bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An accuracy assessment of the CALIOP/CALIPSO version 2/version 3 daytime aerosol extinction product based on a detailed multi-sensor, multi-platform case study
Authors: Kacenelenbogen M. , Vaughan M. A. , Redemann J. , Hoff R. M. , Rogers R. R. , Ferrare R. A. , Russell P. B. , Hostetler C. A. , Hair J. W. , Holben B. N.
Published: April 2011

Abstract. The Cloud Aerosol LIdar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP), on board the CALIPSO platform, has measured profiles of total attenuated backscatter coefficient (level 1 products) since June 2006. CALIOP's level 2 products, such as the aerosol backscatter and extinction coefficient profiles, are retrieved using a complex succession of automated algorithms. The goal of this study is to help identify potential shortcomings in the CALIOP version 2 level 2 aerosol extinction product and to illustrate some of the motivation for the changes that have been introduced in the next version of CALIOP data (version 3, released in June 2010). To help illustrate the potential factors contributing to the uncertainty of the CALIOP aerosol extinction retrieval, we focus on a one-day, multi-instrument, multiplatform comparison study during the CALIPSO and Twilight Zone (CATZ) validation campaign on 4 August 2007. On that day, we observe a consistency in the Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) values recorded by four different instruments (i.e. space-borne MODerate Imaging Spectroradiometer, MODIS: 0.67 and POLarization and Directionality of Earth's Reflectances, POLDER: 0.58, airborne High Spectral Resolution Lidar, HSRL: 0.52 and ground-based AErosol RObotic NETwork, AERONET: 0.48 to 0.73) while CALIOP AOD is a factor of two lower (0.32 at 532 nm). This case study illustrates the following potential sources of uncertainty in the CALIOP AOD: (i) CALIOP's low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) leading to the misclassification and/or lack of aerosol layer identification, especially close to the Earth's surface; (ii) the cloud contamination of CALIOP version 2 aerosol backscatter and extinction profiles; (iii) potentially erroneous assumptions of the aerosol extinction-to-backscatter ratio (Sa) used in CALIOP's extinction retrievals; and (iv) calibration coefficient biases in the CALIOP daytime attenuated backscatter coefficient profiles. The use of version 3 CALIOP extinction retrieval for our case study seems to partially fix factor (i) although the aerosol retrieved by CALIOP is still somewhat lower than the profile measured by HSRL; the cloud contamination (ii) appears to be corrected; no particular change is apparent in the observation-based CALIOP Sa value (iii). Our case study also showed very little difference in version 2 and version 3 CALIOP attenuated backscatter coefficient profiles, illustrating a minor change in the calibration scheme (iv).
Analysis of GPS radio occultation data from the FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC and Metop/GRAS missions at CDAAC
Authors: Schreiner W. , Sokolovskiy S. , Hunt D. , Rocken C. , Kuo Y.-H.
Published: April 2011

Abstract. This study investigates the noise level and mission-to-mission stability of Global Positioning System (GPS) radio occultation (RO) neutral atmospheric bending angle data at the UCAR COSMIC Data Analysis and Archive Center (CDAAC). Data are used from two independently developed RO instruments currently flying in orbit on the FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC (F3C) and Metop/GRAS (GNSS Receiver for Atmospheric Sounding) missions. The F3C 50 Hz RO data are post-processed with a single-difference excess atmospheric phase algorithm, and the Metop/GRAS 50 Hz closed loop and raw sampling (down-sampled from 1000 Hz to 50 Hz) data are processed with a zero-difference algorithm. The standard deviations of the F3C and Metop/GRAS bending angles from climatology between 60 and 80 km altitude from June–December 2009 are approximately 1.78 and 1.13 μrad, respectively. The F3C standard deviation reduces significantly to 1.44 μrad when single-difference processing uses GPS satellites on the same side of the spacecraft. The higher noise level for F3C bending angles can be explained by additional noise from the reference link phase data that are required with single-difference processing. The F3C and Metop/GRAS mean bending angles differences relative to climatology during the same six month period are statistically significant and have values of −0.05 and −0.02 μrad, respectively. A comparison of ~13 500 collocated F3C and Metop/GRAS bending angle profiles over this six month period shows a similar mean difference of ~0.02 ± 0.02 μrad between 30 and 60 km impact heights that is marginally significant. The observed mean difference between the F3C and Metop/GRAS bending angles of ~0.02–0.03 μrad is quite small and illustrates the high degree of re-produceability and mission independence of the GPS RO data at high altitudes. Collocated bending angles between two F3C satellites from early in the mission differ on average by up to 0.5% near the surface due to systematically lower signal-to-noise ratio for one of the satellites. Results from F3C and Metop/GRAS differences in the lower troposphere suggest the Metop/GRAS bending angles are negatively biased compared to F3C with a maximum of several percents near the surface in tropical regions. This bias is related to different tracking depths (deeper in F3C) and data gaps in Metop/GRAS which make it impossible to process the data from both missions in exactly the same way.
Evaluation of a Dynamic Global Vegetation Model using time series of satellite vegetation indices
Authors: Maignan F. , Bréon F.-M. , Chevallier F. , Viovy N. , Ciais P. , Garrec C. , Trules J. , Mancip M.
Published: April 2011

