bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thin films in partial wetting: stability, dewetting and coarsening
Authors: Alizadeh Pahlavan A. , Cueto-Felgueroso L. , Hosoi A. E. , McKinley G. H. , Juanes R.
Published: April 2018

A uniform nanometric thin liquid film on a solid substrate can become unstable due to the action of van der Waals (vdW) forces. The instability leads to dewetting of the uniform film and the formation of drops. To minimize the total free energy of the system, these drops coarsen over time until one single drop remains. Here, using a thermodynamically consistent framework, we derive a new model for thin films in partial wetting with a free energy that resembles the Cahn–Hilliard form with a height-dependent surface tension that leads to a generalized disjoining pressure, and revisit the dewetting problem. Using both linear stability analysis and nonlinear simulations we show that the new model predicts a slightly smaller critical instability wavelength and a significantly (up to six-fold) faster growth rate than the classical model in the spinodal regime; this faster growth rate brings the theoretical predictions closer to published experimental observations. During coarsening at intermediate times, the dynamics become self-similar and model-independent; we therefore observe the same scalings in both the classical (with and without thermal noise) and new models. Both models also lead to a mean-field Lifshitz–Slyozov–Wagner (LSW)-type droplet-size distribution at intermediate times for small drop sizes. We, however, observe a skewed drop-size distribution for larger drops in the new model; while the tail of the distribution follows a Smoluchowski equation, it is not associated with a coalescence-dominated coarsening, calling into question the association made in some earlier experiments. Our observations point to the importance of the height dependence of surface tension in the early and late stages of dewetting of nanometric films and motivate new high-resolution experimental observations to guide the development of improved models of interfacial flows at the nanoscale.
Direct numerical simulation of turbulent heat transfer in a T-junction
Authors: Georgiou M. , Papalexandris M. V.
Published: April 2018

In this paper we report on a direct numerical simulation (DNS) of turbulent heat transfer in a T-junction. In particular, we study the interaction between two liquid streams, a hot horizontal cross-flow and a cold vertical liquid jet coming from above, in a T-junction of rectangular cross-section. We discuss in detail the instantaneous flow structures and present results for the first- and second-order statistics of the flow quantities, and for the budget of the turbulent kinetic energy. Further, we present results of the power spectral density of the velocity and temperature signals at selected locations of the flow field. Our analysis elucidates the properties of the important features of the flow such as the large recirculation bubble and the secondary separation zones that are formed in the vicinity of the entry of the jet. According to our simulations, thermal mixing is mainly driven by the shear layer between the two streams and, to a lesser extent, by the shear layer between the incoming jet and the large recirculation bubble. Thermal mixing is further enhanced by turbulence generation in the regions of adverse pressure gradients downstream of the large recirculation bubble. Within the framework of our study, we have also conducted a wall-resolved large-eddy simulation (LES) of the flow of interest so as to assess its predictive capacity. Overall, the LES predictions agree satisfactorily with our DNS data; the most noticeable discrepancy is that the LES produces mildly diffused profiles for the second-order statistics in the regions of intense turbulence production.
Carbon Isotopes (δ13C and Δ14C) in Shell Carbonate, Conchiolin, and Soft Tissues in Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica)
Authors: Hadden Carla S , Loftis Kathy M , Cherkinsky Alexander
Published: April 2018

Biogeochemical analyses of eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) are frequently included in environmental monitoring and paleoecological studies because their shells and soft tissues record environmental and dietary signals. Carbon isotopes in the mineral phase of the shell are derived from ambient bicarbonate and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), while organic carbon present in soft tissue is of dietary origin. Mineral-bound organic matter within the carbonate shell matrix (“conchiolin”) is studied less frequently. The purpose of this study was to compare carbon isotope composition (δ13C and Δ14C) of conchiolin to those of shell carbonates and soft tissues in eastern oysters and assess the extent to which conchiolin can provide insight into paleoecological records. Eleven oyster specimens were live-collected from Apalachicola Bay, USA, as well as a set of environmental samples (water, sediment, and terrestrial plants). Overall, the δ13C values in all studied oyster tissue types record environmental signals related to carbon sources, with conchiolin being enriched in13C by an average of 2.3‰ relative to bulk soft tissues. Δ14C values in oyster shell carbonates generally reflect the marine versus riverine source of DIC, while conchiolin Δ14C values are impacted by variable relative contributions of young and old organic matter. Environmental samples indicate a significantly large difference in Δ14C among sources, from –127‰ in particulate organic matter to approximately +15‰ in DIC. Conchiolin is significantly depleted in14C relative to other tissue types, by as much as 56.6‰, posing a major obstacle to the use of conchiolin as an alternative material for radiocarbon dating.
In SituScanning Electron Microscope (SEM) Observations of Damage and Crack Growth of Shale
Authors: Cui Zhendong , Han Weige
Published: April 2018

