bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Humidity response properties of a potentiometric sensor using LaF3 thin film as the solid electrolyte
Authors: Sun Guoliang , Wang Hairong , Jiang Zhuangde
Published: August 2011

A thin-film type potentiometric sensor has been prepared by the implementation of electro-beam evaporation, rf magnetron sputtering methods, and micromachining processes. Sn film was deposited on n-Si/SiO2 (400 nm) substrate. A deposited LaF3 film was applied as solid electrolyte and sputtered Pt film was used as the sensing electrode. The patterns of the Pt and LaF3 were realized by the micromachining processes. The LaF3 film was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive x ray. Saturated aqueous solutions were used to achieve controlled humidity environments. When the sensor was exposed to humidity environments, the electromotive force (EMF) of the sensor was examined. It was found that the sensor varies with the relative humidity (RH). The stable response curve was presented and non-Nernst behavior between the average EMF values and RH may be shown.
Room temperature picowatt-resolution calorimetry
Authors: Sadat Seid , Chua Yi Jie , Lee Woochul , Ganjeh Yashar , Kurabayashi Katsuo , Meyhofer Edgar , Reddy Pramod
Published: August 2011

Picowatt-resolution calorimetry is necessary for fundamental studies of nanoscale energy transport. Here, we report a microfabricated device capable of <4 pW resolution—an order of magnitude improvement over state-of-the-art room temperature calorimeters. This is achieved by the incorporation of two important features. First, the active area of the device is thermally isolated by thin and long beams with a total thermal conductance (G) of ∼600 nW/K. Further, a bimaterial cantilever thermometer capable of a temperature resolution (ΔTres) of ∼4 μK is integrated into the microdevice. The small thermal conductance and excellent temperature resolution enable measurements of heat currents (q = G × ΔTres) with a resolution <4 pW.
Minimum thermal conductance in graphene and boron nitride superlattice
Authors: Jiang Jin-Wu , Wang Jian-Sheng , Wang Bing-Shen
Published: August 2011

The minimum thermal conductance versus supercell size (ds) is revealed in graphene and boron nitride superlattice with ds far below the phonon mean free path. The minimum value is reached at a constant ratio of ds/L ≈ 5%, where L is the thickness of the superlattice; thus, the minimum point of ds depends on L. The phenomenon is attributed to the localization property and the number of confined modes in the superlattice. With the increase of ds, the localization of the confined mode is enhanced while the number of confined modes decreases, which directly results in the minimum thermal conductance.
Atomic imaging of nucleation of trimethylaluminum on clean and H2O functionalized Ge(100) surfaces
Authors: Lee Joon Sung , Kaufman-Osborn Tobin , Melitz Wilhelm , Lee Sangyeob , Delabie Annelies , Sioncke Sonja , Caymax Matty , Pourtois Geoffrey , Kummel Andrew C.
Published: August 2011

The direct reaction of trimethylaluminum (TMA) on a Ge(100) surface and the effects of monolayer H2O pre-dosing were investigated using ultrahigh vacuum techniques, such as scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS), and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and density functional theory (DFT). At room temperature (RT), a saturation TMA dose produced 0.8 monolayers (ML) of semi-ordered species on a Ge(100) surface due to the dissociative chemisorption of TMA. STS confirmed the chemisorption of TMA passivated the bandgap states due to dangling bonds. By annealing the TMA-dosed Ge surface, the STM observed coverage of TMA sites decreased to 0.4 ML at 250 °C, and to 0.15 ML at 450 °C. XPS analysis showed that only carbon content was reduced during annealing, while the Al coverage was maintained at 0.15 ML, consistent with the desorption of methyl (–CH3) groups from the TMA adsorbates. Conversely, saturation TMA dosing at RT on the monolayer H2O pre-dosed Ge(100) surface followed by annealing at 200 °C formed a layer of Ge–O–Al bonds with an Al coverage a factor of two greater than the TMA only dosed Ge(100), consistent with Ge–OH activation of TMA chemisorption and Ge–H blocking of CH3 chemisorption. The DFT shows that the reaction of TMA has lower activation energy and is more exothermic on Ge–OH than Ge–H sites. It is proposed that the H2O pre-dosing enhances the concentration of adsorbed Al and forms thermally stable Ge–O–Al bonds along the Ge dimer row which could serve as a nearly ideal atomic layer deposition nucleation layer on Ge(100) surface.
Plasmon induced transparency in a dielectric waveguide
Authors: He Yingran , Zhou Hao , Jin Yi , He Sailing
Published: August 2011

A classical effect of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) is demonstrated in a dielectric slab waveguide at visible frequencies. Two nano-sized elliptical silver particles are placed inside the waveguide core layer, and their localized plasmonic resonances are utilized to obtain bright and dark states. The destructive interference between the two resonance paths leads to an EIT-like transmission spectrum of the waveguide. The contrast between the transmission peak and dip can be further enhanced by incorporating the Fabry-Perot resonance effect. The influence of Joule loss on the EIT performance is also investigated.
Photo-induced lattice softening of excited-state VO2
Authors: Hada Masaki , Okimura Kunio , Matsuo Jiro
Published: August 2011

