bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatially adaptive image denoising using inter‐scale dependence in directionlet domain
Authors: Sethunadh R. , Thomas Tessamma
Published: August 2014

The performance of image processing algorithms can be significantly improved by the application of multi‐resolution image representation with directional features. Directionlet transform (DT) is one such representation which has gained popularity over the past few years as an anisotropic, perfect reconstruction and critically sampled basis function with directional vanishing moments along any two directions. In this study, the authors propose a spatially adaptive image denoising scheme for Gaussian noise based on DT by considering the dependences of the directionlet coefficients across different scales. The image is first decomposed using DT and the coefficients so obtained are modelled using a bivariate heavy tailed ‘pdf’ with a local variance parameter to account for inter‐ and intra‐scale dependencies of the coefficients. The DT is made adaptive to the local dominant directions in the image by identifying the dominant directions in the spatially segmented image through the computation of a parameter called ‘directional variance’. Bayesian ‘maximum a posteriori’ estimator is then used to compute the noise free coefficients from the bivariate models of the signal and noise. The denoised image is obtained from the transform coefficients, which were modified using the bivariate shrinkage function, using directional information and inverse DT. Experimental results show that the bivariate shrinkage in directionlet domain achieves better performance than that in wavelet domain, in terms of numerical and perceptual quality.
Multi‐scale approach for simulating time‐delay biochemical reaction systems
Authors: Niu Yuanling , Burrage Kevin , Zhang Chengjian
Published: August 2014

This study presents a multi‐scale approach for simulating time‐delay biochemical reaction systems when there are wide ranges of molecular numbers. The authors construct a new efficient approach based on partitioning into slow and fast subsets in conjunction with predictor–corrector methods. This multi‐scale approach is shown to be much more efficient than existing methods such as the delay stochastic simulation algorithm and the modified next reaction method. Numerical testing on several important problems in systems biology confirms the accuracy and computational efficiency of this approach.
Spin susceptibility of two-dimensional electron system in HgTe surface quantum well
Authors: Xu Yonggang , Lv Meng , Wang Reng , Zhou Yuanming , Lin Tie , Chang Zhigang , Yu Guolin , Dai Ning , Chu Junhao
Published: August 2014

HgTe films were grown by vapor phase epitaxy on CdZnTe substrate and passivated by anodic oxidation to form surface quantum wells, in which the two-dimensional electron systems were studied by magnetotransport experiments. In tilted magnetic fields, coincidence method was used to extract the electron spin susceptibility |mr*g*|, which is found to be very large and show no significant dependence on the filling factor ν. These results deviate from former experiments and are related to the specific band structure of our samples.
Spectroscopy and picosecond dynamics of aqueous NO2
Authors: Gadegaard Ane Riis , Thøgersen Jan , Jensen Svend Knak , Nielsen Jakob Brun , Jena Naresh K. , Odelius Michael , Jensen Frank , Keiding Søren Rud
Published: August 2014

We investigate the formation of aqueous nitrogen dioxide, NO2 formed through femtosecond photolysis of nitrate, ${\rm NO}_{\rm 3}^ - \left( {aq} \right)$ NO 3−aq and nitromethane CH3NO2(aq). Common to the experiments is the observation of a strong induced absorption at 1610 ± 10 cm−1, assigned to the asymmetric stretch vibration in the ground state of NO2. This assignment is substantiated through isotope experiments substituting 14N by 15N, experiments at different pH values, and by theoretical calculations and simulations of NO2–D2O clusters.
Onset of unsteady flow in wavy walled channels at low Reynolds number
Authors: Grant Mills Zachary , Shah Tapan , Warey Alok , Balestrino Sandro , Alexeev Alexander
Published: August 2014

Using computational modeling, we examine the development of an unsteady laminar flow of a Newtonian fluid in a channel with sinusoidal walls. The flow is driven by a constant pressure gradient. The simulations reveal two types of unsteady flows occurring in sinusoidal channels. When the amplitude of the wavy walls is relatively small, vortices forming in the channel furrows are shed downstream. For larger wall wave amplitudes, vortices remain inside the furrows and exhibit periodic oscillations and topological changes. We present a phase diagram in terms of wall amplitude and driving pressure gradient separating different flow regimes. Our simulations establish the optimum wall amplitude and period leading to an unsteady flow at the minimum pressure gradient. The results are important for designing laminar heat/mass exchangers utilizing unsteady flows for enhancing transport processes.
Enhanced CO2 capture in Fe3O4-graphene nanocomposite by physicochemical adsorption
Authors: Mishra A. K. , Ramaprabhu S.
Published: August 2014

Cost effective and efficient methods for CO2 capture are the need of the hour to render the clean environment in the era of rising energy demand. Here, we report the physicochemical adsorption of carbon dioxide (CO2) in iron oxide decorated graphene nanocomposite at elevated pressures and temperatures. Nanocomposite was prepared by scalable and cost effective technique and its suitability for CO2 capture was studied at elevated pressures (3–13 bar) and temperatures (25–100 °C) using Sieverts apparatus. The higher CO2 capture capacities of 60, 35, and 24 mmol g−1 were observed at 11 bar pressure and 25, 50, and 100 °C, respectively, compared to other studied porous materials. Nature of interaction (Physicochemical adsorption) of CO2 with nanocomposite was identified using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Degassing was performed to examine the recovery of nanocomposite.
Neutral atomic jet generation by laser ablation of copper targets
Authors: de Matos J. B. , Destro M. G. , da Silveira C. A. B. , Rodrigues N. A. S.
Published: August 2014

