bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of a Selective Thrombin Inhibitor MCI-9038 on Fibrinolysis In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Tamao Y , Yamamoto T , Kikumoto R , Hara H , Itoh J , Hirata T , Mineo K , Okamoto S
Published: July 2018

The effect of a selective thrombin inhibitor, (2R, 4R)-4-methyl-1- [N2- [(3-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-8-quinolinyl)sulfo-nyl]-L-arginyl]-2-piperidinecarboxylic acid (MCI-9038), on the fibrinolysis induced by t-PA and u-PA was studied in vitro and in vivo. MCI-9038 remarkably reduced the lysis time of the plasma clot generated by the addition of calcium chloride to the plasma at the concentration ranging from 0.01 to 0.3 μM. Heparin also reduced the plasma clot lysis time with a lower effect than MCI-9038. The fibrin crosslinkage in the plasma clot was inhibited by MCI-9038 or heparin. MCI-9038 potently inhibited the factor XIIIa generation from factor XIII by thrombin.

The effect on the in vivo thrombolysis was studied on the arterial thrombosis generated by the endothelial cell injury of the rabbit carotid artery by acetic acid. t-PA dissolved the thrombi with the infusion at 0.96 mg/kg over 2 h without a significant activation of a systemic fibrinolysis. u-PA dissolved the thrombi with the infusion at 180,000 and 360,000 IU/kg over 2 h. At a dose of 0.48 mg/kg t-PA or 90,000 IU/kg u-PA, the thrombi were not dissolved, but the combined use of MCI-9038 at 1.2 mg/kg over 2 h effectively dissolved the thrombi. Thus, combination of MCI-9038 with plasminogen activators accelerated thrombolysis of an experimental thrombosis in rabbits.
Correlation of Antibodies to LAV/HTLV III in Hemophiliacs with the Use of Virus-Inactivated Clotting Factors
Authors: Dietz Brigitte , Klose H J , Gürtler L , Eberle J , Deinhardt F , Köhler-Vajta Katalin , Peller P
Published: July 2018

The retrovirus LAV/HTLV III, highly likely to be responsible for the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in some recipients of blood products, can be inactivated by chemical and/ or heat treatment, so the use of virus-inactivated factor VIII and factor IX preparations for treating hemophilia A and B has become important. We examined hemophilic children and found that those children treated since 1979 with virus-inactivated preparations did not develop antibodies against LAV/HTLV III. In contrast, 77% of patients treated with conventional factor VIII or factor IX preparations had antibodies against this virus.
Role of Heparin in Tumor Cell-Induced Platelet Aggregation
Authors: Yamamoto Kazuo , Kitagawa Hisayo , Tanoue Kenjiro , Tsuruo Takashi , Yamamoto Naomasa , Yamazaki Hiroh
Published: July 2018

B16 mouse melanoma cell lines (B16F1, B16F10 and B16BL6) were able to induce platelet aggregation, and concomitant release of ATP in heparinized platelet-rich plasma (PRP). In citrated PRP, these tumor cells did not induce platelet aggregation. Addition of heparin to citrated PRP enabled these tumor cells to induce aggregation. In heparinized PRP, platelet aggregates induced by B16F10 cells were dissociated by the addition of either 4 mM EDTA, 10 mM CaCl2 or 0.1 μg/ml protamine sulfate. B16F10-induced aggregation in heparinized PRP was inhibited by preincubation with anti-fibronectin antibody, but not with antifibrinogen or anti-von Willebrand factor antibodies. B16F10 cells induced aggregation in washed platelet suspension with the addition of heparinized platelet-poor plasma (PPP). Cryoprecipi-tate from human plasma showed the same effect in the presence of heparin if substituted for PPP. The mixture of purified fibronectin, von Willebrand factor, fibrinogen and heparin were less effective than cryoprecipitate on B16F10-induced aggregation of washed platelets. The results suggest that an interaction between fibronectin and heparin may be important in tumor cell-induced aggregation.
Neonatal Intrathoracic Gastric Volvulus in Marfan's Syndrome
Authors: Serradilla Javier , Bueno Alba , Torre Carlos , Gamarra Eduardo , Romo Martha , Nava Hurtado de Saracho Francisco , Barrial María , Cervantes Manuel , Santamaria Manuel
Published: July 2018

We report a 12-day-old male who was admitted with vomiting because of an unusual early complication of Marfan's syndrome (MS): a sliding hiatal hernia. Initial ultrasound showed no stomach at its normal position and the chest X-ray presented an intrathoracic gas bubble with the nasogastric tube inside. An upper gastrointestinal contrast study confirmed the complete herniation of the stomach into the thorax. Via an exploratory laparotomy it was carefully reintroduced into the abdomen, following a hiatal reconstruction. A Thal fundoplication and a gastrostomy were also performed to guarantee its fixation. Although characterized by cardiac/aortic abnormalities, MS should be considered in any infant with hiatal/paraesophageal hernia, which should be repaired early to avoid gastric ischemia/volvulus.
Volumenmanagement bei Sepsis und septischer Schock
Authors: Kochanek Matthias , Böll Boris
Published: July 2018

