bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Workplace-related rehabilitation after foot fractures
Authors: Froese Eckehard
Published: November 2014

Background: For injured workers facing increased physical requirements the VBG, a German Social Accident Insurance Institution, provides 2 types of outpatient medical treatment for the last phase of rehabilitation. One option is a functionally orientated extended physiotherapy including the opportunity for work-ability testing at the workplace with a gradual increase of workload and working time. Second option is a newly-developed multidisciplinary workplace-related rehabilitation integrating the specific work-relevant functional flows in therapy under the direction of a qualified physician and therapists in rehab facilities.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of workplace-related rehabilitation after foot fractures in outpatient rehab facilities. Methods: Data of all completed cases with severe fractures of the calcaneus or the ankle joint, undergoing workplace-related therapy in 2013 (n = 27), were compared to consecutive data of 27 completed cases undergoing extended physiotherapy.

Findings: Mean age in both groups was 48 years. In the extended physiotherapy group 14 patients additionally received a work-ability testing directly at the workplace. Mean duration from accident to capacity for work was 169.81 days (SD 60.4) for extended physiotherapy and 176.81 days (SD 49.3) for workplace-related rehabilitation. 23 patients with extended physiotherapy and 26 patients with workplace-related rehabilitation maintained work ability 3 months after achieving full capacity for work. Subsequent rehab measures after regaining capacity for work were needed in 6 cases in the extended physiotherapy group and in one case in the workplace-related rehabilitation group.

Discussion: Though no statistically verifiable difference in duration of incapacity for work between both groups was found, the results provide apparently evidence that multidisciplinary workplace-related rehabilitation is more sustainable. It is suggested, that a systematic approach and individually tailored multidisciplinary training of the specific work-relevant movement patterns under constant medical and therapeutic direction lead to more stable rehabilitation results.

Conclusion: Further research is needed to consolidate our empirical findings.
SOIL PROPERTIES AND AGRONOMIC PERFORMANCE OF WATERMELON GROWN IN DIFFERENT TILLAGE AND COVER CROPS IN THE SOUTH EASTERN OF BRAZIL
Authors: BRANCO ROBERTO BOTELHO FERRAZ , NOWAKI RODRIGO HIYOSHI DALMAZZO , SALLES FERNANDO ANDRÉ , BOLONHEZI DENIZART , GUALBERTO RONAN
Published: November 2014

Much of the watermelon (Citullus lanatus) cultivation in Brazil is conducted in sandy soil and topographic conditions that favour the erosion process. Therefore, conservation tillage methods are critical for the sustainability of the production chain of this vegetable crop. We studied different tillage methods and cover crops in watermelon cultivation in the area of the reform of degraded pasture. For this purpose, two tillage methods were established as experimental treatments: minimum tillage preparation with subsoiling only, and no tillage. As cover crops white lupine (Lupinus albus) and bristle oat (Avena strigosa) were seeded. As control, watermelon was cultivated with conventional tillage, without prior cultivation of cover crops. For the experimental design, randomised blocks in a factorial arrangement with four replications were used. After liming and phosphate fertilisation of the soil, cover crops were cultivated in soil with minimum tillage and no tillage to produce straw to be used for soil cover, where subsequently the watermelon was grown. The productivity of dry mass and nutrient accumulation in the shoot of cover crops, the soil properties and the watermelon agronomic performance were evaluated. White lupine had better performance in the production of dry mass and nutrient accumulation in shoot than bristle oat. There were differences among treatments for soil penetration resistance, where in conventional tillage the values were lower in the first 30 cm of depth in relation to no-tillage cultivation. The tillage method also affected the fertility of the soil at a depth of 0 to 20 cm. The no tillage provided increased nitrogen leaf content in watermelon regardless of cover crops but restricted root growth in relation to minimum tillage and conventional tillage. Watermelon had similar commercial production by different treatments, with reduction only in no tillage on bristle oat straw.
A roadmap to pervasive systems verification
Authors: Konur Savas , Fisher Michael
Published: November 2014

The complexity ofpervasive systemsarises from the many different aspects that such systems possess. A typical pervasive system may be autonomous, distributed, concurrent and context based, and may involve humans and robotic devices working together. If we wish to formally verify the behaviour of such systems, the formal methods for pervasive systems will surely also be complex. In this paper, we move towards being able to formally verify pervasive systems and outline our approach wherein we distinguish four distinct dimensions within pervasive system behaviour and utilize different, but appropriate, formal techniques for verifying each one.
Features of the glacial history of the Transantarctic Mountains inferred from cosmogenic 26Al, 10Be and 21Ne concentrations in bedrock surfaces
Authors: Balco Greg , Stone John O.H. , Sliwinski Maciej G. , Todd Claire
Published: November 2014

