bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electrocatalytic upgrading of itaconic acid to methylsuccinic acid using fermentation broth as a substrate solution
Authors: Holzhäuser F. Joschka , Artz Jens , Palkovits Stefan , Kreyenschulte Dirk , Büchs Jochen , Palkovits Regina
Published: January 2017

An electrocatalytic transformation of biomass based platform chemicals is feasible even using crude fermentation broth.
Correction: Hybrid organic–inorganic supramolecular hydrogel reinforced with CePO4 nanowires
Authors: Liu Chenyan , Xiang Guolei , Wu Yuchao , Barrow Steven J. , Rowland Matthew J. , Clarke David E. , Wu Guanglu , Scherman Oren A.
Published: January 2017

Correction for ‘Hybrid organic–inorganic supramolecular hydrogel reinforced with CePO4 nanowires’ by Chenyan Liu et al., Polym. Chem., 2016, 7, 6485–6489.
Phosphate modified ceria as a Brønsted acidic/redox multifunctional catalyst
Authors: Nelson Nicholas C. , Wang Zhuoran , Naik Pranjali , Manzano J. Sebastián , Pruski Marek , Slowing Igor I.
Published: January 2017

Modification of the surface of ceria with phosphates leads to acid/redox active materials that can serve as non-innocent supports for Pd-catalyzed hydrogenolysis of lignin model compounds.
Power characteristics of spinel cathodes correlated with elastic softness and phase transformation for high-power lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Lim Jin-Myoung , Oh Rye-Gyeong , Cho Woosuk , Cho Kyeongjae , Cho Maenghyo , Park Min-Sik
Published: January 2017

We present the phase transformation kinetics associated with mechanical deformations and electrochemical properties of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (LNMO) and LiNi0.5Mn1.5−xTixO4 (LNMTO) that elucidate the correlation between power characteristics, mechanical deformations, and phase transformations.
Optimization of charge transport in a Co–Pi modified hematite thin film produced by scalable electron beam evaporation for photoelectrochemical water oxidation
Authors: Eftekharinia Behrooz , Moshaii Ahmad , Dabirian Ali , Vayghan Nader Sobhkhiz
Published: January 2017

The Co–Pi cocatalyst improves the PEC performance of a hematite film by accelerating the H2O oxidation kinetics and suppressing the charge recombinations.
Metal–organic frameworks to satisfy gas upgrading demands: fine-tuning thesoc-MOF platform for the operative removal of H2S
Authors: Belmabkhout Youssef , Pillai Renjith S. , Alezi Dalal , Shekhah Osama , Bhatt Prashant M. , Chen Zhijie , Adil Karim , Vaesen Sebastien , De Weireld Guy , Pang Maolin , Suetin Mikhail , Cairns Amy J. , Solovyeva Vera , Shkurenko Aleksander , El Tall Omar , Maurin Guillaume , Eddaoudi Mohamed
Published: January 2017

Structure/properties relationships for a series of isostructural (MOFs) with thesoctopology were explored for various gas separation applications.
Multiscale-structuring of polyvinylidene fluoride for energy harvesting: the impact of molecular-, micro- and macro-structure
Authors: Wan Chaoying , Bowen Christopher Rhys
Published: January 2017

Energy harvesting exploits ambient sources of energy such as mechanical loads, vibrations, human motion, waste heat, light or chemical sources and converts them into useful electrical energy.
Atomic layer deposited molybdenum disulfide on Si photocathodes for highly efficient photoelectrochemical water reduction reaction
Authors: Oh Seungtaeg , Kim Jun Beom , Song Jun Tae , Oh Jihun , Kim Soo-Hyun
Published: January 2017

MoS2 is an earth-abundant and low-cost HER electrocatalyst that can substitute noble metal catalysts. Here, we develop the atomic layer deposition (ALD) of MoS2 nanomaterials on p-Si photocathodes for highly efficient and stable PEC water reduction reactions.
Microfluidic capacitive sensors with ionic liquid electrodes and CNT/PDMS nanocomposites for simultaneous sensing of pressure and temperature
Authors: Yoon Sun Geun , Chang Suk Tai
Published: January 2017

A multimodal microfluidic capacitive sensor for detecting lateral pressure movements and temperature variations is presented.
Ba5CdGa6Se15, a congruently-melting infrared nonlinear optical material with strong SHG response
Authors: Yin Wenlong , Iyer Abishek K. , Li Chao , Yao Jiyong , Mar Arthur
Published: January 2017

Substitution of Cd for Ga leads to partial ordering and opens a band gap in Ba5CdGa6Se15, built of corner-sharing tetrahedra.
Alleviating the emitter concentration effect on upconversion nanoparticles via an inert shell
Authors: Wang Mengyun , Tian Yun , Zhao Fangyu , Li Renfu , You Wenwu , Fang Zhenlan , Chen Xueyuan , Huang Wei , Ju Qiang
Published: January 2017

