bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chiral Symmetry Breaking in Superfluid
3
He-A
Authors: Ikegami H. , Tsutsumi Y. , Kono K.
Published: July 2013

Quantum Handedness

When a rotating object is placed in circulating fluid, an imbalance of pressures on either side of it causes a deflecting force called the Magnus force. The quantum analog of this effect has been predicted to appear in the low-temperature A phase of
3
He, where the Cooper pairs forming the superfluid have a specific handedness. An impurity traveling through such a superfluid would experience a deflecting force in the direction determined by the chirality of the pairs.

Ikegami
et al.

(p.
59
) trapped impurities beneath the free surface of
3
He, set them in motion, and demonstrated the existence of this deflecting force by measuring the differential transverse current. The sign of the deflection varied over different cooling runs, indicating that the system was choosing one or the other chirality upon entering the superfluid phase—a signature of spontaneous symmetry breaking.
Crystal Structure Determination of the Nonclassical 2-Norbornyl Cation
Authors: Scholz F. , Himmel D. , Heinemann F. W. , Schleyer P. v. R. , Meyer K. , Krossing I.
Published: July 2013

A Nonclassical Conclusion

The concept of valence, which underlies the Periodic Table, originated in studies of reactivity rather than structure. Nonetheless, when studies in the mid-20th century suggested that the transient norbornyl cation (C
7
H
11
+
) reacted as though a carbon center had adopted a formally pentacoordinate motif, this nonclassical structural hypothesis engendered tremendous controversy.

Scholz
et al.

(p.
62
) have now succeeded in characterizing the norbornyl cation by x-ray crystallography and confirm the symmetrical fivefold motif.
Spectroscopy Beyond the Single-Particle Limit
Authors: Hartland Gregory V. , Shang Lo Shun
Published: July 2013

Ultrafast x-ray diffraction studies reveal the lattice vibrations of single gold nanoparticles.

[Also see Report by

Clark
et al.

]
NIH to Phase Out Most Chimp Research
Authors: Kaiser Jocelyn
Published: July 2013

An era of biomedical research has come to an end as NIH retires most chimpanzees and phases out all but a few biomedical studies.
Budget Malaise May Hit DOE's One Big Growth Area
Authors: Cho Adrian
Published: July 2013

The Department of Energy office that funds bread-and-butter research with the closest ties to energy and runs the department's big user facilities is facing a budget crunch after years of steady growth.
China's Exquisite Look at Earth's Rocky Husk Wins Raves
Authors: Qiu Jane
Published: July 2013

China's Cabinet is now weighing plans for a 15-year, $6.5 billion effort to peel away the secrets of our planet's crust and uppermost mantle, together known as the lithosphere.
Into the Minds of Birds
Authors: Morell Virginia
Published: July 2013

A new brain-scanning method offers a window into the brains of birds, which have emerged as the surprising stars of many animal cognition studies
Modification of Clearview Tuberculosis (TB) Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for TB Patients Not Infected with HIV
Authors: Savolainen Laura , Kantele Anu , Sandboge Bettina , Sirén Marita , Valleala Heikki , Tuompo Riitta , Pusa Liana , Erkinjuntti-Pekkanen Riitta , Knuuttila Aija , Ku Cheng-Lung , Chi Chih-Yu , Vasankari Tuula , Tuuminen Tamara
Published: July 2013

Diagnosis of active tuberculosis by detection of urinary lipoarabinomannan (uLAM) from
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
is an attractive approach. Concentrating urine 100-fold allowed quantitation of uLAM at levels equal to picograms/ml of nonconcentrated urine. The approach of concentrating urine 100-fold improved the clinical sensitivity of the Clearview TB enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) from 7% to 57% yet impaired its specificity from 97% to 89%. (This study has been registered at University Hospital of Turku under registration no. 47/180/2009, Helsinki University Central Hospital under 149/2010, University Hospital of Kuopio under 105/2010, and China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, under DMR-99-IRB-075-2.)
Comparison of a Novel, Rapid Chromogenic Biochemical Assay, the Carba NP Test, with the Modified Hodge Test for Detection of Carbapenemase-Producing Gram-Negative Bacilli
Authors: Vasoo Shawn , Cunningham Scott A. , Kohner Peggy C. , Simner Patricia J. , Mandrekar Jayawant N. , Lolans Karen , Hayden Mary K. , Patel Robin
Published: July 2013

We compared carbapenemase detection among 271 Gram-negative bacilli (of which 131 were carbapenemase producers) using a novel chromogenic rapid test—the Carba NP test (CNP)—and the modified Hodge test (MHT). Sensitivities were comparable (CNP, 100%, versus MHT, 98%;
P
= 0.08), but CNP was more specific (100% versus 80%;
P
< 0.0001) and faster.
First principles calculations of electronic and optical properties of Zr-doped La2O3
Authors: Chen Changpeng , Xie Jianxiong , Chen Shuibo , Li Yanli
Published: July 2013

Based on the density functional pseudopotential method, the structural properties, the band structure, the density of states, and the optical properties of pure and Zr-doped La2O3 were calculated. The calculation results indicate that the defect of La (Zr) exists steadily with a certain solubility. Zr substitution of the La sites induces effective reduction of the band gap of La2O3, the band gap being continuously reduced when increasing Zr doping level. The Fermi energy level shifts to the conduction band and exhibits metal-like characteristic after the Zr atom is introduced. The calculated optical properties indicate that red shifts are revealed in both the imaginary part of the dielectric function and the absorption spectra corresponding to the change of band gaps. Moreover, additional absorption is observed in the visible region, which implies that Zr-doped La2O3 might be a potential candidate for photoelectrical application. The calculation results are consistent with experimental results that have been reported.
APPLICATION OF QUANTUM-BEHAVED PARTICLE SWARM OPTIMIZATION TO MOTOR IMAGERY EEG CLASSIFICATION
Authors: HSU WEI-YEN
Published: July 2013

