bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Finite difference method and algebraic polynomial interpolation for numerically solving Poisson's equation over arbitrary domains
Authors: Fukuchi Tsugio
Published: June 2014

The finite difference method (FDM) based on Cartesian coordinate systems can be applied to numerical analyses over any complex domain. A complex domain is usually taken to mean that the geometry of an immersed body in a fluid is complex; here, it means simply an analytical domain of arbitrary configuration. In such an approach, we do not need to treat the outer and inner boundaries differently in numerical calculations; both are treated in the same way. Using a method that adopts algebraic polynomial interpolations in the calculation around near-wall elements, all the calculations over irregular domains reduce to those over regular domains. Discretization of the space differential in the FDM is usually derived using the Taylor series expansion; however, if we use the polynomial interpolation systematically, exceptional advantages are gained in deriving high-order differences. In using the polynomial interpolations, we can numerically solve the Poisson equation freely over any complex domain. Only a particular type of partial differential equation, Poisson's equations, is treated; however, the arguments put forward have wider generality in numerical calculations using the FDM.
Local vibrational modes competitions in Mn-doped ZnO epitaxial films with tunable ferromagnetism
Authors: Cao Qiang , Fu Maoxiang , Liu Guolei , Zhang Huaijin , Yan Shishen , Chen Yanxue , Mei Liangmo , Jiao Jun
Published: June 2014

We reported spectroscopic investigations of high quality Mn-doped ZnO (ZnMnO) films grown by oxygen plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. Raman scattering spectra revealed two local vibrational modes (LVMs) associated with Mn dopants at 523 and 712 cm−1. The LVMs and magnetic properties of ZnMnO films can be synchronously modulated by post annealing processing or by introducing tiny Co. The relative intensity of two LVMs clearly shows competitions arising from uncompensated acceptor and donor defects competition for ferromagnetic and nonmagnetic films. The experimental results indicated that LVM at 523 cm−1 is attributed to Mn—(Zinc-vacancy) complexes, while LVM at 712 cm−1 is attributed to Mn—(Oxygen-vacancy) complexes.
Ghost imaging of a moving target with an unknown constant speed
Authors: Li Enrong , Bo Zunwang , Chen Mingliang , Gong Wenlin , Han Shensheng
Published: June 2014

We report a method for ghost imaging of a moving target with an unknown constant speed. By both numerical simulations and experiments, it is shown that by matching the calculated signal to the recorded data, the unknown speed can be correctly retrieved and the target image can be reconstructed. We suppose that this work is a good start of addressing the related problems and will find its applications in ghost imaging remote sensing.
Confocal filtering in cathodoluminescence microscopy of nanostructures
Authors: Narváez Angela C. , Weppelman I. Gerward C. , Moerland Robert J. , Hoogenboom Jacob P. , Kruit Pieter
Published: June 2014

Cathodoluminescence (CL) microscopy allows optical characterization of nanostructures at high spatial resolution. At the nanoscale, a main challenge of the technique is related to the background CL generated within the sample substrate. Here, we implement confocal detection of the CL signal to minimize the background contribution to the measurement. Nano-phosphors were used as point sources to evaluate the filtering capabilities of our confocal CL system, obtaining an axial intensity profile with 2.7 μm full width at half maximum for the central peak, in good correspondence with theoretical expectations. Considering the electron interaction volume, we found that the confocal filter becomes effective for electron energies above 20 keV, when using a 25 μm pinhole (0.86 Airy units). To illustrate our approach, we present confocal CL imaging of gold nanowires and triangular shaped plates deposited on an indium-tin oxide covered glass substrate, comparing the images with those obtained in standard unfiltered CL detection. The results show that confocal CL microscopy is a valuable tool for the investigation of nanostructures on highly cathodoluminescent substrates, widely used in biological and optical applications.
Modification of energy band alignment and electric properties of Pt/Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3/Pt thin-film ferroelectric varactors by Ag impurities at interfaces
Authors: Hirsch S. , Komissinskiy P. , Flege S. , Li S. , Rachut K. , Klein A. , Alff L.
Published: June 2014

We report on the effects of Ag impurities at interfaces of parallel-plate Pt/Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3/Pt thin film ferroelectric varactors. Ag impurities occur at the interfaces due to diffusion of Ag from colloidal silver paint used to attach the varactor samples with their back side to the plate heated at 600–750 °C during deposition of Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry suggest that amount and distribution of Ag adsorbed at the interfaces depend strongly on the adsorbent surface layer. In particular, Ag preferentially accumulates on top of the Pt bottom electrode. The presence of Ag significantly reduces the barrier height between Pt and Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 leading to an increased leakage current density and, thus, to a severe degradation of the varactor performance.
Low frequency noise in the unstable contact region of Au-to-Au microcontact for microelectromechanical system switches
Authors: Qiu Haodong , Wang Hong , Ke Feixiang
Published: June 2014

The noise behavior of Au-to-Au microcontact for microelectromechanical system switches has been experimentally studied in the unstable contact region. The results suggest that the electrical conduction remains nonmetallic at the initial stage during contact formation due to the existence of alien films, and traps in the alien layer located at the contact interface could play an important role in determining the conduction noise. The conduction fluctuation induced by electron trapping-detrapping associated with the hydrocarbon layer is found to be an intrinsic noise source contributing to the low frequency noise in the unstable contact region.
Perceived Rigidity in Motion-in-Depth Increases with Contour Perspective
Authors: Vienne Cyril , Blondé Laurent , Mamassian Pascal
Published: June 2014

