bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Paper documents and copper-plates: localization of hegemonic practices
Authors: Sohoni Pushkar
Published: December 2015

This paper examines the social currency of copper-plate charters on the basis of Persian copper-plates from the Deccan. Indic religious systems have a long tradition of conferring land grants using this medium, partially rooted in beliefs of metaphysical qualities attributed to metals. The objects from this region are highly unusual because there are no other recorded instances of a sultan issuing or authorizing land grants on copper-plates. The Persian-language copper-plates appear from the sixteenth century onwards, and seem to be later copies of (or extracts from) paper-based charters issued by Bahmani sultans and other kingdoms in the Deccan. Issues of authenticity and forgeries, fakes and copies are also raised in this paper. This study examines objects that combine material culture and textual content. While the textual content of these objects has always been privileged as being a source of history, the medium – which itself has a history of reception – has not been given its own historical narrative. The paper provides new perspectives on what we might call the “social life” of different documentary formats in medieval and early modern India, in particular the copper-plate grant.
Strong terahertz field generation by relativistic self-focusing of hollow Gaussian laser beam in magnetoplasma
Authors: Hussain Saba , Singh Ram Kishor , Sharma R. P.
Published: December 2015

The present paper proposes a model for the generation of Terahertz (THz) radiation by self-focused hollow Gaussian beam (HGB) in collisionless magnetized rippled density plasma. At high intensities, the change in the electron mass occurs due to relativistic effect, introducing a nonlinearity in the plasma leading to the self-focusing of the HGB. The nonlinear interaction of this highly intense self-focused HGB with the electron plasma wave in the rippled density plasma, satisfying proper phase matching conditions, results in the resonant excitation of THz radiations at the beat frequency. We have studied the dependence of generated THz radiations on the order of the HGB as well as on the static background magnetic field. The results show that the intensity of the generated radiations is highly sensitive to both of these parameters. For the current scheme the power of the generated THz waves comes out to be of the order of Gigawatts.
STAFFING TO STABILIZE BLOCKING IN LOSS MODELS WITH TIME-VARYING ARRIVAL RATES
Authors: Li Andrew , Whitt Ward , Zhao Jingtong
Published: December 2015

The modified-offered-load approximation can be used to choose a staffing function (the time-varying number of servers) to stabilize delay probabilities at target levels in multi-server delay models with time-varying arrival rates, with or without customer abandonment. In contrast, as we confirm with simulations, it is not possible to stabilize blocking probabilities to the same extent in corresponding loss models, without extra waiting space, because these probabilities necessarily change dramatically after each staffing change. Nevertheless, blocking probabilities can be stabilized provided that we either randomize the times of staffing changes or average the blocking probabilities over a suitably small time interval. We develop systematic procedures and study how to choose the averaging parameters.
OPTIMAL DIVIDEND–REINSURANCE WITH TWO TYPES OF PREMIUM PRINCIPLES
Authors: Meng Hui , Zhou Ming , Siu Tak Kuen
Published: December 2015

A combined optimal dividend/reinsurance problem with two types of insurance claims, namely the expected premium principle and the variance premium principle, is discussed. Dividend payments are considered with both fixed and proportional transaction costs. The objective of an insurer is to determine an optimal dividend–reinsurance policy so as to maximize the expected total value of discounted dividend payments to shareholders up to ruin time. The problem is formulated as an optimal regular-impulse control problem. Closed-form solutions for the value function and optimal dividend–reinsurance strategy are obtained in some particular cases. Finally, some numerical analysis is given to illustrate the effects of safety loading on optimal reinsurance strategy.
Allele mining across two low-P tolerant genes PSTOL1 and PupK20-2 reveals novel haplotypes in rice genotypes adapted to acidic soils
Authors: Yumnam Julia S. , Rai Mayank , Tyagi Wricha
Published: December 2015

About 40% of the global arable land is acidic, and in India, majority of these acidic soils are in the north-eastern region. Soil acidity leads to high phosphorus (P) fixation that causes P deficiency; therefore, there is a need to characterize the identified potential donors for acidic soils for P-deficiency tolerance. We evaluated rice genotypes for nucleotide variation in two loci reported for low P tolerance, namely PSTOL1 and PupK20-2. Sequence comparison for PSTOL1 revealed two distinct haplotypes. Genotypes with higher P uptake such as LR 19 and LR 23 had the desired Kasalath-type haplotype, whereas those with lower P uptake such as UR 29 and LR 39 showed a mixed haplotype. A total of four novel nucleotide variations were observed in 3′-UTR (untranslated region). Sequencing of PupK20-2 revealed a total of 28 SNPs and one insertion–deletion, of which 24 SNPs were novel. The discovery of novel SNPs across both PSTOL1 and PupK20-2 suggests the existence of novel haplotypes in genotypes adapted to acidic soil conditions. We reported for the first time the characterization of the donors being used in breeding programmes for acidic soils at the molecular level. The implications in breeding programmes are discussed.
Characterization of taro [Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott] germplasm for improved flavonoid composition and content
Authors: Lebot V. , Lawac F. , Michalet S. , Legendre L.
Published: December 2015

