bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High speed 3D overhauser‐enhanced MRI using combined b‐SSFP and compressed sensing
Authors: Sarracanie Mathieu , Armstrong Brandon D. , Stockmann Jason , Rosen Matthew S.
Published: March 2013

Purpose

Overhauser‐enhanced MRI is a promising technique for imaging the distribution and dynamics of free radicals. A key challenge for Overhauser‐enhanced MRI is attaining high spatial and temporal resolution while simultaneously limiting resonator and sample heating due to the long, high power radio‐frequency pulses needed to saturate the electron resonance.

Methods

The approach presented here embeds EPR pulses within a balanced steady state free precession sequence. Unlike other Overhauser‐enhanced MRI methods, no separate Overhauser prepolarization step is required. This steady‐state approach also eliminates the problem of time‐varying Overhauser‐enhanced signal and provides constant polarization in the sample during the acquisition. A further increase in temporal resolution was achieved by incorporating undersampled k‐space strategies and compressed sensing reconstruction.

Results

We demonstrate 1 × 2 × 3.5 mm3 resolution at 6.5 mT across a 54 × 54 × 110 mm3 sample in 33 s while sampling 30% of k‐space.

Conclusion

The work presented here overcomes the main limitations of Overhauser enhanced MRI as previously described in the literature, drastically improving speed and resolution, and enabling new opportunities for the measurement of free radicals in living organisms, and for the study of dynamic processes such as metabolism and flow. Magn Reson Med 71:735–745, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Exact likelihood ratio and score confidence intervals for the binomial proportion
Authors: Somerville Matthew C. , Brown Rebekkah S.
Published: March 2013

Many methods are available for computing a confidence interval for the binomial parameter, and these methods differ in their operating characteristics. It has been suggested in the literature that the use of the exact likelihood ratio (LR) confidence interval for the binomial proportion should be considered. This paper provides an evaluation of the operating characteristics of the two‐sided exact LR and exact score confidence intervals for the binomial proportion and compares these results to those for three other methods that also strictly maintain nominal coverage: Clopper‐Pearson, Blaker, and Casella. In addition, the operating characteristics of the two‐sided exact LR method and exact score method are compared with those of the corresponding asymptotic methods to investigate the adequacy of the asymptotic approximation. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Interaction of copernicium with gold: Assessment of applicability of simple density functional theories
Authors: Zaitsevskii Andréi , Titov Anatoly V.
Published: March 2013

Interactions of Cn (element 112) atom with small Au clusters are studied using accurate ab initio scalar relativistic coupled cluster method for correlation treatment and two‐component relativistic density functional theory (RDFT) to take account of spin‐dependent relativistic effects. The results demonstrate the failure of RDFT with simple generalized‐gradient and hybrid functionals in describing Cn–Au bonds in complex systems. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
An approach to quantifying the efficiency of a Bayesian filter
Authors: Nearing Grey S. , Gupta Hoshin V. , Crow Wade T. , Gong Wei
Published: March 2013

Key Points

Measure contributions to posterior uncertainty in data assimilation

Track information through a dynamic systems model
Semianalytical solutions for release of fluids from rock matrix blocks with different shapes, sizes, and depletion regimes
Authors: Ranjbar Ehsan , Hassanzadeh Hassan , Chen Zhangxin
Published: March 2013

Key Points

Semi‐analytical solutions are derived for non‐linear pressure diffusion equation

The model can be used to estimate fluid release for different geometries

The effect of block size and fracture pressure on fluid release is studied
Aggressive Treatment for Hepatic Metastases from Breast Cancer: Results from a Single Center
Authors: Polistina F. , Costantin G. , Febbraro A. , Robusto E. , Ambrosino G.
Published: March 2013

Background

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer among women worldwide. It has been estimated that approximately 12–20 % of patients will develop liver metastases from breast cancer (BCLM) and that in approximately 5 % of cases the liver is the only metastatic site. Patients with isolated BCLM have the poorest prognosis with a median survival ranging from 19 to 26 months.

Methods

A total of 26 women with isolated BCLM and without any sign of disease progression after a cycle of chemotherapy were retrospectively reviewed. Women were treated with hepatic resection (HR) for unilobar disease or surgical “open” RFA for bilobar disease. Data were collected on either original BC or BCLM and from patients follow‐up.

Results

Overall survival from BC diagnosis was 47.69 ± 22.25 months (range 33–84, median 45.5 months); it was 52.25 ± 14.57 months (range 33–84, median 48.5 months) for the HR patients and 43.79 ± 27.14 months (range 9–101, median 39 months) for the RFA patients. Overall survival from BCLM treatment was 21.12 ± 12.78 months (range 9–64, median 15.5 months); in detail it was 29.42 ± 14.53 months (range 12–64, median 29.5 months) for the resected patients and 14 ± 4.45 months (range 9–24, median 13.5 months) for patients treated by RFA with a strongly significant survival difference for operated patients (p = 0.001). Overall disease‐free survival from BCLM was 15.96 ± 13.16 months (range 3–64, median 12 months), disease‐free survival for resected patients was 23.22 ± 16.2 months (range 8–64, median 18.5 months), and for patients treated by RFA was 9.64 ± 4.22 months (range 3–18, median 9 months; Fig. 1). Overall 1, 2, and 5 years (actuarial) survival was respectively 80.7, 57, and 31 %. Given in details for the two groups, they were respectively 100, 66.6 and 34 % (actuarial) for the resected group patients and 64.2, 21.4, and 11.5 % (actuarial) for the RFA patients.

