bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Symmetry-protected transport in a pseudospin-polarized waveguide
Authors: Chen Wen-Jie , Zhang Zhao-Qing , Dong Jian-Wen , Chan C. T.
Published: September 2015

If a system possesses a spin or pseudospin, which is locked to the linear momentum, spin-polarized states can exhibit backscattering-immune transport if the scatterer does not flip the spin. Good examples of such systems include electronic and photonic topological insulators. For electromagnetic waves, such pseudospin states can be achieved in metamaterials with very special artificial symmetries; however, these bulk photonic topological insulators are usually difficult to fabricate. Here we propose a paradigm in which the pseudospin is enforced simply by imposing special boundary conditions inside a channel. The symmetry-protected pseudospin states are guided in air and no bulk material is required. We also show that the special boundary conditions can be implemented simply using an array of metallic conductors, resulting in spin-filtered waveguide with a simple structure and a broad working bandwidth. We generate several conceptual designs, and symmetry-protected pseudospin transport in the microwave regime is experimentally indicated.
Longitudinal spin Seebeck effect contribution in transverse spin Seebeck effect experiments in Pt/YIG and Pt/NFO
Authors: Meier Daniel , Reinhardt Daniel , van Straaten Michael , Klewe Christoph , Althammer Matthias , Schreier Michael , Goennenwein Sebastian T. B. , Gupta Arunava , Schmid Maximilian , Back Christian H. , Schmalhorst Jan-Michael , Kuschel Timo , Reiss Günter
Published: September 2015

The spin Seebeck effect, the generation of a spin current by a temperature gradient, has attracted great attention, but the interplay over a millimetre range along a thin ferromagnetic film as well as unintended side effects which hinder an unambiguous detection have evoked controversial discussions. Here, we investigate the inverse spin Hall voltage of a 10 nm thin Pt strip deposited on the magnetic insulators Y3Fe5O12 and NiFe2O4 with a temperature gradient in the film plane. We show characteristics typical of the spin Seebeck effect, although we do not observe the most striking features of the transverse spin Seebeck effect. Instead, we attribute the observed voltages to the longitudinal spin Seebeck effect generated by a contact tip induced parasitic out-of-plane temperature gradient, which depends on material, diameter and temperature of the tip.
Proposal for a room-temperature diamond maser
Authors: Jin Liang , Pfender Matthias , Aslam Nabeel , Neumann Philipp , Yang Sen , Wrachtrup Jörg , Liu Ren-Bao
Published: September 2015

The application of masers is limited by its demanding working conditions (high vacuum or low temperature). A room-temperature solid-state maser is highly desirable, but the lifetimes of emitters (electron spins) in solids at room temperature are usually too short (∼ns) for population inversion. Masing from pentacene spins in p-terphenyl crystals, which have a long spin lifetime (∼0.1 ms), has been demonstrated. This maser, however, operates only in the pulsed mode. Here we propose a room-temperature maser based on nitrogen-vacancy centres in diamond, which features the longest known solid-state spin lifetime (∼5 ms) at room temperature, high optical pumping efficiency (∼106 s−1) and material stability. Our numerical simulation demonstrates that a maser with a coherence time of approximately minutes is feasible under readily accessible conditions (cavity Q-factor ∼5 × 104, diamond size ∼3 × 3 × 0.5 mm3 and pump power <10 W). A room-temperature diamond maser may facilitate a broad range of microwave technologies.
Cosmochemical fractionation by collisional erosion during the Earth’s accretion
Authors: Boujibar Asmaa , Andrault Denis , Bolfan-Casanova Nathalie , Bouhifd Mohamed Ali , Monteux Julien
Published: September 2015

Early in the Solar System’s history, energetic collisions of differentiated bodies affected the final composition of the terrestrial planets through partial destruction. Enstatite chondrites (EC) are the best candidates to represent the primordial terrestrial precursors as they present the most similar isotopic compositions to Earth. Here we report that collisional erosion of >15% of the early Earth’s mass can reconcile the remaining compositional differences between EC and the Earth. We base our demonstration on experimental melting of an EC composition at pressures between 1 bar and 25 GPa. At low pressures, the first silicate melts are highly enriched in incompatible elements Si, Al and Na, and depleted in Mg. Loss of proto-crusts through impacts raises the Earth’s Mg/Si ratio to its present value. To match all major element compositions, our model implies preferential loss of volatile lithophile elements and re-condensation of refractory lithophile elements after the impacts.
Arabidopsis VQ motif-containing proteins VQ12 and VQ29 negatively modulate basal defense against Botrytis cinerea
Authors: Wang Houping , Hu Yanru , Pan Jinjing , Yu Diqiu
Published: September 2015

ArabidopsisVQ motif-containing proteins have recently been demonstrated to interact with several WRKY transcription factors; however, their specific biological functions and the molecular mechanisms underlying their involvement in defense responses remain largely unclear. Here, we showed that twoVQgenes,VQ12andVQ29, were highly responsive to the necrotrophic fungal pathogenBotrytis cinerea. To characterize their roles in plant defense, we generatedamiR-vq12transgenic plants by using an artificial miRNA approach to suppress the expression ofVQ12and isolated a loss-of-function mutant ofVQ29.Phenotypic analysis showed that decreasing the expression ofVQ12andVQ29simultaneously rendered theamiR-vq12 vq29double mutant plants resistant againstB. cinerea. Consistently, theB. cinerea-induced expression of defense-relatedPLANT DEFENSIN1.2 (PDF1.2)was increased inamiR-vq12 vq29. In contrast, constitutively-expressingVQ12orVQ29confered transgenic plants susceptible toB. cinerea.Further investigation revealed that VQ12 and VQ29 physically interacted with themselves and each other to form homodimers and heterodimer. Moreover, expression analysis ofVQ12andVQ29in defense-signaling mutants suggested that they were partially involved in jasmonate (JA)-signaling pathway. Taken together, our study indicates that VQ12 and VQ29 negatively regulate plant basal resistance againstB. cinerea.
Conotoxin αD-GeXXA utilizes a novel strategy to antagonize nicotinic acetylcholine receptors
Authors: Xu Shaoqiong , Zhang Tianlong , Kompella Shiva N. , Yan Mengdi , Lu Aiping , Wang Yanfang , Shao Xiaoxia , Chi Chengwu , Adams David J. , Ding Jianping , Wang Chunguang
Published: September 2015

