bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gate-controlled linear magnetoresistance in thin Bi2Se3 sheets
Authors: Gao B. F. , Gehring P. , Burghard M. , Kern K.
Published: May 2012

We explore the emergence of linear magnetoresistance in thin Bi2Se3 sheets upon tuning the carrier density using a back gate. With increasingly negative gate voltage, a pronounced magnetoresistance of ∼100% is observed, while the associated B-field dependence changes from quadratic to linear. Concomitantly, the resistance-versus-temperature curves evolve from metallic to semiconductor-like, and increasingly strong weak anti-localization behavior is manifested. Analysis of the magnetoresistance data reveals two contributions, namely from the bulk conduction band and from a state inside the bulk gap. The latter is responsible for the linear magnetoresistance and likely represents the topologically protected surface state.
Polarized light microscopy of chemical-vapor-deposition-grown graphene on copper
Authors: Kertész K. , Koós A. A. , Murdock A. T. , Vértesy Z. , Nemes-Incze P. , Szabó P. J. , Horváth Z. E. , Tapasztó L. , Hwang Chanyong , Grobert N. , Biró L. P.
Published: May 2012

Linearly polarized light microscopy (PM) revealed that graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on stepped Cu substrate may appear colored. The coloration is associated with the coupling of the light of 450–600 nm into propagating mode in the graphene layer when the electric vector (E→) of polarized light is parallel with the step edges and with the scattering when the E→ is normal to the step edges. PM is an inexpensive, fast, and contamination free method to efficiently visualize graphene and to map the step structure of Cu substrates used for large area CVD growth of graphene.
Testing the performance of a cryogenic visualization system on thermal counterflow by using hydrogen and deuterium solid tracers
Authors: La Mantia M. , Chagovets T. V. , Rotter M. , Skrbek L.
Published: May 2012

An experimental apparatus has been designed to analyze by visualization cryogenic flows of liquid 4He and consequently address unresolved problems of quantum turbulence. The newly implemented flow visualization setup is described and its specific features discussed. Thermal counterflow experiments have been performed and the motion of solid hydrogen and deuterium tracers studied by using the particle tracking velocimetry technique in order to probe the system capabilities. It is shown that the obtained results are consistent with the two-fluid model describing the behavior of superfluid 4He. A number of technical and fundamental issues, such as particles’ aggregation, role of rotating particles in counterflow and evidence of non-Gaussian distribution of tracers’ velocities, are also discussed. The apparatus appears to be well-suited to the task of analyzing cryogenic flows and potentially capable of obtaining new results stimulating further understanding of the underlying physics.
Simultaneous translational temperature measurements of different atomic species in plasma flows using scanning Fabry-Perot interferometry
Authors: Löhle Stefan , Lein Sebastian
Published: May 2012

A revised scientific instrument to measure simultaneously kinetic temperatures of different atoms from their optical emission profile is reported. Emission lines are simultaneously detected using one single scanning Fabry-Perot-interferometer (FPI) for a combined spectroscopic setup to acquire different emission lines simultaneously. The setup consists in a commercial Czerny-Turner spectrometer configuration which is combined with a scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer. The fast image acquisition mode of an intensified charge coupled device camera allows the detection of a wavelength interval of interest continuously while acquiring the highly resolved line during the scan of the FPI ramp. Results using this new setup are presented for the simultaneous detection of atomic nitrogen and oxygen in a high enthalpy air plasma flow as used for atmospheric re-entry research and their respective kinetic temperatures derived from the measured line profiles. The paper presents the experimental setup, the calibration procedure, and an exemplary result. The determined temperatures are different, a finding that has been published so far as due to a drawback of the experimental setup of sequential measurements, and which has now to be investigated in more detail.
Pure low-frequency flexural mode of [011]c poled relaxor-PbTiO3 single crystals excited by k32 mode
Authors: Liu Gang , Jiang Wenhua , Zhu Jiaqi , Cao Wenwu
Published: May 2012

Rhombohedral phase relaxor-PbTiO3 solid solution single crystals poled along [011]c exhibits superior lateral extensional piezoelectric response, which enables the excitation of a pure low frequency flexural mode with a bridge-type electrode configuration. For the ternary 0.24Pb(In1/2Nb1/2) O3-0.46Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.30PbTiO3 single crystal poled along [011]c, the electromechanical coupling factor of the flexural mode reached as high as 0.66, and the resonance frequency of this mode can be easily made in kHz range, making it possible to fabricate very small size low frequency sensors and actuators. We have delineated theoretically the coupling between flexural mode and other modes and realized a strong pure flexure mode.
Inverted indium-tin-oxide-free cone-shaped polymer solar cells for light trapping
Authors: Zhen Hongyu , Li Kan , Huang Zhuoyin , Tang Zheng , Wu Rengmao , Li Guolong , Liu Xu , Zhang Fengling
Published: May 2012