The starchy corms of taro (Colocasia esculenta) are consumed throughout the tropics and are essential for food security in many developing countries. Taro corms are increasingly processed into fries, chips, flours or flakes in urban areas, and varieties with attractive corm flesh colours are now needed. The identification of flavonoids in taro corms would add value to this crop. The present study developed a high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) protocol for the high-throughput screening of flavonoids in taro germplasm. Overall, 350 different accessions were analysed including 259 varieties from Vanuatu, one from Vietnam, eight from Thailand, eight from the Philippines, six from Malaysia, two from Japan and 18 from Indonesia. Forty-eight breeding lines (hybrids) including 21 from Vanuatu, 21 from Samoa, four from Hawaii and two from Papua New Guinea were also analysed. Ten flavones, namely luteolin-6-C-hexoside-8-C-pentoside, schaftoside, luteolin-3′,7-di-O-glucoside, homoorientin, isovitexin, orientin, luteolin-4′-O-glucoside, luteolin-7-O-glucoside, vitexin and apigenin-7-O-glucoside, were successfully detected in the corm and are responsible for the attractive yellow colour of the flesh and fibres. Quantitatively, luteolin-6-C-hexoside-8-C-pentoside and schaftoside were the most important of all the detected flavonoids. However, only 18% of the varieties analysed presented these two compounds and 80% presented poor flavonoid composition. No geographical structure of the variation was detected and the most flavone-rich varieties originated from Vanuatu, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. The compounds detected in the present study were significantly and positively correlated, suggesting that there is potential for fast improvement through controlled crosses, subsequent evaluation of full-sib progenies and cloning of elite individuals.
Morality in Context: A Multilevel Analysis of the Relationship between Religion and Values in Europe
Authors: Storm Ingrid
Published: December 2015

The exact relationship between religiosity and moral values is understudied, and it is unclear what the process of secularization means for the morality of Europeans. Previous research shows that religion is associated with low levels of political and economic development. A potential explanation is that religion provides an alternative moral authority to the authority of the state. Using data from four waves of the European Values Study 1981–2008, I analyze attitudes to personal autonomy (vs tradition) and self-interest (vs social norms) in a multilevel model of 48 European countries. The results show that religious decline has been accompanied by an increase in autonomy values, but not self-interest, that the relationship between religion and morality is stronger in more religious countries, and that it has declined since the 1980s. We also show that religiosity is more negatively associated with self-interest among people with low confidence in state authorities.
Organic geochemical characteristics of the Mississippian black shales from Wardie, Scotland
Authors: Trojan Agata , Bojanowski Maciej J. , Gola Marek , Grafka Oliwia , Marynowski Leszek , Clarkson Euan N. K.
Published: December 2015

Coal and hydrocarbons have been exploited from the Carboniferous rocks of the Midland Valley for over 200 years. This work characterises organic matter from the Mississippian black shales of the Midland Valley from Wardie, Scotland. Biomarker analysis allowed the estimation of the degree of microbial transformation of organic matter, type of kerogen and thermal maturity during hydrocarbon generation. Parameters based on the biomarker indicators confirm a generally mixed type II/III kerogen. However, some samples contain mostly terrestrial organic matter, whilst others contain predominantly marine organic matter, which shows that the sedimentary environment varied greatly throughout the basin. The presence of gammacerane suggests water column stratification and anoxic conditions. Organic matter was much better protected from post-depositional alteration within the concretions, where higher TOC (total organic carbon) and TS (total sulphur) contents occur, than in the surrounding sediments. This can be induced by very early diagenetic formation of these concretions which protected organic matter from late diagenetic degradation.

Estimated values of vitrinite reflectance (Rc, Rcs) show that the sedimentary rocks reached the catagenesis stage. Most samples exhibit maximum organic matter maturation temperatures of around c60–90°C. However, stable isomers of phenyldibenzo[b,d]thiophene detected in some samples indicate that in some cases post-depositional hydrothermal activity affected maturation of organic matter increasing temperatures to as high as c174°C.
Design of center-fed printed planar slot arrays
Authors: Potgieter L. , Joubert J. , Odendaal J. W.
Published: December 2015

A design approach for printed planar slot array antennas is presented. The antenna array consists of half-wavelength slot radiators positioned on a rectangular grid, and a slotline feed network. Three planar slot array antennas for use in IEEE 802.11a applications are designed, a 2 × 2, a 2 × 4, and a 4 × 2 array, all radiating above an electric conductor ground plane placed a quarter-wavelength below the printed slots. These slot arrays have higher aperture efficiencies and occupy less space than typical microstrip patch arrays. The measured impedance bandwidths of the designed unidirectional slot arrays were 19.8, 15.3, and 16.7%, respectively, with peak gains of 11.7, 13.9, and 14.4 dBi. Measured results show very good agreement with the simulated results, which serves as validation of the array design procedure and the accuracy of the simulated results.
Genetic and Environmental Influences on Disability Pension Due To Mental Diagnoses: Limited Importance of Major Depression, Generalized Anxiety, and Chronic Fatigue
Authors: Narusyte Jurgita , Ropponen Annina , Alexanderson Kristina , Svedberg Pia
Published: December 2015

Background:Previous research indicates that liability to disability pension (DP) due to mental diagnoses is moderately influenced by genetic factors. This study investigates whether genetic contributions to the liability to DP due to mood and neurotic diagnoses overlap with the genetic influences on major depression (MD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), or chronic fatigue (CF).

