, In, and Se sources, respectively. The Se precursor was tri-n-octylphosphine selenide (TOP-Se). Without the presence of P3HT, the resulting NCs consist of a p-type (Cu1+ rich) core and an n-type (In3+ rich) shell. Such a gradient stoichiometry was moderated to be substantially more homogeneous because the presence of P3HT is believed to have significantly reduced the reactivity difference between Cu(acac) 2 and In(acac)3, as well as and their respective monomers. Furthermore, the P3HT also acts as a surface coordination species, contributing to the readily preparation of conducting polymer-NCs hybrids by a single-step synthesis. The understandings of this work can serve as a guide for design and synthesis of conducting polymer-NCs hybrids based on various ternary or quaternary compound semiconductors with different core-shell composition gradient. © 2013 American Chemical Society.
Keywords: Composition gradient; Copper-indium-selenide; Core shell structure; poly(3-hexyl thiophene); Polymer-assisted; Quaternary compound; Single-step synthesis; Tri-n-octylphosphine; Coordination reactions; Copper; Indium; Nanocrystals; Stoichiometry; Synthesis (chemical); Conducting polymers

A methodological review of piezoelectric based acoustic wave generation and detection techniques for structural health monitoring - Sun, Z.; Rocha, B.; Wu, K.-T.; Mrad, N. (International Journal of Aerospace Engineering, 2013)
Piezoelectric transducers have a long history of applications in nondestructive evaluation of material and structure integrity owing to their ability of transforming mechanical energy to electrical energy and vice versa. As condition based maintenance has emerged as a valuable approach to enhancing continued aircraft airworthiness while reducing the life cycle cost, its enabling structural health monitoring (SHM) technologies capable of providing on-demand diagnosis of the structure without interrupting the aircraft operation are attracting increasing R&D efforts. Piezoelectric transducers play an essential role in these endeavors. This paper is set forth to review a variety of ingenious ways in which piezoelectric transducers are used in today's SHM technologies as a means of generation and/or detection of diagnostic acoustic waves. © 2013 Zhigang Sun et al.
Keywords: Acoustic wave generations; Aircraft operations; Condition based maintenance; Detection technique; Mechanical energies; Non destructive evaluation; Structural health monitoring (SHM); Structure integrity; Acoustic waves; Acoustics; Nondestructive examination; Piezoelectric transducers; Structural health monitoring

Virtual reality simulator: Demonstrated use in neurosurgical oncology - Clarke, D.B.; D'Arcy, R.C.N.; Delorme, S.; Laroche, D.; Godin, G.; Hajra, S.G.; Brooks, R.; Diraddo, R. (Surgical Innovation, 2013)
Background. The overriding importance of patient safety, the complexity of surgical techniques, and the challenges associated with teaching surgical trainees in the operating room are all factors driving the need for innovative surgical simulation technologies. Technical development. Despite these issues, widespread use of virtual reality simulation technology in surgery has not been fully implemented, largely because of the technical complexities in developing clinically relevant and useful models. This article describes the successful use of the NeuroTouch neurosurgical simulator in the resection of a left frontal meningioma. Conclusion. The widespread application of surgical simulation technology has the potential to decrease surgical risk, improve operating room efficiency, and fundamentally change surgical training. © The Author(s) 2012.
Keywords: accuracy; adult; article; astrocytoma; brain edema; case report; computer assisted tomography; diffusion tensor imaging; female; finite element analysis; human; hypophysis adenoma; magnetic resonance angiography; meningioma; neurosurgery; nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; operating room; patient safety; simulator; surgical risk; surgical technique; surgical training; virtual reality; Brain Neoplasms; Computer Simulation; Education, Medical; Female; Frontal Lobe; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Meningeal Neoplasms; Meningioma; Middle Aged; Neurosurgical Procedures; Surgery, Computer-Assisted; User-Computer Interface

A novel redox-precipitation method for the preparation of α-MnO 2 with a high surface Mn4+ concentration and its activity toward complete catalytic oxidation of o-xylene - Wu, Y.; Lu, Y.; Song, C.; Ma, Z.; Xing, S.; Gao, Y. (Catalysis Today, 2013)
A novel redox-precipitation method was developed for the preparation of α-MnO2, where Mn(NO3)2 and KOH were titrated into excess KMnO4 solution at pH 8. For comparison, MnO x was also prepared using a conventional precipitation method. These materials were characterized by XRD, BET, SEM/EDS, XPS, and H2-TPR techniques, and their catalytic activities were evaluated for the complete catalytic oxidation of a typical volatile organic compound (VOCs), o-xylene. The novel method produced open porous hierarchically structured microcrystalline α-MnO2 containing almost 100% Mn4+ ion on its surface. Whereas, the conventional precipitation method produced a mixture of MnO2 and Mn3O4 with a closely packed spherical morphology containing only 31% Mn4+ ion on its surface. It was found that α-MnO2 exhibited good low-temperature reducibility, and that it could convert 100% o-xylene into CO2 at 220 °C at a space velocity of 8000 h-1, 50 °C lower than the MnOx prepared by the conventional method. The surface concentration of Mn 4+ ion in α-MnO2 played a key role for its high catalytic activity for the complete oxidation of o-xylene. In addition, the open porous structure and the presence of small amount of potassium ion in the microcrystalline α-MnO2 channel may also be responsible for its excellent catalytic performance. Effects of pH and calcination temperature on its catalytic activity were investigated, and optimal preparation conditions were found. Durability of the α-MnO2 was also studied. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.
Keywords: Calcination temperature; Catalytic performance; Complete oxidation; Conventional methods; Conventional precipitation; Low temperatures; O-xylene; Oxidation of o-xylene; Porous structures; Potassium ions; Preparation conditions; Redox-precipitation; SEM/EDS; Space velocities; Spherical morphologies; Surface concentration; XRD; Calcination; Carbon dioxide; Catalyst activity; Catalytic oxidation; Ions; Manganese; Precipitation (chemical); Surfaces; Volatile organic compounds; Xylene; Manganese oxide

Stellar velocity dispersion measurements in high-luminosity quasar hosts and implications for the AGN black hole mass scale - Grier, C.J.; Martini, P.; Watson, L.C.; Peterson, B.M.; Bentz, M.C.; Dasyra, K.M.; Dietrich, M.; Ferrarese, L.; Pogge, R.W.; Zu, Y. (The Astrophysical Journal, 2013)
We present new stellar velocity dispersion measurements for four luminous quasars with the Near-Infrared Integral Field Spectrometer instrument and the ALTAIR laser guide star adaptive optics system on the Gemini North 8 m telescope. Stellar velocity dispersion measurements and measurements of the supermassive black hole (BH) masses in luminous quasars are necessary to investigate the coevolution of BHs and galaxies, trace the details of accretion, and probe the nature of feedback. We find that higher-luminosity quasars with higher-mass BHs are not offset with respect to the M BH-σ * relation exhibited by lower-luminosity active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with lower-mass BHs, nor do we see correlations with galaxy morphology. As part of this analysis, we have recalculated the virial products for the entire sample of reverberation-mapped AGNs and used these data to redetermine the mean virial factor 〈f〉 that places the reverberation data on the quiescent M BH-σ* relation. With our updated measurements and new additions to the AGN sample, we obtain 〈f〉 = 4.31 ± 1.05, which is slightly lower than, but consistent with, most previous determinations. © 2013. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

Photo- and thermo-chemical vapor generation of mercury - Sturgeon, Ralph E.; Luong, V. (Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, 2013)
Photochemical vapor generation of both inorganic and methylmercury species can be achieved with equal efficiency when a sample reaction medium containing 2-10% formic acid is irradiated by low power (0.3 mW) deep UV LED sources with output in the range 245-260 nm. Whereas pseudo first order kinetics is evident for reduction of methylmercury, inorganic mercury does not conform to either first or second order models and the overall reaction rate is proportional to the concentration of formic acid but independent of that of mercury. Noteworthy, is that at room temperature, no reduction of either mercury species is achieved when radiation from 360 nm LEDs is used. A thermal reduction system operating at nominally 85 °C can also be used to reduce both mercury species in a 2% formic acid medium with the initial stages of the reaction being dominated by a first order kinetic process that is approximately 7-fold slower for methylmercury. Despite this disparity in reaction rates, direct speciation is not possible. Using a 10 cm quartz tube cell for cold vapor AAS measurement, a limit of detection of 0.68 ng absolute was achieved for mercury using a 9 min irradiation time with the deep UV LED sources. Precision of replicate measurement was 2.4% RSD for a sampled volume of 480 μl of a 200 ng ml -1 solution of Hg2+ (96 ng absolute) in 2% formic acid. The efficacy of the low power deep UV LED photoreactor was demonstrated by quantitation of total mercury in certified reference materials PACS-2 (marine sediment) and DOLT-4 (fish liver tissue) using the method of additions to compensate for matrix interferences. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2013.
Keywords: Certified reference materials; First order kinetics; Limit of detection; Matrix interference; Pseudo first-order kinetics; Replicate measurements; Second-order models; Thermal reduction; Formic acid; Reaction rates; Submarine geology; Vapors; Mercury (metal)

Social media as an organizational strategy: A case study of A&WMA's YPAC - Devillers, R. (EM: Air and Waste Management Association's Magazine for Environmental Managers, 2013)

Tensile strength of friction stir spot welded dissimilar AA5754-to-AZ31B alloys - Cao, X.; Garnier, C.; Wanjara, P. (ASM Proceedings of the International Conference: Trends in Welding Research, 2013)
Friction stir welding (FSW) is a relatively new joining process. As a solid-state joining technique, FSW provides good potential for dissimilar materials, even for those considered to be "difficult" and "unweldable". As a variant, friction stir spot welding (FSSW) can have significant potential to replace riveting or resistant spot welding for aerospace and automotive applications. To date, limited work has been carried out on the FSSW of dissimilar material combinations. In this work, the tensile shear strength obtained is reported for a dissimilar 2-mm thick AA5754-to-AZ31 alloy system. The main process parameters investigated include tool rotation speed, tool plunge rate, dwell time and work-piece placement (i.e. either Al or Mg alloy on the top of the lap spot welds). The tensile shear strength is also compared with that obtained for similar AA5754-to-AA5754 and AZ31-to-AZ31 welds. Furthermore, the tensile shear strength is correlated with the joint geometrical dimensions and welding defects. Copyright © 2013 ASM International® All rights reserved.
Keywords: Automotive applications; Dissimilar joining; Friction stir spot welding; Friction stir welding(FSW); Geometrical dimensions; Material combination; Resistant spot welding; Tensile shear strength; Aluminum alloys; Cerium alloys; Dissimilar materials; Friction stir welding; Joining; Magnesium alloys; Spot welding; Tools; Welding; Tensile strength

Pseudoelastic behavior of magnesium alloy during twinning-dominated cyclic deformation - Lee, S.Y.; Gharghouri, M.A. (Materials Science and Engineering A, 2013)
In- situ neutron diffraction has been used to examine the pseudoelastic behavior of an extruded Mg-8.5. wt.% Al alloy during twinning-dominated cyclic deformation in both tension and compression. Twinning activity is effectively tracked through the intensity variations of the diffraction peaks for some grain orientations. The results suggest that a fundamental difference in the pseudoelastic behavior between tension and compression cyclic loadings might be due to reversible detwinning-retwinning observed only during cyclic compression. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.
Keywords: Cyclic compression; Cyclic deformations; Detwinning; Intensity variations; Pseudoelastic behaviors; Pseudoelasticity; Situ neutron diffraction; Tension and compression; Magnesium; Magnesium alloys; Neutron diffraction; Twinning; Deformation