In this letter, we demonstrated the photoexcitation of metallic phase vanadium dioxide (VO2) with time-resolved x-ray diffraction measurements. Through the photoexcitation, the metallic phase VO2 transitioned to the similar transient state, which was presented in the insulator to metal phase transition in the time-scale of ∼10 ps. This transient state was accessed only by the photoexcitation and not through further thermal excitation. The presence of the transient state could be an important factor in any further application of the phase transition phenomena.
Transparent interconnections formed by rapid single-step fabrication of graphene patterns
Authors: Park J. B. , Xiong W. , Xie Z. Q. , Gao Y. , Qian M. , Mitchell M. , Mahjouri-Samani M. , Zhou Y. S. , Jiang L. , Lu Y. F.
Published: August 2011

We developed a process to form transparent interconnections using graphene patterns that were synthesized by laser chemical vapor deposition. The number of graphene layers was tightly controlled by laser scan speed. Graphene patterns were fabricated at a high scan speed of up to 200 μm/s with a single-step process. The process time is about a million times faster than the conventional chemical vapor deposition method. The fabricated graphene patterns on nickel foils were directly transferred to desired positions on patterned electrodes. The position-controlled transfer with rapid single-step fabrication of graphene patterns provides an innovative pathway for graphene-based interconnections.
Bcl6 in pulmonary epithelium coordinately controls the expression of the CC‐type chemokine genes and attenuates allergic airway inflammation
Authors: Seto T. , Yoshitake M. , Ogasawara T. , Ikari J. , Sakamoto A. , Hatano M. , Hirata H. , Fukuda T. , Kuriyama T. , Tatsumi K. , Tokuhisa T. , Arima M.
Published: August 2011

Background There is synteny in the CC‐type chemokine gene clusters between humans (CCL2/MCP‐1, CCL7MCP‐3, CCL11/eotaxin, CCL8/MCP‐2, CCL13/MCP‐4, and CCL1/I‐309) and mice (CCL2, CCL7, CCL11, CCL12/MCP‐5, CCL8, and CCL1).

Objective As many putative Bcl6/STAT‐binding sequences are observed in the clusters, we examined the roles of a transcriptional repressor Bcl6 and the regional histone modification in the expression of these chemokine genes in pulmonary epithelium.

Methods We generated transgenic (Tg) mice carrying the Bcl6 or the dominant‐negative (DN)‐Bcl6 gene under the control of the surfactant protein C (SPC) promoter that induces the exogenous gene expression in the distal lung epithelium. For in vitro studies, A549, alveolar type II‐like epithelial cell line transfected with the SPC‐DN‐Bcl6 gene were stimulated with IL‐4+TNF‐α, and Bcl6 or STAT6 binding to and histone modification of the cluster in the transfectants were analysed by chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Tg mice sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA) were challenged with OVA inhalation. The amounts of mRNAs in each sample were analysed by quantitative RT‐PCR.

Results The amount of Bcl6 bound to the cluster decreased in A549 cells stimulated with IL‐4 and TNF‐α, whereas STAT6 binding increased in association with regional histone H3‐K9/14 acetylation and H3‐K4 methylation. The expression of all chemokine genes in the gene cluster was augmented in activated A549 cells transfected with the DN‐Bcl6 gene. We also induced allergic airway inflammation in Tg mice. Expression of the chemokine genes and infiltrated cell numbers in the lungs of these Tg mice with allergic airway inflammation were inversely correlated with the amount of Bcl6 in the lungs.

Conclusion and Clinical Relevance Expression of the pulmonary epithelium‐derived CC‐type chemokine genes in the cluster is orchestrated by the conserved machinery related to Bcl6. Thus, Bcl6 in pulmonary epithelium may be a critical regulator for pathogenesis of various pulmonary inflammatory diseases.

Cite this as: T. Seto, M. Yoshitake, T. Ogasawara, J. Ikari, A. Sakamoto, M. Hatano, H. Hirata, T. Fukuda, T. Kuriyama, K. Tatsumi, T. Tokuhisa and M. Arima, Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 2011 (41) 1568–1578.
Pillars for the Care of Older Persons in the Caribbean
Authors: Powell Dorothy L. , Price Addie J. , Burns Faith A. , McConnell Eleanor S. , Hendrix Cristina C. , McWhinney‐Dehaney Leila , Lombardi Marilyn M.
Published: August 2011

ABSTRACT
Pillars for the Care of Older Persons in the Caribbean: A Comprehensive Community‐Based Framework (Pillars) is a hybrid of multiple public health frameworks developed through community‐based participatory research processes. Health and social service professionals, governmental organizations, elderly persons, and others from across the English‐speaking Caribbean countries developed the Pillars framework to address the growing elderly population and with an aim to increase the number of healthy and active years of life. The Pillars framework consists of four interrelated pillars organized across multiple sectors of society: primary care with care management; integrated services coordination; population‐based health promotion and disease prevention; and planning and accountability. Pillars is enabled by an envisioned integrated system of information technology that will increase community‐based services delivery, interprofessional communication and coordination, and will aggregate data with all identifiers removed for surveillance, planning, forecasting, policy making, evaluation, and research.
Effects of hydrological forcing on the structure of a tropical estuarine food web
Authors: Atwood Trisha B. , Wiegner Tracy N. , MacKenzie Richard A.
Published: August 2011

