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Structural Pattern (structural + pattern)
Selected AbstractsStructural patterns in coarse gravelriver beds: typology, survey and assessment of the roles of grain size and river regimeGEOGRAFISKA ANNALER SERIES A: PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2002Lea Wittenberg The concept of river-bed stability as indexed by the occurrence of stable bed forms was examined in humid-temperate perennial streams and in Mediterranean ephemeral streams. The study examined the structural patterns of bed forms and their spatial distribution between temperate-humid and Mediterranean streams. Study sites in Northumberland, UK, and Mt. Carmel, Israel, were selected for their morphometric similarity, despite the contrast in climate, vegetation and hydrological regime. Fieldwork was based on a large number of Wolman grain size distributions and structure measurements along cross-sections at seven sites; Differences in mean grain size of bed structures were estimated using the general linear model (GLM) procedure and Duncan's multiple range test. Based on field evidence, river-bed configurations were divided into structural categories, according to the depositional setting of each measured particle on the river bed. Statistical analysis confirmed former qualitative descriptions of small-scale bed forms. The study identified spatial segregation in bed form distribution. In general, 30,40%of the bed material in the surveyed perennial streams was clustered, in contrast to approximately 10%in the ephemeral counterparts. The sorting index revealed higher values for the perennial streams, namely 2.39,3.59 compared with 1.73,2.07 for the ephemeral counterparts. It is suggested that the degree of sediment sorting and the proportion of clusters are strongly related. Sediment sorting, sediment supply and the hydrological regime explain the mechanism of cluster formation. It is assumed that climate shifts or human interference within river basins might affect the regional characteristic flood hydrograph, and consequently alter the sedimentary character of the river bed. In the case where river bed stability is reduced owing to changes in cluster bed form distribution, rivers that normally do not yield a significant amount of sediment might be subject to notable sedimentation problems. [source] Hybrid Magnetic Materials Based on Nitroxide Free Radicals and Extended Oxalato-Bridged Bimetallic NetworksEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 2 2005Antonio Alberola Abstract A series of hybrid organic-inorganic magnets of formula p -rad[MIICr(ox)3] [M = Mn (1), Co (2), Ni (3), Zn (4)] and m -rad[MIICr(ox)3] [M = Mn (5), Co (6)], in which N -methylpyridinium cations bearing a nitronyl nitroxide moiety in positions 3 (m -rad) or 4 (p -rad) of the pyridine ring coexist with the 2D honeycomb-like oxalato-bridged bimetallic lattice, has been prepared and studied by AC and DC magnetic susceptibility measurements and EPR spectroscopy. In general, the physical properties of these magnets are not altered significantly by the insertion of the nitronyl nitroxide radicals although these paramagnetic molecules seem to interact weakly with the inorganic network as demonstrated by EPR spectroscopy. Some differences can also be observed between the p -rad and m -rad series, i.e. m -rad derivatives have smaller values for the critical temperatures and coercive fields. We also report on the X-ray crystal structures and magnetic properties of p -rad[Mn(H2O)Cr(ox)3]·2H2O (7) and m -rad[Mn(H2O)2Cr(ox)3]·2H2O (8), two extended oxalato-bridged compounds with new topologies. Compound 7 is antiferromagnetic and its structure is a 3D achiral lattice in which zigzag ferromagnetic MnCr chains (J/k = +0.8 K) are interconnected to form hellicoidal hexagonal channels with the cationic free radicals residing in the free space. Compound 8, however, exhibits a ladder-like structural pattern with competing magnetic interactions and paramagnetic behaviour down to low temperatures. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2005) [source] Ketopinic Acid Derived Bis(hydroxy amides) as Cheap, Chiral Ligands for the Enantioselective Ethylation of Aromatic AldehydesEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 9 2010Tomás de las Casas Engel Abstract Readily accessible, C2 - and pseudo- C2 -symmetric bis(hydroxy amides), derived from commercially available (+)-ketopinic acid and protic diamines, are promising, cheap, chiral ligands for the synthetically valuable, enantioselective addition of organozinc reagents to carbon electrophiles. A series of ligands of this type, having key structural differences, has been synthesized and tested in the enantioselective ethylation of benzaldehydes and (E)-cinnamaldehyde, in order to gain information on the origin of ligand efficiency. The results obtained allow for the definition of a privileged structural pattern for the design of improved cheap ligands and support interesting models proposed for both the acting catalytic species and the controlling transition states. The most efficient ligands proved to be less efficient than commercially available (,)-MIB; nevertheless, an impressive