bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dopaminergic regulation of dopamine D3 and D3nf receptor mRNA expression
Authors: Richtand Neil M. , liu Yanhong , Ahlbrand Rebecca , Sullivan Juliana R. , Newman Amy Hauck , Mcnamara Robert K.
Published: March 2010

Dopamine D3 receptors have the highest dopamine affinity of all dopamine receptors, and may thereby regulate dopamine signaling mediated by volume transmission. Changes in D3 receptor isoform expression may alter D3 receptor function, however, little is known regarding coordination of D3 isoform expression in response to perturbations in dopaminergic stimulation. To determine the effects of dopamine receptor stimulation and blockade on D3 receptor alternative splicing, we determined D3 and D3nf isoform mRNA expression following treatment with the D3 receptor antagonist NGB 2904, and the indirect dopamine agonist amphetamine. Expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) mRNA, the rate‐limiting enzyme in dopamine synthesis, was also determined. The D3/D3nf mRNA expression ratio was increased in ventral striatum, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus 6 h following D3 antagonist NGB 2904 treatment, and remained persistently elevated at 24 h in hippocampus and substantia nigra/ventral tegmentum. D3 mRNA decreased 65% and D3nf mRNA expression decreased 71% in prefrontal cortex 24 h following amphetamine treatment, however, these changes did not reach statistical significance. TH mRNA expression was unaffected by D3 antagonist NGB 2904, but was elevated by amphetamine in ventral striatum, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex. These findings provide evidence for an adaptive response to altered D3 receptor stimulation involving changes in D3 receptor alternative splicing. Additionally, these data suggest D3 autoreceptor regulation of dopamine synthesis does not involve regulation of TH mRNA expression. Finally, the observation of regulated TH mRNA expression in dopamine terminal fields provides experimental support for the model of local control of mRNA expression in adaptation to synaptic activity. Synapse, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Generalized Structured Component Analysis with Latent Interactions
Authors: Hwang Heungsun , Ho Moon-Ho Ringo , Lee Jonathan
Published: March 2010

Generalized structured component analysis (GSCA) is a component-based approach to structural equation modeling. In practice, researchers may often be interested in examining the interaction effects of latent variables. However, GSCA has been geared only for the specification and testing of the main effects of variables. Thus, an extension of GSCA is proposed to effectively deal with various types of interactions among latent variables. In the proposed method, a latent interaction is defined as a product of interacting latent variables. As a result, this method does not require the construction of additional indicators for latent interactions. Moreover, it can easily accommodate both exogenous and endogenous latent interactions. An alternating least-squares algorithm is developed to minimize a single optimization criterion for parameter estimation. A Monte Carlo simulation study is conducted to investigate the parameter recovery capability of the proposed method. An application is also presented to demonstrate the empirical usefulness of the proposed method.
Genetic Ablation of CD36 Does not Alter Mouse Brain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Concentrations
Authors: Song Byung Jun , Elbert Adrienne , Rahman Tupur , Orr Sarah K. , Chen Chuck T. , Febbraio Maria , Bazinet Richard P.
Published: March 2010

In the brain, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), especially arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are required for regulating membrane fluidity, neuronal survival and signal transduction. Since the brain cannot synthesize n‐6 and n‐3 PUFA de novo, they must be supplied from the blood. However, the methods of PUFA entry into the brain are not agreed upon. This study tested the necessity of CD36, a candidate transporter of unesterified fatty acids, for maintaining brain PUFA concentrations by comparing brain PUFA concentrations in CD36−/− mice to their wild‐type littermates. Because CD36−/− mice have been reported to have impaired learning ability, the PUFA concentrations in different brain regions (cortex, hippocampus, cerebellum and the remainder of brain) were investigated. At 9 weeks of age, the brain was separated into the four regions and fatty acid concentrations in total and phospholipid classes of these brain regions were analyzed using thin layer and gas chromatography. There were no statistical differences in arachidonic acid or DHA concentrations in the different brain regions between wild‐type and CD36−/− mice, in total or phospholipid fractions. Concentrations of monounsaturated fatty acids were decreased in several phospholipid fractions in CD36−/− mice. These findings suggest that CD36 is not necessary for maintaining brain PUFA concentrations and that other mechanisms must exist.
La frontière comme enjeu
Authors: Lamy Jérôme , Saint-Martin Arnaud
Published: March 2010

Les Annales ont tracé, depuis leurs débuts dans les années 1930, des frontières avec la sociologie. L’étude de trois moments majeurs (l’ère des fondateurs, le moment Braudel et la décennie 1980) permet de saisir le travail d ‘horographie comme un enjeu sans cesse actualisé dans les rapports de force institutionnels et épistémologiques. L’identité collective des Annales, émergeant dans ces débats de délimitation avec la sociologie, s’appuie sur un réseau de valeurs et de références continuellement ajusté.
Influence of pain reduction by transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on somatosensory functions in patients with painful traumatic peripheral partial nerve injury
Authors: Engholm Gerd , Leffler Ann‐Sofie
Published: March 2010