In this study, we propose a recognition system for single-trial analysis of motor imagery (MI) electroencephalogram (EEG) data. Applying event-related brain potential (ERP) data acquired from the sensorimotor cortices, the system chiefly consists of automatic artifact elimination, feature extraction, feature selection and classification. In addition to the use of independent component analysis, a similarity measure is proposed to further remove the electrooculographic (EOG) artifacts automatically. Several potential features, such as wavelet-fractal features, are then extracted for subsequent classification. Next, quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization (QPSO) is used to select features from the feature combination. Finally, selected sub-features are classified by support vector machine (SVM). Compared with without artifact elimination, feature selection using a genetic algorithm (GA) and feature classification with Fisher's linear discriminant (FLD) on MI data from two data sets for eight subjects, the results indicate that the proposed method is promising in brain–computer interface (BCI) applications.
A STOCHASTIC MECHANISM FOR DNA MELTING
Authors: TANERI SENCER
Published: July 2013

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a kind of nucleic acid consisting of two strands which are made up of two Watson–Crick base pairs: adenine–thymine (AT) and guanine–cytosine (GC). There are three components of the total energy. These are the inharmonic stacking interaction, hydrogen bond interaction and the kinetic energy. Morse potential is used to mimic the hydrogen bond interaction between bases on the opposite strands for the overlapping π electrons, when two neighboring bases move out of the stack. The AT pair has 2 hydrogen bonds and the GC pair has 3 of them. The π electrons obey Bose–Einstein (BE) statistics, and the overlapping of them results in quantum fluctuation. It will be shown that this can be simplified into 〈Δy(t)Δy(t)〉 = 2DqΔt type fluctuation between the base pairs. Thus, a metropolis algorithm can be developed for the total potential energy by superposing two potential energy terms as well as including the quantum fluctuation in terms of random displacement of the π electrons. So, one can calculate the melting temperature of base pairs.
HOLOGRAPHIC TECHNI-DILATON AND LHC SEARCHES
Authors: LAWRANCE ROBERT , PIAI MAURIZIO
Published: July 2013

We analyze in detail the phenomenology of a model of dynamical electroweak symmetry breaking inspired by walking technicolor, by using the techniques of the bottom-up approach to holography. The model admits a light composite scalar state, the dilaton, in the spectrum. We focus on regions of parameter space for which the mass of such dilaton is 125 GeV, and for which the bounds on the precision electroweak parameter S are satisfied. This requires that the next-to-lightest composite state is the techni-rho meson, with a mass larger than 2.3 TeV. We compute the couplings controlling the decay rates of the dilaton to two photons and to two (real or virtual) Z and W bosons. For generic choices of the parameters, we find a suppression of the decay into heavy gauge bosons, in respect to the analog decay of the standard model Higgs. We find a dramatic effect on the decay into photons, which can be both strongly suppressed or strongly enhanced, the latter case corresponding to the large-N regime of the dual theory. There is a correlation between this decay rate of the dilaton into photons and the mass splitting between the techni-rho meson and its axial-vector partner: if the decay is enhanced in respect to the standard model case, then the heavy spin-1 resonances are nearly degenerate in mass, otherwise their separation in mass is comparable to the mass scale itself.
INDUCED MAGNETISM AT OXIDE INTERFACES
Authors: SANTAMARIA JACOBO , GARCIA-BARRIOCANAL JAVIER , SEFRIOUI ZOUHAIR , LEON CARLOS
Published: July 2013

Interfaces between correlated oxides are attracting great interest. Electron correlations give rise to novel forms of couplings between electronic ground states at both sides of the interface. The bonding discontinuity at the interface between magnetic and nonmagnetic oxides is at the origin of a form of low dimensional magnetism in the otherwise nonmagnetic material. Its origin is the splitting of its bands due to the hybridization with the exchange split bands of the magnetic material. This induced magnetism could find interesting functionalities in devices with operation controlled by the interface such as tunnel or field effect devices of interest in spintronics.
ELECTRONIC PROPERTIES OF HgTe WITHIN DIFFERENT STRUCTURES
Authors: ZHAO HUXIAN , CHEN XIAOSHUANG , LU JIANPING , LU WEI
Published: July 2013

We present the results of a density functional theory study of high-pressure structures of HgTe up to bcc structure, which is the highest-pressure structure that has been fully characterized in experiments in the compounds. We investigated the different structures of HgTe and studied the semimetal → semiconductor → conductor transition in detail. We found, in the mechanism for the semimetal → semiconductor transition, the local structure plays a very important role. Change in local structure leads to the change in hybridization of bonding, sp3 →sp3d2 and led to the change from semiconductor to conductor. In addition, we focused on the special transition of semimetal → semiconductor. The tiny change of bond angle reduces the p–d repulsion interaction in the compound and a band gap is open up, which indicates the semiconductor property.
ON FINITE METACYCLIC p-GROUPS
Authors: BERKOVICH YAKOV
Published: July 2013