An inert shell has been proved to alleviate the concentration effect by not only considerably improving the upconversion intensity, but also greatly preserving the integrity of the upconversion profile, when the emitter concentration was enhanced from 2 mol% to 20 mol%.
mTOR complex 1 signalling regulates the balance between lipid synthesis and oxidation in hypoxia lymphocytes
Authors: Yin Geng , Liang Yan , Wang Ying , Yang Yuan , Yang Min , Cen Xiao-min , Xie Qi-bing
Published: January 2017

Mammalian cells adapt to different environmental conditions and alter cellular metabolic pathways to meet the energy demand for survival. Thus, the metabolic regulation of cells under special conditions, such as hypoxia, should be precisely regulated. During the metabolic regulation, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) plays a vital role in the sensing of extracellular stimulations and regulating intracellular adaptations. Here, we report that mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) signalling is a central regulator of lipid homoeostasis in lymphocytes. In hypoxia, mTORC1 activity is reduced and shifts lipid synthesis to lipid oxidation. Moreover, knockdown tuberous sclerosis complex 1 (TSC1) constitutively activates mTORC1 activity and impairs the hypoxia-induced metabolic shift. Therefore, TSC1 knockdown enhances hypoxia-induced cell death. Re-inactivation of mTORC1 activity via rapamycin may resist hypoxia-induced cell death in TSC1 knockdown lymphocytes. Our findings provide a deep insight into mTORC1 in the metabolic balance of lipid synthesis and oxidation, and imply that mTORC1 activity should be precisely regulated for the lipid homoeostasis in lymphocytes.
Association between IL-13 +1923C/T polymorphism and asthma risk: a meta-analysis based on 26 case-control studies
Authors: Xu Yueli , Li Junjuan , Ding Zhaolei , Li Juan , Li Bin , Yu Zhengang , Tan Wei
Published: January 2017

Asthma is a serious and hereditary respiratory disorder affecting all age groups. Interleukin-13 (IL-13) is a central regulator of allergic inflammation. The purpose of the present study was to estimate the relationship between IL-13 +1923C/T polymorphism and asthma susceptibility. Relevant case-control studies published between January 2000 and July 2016 were searched in the online databases. Review Manage (RevMan) 5.3 was used to conduct the statistical analysis. The pooled odds ratio (OR) with its 95% confidence interval (CI) was employed to calculate the strength of association. A total of 26 articles were retrieved, including 17642 asthma patients and 42402 controls. Overall, our results found that IL-13 +1923C/T polymorphism was significantly associated with increased risk of asthma under each genetic model (P<0.00001). Subgroup analysis by ethnicity showed that alleles and genotypes of this variant correlated with asthma among Asians and Caucasians, but only TT genotype under the homozygote model in Africans. When stratified by age group, this variant highly correlated with asthma in children and moderately in adults. Furthermore, the TT, CT and CC genotypes in asthma group were all significantly associated with increased IgE levels in sera of asthma patients when compared with controls. Our results suggested that IL-13 +1923C/T polymorphism contributed to the development of asthma. Further case-control studies with more ethnicities are still needed.
Prostate cancer, PI3K, PTEN and prognosis
Authors: Wise Helen M. , Hermida Miguel A. , Leslie Nicholas R.
Published: January 2017

Loss of function of the PTEN tumour suppressor, resulting in dysregulated activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signalling network, is recognized as one of the most common driving events in prostate cancer development. The observed mechanisms of PTEN loss are diverse, but both homozygous and heterozygous genomic deletions including PTEN are frequent, and often accompanied by loss of detectable protein as assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The occurrence of PTEN loss is highest in aggressive metastatic disease and this has driven the development of PTEN as a prognostic biomarker, either alone or in combination with other factors, to distinguish indolent tumours from those likely to progress. Here, we discuss these factors and the consequences of PTEN loss, in the context of its role as a lipid phosphatase, as well as current efforts to use available inhibitors of specific components of the PI3K/PTEN/TOR signalling network in prostate cancer treatment.
In vitro 3D model and miRNA drug delivery to target calcific aortic valve disease
Authors: van der Ven Casper F.T. , Wu Pin-Jou , Tibbitt Mark W. , van Mil Alain , Sluijter Joost P.G. , Langer Robert , Aikawa Elena
Published: January 2017

Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is the most prevalent valvular heart disease in the Western population, claiming 17000 deaths per year in the United States and affecting 25% of people older than 65 years of age. Contrary to traditional belief, CAVD is not a passive, degenerative disease but rather a dynamic disease, where initial cellular changes in the valve leaflets progress into fibrotic lesions that induce valve thickening and calcification. Advanced thickening and calcification impair valve function and lead to aortic stenosis (AS). Without intervention, progressive ventricular hypertrophy ensues, which ultimately results in heart failure and death. Currently, aortic valve replacement (AVR), surgical or transcatheter, is the only effective therapy to treat CAVD. However, these costly interventions are often delayed until the late stages of the disease. Nonetheless, 275000 are performed per year worldwide, and this is expected to triple by 2050. Given the current landscape, next-generation therapies for CAVD are needed to improve patient outcome and quality of life. Here, we first provide a background on the aortic valve (AV) and the pathobiology of CAVD as well as highlight current directions and future outlook on the development of functional 3D models of CAVD in vitro. We then consider an often-overlooked aspect contributing to CAVD: miRNA (mis)regulation. Therapeutics could potentially normalize miRNA levels in the early stages of the disease and may slow its progression or even reverse calcification. We close with a discussion of strategies that would enable the use of miRNA as a therapeutic for CAVD. This focuses on an overview of controlled delivery technologies for nucleic acid therapeutics to the valve or other target tissues.
Self-Assessed Hearing Handicap in Older Adults With Poorer-Than-Predicted Speech Recognition in Noise
Authors: Eckert Mark A. , Matthews Lois J. , Dubno Judy R.
Published: January 2017