Abstract. Atmospheric CO2 drives most of the greenhouse effect increase and one major uncertainty on the future rate of increase of CO2 in the atmosphere is the impact of the anticipated climate change on the vegetation. Dynamic Global Vegetation Models (DGVM) are used to address this question. ORCHIDEE is such a DGVM that has proven useful for climate change studies. However, there is no objective and methodological way to accurately assess each new available version on the global scale. In this paper, we submit a methodological evaluation of ORCHIDEE by correlating satellite-derived Vegetation Index time series against those of the modeled Fraction of absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FPAR). A perfect correlation between the two is not expected, however an improvement of the model should lead to an increase of the median correlation. We detail two case studies in which model improvements are demonstrated, using our methodology. In the first one, a new phenology version in ORCHIDEE is shown to bring a significant impact on the simulated annual cycles, in particular for C3 Grasses and C3 Crops. In the second case study, we compare the simulations when using two different weather fields to drive ORCHIDEE. The ERA-Interim forcing leads to a better description of the FPAR interannual anomalies than the simulation forced by a mixed CRU-NCEP dataset. This work shows that long time series of satellite observations, despite their uncertainties, can identify weaknesses in global vegetation models, a necessary first step to improving them.
The JGrass-NewAge system for forecasting and managing the hydrological budgets at the basin scale: the models of flow generation, propagation, and aggregation
Authors: Formetta G. , Mantilla R. , Franceschi S. , Antonello A. , Rigon R.
Published: April 2011

Abstract. This paper presents a discussion of the predictive capacity of the first implementation of the semi-distributed hydrological modeling system JGrass-NewAge. This model focuses on the hydrological balance of medium scale to large scale basins, and considers statistics of the processes at the hillslope scale. The whole modeling system consists of six main parts: (i) estimation of energy balance; (ii) estimation of evapotranspiration; (iii) snow modelling; (iv) estimation of runoff production; (v) aggregation and propagation of flows in channel, and (vi) description of intakes, out-takes, and reservoirs. This paper details the processes, of runoff production, and aggregation/propagation of flows on a river network. The system is based on a hillslope-link geometrical partition of the landscape, so the basic unit, where the budget is evaluated, consists of hillslopes that drain into a single associated link rather than cells or pixels. To this conceptual partition corresponds an implementation of informatics that uses vectorial features for channels, and raster data for hillslopes. Runoff production at each channel link is estimated through a combination of the Duffy (1996) model and a GIUH model for estimating residence times in hillslope. Routing in channels uses equations integrated for any channels' link, and produces discharges at any link end, for any link in the river network. The model has been tested against measured discharges according to some indexes of goodness of fit such as RMSE and Nash Sutcliffe. The characteristic ability to reproduce discharge in any point of the river network is used to infer some statistics, and notably, the scaling properties of the modeled discharge.
Operational assimilation of ASCAT surface soil wetness at the Met Office
Authors: Dharssi I. , Bovis K. , Macpherson B. , Jones C.
Published: April 2011

Abstract. Currently, no extensive global soil moisture observation network exists. Therefore, the Met Office global soil moisture analysis scheme has instead used observations of screen temperature and humidity. A number of new space-borne remote sensing systems, operating at microwave frequencies, have been developed that provide a more direct retrieval of surface soil moisture. These systems are attractive since they provide global data coverage and the horizontal resolution is similar to weather forecasting models. Several studies show that measurements of normalised backscatter (surface soil wetness) from the Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) on the meteorological operational (MetOp) satellite contain good quality information about surface soil moisture. This note describes methods to convert ASCAT surface soil wetness measurements to volumetric surface soil moisture together with bias correction and quality control. A computationally efficient nudging scheme is used to assimilate the ASCAT volumetric surface soil moisture data into the Met Office global soil moisture analysis. This ASCAT nudging scheme works alongside a soil moisture nudging scheme that uses observations of screen temperature and humidity. Trials, using the Met Office global Unified Model, of the ASCAT nudging scheme show a positive impact on forecasts of screen temperature and humidity for the tropics, North America and Australia. A comparison with in-situ soil moisture measurements from the US also indicates that assimilation of ASCAT surface soil wetness improves the soil moisture analysis. Assimilation of ASCAT surface soil wetness measurements became operational during July 2010.
Health‐related quality of life of US adults with arthritis: Analysis of data from the behavioral risk factor surveillance system, 2003, 2005, and 2007
Authors: Furner Sylvia E. , Hootman Jennifer M. , Helmick Charles G. , Bolen Julie , Zack Matthew M.
Published: April 2011

Objective

To describe the health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) of persons with and without arthritis in the 50 US states and the District of Columbia, and to determine correlates of poor HRQOL in persons with arthritis.

Methods

Data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System were used. Descriptive analyses were age standardized and multivariate analyses used logistic regression.

Results

Of persons ages ≥18 years with arthritis, 27% reported fair/poor health, compared to 12% without arthritis. The mean numbers of physically unhealthy, mentally unhealthy, and activity‐limited days for persons with arthritis exceeded those for persons without arthritis. In regression analyses, black non‐Hispanics reported better HRQOL than white non‐Hispanics, especially in the ≥14 versus 0 days comparisons. Yet no difference existed in self‐reported health status between these two groups. Having a low family income and being unable to work were both strongly associated with poor HRQOL. Being physically active was associated with better HRQOL. Binge drinking was associated with poor HRQOL for some measures, but was associated with better self‐reported health. Cost being a barrier to care and having diabetes mellitus were strongly associated with worse HRQOL.