When observers are asked to match the depth of an object according to its height, they often report systematic errors depending on viewing distance. Systematic biases can also arise while vergence distances are induced by binocular disparities. Observers of stereoscopic images tend to overestimate the depth of objects displayed in front of the screen, while the depth of objects displayed behind the screen plane is underestimated. This phenomenon creates a serious problem in that veridicality in depth perception appears distorted when one attempts to render the metrics of a captured 3-D world. These distortions could also subsist with structure-from-motion information and during motion-in-depth. Observers judged the circularity of transparent rotating cylinders that were either static or moving in depth. Crossed results show that participants could precisely retrieve the best modulation between presented depth and width. As this effect could be amplified with stimuli containing stronger perspective cues (ie contour perspective), participants judged the rigidity of spinning cubes, moving along the line of sight, which were either edges-defined or defined by randomly textured surfaces (dots). The results showed that, although depth constancy was not improved by contour perspective, perceived rigidity was increased by perspective when the best scaling estimate was displayed. This finding suggests that appropriate binocular disparity information in combination to monocular signal is necessary for stereoscopic depth perception.
Pasture plants and soil fertility management to improve the efficiency of phosphorus fertiliser use in temperate grassland systems
Authors: Simpson Richard J. , Richardson Alan E. , Nichols Shirley N. , Crush James R.
Published: June 2014

Phosphorus (P) fertilisers are important for productivity in many grassland systems. Phosphorus is a non-renewable and finite resource, and there are environmental and economic reasons for using P more effectively. We review the P balance of temperate pastures to identify the factors contributing to inefficient use of P fertiliser and discuss ways to improve P-balance efficiency. Immediate gains can be made by ensuring that P fertiliser inputs are managed to ensure that the plant-available P concentrations of soil do not exceed the minimum concentration associated with maximum pasture production. Unnecessarily high soil P concentrations are associated with greater potential for P loss to the wider environment, and with higher rates of P accumulation in soils that have a high P-sorption capacity. Soil microorganisms already play a crucial role in P cycling and its availability for pasture growth, but are not amenable to management. Consequently, plants with lower critical P requirements, particularly because of better root foraging, will be an important avenue for improving the P-balance efficiency of fertilised pastures. Traits such as long fine roots, branching, root hairs, and mycorrhizal associations all contribute to improved root foraging by pasture plants; some of these traits are amenable to breeding. However, progress in breeding for improved P efficiency in pasture plants has been minimal. It is likely that traditional plant breeding, augmented by marker-assisted selection and interspecific hybridisation, will be necessary for progress. There are practical limits to the gains that can be made by root foraging alone; therefore, plants that can ‘mine’ sparingly available P in soils by producing organic anions and phosphatases are also needed, as are innovations in fertiliser technology.
Potential soil organic carbon stock and its uncertainty under various cropping systems in Australian cropland
Authors: Luo Zhongkui , Wang Enli , Baldock Jeff , Xing Hongtao
Published: June 2014

The diversity of cropping systems and its variation could lead to great uncertainty in the estimation of soil organic carbon (SOC) stock across time and space. Using the pre-validated Agricultural Production Systems Simulator, we simulated the long-term (1022 years) SOC dynamics in the top 0.3 m of soil at 613 reference sites under 59 representative cropping systems across Australia’s cereal-growing regions. The point simulation results were upscaled to the entire cereal-growing region using a Monte Carlo approach to quantify the spatial pattern of SOC stock and its uncertainty caused by cropping system and environment. The predicted potential SOC stocks at equilibrium state ranged from 10 to 140 t ha–1, with the majority in a range 30–70 t ha–1, averaged across all the representative cropping systems. Cropping system accounted for ~10% of the total variance in predicted SOC stocks. The type of cropping system that determined the carbon input into soil had significant effects on SOC sequestration potential. On average, the potential SOC stock in the top 0.3 m of soil was 30, 50 and 60 t ha–1 under low-, medium- and high-input cropping systems in terms of carbon input, corresponding to –2, 18 and 26 t ha–1 of SOC change. Across the entire region, the Monte Carlo simulations showed that the potential SOC stock was 51 t ha–1, with a 95% confidence interval ranging from 38 to 64 t ha–1 under the identified representative cropping systems. Overall, predicted SOC stock could increase by 0.99 Pg in Australian cropland under the identified representative cropping systems with optimal management. Uncertainty varied depending on cropping system, climate and soil conditions. Detailed information on cropping system and soil and climate characteristics is needed to obtain reliable estimates of potential SOC stock at regional scale, particularly in cooler and/or wetter regions.
Use of night vision goggles for aerial forest fire detection
Authors: Tomkins L. , Benzeroual T. , Milner A. , Zacher J. E. , Ballagh M. , McAlpine R. S. , Doig T. , Jennings S. , Craig G. , Allison R. S.
Published: June 2014