Following peripheral nerve injury sensory loss is taken as a sign of denervation. However, based on reports of improved sensitivity following relief of pain it has been suggested that a functional block produced by the activity in the nociceptive system itself may be responsible for at least part of the sensory aberrations. The aim was to examine if pain reduction by high‐frequency TENS influenced somatosensory functions in patients with long‐term unilateral painful traumatic peripheral partial nerve injury. Eighteen patients with spontaneous ongoing pain and a touch sensation in the innervation territory of the injured nervous structure of at least 5 on an intensity 11‐point Likert rating scale compared with contralaterally, participated. Before and following 80 Hz TENS with a stimulus intensity generating non‐painful paresthesiae in the painful areas during 30 min the pain intensity was rated on a numerical rating scale and bedside examination of somatosensory functions (BE) and quantitative sensory testing (QST) were performed in the same areas. Before and following TENS there was no difference in sensory functions between nine patients with ≥50% pain reduction and nine patients with a smaller or no reduction in pain. Compared to baseline, only minor TENS‐induced alterations in somatosensory functions were found at BE in conjunction with decreased sensitivity to light touch at QST (p< 0.01) in both groups alike. In conclusion ≥50% pain reduction by TENS did not alter sensory functions differentially compared to a smaller or no reduction in pain.
Lipid droplets: A dynamic organelle moves into focus
Authors: Beller Mathias , Thiel Katharina , Thul Peter J. , Jäckle Herbert
Published: March 2010

Lipid droplets (LDs) were perceived as static storage deposits, which passively participate in the energy homeostasis of both cells and entire organisms. However, this view has changed recently after the realization of a complex and highly dynamic LD proteome. The proteome contains key components of the fat mobilization system and proteins that suggest LD interactions with a variety of cell organelles, including the endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria and peroxisomes. The study of LD cell biology, including cross‐talk with other organelles, the trafficking of LDs in the cell and regulatory events involving the LD coat proteins is now on the verge of leaving its infancy and unfolds that LDs are highly dynamic cellular organelles.
Separation of heteromeric potassium channel Kcv towards probing subunit composition‐regulated ion permeation and gating
Authors: Tan Qiulin , Shim Ji Wook , Gu Li-Qun
Published: March 2010

The chlorella virus‐encoded Kcv can form a homo‐tetrameric potassium channel in lipid membranes. This miniature peptide can be synthesized in vitro, and the tetramer purified from the SDS–polyacrylamide gel retains the K+ channel functionality. Combining this capability with the mass‐tagging method, we propose a simple, straightforward approach that can generically manipulate individual subunits in the tetramer, thereby enabling the detection of contribution from individual subunits to the channel functions. Using this approach, we showed that the structural change in the selectivity filter from only one subunit is sufficient to cause permanent channel inactivation (“all‐or‐none” mechanism), whereas the mutation near the extracellular entrance additively modifies the ion permeation with the number of mutant subunits in the tetramer (“additive” mechanism).
Site‐directed mutagenesis and structural modeling of Coq10p indicate the presence of a tunnel for coenzyme Q6 binding
Authors: Busso Cleverson , Bleicher Lucas , Ferreira-Júnior José Ribamar , Barros Mario H.
Published: March 2010

Coq10p is a protein required for coenzyme Q function, but its specific role is still unknown. It is a member of the START domain superfamily that contains a hydrophobic tunnel implicated in the binding of lipophilic molecules. We used site‐directed mutagenesis, statistical coupling analysis and molecular modeling to probe structural determinants in the Coq10p putative tunnel. Four point mutations were generated (coq10‐K50E, coq10‐L96S, coq10‐E105K and coq10‐K162D) and their biochemical properties analysed, as well as structural consequences. Our results show that all mutations impaired Coq10p function and together with molecular modeling indicate an important role for the Coq10p putative tunnel.
A Compromised Inheritance: Monastic Discourse and the Politics of Property Exchange in Early Twelfth-Century Flanders
Authors: VANDERPUTTEN STEVEN
Published: March 2010

This paper explores the possibilities of assessing the social discourse of monastic groups in early twelfth-century Flanders. Through the examination of a dispute over property given by a dying noblewoman to the priory of Hesdin, it argues that both the way in which the monks and their benefactors dealt with the politics of property transfers and the discourse of the written account of these events may be interpreted, on the one hand as deliberate attempts to force a monastic understanding of property and relations with the laity upon the rural communities around Hesdin. On the other, they may be seen as the reflection of a struggle for power and status involving members of several levels of the lay elite.
Energy dissipation in microfluidic beam resonators
Authors: SADER JOHN E. , BURG THOMAS P. , MANALIS SCOTT R.
Published: March 2010