Based on the flexibility of polymer film, cone-shaped polymer solar cells (PSCs) are fabricated and studied. Effective light trapping is achieved due to multi-absorption in all 360° directions. Monte Carlo ray tracing is used to simulate the absorption of cone-shaped PSCs with two variables: wavelength and half cone angle. With an inverted indium-tin-oxide-free device structure, a 43% enhanced light utilization without loss of material utilization is realized in the cone-shaped PSCs with a half cone angle of 45°, compared with the planar PSCs.
Electrical transport across Au/Nb:SrTiO3 Schottky interface with different Nb doping
Authors: Rana K. G. , Khikhlovskyi V. , Banerjee T.
Published: May 2012

We have investigated electron transport in Nb doped SrTiO3 single crystals for two doping densities. We find that the resistivity and mobility are temperature dependent in both whereas the carrier concentration is almost temperature invariant. We rationalize this using the hydrogenic theory for shallow donors. Further, we probe electrical transport across Schottky interfaces of Au on TiO2 terminated n-type SrTiO3. Quantitative analysis of macroscopic I-V measurements reveal thermionic emission dominated transport for the low doped substrate whereas it deviates from such behavior for the high doped substrate. This work is relevant for designing devices to study electronic transport using oxide-semiconductors.
Crossmodal Correspondences: Innate or Learned?
Authors: Spence Charles , Deroy Ophelia
Published: May 2012

“Are Chimpanzees synaesthetic?” An affirmative answer to this question appeared recently in a Nature commentary on a study by Ludwig, Adachi, and Matzuzawa (2011) that demonstrated crossmodal correspondences in both chimpanzees and humans. Here we question the claim that chimpanzees are synaesthetic. We also question the claim that certain crossmodal correspondences are innate. We suggest an alternative account for the crossmodal correspondence between auditory pitch and visual lightness in terms of the internalization of correlations present in the environment. We highlight the limitations of such natural correlation approaches to the study of crossmodal correspondences as well as how such claims could potentially be tested in future research.
Multiplex assay for condition-dependent changes in protein–protein interactions
Authors: Schlecht Ulrich , Miranda Molly , Suresh Sundari , Davis Ronald W. , St.Onge Robert P.
Published: May 2012

Changes in protein–protein interactions that occur in response to environmental cues are difficult to uncover and have been poorly characterized to date. Here we describe a yeast-based assay that allows many binary protein interactions to be assessed in parallel and under various conditions. This method combines molecular bar-coding and tag array technology with the murine dihydrofolate reductase-based protein-fragment complementation assay. A total of 238 protein-fragment complementation assay strains, each representing a unique binary protein complex, were tagged with molecular barcodes, pooled, and then interrogated against a panel of 80 diverse small molecules. Our method successfully identified specific disruption of the Hom3:Fpr1 interaction by the immunosuppressant FK506, illustrating the assay’s capacity to identify chemical inhibitors of protein–protein interactions. Among the additional findings was specific cellular depletion of the Dst1:Rbp9 complex by the anthracycline drug doxorubicin, but not by the related drug idarubicin. The assay also revealed chemical-induced accumulation of several binary multidrug transporter complexes that largely paralleled increases in transcript levels. Further assessment of two such interactions (Tpo1:Pdr5 and Snq2:Pdr5) in the presence of 1,246 unique chemical compounds revealed a positive correlation between drug lipophilicity and the drug response in yeast.
Tentativeness in term formation
Authors: Pecman Mojca
Published: May 2012

The study on term formation presented in this paper is related to the problem of determining the function of neologisms in scientific communication and to the issue of processing the concomitant variation, typical of such new denominations. Our analysis of scientific texts shows that neologisms can have quite a different role in scientific communication than they are generally credited with in terminological studies. The well-known referential role, consisting of the creation of a new designation for naming a new concept is overshadowed in scientific texts by a more rhetorical role. Here the scientist resorts consciously to variation, hence creating a “neology effect”, specifically for the reason of emphasising various novel aspects of his thought. This function of neology as a rhetorical device is generally glossed over in terminology studies, in much the same way as the analysis of variation used to be, due to the expected stability that neologism should eventually gain in line with well-established terms. Consequently, in this article, we try to place the phenomenon of neology within the framework of discourse analysis.
The reconstruction of feminine values in Mme Lesbazeille-Souvestre’s 1854 translation of Jane Eyre
Authors: Williams Rachel
Published: May 2012

Mme Lesbazeille-Souvestre’s translation of Jane Eyre, published in 1854, was the first to appear in French and has been re-edited numerous times, most recently in 2001. This analysis uses both the translator’s preface and the translation itself to explore how the translator constructed what was often seen as a problematically “feminine” text into a normatively “feminine” one and, in so doing, asserted herself as an author in her own right. In her translator’s preface, Lesbazeille-Souvestre aims to assure her readers that in translating she felt a duty of fidelity to the text and to the text’s author, and thus that they are reading a linguistically faithful translation. In the translation itself, however, and in contradiction to her stated goal, she actively attempted to construct Jane Eyre as a text that is proper both for a female writer to have produced and for female readers to consume by consistently negating the so-called “masculine” elements she found in the novel. The character of Jane Eyre is significantly altered in the translation in ways that bring her more in line with conventional feminine values. Lesbazeille-Souvestre’s protestations of complete fidelity in her preface must therefore be questioned and viewed through the lens not only of what it meant to translate in the nineteenth century but of what it meant to translate and to write as a woman.
The translation of evidence at the ICTY
Authors: Hepburn Philip
Published: May 2012