From mice to women: The conundrum of immunity to infection during pregnancy - Krishnan, L.; Nguyen, T.; McComb, S. (Journal of Reproductive Immunology, 2013)
Resistance to infection is the ability of the host to evoke a strong immune response sufficient to eliminate the infectious agent. In contrast, maternal tolerance to the fetus necessitates careful regulation of immune responses. Successful pregnancy requires the maternal host to effectively balance the opposing processes of maternal immune reactivity and tolerance to the fetus. However, this balance can be perturbed by infections which are recognized as the major cause of adverse pregnancy outcome including pre-term labor. Select pathogens also pose a serious threat of severe maternal illness. These include intracellular and chronic pathogens that have evolved immune evasive strategies. Murine models of intracellular bacteria and parasites that mimic pathogenesis of infection in humans have been developed. While human epidemiological studies provide insight into maternal immunity to infection, experimental infection in pregnant mice is a vital tool to unravel the complex molecular mechanisms of placental infection, congenital transmission and maternal illness. We will provide a comprehensive review of the pathogenesis of several infection models in pregnant mice and their clinical relevance. These models have revealed the immunological function of the placenta in responding to, and resisting infection. Murine feto-placental infection provides an effective way to evaluate new intervention strategies for managing infections during pregnancy, adverse fetal outcome and long-term effects on the offspring and mother. © 2012.
Keywords: CD15 antigen; gamma interferon; granulocyte colony stimulating factor; interleukin 12; interleukin 1beta; interleukin 6; interleukin 8; macrophage inflammatory protein 1alpha; tumor necrosis factor alpha; adverse outcome; article; bacterial infection; blastocyst; Brucella abortus; Chlamydia; Chlamydophila; Chlamydophila abortus; Coxiella burnetii; cytokine production; cytokine response; Cytomegalovirus; decidualization; female; Fusobacterium nucleatum; gestational age; human; immunity; immunoreactivity; immunoregulation; infection resistance; influenza; Leishmania major; Listeria monocytogenes; listeriosis; macrophage; malaria; maternal disease; natural killer cell; neutrophil; nidation; nonhuman; parasitosis; pathogenesis; periodontitis; Plasmodium berghei; Plasmodium chabaudi; pregnancy; pregnancy outcome; priority journal; regulatory T lymphocyte; reproduction; Salmonella typhimurium; salmonellosis; Schistosoma mansoni; spontaneous abortion; T lymphocyte; Th1 cell; Th2 cell; Toxoplasma gondii; toxoplasmosis; Trypanosoma cruzi; virus infection; Animals; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Fetomaternal Transfusion; Humans; Immune Evasion; Mice; Placenta; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; Premature Birth; Transplantation Tolerance

Microtomographic analysis of impact damage in FRP composite laminates: A comparative study - Alemi-Ardakani, M.; Milani, A.S.; Yannacopoulos, S.; Bichler, L.; Trudel-Boucher, D.; Shokouhi, G.; Borazghi, H. (Advances in Materials Science and Engineering, 2013)
With the advancement of testing tools, the ability to characterize mechanical properties of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites under extreme loading scenarios has allowed designers to use these materials in high-level applications more confidently. Conventionally, impact characterization of composite materials is studied via nondestructive techniques such as ultrasonic C-scanning, infrared thermography, X-ray, and acoustography. None of these techniques, however, enable 3D microscale visualization of the damage at different layers of composite laminates. In this paper, a 3D microtomographic technique has been employed to visualize and compare impact damage modes in a set of thermoplastic laminates. The test samples were made of commingled polypropylene (PP) and glass fibers with two different architectures, including the plain woven and unidirectional. Impact testing using a drop-weight tower, followed by postimpact four-point flexural testing and nondestructive tomographic analysis demonstrated a close relationship between the type of fibre architecture and the induced impact damage mechanisms and their extensions. © 2013 M. Alemi-Ardakani et al.
Keywords: Close relationships; Comparative studies; Composite laminate; Different layers; High level applications; Non-destructive technique; Properties of fiber; Ultrasonic C-scanning; Ability testing; Glass fibers; Impact testing; Materials testing; Mechanical properties; Polypropylenes; Three dimensional computer graphics; Ultrasonic testing; Laminated composites

Time-series BVi photometry for the globular cluster NGC 6981 - Amigo, P.; Stetson, P.B.; Catelan, M.; Zoccali, M.; Smith, H.A. (Astronomical Journal, 2013)
We present new BVI photometry of the globular cluster NGC 6981, based mostly on ground-based CCD archival images. We present a new color-magnitude diagram (CMD) that reaches almost four magnitudes below the turn-off level. We performed new derivations of metallicity and morphological parameters of the evolved sequences, in good agreement with the results of previous authors, and obtain a value of [Fe/H] ≃ -1.50 in the new UVES scale. We also identify the cluster's blue straggler population. Comparing the radial distribution of these stars with the red giant branch population, we find that the blue stragglers are more centrally concentrated, as found in previous studies of blue stragglers in globular clusters. Taking advantage of the large field of view covered by our study, we analyzed the surface density profile of the cluster, and find extratidal main sequence stars out to r ≈ 14.′1, or about twice the tidal radius. We speculate that the presence of these stars may be due to tidal disruption in the course of NGC 6981's orbit, in which case tidal tails associated with the cluster may exist. We also take a fresh look at the variable stars in the cluster, recovering all previously known variables, including three SX Phoenicis stars. We also add three previously unknown RR Lyrae (one c-type and two ab-type) to the total census. Finally, comparing our CMD with unpublished data for M3 (NGC 5272), a cluster with a similar metallicity and horizontal branch morphology, we found that both objects are essentially coeval. © 2013. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

Retraction: Plasma protein adsorption to zwitterionic poly (carboxybetaine methacrylate) modified surfaces: Chain chemistry and end-group effects on protein adsorption kinetics, adsorbed amounts and immunoblots - Abraham, S.; Bahniuk, M.S.; Unsworth, L.D. (Biointerphases, 2013)

Two radio supernova remnants discovered in the outer Galaxy - Foster, T.J.; Cooper, B.; Reich, W.; Kothes, R.; West, J. (Astronomy and Astrophysics, 2013)
Context. New and existing large-scale radio surveys of the Milky Way at centimetre wavelengths can play an important role in uncovering the hundreds of expected but missing supernova remnants in the Galaxy's interstellar medium. We report on the discovery of two supernova remnants (SNRs) designated G152.4-2.1 and G190.9-2.2, using Canadian Galactic Plane Survey data. Aims. The aims of this paper are, first, to present evidence that favours the classification of both sources as SNRs, and, second, to describe basic parameters (integrated flux density, spectrum, and polarization) as well as properties (morphology, line-of-sight velocity, distance and physical size) to facilitate and motivate future observations. Methods. Spectral and polarization parameters are derived from multiwavelength data from existing radio surveys carried out at wavelengths between 6 and 92 cm. In particular for the source G152.4-2.1 we also use new observations at 11 cm done with the Effelsberg 100 m telescope. The interstellar medium around the discovered sources is analyzed using 1-arcmin line data from neutral hydrogen (H i) and 45-arcsec 12CO(J = 1 → 0). Results. G152.4-2.1 is a barrel shaped SNR with two opposed radio-bright polarized flanks on the north and south. The remnant, which is elongated along the Galactic plane is evolving in a more-or-less uniform medium. G190.9-2.2 is also a shell-type remnant with east and west halves elongated perpendicular to the plane, and is evolving within a low-density region bounded by dense neutral hydrogen in the north and south, and molecular (12CO) clouds in the east and west. The integrated radio continuum spectral indices are-0.65 ± 0.05 and-0.66 ± 0.05 for G152.4-2.1 and G190.9-2.2 respectively. Both SNRs are approximately 1 kpc distant, with G152.4-2.1 being larger (32 × 30 pc in diameter) than G190.9-2.2 (18 × 16 pc). These two remnants are the lowest surface brightness SNRs yet catalogued at Σ1 GHz 2; 5 × 10-23 W m-2 Hz-1 sr-1. © 2013 ESO.
Keywords: Basic parameters; Canadian galactic plane surveys; Flux densities; Future observations; Galactic plane; Interstellar mediums; ISM: general; ISM: supernova remnants; Line data; Line-of-sight; Low density; Milky ways; Multiwavelength data; Neutral hydrogen; Polarization parameters; Radio continuum; Spectral indices; Supernova remnants; Surface brightness; Galaxies; Hydrogen; Polarization; Surveys; Stars

Adsorption of indole on kaolinite in nonaqueous media: Organoclay preparation and characterization, and 3D-RISM-KH molecular theory of solvation investigation - Fafard, J.; Lyubimova, O.; Stoyanov, S.R.; Dedzo, G.K.; Gusarov, S.; Kovalenko, A.; Detellier, C. (The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2013)
Current oil sand mining operations in the Athabasca basin are predominantly aqueous-based. Extracts containing large amounts of fines lead to the formation of stable organoclay suspensions in froths giving lower yields and greater tailing wastes and making the development of more efficient extraction methods desirable from both economical and environmental perspectives. We examine an indole-kaolinite system as a model for these oil fines and their resistance to washing in nonaqueous solvents. The prepared organoclays show indole loading exclusively on the external surface of the clay. Micron-scaled vermicular structures, similar to natural kaolinite, are observed. Their formation is believed to be driven by strong adsorbate-adsorbate interactions. Indole is the primary adsorbate, as solvent adsorption is shown to be minimal based on both experimental and computational results. Isotherms are constructed and parameters calculated from linear regression analysis fitted to the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller equation. Monolayer quantities calculated match well to the theoretical amount calculated from surface areas measurements. Washing the organoclays with both toluene and isopropanol results in a 50% decrease of loaded organic material, leaving a monolayer equivalent of organic matter. The statistical-mechanical 3D-RISM-KH molecular theory of solvation is employed to perform full sampling of solvent orientations around a kaolinite platelet and gain insights into the preferred orientation and adsorption thermodynamics of indole on kaolinite in toluene and heptane solvents. In its preferred orientation, indole is hydrogen-bonded to one or two O atoms at the aluminum hydroxide surface of kaolinite. The calculated solvation free energy and potential of mean force for adsorption of indole and solvents on kaolinite in solution yield the increasing adsorption strength order of heptane < toluene < indole on the aluminum hydroxide surface. Multilayer adsorption profiles are predicted based on the integrated three-dimensional distribution functions of indole, toluene, and heptane. © 2013 American Chemical Society.
Keywords: Adsorbate-adsorbate interaction; Adsorption thermodynamics; Brunauer emmett tellers; Molecular theory of solvation; Organoclay preparation; Potential of mean force; Preferred orientations; Solvation free energies; Adsorbates; Adsorption; Heptane; Hydrogen bonds; Kaolinite; Monolayers; Oil sands; Organic solvents; Organoclay; Regression analysis; Sampling; Solvation; Solvents; Surfaces; Three dimensional; Toluene; Washing; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

A Study of Pack Aluminizing Process for NiCrAlY Coatings Using Response Surface Methodology - Gao, F.; Huang, X.; Liu, R.; Yang, Q. (Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance, 2013)
Aluminizing process is widely used to provide additional Al deposition onto superalloy surface for enhanced oxidation and corrosion resistance. In this research, an aluminizing process-pack cementation process, is used to deposit Al onto the surface of NiCrAlY coatings for increasing environmental protection. The experiment is designed using Box-Behnken approach, in which three parameters, the Al content, Ni content of the pack powder, and the temperature of the process, are selected as factors; and the thickness and Al/Ni ratio of the coatings are selected as responses. The effects of the factors on the responses are analyzed and modeled empirically. It is found that these empirical models correlate well with the results from additional sets of experiment. These models can be used to produce aluminized NiCrAlY coatings with specific thicknesses and Al/Ni ratios. © 2013 ASM International.