Sepsis and septic shock are common diseases with high mortality rates. Although volume therapy has been a central component of sepsis therapy for decades, the choice of optimal fluid and fluid intake is unclear. This paper summarizes findings on pathophysiology, clinical trial results, and current recommendations for optimal volume and fluid management in sepsis.
Comparison of Core Muscles Endurance in Sited Occupied Staff and Non-sited Occupied Staff of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences
Authors: Jabarifard Fatemeh , Ghafarinejad Farahnaz , Pirouzi Soraya , Samani Mahbobeh
Published: July 2018

Objective Core muscle dysfunction might serve as a risk factor for future musculoskeletal dysfunctions considering the high percentages of adults employed in mainly sedentary occupations in Iran, there is a need to clarify the strength of evidence on the potentially deleterious impact of prolonged sitting at work on the biomechanics of core/trunk muscles. This study aims to evaluate trunk/core muscle endurance in employees of seated and non-seated jobs in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences.

Method A total number of 100 employees of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS) were studied in 2 groups, seated jobs (n=50) and non-seated jobs (n=50). Seated jobs (office employees) defined as the jobs’ nature requiring the employees to sit more than half of their work time in a day, whereas non-seated jobs were those requiring less than half a workday to sit. Trunk endurance time measured by the 4 different stabilization tests including McGill’s trunk flexor endurance test, Sorenson’s trunk extensor endurance test and right and left trunk lateral flexor endurance test (Side-Bridge test).

Results Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS software version 21 (SPSS, Chicago, IL) Independent t test was used individuals in non-seated group had a statistically significant higher trunk endurance time for all 4 static tests (all P-values<0.001).

Conclusion Prolonged occupational sitting is associated with reduced core muscle endurance. It may cause relationship between weakened core/trunk muscles and development of specific occupational musculoskeletal dysfunctions such as low back pain.
Psychophysische Kurzzeit- und Langzeiteffekte einer einmaligen Massageanwendung – Ergebnisse einer naturalistischen Studie
Authors: Kiebgis Gabriele , Eggart Michael , Thormählen Christina , Müller-Oerlinghausen Bruno
Published: July 2018

Einleitung Massagen verschiedenster Art werden zunehmend als komplementäre Therapie bei einer Reihe von Indikationen z. B. auch im geriatrischen oder palliativmedizinischen Bereich oder in der Behandlung Frühgeborener, aber auch in der Prävention von „burn-out“-Syndromen eingesetzt. Kontrollierte Studien belegen den antidepressiven, allgemein entspannenden aber auch analgetischen Effekt. Kaum Daten existieren aber zu den subjektiven psychophysischen Massagewirkungen bei der typischen Klientel üblicher physiotherapeutischer Praxen.

Methoden Wir untersuchten die subjektiven Wirkungen einer einstündigen psychoaktiven Massage („Vasana“) bei 100 Probanden in einer offenen einarmigen Versuchsanordnung mit 3 sukzessiven Messzeitpunkten. Zur Datenerfassung benutzten wir speziell konstruierte Fragebögen und visuelle Analogskalen.

Ergebnisse Die in einer Physiotherapie-Praxis rekrutierte Probandengruppe hatte einen höheren Frauenanteil und wies mehr psychosomatische Beschwerden auf als die deutsche Normalbevölkerung. Unmittelbar nach der Massage stellte sich ein signifikant erhöhtes allgemeines Wohlgefühl im Vergleich zum 14 Tage zuvor erhobenen Ausgangsniveau ein, das nach 14 Tagen nicht mehr beobachtet wurde. Die 13 Dimensionen psychophysischer Befindlichkeit zeigten mehrheitlich signifikante Verbesserungen, z. B. weniger Ängstlichkeit und depressive Stimmung, weniger myofaszialer Schmerz. In einem Drittel der Probanden wurden positive Effekte auch noch nach 14 Tagen dokumentiert, z. B. erhöhte körperliche Aufmerksamkeit, weniger Schlafstörungen. Verschiedene neurobiologische Mechanismen können diese Effekte erklären.

Schlussfolgerungen Massage als eine Form der therapeutischen Berührung sollte verstärkt in moderne multidimensionale Behandlungspläne bei psychosomatischen/psychiatrischen Störungen integriert werden, dies gilt insbesondere auch für die Behandlung chronischer Schmerzzustände. Studien belegen, dass auch in der Geburtsvorbereitung und in der postpartalen Phase Massagen eine wichtige Rolle spielen können.
Influence of Isokinetic Knee Muscle Torque at Different Angular Velocities on Standing Posture Stability in Healthy Adults
Authors: Al-Abdulwahab Sami , Kachanathu Shaji , Alodaibi Faris
Published: July 2018

Objectives Knee muscle groups contribute to proper and safe static and dynamic standing posture stability. The impact of isokinetic knee muscle torque at various angular velocities on standing posture stability is poorly understood. We investigated the influence of isokinetic knee muscle torque at different angular velocities on standing posture stability.