Method:A prospective cohort study including 9,985 female twins born in Sweden 1933–1958. The presence of MD, GAD, and CF was assessed by computer-assisted telephone interviews conducted in 1998–2002. Data on DP due to mood and neurotic diagnoses were obtained from nationwide registers for the years 1998–2010. Common genetic and environmental influences on the phenotypes were estimated by applying structural equation modeling.

Results:The prevalence of MD/GAD was 30%, CF 8%, and DP due to mood and neurotic diagnoses 3% in 2010. Genetic effects on MD/GAD explained 31% of the total genetic variation in DP, whereas genetic contributions in common with CF were small and not significant. The majority of the total non-shared environmental variance in DP (85%) was explained by the factors that were unique to DP.

Conclusions:Large proportions of genetic and non-shared environmental influences in DP due to mood and neurotic diagnoses were not explained by the contributions from MD/GAD or CF. The results suggest that the process leading to DP is complex and influenced by factors other than those related to the disorder underlying DP.
Demenzverdacht, aber normale neuropsychologische Screening-Untersuchung – wie weiter?
Authors: Blaser Aymeric , Goeldlin Adrian , Streit Sven
Published: December 2015

Zusammenfassung. Die Demenz betrifft viele, belastet Angehörige und führt zu hohen Kosten, weshalb die Schweiz eine Sensibilisierungskampagne lancierte, um u.a. die Früherkennung der Demenz zu fördern. Dank der Früherkennung erleben Patienten und Angehörige Vorteile, wie weniger Notfallzuweisungen oder spätere Heimeintritte. Die Früherkennung ist aber schwierig, wenn Patienten zwar Gedächtnisprobleme beklagen, die Screening-Tests aber normal ausfallen. Möglicherweise helfen Geruchstests und weitere klinische Zeichen bei der Entscheidung, welche Patienten weiter abgeklärt werden. Die Zeit für funktionelle Bildgebungen und Biomarker ist noch nicht reif. Zentral bleibt bei kognitiven Beschwerden und normalem Screening das Gespräch mit Patient und Angehörigen, um nächste Schritte gemeinsam zu beschliessen. Der Hausarzt nimmt dabei eine zentrale, koordinierende und beratende Funktion ein, um Menschen mit Gedächtnisstörungen kompetent und effizient zu betreuen.
Update chronische Hepatitis B und C
Authors: Terziroli Beretta-Piccoli Benedetta , Schranz Melanie , De Gottardi Andrea , Cerny Andreas
Published: December 2015