Fatigue performance characterization of a composite butt joint configuration - Li, G. (Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 2013)
Fatigue performance characterization of a composite butt joint configuration was studied. The study focused on failure mode, damage evolution, and tensile stiffness degradation analyses. Effects of surface ply orientation, doubler thickness, joint attachment, and defect on the joint fatigue performance were evaluated. The bonded-bolted joints with two-row fasteners installed in each overlap section had an extremely high fatigue performance. For such a bonded-bolted joint configuration with thick doubler, a minor disbond defect improved, rather than reduced, the joint fatigue performance. This outcome was examined using the corresponding joint tensile stiffness degradation curves, and a dominant failure mechanism was identified based on damage characteristics. The study showed that the butt joint made using appropriate elements, such as a thick doubler with two-row fasteners installed in each bonded overlap section, could have very good fatigue performance regardless of the presence of a minor disbond defect. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Butt joints; Damage evolution; Disbond defects; Failure mechanism; Fatigue performance; Joint configuration; Stiffness degradation; Tensile stiffness; Bolted joints; Butt welding; Fatigue testing; Locks (fasteners); Stiffness; Surface defects; Fatigue damage

An analytical analysis of energy release rate in bonded composite joints in a mode i condition - Li, G.; Li, C. (Composites Part B: Engineering, 2013)
A complete analytical solution of mode I strain energy release rate, G I, was derived for bonded composite joints based on an augmented double cantilever beam (DCB) model. Good agreement was obtained between current and existing comparable theoretical solutions for this joint with a long adhesive bond. For a short bond length joint, the current solution can greatly reduce the degree of the mathematical singularity encountered in analyses of thick, short beams and avoid it entirely for thin, long beams. A correlation between the current theoretical and associated ASTM solutions was established. A bonded DCB laminate test case was conducted, and good agreement was obtained between the experimental and current theoretical results. Commentary was included regarding the tested critical strain energy release rate and the deduced critical adhesive peel stress. © 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Keywords: Adhesive bond; Analytical analysis; Composite joint; Critical strain energy; Double cantilever beam models; Peel stress; Short beams; Test case; Theoretical result; Theoretical solutions; Mathematical techniques; Joints (structural components)

Room temperature single-crystal diffuse scattering and ab initio lattice dynamics in CaTiSiO5 - Gutmann, M.J.; Refson, K.; Zimmermann, M.V.; Swainson, I.P.; Dabkowski, A.; Dabkowska, H. (Journal of Physics Condensed Matter, 2013)
Single-crystal diffuse scattering data have been collected at room temperature on synthetic titanite using both neutrons and high-energy x-rays. A simple ball-and-springs model reproduces the observed diffuse scattering well, confirming its origin to be primarily due to thermal motion of the atoms. Ab initio phonons are calculated using density-functional perturbation theory and are shown to reproduce the experimental diffuse scattering. The observed diffuse x-ray and neutron scattering patterns are consistent with a summation of mode frequencies and displacement eigenvectors associated with the entire phonon spectrum, rather than with a simple, short-range static displacement. A band gap is observed between 600 and 700 cm-1 with only two modes crossing this region, both associated with antiferroelectric Ti-O motion along a. One of these modes (of B u symmetry), displays a large LO-TO mode-splitting (562-701.4 cm-1) and has a dominant component coming from Ti-O bond-stretching and, thus, the mode-splitting is related to the polarizability of the Ti-O bonds along the chain direction. Similar mode-splitting is observed in piezo- and ferroelectric materials. The calculated phonon dispersion model may be of use to others in future to understand the phase transition at higher temperatures, as well as in the interpretation of measured phonon dispersion curves. © 2013 IOP Publishing Ltd.
Keywords: Anti ferroelectrics; Density-functional perturbation theory; Diffuse scattering; High energy X ray; Phonon dispersion curves; Phonon dispersions; Scattering pattern; Static displacement; Acoustic dispersion; Ferroelectric materials; Lattice vibrations; Phonons; Solids; Strain measurement; Scattering

Nanomaterials-supported Pt catalysts for proton exchange membrane fuel cells - Saha, M.S.; Neburchilov, V.; Ghosh, D.; Zhang, J. (Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, 2013)
This paper reviews over 100 articles related to the development of nanotubes, nanofibers, and nanowires as catalyst supports for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Several different novel methods for support and catalyst synthesis are discussed in detail. The fabrication processes for these nanomaterial-supported platinum (Pt) catalysts, catalyst layers, and membrane electrode assemblies are also reviewed. On the basis of the literature review, several research directions for catalyst cost reduction, catalytic activity, and durability enhancement are proposed in this paper. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Keywords: Catalyst layers; Catalyst synthesis; Fabrication process; Literature reviews; Membrane electrode assemblies; Novel methods; Pt catalysts; Nanostructured materials; Nanowires; Platinum; Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC); Catalyst supports

A single N-acetylgalactosamine residue at threonine 106 modifies the dynamics and structure of interferon α2a around the glycosylation site - Ghasriani, H.; Belcourt, P.J.F.; Sauvé, S.; Hodgson, D.J.; Brochu, D.; Gilbert, M.; Aubin, Y. (Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2013)
Enzymatic addition of GalNAc to isotopically labeled IFNα2a produced in Escherichia coli yielded the O-linked glycoprotein GalNAcα-[ 13C,15N]IFNα2a. The three-dimensional structure of GalNAcα-IFNα2a has been determined in solution by NMR spectroscopy at high resolution. Proton-nitrogen heteronuclear Overhauser enhancement measurements revealed that the addition of a single monosaccharide unit at Thr-106 significantly slowed motions of the glycosylation loop on the nanosecond time scale. Subsequent addition of a Gal unit produced Gal(β1,3) GalNAcα[13C,15N]IFNα2a. This extension resulted in a further decrease in the dynamics of this loop. The methodology used here allowed the first such description of the structure and dynamics of an O-glycoprotein and opens the way to the study of this class of proteins. © 2013 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.
Keywords: Enhancement measurements; Heteronuclear; High resolution; Isotopically labeled; O-linked glycoproteins; Structure and dynamics; Three-dimensional structure; Time-scales; Amino acids; Dynamics; Escherichia coli; Esterification; Glucose; Glycosylation; Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; Glycoproteins; alpha2a interferon; glycoprotein; monosaccharide; n acetylgalactosamine; n acetylgalactosamine[13c,15n]alpha2a interferon; threonine; unclassified drug; addition reaction; article; biological activity; human; in vitro study; isotope labeling; molecular dynamics; nonhuman; nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy; priority journal; protein analysis; protein glycosylation; protein metabolism; protein polymorphism; protein structure; protein synthesis; Acetylgalactosamine; Computational Biology; Disulfides; Escherichia coli; Glycoproteins; Glycosylation; Humans; Interferon-alpha; Interferons; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Models, Molecular; Molecular Conformation; Peptides; Polysaccharides; Protein Conformation; Recombinant Proteins; Threonine; Escherichia coli

Preface - Fulton, K.M.; Twine, S.M. (Methods in Molecular Biology, 2013)
Keywords: adaptive immunity; antigen antibody reaction; B lymphocyte; cell differentiation; editorial; enzyme linked immunosorbent assay; genomics; immune response; immunoproteomics; mass spectrometry; priority journal; proteomics; serology; T lymphocyte; Western blotting

A novel synthetic receptor-based immunoassay for influenza vaccine quantification - Hashem, A. M.; Gravel, C.; Farnsworth, A.; Zou, W.; Lemieux, M.; Xu, K.; Li, C.; Wang, J.; Goneau, M.-F.; Merziotis, M.; He, R.; Gilbert, M.; et al. (PLoS ONE, 2013)
Vaccination is the most effective prophylactic method for preventing influenza. Quantification of influenza vaccine antigens is critically important before the vaccine is used for human immunization. Currently the vaccine antigen quantification relies on hemagglutinin content quantification, the key antigenic component, by single radial immunodiffusion (SRID) assay. Due to the inherent disadvantages associated with the traditional SRID; i.e. low sensitivity, low throughput and need for annual reagents, several approaches have been proposed and investigated as alternatives. Yet, most alternative methods cannot distinguish native hemagglutinin from denatured form, making them less relevant to antigenic analyses. Here, we developed a quantitative immunoassay based on the sialic acid binding property of influenza vaccine antigens. Specifically, we chemically synthesized human and avian influenza virus receptors analogues, N-acetylneuraminic acid-2,6-lactose and N-acetylneuraminic acid-2,3-lactose derivatives with an azidopropyl aglycon, using α-2,6- and α-2,3-sialyltransferases, respectively. The azido group of the two sialyllactose-derivatives was reduced and conjugated to mouse serum albumin through a squarate linkage. We showed that the synthetic α-2,6- and α-2,3-receptors selectively bound to human and avian-derived hemagglutinins, respectively, forming the basis of a new, and robust assay for hemagglutinin quantification. Hemagglutinin treated at high temperature or low pH was measured differentially to untreated samples suggesting native conformation is dependent for optimal binding. Importantly, this receptor-based immunoassay showed excellent specificity and reproducibility, high precision, less turnaround time and significantly higher sensitivity and throughput compared with SRID in analyzing multiple influenza vaccines. © 2013 Hashem et al.
Keywords: alpha 2,3 sialyllactoside receptor; alpha 2,3 sialyltransferase; alpha 2,6 sialyllactoside receptor; alpha 2,6 sialyltransferase; n acetylneuraminic acid 2,3 lactose; n acetylneuraminic acid 2,6 lactose; n acetylneuraminic acid derivative; serum albumin; sialic acid; virus hemagglutinin; virus receptor; antigen specificity; avian influenza virus; enzyme linked immunosorbent assay; immunodiffusion; influenza; influenza vaccination; linkage analysis; nucleotide sequence; pH measurement; protein protein interaction; quantitative analysis; sensitivity analysis; sensitivity and specificity; sialylation; temperature measurement; Antigens, Viral; Azides; Birds; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Glycosides; Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; Immunodiffusion; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype; Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype; Influenza in Birds; Influenza Vaccines; N-Acetylneuraminic Acid; Protein Denaturation; Protein Multimerization; Protein Structure, Quaternary; Sialyltransferases; Species Specificity