If a metacyclic group G of exponent pe contains a normal cyclic subgroup A of order pe and, in the case p = 2, has no nonabelian sections of order 8, then there exists in G a cyclic subgroup B such that G = AB and A ∩ B = {1}. Some consequences of the stated result are also proved. For example, if a metacyclic group of exponent pe is noncyclic and has no nonabelian sections of order 8 and A < G is cyclic of order pe, then there is a cyclic B < G such that G = AB and A ∩ B = {1}. Next, it is proved that if G > {1} is a metacyclic p-group, then exp (Φ(G)) < exp (G).
ON TEST MODULES FOR FLAT DIMENSION
Authors: MAJADAS JAVIER
Published: July 2013

A ring with a test module of finite upper complete intersection dimension is complete intersection.
PSEUDOPOLAR MATRIX RINGS OVER LOCAL RINGS
Authors: CUI JIAN , CHEN JIANLONG
Published: July 2013

A ring R is called pseudopolar if for every a ∈ R there exists p2 = p ∈ R such that p ∈ comm 2(a), a + p ∈ U(R) and akp ∈ J(R) for some positive integer k. Pseudopolar rings are closely related to strongly π-regular rings, uniquely strongly clean rings, semiregular rings and strongly π-rad clean rings. In this paper, we completely characterize the local rings R for which M2(R) is pseudopolar.
Requirement for active glycogen synthase kinase-3β in TGF-β1 upregulation of connective tissue growth factor (CCN2/CTGF) levels in human gingival fibroblasts
Authors: Bahammam Maha , Black Samuel A. , Sume Siddika Selva , Assaggaf Mohammad A. , Faibish Michael , Trackman Philip C.
Published: July 2013

Connective tissue growth factor (CCN2/CTGF) mediates transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)-induced fibrosis. Drug-induced gingival overgrowth is tissue specific. Here the role of the phosphoinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway in mediating TGF-β1-stimulated CCN2/CTGF expression in primary human adult gingival fibroblasts and human adult lung fibroblasts was compared. Data indicate that PI3K inhibitors attenuate upregulation of TGF-β1-induced CCN2/CTGF expression in human gingival fibroblasts independent of reducing JNK MAP kinase activation. Pharmacologic inhibitors and small interfering (si)RNA-mediated knockdown studies indicate that calcium-dependent isoforms and an atypical isoform of protein kinase C (PKC-δ) do not mediate TGF-β1-stimulated CCN2/CTGF expression in gingival fibroblasts. As glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) can undergo phosphorylation by the PI3K/pathway, the effects of GSK-3β inhibitor kenpaullone and siRNA knockdown were investigated. Data in gingival fibroblasts indicate that kenpaullone attenuates TGF-β1-mediated CCN2/CTGF expression. Activation of the Wnt canonical pathways with Wnt3a, which inhibits GSK-3β, similarly inhibits TGF-β1-stimulated CCN2/CTGF expression. In contrast, inhibition of GSK-3β by Wnt3a does not inhibit, but modestly stimulates, CCN2/CTGF levels in primary human adult lung fibroblasts and is β-catenin dependent, consistent with previous studies performed in other cell models. These data identify a novel pathway in gingival fibroblasts in which inhibition of GSK-3β attenuates CCN2/CTGF expression. In adult lung fibroblasts inhibition of GSK-3β modestly stimulates TGF-β1-regulated CCN2/CTGF expression. These studies have potential clinical relevance to the tissue specificity of drug-induced gingival overgrowth.
Induction of AMPK activity corrects early pathophysiological alterations in the subtotal nephrectomy model of chronic kidney disease
Authors: Satriano Joseph , Sharma Kumar , Blantz Roland C. , Deng Aihua
Published: July 2013

The rat kidney ablation and infarction (A/I) model of subtotal or 5/6th nephrectomy is the most commonly studied model of nondiabetic chronic kidney disease (CKD). The A/I kidney at 1 wk exhibits reductions in kidney function, as determined by glomerular filtration rate, and diminished metabolic efficiency as determined by oxygen consumption per sodium transport (QO2/TNa). As renoprotective AMPK activity is affected by metabolic changes and cellular stress, we evaluated AMPK activity in this model system. We show that these early pathophysiological changes are accompanied by a paradoxical decrease in AMPK activity. Over time, these kidney parameters progressively worsen with extensive kidney structural, functional, metabolic, and fibrotic changes observed at 4 wk after A/I. We show that induction of AMPK activity with either metformin or 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide increases AMPK activity in this model and also corrects kidney metabolic inefficiency, improves kidney function, and ameliorates kidney fibrosis and structural alterations. We conclude that AMPK activity is reduced in the subtotal nephrectomy model of nondiabetic CKD, that altered regulation of AMPK is coincident with the progression of disease parameters, and that restoration of AMPK activity can suppress the progressive loss of function characteristic of this model. We propose that induction of AMPK activity may prove an effective therapeutic target for the treatment of nondiabetic CKD.
Polymerase Delta Interacting Protein 2 Sustains Vascular Structure and Function
Authors: Sutliff Roy L. , Hilenski Lula L. , Amanso Angélica M. , Parastatidis Ioannis , Dikalova Anna E. , Hansen Laura , Datla Srinivasa Raju , Long James S. , El-Ali Alexander M. , Joseph Giji , Gleason Rudolph L. , Taylor W. Robert , Hart C. Michael , Griendling Kathy K. , Lassègue Bernard
Published: July 2013

Objective—

On the basis of previous evidence that polymerase delta interacting protein 2 (Poldip2) increases reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase 4 (Nox4) activity in vascular smooth muscle cells, we hypothesized that in vivo knockdown of Poldip2 would inhibit reactive oxygen species production and alter vascular function.