The article examines the role of translators at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and how their translations of evidentiary documents are used in trials. Drawing on theoretical studies and practical examples, it rejects the notion that the meaning of source documents can ever be conveyed with complete fidelity and accuracy but shows how this problem is resolved by adopting flexible translation strategies and enabling parties to check translations against the originals at every stage of proceedings. This system, which evolved over a period of many years, is contrasted with the often haphazard organization of translation at the Nuremberg Tribunal.
Deconstruction, psychoanalysis, and the teaching of translation
Authors: Arrojo Rosemary
Published: May 2012

The main goal of this paper — originally published in Portuguese in 1993 — is to propose a reflection on a key question often associated with the training of translators: What kind of knowledge should future professionals acquire in order to produce successful translations? As it examines logocentric notions of knowledge and meaning from the perspective of contemporary, post-Nietzschean thought, with special emphasis on Derridean deconstruction, this paper explores similarities between traditional notions of translation and pedagogy, both founded on the possibility of stable meanings that could be objectively separated from the language and the circumstances in which they occur. Such notions and what they imply for the kinds of relationships that define and constitute both translation and pedagogy are also further questioned from the perspective of some key insights from psychoanalytic theory as it undermines the rationalist notion according to which knowledge is something that might be completely grasped or mastered. As a general conclusion, the paper emphasizes the importance of developing a critical apparatus within the classroom that will allow both students and teachers to constantly evaluate their relationship and the power dynamic that create their community as well the roles they play in the production and transference of meaning in such a community, a production which is central to both translation and pedagogy.
The influence of range of motion versus application of force on vertical jump performance in prepubescent girls and adult females
Authors: Floría Pablo , Harrison Andrew J.
Published: May 2012

This study examined whether during childhood, the parameters for the range of motion had more influence on vertical jump height than parameters for application of force. Counter‐movement jumps performed by 36 girls aged between 5 and 8 years and 20 adult females were examined using force platform analysis. Multiple regression analysis of the data indicated that the parameters for the range of motion had more influence on jump height than the parameters for application of force. This was demonstrated by standardised coefficients for range of motion which were higher than the standardised coefficients for application of force. Although this trend was observed in both groups, the influence of the range of motion was relatively greater in prepubescent girls than in adult females. The present results suggest that prepubescent girls increased their jump height by increasing the range of motion over which force is applied.
Home advantage and referee bias in European football
Authors: Goumas Chris
Published: May 2012

Home advantage is well documented in a wide range of team sports including association football (soccer). Home team crowd support has been shown to be a likely causal factor and its influence on referee decision‐making appears to play a significant role. Match data from the 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 seasons of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League and Europa League were used to investigate referee bias in terms of the association between match location (home vs. away) and disciplinary sanctions used by football referees. The adjusted mean number of yellow cards received by home and away teams and the ratios of these means were estimated from Poisson regression models. After controlling for within‐match measures of attacking dominance referees in the Champions League and Europa League issued 25% (p<0.001) and 10% (p=0.002) more yellow cards, respectively, to away teams than to home teams. The higher level of home team bias in the Champions League appeared to be mainly due to higher crowd densities. In a combined analysis of both UEFA leagues the magnitude of referee bias increased with increasing crowd density (p<0.001). Crowd size and crowd proximity were not associated with referee bias after controlling for crowd density. These results provide further evidence that crowd support influences referee decisions. Failure to control for within‐match team performance may over‐estimate the extent of referee bias in terms of the number of disciplinary sanctions used.
Top‐down and bottom‐up processes during observation: Implications for motor learning
Authors: Roberts James W. , Bennett Simon J. , Elliott Digby , Hayes Spencer J.
Published: May 2012

Neurophysiological and behavioural research has linked observational practice (OP) to a mirroring mechanism encompassing the action‐observation network (AON). Although, the original findings indicate that biological stimuli alone activate the AON, recent evidence has shown sensitivity to non‐biological stimuli. Thus, the AON is suggested to be influenced by interacting bottom‐up and top‐down processes. In this review, we describe the multi‐functional properties of the AON and discuss the implications for OP and subsequent motor learning.
Years, Months, and Days versus 1, 12, and 365: The Influence of Units versus Numbers
Authors: Monga Ashwani , Bagchi Rajesh
Published: May 2012

Quantitative changes may be conveyed to consumers using small units (e.g., change in delivery time from 7 to 21 days) or large units (1–3 weeks). Numerosity research suggests that changes are magnified by small (vs. large) units because a change from 7 to 21 (vs. 1–3) seems larger. We introduce a reverse effect that we term unitosity: changes are magnified by large (vs. small) units because a change of weeks (vs. days) seems larger. We show that numerosity reverses to unitosity when relative salience shifts from numbers to units (study 1). Then, arguing that numbers (units) represent a low-level (high-level) construal of quantities, we show this reversal when mind-set shifts from concrete to abstract (studies 2–4). These results emerge for several quantities—height of buildings, time of maturity of financial instruments, weight of nutrients, and length of tables—and have significant implications for theory and practice.
From the Commercial to the Communal: Reframing Taboo Trade-offs in Religious and Pharmaceutical Marketing
Authors: Peter McGraw A. , Schwartz Janet A. , Tetlock Philip E.
Published: May 2012