A critical evaluation of turbulence modeling in a model combustor - Jiang, L. (Journal of Thermal Science and Engineering Applications, 2013)
Based on the previous benchmark studies on combustion, scalar transfer, and radiation models, a critical evaluation of turbulence models in a propane-air diffusion flame combustor with interior and exterior conjugate heat transfers has been performed. Results obtained from six turbulence models are presented and compared in detail with a comprehensive database obtained from a series of experimental measurements. It is found that the Reynolds stress model (RSM), a second moment closure, is superior over the five popular eddy-viscosity two-equation models. Although the main flow patterns are captured by all six turbulence models, only the RSM is able to successfully predict the lengths of both recirculation zones and give fairly accurate predictions for mean velocity, temperature, CO2 and CO mole fractions, as well as turbulence kinetic energy in the combustor chamber. In addition, the realizable k-ε (Rk-ε) model illustrates better performance than four other two-equation models and can provide comparable results to those from the RSM for the configuration and operating conditions considered in the present study. © 2013 by ASME.
Keywords: Combustion model; Conjugate heat transfer; Diffusion flame combustors; Eddy-viscosity turbulence; Reynolds stress models; Reynolds stress turbulence model; Second-moment closures; Turbulence kinetic energy; Carbon dioxide; Combustion; Combustors; Kinetics; Reynolds number; Viscosity; Turbulence models

Simulations of pitch-heave limit-cycle oscillations at a transitional reynolds number - Yuan, W.; Poirel, D.; Wang, B. (AIAA Journal, 2013)
The present study investigates the nonlinear feedback coupling mechanism between unsteady low-Reynolds-number aerodynamics and structural response. Structural-response models addressing one-degree-of-freedom and two-degrees-of-freedom aeroelastic oscillations were coupled with an in-house-developed computational fluid dynamics code to perform large-eddy simulations for flows past a rigid airfoil in free-to-rotate and free-to-rotate-and-heave conditions at a low Reynolds number. As observed in the experiments, the numerical simulations confirmed the presence of self-sustained low-amplitude limit-cycle oscillations of a NACA 0012 airfoil. It was understood that this behavior in the transitional Reynolds-number regime resulted from the unsteadiness of the laminar boundary-layer separation and its delayed recovery when compared to the corresponding static conditions. The feedback coupling mechanism between the laminar-separation-bubble behavior and the structural response caused negative aerodynamic damping; thus, the aerodynamic forces did positive work and fed energy from the flow to the airfoil, sustaining the low-amplitude aeroelastic oscillations. The amplitude in pitch of the limit-cycle oscillations was of the order of 5-7 deg. As the operating angles of attack in unmanned-air-vehicle flights are within close range of the limit-cycle-oscillation occurrence, understanding and controlling the limit-cycle oscillation of the wings could ensure unmanned-air-vehicle stability so that it could acquire high-quality camera images and other data, for instance. Copyright © 2013 by Christopher Porter, R. Mark Rennie, Eric J. Jumper.
Keywords: Aerodynamic damping; Aeroelastic oscillations; Boundary-layer separation; Computational Fluid Dynamics codes; Limit cycle oscillations; Low Reynolds number; Nonlinear feedback coupling; Structural response; Aerodynamics; Airfoils; Computational fluid dynamics; Large eddy simulation; Reynolds number; Aeroelasticity

A model of ice friction for a speed skate blade - Lozowski, E.; Szilder, K.; Maw, S. (Sports Engineering, 2013)
The FAST 2.0i numerical model of ice friction was developed for an inclined speed skate blade. It describes ice friction at sliding velocities sufficiently high to produce a lubricating layer of meltwater, which completely separates the ice and slider surfaces (known as the hydrodynamic friction regime). Friction arises from ploughing a groove in the ice and from the shear stress in the lubricating Couette flow. The model takes into account frictional melting, heat conduction into the ice and the lateral squeeze flow of the lubricating liquid. We use the numerical model to calculate the ice-blade contacts, the parameters of the lubricating liquid layer, and the relative importance of the various contributions to the overall friction coefficient. We also use it to perform sensitivity studies and to predict the variation of ice friction during a typical skating stroke. The model results compare favorably with measurements of the ice friction coefficient during speed skating, made by others. © 2013 International Sports Engineering Association.

A synthetic peptide corresponding to a region of the human pericentriolar material 1 (PCM-1) protein binds β-amyloid (Aβ1-42) oligomers - Chakravarthy, B.; Ménard, M.; Brown, L.; Hewitt, M.; Atkinson, T.; Whitfield, J. (Journal of Neurochemistry, 2013)
We have recently reported that a ~19-kDa polypeptide, rPK-4, is a protein kinase Cs inhibitor that is 89% homologous to the 1171-1323 amino acid region of the 228-kDa human pericentriolar material-1 (PCM-1) protein (Chakravarthy et al. 2012). We have now discovered that rPK-4 binds oligomeric amyloid-β peptide (Aβ)1-42 with high affinity. Most importantly, a PCM-1-selective antibody co-precipitated Aβ and amyloid β precursor protein (AβPP) from cerebral cortices and hippocampi from AD (Alzheimer's disease) transgenic mice that produce human AβPP and Aβ 1-42, suggesting that PCM-1 may interact with amyloid precursor protein/Aβ in vivo. We have identified rPK-4′s Aβ-binding domain using a set of overlapping synthetic peptides. We have found with ELISA, dot-blot, and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis techniques that a ~ 5 kDa synthetic peptide, amyloid binding peptide (ABP)-p4-5 binds Aβ 1-42 at nM levels. Most importantly, ABP-p4-5, like rPK-4, appears to preferentially bind Aβ1-42 oligomers, believed to be the toxic AD-drivers. As expected from these observations, ABP-p4-5 prevented Aβ1-42 from killing human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells via apoptosis. These findings indicate that ABP-p4-5 is a possible candidate therapeutic for AD. © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada 2013.
Keywords: amyloid beta protein[1-42]; oligomer; pericentriolar material 1 protein; polypeptide; unclassified drug; Alzheimer disease; apoptosis; article; controlled study; dot hybridization; enzyme linked immunosorbent assay; human; human cell; neuroblastoma cell; polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; priority journal; protein binding; Aβ-binding peptides; Aβ1-42 oligomers; Alzheimer's disease; PCM-1 protein; Amino Acid Sequence; Amyloid beta-Peptides; Animals; Autoantigens; Blotting, Western; Cell Cycle Proteins; Cell Line, Tumor; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Humans; Immunoblotting; Immunoprecipitation; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Transgenic; Molecular Sequence Data; Peptides; Protein Structure, Tertiary; Mus musculus

Atomistic theory of emission from dark excitons in self-assembled quantum dots - Korkusinski, M.; Hawrylak, P. (Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, 2013)
We present atomistic theory of emission from dark excitons in self-assembled quantum dots. Using the atomistic tight-binding model coupled with the configuration-interaction approach, we calculate the emission spectrum of a dark exciton confined in a single, self-assembled quantum dot. We demonstrate that the dark exciton state is optically active and that it emits photons in the plane of the dot, polarized along its vertical axis. This finite radiative lifetime is due to the mixing of hole subbands and can be tuned over several orders of magnitude by engineering the size and shape of the quantum dot. Published by the American Physical Society.

Electrochemical behavior of ruthenium-hexacyanoferrate modified glassy carbon electrode and catalytic activity towards ethanol electrooxidation - Costa, W.M.; Cardoso, W.S.; Marques, E.P.; Bezerra, C.W.B.; Ferreira, A.Ap.P.; Song, C.; Zhang, J.; Marques, A.L.B. (Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society, 2013)
Ruthenium-based hexacyanoferrate (RuHCF) thin film modified glassy carbon electrode was prepared by drop evaporation method. The RuHCF modified electrode exhibited four redox couples in strong acidic solution (pH 1.5) attributed to Fe(CN)6 3- ion and three ruthenium forms (Ru(II), Ru(III) and Ru(IV)), characteristic of ruthenium oxide compounds. The modified electrode displayed excellent electrocatalytic activity towards ethanol oxidation in the potential region where electrochemical processes Ru(III)-O-Ru(IV) and Ru(IV)-O-Ru(VI) occur. Impedance spectroscopy data indicated that the charge transfer resistance decreased with the increase of the applied potential and ethanol concentration, indicating the use of the RuHCF modified electrode as an ethanol sensor. Under optimized conditions, the sensor responded linearly and rapidly to ethanol concentration between 0.03 and 0.4 mol L-1 with a limit of detection of 0.76 mmol L-1, suggesting an adequate sensitivity in ethanol analyses. Printed in Brazil - ©2013 Sociedade Brasileira de Química.

Nonlinear color-metallicity relations of globular clusters. IV. testing the nonlinearity scenario for color bimodality via HST/WFC3 u-band photometry of M84 (NGC 4374) - Yoon, S.-J.; Sohn, S.T.; Kim, H.-S.; Chung, C.; Cho, J.; Lee, S.-Y.; Blakeslee, J.P. (The Astrophysical Journal, 2013)
Color distributions of globular clusters (GCs) in most massive galaxies are bimodal. Assuming linear color-to-metallicity conversions, bimodality is viewed as the presence of merely two GC subsystems with distinct metallicities, which serves as a critical backbone of various galaxy formation theories. Recent studies, however, revealed that the color-metallicity relations (CMRs) often used to derive GC metallicities (e.g., CMRs of g-z, V-I, and C-T1) are in fact inflected. Such inflection can create bimodal color distributions if the underlying GC metallicity spread is simply broad as expected from the hierarchical merging paradigm of galaxy formation. In order to test the nonlinear-CMR scenario for GC color bimodality, the u-band photometry is proposed because the u-related CMRs (e.g., CMRs of u-g and u-z) are theoretically predicted to be least inflected and most distinctive among commonly used optical CMRs. Here, we present Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/WFC3 F336W (u-band) photometry of the GC system in M84, a giant elliptical in the Virgo galaxy cluster. Combining the u data with the existing HST ACS/WFC g and z data, we find that the u-z and u-g color distributions are different from the g-z distribution in a very systematic manner and remarkably consistent with our model predictions based on the nonlinear-CMR hypothesis. The results lend further confidence to the validity of the nonlinear-CMR scenario as an explanation for GC color bimodality. There are some GC systems showing bimodal spectroscopic metallicity, and in such systems the inflected CMRs often create stronger bimodality in the color domain. © 2013. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

How to reveal subsurface defects in Kevlar® composite materials after an impact loading using infrared vision and optical NDT techniques? - Bendada, A.; Sfarra, S.; Genest, M.; Paoletti, D.; Rott, S.; Talmy, E.; Ibarra-Castanedo, C.; Maldague, X. (Engineering Fracture Mechanics, 2013)
An integrated system between infrared vision and optical non-destructive testing techniques can be considered a viable, robust and reliable approach for both aerospace manufacturing and in-service inspections. In this paper, infrared vision is applied in different spectral bands on two impacted panels made of aramid-phenolic composite by applying two different methods, respectively: (1) near and short-wave infrared reflectography and transmittography, and (2) mid-wave active infrared thermography. Furthermore, optical methods, namely digital speckle photography and holographic interferometry, are used as well to highlight the damages due to the impacts on the samples. Some techniques provide more straightforward detection capabilities than others for different defect types. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.
Keywords: Active infrared thermography; Aerospace manufacturing; Detection capability; Digital speckle photography; In-service inspection; Integrated systems; Non destructive testing; Short wave infrared; Composite materials; Debonding; Defects; Holographic interferometry; Optical testing; Nondestructive examination