Approach and Results—

Because homozygous Poldip2 deletion is lethal, Poldip2
+/−
mice were used. Poldip2 mRNA and protein levels were reduced by ≈50% in Poldip2
+/−
aorta, with no change in p22phox, Nox1, Nox2, and Nox4 mRNAs. NADPH oxidase activity was also inhibited in Poldip2
+/−
tissue. Isolated aortas from Poldip2
+/−
mice demonstrated impaired phenylephrine and potassium chloride–induced contractions, increased stiffness, and reduced compliance associated with disruption of elastic lamellae and excessive extracellular matrix deposition. Collagen I secretion was elevated in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells from Poldip2
+/−
mice and restored by H
2
O
2
supplementation, suggesting that this novel function of Poldip2 is mediated by reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, Poldip2
+/−
mice were protected against aortic dilatation in a model of experimental aneurysm, an effect consistent with increased collagen secretion.

Conclusions—

Poldip2 knockdown reduces H
2
O
2
production in vivo, leading to increases in extracellular matrix, greater vascular stiffness, and impaired agonist-mediated contraction. Thus, unaltered expression of Poldip2 is necessary for vascular integrity and function.
Experimental induction of intraspecific morphometric variability in a single population of Halicephalobus cf. gingivalis may surpass total interspecific variability
Authors: Fonderie Pamela , Steel Hanne , Moens Tom , Bert Wim
Published: July 2013

Although molecular techniques are revolutionising nematode taxonomy, morphological data still form the basis of nematode species descriptions. However, morphological characters show a natural variability that should be taken into account before describing new species. The current study presents the results of an elaborate morphometric study of Halicephalobus cf. gingivalis, including 15 measurements and 13 indices of 540 specimens, the progeny of a single parthenogenetic female and cultured under different temperature and food conditions and measured in different adult age groups, i.e., young adults with a developed vulva but before the onset of oviposition, adults laying eggs, and old, post-reproductive adults near the end of their life cycle. The morphometric characters were analysed using both univariate (analysis of variance) and multivariate (principal components and canonical discriminant analysis) techniques. The main results reveal that the morphometric characters most used in Halicephalobus identification keys have a huge variability within a single progeny, e.g., body length 1.9 times longer than the shortest or ratio VA/tail length 3.9 times larger than the smallest. This variability has a magnitude that has not been observed in nematodes before. Further, by changing the environmental factors, the morphometric characters are influenced to an extent that one could assign – with seemingly ‘statistical support’ – different ‘species’ of the genus to different subpopulations. With this experimental study we provide convincing elements to advocate an integrative taxonomic approach and to discourage the description of new species based only on morphometric differences.
Sheraphelenchus sucus n. sp. (Tylenchina: Aphelenchoididae) isolated from sap flow of Quercus serrata in Japan
Authors: Kanzaki Natsumi , Tanaka Ryusei
Published: July 2013

ASheraphelenchusspecies was isolated from a sample of sap exuding from a scar on the bark ofQuercus serrata. Besides its generic characteristics,i.e., posteriorly located vulva in the female, male spicule with conspicuous dorsal limb and male tail with spike-like projection, the new species is characterised by a short stylet with a small basal swelling. The near-full-length of 18S and D2/D3 expansion segments of ribosomal RNA genes (near-full SSU and D2/D3LSU) were determined as its molecular barcode sequences and the phylogenetic status of the species (= genusSheraphelenchus) was estimated using the near-full SSU. The molecular phylogenetic analysis revealed that the new species is included in the genusBursaphelenchus, and is close toB. anatoliusandB. kevini. AlthoughSheraphelenchusis phylogenetically inferred to occur withinBursaphelenchus, the new species is described herein asS. sucusn. sp., thereby retaining the genusSheraphelenchusuntil additional data about morphological similarities between these two taxa are obtained.
“The Four Ideals”: A Contemplative Exercise by Gurdjieff
Authors: Azize Joseph
Published: June 2013

Nous présentons ici des données inédites en provenance de G.I. Gurdjieff (c. 1865–1949), appelées “exercice des quatre idéaux”, et tentons de les situer dans le “Travail” institué par celui-ci. Nous voudrions faire remarquer qu’un tel exercice possède un caractère singulier parmi les diverses traditions mystico-religieuses, dans la mesure où nous ne connaissons pas d’autre exemple d’une pratique visant à attirer dans le propre corps de l’élève, d’une zone située par delà l’atmosphère terrestre, de substances élaborées à la surface de notre planète. De telles substances émanent censément des prières adressées par les hommes à certains “idéaux”. La mise en oeuvre, par Gurdjieff, d’“exercices contemplatifs internes” compte parmi les aspects les moins étudiés de sa méthode. Le présent article est le premier d’une série visant à attirer l’attention des universitaires sur ces points particuliers.
The Occult Underground of Late Soviet Russia
Authors: Menzel Birgit
Published: June 2013

Der Aufsatz bietet einen Überblick über verschiedene Strömungen des okkulten Untergrunds im spätsowjetischen Russland, insbes. im Milieu der literarischen Bohème, in und außerhalb von wissenschaftlichen Institutionen und in der volkstümlichen bzw. alternativen Gesundheit. Einflüsse östlicher Philosophie und Religion werden diskutiert, Probleme der Terminologie, Einflüsse und Wechselbeziehungen zum westlichen New Age.
Recent and Upcoming Conferences
Authors: Forshaw Peter J.
Published: June 2013