Conclusion

Adults from the US with arthritis had worse HRQOL than those without. Physical health and mental health were both affected by arthritis; therefore, efforts to alleviate the arthritis burden should address both domains. Given the current and projected high prevalence of arthritis, we face a significant burden of poor HRQOL. Increasing physical activity, reducing comorbidities, and increasing access to health care could improve the HRQOL of persons with arthritis.
Painting by Numbers: Nanoparticle‐Based Colorants in the Post‐Empirical Age
Authors: Taylor Robin Klupp , Seifrt Frantisek , Zhuromskyy Oleksandr , Peschel Ulf , Leugering Günter , Peukert Wolfgang
Published: April 2011

The visual appearance of the artificial world is largely governed by films or composites containing particles with at least one dimension smaller than a micron. Over the past century and a half, the optical properties of such materials have been scrutinized and a broad range of colorant products, based mostly on empirical microstructural improvements, developed. With the advent of advanced synthetic approaches capable of tailoring particle shape, size and composition on the nanoscale, the question of what is the optimum particle for a certain optical property can no longer be answered solely by experimentation. Instead, new and improved computational approaches are required to invert the structure‐function relationship. This progress report reviews the development in our understanding of this relationship and indicates recent examples of how theoretical design is taking an ever increasingly important role in the search for enhanced or multifunctional colorants.
Orale, direkte Thrombin‐ und Faktor‐Xa‐Hemmer: Kommt die Ablösung für Warfarin, Blutegel und Schweinedärme?
Authors: Straub Alexander , Roehrig Susanne , Hillisch Alexander
Published: April 2011

Bislang müssen sich Patienten zur Vorbeugung von Thrombosen nach Operationen täglich Heparin spritzen oder müssen zur Schlaganfallprophylaxe bei Vorhofflimmern Vitamin‐K‐Antagonisten vom Cumarintyp einnehmen, die eine geringe therapeutische Breite haben und deren Dosierung regelmäßig überwacht werden muss. Um den Therapiestandard bei thromboembolischen Erkrankungen, wie tiefen Venenthrombosen, Lungenembolien und Hirnschlag bei Vorhofflimmern, zu verbessern, wurde in der letzten Dekade intensiv an neuen, oral wirksamen Thrombin‐ und Faktor‐Xa‐Inhibitoren geforscht. Einige dieser Verbindungen sind bereits auf dem Markt oder befinden sich in fortgeschrittener klinischer Entwicklung; sie könnten den Antikoagulantienmarkt revolutionieren.
Synthesis, characterization, anti‐inflammatory and analgesic activity of transition metal complexes of 3‐[1‐(2‐hydroxyphenyl) ethylideamino]‐2‐phenyl‐3,4‐dihydroquinazolin‐4(3H)‐one
Authors: Hunoor Rekha S. , Patil Basavaraj R. , Badiger Dayananda S. , Vadavi Ramesh S. , Gudasi Kalagouda B. , Chandrashekhar V. M. , Muchchandi I. S.
Published: April 2011

A new quinazolinone derivative, 3‐[1‐(2‐hydroxyphenyl)ethylideamino]‐2‐phenyl‐3,4‐dihydroquinazolin‐4(3H)‐one (LH) was synthesized by the condensation of 2‐hydroxyacetophenone‐2‐aminobenzoylhydrazone and benzaldehyde. The cyclization to form 1,2‐dihydroquinazolinone was confirmed by IR, 1D and 2D HETCOR studies. Coordination compounds of Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) of LH were synthesized and characterized using various physico‐chemical studies like stoichiometric, conductivity, magnetic moment measurements and spectral techniques such as IR, NMR, UV‐vis and EPR spectroscopy. The elemental analysis and thermal studies suggested a general stoichiometry [M(HEPDQ)Cl] for all the complexes. A four‐coordinate geometry was assigned to all the complexes. The complexes along with the parent ligand were screened for their anti‐inflammatory activity, using carrageenan‐induced rat paw edema, and for their analgesic activity by Eddy's hot plate method. The activity of the ligand was enhanced on complexation with metal ions. This enhanced activity was attributed to the increased lipophilic nature of the complexes. Notable anti‐inflammatory activity was observed for Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes. The analgesic activity of the ligand was greater than the standard at 60 min. and at a 10 mg kg−1 dose, whereas the activity of Ni(II) and Cu(II) complexes at 10 mg kg−1 dose was comparable with the standard used. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Modeling of a multizone gas‐phase polyethylene reactor with a cluster‐based approach
Authors: Adli H. , Mostoufi N. , Ghafelebashi S. M.
Published: April 2011

A circulating fluidized reactor of polyethylene was modeled with the proper hydrodynamics for a riser and downer and combined with a kinetic model based on the moment equations. The hydrodynamic model was able to predict the profiles of the following parameters through the riser and downer: cluster velocity, bed porosity, concentration of potential active sites, active sites, gas‐phase components, molecular weights, and reactor temperature. It was shown that one could control the monomer consumption and molecular weight, which are crucial in the reactor behavior and production properties, respectively, by setting different operating hydrodynamic conditions, such as the gas velocity in the riser and the solid circulation rate. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011
Application of glycidol in synthesis of oligoetherols with perhydro‐1,3,5‐triazine ring
Authors: Cyzio Karina , Lubczak Jacek
Published: April 2011