Design Cross-sectional study.

Setting King Saud University Campus labs.

Method The study population was a convenience sample of 30 healthy volunteer college students with a mean age of 20±2 years. Isokinetic concentric peak torque (PT) of knee extensor (Q) and flexor (H) muscle groups as well as the flexor to extensor (H:Q) ratio at three different angular velocities: (60, 180, and 300°/s) were measured, respectively. The postural stability was also measured in both static and dynamic components. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to examine the association between the different isokinetic components and postural stability (both static and dynamic).

Results The PT of Q and H muscle groups and the H:Q ratio at the 3 different angular velocities were significantly associated with static standing balance with eye open on a firm surface (p<0.033). Moreover, the PT of Q at 60 and 180°/s angular velocities was significantly associated with maximum and endpoint excursion components of dynamic standing balance (p<0.044).

Conclusions The PT of both Q and H muscle groups at different angular velocities are associated with maintenance of standing static balance. PT of Q only is significantly associated with control of dynamic standing balance in the lower angular velocities.
Sexual rejuvenation and hegemonic masculinity in C.P. Snow’s suppressed novel New Lives for Old (1933)
Authors: Oakley Catherine
Published: July 2018

The English physical chemist C.P. Snow is most renowned for his 1959 Rede Lecture The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution in which he lamented the intellectual divide between the sciences and the humanities. His work as a prolific writer of fiction, however, is less well-known, though he wrote seventeen novels over the course of his lifetime. New Lives for Old, published anonymously in 1933 and subsequently suppressed by the author, is the most obscure of these works. The novel’s fictional protagonist Billy Pilgrim, a professor of biophysics at Kings College, London, develops a technique for synthesising a human sex hormone which can prevent the atrophy of the ageing body. The first part of this paper draws on new archival documents to sketch the background to the novel’s publication and suppression. The second part situates the novel in relation to the under-explored subgenre of rejuvenation fiction from the early decades of the twentieth century, emphasising the dynamic exchange of rejuvenation discourses during this period across the medical and cultural spheres. The third and final part draws on the sociological concept of hegemonic masculinity to illuminate the book’s androcentrism and its sexism, tracing the ways in which C.P. Snow mobilises the gendered concept and practice of medical rejuvenation to navigate perceived threats to male privilege and authority.
Representations of the multi-qubit Clifford group
Authors: Helsen Jonas , Wallman Joel J. , Wehner Stephanie
Published: July 2018

The q-qubit Clifford group, that is, the normalizer of the q-qubit Pauli group in U(2q), is a fundamental structure in quantum information with a wide variety of applications. We characterize all irreducible subrepresentations of the two-copy representation φ⊗2 of the Clifford group on the two-fold tensor product of the space of linear operators M2q⊗2. In the companion paper [Helsen et al., e-print arXiv:1701.04299 (2017)], we apply this result to improve the statistics of randomized benchmarking, a method for characterizing quantum systems.
Inter-scale information flow as a surrogate for downward causation that maintains spiral waves
Authors: Ashikaga Hiroshi , James Ryan G.
Published: July 2018

A rotor, the rotation center of spiral waves, has been proposed as a causal mechanism to maintain atrial fibrillation (AF) in human. However, our current understanding of the causality between rotors and spiral waves remains incomplete. One approach to improving our understanding is to determine the relationship between rotors and downward causation from the macro-scale collective behavior of spiral waves to the micro-scale behavior of individual components in a cardiac system. This downward causation is quantifiable as inter-scale information flow that can be used as a surrogate for the mechanism that maintains spiral waves. We used a numerical model of a cardiac system and generated a renormalization group with system descriptions at multiple scales. We found that transfer entropy quantified the upward and downward inter-scale information flow between micro- and macro-scale descriptions of the cardiac system with spiral waves. In addition, because the spatial profile of transfer entropy and intrinsic transfer entropy was identical, there were no synergistic effects in the system. Furthermore, inter-scale information flow significantly decreased as the description of the system became more macro-scale. Finally, downward information flow was significantly correlated with the number of rotors, but the higher numbers of rotors were not necessarily associated with higher downward information flow. This finding contradicts the concept that the rotors are the causal mechanism that maintains spiral waves, and may account for the conflicting evidence from clinical studies targeting rotors to eliminate AF.
Experimental demonstration of deep traps in silica-based polyethylene nanocomposites by combined isothermal surface potential decay and pulsed electro-acoustic measurements
Authors: Wang Y. , Hao M. , Xu Z. , Qiang D. , Chen G. , Vaughan A.
Published: July 2018