River flow can impact which sources of particulate organic matter (POM) fuel estuarine food webs. Here, we used stable carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) isotope analyses to compare how contributions of different POM sources (terrestrial, estuarine, and marine) to the diets of zooplankton and juvenile fishes differed between low and high river flow conditions, as well as spatially across a tropical estuary, Hilo Bay, Hawaii, USA. Diets of zooplankton and juvenile fishes were affected by river flow conditions, but the magnitude and the change in the basal resources depended on the location of the station in the estuary relative to the ocean and the river mouths. Consumers from the station most isolated from the ocean and with groundwater and overland flow inputs, utilized a combination of estuarine and terrestrial POM during both low and high river flow conditions and exhibited less variability in their basal resources than stations with direct ocean exchange. Consumers from stations in the Bay most affected by ocean exchange and river inputs utilized a combination of estuarine, terrestrial, and marine POM during low flow conditions, but shifted to marine and terrestrial POM during high river flow conditions. This shift to using terrestrial POM during high river flow conditions was substantial and up to 40% higher than values measured in other estuaries. Factors suspected to be affecting which POM source(s) consumers use in Hilo Bay are gross primary production, biological availability of exported terrestrial OM, and estuarine bacteria biomass, all of which are affected by river flow. Overall, our results suggest that Hilo Bay's food web and possibly those from other tropical estuaries are vulnerable to changes in hydrology, which may be further enhanced by global climate change.
COMPARISON OF TWO ACADEMIC SOFTWARE PACKAGES FOR ANALYZING TWO-DIMENSIONAL GEL IMAGES
Authors: WU YUKUN , ZHANG LE
Published: August 2011

One of the key limitations for proteomic studies using two-dimensional (2D) gel is the lack of automatic, fast, robust, and reliable methods for detecting, matching, and quantifying protein spots. Although there are commercial software packages for 2D gel image analysis, extensive human intervention is still needed for spot detection and matching, which is time-consuming and error-prone. Moreover, the commercial software packages are usually expensive and non–open source. Thus, it is very beneficial for researchers to have free software that is fast, fully automatic, and robust. In this paper, we review and compare two recently developed and publicly available software packages, RegStatGel and Pinnacle, for analyzing 2D gel images. These two software packages share some common features and also have some fundamental difference in the aspects of spot detection and quantification. Based on our experience, RegStatGel is much better in terms of spot detection and matching. It also contains more advanced statistical tools and is more user-friendly. In contrast, Pinnacle is quite sensitive to background noise and relies on external statistical software packages for statistical analysis.
Radial Basis Functional Link Network and Hamilton Jacobi Issacs for Force/Position Control in Robotic Manipulation
Authors: Wen Shuhuan , Yuan Junying , Zhu Jinghai
Published: August 2011

This paper works on hybrid force/position control in robotic manipulation
and proposes an improved radial basis functional (RBF) neural network,
which is a robust relying on the Hamilton Jacobi Issacs principle of
the force control loop. The method compensates uncertainties in a
robot system by using the property of RBF neural network. The error
approximation of neural network is regarded as an external
interference of the system, and it is eliminated by the robust control
method. Since the conventionally fixed structure of RBF network is not
optimal, resource allocating network (RAN) is proposed in this paper
to adjust the network structure in time and avoid the underfit.
Finally the advantage of system stability and transient performance is
demonstrated by the numerical simulations.
Klauwboeken ‐ Entstehung, Entwicklung und Überlieferung
Authors: Alma Redmer
Published: August 2011

The so-called ‘klauwboeken’ are a source exclusively found in the Ommelanden, an area in the present province of Groningen, as a product of its characteristic local judicial organisation. In the Late Middle Ages this region was immediate to the Emperor, had no intermediary landlords and was characterized by a de facto absence of higher government. The office of local judge rotated until 1795 in a fixed order, as recorded in the ‘klauwboeken’, among those who were entitled to it and owned this right as a private property. In this article the origin, development, and tradition of this source is considered as part of the legal history and the development of literacy in the Ommelanden.
The Nomenclature of Humanistic Scripts
Authors: Derolez Albert
Published: August 2011

Proposal for a new classification and nomenclature of Humanistic book scripts, in the line of the classification and nomenclature of Gothic book scripts developed by G.I. Lieftinck and J.P. Gumbert and augmented and systematized by myself. Three basic types are distinguished: Humanistica Textualis, Humanistica Semitextualis and Humanistica Cursiva.
Àpropos du Livre d’heures de Sophia van Bylant
Authors: le Blanc Paul
Published: August 2011

Probably most of the miniatures of the Book of Hours of Sophia van Bylant were not made in 1475 but only in the eighties of the fifteenth century or about 1500 and were not meant for Sophia but for her daughter, Maria van Homoet.
Past, Present and Future of the International Law of Transboundary Aquifers
Authors: Mechlem Kerstin
Published: August 2011

The article discusses the development of international groundwater law from the first codification efforts of modern water law until present and raises relevant issues for the way forward. It first traces international groundwater law from the 1960s until the end of the last century. It then reviews the growing attention groundwater has received during the last decade and third discusses the status quo. It places particular emphasis on the 2008 Draft Articles on the Law of Transboundary Aquifers adopted by the International Law Commission and the legal arrangements made for five of the 273 transboundary aquifers. It concludes with thoughts on the way forward in this important and understudied area of international law.
“Canniball Negroes,” Atlantic Creoles, and the Identity of New England’s Charter Generation
Authors: Thornton John K. , Heywood Linda M.
Published: August 2011

