bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Laminated Capacitor Formed in Thermoplastic Resin Substrate by Laser-Assisted Micropowder Jet Implantation
Authors: Suzuki Katsuhiko , Kameya Shotaroh , Sugai Tohru , Ohuchi Takumi , Miura Kaichi , Kuriyagawa Tsunemoto
Published: June 2013

A laminated capacitor has been formed in a poly(oxymethylene) substrate of the thermoplastic resin by a laser-assisted micro powder jet implantation method. A carbon powder and a BaTiO3 powder were jetted for an electrode and a dielectric in turn with Ar gas while irradiating a Nd:YAG laser on the substrate, respectively. It was confirmed that the capacitance formed by this method was proportional to size of electrode areas and number of laminations. The dielectric constant estimated experimentally showed a large value of 5.2×103, which was probably enhanced by BaTiO3 particles crushed to a particle size of approximately 150 nm through the jetting process. It was found that the capacitance showed an exponential dependence against the coming and going repetition number of times of powder jetting at formation of the dielectric layer, which is probably affected by both the increase in the thickness and the decrease in the dielectric constant according to the number of dielectric laminations.
Fabrication of Polymer Microneedle Electrodes Coated with Nanoporous Parylene
Authors: Nishinaka Yuya , Jun Rina , Prihandana Gunawan Setia , Miki Norihisa
Published: June 2013

In this study, we demonstrate the fabrication of polymer microneedle electrodes covered with a nanoporous parylene film that can serve as flexible electrodes for a brain–machine interface. In brain wave measurement, the electric impedance of electrodes should be below 10 kΩ at 15 Hz, and the conductive layer needs to be protected to survive its insertion into the stratum corneum. Polymer microneedles can be used as substrates for flexible electrodes, which can compensate for the movement of the skin; however, the adhesion between a conductive metal film, such as a silver film, and a polymer, such as poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), is weak. Therefore, we coated the electrode surface with a nanoporous parylene film, following the vapor deposition of a silver film. When the porosity of the parylene film is appropriate, it protects the silver film while allowing the electrode to have sufficient conductivity. The porosity can be controlled by adjusting the amount of the parylene dimer used for the deposition or the parylene film thickness. We experimentally verified that a conductive membrane was successfully protected while maintaining a conductivity below 10 kΩ when the thickness of the parylene film was between 25 and 38 nm.
A Post-Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor Formation Process of High-Adhesiveness SU-8 Structures for Reliable Fabrication of Integrated Microelectromechanical System Sensors
Authors: Maeda Yusaku , Terao Kyohei , Suzuki Takaaki , Shimokawa Fusao , Takao Hidekuni
Published: June 2013

In this study, a post CMOS reliable formation process for high-aspect-ratio SU-8 structures on integrated circuits is newly proposed. Enhancement of SU-8 adhesiveness is realized by forming a thin SU-8 layer (called an adhesive layer) over the surface of the circuit before the SU-8 structures are formed. Improvement of adhesion of thick SU-8 structures is very important to guaranty the reliability of MEMS microsensors. The negative effect of the adhesive SU-8 layer on the mechanical properties of silicon movable structures has been estimated and discussed with simple analytical formulae. Also, the effect of the adhesive layer on the silicon substrate has been demonstrated with test structure patterns. On the basis of the developed technique, a tactile sensor device has been successfully fabricated as an example of the application of this technique.
Elastic Stiffness of Co Thin Films at High Temperatures Monitored by Picosecond Ultrasound
Authors: Nakamura Nobutomo , Nakamichi Yohei , Ogi Hirotsugu , Hirao Masahiko , Nishiyama Masayoshi
Published: June 2013

A picosecond ultrasound system for measuring the elastic stiffness of thin films at high temperatures is developed, and the elastic stiffness of Co films is measured up to 771 K during heating and cooling processes. The elastic stiffness of an as-deposited film is smaller than that of bulk Co. However, during heating, stiffening due to crystallization is observed, and in the cooling process, the elastic stiffness follows the temperature dependence of bulk Co. These results indicate that the as-deposited film is softer than the bulk and that once stiffening has occurred upon annealing, the Co thin film shows a similar elastic property to the bulk. The temperature dependence of acoustic attenuation is also discussed.
Ultrawide-Band Resonators Using Shear Horizontal-Type Plate Wave and Their Application
Authors: Kadota Michio , Ogami Takashi , Kimura Tetsuya
Published: June 2013

Currently, mobile or smart phones with multibands and a cognitive radio system require a tunable filter with a wide tunable range to simplify their circuits. An ultrawide-band resonator is an important device to realize the tunable filter. The relative bandwidths (BWs) of 12 to 17% of previously reported surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators are not sufficient to realize the tunable filter. This time, the authors studied an SH0 mode plate wave in a LiNbO3 plate. As a result, plate wave resonators with a large electro-mechanical coupling factor (k
2) of 0.55 (55%), an ultrawide bandwidth of 29%, a high Q of 700, and a large impedance ratio of 98 dB between resonance (f
r) and anti-resonance (f
a) frequencies were realized for the first time using 27.5–30°YX-LiNbO3 plates. Applying these resonators to a ladder-type tunable filter, a wide tunable range of 19% was obtained.
Implementation of Free-Surface Condition for Finite-Difference Time-Domain Method Using a Staggered Grid with the Collocated Grid Points of Velocities
Authors: Yasui Takashi , Hasegawa Koji , Hirayama Koichi
Published: June 2013