Kaplan‐Meier analysis of survival after BC and BCLM treatment. GROUP 1 = resection; GROUP 2 = RFA. Overall survival from breast cancer treatment (months) p = 0.082 ns. Overall survival from BCLM treatment (months) p = 0.001

image

Conclusions

Aggressive treatment on isolated BCLM may improve survival for these patients
Fast network oscillations in the hippocampus
Authors: Maier N. , Draguhn A. , Schmitz D. , Both M.
Published: March 2013

Neuronal networks often express coherent oscillatory activity. These rhythms can pro­vide a temporal reference for the activity of single neurons and allow the formation of spatiotemporal activity patterns with a de­fined phase relationship of action potentials. In a single brain nucleus, oscillations at dif­ferent frequencies might be simultaneous­ly generated, but isolated rhythms might also be characteristic for specific functional brain states. During the last two decades the mam­malian hippocampus has become an impor­tant model system for the study of neuronal network oscillations. In this brain area, cel­lular mechanisms underlying neuronal syn­chronization have been described, but also models were developed to explain the con­tribution of oscillations in encoding, con­solidation, and recall of memories. Neuro­nal rhythmic activities provide an impor­tant field of analysis bringing together cel­lular mechanisms and systemic functions of the brain. Here, we use a particularly fast type of neuronal oscillation, hippocampal “rip­ples”, as an example to outline current knowl­edge and open questions related with this re­search field.
IP-rigidity and eigenvalue groups
Authors: AARONSON JON , HOSSEINI MARYAM , LEMAŃCZYK MARIUSZ
Published: March 2013

We examine the class of increasing sequences of natural numbers which are IP-rigidity sequences for some weakly mixing probability-preserving transformation. This property is closely related to the uncountability of the eigenvalue group of a corresponding non-singular transformation. We give examples, including a super-lacunary sequence which is not IP-rigid.
ON THE SUM OF POWERS OF THE DEGREES OF GRAPHS
Authors: XU RENYU , WU JIANLIANG , WANG GUANGHUI , ZHANG XIN
Published: March 2013

For positive integers $p$ and $q$, let ${ \mathcal{G} }_{p, q} $ be a class of graphs such that $\vert E(G)\vert \leq p\vert V(G)\vert - q$ for every $G\in { \mathcal{G} }_{p, q} $. In this paper, we consider the sum of the $k\mathrm{th} $ powers of the degrees of the vertices of a graph $G\in { \mathcal{G} }_{p, q} $ with $\Delta (G)\geq 2p$. We obtain an upper bound for this sum that is linear in ${\Delta }^{k- 1} $. These graphs include the planar, 1-planar, $t$-degenerate, outerplanar, and series-parallel graphs.
Fish intake during pregnancy and the risk of child asthma and allergic rhinitis – longitudinal evidence from the Danish National Birth Cohort
Authors: Maslova Ekaterina , Strøm Marin , Oken Emily , Campos Hannia , Lange Christoph , Gold Diane , Olsen Sjurdur F.
Published: March 2013

Maternal fish intake during pregnancy may influence the risk of child asthma and allergic rhinitis, yet evidence is conflicting on its association with these outcomes. We examined the associations of maternal fish intake during pregnancy with child asthma and allergic rhinitis. Mothers in the Danish National Birth Cohort (n 28 936) reported their fish intake at 12 and 30 weeks of gestation. Using multivariate logistic regression, we examined the associations of fish intake with child wheeze, asthma and rhinitis assessed at several time points: ever wheeze, recurrent wheeze (>3 episodes), ever asthma and allergic rhinitis, and current asthma, assessed at 18 months (n approximately 22 000) and 7 years (n approximately 17 000) using self-report and registry data on hospitalisations and prescribed medications. Compared with consistently high fish intake during pregnancy (fish as a sandwich or hot meal ≥ 2–3 times/week), never eating fish was associated with a higher risk of child asthma diagnosis at 18 months (OR 1·30, 95 % CI 1·05, 1·63, P= 0·02), and ever asthma by hospitalisation (OR 1·46, 95 % CI 0·99, 2·13, P= 0·05) and medication prescription (OR 1·37, 95 % CI 1·10, 1·71, P= 0·01). A dose–response was present for asthma at 18 months only (P for trend = 0·001). We found no associations with wheeze or recurrent wheeze at 18 months or with allergic rhinitis. The results suggest that high (v. no) maternal fish intake during pregnancy is protective against both early and ever asthma in 7-year-old children.
CONTROLLING CONTRACTUAL DISCRETION
Authors: Hooley Richard
Published: March 2013

This paper identifies the source, content and limits of the controls that might be imposed by a court on the way a party exercises discretionary powers conferred under the terms of a contract. It is argued that such controls boil down to a requirement of “good faith”, in the sense that the party exercising the discretion must do so honestly, and that this can be tested by asking whether the decision is one that no reasonable person acting reasonably could have reached in the circumstances. It is suggested that a similar requirement should apply when a contracting party exercises a right to terminate for breach, whether at common law or under a termination clause.
TAX AVOIDANCE, PRIVATE COMPANIES AND THE FAMILY
Authors: Loutzenhiser Glen
Published: March 2013