This paper describes measurements of concentrations of cosmogenic 26Al, 10Be and 21Ne in quartz from bedrock surfaces in the Transantarctic Mountains where stratigraphic and geomorphic evidence shows that the surfaces were covered by ice in the past, but were not glacially eroded during periods of ice cover. It then explores to what extent this information can be used to learn about past ice sheet change. First, cosmogenic nuclide concentrations in sandstone bedrock surfaces at two sites in the McMurdo Dry Valleys near 77°S are consistent with an equilibrium between nuclide production and loss by surface erosion and radioactive decay. They are most easily explained by a scenario in which: i) sites more than c. 100 m above the present ice surface were almost never ice-covered and eroded steadily at 0.5–1.5 m Ma-1, and ii) sites near the present ice margin experienced similar erosion rates when ice-free, but have been covered by cold-based, non-erosive glacier ice as much as half of the time during the past several million years. Nuclide concentrations in granite bedrock at a site in the Quartz Hills near 85°S, on the other hand, have not reached production-erosion equilibrium, thus retaining evidence of the time they were first exposed to the cosmic ray flux. Nuclide concentrations at these sites are most easily explained by 4–6 Ma exposure, extremely low erosion rates of 5–10 cm Ma-1 during periods of exposure, and only very short periods of cold-based, non-erosive ice cover.
Surface melt and ponding on Larsen C Ice Shelf and the impact of föhn winds
Authors: Luckman Adrian , Elvidge Andrew , Jansen Daniela , Kulessa Bernd , Kuipers Munneke Peter , King John , Barrand Nicholas E.
Published: November 2014

A common precursor to ice shelf disintegration, most notably that of Larsen B Ice Shelf, is unusually intense or prolonged surface melt and the presence of surface standing water. However, there has been little research into detailed patterns of melt on ice shelves or the nature of summer melt ponds. We investigated surface melt on Larsen C Ice Shelf at high resolution using Envisat advanced synthetic aperture radar (ASAR) data and explored melt ponds in a range of satellite images. The improved spatial resolution of SAR over alternative approaches revealed anomalously long melt duration in western inlets. Meteorological modelling explained this pattern by föhn winds which were common in this region. Melt ponds are difficult to detect using optical imagery because cloud-free conditions are rare in this region and ponds quickly freeze over, but can be monitored using SAR in all weather conditions. Melt ponds up to tens of kilometres in length were common in Cabinet Inlet, where melt duration was most prolonged. The pattern of melt explains the previously observed distribution of ice shelf densification, which in parts had reached levels that preceded the collapse of Larsen B Ice Shelf, suggesting a potential role for föhn winds in promoting unstable conditions on ice shelves.
A constructive interpretation of Ramsey's theorem via the product of selection functions
Authors: OLIVA PAULO , POWELL THOMAS
Published: November 2014

We use Gödel's dialectica interpretation to produce a computational version of the well-known proof of Ramsey's theorem by Erdős and Rado. Our proof makes use of the product of selection functions, which forms an intuitive alternative to Spector's bar recursion when interpreting proofs in analysis. This case study is another instance of the application of proof theoretic techniques in mathematics.
Scoring with Code: Composing with algorithmic notation
Authors: Magnusson Thor
Published: November 2014

Computer code is a form of notational language. It prescribes actions to be carried out by the computer, often by systems called interpreters. When code is used to write music, we are therefore operating with programming language as a relatively new form of musical notation. Music is a time-based art form and the traditional musical score is a linear chronograph with instructions for an interpreter. Here code and traditional notation are somewhat at odds, since code is written as text, without any representational timeline. This can pose problems, for example for a composer who is working on a section in the middle of a long piece, but has to repeatedly run the code from the beginning or make temporary arrangements to solve this difficulty in the compositional process. In short: code does not come with a timeline but is rather the material used for building timelines. This article explores the context of creating linear ‘code scores’ in the area of musical notation. It presents theThrenoscopeas an example of a system that implements both representational notation and a prescriptive code score.
‘Atomic’ Music: Navigating experimental electronica and sound art through microsound
Authors: Hofer Sonya
Published: November 2014

This paper looks at microsound – an emergent term, corresponding concept and associated genre of experimental electronica appearing in the late 1990s – which animates the idea of sound as material entity, and, as I will demonstrate, ultimately complicates and expands questions concerning disciplinary boundaries. The conceptualisation of sounds as having mass or as matter, particularly on an imagined ‘atomic’ level as is implicit in microsound, has had many historical antecedents, especially in the twentieth century. However, the comparison, representation and analogy of sound as an object of material composition is a peculiar metaphor as sound has no inherent material substance. At the meeting point of microsound, a wide spectrum of musicians and listeners across genres and subgenres has converged, along with a diverse range of technologies and approaches to those technologies. In what follows, an exploration of the inception and implications of microsound will offer one instructive path that helps elucidate the intertwined relationship between sound art and experimental electronica. Thus, this paper adds to the critical dialogue regarding these complex yet drastically under-theorised fields of creative activity by using microsound to articulate specific points of connection, commonality and divergence.
Warum ist mein Fuss so dick und rot?
Authors: Rüst Christoph A. , Rosemann Thomas , Knechtle Beat
Published: November 2014

Wir stellen den Fall eines 26-jährigen Mannes vor, der sich wegen Schwellung und Rötung des Fusses beim Hausarzt meldete. Nachdem eine Thrombose sowie eine tumoröse Raumforderung ausgeschlossen werden konnten, fiel der Verdacht auf eine Acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans Herxheimer, die laborchemisch bestätigt werden konnte. Unter Therapie kam es zu einer deutlichen Regredienz des Befundes. Die Behandlung einer Borreliose wird durch den Unfallversicherer übernommen.
Genetic and epidemiological insights into the emergence of peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) across Asia and Africa
Authors: Padhi Abinash , Ma Li
Published: November 2014