This work aimed the obtainment of a neutral atomic jet departing from a plume generated by laser ablation of copper targets. A pair of electrodes together with a transducer pressure sensor was used to study the ablated plume charge composition and also to measure the ion extraction from the plasma plume. The neutral beam was produced with this setup and the relative abundance of neutrals in the plasma was measured, it decreases from 30% to 8% when the laser fluence is varied from 20 J/cm2 to 32 J/cm2. The necessary voltage to completely remove the ions from the plume varied from 10 V to 230 V in the same fluence range. TOF analysis resulted in center of mass velocities between 3.4 and 4.6 km/s, longitudinal temperature in the range from 1 × 104 K to 2.4 × 104 K and a Mach number of M = 2.36, calculated using purely hydrodynamic expansion approximation.
Hydrogen adsorption in metal-organic frameworks: The role of nuclear quantum effects
Authors: Wahiduzzaman Mohammad , Walther Christian F. J. , Heine Thomas
Published: August 2014

The role of nuclear quantum effects on the adsorption of molecular hydrogen in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has been investigated on grounds of Grand-Canonical Quantized Liquid Density-Functional Theory (GC-QLDFT) calculations. For this purpose, we have carefully validated classical H2-host interaction potentials that are obtained by fitting Born-Oppenheimer ab initio reference data. The hydrogen adsorption has first been assessed classically using Liquid Density-Functional Theory and the Grand-Canonical Monte Carlo methods. The results have been compared against the semi-classical treatment of quantum effects by applying the Feynman-Hibbs correction to the Born-Oppenheimer-derived potentials, and by explicit treatment within the GC-QLDFT. The results are compared with experimental data and indicate pronounced quantum and possibly many-particle effects. After validation calculations have been carried out for IRMOF-1 (MOF-5), GC-QLDFT is applied to study the adsorption of H2 in a series of MOFs, including IRMOF-4, -6, -8, -9, -10, -12, -14, -16, -18, and MOF-177. Finally, we discuss the evolution of the H2 quantum fluid with increasing pressure and lowering temperature.
Optical energy storage and reemission based weak localization of light and accompanying random lasing action in disordered Nd3+ doped (Pb, La)(Zr, Ti)O3 ceramics
Authors: Xu Long , Zhao Hua , Xu Caixia , Zhang Siqi , Zhang Jingwen
Published: August 2014

Multi-mode random lasing action and weak localization of light were evidenced and studied in normally transparent but disordered Nd3+ doped (Pb,La)(Zr,Ti)O3 ceramics. Noticeable localized zone and multi-photon process were observed under strong pumping power. A tentative phenomenological physical picture was proposed by taking account of diffusive process, photo-induced scattering, and optical energy storage process as dominant factors in elucidating the weak localization of light observed. Both the decreased transmittance (increased reflectivity) of light and the observed long lasting fading-off phenomenon supported the physical picture proposed by us.
Properties of magnetic tunnel junctions with a MgO/CoFeB/Ta/CoFeB/MgO recording structure down to junction diameter of 11 nm
Authors: Sato H. , Enobio E. C. I. , Yamanouchi M. , Ikeda S. , Fukami S. , Kanai S. , Matsukura F. , Ohno H.
Published: August 2014

We investigate properties of perpendicular anisotropy magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with a recording structure of MgO/CoFeB/Ta/CoFeB/MgO down to junction diameter (D) of 11 nm from 56 nm. Thermal stability factor (Δ) of MTJ with the structure starts to decrease at D = 30 nm. D dependence of Δ agrees well with that expected from magnetic properties of blanket film taking into account the change in demagnetizing factors of MTJs. Intrinsic critical current (IC0) reduces with decrease of D in the entire investigated D range. A ratio of Δ to IC0 shows continuous increase with decrease of D down to 11 nm.
Influence of fourfold anisotropy form on hysteresis loop shape in ferromagnetic nanostructures
Authors: Ehrmann Andrea , Blachowicz Tomasz
Published: August 2014

The dependence of the form of different mathematical depictions of fourfold magnetic anisotropies has been examined, using a simple macro-spin model. Strong differences in longitudinal and transverse hysteresis loops occur due to deviations from the usual phenomenological model, such as using absolute value functions. The proposed possible models can help understanding measurements on sophisticated magnetic nanosystems, like exchange bias layered structures employed in magnetic hard disk heads or magnetic nano-particles, and support the development of solutions with specific magnetization reversal behavior needed in novel magneto-electronic devices.
Defect-enhanced coupling between graphene and SiO2 substrate
Authors: Wu Shuang , Yang Rong , Cheng Meng , Yang Wei , Xie Guibai , Chen Peng , Shi Dongxia , Zhang Guangyu
Published: August 2014

Identifying the role of defects that limits graphene's quality is important for various graphene devices on SiO2. In this paper, monolayer graphene samples with defect densities varying from ∼0.04 μm−2 to ∼10 μm−2 on SiO2 are characterized by both microscopic imaging and electrical transport measurements. We found that the height of graphene on SiO2 is directly related to its defect densities with a reverse correlation, which in turn degrade graphene's quality through a complicated mechanism rather than defects scattering only. We suggest that, at relative high defect density regime, graphene-SiO2 coupling is greatly enhanced causing an increasing charged impurity scattering significantly.
Photoluminescence mapping of oxygen-defect emission for nanoscale spatial characterization of fiber Bragg gratings
Authors: Barba David , Martin François , Tagziria Kamel , Nicklaus Mischa , Haddad Émile , Rosei Federico , Ruediger Andreas
Published: August 2014