Purpose

Even older adults with relatively mild hearing loss report hearing handicap, suggesting that hearing handicap is not completely explained by reduced speech audibility.

Method

We examined the extent to which self-assessed ratings of hearing handicap using the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE; Ventry & Weinstein, 1982) were significantly associated with measures of speech recognition in noise that controlled for differences in speech audibility.

Results

One hundred sixty-two middle-aged and older adults had HHIE total scores that were significantly associated with audibility-adjusted measures of speech recognition for low-context but not high-context sentences. These findings were driven by HHIE items involving negative feelings related to communication difficulties that also captured variance in subjective ratings of effort and frustration that predicted speech recognition. The average pure-tone threshold accounted for some of the variance in the association between the HHIE and audibility-adjusted speech recognition, suggesting an effect of central and peripheral auditory system decline related to elevated thresholds.

Conclusion

The accumulation of difficult listening experiences appears to produce a self-assessment of hearing handicap resulting from (a) reduced audibility of stimuli, (b) declines in the central and peripheral auditory system function, and (c) additional individual variation in central nervous system function.
A Longitudinal Study in Children With Sequential Bilateral Cochlear Implants: Time Course for the Second Implanted Ear and Bilateral Performance
Authors: Reeder Ruth M. , Firszt Jill B. , Cadieux Jamie H. , Strube Michael J.
Published: January 2017

Purpose

Whether, and if so when, a second-ear cochlear implant should be provided to older, unilaterally implanted children is an ongoing clinical question. This study evaluated rate of speech recognition progress for the second implanted ear and with bilateral cochlear implants in older sequentially implanted children and evaluated localization abilities.

Method

A prospective longitudinal study included 24 bilaterally implanted children (mean ear surgeries at 5.11 and 14.25 years). Test intervals were every 3–6 months through 24 months postbilateral. Test conditions were each ear and bilaterally for speech recognition and localization.

Results

Overall, the rate of progress for the second implanted ear was gradual. Improvements in quiet continued through the second year of bilateral use. Improvements in noise were more modest and leveled off during the second year. On all measures, results from the second ear were poorer than the first. Bilateral scores were better than either ear alone for all measures except sentences in quiet and localization.

Conclusions

Older sequentially implanted children with several years between surgeries may obtain speech understanding in the second implanted ear; however, performance may be limited and rate of progress gradual. Continued contralateral ear hearing aid use and reduced time between surgeries may enhance outcomes.
A saturated red color converter for visible light communication using a blend of star-shaped organic semiconductors
Authors: Sajjad M. T. , Manousiadis P. P. , Orofino C. , Kanibolotsky A. L. , Findlay N. J. , Rajbhandari S. , Vithanage D. A. , Chun H. , Faulkner G. E. , O'Brien D. C. , Skabara P. J. , Turnbull G. A. , Samuel I. D. W.
Published: January 2017

We report a study of blends of semiconducting polymers as saturated red color converters to replace commercial phosphors in hybrid Light emitting diodes (LEDs) for visible light communication (VLC). By blending two star-shaped organic semiconductor molecules, we found a near complete energy transfer (>90% efficiency) from the green-emitting truxene-cored compound T4BT-B to the red-emitting boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) cored materials. Furthermore, we have demonstrated the capability of these materials as fast color converters for VLC by measuring their intrinsic optical modulation bandwidth and data rate. The measured 3 dB modulation bandwidth of blends (∼55 MHz) is more than 10 times higher than commercially available LED phosphors and also higher than the red-emitting BODIPY color converter alone in solution. The data rate achieved with this blend is 20 times higher than measured with a commercially available phosphor based color converter.
Evolution of electron temperature in inductively coupled plasma
Authors: Lee Hyo-Chang , Seo B. H. , Kwon Deuk-Chul , Kim J. H. , Seong D. J. , Oh S. J. , Chung C.-W. , You K. H. , Shin ChaeHo
Published: January 2017

It is generally recognized that the electron temperature Te either remains constant or decreases slightly with plasma power (plasma density). This trend can be simply verified using a single-step or multi-step fluid global model. In this work, however, we experimentally observed that Te evolved with plasma power in radio frequency (RF) inductively coupled plasmas. In this experiment, the measured electron energy distributions were nearly Maxwellian distribution. In the low RF power regime, Te decreased with increasing plasma power, while it increased with plasma power in the high RF power regime. This evolution of Te could be understood by considering the coupling effect between neutral gas heating and stepwise ionization. Measurement of gas temperature via laser Rayleigh scattering and calculation of Te using the kinetic model, considering both multi-step ionization and gas heating, were in good agreement with the measured value of Te. This result shows that Te is in a stronger dependence on the plasma power.
Vertical oscillations of dust particles in a strongly magnetized plasma sheath induced by horizontal laser manipulation
Authors: Puttscher M. , Melzer A. , Konopka U. , LeBlanc S. , Lynch B. , Thomas E.
Published: January 2017