The finite-difference time-domain (FD-TD) method using a staggered grid with the collocated grid points of velocities (SGCV) in two dimensions was applied to Lamé mode resonators on an isotropic solid. Their resonance frequencies of the fundamental Lamé mode were examined to confirm the validity of the SGCV models of the free surfaces. The resonance frequency obtained with an SGCV, which uses bipolynomial interpolation with values of velocity on six adjoining grids to evaluate the derivatives of velocity vector fields on a grid, showed good agreement with the analytical resonance frequency.
Characteristics of Ultrasonic Linear Motor that Incorporates Two Transducers at an Acute Angle
Authors: Suzuki Atsuyuki , Tsunoji Masaki , Tsujino Jiromaru
Published: June 2013

In this study, we have developed an ultrasonic linear motor that incorporates two transducers at an acute angle. The two transducers are used to generate the vertical and horizontal vibration components. The complex vibration is excited using two electrical sources with a phase shift. Ultrasonic motors have unique characteristics such as silent motion and absence of magnetic noise. These characteristics are suitable for use in hospitals and so on. Therefore, we focus on developing actuators for use in a medical bed, specifically a bedsore prevention bed. A study of the vibration characteristics of the motor showed that the resonant frequencies of the transducers were appropriate, although the vibration amplitude of one transducer was less than that of the other. A study of the load characteristics showed that a no-load speed of 267 mm/s and a maximum thrust of 40 N were obtained.
Mechanisms of Ultrasonically Induced Fibrillation of Amyloid β1–40 Peptides
Authors: Uesugi Kentaro , Ogi Hirotsugu , Fukushima Masahiko , So Masatomo , Yagi Hisashi , Goto Yuji , Hirao Masahiko
Published: June 2013

We systematically study the relationship between the ultrasonically induced aggregation behavior of amyloid β1–40 peptide and acoustic pressures to clarify the dominant mechanism of the aggregation. With ultrasonic irradiation, the thioflavin-T (ThT) level of the Aβ solution rises after a lag time, takes a maximum at ∼5 h, and remains unchanged or decreases. Thus, we monitor the ThT level at 5 h to evaluate the progress of the β-sheet structure and investigate its correlation with the acoustic pressures of fundamental and harmonics waves. The second-harmonics-wave amplitude shows the highest correlation with the ThT level, indicating the dominant contribution of cavitation bubbles to the fibrillation phenomenon. The influence of solution pH and Ar gas are investigated to identify the aggregation mechanism. As a result, local condensation of the peptide due to the high affinity of hydrophobic residues to the bubble-solution interface causes a highly supersaturated solution, leading to precipitation of β-sheet-rich nuclei.
Effect of Particle Addition on Degradation Rate of Methylene Blue in an Ultrasonic Field
Authors: Honma Chiemi , Kobayashi Daisuke , Matsumoto Hideyuki , Takahashi Tomoki , Kuroda Chiaki , Otake Katsuto , Shono Atsushi
Published: June 2013

Ultrasound has been found to be an attractive advanced technology for the degradation of hazardous organic compounds in water. In addition, the sonochemical reaction is enhanced by particle addition. However, the enhancement mechanism of particle addition has not been investigated well, because ultrasound enhances not only chemical reactions but also mass transfer. In this study, the ultrasonic degradation of methylene blue was carried out, and the effects of the ultrasonic irradiation condition on the degradation rate were investigated. The effect of ultrasonic frequency on the improvement of degradation by particle addition was also investigated. The order of degradation rate with frequency was the same as the tendency of sonochemical efficiency value obtained using KI oxidation dosimetry method (SE
KI). The degradation process of methylene blue was intensified by particle addition, and the degradation rate increased with increasing amount of particle addition. The enhancement of degradation rate by particle addition was influenced by both ultrasonic frequency and type or diameter of particles.
Semipolar (202̄1) Single-Quantum-Well Red Light-Emitting Diodes with a Low Forward Voltage
Authors: Kawaguchi Yoshinobu , Huang Chia-Yen , Wu Yuh-Renn , Zhao Yuji , DenBaars Steven P. , Nakamura Shuji
Published: June 2013

We have demonstrated the InGaN/GaN single-quantum-well (SQW) red light-emitting diodes (LEDs) grown on the free-standing GaN (202̄1) substrate with a forward voltage as low as 2.8 V at 20 mA. A low p-GaN growth temperature is required to prevent the structure deterioration during the p-GaN growth. The reduction of the forward voltage was observed as the emission wavelength increased in the (202̄1) SQW LEDs, which is attributed to its reversed polarization-related electric field compared to the conventionalc-plane LEDs.
Fast, Air‐Stable Infrared Photodetectors based on Spray‐Deposited Aqueous HgTe Quantum Dots
Authors: Chen Mengyu , Yu Hui , Kershaw Stephen V. , Xu Haihua , Gupta Shuchi , Hetsch Frederik , Rogach Andrey L. , Zhao Ni
Published: June 2013