A new method of preparation of oligoetherols containing perhydro‐1,3,5‐triazine rings from isocyanuric acid and an excess of glycidol, alkylene carbonates, or oxiranes is presented. The course of reaction was studied at various molar ratios of glycidol to isocyanuric acid. The structure of the products was established, and some physical properties were measured. The oligoetherols were demonstrated to be useful substrates for polyurethane foams of enhanced thermal stability. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011
Birth, life and death of nascent polypeptide chains
Authors: Jha Sujata , Komar Anton A.
Published: April 2011

The journey of nascent polypeptides from synthesis at the peptidyl transferase center of the ribosome (“birth”) to full function (“maturity”) involves multiple interactions, constraints, modifications and folding events. Each step of this journey impacts the ultimate expression level and functional capacity of the translated protein. It has become clear that the kinetics of protein translation is predominantly modulated by synonymous codon usage along the mRNA, and that this provides an active mechanism for coordinating the synthesis, maturation and folding of nascent polypeptides. Multiple quality control systems ensure that proteins achieve their native, functional form. Unproductive co‐translational folding intermediates that arise during protein synthesis may undergo enhanced interaction with components of these systems, such as chaperones, and/or be subjects of co‐translational degradation (“death”). This review provides an overview of our current understanding of the complex co‐translational events that accompany the synthesis, maturation, folding and degradation of nascent polypeptide chains.
Corporate Carbon Strategies in Responding to Climate Change
Authors: Lee Su‐Yol
Published: April 2011

With climate change emerging as one of the most important issues affecting the business circle, companies have begun considering the carbon issue in their overall strategic positioning. However, few studies have examined the corporate carbon strategies in developing and advanced developing countries, where climate change regulation is extensive and market uncertainty is relatively high. In addition, there has been growing interest among researchers and practitioners concerning the relationship between the carbon strategy and firm performance. This paper presents a framework for identifying the corporate carbon strategy. The cluster analysis of 241 Korean companies indicates six types of corporate carbon strategy: ‘wait‐and‐see observer’, ‘cautious reducer’, ‘product enhancer’, ‘all‐round enhancer’, ‘emergent explorer’ and ‘all‐round explorer’. This study empirically examines whether there are differences between these carbon strategy types in terms of the sector, firm size and firm performance. The results indicate a significant relationship between a firm's carbon strategy and its sector and size but a significant relationship between the carbon strategy and firm performance is not confirmed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Assembly of DNA Triangles Mediated by Perylene Bisimide Caps
Authors: Menacher Florian , Stepanenko Vladimir , Würthner Frank , Wagenknecht Hans‐Achim
Published: April 2011

Perylene bisimides (PBI) have been synthetically incorporated as caps onto a Y‐shaped DNA triple strand. These PBI caps serve as “sticky” ends in the spontaneous assembly of larger DNA ensembles, linking the triangular DNA through stacking interactions. This, in turn, yields a hypsochromic shift in the absorption and a red shift in the fluorescence as characteristic optical readouts. This assembly occurs spontaneously without any enzymatic ligation process and without the use of overhanging DNA as sticky ends. Instead, dimerizations of the PBI chromophores in the assembly are controlled by the DNA as a structural scaffold. Thereby, the PBI‐driven assembly is fully reversible. Due to the fact that PBI dimerization does not occur in the single strand, the aggregates can be destroyed by thermal dehybridization of the DNA scaffold and reassembled by reannealing of the DNA construct. In view of the fact that PBI forms stable radical anions, the presented DNA architectures are not only interesting optical biomaterials, but are also promising materials for molecular electronics with DNA.
Direct asymmetric N‐specific reaction of nitrosobenzene with aldehydes catalyzed by a chiral primary amine‐based organocatalyst
Authors: Qin Long , Li Lei , Yi Lei , Da Chao‐Shan , Zhou Yi‐Feng
Published: April 2011

Nitroso compounds have two reactive nitrogen and oxygen atoms. It is interesting and important to perform a nitrogen or oxygen selective reaction with interesting substrates. These atom specific reactions are crucial to specifically synthesis of specific compounds. An enantioselective N‐specific reaction of nitrosobenzene with unmodified aldehydes was successfully achieved catalyzed first by a variety of primary amine‐based organocatalysts with higher yield and enantioselectivity. The bulkier substituted groups of the organocatalyst and two hydrogen bonds from the organocatalyst and the oxygen atom of nitrosobenzene make the reaction preferentially N‐specific and predominantly afford R products. Chirality, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A QoS‐aware exception handling method in scientific workflow execution
Authors: Qi Lianyong , Lin Wenmin , Dou Wanchun , Jiang Jian , Chen Jinjun
Published: April 2011

Scientific workflow is gaining ever‐increasing attention as it integrates a wide range of heterogeneous services to enable and accelerate the scientific discovery processes. However, the exception occurred in a scientific workflow execution often decreases the robustness of a scientific workflow system. For example, if a service engaged in a scientific workflow schedule becomes unavailable during its execution, an exception might be raised and the whole workflow execution may be interrupted unexpectedly. In this situation, it is a challenge to smooth the interrupted workflow execution. In view of this challenge, an exception handling method, named RelaxingMe (constraints Relaxing Method, RelaxingMe) is proposed in this paper. This method aims at relaxing the original QoS constraint values requested by the interrupted task node, in order to find a near‐to‐optimal candidate service to replace the unavailable one. At last, the feasibility of our method is evaluated by an experiment. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The ASSL approach to specifying self‐managing embedded systems
Authors: Vassev Emil , Hinchey Mike
Published: April 2011