Although consumers typically expect organizations to profit from marketing goods and services, they also believe that certain organizations, like those that focus on religion and health, should prioritize communal obligations. Indeed, consumers may find it morally distressing when communally focused organizations use overtly commercial marketing strategies like rebranding or value-based pricing. We demonstrate how moral distress and consumer backlash result from such taboo trade-offs and investigate when communal-sharing rhetoric for religious and pharmaceutical marketing reduces distress. Communal justifications used by communally focused organizations are particularly effective when consumers are not closely monitoring the motives of the organization or when the product is need-based. However, communal justifications become less effective and market-pricing justifications become more effective when consumers are attuned to the persuasive intentions of the organization. Implications for consumer goals are discussed.
Intracommunity Gifting at the Intersection of Contemporary Moral and Market Economies
Authors: Weinberger Michelle F. , Wallendorf Melanie
Published: May 2012

Consumer research on gifting has primarily focused on the interpersonal meanings and behavior patterns associated with dyadic gifts that are specifically given from one individual to another and in which the central goal is interpersonal relationship maintenance. Yet we find another type of gifting when community members in one social position give to community members in another position in which the central goal is intracommunity, rather than interpersonal, relationship work. This ethnographic research details the ritual practices, structural components, and meanings associated with intracommunity gifts employing the empirical context of the post-Katrina New Orleans’ community celebration of Mardi Gras. Through this context, we detail how intracommunity gifting gives prominence to the logics of the moral economy while still drawing from those of the market economy. Beyond this context, we use our conclusions about the intersection of the market and moral economies to understand contemporary ambivalence to corporate sponsorships of local community events.
Nostalgia: The Gift That Keeps on Giving
Authors: Zhou Xinyue , Wildschut Tim , Sedikides Constantine , Shi Kan , Feng Cong
Published: May 2012

Nostalgia, a sentimental longing for a personally experienced and valued past, is a social emotion. It refers to significant others in the context of momentous life events and fosters a sense of social connectedness. On this basis, the authors hypothesized that (1) nostalgia promotes charitable intentions and behavior, and (2) this effect is mediated by empathy with the charity’s beneficiaries. Five studies assessed the effect of nostalgia on empathy, intentions to volunteer and donate, as well as tangible charitable behavior. Results were consistent with the hypotheses. Study 1 found that nostalgia increases charitable intentions. Study 2 showed that this salutary effect of nostalgia on charitable intentions is mediated by empathy (but not by personal distress). Studies 3 and 4 corroborated these finding for different charities and in diverse samples. Finally, study 5 demonstrated that nostalgia increases tangible charitable behavior. By virtue of its capacity to increase empathy, nostalgia facilitates prosocial reactions.
Gene Expression in Skin, Muscle, and Dorsal Root Ganglion after Plantar Incision in the Rat
Authors: Spofford Christina M. , Brennan Timothy J.
Published: May 2012

Background

Treating postoperative pain remains a significant challenge for perioperative medicine. Recent studies have shown that nerve growth factor is up-regulated and contributes to incisional pain. To date, few studies have examined expression of other neurotrophin-related mediators that may contribute to the development and/or maintenance of incisional pain.

Methods

Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent a plantar incision, and pain behaviors were examined (n = 6). In a separate group of rats, expression of neurotrophic factors were studied. At various times after incision (n = 4) or sham surgery (n = 4), the skin, muscle, and dorsal root ganglia were harvested and total RNA isolated. Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was performed and the fold change in gene expression was analyzed using significance analysis of microarrays.

Results

Several genes were changed (P < 0.05) as early as 1 h after incision. Expression of artemin and nerve growth factor were increased in both incised skin and muscle. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, neurotrophin-3, and neurotrophin-5 were all down-regulated in the skin but up-regulated in the muscle 48 h after incision. Few genes changed in the dorsal root ganglion. Most changes in expression occurred in the first 48 h after incision, a timeframe when pain behavior was the greatest.

Conclusion

Surgical incision is associated with pain-related gene expression changes in skin, muscle, and, to a lesser extent, dorsal root ganglion. The gene expression profile provides clues as to mediators that are involved in peripheral sensitization and pain transmission after surgical incision and also suggest mechanisms for resolution of postoperative pain when more persistent pain syndromes like neuropathic pain continue.
Hemodynamic and Hormonal Stress Responses to Endotracheal Tube and ProSeal Laryngeal Mask AirwayTMfor Laparoscopic Gastric Banding
Authors: Carron Michele , Veronese Stefano , Gomiero Walter , Foletto Mirto , Nitti Donato , Ori Carlo , Freo Ulderico
Published: May 2012

Background

The stress responses from tracheal intubation are potentially dangerous in patients with higher cardiovascular risk, such as obese patients. The primary outcome objective of this study was to test whether, in comparison with the endotracheal tube (ETT), the Proseal™ Laryngeal Mask Airway (PLMA™) (Laryngeal Mask Airway Company, Jersey, United Kingdom) reduces blood pressure and norepinephrine responses and the amounts of muscle relaxants needed in obese patients.