Small ruminants are important components in the livelihood of millions of households in many parts of the world. The spread of the highly contagious peste des petits ruminants (PPR) disease, which is caused by an RNA virus, PPRV, across Asia and Africa remains a major concern. The present study explored the evolutionary and epidemiological dynamics of PPRV through the analyses of partial N-gene and F-gene sequences of the virus. All the four previously described PPRV lineages (I-IV) diverged from their common ancestor during the late-19thto early-20thcentury. Among the four lineages, PPRV-IV showed pronounced genetic structuring across the region; however, haplotype sharing among the geographic regions, together with the presence of multiple genetic clusters within a country, indicates the possibility of frequent mobility of the diseased individuals across the region. The gradual decline in the effective number of infections suggests a limited genetic variation, which could be attributed to the effective vaccination that has been practiced since 1990s. However, the movement of infected animals across the region likely contributes to the spread of PPRV-IV. No evidence of positive selection was identified from this study.
IMAT: matrix learning machine with interpolation mapping
Authors: Wang Zhe , Lu Mingzhe , Zhu Yujin , Gao Daqi
Published: November 2014

In matrix learning, vector patterns are simply transformed into matrix ones by some reshaping techniques such as from 100 × 1 to 20 × 5. Unfortunately, the techniques are random and fail in some cases. To this end, a matrix learning machine with interpolation mapping named IMAT for short is proposed. IMAT interpolates each feature of the original vector pattern into its corresponding k‐means slots so as to generate a matrix pattern with more structural information. Furthermore, the pairwise information of every two features can be introduced into the IMAT. After that, the IMAT can be applied into matrix‐based classifiers. The contributions of the proposed IMAT are listed as follows. (i) the IMAT can extract more intrinsic structural information compared with those random techniques reshaping the vector into a matrix. (ii) The IMAT is supposed to be reasonably and naturally embedded into matrix‐based classifiers. In the experiments, the authors' previous work is adopted, a matrix‐based classifier named MatMHKS, to examine the IMAT on some UCI datasets. The results verify the superior classification performance of IMAT.
Least‐squares particle filter
Authors: Wu Yong , Wang Jun , Zhang Pei‐Chuan
Published: November 2014

A least‐squares particle filter (LSPF) is proposed, where the latest measurement is effectively integrated into each sampled particle with the help of the least‐squares estimate, thereby promoting the movement of particles from the prior areas to the high likelihood regions. More importantly, an approach of augmenting the measurement vector is presented to overcome the irreversible problem potentially existing in the proposed filter, thus expanding the application range of the LSPF. The experimental results of bearings‐only tracking demonstrate the better estimation accuracy of the LSPF than the standard particle filter and the auxiliary particle filter.
Normal-ordered second-quantized Hamiltonian for molecular vibrations
Authors: Hirata So , Hermes Matthew R.
Published: November 2014

A normal-ordered second-quantized form of the Hamiltonian is derived for quantum dynamics in a bound potential energy surface expressed as a Taylor series in an arbitrary set of orthogonal, delocalized coordinates centered at an arbitrary geometry. The constant, first-, and second-order excitation amplitudes of this Hamiltonian are identified as the ground-state energy, gradients, and frequencies, respectively, of the size-extensive vibrational self-consistent field (XVSCF) method or the self-consistent phonon method. They display the well-defined size dependence of V1 − n/2, where V is the volume and n is the number of coordinates associated with the amplitudes. It is used to rapidly derive the equations of XVSCF and vibrational many-body perturbation methods with the Møller–Plesset partitioning of the Hamiltonian.
Theoretical determination of anisotropic thermal conductivity for initially defect-free and defective TATB single crystals
Authors: Kroonblawd Matthew P. , Sewell Thomas D.
Published: November 2014

The anisotropic thermal conductivity was determined for initially defect-free and defective crystals of 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB), a material that exhibits a graphitic-like packing structure with stacked single-molecule-thick layers, using the reverse non-equilibrium molecular dynamics method and an established TATB molecular dynamics force field. Thermal conduction in TATB is predicted to be substantially higher and more anisotropic than in other related organic molecular explosives, with conduction along directions nominally in the plane of the molecular layers at least 68% greater than conduction along the direction exactly perpendicular to the layers. Finite-size effects along the conduction directions were assessed. The conductivity along directions nominally in the plane of the molecular layers was found to be insensitive to the supercell length along the conduction direction—a result commensurate with the estimated phonon mean free path, ∼6 Å. A small decrease in the conductivity normal to the layers was found for longer supercells and is likely due to increased phonon scattering as a result of dynamic structural transitions in the crystal. The thermal conductivity of TATB crystals containing vacancy defects was also determined and the variation of conductivity with crystal density was found to be both linear and anisotropic, with the introduction of vacancy defects leading to a greater percentage reduction in conduction for the direction perpendicular to the molecular layers.
Fabrication and characterization of Co40Fe22Ta8-xYxB30 (x = 0, 2.5, 4, 6, and 8) metallic glasses with high thermal stability and good soft magnetic properties
Authors: Taghvaei Amir Hossein , Shahabi Hamed Shakur , Bednarčik Jozef , Eckert Jürgen
Published: November 2014