The increasing complexity of contemporary embedded computing systems requires the use of self‐management in order to handle unforeseen changes in both hardware and control software. The idea behind computer systems capable of self‐management is a complex concept compound by many aspects related to both artificial intelligence and awareness. Here, the biggest challenge is still the question how to properly develop and verify such systems. In this paper, we present a formal approach to specifying embedded systems capable of self‐management. In our approach, we use the ASSL (autonomic system specification language) framework as a development environment, where self‐management features of embedded systems are specified and an implementation is automatically generated. ASSL exposes a rich set of specification constructs that help developers specify event‐driven embedded systems. Hardware is sensed via special metrics intended to drive events and self‐management policies that help the system handle critical situations in an autonomous reactive manner. We present this approach along with a simulation case study where ASSL is used to develop control software for the wide‐angle camera carried on board NASA's Voyager II Spacecraft. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Preparation and optical properties of AgGaS2 nanofilms
Authors: Zhang Jianjun , Huang Yi
Published: April 2011

In this paper, AgGaS2 nanofilms have been prepared by a two‐step process involving the successive ionic layer absorption and reaction (SILAR) and annealing method. Using AgNO3, GaCl3 and Na2S2O3 as reaction sources, the mixture films were firstly deposited on quartz glass substrates at room temperature, and then annealed in Ar environment at 200–500 °C for 4 h, respectively. The effects of annealing temperature on structural and optical properties were investigated by XRD, UV‐Vis, EDS and photoluminescence (PL) spectra. It was revealed in XRD results that α‐Ag9GaS6 was contained in the samples annealed at 200 °C, and this phase was decreased with increase of the annealing temperatures. When the sample was annealed at above 400 °C, the chalcopyrite AgGaS2 nanofilm was obtained. The preferred orientation was exhibited along the (112) plane. It was shown in atomic force microscopy (AFM) results that the grain sizes in AgGaS2 nanofilms were 18‐24 nm and the thin films were smooth and strongly adherent to the substrates. When the annealing temperature was higher than 400 °C, it is an optimum condition to improve the structural and optical properties of the AgGaS2 thin films. The room temperature PL spectra of AgGaS2 nanofilms showed prominent band edge emission at 2.72 eV. Based on all results mentioned above, it can be concluded that the SILAR‐annealing method is preferable to preparing high‐quality AgGaS2 nanofilms. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Electrochemical performance of B and M phases VO2 nanoflowers
Authors: Ni Juan , Jiang Wentao , Yu Ke , Sun Fang , Zhu Ziqiang
Published: April 2011

VO2 exists in four phases, among which, the M/R phase VO2 is well known for its reversible metal‐semiconductor phase transition at about 68 °C, and VO2 (B) is a promising candidate cathode material to be applied in aqueous lithium‐ion battery owing to its proper electrode potential and layered structure. In this study, VO2 (B) nanoflowers was synthesized via one‐step hydrothermal process and then successfully transformed into the VO2 (M) by heat treatment. Electrochemical behaviors of the two samples were evaluated by cycling discharge and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The results showed that flower‐like VO2 (B) had the first discharge capacity of 180.33 mAhg‐1, an outstanding value of 52.8% for the capacity retention after 50 cycles. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Quantifying nuclear p65 as a parameter for NF‐κB activation: Correlation between ImageStream cytometry, microscopy, and Western blot
Authors: Maguire Orla , Collins Christine , O'Loughlin Kieran , Miecznikowski Jeffrey , Minderman Hans
Published: April 2011

The nuclear factor kappa B (NF‐κB) pathway, which regulates many cellular processes including proliferation, apoptosis, and survival, has emerged as an important therapeutic target in cancer. Activation of the NF‐κB transcription factor is associated with nuclear translocation of the p65 component of the complex. Conventional methods employed to determine nuclear translocation of NF‐κB either lack statistical robustness (microscopy) or the ability to discern heterogeneity within the sampled populations (Western blotting and Gel Shift assays). The ImageStream platform combines the high image content information of microscopy with the high throughput and multiparameter analysis of flow cytometry which overcomes the aforementioned limitations of conventional assays. It is demonstrated that ImageStream assessment of receptor‐mediated (TNFα) and drug (Daunorubicin, DNR)‐induced NF‐κB translocation in leukemic cell lines correlates well with microscopy analysis and Western blot analysis. It is further demonstrated that ImageStream cytometry enables quantitative assessment of p65 translocation in immunophenotypically defined subpopulations; and that this assessment is highly reproducible. It is also demonstrated that, quantitatively, the DNR‐induced nuclear translocation of NF‐κB correlates well with a biological response (apoptosis). We conclude that the ImageStream has the potential to be a powerful tool to evaluate NF‐κB /p65 activity as a determinant of response to therapies designed to target aberrant NF‐κB signaling activities. © 2011 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
A genetic algorithm for the uncapacitated facility location problem
Authors: Tohyama Hiroaki , Ida Kenichi , Matsueda Jun
Published: April 2011