Experimental studies are presented where dust particles are suspended in the lower sheath region of an argon rf discharge at a strong vertical magnetic field from B=1.5 T up to 2.27 T. There the particles arranged in an ordered pattern imposed by the upper mesh electrode. It is observed that the particles jump to a new equilibrium position, where they exhibit self-excited vertical oscillations when illuminated by a horizontal laser beam. The dust motion is weakly damped during an upward jump and strongly damped during the return to the equilibrium after the laser is switched off. A model based on delayed charging is presented that can describe the observed behavior.
Ion crystals in anharmonic traps
Authors: Bastin S. R. , Lee Tony E.
Published: January 2017

There is currently intensive research into creating a large-scale quantum computer with trapped ions. It is well known that for a linear ion crystal in a harmonic potential, the ions near the center are more closely spaced compared to the ions near the ends. This is problematic as the number of ions increases. Here, we consider a linear ion crystal in an anharmonic potential that is purely quartic in position. We find that the ions are more evenly spaced compared to the harmonic case. We develop a variational approach to calculate the properties of the ground state. We also characterize the zigzag transition in an anharmonic potential.
Wide-pressure-range coplanar dielectric barrier discharge: Operational characterisation of a versatile plasma source
Authors: Čech J. , Bonaventura Z. , Sťahel P. , Zemánek M. , Dvořáková H. , Černák M.
Published: January 2017

Many plasma applications could benefit from the versatile plasma source operable at a wide-pressure-range, e.g., from the fraction of Pa to the super-atmospheric conditions. In this paper, the basic characteristics of wide-pressure-range plasma source based on the coplanar dielectric barrier discharge is given. The operational characteristics of this plasma source were measured in nitrogen at pressures ranging from 101 Pa (resp. 10−4 Pa) to 105 Pa. Measurements of the plasma geometry, breakdown voltage, and micro-discharges' behaviour revealed three operational regimes of this plasma source: “high pressure,” “transitional” and “low-pressure” with vague boundaries at the pressures of approx. 10 kPa and 1 kPa. It was found that the plasma layer of coplanar dielectric barrier discharge could be expanded up to several centimetres to the half-space above the planar dielectric barrier when the gas pressure is reduced below 1 kPa, which provides an outstanding space to tailor the source for the specific applications. The proposed model of an effective gap distance in the Paschen breakdown criterion enabled us to explain the discharge behaviour fitting the experimental breakdown voltage data in the whole studied pressure range. Under the filament-forming conditions, i.e., at the pressure range from approx. 1–100 kPa, the active plasma volume could be varied through the micro-discharges' lateral thickness scaling with the inverse of the square-root of the gas pressure.
On the work function and the charging of small (r≤ 5 nm) nanoparticles in plasmas
Authors: Kalered E. , Brenning N. , Pilch I. , Caillault L. , Minéa T. , Ojamäe L.
Published: January 2017

The growth of nanoparticles (NPs) in plasmas is an attractive technique where improved theoretical understanding is needed for quantitative modeling. The variation of the work function W with size for small NPs, rNP≤ 5 nm, is a key quantity for modeling of three NP charging processes that become increasingly important at a smaller size: electron field emission, thermionic electron emission, and electron impact detachment. Here we report the theoretical values of the work function in this size range. Density functional theory is used to calculate the work functions for a set of NP charge numbers, sizes, and shapes, using copper for a case study. An analytical approximation is shown to give quite accurate work functions provided that rNP > 0.4 nm, i.e., consisting of about >20 atoms, and provided also that the NPs have relaxed close to spherical shape. For smaller sizes, W deviates from the approximation, and also depends on the charge number. Some consequences of these results for nanoparticle charging are outlined. In particular, a decrease in W for NP radius below about 1 nm has fundamental consequences for their charge in a plasma environment, and thereby on the important processes of NP nucleation, early growth, and agglomeration.
An optically detected magnetic resonance spectrometer with tunable laser excitation and wavelength resolved infrared detection
Authors: Negyedi M. , Palotás J. , Gyüre B. , Dzsaber S. , Kollarics S. , Rohringer P. , Pichler T. , Simon F.
Published: January 2017

We present the development and performance of an optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) spectrometer. The spectrometer represents advances over similar instruments in three areas: (i) the exciting light is a tunable laser source which covers much of the visible light range, (ii) the optical signal is analyzed with a spectrograph, (iii) the emitted light is detected in the near-infrared domain. The need to perform ODMR experiments on single-walled carbon nanotubes motivated the present development and we demonstrate the utility of the spectrometer on this material. The performance of the spectrometer is critically compared to similar instruments. The present development opens the way to perform ODMR studies on various new materials such as molecules and luminescent quantum dots where the emission is in the near-infrared range and requires a well-defined excitation wavelength and analysis of the scattered light.
Extremes in dynamic-stochastic systems
Authors: Franzke Christian L. E.
Published: January 2017