In the early seventeenth century, New England merchants were heavily involved in privateering raids on Spanish and Portuguese shipping in the Caribbean and in capturing slave ships, almost entirely sent from Angola. Knowing the specific background and historical events in Angola allows us to solve a number of mysterious appearances, such as Imbangala (“canniball negroes”) raiders, and a “queen” who was probably a member of the Kongo-Ndongo nobility whose enslaved members also appear in Brazilian records of the same epoch. Careful use of contemporary and dense documentation of Angola and shipping allow this greater nuance and opens the way for other research.
The Egyptian Chronology from the Start of the Twenty-Second until the End of The Twenty-Fifth Dynasty: Facts, Suppositions and Arguments*
Authors: Broekman Gerard P. F.
Published: August 2011

A recent proposition by R. Morkot and P. James to shorten the period from the start of the Twenty-second until the end of the Twenty-fifth Dynasty prompted the author to investigate what unquestionable chronological data we have, what are the theories and suppositions founded on those data and how these theories and suppositions have been substantiated. In the author’s view it may be concluded from this investigation not only that the arguments advanced by Morkot and James are inappropriate to substantiate the chronological reduction advocated by them, but also that on historical considerations their theory is untenable.
Mathematical modelling of the sorption dynamics of radionuclides by natural clinoptilolite in permeable reactive barriers
Authors: Nikashina V. A. , Serova I. B. , Kats E. M. , Tikhonov N. A. , Tokmachev M. G. , Novgorodov P. G.
Published: August 2011

The anthropogenic accidents in the world (including the underground emergency nuclear explosion at the site “Kraton-3” (Yakutiya) and also the recent Fukushima accident) resulted in significant environmental pollution by radionuclides, mainly long-lived 90Sr and 137Cs. One of the ways to solve this problem is the creation of “permeable reactive barriers” (PRBs). High selectivity of clinoptilolite-containing tuffs (CLT) towards Sr2+ and Cs+ radionuclides, together with their availability and reasonable cost, make possible their use as PRBs. The scales of the ion-exchange processes taking place on PRBs indicate the necessity of mathematical modelling. In this connection, Sr2+ and Cs+ ion-exchange sorption on Khonguruu CLT (Yakutiya) from solutions of various mineralizations was studied under equilibrium and non-equilibrium conditions. The physicochemical and mathematical models of the dynamic ion-exchange process and also the computer program considering both structural features of CLT (two-stage particle diffusion kinetics) and possible periodic interruptions of the process were developed. The breakthrough time of CLT as a geochemical barrier was calculated by such mathematical modelling.
DNA replication initiation patterns and spatial dynamics of the human ribosomal RNA gene loci
Authors: Dimitrova Daniela S.
Published: August 2011

Typically, only a fraction of the ≥600 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene copies in human cells are transcriptionally active. Expressed rRNA genes coalesce in specialized nuclear compartments – the nucleoli – and are believed to replicate during the first half of S phase. Paradoxically, attempts to visualize replicating rDNA during early S phase have failed. Here, I show that, in human (HeLa) cells, early-replicating rDNA is detectable at the nucleolar periphery and, more rarely, even outside nucleoli. Early-replicated rDNA relocates to the nucleolar interior and reassociates with the transcription factor UBF, implying that it predominantly represents expressed rDNA units. Contrary to the established model for active gene loci, replication initiates randomly throughout the early-replicating rDNA. By contrast, mostly silent rDNA copies replicate inside the nucleoli during mid and late S phase. At this stage, replication origins are fired preferentially within the non-transcribed intergenic spacers (NTSs), and ongoing rDNA transcription is required to maintain this specific initiation pattern. I propose that the unexpected spatial dynamics of the early-replicating rDNA repeats serve to ensure streamlined efficient replication of the most heavily transcribed genomic loci while simultaneously reducing the risk of chromosome breaks and rDNA hyper-recombination.
Small signal admittance spectroscopy applied for extraction of charge carrier mobility in thin organic layers
Authors: Jarosz G. , Signerski R.
Published: August 2011

The work presents new way of extraction of charge carrier mobility from small signal spectra of admittance. It can be a useful method for thin organic layers in a sandwich arrangement. It is better than the version of small signal admittance currently applied for getting charge carrier mobility, since the final result is not charged with uncertainty of geometric capacitance and the upper limit of measurable charge carrier mobility is higher.
iReligion
Authors: Torma Ryan , Teusner Paul Emerson
Published: August 2011

This article aims to present a model for investigating the capacity of mobile devices to frame religious experience by the creation, consumption and distribution of religious media text. Exploring three iPhone religious ‘apps’, this article will consider how the iPhone frames religious information and privileges aesthetic styles, which affects how users of the device connect with religious media text and other users. This exploration offers insights into how the iPhone as an object, together with the metaphors and symbols that are incumbent with it, frame religious experience and participation.
Examining the Similarities and Differences of OMERACT Core Sets Using the ICF: First Step Towards an Improved Domain Specification and Development of an Item Pool to Measure Functioning and Health
Authors: ESCORPIZO REUBEN , BOERS MAARTEN , STUCKI GEROLD , BOONEN ANNELIES
Published: August 2011

Objective.