Night-time flight searches using night vision goggles have the potential to improve early aerial detection of forest fires, which could in turn improve suppression effectiveness and reduce costs. Two sets of flight trials explored this potential in an operational context. With a clear line of sight, fires could be seen from many kilometres away (on average 3584m for controlled point sources and 6678m for real fires). Observers needed to be nearer to identify a light as a potential source worthy of further investigation. The average discrimination distance, at which a source could be confidently determined to be a fire or other bright light source, was 1193m (95% CI: 944 to 1442m). The hit rate was 68% over the course of the controlled experiment, higher than expectations based on the use of small fire sources and novice observers. The hit rate showed improvement over time, likely because of observers becoming familiar with the task and terrain. Night vision goggles enable sensitive detection of small fires, including those that were very difficult to detect during daytime patrols. The results demonstrate that small fires can be detected and reliably discriminated at night using night vision goggles at distances comparable to those recorded for daytime aerial detection patrols.
Biomass dynamics of central Siberian Scots pine forests following surface fires of varying severity
Authors: Kukavskaya Elena A. , Ivanova Galina A. , Conard Susan G. , McRae Douglas J. , Ivanov Valery A.
Published: June 2014

In 2000–2002 nine 4-ha prescribed fires of various severities were conducted on experimental plots in mature Scots pine forest in the central Siberian taiga, Russia. Total above-ground living biomass decreased after low- and moderate-severity fires by 10 and 15%, whereas high-severity fire reduced living above-ground biomass by 83%. We monitored changes in fuel structure and biomass for 6–8 years following these fires. By 6–8 years after burning the ground fuel loading had recovered to 101, 96 and 82% of pre-fire levels after fires of low-, moderate- and high-severity. Down woody fuel loading increased by 0.18±0.04kgm–2year–1. We developed regressions relating time since fire to changes in above-ground biomass components for fires of different severity for feather moss–lichen Scots pine forest of Siberia. Our results demonstrate the importance of both burn severity and composition of pre-fire surface vegetation in determining rates and patterns of post-fire vegetation recovery on dry Scots pine sites in central Siberia.
Fuel reduction burning mitigates wildfire effects on forest carbon and greenhouse gas emission
Authors: Volkova Liubov , Meyer C. P. Mick , Murphy Simon , Fairman Thomas , Reisen Fabienne , Weston Christopher
Published: June 2014

A high-intensity wildfire burnt through a dry Eucalyptus forest in south-eastern Australia that had been fuel reduced with fire 3 months prior, presenting a unique opportunity to measure the effects of fuel reduction (FR) on forest carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from wildfires at the start of the fuel accumulation cycle. Less than 3% of total forest carbon to 30-cm soil depth was transferred to the atmosphere in FR burning; the subsequent wildfire transferred a further 6% to the atmosphere. There was a 9% loss in carbon for the FR–wildfire sequence. In nearby forest, last burnt 25 years previously, the wildfire burning transferred 16% of forest carbon to the atmosphere and was characterised by more complete combustion of all fuels and less surface charcoal deposition, compared with fuel-reduced forest. Compared to the fuel-reduced forests, release of non-CO2 GHG doubled following wildfire in long-unburnt forest. Although this is the maximum emission mitigation likely within a planned burning cycle, it suggests a significant potential for FR burns to mitigate GHG emissions in forests at high risk from wildfires.
What does it take to be a true conservative?
Authors: Beckstein Martin
Published: June 2014

Is there any reason to discriminate among the rival claims self-proclaimed conservatives make for being truly conservative? This article argues that at least some of these claims can legitimately be dismissed by an independent third. Drawing on and critically interrogating the theories of conservatism provided by Huntington, Oakeshott, as well as Brennan and Hamlin, this article argues that many characterizations of conservatism mistake contingent circumstances explaining why people historically were or conceivably might be reluctant to promote social change for a fully formed conservative ideology. Not least, risk- and uncertainty-centered accounts, which have gained in popularity as of recently, constitute no viable basis for plausible claims to being truly conservative. Rather than specifying what it takes to be a true conservative, these accounts provide a formalized description of one kind of contingent circumstances that may lead a principled non-conservative to adopt conservative political attitudes.
Divisibility of reduction in groups of rational numbers
Authors: Pappalardi Francesco
Published: June 2014

Given a multiplicative group of nonzero rational numbers and a positive integer

m
m

, we consider the problem of determining the density of the set of primes

p
p

for which the order of the reduction modulo

p
p

of the group is divisible by

m
m

. In the case when the group is finitely generated the density is explicitly computed. Some examples of groups with infinite rank are considered.
Influenza A Outbreak in an Ambulatory Stem Cell Transplant Center
Authors: Apewokin Senu , Vyas Keyur , Lester Laura K. , Grazzuitti Monica , Haselow Dirk T. , Wolfe Frankie , Roberts Michelle , Bellamy William , Kumar Naveen Sanath , Hunter Dolris , Lee Jeannette , Laudadio Jennifer , Wheeler J. Gary , Bradsher Robert
Published: June 2014

Background.  In the era of cost-consciousness regarding healthcare , provision of medical services in an outpatient setting has become increasingly attractive. We report an influenza outbreak in an ambulatory stem cell transplant center in 2013 that highlights unique identification and infection control challenges in this setting.

Methods.  Nasopharyngeal swabs were performed on patients with suspected influenza-like illnesses (ILI), defined by subjective fever or measured temperature of ≥37.7°C (≥100°F) with cough or sore throat during July 25, 2013 through August 7, 2013. In addition, testing was triggered by an elevated C-reactive protein (CRP). Specimens were analyzed by using eSensor Respiratory Viral Panel. Clinical and epidemiologic information was collected in real time, and frequencies were calculated on demographics, baseline clinical parameters, treatment methods, comorbidities, and symptoms of affected persons.