Extreme events capture the attention and imagination of the general public. Extreme events, especially meteorological and climatological extremes, cause significant economic damages and lead to a significant number of casualties each year. Thus, the prediction of extremes is of obvious importance. Here, I will survey the predictive skill and the predictability of extremes using dynamic-stochastic models. These dynamic-stochastic models combine deterministic nonlinear dynamics with a stochastic component, which consists potentially of both additive and multiplicative noise components. In these models, extremes are created by either the nonlinear dynamics, multiplicative noise, or additive heavy-tailed noises. These models naturally capture the observed clustering of extremes and can be used for the prediction of extremes.
Trapping and acceleration of hollow electron and positron bunch in a quasi-linear donut wakefield
Authors: Firouzjaei Ali Shekari , Shokri Babak
Published: January 2017

We study the acceleration and trapping of both negative and positive charged particles in the quasi-linear donut wake (created by a Laguerre Gauss laser pulse). The motion of test charged particles is studied in a two-dimensional wakefield. Once the charged particles are completely trapped in the wakefield, the dynamics will be determined. It is shown that for definite parameters of the problem, a positron bunch could be trapped and accelerated and also well compressed in the first-half bucket of the donut wake. The results also show the possibility of trapping and acceleration of a hollow electron bunch with modified longitudinal and transverse properties. It is proved that electrons could be trapped just as a hollow bunch in the quasi-linear donut wake.
Particle size-induced transition between surface segregation and bulk aggregation in a thin film of athermal polymer-nanoparticle blends
Authors: Teng Chih-Yu , Sheng Yu-Jane , Tsao Heng-Kwong
Published: January 2017

Surface segregation and bulk aggregation in a thin film of athermal polymer-nanoparticle blends have been investigated by dissipative particle dynamics simulations. The thin film is confined between two athermal walls and the shape of the nanoparticles is spherical or cubic. Both phases are driven purely by the entropic effect, i.e., depletion attraction, which depends significantly on the nanoparticle size. At a specified particle volume fraction, surface segregation dominates for small nanoparticles but bulk aggregation emerges for large ones. The transition between the two phases is a result of the competition between particle-wall and particle-particle depletion attractions. The dominance of the former leads to surface segregation while the control of the latter results in bulk aggregation. Since nanocubes possess more contact areas and thus exhibit stronger depletion attractions than nanospheres do, the crossover from surface segregation to bulk aggregation occurs at smaller particle size for nanocubes.
Coupled drift and ion-acoustic cnoidal waves in an inhomogeneous plasma with field-aligned shear flow
Authors: Haque Q. , Mahmood S.
Published: January 2017

The coupled drift and ion-acoustic cnoidal wave structures in an inhomogeneous plasma with shear flow along the magnetic field lines are investigated. The linear analysis and instability condition of the electrostatic drift and ion acoustic waves with the shear flow is also presented. The Sagdeev potential approach is employed for studying nonlinear periodic wave structures. The analytical solutions of cnoidal wave and soliton structures for coupled drift and ion-acoustic waves in the presence of field-aligned shear flow are obtained. It is found that the shear flow along the magnetic field has a significant effect on the formation of cnoidal waves and solitons in inhomogeneous plasmas. The numerical results in phase plane portraits of cnoidal and soliton structures of coupled drift and ion-acoustic waves are agreed with the satellite observations of F-region ionosphere containing shear field-aligned flows.
Phonon wave effects in the thermal transport of epitaxial TiN/(Al,Sc)N metal/semiconductor superlattices
Authors: Saha Bivas , Koh Yee Rui , Feser Joseph P. , Sadasivam Sridhar , Fisher Timothy S. , Shakouri Ali , Sands Timothy D.
Published: January 2017

Epitaxial single crystalline TiN/(Al,Sc)N metal/semiconductor superlattice metamaterials have generated significant interest in recent years for their potential applications in high temperature thermoelectric devices, optical hyperbolic metamaterials in the visible and near infrared-spectral range, and as candidates for solar-thermophotovoltaics and high temperature electronic materials. While significant progress in their structural, mechanical, and optical properties has been made, in-depth analysis and detailed understanding of their thermal transport mechanism remain to be addressed. In this article, we show that in short-period epitaxial, lattice-matched TiN/(Al,Sc)N metal/semiconductor superlattices, thermal transport is dominated by phonon wave effects as the wavelengths of phonons that carry significant amounts of heat become comparable to the superlattice period thickness. Due to the increasing contribution of such phonon wave-modes, the cross-plane thermal conductivity at short-periods increases with decreasing period thicknesses resulting in a distinct minimum of thermal conductivity at a period thickness of about 4 nm at room temperature. Thermal conductivity of the superlattices also decreases with an increase in the temperatures due to Umklapp scattering, which supports the wave-nature of the phonon transport mechanism. These results show that the lattice-matched, epitaxial TiN/(Al,Sc)N metal/semiconductor superlattices behave as an effective medium with respect to phonon transport at short-periods, and the wave-nature of phonon dominates the heat conduction mechanism at such length scales.
Imaging spectroscopy of polymer ablation plasmas for laser propulsion applications
Authors: Jiao Long , Truscott Benjamin S. , Liu Hao , Ashfold Michael N. R. , Ma Honghao
Published: January 2017

