bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dissonance encoding in human inferior colliculus covaries with individual differences in dislike of dissonant music
Authors: Kim Seung-Goo , Lepsien Jöran , Fritz Thomas Hans , Mildner Toralf , Mueller Karsten
Published: July 2017

Harmony is one of the most fundamental elements of music that evokes emotional response. The inferior colliculus (IC) has been known to detect poor agreement of harmonics of sound, that is, dissonance. Electrophysiological evidence has implicated a relationship between a sustained auditory response mainly from the brainstem and unpleasant emotion induced by dissonant harmony. Interestingly, an individual’s dislike of dissonant harmony of an individual correlated with a reduced sustained auditory response. In the current paper, we report novel evidence based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) for such a relationship between individual variability in dislike of dissonance and the IC activation. Furthermore, for the first time, we show how dissonant harmony modulates functional connectivity of the IC and its association with behaviourally reported unpleasantness. The current findings support important contributions of low level auditory processing and corticofugal interaction in musical harmony preference.
Commensal Gut Microbiota Immunomodulatory Actions in Bone Marrow and Liver have Catabolic Effects on Skeletal Homeostasis in Health
Authors: Novince Chad M. , Whittow Carolyn R. , Aartun Johannes D. , Hathaway Jessica D. , Poulides Nicole , Chavez Michael B. , Steinkamp Heidi M. , Kirkwood Kaeleigh A. , Huang Emily , Westwater Caroline , Kirkwood Keith L.
Published: July 2017

Despite knowledge the gut microbiota regulates bone mass, mechanisms governing the normal gut microbiota’s osteoimmunomodulatory effects on skeletal remodeling and homeostasis are unclear in the healthy adult skeleton. Young adult specific-pathogen-free and germ-free mice were used to delineate the commensal microbiota’s immunoregulatory effects on osteoblastogenesis, osteoclastogenesis, marrow T-cell hematopoiesis, and extra-skeletal endocrine organ function. We report the commensal microbiota has anti-anabolic effects suppressing osteoblastogenesis and pro-catabolic effects enhancing osteoclastogenesis, which drive bone loss in health. Suppression of Sp7(Osterix) and Igf1 in bone, and serum IGF1, in specific-pathogen-free mice suggest the commensal microbiota’s anti-osteoblastic actions are mediated via local disruption of IGF1-signaling. Differences in the RANKL/OPG Axis in vivo, and RANKL-induced maturation of osteoclast-precursors in vitro, indicate the commensal microbiota induces sustained changes in RANKL-mediated osteoclastogenesis. Candidate mechanisms mediating commensal microbiota’s pro-osteoclastic actions include altered marrow effector CD4+T-cells and a novel Gut-Liver-Bone Axis. The previously unidentified Gut-Liver-Bone Axis intriguingly implies the normal gut microbiota’s osteoimmunomodulatory actions are partly mediated via immunostimulatory effects in the liver. The molecular underpinnings defining commensal gut microbiota immunomodulatory actions on physiologic bone remodeling are highly relevant in advancing the understanding of normal osteoimmunological processes, having implications for the prevention of skeletal deterioration in health and disease.
Universal mechanism for hybrid percolation transitions
Authors: Lee Deokjae , Choi Wonjun , Kertész J. , Kahng B.
Published: July 2017

Hybrid percolation transitions (HPTs) induced by cascading processes have been observed in diverse complex systems such as k-core percolation, breakdown on interdependent networks and cooperative epidemic spreading models. Here we present the microscopic universal mechanism underlying those HPTs. We show that the discontinuity in the order parameter results from two steps: a durable critical branching (CB) and an explosive, supercritical (SC) process, the latter resulting from large loops inevitably present in finite size samples. In a random network of N nodes at the transition the CB process persists for O(N1/3) time and the remaining nodes become vulnerable, which are then activated in the short SC process. This crossover mechanism and scaling behavior are universal for different HPT systems. Our result implies that the crossover time O(N1/3) is a golden time, during which one needs to take actions to control and prevent the formation of a macroscopic cascade, e.g., a pandemic outbreak.
Melatonin promotes osteoblast differentiation by regulating Osterix protein stability and expression
Authors: Han Younho , Kim Young-Mi , Kim Hyung Sik , Lee Kwang Youl
Published: July 2017

Although the biological role of melatonin in osteogenic differentiation has been suggested, the mechanism of osteoblast differentiation remains unclear. Thus, the present study investigated the underlying molecular mechanisms based on osteoblast-specific transcription factors. We found that melatonin enhanced BMP-4-induced osteogenic differentiation and increased the expression of osteogenic markers, especially Osterix, which is an essential transcription factor for the differentiation of preosteoblasts into mature osteoblasts in the late stage of osteoblast differentiation. Melatonin treatment increased the expression of Osterix during osteoblast differentiation and stabilized its expression by the inhibition of ubiquitin-proteasome-mediated degradation of Osterix, leading to up-regulated Osterix transcriptional activity on the osteogenic promoter and promoting alkaline phosphatase activity and bone mineralization. Furthermore, treatment with protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor H89 and protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor Go6976 blocked the melatonin-induced transcriptional activity and phosphorylation of Osterix, indicating that melatonin regulates Osterix expression via the PKA and PKC signaling pathways. Overall, these findings suggest that melatonin directly regulates the late stage of osteoblast differentiation by enhancing Osterix expression; this provides further evidence of melatonin as a potent agent for treating osteoporosis.
Neuroprotective effect of 5-aminolevulinic acid against low inorganic phosphate in neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells
Authors: Takase Naoko , Inden Masatoshi , Sekine Shin-ichiro , Ishii Yumi , Yonemitsu Hiroko , Iwashita Wakana , Kurita Hisaka , Taketani Yutaka , Hozumi Isao
Published: July 2017