Results.  Thirty-one patients had influenza A (H3N2) infection during July 25, 2013 through August 7, 2013. Only 7 patients (23%) met the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists ILI case definition. Twenty-five patients (81%) had received ≥1 transplant, with 13 (42%) having occurred within 1 year before the outbreak. Twenty-five patients (81%) had received B-cell active chemotherapy <60 days before influenza diagnosis, 6 (19%) were neutropenic, and 25 (81%) lymphopenic. Among clinical and laboratory markers analyzed, abnormal CRP was the most sensitive screening tool for influenza. Twelve (39%) patients were hospitalized (median stay, 10 days; range, 2–20). No deaths occurred.

Conclusions.  Immunocompromised hosts with influenza have atypical presentations. Existing surveillance case definitions might be insufficient to reliably identify influenza outbreaks in such patients.
Hepatitis E virus egress depends on the exosomal pathway, with secretory exosomes derived from multivesicular bodies
Authors: Nagashima Shigeo , Jirintai Suljid , Takahashi Masaharu , Kobayashi Tominari , Tanggis  , Nishizawa Tsutomu , Kouki Tom , Yashiro Takashi , Okamoto Hiroaki
Published: June 2014

Our previous studies indicated that hepatitis E virus (HEV) forms membrane-associated particles in the cytoplasm, most likely by budding into intracellular vesicles, and requires the multivesicular body (MVB) pathway to release virus particles, and the released HEV particles with a lipid membrane retain the trans-Golgi network protein 2 on their surface. To examine whether HEV utilizes the exosomal pathway to release the virus particles, we analysed whether the virion release from PLC/PRF/5 cells infected with genotype 3 HEV (strain JE03-1760F) is affected by treatment with bafilomycin A1 or GW4869, or by the introduction of a small interfering RNA (siRNA) against Rab27A or Hrs. The extracellular HEV RNA titre was increased by treatment with bafilomycin A1, but was decreased by treatment with GW4869. The relative levels of virus particles released from cells depleted of Rab27A or Hrs were decreased to 16.1 and 11.5 %, respectively, of that released from cells transfected with negative control siRNA. Electron microscopic observations revealed the presence of membrane-associated virus-like particles with a diameter of approximately 50 nm within the MVB, which possessed internal vesicles in infected cells. Immunoelectron microscopy showed positive immunogold staining for the HEV ORF2 protein on the intraluminal vesicles within the MVB. Additionally, immunofluorescence analysis indicated the triple co-localization of the ORF2, ORF3 and CD63 proteins in the cytoplasm, as specific loculated signals, supporting the presence of membrane-associated HEV particles within the MVB. These findings indicate that membrane-associated HEV particles are released together with internal vesicles through MVBs by the cellular exosomal pathway.
Ecological causes of multilevel covariance between size and first‐year survival in a wild bird population
Authors: Bouwhuis Sandra , Vedder Oscar , Garroway Colin J. , Sheldon Ben C.
Published: June 2014

Estimates of selection in natural populations are frequent but our understanding of ecological causes of selection, and causes of variation in the direction, strength and form of selection is limited.

Here, we apply a multilevel framework to partition effects of great tit fledging mass on first‐year survival to hierarchical levels and quantify their ecological dependence using a data set spanning 51 years.

We show that estimates of the effect of fledging mass on first‐year survival decline threefold from year‐ to brood‐ to individual level, so that estimates of selection depend strongly on the level at which they are calculated.

We identify variables related to summer and winter food availability as underlying higher‐level effects of fledging mass on first‐year survival and show experimentally that brood‐level effects originate early in development. Further, we show that predation and conspecific density modulate individual‐level effects of fledging mass on first‐year survival.

These analyses demonstrate how correlations between traits, fitness and environment influence estimates of selection and show how partitioning trait effects between levels of selection and environmental factors is a promising approach to identify potential agents of selection.
Agriculture modifies the seasonal decline of breeding success in a tropical wild bird population
Authors: Cartwright Samantha J. , Nicoll Malcolm A. C. , Jones Carl G. , Tatayah Vikash , Norris Ken
Published: June 2014

Habitat conversion for agriculture is a major driver of biodiversity loss, but our understanding of the demographic processes involved remains poor. We typically investigate the impacts of agriculture in isolation even though populations are likely to experience multiple, concurrent changes in the environment (e.g. land and climate change). Drivers of environmental change may interact to affect demography, but the mechanisms have yet to be explored fully in wild populations.

Here, we investigate the mechanisms linking agricultural land use with breeding success using long‐term data for the formerly Critically Endangered Mauritius kestrel Falco punctatus, a tropical forest specialist that also occupies agricultural habitats. We specifically focused on the relationship between breeding success, agriculture and the timing of breeding because the latter is sensitive to changes in climatic conditions (spring rainfall) and enables us to explore the interactive effects of different (land and climate) drivers of environmental change.

Breeding success, measured as egg survival to fledging, declines seasonally in this population, but we found that the rate of this decline became increasingly rapid as the area of agriculture around a nest site increased. If the relationship between breeding success and agriculture was used in isolation to estimate the demographic impact of agriculture, it would significantly under‐estimate breeding success in dry (early) springs and over‐estimate breeding success in wet (late) springs.

Analysis of prey delivered to nests suggests that the relationship between breeding success and agriculture might be due, in part, to spatial variation in the availability of native, arboreal geckos.

