Fracture roughness in three-dimensional beam lattice systems

We study the scaling of three-dimensional crack roughness using large-scale beam lattice systems. Our results for prenotched samples indicate that the crack surface is statistically isotropic, with the implication that experimental findings of anisotropy of fracture surface roughness in directions parallel and perpendicular to crack propagation is not due to the scalar or vectorial elasticity of the model. In contrast to scalar fuse lattices, beam lattice systems do not exhibit anomalous scaling or an extra dependence of roughness on system size. The local and global roughness exponents (ζloc and ζ, respectively) are equal to each other, and the three-dimensional crack roughness exponent is estimated to be ζloc=ζ=0.48±0.03. This closely matches the roughness exponent observed outside the fracture process zone. The probability density distribution p[Δh(ℓ)] of the height differences Δh(ℓ)=[h(x+ℓ)−h(x)] of the crack profile follows a Gaussian distribution, in agreement with experimental results.Peer reviewe

The role of marbling as an intrinsic characteristic at the point of meat purchase – the Taguchi approach

Meat quality is considered a complex concept depending on many characteristics that could be intrinsic or extrinsic. At the same time, intrinsic and extrinsic quality cues affect consumers' purchasing decisions. The importance of each quality cue was analysed and discussed in previous literature. Thus, colour and level of marbling of fresh meat were defined as key quality cues at the point of meat purchase. These characteristics are mostly related to pork and beef. The aim of this study was to identify quality characteristics that most closely match the consumer's preferences and at the same time could be related to quality losses. For that purpose, this paper gives a novel approach of the potential application of Taguchi loss function associated with quality characteristics and related losses for colour and level of marbling. This application can be implemented by providing a quality characteristic's proper target values and limits, which would make the meat production process more consistent

Health care in Bosnia and Herzegovina before, during, and after 1992–1995 war: a personal testimony

Market-based health care reform during democratic transition in Bosnia and Herzegovina was complicated by the 1992–1995 war, that devastated the country and greater part of its health care infrastructure. The course of the transition and consequences of war for the health system and health professionals are presented here from the perspective of the author. The description of real-life situations and their context is used to illustrate the problems physicians, as well as international community, were faced with and how they tried to cope with them during and after the war. Speaking openly about the mistakes that were made in those times is the first step in preventing them from happening again and an invitation for exchange of opinions and open academic discussion

Morphology of two dimensional fracture surface

We consider the morphology of two dimensional cracks observed in experimental results obtained from paper samples and compare these results with the numerical simulations of the random fuse model (RFM). We demonstrate that the data obey multiscaling at small scales but cross over to self-affine scaling at larger scales. Next, we show that the roughness exponent of the random fuse model is recovered by a simpler model that produces a connected crack, while a directed crack yields a different result, close to a random walk. We discuss the multiscaling behavior of all these models.Comment: slightly revise

Liposome Co-sedimentation and Co-flotation Assays to Study Lipid-Protein Interactions

A large proportion of proteins are expected to interact with cellular membranes to carry out their physiological functions in processes such as membrane transport, morphogenesis, cytoskeletal organization, and signal transduction. The recruitment of proteins at the membrane-cytoplasm interface and their activities are precisely regulated by phosphoinositides, which are negatively charged phospholipids found on the cytoplasmic leaflet of cellular membranes and play critical roles in membrane homeostasis and cellular signaling. Thus, it is important to reveal which proteins interact with phosphoinositides and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Here, we present two standard in vitro methods, liposome co-sedimentation and co-flotation assays, to study lipid-protein interactions. Liposomes can mimic various biological membranes in these assays because their lipid compositions and concentrations can be varied. Thus, in addition to mechanisms of lipid-protein interactions, these methods provide information on the possible specificities of proteins toward certain lipids such as specific phosphoinositide species and can hence shed light on the roles of membrane interactions on the functions of membrane-associated proteins.Peer reviewe

Changes in chemical attributes during ripening of traditional fermented sausage, "Pirot ironed"