To better understand the formation and evolution of hierarchical crack networks in shales, observations of microscopic damage, and crack growth were conducted using anin situtensile apparatus inside a scanning electron microscope. An arched specimen with an artificial notch incised into the curved edge was shown to afford effective observation of the damage and crack growth process that occurs during the brittle fracturing of shale. Because this arched specimen design can induce a squeezing effect, reducing the tensile stress concentration at the crack tip, and preventing the brittle shale from unstable fracturing to some extent. Both induced and natural pores and cracks were observed at different scales around the main crack path or on fractured surfaces. Observations indicate that the crack initiation zone develops around the crack tip where tensile stresses are concentrated and micro/nanoscale cracks nucleate. Crack advancement generally occurs by the continuous generation and coalescence of damage zones having intermittent en echelon microscopic cracks located ahead of the crack tips. Mineral anisotropy and pressure build-up around crack tips causes crack kinking, deflection, and branching. Crack growth is often accompanied by the cessation or closure of former branch cracks due to elastic recovery and induced compressive stress. The branching and interactions of cracks form a three-dimensional hierarchical network that includes induced branch cracks having similar paths, as well as natural structures such as nanopores, bedding planes, and microscopic cracks.
EMORY JOHNSON AND THE RISE OF ECONOMIC EXPERTISE IN THE PROGRESSIVE STATE, 1898–1913
Authors: VandeCreek Drew
Published: April 2018

Emory Johnson served in a series of executive-branch appointments pertaining to the Panama Canal. Like many other executive experts, he used his professional skills and reputation as political tools, promoting the canal and bringing its toll-making under his control. His activities diverged from what scholars have described as other experts’ practice of gaining influence by insulating themselves from the preceding era's partisan politics, however. An avowed Republican, he worked in collaboration with appointed officials and lobbied members of the public and Congress alike. Although he presented economic data as objective fact, his persuasive efforts drew heavily on an often-forgotten strand of the party's ideological tradition. It paradoxically promoted transportation projects simultaneously in associative terms, as using the market to secure the Union, and as benefiting the divergent interests of competing individual localities. Johnson's work reveals a professional in the federal government as a more multidimensional historical figure than that which appears in accounts describing experts as symbols of an undemocratic administrative state, illustrating a complex set of ties between the preceding period's political beliefs and practices and the rise of an administrative state.
HEALTH ACTIVISM FROM THE BOTTOM UP: PROGRESSIVE ERA IMMIGRANT CHICAGOANS’ VIEWS ON GERM THEORY, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, AND CLASS INEQUALITY
Authors: Bernstein Shana
Published: April 2018

Drawing on Chicago immigrant communities’ archives, memoirs, and native-language newspapers, this article advances our understanding of Progressive Era environmental politics by delving into cross-class immigrant communities’ views on and activism concerning health. Everyday ethnic Chicagoans—medical and journalistic professionals alongside working-class immigrants—displayed a sophisticated understanding of health. Well versed in medical and scientific germ theories, they embraced a mixture of germ and environmental theories that made them, in effect, “disease ecologists,” revealing a widespread health ecology orientation not limited to the educated white professionals and reformers about whom scholarship has revealed much more. Such perspectives contribute to reinterpretations of earlier scholarly assumptions that germ theory largely displaced environmental analyses. Moreover, ethnic communities’ interpretations of health as ecological underpinned some of their political activism in pursuit of greater environmental parity. Many ethnic activists from across Chicago's class spectrum fought alongside white reformers to rectify environmental health inequities. They sometimes even initiated efforts, displaying an early version of environmental justice activism. At the same time, other cross-class ethnics at least partly blamed individual or ethnic communities’ habits and failures, mirroring to a degree the condescension visible among many Anglo reformers and professionals.
Psychophysiological Responses to Stress Related to Anxiety in Healthy Aging
Authors: Adorni Roberta , Brugnera Agostino , Gatti Alessia , Tasca Giorgio A. , Sakatani Kaoru , Compare Angelo
Published: April 2018

Abstract. The aim of the study was to explore the effects of situational stress and anxiety in a group of healthy elderly, both in terms of psychophysiological correlates and cognitive performance. Eighteen participants ( Mage = 70 ± 6.3; range 60–85) were assessed for anxiety and were instructed to perform a computerized math task, under both a stressful and a control condition, while near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) signal and electrocardiography (ECG) were recorded. NIRS results evidenced an increased activation of right PFC during the entire procedure, even if effect sizes between left and right channels were larger during the experimental condition. The amount of right activation during the stressful condition was positively correlated with anxiety. Response times (RTs) were slower in more anxious than in less anxious individuals, both during the control and stressful conditions. Accuracy was lower in more anxious than in less anxious individuals, only during the stressful condition. Moreover, heart rate (HR) was not modulated by situational stress, nor by anxiety. Overall, the present study suggests that in healthy elderly, anxiety level has a significant impact on cerebral responses, and both on the amount of cognitive resources and the quality of performance in stressful situations.
Phytoplankton Do Not Produce Carbon‐Rich Organic Matter in High CO2 Oceans
Authors: Kim Ja‐Myung , Lee Kitack , Suh Young‐Sang , Han In‐Seong
Published: April 2018

The ocean is a substantial sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) released as a result of human activities. Over the coming decades the dissolved inorganic C concentration in the surface ocean is predicted to increase, which is expected to have a direct influence on the efficiency of C utilization (consumption and production) by phytoplankton during photosynthesis. Here we evaluated the generality of C‐rich organic matter production by examining the elemental C:N ratio of organic matter produced under conditions of varying pCO2. The data used in this analysis were obtained from a series of pelagic in situ pCO2 perturbation studies that were performed in the diverse ocean regions and involved natural phytoplankton assemblages. The C:N ratio of the resulting particulate and dissolved organic matter did not differ across the range of pCO2 conditions tested. In particular, the ratio for particulate organic C and N was found to be 6.58 ± 0.05, close to the theoretical value of 6.6.
The Principal Hugoniot of Forsterite to 950 GPa
Authors: Root Seth , Townsend Joshua P. , Davies Erik , Lemke Raymond W , Bliss David E. , Fratanduono Dayne E. , Kraus Richard G. , Millot Marius , Spaulding Dylan K. , Shulenburger Luke , Stewart Sarah T. , Jacobsen Stein B.
Published: April 2018