Aries aspires to keep its readers informed about recent and upcoming conferences relevant to the study of Western esotericism, but for this, the editors are largely dependent on the information they receive. Readers are therefore invited to send Conference Programs as well as Calls for Papers and announcements of upcoming conferences to the editorial address, if possible in electronic form. In doing so, please take into account that Aries is published in the months of January and July, and that copy must have reached the editors five months in advance (i.e., August 1 and February 1 resp.).
The Spirit in Pentecostal Preaching: A Constructive Dialogue with Haddon W. Robinson’s and Charles T. Crabtree’s Theology of Preaching
Authors: Samuel Josh P. S.
Published: July 2013

Abstract

This article contrasts Haddon W. Robinson’s Biblical Preaching with Charles T. Crabtree’s Pentecostal Preaching and provides an analysis to contribute to a Pentecostal theology of preaching. It shows the importance of maintaining faithfulness to the Spirit’s past and present work for preaching, reflected in Robinson’s and Crabtree’s emphases. Preachers must diligently study the written word — inspired by the Spirit — in order to appropriate it best for the preached word, while also remaining sensitive to the Spirit’s present leading. The article also goes beyond the two authors’ emphases, revealing the value of the Spirit’s work for preaching among the congregation, in the future, and within the triune God.
Heterospilus Haliday, 1836 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Doryctinae) from China with a key to species
Authors: TANG PU , BELOKOBYLSKIJ SERGEY A. , HE JUN-HUA , CHEN XUE-XIN
Published: July 2013

The Chinese species of the genus Heterospilus Haliday, 1836 from the Parasitic Hymenoptera Collection of Zhejiang Uni-versity were studied and thirty-four species are recognized, including 12 previously described species. Eighteen new spe-cies of this genus are described and illustrated: Heterospilus (Heterospilus) alternicoloratus sp. nov., H.(H.) balicyba sp. nov., H.(H.) chui sp. nov., H.(H.) curvisulcus sp. nov., H.(H.) densistriatus sp. nov., H.(H.) fujianensis sp. nov., H.(H.) jianfengensis sp. nov., H.(H.) liui sp. nov., H.(H.) longiventrius sp. nov., H.(H.) nanlingensis sp. nov., H.(H.) parvus sp. nov., H.(H.) prodigiosus sp. nov., H.(H.) punctatus sp. nov., H.(H.) qingliangensis sp. nov., H.(H.) semidepressus sp. nov., H.(H.) setosiscutum sp. nov., H.(H.) setosus sp. nov., and H.(H.) tenuitergum sp. nov. Seven species of Heterospilus are recorded for China for the first time: H. (Eoheterospilus) rubrocinctus (Ashmead, 1905), H.(H.) alboapicalis Beloko-bylskij, 1994, H.(H.) ater Fischer, 1960, H.(H.) cephi Rohwer, 1925, H.(H.) kerzhneri Belokobylskij et Maetô, 2009, H.(H.) tauricus Telenga, 1941, and H.(H.) tulyensis Belokobylskij, 1994. Two new synonyms are proposed: H. asiaticola Belokobylskij et Maetô, 2009 with H. chinensis Chen et Shi, 2004 and H. gracilis Shi et Chen with H. separatus Fischer, 1960. A key to the Chinese species of Heterospilus is provided.
A small, new gerbil-mouse Eligmodontia (Rodentia: Cricetidae) from dunes at the coasts and deserts of north-central Chile: molecular, chromosomic, and morphological analyses
Authors: SPOTORNO ANGEL E. , R. CARLOS ZULETA , WALKER LAURA I. , S. GERMAN MANRIQUEZ , F. PABLO VALLADARES , MARIN JUAN C.
Published: July 2013

A small, new species of gerbil rodents of the genus Eligmodontia from the southwestern dunes of the Atacama Desert in northern Chile is described; the genus had not been reported for this western lowland region. Our description is based on cytogenetic and molecular data, as well as cranial and external morphology. In order to support this hypothesis, we studied 27 specimens captured in Playa Los Choros (Coquimbo) and Copiapó (Atacama), comparing them with samples of all the extant species of the genus. Nineteen individuals consistently showed 2N=50, FN=48, with telocentric chromosomes and G-bands identical to those of the geographically northeastern E. hirtipes; these two groups were geographically separated by E. puerulus (2N=34, FN=48). The phylogenetic analysis of 56 Eligmodontia cytochrome-b gene sequences yielded a maximum-likelihood phylogenetic tree where the new species formed a divergent and well-supported clade within the ge-nus, which was also confirmed by unweighted parsimony, minimum evolution, and Bayesian analyses. The new species has K2P genetic distances of 12.8% from the geographically distant E. hirtipes, and 10.3% from E. puerulus. Axes 1 and 2 of Principal Component Analysis based on 12 body and skull measurements clearly separated the new species, the latter having a smaller head+body length (70.6±3.4 mm, n=17) and lower weight (11.9±1.9 g, n=20). We provide strong evi-dence to recognize a distinct new western lineage within Eligmodontia genus, Eligmodontia dunaris sp. nov., for which we give a complete taxonomic description and a hypothetical biogeographic scenario. The new species should be consid-ered endangered, due to its level of endemism, its low population numbers (which can be occasionally increased after a blooming desert) and its fragile dry habitat patchily distributed near the Atacama Desert.
The first record of the tribe Cephenniini in South Africa, with new species of Cephennomicrus Reitter and Cephennodes Reitter (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae)
Authors: JAŁOSZYŃSKI PAWEŁ
Published: July 2013