A number of polymers have been proposed for use as propellants in space launch and thruster applications based on laser ablation, although few prior studies have either evaluated their performance at background pressures representative of the upper atmosphere or investigated interactions with ambient gases other than air. Here, we use spatially and temporally resolved optical emission spectroscopy to compare three polymers, poly(ethylene), poly(oxymethylene), and glycidyl azide polymer, ablated using a 532 nm, nanosecond pulsed laser under Ar and O2 at pressures below 1 Torr. Emission lines from neutrally and positively charged atoms are observed in each case, along with the recombination radiation at the interaction front between the plasma plume and the background gas. C2 radicals arise either as a direct fragmentation product or by a three-body recombination of C atoms, depending on the structure of the polymer backbone, and exhibit a rotational temperature of ≈5000 K. The Sedov–Taylor point blast model is used to infer the energy release relative to the incident laser energy, which for all polymers is greater in the presence of O2, as to be expected based on their negative oxygen balance. Under Ar, plume confinement is seen to enhance the self-reactivity of the ejecta from poly(oxymethylene) and glycidyl azide polymer, with maximum exothermicity close to 0.5 Torr. However, little advantage of the latter, widely considered one of the most promising energetic polymers, is apparent under the present conditions over the former, a common engineering plastic.
Climate change and the new dynamics of urban pest management in North America.
Authors: Sims S. R. , Appel A. G.
Published: January 2017

Climate change will affect the pest management industry and pest management professionals (PMPs) in many ways. This chapter evaluates these effects by first examining direct, or primary, effects on the businesses and on the PMPs that are providing hands-on services, with a focus on the North American setting (particularly USA). It then looks at the potential effects of climate change on individual and population responses of key pest groups, including wood-destroying insects (such as termites), ants, cockroaches, mice and rats, nuisance pests (such as spiders), flies, stinging insects (Africanized honeybees), kissing bugs (Triatominae), fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes. Unabated, the current projection for global climate change is an increase in average temperatures, as well as increasing variability of local weather events. Peridomestic pests will be more directly affected by temperatures, rainfall and more violent weather than domestic (synathropic) species that live in protected locations such as indoors. Undoubtedly, more species will invade and become established as North American temperatures increase. New tropical species and increasing numbers of generations of well-adapted existing pests will make future urban pest management increasingly challenging.
Termites and a changing climate.
Authors: Ewart D. , Nunes L. , Troya T. de , Kutnik M.
Published: January 2017

To understand how termites react to changing climatic conditions, it is important to first explore what termites are and the parameters that control their bio-ecology. This chapter first reviews the factors that limit termite behaviour, including food, water, reproduction, and dispersal. It then discusses the impact of environmental temperature, distance from the equator, and climate change on the distribution pattern, diversity and survival of termites. The effects of a changing climate on the activities of termites are complex but can be projected from our knowledge of termites around the globe. The chief factors are likely to be heat, changes to precipitation, and the frequency of extreme weather events, sea-level rise, and the impact of rising carbon dioxide on their food resource.
Fly populations and problems in a changing climate.
Authors: Sallam M. F. , Pereira R. M. , Koehler P. G.
Published: January 2017

The geographic expansion and development rate of flies are climate-induced. Their importance as potential vectors of diseases and as forensic tools depends on where flies can occur in large numbers and the suitable habitats for their distribution. This chapter examines the effects of environmental (including temperature, precipitation, surface water, and vegetation) and host factors on the survival, development, distribution/range, and ability to transmit disease of flies. It presents new georeferenced data for temperature-related development of flies, and discusses current and future prediction scenarios for fly distribution at times of natural disasters, such as tornadoes or tsunamis in 2 different temperature-gradient areas in USA (New York City, New York, and Miami-Dade County, Florida).
Climate change and its effect on urban mosquitoes in South America.
Authors: Lima-Camara T. N. de , Honório N. A.
Published: January 2017

This chapter reviews available evidence on the impact of climate change on the distribution of urban mosquitoes in South America, and on the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases of humans and animals. The following vector-pathogen pairs are covered: Aedes and arboviruses (e.g. Dengue virus, Chikungunya virus, and Zika virus); Culex quinquefasciatus and West Nile virus; and Anopheles darlingi and malaria. Climate variables that should be considered when modelling the geographical expansion of urban mosquito vectors to new areas are discussed.
Ecotourism and environmental management: a case study of a partnership for conservation in Fiji.
Authors: Bricker K. S. , Kerstetter D. L.
Published: January 2017