Confocal photoluminescence (PL) microscopy is used to gain insight into the inner structure of Ge-doped Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs). These measurements pinpoint room temperature PL emission from oxygen-related defects in the visible range, whose spatial distribution exhibits a periodicity associated with the spatial modulation of the refractive index printed inside the fiber core of the FBG. The period measured by PL mapping performed at submicrometric resolution matches the period of the refractive index variation determined from the optical transmission wavelength using the Bragg condition. Since the PL emission of oxygen-related defects can be used to probe local chemical changes inside fused silica, this novel and non-destructive experimental approach can be implemented for the direct characterization of FBGs, to study the effects of gas conditioning, ageing, and degradation under various environments.
Role of t2g electrons in Mn-Tb coupling of multiferroic TbMnO3
Authors: Guo Y. Y. , Wang Y. L. , Liu J.-M. , Wei T.
Published: August 2014

We investigate the effect of Cr-doping in polycrystalline TbMn1−xCrxO3 (x ≤ 6%) ceramics on the magnetism, ferroelectricity, and dielectricity. The Cr substitution gradually suppresses the ferroelectricity induced by the Mn spiral spin ordering, and results in a stronger modulation of polarization by magnetic field with increasing x. However, the transition temperature TTb corresponding to onset of Tb magnetic ordering has barely shifted with Cr doping. In other words, although the Cr-doping obviously disrupts the Mn spiral spin ordering, the exchange field JMn-Tb acting on the Tb moments from the Mn-spin structure is hardly impacted. Our work demonstrates that the eg electron of Mn3+ plays an important role in forming the Mn spiral spin order, but the f-d exchange interaction between the Mn 3d spins and the Tb 4f moments in multiferroic TbMnO3 almost involves only the t2g electrons.
Gradient index lenses for flexural waves based on thickness variations
Authors: Climente Alfonso , Torrent Daniel , Sánchez-Dehesa José
Published: August 2014

This work presents a method for the realization of gradient index devices for flexural waves in thin plates. Unlike recent approaches based on phononic crystals, the present approach is based on the thickness-dependence of the dispersion relation of flexural waves, which is used to create gradient index devices by means of local variations of the plate's thickness. Numerical simulations of known circularly symmetrical gradient index lenses have been performed. These simulations have been done using the multilayer multiple scattering method and the results prove their broadband efficiency and omnidirectional properties. Finally, finite element simulations employing the full three-dimensional elasticity equations also support the validity of the designed approach.
Surface acoustic waves in semi-insulating Fe-doped GaN films grown by hydride vapor phase epitaxy
Authors: Fan Yingmin , Liu Zhenghui , Xu Gengzhao , Zhong Haijian , Huang Zengli , Zhang Yumin , Wang Jianfeng , Xu Ke
Published: August 2014

The propagation properties of surface acoustic waves (SAWs) in semi-insulating Fe-doped GaN films grown on sapphire substrates by hydride vapor phase epitaxy are investigated. Compared with native n-type GaN, Fe-doped GaN exhibits a higher electromechanical coupling coefficient due to its high electrical resistivity. In addition, guided longitudinal leaky surface acoustic wave (LLSAW) was observed experimentally with a very high phase velocity (about 7890 m/s), and this mode was verified by numerical simulations. The small propagation attenuation of LLSAW along liquid/solid interfaces was demonstrated in glycerol solutions, which implies the potential applications in high-frequency chemical sensing.
Near-infrared free carrier absorption in heavily doped silicon
Authors: Baker-Finch Simeon C. , McIntosh Keith R. , Yan Di , Fong Kean Chern , Kho Teng C.
Published: August 2014

Free carrier absorption in heavily doped silicon can have a significant impact on devices operating in the infrared. In the near infrared, the free carrier absorption process can compete with band to band absorption processes, thereby reducing the number of available photons to optoelectronic devices such as solar cells. In this work, we fabricate 18 heavily doped regions by phosphorus and boron diffusion into planar polished silicon wafers; the simple sample structure facilitates accurate and precise measurement of the free carrier absorptance. We measure and model reflectance and transmittance dispersion to arrive at a parameterisation for the free carrier absorption coefficient that applies in the wavelength range between 1000 and 1500 nm, and the range of dopant densities between ∼1018 and 3 × 1020 cm−3. Our measurements indicate that previously published parameterisations underestimate the free carrier absorptance in phosphorus diffusions. On the other hand, published parameterisations are generally consistent with our measurements and model for boron diffusions. Our new model is the first to be assigned uncertainty and is well-suited to routine device analysis.
Observation of ferromagnetic semiconductor behavior in manganese-oxide doped graphene
Authors: Park Chang-Soo , Zhao Yu , Shon Yoon , Yoon Chong S. , Lee Haigun , Lee Cheol Jin
Published: August 2014

We have doped manganese-oxide onto graphene by an electrochemical method. Graphene showed a clear ferromagnetic semiconductor behavior after doping of manganese-oxide. The manganese-oxide doped graphene has a coercive field (Hc) of 232 Oe at 10 K, and has the Curie temperature of 270 K from the temperature-dependent resistivity using transport measurement system. The ferromagnetism of manganese-oxide doped graphene attributes to the double-exchange from the coexistence of Mn3+ and Mn4+ on the surface of graphene. In addition, the semiconducting behavior is caused by the formation of manganese-oxide on graphene.
Spectral selective radio frequency emissions from laser induced breakdown of target materials
Authors: Vinoth Kumar L. , Manikanta E. , Leela Ch. , Prem Kiran P.
Published: August 2014