Atomic structure and thermal behavior of Co40Fe22Ta8-xYxB30 (x = 0, 2.5, 4, 6, and 8) metallic glasses with good soft magnetic properties have been investigated by high-energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimeter, respectively. It has been shown that the extension of the supercooled liquid region first increases and reaches a large value of 95 K and subsequently decreases as a function of Y content. Analysis of the structure factors and pair correlation functions in the reciprocal-space and real-space have indicated that the addition of Y noticeably changes the atomic structure and reduces the degree of the medium-range order. Magnetic measurements have implied that the introduction of Y enhances both saturation magnetization and Curie temperatures of the ribbons, while keeping their coercivity very small. The underlying mechanisms for changes in the atomic structure, improving the thermal stability and magnetic properties upon Y addition have been discussed.
Thermal transport properties of graphene nanomeshes
Authors: Hu Lin , Maroudas Dimitrios
Published: November 2014

Using molecular-dynamics simulations, we study the thermal transport properties of graphene nanomeshes (GNMs) as a function of material density, pore morphology, pore edge passivation, and the lattice arrangement of the nanomesh pores. Relations for the density dependence of the GNMs' thermal conductivity are established. For GNMs with circular pores, we find that the thermal conductivity is an exponential function of the GNM's neck width with a very weak dependence on the pore lattice structure and pore edge passivation. For GNMs with elliptical pores, the thermal conductivity becomes anisotropic and this anisotropy becomes stronger with decreasing GNM density.
Far field emission profile of pure wurtzite InP nanowires
Authors: Bulgarini Gabriele , Dalacu Dan , Poole Philip J. , Lapointe Jean , Reimer Michael E. , Zwiller Val
Published: November 2014

We report on the far field emission profile of pure wurtzite InP nanowires in comparison to InP nanowires with predominantly zincblende crystal structure. The emission profile is measured on individual nanowires using Fourier microscopy. The most intense photoluminescence of wurtzite nanowires is collected at small angles with respect to the nanowire growth axis. In contrast, zincblende nanowires present a minimum of the collected light intensity in the direction of the nanowire growth. Results are explained by the orientation of electric dipoles responsible for the photoluminescence, which is different from wurtzite to zincblende. Wurtzite nanowires have dipoles oriented perpendicular to the nanowire growth direction, whereas zincblende nanowires have dipoles oriented along the nanowire axis. This interpretation is confirmed by both numerical simulations and polarization dependent photoluminescence spectroscopy. Knowledge of the dipole orientation in nanostructures is crucial for developing a wide range of photonic devices such as light-emitting diodes, photodetectors, and solar cells.
Vacancy complexes induce long-range ferromagnetism in GaN
Authors: Zhang Zhenkui , Schwingenschlögl Udo , Roqan Iman S.
Published: November 2014

By means of density functional theory, we argue that ferromagnetism in GaN can be induced by vacancy complexes. Spin polarization originates from the charge compensation between neutral N and Ga vacancies. Defect formation energy calculations predict that a vacancy complex of two positively charged N vacancies and one doubly negative Ga vacancy is likely to form. This defect complex induces a net moment of 1 μB, which is localized around the negative Ga center and exhibits pronounced in-plane ferromagnetic coupling. In contrast to simple Ga vacancy induced ferromagnetism, the proposed picture is in line with the fact that N vacancies have a low formation energy. Formation energies indicate mutual stabilization of the intrinsic defects in GaN.
The elastic tensor of single crystal RDX determined by Brillouin spectroscopy
Authors: Bolme C. A. , Ramos K. J.
Published: November 2014

The elastic tensor of 1,3,5-trinitroperhydro-1,3,5-triazine (also known as RDX, hexogen, and cyclotrimethylene trinitramine) was determined using Brillouin spectroscopy of as-grown single crystals. This study addresses inconsistencies in the literature between the elastic tensor measurements made using Brillouin spectroscopy in the GHz frequency range and the measurements using various techniques in the kHz-MHz frequency range. These Brillouin results are consistent with previous measurements made in the kHz-MHz frequency range using various techniques and are also consistent with velocity measurements at 15 GHz using picosecond acoustic interferometry. These results are in disagreement with the previously published elastic tensor determined using Brillouin spectroscopy, and there are differences of several percent amongst the consistent set of elastic tensor determinations. The origins of the disagreement and differences are discussed.
Anomalous response of superconducting titanium nitride resonators to terahertz radiation
Authors: Bueno J. , Coumou P. C. J. J. , Zheng G. , de Visser P. J. , Klapwijk T. M. , Driessen E. F. C. , Doyle S. , Baselmans J. J. A
Published: November 2014

We present an experimental study of kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) fabricated of atomic layer deposited TiN films and characterized at radiation frequencies of 350 GHz. The responsivity to radiation is measured and found to increase with the increase in radiation powers, opposite to what is expected from theory and observed for hybrid niobium titanium nitride/aluminium (NbTiN/Al) and all-aluminium (all-Al) KIDs. The noise is found to be independent of the level of the radiation power. The noise equivalent power improves with higher radiation powers, also opposite to what is observed and well understood for hybrid NbTiN/Al and all-Al KIDs. We suggest that an inhomogeneous state of these disordered superconductors should be used to explain these observations.
Spectral and angular characteristics of dielectric resonator metasurface at optical frequencies
Authors: Zou Longfang , López-García Martin , Withayachumnankul Withawat , Shah Charan M. , Mitchell Arnan , Bhaskaran Madhu , Sriram Sharath , Oulton Ruth , Klemm Maciej , Fumeaux Christophe
Published: November 2014