Forsterite (Mg2SiO4) single crystals were shock compressed to pressures between 200 and 950 GPa using independent plate‐impact steady shocks and laser‐driven decaying shock compression experiments. Additionally, we performed density functional theory‐based molecular dynamics to aid interpretation of the experimental data and to investigate possible phase transformations and phase separations along the Hugoniot. We show that the experimentally obtained Hugoniot cannot distinguish between a pure liquid Mg2SiO4and an assemblage of solid MgO plus liquid magnesium silicate. The measured reflectivity is nonzero and increases with pressure, which implies that the liquid is a poor electrical conductor at low pressures and that the conductivity increases with pressure.
Ionospheric Responses to CME‐ and CIR‐Driven Geomagnetic Storms Along 30°E–40°E Over the African Sector From 2001 to 2015
Authors: Matamba Tshimangadzo Merline , Habarulema John Bosco
Published: April 2018

In this paper, we present the responses of the ionospheric total electron content (TEC) to coronal mass ejection (CME)‐ and corotating interaction region (CIR)‐driven storms using stations that lie within 30°E–40°E geographic longitude in middle, low, and equatorial latitudes over the African sector. CIR‐driven storms are generally weak (−50 nT < Dst < −25 nT) to moderate (−100 nT < Dst < −50 nT) in intensity, while CME‐driven storms are often associated with the intense (Dst < −100 nT) geomagnetic storms. CIR‐driven storms have long recovery phase as compared to CME‐driven storms. CME‐ and CIR‐driven storms were classified based on the features of proton temperature, magnetic field, solar wind speed, and proton density. The storm periods analyzed occurred during the period 2001–2015, which covers part of solar cycles 23 and 24. Disturbance storm time (Dst) ≤ −30 nT and Kp ≥ 3 indices were used simultaneously to identify the storm periods considered. The total number of CME‐ and CIR‐driven storms identified was 148 and 167, respectively. However, due to lack of TEC data, the number of CME‐ and CIR‐driven storms considered for the middle‐latitude, low‐latitude, and equatorial latitude stations are different for different regions. TEC data used in this study was derived from the Global Navigation Satellite System observations. The statistical analysis of ionospheric storm effects were compared over middle, low, and equatorial latitudes in the African sector for the first time. Negative ionospheric storm effects occurred only during CME‐driven storms over midlatitude stations and were more prevalent in summer. For the low and equatorial latitudes, negative ionospheric storm effects were observed during both CME‐ and CIR‐driven storms. Our analysis has shown that positive ionospheric storm effects were more prevalent over middle, low, and equatorial latitudes during both CME‐ and CIR‐driven storms. A significant number of cases where the electron density changes remained within the background variability during storm conditions were observed over the low‐latitude stations compared to other latitude regions.
Plant Regrowth as a Driver of Recent Enhancement of Terrestrial CO2 Uptake
Authors: Kondo Masayuki , Ichii Kazuhito , Patra Prabir K. , Poulter Benjamin , Calle Leonardo , Koven Charles , Pugh Thomas A. M. , Kato Etsushi , Harper Anna , Zaehle Sönke , Wiltshire Andy
Published: April 2018

The increasing strength of land CO2 uptake in the 2000s has been attributed to a stimulating effect of rising atmospheric CO2 on photosynthesis (CO2 fertilization). Using terrestrial biosphere models, we show that enhanced CO2 uptake is induced not only by CO2 fertilization but also an increasing uptake by plant regrowth (accounting for 0.33 ± 0.10 Pg C/year increase of CO2 uptake in the 2000s compared with the 1960s–1990s) with its effect most pronounced in eastern North America, southern‐eastern Europe, and southeastern temperate Eurasia. Our analysis indicates that ecosystems in North America and Europe have established the current productive state through regrowth since the 1960s, and those in temperate Eurasia are still in a stage from regrowth following active afforestation in the 1980s–1990s. As the strength of model representation of CO2 fertilization is still in debate, plant regrowth might have a greater potential to sequester carbon than indicated by this study.
Upper Atmosphere Heating From Ocean‐Generated Acoustic Wave Energy
Authors: Bowman D. C. , Lees J. M.
Published: April 2018

Colliding sea surface waves generate the ocean microbarom, an acoustic signal that may transmit significant energy to the upper atmosphere. Previous estimates of acoustic energy flux from the ocean microbarom and mountain‐wind interactions are on the order of 0.01 to 1 mW/m2, heating the thermosphere by tens of Kelvins per day. We captured upgoing ocean microbarom waves with a balloon‐borne infrasound microphone; the maximum acoustic energy flux was approximately 0.05 mW/m2. This is about half the average value reported in previous ground‐based microbarom observations spanning 8 years. The acoustic flux from the microbarom episode described here may have heated the thermosphere by several Kelvins per day while the source persisted. We suggest that ocean wave models could be used to parameterize acoustically generated heating of the upper atmosphere based on sea state.
Kinesin light chain-4 depletion induces apoptosis of radioresistant cancer cells by mitochondrial dysfunction via calcium ion influx
Authors: Baek Jeong-Hwa , Lee Janet , Yun Hong Shik , Lee Chang-Woo , Song Jie-Young , Um Hong-Duck , Park Jong Kuk , Park In-Chul , Kim Jae-Sung , Kim Eun Ho , Hwang Sang-Gu
Published: April 2018