The fluid–structure interaction of resonating microcantilevers immersed in fluid has been widely studied and is a cornerstone in nanomechanical sensor development. In many applications, fluid damping imposes severe limitations by strongly degrading the signal-to-noise ratio of measurements. Recently, Burget al. (Nature, vol. 446, 2007, pp. 1066–1069) proposed an alternative type of microcantilever device whereby a microfluidic channel was embedded inside the cantilever with vacuum outside. Remarkably, it was observed that energy dissipation in these systems was almost identical when air or liquid was passed through the channel and was 4 orders of magnitude lower than that in conventional microcantilever systems. Here, we study the fluid dynamics of these devices and present a rigorous theoretical model corroborated by experimental measurements to explain these observations. In so doing, we elucidate the dominant physical mechanisms giving rise to the unique features of these devices. Significantly, it is found that energy dissipation is not a monotonic function of fluid viscosity, but exhibits oscillatory behaviour, as fluid viscosity is increased/decreased. In the regime of low viscosity, inertia dominates the fluid motion inside the cantilever, resulting in thin viscous boundary layers – this leads to an increase in energy dissipation with increasing viscosity. In the high-viscosity regime, the boundary layers on all surfaces merge, leading to a decrease in dissipation with increasing viscosity. Effects of fluid compressibility also become significant in this latter regime and lead to rich flow behaviour. A direct consequence of these findings is that miniaturization does not necessarily result in degradation in the quality factor, which may indeed be enhanced. This highly desirable feature is unprecedented in current nanomechanical devices and permits direct miniaturization to enhance sensitivity to environmental changes, such as mass variations, in liquid.
Towards the design of an optimal mixer
Authors: GUBANOV OLEG , CORTELEZZI LUCA
Published: March 2010

We define as an optimal mixer a mixing device able to deliver a uniformly optimal mixing performance over a wide range of operating and initial conditions. We consider the conceptual problem of designing an optimal mixer starting from a well-known reference mixer, the sine flow. We characterize the mixing performance of the reference mixer, and show that it performs poorly and erratically over a wide range of operating conditions and is quite sensitive to the geometry of the initial concentration field. We define as a target performance the best mixing performance the reference mixer is able to achieve. In steps we modify the design of the reference mixer. First, we optimize the time sequence of the switching protocols and show that the mixing performance of the time-optimized mixer, although substantially improved with respect to the reference mixer, is still far from achieving the target performance and being insensitive to the geometry of the initial concentration field. The analysis of the performance of the time-optimized mixer brings to light the deficiency of the actuating system used, which delivers always the same amount of shear at the same locations. We modify the actuating system by allowing the stirring velocity fields to shift along their coordinate axes. A new mixer, the space-optimized mixer, is created by equipping the reference mixer with the new actuating system and optimizing the shift of the stirring velocity field at each iteration. The space-optimized mixer is able to deliver the target performance over the upper two-thirds of the operating range. In the lower one-third, the performance of the space-optimized mixer deteriorates because of the use of a periodic protocol. A optimal mixer is finally obtained using the actuating system of the space-optimized mixer and coupling the time and shift optimizations. The resulting optimal mixer is able to deliver a uniform target performance, insensitive to the geometry of the initial conditions, over the entire operating range.
Hovering of a rigid pyramid in an oscillatory airflow
Authors: WEATHERS ANNIE , FOLIE BRENDAN , LIU BIN , CHILDRESS STEPHEN , ZHANG JUN
Published: March 2010

We investigate the dynamics of rigid bodies (hollow ‘pyramids’) placed within a background airflow, oscillating with zero mean. The asymmetry of the body introduces a net upward force. We find that when the amplitude of the airflow is above a threshold, the net lift exceeds the weight and the object starts to hover. Our results show that the objects hover at far smaller air amplitudes than would be required by a quasi-steady theory, although this theory accounts qualitatively for the behaviour of the system as the body mass becomes small.
TESTING STRUCTURAL CHANGE IN PARTIALLY LINEAR MODELS
Authors: Su Liangjun , White Halbert
Published: March 2010

We consider two tests of structural change for partially linear time-series models. The first tests for structural change in the parametric component, based on the cumulative sums of gradients from a single semiparametric regression. The second tests for structural change in the parametric and nonparametric components simultaneously, based on the cumulative sums of weighted residuals from the same semiparametric regression. We derive the limiting distributions of both tests under the null hypothesis of no structural change and for sequences of local alternatives. We show that the tests are generally not asymptotically pivotal under the null but may be free of nuisance parameters asymptotically under further asymptotic stationarity conditions. Our tests thus complement the conventional instability tests for parametric models. To improve the finite-sample performance of our tests, we also propose a wild bootstrap version of our tests and justify its validity. Finally, we conduct a small set of Monte Carlo simulations to investigate the finite-sample properties of the tests.
GENERAL SPECIFICATION TESTING WITH LOCALLY MISSPECIFIED MODELS
Authors: Bera Anil K. , Montes-Rojas Gabriel , Sosa-Escudero Walter
Published: March 2010

A well known result is that many of the tests used in econometrics, such as the Rao score (RS) test, may not be robust to misspecified alternatives, that is, when the alternative model does not correspond to the underlying data generating process. Under this scenario, these tests spuriously reject the null hypothesis too often. We generalize this result to generalized method of moments–based (GMM-based) tests. We also extend the method proposed in Bera and Yoon (1993,Econometric Theory9, 649–658) for constructing RS tests that are robust to local misspecification to GMM-based tests. Finally, a further generalization for general estimating and testing functions is developed. This framework encompasses both likelihood and GMM-based results.
Age, influenza pandemics and disease dynamics
Authors: GREER A. L. , TUITE A. , FISMAN D. N.
Published: March 2010