efficiency level was obtained, which should sustain interest in this cheap type of ligands. [source] Lead Firms and Competition in ,Bi-polar' Commodity Chains: Grinders and Branders in the Global Cocoa-chocolate IndustryJOURNAL OF AGRARIAN CHANGE, Issue 2 2002Niels FoldArticle first published online: 16 DEC 200 Like most global agro-industrial commodity chains today, the global cocoa - chocolate industry is buyer-driven. However, the chain is characterized by the lead role of a few transnational companies in two different segments: the grinders (processors of cocoa)and the branders (manufacturers of chocolate), a structural pattern identified in other so-called turn-key industries consisting of contract manufacturers and brand-name firms. The paper examines two important spatial sub-systems of the chain: the national cocoa bean supply system in Ghana and the regional cocoa trading-storing-grinding complex in the Zaanstreek, Amsterdam. The structural patterns and relationships in these sub-systems suggest that the dynamics of ,bi-polar' buyer-driven chains is best comprehended in terms of various types of containment strategies of the leadfirms, i.e. efforts to defend and improve their positions on the global market by creating competition among their suppliers and expanding their customers. [source] Isolation and characterization of a novel copper-inducible metallothionein gene of a ciliate, Tetrahymena tropicalis lahorensisJOURNAL OF CELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY, Issue 3 2010Raheela Chaudhry Abstract The two isoforms of copper metallothionein (CuMT) gene of a copper resistant ciliate, Tetrahymena tropicalis lahorensis (Ttl), have been isolated and characterized. The molecular cloning and nucleotide sequencing of cDNAs coding for the two CuMT isoforms revealed that TtlCuMT1 gene has 300, while TtlCuMT2 has 327 nucleotides, both with ATG as the initiation codon and TGA as the translational termination codon. TAG codes for glutamine in TtlCuMT2 gene which is peculiar to Tetrahymena. The deduced or translated TtlCuMT1 and TtlCuMT2 peptide sequences contain 100 and 108 amino acid residues including 28 and 32 cysteine residues, respectively. The amino acid sequences of TtlCuMT1 and TtlCuMT2 have special features of two and three CXCXXCXCXXCXC intragenic tandem repeats with a conserved structural pattern of cysteine, respectively. The predicted tertiary structures of these two isoforms indicate two domains. Domain I and the initial part of domain II showed >98% homology with other Tetrahymena CuMT. On the basis of the differences in the domain II, the metallothionein subfamily 7b can be divided into two groups, one (TtlCuMT1) comprising >100 amino acids and the other (TtlCuMT2) comprising <100 amino acids. This is a novel finding of the present study as no such report on this type of classification exists at the moment. TtlCuMT1 has 95%, while TtlCuMT2 has 97% resemblance with the previously reported CuMT genes of Tetrahymena spp. SDS-PAGE analysis using fluorescent probe as well as coomassie brilliant blue staining also confirmed the presence of metallothionein. J. Cell. Biochem. 110: 630,644, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Differential correlates of diet and phylogeny on the shape of the premaxilla and anterior tooth in sparid fishes (Perciformes: Sparidae)JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, Issue 5 2004M. Linde Abstract We explore the correlational patterns of diet and phylogeny on the shape of the premaxilla and anterior tooth in sparid fishes (Perciformes: Sparidae) from the western Mediterranean Sea. The premaxilla is less variable, and in spite of the presence of species-specific features, a common structural pattern is easily recognizable in all species (i.e. the ascending and the articular processes are fused in a single branch, as in many percoid fishes). In contrast, tooth shape is more variable, and different structural types can be recognized (e.g. canine-like or incisive). Coupling geometric morphometric and comparative methods we found that the relationship between shape, diet and phylogeny also differs between premaxilla and tooth. Thus, the shape of the premaxilla is significantly correlated with food type, whereas the shape of the teeth is not correlated with diet, and probably reflects the species phylogenetic relationships. Two biological roles, resistance against compressive forces generated in the buccal cavity and the size of the oral gape, would explain the ecomorphological patterns of the premaxilla. The premaxilla and anterior tooth appear to evolve at different rates (mosaic evolution) and represent an example of morphological traits belonging to the same functional unit but following uncoupled evolutionary pathways. [source] Structural variability of the carboxy-terminus of Epstein,Barr virus encoded latent membrane protein 1 gene in Hodgkin's lymphomasJOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY, Issue 11 2007Deisy M. Guiretti Abstract Epstein,Barr virus (EBV) is implicated in the pathogenesis of several lymphoid and epithelial neoplasms. Latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) is the major viral oncogene and it is