Zusammenfassung. Der natürliche Verlauf einer Hepatitis-B-Virus(HBV)-Infektion ist komplex und wird einerseits durch das Alter zum Zeitpunkt der Infektion, anderseits durch Komorbiditäten bzw. Koinfektionen und zum Teil noch nicht identifizierte Faktoren bestimmt. Das HBV wird nie komplett eliminiert. Das Erreichen des inaktiven Trägerstatus ist aber ein realistisches Therapieziel. Zur Therapie stehen Nukleosid/Nukleotid-Analoga sowie pegyliertes Interferon-alpha zur Verfügung. Screening von bestimmten Patientengruppen und eine generelle Impfung sind wichtige prophylaktische Massnahmen. Die chronische Hepatitis-C-Virus(HCV)-Infektion führt in circa einem Drittel der Fälle zur Leberzirrhose. Eine Therapie ist generell ab Fibrosestadium Metavir 2 indiziert. Neue DAA (directly acting antivirals) erlauben kurzfristige, hochpotente und nebenwirkungsarme Therapieschemata.
Suicidal Ideation of Probationers
Authors: Yu Sung-Suk Violet , Sung Hung-En
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Background: Gender is often related to different life stressors and mental health disorders, but a limited amount of research examines risks of suicidal ideation of probationers by gender. Aims: The aim of this study was to examine gender differences in suicidal ideation of probationers. Method: Using a national sample of 3,014 male and 1,306 female probationers with data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2009–2011), multivariate regression analysis was conducted. Results: Male and female probationers display similar demographic characteristics although their life circumstances and experiences seem different. Female probationers in the study were more likely to experience financial, psychological, and residential stressors than male probationers were. Female probationers were also more likely to have received medical and/or psychiatric treatments. Female probationers were exposed to more suicidal ideation risks than male probationers were. Additionally, no protective factors to suicidal ideation were found for female probationers. Conclusion: The findings suggest that a gender-specific approach to suicidal ideation of probationers may lessen the prevalence of suicidal ideation of this largely neglected population.
Development and Evaluation of the Telephone Crisis Support Skills Scale
Authors: Kitchingman Taneile A. , Wilson Coralie J. , Caputi Peter , Woodward Alan , Hunt Tara
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Background: Although telephone services continue to play an important role in the delivery of front-line crisis support, published evidence of the standardized assessment of such services does not exist to date. Aims: To describe the development of the Telephone Crisis Support Skills Scale (TCSSS), an instrument to assess workers’ intentions to use recommended skills with callers, and to evaluate its factor structure and reliability. Method: TCSSS items were mapped to a national telephone crisis support practice model. A national sample of workers (n = 210) completed the TCSSS as part of a larger online survey. Principal axis factoring was used to evaluate the structure of the instrument. Internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach’s α values. Results: A single factor accounted for more than 40% of the variance within TCSSS ratings, indicating unidimensional structure. Cronbach’s α coefficients suggested adequate internal consistency. Conclusion: Results indicate that the TCSSS is an internally consistent, unidimensional scale, sufficiently sensitive to detect workers’ skill priorities for different caller problem types. Further study is required to confirm the factor structure and reliability of the TCSSS using workers from different organizations. Following further evaluation, the TCSSS may be applied to assessing readiness for and quality of service delivery.
Association Between Changes in Risk Factor Status and Suicidal Ideation Incidence and Recovery
Authors: Zhang Yi , Yip Paul Siu Fai , Chang Shu-Sen , Wong Paul Wai Ching , Law Frances Yik Wa
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Background: Little is known about risk factors associated with the incidence of and recovery from suicidal ideation. Aims: To examine the association between potential risk factors and their change in status over the follow-up period and the incidence of and recovery from suicidal ideation. Method: A 12-month follow-up survey was conducted among 997 adults aged between 20 and 59 years living in Hong Kong. Results: The incidence rates of suicidal ideation increased in individuals who were divorced, separated, or widowed, in low economic status, had a history of psychiatric treatment, and experienced bereavement at baseline. Experiencing three or more life events and persistent unemployment over the follow-up period was associated with increased incidence of suicidal ideation. Increased levels of depression, anxiety, hopelessness, and irrational beliefs were associated with suicidal ideation incidence in men but not in women (p = .009–.067 for interactions). Among individuals who had suicidal ideation at baseline, those who had increased severity of depression, anxiety, and hopelessness over the follow-up period were less likely to recover from suicidal ideation. Conclusion: Life events and persistent unemployment were associated with increased risk of suicidal ideation. Gender differences were detected in the association between changes in the status of psychological factors and the occurrence of suicidal ideation.
Predicting Intentions to Read Suicide Awareness Stories
Authors: Niederkrotenthaler Thomas , Arendt Florian , Till Benedikt
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Background: Research on factors that influence the intention to read suicide awareness material is lacking. Aims: To identify how social and state similarities between the featured protagonist of a suicide awareness story and the audience impact on the intent to read similar stories. Method: Laboratory experiment with n = 104 students. Participants were randomly assigned to study groups. In the first group, the role model provided his personal story of crisis and was a student. In the second group, the content was identical but the model was socially dissimilar. The third group read about a topic unrelated to suicide. Depression, identification, and exposure intent were measured after the experiment. Conditional process analysis was carried out. Results: In the group featuring a once-suicidal role model with high social similarity, depression in the audience increased the intention to read similar material in the future via identification with the role model; 82% of individuals wanted to read similar material in the future, but only 50% wanted to do so in the group featuring a dissimilar person. Conclusion: Exposure intention increases via identification when role model and audience characteristics align regarding social traits and the experience of depression. These factors are relevant when developing campaigns targeting individuals with stories of recovery.
Extending the Theory of Reactance to Guilt Appeals
Authors: Bessarabova Elena , Turner Monique M. , Fink Edward L. , Blustein Nathan Beary
Published: December 2015

Abstract. This study examines the process of reactance induced by guilt appeals. Participants (N = 240 US high school students) received messages that advocated taking school seriously. The results of a 3 (guilt appeal level: low, moderate, high) × 2 (message referent: other, self) experiment indicated that guilt directly influenced the affective component of reactance – anger – but its effect on the cognitive component of reactance – relevant negative thoughts – was mediated via the awareness that messages used guilt to induce persuasion. Subsequently, reactance was negatively related to the advocated position. These findings suggest that employing guilt appeals in mass media campaigns for adolescents may be counterproductive: The guiltier the participants felt, the less positive were their attitudes toward taking school seriously. The study expands the scope of reactance theory by associating reactance with guilt appeals and examining the process by which reactance is induced. These and other results are discussed along with implications, limitations, and future research directions.
Distinct immune signatures in the colon of Crohn's disease and ankylosing spondylitis patients in the absence of inflammation
Authors: Dunn Elliott T J , Taylor Edward S , Stebbings Simon , Schultz Michael , Butt A Grant , Kemp Roslyn A
Published: December 2015