PiT-1 (encoded by SLC20A1) and PiT-2 (encoded by SLC20A2) are type-III sodium-dependent phosphate cotransporters (NaPiTs). Recently, SLC20A2 mutations have been found in patients with idiopathic basal ganglia calcification (IBGC), and were predicted to bring about an inability to transport Pi from the extracellular environment. Here we investigated the effect of low Pi loading on the human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y and the human glioblastoma A172 cell lines. The results show a different sensitivity to low Pi loading and differential regulation of type-III NaPiTs in these cells. We also examined whether 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) inhibited low Pi loading-induced neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells. Concomitant application of 5-ALA with low Pi loading markedly attenuated low Pi-induced cell death and mitochondrial dysfunction via the induction of HO-1 by p38 MAPK. The findings provide us with novel viewpoints to understand the pathophysiology of IBGC, and give a new insight into the clinical prevention and treatment of IBGC.
Interaction between trait and housing condition produces differential decision-making toward risk choice in a rat gambling task
Authors: Kim Wha Young , Cho Bo Ram , Kwak Myung Ji , Kim Jeong-Hoon
Published: July 2017

Poor decision-making is a core problem in psychiatric disorders such as pathological gambling and substance abuse. Both trait and environmental factors are considerably important to affect decision-making. However, it has not yet been systematically shown how they interact to affect risk preference in animal models evaluating decision-making. Here, we trained rats, housed in pairs or in isolation, in a touch screen chamber to detect the association between four different light signals on the screen and accompanied reward and punishment outcomes arranged with different schedules. Then, the rats were allowed to freely choose from 4 different light signals. Once animals showed a stabilized pattern of preference (risk-averse or risk-seeking), they were injected with saline or cocaine (a single injection per day for 7 days) followed by 2 weeks of withdrawal. Then, their preference of choice was re-tested in the touch screen chamber while they were cocaine challenged. All rats significantly changed their preference toward more risky choices when they were exposed to and challenged with cocaine, except those in the risk-averse/isolated housing group. These results indicate that the pre-existing trait toward risk and the housing condition interact to affect the quality of decision-making, and cocaine may help to aggravate this process.
Morphological and functional maturity of the oral jaws covary with offspring size in Trinidadian guppies
Authors: Dial T. R. , Hernandez L. P. , Brainerd E. L.
Published: July 2017

Large size of individual offspring is routinely selected for in highly competitive environments, such as in low-predation populations of the Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata). Large guppy offspring outcompete their smaller conspecifics, but the functional mechanisms underlying this advantage are unknown. We measured jaw kinematics during benthic feeding and cranial musculoskeletal morphologies in neonates and juveniles from five populations of Trinidadian guppy and found that both kinematics and morphologies vary substantially with neonatal size. Rotation at the intramandibular joint (IMJ), but not the quadratomandibular joint (QMJ), increases with size among guppy offspring, from 11.7° in the smallest neonates to 22.9° in the largest neonates. Ossification of the cranial skeleton varies from 20% in the smallest neonates to 90% in the largest. Relative to standard length (SL; jaw tip to caudal fin base distance), the surface area of jaw-closing musculature scales with positive allometry (SL2.72) indicating that muscle growth outpaces body growth. Maximum gape also scales with positive allometry (SL1.20), indicating that larger neonates are capable of greater jaw excursions. These findings indicate that size is not the sole adaptive benefit to producing larger offspring; maturation provides a potential functional mechanism underlying the competitive advantage of large offspring size among Trinidadian guppies.
Dysregulated miRNAs and their pathogenic implications for the neurometabolic disease propionic acidemia
Authors: Rivera-Barahona Ana , Fulgencio-Covián Alejandro , Pérez-Cerdá Celia , Ramos Ricardo , Barry Michael A. , Ugarte Magdalena , Pérez Belén , Richard Eva , Desviat Lourdes R
Published: July 2017

miRNome expression profiling was performed in a mouse model of propionic acidemia (PA) and in patients’ plasma samples to investigate the role of miRNAs in the pathophysiology of the disease and to identify novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets. PA is a potentially lethal neurometabolic disease with patients developing neurological deficits and cardiomyopathy in the long-term, among other complications. In the PA mouse liver we identified 14 significantly dysregulated miRNAs. Three selected miRNAs, miR-34a-5p, miR-338-3p and miR-350, were found upregulated in brain and heart tissues. Predicted targets involved in apoptosis, stress-signaling and mitochondrial function, were inversely found down-regulated. Functional analysis with miRNA mimics in cellular models confirmed these findings. miRNA profiling in plasma samples from neonatal PA patients and age-matched control individuals identified a set of differentially expressed miRNAs, several were coincident with those identified in the PA mouse, among them miR-34a-5p and miR-338-3p. These two miRNAs were also found dysregulated in childhood and adult PA patients’ cohorts. Taken together, the results reveal miRNA signatures in PA useful to identify potential biomarkers, to refine the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of this rare disease and, eventually, to improve the management of patients.
Quantitative prediction of the position and orientation for an octahedral nanoparticle at liquid/liquid interfaces
Authors: Shi Wenxiong , Lee Yih Hong , Ling Xing Yi , Li Shuzhou
Published: July 2017