Methods

We assessed hemodynamic and hormonal stress responses, ventilation, and postoperative recovery in 75 morbidly obese patients randomized to receive standardized anesthesia with either an ETT or the PLMA™ for laparoscopic gastric banding.

Results

In repeated-measures ANOVA, mean arterial blood pressure and plasma norepinephrine were significantly higher in the ETT group than in the PLMA™ group. In individual pairwise comparisons, blood pressure rose higher in ETT than PLMA™ patients after insertion and removal of airway devices, and after recovery. In ETT compared with PLMA™ patients, plasma norepinephrine was higher after induction of carboperitoneum (mean ± SD, 534 ± 198 and 368 ± 147 and pg/ml, P = 0.001), after airway device removal (578 ± 285 and 329 ± 128 pg/ml, P < 0.0001), and after recovery in postanesthesia care unit (380 ± 167 and 262 ± 95 and pg/ml, P = 0.003). Compared with use of the ETT, the PLMA™ reduced cisatracurium requirement, oxygen desaturation, and time to discharge from both the postanesthesia care unit and the hospital.

Conclusions

PLMA™ reduces stress responses and postoperative complaints after laparoscopic gastric banding.
Peptide and RNA contributions to iron–sulphur chemical gardens as life's first inorganic compartments, catalysts, capacitors and condensers
Authors: McGlynn Shawn E. , Kanik Isik , Russell Michael J.
Published: May 2012

Hydrothermal chimneys and compartments comprising transition metal sulphides and associated minerals have been proposed as likely locations for the beginnings of life. In laboratory simulations of off-axis alkaline springs, it is shown that the interaction of a simulated alkaline sulphide-bearing submarine vent solution with a primeval anoxic iron-bearing ocean leads to the formation of chimney structures reminiscent of chemical gardens. These chimneys display periodicity in their deposition and exhibit diverse morphologies and mineralogies, affording the possibilities of catalysis and molecular sequestration. The addition of peptides and RNA to the alkaline solution modifies the elemental stoichiometry of the chimneys—perhaps indicating the very initial stage of the organic takeover on the way to living cells by charged organic polymers potentially synthesized in this same environment.
Using shape for self-assembly
Authors: Cademartiri Ludovico , Bishop Kyle J. M. , Snyder Phillip W. , Ozin Geoffrey A.
Published: May 2012

A 1980 poem by Alan Mackay outlines his aspiration ‘to see what all have seen but think what none have thought’: a daunting task, which he accomplished not once, but several times. A ‘truly myriadminded, manysided man—a veritable triacontahedron’ in the words of his colleagues and friends, Alan Mackay pursued a lifelong interest in the problems of morphogenesis and form, a comprehension of which necessitated him crisscrossing the borders of the inanimate and animate world of soft and hard materials, through the integration of concepts and methods of chemistry, physics, mathematics and biology. In other words, he realized in his time a genuinely interdisciplinary approach to complex problems that still to this day remains beyond much of the academic community. Being invited to contribute a paper on the theme ‘beyond crystals’, we naturally wondered how Alan Mackay would think about the world of nanoscale self-assembly where so much depends on shape and form.
Spatial and temporal organization of multi-protein assemblies: achieving sensitive control in information-rich cell-regulatory systems
Authors: Bolanos-Garcia Victor M. , Wu Qian , Ochi Takashi , Chirgadze Dimitri Y. , Sibanda Bancinyane Lynn , Blundell Tom L.
Published: May 2012

The regulation of cellular processes in living organisms requires signalling systems that have a high signal-to-noise ratio. This is usually achieved by transient, multi-protein complexes that assemble cooperatively. Even in the crowded environment of the cell, such assemblies are unlikely to form by chance, thereby providing a sensitive regulation of cellular processes. Furthermore, selectivity and sensitivity may be achieved by the requirement for concerted folding and binding of previously unfolded components. We illustrate these features by focusing on two essential signalling pathways of eukaryotic cells: first, the monitoring and repair of DNA damage by non-homologous end joining, and second, the mitotic spindle assembly checkpoint, which detects and corrects defective attachments of chromosomes to the kinetochore. We show that multi-protein assemblies moderate the full range of functional complexity and diversity in the two signalling systems. Deciphering the nature of the interactions is central to understanding the mechanisms that control the flow of information in cell signalling and regulation.
Tubular precipitation structures: materials synthesis under non-equilibrium conditions
Authors: Makki Rabih , Roszol László , Pagano Jason J. , Steinbock Oliver
Published: May 2012