The radio frequency emissions scanned over broad spectral range (30 MHz–1 GHz) from single shot nanosecond (7 ns) and picosecond (30 ps) laser induced breakdown (LIB) of different target materials (atmospheric air, aluminum, and copper) are presented. The dominant emissions from ns-LIB, compared to those from the ps-LIB, indicate the presence and importance of atomic and molecular clusters in the plasma. The dynamics of laser pulse-matter interaction and the properties of the target materials were found to play an important role in determining the plasma parameters which subsequently determine the emissions. Thus, with a particular laser and target material, the emissions were observed to be spectral selective. The radiation detection capability was observed to be relatively higher, when the polarization of the input laser and the antenna is same.
High detectivity short-wavelength II-VI quantum cascade detector
Authors: Ravikumar Arvind P. , Garcia Thor A. , Jesus Joel De , Tamargo Maria C. , Gmachl Claire F.
Published: August 2014

We report on the experimental demonstration of a ZnCdSe/ZnCdMgSe-based short-wavelength photovoltaic Quantum Cascade Detector (QCD). The QCD operates in two spectral bands centered around 2.6 μm and 3.6 μm. Calibrated blackbody measurements yield a peak responsivity of 0.1 mA/W or 2400 V/W at 80 K, and a corresponding 300 K background radiation limited infrared performance detectivity (BLIP) of ∼2.5 × 1010 cm √Hz/W. Comparison of background illuminated and dark current-voltage measurements demonstrates a BLIP temperature of 200 K. The device differential resistance-area product, decreases from about 106 Ω cm2 at 80 K to about 8000 Ω cm2 at 300 K, indicative of the ultra-low Johnson noise in the detectors.
Investigation of trap properties in high-k/metal gate p-type metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistors with aluminum ion implantation using random telegraph noise analysis
Authors: Kao Tsung-Hsien , Chang Shoou-Jinn , Fang Yean-Kuen , Huang Po-Chin , Lai Chien-Ming , Hsu Chia-Wei , Chen Yi-Wen , Cheng Osbert , Wu Chung-Yi , Wu San-Lein
Published: August 2014

In this study, the impact of aluminum ion implantation (Al I/I) on random telegraph noise (RTN) in high-k/metal gate (HK/MG) p-type metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistors (pMOSFETs) was investigated. The trap parameters of HK/MG pMOSFETs with Al I/I, such as trap energy level, capture time and emission time, activation energies for capture and emission, and trap location in the gate dielectric, were determined. The configuration coordinate diagram was also established. It was observed that the implanted Al could fill defects and form a thin Al2O3 layer and thus increase the tunneling barrier height for holes. It was also observed that the trap position in the Al I/I samples was lower due to the Al I/I-induced dipole at the HfO2/SiO2 interface.
Characterisation of the hydroxy-interlayered vermiculite from the weathering of illite in Jiujiang red earth sediments
Authors: Yin Ke , Hong Hanlie , Churchman Gordon Jock , Li Zhaohui , Han Wen , Wang Chaowen
Published: August 2014

The clay mineralogy and formation of hydroxy-interlayered vermiculite (HIV) in the Jiujiang red earth sediments were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES) analyses. The 1.4-nm peak of HIV did not change after Mg2+ saturation and glycol solvation, but it exhibited partial collapse to 1.0 nm after K+ saturation followed by heat treatment at successively higher temperatures. HIV was also characterised by FTIR adsorption bands at ~3485 cm–1 and ~3415 cm–1, which did not change with increasing temperature. DSC analysis revealed that the dehydroxylation of hydroxides in the interlayer of HIV began at ~400°C, and a further dehydroxylation was confirmed by the XRD of the sample heated to ~600°C. The ICP-AES analysis of sodium citrate extracts showed that the Al concentration was higher than that of Fe, indicating that the Al was probably present as hydroxy-Al in the interlayer of HIV. The presence of hydroxy-Al polymers in the interlayer influenced both expandability and thermal properties of HIV clays from Jiujiang red earth sediments.
Arginine starvation-associated atypical cellular death involves mitochondrial dysfunction, nuclear DNA leakage, and chromatin autophagy
Authors: Changou Chun A. , Chen Yun-Ru , Xing Li , Yen Yun , Chuang Frank Y. S. , Cheng R. Holland , Bold Richard J. , Ann David K. , Kung Hsing-Jien
Published: August 2014

Significance

Nutritional starvation therapy is under intensive investigation because it provides a potentially lower toxicity with higher specificity than conventional cancer therapy. Autophagy, often triggered by starvation, represents an energy-saving, pro-survival cellular function; however, dysregulated autophagy could also lead to cell death, a process distinct from the classic caspase-dependent apoptosis. This study shows how arginine starvation specifically kills tumor cells by a novel mechanism involving mitochondria dysfunction, reactive oxygen species generation, DNA leakage, and chromatin autophagy, where leaked DNA is captured by giant autophagosomes. These results not only provide insights into the fundamental process of metabolic stress-based cancer therapy but also uncover a new cell-death mechanism.
Nutritional Effect of Flaxseeds on Cholesterol Profile and Fatty Acid Composition in Egg Yolk
Authors: Sultan Asad , Obaid Humera , Khan Sarzamin , Rehman Inayat ur , Shah Muhammad Kamal , Khan Rifat Ullah
Published: August 2014