controversial whether tumor LMP1 variants reflect their geographical predominance or are associated with enhanced oncogenic properties. This study aimed to analyze LMP1 molecular variability of 62 EBV+ Hodgkin's lymphomas and 22 non-neoplastic controls from Brazil and Argentina. EBV association was characterized by EBER-ISH, LMP1 immunohistochemistry and PCR assays for EBNA2 and 3C (typing), LMP1 30 bp deletion (del30) and number of 33 bp tandem repeats. LMP1 C-terminal sequencing was performed in 42 cases. EBV1 was the predominant strain in both geographical Hodgkin's lymphoma groups (average 82%). A higher frequency of del30 variant was observed in lymphomas (41/63) than in non-neoplastic controls (6/22) (OR 4.97, CI 95% 1.53,16.79; P,=,0.005, ,2 test). A large number (5,7) of 33 bp repeat units was characteristic of del30 LMP1 variants (P,<,0.0001, Fisher's exact test). Sequence analysis showed a similar mutation spectrum to that described worldwide but none of the current classification schemes could be applied completely. A distinct structural pattern was observed in del30 variants, characterized by a large number of 33 bp repeat units and the presence of a 15 bp insertion encoding the JAK3 Box-1a motif (3/15 wt vs. 16/20 del30; P,=,0.001, ,2 test). The results suggest a pathogenic role for LMP1 del30 variants in Hodgkin's lymphoma from South America and point to particular virus-host molecular mechanisms, such as genomic instability in LMP1 carboxy-terminus, leading to enhanced production and selection of these deletion variants. J. Med. Virol. 79:1722,1730, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Study of subjectivity in the perception of cesarean birthNURSING & HEALTH SCIENCES, Issue 1 2005Chai Soon Park rn Abstract This study defined the structural patterns of subjectivity in the perception of cesarean birth. Q methodology was used on 71 statements collected through interviews with seven persons and a literature review followed. Twenty-nine Q samples were selected and administered to 22 persons, and four types of subjectivity were revealed by the QUANL PC Program. Type 1, or the ,naturalist', is characterized by a passive tendency and dislikes artificial methods, feeling that they are performed for hospital income and the trend for social preference. Type 2, ,logical thinker', thinks that cesarean birth should be selected if there are obstetric complications and severe anxiety about labor, even though it results in low intimacy with the baby. Type 3, ,maternal instinctivism', values the maternal-baby relationship and the sense of accomplishment from childbirth. Type 4, ,egocentric', thinks that cesarean section should be chosen when the woman has severe anxiety about labor or when the obstetric condition becomes dangerous. Before commencement of the patient's labor pains, the nurses and medical personnel who are participating in the delivery should assess the structural pattern on parturient woman's subjectivity in the perception of cesarean section. As a further step, they should encourage the woman and her family to participate in the decision-making process for considering the type of delivery the mother wants. [source] Anisotropic crystal structure distortion of the monoclinic polymorph of acetaminophen at high hydrostatic pressuresACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION B, Issue 2 2000E. V. Boldyreva The anisotropy of structural distortion of the monoclinic polymorph of acetaminophen induced by hydrostatic pressure up to 4.0,GPa was studied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction in a Merrill,Bassett diamond anvil cell (DAC). The space group (P21/n) and the general structural pattern remained unchanged with pressure. Despite the overall decrease in the molar volume with pressure, the structure expanded in particular crystallographic directions. One of the linear cell parameters (c) passed through a minimum as the pressure increased. The intramolecular bond lengths changed only slightly with pressure, but the changes in the dihedral and torsion angles were very large. The compressibility of the intermolecular hydrogen bonds NH,O and OH,O was measured. NH,O bonds were shown to be slightly more compressible than OH,O bonds. The anisotropy of structural distortion was analysed in detail in relation to the pressure-induced changes in the molecular conformations, to the compression of the hydrogen-bond network, and to the changes in the orientation of molecules with respect to each other in the pleated sheets in the structure. Dirichlet domains were calculated in order to analyse the relative shifts of the centroids of the hydrogen-bonded cycles and of the centroids of the benzene rings with pressure. [source] Structural patterns in coarse gravelriver beds: typology, survey and assessment of the roles of grain size and river regimeGEOGRAFISKA ANNALER SERIES A: PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2002Lea Wittenberg The concept of river-bed stability as indexed by the occurrence of stable bed forms was examined in humid-temperate perennial streams and in Mediterranean ephemeral streams. The study examined the structural patterns of bed forms and their spatial distribution