Inorganic precipitation reactions are known to self-organize a variety of macroscopic structures, including hollow tubes. We discuss recent advances in this field with an emphasis on experiments similar to ‘silica gardens’. These reactions involve metal salts and sodium silicate solution. Reactions triggered from reagent-loaded microbeads can produce tubes with inner radii of down to 3 μm. Distinct wall morphologies are reported. For pump-driven injection, three qualitatively different growth regimes exist. In one of these regimes, tubes assemble around a buoyant jet of reactant solution, which allows the quantitative prediction of the tube radius. Additional topics include relaxation oscillations and the templating of tube growth with pinned gas bubble and mechanical devices. The tube materials and their nano-to-micro architectures are discussed for the cases of silica/Cu(OH)2and silica/Zn(OH)2/ZnO tubes. The latter case shows photocatalytic activity and photoluminescence.
Beyond crystals: the dialectic of materials and information
Authors: Cartwright Julyan H. E. , Mackay Alan L.
Published: May 2012

We argue for a convergence of crystallography, materials science and biology, that will come about through asking materials questions about biology and biological questions about materials, illuminated by considerations of information. The complex structures now being studied in biology and produced in nanotechnology have outstripped the framework of classical crystallography, and a variety of organizing concepts are now taking shape into a more modern and dynamic science of structure, form and function. Absolute stability and equilibrium are replaced by metastable structures existing in a flux of energy-carrying information and moving within an energy landscape of complex topology. Structures give place to processes and processes to systems. The fundamental level is that of atoms. As smaller and smaller groups of atoms are used for their physical properties, quantum effects become important; already we see quantum computation taking shape. Concepts move towards those in life with the emergence of specifically informational structures. We now see the possibility of the artificial construction of a synthetic living system, different from biological life, but having many or all of the same properties. Interactions are essentially nonlinear and collective. Structures begin to have an evolutionary history with episodes of symbiosis. Underlying all the structures are constraints of time and space. Through hierarchization, a more general principle than the periodicity of crystals, structures may be found within structures on different scales. We must integrate unifying concepts from dynamical systems and information theory to form a coherent language and science of shape and structure beyond crystals. To this end, we discuss the idea of categorizing structures based on information according to the algorithmic complexity of their assembly.
Analysis and visualization of H7 influenza using genomic, evolutionary and geographic information in a modular web service
Authors: Janies Daniel A. , Pomeroy Laura W. , Aaronson Jacob M. , Handelman Samuel , Hardman Jori , Kawalec Kevin , Bitterman Thomas , Wheeler Ward C.
Published: May 2012

We have reported previously on use of a web‐based application, Supramap (http://supramap.org) for the study of biogeographic, genotypic, and phenotypic evolution. Using Supramap we have developed maps of the spread of drug‐resistant influenza and host shifts in H1N1 and H5N1 influenza and coronaviruses such as SARS. Here we report on another zoonotic pathogen, H7 influenza, and provide an update on the implementation of Supramap as a web service. We find that the emergence of pathogenic strains of H7 is labile with many transitions from high to low pathogenicity, and from low to high pathogenicity. We use Supramap to put these events in a temporal and geospatial context. We identify several lineages of H7 influenza with biomarkers of high pathogenicity in regions that have not been reported in the scientific literature. The original implementation of Supramap was built with tightly coupled client and server software. Now we have decoupled the components to provide a modular web service for POY (http://poyws.org) that can be consumed by a data provider to create a novel application. To demonstrate the web service, we have produced an application, Geogenes (http://geogenes.org). Unlike in Supramap, in which the user is required to create and upload data files, in Geogenes the user works from a graphical interface to query an underlying dataset. Geogenes demonstrates how the web service can provide underlying processing for any sequence and metadata database.

© The Willi Hennig Society 2012.
Safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of single and multiple doses of a novel sigma‐1 receptor antagonist in three randomized phase I studies
Authors: Abadias Montserrat , Escriche Marisol , Vaqué Anna , Sust Mariano , Encina Gregorio
Published: May 2012

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT

• A novel and highly selective sigma‐1 receptor antagonist (S1RA) provides a new approach for pain management. S1RA has shown activity in animal models of neuropathic pain and potentiation of opioid analgesia.

WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS

• Phase I studies of single and multiple oral dose administration show that S1RA is safe and well tolerated by healthy subjects. S1RA is rapidly absorbed and its rate and extent of exposure increases with dose.

• The safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles of S1RA support its further phase II development in different pain indications.

AIM To assess the safety, tolerability, pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics in healthy subjects of a novel, highly selective, sigma‐1 receptor antagonist (S1RA).

METHODS Three randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trials evaluated single oral doses (5–500 mg, study 101; 500–800 mg, study 106) and multiple doses (50–400 mg once daily for 8 days, study 102) of S1RA. Safety and tolerability were assessed by adverse event reporting, clinical laboratory, physical examinations, vital signs and electrocardiography, including Holter monitoring. Pharmacodynamic assessments included computerized cognitive testing. Plasma samples were analyzed using validated HPLC‐MS/MS methods.