Crohn's disease (CD) is an inflammatory bowel disease characterized by patchy inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is primarily characterized by inflammation of the lower vertebral column, and many patients with AS present with inflammatory gut symptoms. Genome‐wide association studies have highlighted significant overlap in short nucleotide polymorphisms for both diseases. We hypothesized that patients with CD and AS have a common intestinal immune signature, characterized by inflammatory T cells, compared with healthy people. We designed a pilot study to determine both the feasibility of defining complex immune signatures from primary tissue, and differences in the local immune signature of people with inflammatory diseases compared with healthy people. Intestinal biopsies were obtained by colonoscopy from healthy patients, non‐inflamed regions of CD patients and AS patients with inflammatory gut symptoms. A flow cytometry platform was developed measuring polyfunctional T‐cell populations based on cytokines, surface molecules and transcription factors. There was overlap in the immune signature of people with CD or AS, characterized by changes in the frequency of regulatory T cells, compared with healthy people. There were significant differences in frequencies of other polyfunctional T‐cell populations—CD patients had an increased frequency of T cells producing interleukin‐22 (IL‐22) and interferon‐γ, whereas AS patients had an increased frequency of T cells producing IL‐2; compared with healthy people. These data indicate that the local immune signature could be described in these patients and that distinct immune mechanisms may underlie disease progression.
A comprehensive assessment of somatic mutation detection in cancer using whole-genome sequencing
Authors: Alioto Tyler S. , Buchhalter Ivo , Derdak Sophia , Hutter Barbara , Eldridge Matthew D. , Hovig Eivind , Heisler Lawrence E. , Beck Timothy A. , Simpson Jared T. , Tonon Laurie , Sertier Anne-Sophie , Patch Ann-Marie , Jäger Natalie , Ginsbach Philip , Drews Ruben , Paramasivam Nagarajan , Kabbe Rolf , Chotewutmontri Sasithorn , Diessl Nicolle , Previti Christopher , Schmidt Sabine , Brors Benedikt , Feuerbach Lars , Heinold Michael , Gröbner Susanne , Korshunov Andrey , Tarpey Patrick S. , Butler Adam P. , Hinton Jonathan , Jones David , Menzies Andrew , Raine Keiran , Shepherd Rebecca , Stebbings Lucy , Teague Jon W. , Ribeca Paolo , Giner Francesc Castro , Beltran Sergi , Raineri Emanuele , Dabad Marc , Heath Simon C. , Gut Marta , Denroche Robert E. , Harding Nicholas J. , Yamaguchi Takafumi N. , Fujimoto Akihiro , Nakagawa Hidewaki , Quesada Víctor , Valdés-Mas Rafael , Nakken Sigve , Vodák Daniel , Bower Lawrence , Lynch Andrew G. , Anderson Charlotte L. , Waddell Nicola , Pearson John V. , Grimmond Sean M. , Peto Myron , Spellman Paul , He Minghui , Kandoth Cyriac , Lee Semin , Zhang John , Létourneau Louis , Ma Singer , Seth Sahil , Torrents David , Xi Liu , Wheeler David A. , López-Otín Carlos , Campo Elías , Campbell Peter J. , Boutros Paul C. , Puente Xose S. , Gerhard Daniela S. , Pfister Stefan M. , McPherson John D. , Hudson Thomas J. , Schlesner Matthias , Lichter Peter , Eils Roland , Jones David T. W. , Gut Ivo G.
Published: December 2015

As whole-genome sequencing for cancer genome analysis becomes a clinical tool, a full understanding of the variables affecting sequencing analysis output is required. Here using tumour-normal sample pairs from two different types of cancer, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and medulloblastoma, we conduct a benchmarking exercise within the context of the International Cancer Genome Consortium. We compare sequencing methods, analysis pipelines and validation methods. We show that using PCR-free methods and increasing sequencing depth to ∼100 × shows benefits, as long as the tumour:control coverage ratio remains balanced. We observe widely varying mutation call rates and low concordance among analysis pipelines, reflecting the artefact-prone nature of the raw data and lack of standards for dealing with the artefacts. However, we show that, using the benchmark mutation set we have created, many issues are in fact easy to remedy and have an immediate positive impact on mutation detection accuracy.
Host–guest chemistry for tuning colloidal solubility, self-organization and photoconductivity of inorganic-capped nanocrystals
Authors: Bodnarchuk Maryna I. , Yakunin Sergii , Piveteau Laura , Kovalenko Maksym V.
Published: December 2015

Colloidal inorganic nanocrystals (NCs), functionalized with inorganic capping ligands, such as metal chalcogenide complexes (MCCs), have recently emerged as versatile optoelectronic materials. As-prepared, highly charged MCC-capped NCs are dispersible only in highly polar solvents, and lack the ability to form long-range ordered NC superlattices. Here we report a simple and general methodology, based on host–guest coordination of MCC-capped NCs with macrocyclic ethers (crown ethers and cryptands), enabling the solubilization of inorganic-capped NCs in solvents of any polarity and improving the ability to form NC superlattices. The corona of organic molecules can also serve as a convenient knob for the fine adjustment of charge transport and photoconductivity in films of NCs. In particular, high-infrared-photon detectivities of up to 3.3 × 1011 Jones with a fast response (3 dB cut-off at 3 kHz) at the wavelength of 1,200 nm were obtained with films of PbS/K3AsS4/decyl-18-crown-6 NCs.
Nanoscale origins of the damage tolerance of the high-entropy alloy CrMnFeCoNi
Authors: Zhang ZiJiao , Mao M. M. , Wang Jiangwei , Gludovatz Bernd , Zhang Ze , Mao Scott X. , George Easo P. , Yu Qian , Ritchie Robert O.
Published: December 2015

Damage tolerance can be an elusive characteristic of structural materials requiring both high strength and ductility, properties that are often mutually exclusive. High-entropy alloys are of interest in this regard. Specifically, the single-phase CrMnFeCoNi alloy displays tensile strength levels of ∼1 GPa, excellent ductility (∼60–70%) and exceptional fracture toughness (KJIc>200 MPa√m). Here through the use of in situ straining in an aberration-corrected transmission electron microscope, we report on the salient atomistic to micro-scale mechanisms underlying the origin of these properties. We identify a synergy of multiple deformation mechanisms, rarely achieved in metallic alloys, which generates high strength, work hardening and ductility, including the easy motion of Shockley partials, their interactions to form stacking-fault parallelepipeds, and arrest at planar slip bands of undissociated dislocations. We further show that crack propagation is impeded by twinned, nanoscale bridges that form between the near-tip crack faces and delay fracture by shielding the crack tip.
Identifying early-warning signals of critical transitions with strong noise by dynamical network markers
Authors: Liu Rui , Chen Pei , Aihara Kazuyuki , Chen Luonan
Published: December 2015