Abstract

Kinesins act as molecular microtubule-dependent motor proteins and have various important cellular functions related to cell division, intracellular transport, and membrane trafficking. However, the function of kinesin light chain 4 (KLC4) in cancer, especially radioresistance, has not been previously described. Thus, we investigated KLC4 function in lung cancer cells and radioresistant R-H460 cells by analyzing alterations in radiosensitivity after gene knockdown with siRNA and by evaluating cellular phenotypes and xenograft tumor growth. KLC4 was upregulated in human lung cancer cell lines. Moreover, in paired clinical specimens of lung cancer patients, KLC4 expression was significantly higher in tumor tissues than in paired adjacent normal tissues. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis showed that apoptosis rates and cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and cleaved caspase-3 levels in KLC4-knockdown lung cancer cells were significantly increased compared with those in control cells. Colony formation decreased as the radiation dose increased in KLC4-knockdown lung cancer cells, demonstrating an essential role for KLC4 in radioresistance. Importantly, KLC4 silencing suppressed tumor growth in an in vivo xenograft model, accompanied by increased apoptosis. Finally, KLC4-knockdown cells exhibited impaired mitochondrial respiration, increased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production, and enhanced mitochondrial calcium uptake, resulting in mitochondrial dysfunction. Thus, KLC4 as a kinesin superfamily-targeted therapy may represent a novel, effective anticancer strategy, particularly for patients showing radioresistance.
A distributive peptide cyclase processes multiple microviridin core peptides within a single polypeptide substrate
Authors: Zhang Yi , Li Kunhua , Yang Guang , McBride Joshua L. , Bruner Steven D. , Ding Yousong
Published: April 2018

Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are an important family of natural products. Their biosynthesis follows a common scheme in which the leader peptide of a precursor peptide guides the modifications of a single core peptide. Here we describe biochemical studies of the processing of multiple core peptides within a precursor peptide, rare in RiPP biosynthesis. In a cyanobacterial microviridin pathway, an ATP-grasp ligase, AMdnC, installs up to two macrolactones on each of the three core peptides within AMdnA. The enzyme catalysis occurs in a distributive fashion and follows an unstrict N-to-C overall directionality, but a strict order in macrolactonizing each core peptide. Furthermore, AMdnC is catalytically versatile to process unnatural substrates carrying one to four core peptides, and kinetic studies provide insights into its catalytic properties. Collectively, our results reveal a distinct biosynthetic logic of RiPPs, opening up the possibility of modular production via synthetic biology approaches.
Nanoscale origins of creep in calcium silicate hydrates
Authors: Morshedifard A. , Masoumi S. , Abdolhosseini Qomi M. J.
Published: April 2018

The time-dependent response of structural materials dominates our aging infrastructure’s life expectancy and has important resilience implications. For calcium-silicate-hydrates, the glue of cement, nanoscale mechanisms underlying time-dependent phenomena are complex and remain poorly understood. This complexity originates in part from the inherent difficulty in studying nanoscale longtime phenomena in atomistic simulations. Herein, we propose a three-staged incremental stress-marching technique to overcome such limitations. The first stage unravels a stretched exponential relaxation, which is ubiquitous in glassy systems. When fully relaxed, the material behaves viscoelastically upon further loading, which is described by the standard solid model. By progressively increasing the interlayer water, the time-dependent response of calcium-silicate-hydrates exhibits a transition from viscoelastic to logarithmic creep. These findings bridge the gap between atomistic simulations and nanomechanical experimental measurements and pave the way for the design of reduced aging construction materials and other disordered systems such as metallic and oxide glasses.
Reconfigurable engineered motile semiconductor microparticles
Authors: Ohiri Ugonna , Shields C. Wyatt , Han Koohee , Tyler Talmage , Velev Orlin D. , Jokerst Nan
Published: April 2018

Locally energized particles form the basis for emerging classes of active matter. The design of active particles has led to their controlled locomotion and assembly. The next generation of particles should demonstrate robust control over their active assembly, disassembly, and reconfiguration. Here we introduce a class of semiconductor microparticles that can be comprehensively designed (in size, shape, electric polarizability, and patterned coatings) using standard microfabrication tools. These custom silicon particles draw energy from external electric fields to actively propel, while interacting hydrodynamically, and sequentially assemble and disassemble on demand. We show that a number of electrokinetic effects, such as dielectrophoresis, induced charge electrophoresis, and diode propulsion, can selectively power the microparticle motions and interactions. The ability to achieve on-demand locomotion, tractable fluid flows, synchronized motility, and reversible assembly using engineered silicon microparticles may enable advanced applications that include remotely powered microsensors, artificial muscles, reconfigurable neural networks and computational systems.
Hsp90 shapes protein and RNA evolution to balance trade-offs between protein stability and aggregation
Authors: Geller Ron , Pechmann Sebastian , Acevedo Ashley , Andino Raul , Frydman Judith
Published: April 2018