To contribute to the discussion on a common approach for domain selection in the Outcomes in Rheumatology Clinical Trials (OMERACT) process. First, this article reports on the consistency in the selection and names of the domains of the current OMERACT core set, and next on the comparability of the specifications of concepts that are relevant within the domains. For this purpose, a convenience sample of 4 OMERACT core sets was used: rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), longitudinal observational studies (LOS) in rheumatology, and ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Domains from the different core sets were compared directly. To be able to compare the specific content of the domains, the concepts contained in the questionnaires that were considered or proposed to measure the domains were identified and linked to the category of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) that best fit that construct. Large differences in the domains, and lack of domain definitions, were noted among the 4 OMERACT core sets. When comparing the concepts in the questionnaires that represent the domains, core sets differed also in the number and type of constructs that were addressed within each of the domains. Especially for the specification of the concepts within the domains Discomfort and Disability, the ICF proved to be useful as external reference to classify the different constructs. Our exercise suggests that the OMERACT process could benefit from a standardized approach to select, define, and specify domains, and demonstrated that the ICF is useful for further classification of the more specific concepts of “what to measure” within the domains. A clear definition and classification of domains and their specification can be useful as a starting point to build a pool of items that could then be used to develop new instruments to assess functioning and health for rheumatological conditions.
Meteor radar measurements of mean winds and tides over Collm (51.3° N, 13° E) and comparison with LF drift measurements 2005–2007
Authors: Jacobi C.
Published: August 2011

Abstract. An all-sky VHF meteor radar (MR) has been continuously operated at Collm (51.3° N, 13° E) since summer 2004. The radar measures meteor parameters, diffusion coefficients, and horizontal winds in the mesopause region. There exists a temporal overlap of the MR wind measurements with co-located low-frequency (LF) ionospheric drift measurements until 2007. Comparison of MR and LF semidiurnal tidal phases allows to empirically determine the virtual height overestimation of LF reflection heights due to the group retardation of LF waves. LF reference heights have to be reduced by up to 20 km to match real heights. Correction of LF heights for group retardation allows to determine the wind underestimation by the LF method compared with meteor radar measurements and opens the possibility to continue long-term trend analysis using mesosphere/lower thermosphere winds.
Measurement of Proliferative Responses of Cultured Lymphocytes
Authors: Muul Linda Mesler , Heine Guido , Silvin Christopher , James Stephen P. , Candotti Fabio , Radbruch Andreas , Worm Margitta
Published: August 2011

Measurement of proliferative responses of human lymphocytes is a fundamental technique for the assessment of their biological responses to various stimuli. Most simply, this involves measurement of the number of cells present in a culture before and after the addition of a stimulating agent. This unit contains several different prototype protocols to induce proliferation in lymphocytes following exposure to mitogens, antigens, allogeneic or autologous cells, or soluble factors. Each of these protocols can be used in conjunction with an accompanying protocol, which contains methods to determine cell proliferation by incorporation of [3H]thymidine into DNA by nonradioactive methods, e.g., reduction of tetrazolium salts (MTT or WST‐1). These protocols provide an estimate of cell proliferation indirectly by measuring DNA synthesis, and cell metabolic activity in an entire cell population, but no data on individual cells is obtained. A protocol for CFSE labeling allows direct detection of single proliferating cells and facilitates the quantification of cell divisions by flow cytometry according to the respective CFSE‐dilution, and following costaining with fluorescent labeled antibodies, the characterization of subpopulations in the cell culture. Curr. Protoc. Immunol. 94:7.10.1‐7.10.26. © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Laboratory Detection of Vancomycin Nonsusceptible Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Burnham Carey‐Ann D. , Craven Robin R. , Michael Dunne W.
Published: August 2011

In 2009, the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute introduced new guidelines for staphylococcal susceptibility testing, indicating that Kirby Bauer disk diffusion is not a reliable method for detection of reduced susceptibility to vancomycin in this genus. In this unit, we describe a method using a brain‐heart infusion medium containing 3 µg/ml of vancomycin (BHI‐V3) to screen for isolates of S. aureus with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin; this medium represents a sensitive and cost‐effective method for detection of such isolates in the clinical or research laboratory. Curr. Protoc. Microbiol. 22:17.6.1‐17.6.5. © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Bipolar Host Materials: A Chemical Approach for Highly Efficient Electrophosphorescent Devices
Authors: Chaskar Atul , Chen Hsiao‐Fan , Wong Ken‐Tsung
Published: August 2011