The ability to suppress space charge accumulation at high electric fields makes nanocomposites attract significant research interest as potential insulation materials in high-voltage direct current cable development. At present, the deep trap introduced by nanoparticles is frequently applied to be responsible for the observed space charge suppression in nanocomposites. However, the experimental results that support deep-trap formation have not been rigorously examined. We therefore propose herein a simple and more direct approach based on isothermal surface potential decay combined with pulsed electro-acoustic measurements to verify the presence of deep traps in silica-based blend polyethylene nanocomposites. The results indicate that the deep traps are indeed introduced by filling nanosilica and the space charge suppression observed in the nanocomposite with a low loading ratio is caused by deeply trapped charges in the sub-surface region of specimens.
A continuous-time persistent random walk model for flocking
Authors: Escaff Daniel , Toral Raúl , Van den Broeck Christian , Lindenberg Katja
Published: July 2018

A classical random walker is characterized by a random position and velocity. This sort of random walk was originally proposed by Einstein to model Brownian motion and to demonstrate the existence of atoms and molecules. Such a walker represents an inanimate particle driven by environmental fluctuations. On the other hand, there are many examples of so-called “persistent random walkers,” including self-propelled particles that are able to move with almost constant speed while randomly changing their direction of motion. Examples include living entities (ranging from flagellated unicellular organisms to complex animals such as birds and fish), as well as synthetic materials. Here we discuss such persistent non-interacting random walkers as a model for active particles. We also present a model that includes interactions among particles, leading to a transition to flocking, that is, to a net flux where the majority of the particles move in the same direction. Moreover, the model exhibits secondary transitions that lead to clustering and more complex spatially structured states of flocking. We analyze all these transitions in terms of bifurcations using a number of mean field strategies (all to all interaction and advection-reaction equations for the spatially structured states), and compare these results with direct numerical simulations of ensembles of these interacting active particles.
Note: Parameter extraction of samples without the direct application of the passivity principle from reference-plane-invariant measurements
Authors: Hasar U. C. , Ozturk G.
Published: July 2018

An extraction algorithm has been proposed for explicit complex permittivity and complex permeability determination of samples using reference-plane-invariant scattering parameters without resorting to the application of the passivity principle. The algorithm relies on the definition of new odd and even reflection coefficients which result in no-crossing of the negative real axis for the argument of the square-root functions. Permittivity measurements of two low-loss samples were performed for validation of our algorithm.
Numerical study on helium-oxygen dielectric barrier discharges: From single-breakdown to multi-breakdowns per half-cycle
Authors: Zhang Hong , Guo Yang , Liu Dingxin , Sun Bowen , Liu Yifan , Yang Aijun , Wang Xiaohua , Wu Yi
Published: July 2018

Helium-oxygen dielectric barrier discharge has received much attention due to its high efficiency and stability in producing reactive oxygen species (ROS). Previous studies evidenced that the dielectric-barrier controlled plasma would transform from single-breakdown to multi-breakdowns per half cycle with the increasing applied voltage, but the variation of densities and wall fluxes of ROS during the transformation has not been well understood. This motivates us to construct a one-dimensional fluid model for this study. The results show that the volume-averaged densities and wall fluxes of the electron, ions, and atomic metastables are temporally pulsed with each breakdown, but they are nearly invariable for the grounded neutrals (O and O3) and molecular metastables [such as O2(a1Δg)]. For each species, the temporal pulses of density and flux of a specific species have different widths, and the widths remain almost constant in time among the breakdowns except for that of the electron. With the increasing number of breakdowns per half cycle, the wall fluence and the peak value of temporal flux pulses of O− have obviously different trends, and the energy efficiencies for the production and wall fluence increase significantly only for O− and O3−.
Experimental study on the pressure-generation efficiency and pressure-seal mechanism for large volume cubic press
Authors: Zhang Jiawei , Liu Fangming , Wu Jingjun , Liu Yinjuan , Hu Qiwei , Liu Jin , Liang Akun , Wang Qiang , He Duanwei
Published: July 2018

Measuring the pressure of a gasket (Pg) and cell (Pc) in situ is the key point to understanding the mechanism of pressure-generation and pressure-seal for the widely used large volume cubic press. However, it is a challenge to measure Pg due to the large deformation in the gasket zone and the complex rheological behavior of the pressure transmitting medium. Herein, a method of in situ electric resistance measurement has been developed to measure Pg. The open circuit failure in electric resistance measurement was avoided by using powder electrodes which could match the mould-pressed pyrophyllite cube in rheological behavior during compression. The relationships between press-load vs. Pc and press-load vs. Pg were obtained through in situ electric resistance measurements of bismuth, thallium, barium, and manganin. It was found that Pg exceeded Pc at around 5 GPa and Pc generated in the large volume cubic press was limited to the rapid rise of Pg above 5 GPa. Furthermore, the maximum ΔP (ΔP = Pc − Pg) above 0.9 GPa has been observed when Pc was released to a pressure range of 3–4 GPa, and this also leads to a large probability of high pressure cavity seal failure.
Enhanced piezoelectricity of thin film hafnia-zirconia (HZO) by inorganic flexible substrates
Authors: Hsain H. Alex , Sharma Pankaj , Yu Hyeonggeun , Jones Jacob L. , So Franky , Seidel Jan
Published: July 2018

Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 (HZO) films are grown on rigid glass and flexible polyimide substrates using non-rapid thermal annealing. Films are comparatively investigated using macroscopic and local probe-based approaches to characterize their ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties. The polarization-electric field (P-E) measurements reveal that the ferroelectric characteristics of these thin films agree with the observed switchable piezoresponse hysteresis loops as well as electrically written, oppositely oriented domains. Moreover, the HZO thin films grown on flexible polyimide substrates display significantly enhanced piezoelectric response in comparison to the films grown on rigid substrates. This effect is likely due to improved domain wall motion caused by the mechanical release of the film-substrate couple. These findings suggest that inherently lead-free HZO thin films on flexible substrates are potential candidate materials for improved piezoelectric applications in wearable devices.
Anomalous effect of turning off long-range mobility interactions in Stokesian dynamics
Authors: Townsend Adam K. , Wilson Helen J.
Published: July 2018

In Stokesian dynamics, particles are assumed to interact in two ways: through long-range mobility interactions and through short-range lubrication interactions. To speed up computations, in shear-driven concentrated suspensions, often found in rheometric contexts, it is common to consider only lubrication. We show that, although this approximation may provide acceptable results in shear-driven periodic suspensions, for bidisperse suspensions where the particles are exposed to an external force, it can produce physically unreasonable results. We suggest that this problem could be mitigated by a careful choice of particle pairs on which lubrication interactions should be included.
The race within supercooled liquids—Relaxation versus crystallization
Authors: Zanotto Edgar D. , Cassar Daniel R.
Published: July 2018

Can any liquid be cooled down below its melting point to an isentropic (Kauzmann) temperature without vitrifying or crystallizing? This long-standing question concerning the ultimate fate of supercooled liquids is one of the key problems in condensed matter physics and materials science. In this article, we used a plethora of thermodynamic and kinetic data and well established theoretical models to estimate the kinetic spinodal temperature, TKS (the temperature where the average time for the first critical crystalline nucleus to appear becomes equal to the average relaxation time of a supercooled liquid), and the Kauzmann temperature, TK, for two substances. We focused our attention on selected compositions of the two most important oxide glass-forming systems: a borate and a silicate—which show measurable homogeneous crystal nucleation in laboratory time scales—as proxies of these families of glass-formers. For both materials, we found that the TKS are significantly higher than the predicted TK. Therefore, at ambient pressure, at deep supercoolings before approaching TK, crystallization wins the race over structural relaxation. Hence, the temperature of entropy catastrophe predicted by Kauzmann cannot be reached for the studied substances; it is averted by incipient crystal nucleation. Our finding that TKS > TK for two real glasses corroborate the results of computer simulations for a pressurized silica glass.
Molecular model of J-aggregated pseudoisocyanine fibers
Authors: Bricker William P. , Banal James L. , Stone Matthew B. , Bathe Mark
Published: July 2018

Aggregated cyanines form ordered supramolecular structures with the potential to transport energy efficiently over long distances, a hallmark of photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes. In concentrated aqueous solution, pseudoisocyanine (PIC) spontaneously forms fibers with a chiral J-band red-shifted 1600 cm−1 from the monomeric 0–0 transition. A cryogenic transmission electron microscopy analysis of these fibers show an average fiber width of 2.89 nm, although the molecular-level structure of the aggregate is currently unknown. To determine a molecular model for these PIC fibers, the calculated spectra and dynamics using a Frenkel exciton model are compared to experiment. A chiral aggregate model in which the PIC monomers are neither parallel nor orthogonal to the long axis of the fiber is shown to replicate the experimental spectra most closely. This model can be physically realized by the sequential binding of PIC dimers and monomers to the ends of the fiber. These insights into the molecular aggregation model for aqueous PIC can also be applied to other similar cyanine-based supramolecular complexes with the potential for long-range energy transport, a key building block for the rational design of novel excitonic systems.
Nonlinear-response properties in a simplified time-dependent density functional theory (sTD-DFT) framework: Evaluation of the first hyperpolarizability
Authors: de Wergifosse Marc , Grimme Stefan
Published: July 2018

Recent developments in nonlinear imaging microscopy show the need to implement new theoretical tools, which are able to characterize nonlinear optical properties in an efficient way. For second-harmonic imaging microscopy (SHIM), quantum chemistry could play an important role to design new exogenous dyes with enhanced first hyperpolarizabilities or to characterize the response origin in large endogenous biological systems. Such methods should be able to screen a large number of compounds while reproducing their trends and to treat large systems in reasonable computation times. To fulfill these requirements, we present a new simplified time-dependent density functional theory (sTD-DFT) implementation to evaluate the first hyperpolarizability where the Coulomb and exchange integrals are approximated by short-range damped Coulomb interactions of transition density monopoles. For an ultra-fast computation of the first hyperpolarizability, a tight-binding version (sTD-DFT-xTB) is also proposed. In our implementation, a sTD-DFT calculation is more than 600 time faster with respect to a regular TD-DFT treatment, while the xTB version speeds up the entire calculation further by at least two orders of magnitude. We challenge our implementation on three test cases: typical push-pull π-conjugated compounds, fluorescent proteins, and a collagen model, which were selected to model requirements for SHIM applications.
Enhanced stability of perovskite solar cells using hydrophobic organic fluoropolymer
Authors: Liu Hongzhu , Wang Minhuan , Bian Jiming , Feng Yulin , Wang Zefeng , Zhang Bingye , Shi Yantao
Published: July 2018