The agreement of molecular dynamics simulation results and our theoretical prediction of Ag octahedral nanoparticles at a hexane/water interface.
SDS-assisted protein transport through solid-state nanopores
Authors: Restrepo-Pérez Laura , John Shalini , Aksimentiev Aleksei , Joo Chirlmin , Dekker Cees
Published: July 2017

Using nanopores for single-molecule sequencing of proteins faces multiple challenges. Here, we investigate the utility of SDS (Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate) to unfold proteins for solid-state nanopore traslocations.
Biocompatible and blood–brain barrier permeable carbon dots for inhibition of Aβ fibrillation and toxicity, and BACE1 activity
Authors: Han Xu , Jing Zhifeng , Wu Wei , Zou Bing , Peng Zhili , Ren Pengyu , Wikramanayake Athula , Lu Zhongmin , Leblanc Roger M.
Published: July 2017

The blood–brain barrier permeable C-Dots can deactivate the BACE1 and further inhibit Aβ fibrillation and toxic oligomer formation.
LMI‐based criteria for robust finite‐time stabilisation of switched systems with interval time‐varying delay
Authors: Moradi Elahe , Jahed‐Motlagh Mohammad Reza , Barkhordari Yazdi Mojtaba
Published: July 2017

This study investigates the problem of finite‐time stabilisation for a class of switched linear systems with interval time‐varying delay and parametric uncertainties. First, sufficient conditions for the finite‐time stability of unforced switched systems are presented based on the average dwell time method and on the appropriate multiple Lyapunov‐like functions that contain information regarding the lower and upper bounds of delay. A state feedback controller is then proposed for uncertain switched systems, with interval time‐varying delay, which guarantees finite‐time stabilisation of closed‐loop systems. These conditions are formulated using a set of linear matrix inequalities and are dependent on the size of the time delay. Moreover, the criteria obtained are less conservative than some existing results because of the assumption of the upper bound of the derivative of the Lyapunov‐like functions, without the neglect of any useful terms. Finally, two examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The first is a numerical example, and the second is a practical example involving river pollution control.
Smartphone application for medical images secured exchange based on encryption using the matrix product and the exclusive addition
Authors: Boussif Mohamed , Aloui Noureddine , Cherif Adnane
Published: July 2017

In this study, the authors present a secured transfer method for medical images, using smartphone, based on a proposed images encryption algorithm using the matrix product and the exclusive addition. The novelty of this study is to propose a low‐complexity encryption algorithm running in real time on embedded system. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed encryption method can achieve high security with a good performance.
Distribution of reflection spectrum for the photonic‐crystal structure of Morpho butterfly wing under oblique incidence
Authors: Lu Jyun‐Hong , Cai Dong‐Po , Liao You‐De , Chen Chii‐Chang , Lin Chu‐En , Yen Ta‐Jen
Published: July 2017

In this paper, the authors investigate the optical reflection phenomena of the periodic nanostructure of a Morpho butterfly wing under the oblique‐incident light condition. Also, they discuss the simulation of butterfly wings under the view of an optical grating and photonic crystal by using rigorous coupled‐wave analysis method and plane wave expansion, respectively. The simulation results show that the displaced lamella is the foremost condition of the reflection light having strong frequency stability under oblique incidence. Moreover, the modified photonic density of state is proposed to evaluate the reflection feature under oblique incidence.
Evaluation of Institute of Medicine Guidelines for Gestational Weight Gain in Women with Chronic Hypertension
Authors: Siegel Anne , Tita Alan , Machemehl Hannah , Biggio Joseph , Harper Lorie
Published: July 2017

Objective To assess the impact of gestational weight gain (GWG) outside the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommendations on perinatal outcomes in pregnancies complicated by chronic hypertension (HTN).

Methods The study consisted of a retrospective cohort of all singletons with HTN from 2000 to 2014. Maternal outcomes examined were superimposed preeclampsia and cesarean delivery. Neonatal outcomes were small for gestational age (SGA), large for gestational age (LGA), and preterm birth (PTB). Groups were compared using analysis of variance and chi-squared test for trend. Backward stepwise logistic regression was adjusted for confounding factors.