RESULTS One hundred and seventy‐five subjects were enrolled. Single and multiple doses were safe and well tolerated, with no serious adverse events. The most common side effects were headache and dizziness. The highest single doses were associated with some mild to moderate transient CNS effects. The maximum tolerated dose was not reached. There were no clinically significant changes in the electrocardiogram (ECG), 24 h Holter monitoring, or in vital signs and laboratory assessments. Subjective CNS pharmacodynamics evaluations showed no relevant differences vs. placebo. Cognitive testing showed no effects on visual memory, executive function, attention or somnolence, while revealing some transient slowing of response for simple reaction time and choice reaction time at 2 h following the administration of higher doses. A fast absorption, rapid distribution and slow elimination were observed (tmax 0.75–2.0 h, t1/2 compatible with once a day administration) and steady‐state was reached. No gender differences were observed.

CONCLUSIONS S1RA exhibited an acceptable safety, tolerability, pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profile in healthy subjects over the dose range studied.
Recombinant high molecular weight‐glutenin subunit‐specific IgE detection is useful in identifying wheat‐dependent exercise‐induced anaphylaxis complementary to recombinant omega‐5 gliadin‐specific IgE test
Authors: Takahashi H. , Matsuo H. , Chinuki Y. , Kohno K. , Tanaka A. , Maruyama N. , Morita E.
Published: May 2012

Background

Wheat‐dependent exercise‐induced anaphylaxis (WDEIA) is a special form of food allergy typically induced by exercise after ingestion of wheat products. We identified wheat omega‐5 gliadin and high molecular weight‐glutenin subunit (HMW‐glutenin) as major allergens for WDEIA and clarified that simultaneous detection of serum IgE binding to synthetic epitope peptides of these allergens identifies more than 90% of WDEIA patients. However, the short synthetic peptides are not suitable for CAP‐fluorescent enzyme‐immunoassay (CAP‐FEIA), which is widely utilized for detecting allergen‐specific IgE.

Objective

In this study, we constructed a CAP‐FEIA with recombinant HMW‐glutenin, and evaluated its usefulness in identifying the patients with WDEIA.

Methods

Recombinant HMW‐glutenin was expressed as histidine‐tag protein in E. coli and purified by histidine‐tag affinity column. Wheat, gluten, recombinant omega‐5 gliadin, epitope peptide of HMW‐glutenin, native and recombinant HMW‐glutenin specific IgE in the sera from 48 patients with WDEIA, 16 patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) who had no immediate allergic reaction after wheat ingestion and 12 healthy controls were determined by using CAP‐FEIA method.

Results

In 16 AD patients without wheat allergy 12 of them (75%) had positive results for native HMW‐glutenin test in contrast to epitope peptide of HMW‐glutenin (12.5%) and recombinant HMW‐glutenin test (12.5%). These results indicate the native HMW‐glutenin test has low specificity. Sensitivity and specificity of the IgE test with recombinant HMW‐glutenin were 16.7% and 92.9%. These are well compatible with results obtained by using epitope peptide of HMW‐glutenin. However, sensitivity and specificity reached to 93.8% and 92.9%, when the test was combined to the test with recombinant omega‐5 gliadin.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

We demonstrated that recombinant HMW‐glutenin is best for CAP‐FEIA system in point of stability and specificity and confirmed that detection of specific IgE against recombinant HMW‐glutenin is useful for diagnosis of WDEIA when combined with the CAP‐FEIA (recombinant omega‐5 gliadin) test.
Asthma and obesity
Authors: Boulet L.‐P.
Published: May 2012

The prevalence and incidence of asthma have increased among obese children and adults, particularly among women. Obesity seems to be a predisposing factor for the development of asthma, but the underlying mechanisms of its influence are still uncertain. Various hypotheses have been proposed to explain the link between obesity and asthma such as a common genetic predisposition, developmental changes, altered lung mechanics, the presence of a systemic inflammatory process, and an increased prevalence of associated comorbid conditions. Over‐diagnosis of asthma does not seem to be more frequent in obese compared to non‐obese subjects, but the added effects of obesity on respiratory symptoms can affect asthma control assessment. Obesity can make asthma more difficult to control and is associated with a reduced beneficial effect of asthma medications. This could be due to a change in asthma phenotype, particularly evidenced as a less eosinophilic type of airway inflammation combined to the added effects of changes in lung mechanics. Weight loss is associated with a universal improvement of asthma and should be part of asthma management in the obese patient. Additional research should be conducted to better determine how obesity influences the development and clinical expression of asthma, establish the optimal management of asthma in this population and determine how obesity affects long‐term asthma outcomes in these patients.
Monocyte activation is a feature of common variable immunodeficiency irrespective of plasma lipopolysaccharide levels
Authors: Barbosa R R , Silva S P , Silva S L , Tendeiro R , Melo A C , Pedro E , Barbosa M P , Santos M C P , Victorino R M M , Sousa A E
Published: May 2012