Recent media reports have revealed a substantial number of highly-paid senior civil servants and BBC presenters have been using “off payroll” arrangements and personal services companies to reduce the tax paid on their earnings. This article examines the tax and National Insurance contribution (NIC) savings that can be had by carrying on economic activity through a company rather than as an unincorporated business or an employee. These savings derive from a combination of favourable tax and NIC rates on companies, and can be further increased through family income-splitting arrangements, as witnessed in the case of Jones v Garnett. Several possible reforms to address the distortions and inequity in the present tax and NIC regimes in favour of companies are considered, including amendments to the IR35 “disguised employment” regime and the anti-income-splitting rules known as the settlement provisions. Applying the new statutory general anti-abuse rule, which the Government plans to introduce in Finance Act 2013, is another possible approach. The preferred option, however, is to deal with the root problem and pursue closer alignment of the tax and NIC treatment of activity carried on in different legal forms.
RECONSIDERING “WRONGFUL LIFE” IN ENGLAND AFTER THIRTY YEARS: LEGISLATIVE MISTAKES AND UNJUSTIFIABLE ANOMALIES
Authors: Scott Rosamund
Published: March 2013

Under English law a child born disabled, for instance by Tay Sachs disease, as a result of negligent embryo selection by preimplantation genetic diagnosis (‘PGD’), can sue the relevant health professionals by means of a 1990 amendment to the Congenital Disabilities (Civil Liability) (‘CD’) Act 1976. By contrast, a second child conceived outside thein vitrofertilisation (‘IVF’) clinic, whose Tay Sachs is not detectedin uteroby means of prenatal diagnosis, can have no claim against the relevant health professionals due to the decision inMcKay and Another v Essex Area Health Authority, which held that a child can have no claim for so-called “wrongful life”. This paper argues that this difference is anomalous and inequitable. It highlights the inadvertent way in which the legislative exception was crafted and shows that there are no relevant differences between the selection practices of PGD and PND that would in any event justify such different treatment. It critiques the English common law position on wrongful life by analysing the ethical and legal foundations of such a claim, arguing that the action should be permitted on the basis of a certain degree of severity, namely where a future child is likely to think that his or her life is not worth living. The analysis makes particular reference to developments since McKay in the law relating to the selective non-treatment of neonates, selective abortion, wrongful birth, and the action for wrongful life itself, as well as to the legal position of pregnant women in relation to the fetus, and the critique by people with disabilities of the practices of PGD and PND. The paper argues thatMcKayand those parts of the CD Act that purport to deny a claim for wrongful life to children born outside the IVF context should be revisited when the opportunity arises. The duty that health professionals already owe prospective parents to advise of a condition in a developing fetus that would give rise to serious impairments in the future child (which sounds in an action for so-called “wrongful birth”) should be owed at the same time to the future child, realised by advice to the pregnant woman, where a child is likely to be born with a condition that is so severe that any goods in life are outweighed by the burdens.
FISHER v BELL REVISITED: MISJUDGING THE LEGISLATIVE CRAFT
Authors: Munday Roderick
Published: March 2013

As students of the Law of Contract learn to their bemusement, in Fisher v Bell,1 although caught by a member of the constabulary in the most compromising circumstances, the owner of Bell's Music Shop, situate in the handsome Victorian shopping Arcade in the bustling Broadmead area of Bristol, was unsuccessfully prosecuted for offering for sale a flick knife contrary to s.1(1) of the Restriction of Offensive Weapons Act 1959. The statute penalised “any person who manufactures, sells or hires or offers for sale or hire, or lends or gives to any other person” a flick knife. Mr Bell had done all in his power to make a sale. The switchblade had been displayed in his shop window with a label that read, “Ejector knife—4s”. The police officer, who spotted the display and then took the knife away to show to his superintendent, was told by the shopkeeper that he had had other policemen in the shop inquiring about the knives. When the officer returned to tell Mr Bell that he would be prosecuted, the latter simply retorted “Fair enough.”
Pronominal case assignment in English
Authors: HRISTOV BOZHIL P.
Published: March 2013

Following a long tradition of research on English case, this paper first outlines the phenomenon of canonical and non-canonical case assignment to pronouns functioning as heads or dependents, and then discusses some previous treatments in order to illustrate the data, as well as to demonstrate that a unified account capable of capturing all the generalisations has up until now remained elusive. A purely phrase-structural explanation will be sketched out and rejected, to be superseded by a model relying on the formalism of Lexical-Functional Grammar (LFG), which I argue successfully accounts for all the relevant syntactic patterns. The paper ends with a comparison between the present proposal and some earlier ideas in the literature. Finally, I briefly defend the claim that English pronouns still exhibit case distinctions.
Understanding Contemporary Workers' Struggles: Remembering David Montgomery
Authors: Ngai Mae
Published: March 2013

I was not one of David's students, though I wanted to be. I had applied to Yale for graduate school and had gone up to New Haven to meet him beforehand. But I didn't get in. Apparently, the admissions committee (which he wasn't on that year) considered it too risky to admit someone who had worked in the labor movement, in light of the union organizing going on among Yale's graduate students and employees. I thought this was ironic because, although I was sympathetic to the Yale organizing, I was searching for the life of the mind. If I had wanted to organize workers, I would have continued what I was already doing. In any case, I ended up elsewhere, and I've had no complaints about my graduate education. David and I stayed in touch over the years, and I was honored by a kind review he wrote of my first book in the Journal of Social History.
Transforming ILWCH: Pioneering the International Approach to Labor History
Authors: Bucki Cecelia
Published: March 2013

I remember my very first seminar with David Montgomery at the University of Pittsburgh in January 1976. Here I was, a working-class kid from Bridgeport, Connecticut, trying to switch from rank-and-file labor activism to an academic career. Montgomery's classroom was an intense experience. His seminars were a combination of readings in secondary sources as well as deep reading in primary sources (whether business magazines, industrial relations expert reports, or radical and union journals). In addition, there were always student-generated political debates on one or another left-wing perspective—we had widely diverse ideological leanings! David accepted all approaches in the New Labor History, as long as the evidence was there.
The Role of Social Participation and Walking in Depression among Older Adults: Results from the VoisiNuAge Study
Authors: Julien Dominic , Gauvin Lise , Richard Lucie , Kestens Yan , Payette Hélène
Published: March 2013