Hydrophobic organic fluoropolymers (HOFPs) with excellent hydrophobic, heat-resistant, and sunlight-transparent properties were synthesized by emulsion polymerization. The HOFP layer was inserted between a (FAMA)Pb(IBr)3 active layer and a hole transport layer in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The performance of the resulting PSC devices depends highly on the thickness of the HOFP layer. Under optimized HOFP thickness, a moderate steady power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 16.9% was achieved. Remarkably, the optimized PSCs without any encapsulation exhibit outstanding shelf stability under ambient conditions, and the PCE could maintain 80% of its initial value after 2400 h (100 days), which was among the ever reported best stability whereas, the reference device without HOFP shows rapid severe degradation after only a few days. The significantly improved stability of PSCs was mainly ascribed to the impermeable barrier properties of the HOFP layer, which protect the perovskite active layer against moisture and oxygen from the ambient atmosphere.
Communication: Adiabatic quantum trajectory capture for cold and ultra-cold chemical reactions
Authors: Scribano Yohann , Parlant Gérard , Poirier Bill
Published: July 2018

The Langevin capture model is often used to describe barrierless reactive collisions. At very low temperatures, quantum effects may alter this simple capture image and dramatically affect the reaction probability. In this paper, we use the trajectory-ensemble reformulation of quantum mechanics, as recently proposed by one of the authors (Poirier) to compute adiabatic-channel capture probabilities and cross-sections for the highly exothermic reaction Li + CaH(v = 0, j = 0) → LiH + Ca, at low and ultra-low temperatures. Each captured quantum trajectory takes full account of tunneling and quantum reflection along the radial collision coordinate. Our approach is found to be very fast and accurate, down to extremely low temperatures. Moreover, it provides an intuitive and practical procedure for determining the capture distance (i.e., where the capture probability is evaluated), which would otherwise be arbitrary.
Time-resolved neural reinstatement and pattern separation during memory decisions in human hippocampus
Authors: Lohnas Lynn J. , Duncan Katherine , Doyle Werner K. , Thesen Thomas , Devinsky Orrin , Davachi Lila
Published: July 2018

Significance

One of the biggest computational challenges the memory system faces is to disambiguate highly similar experiences while at the same time preserving and reinstating prior memories. Remarkably, hippocampal processes have been implicated in both of these functions. However, how this is accomplished is unknown. Leveraging the spatiotemporal resolution of electrocorticography, we found evidence for memory reinstatement in both the hippocampus and occipitotemporal cortex. Interestingly, when a current experience was very similar but not identical to a prior one, occipitotemporal cortical activity still showed reinstatement of the prior memory, but hippocampal activity differentiated or disambiguated these two similar experiences.
Acceleration of hydrogen absorption by palladium through surface alloying with gold
Authors: Namba Kazuhiro , Ogura Shohei , Ohno Satoshi , Di Wen , Kato Koichi , Wilde Markus , Pletikosić Ivo , Pervan Petar , Milun Milorad , Fukutani Katsuyuki
Published: July 2018

Significance

Surfaces are gates to control the transport of energy and materials between the gas phase and bulk. For the hydrogen storage, the transport of hydrogen across the surface is recognized as the bottleneck, e.g., 1 H2in 1,000 impinging a Pd surface penetrates the surface. Here, we demonstrate that alloying the Pd(110) surface with submonolayer amounts of Au dramatically accelerates the hydrogen absorption, by a factor of more than 40. This discovery will lead to enhancement of hydrogen absorption kinetics, thereby improving the performance of hydrogen-purifying membranes and hydrogen-storage materials, which is a key for utilizing hydrogen as a carbon-free energy carrier.
Overt and covert uses of metaphor in the academic mentoring in English of Spanish undergraduate students at five European universities
Authors: MacArthur Fiona
Published: July 2018