Acquisition of mutations is central to evolution; however, the detrimental effects of most mutations on protein folding and stability limit protein evolvability. Molecular chaperones, which suppress aggregation and facilitate polypeptide folding, may alleviate the effects of destabilizing mutations thus promoting sequence diversification. To illuminate how chaperones can influence protein evolution, we examined the effect of reduced activity of the chaperone Hsp90 on poliovirus evolution. We find that Hsp90 offsets evolutionary trade-offs between protein stability and aggregation. Lower chaperone levels favor variants of reduced hydrophobicity and protein aggregation propensity but at a cost to protein stability. Notably, reducing Hsp90 activity also promotes clusters of codon-deoptimized synonymous mutations at inter-domain boundaries, likely to facilitate cotranslational domain folding. Our results reveal how a chaperone can shape the sequence landscape at both the protein and RNA levels to harmonize competing constraints posed by protein stability, aggregation propensity, and translation rate on successful protein biogenesis.
Macroecology and macroevolution of the latitudinal diversity gradient in ants
Authors: Economo Evan P. , Narula Nitish , Friedman Nicholas R. , Weiser Michael D. , Guénard Benoit
Published: April 2018

The latitudinal diversity gradient—the tendency for more species to occur toward the equator—is the dominant pattern of life on Earth, yet the mechanisms responsible for it remain largely unexplained. Recently, the analysis of global data has led to advances in understanding, but these advances have been mostly limited to vertebrates and trees and have not provided consensus answers. Here we synthesize large-scale geographic, phylogenetic, and fossil data for an exemplar invertebrate group—ants—and investigate whether the latitudinal diversity gradient arose due to higher rates of net diversification in the tropics, or due to a longer time period to accumulate diversity due to Earth’s climatic history. We find that latitudinal affinity is highly conserved, temperate clades are young and clustered within tropical clades, and diversification rate shows no systematic variation with latitude. These results indicate that diversification time—and not rate—is the main driver of the diversity gradient in ants.
Broadband luminescence in defect-engineered electrochemically produced porous Si/ZnO nanostructures
Authors: Dellis S. , Pliatsikas N. , Kalfagiannis N. , Lidor-Shalev O. , Papaderakis A. , Vourlias G. , Sotiropoulos S. , Koutsogeorgis D. C. , Mastai Y. , Patsalas P.
Published: April 2018

The fabrication, by an all electrochemical process, of porous Si/ZnO nanostructures with engineered structural defects, leading to strong and broadband deep level emission from ZnO, is presented. Such nanostructures are fabricated by a combination of metal-assisted chemical etching of Si and direct current electrodeposition of ZnO. It makes the whole fabrication process low-cost, compatible with Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor technology, scalable and easily industrialised. The photoluminescence spectra of the porous Si/ZnO nanostructures reveal a correlation between the lineshape, as well as the strength of the emission, with the morphology of the underlying porous Si, that control the induced defects in the ZnO. Appropriate fabrication conditions of the porous Si lead to exceptionally bright Gaussian-type emission that covers almost the entire visible spectrum, indicating that porous Si/ZnO nanostructures could be a cornerstone material towards white-light-emitting devices.
Efficient Generation of Transgenic Buffalos (Bubalus bubalis) by Nuclear Transfer of Fetal Fibroblasts Expressing Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein
Authors: Lu Fenghua , Luo Chan , Li Nan , Liu Qingyou , Wei Yingming , Deng Haiying , Wang Xiaoli , Li Xiangping , Jiang Jianrong , Deng Yanfei , Shi Deshun
Published: April 2018

The possibility of producing transgenic cloned buffalos by nuclear transfer of fetal fibroblasts expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) was explored in this study. When buffalo fetal fibroblasts (BFFs) isolated from a male buffalo fetus were transfected with pEGFP-N1 (EGFP is driven by CMV and Neo is driven by SV-40) by means of electroporation, Lipofectamine-LTX and X-tremeGENE, the transfection efficiency of electroporation (35.5%) was higher than Lipofectamine-LTX (11.7%) and X-tremeGENE (25.4%, P < 0.05). When BFFs were transfected by means of electroporation, more embryos from BFFs transfected with pEGFP-IRES-Neo (EGFP and Neo are driven by promoter of human elongation factor) cleaved and developed to blastocysts (21.6%) compared to BFFs transfected with pEGFP-N1 (16.4%, P < 0.05). A total of 72 blastocysts were transferred into 36 recipients and six recipients became pregnant. In the end of gestation, the pregnant recipients delivered six healthy calves and one stillborn calf. These calves were confirmed to be derived from the transgenic cells by Southern blot and microsatellite analysis. These results indicate that electroporation is more efficient than lipofection in transfecting exogenous DNA into BFFs and transgenic buffalos can be produced effectively by nuclear transfer of BFFs transfected with pEGFP-IRES-Neo.
Author Correction: Lateral attachment of kinetochores to microtubules is enriched in prometaphase rosette and facilitates chromosome alignment and bi-orientation establishment
Authors: Itoh Go , Ikeda Masanori , Iemura Kenji , Amin Mohammed Abdullahel , Kuriyama Sei , Tanaka Masamitsu , Mizuno Natsuki , Osakada Hiroko , Haraguchi Tokuko , Tanaka Kozo
Published: April 2018

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper.
Author Correction: Critical Shear Stress is Associated with Diabetic Kidney Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Chung Seung Min , Oh Jung Hyun , Moon Jun Sung , Kim Yu Kyung , Yoon Ji Sung , Won Kyu Chang , Lee Hyoung Woo
Published: April 2018