The future of organic light‐emitting devices (OLEDs) is drifting from electrofluorescence toward electrophosphorescence due to the feasibility of realizing 100% internal quantum efficiency. There is limited availability of transition metals (TMs) such as Ir, Os, and Pt, which are used for color‐tunable phosphorescent emitters, and the use of the host‐guest strategy is necessary for suppressing the detrimental triplet–triplet annihilation inherently imparted by the TM‐centered emitters. The inevitable demands of organic host materials provide organic chemists with tremendous opportunities to contribute their expertise to this technology. With suitable molecular design and judicious selection of chemical structures featured with different electronic nature, the incorporation of hole‐transporting (HT) and electron‐transporting (ET) moieties combines the advantages of both functional units into bipolar host materials, which perform balanced injection/transportation/recombination of charge carriers and consequentially lead the OLEDs to have higher performancesand low roll‐off efficiencies. This review highlights recently developed bipolar host materials with the focus on molecular design strategies and the structure–property–performance relationships of various classes of bipolar host materials, which are classified into several categories according to the structural features of their constituents (HT/ET blocks and spacers).
Uptake of Foreign Ferritin in Heart of Firemouth Cichlid (Cichlidae: Teleostei)
Authors: Leknes Ingvar Leiv
Published: August 2011

The ultrastructure of the endothelium in the heart of the firemouth cichlid (Thorichthys meeki) and its capability and capacity to take up foreign ferritin are described. The entire wall in atrium and ventricle was spongy and composed of muscle trabeculae, covered by endothelial cells which were about 4–6‐μm thick in atrium and flat in ventricle. These cells contained a number of moderately electron‐dense bodies (MDBs, diameter 2 μm and less), clathrin‐coated vesicles, and tubules of agranular endoplasmatic reticulum. Numerous yellow‐brown granules, width 2 μm and less, occurred in the endocardial endothelium covering the cardiac muscle trabeculae in ferritin‐injected firemouth cichlid 8 hr postinjection; much Prussian blue precipitated within these granules when treated with acid ferrocyanide. When the time between the injection and sacrifice was extended to 24 hr, the granules and Prussian blue precipitations in the corresponding endocardial endothelium displayed a width of 3 μm and more. The endocardial endothelium facing the cardiac main lumen or covering the valves and walls of the atrio‐ventriclar or ventriculo‐bulbar apertures nearly lacks such granules and precipitations as well as MDB, clathrin‐coated vesicles and tubules of agranular endoplasmic reticulum, suggesting that the endothelium at these sites is not endocytic. Lipofuscinlike pigments were demonstrated by the Schmorl's technique in the endocardial endothelium covering the heart muscle trabeculae in firemouth cichlid. Together these findings suggest that the endocardial endothelium cover on the muscle trabeculae in heart wall in firemouth cichlid is highly specialized to play important roles in the uptake of scavenger molecules and foreign particles. Such an uptake may be very efficient as this cell layer comes in contact with nearly the entire blood volume throughout the spongy heart wall in this type of teleosts. Anat Rec, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Examination of the Reticular Epithelium of the Bovine Pharyngeal Tonsil
Authors: Palmer Mitchell V. , Stasko Judith , Waters W. Ray , Thacker Tyler C.
Published: August 2011

The pharyngeal tonsil (adenoid), located at the posterior of the nasopharynx is ideally positioned to sample antigens passing through the nasal cavity or oral cavity. Entering antigens will first contact tonsilar epithelium. To better understand the cellular organization of this important epithelial layer, pharyngeal tonsils were collected from six, 7‐month‐old calves and examined by light microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy. Morphometric analysis showed that the epithelium overlying lymphoid follicles (reticular epithelium) contained significantly more B‐cells, CD4+, and CD11c+ cells than nonreticular epithelium. In contrast, nonreticular epithelium contained significantly more, γ/δ TCR+ cells than reticular epithelium. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy of reticular epithelium identified a heterogeneous population of epithelial cells, many of which displayed morphologic characteristics of M‐cells. Moreover, putative M‐cells were shown to possess the capacity for microparticle uptake. Bovine pharyngeal tonsilar reticular epithelium contains key immune cells, as well as M‐cells; elements essential for antigen uptake, antigen processing, and initiation of immune responses. A better understanding of the morphology and function of tonsilar lymphoepithelium will strengthen our understanding of it's role in disease pathogenesis, and potential use as an induction site for mucosal immune responses to vaccination. Anat Rec, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
An improved decentralized control method for Bank‐to‐Turn missile autopilot design
Authors: Qin Guozheng , Li Zhongkui , Duan Zhisheng
Published: August 2011

In this paper, an improved decentralized control method is proposed to design a bank‐to‐turn (BTT) missile autopilot. Compared to the general diagonal blocked Lyapunov function method, the improved decentralized control method by considering the coupling terms as the structured uncertainty can provide a simpler design, tolerate more types of uncertainties and yield a better dynamic performance. Moreover, this method can be extended to multi‐model systems expediently. Due to the structural constraints, the decentralized controller may not realize the tracking control target under some conditions, and this paper also provides such a condition. The decentralized controller design is formulated in terms of linear matrix inequality (LMI) optimization, and the simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Copyright © 2011 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society
Otto Graf (1881–1956) und die Baustoffprüfung an der Technischen Hochschule Stuttgart
Authors: Weber Christiane , Ziegler Volker
Published: August 2011