The capability of manipulating light at subwavelength scale has fostered the applications of flat metasurfaces in various fields. Compared to metallic structure, metasurfaces made of high permittivity low-loss dielectric resonators hold the promise of high efficiency by avoiding high conductive losses of metals at optical frequencies. This letter investigates the spectral and angular characteristics of a dielectric resonator metasurface composed of periodic sub-arrays of resonators with a linearly varying phase response. The far-field response of the metasurface can be decomposed into the response of a single grating element (sub-array) and the grating arrangement response. The analysis also reveals that coupling between resonators has a non-negligible impact on the angular response. Over a wide wavelength range, the simulated and measured angular characteristics of the metasurface provide a definite illustration of how different grating diffraction orders can be selectively suppressed or enhanced through antenna sub-array design.
Generation of longitudinally polarized terahertz pulses with field amplitudes exceeding 2 kV/cm
Authors: Cliffe M. J. , Rodak A. , Graham D. M. , Jamison S. P.
Published: November 2014

We demonstrate the generation of near-single cycle longitudinally polarized terahertz radiation using a large-area radially biased photoconductive antenna with a longitudinal field amplitude in excess of 2 kV/cm. The 76 mm diameter antenna was photo-excited by a 0.5 mJ amplified near-infrared femtosecond laser system and biased with a voltage of up to 100 kV applied over concentric electrodes. Amplitudes for both the transverse and longitudinal field components of the source were measured using a calibrated electro-optic detection scheme. By tightly focusing the radiation emitted from the photoconductive antenna, we obtained a maximum longitudinal field amplitude of 2.22 kV/cm with an applied bias field of 38.5 kV/cm.
Correlations between components of the water balance and burned area reveal new insights for predicting forest fire area in the southwest United States
Authors: Williams A. Park , Seager Richard , Macalady Alison K. , Berkelhammer Max , Crimmins Michael A. , Swetnam Thomas W. , Trugman Anna T. , Buenning Nikolaus , Noone David , McDowell Nate G. , Hryniw Natalia , Mora Claudia I. , Rahn Thom
Published: November 2014

We related measurements of annual burned area in the southwest United States during 1984–2013 to records of climate variability. Within forests, annual burned area correlated at least as strongly with spring–summer vapour pressure deficit (VPD) as with 14 other drought-related metrics, including more complex metrics that explicitly represent fuel moisture. Particularly strong correlations with VPD arise partly because this term dictates the atmospheric moisture demand. Additionally, VPD responds to moisture supply, which is difficult to measure and model regionally due to complex micrometeorology, land cover and terrain. Thus, VPD appears to be a simple and holistic indicator of regional water balance. Coupled with the well-known positive influence of prior-year cold season precipitation on fuel availability and connectivity, VPD may be utilised for burned area forecasts and also to infer future trends, though these are subject to other complicating factors such as land cover change and management. Assuming an aggressive greenhouse gas emissions scenario, climate models predict mean spring–summer VPD will exceed the highest recorded values in the southwest in nearly 40% of years by the middle of this century. These results forewarn of continued increases in burned forest area in the southwest United States, and likely elsewhere, when fuels are not limiting.
Force is a signal that cells cannot ignore
Authors: Yusko Erik C. , Asbury Charles L.
Published: November 2014

Cells sense biochemical, electrical, and mechanical cues in their environment that affect their differentiation and behavior. Unlike biochemical and electrical signals, mechanical signals can propagate without the diffusion of proteins or ions; instead, forces are transmitted through mechanically stiff structures, flowing, for example, through cytoskeletal elements such as microtubules or filamentous actin. The molecular details underlying how cells respond to force are only beginning to be understood. Here we review tools for probing force-sensitive proteins and highlight several examples in which forces are transmitted, routed, and sensed by proteins in cells. We suggest that local unfolding and tension-dependent removal of autoinhibitory domains are common features in force-sensitive proteins and that force-sensitive proteins may be commonplace wherever forces are transmitted between and within cells. Because mechanical forces are inherent in the cellular environment, force is a signal that cells must take advantage of to maintain homeostasis and carry out their functions.
CARM1 regulates astroglial lineage through transcriptional regulation of Nanog and posttranscriptional regulation by miR92a
Authors: Selvi B. Ruthrotha , Swaminathan Amrutha , Maheshwari Uma , Nagabhushana Ananthamurthy , Mishra Rakesh K , Kundu Tapas K
Published: November 2014

Coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase (CARM1/PRMT4)–mediated transcriptional coactivation and arginine methylation is known to regulate various tissue-specific differentiation events. Although CARM1 is expressed in the neural crest region in early development, coinciding with early neuronal progenitor specification, the role of CARM1 in any neuronal developmental pathways has been unexplored. Using a specific small-molecule inhibitor of CARM1-mediated H3R17 methylation in human embryonic stem cell line, we find that H3R17 methylation contributes to the maintenance of the astroglial cell population. A network of regulation was observed on the miR92a promoter by which H3R17-responsive Nanog bound to the miR92a promoter decreased upon inhibition, resulting in an abnormal gene expression program influencing the glial lineage. This was also true in zebrafish, in which, with the help of CARM1 inhibitor and CARM1 morpholinos, we show that inhibition of H3R17 methylation results in defective glial cell morphology and a sensory defect in a subpopulation. A gain-of-function strategy in which mCARM1 was introduced in the morpholino-treated embryos exhibited recovery of the sensory defect phenotype. This study thus establishes the functional cooperation between arginine methylation and microRNA expression in the neuronal developmental process, with potential implications in sensory development pathways.
Rclick: a web server for comparison of RNA 3D structures
Authors: Nguyen Minh N. , Verma Chandra
Published: November 2014

Summary: RNA molecules play important roles in key biological processes in the cell and are becoming attractive for developing therapeutic applications. Since the function of RNA depends on its structure and dynamics, comparing and classifying the RNA 3D structures is of crucial importance to molecular biology. In this study, we have developed Rclick, a web server that is capable of superimposing RNA 3D structures by using clique matching and 3D least-squares fitting. Our server Rclick has been benchmarked and compared with other popular servers and methods for RNA structural alignments. In most cases, Rclick alignments were better in terms of structure overlap. Our server also recognizes conformational changes between structures. For this purpose, the server produces complementary alignments to maximize the extent of detectable similarity. Various examples showcase the utility of our web server for comparison of RNA, RNA–protein complexes and RNA-ligand structures.

Availability and implementation: The Rclick web server is freely accessible at http://mspc.bii.a-star.edu.sg/minhn/rclick.html

Contact:  minhn@bii.a-star.edu.sg

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Black hole jets without large-scale net magnetic flux
Authors: Parfrey Kyle , Giannios Dimitrios , Beloborodov Andrei M.
Published: November 2014

We propose a scenario for launching relativistic jets from rotating black holes, in which small-scale magnetic flux loops, sustained by disc turbulence, are forced to inflate and open by differential rotation between the black hole and the accretion flow. This mechanism does not require a large-scale net magnetic flux in the accreting plasma. Estimates suggest that the process could operate effectively in many systems, and particularly naturally and efficiently when the accretion flow is retrograde. We present the results of general-relativistic force-free electrodynamic simulations demonstrating the time evolution of the black hole's magnetosphere, the cyclic formation of jets, and the effect of magnetic reconnection. The jets are highly variable on time-scales ∼10–103rg/c, where rg is the black hole's gravitational radius. The reconnecting current sheets observed in the simulations may be responsible for the hard X-ray emission from accreting black holes.
Explaining the observed relation between stellar activity and rotation
Authors: Blackman Eric G. , Thomas John H.
Published: November 2014

Observations of late-type main-sequence stars have revealed empirical scalings of coronal activity versus rotation period or Rossby number Ro (a ratio of rotation period to convective turnover time) which has hitherto lacked explanation. For Ro ≫ 1, the activity observed as X-ray to bolometric flux varies as Ro−q with 2 ≤ q ≤ 3, whilst |q| < 0.13 for Ro ≪ 1. Here, we explain the transition between these two regimes and the power law in the Ro ≫ 1 regime by constructing an expression for the coronal luminosity based on dynamo magnetic field generation and magnetic buoyancy. We explain the Ro ≪ 1 behaviour from the inference that observed rotation is correlated with internal differential rotation and argue that once the shear time-scale is shorter than the convective turnover time, eddies will be shredded on the shear time-scale and so the eddy correlation time actually becomes the shear time and the convection time drops out of the equations. We explain the Ro ≫ 1 behaviour using a dynamo saturation theory based on magnetic helicity buildup and buoyant loss.
Variable optical polarization during high state in γ-ray loud, narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy 1H 0323+342
Authors: Itoh Ryosuke , Tanaka Yasuyuki T. , Akitaya Hiroshi , Uemura Makoto , Fukazawa Yasushi , Inoue Yoshiyuki , Doi Akihiro , Arai Akira , Hanayama Hidekazu , Hashimoto Osamu , Hayashi Masahiko , Izumiura Hideyuki , Kanda Yuka , Kawabata Koji S. , Kawaguchi Kenji , Kawai Nobuyuki , Kinugasa Kenzo , Kuroda Daisuke , Miyaji Takeshi , Moritani Yuki , Morokuma Tomoki , Murata Katsuhiro L. , Nagayama Takahiro , Oasa Yumiko , Ohshima Tomohito , Ohsugi Takashi , Saito Yoshihiko , Sakata Shuuichiro , Sasada Mahito , Sekiguchi Kazuhiro , Takagi Yuhei , Takahashi Jun , Takaki Katsutoshi , Ui Takahiro , Watanabe Makoto , Yamanaka Masayuki , Yamashita Satoshi , Yoshida Michitoshi
Published: November 2014