Identifying early-warning signals of a critical transition for a complex system is difficult, especially when the target system is constantly perturbed by big noise, which makes the traditional methods fail due to the strong fluctuations of the observed data. In this work, we show that the critical transition is not traditional state-transition but probability distribution-transition when the noise is not sufficiently small, which, however, is a ubiquitous case in real systems. We present a model-free computational method to detect the warning signals before such transitions. The key idea behind is a strategy: “making big noise smaller” by a distribution-embedding scheme, which transforms the data from the observed state-variables with big noise to their distribution-variables with small noise and thus makes the traditional criteria effective because of the significantly reduced fluctuations. Specifically, increasing the dimension of the observed data by moment expansion that changes the system from state-dynamics to probability distribution-dynamics, we derive new data in a higher-dimensional space but with much smaller noise. Then, we develop a criterion based on the dynamical network marker (DNM) to signal the impending critical transition using the transformed higher-dimensional data. We also demonstrate the effectiveness of our method in biological, ecological and financial systems.
Hydrolysis of Selected Tropical Plant Wastes Catalyzed by a Magnetic Carbonaceous Acid with Microwave
Authors: Su Tong-Chao , Fang Zhen , Zhang Fan , Luo Jia , Li Xing-Kang
Published: December 2015

In this study, magnetic carbonaceous acids were synthesized by pyrolysis of the homogeneous mixtures of glucose and magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles and subsequent sulfonation. The synthesis conditions were optimized to obtain a catalyst with both high acid density (0.75 mmol g−1) and strong magnetism [magnetic saturation, Ms = 19.5 Am2 kg−1]. The screened catalyst (C-SO3H/Fe3O4) was used to hydrolyze ball-milled cellulose in a microwave reactor with total reducing sugar (TRS) yield of 25.3% under the best conditions at 190 °C for 3.5 h. It was cycled for at least seven times with high catalyst recovery rate (92.8%), acid density (0.63 mmol g−1) and magnetism (Ms = 12.9 Am2 kg−1), as well as high TRS yield (20.1%) from the hydrolysis of ball-milled cellulose. The catalyst was further successfully tested for the hydrolysis of tropical biomass with high TRS and glucose yields of 79.8% and 58.3% for bagasse, 47.2% and 35.6% for Jatropha hulls, as well as 54.4% and 35.8% for Plukenetia hulls.
Burst predicting neurons survive an in vitro glutamate injury model of cerebral ischemia
Authors: Kuebler Eric S. , Tauskela Joseph S. , Aylsworth Amy , Zhao Xigeng , Thivierge Jean-Philippe
Published: December 2015

Neuronal activity in vitro exhibits network bursts characterized by brief periods of increased spike rates. Recent work shows that a subpopulation of neurons reliably predicts the occurrence of network bursts. Here, we examined the role of burst predictors in cultures undergoing an in vitro model of cerebral ischemia. Dissociated primary cortical neurons were plated on multielectrode arrays and spontaneous activity was recorded at 17 days in vitro (DIV). This activity was characterized by neuronal avalanches where burst statistics followed a power law. We identified burst predictors as channels that consistently fired immediately prior to network bursts. The timing of these predictors relative to bursts followed a skewed distribution that differed sharply from a null model based on branching ratio. A portion of cultures were subjected to an excitotoxic insult (DIV 18). Propidium iodine and fluorescence imaging confirmed cell death in these cultures. While the insult did not alter the distribution of avalanches, it resulted in alterations in overall spike rates. Burst predictors, however, maintained baseline levels of activity. The resilience of burst predictors following excitotoxic insult suggests a key role of these units in maintaining network activity following injury, with implications for the selective effects of ischemia in the brain.
Loss of synaptic Zn2+ transporter function increases risk of febrile seizures
Authors: Hildebrand Michael S. , Phillips A. Marie , Mullen Saul A. , Adlard Paul A. , Hardies Katia , Damiano John A. , Wimmer Verena , Bellows Susannah T. , McMahon Jacinta M. , Burgess Rosemary , Hendrickx Rik , Weckhuysen Sarah , Suls Arvid , De Jonghe Peter , Scheffer Ingrid E. , Petrou Steven , Berkovic Samuel F. , Reid Christopher A.
Published: December 2015

Febrile seizures (FS) are the most common seizure syndrome and are potentially a prelude to more severe epilepsy. Although zinc (Zn2+) metabolism has previously been implicated in FS, whether or not variation in proteins essential for Zn2+ homeostasis contributes to susceptibility is unknown. Synaptic Zn2+ is co-released with glutamate and modulates neuronal excitability. SLC30A3 encodes the zinc transporter 3 (ZNT3), which is primarily responsible for moving Zn2+ into synaptic vesicles. Here we sequenced SLC30A3 and discovered a rare variant (c.892C > T; p.R298C) enriched in FS populations but absent in population-matched controls. Functional analysis revealed a significant loss-of-function of the mutated protein resulting from a trafficking deficit. Furthermore, mice null for ZnT3 were more sensitive than wild-type to hyperthermia-induced seizures that model FS. Together our data suggest that reduced synaptic Zn2+ increases the risk of FS and more broadly support the idea that impaired synaptic Zn2+ homeostasis can contribute to neuronal hyperexcitability.
MHD Stagnation-Point Flow and Heat Transfer with Effects of Viscous Dissipation, Joule Heating and Partial Velocity Slip
Authors: Mat Yasin Mohd Hafizi , Ishak Anuar , Pop Ioan
Published: December 2015