The world is currently confronting the first influenza pandemic of the 21st century [caused by a novel pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus]. Earlier pandemics have been characterized by age distributions that are distinct from those observed with seasonal influenza epidemics, with higher attack rates (and correspondingly increased proportionate or relative mortality) in younger individuals. While the genesis of protection against infection in older individuals during a pandemic is uncertain, differential vulnerability to infection by age has important implications for disease dynamics and control, and for choice of optimal vaccination strategies. Age-related vulnerability to infection may explain differences between school- and community-derived estimates of the reproductive number (R) for a newly emerged pandemic strain, and may also help explain the failure of a newly emerged influenza A (H1N1) virus strain to cause a pandemic in 1977. Age-related factors may also help explain variability in attack rates, and the size and impact of influenza epidemics across jurisdictions and between populations. In Canada, such effects have been observed in the apparently increased severity of outbreaks on Indigenous peoples' reserves. The implications of these patterns for vaccine allocation necessitate targeted research to understand age-related vulnerabilities early in an influenza pandemic.
Establishment and characterization of embryonic stem-like cells from porcine somatic cell nuclear transfer blastocysts
Authors: Kim S. , Kim J.H. , Lee E. , Jeong Y.W. , Hossein M.S. , Park S.M. , Park S.W. , Lee J.Y. , Jeong Y.I. , Kim H.S. , Kim Y.W. , Hyun S.H. , Hwang W.S.
Published: March 2010

This study was aimed to establish embryonic stem (ES)-like cells from blastocysts derived from somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) in pig. Somatic cells isolated from both day-30 fetus and neonatal cloned piglet were used for donor cells. A total of 60 blastocysts (46 and 14 derived from fetal and neonatal fibroblast donor cells, respectively) were seeded onto a mitotically inactive mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) monolayer and two ES-like cell lines, one from each donor cell type, were established. They remained undifferentiated over more than 52 (fetal fibroblast-derived) and 48 (neonatal fibroblast-derived) passages, while retaining alkaline phosphatase activity and reactivity with ES specific markers Oct-4, stage-specific embryonic antigen-1 (SSEA-1), SSEA-4, TRA-1–60 and TRA-1–81. These ES-like cells maintained normal diploid karyotype throughout subculture and successfully differentiated into embryoid bodies that expressed three germ layer-specific genes (ectoderm: β-III tubulin; endoderm: amylase; and mesoderm: enolase) after culture in leukemia inhibitory factor-free medium. Microsatellite analysis confirmed that they were genetically identical to its donor cells. Combined with gene targeting, our results may contribute to developing an efficient method for producing transgenic pigs for various purposes.
The autonomic nervous system dysregulation in response to orthostatic stress in children with neurocardiogenic syncope
Authors: Topcu Burcu , Akalın Figen
Published: March 2010

Neurocardiogenic syncope is a common disorder, which is considered as a benign condition. However, sudden loss of conscience and muscle tone causes anxiety among the family members due to its similarity to sudden death. Autonomic nervous system dysregulation is thought to be responsible in the aetiology. Heart rate variability is used for assessment of autonomic nervous system.

We evaluated 24 children between 6 and 18 years (mean plus or minus standard deviation is equal to 12.5 plus or minus 3.28, with neurocardiogenic syncope and 10 healthy controls, mean plus or minus standard deviation is equal to 12.48 plus or minus 3.27) by using 24 hour Holter monitorisation and head-up tilt test. Heart rate variability analysis was performed using the Holter recordings obtained both during head-up tilt test and throughout the day.

Our results revealed that, there is no significant difference between the study and the control groups in terms of the mean heart rate and all indices of the heart rate variability (p > 0.05). However, during the first 5 minutes of the head-up tilt test, standard deviation of all RR intervals and root mean square of successive differences were significantly lower in the syncope group compared with the control group, 42.17 plus or minus 12.56 versus 60.10 plus or minus 33.10 and 21.26 plus or minus 8.87 versus 36.80 plus or minus 31.03; p-values 0.02 and 0.03, respectively.

In conclusion; autonomic functions in children with neurocardiogenic syncope are similar to healthy children. However, sympathetic hyperactivation occurs during the early phase of orthostatic stress in children with neurocardiogenic syncope comparing to healthy controls. Parasympathetic innervation is not sufficient in compensation of this sympathetic hyperactivation. Management strategy in neurocardiogenic syncope should be based on these pathophysiologic mechanisms.
Successful transseptal puncture for radiofrequency ablation of left atrial tachycardia after closure of secundum atrial septal defect with Amplatzer septal occluder
Authors: Pedersen Michala E. F. , Gill Jaswinder S. , Qureshi Shakeel A. , Rinaldi Christopher A.
Published: March 2010

We report on a 37-year-old woman presenting with atrial arrhythmias after catheter closure of a secundum atrial septal defect with an Amplatzer septal occluder device. Eletrophysiological studies suggested that the arrhythmia originated from the left atrium, from an area near the device. Transseptal puncture was successfully performed under transoesophageal guidance and the arrhythmia was successfully ablated. This case showed that transseptal puncture can be safely performed in the presence of an Amplatzer septal occluder device under transoesophageal echocardiography guidance and we speculate that the device may have created the substrate for the arrhythmia.
Exploring the recollective experience during autobiographical memory retrieval in amnestic mild cognitive impairment
Authors: IRISH MUIREANN , LAWLOR BRIAN A. , O’MARA SHANE M. , COEN ROBERT F.
Published: March 2010