This experiment investigated the effect of a supplementary dietary source (flaxseed) on egg yolk cholesterol contents and fatty acid profile. Flaxseeds at three different levels (5, 10, and 15%) were supplemented to 84 Rhode Island Red × Fayoumi cross layers during 21–24 weeks of age. The birds were divided randomly into four groups. Flaxseeds were supplemented in the diet at the level of 5% (FS‐5), 10% (FS‐10), and 15% (FS‐15), and one group served as the control (FS‐0). Cholesterol content of eggs was not significantly affected by flaxseed. The amount of monounsaturated fatty acids was significantly decreased with the increase in the flaxseed level, and the highest reduction was observed in FS‐15. The highest total polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and total omega‐3 PUFA were recorded in FS‐15. These findings reflect that unsaturated healthy fatty acid content in poultry eggs can be increased with dietary supplementation of flaxseed.
Regional and Field-Specific Factors Affect the Composition of Fusarium Head Blight Pathogens in Subtropical No-Till Wheat Agroecosystem of Brazil
Authors: Del Ponte Emerson M. , Spolti Piérri , Ward Todd J. , Gomes Larissa B. , Nicolli Camila P. , Kuhnem Paulo R. , Silva Cleiltan N. , Tessmann Dauri J.
Published: August 2014

A multiyear survey of >200 wheat fields in Paraná (PR) and Rio Grande do Sul (RS) states was conducted to assess the extent and distribution of Fusarium graminearum species complex (FGSC) diversity in the southern Brazilian wheat agroecosystem. Five species and three trichothecene genotypes were found among 671 FGSC isolates from Fusarium head blight (FHB)-infected wheat heads: F. graminearum (83%) of the 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15-ADON) genotype, F. meridionale (12.8%) and F. asiaticum (0.4%) of the nivalenol (NIV) genotype, and F. cortaderiae (2.5%) and F. austroamericanum (0.9%) with either the NIV or the 3-ADON genotype. Regional differences in FGSC composition were observed, with F. meridionale and the NIV type being significantly (P < 0.001) more prevalent in PR (>28%) than in RS (≤9%). Within RS, F. graminearum was overrepresented in fields below 600 m in elevation and in fields with higher levels of FHB incidence (P < 0.05). Species composition was not significantly influenced by previous crop or the stage of grain development at sampling. Habitat-specific differences in FGSC composition were evaluated in three fields by characterizing a total of 189 isolates collected from corn stubble, air above the wheat canopy, and symptomatic wheat kernels. Significant differences in FGSC composition were observed among these habitats (P < 0.001). Most strikingly, F. meridionale and F. cortaderiae of the NIV genotype accounted for the vast majority (>96%) of isolates from corn stubble, whereas F. graminearum with the 15-ADON genotype was dominant (>84%) among isolates from diseased wheat kernels. Potential differences in pathogenic fitness on wheat were also suggested by a greenhouse competitiveness assay in which F. graminearum was recovered at much higher frequency (>90%) than F. meridionale from four wheat varieties inoculated with an equal mixture of F. graminearum and F. meridionale isolates. Taken together, the data presented here suggest that FGSC composition and, consequently, the trichothecene contamination in wheat grown in southern Brazil is influenced by host adaptation and pathogenic fitness. Evidence that F. meridionale and F. cortaderiae with the NIV genotype are regionally significant contributors to FHB may have significant implications for food safety and the economics of cereal production.
Evidence for Systemic Infection by Puccinia horiana, Causal Agent of Chrysanthemum White Rust, in Chrysanthemum
Authors: Bonde M. R. , Murphy C. A. , Bauchan G. R. , Luster D. G. , Palmer C. L. , Nester S. E. , Revell J. M. , Berner D. K.
Published: August 2014

Puccinia horiana, causal agent of the disease commonly known as chrysanthemum white rust (CWR), is a quarantine-significant fungal pathogen of chrysanthemum in the United States and indigenous to Asia. The pathogen was believed to have been eradicated in the United States but recently reappeared on several occasions in northeastern United States. The objective of the study presented here was to determine whether P. horiana could systemically infect chrysanthemum plants, thus providing a means of survival through winters. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed the development of P. horiana on the surface and within leaves, stems, or crowns of inoculated chrysanthemum plants artificially exposed to northeastern U.S. winter temperatures. P. horiana penetrated leaves directly through the cuticle and then colonized the mesophyll tissue both inter- and intracellularly. An electron-dense material formed at the interface between fungal and host mesophyll cells, suggesting that the pathogen adhered to the plant cells. P. horiana appeared to penetrate mesophyll cell walls by enzymatic digestion, as indicated by the absence of deformation lines in host cell walls at penetration sites. The fungus was common in vascular tissue within the infected crown, often nearly replacing the entire contents of tracheid cell walls. P. horiana frequently passed from one tracheid cell to an adjacent tracheid cell by penetration either through pit pairs or nonpitted areas of the cell walls. Individual, presumed, fungal cells in mature tracheid cells of the crown and stems arising from infected crowns suggested that the pathogen might have been moving at least partially by means of the transpiration stream. The demonstration that chrysanthemum plants can be systemically infected by P. horiana suggests that additional disease control measures are required to effectively control CWR.
Strain gradient plasticity under non-proportional loading
Authors: Fleck N. A. , Hutchinson J. W. , Willis J. R.
Published: August 2014