The steady two-dimensional stagnation-point flow and heat transfer past a permeable stretching/shrinking sheet with effects of viscous dissipation, Joule heating and partial velocity slip in the presence of a magnetic field is investigated. The partial differential equations are reduced to nonlinear ordinary differential equations by using a similarity transformation, before being solved numerically by shooting technique. Results indicate that the skin friction coefficient and the local Nusselt number increase as magnetic parameter increases. It is found that for the stretching sheet the solution is unique while for the shrinking sheet there exist nonunique solutions (dual solutions) in certain range of parameters. The stability analysis shows that the upper branch solution is stable while the lower branch solution is unstable.
Nonlinear Generation of Electromagnetic Waves through Induced Scattering by Thermal Plasma
Authors: Tejero E. M. , Crabtree C. , Blackwell D. D. , Amatucci W. E. , Mithaiwala M. , Ganguli G. , Rudakov L.
Published: December 2015

We demonstrate the conversion of electrostatic pump waves into electromagnetic waves through nonlinear induced scattering by thermal particles in a laboratory plasma. Electrostatic waves in the whistler branch are launched that propagate near the resonance cone. When the amplitude exceeds a threshold ~5 × 10−6 times the background magnetic field, wave power is scattered below the pump frequency with wave normal angles (~59°), where the scattered wavelength reaches the limits of the plasma column. The scattered wave has a perpendicular wavelength that is an order of magnitude larger than the pump wave and longer than the electron skin depth. The amplitude threshold, scattered frequency spectrum and scattered wave normal angles are in good agreement with theory. The results may affect the analysis and interpretation of space observations and lead to a comprehensive understanding of the nature of the Earth’s plasma environment.
PMMA interlayer-modulated memory effects by space charge polarization in resistive switching based on CuSCN-nanopyramids/ZnO-nanorods p-n heterojunction
Authors: Cheng Baochang , Zhao Jie , Xiao Li , Cai Qiangsheng , Guo Rui , Xiao Yanhe , Lei Shuijin
Published: December 2015

Resistive switching (RS) devices are commonly believed as a promising candidate for next generation nonvolatile resistance random access memory. Here, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) interlayer was introduced at the heterointerface of p-CuSCN hollow nanopyramid arrays and n-ZnO nanorod arrays, resulting in a typical bipolar RS behavior. We propose the mechanism of nanostructure trap-induced space charge polarization modulated by PMMA interlayer. At low reverse bias, PMMA insulator can block charges through the heterointerface and "Equation missing" and "Equation missing" trapped states are respectively created on both sides of PMMA, resulting in a high resistance state (HRS) due to wider depletion region. At high reverse bias, however, electrons and holes can cross PMMA interlayer by Fowler-Nordeim tunneling due to a massive tilt of energy band and then inject into the traps of ZnO and CuSCN, respectively. "Equation missing" and "Equation missing" trapped states are created, resulting in the formation of degenerate semiconductors on both sides of PMMA. Therefore, quantum tunneling and space charge polarization lead to a low resistance state (LRS). At relatively high forward bias, subsequently, the trapped states of "Equation missing" and "Equation missing" are recreated due to the opposite injection of charges, resulting in a recovery of HRS. The introduction of insulating interlayer at heterointerface, point a way to develop next-generation nonvolatile memories.
Phase separation enhanced magneto-electric coupling in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3/BaTiO3 ultra-thin films
Authors: Alberca A. , Munuera C. , Azpeitia J. , Kirby B. , Nemes N. M. , Perez-Muñoz A. M. , Tornos J. , Mompean F. J. , Leon C. , Santamaria J. , Garcia-Hernandez M.
Published: December 2015

We study the origin of the magnetoelectric coupling in manganite films on ferroelectric substrates. We find large magnetoelectric coupling in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3/BaTiO3 ultra-thin films in experiments based on the converse magnetoelectric effect. The magnetization changes by around 30–40% upon applying electric fields on the order of 1 kV/cm to the BaTiO3 substrate, corresponding to magnetoelectric coupling constants on the order of α = (2–5)·10−7 s/m. Magnetic anisotropy is also affected by the electric field induced strain, resulting in a considerable reduction of coercive fields. We compare the magnetoelectric effect in pre-poled and unpoled BaTiO3 substrates. Polarized neutron reflectometry reveals a two-layer behavior with a depressed magnetic layer of around 30 Å at the interface. Magnetic force microscopy (MFM) shows a granular magnetic structure of the La0.7Ca0.3MnO3. The magnetic granularity of the La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 film and the robust magnetoelastic coupling at the La0.7Ca0.3MnO3/BaTiO3 interface are at the origin of the large magnetoelectric coupling, which is enhanced by phase separation in the manganite.
Aflibercept Traps Galectin-1, an Angiogenic Factor Associated with Diabetic Retinopathy
Authors: Kanda Atsuhiro , Noda Kousuke , Saito Wataru , Ishida Susumu
Published: December 2015