Results Of 702 subjects, 106 (15.1%) gained within, 176 (25.0%) gained less, and 420 (59.8%) gained more weight than the IOM recommendations. After adjusting for confounders, GWG above IOM recommendations remained associated with LGA (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.53, confidence interval [CI] 95%:1.29–4.95). Weight gain less than recommended was associated with a decreased risk of superimposed preeclampsia (AOR: 0.49, CI 95%: 0.26–0.93) without increasing the risk of SGA (AOR: 1.03, CI 95%: 0.57–1.86).

Conclusion Women with pregnancies complicated by chronic HTN should be counseled regarding the association of LGA with excessive GWG. Additionally, they should be counseled that weight gain below recommendations may be associated with a decreased risk of superimposed preeclampsia; however, this association deserves further investigation.
How Accurate is Intraoperative Alignment Measurement with a Navigation System in Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty?
Authors: Feichtinger Xaver , Kolbitsch Paul , Kocijan Roland , Baierl Andreas , Giurea Alexander
Published: July 2017

The primary objective was to compare the intraoperative data assessed by OrthoPilot (Aesculap AG, Tuttlingen, Germany) with postoperative coronal and sagittal long-leg standing radiographs. The secondary objective was to evaluate the influence of sex and body mass index (BMI) on the accuracy and effectiveness of the implantation of the knee prosthesis by OrthoPilot. We included 75 patients in our investigation. Participants received an e.motion (Aesculap AG) knee prosthesis using the OrthoPilot navigation system. Postoperative long-leg standing anteroposterior and lateral radiographs were performed. We compared the intraoperative navigational data with postoperative determined angles of knee geometry. We also compared the sex and BMI of participants to their difference between intraoperative and postoperative measurements to test for an association. We found a difference between intraoperative data and radiographs of 1.8 degrees for the hip-knee-ankle angle. The intraoperative lateral distal femoral angle and medial proximal tibial angle differed from the radiological analysis by 1.2 degrees, respectively. The lateral views revealed a difference of 1.6 degrees for femur lateral and 1.4 degrees for the tibia lateral. There was no significant (p > 0.05) influence of the parameters BMI and sex of the patients on these values. Our results showed that the implemented intraoperative navigation system is reliable. It does not differ on average from postoperative radiographs by more than 1.8 degrees. The findings of our study suggest that a correct postoperative alignment can be achieved in both high and low BMI participants if a precise range is maintained during the surgery.
Endoscopic and Microsurgical Approaches to the Cavernous Sinus – Anatomical Review
Authors: Romero Flavio , Ramires Daphyne , Cristiano Luigi , Silva Marcos , Vieira Rodolfo
Published: July 2017

Cavernous sinus surgery has always represented a surgical challenge due to the great importance of the surrounding anatomical structures and to the high morbidity associated to it. Although the anatomy of this region has been extensively described, controversy remains related to the best treatment and approaches for different kinds of lesions. In this article, a literature review was performed on the surgical anatomy and approaches to the cavernous sinus.
Paraspinal Lumbar Spine Approach - Wiltse Access
Authors: Rabelo Nícollas , Silva Bruno , Silveira Filho Luciano , Passos George , Pereira Vitor , Dias Junior Luiz , Dias Luiz , Tanaka Koji
Published: July 2017

Introduction Technical developments in spinal surgery have reduced the number of surgical incisions and of the length of time for the procedure.

Objective Describe topographical landmarks, anatomy and characteristics of the Wiltse access, a paraspinal approach to the lumbar spine.

Methods A review of the literature was performed using as databases: PubMed, Embase, Science Direct, the Cochran Database and Google Scholar. Total 22 papers met the inclusion criteria, and they were all published between 1959 and 2016.

Discussion The Wiltse approach is performed by median skin incision with lateral muscle dissection between the multifidus and the longissimus muscles, in a natural pathway. This approach allows access to the pedicles and to the lateral recess, enabling the performance of posterior spinal fusion and decompression and minimally invasive discectomy techniques. This access is less traumatic than the median approach, and it is ideal for lower levels, like L4–5 and L5-S1.

Conclusion The authors strongly encourage this approach because they believe that, when well-indicated, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages and complications due to the fact that it is a less invasive procedure.
Thermodynamics of star polymer solutions: A coarse-grained study
Authors: Menichetti Roberto , Pelissetto Andrea , Randisi Ferdinando
Published: July 2017

We consider a coarse-grained (CG) model with pairwise interactions, suitable to describe low-density solutions of star-branched polymers of functionality f. Each macromolecule is represented by a CG molecule with (f + 1) interaction sites, which captures the star topology. Potentials are obtained by requiring the CG model to reproduce a set of distribution functions computed in the microscopic model in the zero-density limit. Explicit results are given for f = 6, 12, and 40. We use the CG model to compute the osmotic equation of state of the solution for concentrations c such that Φp=c∕c*≲1, where c* is the overlap concentration. We also investigate in detail the phase diagram for f = 40, identifying the boundaries of the solid intermediate phase. Finally, we investigate how the polymer size changes with c. For Φp≲0.3, polymers become harder as f increases at fixed reduced concentration c∕c*. On the other hand, for Φp≳0.3, polymers show the opposite behavior: At fixed Φp, the larger the value of f, the larger their size reduction is.
Low temperature equation of state of iron
Authors: Dewaele Agnès , Garbarino Gaston
Published: July 2017