Synthesis and applications. Agriculture modifies the seasonal decline in breeding success in this population. As springs are becoming wetter in our study area and since the kestrels breed later in wetter springs, the impact of agriculture on breeding success will become worse over time. Our results suggest that forest restoration designed to reduce the detrimental impacts of agriculture on breeding may also help reduce the detrimental effects of breeding late due to wetter springs. Our results therefore highlight the importance of considering the interactive effects of environmental change when managing wild populations.
The Urban Unbound: London's Politics and the 2012 Olympic Games
Authors: Allen John , Cochrane Allan
Published: June 2014

Global events such as London's 2012 Olympic Games raise questions about the ways in which embedded political arrangements take their shape from relationships that stretch across and beyond urban boundaries. In this article, the urban politics that we wish to capture is not one that is merely located in the city, but rather one that has to constantly take into account the mediated demands folded (as it were) into the urban arena. In the first part of the article, the corporate politics of an Olympic‐related urban regeneration are outlined and then considered, first as a staged setting for interaction, a kind of placeless political engagement, and then as a more embedded spatial politics that takes into account the leverage of networked groups acting within and beyond the city. Following that, we explore the politics of regeneration when campaign groups and alternative coalitions of interest raise their own political demands by drawing on references outside of their immediate urban area and attempt to steer political dialogue in ways that extend the reach of urban politics. The urban politics at stake in this context, we argue, appears to work more through topology than a series of mapped connections; through actors registering their presence in ways that often dissolve the tension between inside and outside rather than define it in terms of separate political spaces.
What Do Cities Have to Do with Democracy?
Authors: Barnett Clive
Published: June 2014

The relationship between urbanization and democratization remains under‐theorized and under‐researched. Radical urban theory has undergone a veritable normative turn, registered in debates about the right to the city, spatial justice and the just city, while critical conceptualizations of neoliberalism present ‘democracy’ as the preferred remedy for injustice. However, these lines of thought remain reluctant to venture too far down the path of political philosophy. The relationship between urban politics and the dynamics of democratization remains under‐theorized as a result. It is argued that this relationship can be usefully understood by drawing on lessons from avowedly normative styles of political theorizing, specifically post‐Habermasian strands of critical theory. Taking this tradition seriously helps one to notice that discussions of urbanization, democracy, injustice and rights in geography, urban studies and related fields invoke an implicit but unthematized democratic norm, that of all‐affected interests. In contemporary critical theory, this norm is conceptualized as a worldly register of political demands. It is argued that the conceptual disaggregation of component values of democracy undertaken through the ‘spatial turn’ in recent critical theory reorients the analysis of the democratic potentials of urban politics around the investigation of the multiple forms of agency which urbanized processes perform in generating, recognizing and acting upon issues of shared concern.
Tyrosine Hydroxylase TH01 9.3 Allele in the Occurrence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in Swiss Caucasians
Authors: Studer Jacqueline , Bartsch Christine , Haas Cordula
Published: June 2014

Catecholamines, especially noradrenalin, are essential in the control of respiration and arousal. Thus, an impaired production of these neurotransmitters may contribute to the occurrence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The first step of the noradrenergic synthesis pathway is catalyzed by the enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). The TH‐encoding gene contains a tetrameric short tandem repeat in intron 1 (TH01), with allele 9.3 reported to be associated with SIDS in German infants. We investigated the allelic frequency of the TH01 marker in 171 Swiss SIDS infants and 500 healthy and gender‐matched Caucasian adults. In our study population, the allelic frequency of the 9.3 allele is similarly distributed in SIDS cases and controls (27.2% vs. 25.6%; p‐value = 0.562). Nevertheless, the TH‐encoding gene is only one of several genes involved in the noradrenergic biosynthesis pathway. Therefore, further genetic investigations are required with focus on the whole noradrenergic signaling system.
IMPRISONMENT LENGTH AND POST‐PRISON EMPLOYMENT PROSPECTS
Authors: RAMAKERS ANKE , APEL ROBERT , NIEUWBEERTA PAUL , DIRKZWAGER ANJA , VAN WILSEM JOHAN
Published: June 2014

This study considers the relationship between imprisonment length and employment outcomes. The data are a unique prospective, longitudinal study of Dutch pretrial detainees (N = 702). All subjects thus experience prison confinement of varying lengths, although the durations are relatively short (mean = 3.8 months; median = 3.1 months). This contrasts with prior research that was limited to the study of American prison sentences spanning an average of 2 years. These data thus fill a gap in the empirical base concerning short‐term confinement, which is the norm in the United States (e.g., jail incarceration) and other Western countries. Using a comprehensive array of pre‐prison covariates, a propensity score methodology is used to examine the dose–response relationship between imprisonment length and a variety of employment outcomes. The results indicate that, among prison lengths less than 6 months in duration, longer confinement is largely uncorrelated with employment. In contrast, among spells in excess of 6 months, longer imprisonment length seems to worsen employment prospects.
Genomic Resources Notes accepted 1 April 2014 – 31 May 2014
Authors:   Genomic Resources Development Consortium, Contreras Marinela , de la Fuente José , Estrada‐Peña Agustín , Grubhoffer Libor , Tobes Raquel
Published: June 2014

This article documents the public availability of a global transcriptome comparison between Lyme disease tick vectors, Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes ricinus.
Silica particles with encapsulated DNA as trophic tracers
Authors: Mora C. A. , Paunescu D. , Grass R. N. , Stark W. J.
Published: June 2014