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A-driven angiogenesis contributes to various disorders including cancer and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Among several VEGF-A blockers clinically used is aflibercept, a chimeric VEGFR1/VEGFR2-based decoy receptor fused to the Fc fragment of IgG1 (i.e., VEGFR1/VEGFR2-Fc). Here, we revealed a novel anti-angiogenic function for aflibercept beyond its antagonism against VEGF family members. Immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry analyses identified galectin-1 as an aflibercept-interacting protein. Biolayer interferometry revealed aflibercept binding to galectin-1 with higher affinity than VEGFR1-Fc and VEGFR2-Fc, which was abolished by deglycosylation of aflibercept with peptide:N-glycosidase F. Retinal LGALS1/Galectin-1 mRNA expression was enhanced in vitro by hypoxic stimulation and in vivo by induction of diseases including diabetes. Galectin-1 immunoreactivity co-localized with VEGFR2 in neovascular tissues surgically excised from human eyes with PDR. Compared with non-diabetic controls, intravitreal galectin-1 protein levels were elevated in PDR eyes, showing no correlation with increased VEGF-A levels. Preoperative injection of bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody to VEGF-A, reduced the VEGF-A, but not galectin-1, levels. Galectin-1 application to human retinal microvascular endothelial cells up-regulated VEGFR2 phosphorylation, which was eliminated by aflibercept. Our present findings demonstrated the neutralizing efficacy of aflibercept against galectin-1, an angiogenic factor associated with PDR independently of VEGF-A.
Effects of trophic status on microcystin production and the dominance of cyanobacteria in the phytoplankton assemblage of Mediterranean reservoirs
Authors: Mariani Maria Antonietta , Padedda Bachisio Mario , Kaštovský Jan , Buscarinu Paola , Sechi Nicola , Virdis Tomasa , Lugliè Antonella
Published: December 2015

The aim of our study was to evaluate the abundance of cyanobacteria and microcystins in four Sardinian reservoirs (Italy) characterised by different trophic status to define a reference picture for future changes. Increasing levels of eutrophication and the abundance of cyanobacteria are expected to occur due to climate change, especially in the southern Mediterranean. Consequently, an in-depth study of the occurrence of harmful cyanobacteria is important to develop appropriate management strategies for water resources at a local scale. Monthly samples were collected at one station in each reservoir over an 18-month period. The Analysis of similarity indicated that cyanobacterial abundance and species composition differed significantly among the reservoirs. The Redundancy analysis highlighted their relationship to trophic, hydrological and seasonal patterns. Spearman’s analysis indicated that there were significant correlations among the most important species (Planktothrix agardhii–rubescens group, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae and Dolichospermum planctonicum), nutrients and microcystins. We highlighted that the species composition during periods of maximum microcystin concentrations differed from those typically reported for other Mediterranean sites. We found new potential microcystin producers (Aphanizomenon klebahnii, Dolichospermum macrosporum and Dolichospermum viguieri), which emphasised the high diversity of cyanobacteria in the Mediterranean area and the need for detailed research at the local scale.
Observation of stimulated emission from a single Fe-doped AlN triangular fiber at room temperature
Authors: Jiang Liangbao , Jin Shifeng , Wang Wenjun , Zuo Sibin , Li Zhilin , Wang Shunchong , Zhu Kaixing , Wei Zhiyi , Chen Xiaolong
Published: December 2015

Aluminum nitride (AlN) is a well known wide-band gap semiconductor that has been widely used in fabricating various ultraviolet photo-electronic devices. Herein, we demonstrate that a fiber laser can be achieved in Fe-doped AlN fiber where Fe is the active ion and AlN fiber is used as the gain medium. Fe-doped single crystal AlN fibers with a diameter of 20–50 μm and a length of 0.5–1 mm were preparated successfully. Stimulated emission (peak at about 607 nm and FWHM ~0.2 nm) and a long luminescence lifetime (2.5 ms) were observed in the fibers by a 532nm laser excitation at room temperature. The high quality long AlN fibers are also found to be good optical waveguides. This kind of fiber lasers may possess potential advantages over traditional fiber lasers in enhancing power output and extending laser wavelengths from infrared to visible regime.
A simple feature construction method for predicting upstream/downstream signal flow in human protein-protein interaction networks
Authors: Mei Suyu , Zhu Hao
Published: December 2015

Signaling pathways play important roles in understanding the underlying mechanism of cell growth, cell apoptosis, organismal development and pathways-aberrant diseases. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks are commonly-used infrastructure to infer signaling pathways. However, PPI networks generally carry no information of upstream/downstream relationship between interacting proteins, which retards our inferring the signal flow of signaling pathways. In this work, we propose a simple feature construction method to train a SVM (support vector machine) classifier to predict PPI upstream/downstream relations. The domain based asymmetric feature representation naturally embodies domain-domain upstream/downstream relations, providing an unconventional avenue to predict the directionality between two objects. Moreover, we propose a semantically interpretable decision function and a macro bag-level performance metric to satisfy the need of two-instance depiction of an interacting protein pair. Experimental results show that the proposed method achieves satisfactory cross validation performance and independent test performance. Lastly, we use the trained model to predict the PPIs in HPRD, Reactome and IntAct. Some predictions have been validated against recent literature.