The tribe Cephenniini is recorded for the first time in the Republic of South Africa. Five new species are described and illustrated: Cephennodes (s. str.) lucipetus sp. n., C. (s. str.) zulunatalensis sp. n., C. (s. str.) mtubatubanus sp. n., C. (s. str.) sodwanaensis sp. n. (all from KwaZulu-Natal Prov.), Cephennomicrus ubomboensis sp. n. (KwaZulu-Natal), Cm. en-droedyi sp. n. and Cm. transkeianus sp. n. (from Eastern Cape). A distributional summary of continental Afrotropical Ce-phennodes and Cephennomicrus species is given, and taxonomic and evolutionary problems are indicated.
Revision of the Pachycondyla sikorae species-group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Madagascar
Authors: RAKOTONIRINA JEAN CLAUDE , FISHER BRIAN L.
Published: July 2013

The Malagasy ponerine Pachycondyla sikorae-group is revised and a worker-based key to species is presented. Fourteen species are recognised, of which 13 are described as new. The species group is redefined and divided into two species complexes: the sikorae-complex (P. gorogota sp. n., P. haratsingy sp. n., P. ivolo sp. n., P.maeva sp. n., P.mialy sp. n., P. nosy sp. n. and P.sikorae Forel) and the vohitravo-complex (P. agnivo sp. n., P. antsiraka sp. n., P. daraina sp. n., P. rovana sp. n., P. tahary sp. n., P. vohitravo sp. n. and P. zoro sp. n.). All 14 species are endemic to Madagascar and dis­tributed across the rainforests in the east and the transitional humid habitats in the northwest of Madagascar. Distribution maps of each species are included.
New species and new song record of the genus Dociostaurus Fieber, 1853 (Orthoptera, Acrididae, Gomphocerinae) from Southern Anatolia, Turkey
Authors: ŞİRİN DENİZ , MOL ABBAS
Published: July 2013

The new species Dociostaurus (Kazakia) icconium Şirin & Mol sp. n. (Orthoptera, Acrididae, Gomphocerinae) is de-scribed on the basis of morphology and male calling song. The congeneric partner of new species is Dociostaurus (Stau-ronotulus) cappadocicus (Azam, 1913) whose song description is done for the first time in this study. The species Dociostaurus (Kazakia) brevicollis (Eversmann, 1848) is assumed to be the closest relative of Dociostaurus (Kazakia) icconium sp. n.. The relationships between the new species and the relatives/congeneric partners were evaluated by using both song and morphological characters, for which illustrations were provided. Finally, a brief remark on the distribution pattern of the species was given.
Mesoscale Eddy Energy Locality in an Idealized Ocean Model
Authors: Grooms Ian , Nadeau Louis-Philippe , Smith K. Shafer
Published: July 2013

This paper investigates the energy budget of mesoscale eddies in wind-driven two-layer quasigeostrophic simulations. Intuitively, eddy energy can be generated, dissipated, and fluxed from place to place; regions where the budget balances generation and dissipation are “local” and regions that export or import large amounts of eddy energy are “nonlocal.” Many mesoscale parameterizations assume that statistics of the unresolved eddies behave as local functions of the resolved large scales, and studies that relate doubly periodic simulations to ocean patches must assume that the ocean patches have local energetics. This study derives and diagnoses the eddy energy budget in simulations of wind-driven gyres. To more closely approximate the ideas of subgrid-scale parameterization, the authors define the mean and eddies using a spatial filter rather than the more common time average. The eddy energy budget is strongly nonlocal over nearly half the domain in the simulations. In particular, in the intergyre region the eddies lose energy through interactions with the mean, and this energy loss can only be compensated by nonlocal flux of energy from elsewhere in the domain. This study also runs doubly periodic simulations corresponding to ocean patches from basin simulations. The eddy energy level of ocean patches in the basin simulations matches the level in the periodic simulations only in regions with local eddy energy budgets.
Why “Feed the Lawn”? Exploring the Influences on Residential Turf Grass Fertilization in the Minneapolis−Saint Paul Metropolitan Area
Authors: Martini Nicholas F. , Nelson Kristen C. , Hobbie Sarah E. , Baker Lawrence A.
Published: June 2013

We contribute to scholarly understanding of lawn fertilization behavior by formulating and testing models of fertilization and fertilization frequency that incorporate a wide range of human and structural influences. Specifically, we explore the impact of (a) structural/environmental aspects, (b) sociodemographics, and (c) attitudes and beliefs (informal norms, knowledge, environmental concerns, yard motivations, perceived ability regarding fertilization practices). We use survey data from a sample of 942 residents within the Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Minnesota metropolitan area. Our results indicate that fertilization is not driven by one overriding factor but by a combination of factors. Specifically, we show significant effects from a range of structural aspects (lot size, location, use of a professional lawn service), sociodemographics (home value), norms (perceived neighbor effects), knowledge (perceived positive/negative aspects of fertilization), and perceived ability. We also explore the urban/suburban divide and show higher fertilization stemming from suburban households.
Facilitating Trade and Improving Competitiveness through Improved Road Network: Issues and Way Forward
Authors: Mukherjee Arpita , Pal Parthapratim , Goswami Ramneet
Published: July 2013