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) play essential roles in transmitting acetylcholine-mediated neural signals across synapses and neuromuscular junctions and are also closely linked to various diseases and clinical conditions. Therefore, novel nAChR-specific compounds have great potential for both neuroscience research and clinical applications. Conotoxins, the peptide neurotoxins produced by cone snails, are a rich reservoir of novel ligands that target receptors, ion channels and transporters in the nervous system. From the venom of Conus generalis, we identified a novel dimeric nAChR-inhibiting αD-conotoxin GeXXA. By solving the crystal structure and performing structure-guided dissection of this toxin, we demonstrated that the monomeric C-terminal domain of αD-GeXXA, GeXXA-CTD, retains inhibitory activity against the α9α10 nAChR subtype. Furthermore, we identified that His7 of the rat α10 nAChR subunit determines the species preference of αD-GeXXA and is probably part of the binding site of this toxin. These results together suggest that αD-GeXXA cooperatively binds to two inter-subunit interfaces on the top surface of nAChR, thus allosterically disturbing the opening of the receptor. The novel antagonistic mechanism of αD-GeXXA via a new binding site on nAChRs provides a valuable basis for the rational design of new nAChR-targeting compounds.
Enterovirus 71 2C Protein Inhibits NF-κB Activation by Binding to RelA(p65)
Authors: Du Haiwei , Yin Peiqi , Yang Xiaojie , Zhang Leiliang , Jin Qi , Zhu Guofeng
Published: September 2015

Viruses evolve multiple ways to interfere with NF-κB signaling, a key regulator of innate and adaptive immunity. Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is one of primary pathogens that cause hand-foot-mouth disease. Here, we identify RelA(p65) as a novel binding partner for EV71 2C protein from yeast two-hybrid screen. By interaction with IPT domain of p65, 2C reduces the formation of heterodimer p65/p50, the predominant form of NF-κB. We also show that picornavirus 2C family proteins inhibit NF-κB activation and associate with p65 and IKKβ. Our findings provide a novel mechanism how EV71 antagonizes innate immunity.
Approach to multifunctional device platform with epitaxial graphene on transition metal oxide
Authors: Park Jeongho , Back Tyson , Mitchel William C. , Kim Steve S. , Elhamri Said , Boeckl John , Fairchild Steven B. , Naik Rajesh , Voevodin Andrey A.
Published: September 2015

Heterostructures consisting of two-dimensional materials have shown new physical phenomena, novel electronic and optical properties and new device concepts not observed in bulk material systems or purely three dimensional heterostructures. These new effects originated mostly from the van der Waals interaction between the different layers. Here we report that a new optical and electronic device platform can be provided by heterostructures of 2D graphene with a metal oxide (TiO2). Our novel direct synthesis of graphene/TiO2 heterostructure is achieved by C60 deposition on transition Ti metal surface using a molecular beam epitaxy approach and O2 intercalation method, which is compatible with wafer scale growth of heterostructures. As-grown heterostructures exhibit inherent photosensitivity in the visible light spectrum with high photo responsivity. The photo sensitivity is 25 times higher than that of reported graphene photo detectors. The improved responsivity is attributed to optical transitions between O 2p orbitals in the valence band of TiO2 and C 2p orbitals in the conduction band of graphene enabled by Coulomb interactions at the interface. In addition, this heterostructure provides a platform for realization of bottom gated graphene field effect devices with graphene and TiO2 playing the roles of channel and gate dielectric layers, respectively.
Dissecting the genetic structure and admixture of four geographical Malay populations
Authors: Deng Lian , Hoh Boon-Peng , Lu Dongsheng , Saw Woei-Yuh , Twee-Hee Ong Rick , Kasturiratne Anuradhani , Janaka de Silva H. , Zilfalil Bin Alwi , Kato Norihiro , Wickremasinghe Ananda R. , Teo Yik-Ying , Xu Shuhua
Published: September 2015

The Malay people are an important ethnic composition in Southeast Asia, but their genetic make-up and population structure remain poorly studied. Here we conducted a genome-wide study of four geographical Malay populations: Peninsular Malaysian Malay (PMM), Singaporean Malay (SGM), Indonesian Malay (IDM) and Sri Lankan Malay (SLM). All the four Malay populations showed substantial admixture with multiple ancestries. We identified four major ancestral components in Malay populations: Austronesian (17%–62%), Proto-Malay (15%–31%), East Asian (4%–16%) and South Asian (3%–34%). Approximately 34% of the genetic makeup of SLM is of South Asian ancestry, resulting in its distinct genetic pattern compared with the other three Malay populations. Besides, substantial differentiation was observed between the Malay populations from the north and the south and between those from the west and the east. In summary, this study revealed that the genetic identity of the Malays comprises a mixed entity of multiple ancestries represented by Austronesian, Proto-Malay, East Asian and South Asian, with most of the admixture events estimated to have occurred 175 to 1,500 years ago, which in turn suggests that geographical isolation and independent admixture have significantly shaped the genetic architectures and the diversity of the Malay populations.
A luminescent dye@MOF as a dual-emitting platform for sensing explosives
Authors: Hu Xiao-Li , Qin Chao , Wang Xin-Long , Shao Kui-Zhan , Su Zhong-Min
Published: September 2015