The Uncapacitated Facility Location Problem (UFLP) is a fundamental optimization problem involving the selection of locations at which facilities supplying the same service are to be placed. Since it has been shown that the UFLP is NP‐hard, it has generally been thought that there is no hope of finding a polynomial time algorithm by which an optimal solution is always obtained. In this paper, we propose a genetic algorithm for solving the UFLP. In the UFLP, according to the ratio of the cost of facility placement and the cost to users of the facility, the number of facility locations can be roughly estimated. Therefore, partial solution spaces that are likely to contain a good solution can be predicted to some extent on the basis of the classification index. By using mutation with the operation that searches the solution space that is likely to contain a good solution, the proposed method can search the whole space of solutions efficiently. Its effectiveness is shown by a numerical experiment in which our method is compared with existing methods. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn, 94(5): 47–54, 2011; Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/ecj.10180
Coherent control of semiconductor quantum wire by high‐resolution and stable Michelson interferometer
Authors: Okada Takumi , Komori Kazuhiro , Wang Xue‐Lun , Ogura Mutsuo , Tsurumachi Noriaki
Published: April 2011

We developed a high‐resolution Michelson interferometer in order to stabilize the relative phase of double pulses by using a He‐Ne two‐frequency laser positioning system. A very stable phase‐locked pulse pair whose phase difference was only 4° at 900 nm was realized. Using a high‐resolution Michelson interferometer, we demonstrated coherent control of an exciton in a GaAs/AlGaAs crescent‐shaped quantum wire. The dephasing time of the single quantum wire was 400 fs. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn, 94(5): 25–32, 2011; Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/ecj.10238
Brain activity when reading sentences and emoticons: an fMRI study of verbal and nonverbal communication
Authors: Yuasa Masahide , Saito Keiichi , Mukawa Naoki
Published: April 2011

In this paper, we describe a person's brain activity when he or she sees an emoticon at the end of a sentence. An emoticon consists of some characters that resemble the human face and expresses the sender's emotions. With the help of a computer network, we use e‐mail, messaging, avatars, and so on, in order to communicate with a recipient. Moreover, we send an emotional expression by using an emoticon at the end of a sentence. In this research, we investigate the effect of an emoticon as nonverbal information, using an fMRI study. The experimental results show that the right and left inferior frontal gyrus were activated and we detect a sentence with an emoticon as the verbal and nonverbal information. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn, 94(5): 17–24, 2011; Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/ecj.10311
Possible climate change impacts on the hydrological and vegetative character of Everglades National Park, Florida
Authors: Todd M. Jason , Muneepeerakul R. , Miralles‐Wilhelm F. , Rinaldo A. , Rodriguez‐Iturbe I.
Published: April 2011

The increasing threat of global climate change is predicted to have immense influences on ecosystems worldwide, but could be particularly severe to vulnerable wetland environments such as the Everglades. This work investigates the impact global climate change could have on the hydrologic and vegetative makeup of Everglades National Park (ENP) under forecasted emissions scenarios. Using a simple stochastic model of aboveground water levels driven by a fluctuating rainfall input, we link across ENP a location's mean depth and percent time of inundation to the predicted changes in precipitation from climate change. Changes in the hydrologic makeup of ENP are then related to changes in vegetation community composition through the use of relationships developed between two publically available datasets. Results show that under increasing emissions scenarios mean annual precipitation was forecasted to decrease across ENP leading to a marked hydrologic change across the region. Namely, areas were predicted to be shallower in average depth of standing water and inundated less of the time. These hydrologic changes in turn lead to a shift in ENP's vegetative makeup, with xeric vegetative communities becoming more numerous and hydric vegetative communities becoming scarcer. Noticeably, the most widespread of vegetative communities, sawgrass, decreases in abundance under increasing emissions scenarios. These results are an important indicator of the effects climate change may have on the Everglades region and raise important management implications for those seeking to restore this area to its historical hydrologic and vegetative condition. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Generation of a Listeria vaccine strain by enhanced caspase‐1 activation
Authors: Warren Sarah E. , Duong Hien , Mao Dat Phat , Armstrong Abraham , Rajan Jayant , Miao Edward A. , Aderem Alan
Published: April 2011

The immunostimulatory properties conferred by vaccine adjuvants require caspase‐1 for processing of IL‐1β and IL‐18. Caspase‐1 is activated in response to a breach of the cytosolic compartment by microbes and the process is initiated by intracellular pattern recognition receptors within inflammasomes. Listeria monocytogenes is detected in the cytosol by the NLRC4, NLRP3 and AIM2 inflammasomes. NLRC4 is activated by flagellin, and L. monocytogenes evades NLRC4 by repressing flagellin expression. We generated an L. monocytogenes strain that was forced to express flagellin in the host cell cytosol. This strain hyperactivated caspase‐1 and was preferentially cleared via NLRC4 detection in an IL‐1β/IL‐18 independent manner. We also created a strain of L. monocytogenes with forced expression of another NLRC4 agonist, PrgJ, from the Type III secretion system of Salmonella typhimurium. Forced expression of flagellin or PrgJ resulted in attenuation, yet both strains conferred protective immunity in mice against lethal challenge with L. monocytogenes. This work is the first demonstration of specific targeting of the caspase‐1 activation pathway to generate a safe and potent L. monocytogenes‐based vaccine. Moreover, the attenuated strains with embedded flagellin or PrgJ adjuvants represent attractive vectors for vaccines aimed at eliciting T‐cell responses.
NKG2A is a marker for acquisition of regulatory function by human CD8+ T cells activated with anti‐CD3 antibody
Authors: Ablamunits Vitaly , Henegariu Octavian , Preston‐Hurlburt Paula , Herold Kevan C.
Published: April 2011