We present results of optical polarimetric and multi-band photometric observations for γ-ray loud, narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy 1H 0323+342. This object has been monitored by the 1.5-m Kanata telescope since 2012 September, but following a γ-ray flux enhancement detected by Fermi Large Area Telescope (Fermi-LAT) on MJD 56483 (2013 July 10), dense follow-up was performed by 10 0.5–2.0-m telescopes in Japan over one week. The 2-yr RC-band light curve showed clear brightening corresponding to the γ-ray flux increase, and then decayed gradually. The high state as a whole lasted for ∼ 20 d, during which we clearly detected optical polarization from this object. The polarization degree (PD) of the source increased from 0%–1% in quiescence to ∼ 3% at maximum and then declined to the quiescent level, with the duration of the enhancement being less than 10 d. The moderate PD around the peak allowed us to precisely measure the daily polarization angle (PA). As a result, we found that the daily PAs were almost constant and aligned to the jet axis, suggesting that the magnetic field direction at the emission region is transverse to the jet. This implies either a presence of helical/toroidal magnetic field or transverse magnetic field compressed by shock(s). We also found small-amplitude intra-night variability during the 2-hr continuous exposure on a single night. We discuss these findings based on the turbulent multi-zone model recently advocated by Marscher (2014, ApJ, 780, 87). Optical to ultraviolet (UV) spectrum showed a rising shape in the higher frequency and the UV magnitude measured by Swift/UVOT (UV and Optical Telescope) was steady even during the flaring state, suggesting that thermal emission from accretion disk is dominant in that band.
Haloperidol, a Novel Treatment for Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome
Authors: Witsil Joanne C. , Mycyk Mark B.
Published: November 2014

Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) is typically unresponsive to conventional pharmacologic antiemetics, and patients often require excessive laboratory and radiographic testing and hospital admission. We report 4 cases of CHS that failed standard emergency department therapy but improved significantly after treatment with haloperidol. Although the exact mechanism for CHS remains unclear, dysregulation at cannabinoid type 1 seems to play a role. Recent animal data demonstrate complex interactions between dopamine and cannabinoid type 1 signaling, a potential mechanism for haloperidol success in patients with CHS. Our success with haloperidol in these 4 patients warrants further investigation of haloperidol as an emergency department treatment for CHS.
Better the devil you know: avian predators find variation in prey toxicity aversive
Authors: Barnett Craig A. , Bateson Melissa , Rowe Candy
Published: November 2014

Toxic prey that signal their defences to predators using conspicuous warning signals are called ‘aposematic’. Predators learn about the toxic content of aposematic prey and reduce their attacks on them. However, through regulating their toxin intake, predators will include aposematic prey in their diets when the benefits of gaining the nutrients they contain outweigh the costs of ingesting the prey's toxins. Predators face a problem when managing their toxin intake: prey sharing the same warning signal often vary in their toxicities. Given that predators should avoid uncertainty when managing their toxin intake, we tested whether European starlings (
Sturnus vulgaris
) preferred to eat fixed-defence prey (where all prey contained a 2% quinine solution) to mixed-defence prey (where half the prey contained a 4% quinine solution and the other half contained only water). Our results support the idea that predators should be more ‘risk-averse’ when foraging on variably defended prey and suggest that variation in toxicity levels could be a form of defence.
Mitigating the Goldilocks effect: the effects of different substrate models on track formation potential
Authors: Falkingham Peter L. , Hage Julian , Bäker Martin
Published: November 2014

In ichnology, the Goldilocks effect describes a scenario in which a substrate must be ‘just right’ in order for tracks to form—too soft, the animal will be unable to traverse the area, and too firm, the substrate will not deform. Any given substrate can therefore only preserve a range of tracks from those animals which exert an underfoot pressure at approximately the yield strength of the sediment. However, rarely are substrates vertically homogeneous for any great depth, varying either due to heterogeneity across sediment layers, or from mechanical behaviour such as strain hardening. Here, we explore the specificity of the Goldilocks effect in a number of virtual substrates simulated using finite-element analysis. We find that the inclusion of strain hardening into the model increases the potential range of trackmaker sizes somewhat, compared with a simple elastic–perfectly plastic model. The simulation of a vertically heterogeneous, strain hardening substrate showed a much larger range of potential trackmakers than strain hardening alone. We therefore show that the Goldilocks effect is lessened to varying degrees by the inclusion of more realistic soil parameters, though there still remains an upper and lower limit to the size of trackmaker able to traverse the area while leaving footprints.
Gilvimarinus polysaccharolyticus sp. nov., an agar-digesting bacterium isolated from seaweed, and emended description of the genus Gilvimarinus
Authors: Cheng Hong , Zhang Shun , Huo Ying-Yi , Jiang Xia-Wei , Zhang Xin-Qi , Pan Jie , Zhu Xu-Fen , Wu Min
Published: November 2014

A taxonomic study was carried out on strain YN3T, which was isolated from a seaweed sample taken from the coast of Weihai, China. The bacterium was Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, and could grow at pH 5.0–10.0 and 4–32 °C in the presence of 0–9.0 % (w/v) NaCl. Strain YN3T was positive for the hydrolysis of polysaccharides, such as agar, starch and xylan. The predominant respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-8. The major fatty acids were C16 : 1ω7c and/or iso-C15 : 0 2-OH, C16 : 0 and C18 : 1ω7c. The main polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine, and two unidentified glycolipids. The genomic DNA G+C content was 49.4 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain YN3T should be assigned to the genus

Gilvimarinus

. ‘Gilvimarinus agarilyticus’ KCTC 23325 and

Gilvimarinus chinensis

QM42T had the closest phylogenetic relationship to strain YN3T, and showed 97.9 % and 95.8 % sequence similarities, respectively. On the basis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genotypic data and DNA–DNA hybridization studies, we propose that strain YN3T represents a novel species of the genus