The ability to detect near‐infrared and mid‐infrared radiation has spawned great interest in colloidal HgTe quantum dots (QDs). In contrast to the studies focused on extending the spectral range of HgTe QD devices, the temporal response, another figure of merit for photodetectors, is rarely investigated. In this work, a single layer, aqueous HgTe QD based photoconductor structure with very fast temporal response (up to 1 MHz 3 dB bandwidth) is demonstrated. The device is fabricated using a simple spray‐coating process and shows excellent stability in ambient conditions. The origin of the remarkably fast time response is investigated by combining light intensity‐dependent transient photocurrent, temperature‐dependent photocurrent, and field‐effect transistor (FET) measurements. The charge carrier mobility, as well as the energy levels and carrier lifetimes associated with the trap states in the QDs, are identified. The results suggest that the temporal response is dominated by a fast bimolecular recombination process under high light intensity and by a trap‐mediated recombination process at low light intensity. Interestingly, it was found that the gain and time response of aqueous HgTe QD‐based photoconductors can be tuned by controlling the QD size and surface chemistry, which provides a versatile approach to optimize the photodetectors with selectable sensitivity and operation bandwidth.
Tunable Assembly of sp3 Cross‐Linked 3D Graphene Monoliths: A First‐Principles Prediction
Authors: Jiang Xue , Zhao Jijun , Li Yan‐Ling , Ahuja Rajeev
Published: June 2013

One of the biggest challenges in graphene applications is how one can fabricate 3D architectures comprising graphene sheets in which the resulting architectures have inherited graphene's excellent intrinsic properties but have overcome its shortcomings. Two series of 3D graphene monoliths (GMs) using zigzag or armchair graphene nanoribbons as building blocks and sp3 carbon chains as junction nodes are constructued, and calculations based on first principles are performed in order to predict their mechanical and electronic properties. The perfect match between sp2 nanoribbons and sp3 linkers results in favorable energy and mechanical/dynamic stability. Owing to their tailored motifs, wine‐rack‐like pores, and rigid sp3 linkers, these GMs possess high surface areas, appreciable mechanical strength, and tunable band gaps. Negative linear compressibilities in a wide range are found for the zigzag GMs. By solving the problems of zero gap and dimensionality of graphene sheets simultaneously, these GMs offer a viable strategy towards many applications, e.g., microelectronic devices, energy storage, molecular sieves, sensitive pressure detectors, and telecommunication line systems.
Linked Open Data technologies for publication of census microdata
Authors: Pabón Gustavo , Gutiérrez Claudio , Fernández Javier D. , Martínez‐Prieto Miguel A.
Published: June 2013

Censuses are one of the most relevant types of statistical data, allowing analyses of the population in terms of demography, economy, sociology, and culture. For fine‐grained analysis, census agencies publish census microdata that consist of a sample of individual records of the census containing detailed anonymous individual information. Working with microdata from different censuses and doing comparative studies are currently difficult tasks due to the diversity of formats and granularities. In this article, we show that novel data processing techniques can be applied to make census microdata interoperable and easy to access and combine. In fact, we demonstrate how Linked Open Data principles, a set of techniques to publish and make connections of (semi‐)structured data on the web, can be fruitfully applied to census microdata. We present a step‐by‐step process to achieve this goal and we study, in theory and practice, two real case studies: the 2001 Spanish census and a general framework for Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS‐I).
Facts and myths of antibacterial properties of silk
Authors: Kaur Jasjeet , Rajkhowa Rangam , Afrin Tarannum , Tsuzuki Takuya , Wang Xungai
Published: June 2013

Silk cocoons provide protection to silkworm from biotic and abiotic hazards during the immobile pupal phase of the lifecycle of silkworms. Protection is particularly important for the wild silk cocoons reared in an open and harsh environment. To understand whether some of the cocoon components resist growth of microorganisms, in vitro studies were performed using gram negative bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) to investigate antibacterial properties of silk fiber, silk gum, and calcium oxalate crystals embedded inside some cocoons. The results show that the previously reported antibacterial properties of silk cocoons are actually due to residues of chemicals used to isolate/purify cocoon elements, and properly isolated silk fiber, gum, and embedded crystals free from such residues do not have inherent resistance to E. coli. This study removes the uncertainty created by previous studies over the presence of antibacterial properties of silk cocoons, particularly the silk gum and sericin. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 101: 237–245, 2014.
Water scaffolding in collagen: Implications on protein dynamics as revealed by solid‐state NMR
Authors: Aliev Abil E. , Courtier‐Murias Denis
Published: June 2013

Solid‐state NMR studies of collagen samples of various origins confirm that the amplitude of collagen backbone and sidechain motions increases significantly on increasing the water content. This conclusion is supported by the changes observed in three different NMR observables: (i) the linewidth dependence on the1H decoupling frequency; (ii)13C CSA changes for the peptide carbonyl groups, and (iii) dephasing rates of1H‐13C dipolar couplings. In particular, a nearly threefold increase in motional amplitudes of the backbone librations about C‐Cαor N‐Cαbonds was found on increasing the added water content up to 47 wt%D2O. On the basis of the frequencies of NMR observables involved, the timescale of the protein motions dependent on the added water content is estimated to be of the order of microseconds. This estimate agrees with that from wideline T21H NMR measurements. Also, our wideline1H NMR measurements revealed that the timescale of the microsecond motions in proteins reduces significantly on increasing the added water content, i.e., an ∼15‐fold increase in protein motional frequencies is observed on increasing the added water content to 45 wt% D2O. The observed changes in collagen dynamics is attributed to the increase in water translational diffusion on increasing the amount of added water, which leads to more frequent “bound water/free water” exchange on the protein surface, accompanied by the breakage and formation of new hydrogen bonds with polar functionalities of protein. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 101: 246–256, 2014.
Long‐range mapping of DNA
Authors: Crothers Donald M.
Published: June 2013