Ecological networks such as food webs are extremely complex and can provide important information about the robustness and productivity of an ecosystem. In most cases, it is not feasible to observe trophic interactions between predators and prey directly and with the available methods, it is difficult to quantify the connections between them. Here, we show that submicron‐sized silica particles (100–150 nm) with encapsulated DNA (SPED) enable accurate food and organism labelling and quantification of specific animal‐to‐animal transfer over more than one trophic level. We found that SPED were readily transferable and quantifiable from the bottom to the top of a two‐level food chain of arthropods. SPED were taken up in the gut system and remained persistent in an animal over several days. When uniquely labelled SPED were applied at predefined ratios, we found that information about their relative abundance was reliably conserved after trophic level transfer and over time. SPED were also applied to investigate the flower preference of fly pollinators and proved to be a fast and accurate analysis method. SPED combine attributes of DNA barcoding and stable isotope analysis such as unique labelling, quantification via real‐time PCR and exact backtracking to the tracer source. This improves and simplifies the analysis and monitoring of ecological networks.
Quercus yangyiensis sp. nov. from the Late Pliocene of Baoshan, Yunnan and Its Paleoclimatic Significance
Authors: HE Yuli , LI Na , WANG Zixi , WANG Haofei , YANG Guolin , XIAO Liang , WU Jingyu , SUN Bainian
Published: June 2014

A new Quercus (Fagaceae) morphospecies is described based on well‐preserved fossil leaves. The fossils were collected from Yangyi Formation of the Upper Pliocene at the Yangyi coalmine, Baoshan, western Yunnan, China. Details of the microstructure of mesophyll tissue are preserved because lithification of the fossils was not complete. The fossil laminas possess typical characteristics of Quercus sect Heterobalanus: quite thick and coriaceous cuticle; secondary veins bifurcating near the margin in the middle and top of the leaf; and upper epidermis with adaxial hypodermis. Based on a detailed morphological and anatomical comparison with all living and fossil species of Quercus sect. Heterobalanus, the fossil leaves prove to be different in their sparse and garland‐shaped multicellular trichomes on the lower epidermis, and so it is described as a new species Quercus yangyiensis He, Li et Sun sp. nov. The much sparser trichomes of our fossils compare well with those of living Quercus sect. Heterobalanus and indicate a more humid climate during the deposition of the Yangyi Formation in the Late Pliocene.
Hydroxycalciopyrochlore, A New Mineral Species from Sichuan, China
Authors: YANG Guangming , LI Guowu , XIONG Ming , PAN Baoming , YAN Chenjie
Published: June 2014

Hydroxycalciopyrochlore, ideally (Ca,Na,U,□)2(Nb,Ti)2O6(OH), cubic, is a new mineral species (IMA2011–026) within the pyrochlore supergroup that was found occurring at the Maoniuping mine, Mianning County, Xichang prefecture, Sichuan Province, southwest China. The mineral is found in an alkali feldspar granite rare‐earth ore deposit (26–27 Ma). Associated minerals include calcite, barite, celestine, albite, aegirine, aegirine‐augite, fluorite, parasite‐(Ce), thorite, thorianite, zircon, galena, sphalerite, magnetite, and pyrite. Crystals occur mostly as octahedra, and less often as dodecahedra and tetrahexahedra or combinations thereof. Some occur with an allotriomorphic habit with a thick triangular tabular form. Crystals generally range from 0.1 to 1 mm in size. The mineral is brownish‐black, greenish‐black and black on fresh sections with a brown streak. The crystal is translucent, and has a greasy lustre on fresh sections. It is metamict without any observed parting or cleavage and with a conchoidal fracture. The Vickers microhardness is 572 kg/mm2 (5–6 on the Mohs hardness scale). The density measured by hydrostatic weighing is 5.10(3) g/cm3. The strongest four reflections in the X‐ray powder‐diffraction pattern [d in Å (I) hkl] are: 2.9657 (100) 2 2 2, 1.8142 (34) 0 4 4, 1.5463 (21) 2 2 6, 2.5688 (18) 0 0 4. The unit‐cell parameters are a = 10.381(4) Å, V = 1118.7(7) Å3, Z = 8. The structure was solved and refined in the space group Fd3m with R = 0.09. The empirical formula is (Ca0.74Na0.58U0.40Ce0.05Fe0.02□0.21)2.00(Nb1.15Ti0.80Ta0.03Al0.01Mg0.01)2.00O6.02 [(OH)1.01F0.09]1.10, on the basis of 2 atoms of B pfu; the simplified formula is (Ca,Na,U,□)2(Nb,Ti)2O6(OH). Type material is deposited in the Geological Museum of China, Beijing, People's Republic of China, catalogue number M11800.
Petrogenesis of Kejie Granite in the Northern Changning‐Menglian Zone, Western Yunnan: Constraints from Zircon U‐Pb Geochronology, Geochemistry and Hf Isotope
Authors: NIE Fei , DONG Guochen , MO Xuanxue , WANG Xia , FAN Wenyu , DONG Meiling , ZHU Huaping
Published: June 2014