Des niveaux moins élevés de participation sociale et d’épisodes de marche représentent deux facteurs pouvant contribuer à la dépression chez les personnes âgées, mais les recherches antérieures ne sont pas concluantes à ce sujet. L’objectif de cette étude transversale est de quantifier les associations entre la dépression et l’effet combiné de la participation sociale et de la marche dans un échantillon de personnes âgées vivant au Canada (n = 549). Des analyses de régressions linéaires et logistiques ont été effectuées pour examiner si la participation sociale et la marche prédisent la dépression indépendamment des caractéristiques individuelles. Dans les modèles finaux, les résultats suggèrent que les individus qui ne prennent pas de marches présentent davantage de symptômes dépressifs ou une possible dépression (l’association entre la participation sociale et la dépression devient non significative dans les modèles ajustés). La présente étude souligne le rôle central des habitudes de vie telle la marche pour la santé mentale des aînés.
Description of a robust interception trap for collecting airborne arthropods in climatically challenging regions
Authors: Farrow Roger , Greenslade Penelope
Published: March 2013

An interception trap to collect airborne arthropods under extreme weather conditions is described. The trap, constructed from durable materials, is operated by wind pressure. It consists of a funnel of fine brass gauze mounted inside a cylinder of stainless steel that rotates into the wind on a mast at 1.5 m from the ground. The gauze funnel terminates in a removable, propanol-filled, collecting bottle into which airborne material accumulates. The counterbalanced cylinder rotates around a central shaft on roller bearings and faces into the wind. Two traps were successfully operated continuously for four and five years, respectively, on sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island and have collected large numbers of airborne arthropods and other biological material over this period.
Revolutionaries and Spies on Random Graphs
Authors: MITSCHE DIETER , PRAŁAT PAWEŁ
Published: March 2013

Pursuit-evasion games, such as the game of Revolutionaries and Spies, are a simplified model for network security. In the game we consider in this paper, a team of r revolutionaries tries to hold an unguarded meeting consisting of m revolutionaries. A team of s spies wants to prevent this forever. For given r and m, the minimum number of spies required to win on a graph G is the spy number σ(G,r,m). We present asymptotic results for the game played on random graphs G(n,p) for a large range of p = p(n), r=r(n), and m=m(n). The behaviour of the spy number is analysed completely for dense graphs (that is, graphs with average degree at least n1/2+ε for some ε > 0). For sparser graphs, some bounds are provided.
Nutrient intake of European adolescents: results of the HELENA (Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence) Study
Authors: Diethelm Katharina , Huybrechts Inge , Moreno Luis , De Henauw Stefaan , Manios Yannis , Beghin Laurent , González-Gross Marcela , Le Donne Cinzia , Cuenca-García Magdalena , Castillo Manuel J , Widhalm Kurt , Patterson Emma , Kersting Mathilde
Published: March 2013

Objective

An adequate nutritional intake in childhood and adolescence is crucial for growth and the prevention of youth and adult obesity and nutrition-related morbidities. Improving nutrient intake in children and adolescents is of public health importance. The purpose of the present study was to describe and evaluate the nutrient intake in a European sample using the D-A-CH nutrient intake recommendations and the Nutritional Quality Index (NQI).

Design

The HELENA (Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence) Study is a cross-sectional study, the main objective of which is to obtain comparable data on a variety of nutritional and health-related parameters in adolescents aged 12·5–17·5 years.

Setting

Eight cities in Europe.

Subjects

The initial sample consisted of 3528 European adolescents. Among these, 1590 adolescents (54 % female) had sufficient and plausible dietary data on energy and nutrient intakes from two 24 h recalls using the HELENA-DIAT software.

Results

The intakes of most macronutrients, vitamins and minerals were in line with the D-A-CH recommendations. While the intakes of SFA and salt were too high, the intake of PUFA was too low. Furthermore, the intakes of vitamin D, folate, iodine and F were less than about 55 % of the recommendations. The median NQI was about 71 (of a maximum of 100).

Conclusions

The intakes of most nutrients were adequate. However, further studies using suitable criteria to assess nutrient status are needed. Public health initiatives should educate children and adolescents regarding balanced food choices.
HOLOMORPHIC FUNCTIONS WITH IMAGE OF GIVEN LOGARITHMIC OR ELLIPTIC CAPACITY
Authors: BETSAKOS DIMITRIOS
Published: March 2013

For holomorphic functions $f$ in the unit disk $ \mathbb{D} $ with $f(0)= 0$, we prove a modulus growth bound involving the logarithmic capacity (transfinite diameter) of the image. We show that the pertinent extremal functions map the unit disk conformally onto the interior of an ellipse. We prove a modulus growth bound for elliptically schlicht functions in terms of the elliptic capacity ${\mathrm{d} }_{\mathrm{e} } f( \mathbb{D} )$ of the image. We also show that the function ${\mathrm{d} }_{\mathrm{e} } f(r \mathbb{D} )/ r$ is increasing for $0\lt r\lt 1$.
2P2Ichem: focused chemical libraries dedicated to orthosteric modulation of protein–protein interactions
Authors: Hamon Véronique , Brunel Jean Michel , Combes Sébastien , Basse Marie Jeanne , Roche Philippe , Morelli Xavier
Published: March 2013

Design of focused chemical libraries dedicated to protein–protein interaction targets.
Sp sites contribute to basal and inducible expression of the human TNIP1 (TNFα-inducible protein 3-interacting protein 1) promoter
Authors: Encarnacao Priscilla C. , Ramirez Vincent P. , Zhang Carmen , Aneskievich Brian J.
Published: March 2013