Autonoetic consciousness refers to the ability to mentally transport oneself back in subjective time to relive elements of, or all, of a past event, and is compromised in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Here, we investigate autobiographical memory (ABM) and the recollective experience in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). aMCI participants exhibited significant deficits compared with healthy elderly controls for both personal semantic and event detail components of ABM. These decrements were evident across all life epochs for episodic recall. Recall of an event that occurred 1 week previously, was tested in the same spatiotemporal context, and provided the greatest group dissociation, with elderly controls benefitting from a context-dependent memory effect. This reinstantiation of context did not ameliorate the anterograde deficits in the aMCI cohort, nor did it facilitate the mental reliving of these memories for either participant group. Whereas reliving judgments were comparable in both groups, aMCI participants exhibited a compromised capacity to generate vivid, self-referential visual imagery and to re-experience the original emotion of events. These contextual and experiential deficits extended beyond recently encountered events into remote epochs, and suggest a greater level of ABM impairment in aMCI than previously assumed. (JINS, 2010, 16, 546–555.)
Models as hypothesis generators and models as roadmaps
Authors: BRYSBAERT MARC , VERREYT NELE , DUYCK WOUTER
Published: March 2010

In this reply to Kroll, Van Hell, Tokowicz and Green (this issue) we present an analysis of the citations made to the Revised Hierarchical Model (RHM). This gives us a quantitative summary of the current use of the RHM, showing that RHM has been used equally often to guide research in word recognition as in word production. We also question the claim that Brysbaert and Duyck's (this issue) focus on word recognition leaves RHM unscathed for the explanation of word production and the interactions between lexical and conceptual representations. For these research topics too, we feel that more progress will be made by adapting computational monolingual models to the bilingual situation rather than by trying to understand the findings from the RHM framework.
The dialogue of difference: gender perspectives on international humanitarian law
Authors: Durham Helen , O'Byrne Katie
Published: March 2010

This article examines the meaning and potential usefulness of a ‘gender perspective’ on international humanitarian law (IHL). In order to do so, it considers a number of ‘gendered’ themes found within IHL, including the role of women as combatants, and the gendered use of sexual violence during times of armed conflict. The authors suggest that further development and understanding of a gender perspective will contribute to the resilience and effectiveness of IHL as a system of law, and will strengthen the protection of those who are victimized and disempowered during times of war.
Ages and stratigraphy of lunar mare basalts in Mare Frigoris and other nearside maria based on crater size‐frequency distribution measurements
Authors: Hiesinger H. , Head J. W. , Wolf U. , Jaumann R. , Neukum G.
Published: March 2010

We report on ages derived from impact crater counts for exposed mare basalt units in the northern part of the lunar nearside hemisphere (Mare Frigoris), the eastern and northeastern part of the nearside hemisphere (Lacus Temporis, Joliot, Hubble, Goddard, Mare Marginis, and Mare Smythii), the central part of the nearside hemisphere (Palus Putredinis, Mare Vaporum, and Sinus Medii), and the southwestern part of the nearside hemisphere (Grimaldi, Crüger, Rocca A, Lacus Aestatis, and Schickard). In Mare Frigoris, we dated 37 basalt units, showing ages from 2.61 to 3.77 Gyr, with most units being formed in the late Imbrian period between 3.4 and 3.8 Gyr ago. In Mare Vaporum we dated six spectrally homogeneous units that show model ages of 3.10 to 3.61 Gyr. Our model ages of basalts in Mare Marginis range from 3.38 to 3.88 Gyr and are mostly older than basalts in Mare Smythii (3.14–3.48 Gyr). The model ages of four units in Sinus Medii indicate that the basalts in this region formed 3.63 to 3.79 Gyr ago. We find an excellent agreement of our crater size‐frequency model ages of the Palus Putredinis area, which contains the Apollo 15 landing site, with the radiometric ages of Apollo 15 samples. According to our crater counts, basalts in Palus Putredinis are 3.34 Gyr old and this compares favorably with the radiometric ages of 3.30–3.35 Gyr of the olivine‐normative and quartz‐normative basalts of the Apollo 15 landing site. Lacus Aestatis is a small irregular‐shaped mare patch in the southwestern nearside and shows an Imbrian age of 3.50 Gyr; basalts in Lacus Temporis in the northeastern nearside formed between 3.62 and 3.74 Gyr ago and are, therefore, older than the basalts in Lacus Aestatis. We found that basalts in craters of the southwestern nearside (Schickard, Grimaldi, Crüger, and Rocca A) are also mostly younger than basalts in craters of the northeastern nearside (Hubble, Joliot, and Goddard). While basalt ages vary between 3.16 and 3.75 Gyr in the southwest, basalts in the northeast are 3.60–3.79 Gyr old. These results confirm and extend the general distribution of ages of mare basalt volcanism and further underline the predominance of older mare basalt ages in the eastern and southern nearside and in patches of mare peripheral to the larger maria, in contrast to the younger basalt ages on the western nearside (Oceanus Procellarum).
Effects of tillage during the nonwaterlogged period on nitrous oxide and nitric oxide emissions in typical Chinese rice‐wheat rotation ecosystems
Authors: Yao Zhisheng , Zhou Zaixing , Zheng Xunhua , Xie Baohua , Liu Chunyan , Butterbach‐Bahl Klaus , Zhu Jianguo
Published: March 2010