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML version of this paper. The error has not been fixed in the paper.
Tuning conformation and properties of peptidomimetic backbones through dual N/Cα-substitution
Authors: Kaminker R. , Kaminker I. , Gutekunst W. R. , Luo Y. , Lee S. , Niu J. , Han S. , Hawker C. J.
Published: April 2018

Conformational space of peptides can be fine-tuned via chemical modifications of the backbone.
Palladium(ii) N-heterocyclic allenylidene complexes with extended intercationic Pd⋯Pd interactions and MMLCT phosphorescence
Authors: Zou Chao , Lin Jinqiang , Suo Sa , Xie Mo , Chang Xiaoyong , Lu Wei
Published: April 2018

Pallas's shine: extended intercationic Pd⋯Pd contacts of 3.30 Å show distinct MMLCT transitions and low-energy emissions.
Tuneable fluorescence enhancement of nanostructured ZnO arrays with controlled morphology
Authors: Wang Tiesheng , Centeno Anthony , Darvill Daniel , Pang Jing S. , Ryan Mary P. , Xie Fang
Published: April 2018

We investigate a tuneable fluorescence enhancement effect for fluorescence-based biosensing with ZnO-aligned nanorod forests and nanoflower arrays with controlled morphology.
Improved detection sensitivity of γ-aminobutyric acid based on graphene oxide interface on an optical microfiber
Authors: Zhou Jun , Huang Yunyun , Chen Chaoyan , Xiao Aoxiang , Guo Tuan , Guan Bai-Ou
Published: April 2018

A graphene oxide interface has been constructed between silica microfiber and bio-recognition elements to develop an improved γ-aminobutyric acid sensing approach.
Time-resolved emission spectroscopy and plasma characteristics of a pulsed electrolyte cathode atmospheric pressure discharge system
Authors: Wang Jinmei , Li Shiyu , Zheng Peichao , Liu Kun , Tang Pengfei
Published: April 2018

Schematic of the experimental setup.
Comparison of isomericmeta- andpara-diiodotetrafluorobenzene as halogen bond donors in crystal engineering
Authors: Bedeković Nikola , Stilinović Vladimir , Friščić Tomislav , Cinčić Dominik
Published: April 2018

The ability ofmeta- andpara-diiodotetrafluorobenzene to act as halogen bond donors in crystal engineering has been compared by the synthesis and crystal structure analysis of a family of 20 novel halogen-bonded cocrystals with simple monotopic and ditopic nitrogen-based acceptors.
A strain induced subwavelength-structure for a haze-free and highly transparent flexible plastic substrate
Authors: Park Jae Yong , Ham Juyoung , Lee Illhwan , Lee Jong-Lam
Published: April 2018

This paper presents a method to produce subwavelength-scale (<250 nm) AgCl nanostructures on a flexible plastic film, which is indispensable for highly efficient flexible displays.
Unusually low thermal conductivity of atomically thin 2D tellurium
Authors: Gao Zhibin , Tao Fang , Ren Jie
Published: April 2018

We firstly find that tellurene has a compellingly low room temperature κL of 2.16 and 4.08 W m−1 K−1 along the armchair and zigzag directions.
A novel alendronate functionalized nanoprobe for simple colorimetric detection of cancer-associated hypercalcemia
Authors: Sahu Abhishek , Hwang Youngmin , Vilos Cristian , Lim Jong-Min , Kim Sunghyun , Choi Won Il , Tae Giyoong
Published: April 2018

Alendronate conjugated gold nanoparticle was developed as a nanosensor for colorimetric detection of calcium ion in the biological samples.
A facile method for the preparation of aliphatic main-chain benzoxazine copolymers with high-frequency low dielectric constants
Authors: Zeng Ming , Chen Jiangbing , Xu Qingyu , Huang Yiwan , Feng Zijian , Gu Yi
Published: April 2018

The effects of the reaction solvent on the preparation, polymerization kinetics, and high-frequency dielectric properties of aliphatic main-chain benzoxazine copolymers were investigated.
Azobenzene as a photoregulator covalently attached to RNA: a quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics-surface hopping dynamics study
Authors: Mondal Padmabati , Granucci Giovanni , Rastädter Dominique , Persico Maurizio , Burghardt Irene
Published: April 2018

Azobenzene covalently attached to RNA undergoes trans-to-cis photo-switching on a time scale of ∼15 picoseconds – 30 times slower than in vacuo.
A chiral nickel DBFOX complex as a bifunctional catalyst for visible-light-promoted asymmetric photoredox reactions
Authors: Shen Xiang , Li Yanjun , Wen Zhaorui , Cao Shi , Hou Xinyi , Gong Lei
Published: April 2018

The enantioselective photoredox reaction of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds and tertiary/secondary α-silylamines was enabled by a readily available single NiII–DBFOX catalyst under visible light conditions.
L’offre de recherche converge-t-elle vers les besoins du secteur agroalimentaire au Cameroun ? Une analyse par la bibliographie
Authors: Minkoua Nzié Jules René , Temple Ludovic
Published: April 2018