Otto Graf und seine Karriere bestimmten die Entwicklung der Abteilung Baustoffprüfung an der Materialprüfungsanstalt Stuttgart in der ersten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts. Mit der wirtschaftlichen Erholung Deutschlands und dem Bau der Reichsautobahn nach 1934 erfuhr auch die Baustoffprüfung in Stuttgart einen großen Aufschwung. Otto Graf hatte sich als anerkannter Fachmann für Beton und Eisenbeton etabliert und die Materialprüfungsanstalt war zu einer Anlaufstelle für das gesamte Reichsgebiet in Fragen der Betonfahrbahnen geworden. Die Materialprüfungsanstalt Stuttgart war zunehmend auch in politisch bedeutende Großprojekte des NS‐Staates involviert, und als der Zweite Weltkrieg ausbrach, übernahm sie Kriegsaufträge, auch im Holzbereich. Otto Graf stellte teils aus Ehrgeiz, teils aus der Notwendigkeit, die erforderlichen Mittel zum Betrieb der Materialprüfungsanstalt selbst erwirtschaften zu müssen, seine Arbeitskraft dem NS‐Staat zur Verfügung. Trotz eines Spruchkammerverfahrens zur Entnazifizierung konnte sich Otto Graf nach dem Krieg wieder rehabilitieren und seine Einrichtung wurde 1953 sogar in “Otto‐Graf‐Institut” umbenannt.
Is there a genomically imprinted social brain?
Authors: Curley James P.
Published: August 2011

Imprinted genes (IGs) are expressed or silenced according to their parent‐of‐origin. These genes are known to play a role in regulating offspring growth, development and infant behaviors such as suckling and ultrasonic calls. In adults, neurally expressed IGs coordinate several behaviors including maternal care, sex, feeding, emotionality, and cognition. However, despite evidence from human psychiatric disorders and evolutionary theory that maternally and paternally expressed genes should also regulate social behavior, little empirical data from mouse research exists. This paper discusses data from a recent study (Garfield et al., 2011) that the IG Grb10 governs unique aspects of mouse social behavior and interprets the relevance of these findings for the future of this field.

Editor's suggested further reading in BioEssays Epigenetics and the brain: Transcriptome sequencing reveals new depths to genomic sequencing Abstract
Capillary electrophoresis coupled with end‐column electrochemiluminescence for the determination of ephedrine in human urine, and a study of its interactions with three proteins
Authors: Yang Ran , Zeng Hua‐Jin , Li Jian‐Jun , Zhang Ying , Li Shi‐Jun , Qu Ling‐Bo
Published: August 2011

A tris(2,2‐bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy)32+)‐based electrochemiluminescence (ECL) detection coupled with capillary electrophoresis (CE) method has been established for the sensitive determination of ephedrine for the first time. Under the optimized conditions [ECL detection at 1.15 V, 25 mmol/L phosphate buffer solution (PBS), pH 8.0, as running buffer, separation voltage 12.5 kV, 5 mmol/L Ru(bpy)32+ with 60 mmol/L PBS, pH 8.5, in the detection cell] linear correlation (r = 0.9987) between ECL intensity and ephedrine concentration was obtained in the range 6.0 × 10–8–6.0 × 10–6 g/mL. The detection limit was 4.5 × 10–9 g/mL (S:N = 3). The developed method was successfully applied to the analysis of ephedrine in human urine and the investigation of its interactions with three proteins, including bovine serum albumin (BSA), cytochrome C (Cyt‐C) and myoglobin (Mb). The number of binding sites and the binding constants between ephedrine and BSA, Cyt‐C and Mb were 8.52, 12.60, 10.66 and 1.55 × 104 mol/L, 6.58 × 103 mol/L and 1.59 × 104 mol/L, respectively. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Application of a reaction model to improve calculation of the sugar recovery standard for sugar analysis
Authors: Shen Jiacheng , Wyman Charles E.
Published: August 2011

A kinetic model was applied to improve determination of the sugar recovery standard (SRS) for biomass analysis. Three sets of xylose (0.10–1.00 g/L and 0.999–19.995 g/L) and glucose (0.206–1.602 g/L) concentrations were measured by HPLC following reaction of each for 1 h. Then, parameters in a kinetic model were fit to the resulting sugar concentration data, and the model was applied to predict the initial sugar concentrations and the best SRS value (SRSp). The initial sugar concentrations predicted by the model agreed with the actual initial sugar concentrations. Although the SRSe calculated directly from experimental data oscillated considerably with sugar concentration, the SRSp trend was smooth. Statistical analysis of errors and application of the F‐test confirmed that application of the model reduced experimental errors in SRSe. Reference SRSe values are reported for the three series of concentrations. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2012;109: 300–305. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A review of the mammalian unfolded protein response
Authors: Chakrabarti Anirikh , Chen Aaron W. , Varner Jeffrey D.
Published: August 2011

Proteins requiring post‐translational modifications such as N‐linked glycosylation are processed in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). A diverse array of cellular stresses can lead to dysfunction of the ER and ultimately to an imbalance between protein‐folding capacity and protein‐folding load. Cells monitor protein folding by an inbuilt quality control system involving both the ER and the Golgi apparatus. Unfolded or misfolded proteins are tagged for degradation via ER‐associated degradation (ERAD) or sent back through the folding cycle. Continued accumulation of incorrectly folded proteins can also trigger the unfolded protein response (UPR). In mammalian cells, UPR is a complex signaling program mediated by three ER transmembrane receptors: activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6), inositol requiring kinase 1 (IRE1) and double‐stranded RNA‐activated protein kinase (PKR)‐like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK). UPR performs three functions, adaptation, alarm, and apoptosis. During adaptation, the UPR tries to reestablish folding homeostasis by inducing the expression of chaperones that enhance protein folding. Simultaneously, global translation is attenuated to reduce the ER folding load while the degradation rate of unfolded proteins is increased. If these steps fail, the UPR induces a cellular alarm and mitochondrial mediated apoptosis program. UPR malfunctions have been associated with a wide range of disease states including tumor progression, diabetes, as well as immune and inflammatory disorders. This review describes recent advances in understanding the molecular structure of UPR in mammalian cells, its functional role in cellular stress, and its pathophysiology. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2011;108: 2777–2793. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Photoresponsive Molecular Recognition and Adhesion of Vesicles in a Competitive Ternary Supramolecular System
Authors: Nalluri Siva Krishna Mohan , Bultema Jelle B. , Boekema Egbert J. , Ravoo Bart Jan
Published: August 2011