Measuring laser weldability of aluminium alloys using controlled restraint weldability test - Coniglio, N.; Patry, M. (Science and Technology of Welding and Joining, 2013)
Al-Mg-Si alloys are known to be highly susceptible to solidification cracking. Weldability results of laminated AA6061-T6 plates are presented in this paper when welded in full penetration keyhole mode using a 1030 nm, 10 kW Yb:YAG disk laser welding source with different welding conditions. Making use of the controlled restraint weldability (CRW) cracking test, a boundary has been established between crack and no crack conditions for different preloads. The originality of the CRW test is the cross-shaped test coupon that partitions the pre-stress unequally along the welding path. The CRW is proven capable of ranking the solidification cracking behaviour of weld metals deposited under different welding conditions. © 2013 Crown in Right of Canada Published by Maney on behalf of the Institute.
Keywords: Al-Mg-Si alloys; Disk laser welding; Full penetration; Laser weldability; Solidification cracking; Solidification cracks; Weldability tests; Welding conditions; Aluminum alloys; Cracks; Laser beam welding; Silicon alloys; Solidification; Weldability; Testing

Aerobic biofilms grown from Athabasca watershed sediments are inhibited by increasing concentrations of bituminous compounds - Yergeau, Étienne; Lawrence, John R.; Sanschagrin, Sylvie; Roy, Julie L.; Swerhone, George D. W.; Korber, Darren R.; Greer, Charles W. (Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2013)
Sediments from the Athabasca River and its tributaries naturally contain bitumen at various concentrations, but the impacts of this variation on the ecology of the river are unknown. Here, we used controlled rotating biofilm reactors in which we recirculated diluted sediments containing various concentrations of bituminous compounds taken from the Athabasca River and three tributaries. Biofilms exposed to sediments having low and high concentrations of bituminous compounds were compared. The latter were 29% thinner, had a different extracellular polysaccharide composition, 67% less bacterial biomass per μm2, 68% less cyanobacterial biomass per μm2, 64% less algal biomass per μm2, 13% fewer protozoa per cm2, were 21% less productive, and had a 33% reduced content in chlorophyll a per mm2 and a 20% reduction in the expression of photosynthetic genes, but they had a 23% increase in the expression of aromatic hydrocarbon degradation genes. Within the Bacteria, differences in community composition were also observed, with relatively more Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria and less Cyanobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes in biofilms exposed to high concentrations of bituminous compounds. Altogether, our results suggest that biofilms that develop in the presence of higher concentrations of bituminous compounds are less productive and have lower biomass, linked to a decrease in the activities and abundance of photosynthetic organisms likely due to inhibitory effects. However, within this general inhibition, some specific microbial taxa and functional genes are stimulated because they are less sensitive to the inhibitory effects of bituminous compounds or can degrade and utilize some bitumen-associated compounds.
Keywords: Athabasca River; Biofilms; Next-generation sequencing; Oil sands; Sediments

Aerodynamics of a low-pressure turbine airfoil at low Reynolds numbers-Part II: Blade-wake interaction - Mahallati, A.; Sjolander, S.A. (Journal of Turbomachinery, 2013)
Part II of this two-part paper presents the aerodynamic behavior of a low-pressure high-lift turbine airfoil, PakB, under the influence of incoming wakes. The periodic unsteady effects of wakes from a single upstream blade-row were measured in a low-speed linear cascade facility at Reynolds numbers of 25,000, 50,000 and 100,000 and at two freestream turbulence intensity levels of 0.4% and 4%. In addition, eight reduced frequencies between 0.53 and 3.2, at three flow coefficients of 0.5, 0.7 and 1.0 were examined. The complex wake-induced transition, flow separation and reattachment on the suction surface boundary layer were determined from an array of closely-spaced surface hot-film sensors. The wake-induced transition caused the separated boundary layer to reattach to the suction surface at all conditions examined. The time-varying profile losses, measured downstream of the cascade, increased with decreasing Reynolds number. The influence of increased freestream turbulence intensity was only evident in between wake-passing events at low reduced frequencies. At higher values of reduced frequency, the losses increased slightly and, for the cases examined here, losses were slightly larger at lower flow coefficients. An optimum wake-passing frequency was observed at which the profile losses were a minimum. © 2013 American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Keywords: Blade-wake interactions; Flow coefficients; Freestream turbulence intensity; Linear cascade; Low-pressure turbines; Profile loss; Reduced frequency; Reynolds; Suction surfaces; Time varying; Turbine airfoils; Unsteady effects; Wake-induced transitions; Airfoils; Reynolds number; Turbines; Wakes; Aerodynamics

The whole annulus computations of particulate flow and erosion in an axial fan - Yang, H.; Boulanger, J. (Journal of Turbomachinery, 2013)
Gas turbine engines operating in a hostile environment, polluted with sand or dust particles, are susceptible to erosion damage, mostly at the front axial fans and compressors. Accurately predicting the erosion pattern and rate due to sand ingestion is one of the major challenges faced by the transportation and power industries. Maintenance costs are scrutinized and intensive research efforts are currently deployed in predictive life assessment tools to minimize the overhaul down time. The conventional prediction methods were usually based on steady-state simulations of gas-phase flows through a single blade passage per blade row to reduce the computational cost. However, the multistage turbomachinery flows are intrinsically subject to unsteadiness, especially due to stator-rotor interactions, which may affect sand particle trajectories even if a one-way coupling method is considered. Furthermore, an unsteady stator-rotor interaction requires a whole-annulus model at great computational cost to avoid simplifications of the geometries or flow physics. To study the effects of the stator-rotor interaction on sand particle trajectories and erosion, an axial fan with inlet guide vanes is investigated, based on the whole annulus computations of both steady and unsteady gas-phase flows, each of which is then followed by a Lagrangian particle tracking step. A numerical algorithm for tracking particles driven by the unsteady gas-phase flow is presented. The comparison of the numerical predictions with the experimental data confirms the validity and necessity of the unsteady computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model in providing adequate predictions of sand erosion in the axial fan. © 2013 American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Keywords: Axial fans; Blade row; Computational costs; Down time; Dust particle; Erosion damage; Erosion patterns; Flow physics; Gas phase flow; Hostile environments; Intensive research; Lagrangian particle tracking; Life assessment; Maintenance cost; Multistage turbomachinery; Numerical algorithms; Numerical predictions; One-way couplings; Particulate flows; Power industry; Prediction methods; Sand erosion; Sand particles; Single blades; Stator-rotor interactions; Steady-state simulations; With inlets; Algorithms; Axial flow turbomachinery; Computational fluid dynamics; Digital storage; Forecasting; Erosion

Aerodynamics of a low-pressure turbine airfoil at low Reynolds numbers-Part I: Steady flow measurements - Mahallati, A.; McAuliffe, B.R.; Sjolander, S.A.; Praisner, T.J. (Journal of Turbomachinery, 2013)
This two-part paper presents a detailed experimental investigation of the laminar separation and transition phenomena on the suction surface of a high-lift low-pressure turbine airfoil, PakB. The first part describes the influence of Reynolds number, freestream turbulence intensity and turbulence length scale on the PakB airfoil under steady inflow conditions. The present measurements are distinctive in that a closely-spaced array of hot-film sensors has allowed a very detailed examination of the suction surface boundary layer behavior. In addition, this paper presents a technique for interpreting the transition process in steady, and periodically unsteady, separated flows based on dynamic and statistical properties of the hot-film measurements. Measurements were made in a low-speed linear cascade facility at Reynolds numbers between 25,000 and 150,000 at three freestream turbulence intensity levels of 0.4%, 2%, and 4%. Two separate grids were used to generate turbulence intensity of 4% with integral length scales of about 10% and 40% of the airfoil axial chord length. While the higher levels of turbulence intensity promoted earlier transition and a shorter separation bubble, turbulence length scale did not have a noticeable effect on the transition process. The size of the suction side separation bubble increased with decreasing Reynolds number, and under low freestream turbulence levels the bubble failed to reattach at low Reynolds numbers. As expected, the losses increased with the length of the separation bubble, and increased significantly when the bubble failed to reattach. © 2013 American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Keywords: Chord lengths; Experimental investigations; Freestream turbulence; Freestream turbulence intensity; Hot-film measurement; Inflow conditions; Laminar separations; Length scale; Linear cascade; Low Reynolds number; Low-pressure turbines; ON dynamics; Reynolds; Separated flows; Separation bubble; Statistical properties; Suction side; Suction surfaces; Transition phenomenon; Transition process; Turbulence intensity; Aerodynamics; Airfoils; Boundary layer flow; Turbines; Reynolds number

Simulating discriminative training for linear mixture adaptation in statistical machine translation - Foster, George; Chen, Boxing; Kuhn, Roland (Proceedings of the XIV Machine Translation Summit (Nice, September 2–6, 2013), 2013)

Laboratory investigation of breakwater crown wall comprised of permeable rock cages - Baker, Scott; Cornett, Andrew; Mahlujy, Keyvan (Coastal Structures 2011 : Proceedings of the 6th International Conference, 2013)
In this paper we explore the use of large permeable rock-filled cages as an innovative, economical and effective means of reducing overtopping on a large rubble-mound breakwater exposed to energetic breaking waves. The results of a physical modelling study demonstrate that significant reductions in wave overtopping can be achieved by erecting crown walls comprised of permeable rock-filled cages. The testing program included several different arrangements of rock cages and also included a sensitivity analysis with regards to rock cage permeability and interlocking friction.

Type- and species-selective air etching of single-walled carbon nanotubes tracked with in situ Raman spectroscopy - Li-Pook-Than, Andrew; Lefebvre, Jacques; Finnie, Paul (ACS Nano, 2013)
The thermal oxidation of carbon nanotubes in air is investigated by in situ Raman spectroscopy. Etching rates are directly seen to be diameter, chirality, and type dependent. We directly track the evolution of bundled nanotube networks that undergo air etching from 300 to 600 °C. Some species are more robust than others. Changes to radial breathing mode (RBM) and G– peak structures suggest that metallic species etch away more rapidly, with smaller diameter semiconducting species etching more slowly and large diameter nanotubes, including semiconductors, etching last. The decay in integrated G and D band intensities is tracked and fit reasonably well with biexponential decay. The RBM evolution is better represented by a single exponential. All bands are fit to activation plots with RBMs showing significantly different rates.
Keywords: carbon nanotube combustion; air etching; in situ Raman spectroscopy; purification; chirality

Critical role of gas phase diffusion and high efficiency in vertically aligned carbon nanotube forest growth - Vinten, P.; Marshall, P.; Quance, T.; Lefebvre, J.; Finnie, P. (Carbon, 2013)
Here the growth kinetics of vertically aligned carbon nanotube forests depend on the size of the patterned catalyst films from which they grow. Forests are grown using chemical vapor deposition on thin film catalyst islands patterned at the 100 μm scale on silicon wafers. The smaller the pattern, the faster the forest grows and the earlier it stops growing. Furthermore, the shape and structure of the forests, in particular the concavity of their top surface, also depend on the size of the catalyst islands. This result can be understood as a consequence of the high efficiency by which the acetylene source gas is converted into carbon nanotubes (here ∼30%) and a varying local amount of acetylene source gas available for growth. A diffusion model can explain the observed shape and structure of the forests and their growth kinetics by using experimentally measured parameters. This model also gives insight into the density and growth rate of carbon nanotube forests and suggests a mechanism that coordinates growth rates across the sample and, under certain conditions, can limit the fraction of catalyst nanoparticles that produce nanotubes.