A luminescent dye@MOFviaion-exchange of cationic dyes was used as a probe to sense explosives by tuning the energy transfer between two different emissions.
Transition metal promoted K/Mo2C as efficient catalysts for CO hydrogenation to higher alcohols
Authors: Liakakou E. T. , Heracleous E.
Published: September 2015

The transition metals strongly interact with molybdenum, forming mixed carbidic phases, that are likely responsible for the enhanced higher alcohol formation. These phases serve as active sites for molecular rather than dissociative adsorption of CO and offer a balance of non-dissociated and dissociated CO species on the surface.
Unprecedented transformation of [I−·I3−] to [I42−] polyiodides in the solid state: structures, phase transitions and characterization of dipyrazolium iodide triiodide
Authors: Węcławik M. , Szklarz P. , Medycki W. , Janicki R. , Piecha-Bisiorek A. , Zieliński P. , Jakubas R.
Published: September 2015

Dipyrazolium iodide triiodide, [C3N2H5+]2[I−·I3−], has been synthesized and studied by means of X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, dielectric measurements, and UV-Vis spectroscopy.
Different topologies in three manganese-μ-azido 1D compounds: magnetic behavior and DFT-quantum Monte Carlo calculations
Authors: Mautner Franz A. , Berger Christian , Scherzer Michael , Fischer Roland C. , Maxwell Lindley , Ruiz Eliseo , Vicente Ramon
Published: September 2015

Three new 1D azido-bridged manganese(ii) complexes with general formula [Mn(N3)2(L)2] and different topologies are reported. Their magnetic properties have been studied.
Magnetic properties of manganese based one-dimensional spin chains
Authors: Asha K. S. , Ranjith K. M. , Yogi Arvind , Nath R. , Mandal Sukhendu
Published: September 2015

Magnetic susceptibility and heat capacity of three manganese based structures are measured and modeled with one-dimensional antiferromagnetic chains.
Production of solubilized carbohydrate from cellulose using non-catalytic, supercritical depolymerization in polar aprotic solvents
Authors: Ghosh Arpa , Brown Robert C. , Bai Xianglan
Published: September 2015

We report yields of solubilized and depolymerized carbohydrate from solvent processing of cellulose as high as 94% without use of catalysts.
Natural compounds with Wnt signal modulating activity
Authors: Fuentes Rolly G. , Arai Midori A. , Ishibashi Masami
Published: September 2015

This article highlights natural compounds that are reported to modulate the Wnt signalling activity. The plausible mechanisms of action of the natural Wnt modulators are also presented.
Hybrid upconversion nanomaterials for optogenetic neuronal control
Authors: Shah Shreyas , Liu Jing-Jing , Pasquale Nicholas , Lai Jinping , McGowan Heather , Pang Zhiping P. , Lee Ki-Bum
Published: September 2015

Upconverting nanomaterial-based hybrid scaffolds were employed to optogenetically stimulate neurons with near-infrared light.
Identification of novel JMJD2A inhibitor scaffold using shape and electrostatic similarity search combined with docking method and MM-GBSA approach
Authors: Feng Taotao , Chen Weilin , Li Dongdong , Lin Hongzhi , Liu Fang , Bao Qichao , Lei Yonghua , Zhang Xiaojin , Xu Xiaoli , Guo Xiaoke , You Qidong , Sun Haopeng
Published: September 2015

We present a hierarchical workflow combining shape- and electrostatic-based virtual screening for the identification of novel Jumonji domain-containing protein 2A (JMJD2A) inhibitors.
Pore-scale modeling of a water/oil two-phase flow in hot water flooding for enhanced oil recovery
Authors: Lv Mingming , Wang Shuzhong
Published: September 2015

The pore-scale behaviors of hot water displacement in a pore–throat microchannel were revealed by simulations for different wettability systems.
Effect of particle size on removal of sunset yellow from aqueous solution by chitosan modified diatomite in a fixed bed column
Authors: Zhang Yanzhuo , Li Jun , Li Wenjing
Published: September 2015

This study investigated how the particle size of the modified adsorbent diatomite earth & chitosan (DE&C) affects the removal of sunset yellow (SY) from water using a fixed bed column.
Influence of carbon nanomaterial defects on the formation of protein corona
Authors: Sengupta Bishwambhar , Gregory Wren E. , Zhu Jingyi , Dasetty Siva , Karakaya Mehmet , Brown Jared M. , Rao Apparao M. , Barrows John K. , Sarupria Sapna , Podila Ramakrishna
Published: September 2015

The interaction of protein and carbon nanomaterials is influenced by local charge transfer at the defect sites.
Structural, optical and magnetic tunability in KBiFe2O5 multiferroics
Authors: Zhai X. Z. , Deng H. M. , Zhou W. L. , Yang P. X. , Chu J. H. , Zheng Z.
Published: September 2015