The theoretical description of the electronic properties of iron under pressure involves the strong electronic correlations in this metal. We provide here reference structural data which can be used for this description. These data have been collected at low to ambient temperature in diamond anvil cells, under quasi-hydrostatic compression, using X-ray diffraction. The compression curves of α-Fe and ϵ-Fe have been measured up to 99.5 GPa along an isotherm at 15 K and the thermal expansion of ϵ-Fe has been measured between 15 K and 300 K at ∼57 GPa. The theoretical framework used in the literature which reproduces at best the compression curve of ϵ-Fe is dynamical mean field theory. The current measurements do not evidence any electronic topological transition in the scanned pressure range, where ϵ-Fe exhibits the behaviour of a Debye solid.
Robust decentralized control for effective load sharing and bus voltage regulation of DC microgrid based on optimal droop parameters
Authors: Shivam  , Dahiya Ratna
Published: July 2017

The droop control approach is widely used in DC microgrids. The conventional droop control cannot achieve equal current sharing in per unit as well as desired bus voltage regulation. The load sharing error is raised when the cable line parameters of the parallel source converter are unequal. The droop parameter (droop gain and nominal voltage reference) of source converters of the loading condition is the key parameter for effective load sharing and bus voltage regulation. In this paper, a robust decentralized control scheme is implemented, which is based on the optimal droop parameter for mitigating the aforementioned problem without any communication with other control modules. The droop parameters of the proposed control scheme are optimized for the different loading conditions with the help of the hybrid Particle Swarm–Nelder–Mead optimization algorithm. The hysteresis current controller is utilized in place of the cascaded proportional integral controller because tuning of these controllers is not easy. The stability analysis of the proposed system is assured for a specific range of droop gain. The performance of the proposed decentralized control scheme for three parallel source converters and common load is verified in the MATLAB/Simulink environment and validated with a Hardware-in-the-loop real-time simulator based on the dSPACE 1202 platform.
Adaptive filtering for hidden node detection and tracking in networks
Authors: Hamilton Franz , Setzer Beverly , Chavez Sergio , Tran Hien , Lloyd Alun L.
Published: July 2017

The identification of network connectivity from noisy time series is of great interest in the study of network dynamics. This connectivity estimation problem becomes more complicated when we consider the possibility of hidden nodes within the network. These hidden nodes act as unknown drivers on our network and their presence can lead to the identification of false connections, resulting in incorrect network inference. Detecting the parts of the network they are acting on is thus critical. Here, we propose a novel method for hidden node detection based on an adaptive filtering framework with specific application to neuronal networks. We consider the hidden node as a problem of missing variables when model fitting and show that the estimated system noise covariance provided by the adaptive filter can be used to localize the influence of the hidden nodes and distinguish the effects of different hidden nodes. Additionally, we show that the sequential nature of our algorithm allows for tracking changes in the hidden node influence over time.
Mass ablation and magnetic flux losses through a magnetized plasma-liner wall interface
Authors: García-Rubio F. , Sanz J.
Published: July 2017

The understanding of energy and magnetic flux losses in a magnetized plasma medium confined by a cold wall is of great interest in the success of magnetized liner inertial fusion (MagLIF). In a MagLIF scheme, the fuel is magnetized and subsonically compressed by a cylindrical liner. Magnetic flux conservation is degraded by the presence of gradient-driven transport processes such as thermoelectric effects (Nernst) and magnetic field diffusion. In previous publications [Velikovich et al., Phys. Plasmas 22, 042702 (2015)], the evolution of a hot magnetized plasma in contact with a cold solid wall (liner) was studied using the classical collisional Braginskii's plasma transport equations in one dimension. The Nernst term degraded the magnetic flux conservation, while both thermal energy and magnetic flux losses were reduced with the electron Hall parameter ωeτe with a power-law asymptotic scaling (ωeτe)−1/2. In the analysis made in the present paper, we consider a similar situation, but with the liner being treated differently. Instead of a cold solid wall acting as a heat sink, we model the liner as a cold dense plasma with low thermal conduction (that could represent the cryogenic fuel layer added on the inner surface of the liner in a high-gain MagLIF configuration). Mass ablation comes into play, which adds notably differences to the previous analysis. The direction of the plasma motion is inverted, but the Nernst term still convects the magnetic field towards the liner. Magnetization suppresses the Nernst velocity and improves the magnetic flux conservation. Thermal energy in the hot plasma is lost in heating the ablated material. When the electron Hall parameter is large, mass ablation scales as (ωeτe)−3/10, while both the energy and magnetic flux losses are reduced with a power-law asymptotic scaling (ωeτe)−7/10.
Energy and exergy analysis of a CI engine based micro-trigeneration systems fueled by alternate fuel blends
Authors: Khatri Kamal Kishore , Singh Ankush Kumar
Published: July 2017