Sequence‐specific optical signals are used to establish long‐range sequence order and identification for fragments hundreds of kilo bases in length. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 99: 1019–1031, 2013.
Localization of the Contacts Between Kenyon Cells and Aminergic Neurons in the Drosophila melanogaster Brain Using SplitGFP Reconstitution
Authors: Pech Ulrike , Pooryasin Atefeh , Birman Serge , Fiala André
Published: June 2013

The mushroom body of the insect brain represents a neuronal circuit involved in the control of adaptive behavior, e.g., associative learning. Its function relies on the modulation of Kenyon cell activity or synaptic transmitter release by biogenic amines, e.g., octopamine, dopamine, or serotonin. Therefore, for a comprehensive understanding of the mushroom body, it is of interest not only to determine which modulatory neurons interact with Kenyon cells but also to pinpoint where exactly in the mushroom body they do so. To accomplish the latter, we made use of the GRASP technique and created transgenic Drosophila melanogaster that carry one part of a membrane‐bound splitGFP in Kenyon cells, along with a cytosolic red fluorescent marker. The second part of the splitGFP is expressed in distinct neuronal populations using cell‐specific Gal4 drivers. GFP is reconstituted only if these neurons interact with Kenyon cells in close proximity, which, in combination with two‐photon microscopy, provides a very high spatial resolution. We characterize spatially and microstructurally distinct contact regions between Kenyon cells and dopaminergic, serotonergic, and octopaminergic/tyraminergic neurons in all subdivisions of the mushroom body. Subpopulations of dopaminergic neurons contact complementary lobe regions densely. Octopaminergic/tyraminergic neurons contact Kenyon cells sparsely and are restricted mainly to the calyx, the α′‐lobes, and the γ‐lobes. Contacts of Kenyon cells with serotonergic neurons are heterogeneously distributed over the entire mushroom body. In summary, the technique enables us to localize precisely a segmentation of the mushroom body by differential contacts with aminergic neurons. J. Comp. Neurol. 521:3992–4026, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Flow‐cytometric analysis of rare antigen‐specific T cells
Authors: Bacher Petra , Scheffold Alexander
Published: June 2013

The cytometric enumeration and characterization of antigen‐specific lymphocytes, as introduced about 15 years ago, has contributed significantly to our understanding of adaptive immune responses in health and disease. Despite the development of several technologies, allowing to directly or indirectly analyze many aspects of lymphocyte specificity and function, several unresolved issues remain, due to the low frequency of certain antigen‐specific lymphocyte subsets and the complexity of T cell antigen recognition. This is especially true for CD4+ conventional as well as regulatory T cells, which bring major contributions to immune protection and pathology. Here we review the current technologies for the analysis of antigen specific T cells within the physiologic T cell repertoire and with a special focus on recent technologies addressing the analysis of rare antigen‐specific T cell populations including naive and regulatory T cells. © 2013 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
Application of mercury isotopes for tracing trophic transfer and internal distribution of mercury in marine fish feeding experiments
Authors: Kwon Sae Yun , Blum Joel D. , Chirby Michelle A. , Chesney Edward J.
Published: June 2013

Feeding experiments were performed to investigate mercury (Hg) isotope fractionation during trophic transfer and internal distribution of total Hg (THg) in marine fish on exposure to natural seafood. Young-of-the-year amberjack (Seriola dumerili) were fed with either blackfin tuna (Thunnus atlanticus; 2647 ng/g THg) or brown shrimp (Farfantepenaeus aztecus; 25.1 ng/g THg) for 80 d or 50 d, respectively, and dissected for muscle, liver, kidney, brain, and blood. After 30 d of tuna consumption, Hg isotopes (δ202Hg and Δ199Hg) of the amberjack organs shifted to the tuna value (δ202Hg = 0.55‰, Δ199Hg = 1.54‰,), demonstrating the absence of Hg isotope fractionation. When amberjack were fed a shrimp diet, there was an initial mixing of the amberjack organs toward the shrimp value (δ202Hg = −0.48‰, Δ199Hg = 0.32‰), followed by a cessation of further shifts in Δ199Hg and a small shift in δ202Hg. The failure of Δ199Hg to reach the shrimp value can be attributed to a reduction in Hg bioaccumulation from shrimp resulting from feeding inhibition and the δ202Hg shift can be attributed to a small internal fractionation during excretion. Given that the feeding rate and Hg concentration of the diet can influence internal Hg isotope distribution, these parameters must be considered in biosentinel fish studies. Environ Toxicol Chem 2013;32:2322–2330. © 2013 SETAC
Ambient noise cross‐correlation observations of fundamental and higher‐mode Rayleigh wave propagation governed by basement resonance
Authors: Savage Martha K. , Lin Fan‐Chi , Townend John
Published: June 2013