The effect of hydrogen addition on combustion and emission characteristics of an n-heptane fuelled HCCI engine - Guo, Hongsheng; Neill, W. Stuart (International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2013)
The mechanisms of the influence of hydrogen enrichment on the combustion and emission characteristics of an n-heptane fuelled homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine was numerically investigated using a multi-zone model. The model calculation successfully captured the most available experimental data. The results show that hydrogen addition retards combustion phasing of an n-heptane fuelled HCCI engine due to the dilution and chemical effects, with the dilution effect being more significant. It is because of the chemical effect that combustion duration is reduced at a constant compression ratio if an appropriate amount of hydrogen is added. As a result of retarded combustion phasing and reduced combustion duration, hydrogen addition increases indicated thermal efficiency at a constant combustion phasing. Hydrogen addition reduces indicated specific unburned hydrocarbon emissions, but slightly increases normalized unburned hydrocarbon emissions that are defined as the emissions per unit burned n-heptane mass. The increase in normalized unburned hydrocarbon emissions is caused by the presence of more remaining hydrocarbons that compete with hydrogen for some key radicals during high temperature combustion stage. At a given hydrogen addition level, N2O emissions increases with overly retarding combustion phasing, but hydrogen addition moderates this increase in N2O emissions.
Keywords: HCCI combustion; Hydrogen enrichment; Diesel combustion; Multi-zone model

Growth profile of Carboxydothermus hydrogenoformans on pyruvate - Haddad, Mathieu; Cimpoia, Ruxandra; Zhao, Ya; Guiot, Serge R. (AMB Express, 2013)
Carboxydothermus hydrogenoformans is a thermophilic anaerobic strain most widely known for its ability to produce hydrogen (H2) when grown on carbon monoxide (CO). Although relatively well studied, growth characterization on pyruvate has never been assessed. The present work fully characterizes growth of the bacterium on pyruvate as a sole carbon source. C. hydrogenoformans demonstrated a growth rate of 0.03 h-1, with pyruvate consumption ranging between 0.21 and 0.48 mol · g-1 volatile suspended solid · d-1. A lag phase was also observed when switching from pyruvate to CO. When grown simultaneously on pyruvate and CO, pyruvate consumption was initiated upon CO depletion. This was attributed to pyruvate oxidation inhibition by CO, and not to a diauxic phenomenom. The strain also showed homoacetogenic activity.
Keywords: Carbon monoxide; Water-gas shift reaction; C. hydrogenormans; Pyruvate

Towards high conductivity in anion-exchange membranes for alkaline fuel cells - Li, Nanwen; Guiver, Michael D.; Binder, Wolfgang H. (ChemSusChem, 2013)
Quaternized poly(2,6-dimethylphenylene oxide) materials (PPOs) containing clicked 1,2,3-triazoles were first prepared through CuI-catalyzed “click chemistry” to improve the anion transport in anion-exchange membranes (AEMs). Clicked 1,2,3-triazoles incorporated into AEMs provided more sites to form efficient and continuous hydrogen-bond networks between the water/hydroxide and the triazole for anion transport. Higher water uptake was observed for these triazole membranes. Thus, the membranes showed an impressive enhancement of the hydroxide diffusion coefficient and, therefore, the anion conductivities. The recorded hydroxide conductivity was 27.8–62 mS cm−1 at 20 °C in water, which was several times higher than that of a typical PPO-based AEM (TMA-20) derived from trimethylamine (5 mS cm−1). Even at reduced relative humidity, the clicked membrane showed superior conductivity to a trimethylamine-based membrane. Moreover, similar alkaline stabilities at 80 °C in 1 M NaOH were observed for the clicked and non-clicked membranes. The performance of a H2/O2 single cell assembled with a clicked AEM was much improved compared to that of a non-clicked TMA-20 membrane. The peak power density achieved for an alkaline fuel cell with the synthesized membrane 1a(20) was 188.7 mW cm−2 at 50 °C. These results indicated that clicked AEM could be a viable strategy for improving the performance of alkaline fuel cells.
Keywords: 1,2,3-triazole; click chemistry; fuel cells; hydrogen bonds; ion exchange

Polyamide thin-film composite membranes based on carboxylated polysulfone microporous support membranes for forward osmosis - Cho, Young Hoon; Han, Jungim; Han, Sungsoo; Guiver, Michael D.; Park, Ho Bum (Journal of Membrane Science, 2013)
Due to its simple process and low energy consumption, forward osmosis (FO) has gained significant attention in the fields of portable hydration bags, desalination, landfill leachate treatment, and brine concentration. However, current state-of-the-art reverse osmosis (RO) membranes show relatively low water fluxes in FO processes due to high internal concentration polarization (ICP) and high mass transfer resistance in commercially available microporous support membranes. In this study, carboxylated polysulfones (CPSFs) were synthesized via direct polysulfone (PSF) functionalization and considered as hydrophilic, mechanically stable microporous support membranes. The incorporation of hydrophilic groups into hydrophobic polymer backbones often reduces mechanical strength due to excessive water swelling. However, the mechanical properties of CPSFs (degree of substitution, DS=0.49–0.85) were similar to those of pristine PSF, and they retained their hydrophilic nature. Microporous CPSF membranes were prepared in various conditions, and FO water fluxes and salt passages of polyamide thin-film/CPSF composite membranes were measured and compared with each other. CPSF-based FO membranes showed significantly higher water fluxes (water flux in FO mode: 18 L/m2 h, salt passage: 2.2 g/m2 h under 1 M MgCl2 as a draw solution, active layer facing DI water) than PSF-based FO membranes (10.5 L/m2 h, 1.5 g/m2 h at the same conditions), which might be due to enhanced hydrophilicity and reduced ICP.
Keywords: Forward osmosis; Microporous Membrane; Desalination; Carboxylated Polysulfone

Determination of strontium isotope amount ratios in biological tissues using MS-ICPMS - Irrgeher, Johanna; Prohaska, Thomas; Sturgeon, Ralph E.; Mester, Zoltan; Yang, Lu (Analytical Methods, 2013)

Surface orientation of hydrophilic groups in sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) membranes - He, Chenfeng; Guiver, Michael D.; Mighri, Frej; Kaliaguine, Serge (Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2013)
Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) copolymers (SPEEK) with a range of sulfonate contents (SC 77–51%) were synthesized via nucleophilic substitution polycondensation from hydroquinone and sulfonated hydroquinone. Membranes obtained by solvent casting from dimethylacetamide onto glass surfaces were analyzed for surface behavior. The surfaces of a membrane were hydrophobic in air, but hydrophilic in water. This surface behavior was corroborated by water contact angle vs. time, using sessile drop measurements. Hydrophilic sulfonic group aggregates on SPEEK chain and various media contacting with the top or bottom surfaces of the membrane during the fabrication process caused differences in surface behavior. Angle-dependent XPS showed that there was a higher atomic S/C ratio of the bottom surface than on the corresponding top surface. The hydrophilic sulfonic groups were in higher concentration within the membrane, with the concentration gradually decreasing towards the surface for SPEEK-HQ-80 and SPEEK-HQ-70 membranes. Acidification with strong acid and higher temperature induced a more hydrophilic surface on a membrane than a milder acidification process. The depth profile at the membrane surface was examined by a combination of contact angle, XPS and ATR-FTIR.
Keywords: Surface molecular reorientation; Wetting; PEM; Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone); SPEEK

Screening microalgae strains for their productivity in methane following anaerobic digestion - Frigon, Jean-Claude; Matteau-Lebrun, Frédérique; Hamani Abdou, Rekia; McGinn, Patrick J.; O'Leary, Stephen J. B.; Guiot, Serge R. (Applied Energy, 2013)
Interest in the use of microalgae for the production of biofuels has grown in recent years. Biomethane is a biofuel that can be obtained with high efficiency from anaerobic digestion of various organic feedstocks. In this study, a selection of freshwater (n = 15) and marine (n = 5) microalgae were tested in order to identify a microalgal strain that could be used as a model for large scale production of methane. Analysis of pH, volatile suspended solids and ammonium at the end of the assay ranged between 6.98–7.66, 16.0–25.9 g/L and 495–1622 mg/L respectively. No significant differences in these values were detected between freshwater and marine strains. There was no significant difference in the methane yield from freshwater microalgae (329 ± 43 mL CH4/g TVS) and marine microalgae (298 ± 83 mL CH4/g TVS) although it varied greatly within the tested strains. A statistical analysis of the microalgae grown under two different culture media showed that the type of medium was more determinant than the type of microalgae (freshwater or marine) for the methane yield, with 310 ± 35, 365 ± 25 and 303 ± 77 mL CH4/g TVS for the freshwater microalgae grown in Bold’s-3NV, f/2 and marine microalgae grown in f/2 media, respectively. The strains Scenedesmus sp.-AMDD, Isochrysis sp. and Scenedesmus dimorphus displayed the best methane yield with 410 ± 6, 408 ± 4 and 397 ± 10 mL CH4/g TVS, respectively. The strain Scenedesmus sp.-AMDD was chosen as a model strain for future work development with continuously fed digesters.
Keywords: Anaerobic digestion; Methane; Microalgae; Biofuel; Bioenergy; Scenedesmus

Practical correlation for thermal resistance of 45° sloped enclosed airspaces with downward heat flow for building applications - Saber, Hamed H. (Building and Environment, 2013)
A table is provided in the 2009 ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals (Chapter 26) that contains the thermal resistances (R-values) of enclosed airspaces. The ASHRAE table provides the R-values for enclosed airspaces of different thicknesses, effective emittances, mean airspace temperatures, and temperature differences across the airspaces. This table is extensively used by modelers, architects and building designers in the design for the R-values of building enclosures. The effect of the airspace aspect ratio (length/thickness) on the R-value is not accounted for in the ASHRAE table. However, previous studies showed that the aspect ratio of the airspace can affect its R-value. In this paper, the previous studies that focused on determining the R-values for vertical enclosed airspaces and horizontal enclosed airspaces with upward and downward heat flow are extended to investigate the effect of the aspect ratio on the R-values of 45° sloped enclosed airspaces under downward heat flow for different airspace thicknesses and having a wide range of values for the effective emittance, mean temperature, and temperature differences across the airspaces. The predicted R-values are compared with those provided in the ASHRAE table. Considerations are also given to investigate the potential increase in the R-values of enclosed airspaces when a thin sheet is placed in the middle of the airspace and whose surfaces have different values of emissivity. Thereafter, practical correlation is developed for determining the R-values of 45° sloped enclosed airspaces for future use by modelers, architects and building designers. The simplicity of this correlation for the sloped enclosed airspaces along with those that were previously developed for vertical and horizontal airspaces suggests that these correlations could be included in the ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals.
Keywords: Reflective insulation; low emissivity material; thermal modelling; R-value correlation; airflow in enclosed airspace and heat transfer by convection; conduction and radiation