TNIP1 [TNFα (tumour necrosis factor α)-induced protein 3-interacting protein 1] is a co-repressor of RAR (retinoic acid receptor) and PPAR (peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor). Additionally, it can reduce signalling stemming from cell membrane receptors such as those for TNFα and EGF (epidermal growth factor). Consequently, it influences a variety of receptor-mediated events as diverse as transcription, programmed cell death and cell cycling. Thus changes in TNIP1 expression levels are likely to affect multiple important biological end points. TNIP1 expression level changes have been linked to psoriasis and systemic sclerosis. As such, it is crucial to determine what controls its expression levels, starting with constitutive control of its promoter. Our analysis of the TNIP1 promoter revealed multiple transcription start sites in its GC-rich proximal regions along with two transcriptionally active Sp (specificity protein) sites, responsive to both Sp1 and Sp3. EMSA (electrophoretic mobility-shift assay) and ChIP (chromatin immunoprecipitation) demonstrated physical binding between Sp1 and Sp3 at these sites. A decrease in Sp1 protein levels via siRNA (short interfering RNA) or diminished Sp1 DNA binding by mithramycin decreased TNIP1 mRNA levels. This Sp-binding GC-rich region of the TNIP1 promoter also participates in transcriptional activation by ligand-bound RAR. Together, these results demonstrate newly identified regulators of TNIP1 expression and suggest possible transcription factor targets which in turn control TNIP1-related biological end points ranging from apoptosis to inflammatory diseases.
P2X7 receptor activation contributes to an initial upstream mechanism of lipopolysaccharide-induced vascular dysfunction
Authors: Chiao Chin-Wei , da Silva-Santos J. Eduardo , Giachini Fernanda R. , Tostes Rita C. , Su Ming-Jai , Webb R. Clinton
Published: March 2013

Pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines and ROS (reactive oxygen species) are excessively produced in endotoxaemia. However, attempting to inhibit all of these inflammatory signalling pathways at the same time in order to prevent endotoxaemia is difficult. In a previous study we observed that activation of P2X7 receptors elicited the release of IL (interleukin)-1β from LPS (lipopolysaccharide)-incubated vessels. In the present study, we hypothesize that P2X7 receptor activation is the initial event leading to vascular dysfunction following LPS treatment. LPS-induced decreases in MAP (mean arterial pressure) and pressor responses to NE (noradrenaline) were attenuated in P2X7KO (P2X7-knockout) mice. Hyporeactivity in response to PE (phenylephrine) in isolated mesenteric arteries by LPS treatment was also observed in C57BL/6 [WT (wild-type)] mice, which was prevented by IL1ra (IL-1 receptor antagonist), L-NAME (NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester) and indomethacin and in P2X7KO mice. In addition, treatment with IL1ra plus L-NAME produced an additive inhibition of LPS-induced vascular hyporeactivity, suggesting different signalling pathways between IL-1β and NOS (NO synthase). LPS-induced plasma levels of IL-1β, TNFα (tumour necrosis factor α), IL-10, vascular eNOS (endothelial NOS) and COX2 (cyclo-oxygenase 2) protein expression, as determined by ELISA and Western blot, observed in WT mice were inhibited by IL1ra and in P2X7KO mice. These results suggest that P2X7 receptor activation involves an initial upstream mechanism of LPS-induced vascular dysfunction, which is associated with IL-1β-mediated eNOS, COX2 activation and TNFα release.
Derivation and assessment of relativistic hyperfine-coupling tensors on the basis of orbital-optimized second-order Møller–Plesset perturbation theory and the second-order Douglas–Kroll–Hess transformation
Authors: Sandhoefer Barbara , Kossmann Simone , Neese Frank
Published: March 2013

The accurate calculation of hyperfine-coupling tensors requires a good description of the electronic spin density, especially close to and at the nucleus. Thus, dynamic correlation as well as relativistic effects have to be included in the quantum-chemical calculation of this quantity. In this paper, orbital-optimized second-order Møller–Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) is combined with the second-order Douglas–Kroll–Hess (DKH) transformation to yield an efficient and accurate ab initio method for the calculation of hyperfine couplings for larger molecules including heavy elements. Particular attention is paid to the derivation of the hyperfine-coupling tensor in the DKH framework. In the presence of a magnetic field, the DKH-transformation is not unique. Two different versions can be found in the literature. In this paper, a detailed derivation of one-electron contributions to the hyperfine-coupling tensor as they arise in linear-response theory is given for both DKH-transformations. It turns out that one of the two variants produces divergent hyperfine-coupling constants. The possibility to remove this divergence through a physically motivated finite-nucleus model taking into account the different extent of charge and magnetization distribution is discussed. Hyperfine-coupling values obtained at the orbital-optimized MP2 level with second-order DKH corrections for the non-divergent variant are presented. The influence of a Gaussian nucleus model is studied. The method is compared to four-component, high-accuracy calculations for a number of cations and atoms. Comparison to B3LYP and B2PLYP is made for a set of transition-metal complexes of moderate size.
A 10 mK scanning tunneling microscope operating in ultra high vacuum and high magnetic fields
Authors: Assig Maximilian , Etzkorn Markus , Enders Axel , Stiepany Wolfgang , Ast Christian R. , Kern Klaus
Published: March 2013