Measurement of basement seismic resonance frequencies can elucidate shallow velocity structure, an important factor in earthquake hazard estimation. Ambient noise cross correlation, which is well‐suited to studying shallow earth structure, is commonly used to analyze fundamental‐mode Rayleigh waves and, increasingly, Love waves. Here we show via multicomponent ambient noise cross correlation that the basement resonance frequency in the Canterbury region of New Zealand can be straightforwardly determined based on the horizontal to vertical amplitude ratio (H/V ratio) of the first higher‐mode Rayleigh waves. At periods of 1–3 s, the first higher‐mode is evident on the radial‐radial cross‐correlation functions but almost absent in the vertical‐vertical cross‐correlation functions, implying longitudinal motion and a high H/V ratio. A one‐dimensional regional velocity model incorporating a ~ 1.5 km‐thick sedimentary layer fits both the observed H/V ratio and Rayleigh wave group velocity. Similar analysis may enable resonance characteristics of other sedimentary basins to be determined.
North Atlantic circulation and reservoir age changes over the past 41,000 years
Authors: Stern Joseph V. , Lisiecki Lorraine E.
Published: June 2013

Constraints on the timing of Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) changes during the last deglaciation are fundamental to understanding the climate's rapid response to insolation forcing. However, uncertainty about high‐latitude North Atlantic (HLNA) radiocarbon reservoir ages has previously precluded robust age model development for this critical region. HLNA reservoir ages also serve as a proxy for AMOC strength. We present regionally averaged HLNA reservoir ages for 0 to 41 thousand years before the present (kyr BP) based on over 500 radiocarbon dates from 33 North Atlantic cores. An early deglacial increase to >1000 14C yr reservoir ages between 18.5 and 16.5 kyr BP suggests reduced AMOC before peak Heinrich Stadial 1 (HS1) ice‐rafted debris (IRD). A rapid decrease in reservoir ages coincident with the IRD maximum at 16 kyr BP indicates strong stratification of the upper water column caused by massive freshwater release.
Incidence of lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma/Waldenström's macroglobulinaemia in Japan and Taiwan population‐based cancer registries, 1996–2003
Authors: Iwanaga Masako , Chiang Chun‐Ju , Soda Midori , Lai Mei‐Shu , Yang Ya‐Wen , Miyazaki Yasushi , Matsuo Keitaro , Matsuda Tomohiro , Sobue Tomotaka
Published: June 2013

Few studies have investigated the incidence rate of lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma/Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (LPL/WM) in Asian populations. We assessed the incidence of LPL/WM using data from 13 population‐based cancer registries in Japan and data from the Taiwan National Cancer registry. During 1996–2003, a total of 280 new cases of LPL/WM were recorded in Japan and 56 were recorded in Taiwan, with the median age at diagnosis being 73 and 67 years, respectively. The incidence of LPL/WM showed male predominance in both countries. Crude age‐specific incidence rates increased sharply with age in both countries, especially in people >65 years. Age‐standardized (to the World standard population) incidence rates per 100,000 person‐years were 0.043 (0.071 for men and 0.023 for women) and 0.031 (0.041 for men and 0.020 for women) in Japan and Taiwan, respectively. Age‐standardized (to the 2,000 US standard population) incidence rates in Japan and Taiwan were lower than rates reported in the literature for Asians living in the United State. A significant increasing trend was observed in the incidence over the period from 1996 to 2003 in Japan alone. This report suggests that both environmental and/or genetic factors may be involved in LPL/WM development.
Solar wind impacts on growth phase duration and substorm intensity: A statistical approach
Authors: Li H. , Wang C. , Peng Z.
Published: June 2013

A statistical survey of 379 interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) southward turning events during the time period from 1995 to 2011 is performed to study the impact of solar wind conditions on the substorm growth phase duration and intensity. Substorm growth phase persists from several minutes up to 2–3 h, and its duration is mainly controlled by solar wind conditions. The larger dayside reconnection E‐field and solar wind speed are, the shorter the growth phase will be. The lower limits of solar wind reconnection E‐field and bulk speed for substorm occurrence are found to be 0.6 mV/m and 280 km/s, respectively. Similarly, the substorm intensity is linearly correlated to the dayside reconnection E‐field. However, it seems to be independent of the amount of dayside geomagnetic flux reconnected and solar wind energy entered into the magnetosphere during the growth phase. Furthermore, all the events are divided into three groups for different averages of dayside reconnection E‐field during the growth phase (): (1) 0.0 mV/m; (2) mV/m; and (3) mV/m, and the geometric means of growth phase duration and auroral power maximum for these three groups are 91 min, 62 min, 32 min, and 35 GW, 51 GW, 74 GW, respectively.
Magnetosonic wave instability by proton ring distributions: Simultaneous data and modeling
Authors: Xiao Fuliang , Zhou Qinghua , He Zhaoguo , Yang Chang , He Yihua , Tang Lijun
Published: June 2013

Simultaneous observations of enhanced fast magnetosonic (MS) waves and distinct proton ring distributions collected by Cluster satellite near the location L= 4–5 on 28 May 2005 are analyzed to study instability of MS waves. A sum of subtracted bi‐Maxwellian components is utilized to fit the observed proton (2–10 keV) ring distributions. A ray‐tracing simulation is performed to calculate the local growth rate and path‐integrated gain of MS waves. Peak growth rates are found to occur at the multiples of proton gyrofrequency mainly in the range ∼ 70–120 Hz, and wave gain lies in ∼ 40–80 dB, comparable to the observation. Moreover, MS waves primarily locate within a few degrees of the geomagnetic equator and propagate either into or out of the plasmasphere through the plasmapause. The current results provide observational support for instability of fast magnetosonic waves generated by the proton ring distribution.
Electrostatic decay of Langmuir/z‐mode waves in type III solar radio bursts
Authors: Graham D. B. , Cairns Iver H.
Published: June 2013