KBiFe2O5, a highly promising multiferroic for perovskite solar cells, has been fabricated using a one-step thermal treatment method.
Amphoteric hyperbranched polymers with multistimuli-responsive behavior in the application of polymer flooding
Authors: Pu Wan-Fen , Liu Rui , Li Bin , Jin Fa-Yang , Peng Qin , Sun Lin , Du Dai-Jun , Yao Feng-Sheng
Published: September 2015

Amphoteric hyperbranched polymers (AMHPMs) that respond to shear rate, temperature, salt, and pH were synthesized using a water free radical polymerization technique.
Capacitance enhancement by electrochemically active benzene derivatives for graphene-based supercapacitors
Authors: Wu Zhen-Kun , Lin Ziyin , Li Liyi , Song Bo , Tuan Chia-Chi , Li Zhuo , Moon Kyoung-sik , Bai Shu-Lin , Wong Ching-Ping
Published: September 2015

Various aromatic molecules have been reported to improve the performance of reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-based supercapacitors.
Enhancement of electron-donating character in alkylated monopyrrolo-tetrathiafulvalene derivatives
Authors: Korsching Kai R. , Schäfer Hannes , Schönborn Josefine , Nimthong-Roldán Arunpatcha , Zeller Matthias , Azov Vladimir A.
Published: September 2015

Bis-alkyl-substituted monopyrrolo-tetrathiafulvalene (MPTTF) derivatives display stronger affinity to electron-deficient molecular guests in comparison with their non-substituted MPTTF analogues.
Positive sequence voltage memory filter for numerical digital relaying applications
Authors: Silva K.M. , Almeida M.L.S.
Published: September 2015

A positive sequence voltage memory filter for numerical digital relaying applications is proposed. It is designed based on converting an analogue first‐order lowpass filter into an infinite impulse response digital filter using the backward difference method. Its combination with both recursive and non‐recursive phasor estimation algorithms is discussed. The obtained results reveal the decaying time constant of the proposed filter transient response is easily set, providing a simple and stable mean to adaptively adjust the positive sequence voltage memory polarisation of numerical relays.
Improving speed of tunnel FETs logic circuits
Authors: Avedillo M.J. , Núñez J.
Published: September 2015

Tunnel transistors are one of the most attractive steep subthreshold slope devices which are being investigated to overcome power density and energy inefficiency exhibited by CMOS technology. These transistors exhibit asymmetric conduction which can cause sustained noise voltage pulses (bootstrapping) within digital tunnel FET circuits leading to delay degradation. A minor modification of the complementary gate topology to avoid the bootstrapping problem is proposed and its impact on speed at the circuit level is shown. Speed improvements up to 33% have been obtained for 8‐bit ripple carry adders when implemented with the solution.
Memetic algorithms for ligand expulsion from protein cavities
Authors: Rydzewski J. , Nowak W.
Published: September 2015

Ligand diffusion through a protein interior is a fundamental process governing biological signaling and enzymatic catalysis. A complex topology of channels in proteins leads often to difficulties in modeling ligand escape pathways by classical molecular dynamics simulations. In this paper, two novel memetic methods for searching the exit paths and cavity space exploration are proposed: Memory Enhanced Random Acceleration (MERA) Molecular Dynamics (MD) and Immune Algorithm (IA). In MERA, a pheromone concept is introduced to optimize an expulsion force. In IA, hybrid learning protocols are exploited to predict ligand exit paths. They are tested on three protein channels with increasing complexity: M2 muscarinic G-protein-coupled receptor, enzyme nitrile hydratase, and heme-protein cytochrome P450cam. In these cases, the memetic methods outperform simulated annealing and random acceleration molecular dynamics. The proposed algorithms are general and appropriate in all problems where an accelerated transport of an object through a network of channels is studied.
Sub-terahertz and terahertz microstrip resonant-tunneling-diode oscillators
Authors: Feiginov Michael
Published: September 2015

We present a theoretical analysis of traveling-wave microstrip resonant-tunneling-diode (RTD) oscillators. Such oscillators are similar to terahertz (THz) quantum-cascade lasers (QCLs) with a metal-metal waveguide and with just the active part of a single QCL period (an RTD) as their active core. Assuming realistic parameters of RTDs, we show that the microstrip RTD oscillators should be working at sub-THz and THz frequencies. Contrary to the contemporary THz QCLs, RTD microstrips are room-temperature oscillators. The major loss- and gain-enhancement mechanisms in RTD microstrips are identified.
Nanotwin hardening in a cubic chromium oxide thin film
Authors: Suzuki Kazuma , Suzuki Tsuneo , Nakajima Yoshiharu , Matsui Yoshio , Suematsu Hisayuki , Nakayama Tadachika , Niihara Koichi
Published: September 2015

NaCl-type (B1) chromium oxide (CrO) has been expected to have a high hardness value and does not exist as an equilibrium phase. We report a B1-based Cr0.67O thin film with a thickness of 144 nm prepared by pulsed laser deposition as an epitaxial thin film on a MgO single crystal. The thin film contained a number of stacking faults and had a nanotwinned structure composed of B1 with disordered vacancies and corundum structures. The Cr0.67O thin film had a high indentation hardness value of 44 GPa, making it the hardest oxide thin film reported to date.
Impedance and AC conductivity study of nano crystalline, fine grained multiferroic bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3), synthesized by microwave sintering
Authors: Kolte Jayant , Salame Paresh H. , Daryapurkar A. S. , Gopalan P.
Published: September 2015