We present design and performance of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) that operates at temperatures down to 10 mK providing ultimate energy resolution on the atomic scale. The STM is attached to a dilution refrigerator with direct access to an ultra high vacuum chamber allowing in situ sample preparation. High magnetic fields of up to 14 T perpendicular and up to 0.5 T parallel to the sample surface can be applied. Temperature sensors mounted directly at the tip and sample position verified the base temperature within a small error margin. Using a superconducting Al tip and a metallic Cu(111) sample, we determined an effective temperature of 38 ± 1 mK from the thermal broadening observed in the tunneling spectra. This results in an upper limit for the energy resolution of ΔE = 3.5kBT = 11.4 ± 0.3 μeV. The stability between tip and sample is 4 pm at a temperature of 15 mK as demonstrated by topography measurements on a Cu(111) surface.
Newtonian limit and trend to equilibrium for the relativistic Fokker-Planck equation
Authors: Félix José Antonio Alcántara , Calogero Simone
Published: March 2013

The relativistic Fokker-Planck equation, in which the speed of light c appears as a parameter, is considered. It is shown that in the limit c → ∞ its solutions converge in L1 to solutions of the non-relativistic Fokker-Planck equation, uniformly in compact intervals of time. Moreover in the case of spatially homogeneous solutions, and provided the temperature of the thermal bath is sufficiently small, exponential trend to equilibrium in L1 is established. The dependence of the rate of convergence on the speed of light is estimated. Finally, it is proved that exponential convergence to equilibrium for all temperatures holds in a weighted L2 norm.
The effect of shock-wave profile on dynamic brittle failure
Authors: Escobedo J. P. , Brown E. N. , Trujillo C. P. , Cerreta E. K. , Gray G.T.
Published: March 2013

The influence of shock-wave-loading profile on the failure processes in a brittle material has been investigated. Tungsten heavy alloy (WHA) specimens have been subjected to two shock-wave loading profiles with a similar peak stress of 15.4 GPa but different pulse durations. Contrary to the strong dependence of strength on wave profile observed in ductile metals, for WHA, specimens subjected to different loading profiles exhibited similar spall strength and damage evolution morphology. Post-mortem examination of recovered samples revealed that dynamic failure for both loading profiles is dominated by brittle cleavage fracture, with additional energy dissipation through crack branching in the more brittle tungsten particles. Overall, in this brittle material, all relevant damage kinetics and the spall strength are shown to be dominated by the shock peak stress, independent of pulse duration.
Using different Mn-oxides to influence the magnetic anisotropy of FePt in bilayers with little change of the exchange bias field
Authors: Lin K.-W. , Shueh C. , Liu C.-H. , Skoropata E. , Wu T.-H. , van Lierop J.
Published: March 2013

We have investigated the exchange coupling between a bottom FePt thin film layer capped with different Mn-oxides. Results have shown that the magnetization reversal of the soft FePt layer is influenced strongly by the capped Mn-oxide layer (Mn, MnO, and Mn3O4), as revealed by the enhanced coercivities. Typical temperature dependent magnetization between zero-field cooled (ZFC) and field cooled (FC) scans was observed in the Mn-oxide (8%O2/Ar)/FePt bilayer that exhibited a blocking temperature (TB ∼ 120 K) close to the Nèel temperature, TN, of MnO. However, the Mn/FePt bilayer exhibited unusual temperature dependent of M vs. T, implying that intermixing between Mn and FePt interfaces formed an AF FeMn that may have enabled a high irreversibility temperature (Tirr. ∼ 400 K) compared to almost identical ZFC and FC curves from weaker exchange coupling between FePt and the Mn3O4 created with 21 and 30%O2/Ar deposition conditions.
Phonon densities of states of face-centered-cubic Ni-Fe alloys
Authors: Lucas M. S. , Mauger L. , Muñoz J. A. , Halevy I. , Horwath J. , Semiatin S. L. , Leontsev S. O. , Stone M. B. , Abernathy D. L. , Xiao Yuming , Chow Paul , Fultz B.
Published: March 2013

Inelastic neutron scattering and nuclear resonant inelastic x-ray scattering were used to determine the phonon densities of states of face-centered-cubic Ni-Fe alloys. Increasing Fe concentration results in an average softening of the phonon modes. Chemical ordering of the Ni0.72Fe0.28 alloy results in a reduction of the partial vibrational entropy of the Fe atoms but does not significantly change the partial vibrational entropy of the Ni atoms. Changes in the phonon densities of states with composition and chemical ordering are discussed and analyzed with a cluster expansion method.
Significant enhancement in the power conversion efficiency of porphyrin based dye sensitized solar cell by co-sensitization with metal free dye
Authors: Sharma G. D. , Panda Manas K. , Roy M. S. , Mikroyannidis J. A. , Gad E. , Coutsolelos A. G.
Published: March 2013

A step wise approach for co-sensitization of a zinc porphyrin sensitizer (Zn-por) with symmetrical BF2–azopyrrole dye (BF2) for dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) has been developed. With this approach, the co-sensitized Zn-por + BF2 based DSSC shows both Jsc and Voc significantly enhanced in relation to their individual sensitized DSSCs. Upon optimization, the DSSC sensitized with Zn-por + BF2 system yields Jsc = 12.4 mA cm−2, Voc = 0.72 V, FF = 0.70, and PCE = 6.25%. This performance is superior to that of individual DSSC sensitized with Zn-por (PCE = 4.83%) and BF2 (PCE = 3.26%), respectively, under similar conditions. The broader IPCE spectra of the DSSC based on Zn-por + BF2 dye relative to other DSSCs are responsible for the higher Jsc. From the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) data, we found that the charge recombination can be significantly retarded for co-sensitized system, relative to the Zn-por based DSSCs to account for the enhanced Voc. The PCE is further enhanced by employing decoxycholic acid (DCA) as coadsorbent. The highest PCE obtained for DSSC with Zn-por and BF2 in the presence of DCA is about 7.46%.
Epitaxial inversion on ferromagnetic (Fe,Zn)3O4 /ferroelectric BiFeO3 core-shell nanodot arrays using three dimensional nano-seeding assembly
Authors: Sakamoto Takuya , Okada Koichi , Hattori Azusa N. , Kanki Teruo , Borowiak Alexis S. , Gautier Brice , Vilquin Bertrand , Tanaka Hidekazu
Published: March 2013