Practical correlation for thermal resistance of horizontal enclosed airspaces with downward heat flow for building applications - Saber, Hamed H. (Journal of Building Physics, 2013)
The 2009 ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals (Chapter 26) provides a table that contains the thermal resistances (R-values) of enclosed airspaces for different values of airspace thickness, effective emittance, mean airspace temperature, and temperature differences across the airspace. This table is extensively used by modelers, architects, and building designers in the design for thermal resistance of building enclosures. The effect of the airspace aspect ratio (length/thickness) on the R-value is not accounted for in the ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) table. However, in previous studies, it was shown that the aspect ratio of the airspace can affect its R-value. In this article, the previous studies by the author who focused on determining the R-value for vertical enclosed airspaces and horizontal enclosed airspace under upward heat flow condition are extended to investigate the effect of the aspect ratio on the R-value of horizontal enclosed airspaces under a downward heat flow condition for different airspace thicknesses and having a wide range of values for effective emittance, mean temperature, and temperature differences across the airspaces. The R-values predicted from numerical simulation are compared with those provided in the ASHRAE table. Considerations were also given to investigate the potential increase in the R-values of enclosed airspaces when a thin sheet is placed horizontally in the middle of the airspace and whose surfaces have different values of emissivity. Thereafter, practical correlation was developed for determining the R-values of horizontal enclosed airspaces for future use by modelers, architects, and building designers. The simplicity of this correlation derived for horizontal airspaces under downward heat flow condition together with those that were previously developed for vertical airspaces and horizontal airspaces under upward heat flow condition suggests that these correlations could be included in the ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals.
Keywords: Reflective insulation; low emissivity material; thermal modelling; R-value correlation; airflow in enclosed airspace; heat transfer by convection; conduction and radiation

Lipid phase separation and protein-ganglioside clustering in supported bilayers are induced by photorelease of ceramide - Ramirez, Daniel M. Carter; Kim, Young Ah; Bittman, Robert; Johnston, Linda J. (Soft Matter, 2013)
Photolysis of 6-bromo-7-hydroxycoumarinyl-caged ceramide was used to generate ceramide with spatial and temporal control in supported lipid bilayers prepared from mixtures of caged ceramide and phospholipids. The caged ceramide molecules are randomly distributed in fluid 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) bilayers, and upon photolysis with long wavelength UV light small ordered ceramide domains are formed that phase separate from the bulk fluid membrane. Irradiation of a spatially restricted area leads to the transient formation of ceramide-enriched gel phase domains that equilibrate via lipid diffusion with the surrounding unirradiated membrane. Photorelease of C16-ceramide in supported bilayers prepared from POPC, caged ceramide, and the ganglioside GM1 (90 : 10 : 1 molar ratio) results in partitioning of a ganglioside–protein complex into the ceramide-enriched domains, modeling some aspects of ceramide's behavior in cells. The photo-uncaging strategy used here for delivery of ceramide in bilayers provides a novel and useful alternative to the enzymatic generation of ceramide in sphingomyelin-containing membranes. The ability to control membrane phase separation behavior and the clustering of membrane-anchored proteins illustrates the potential of photo-uncaging for studying the compartmentalization of ceramide in cellular membranes.

Assessment of tungsten/rhenium thermocouples with metal-carbon eutectic fixed points up to 1500°C - Gotoh, M. (Temperature : its measurement and control in science and industry, volume 8: Proceedings of the Ninth International Temperature Symposium, 2013)
Four Type A thermocouples and two Type C thermocouples were calibrated at the Au fixed point and Co-C and Pd-C eutectic fixed points. The thermocouples were exposed to 1330 °C for a total of 100 hours. The maximum drift due to the exposure was found to be 4.8 °C. The fixed-point calibration EMF of these thermocouples deviated by less than 0.86% from the temperature specified by the standards ASTM E230-2003 for Type C and GOSTR 8.585-2001 for Type A. The length of one of Type A thermocouples A52 is longer than the others by 150mm. Making use of this provision it was possible to place annealed part of A52 to the temperature gradient part of calibration arrangement every time. Therefore observed aging effect was as low as 0.5 °C compared to the other thermocouples.
M. Gotoh was a visiting scientist at the time of publication
Keywords: tungsten/rhenium thermocouple; Co-C eutectic point; Pd-C eutectic point

Practical correlations for thermal resistance of horizontal enclosed airspaces with upward heat flow for building applications - Saber, Hamed H. (Building and Environment, 2013)
The thermal resistance (R-value) of an enclosed airspace depends on the emissivity of all surfaces that bound the airspace, the size and orientation of the airspace, the direction of heat transfer through the airspace, and the respective temperatures of all surfaces that define the airspace. A table is provided in the 2009 ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals (Chapter 26) that contains the R-values of enclosed airspaces. The ASHRAE table is extensively used by modellers, architects and building designers in the design for thermal resistance of building enclosures. This table provides R-values for enclosed airspaces for different values of airspace thickness, effective emittance, mean airspace temperature, and temperature differences across the airspace. The effect of the airspace aspect ratio (length/thickness) on the R-value is not accounted for in the ASHRAE table. However, in previous studies, it was shown that the aspect ratio of the airspace can affect its R-value. In this paper, previous studies undertaken by the author that focused on determining the R-value for vertical enclosed airspaces and horizontal enclosed airspaces with downward heat flow are extended to investigate the effect of the aspect ratio on the R-value of horizontal enclosed airspaces under an upward heat flow condition for different airspace thicknesses and having a wide range of values for effective emittance, mean temperature, and temperature differences across the horizontal airspaces. The R-values predicted from numerical simulation are compared with those provided in the ASHRAE table. Considerations were also given to investigate the potential increase in the R-values of enclosed airspaces when a thin sheet is placed horizontally in the middle of the airspace and whose surfaces have different values of emissivity. Thereafter, practical correlations are developed for determining the R-values of horizontal enclosed airspaces for future use by modellers, architects and building designers. The simplicity of these correlations for horizontal airspaces with upward heat flow along with those that were previously developed for vertical airspaces and horizontal airspaces with downward heat flow suggests that these correlations could be included in the ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals.
Keywords: Reflective insulation; furred-airspace assembly; low emissivity material; thermal modelling; thermal resistance test method; R-value, heat flow meter; ASTM C-518; ASTM C-1363; airflow; heat transfer by convection; conduction and radiation

Energy retrofit using vacuum insulation panels: an alternative solution for enhancing the thermal performance of woodframe walls - Saber, Hamid H.; Maref, Wahid; Ganapathy, Gnanamurugan; Nicholls, Mike (Journal of Building Physics, 2013)
Field monitorings of thermal performance of residential 2 × 6 wood-frame wall systems that had been retrofitted using vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) and extruded polystyrene foam (XPS) panels were undertaken in May 2011 to May 2012 at the Field Exposure of Walls Facility (FEWF) of NRC-Construction. The main objective of this research was to measure the steady-state and transient thermal performance of three wall assemblies (4 ft × 6 ft), two of which incorporated VIPs within an XPS Tongue and Groove (T and G) configuration and VIPs within an XPS Clip-On (C-O) configuration, and a third assembly incorporating only XPS. The three wall assemblies were installed in the FEWF for 1-year cycle of exposure to outdoor natural weather conditions. The hygIRC-C model was used in this study. The results of the model calculations were in good agreement with the experimental data. Given that the VIPs could be punctured during the installation process or could fail during normal operating conditions, additional model calculations were used to predict the thermal resistance in cases where one or more VIPs failed. The model was also used to predict the yearly cumulative heat losses across these wall systems. It is important to point out that the aging effect and the effect of the thermal bridging due to envelope (i.e. skin) of the VIPs are not accounted for in this study. However, sensitivity analysis of the thickness and thermal conductivity of the VIP envelope was conducted to investigate the effect of these parameters on the effective thermal resistance of VIP.
Keywords: Vacuum Insulation Panel (VIP); heat transfer by conduction; convection and radiation; thermal insulation; retrofit; wood-framing

Large-scale arrays of nanomechanical sensors for biomolecular fingerprinting - Guthy, C.; Belov, M.; Janzen, A.; Quitoriano, N. J.; Singh, A.; Wright, V. A.; Finley, E.; Kamins, T. I.; Evoy, S. (Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 2013)
A review of activities involving the development of large arrays of nanomechanical resonators is presented. This review includes demonstration of the use of these arrays for the detection of biological targets. Both top-down and bottom-up approaches to the realization of such arrays were developed. Using a top-down approach, a nanomachining method for the fabrication of large arrays of doubly-clamped silicon carbonitride (SiCN) resonators with width as narrow as 16 nm and a yield approaching 100% was developed. The specific detection of protein-A using such resonator arrays functionalized with single domain antibody fragments (sdAb) was also demonstrated with femtogram-level mass sensitivity. A nano-imprinting based fabrication of these resonator arrays was also realized, opening up their potential for cost-effective manufacturing. On a bottom-up approach, resonant silicon nanowires were also produced using directed chemical vapor deposition methods. These bottom-up resonant nanowires were in turn successfully employed for the specific detection of streptavidin with attogram-level mass sensitivity.
Keywords: NEMS; Nanoresonators; Large-scale integration; Electronic noses

A feature-based method for NC machining time estimation - Liu, Changqing; Li, Yingguang; Wang, Wei; Shen, Weiming (Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, 2013)
Machining time estimation plays an important role in manufacturing process planning and scheduling. Existing NC machining time estimation methods are all based on material removal rates, NC programs, and machine characteristics. However, the machining condition which is related to the geometry-process information is also an important impact factor of the NC machining time estimation. As existing methods cannot satisfy the requirement of timeliness, accuracy and efficiency, this paper presents a feature-based method for NC machining time estimation. Experiment results show that the proposed approach is feasible and practical. It is particularly useful in real time manufacturing process planning and scheduling systems.
Keywords: NC machining; Machining speed; Machining time estimation; Machining feature

Ceiling temperature distribution and smoke diffusion in tunnel fires with natural ventilation - Kashef, Ahmed; Yuan, Zhongyuan; Lei, Bo (Fire Safety Journal, 2013)
A series of experimental tests was carried out in two 1/15 reduced-scale tunnels to investigate ceiling temperature distribution and smoke diffusion in tunnel fires with natural ventilation. Based on experimental results and the one-dimensional theory, formulas to predict the temperature distribution and smoke diffusion extent were developed. As the smoke was extracted through natural ventilation shafts, the tunnel was conceptually divided into two zones or sections: the fire and non-fire sections. In both sections, the smoke temperature can be expressed using the temperature decay formula and reference temperature formula. The temperature decay is an exponential function. The reference temperature in the fire section can be developed from the definition of the dimensionless temperature and a constant value that is different for different tunnels. The reference temperature in the non-fire section represents the relationship between the dimensionless reference temperature in the non-fire section and a constant value that is different for different tunnels. The smoke diffusion area represents the relationship between the dimensionless length of the smoke layer and the temperature decay at the location of smoke.
In Press, Corrected proof
Keywords: Tunnel fire; natural ventilation; ceiling temperature distribution; smoke diffusion distance

Risk-based decision making for sustainable and resilient infrastructure - Lounis, Zoubir (Structures Congress 2013: Bridging Your Passion With Your Profession, 2013)
The design and preservation of civil infrastructure systems have been driven, for a long time, by cost minimization while maintaining system reliability at an acceptable level. The growing concerns with aging and deteriorating infrastructures and the need to ensure resilient and sustainable infrastructures and communities require the development and use of innovative construction materials and structural systems and management practices that yield infrastructure resiliency and achieve an adequate balance between social, economic and environmental sustainability and the emerging needs for sustainable and resilient infrastructure and communities. This paper discusses some key performance measures and approaches that can be used to assess resilience and sustainability and presents a risk-based decision-based approach to help decision-makers optimize the design, evaluation and management of infrastructures that considers all possible hazards and provides alternative risk mitigation strategies that can be evaluated using a cost-benefit analysis, and rational criteria are presented to support the selection of the most sustainable and resilient risk mitigation strategy indicators, such as safety, serviceability, costs, traffic disruption, greenhouse gas emissions, which can be used for life cycle design of highway bridges. An example, taken from the North American context, illustrates how different design and rehabilitation approaches can contribute to achieve the sustainability of a highway bridge.
Keywords: risk management; sustainable development; infrastructure; decision making