In this paper, major reduction in sintering time,temperautre and significant improvement over final density of sitnered sample is reported for the microwave sintered nanocrystalline BiFeO3 (BFO) ceramic. Also, different sintering time and temperatures have been used to tailor the grain size and the final density of the resulting BFO ceramics synthesized from phase pure BFO nanoparticles (d̄ ≈10 nm). Microwave sintering resulted in reducing the sintering time substantially (by 1h), and has resulted in submicron sized grains and high resistivity ∼1.8 GΩ-cm. The AC conductivity is seen to follow the Jonscher’s power law behavior, suggesting correlated barrier hopping (CBH) mechanism in the sample. The role of oxygen vacancies at high temperature, due to volatility of bismuth, in dielectric and conductivity behavior is also discussed. Further, the sample displayed dielectric anomaly near magnetic transition temperature (∼180 °C) indicating bearing of magnetic moments on the dielectric properties. Using Impedance Spectroscopy (IS) we have established, the electrical heterogeneity of the ceramic BFO reavealing semiconducting nature of grains and insulating nature of grain boundary. This, formation of network of insulating grain boundaries and semiconducting grains could lead to formation of internal barrier layer capacitance (IBLC) leading to high dielectric constant in microwave sintered BFO.
Selective targeting of JAK/STAT signaling is potentiated by Bcl-xL blockade in IL-2–dependent adult T-cell leukemia
Authors: Zhang Meili , Mathews Griner Lesley A. , Ju Wei , Duveau Damien Y. , Guha Rajarshi , Petrus Michael N. , Wen Bernard , Maeda Michiyuki , Shinn Paul , Ferrer Marc , Conlon Kevin D. , Bamford Richard N. , O’Shea John J. , Thomas Craig J. , Waldmann Thomas A.
Published: September 2015

Significance

Adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) is caused by the human T-cell lymphotropic virus-1 (HTLV-1). Presently there is no curative therapy for ATL. In the leukemic cells, the HTLV-1–encoded protein Tax (transactivator from the X-gene region) activates disordered interleukin expression, which triggers JAK/STAT signaling. The HTLV-1–encoded protein Tax also induces the expression of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-xL (B-cell lymphoma-extra large). In the present study, the combination of the JAK inhibitor ruxolitinib and the Bcl-2/Bcl-xL inhibitor navitoclax provided additive/synergistic antitumor efficacy in IL-2–dependent ATL cell lines and in a mouse model of human ATL as well as with ex vivo peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from ATL patients compared with either drug alone, supporting a therapeutic trial of this combination in patients with ATL.
Complete boundedness of heat semigroups on the von Neumann algebra of hyperbolic groups
Authors: Mei Tao , de la Salle Mikael
Published: September 2015

We prove that

λ
g

↦

e

−
t

|

g

|

r

λ
g

\lambda _g\mapsto e^{-t|g|^r}\lambda _g

defines a multiplier on the von Neuman algebra of hyperbolic groups with a complete bound

≃
r

\simeq r

, for any

0
>
t
>
∞
,
1
>
r
>
∞

0>t>\infty , 1>r>\infty

. In the proof we observe that a construction of Ozawa allows us to characterize the radial multipliers that are bounded on every hyperbolic graph, partially generalizing results of Haagerup–Steenstrup–Szwarc and Wysoczański. Our argument is also based on the work of Peller.
Compactness methods for doubly nonlinear parabolic systems
Authors: Hynd Ryan
Published: September 2015

We study solutions of the system of PDE

D
ψ
(

v

t

)
=

D
i
v

D
F
(
D

v

)

D\psi (\textbf {v}_t)=\mathrm {Div} DF(D\textbf {v})

, where

ψ
\psi

and

F
F

are convex functions. This type of system arises in various physical models for phase transitions. We establish compactness properties of solutions that allow us to verify partial regularity when

F
F

is quadratic and characterize the large time limits of weak solutions. Special consideration is also given to systems that are homogeneous and their connections with nonlinear eigenvalue problems. While the uniqueness of weak solutions of such systems of PDE remains an open problem, we show scalar equations always have a preferred solution that is also unique as a viscosity solution.
Patient-Reported Outcomes in Cardiac Rehabilitation
Authors: Taherzadeh Golnoush , Filippo Deandra E. , Kelly Shannon , van Engen-Verheul Mariette , Peek Niels , Oh Paul , Grace Sherry L.
Published: September 2015

PURPOSE:

Patient satisfaction has become an important indicator of quality and may be related to greater adherence to cardiac rehabilitation (CR). The objectives of this narrative review were to investigate (1) patient satisfaction with CR and its relationship to adherence or health outcomes, and (2) assessment tools applicable to CR.

METHODS:

A literature search was conducted on key resource databases, including MEDLINE, Health and Psychosocial Instruments, and Patient-Reported Outcomes and Quality of Life Instruments. A focused Internet and gray literature search was also conducted.

RESULTS OF DATA SYNTHESIS:

Eight studies were included. Patient satisfaction was high overall, especially related to education received. In 4 studies, patient satisfaction with treatment was compared in patients who attended CR with those who did not. In 2 of these studies where items were investigator generated, significant differences favoring CR were found. In the 2 studies where the treatment satisfaction subscale of the Seattle Angina Questionnaire was administered, no differences were observed. Only 1 study was identified, which examined the relationship of patient satisfaction with any outcome, and revealed that greater satisfaction was related to greater program adherence. There was a dearth of valid assessment tools.

CONCLUSIONS:

Despite recommendations in CR association guidelines to consider patient satisfaction, there is an absence of research assessing it. The studies that have assessed it administered tools of questionable psychometric rigor. It remains to be determined whether patient satisfaction is related to any meaningful outcomes.
Wavelike Interface Opacities After Descemet-Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty: 7-Year Follow-up
Authors: Kontadakis George A. , Palioura Sotiria , Yoo Sonia H.
Published: September 2015

Purpose:

To report a case of wavelike interface opacities in a patient who underwent Descemet-stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) and was managed conservatively over the course of 7 years.