between temperate-humid and Mediterranean streams. Study sites in Northumberland, UK, and Mt. Carmel, Israel, were selected for their morphometric similarity, despite the contrast in climate, vegetation and hydrological regime. Fieldwork was based on a large number of Wolman grain size distributions and structure measurements along cross-sections at seven sites; Differences in mean grain size of bed structures were estimated using the general linear model (GLM) procedure and Duncan's multiple range test. Based on field evidence, river-bed configurations were divided into structural categories, according to the depositional setting of each measured particle on the river bed. Statistical analysis confirmed former qualitative descriptions of small-scale bed forms. The study identified spatial segregation in bed form distribution. In general, 30,40%of the bed material in the surveyed perennial streams was clustered, in contrast to approximately 10%in the ephemeral counterparts. The sorting index revealed higher values for the perennial streams, namely 2.39,3.59 compared with 1.73,2.07 for the ephemeral counterparts. It is suggested that the degree of sediment sorting and the proportion of clusters are strongly related. Sediment sorting, sediment supply and the hydrological regime explain the mechanism of cluster formation. It is assumed that climate shifts or human interference within river basins might affect the regional characteristic flood hydrograph, and consequently alter the sedimentary character of the river bed. In the case where river bed stability is reduced owing to changes in cluster bed form distribution, rivers that normally do not yield a significant amount of sediment might be subject to notable sedimentation problems. [source] Three-Dimensional Culture Environments Enhance Osteoblast DifferentiationJOURNAL OF PROSTHODONTICS, Issue 7 2008Jessica Boehrs BS Abstract Purpose: In previous work from our laboratory, we demonstrated that the three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures developed in simulated microgravity environments enhanced osseous-like aggregate formation and accelerated preosteoblast cell differentiation. Thus, as described here, we hypothesize that aggregate formation and mineralization would occur with fewer than 10 × 106 cells as previously described. Materials and Methods: Human preosteoblastic cells were cultured at different concentrations in a rotary wall vessel to simulate microgravity for 7 days. Aggregate size was assessed, and mineralization and collagen expression detected using Von Kossa and Masson Trichrome staining. Scanning electron microscopy was used for structural and elemental analysis. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect expression of the osteogenic markers BSPII and osteopontin (OP). Results: Size and calcium expression were dependent upon cultured cell number (p < 0.01). Calcium and collagen expression were detected throughout the aggregate, but organization was independent of cell number. Aggregates had similar microscopic structural patterns demonstrating organized development. Presence of BSPII and OP showed that the aggregates share common differentiation proteins with in vivo bone formation. Conclusions: These results may lead to novel bone engineering techniques associated with dental treatment. [source] Comprehend and analyze knowledge networks to improve software evolutionJOURNAL OF SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE AND EVOLUTION: RESEARCH AND PRACTICE, Issue 3 2009Christian Del Rosso Abstract When a set of people are connected by a set of meaningful social relationships we talk of a social network. A social network represents a social structure and the underlying structural patterns can be used to analyze and comprehend how people relate to each other and their emergent behavior as a group. Developing software is fundamentally a human activity. Developers cooperate and exchange knowledge and information, creating in fact, a particular type of social network that we call knowledge network. In this paper we investigate knowledge networks in software development teams by applying social network analysis and we use the Apache web server as a case study. By analyzing the structural communication and coordination patterns in Apache we have been able to identify the Apache knowledge network, highlight potential communication bottlenecks, and find brokers and important coordination points in the software development team. Furthermore, our work enables a software architect to analyze and maintain the organization and the software architecture aligned during software evolution. An important lesson that we have is that the analysis of knowledge networks constitutes an additional tool to be added to the traditional software architecture assessment methods. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Study of subjectivity in the perception of cesarean birthNURSING & HEALTH SCIENCES, Issue 1 2005Chai Soon Park rn Abstract This study defined the structural patterns of subjectivity in the perception of cesarean birth. Q methodology was used on 71 statements collected through interviews with seven persons and a literature review followed. Twenty-nine Q samples were selected and administered to 22 persons, and four types of subjectivity were revealed by the QUANL PC Program. Type 1, or the ,naturalist', is characterized by a passive tendency and dislikes artificial methods, feeling that they are performed for hospital income and the trend for social preference. Type 2, ,logical thinker', thinks that cesarean birth should be selected if there are obstetric complications and severe anxiety about labor, even though it results in low intimacy with the baby. Type 3, ,maternal instinctivism', values the maternal-baby relationship and the sense of accomplishment from childbirth. Type 4, ,egocentric', thinks that cesarean section should be chosen when the woman has severe anxiety about labor or when the obstetric condition becomes dangerous. Before commencement of the patient's labor pains, the nurses and medical personnel who are participating in the delivery should assess the structural pattern on parturient woman's subjectivity in the perception of cesarean section. As a further step, they should encourage the woman and her family to participate in the decision-making process for considering the type of delivery the mother wants. [source] Review: An overview about the structure,function relationship of marine sulfated homopolysaccharides with regular chemical structures,BIOPOLYMERS, Issue 8 2009Vitor H. Pomin Abstract Efforts in both structural and biological studies of sulfated polysaccharides from marine organisms have increased significantly over the last 10 years. Marine invertebrates have been demonstrated to be a source of glycans with particularly well-defined chemical structures, although ordered structural patterns can also be found occasionally in algal sources such as red seaweeds. Clear and regular structural features are essential for a good understanding of the biological activities of these marine homopolysaccharides of which sulfated fucans and sulfated galactans are the most studied. Herein, the main structural features (sugar type, sulfation and glycosylation sites, and orientational binding preferences) of both sulfated fucans and galactans are individually reviewed with regard to their specific contributions to two frequently described biological functions: the acrosome reaction (a physiological event of sea-urchin fertilization), and the anticoagulant and antithrombotic activities (an alternative and highly desirable pharmacological application). © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 91: 601,609, 2009. This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The "Published Online" date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com [source] Origin of the Silurian Crude Oils and Reservoir Formation Characteristics in the Tazhong UpliftACTA GEOLOGICA SINICA (ENGLISH EDITION), Issue 5 2010YANG Haijun Abstract: The Silurian stratum in the Tazhong uplift is an important horizon for exploration because it preserves some features of the hydrocarbons produced from multi-stage tectonic evolution. For this reason, the study of the origin of the Silurian oils and their formation characteristics constitutes a major part in revealing the mechanisms for the composite hydrocarbon accumulation zone in the Tazhong area. Geochemical investigations indicate that the physical properties of the Silurian oils in Tazhong vary with belts and blocks, i.e., heavy oils are distributed in the TZ47,15 well-block in the North Slope while normal and light oils in the No. I fault belt and the TZ16 well-block, which means that the oil properties are controlled by structural patterns. Most biomarkers in the Silurian oils are similar to that of the Mid-Upper Ordovician source rocks, suggesting a good genetic relationship. However, the compound specific isotope of n -alkanes in the oils and the chemical components of the hydrocarbons in fluid inclusions indicate that these oils are mixed oils derived from both the Mid-Upper Ordovician and the Cambrian,Lower Ordovician source rocks. Most Silurian oils have a record of secondary alterations like earlier biodegradation, including the occurrence of "UCM" humps in the total ion current (TIC) chromatogram of saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons and 25-norhopane in saturated hydrocarbons of the crude oils, and regular changes in the abundances of light and heavy components from the structural low to the structural high. The fact that the Silurian oils are enriched in chain alkanes, e.g., n -alkanes and 25-norhopane, suggests that they were mixed oils of the earlier degraded oils with the later normal oils. It is suggested that the Silurian oils experienced at least three episodes of petroleum charging according to the composition and distribution as well as the maturity of reservoir crude oils and the oils in fluid inclusions. The migration and accumulation models of these oils in the TZ47,15 well-blocks, the No. I fault belt and the TZ16 well-block are different from but related to each other. The investigation of the origin of the mixed oils and the hydrocarbon migration and accumulation mechanisms in different charging periods is of great significance to petroleum exploration in this area. [source] |