About 40% of the waveforms observed by STEREO during type III solar radio bursts exhibits Langmuir beating and have split spectral peaks, suggestive of decay into product Langmuir and ion‐acoustic waves. For lower electron beam speeds vb/c≲0.1, the spectra of Langmuir events with split spectral peaks are shown to be consistent with electrostatic (ES) decay into Langmuir‐like waves with frequencies above the electron plasma frequency. For faster beam speeds , the spectra are consistent with one or more successive generations of ES decay and an end state of low wave number Langmuir/z‐mode waves with strong electric fields perpendicular to the magnetic field. For many of the split spectral‐peak events, an intense low‐frequency response occurs that is consistent with ion‐acoustic waves produced by ES decay, providing further evidence that these events are ES decay. An observed event is shown to be consistent with three successive backscatter decays, but such events are very rare in type III bursts. About 90% of the split spectral‐peak events occur when Ti/Te≲0.6. Similarly, over 80% of the split peak events have energy densities above the theoretical nonlinear threshold for ES decay (for reasonable Langmuir damping rates ≲10−3ωp). All events have beam speeds and energy densities below the maxima appropriate for ES decay of beam‐driven Langmuir waves.
Silicate liquid‐carbonatite liquid transition along the melting curve of model, vapor‐saturated peridotite in the system CaO‐MgO‐Al2O3‐SiO2‐CO2 from 1.1 to 2 GPa
Authors: Keshav Shantanu , Gudfinnsson Gudmundur H.
Published: June 2013

Solidus phase relations of carbon dioxide‐saturated (CO2 vapor) model peridotite in the system CaO‐MgO‐Al2O3‐SiO2‐CO2 in the 1.1–2.1 GPa pressure range are reported. The solidus has a positive slope in pressure‐temperature (PT) space from 1.1 to 2 GPa. Between 2 and 2.1 GPa, the melting curve changes to a negative slope. From 1.1 to 1.9 GPa, the liquid, best described as CO2‐bearing silicate liquid, is in equilibrium with forsterite, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, spinel, and vapor. At 2 GPa, the same crystalline phase assemblage plus vapor is in equilibrium with two liquids, which are silicate and carbonatitic in composition, making the solidus at 2 GPa PT invariant. The presence of two liquids is interpreted as being due to liquid immiscibility. Melting reactions written over 1.1–1.9 GPa are peritectic, with forsterite being produced upon melting, and the liquid is silicate in composition. Upon melting at 2.1 GPa, orthopyroxene is produced, and the liquid is carbonatitic in composition. Hence, the invariance between 1.9 and 2.1 GPa is not only the reason for the dramatic change in the liquid composition over an interval of 0.2 GPa, but the carbonated peridotite solidus ledge itself most likely appears because of this PT invariance. It is suggested that because carbonatitic liquid is produced at the highest solidus temperature at 2 GPa in PT space in the system studied, such liquids, in principle, can erupt through liquid immiscibility, as near‐primary magmas from depths of approximately 60 km.
Two likely stratospheric volcanic eruptions in the 1450s C.E. found in a bipolar, subannually dated 800 year ice core record
Authors: Cole‐Dai Jihong , Ferris David G. , Lanciki Alyson L. , Savarino Joël , Thiemens Mark H. , McConnell Joseph R.
Published: June 2013

An 800 year volcanic record is constructed from high‐resolution chemical analysis of recently obtained West Antarctica and central Greenland ice cores. The high accuracy and precision of the ice core chronologies are a result of dating by annual ice layer counting. Nineteen bipolar volcanic signals in this record represent large, explosive eruptions in the tropics with probable climatic impact. One of the two bipolar volcanic signals dated at 1453 and 1459 is probably left by the eruption of the submarine volcano Kuwae in the tropical Pacific, one of the largest volcanic eruptions in the last millennium. The discovery of the two signals in the 1450s casts doubt on the eruption year of 1452 or 1453 for Kuwae based on previous ice core records. The volcanic sulfate deposition patterns in this bipolar record suggest that the later signal is likely from the Kuwae eruption in 1458, although a firm attribution is not possible. Sulfur isotope composition in the volcanic sulfate in the central Greenland cores indicates that both eruptions in the 1450s injected sulfur gases into the stratosphere with probable impact on the global climate. These results are in agreement with tree ring records showing two short cold episodes during that decade. The bipolar volcanic record supports the hypothesis that unusually active volcanism in the thirteenth century contributed to the onset of the Little Ice Age and another active period in the mid fifteenth century may have helped to sustain the Little Ice Age.
The Cubic Vertices of Minimal Bricks
Authors: Lin Fenggen , Zhang Lianzhu , Lu Fuliang
Published: June 2013

A graph is a brick if it is 3‐connected and bicritical. A brick is minimal if for every edge, the deletion of it results in a graph that is not a brick. In this article, we prove that every minimal brick has at least four cubic vertices.
Large splenic volume may be a useful predictor for partial splenic embolization‐induced liver functional improvement in cirrhotic patients
Authors: Hayashi Hiromitsu , Beppu Toru , Masuda Toshiro , Okabe Hirohisa , Imai Katsunori , Hashimoto Daisuke , Ikuta Yoshiaki , Chikamoto Akira , Watanabe Masayuki , Baba Hideo
Published: June 2013

Background

Partial splenic embolization (PSE) for cirrhotic patients has been reported not only to achieve an improvement in thrombocytopenia and portal hypertension, but also to induce PSE‐associated fringe benefit such as individual liver functional improvement. The purpose of this study was to clarify the predictive marker of liver functional improvement due from PSE in cirrhotic patients.