Road transport play a key role in emerging markets like India in boosting economic development and trade, linking consumers across remote regions and in improving overall competitiveness of industries. Over the years, India has focused on creation of road infrastructure but the logistics costs are still high and the supply chain is fragmented. This paper identifies the barriers to establishment of a seamless supply chain and suggests policy recommendations for the same. The paper highlights that apart from creation of infrastructure, India should also focus on efficient use of existing infrastructure by setting up a computerised ‘green channel system’ which connects toll booths of different states through a common electronic data interchange. There is need for an integrated logistics policy, modern traffic management system and streamlining of existing multilayered tax system, among others for seamless transport. In this regard, India can learn from the experiences of European Union in market integration and in improvement of transport efficiencies.
Generative Explanation and Individualism in Agent-Based Simulation
Authors: Marchionni Caterina , Ylikoski Petri
Published: July 2013

Social scientists associate agent-based simulation (ABS) models with three ideas about explanation: they provide generative explanations, they are models of mechanisms, and they implement methodological individualism. In light of a philosophical account of explanation, we show that these ideas are not necessarily related and offer an account of the explanatory import of ABS models. We also argue that their bottom-up research strategy should be distinguished from methodological individualism.
Partial feedback linearization and sliding mode techniques for 2D crane control
Authors: Le Tuan Anh , Lee Soon-Geul , Moon Sang-Chan
Published: July 2013

The overhead crane is an under-actuated system because its degree of freedom is larger than that of actuators. The three state variables of trolley motion, cargo lifting motion and cargo swing are controlled by two input signals composed of trolley driving and cargo lifting forces. In the present study, a novel non-linear control scheme for an overhead crane is proposed based on the combination of two control design techniques. The cargo swing vanishing mechanism is constructed using partial feedback linearization. Control of trolley and cargo tracking is designed based on the sliding mode technique. An anti-swing structure is then merged with the tracking scheme of the trolley and cargo hoisting motions to enable indirect control of the cargo swing angle. Both simulation and experimental results show that the combined controller not only stabilizes all trajectories of system states but also guarantees the robustness in which the shapes of system responses are consistently retained despite the wide variation in crane parameters.
New Trends in Talent Development in Peru
Authors: Blumen Sheyla
Published: July 2013

A comprehensive portrait of the current status of gifted and talented concepts, identification of the gifted, and associated provisions within Peru is presented. The major purposes of this article are (a) to analyze the primary conception of giftedness in Peru; (b) to describe the beliefs that people have about gifted individuals; (c) to present the most difficult issues related to gifted and talented education that need to be addressed, and the most important contributions to gifted education made in the country; (d) to describe the relevant research findings; and (e) to establish the future directions on research and program development.
Core stabilisation reduces compensatory movement patterns in patients with injury to the arm: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Ayhan Cigdem , Unal Edibe , Yakut Yavuz
Published: July 2013

Objective:

To investigate the effects of adding core stabilisation exercises to traditional rehabilitation in patients with arm injuries.

Design:

Randomized controlled trial.

Setting:

Outpatient clinic.

Subjects:

Twenty-seven patients with elbow and wrist injuries were randomized to a stabilisation or control group.

Interventions:

The stabilisation group received core stabilisation training and traditional arm rehabilitation and the control group received traditional arm rehabilitation alone for three days/week for six weeks.

Main measures:

Pre- and post-treatment assessments comprising an analysis of compensatory movement patterns and trunk muscle strength as well as functional measurements of the arm, including pain, range of motion, disabilities of arm, shoulder and hand questionnaire and endurance and fatigue severity were performed.

Results:

Inter-group comparison revealed significantly greater improvements in the degree of mean change (SD) in total compensation (in degrees) of the head (–14.47 (21.65)) and trunk (–5.56 (5.71)) as well as total compensation (–50.02 (48.62)) for the stabilisation group than for the control group ( p < 0.05). Increase in trunk muscle strength (2.43 (3.46)) was statistically significant in the stabilisation group compared with the control group. No significant differences were found for functional measures, including pain, range of motion, disabilities of arm, shoulder and hand or endurance and fatigue severity between the groups, although trends towards greater improvement were observed in the stabilisation group.

Conclusions:

Adding core stabilisation exercises to traditional arm rehabilitation for patients with traumatic arm injury reduces compensatory movement patterns. Trends towards better functional outcomes in the stabilisation group are worth testing in a large-scale trial.
Trends of Childhood Obesity in China and Associated Factors
Authors: Sun Guiju , Jia Genmei , Peng Honglei , Dickerman Barbra , Compher Charlene , Liu Jianghong
Published: July 2013

Childhood obesity is worsening at dramatic rates and has become a public health crisis. This study investigated these trends in childhood obesity and examined parental factors that may contribute to overweight and obesity. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated from height and weight measurements taken annually from 2004 to 2007 in a subsample of 136 children (2-4 years old), from the Jintan Child Health Project in China. Parental factors were assessed through a self-administered questionnaire. Prevalence rates of overweight and obesity rose from 6.6% and 2.2% in 2004 to 15.4% and 6.6% in 2007 ( p < .05). Overweight was significantly associated with maternal employment ( p < .05), but not with parental education level, maternal age at birth, or breast-feeding. To counter this rapid increase of obesity and overweight prevalence, nurses should regularly monitor children’s weight and advise parents, especially working mothers, on the nutritional benefits of home-cooked meals.
Tip110 interacts with YB-1 and regulates each other’s function
Authors: Timani Khalid Amine , Liu Ying , He Johnny J
Published: July 2013

Background

Tip110 plays important roles in tumor immunobiology, pre-mRNA splicing, expression regulation of viral and host genes, and possibly protein turnover. It is clear that our understanding of Tip110 biological function remains incomplete.