Conventional energy sources are limited, whereas the energy demand is increasing exponentially. There is immediate need to develop efficient systems to extract more useful energy from the same fuel input. Cogeneration and trigeneration systems use waste heat from prime movers to produce more useful energy than conventional methods in the form of heat and cooling. In this paper, an experimental and simulation based study of compression ignition engine operated micro-cogeneration and trigeneration systems working on diesel and other vegetable oil based fuel derivatives is presented. The energy and exergy analyses of both the cogeneration and trigeneration systems were done. The results obtained with base line diesel show that the overall thermal efficiency was 79.43% for cogeneration and 78.64% for trigeneration. The exergy efficiency of the system was found to be 32.80% for cogeneration and 33.08% for trigeneration. The system was modeled and simulated using TRNSYS, and the simulation results were compared with the experimental results for the validation. The improved system model for trigeneration was developed using TRNSYS to determine the scope for improvement, and it was found that it achieved the energy efficiency of 89.20% and the exergy efficiency of 45.94%.
Beyond mean-field approximations for accurate and computationally efficient models of on-lattice chemical kinetics
Authors: Pineda M. , Stamatakis M.
Published: July 2017

Modeling the kinetics of surface catalyzed reactions is essential for the design of reactors and chemical processes. The majority of microkinetic models employ mean-field approximations, which lead to an approximate description of catalytic kinetics by assuming spatially uncorrelated adsorbates. On the other hand, kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) methods provide a discrete-space continuous-time stochastic formulation that enables an accurate treatment of spatial correlations in the adlayer, but at a significant computation cost. In this work, we use the so-called cluster mean-field approach to develop higher order approximations that systematically increase the accuracy of kinetic models by treating spatial correlations at a progressively higher level of detail. We further demonstrate our approach on a reduced model for NO oxidation incorporating first nearest-neighbor lateral interactions and construct a sequence of approximations of increasingly higher accuracy, which we compare with KMC and mean-field. The latter is found to perform rather poorly, overestimating the turnover frequency by several orders of magnitude for this system. On the other hand, our approximations, while more computationally intense than the traditional mean-field treatment, still achieve tremendous computational savings compared to KMC simulations, thereby opening the way for employing them in multiscale modeling frameworks.
Improved efficiency of NiOx-based p-i-n perovskite solar cells by using PTEG-1 as electron transport layer
Authors: Groeneveld Bart G. H. M. , Najafi Mehrdad , Steensma Bauke , Adjokatse Sampson , Fang Hong-Hua , Jahani Fatemeh , Qiu Li , ten Brink Gert H. , Hummelen Jan C. , Loi Maria Antonietta
Published: July 2017

We present efficient p-i-n type perovskite solar cells using NiOx as the hole transport layer and a fulleropyrrolidine with a triethylene glycol monoethyl ether side chain (PTEG-1) as electron transport layer. This electron transport layer leads to higher power conversion efficiencies compared to perovskite solar cells with PCBM (phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester). The improved performance of PTEG-1 devices is attributed to the reduced trap-assisted recombination and improved charge extraction in these solar cells, as determined by light intensity dependence and photoluminescence measurements. Through optimization of the hole and electron transport layers, the power conversion efficiency of the NiOx/perovskite/PTEG-1 solar cells was increased up to 16.1%.
Dual-gratings with a Bragg reflector for dielectric laser-driven accelerators
Authors: Wei Y. , Xia G. , Smith J. D. A. , Welsch C. P.
Published: July 2017

The acceleration of a beam of electrons has been observed in a dielectric laser-driven accelerator with a gradient of 300 MV/m. It opens the way to building a particle accelerator “on a chip” much more cheaply than a conventional one. This paper investigates numerically an efficient dielectric laser-driven accelerating structure, based on dual-gratings with a Bragg reflector. The design of the structure boosts the accelerating field in the channel, thereby increasing the accelerating gradient by more than 70% compared to bare dual-gratings, from analytical calculations. This is supported by two-dimensional (2D) particle-in-cell simulations, where a 50 MeV electron bunch is loaded into an optimized 100-period structure to interact with a 100 fs pulsed laser having a peak field of 2 GV/m. It demonstrates a loaded accelerating gradient of 1.48 ± 0.10 GV/m, which is (85 ± 26)% higher than that of bare dual-gratings. In addition, studies of the diffraction effect show that the optimized structure should be fabricated with a vertical size of J/wx ≥ 0.20 in order to generate an acceptable accelerating performance.
Inversion of the domain wall propagation in synthetic ferrimagnets
Authors: Hamadeh A. , Pirro P. , Adam J.-P. , Lu Y. , Hehn M. , Petit Watelot S. , Mangin S.
Published: July 2017

We report on magnetic domain wall velocity measurements in a synthetic ferrimagnet made of two perpendicular ferromagnetic layers antiferromagnetically exchange coupled. In this system, two types of transitions may be observed: one from a parallel alignment to an antiparallel alignment of the magnetization of the two layers and the other between the two possible antiparallel alignments. Those transitions are shown to be dominated by domain wall propagation. The domain wall velocity as a function of the applied magnetic field pulse amplitude has been measured. Two remarkable features are observed: first, a drastic breakdown of the domain wall velocity and then an inversion of the domain propagation direction are observed when the field pulses reach values comparable to the exchange field between the two layers. This unexpected behavior can be understood qualitatively using a simple model taking into account the competition between interlayer exchange coupling and the external driving field.
DFT+U Analysis on Stability of Low-Index Facets in Hexagonal LaCoO3 Perovskite: Effect of Co3+ Spin States
Authors: Wu Dan , Chen Gong-dong , Ge Chao-yi , Hu Zhen-peng , He Xue-hao , Li Xin-gang
Published: July 2017