The Kejie pluton is located in the north of the Changning‐Menglian suture zone. The rock types are mainly biotite‐granite. Zircon LA‐ICP‐MS U‐Pb dating indicates that the Kejie pluton emplaced at about 80–77 Ma, Late Cretaceous. The Kejie pluton samples are characterized by high SiO2 (71.68%–72.47%), K2O (4.73%–5.54%), total alkali (K2O + Na2O = 8.21%–8.53%), K2O/Na2O ratios (1.36–1.94) and low P2O5 (0.13%–0.17%), with A/CNK of 1.025–1.055; enriched in U, Th, and K, depleted in Ba, Nb, Sr, Ti, P and Eu. They are highly fractionated, slightly pet aluminous I‐type granite. The two samples of the Kejie pluton give a large variation of εHf(t) values (–5.04 to 1.96) and Hf isotope crustal model ages of 1.16–1.5 Ga. Zircon Hf isotopes and zircon saturation temperatures of whole‐rock (801°C–823°C) show that the mantle‐derived materials maybe have played a vital role in the generation of the Kejie pluton. The Kejie pluton was most likely generated in a setting associated with the eastward subduction of the neo‐Tethys ocean, where intrusion of mantle wedge basaltic magmas in the crust caused the anatexis of the latter, forming hybrid melts, which subsequently experienced high‐degree fractional crystallization.
Mineralization Styles and Genesis of the Yinkeng Au‐Ag‐Pb‐Zn‐Cu‐Mn Polymetallic Orefield, Southern Jiangxi Province, SE China: Evidence from Geology, Fluid Inclusions, Isotopes and Chronology
Authors: FENG Chengyou , LI Daxin , ZENG Zailin , ZHANG Dequan , SHE Hongquan
Published: June 2014

The Yinkeng orefield in Yudu County, Jiangxi Province, SE China, is a zone of concentrated Au‐Ag‐Pb‐Zn‐Cu‐Mn polymetallic ores. Based on summing up basic geology and ore geology of the orefield, the polymetallic deposits in the orefield have been divided into seven major substyles according to their occurring positions and control factors. The ore‐forming fluid inclusion styles in the orefield include those of two‐phase fluid, liquid CO2‐bearing three‐phase and daughter mineral‐bearing multi‐phase. The homogenization temperatures range from 382° to 122°C, falling into five clusters of 370° to 390°, 300° to 360°, 230° to 300°, 210° to 290° and 120° to 200°, and the clusters of 300° to 360°, 230° to 300° and 120° to 200° are three major mineralization stages, with fluid salinity peaks from 4.14% to 7.31%, 2.07% to 7.31% and 0.53% to 3.90%, respectively. The ore‐forming fluids are mainly type of NaCl‐H2O with medium to high density (0.74–1.02 g/cm3), or CO2‐bearing NaCl‐H2O with medium to low density (0.18–0.79 g/cm3). The fluid salinity and density both show a decline tendency with decreasing temperature. According to the measurement and calculation of H‐ and O‐isotopic compositions in the quartz of the quartz‐sulfide veins, δDV‐SMOW of the ore‐forming fluid is from –84‰ to –54‰, and δ18OV‐SMOW of that is from 6.75‰ to 9.21‰, indicating a magmatic fluid. The δ34SV‐SDT of sulfides in the ores fall into two groups, one is from –4.4‰ to 2.2‰ with average of –1.42‰, and the other from 18.8‰ to 21.6‰ with average of 19.8‰. The S‐isotopic data shows one peak at –4.4‰ to 2.2‰ (meaning –1.42‰) suggesting a simple magmatic sulfur source. The ore Pb‐isotopic ratios are 206Pb/204Pb from 17.817 to 17.983, 207Pb/204Pb from 15.470 to 15.620 and 208Pb/204Pb from 38.072 to 38.481, indicating characteristics of mantle‐derived lead. The data show that the major ore deposits in the orefield have a magmatic‐hydrothermal genesis and that the SHRIMP zircon age of the granodiorite porphyry, closely related to the mineralization, is 151.2±4.2 Ma (MSWD = 1.3), which can represent the formation ages of the ores and intrusion rocks. The study aids understanding of the ore‐forming processes of the major metallic ore deposits in the orefield.
Effects of Lateral Variation in Vegetation and Basin ‘Dome’ Shape on Tropical Lowland Peat Stabilisation in the Kota Samarahan‐Asajaya Area, West Sarawak, Malaysia
Authors: ZULKIFLEY Mohamad Tarmizi Mohamad , NG Tham Fatt , RAJ John Kuna , HASHIM Roslan , ASHRAF Muhammad Aqeel
Published: June 2014

Field surveys indicate lateral variation in peat humification levels (von Post) in dominantly occurring fibric, fibric to hemic, sapric and hemic to sapric peats across a gradient from the margin towards the centre of tropical lowland peat domes. Cement‐peat stabilisation can be enhanced by adding mineral soil fillers (silt, clays and fine sands) obtained from Quaternary floodplain deposits and residual soil (weathered schist). The unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of the stabilised cement‐mineral soil filler‐peat mix increases with the increased addition of selected mineral soil filler. Lateral variation in the stabilised peat strength (UCS) in the top 0 to 0.5 m layer was found from the margin towards the centre of the tropical lowland peat dome. The variations in the UCS of stabilised tropical lowland peats along a gradient from the periphery towards the centre of the peat dome are most likely caused by a combination of factors due to variations in the mineral soil or ash content of the peat and horizontal zonation or lateral variation in the dominant species of the plant assemblages (due to successive vegetation zonation of the peat swamp forest from the periphery towards the centre of the tropical lowland peat dome).
Spatiotemporal Changes of Vegetation Cover in Response to Climate Change on the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: LI Juncheng , WANG Jianrong , GONG Bin , GAN Xiaoli , HU Weiwu , LIU Weiling
Published: June 2014