Tillage practices result in major changes to soil environmental conditions and to the distribution of crop residues and nutrients in the soil profile, which may consequently affect the biogenic production and emission of N trace gases. To investigate the effects of tillage during the nonwaterlogged period on nitric oxide (NO) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions in rice‐wheat rotation systems, we performed field experiments at three sites (Suzhou, Wuxi, and Jiangdu) in the Yangtze River Delta using static chamber techniques. The results showed that the effect of tillage on the emissions of both gases differed among the three field sites due to differences in agricultural management and soil texture. At the site with a light soil texture (Jiangdu: sandy loam), no tillage resulted in reduced NO emissions (0.5 kg N ha−1) as compared to conventionally tilled fields (0.9 kg N ha−1; p < 0.05). Regarding N2O, the no tillage plots showed significantly higher emissions (p < 0.05) in comparison to the tilled plots (3.9 versus 2.2 kg N ha−1) when the fields were merely amended with synthetic N fertilizers. However, this effect was not significant when wheat straw was used in addition to synthetic N fertilizers during the preceding rice season. In the clay loam soils (Wuxi), no tillage resulted in lower NO and higher N2O emissions from either N fertilized or unfertilized fields even though these results were not statistically significant. In the silty clay loam soils (Suzhou), which showed the highest soil organic carbon contents and the highest rates of N trace gas emissions in all three of the investigated sites, reduced tillage resulted in much higher NO emissions, whereas N2O emissions were not obviously influenced by tillage practices (reduced tillage versus tillage: NO, 9.5 versus 5.4 kg N ha−1; N2O, 10.6 versus 9.0 kg N ha−1). Similar effects of tillage were observed for the direct emission factors of the applied N during the wheat season. The observed emission factors for the different sites ranged from 0.3% to 2.4% for N2O (mean: 1.0%) and from 0.1% to 4.0% (mean: 0.9%) for NO, respectively. The observed site‐to‐site differences in emission factors are most likely the results of variations in soil properties (such as texture and pH) and agricultural practices (such as tillage and crop residue management) or in the amount and pattern of precipitation.
Entropy theory for derivation of infiltration equations
Authors: Singh Vijay P.
Published: March 2010

An entropy theory is formulated for modeling the potential rate of infiltration in unsaturated soils. The theory is composed of six parts: (1) Shannon entropy, (2) principle of maximum entropy (POME), (3) specification of information on infiltration in terms of constraints, (4) maximization of entropy in accordance with POME, (5) derivation of the probability distribution of infiltration, and (6) derivation of infiltration equations. The theory is illustrated with the derivation of six infiltration equations commonly used in hydrology, watershed management, and agricultural irrigation, including Horton, Kostiakov, Philip two‐term, Green‐Ampt, Overton, and Holtan equations, and the determination of the least biased probability distributions of these infiltration equations and their entropies. The theory leads to the expression of parameters of the derived infiltration equations in terms of measurable quantities (or information), called constraints, and in this sense these equations are rendered nonparametric. Furthermore, parameters of these infiltration equations can be expressed in terms of three measurable quantities: initial infiltration, steady infiltration, and soil moisture retention capacity. Using parameters so obtained, infiltration rates are computed using these six infiltration equations and are compared with field experimental observations reported in the hydrologic literature as well as the rates computed using parameters of these equations obtained by calibration. It is found that infiltration parameter values yielded by the entropy theory are good approximations.
Size distributions of organic nitrogen and carbon in remote marine aerosols: Evidence of marine biological origin based on their isotopic ratios
Authors: Miyazaki Yuzo , Kawamura Kimitaka , Sawano Maki
Published: March 2010

Size‐segregated aerosol samples were collected over the western North Pacific in summer 2008 for the measurements of organic nitrogen (ON) and organic carbon (OC). ON and OC showed bimodal size distributions. Their concentrations showed positive correlation with those of biogenic tracers, methanesulfonic acid (MSA) and azelaic acid (C9). We found that average ON and OC concentrations were twice greater in aerosols collected in the oceanic region with higher biological productivity than in the regions with lower productivity. The average ON/OC ratios are higher (0.49 ± 0.11) in more biologically influenced aerosols than those (0.35 ± 0.10) in less influenced aerosols. Stable carbon isotopic analysis indicates that marine‐derived carbon accounted for ∼46–72% of total carbon in more biologically influenced aerosols. These results provide evidence that organic aerosols in this region are enriched in ON that is linked to oceanic biological activity and the subsequent emissions to the atmosphere.
A Hypothetic Mechanism of Ordering and Shaping Cells within Discrete Regions
Authors: Strokovskyy Yaroslav
Published: March 2010