Methods:

A 65-year-old woman underwent DSAEK for pseudophakic bullous keratopathy. Textural wavelike opacities were noted in the graft–host interface 6 days postoperatively without evidence of anterior segment inflammation. The patient's vision was also initially limited by the presence of cystoid macular edema (CME). Six months postoperatively, CME had resolved but the patient's vision failed to improve better than 20/80 because of the persistent dense interface opacities. The patient refused to undergo graft exchange despite a suboptimal visual result and she therefore was observed over time.

Results:

The interface opacities started to regress and her visual acuity improved to 20/30 by 9 months postoperatively. The opacities became gradually less prominent over the next few years, and at 7 years postoperatively, her best-corrected vision was 20/25.

Conclusion:

In this case, observation of this post-DSAEK complication rather than surgical intervention resulted in a favorable long-term visual outcome.
Secondary Resistance to Vismodegib After Initial Successful Treatment of Extensive Recurrent Periocular Basal Cell Carcinoma with Orbital Invasion
Authors: Papastefanou Vasilios P. , René Cornelius
Published: September 2015

Vismodegib is proven to be effective in the treatment of locally advanced and metastatic basal cell carcinoma, but evidence of resistance is beginning to emerge. A case of advanced recurrent periocular basal cell carcinoma which responded dramatically to vismodegib after 3 months but recurred after 9 months due to drug resistance, eventually requiring orbital exenteration, is presented. The mechanism of vismodegib resistance is discussed.
Estimating malaria transmission from humans to mosquitoes in a noisy landscape
Authors: Reiner Robert C. , Guerra Carlos , Donnelly Martin J. , Bousema Teun , Drakeley Chris , Smith David L.
Published: September 2015

A basic quantitative understanding of malaria transmission requires measuring the probability a mosquito becomes infected after feeding on a human. Parasite prevalence in mosquitoes is highly age-dependent, and the unknown age-structure of fluctuating mosquito populations impedes estimation. Here, we simulate mosquito infection dynamics, where mosquito recruitment is modelled seasonally with fractional Brownian noise, and we develop methods for estimating mosquito infection rates. We find that noise introduces bias, but the magnitude of the bias depends on the ‘colour' of the noise. Some of these problems can be overcome by increasing the sampling frequency, but estimates of transmission rates (and estimated reductions in transmission) are most accurate and precise if they combine parity, oocyst rates and sporozoite rates. These studies provide a basis for evaluating the adequacy of various entomological sampling procedures for measuring malaria parasite transmission from humans to mosquitoes and for evaluating the direct transmission-blocking effects of a vaccine.
Optimal cue integration in ants
Authors: Wystrach Antoine , Mangan Michael , Webb Barbara
Published: September 2015

In situations with redundant or competing sensory information, humans have been shown to perform cue integration, weighting different cues according to their certainty in a quantifiably optimal manner. Ants have been shown to merge the directional information available from their path integration (PI) and visual memory, but as yet it is not clear that they do so in a way that reflects the relative certainty of the cues. In this study, we manipulate the variance of the PI home vector by allowing ants (
Cataglyphis velox
) to run different distances and testing their directional choice when the PI vector direction is put in competition with visual memory. Ants show progressively stronger weighting of their PI direction as PI length increases. The weighting is quantitatively predicted by modelling the expected directional variance of home vectors of different lengths and assuming optimal cue integration. However, a subsequent experiment suggests ants may not actually compute an internal estimate of the PI certainty, but are using the PI home vector length as a proxy.
ChEC-seq kinetics discriminates transcription factor binding sites by DNA sequence and shapein vivo
Authors: Zentner Gabriel E. , Kasinathan Sivakanthan , Xin Beibei , Rohs Remo , Henikoff Steven
Published: September 2015

Chromatin endogenous cleavage (ChEC) uses fusion of a protein of interest to micrococcal nuclease (MNase) to target calcium-dependent cleavage to specific genomic lociin vivo.Here we report the combination of ChEC with high-throughput sequencing (ChEC-seq) to map budding yeast transcription factor (TF) binding. Temporal analysis of ChEC-seq data reveals two classes of sites for TFs, one displaying rapid cleavage at sites with robust consensus motifs and the second showing slow cleavage at largely unique sites with low-scoring motifs. Sites with high-scoring motifs also display asymmetric cleavage, indicating that ChEC-seq provides information on the directionality of TF-DNA interactions. Strikingly, similar DNA shape patterns are observed regardless of motif strength, indicating that the kinetics of ChEC-seq discriminates DNA recognition through sequence and/or shape. We propose that time-resolved ChEC-seq detects both high-affinity interactions of TFs with consensus motifs and sites preferentially sampled by TFs during diffusion and sliding.
Structure of the response regulator RPA3017 involved in red-light signaling in Rhodopseudomonas palustris
Authors: Yang Xuefei , Zeng Xiaoli , Moffat Keith , Yang Xiaojing
Published: September 2015