The Tibetan Plateau is one of the most important ecological barriers in China. Resolving the internal relations and dynamics ruling the association between regional vegetation and climate change is important to understand and protect the regional ecosystems. Based on vegetation, temperature and precipitation data of the Tibetan Plateau from 2001 to 2010, we analyze the spatial and temporal variations of vegetation cover over the past 10 years and discuss the vegetation response to climate change using empirical orthogonal function and singular value decomposition. Our results reveal the following: (1) vegetation cover gradually decreases from the southeast to the northwest of the Tibetan Plateau; (2) vegetation cover has increased on the Tibetan Plateau over the past 10 years, mainly in the central and eastern zones; and (3) a significant positive relationship was suggested between vegetation cover during growing season and the temperature in the entire region and with precipitation in the central and southern zones.
Arsenic Distribution Pattern in Different Sources of Drinking Water and their Geological Background in Guanzhong Basin, Shaanxi, China
Authors: LUO Kunli , ZHANG Shixi , TIAN Yuan , GAO Xing
Published: June 2014

To study arsenic (As) content and distribution patterns as well as the genesis of different kinds of water, especially the different sources of drinking water in Guanzhong Basin, Shaanxi province, China, 139 water samples were collected at 62 sampling points from wells of different depths, from hot springs, and rivers. The As content of these samples was measured by the intermittent flow‐hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry method (HG‐AFS). The As concentrations in the drinking water in Guanzhong Basin vary greatly (0.00–68.08 μg/L), and the As concentration of groundwater in southern Guanzhong Basin is different from that in the northern Guanzhong Basin. Even within the same location in southern Guanzhong Basin, the As concentrations at different depths vary greatly. As concentration of groundwater from the shallow wells (<50 m deep, 0.56–3.87 μg/L) is much lower than from deep wells (110–360 m deep, 19.34–62.91 μg/L), whereas As concentration in water of any depth in northern Guanzhong Basin is <10 μg/L. Southern Guanzhong Basin is a newly discovered high‐As groundwater area in China. The high‐As groundwater is mainly distributed in areas between the Qinling Mountains and Weihe River; it has only been found at depths ranging from 110 to 360 m in confined aquifers, which store water in the Lishi and Wucheng Loess (Lower and Middle Pleistocene) in the southern Guanzhong Basin. As concentration of hot spring water is 6.47–11.94 μg/L; that of geothermal water between 1000 and 1500 m deep is 43.68–68.08 μg/L. The high‐As well water at depths from 110 to 360 m in southern Guanzhong Basin has a very low fluorine (F) value, which is generally <0.10 mg/L. Otherwise, the hot springs of Lintong and Tangyu and the geothermal water in southern Guanzhong Basin have very high F values (8.07–14.96 mg/L). The results indicate that high‐As groundwater in depths from 110 to 360 m is unlikely to have a direct relationship with the geothermal water in the same area. As concentration of all reservoirs and rivers (both contaminated and uncontaminated) in the Guanzhong Basin is <10 μg/L. This shows that pollution in the surface water is not the source of the high‐As in the southern Guanzhong Basin. The partition boundaries of the high‐ and low‐As groundwater area corresponds to the partition boundaries of the tectonic units in the Guanzhong Basin. This probably indicates that the high‐As groundwater areas can be correlated to their geological underpinning and structural framework. In southern Guanzhong Basin, the main sources of drinking water for villages and small towns today are wells between 110–360 m deep. All of their As contents exceed the limit of the Chinese National Standard and the International Standard (>10 μg/L) and so local residents should use other sources of clean water that are <50 m deep, instead of deep groundwater (110 to 360 m) for their drinking water supply.
Involvement of reactive oxygen species in cocaine‐taking behaviors in rats
Authors: Jang Eun Young , Ryu Yeon‐Hee , Lee Bong Hyo , Chang Su‐Chan , Yeo Mi Jin , Kim Sang Hyun , Folsom Ryan J. , Schilaty Nathan D. , Kim Kwang Joong , Yang Chae Ha , Steffensen Scott C. , Kim Hee Young
Published: June 2014

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in the development of behavioral sensitization following repeated cocaine exposure. We hypothesized that increased ROS following cocaine exposure would act as signaling molecules in the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system, which might play an important role in mediating the reinforcing effects of cocaine. The aim of this study was to evaluate cocaine enhancement of brain metabolic activity and the effects of ROS scavengers on cocaine self‐administration behavior, cocaine‐induced ROS production in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and cocaine enhancement of DA release in the NAc. Metabolic neural activity monitored by temperature and oxidative stress were increased in NAc following cocaine exposure. Systemic administration of the ROS scavenger N‐tert‐butyl‐α‐phenylnitrone (PBN) or 4‐hydroxy‐2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine‐1‐oxyl (TEMPOL), either pre‐ or post‐treatment, significantly decreased cocaine self‐administration without affecting food intake. Infusion of TEMPOL into the NAc inhibited cocaine self‐administration. Increased oxidative stress was found mainly on neurons, but not astrocytes, microglia or oligodendrocytes, in NAc of rats self‐administering cocaine. TEMPOL significantly attenuated cocaine‐induced enhancement of DA release in the NAc, compared to saline controls. TEMPOL had no effect on the enhancement of DA release produced by the DA transporter inhibitor GBR12909. Taken together, these findings suggest that enhancement of ROS production in NAc neurons contributes to the reinforcing effect of cocaine.