A critical examination is made of two classes of strain gradient plasticity theories currently available for studying micrometre-scale plasticity. One class is characterized by certain stress quantities expressed in terms of increments of strains and their gradients, whereas the other class employs incremental relationships between all stress quantities and the increments of strains and their gradients. The specific versions of the theories examined coincide for proportional straining. Implications stemming from the differences in formulation of the two classes of theories are explored for two basic examples having non-proportional loading: (i) a layer deformed into the plastic range by tensile stretch with no constraint on plastic flow at the surfaces followed by further stretch with plastic flow constrained at the surfaces and (ii) a layer deformed into the plastic range by tensile stretch followed by bending. The marked difference in predictions by the two theories suggests that critical experiments will be able to distinguish between them.
Zhongshania aliphaticivorans sp. nov., an aliphatic hydrocarbon-degrading bacterium isolated from marine sediment, and transfer of Spongiibacter borealis Jang et al. 2011 to the genus Zhongshania as Zhongshania borealis comb. nov.
Authors: LO Naysim , Kang Hyo Jung , Jeon Che Ok
Published: August 2014

A Gram-staining-negative, facultatively aerobic bacterium, designated SM-2T, was isolated from a sea-tidal flat of Yellow Sea, South Korea. Cells were catalase- and oxidase-positive motile rods with a single polar flagellum. Growth of strain SM-2T was observed at 10–37 °C (optimum, 25–30 °C), at pH 5.5–8.5 (optimum, pH 7.0–7.5) and in the presence of 0–11 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 2 %). Strain SM-2T contained ubiquinone-8 (Q-8) as the sole isoprenoid quinone and C17 : 1ω8c, summed feature 3 (comprising C16 : 1ω7c and/or iso-C15 : 0 2-OH), C17 : 0 and C18 : 1ω7c as the major fatty acids. Phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol and an unidentified lipid were identified as the major cellular polar lipids. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 52.2 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain SM-2T formed a tight phyletic lineage with

Zhongshania antarctica

ZS5-23T,

Zhongshania guokunii

ZS6-22T and

Spongiibacter borealis

CL-AS9T, but that

S. borealis

CL-AS9T was distinct from other species of the genus

Spongiibacter

. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities, strain SM-2T was most closely related to

S. borealis

CL-AS9T,

Z. antarctica

ZS5-23T and

Z. guokunii

ZS6-22T, with similarities of 99.5 %, 98.9 % and 98.7 %, respectively, but the DNA–DNA hybridization values among these species were clearly lower than 70 %. On the basis of chemotaxonomic data and molecular properties, we propose strain SM-2T represents a novel species of the genus

Zhongshania

with the name Zhongshania aliphaticivorans sp. nov. (type strain SM-2T = KACC 18120T = JCM 30138T). We also propose the transfer of

Spongiibacter borealis

Jang et al. 2011 to the genus

Zhongshania

as Zhongshania borealis comb. nov. (type strain CL-AS9T = KCCM 90094T = JCM 17304T).
High-resolution mapping of transcriptional dynamics across tissue development reveals a stable mRNA–tRNA interface
Authors: Schmitt Bianca M. , Rudolph Konrad L.M. , Karagianni Panagiota , Fonseca Nuno A. , White Robert J. , Talianidis Iannis , Odom Duncan T. , Marioni John C. , Kutter Claudia
Published: August 2014

The genetic code is an abstraction of how mRNA codons and tRNA anticodons molecularly interact during protein synthesis; the stability and regulation of this interaction remains largely unexplored. Here, we characterized the expression of mRNA and tRNA genes quantitatively at multiple time points in two developing mouse tissues. We discovered that mRNA codon pools are highly stable over development and simply reflect the genomic background; in contrast, precise regulation of tRNA gene families is required to create the corresponding tRNA transcriptomes. The dynamic regulation of tRNA genes during development is controlled in order to generate an anticodon pool that closely corresponds to messenger RNAs. Thus, across development, the pools of mRNA codons and tRNA anticodons are invariant and highly correlated, revealing a stable molecular interaction interlocking transcription and translation.
Linear fitting of multi-threshold counting data with a pixel-array detector for spectral X-ray imaging
Authors: Muir Ryan D. , Pogranichney Nicholas R. , Muir J. Lewis , Sullivan Shane Z. , Battaile Kevin P. , Mulichak Anne M. , Toth Scott J. , Keefe Lisa J. , Simpson Garth J.
Published: August 2014

Experiments and modeling are described to perform spectral fitting of multi-threshold counting measurements on a pixel-array detector. An analytical model was developed for describing the probability density function of detected voltage in X-ray photon-counting arrays, utilizing fractional photon counting to account for edge/corner effects from voltage plumes that spread across multiple pixels. Each pixel was mathematically calibrated by fitting the detected voltage distributions to the model at both 13.5 keV and 15.0 keV X-ray energies. The model and established pixel responses were then exploited to statistically recover images of X-ray intensity as a function of X-ray energy in a simulated multi-wavelength and multi-counting threshold experiment.
Iron Speciation in Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) Biofortified by Common Breeding
Authors: Hoppler Matthias , Egli Ines , Petry Nicolai , Gille Doreen , Zeder Christophe , Walczyk Thomas , Blair Matthew W. , Hurrell Richard F.
Published: August 2014