Treatment with anti‐CD3 mAb modulates immune responses that cause type 1 diabetes and other diseases. CD8+ Tregs can be induced in vitro and in vivo by mAb. However, 1/3 of patients do not respond to drug therapy and in an equal proportion, anti‐CD3 mAb does not induce Tregs in vitro. The acquisition of CD8+ Treg activity is a function of the CD8+ cells and not the targets in the assay. To identify markers to differentiate responses of CD8+ Tregs, we analyzed genes differentially expressed in CD8+ T cells of non‐responders compared with responders, and found that an inhibitory receptor NKG2A (CD159a) was highly expressed in cells from all non‐responders tested. Application of a mAb agonistic to NKG2A during in vitro CD8+ Treg induction by anti‐CD3 prevented induction of CD8+ Tregs. CD8+ T cells that are TNFR2+ but NKG2A− are the most potently induced Tregs. The level of NKG2A expression on resting CD8+ T cells inversely correlated with acquisition of regulatory function when activated. We suggest that the induction of human CD8+ Tregs by anti‐CD3 mAb is controlled by a negative signaling through NKG2A, and that NKG2A may serve as a negative marker of human CD8+ Tregs.
Synthesis and Study of the Binuclear μ‐Oxodiiron(III) Complexes of 5‐Monoaza‐ and 5,15‐Diaza‐Substituted β‐Octaalkylporphyrins
Authors: Stuzhin Pavel A. , Ul‐Haq Anwar , Nefedov Sergej E. , Kumeev Roman S. , Koifman Oscar I.
Published: April 2011

Binuclear μ‐oxo‐bridged FeIII complexes of 2,3,7,8,12,18‐hexamethyl‐13,17‐dibutyl‐5‐monoazaporphine [μ‐O(FeMAP)2], and 3,7,13,17‐tetramethyl‐2,8,12,18‐tetrabutyl‐5,15‐diazaporphine [μ‐O(FeDAP)2] have been prepared and characterised using UV/Vis, IR and 1H NMR spectroscopies. The stretching vibrations of the μ‐oxo‐bridge νas(Fe–O–Fe) are observed at 880 cm–1 for μ–O(FeMAP)2 and at 871 cm–1 for μ‐O(FeDAP)2. The structure of μ‐O(FeDAP)2 has been confirmed by the single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction study of its monobenzene solvate. The Fe1 and Fe2 atoms are displaced from the mean planes formed by the coordinating N‐atoms by 0.572 and 0.565 Å, respectively, and are connected to one another through the μ‐oxo‐bridge. The average Fe1–N and Fe2–N bond lengths are 2.053 and 2.050 Å, and the Fe1–O and Fe2–O bond lengths are 1.777 and 1.776 Å, respectively. The Fe1–O–Fe2 angle is 152.1°, which leads to a non‐coplanar arrangement of the two adjacent macrocyclic units (tilt angle 26.3°) allowing for the close approach of the solvating benzene molecule to the bridging oxygen atom with a μ‐O···H(benzene) distance of 2.584 Å. Addition of acid HX leads to dissociation of the binuclear μ‐oxodiiron complexes and formation of the mononuclear pentacoordinate FeIII complexes (X)FeMAP and (X)FeDAP (X = AcOH, HCl, etc). Analysis of the kinetic results obtained for the reactions of the μ‐oxodiiron complexes of (aza)porphyrins with acetic acid in benzene solution indicates that the stability of the μ‐oxo bridge towards acid dissociation is primarily determined by its steric accessibility; for species with flexible alkyl chains in β‐pyrrolic positions the stability is much lower than in the presence of shielding meso‐ or β‐phenyl groups.
The U28 Nanosphere: What's Inside? (Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 14/2011)
Authors: Nyman May , Rodriguez Mark A. , Alam Todd M.
Published: April 2011

The cover picture shows the assembly process of uranyl peroxide clusters through templating cations and anions. The yellow polyhedra are the monomeric building blocks, UO2(O2)34–. In this schematic, the assembly of pentagonal and hexagonal rings is templated by K+ (green spheres) and Cs/Rb+ (pink spheres) ions. The assembly of spherical capsules from rings is then templated by Ta(O2)43– anions (Ta = blue spheres, O = red spheres). Details are discussed in the article by M. Nyman et al. on p. 2197 ff. The cover art was produced by Mona Aragon (Sandia National Laboratories).
Sequential Voltammetric Determination of Ultratrace Osmium, Ruthenium and Iridium. Application to Superficial Water
Authors: Locatelli Clinio
Published: April 2011