Common variable immunodeficiency disorders (CVID), the most frequent cause of symptomatic primary immunodeficiency, are defined by impaired antibody production. Notwithstanding, T cell activation and granulomatous manifestations represent the main causes of CVID morbidity even in patients receiving immunoglobulin (Ig) G replacement therapy. Additionally, gut pathology is a frequent feature of CVID. In this study, we investigated monocyte imbalances and their possible relationship with increased microbial translocation in CVID patients. Monocyte subsets were defined according to CD14 and CD16 expression levels and evaluated in terms of human leucocyte antigen D-related (HLA-DR), CD86 and programmed death-1 molecule ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression by flow cytometry, in parallel with the quantification of plasma lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and serum levels of soluble CD14 (sCD14), LPS-binding protein (LBP) and anti-LPS antibodies. CVID patients (n = 31) featured significantly increased levels of serum sCD14 and an expansion of CD14brightCD16+ monocytes in direct correlation with T cell and B cell activation, the latter illustrated by the frequency of the CD21lowCD38low subset. Such alterations were not observed in patients lacking B cells due to congenital agammaglobulinaemia (n = 4). Moreover, we found no significant increase in circulating LPS or LBP levels in CVID patients, together with a relative preservation of serum anti-LPS antibodies, in agreement with their presence in commercial IgG preparations. In conclusion, CVID was associated with monocyte imbalances that correlated directly with T cell activation markers and with B cell imbalances, without an association with plasma LPS levels. The heightened monocyte activated state observed in CVID may represent an important target for complementary therapeutic strategies.
Post‐prandial remnant lipoprotein metabolism in autosomal recessive hypercholesterolaemia
Authors: Tada Hayato , Kawashiri Masa‐aki , Tanaka Akira , Nakano Takamitsu , Nakajima Katsuyuki , Inoue Takeshi , Noguchi Tohru , Nakanishi Chiaki , Konno Tetsuo , Hayashi Kenshi , Nohara Atsushi , Inazu Akihiro , Kobayashi Junji , Mabuchi Hiroshi , Yamagishi Masakazu
Published: May 2012

Eur J Clin Invest 2012; 42 (10): 1094–1099

Background  Phenotype of autosomal recessive hypercholesterolaemia (ARH), a rare lipid disorder, is known to be milder than that of homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) with LDL receptor gene mutation. However, few data exist regarding the functional differences in ARH and FH particularly in terms of remnant‐like particles’ (RLP) metabolism.

Materials and methods  Blood sampling was performed up to 6 h after OFTT cream loading (50 g/body surface area) with 2‐h intervals in a single ARH proband, four heterozygous FH patients with LDL receptor gene mutation and four normal controls. Plasma lipoprotein and RLP fraction were determined by HPLC system. The area under curve (AUC) of each lipoprotein including RLP fractions was evaluated.

Results  The AUC of TG, RLP cholesterol (RLP‐C) and RLP triglyceride (RLP‐TG) levels of heterozygous FH subjects was significantly higher than those of controls (466 ± 71 mg/dL × h vs. 303 ± 111 mg/dL × h, P < 0·05; 35 ± 7 mg/dL × h vs. 21 ± 8 mg/dL × h, P < 0·05; 124 ± 57 mg/dL × h vs. 51 ± 13 mg/dL×h, P < 0·05, respectively). Under these conditions, those values of ARH were close to those of controls (310 mg/dL × h, 22 mg/dL × h, 23 mg/dL × h, respectively).

Conclusion  These data demonstrate that unlike in FH, RLP clearance is preserved in ARH. The preservation of post‐prandial RLP clearance may contribute to the mild phenotype of ARH compared with FH.
Using stable isotopes to test for trophic niche partitioning: a case study with stream salamanders and fish
Authors: SEPULVEDA ADAM J. , LOWE WINSOR H. , MARRA PETER P.
Published: May 2012

1. Stream salamanders and fish often co‐occur even though fish prey on and outcompete salamanders. However, the mechanisms that allow palatable salamanders to coexist with fish are unknown.

2. We tested mechanisms in the field that promote coexistence between Idaho giant salamanders (Dicamptodon aterrimus) and stream salmonid fishes in headwater streams. Previous research in this system indicated that salamander dispersal did not promote coexistence with fish. We tested the hypothesis that D. aterrimus shift their diet when they occur with fish, facilitating coexistence through local niche partitioning.

3. We used nitrogen and carbon stable isotopes to describe the trophic niche of D. aterrimus and fish in three co‐occurring populations of salamanders and fish and three populations of salamanders without fish. We used two approaches to quantify trophic niche partitioning with stable isotopes: 95% kernel density estimators and isotopic mixing models.

4. We found that salamanders and fish were generalists that consumed aquatic invertebrates primarily, but both species were also cannibalistic and predatory on one another. We also found no support for trophic niche partitioning as a coexistence mechanism because there were no differences in the trophic niche metrics among salamander populations with and without fish.

5. Although we did not identify mechanisms that facilitate salamander and fish coexistence, our empirical data and use of novel approaches to describe the trophic niche did yield important insights on the role of predator–prey interactions and cannibalism as alternative coexistence mechanisms. In addition, we found that 95% kernel estimators are a simple and robust method to describe population‐level measure of trophic structure.