The iron storage protein ferritin is a potential vehicle to enhance the iron content of biofortified crops. With the aim of evaluating the potential of ferritin iron in plant breeding, we used species‐specific isotope dilution mass spectrometry to quantify ferritin iron in bean varieties with a wide range of total iron content. Zinc, phytic acid, and polyphenols were also measured. Total iron concentration in 21 bean varieties ranged from 32 to 115 ppm and was positively correlated with concentrations of zinc (P = 0.001) and nonferritin bound iron (P < 0.001). Ferritin iron ranged from 13% to 35% of total iron and increased only slightly in high iron beans (P = 0.007). Concentrations of nonferritin bound iron and phytic acid were correlated (P = 0.001), although phytic acid:iron molar ratio decreased with increasing iron concentration (P = 0.003). Most iron in high iron beans was present as nonferritin bound iron, which confirms our earlier finding showing that ferritin iron in beans was lower than previously published. As the range of ferritin iron content in beans is relatively narrow, there is less opportunity for breeders to breed for high ferritin. The relevance of these findings to the extent of iron absorption depends on resolving the question of whether ferritin iron is absorbed or not to a greater extent than nonferritin bound iron.
Retronasal Odor of Dried Bonito Stock Induces Umami Taste and Improves the Palatability of Saltiness
Authors: Manabe Mariko , Ishizaki Sanae , Yamagishi Umi , Yoshioka Tatsuhito , Oginome Nozomu
Published: August 2014

A traditional Japanese umami‐rich stock, dried bonito stock, was reported to improve the palatability of a low‐salt diet due to its characteristic aroma. Two pathways are available for the presentation of odors: the orthonasal and retronasal pathways. Aroma is perceived through the orthonasal pathway. In contrast, retronasal application of odors is thought to evoke different sensations from the orthonasal pathway, which is typically perceived as taste and modifies taste. Therefore, the effect of retronasal odor on salt‐reduction might be different from that of aroma, that is, orthonasal odor. Thus, the effects of the retronasal odor of dried bonito stock on the enhancement and improvement of palatability upon salt reduction were examined using sensory evaluation. Moreover, the contributions to flavor expression and palatability of dried bonito stock were also investigated. Although the retronasal odor of dried bonito did not enhance saltiness, it improved the palatability of saltiness. In the presence of no tastants except 0.68% NaCl, a content 15% less than that of Japanese traditional soup, the retronasal odor of dried bonito generated umami, enhanced the suitability for dried bonito stock, and increased palatability. This indicates that the retronasal odor of dried bonito stock could improve the palatability of a salt‐reduced diet. These findings can be applied to the development of new seasonings for improving the palatability of salt‐reduced foods.
Post‐operative analgesic effects of paracetamol, NSAIDs, glucocorticoids, gabapentinoids and their combinations: a topical review
Authors: DAHL J. B. , NIELSEN R. V. , WETTERSLEV J. , NIKOLAJSEN L. , HAMUNEN K. , KONTINEN V. K. , HANSEN M. S. , KJER J. J. , MATHIESEN O. ,   Scandinavian Postoperative Pain Alliance (ScaPAlli)
Published: August 2014

In contemporary post‐operative pain management, patients are most often treated with combinations of non‐opioid analgesics, to enhance pain relief and to reduce opioid requirements and opioid‐related adverse effects. A diversity of combinations is currently employed in clinical practice, and no well‐documented ‘gold standards’ exist. The aim of the present topical, narrative review is to provide an update of the evidence for post‐operative analgesic efficacy with the most commonly used, systemic non‐opioid drugs, paracetamol, non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)/COX‐2 antagonists, glucocorticoids, gabapentinoids, and combinations of these. The review is based on data from previous systematic reviews with meta‐analyses, investigating effects of non‐opioid analgesics on pain, opioid‐requirements, and opioid‐related adverse effects. Paracetamol, NSAIDs, COX‐2 antagonists, and gabapentin reduced 24 h post‐operative morphine requirements with 6.3 (95% confidence interval: 3.7 to 9.0) mg, 10.2 (8.7, 11.7) mg, 10.9 (9.1, 12.8) mg, and ≥ 13 mg, respectively, when administered as monotherapy. The opioid‐sparing effect of glucocorticoids was less convincing, 2.33 (0.26, 4.39) mg morphine/24 h. Trials of pregabalin > 300 mg/day indicated a morphine‐sparing effect of 13.4 (4, 22.8) mg morphine/24 h. Notably, though, the available evidence for additive or synergistic effects of most combination regimens was sparse or lacking. Paracetamol, NSAIDs, selective COX‐2 antagonists, and gabapentin all seem to have well‐documented, clinically relevant analgesic properties. The analgesic effects of glucocorticoids and pregabalin await further clarification. Combination regimens are sparsely documented and should be further investigated in future studies.
Ontological anthropology and the deferral of critique
Authors: BESSIRE LUCAS , BOND DAVID
Published: August 2014

What does ontological anthropology promise, what does it presume, and how does it contribute to the formatting of life in our present? Drawing from our respective fieldwork on how Indigenous alterity is coenvisioned and how the lively materiality of hydrocarbons is recognized, we develop an ethnographic and theoretical critique of ontological anthropology. This essay, then, provides an empirical counterweight to what the ontological turn celebrates of Native worlds and what it rejects of modernity. In it, we examine the methodological and conceptual investments of ontological anthropology. The figure of the ontological as commonly invoked, we argue, often narrows the areas of legitimate concern and widens the scope of acceptable disregard within social research. We chart how this paradigm's analytical focus on the future redefines the coordinates of the political as well as anthropology's relation to critique. Finally, we formulate three conceptual theses that encapsulate our criticism and open this discussion to further debate.
The interpretation of lives or life as interpretation: Cohabiting with spirits in the Malagasy world
Authors: LAMBEK MICHAEL
Published: August 2014