Two-component signal transduction is the major signaling mechanism that enables bacteria to survive and thrive in complex environmental conditions. The photosynthetic bacterium R. palustris employs two tandem bacteriophytochromes, RpBphP2 and RpBphP3, to perceive red-light signals that regulate the synthesis of light-harvesting complexes under low-light conditions. Both RpBphP2 and RpBphP3 are photosensory histidine kinases coupled to the same response regulator RPA3017. Together, they constitute a two-component system that converts a red-light signal into a biological signal. In this work, the crystal structure of RPA3017 in the unphosphorylated form at 1.9 Å resolution is presented. This structure reveals a tightly associated dimer arrangement that is conserved among phytochrome-related response regulators. The conserved active-site architecture provides structural insight into the phosphotransfer reaction between RpBphP2/RpBphP3 and RPA3017. Based on structural comparisons and homology modeling, how specific recognition between RpBphP2/RpBphP3 and RPA3017 is achieved at the molecular level is further explored.
Purification, crystallization, crystallographic analysis and phasing of the CRISPR-associated protein Csm2 from Thermotoga maritima
Authors: Gallo Gloria , Augusto Gilles , Rangel Giulliana , Zelanis André , Mori Marcelo A. , Barbosa Campos Cláudia , Würtele Martin
Published: September 2015

The clusters of regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)–CRISPR-associated proteins (Cas) system consists of an intriguing machinery of proteins that confer bacteria and archaea with immunity against phages and plasmids via an RNA-guided interference mechanism. Here, the cloning, recombinant expression in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3), purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of Csm2 from Thermotoga maritima are reported. Csm2 is thought to be a component of an important protein complex of the type IIIA CRISPR–Cas system, which is involved in the CRISPR–Cas RNA-guided interference pathway. The structure of Csm2 was solved via cadmium single-wavelength anomalous diffraction (Cd-SAD) phasing. Owing to its involvement in the CRISPR–Cas system, the crystal structure of this protein could be of importance in elucidating the mechanism of type IIIA CRISPR–Cas systems in bacteria and archaea.
Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of frutalin, an α-D-galactose-specific lectin fromArtocarpus incisaseeds
Authors: Monteiro-Moreira Ana Cristina de Oliveira , D'Muniz Pereira Humberto , Vieira Neto Antonio Eufrasio , Mendes Batista Moreno Frederico Bruno , Duarte Pinto Lobo Marina , Sousa Felipe Domingos de , Moreira Renato de Azevedo
Published: September 2015

Frutalin is an α-D-galactose-specific carbohydrate-binding glycoprotein with antitumour properties and is a powerful tool for tumour biomarker discovery. The crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of this lectin, which was isolated fromArtocarpus incisaseeds, are reported here. Frutalin was purified and submitted to mass-spectrometric analysis. Diverse masses at approximately 16 kDa were observed in the deconvoluted spectra, which support the presence of isoforms. The best frutalin crystals were grown within a week in 0.1 Mcitric acid pH 3.5 which contained 25% PEG 3350 as a precipitant at 293 K, and diffracted to a maximum resolution of 1.81 Å. The monoclinic crystals belonged to space groupI2, with unit-cell parametersa= 76.17,b = 74.56,c = 118.98 Å, β = 96.56°. A molecular-replacement solution was obtained which indicated the presence of four monomers per asymmetric unit. Crystallographic refinement of the structure is in progress.
Structures of exoglucanase fromClostridium cellulovorans: cellotetraose binding and cleavage
Authors: Tsai Li-Chu , Amiraslanov Imamaddin , Chen Hung-Ren , Chen Yun-Wen , Lee Hsiao-Lin , Liang Po-Huang , Liaw Yen-Chywan
Published: September 2015

Exoglucanase/cellobiohydrolase (EC 3.2.1.176) hydrolyzes a β-1,4-glycosidic bond from the reducing end of cellulose and releases cellobiose as the major product. Three complex crystal structures of the glycosyl hydrolase 48 (GH48) cellobiohydrolase S (ExgS) fromClostridium cellulovoranswith cellobiose, cellotetraose and triethylene glycol molecules were solved. The product cellobiose occupies subsites +1 and +2 in the open active-site cleft of the enzyme–cellotetraose complex structure, indicating an enzymatic hydrolysis function. Moreover, three triethylene glycol molecules and one pentaethylene glycol molecule are located at active-site subsites −2 to −6 in the structure of the ExgS–triethylene glycol complex shown here. Modelling of glucose into subsite −1 in the active site of the ExgS–cellobiose structure revealed that Glu50 acts as a proton donor and Asp222 plays a nucleophilic role.
1.25 Å resolution structure of an RNA 20-mer that binds to the TREX2 complex
Authors: Valkov Eugene , Stewart Murray
Published: September 2015

The 1.25 Å resolution H32:R crystal structure of a 20 nt ribonucleotide that binds to the TREX-2 complex with high affinity shows a double-stranded RNA duplex arranged along a crystallographic 31 axis in which the antiparallel chains overlap by 18 nucleotides and are related by a crystallographic twofold axis. The duplex shows C–A, U–U and C–C noncanonical base pairings together with canonical Watson–Crick A–U and G–C pairs and a G–U wobble.
Analysis of an improvement programme for MMEs
Authors: Assarlind Marcus
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– Intervention programmes can potentially aid medium-sized manufacturing companies (MMEs) in improvement work that they otherwise would not undertake. The purpose of this paper is to identify intervention programme functions that support MMEs in the adoption of operations improvements.

Design/methodology/approach

– Empirical material on one programme, Production Leap, was mainly collected through 11 interviews and an internal-to-the-programme two-day workshop. This material was arranged to describe the programme’s design, and subsequently compared with a theoretical framework based on the literature on operations improvements and interventions.

Findings

– The interventions were divided into phases focusing on management and employees, each of which is seen as key to planning and commitment. Collaborations with labour unions and trade organisations were found to be important for gaining trust among employees and companies.