By the first-principles calculations, most studies indicated that the (1102)-CoO2 termination of LaCoO3 cannot be stabilized, which disagrees with the experimental observation. Besides the crystal structure, we found that the spin states of Co3+ ions could affect surface stability, which previously were not well considered. By examining the different states of Co3+ ions in hexagonal-phase LaCoO3, including low spin, intermediate spin, and high spin states, the surface grand potentials of these facets are calculated and compared. The results show that the spin states of Co3+ ions have an important influence on stability of the LaCoO3 facets. Different from the previous results, the stability diagrams demonstrate that the (1102)-CoO2 termination can stably exist under O-rich condition, which can get an agreement with the experimental ones. Furthermore, the surface oxygen vacancy formation energies (EOv) of stable facets are computed in different spin states. The EOv of these possible exposed terminations strongly depend on the spin state of Co3+ ions: in particular, the EOv of the HS states is lower than that of other spin states. This indicates that one can tune the properties of LaCoO3 by directly tuning the spin states of Co3+ ions.
Loss of mouse cardiomyocyte talin-1 and talin-2 leads to β-1 integrin reduction, costameric instability, and dilated cardiomyopathy
Authors: Manso Ana Maria , Okada Hideshi , Sakamoto Francesca M. , Moreno Emily , Monkley Susan J. , Li Ruixia , Critchley David R. , Ross Robert S.
Published: July 2017

Significance

Heart failure is a significant health problem with a poorly understood molecular basis. Continuous contraction–relaxation cycles of the heart and its cardiomyocytes (CMs) require strong interactions between intracellular proteins and the surrounding extracellular matrix to maintain normal heart function. We exhaustively studied the function of the cytoskeletal protein talin (Tln), and its two isoforms, Tln1 and Tln2, in CMs and the intact heart. Both Tln isoforms can independently support costamere, CM, and whole-heart function. Yet, combined deletion of CM Tln1 and Tln2 destabilized the myocardium, leading to heart failure. This study significantly advances knowledge about the basic biology of talin, particularly given its study in vivo, and advances understanding of Tln’s role in maintenance of normal heart muscle function.
Entanglement and thermodynamics after a quantum quench in integrable systems
Authors: Alba Vincenzo , Calabrese Pasquale
Published: July 2017

Significance

Understanding how statistical ensembles arise from the out-of-equilibrium dynamics of isolated pure systems has been a fascinating question since the early days of quantum mechanics. Recently, it has been proposed that the thermodynamic entropy of the long-time statistical ensemble is the stationary entanglement of a large subsystem in an infinite system. Here, we combine this concept with the quasiparticle picture of the entanglement evolution and integrability-based knowledge of the steady state to obtain exact analytical predictions for the time evolution of the entanglement in arbitrary 1D integrable models. These results explicitly show the transformation between the entanglement and thermodynamic entropy during the time evolution. Thus, entanglement is the natural witness for the generalized microcanonical principle underlying relaxation in integrable models.
Stable membrane orientations of small dual-topology membrane proteins
Authors: Fluman Nir , Tobiasson Victor , von Heijne Gunnar
Published: July 2017

Significance

The orientations of multispanning membrane proteins in the membrane are initially determined when they are cotranslationally inserted into the membrane. However, it is not always clear whether these initial orientations may be dynamic after the insertion step or not. The present study shows that even in the case of small membrane proteins that have only four transmembrane helices and have little bias to be inserted in one or the other orientation, the initially inserted orientation remains stable and is not dynamic, at least with respect to the orientation of the entire protein. This finding suggests that membrane proteins become correctly oriented already during or immediately after synthesis, as they are inserted into the membrane.
Explicitation in Consecutive Interpreting
Authors: Tang Fang
Published: July 2017

Explicitation has been studied as a Translation Universal in corpus-based translation studies by several scholars, yet its features in interpreting have only been mildly touched upon. Given the obvious differences between translation and interpreting, it is worthwhile exploring whether explicitation has any distinct features in interpreting.
This study offers a novel view of explicitation in consecutive interpreting (CI) by investigating the effects of interpreters’ professional experience and interpreting direction on interpreters’ explicitation patterns. It not only validates but also quantifies the differences in explicitation patterns between professional and student interpreters as well as between interpreting from A (Chinese) to B (English) language and vice versa. The established theoretical frameworks (including a typology framework and a process-oriented explanatory framework) and the data collected from various channels may provide methodological and empirical support for further studies on explicitation or other shifts occurring in interpreting. The tendencies and principles of explicitation identified by the study may also shed light on the training of CI.
This volume is intended to act as a useful reference for scholars, practitioners, interpreters, graduate and advanced undergraduate students, and anyone who shows interest in explicitation, interpreting expertise, interpreting directionality and interpreting training.
How to create a human communication system
Authors: Lister Casey J. , Fay Nicolas
Published: July 2017