A competitive photoresponsive supramolecular system is formed in a dilute aqueous solution of three components: vesicles of amphiphilic α‐cyclodextrin host 1 a, divalent p‐methylphenyl guest 2 or divalent p‐methylbenzamide guest 3, and photoresponsive azobenzene monovalent guest 5. Guests 2 and 3 form weak inclusion complexes with 1 a (Ka≈102 M−1), whereas azobenzene guest 5 forms a strong inclusion complex (Ka≈104 M−1), provided it is in the trans state. The aggregation and adhesion of vesicles of host 1 a is mediated by guest 2 (or 3) due to the formation of multiple intervesicular noncovalent links, as confirmed by using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), optical density measurements at 600 nm (OD600), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo‐TEM). The addition of excess monovalent guest trans‐5 to vesicles of 1 a aggregated by divalent guest 2 (or 3) causes the dispersion of vesicles of 1 a because trans‐5 displaces 2 (as well as 3) from the vesicle surface. Upon UV irradiation of a dilute ternary mixture of vesicles of 1 a, guest 2 (or 3), and competitor trans‐5, compound trans‐5 isomerizes to cis‐5, and renewed aggregation of vesicles of 1 a by guest 2 (or 3) occurs because 2 (as well as 3) displaces cis‐5 from the vesicle surface. Subsequent visible irradiation causes the redispersion of vesicles of 1 a because cis‐5 reisomerizes into trans‐5, which again displaces guest 2 (or 3) from the vesicle surface. In this way, the competitive photoresponsive aggregation and dispersion of vesicles can be repeated for several cycles.
AFFORDING TO WAIT: MEDICARE INITIATION AND THE USE OF HEALTH CARE
Authors: David Guy , Saynisch Phil , Acevedo‐Perez Victoria , Neuman Mark D.
Published: August 2011

Delays in receipt of necessary diagnostic and therapeutic medical procedures related to the timing of Medicare initiation at age 65 years have potentially broad welfare implications. We use 2005–2007 data from Florida and North Carolina to estimate the effect of initiation of Medicare benefits on healthcare utilization across procedures that differ in urgency and coverage. In particular, we study trends in the use of elective procedures covered by Medicare to treat conditions that vary in symptoms; these are compared with elective surgical procedures not eligible for Medicare reimbursement, and to a set of urgent and emergent procedures. We find large discontinuities in health services utilization at age 65 years concentrated among low‐urgency, Medicare‐reimbursable procedures, most pronounced among screening interventions and treatments for minimally symptomatic disease. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Primate-specific microRNA-637 inhibits tumorigenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma by disrupting signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 signaling
Authors: Zhang Jin-fang , He Ming-liang , Fu Wei-ming , Wang Hua , Chen Lian-zhou , Zhu Xiao , Chen Ying , Xie Dan , Lai Paul , Chen Gong , Lu Gang , Lin Marie C.M. , Kung Hsiang-fu
Published: August 2011

MiR-637 (microRNA-637) is a primate-specific miRNA belonging to the small noncoding RNA family, which represses gene regulation at the post-transcriptional expression level. Although it was discovered approximately 5 years ago, its biomedical significance and regulatory mechanism remain obscure. Our preliminary data showed that miR-637 was significantly suppressed in four HCC cell lines and, also, in most of the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) specimens, thereby suggesting that miR-637 would be a tumor suppressor in HCC. Simultaneously, the enforced overexpression of miR-637 dramatically inhibited cell growth and induced the apoptosis of HCC cells. The transcription factor, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3), is constitutively activated in multiple tumors, and aberrant Stat3 activation is linked to the promotion of growth and desensitization of apoptosis. Our study showed that Stat3 tyrosine 705 phosphorylation and several Stat3-regulated antiapoptotic genes were down-regulated in miR-637 mimics-transfected and Lv-miR637-infected HCC cells. In addition, miR-637 overexpression negatively regulated Stat3 phosphorylation by suppressing autocrine leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) expression and exogenous LIF-triggered Stat3 activation and rescued cell growth in these cells. A nude mice model also demonstrated the above-described results, which were obtained from the cell model. Furthermore, we found that LIF was highly expressed in a large proportion of HCC specimens, and its expression was inversely associated with miR-637 expression.

Conclusion:

Our data indicate that miR-637 acted as a tumor suppressor in HCC, and the suppressive effect was mediated, at least in part, by the disruption of Stat3 activation. (Hepatology 2011)