Il est possible de connaître les impacts de la recherche en interrogeant dans la littérature la convergence entre la demande et l’offre de recherche dans les pays en développement où les statistiques sur l’innovation sont peu disponibles. Nous traitons cette interrogation dans le cadre du secteur agroalimentaire au Cameroun. La demande de recherche est estimée par les indicateurs de besoins élaborés à partir des opinions des chefs d’entreprises concernant le climat des affaires et la protection de l’environnement. L’offre de recherche est mesurée par un indicateur de pertinence des thématiques traitées dans les publications scientifiques faites par les auteurs camerounais. L’étude utilise les données bibliométriques sur la période 1991–2015, et celles du recensement général des entreprises de 2008. Elle constate une faible correspondance entre les besoins de développement des entreprises agroalimentaires et la littérature scientifique et discute les conditions d’usage de la méthode proposée.
Effects of the biochemical composition of three microalgae on the life history of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis (Alvarado strain): an assessment
Authors: Pérez-Legaspi Ignacio Alejandro , Guzmán-Fermán Brenda Marina , Moha-León Jesús David , Ortega-Clemente Luis Alfredo , Valadez-Rocha Verónica
Published: April 2018

The biochemical composition of microalgae used as food is essential for aquatic species in commercial production systems, such as rotifers and microcrustaceans. Life table bioassays with the rotifer Brachionus sp. “Alvarado” strain were performed using three microalgae (Nannochloropsis oculata, Dunaliella salina and Isochrysis sp.) as food. Microalgae growth rate, dry weight and biochemical composition (protein, lipid, carbohydrate) and pigments (chlorophyll and carotenoid) were determined. The microalgae showed significant differences in their biochemical composition. N. oculata showed the highest growth rate, while D. salina showed the slowest growth rate, but instead, it displayed a higher content of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, chlorophyll, and carotenoids per cell. Rotifer life table analysis showed no significant differences among any of the microalgae as food bioassays. However, Isochrysis sp. had a higher effect on the net reproductive rate of the rotifer Brachionus sp. “Alvarado” followed by D. salina, while N. oculata showed a higher effect on life expectancy and generation time. In conclusion, the three microalgae are found to be useful to support rotifer cultures; however, both, D. salina and Isochrysis sp., might improve the rotifer culture due to better growth and reproduction in short time. This information is useful to implement the culture of this tropical strain of Brachionus plicatilis complex in order to obtain high population densities, making rotifers available for several applications such as the establishment of larviculture in hatcheries, bioassays for ecological studies or to assess its sensitivity through toxicity tests.
Schmerztherapie nach thoraxchirurgischen Eingriffen
Authors: Hendrix Holger , Kamlak Vladimir , Prisadov Georgi , Welcker Katrin
Published: April 2018

The treatment of pain after thoracic surgery is a challenge and takes place in the individual clinics mostly according to clinic internal standards. It exists no currently valid S3 guideline for the treatment of acute perioperative and posttraumatic pain. For an effective pain treatment as well individual pain experience as the pain intensity of the various thoracic surgical procedures must be considered. Regular pain assessment with appropriate methods and their documentation form the basis for adequate and adapted pain therapy.

There are a number of different pain therapy methods, non-medicamentous and drug-based methods, whose effectiveness is described in the literature partially different. For the treatment of acute postoperative pain after thoracic surgery, mainly drug-related procedures are used, except for physiotherapy as a non-medicamentous method. Increasingly, alternative procedures for the peridural catheter as a therapeutic gold standard in the treatment of pain after thoracic surgery are used. Their application can be integrated into a therapeutic algorithm.
Development of a NeuroNICU with a Broader Focus on All Newborns at Risk of Brain Injury: The First 2 Years
Authors: Yan Elisabeth , Randall Kathi , Chock Valerie , Davis Alexis , Glennon Cecelia , Clark Catherine , Wusthoff Courtney , Bonifacio Sonia , Van Meurs Krisa
Published: April 2018

Objective Many critically ill neonates have an existing brain injury or are at risk of neurologic injury. We developed a “NeuroNICU” (neurologic neonatal intensive care unit) to better provide neurologically focused intensive care.

Study Design Demographic and clinical variables, services delivered, and patient outcomes were recorded in a prospective database for all neonates admitted to the NeuroNICU between April 23, 2013, and June 25, 2015.

Results In total, 546 neonates were admitted to the NeuroNICU representing 32% of all NICU admissions. The most common admission diagnoses were congenital heart disease (30%), extreme prematurity (18%), seizures (10%), and hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy (9%). Neuromonitoring was common, with near-infrared spectroscopy used in 69%, amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (EEG) in 45%, and continuous video EEG in 35%. Overall, 43% received neurology or neurosurgery consultation. Death prior to hospital discharge occurred in 11%. Among survivors, 87% were referred for developmental follow-up, and among those with a primary neurologic diagnosis 57% were referred for neurology or neurosurgical follow-up.