We propose a hypothetic mechanism of ordering and shaping cells during C. elegans embryogenesis. The mechanism is based on the assumption that during each round of division of cells, daughter cells acquire electric charges from its mother cells (charge conservation law is taken into account). Between the acts of division, the total electric field, generated by a system of charged cells, change relative positions of the charged cells within the region. In one’s turn, the positions of the charged cells determine the pattern of the electrostatic field. A mathematical model of such self-consistent mechanism is developed. The process of developing the sixteen-cell structure starting with one cell is simulated. The results correspond to the known experimental data.
Purification and refolding of Escherichia coli‐expressed recombinant human interleukin‐2
Authors: Esfandiar Samaneh , Hashemi‐Najafabadi Sameereh , Shojaosadati Seyed Abbas , Sarrafzadeh Shokuh Aazam , Pourpak Zahra
Published: March 2010

The expression of rhIL‐2 (recombinant human interleukin‐2) in bacteria results in the formation of insoluble inclusion‐body aggregates. These aggregates were first solubilized under denaturing conditions (sodium phosphate buffer solution containing 8 M urea and 10 mM 2‐mercaptoethanol) and then purified using IMAC (immobilized metal‐ion‐affinity chromatography). IMAC was used to capture rhIL‐2. The protein was gradually refolded on the column by a gradient elution (8 M to 0 M urea) in the presence of 10% (v/v) glycerol. Glycerol was used to prevent protein aggregation during the refolding step. Using this method, rhIL‐2 was collected at 97% purity and its activity was measured by the lymphocyte transformation test. The measured activity was identical with commercial human interleukin‐2.
L’évolution du traitement orthodontique
des malocclusions
de la classe II, division 1
Authors: Philippe Julien
Published: March 2010

Le traitement des malocclusions de la classe II, division 1 évolue depuis le début du
XIXe siècle. De nouveaux procédés ont été successivement proposés par Kingsley, Angle, Case,
Rogers, Pullen, Grieve, Robin, Andresen et Haüpl, Tweed, Klohen, Ricketts, Herbst et
Pancherz. C’est la somme des idées et des tentatives de ces auteurs qui fait notre connaissance
d’aujourd’hui.
W-doped anatase TiO2 transparent conductive oxide films: Theory and experiment
Authors: Chen De-ming , Xu Gang , Miao Lei , Chen Li-hua , Nakao Setsuo , Jin Ping
Published: March 2010

W-doped anatase TiO2 films were deposited on glass substrate by magnetron cosputtering. The minimum resistivity, 1.5×10−2 Ω cm, for Ti1−xWxO2 film (x=0.063) was obtained. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis shows W incorporated in the Ti lattice position is mostly in the W6+ state. Theoretical calculations based upon the density-functional theory were applied to analyze the electronic structure and conducting mechanism. The strong hybridization of Ti 3d states with W 5d states is the dominate factor to cause the shifting in Fermi level into conduction band. Our results suggest that tungsten is a favorable dopant to form TiO2-based transparent conducting oxide materials.
Monoatomic layer removal mechanism in chemical mechanical polishing process: A molecular dynamics study
Authors: Si Lina , Guo Dan , Luo Jianbin , Lu Xinchun
Published: March 2010

Molecular dynamics simulations of nanoscratching processes were used to study the atomic-scale removal mechanism of single crystalline silicon in chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process and particular attention was paid to the effect of scratching depth. The simulation results under a scratching depth of 1 nm showed that a thick layer of silicon material was removed by chip formation and an amorphous layer was formed on the silicon surface after nanoscratching. By contrast, the simulation results with a depth of 0.1 nm indicated that just one monoatomic layer of workpiece was removed and a well ordered crystalline surface was obtained, which is quite consistent with previous CMP experimental results. Therefore, monoatomic layer removal mechanism was presented, by which it is considered that during CMP process the material was removed by one monoatomic layer after another, and the mechanism could provide a reasonable understanding on how the high precision surface was obtained. Also, the effects of the silica particle size and scratching velocity on the removal mechanism were investigated; the wear regimes and interatomic forces between silica particle and workpiece were studied to account for the different removal mechanisms with indentation depths of 0.1 and 1 nm.
The effect of oxidation on the electronic structure of the green fluorescent protein chromophore
Authors: Epifanovsky E. , Polyakov I. , Grigorenko B. , Nemukhin A. , Krylov A. I.
Published: March 2010

Electronic structure calculations of the singly and doubly ionized states of deprotonated 4′-hydroxybenzylidene-2,3-dimethylimidazolinone (HBDI anion) are presented. One-electron oxidation produces a doublet radical that has blueshifted absorption, whereas the detachment of two electrons yields a closed-shell cation with strongly redshifted (by about 0.6 eV) absorption relative to the HBDI anion. The results suggest that the doubly oxidized species may be responsible for oxidative redding of green fluorescent protein. The proposed mechanism involves two-step oxidation via electronically excited states and is consistent with the available experimental information [A. M. Bogdanov, A. S. Mishin, I. V. Yampolsky, et al., Nat. Chem. Biol. 5, 459 (2009)]. The spectroscopic signatures of the ionization-induced structural changes in the chromophore are also discussed.
Pulse stretcher with variable pulse length for excimer laser applications
Authors: Burkert A. , Bergmann J. , Triebel W. , Natura U.
Published: March 2010