We demonstrate an advanced fabrication method based on standard surface diffusion theory for preparation of core-shell nano-heterostructure arrays consisting of ferromagnetic (Fe,Zn)3O4 (FZO) and ferroelectric BiFeO3 (BFO) using a 3D nano-seeding-assembly technique. By adapting epitaxial spinel FZO nanodot arrays on a perovskite SrTiO3 substrate to templates, well-positioned selective epitaxial growth of FZO cores and BFO shells was spontaneously stimulated. This technique resolves the longstanding issues of the precise positional alignment and configuration inversion of materials that conventional self-assembly growth has faced.
Investigation of ZnO thin films deposited on ferromagnetic metallic buffer layer by molecular beam epitaxy toward realization of ZnO-based magnetic tunneling junctions
Authors: Belmoubarik M. , Nozaki T. , Endo H. , Sahashi M.
Published: March 2013

Deposition of ZnO thin films on a ferromagnetic metallic buffer layer (Co3Pt) by molecular beam epitaxy technique was investigated for realization of ZnO-based magnetic tunneling junctions with good quality hexagonal ZnO films as tunnel barriers. For substrate temperature of 600 °C, ZnO films exhibited low oxygen defects and high electrical resistivity of 130 Ω cm. This value exceeded that of hexagonal ZnO films grown by sputtering technique, which are used as tunnel barriers in ZnO-MTJs. Also, the effect of oxygen flow during deposition on epitaxial growth conditions and Co3Pt surface oxidation was discussed.
Understanding and controlling bias-temperature instability in SiC metal-oxide-semiconductor devices induced by unusual generation of mobile ions
Authors: Chanthaphan Atthawut , Hosoi Takuji , Nakano Yuki , Nakamura Takashi , Shimura Takayoshi , Watanabe Heiji
Published: March 2013

Unusual behavior of bias-temperature instabilities in SiC metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) devices is studied. Electrical measurements of SiC-MOS capacitors are used to investigate details of self-generated mobile ions in thermal oxides on 4H-SiC(0001) substrates, such as their polarity, density, distribution, and impact on interface properties. It is found that positive bias-temperature stress (BTS) accumulates self-generated positive mobile ions at the bottom SiO2/SiC interface with an areal density of several 1012 cm−2, and that they induce additional electron trap formation at the interface. Using this knowledge, we demonstrate effective removal of the positive mobile ions with a combination of negative BTS and subsequent etching of the oxide surface.
Interfacial design for reducing charge recombination in photovoltaics
Authors: Hattori Shinnosuke , Mou Weiwei , Rajak Pankaj , Shimojo Fuyuki , Nakano Aiichiro
Published: March 2013

Key to high power conversion efficiency of organic solar cells is to minimize charge recombination (CR) at electron donor/acceptor interfaces. Here, nonadiabatic quantum molecular dynamics simulation shows how the interfacial structure can be controlled by molecular design at acene/C60 interfaces to suppress CR. Orders-of-magnitude reduction of the CR rate is achieved through drastic modification of interfacial structure by attaching phenyl groups to tetracene. This finding confirms a molecular design principle for efficient organic photovoltaics underlying a recent experimental study.
Ultra-high frequency photoconductivity decay in GaAs/Ge/GaAs double heterostructure grown by molecular beam epitaxy
Authors: Hudait M. K. , Zhu Y. , Johnston S. W. , Maurya D. , Priya S. , Umbel R.
Published: March 2013

GaAs/Ge/GaAs double heterostructures (DHs) were grown in-situ using two separate molecular beam epitaxy chambers. High-resolution x-ray rocking curve demonstrates a high-quality GaAs/Ge/GaAs heterostructure by observing Pendellösung oscillations. The kinetics of the carrier recombination in Ge/GaAs DHs were investigated using photoconductivity decay measurements by the incidence excitation from the front and back side of 15 nm GaAs/100 nm Ge/0.5 μm GaAs/(100)GaAs substrate structure. High-minority carrier lifetimes of 1.06-1.17 μs were measured when excited from the front or from the back of the Ge epitaxial layer, suggests equivalent interface quality of GaAs/Ge and Ge/GaAs. Wavelength-dependent minority carrier recombination properties are explained by the wavelength-dependent absorption coefficient of Ge.
Cannabinoid- and lysophosphatidylinositol-sensitive receptor GPR55 boosts neurotransmitter release at central synapses
Authors: Sylantyev Sergiy , Jensen Thomas P. , Ross Ruth A. , Rusakov Dmitri A.
Published: March 2013