Simultaneous optimization of pipe and pavement renewal scheduling - Kleiner, Yehuda (World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2013: Showcasing the Future, 2013)
Most urban distribution water mains are located under paved streets or roads. Despite an obvious interdependence between pipe and pavement deterioration, this interdependence has not yet been considered in frameworks that would optimize both simultaneously, which is the issue addressed in this paper. The deterioration processes of both pipe and pavement are considered to be deterministic, and some assumptions are made about the interactions between pipe breakage frequency and pavement condition. Total life cycle costs of both pipe and pavement are computed as the discounted costs of an infinite series of perpetual renewal cycles. Genetic Algorithm (GA) is used to find the (near) least cost strategy for scheduling multiple pipes and pavements in a network.
Keywords: Renewal scheduling; pipe; pavement; deterioration; optimisation

Glyceryl trinitrate metabolism in the quail embryo by the glutathione S-transferases leads to a perturbation in redox status and embryotoxicity - Bardai, Ghalib K.; Hales, Barbara F.; Sunahara, Geoffrey I. (Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2013)
Exposure of stage 9 quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) embryos to glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) induces malformations that were associated in previous studies with an increase in protein nitration. Increased nitration suggests metabolism of GTN by the embryo. The goals of this study were to characterize the enzymes and co-factors required for GTN metabolism by quail embryos, and to determine the effects of in ovo treatment with N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), a precursor of glutathione (GSH), on GTN embryotoxicity. GTN treatment of quail embryos resulted in an increase in nitrite, a decrease in total GSH, and an increase in the ratio of NADP+/NADPH, indicating that redox balance may be compromised in exposed embryos. Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs; EC 2.5.1.18) purified from the whole embryo (Km 0.84 mM; Vmax 36 μM/min) and the embryonic eye (Km 0.20 mM; Vmax 30 μM/min) had GTN-metabolizing activity (1436 and 34 nmol/min/mg, respectively); the addition of ethacrynic acid, an inhibitor of GST activity, decreased GTN metabolism. Peptide sequencing of the GST isozymes indicated that alpha- or mu-type GSTs in the embryo and embryonic eye had GTN metabolizing activity. NAC co-treatment partially protected against the effects of GTN exposure. Thus, GTN denitration by quail embryo GSTs may represent a key initial step in the developmental toxicity of GTN.
Keywords: Glutathione; Nitrated proteins; N-acetylcysteine; Redox homeostasis; Embryotoxicity

Predictable bacterial composition and hydrocarbon degradation in Arctic soils following diesel and nutrient disturbance - Bell, Terrence H.; Yergeau, Étienne; Maynard, Christine; Juck, David; Whyte, Lyle G.; Greer, Charles W. (The ISME Journal, 2013)
Increased exploration and exploitation of resources in the Arctic is leading to a higher risk of petroleum contamination. A number of Arctic microorganisms can use petroleum for growth-supporting carbon and energy, but traditional approaches for stimulating these microorganisms (for example, nutrient addition) have varied in effectiveness between sites. Consistent environmental controls on microbial community response to disturbance from petroleum contaminants and nutrient amendments across Arctic soils have not been identified, nor is it known whether specific taxa are universally associated with efficient bioremediation. In this study, we contaminated 18 Arctic soils with diesel and treated subsamples of each with monoammonium phosphate (MAP), which has successfully stimulated degradation in some contaminated Arctic soils. Bacterial community composition of uncontaminated, diesel-contaminated and diesel+MAP soils was assessed through multiplexed 16S (ribosomal RNA) rRNA gene sequencing on an Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine, while hydrocarbon degradation was measured by gas chromatography analysis. Diversity of 16S rRNA gene sequences was reduced by diesel, and more so by the combination of diesel and MAP. Actinobacteria dominated uncontaminated soils with 10 percent organic matter, while Proteobacteria dominated higher-organic matter soils, and this pattern was exaggerated following disturbance. Degradation with and without MAP was predictable by initial bacterial diversity and the abundance of specific assemblages of Betaproteobacteria, respectively. High Betaproteobacteria abundance was positively correlated with high diesel degradation in MAP-treated soils, suggesting this may be an important group to stimulate. The predictability with which bacterial communities respond to these disturbances suggests that costly and time-consuming contaminated site assessments may not be necessary in the future.
Keywords: 16S rRNA; Arctic; betaproteobacteria; bioremediation; disturbance; nutrient amendment

Electrolyte formulations based on dinitrile solvents for high voltage Li-ion batteries - Duncan, Hugues; Salem, Nuha; Abu-Lebdeh, Yaser (Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 2013)
In this work, we have investigated the suitability of aliphatic dinitrile solvents with the chemical formula N≡C-(CH2)n-C≡N where n varies from 3 to 8 in single, binary (mixed with ethylene carbonate, EC) or ternary (mixed with EC and dimethyl carbonate, DMC) electrolyte solutions for the high voltage (4.7 V) LiMn1.5Ni0.5O4 cathode material in lithium batteries. We report that the conductivity of all the electrolyte solutions (with LiTFSI or LiBF4 as salt) decreases as a function of “n”, i.e. as the alkane chain become longer while the viscosity increases. The electrochemical stability window is about 7 V for the single electrolyte solutions and drops to 6–6.5 V for the binary and ternary ones. ATR IR spectra of all the electrolyte solutions indicate the presence of a strong interaction between Li ions and the different solvents. Li/LiMn1.5Ni0.5O4 half cell batteries assembled using dinitriles as the main solvent (50% by volume), LiBF4 salt and LiBOB co-salt show good performance only in the ternary solutions. Those with shorter alkane dinitriles with n = 4 and 5 retain the capacity better after 50 cycles than the longer ones with n = 6 and 8. Investigation of the surface of the cycled electrode by XPS reveals that DMC plays a great role in surface passivation at high voltages by preventing salt decomposition in ternary solutions.

Astronomy from 80 Degrees North on Ellesmere Island, Canada - Steinbring, Eric (Astrophysics from Antarctica, 2013)
Site testing carried out on Ellesmere Island over recent years has shown that mountainous coastal terrain there can provide high clear-sky fractions in the long dark season, with low precipitable water-vapour column and prospects for excellent seeing. This presents new possibilities for time-domain and survey-mode science in the northern hemisphere, allowing uninterrupted high-precision photometry in the optical/near-infrared, but also gains in the submillimetre/millimetre. Efforts underway at the Eureka research station, at 80 degrees latitude, are reviewed. This location provides year-round access to a nearby site being developed as a pathfinder observatory. A program of variable-star and transient searches involving a wide-field imaging system has begun, with some early results. Plans include extrasolar-planet hunting via transit surveys, and future directions are discussed.
Keywords: arctic; site testing; telescopes; optical; submillimeter

Comparison of single and dual layer detector blocks for pre-clinical MRI–PET - Thompson, Christopher; Stortz, Greg; Goertzen, Andrew; Berg, Eric; Retière, Fabrice; Kozlowski, Piotr; Ryner, Lawrence; Sossi, Vesna; Zhang, Xuezhu (Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 2013)
Dual or multi-layer crystal blocks have been proposed to minimise the radial blurring effect in PET scanners with small ring diameters. We measured two potential PET detector blocks' performance in a configuration which would allow 16 blocks in a ring which could be inserted in a small animal 7T MRI scanner. Two crystal sizes, 1.60×1.60 mm² and 1.20×1.20 mm², were investigated. Single layer blocks had 10 or 12 mm deep crystals, the dual layer blocks had 4 mm deep crystals on the top layer and 6 mm deep crystals on the bottom layer. The crystals in the dual layer blocks are offset by ½ of the crystal pitch to allow for purely geometric crystal identification. Both were read out with SensL 4×4 SiPM arrays. The software identifies 64 crystals in the single layer and either 85 or 113 crystals in the dual layer array, (either 49 or 64 in the lower layers and 36 or 49 in the upper layers). All the crystals were clearly visible in the crystal identification images and their resolvability indexes (average FWHM/crystal separation) were shown to range from 0.29 for the best single layer block to 0.33 for the densest dual layer block. The best coincidence response FWHM was 0.95 mm for the densest block at the centre of the field. This degraded to 1.83 mm at a simulated radial offset of 16 mm from the centre, while the single layer crystals blurred this result to 3.4 mm. The energy resolution was 16.4±2.2% averaged over the 113 crystals of the densest block.
Keywords: Pre-clinical PET; SiPM; Dual-layer pixelated detector

Spatiotemporal modelling for policy analysis: application to sustainable management of whale-watching activities - Chion, Clément; Cantin, Guy; Dionne, Suzan; Dubeau, Benoit; Lamontagne, Philippe; Landry, Jacques-André; Marceau, Danielle; Martins, Cristiane C. A.; Ménard, Nadia; Michaud, Robert; Parrott, Lael; Turgeon, Samuel (Marine Policy, 2013)
Anticipating the impacts of a new policy before implementation on a complex social–ecological system is a challenging task for managers and policymakers. This paper reports on the development and use of an agent-based model (ABM) dedicated to support marine park managers in their effort to devise policies to sustainably manage whale-watching activities. The ABM, called the Marine Mammal and Maritime Traffic Simulator (3MTSim), represents the spatiotemporal dynamics of marine mammals and navigation activities in and around the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park in Canada. In the context of updating the current regulations on whale-watching in the Marine Park, 3MTSim was run to evaluate the merits of a proposed set of rules compared to the current regulations. To do so, a set of variables related to policies’ impacts on the three spheres of sustainable development, namely the impact on whales (Environment), on whale-watching companies (Economy), and tourist experience (Society) was analysed. 3MTSim's simulations highlighted that the proposed rules are expected to improve the situation regarding whale conservation and tourist experience with only marginal impact on the whale-watching industry. In the proposed regulations, one rule is expected to be very influential on whale-watching activities. This rule limits to 10 the number of whale-watching boats allowed to stand within 926 m of any boat in observation mode. Assuming efficient law enforcement, 3MTSim predicts a significant decrease in overall boat concentration around whales in the Marine Park, which is one of the management objectives benefiting both whales and tourists. Interestingly, 3MTSim reveals that this rule could indirectly force some boats to observe second-choice whales present in higher abundance rather than some more attractive species scarcer in the region. This highlights the following management tradeoffs: Reducing boat exposure for the humpback whale and endangered blue whale is likely to increase it for the more abundant fin whale listed as of special concern (Canada's Species at Risk Act) and minke whale. This work demonstrates the utility of ABMs to support policy analysis in the context of sustainable management in a Marine Park. ABMs developed in close relationship with end-users are unarguably a tool of choice to manage complex social–ecological systems since they provide insight into phenomena hard or impossible to measure in the real system. Despite the labour intensive nature of their implementation, this investment is worth the effort.
Keywords: Agent-based modelling; Spatiotemporal simulation; Whale-watching; Policy analysis; Sustainable management; Marine park