Gilvimarinus

, for which the name Gilvimarinus
polysaccharolyticus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YN3T ( = KCTC 32438T = JCM 19198T). An emended description of the genus

Gilvimarinus

is also presented.
Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of a trimodular endo-β-1,4-glucanase (Cel5B) fromBacillus halodurans
Authors: Venditto Immacolata , Santos Helena , Sandy James , Sanchez-Weatherby Juan , Ferreira Luis M. A. , Sakka Kazuo , Fontes Carlos M. G. A. , Najmudin Shabir
Published: November 2014

Cellulases catalyze the hydrolysis of cellulose, the major constituent of plant biomass and the most abundant organic polymer on earth. Cellulases are modular enzymes containing catalytic domains connected,vialinker sequences, to noncatalytic carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs). A putative modular endo-β-1,4-glucanase (BhCel5B) is encoded at locus BH0603 in the genome ofBacillus halodurans. It is composed of an N-terminal glycoside hydrolase family 5 catalytic module (GH5) followed by an immunoglobulin-like module and a C-terminal family 46 CBM (BhCBM46). Here, the crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of the trimodularBhCel5B are reported. The crystals ofBhCel5B belonged to the orthorhombic space groupP21212 and data were processed to a resolution of 1.64 Å. A molecular-replacement solution has been found.
Structures of heterodimeric POZ domains of Miz1/BCL6 and Miz1/NAC1
Authors: Stead Mark Alexander , Wright Stephanie Claire
Published: November 2014

The POZ domain is an evolutionarily conserved protein–protein interaction domain that is found in approximately 40 mammalian transcription factors. POZ domains mediate both homodimerization and the heteromeric interactions of different POZ-domain transcription factors with each other. Miz1 is a POZ-domain transcription factor that regulates cell-cycle arrest and DNA-damage responses. The activities of Miz1 are altered by its interaction with the POZ-domain transcriptional repressors BCL6 and NAC1, and these interactions have been implicated in tumourigenesis in B-cell lymphomas and in ovarian serous carcinomas that overexpress BCL6 and NAC1, respectively. A strategy for the purification of tethered POZ domains that form forced heterodimers is described, and crystal structures of the heterodimeric POZ domains of Miz1/BCL6 and of Miz1/NAC1 are reported. These structures will be relevant for the design of therapeutics that target POZ-domain interaction interfaces.
Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic study of human Hikeshi, a new nuclear transport receptor for Hsp70
Authors: Song Jinsue , Lee Soo Jae
Published: November 2014

Hikeshi is a new nuclear transport receptor that plays an important role in the nuclear import of Hsp70 heat-shock proteins under thermal stress. Wild-type human Hikeshi and its Phe97Ala mutant were overproduced and purified using anEscherichia coliexpression system. The purified proteins were crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion technique. Wild-type crystals grew in space groupC2221, with unit-cell parametersa= 61.1,b= 137.8,c= 97.9 Å, α = 90.0, β = 90.0, γ = 90.0°. Phe97Ala mutant crystals were obtained in space groupP32, with unit-cell parametersa= 85.7,b= 85.7,c= 69.1 Å, α = 90.0, β = 90.0, γ = 120.0°. These crystals diffracted to 1.8 and 2.5 Å resolution, respectively. This study is the first to yield structural insight into this highly unusual fourth import receptor after importins, NTF2 and TAP.
Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of a putative feruloyl esterase fromTalaromyces cellulolyticus
Authors: Watanabe Masahiro , Ishikawa Kazuhiko
Published: November 2014

Feruloyl esterase (FAE; EC 3.1.1.73) catalyzes the cleavage of the ester bond between ferulic acid and polysaccharides in plant cell walls, and thus holds significant potential for the industrial utilization of biomass saccharification. A feruloyl esterase was identified from the genome database ofTalaromyces cellulolyticus(formerly known asAcremonium cellulolyticus). The gene consists of the catalytic domain and a carbohydrate-binding module connected through a serine/threonine-rich linker region. The recombinant enzyme was prepared, purified and crystallized at 293 K using 0.1 Mimidazole pH 8.0, 0.2 Mcalcium acetate, 14% PEG 8000 as the precipitant. The crystal diffracted to 2.6 Å resolution and the crystal system is primitive orthorhombic, with unit-cell parametersa= 90.9,b= 123.4,c= 135.4 Å. Four molecules are assumed to be present per asymmetric unit, corresponding to a Matthews coefficient of 2.50 Å3 Da−1and a solvent content of 50.88%(v/v).
Nonlinear soil‐structure interaction in plane frames
Authors: Noorzaei J. , Viladkar M.N. , Godbole P.N.
Published: November 2014

Study of soil‐structure interaction effect in framed structures
necessitates proper physical modelling of the structure, foundation and the
soil mass. At the same time, the stress—strain model used for the
constitutive relationship of the soil mass must also be realistic. In the
present study, a hyperbolic stress—strain model has been used to
consider the soil non‐linearity. The interactive behaviour of a
five storey, two bay plane frame has been studied in detail and the results
are compared with those obtained from a conventional and a linear interactive
analysis.