Twenty-seven semi-guided office hours’ consultations between lecturers and
Spanish-speaking undergraduate students were recorded at five different universities in Europe where English is the medium of instruction. The linguistic data gathered show that metaphor plays a significant role in the way that lecturers explain to visiting Erasmus students how assignments, exams or course contents should be approached and understood. When mentoring their students, lecturers often frame the advice they are giving in metaphorical ways; occasionally this is done overtly, through establishing analogies or non-literal comparisons, but more often it is done covertly, through the use of conventional metaphorical expressions that are not accompanied by words or phrases that signal that the lecturers’ words should be understood as metaphors. This article examines extracts of talk from 5 academic conversations, looking at the different ways that ideas are framed metaphorically and the kind of responses they provoke in
a conversational partner. The initial hypothesis was that overt metaphors would be a particularly effective means of communicating an idea in these crosscultural mentoring sessions. However, when we compare this with covert uses of metaphor in the corpus, there is only weak evidence that it is so. Rather, the communicative success of any use of metaphor seems to depend very largely on the way that the conversational partners enact their roles as collaborative participants in an academic conversation.
Diachronic syntax based on constituency and dependency annotated corpora
Authors: Stein Achim
Published: July 2018

This contribution presents two syntactically annotated corpora of Old French,Modéliser le changement: les voies du français(MCVF) and theSyntactic Reference Corpus of Medieval French(SRCMF). The focus is on how the underlying syntactic theory (constituency vs. dependency) influences the grammar model and how this choice is reflected in the syntactic annotations of the corpora. The comparison relates to the most relevant general properties of the corpora as well as to two phenomena, null subjects and cleft constructions. Null subjects highlight possible conflicts between syntactic annotation models and syntactic theory, and the information-structural properties of cleft constructions pose a particular problem for the interpretation and annotation of historical corpora. Both phenomena are major instances of diachronic variation in French. The study is relevant for corpus users working on diachronic syntax, as well for corpus builders wishing to design a grammar model for annotation.
Analyzing the structure of code-switched written texts
Authors: Estigarribia Bruno , Wilkins Zachary
Published: July 2018

As more written language data become available, the interest in written language mixing / codeswitching (LM/CS) is increasing (Sebba, Mahootian & Jonsson 2012;Sebba 2013). LM/CS in non-naturalistic (e.g., literary) texts raises issues related to gauging (1) the authenticity and representativity of a textual corpus, and deciding (2) whether categories/mechanisms of spoken LM/CS apply to written LM/CS.1We focus on Guarani-Spanish LM/CS (Jopara) as represented in the Paraguayan novelRamona Quebranto(RQ). We apply the framework of Muysken (1997;2000;2013), developed as a taxonomy of spoken LM/CS. Our contribution extends its applicability to written LM/CS. We show that Jopara has a mix of insertional and backflagging strategies, with infrequent alternations.
Word meanings and semantic domains in acquisition
Authors: Clark Eve V.
Published: July 2018

As children accumulate words, they build up semantic domains. In doing this, they start to link the meanings of words, depending on how they are related to each other. They rely on conceptual representations of objects and events, and on how adults talk about objects and events. Adults typically provide information along with new-word offers: facts about class membership, parts and properties, motion, sound, and function provide a basis for semantic relations. Semantic domains built up early include many general domains as well as some domains of intense interest (e.g., dinosaurs or cars), also elaborated with parental support. As children learn more words, they structure each domain and link new terms to ones they already know.
Semantic features of early verb vocabularies
Authors: Horvath Sabrina , Rescorla Leslie , Arunachalam Sudha
Published: July 2018

Much research has asked why verbs are difficult to acquire, and how toddlers nevertheless acquire them. Still, we know little about what kinds of verb meanings are easy or difficult to acquire. We revisit Rescorla and colleagues’ data on vocabulary knowledge in toddlers acquiring English, Italian, Greek, Korean, and Portuguese measured using the Language Development Survey. We coded the survey’s verbs for several semantic features to determine which features predict appearance in toddlers’ vocabularies. For English, manner and result verbs were equally well known across samples, but verbs labeling durative events and events with fewer event participants were more likely to be known than those labeling punctual events and events involving more participants. Similar trends held in the other languages.
The meaning of question words in statements in child Mandarin
Authors: Crain Stephen , Zhou Peng
Published: July 2018

This paper reports the findings of three experiments investigating children’s emerging knowledge of the semantics of information-seeking questions and declarative statements in Mandarin Chinese. Mandarin is particularly revealing about the semantic relationship between questions and statements, because it is a wh-in-situ language where question words appear in the same surface syntactic position in both questions and statements. The non-interrogative meanings that Mandarin-speaking children assign to question words lend weight to a unified approach to the semantics of existential expressions, including Free Choice Expressions, Negative Polarity Items, and disjunction words. When Mandarin question words appear in statements, children interpret them to be the semantic equivalents of existential expressions. The findings, therefore, support the unified approach to the semantics of existential expressions.
Developmental insights into gappy phenomena
Authors: Tieu Lyn , Bill Cory , Zehr Jérémy , Romoli Jacopo , Schwarz Florian
Published: July 2018