This chapter provides an overview of environmental management in Fiji. This is accomplished through a review of the current situation in Fiji as well as the presentation of a case study of Rivers Fiji, an ecotourism company that partnered with native landowners to facilitate a lease for conservation of the Upper Navua River.
The various faces of competitiveness in tourism: a survey of the extant literature.
Authors: Croes R. , Kubickova M.
Published: January 2017

This chapter sets out to reveal the conceptual and empirical discussion pertaining to tourism competitiveness and the foundational challenges it faces. Furthermore, it considers a number of research pathways that aim at gaining more meaningful insights into the concept of tourism competitiveness. The review reveals that the foundational underpinnings of the construct are not wholly defined - and this lack of proper definition hampers the theoretical advancement of the tourism competitiveness framework. Sifting through the multiple definitions, the chapter identifies three dimensions and four characteristics revealed in four interrelated components of tourism competiveness; these are productivity, human agency, satisfaction and quality of life.
Stakeholders' perceived impact of wind farms at a tourism destination: a case study of Jeju Island, South Korea.
Authors: Lee SeungWoo [Lee S. W. J. ]
Published: January 2017

This chapter explores the opinions of two stakeholder groups (residents and government officials) regarding tourism and wind farm development on Jeju Island. The findings indicate that both stakeholders believe tourism to be a major economic entity on the island. In regard to wind farm development, both parties demonstrate mixed perceptions. The notable disparity between residents and government officials is that residents characterize the economic-cultural and local impacts of wind farm development more positively while government officials are less convinced of both impacts.
Island tourism: challenges and future research directions.
Authors: Uysal M. , Modica P.
Published: January 2017

This concluding chapter discusses the challenges and issues in island tourism and summarizes the contributions of the book across its four main parts: (1) sustainable island tourism; (2) competitiveness and quality of life; (3) sustainability and alternative resource use; and (4) challenges and future research directions.
Triple play: Additive contributions of enhanced expectancies, autonomy support, and external attentional focus to motor learning
Authors: Wulf Gabriele , Lewthwaite Rebecca , Cardozo Priscila , Chiviacowsky Suzete
Published: January 2017

In the OPTIMAL theory of motor learning [Wulf, G., & Lewthwaite, R. (2016). Optimizing performance through intrinsic motivation and attention for learning: The OPTIMAL theory of motor learning. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 23, 1382-1414], 3 factors are postulated to facilitate learning: enhanced expectancies (EE) for performance, autonomy support (AS), and an external focus (EF) of attention. In 3 recent studies, combinations of 2 of these variables resulted in superior learning relative to the presence of only 1 variable, or none. We examined whether the combination of all 3 factors would enhance learning relative to combinations of 2 factors. Our design included EE–AS, EE–EF, AS–EF, and AS–EE–EF groups. Participants threw balls at a target with their non-dominant arm. In the EE conditions, they received positive social–comparative feedback. In the AS conditions, they were allowed to throw with their dominant arm on trial blocks chosen by them. In the EF conditions, participants were asked to focus on the target. On a delayed retention test, the AS–EE–EF group outperformed all other groups. The findings provide evidence that enhanced expectancies, autonomy support, and an external focus can contribute in an additive fashion to optimize motor learning.
The price of information: Increased inspection costs reduce the confirmation bias in visual search
Authors: Rajsic Jason , Wilson Daryl E. , Pratt Jay
Published: January 2017

In visual search, there is a confirmation bias such that attention is biased towards stimuli that match a target template, which has been attributed to covert costs of updating the templates that guide search [Rajsic, Wilson, & Pratt, 2015. Confirmation bias in visual search. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance. Advance online publication. doi:10.1037/xhp0000090]. In order to provide direct evidence for this speculation, the present study increased the cost of inspections in search by using gaze- and mouse-contingent searches, which restrict the manner in which information in search displays can be accrued, and incur additional motor costs (in the case of mouse-contingent searches). In a fourth experiment, we rhythmically mask elements in the search display to induce temporal inspection costs. Our results indicated that confirmation bias is indeed attenuated when inspection costs are increased. We conclude that confirmation bias results from the low-cost strategy of matching information to a single, concrete visual template, and that more sophisticated guidance strategies will be used when sufficiently beneficial. This demonstrates that search guidance itself comes at a cost, and that the form of guidance adopted in a given search depends on a comparison between guidance costs and the expected benefits of their implementation.
The early processing of metaphors and similes: Evidence from eye movements
Authors: Ashby Jane , Roncero Carlos , de Almeida Roberto G , Agauas Stephen J
Published: January 2017

This eye movement study examined how people read nominal metaphors and similes in order to investigate how the surface form, or wording, of these expressions affected early processing. Participants silently read metaphors ( knowledge is a river) and similes ( knowledge is like a river). The identical words were used in the topic–vehicle pair ( knowledge– river) in both conditions. Experiments 1 and 2 demonstrated longer reading times and a higher proportion of regressions in metaphors than in similes. Familiarity modulated later metaphor effects in Experiment 1, but not in Experiment 2. Reading ability did not modulate the metaphor effects in Experiment 2. Results indicate that readers revised their initial interpretation of metaphors before moving on to read new text. This suggests that readers did not initially hold figurative interpretations of apt nominal metaphors that are somewhat familiar. Metaphor interpretation may be fast, but it is not easy.
Insulin signaling regulates a functional interaction between adenomatous polyposis coli and cytoplasmic dynein
Authors: Gao Feng J. , Shi Liang , Hines Timothy , Hebbar Sachin , Neufeld Kristi L. , Smith Deanna S.
Published: January 2017