The present work, regarding the determination of ultratrace Os(VIII), Ru(III) and Ir(III) in superficial waters is an interesting example of the possibility to simultaneously, or better sequentially determine each single element in real samples by voltammetry. The method is based on the catalytic current of the Os(VIII)‐ and Ru(III)‐bromate systems by square wave voltammetry and on the Ir(III) determination by square wave catalytic adsorptive stripping voltammetry. 0.5 mol L−1 acetate buffer pH 4.9+7.7×10−2 mol L−1 NaBrO3 and 0.5 mol L−1 acetate buffer pH 4.9+7.7×10−2 mol L−1 NaBrO3+2.3×10−5 mol L−1 cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) +0.2 mol L−1 KCl were employed as the supporting electrolytes. The analytical procedure was verified by the analysis of the standard reference materials: Sea Water BCR‐CRM 403 and Fresh Water NIST‐SRM 1643d. For all the elements, the accuracy, expressed as relative error e (%), was satisfactory, being lower than 6 %, while precision as repeatability, expressed as relative standard deviation, sr (%), was generally lower than 5 %. Once set up on the standard reference materials, the analytical procedure was transferred and applied to superficial water sampled in proximity to superhighway and in the Po river mouth area.
Long‐lasting genomic instability following arsenite exposure in mammalian cells: The role of reactive oxygen species
Authors: Sciandrello G. , Mauro M. , Catanzaro I. , Saverini M. , Caradonna F. , Barbata G.
Published: April 2011

Previously, we reported that the progeny of mammalian cells, which has been exposed to sodium arsenite for two cell cycles, exhibited chromosomal instability and concurrent DNA hypomethylation, when they were subsequently investigated after two months of subculturing (about 120 cell generations) in arsenite‐free medium. In this work, we continued our investigations of the long‐lasting arsenite‐induced genomic instability by analyzing additional endpoints at several time points during the cell expanded growth. In addition to the progressive increase of aneuploid cells, we also noted micronucleated and multinucleated cells that continued to accumulate up to the 50th cell generation, as well as dicentric chromosomes and/or telomeric associations and other complex chromosome rearrangements that began to appear much later, at the 90th cell generation following arsenite exposure. The increasing genomic instability was further characterized by an increased frequency of spontaneous mutations. Furthermore, the long‐lasting genomic instability was related to elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which at the 50th cell generation appeared higher than in stable parental cells. To gain additional insight into the continuing genomic instability, we examined several individual clones isolated at different time points from the growing cell population. Chromosomally and morphologically unstable cell clones, the number of which increased with the expanded growth, were also present at early phases of growth without arsenite. All genomically unstable clones exhibited higher ROS levels than untreated cells suggesting that oxidative stress is an important factor for the progression of genomic instability induced by arsenite. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Toxicity of metals to roots of cowpea in relation to their binding strength
Authors: Kopittke Peter M , Blamey F. Pax C , McKenna Brigid A , Wang Peng , Menzies Neal W
Published: April 2011

Metal phytotoxicity is important in both environmental and agricultural systems. A solution culture study examined the toxicity of 26 metals to roots of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.); new data were collected for 15 metals and published data for 11 metals. Metal toxicity, calculated as causing a 50% reduction in root elongation rate, was determined based on either the measured concentration in the bulk solution (EC50b) or the calculated activity at the outer surface of the plasma membrane (EA500°). The EC50b values ranged from 0.007 µM for Tl to 98,000 µM for K, with the order of rhizotoxicity to cowpea, from most to least toxic, being Tl = Ag > Cu > Hg = Ni = Ga = Ru = In > Sc = Cd = Gd = La = Co = Cs = Pb > Zn = Al = H > Mn > Ba = Sr > Li > Mg > Ca = Na > K. The EA500° values suggest that the binding of metals to hard ligands is an important, general, nonspecific mechanism of toxicity, a hypothesis supported by the similar toxicity symptoms to roots of cowpea by many metals. However, additional mechanisms, such as strong binding to soft ligands, substantially increase rhizotoxicity of some metals, especially Tl, Ag, and Cs. Besides direct toxic effects, osmotic effects or reduced activity of Ca2+ at the outer surface of the root plasma membrane (and resultant Ca deficiency) may decrease short-term root growth. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2011; 30:1827–1833. © 2011 SETAC
Genomic investigation of year-long and multigenerational exposures of fathead minnow to the munitions compound RDX
Authors: Gust Kurt A , Brasfield Sandra M , Stanley Jacob K , Wilbanks Mitchell S , Chappell Pornsawan , Perkins Edward J , Lotufo Guilherme R , Lance Richard F
Published: April 2011

We assessed the impacts of exposure to an environmentally representative concentration (0.83 mg/L) of the explosive cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) on fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) in one-year and multigenerational bioassays. In the one-year bioassay, impacts were assessed by statistical comparisons of females from breeding groups reared in control or RDX-exposure conditions. The RDX had no significant effect on gonadosomatic index or condition factor assayed at 1 d and at one, three, six, nine, and 12 months. The liver-somatic index was significantly increased versus controls only at the 12-month timepoint. RDX had no significant effect on live-prey capture rates, egg production, or fertilization. RDX caused minimal differential-transcript expression with no consistent discernable effect on gene-functional categories for either brain or liver tissues in the one-year exposure. In the multigenerational assay, the effects of acute (96 h) exposure to RDX were compared in fish reared to the F2 generation in either control or RDX-exposure conditions. Enrichment of gene functions including neuroexcitatory glutamate metabolism, sensory signaling, and neurological development were observed comparing control-reared and RDX-reared fish. Our results indicated that exposure to RDX at a concentration representing the highest levels observed in the environment (0.83 mg/L) had limited impacts on genomic, individual, and population-level endpoints in fathead minnows in a one-year exposure. However, multigenerational exposures altered transcript expression related to neural development and function. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2011; 30:1852–1864. © 2011 SETAC