Conclusion The NeuroNICU-admitted newborns with or at risk of brain injury comprise a high percentage of NICU volume; 38% had primary neurologic diagnoses, whereas 62% had medical diagnoses. We found many opportunities to provide brain focused intensive care, impacting a substantial proportion of newborns in our NICU.
Coherent flow structures and heat transfer in a duct with electromagnetic forcing
Authors: Himo Rawad , Habchi Charbel
Published: April 2018

Coherent vortices are generated electromagnetically in a square duct flow. The vortices are induced by a Lorentz force applied in a small section near the entrance of the duct. The flow structure complexity increases with the electromagnetic forcing since the primary vortices propagating along the duct detach to generate secondary smaller streamwise vortices and hairpin-like structures. The Reynolds number based on the mean flow velocity and hydraulic diameter is 500, and five cases were studied by varying the electromagnetic forcing. Even though this Reynolds number is relatively low, a periodic sequence of hairpin-like structure flow was observed for the high forcing cases. This mechanism enhances the mixing process between the different flow regions resulting in an increase in the thermal performances which reaches 66% relative to the duct flow without forcing. In addition to the flow complexity, lower forcing cases remained steady, unlike high Lorentz forces that induced periodic instabilities with a Strouhal number around 0.59 for the transient eddies. The effect of the flow structure on the heat transfer is analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively using numerical simulations based on the finite volume method. Moreover, proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) analysis was performed on the flow structures to evaluate the most energetic modes contributing in the flow. It is found from the POD analysis that the primary streamwise vortices and hairpin legs are the flow structures that are the most contributing to the heat transfer process.
First-order symmetry-adapted perturbation theory for multiplet splittings
Authors: Patkowski Konrad , Żuchowski Piotr S. , Smith Daniel G. A.
Published: April 2018

We present a symmetry-adapted perturbation theory (SAPT) for the interaction of two high-spin open-shell molecules (described by their restricted open-shell Hartree-Fock determinants) resulting in low-spin states of the complex. The previously available SAPT formalisms, except for some system-specific studies for few-electron complexes, were restricted to the high-spin state of the interacting system. Thus, the new approach provides, for the first time, a SAPT-based estimate of the splittings between different spin states of the complex. We have derived and implemented the lowest-order SAPT term responsible for these splittings, that is, the first-order exchange energy. We show that within the so-called S2 approximation commonly used in SAPT (neglecting effects that vanish as fourth or higher powers of intermolecular overlap integrals), the first-order exchange energies for all multiplets are linear combinations of two matrix elements: a diagonal exchange term that determines the spin-averaged effect and a spin-flip term responsible for the splittings between the states. The numerical factors in this linear combination are determined solely by the Clebsch-Gordan coefficients: accordingly, the S2 approximation implies a Heisenberg Hamiltonian picture with a single coupling strength parameter determining all the splittings. The new approach is cast into both molecular-orbital and atomic-orbital expressions: the latter enable an efficient density-fitted implementation. We test the newly developed formalism on several open-shell complexes ranging from diatomic systems (Li⋯H, Mn⋯Mn, …) to the phenalenyl dimer.
Quantum mechanical settings inspired by RLC circuits
Authors: Alicata G. , Bagarello F. , Gargano F. , Spagnolo S.
Published: April 2018

In some recent papers, several authors used electronic circuits to construct loss and gain systems. This is particularly interesting in the context of PT-quantum mechanics, where this kind of effects appears quite naturally. The electronic circuits used so far are simple, but not so much. Surprisingly enough, a rather trivial RLC circuit can be analyzed with the same perspective and it produces a variety of unexpected results, both from a mathematical and on a physical side. In this paper, we show that this circuit produces two biorthogonal bases associated with the Liouville matrix L used in the treatment of its dynamics, with a biorthogonality which is linked to the value of the parameters of the circuit. We also show that the related loss RLC circuit is naturally associated with a gain RLC circuit and that the relation between the two is rather naturally encoded in L. We propose a pseudo-fermionic analysis of the circuit, and we introduce the notion of m-equivalence between electronic circuits.
Mid-IR frequency comb and quantum-cascade laser system improves precision spectroscopy
Authors: Michaud Sarah
Published: April 2018

A new mid-IR high-precision spectrometer based on a quantum-cascade laser and a tunable frequency comb can perform accurate measurements with absolute calibration and high signal-to-noise ratio.
Goldberg’s Rely On construction
Authors: Rostila Jouni
Published: April 2018

Goldberg (2014) proposes one polysemous argument structure construction (ASC) for cases as varied as nibble/rely/bet on something. Inspired by ASCs needed for a semantically similar domain in German, my analysis suggests that a more adequate solution can be reached with three constructions that are semantically further apart than the two sub-senses of Goldberg’s Rely On construction. The solution makes use of Israel’s (1996) empirical findings regarding the historical development of the English way ASC to model the development and interrelationships of the required constructions. Overall, the chapter advocates the advantages of a contrastive approach and the use of diachronic studies to inform synchronic Construction Grammar analyses of specific domains.
A novel thiamine-derived pigment, pyrizepine, formed by the Maillard reaction
Authors: Igoshi Asuka , Noda Kyoko , Murata Masatsune
Published: April 2018

To find a Maillard pigment derived from thiamine, a solution containing glucose and thiamine was heated and analyzed with high-performance liquid chromatography equipped with diode-array detection. As a result, a unique peak showing an absorption maximum at 380 nm was detected. This peak was then isolated from a reaction solution containing glucose, lysine and thiamine, and was identified as 1-(2-methyl-6,9-dihydro-5H-pyrimido[4,5-e][1,4]diazepin-7-yl)ethan-1-one using instrumental analyses. This compound, named pyrizepine, was a novel yellow pigment having a fused ring consisting of pyrimidine and diazepine. Pyrizepine was a major low-molecular-weight pigment in the reaction solution. The structure suggests that pyrizepine is formed by condensation reaction between a degradation product of thiamine and a tetrosone derivative formed from glucose by the Maillard reaction.