Methods

From April 1999 to January 2009, 83 cirrhotic patients with hypersplenism‐induced thrombocytopenia (platelet count <10 × 104/μl) underwent PSE. Of them, 71 patients with follow‐up for more than one year after PSE were retrospectively investigated.

Results

In liver tissues after PSE, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)‐positive hepatocytes were remarkably increased, speculating that PSE induced liver regenerative response. Indeed, serum albumin and cholinesterase levels increased to 104 ± 14% and 130 ± 65% each of the pretreatment level at one year after PSE. In a multiple linear regression analysis, preoperative splenic volume was extracted as the predictive factor for the improvement in cholinesterase level after PSE. Cirrhotic patients with preoperative splenic volume >600 ml obtained significantly higher serum albumin and cholinesterase levels at one year after PSE compared to those with less than 600 ml (P‐values were 0.029 in both).

Conclusion

A large preoperative splenic volume was the useful predictive marker for an effective PSE‐induced liver functional improvement.
Factors associated with early cancer‐related death after curative hepatectomy for solitary small hepatocellular carcinoma without macroscopic vascular invasion
Authors: Sasaki Kazunari , Matsuda Masamichi , Ohkura Yu , Kawamura Yusuke , Inoue Masafumi , Hashimoto Masaji , Ikeda Kenji , Kumada Hiromitsu , Watanabe Goro
Published: June 2013

Background

Unexpected early cancer‐related death (ECRD) within 2 years due to recurrence after curative hepatectomy for solitary small (<5 cm) hepatocellular carcinoma without macroscopic vascular invasion (SSHCC) is occasionally observed.

Method

A total of 415 patients were enrolled (19 patients with ECRD and 396 patients with non‐ECRD) to elucidate the risk factors of ECRD after curative hepatectomy for SSHCC. They were initially compared by limiting variables to preoperative factors to reveal predictors that could enable the modification of primary treatment. Subsequently, the same analysis was performed with all variables, including perioperative and histological factors.

Results

In the preoperative factors, tumor size > 3 cm and elevation of tumor marker level were independent predictors of ECRD. In the analysis with all variables, excessive intraoperative blood loss, poor differentiation, and microscopic vascular invasion were predictors of ECRD. In the recurrence patterns, 79% of ECRD presented as advanced (four or more lesions) or extra‐hepatic recurrence, whereas these accounted for 18% in the non‐ECRD.

Conclusion

Excessive blood loss during the operation and histopathological findings of microscopic vascular invasion and poor differentiation are predictive factors of cancer‐related death within 2 years of a hepatectomy for SSHCC.
Effects of pancrelipase on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease after pancreaticoduodenectomy
Authors: Nagai Minako , Sho Masayuki , Satoi Sohei , Toyokawa Hideyoshi , Akahori Takahiro , Yanagimoto Hiroaki , Yamamoto Tomohisa , Hirooka Satoshi , Yamaki So , Kinoshita Shoichi , Nishiwada Satoshi , Ikeda Naoya , Kwon A‐Hon , Nakajima Yoshiyuki
Published: June 2013

Background

Postoperative nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) has recently become recognized. However, the pathoetiology of postoperative NAFLD is largely unknown. Furthermore, the optimal treatment has not been established. The aim of this prospective study was to clarify whether pancrelipase, which contains digestive pancreatic enzymes, could reverse NAFLD.

Methods

A collaborative clinical trial has been conducted (UMIN000006841). A total of 30 patients who developed NAFLD after PD were prospectively treated with pancrelipase. NAFLD was defined and evaluated by the liver‐to‐spleen attenuation ratio on computed tomography (CT). Clinical symptoms and laboratory findings were also assessed.

Results

The mean liver‐to‐spleen CT ratio before surgery in 30 patients was 1.233. It declined to 0.453 at diagnosis of NAFLD. It was significantly improved by the treatment and the CT ratios at 1, 3 and 6 months after treatment were 0.762, 0.958 and 0.904, respectively (vs. pretreatment, P < 0.001). The mild liver dysfunction was also improved. Total protein, albumin and total cholesterol levels were significantly improved by the treatment. Importantly, relatively severe diarrhea seen in 11 patients was also ameliorated.

Conclusions

Pancrelipase has a significant beneficial impact on NAFLD after PD. Maldigestion after pancreatic surgery may be a main cause for the development of postoperative NAFLD.
Fiscal Responses to Privatisation in Transition Economies: an Empirical Assessment
Authors: Erden Lutfi , Bolatoglu Nasip
Published: June 2013

One objective of privatisation is to provide a favourable fiscal position. Thus, the success of privatisation depends on fiscal responses of governments to privatisation. To assess the success of privatisation, the study uses a fiscal response model as an appropriate theoretical framework, modifying it to incorporate privatisation revenues. The resulting empirical equations allow us to examine the effects of privatisation on several fiscal variables. Applying the panel data from 22 transition economies to the empirical models, we find that while privatisation revenue has no impact on debt service or borrowing, it is related positively with expenditures and negatively with revenues. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Purification and partial characterization of a new mannose/glucose‐specific lectin from Dialium guineense Willd seeds that exhibits toxic effect
Authors: Bari Alfa U. , Silva Helton C. , Silva Mayara T. L. , Pereira Júnior Francisco N. , Cajazeiras João B. , Sampaio Alexandre H. , Leal Rodrigo B. , Teixeira Edson H. , Rocha Bruno A. M. , Nascimento Kyria S. , Nagano Celso S. , Cavada Benildo S.
Published: June 2013