Research limitations/implications

– Earlier research has identified critical factors for interventions in companies, which this paper groups into governance, involvement, and change agent approach. This paper demonstrates how a programme may or may not operationalise such factors, as well as identifies further factors.

Practical implications

– Practitioners and policy makers may use these findings in the design of support for MMEs, including further improvement programmes.

Originality/value

– Earlier studies on programmes have examined individual companies, while this paper analyses how a programme may be designed to aid MMEs in the adoption of systematic operations improvements.
Three transcription regulators of the Nss family mediate the adaptive response induced by nitrate, nitric oxide or nitrous oxide in Wolinella succinogenes
Authors: Kern Melanie , Simon Jörg
Published: September 2015

Sensing potential nitrogen‐containing respiratory substrates such as nitrate, nitrite, hydroxylamine, nitric oxide (NO) or nitrous oxide (N2O) in the environment and subsequent upregulation of corresponding catabolic enzymes is essential for many microbial cells. The molecular mechanisms of such adaptive responses are, however, highly diverse in different species. Here, induction of periplasmic nitrate reductase (Nap), cytochrome c nitrite reductase (Nrf) and cytochrome c N2O reductase (cNos) was investigated in cells of the Epsilonproteobacterium Wolinella succinogenes grown either by fumarate, nitrate or N2O respiration. Furthermore, fumarate respiration in the presence of various nitrogen compounds or NO‐releasing chemicals was examined. Upregulation of each of the Nap, Nrf and cNos enzyme systems was found in response to the presence of nitrate, NO‐releasers or N2O, and the cells were shown to employ three transcription regulators of the Crp‐Fnr superfamily (homologues of Campylobacter jejuni NssR), designated NssA, NssB and NssC, to mediate the upregulation of Nap, Nrf and cNos. Analysis of single nss mutants revealed that NssA controls production of the Nap and Nrf systems in fumarate‐grown cells, while NssB was required to induce the Nap, Nrf and cNos systems specifically in response to NO‐generators. NssC was indispensable for cNos production under any tested condition. The data indicate dedicated signal transduction routes responsive to nitrate, NO and N2O and imply the presence of an N2O‐sensing mechanism.
Archbishop Grindal 1519–1583: The Struggle for a Reformed Church (1979)
Authors: Fincham Kenneth
Published: September 2015

This essay seeks to explain the least celebrated of Patrick Collinson's books. It begins by looking at how it has seemed to be too much under the shadow of its predecessor, The Elizabethan Puritan Movement, and had a little imprudently been preceded by three essays that rather stole its thunder. Too many scholars have wrongly thought what was left was the husk rather than the kernel of Edmund Grindal. So they missed a masterly marriage of deep and informed study of diocesan records with a command of the treacherous currents of ecclesiastical politics in Whitehall and Lambeth. What is more, Collinson offers a long‐sighted account of Grindal's importance for the subsequent history of the Church of England down to the time of Sacheverell Affair (1709–10), and a brilliant analysis of his marginalia in books now in an Oxford Library. The essay suggests that Grindal is made too central and too representative of post‐Reformation evangelical Protestantism, while at the same time the roles of John Jewel, Arthur Lake and others are overlooked, but it commends the book as one of the rare accounts of a public career in the Church in the later sixteenth century. The essay ends by looking at Collinson's continuing passion for seeing the Reformation through the lens of individuals’ lives.
The Birthpangs of Protestant England: Religious and Cultural Change in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries (1988)
Authors: Marshall Peter
Published: September 2015

The shortest of Collinson's major works, Birthpangs of Protestant England was published near the mid‐point of his scholarly career, and is a challenging, provocative book which helped set a new research agenda for the English Reformation in its opening assertion that it was ‘something which happened in the reigns of Elizabeth and James I’. In a series of linked essays – ‘The Protestant Nation’, ‘The Protestant Town’, ‘The Protestant Family’, ‘Protestant Culture and the Cultural Revolution’, ‘Wars of Religion’ – Collinson subjected broad and canonical themes in the sociocultural history of the Reformation to penetrating review, and previous scholarship on the subjects to sometimes withering critique. The findings were usually (intentionally) paradoxical, identifying (in a manner characteristic of what was later to be termed post‐revisionism) the deep continuities underlying profound social and cultural change. A chapter where this theme is less evident, arguing for the almost total demise of a rich visual culture within later Protestantism, has stimulated particularly fruitful debate. Birthpangs is also notable for marking an evident turn in Collinson's thinking about puritanism, away from the emphasis on consensus so evident in his earlier work and towards a growing stress on its distinctly divisive potential.
The Religion of Protestants: The Church in English Society, 1559‐1625 (1982)
Authors: Walsham Alexandra
Published: September 2015

This essay evaluates Patrick Collinson's Ford Lectures at Oxford in 1979, which were published in revised form as The Religion of Protestants in 1982. It examines his harmonious vision of the ‘institutional equilibrium’ of the Elizabethan and Jacobean Church, alongside its absorption of the values of moderate puritanism and its capacity to accommodate the forms of voluntary religion with which the ‘godly’ supplemented prayer book worship. It assesses the influence of Reformation and early Stuart revisionism on Collinson's thinking and underlines his distaste for William Laud, whom he saw as the architect of the demise of the Grindalian tradition which he revered. It also probes the unreconciled tension between Collinson's insistence on the consensual character of puritanism and his awareness of the latent potential for principled disobedience inherent with in it. The essay concludes with some remarks on Collinson's historical method.