Excimer laser systems are often combined with pulse stretchers, e.g., in lithography and Raman spectroscopy to reduce pulse peak intensities. We developed a pulse stretcher which is suited especially for pulse length dependent applications, e.g., in material research. This pulse stretcher is based on imaging and provides identical beam profiles and divergences at different pulse lengths in combination with the possibility of switching between four pulse lengths. Therefore, beam splitters are mounted onto motorized translation stages. These features are important for the characterization and development of improved optical materials for deep-ultraviolet applications. Here, two 193 nm single tube excimer lasers (Lambda Physik: LPX 240i, Cymer: ELS 5600) were evaluated concerning their combinability with an attached pulse stretcher. The wave-front radii of the ELS 5600 are dependent on repetition rate or pulse energy and are changing during warming-up. Without adapted pulse shaping, this can cause destruction of stretcher optics due to moving foci. We found that the LPX 240i could be combined easily with a pulse stretcher using beam shaping with only one cylindrical lens. We could demonstrate that stretched 193 nm laser pulses retard aging of CaF2 crystals.
Study on the activation of styrene-based shape memory polymer by medium-infrared laser light
Authors: Leng Jinsong , Zhang Dawei , Liu Yanju , Yu Kai , Lan Xin
Published: March 2010

This paper demonstrates the feasibility of shape memory polymer (SMP) activation by medium-infrared laser light. Medium-infrared light is transmitted by an optical fiber embedded in the SMP matrix, and the shape recovery process and temperature distribution are recorded by an infrared camera. Light-induced SMP exhibits potential applications in biomedicines and flexible displays.
Electronically excited and ionized states of the CH2CH2OH radical: A theoretical study
Authors: Karpichev B. , Koziol L. , Diri K. , Reisler H. , Krylov A. I.
Published: March 2010

The low lying excited electronic states of the 2-hydroxyethyl radical, CH2CH2OH, have been investigated theoretically in the range 5–7 eV by using coupled-cluster and equation-of-motion coupled-cluster methods. Both dissociation and isomerization pathways are identified. On the ground electronic potential energy surface, two stable conformers and six saddle points at energies below ∼900 cm−1 are characterized. Vertical excitation energies and oscillator strengths for the lowest-lying excited valence state and the 3s, 3px, 3py, and 3pz Rydberg states have been calculated and it is predicted that the absorption spectrum at ∼270–200 nm should be featureless. The stable conformers and saddle points differ primarily in their two dihedral coordinates, labeled dHOCC (OH torsion around CO), and dOCCH (CH2 torsion around CC). Vertical ionization from the ground-state conformers and saddle points leads to an unstable structure of the open-chain CH2CH2OH+ cation. The ion isomerizes promptly either to the 1-hydroxyethyl ion, CH3CHOH+, or to the cyclic oxirane ion, CH2(OH)CH2+, and the Rydberg states are expected to display a similar behavior. The isomerization pathway depends on the dOCCH angle in the ground state. The lowest valence state is repulsive and its dissociation along the CC, CO, and CH bonds, which leads to CH2+CH2OH, CH2CH2+OH, and H+CH2CHOH, should be prompt. The branching ratio among these channels depends sensitively on the dihedral angles. Surface crossings among Rydberg and valence states and with the ground state are likely to affect dissociation as well. It is concluded that the proximity of several low-lying excited electronic states, which can either dissociate directly or via isomerization and predissociation pathways, would give rise to prompt dissociation leading to several simultaneous dissociation channels.
Some new integrable nonlinear evolution equations and Darboux transformation
Authors: Geng Xianguo , He Guoliang
Published: March 2010

Two classes of new nonlinear evolution equations are derived with the aid of a 4×4 matrix spectral problem with three potentials. A Darboux transformation for the first nontrivial nonlinear evolution equation is given based on the gauge transformation between the corresponding 4×4 matrix spectral problems. As an application of the Darboux transformation, some explicit solutions of the nontrivially nonlinear evolution equation are obtained.
Far infrared spectra of solid state aliphatic amino acids in different protonation states
Authors: Trivella Aurélien , Gaillard Thomas , Stote Roland H. , Hellwig Petra
Published: March 2010

Far infrared spectra of zwitterionic, cationic, and anionic forms of aliphatic amino acids in solid state have been studied experimentally. Measurements were done on glycine, L-alanine, L-valine, L-leucine, and L-isoleucine powder samples and film samples obtained from dried solutions prepared at pH ranging from 1 to 13. Solid state density functional theory calculations were also performed, and detailed potential energy distributions were obtained from normal mode results. A good correspondence between experimental and simulated spectra was achieved and this allowed us to propose an almost complete band assignment for the far infrared spectra of zwitterionic forms. In the 700–50 cm−1 range, three regions were identified, each corresponding to a characteristic set of normal modes. A first region between 700 and 450 cm−1 mainly contained the carboxylate bending, rocking, and wagging modes as well as the ammonium torsional mode. The 450–250 cm−1 region was representative of backbone and sidechain skeletal bending modes. At last, the low wavenumber zone, below 250 cm−1, was characteristic of carboxylate and skeletal torsional modes and of lattice modes. Assignments are also proposed for glycine cationic and anionic forms, but could not be obtained for all aliphatic amino acids due to the lack of structural data. This work is intended to provide fundamental information for the understanding of peptides vibrational properties.