A new mannose/glucose‐specific lectin, named DigL, was purified from seeds of Dialium guineense by a single step using a Sepharose 4b‐Mannose affinity chromatography column. DigL strongly agglutinated rabbit erythrocytes and was inhibited by d‐mannose, d‐glucose, and derived sugars, especially α‐methyl‐d‐mannopyranoside and N‐acetyl‐d‐glucosamine. DigL has been shown to be a stable protein, maintaining its hemagglutinating activity after incubation at a wide range of temperature and pH values and after incubation with EDTA. DigL is a glycoprotein composite by approximately 2.9% of carbohydrates by weight. By sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis, the purified DigL exhibited an electrophoretic profile consisting of a broad band of 28–30 kDa. Analysis using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry indicated that purified DigL possesses a molecular average mass of 28 452 ± 2 Da and shows the presence of possible glycoforms. In addition, DigL exhibited an intermediary toxic effect on Artemia sp. nauplii, and this effect was both dependent on native structure and mediated by a carbohydrate‐binding site. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Some new analysis results for a class of interface problems
Authors: Li Zhilin , Wang Li , Aspinwall Eric , Cooper Racheal , Kuberry Paul , Sanders Ashley , Zeng Ke
Published: June 2013

Interface problems modeled by differential equations have many applications in mathematical biology, fluid mechanics, material sciences, and many other areas. Typically, interface problems are characterized by discontinuities in the coefficients and/or the Dirac delta function singularities in the source term. Because of these irregularities, solutions to the differential equations are not smooth or discontinuous. In this paper, some new results on the jump conditions of the solution across the interface are derived using the distribution theory and the theory of weak solutions. Some theoretical results on the boundary singularity in which the singular delta function is at the boundary are obtained. Finally, the proof of the convergency of the immersed boundary (IB) method is presented. The IB method is shown to be first‐order convergent in L ∞  norm. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Local solvability of the Keller–Segel system with Cauchy data in the Besov spaces
Authors: Iwabuchi Tsukasa
Published: June 2013

The Cauchy problem for the Keller–Segel system of parabolic elliptic type is considered for initial data in the Besov spaces with p < ∞ , and a sufficient condition is given on the existence and the uniqueness of local solutions. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The design and methods of the mental health module in the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Adults (DEGS1‐MH)
Authors: Jacobi Frank , Mack Simon , Gerschler Anja , Scholl Lucie , Höfler Michael , Siegert Jens , Bürkner Ariane , Preiss Stephanie , Spitzer Kathrin , Busch Markus , Hapke Ulfert , Gaebel Wolfgang , Maier Wolfgang , Wagner Michael , Zielasek Jürgen , Wittchen Hans‐Ulrich
Published: June 2013

DEGS1‐MH is part of the first wave of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey (DEGS1) covering all relevant health issues. Aims of DEGS1‐MH are to supplement DEGS1 by describing (1) the distribution and frequency, the severity and the impairments of a wide range of mental disorders, (2) risk factors as well as patterns of help‐seeking and health care utilization, and (3) associations between mental and somatic disorders, (4) and by comparisons with a similar survey in the late 1990s (GHS‐MHS), longitudinal trends and changes in morbidity over time. Out of all eligible DEGS1 respondents (nationally representative sample aged 18–79), N = 5318 subjects (conditional response rate 88%) were examined at their place of residence by clinically trained interviewers with a modified version of the standardized, computer‐assisted Composite International Diagnostic Interview (DEGS‐CIDI). Innovative additions were: a comprehensive neuropsychological examination, a broader assessment of psychosis‐like experiences, disorder‐specific disabilities, help‐seeking and health care utilization. The mental health module and its combination with the assessment of somatic and other health issues in DEGS1 allow for internationally unique, detailed and comprehensive analyses about mental disorders and the association of mental and somatic health issues in the community, constituting an improved basis for regular future surveys of this sort. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
MR – eyes for cancer: looking within an impenetrable disease
Authors: Penet Marie‐France , Artemov Dmitri , Farahani Keyvan , Bhujwalla Zaver M.
Published: June 2013

Probe development is a critical component in cancer imaging, and novel probes are making major inroads in several aspects of cancer detection and image‐guided treatments. Intrinsic MR probes such as signals from metabolites and their chemical shifts have been used for more than a decade to understand cancer physiology and metabolism. Through the integration of technology, molecular biology, and chemistry, the last few years have witnessed an explosion of extrinsic probes for molecular and functional imaging of cancer that, together with techniques such as CEST and hyperpolarization, have significantly expanded the repertoire of MR techniques in basic and translational investigations of many different aspects of cancer. Furthermore, incorporation of MR probes into multifunctional nanoparticles and multimodality imaging platforms have opened new opportunities for MR in image‐guided diagnosis and therapy of cancer. Here we have provided an overview of recent innovations that have occurred in the development of MRI probes for molecular and functional imaging of cancer. Although most of these novel probes are not clinically available, they offer significant promise for future translational applications. In this review, we have highlighted the areas of future development that are likely to have a profound impact on cancer detection and treatment. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.