Diabetes is linked to an increased risk for colorectal cancer, but the mechanistic underpinnings of this clinically important effect are unclear. Here we describe an interaction between the microtubule motor cytoplasmic dynein, the adenomatous polyposis coli tumor suppressor protein (APC), and glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), which could shed light on this issue. GSK-3β is perhaps best known for glycogen regulation, being inhibited downstream in an insulin-signaling pathway. However, the kinase is also important in many other processes. Mutations in APC that disrupt the regulation of β-catenin by GSK-3β cause colorectal cancer in humans. Of interest, both APC and GSK-3β interact with microtubules and cellular membranes. We recently demonstrated that dynein is a GSK-3β substrate and that inhibition of GSK-3β promotes dynein-dependent transport. We now report that dynein stimulation in intestinal cells in response to acute insulin exposure (or GSK-3β inhibition) is blocked by tumor-promoting isoforms of APC that reduce an interaction between wild-type APC and dynein. We propose that under normal conditions, insulin decreases dynein binding to APC to stimulate minus end–directed transport, which could modulate endocytic and secretory systems in intestinal cells. Mutations in APC likely impair the ability to respond appropriately to insulin signaling. This is exciting because it has the potential to be a contributing factor in the development of colorectal cancer in patients with diabetes.
BioPAXViz: a cytoscape application for the visual exploration of metabolic pathway evolution
Authors: Psomopoulos Fotis E , Vitsios Dimitrios M , Baichoo Shakuntala , Ouzounis Christos A
Published: January 2017

BioPAXViz is a Cytoscape (version 3) application, providing a comprehensive framework for metabolic pathway visualization. Beyond the basic parsing, viewing and browsing roles, the main novel function that BioPAXViz provides is a visual comparative analysis of metabolic pathway topologies across pre-computed pathway phylogenomic profiles given a species phylogeny. Furthermore, BioPAXViz supports the display of hierarchical trees that allow efficient navigation through sets of variants of a single reference pathway. Thus, BioPAXViz can significantly facilitate, and contribute to, the study of metabolic pathway evolution and engineering.

Availability and Implementation

BioPAXViz has been developed as a Cytoscape app and is available at: https://github.com/CGU-CERTH/BioPAX.Viz. The software is distributed under the MIT License and is accompanied by example files and data. Additional documentation is available at the aforementioned GitHub repository.
ntCard: a streaming algorithm for cardinality estimation in genomics data
Authors: Mohamadi Hamid , Khan Hamza , Birol Inanc
Published: January 2017

Motivation

Many bioinformatics algorithms are designed for the analysis of sequences of some uniform length, conventionally referred to as k-mers. These include de Bruijn graph assembly methods and sequence alignment tools. An efficient algorithm to enumerate the number of unique k-mers, or even better, to build a histogram of k-mer frequencies would be desirable for these tools and their downstream analysis pipelines. Among other applications, estimated frequencies can be used to predict genome sizes, measure sequencing error rates, and tune runtime parameters for analysis tools. However, calculating a k-mer histogram from large volumes of sequencing data is a challenging task.

Results

Here, we present ntCard, a streaming algorithm for estimating the frequencies of k-mers in genomics datasets. At its core, ntCard uses the ntHash algorithm to efficiently compute hash values for streamed sequences. It then samples the calculated hash values to build a reduced representation multiplicity table describing the sample distribution. Finally, it uses a statistical model to reconstruct the population distribution from the sample distribution. We have compared the performance of ntCard and other cardinality estimation algorithms. We used three datasets of 480 GB, 500 GB and 2.4 TB in size, where the first two representing whole genome shotgun sequencing experiments on the human genome and the last one on the white spruce genome. Results show ntCard estimates k-mer coverage frequencies >15× faster than the state-of-the-art algorithms, using similar amount of memory, and with higher accuracy rates. Thus, our benchmarks demonstrate ntCard as a potentially enabling technology for large-scale genomics applications.

Availability and Implementation

ntCard is written in C ++ and is released under the GPL license. It is freely available at https://github.com/bcgsc/ntCard.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
MetaPlotR: a Perl/R pipeline for plotting metagenes of nucleotide modifications and other transcriptomic sites
Authors: Olarerin-George Anthony O , Jaffrey Samie R
Published: January 2017

An increasing number of studies are mapping protein binding and nucleotide modifications sites throughout the transcriptome. Often, these sites cluster in certain regions of the transcript, giving clues to their function. Hence, it is informative to summarize where in the transcript these sites occur. A metagene is a simple and effective tool for visualizing the distribution of sites along a simplified transcript model. In this work, we introduce MetaPlotR, a Perl/R pipeline for creating metagene plots.

Availability and Implementation

The code and associated tutorial are available at https://github.com/olarerin/metaPlotR.