G protein-coupled receptor (GPR) 55 is sensitive to certain cannabinoids, it is expressed in the brain and, in cell cultures, it triggers mobilization of intracellular Ca
2+
. However, the adaptive neurobiological significance of GPR55 remains unknown. Here, we use acute hippocampal slices and combine two-photon excitation Ca
2+
imaging in presynaptic axonal boutons with optical quantal analysis in postsynaptic dendritic spines to find that GPR55 activation transiently increases release probability at individual CA3-CA1 synapses. The underlying mechanism involves Ca
2+
release from presynaptic Ca
2+
stores, whereas postsynaptic stores (activated by spot-uncaging of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate) remain unaffected by GPR55 agonists. These effects are abolished by genetic deletion of GPR55 or by the GPR55 antagonist cannabidiol, a constituent of
Cannabis sativa
. GPR55 shows colocalization with synaptic vesicle protein vesicular glutamate transporter 1 in stratum radiatum. Short-term potentiation of CA3-CA1 transmission after a short train of stimuli reveals a presynaptic, Ca
2+
store-dependent component sensitive to cannabidiol. The underlying cascade involves synthesis of phospholipids, likely in the presynaptic cell, but not the endocannabinoids 2-arachidonoylglycerol or anandamide. Our results thus unveil a signaling role for GPR55 in synaptic circuits of the brain.
Structural model for the protein-translocating element of the twin-arginine transport system
Authors: Rodriguez Fernanda , Rouse Sarah L. , Tait Claudia E. , Harmer Jeffrey , De Riso Antonio , Timmel Christiane R. , Sansom Mark S. P. , Berks Ben C. , Schnell Jason R.
Published: March 2013

Significance

The twin-arginine transport system (Tat) has the remarkable ability of transporting folded proteins across membranes while avoiding uncontrolled ion leakage. Tat is essential for plant photosynthesis and is required for bacterial pathogenesis. The mechanism by which folded proteins are translocated is poorly understood. We have determined the structure of the TatA oligomer, which is responsible for the translocation step, and evaluated its impact on lipid bilayers. The results suggest a mechanism of protein translocation involving thinning and perturbing the membrane bilayer. The approach used here will be useful for structural analysis of other oligomeric proteins that weakly assemble in the membrane.
Functionally distinct Gata3/Chd4 complexes coordinately establish T helper 2 (Th2) cell identity
Authors: Hosokawa Hiroyuki , Tanaka Tomoaki , Suzuki Yutaka , Iwamura Chiaki , Ohkubo Shuichi , Endoh Kanji , Kato Miki , Endo Yusuke , Onodera Atsushi , Tumes Damon John , Kanai Akinori , Sugano Sumio , Nakayama Toshinori
Published: March 2013

GATA binding protein 3 (Gata3) is a GATA family transcription factor that controls differentiation of naïve CD4 T cells into T helper 2 (Th2) cells. However, it is unknown how Gata3 simultaneously activates Th2-specific genes while repressing those of other Th lineages. Here we show that chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 4 (Chd4) forms a complex with Gata3 in Th2 cells that both activates Th2 cytokine transcription and represses the Th1 cytokine IFN-γ. We define a Gata3/Chd4/p300 transcriptional activation complex at the Th2 cytokine loci and a Gata3/Chd4–nucleosome remodeling histone deacetylase repression complex at the
Tbx21
locus in Th2 cells. We also demonstrate a physiological role for Chd4 in Th2-dependent inflammation in an in vivo model of asthmatic inflammation. Thus, Gata3/Chd4 forms functionally distinct complexes, which mediate both positive and negative gene regulation to facilitate Th2 cell differentiation.
First Report of Anthracnose on Rohdea japonica Caused by Colletotrichum liriopes in Korea
Authors: Kwon J.-H. , Kim J.
Published: March 2013

Lily of China (Rohdea japonica Roth) is a flowering plant native to eastern Asia. In the summers of 2010 and 2011, suspected anthracnose disease was observed on R. japonica plants in the exhibition field of Jinju Agriculture Technology Center, Jinju, South Korea. Symptoms began as yellow to brown spots on leaves and darkened as the spots expanded. The lesions subsequently became dark brown, and bristled acervuli were observed on the dark brown areas. Leaf spots led to leaf shriveling and eventual death. Fresh leaf specimens were collected from infected plants and the putative causal pathogen was isolated on potato dextrose agar (PDA). The fungus formed a dark brown colony, irregularly shaped black sclerotia, and abundant setae in PDA cultures. Conidia were colorless, falcate, fusiform, and 21 to 26 × 2 to 3 μm. Appressoria were clavate to circular and 8 to 12 × 6 to 8 μm. Amplification of the internal transcribed spacer was conducted as described previously (2) and generated a 577-bp sequence (GenBank Accession No. JQ677042) with 99% identity to sequences of C. liriopes strain CBS 119444 (GU227804), identified previously as C. dematium from Agavaceae (1). In the phylogenetic tree, the representative strain was placed within a clade comprising a reference strain of C. liriopes (data not shown). A representative isolate of the pathogen was used to inoculate R. japonica leaves for pathogenicity testing. Five 4-month-old R. japonica plants were sprayed to runoff with a conidial suspension (104 conidia/ml) and 0.025% Tween. Three plants were sprayed with sterilized distilled water and 0.025% Tween as a control. The plants were kept in a moist chamber with >90% relative humidity at 25°C for 48 h and then moved to a greenhouse. After 7 days of incubation, necrotic spot symptoms similar to those observed in the field developed on the inoculated leaves. Control plants remained asymptomatic. The pathogenicity test was repeated twice with similar results and the causal fungus was reisolated from the lesions of inoculated plants to satisfy Koch's postulates in each test. On the basis of observed symptoms, morphology, pathogenicity, and molecular characterization, this fungus was identified as Colletotrichum liriopes. The recent outbreak of leaf spot on R. japonica plants suggests that C. liriopes is spreading and poses a serious threat to these plants in Korea.

References: (1) U. Damm et al. Fungal Diversity 39:45, 2009. (2) T. J. White et al. Page 315 in: PCR Protocols: A Guide to Methods and Applications, M. A. Innis et al., eds., Academic Press, Inc., New York, 1990.