What happens when we shift from the interpretation of cultures to the interpretation of lives and from interpreting action to understanding action as itself a form of interpretation? I describe interpretations by three Malagasy‐speaking spirit mediums of the life of a single powerful ancestral figure who cohabits with each of them and how their respective interpretations constitute, in effect, their lives. What we read over their shoulders is not (only) the common symbol or text but their distinctive interpretations, people making sense of their lives in the course of living them—and, hence, that culturally mediated human action is itself a form of interpretation.
Beyond compassion: Islamic voluntarism in Egypt
Authors: MITTERMAIER AMIRA
Published: August 2014

Resala, Egypt's largest volunteer‐driven charity organization, engages in a range of activities, from distributing food in slums to visiting orphanages. Although its volunteers may appear to participate in a global moral economy of compassion, many of them articulate an Islamic voluntarism that contrasts with what they see as a Christian approach to suffering and with the more secular motivations of so much civic and humanitarian work today. Focusing on three Resala volunteers, I look at how Islam is imagined and mobilized to compel, make sense of, and justify giving in particular contexts and in practice. The volunteers’ stories reveal the multilayeredness of their ethics and trouble the link between compassion and voluntarism. By foregrounding religious duty, the volunteers offer insight into a nonliberal, nonhumanist ethics of voluntarism and question the centrality of compassion as a mobilizing force in the world and as an explanatory force in anthropology.
A systematic review and meta‐analysis of perineural dexamethasone for peripheral nerve blocks
Authors: Albrecht E. , Kern C. , Kirkham K. R.
Published: August 2014

We systematically reviewed the safety and efficacy of perineural dexamethasone as an adjunct for peripheral nerve blockade in 29 controlled trials of 1695 participants. We grouped trials by the duration of local anaesthetic action (short‐ or medium‐ vs long‐term). Dexamethasone increased the mean (95% CI) duration of analgesia by 233 (172–295) min when injected with short‐ or medium‐term action local anaesthetics and by 488 (419–557) min when injected with long‐term action local anaesthetics, p < 0.00001 for both. However, these results should be interpreted with caution due to the extreme heterogeneity of results, with I2 exceeding 90% for both analyses. Meta‐regression did not show an interaction between dose of perineural dexamethasone (4–10 mg) and duration of analgesia (r2 = 0.02, p = 0.54). There were no differences between 4 and 8 mg dexamethasone on subgroup analysis.
Queering Critiques of Neoliberalism in India: Urbanism and Inequality in the Era of Transnational “LGBTQ” Rights
Authors: Shah Svati P.
Published: August 2014

Understanding contemporary sexuality and gender politics in India compels an examination of the imbrications between cities, the idea of modernity, the production of non‐normative identity‐based social categories, and critiques of neoliberalism. Recent developments in Indian sexuality and gender politics with respect to non‐normative subjects must be understood through the critical lens that scholarship on neoliberalism offers. At the same time, an uncritical use of the theoretical apparatus of neoliberalism in the Indian context risks overdetermining the discursive space of normative urban gay elites. The conflation of gay identity with elitism, and transgender identity (when it is conflated with hijra‐ness) with poverty, has characterized much of Indian public discourse on non‐normative sexualities and genders. Emphasizing the vagaries of the daily lives of non‐normative subjects, read through their geographical valences, is one way to disrupt this binary, while demonstrating the unique role of the urban imaginary in the discursive production of sexuality and gender‐based activism in India. This is important in the current moment, as “LGBTQ” rights are taken up as a foreign policy issue by governments around the world, and the newly elected Indian government promises to build 100 “world class cities” during its tenure.
Small metastasizing choroidal melanomas
Authors: Malclès Ariane , Kivelä Tero , Svetlosakova Zuzana , Jean‐Louis Bruno , Nguyen Anh‐Minh , Sallit Rébecca , Négrier Sylvie , Pommier Pascal , Rivoire Michel , Chauvel Pierre , Mammar Hamid , Devouassoux‐Shisheboran Mojgan , Kodjikian Laurent , Denis Philippe , Grange Jean‐Daniel
Published: August 2014

Purpose

Small choroidal melanomas have a better prognosis than large tumours. However, these small tumours can spread, often late in their course. The aim of the study was to analyse survival and tumour characteristics of six cases of late metastatic diseases after conservative treatment.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted at the Croix‐Rousse University Hospital of Lyon among 523 patients treated between 1991 and 2010 by proton beam therapy (508) or brachytherapy with 106 Ru/Rh (15) for uveal melanomas. We have selected patients with small choroidal melanoma (thickness ≤3 mm and diameter ≤9 mm) (59 patients), who have developed hepatic metastases (six of 59).

Results

At the time of diagnosis, median age was 57 years (range, 37–82 years). The mean tumour thickness was 2.9 mm (range 2.5–3 mm), and the mean diameter was 7 mm (5–8 mm). Orange pigment was observed in four cases, subretinal fluid was observed in two cases, and one tumour touched the optic disc. Five patients had proton beam therapy. One patient had beta brachytherapy (106 Ru/106 Rh). Average follow‐up was 8.3 years (range 4.2–11.8 years). None of the six patients developed local tumour recurrence. The mean survival time after diagnosis of melanoma was 9.8 years (range, 4.9–14.6 years). The average time from treatment of primary tumour to detection of liver metastasis was 7 years (range 3.9–12 years). The mean survival time from the diagnosis of metastasis was 35.2 months (range 9–101 months). Small melanoma‐related death was 0% at 3 years, 1.7% at 5 years, 5.1% at 10 years and 10.2% at 15 years in our series.

Conclusions

Despite a small tumoral size and an early and effective local treatment, six of 59 small choroidal melanomas have developed metastasis after local treatment. Small tumours represent a significant risk of metastasis.