"Pirot ironed" is a traditional Serbian dry-fermented sausage manufactured in the southeast of Serbia. The changes in the chemical attributes of Pirot ironed sausage were followed during ripening. Samples were taken on the processing days 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28. Pirot ironed sausage was produced from the most valuable cuts of beef and chevon, without addition of starter cultures or fat tissues. Sausages were manufactured in a traditional drying/ripening chamber, where they were pressed every two days to acquire the typical flat form and to speed up the drying. The final water activity was 0.839. The lowest pH value recorded was 5.30 on the processing day 28. During ripening, the water content decreased significantly from 74.72% to 40.32%, while the protein and the fat amounts increased significantly from 19.12% to 45.79% and from 1.22% to 6.21%, respectively. Up to now, the properties of Pirot ironed sausage have not been recognized or published in scientific literature in spite of the long tradition and popularity of this meat product in Serbia

Single Cell Genome Amplification Accelerates Identification of the Apratoxin Biosynthetic Pathway from a Complex Microbial Assemblage

Filamentous marine cyanobacteria are extraordinarily rich sources of structurally novel, biomedically relevant natural products. To understand their biosynthetic origins as well as produce increased supplies and analog molecules, access to the clustered biosynthetic genes that encode for the assembly enzymes is necessary. Complicating these efforts is the universal presence of heterotrophic bacteria in the cell wall and sheath material of cyanobacteria obtained from the environment and those grown in uni-cyanobacterial culture. Moreover, the high similarity in genetic elements across disparate secondary metabolite biosynthetic pathways renders imprecise current gene cluster targeting strategies and contributes sequence complexity resulting in partial genome coverage. Thus, it was necessary to use a dual-method approach of single-cell genomic sequencing based on multiple displacement amplification (MDA) and metagenomic library screening. Here, we report the identification of the putative apratoxin. A biosynthetic gene cluster, a potent cancer cell cytotoxin with promise for medicinal applications. The roughly 58 kb biosynthetic gene cluster is composed of 12 open reading frames and has a type I modular mixed polyketide synthase/nonribosomal peptide synthetase (PKS/NRPS) organization and features loading and off-loading domain architecture never previously described. Moreover, this work represents the first successful isolation of a complete biosynthetic gene cluster from Lyngbya bouillonii, a tropical marine cyanobacterium renowned for its production of diverse bioactive secondary metabolites

Gene Expression Studies in Major Depression

The dramatic technical advances in methods to measure gene expression on a genome-wide level thus far have not been paralleled by breakthrough discoveries in psychiatric disorders—including major depression (MD)—using these hypothesis-free approaches. In this review, we first describe the methodologic advances made in gene expression analysis, from quantitative polymerase chain reaction to next-generation sequencing. We then discuss issues in gene expression experiments specific to MD, ranging from the choice of target tissues to the characterization of the case group. We provide a synopsis of the gene expression studies published thus far for MD, with a focus on studies using mRNA microarray methods. Finally, we discuss possible new strategies for the gene expression studies in MD that circumvent some of the addressed issues

A Systematic Review of the Frequency of Neurocyticercosis with a Focus on People with Epilepsy

Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a parasitic infection of the brain caused by the tapeworm Taenia solium, which infects humans and pigs. There have been increasing case reports and epidemiological studies on this disease, but its global frequency has never been determined, partly due to the fact that blood tests are not very good for the diagnosis of NCC. We present here a systematic review of the literature on the frequency of NCC diagnosed with neuroimaging worldwide. Overall, 565 articles were retrieved and 290 (51%) selected for further review. Of those, only 26 had information valid enough to estimate the frequency of NCC in various populations. Only one study estimated the prevalence of NCC in the general population. The most striking finding was that the proportion of NCC among persons with epilepsy was very consistent and estimated at 29.6% (95%CI: 23.5%–36.1%) from 12 studies conducted in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. A reinforcement of the suggested universal guidelines for the diagnostic process, declaring NCC an international reportable disease and standardizing procedures for data collection could improve our understanding of the frequency of NCC worldwide and hence its global burden