Following a synthesis of naturalistic and experimental studies of language creation, we propose a theoretical model that describes the process through which human communication systems might arise and evolve. Three key processes are proposed that give rise to effective, efficient and shared human communication systems: (1) motivated signs that directly resemble their meaning facilitate cognitive alignment, improving communication success; (2) behavioral alignment onto an inventory of shared sign-to-meaning mappings bolsters cognitive alignment between interacting partners; (3) sign refinement, through interactive feedback, enhances the efficiency of the evolving communication system. By integrating the findings across a range of diverse studies, we propose a theoretical model of the process through which the earliest human communication systems might have arisen and evolved. Importantly, because our model is not bound to a single modality it can describe the creation of shared sign systems across a range of contexts, informing theories of language creation and evolution.
Debunking two myths against vocal origins of language
Authors: Perlman Marcus
Published: July 2017

Gesture-first theories of language origins often raise two unsubstantiated arguments against vocal origins. First, they argue that great ape vocal behavior is highly constrained, limited to a fixed, species-typical repertoire of reflexive calls. Second, they argue that vocalizations lack any significant potential to ground meaning through iconicity, or resemblance between form and meaning. This paper reviews the considerable evidence that debunks these two “myths”. Accumulating evidence shows that the great apes exercise voluntary control over their vocal behavior, including their breathing apparatus, larynx, and supralaryngeal articulators. They are also able to learn new vocal behaviors, and even show some rudimentary ability for vocal imitation. In addition, an abundance of research demonstrates that the vocal modality affords rich potential for iconicity. People can understand iconicity in sound symbolism, and they can produce iconic vocalizations to communicate a diverse range of meanings. Thus, two of the primary arguments against vocal origins theories are not tenable. As an alternative, the paper concludes that the origins of language – going as far back as our last common ancestor with great apes – are rooted in iconicity in both gesture and vocalization.
Understanding ethnicity-based autonomy movements in India's northeastern region
Authors: Singha Komol
Published: July 2017

Soon after independence, India's northeastern region was swamped in a series of conflicts starting with the Naga secessionist movement in the 1950s, followed by others in the 1960s. The conflicts intensified and engulfed the entire region in the 1970s and 1980s. However, in the 1990s, following reclamation of ethnic identities amid gnawing scarcities, the conflicts slowly turned into internal feuds. Consequently, alliance and re-alliance among the ethnic groups transpired. In the 2000s, it finally led to the balkanization of ethnicity-based autonomy movements in the region. Unfortunately, the state's ad-hoc measures failed to contain protected conflicts and, instead, compounded the situation and swelled hybrid ethnic identities.
Sad people are more accurate at expression identification with a smaller own-ethnicity bias than happy people
Authors: Hills Peter J , Hill Dominic M
Published: July 2017

Sad individuals are more accurate at face identity recognition, possibly because they scan more of the face during encoding. During expression identification tasks, sad individuals do not fixate on the eyes as much as happier individuals. Fixating on features other than the eyes leads to a reduced own-ethnicity bias. This background indicates that sad individuals would not view the eyes as much as happy individuals, and this would result in improved expression recognition and reduced own-ethnicity bias. This prediction was tested using an expression identification task with eye tracking. We demonstrate that sad-induced participants show enhanced expression recognition and a reduced own-ethnicity bias than happy-induced participants due to scanning more facial features. We conclude that mood affects eye movements and face encoding by causing a wider sampling strategy and deeper encoding of facial features diagnostic for expression identification.
Syp1 regulates the clathrin-mediated and clathrin-independent endocytosis of multiple cargo proteins through a novel sorting motif
Authors: Apel Amanda Reider , Hoban Kyle , Chuartzman Silvia , Tonikian Raffi , Sidhu Sachdev , Schuldiner Maya , Wendland Beverly , Prosser Derek
Published: July 2017

Internalization of proteins from the plasma membrane (PM) allows for cell-surface composition regulation, signaling of network modulation, and nutrient uptake. Clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) is a major internalization route for PM proteins. During CME, endocytic adaptor proteins bind cargoes at the cell surface and link them to the PM and clathrin coat. Muniscins are a conserved family of endocytic adaptors, including Syp1 in budding yeast and its mammalian orthologue, FCHo1. These adaptors bind cargo via a C-terminal μ-homology domain (μHD); however, few cargoes exhibiting muniscin-dependent endocytosis have been identified, and the sorting sequence recognized by the µHD is unknown. To reveal Syp1 cargo-sorting motifs, we performed a phage display screen and used biochemical methods to demonstrate that the Syp1 µHD binds DxY motifs in the previously identified Syp1 cargo Mid2 and the v-SNARE Snc1. We also executed an unbiased visual screen, which identified the peptide transporter Ptr2 and the ammonium permease Mep3 as Syp1 cargoes containing DxY motifs. Finally, we determined that, in addition to regulating cargo entry through CME, Syp1 can promote internalization of Ptr2 through a recently identified clathrin-independent endocytic pathway that requires the Rho1 GTPase. These findings elucidate the mechanism of Syp1 cargo recognition and its role in trafficking.