Results

Herein, we employed an immunoaffinity-based enrichment approach combined with protein mass spectrometry and attempted to identify Tip110-interacting cellular proteins. A total of 13 major proteins were identified to be complexed with Tip110. Among them was Y-box binding protein 1 (YB-1). The interaction of Tip110 with YB-1 was further dissected and confirmed to be specific and involve the N-terminal of both Tip110 and YB-1 proteins. A HIV-1 LTR promoter-driven reporter gene assay and a CD44 minigenein vivosplicing assay were chosen to evaluate the functional relevance of the Tip110/YB-1 interaction. We showed that YB-1 potentiates the Tip110/Tat-mediated transactivation of the HIV-1 LTR promoter while Tip110 promotes the inclusion of the exon 5 in CD44 minigene alternative splicing.

Conclusions

Tip110 and YB-1 interact to form a complex and mutually regulate each other’s biological functions.
Clinicopathological significance of claudin-4 in gastric carcinoma
Authors: Zhu Jin-Liang , Gao Peng , Wang Zhen-Ning , Song Yong-Xi , Li Ai-Lin , Xu Ying-Ying , Wang Mei-Xian , Xu Hui-Mian
Published: July 2013

Background

Aberrant expression of claudin proteins has been reported in a variety of cancers. Previous studies have demonstrated that overexpression of claudin may promote tumorigenesis and metastasis through increased invasion and survival of tumor cells. However, the prognostic significance of claudin-4 in gastric cancer remains unclear.

Methods

Immunohistochemistry was used to analyze the expression of claudin-4 in 329 clinical gastric cancer specimens and 44 normal stomach samples, 21 intestinal metaplasia samples, and 21 adjacent precursor lesions dysplasia samples. Statistical analysis methods were used to evaluate the relationship between claudin-4 expression and various clinicopathological parameters. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed, respectively, to detect the independent predictors of survival.

Results

Claudin-4 expression was present in only 7(15.9%) normal gastric samples, but expression of claudin-4 in the intestinal metaplasia lesions and dysplasia lesions was 90.5% and 95.2%, respectively. The expression of claudin-4 was significantly associated with histological differentiation (P < 0.001) and tumor growth patterns (P < 0.001) but not associated with patient survival. However, intermediate type staining of claudin-4 exhibited a trend of correlation with patients’ survival (P = 0.023). The five-year survival rate with low expression of claudin-4 in intermediate type (76.4%) was similar to expanding type (64.5%), while the high expression group (46.6%) was closer to infiltrative type (50.7%).

Conclusions

The findings in this study demonstrate claudin-4 aberrant expression in gastric cancer and precursor lesions. The expression of claudin-4 could serve as a basis for identifying gastric cancer of the intermediate type.
Molecular beam epitaxy growth of peak wavelength-controlled InGaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells for 4.3-μm mid-wavelength infrared detection
Authors: Shi Zhenwu , Wang Lu , Zhen Honglou , Wang Wenxin , Chen Hong
Published: July 2013

InGaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum wells used for 4.3 μm mid-wavelength infrared quantum well infrared detectors were grown by molecular beam epitaxy. In composition loss was observed and quantitatively studied by high-resolution X-ray diffraction technology. By this In composition loss effect, the energy band engineering on the photo-response wavelength is not easily achieved. A thin AlGaAs barrier grown at low temperature is used to suppress the In atom desorption, and this growth process was verified to be able to adjust the photo-response wavelength as designed by energy band engineering in the photocurrent spectrum.
GDF-15 protects from macrophage accumulation in a mousemodel of advanced atherosclerosis
Authors: Preusch Michael R , Baeuerle Matthias , Albrecht Claudia , Blessing Erwin , Bischof Marc , Katus Hugo A , Bea Florian
Published: July 2013

Background

The cytokine growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), a member of the TGF beta superfamily, has recently been discovered to play an important role in cardiovascular diseases. It is mostly expressed in macrophages of atherosclerotic lesions, but its impact on advanced atherosclerosis is still unknown. This study was performed to evaluate the effects of GDF-15 in an established mouse model of advanced atherosclerosis.

Methods

Thirty-eight LDL receptor deficient mice received a lethal body radiation. Half of the group was transplanted with bone marrow of GDF-15 deficient mice. Nineteen mice were transplanted with bone marrow from wild-type controls. After 24 weeks on an atherogenic diet, animals were euthanized and sections of the aortic sinus were prepared. Lesion size and lesion composition, as well as macrophage content,were evaluated.

Results

While demonstrating no difference in lesion size, LDL-receptor knockout mice transplanted with bone marrow from GDF-15 deficient mice showed enhanced macrophage accumulation and features of atherosclerotic plaque destabilization, such as thinning of fibrous caps. Immunostaining against intercellular adhesion molecule-1 further revealed an increased expression in mice receiving GDF-15-deficient bone marrow.

Conclusions

This is the first study that demonstrates a protective role of GDF-15 in advanced atherosclerosis and macrophage accumulation, possibly due to the reduced expression of adhesion molecules.