In natural language, we encounter various sentence types that, under certain circumstances, are evaluated as neither true nor false. For instance, it is intuitively difficult to assess the truth value of a sentence whose presupposition is not satisfied in the context. A common theoretical approach is to characterize the status of such sentences with a third value of one kind or another. In this chapter, we consider children’s acquisition of four linguistic phenomena that can give rise to ‘gappy’ judgments that correspond neither to True nor False: scalar implicature, presupposition, homogeneity, and vagueness. We discuss how young children’s interpretations of such sentences can provide insight into how these phenomena should be treated within semantic theories.
Identification of novel long chain N-acylhomoserine lactones of chain length C20 from the marine phototrophic bacterium Rhodovulum sulfidophilum
Authors: Arashida Naoko , Shimbo Kazutaka , Terada Takeshi , Okimi Takuya , Kikuchi Yo , Hashiro Shuhei , Umekage So , Yasueda Hisashi
Published: July 2018

Gram-negative bacterial quorum sensing is mainly regulated by an extracellularly produced N-acylhomoserine lactone (AHL). AHL consists of a lactone ring and an acyl chain, which generally varies from C4 to C18 in length and affords species-specific variety. In this study, we developed an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry system and detected two kinds of long chain AHLs with chain length C20 from the reverse-phase thin layer chromatography-fractionated cultured supernatant of the marine photosynthetic bacterium Rhodovulum sulfidophilum. By fragmentation search analysis to detect compounds with a homoserine lactone ring moiety for data dependent acquisition, a minor AHL, presumed to be 3-OH-C18-homoserine lactone (HSL), was also found. Among the detected C20-HSLs, 3-OH-C20-HSL was structurally identified and 3-OH-C20:1-HSL was strongly suggested. To our knowledge, this is the first report to show a novel AHL with the longest C20 acyl side chain found to date.

Abbreviations: AGC: automatic gain control; AHL: N-acylhomoserine lactone; CD: cyclodextrin; CID: collision induced dissociation; DDA: data dependent acquisition; EPI: enhanced product ion; FISh: fragment ion search; HCD: high energy collisional dissociation; HSL: homoserine lactone; IT: injection time; LC: liquid chromatography; MS: mass spectrometry; PRM: parallel reaction monitoring; RP: reverse phase; SRM: selected reaction monitoring; TLC: thin layer chromatography; UHPLC: ultra high performance liquid chromatography
Increase in the thermostability of Bacillus sp. strain TAR-1 xylanase using a site saturation mutagenesis library
Authors: Nakatani Kota , Katano Yuta , Kojima Kenji , Takita Teisuke , Yatsunami Rie , Nakamura Satoshi , Yasukawa Kiyoshi
Published: July 2018

Site saturation mutagenesis library is a recently developed technique, in which any one out of all amino acid residues in a target region is substituted into other 19 amino acid residues. In this study, we used this technique to increase the thermostability of a GH10 xylanase, XynR, from Bacillus sp. strain TAR-1. We hypothesized that the substrate binding region of XynR is flexible, and that the thermostability of XynR will increase if the flexibility of the substrate binding region is decreased without impairing the substrate binding ability. Site saturation mutagenesis libraries of amino acid residues Tyr43–Lys115 and Ala300–Asn325 of XynR were constructed. By screening 480 clones, S92E was selected as the most thermostable one, exhibiting the residual activity of 80% after heat treatment at 80°C for 15 min in the hydrolysis of Remazol Brilliant Blue-xylan. Our results suggest that this strategy is effective for stabilization of GH10 xylanase.

Abbreviations: DNS: 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid; RBB-xylan: Remazol Brilliant Blue-xylan
Assessing fish consumption Beneficial Use Impairment at Great Lakes Areas of Concern: Toronto case study
Authors: P. Bhavsar Satyendra , Drouillard Ken G. , W. K. Tang Rex , Matos Laud , Neff Margaret
Published: July 2018

Beneficial use of fish consumption was designated impaired in the 1980s in many Areas of Concern across the North American Great Lakes. Remedial Action Plans have guided the restoration of beneficial use impairments with the goal of delisting the Areas of Concern. Here we present generic re-designation criteria and a three-tier Assessment Framework to assess the status of the fish consumption beneficial use impairments using the Toronto and Region Area of Concern as a case study. Tier 1 assessment identified that consumption advisories for many resident fish on the Toronto waterfront are non-restrictive (8+ meals month−1). Advisory assessments in Tier 1 found that most migratory fish species, Carp and White Sucker are still restrictive in some cases preventing a ‘not impaired’ re-designation. Tier 2 Comparison with Reference Sites found that the advisories for most local fish are either non-restrictive or similar to reference locations in Lake Ontario, but some advisories due to elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyl are still more restrictive for the Toronto waterfront and do not favour a ‘not impaired’ re-designation. An evaluation of multiple lines of evidence in Tier 3 including fish contaminant trend analyses, time to reach target fish levels, sediment concentrations and fish consumption patterns resulted in outcomes ranging from neutral (not conclusive) to not impaired. As a precautionary approach, the impaired status of the beneficial use impairment should be maintained to ensure continued polychlorinated biphenyl declines in fish. It is recommended that the Remedial Action Plan team update the fish consumption survey, investigate where additional feasible actions can be taken including examining potential polychlorinated biphenyl sources on the Humber and Don Rivers, and collect new data to undertake a future assessment.
Domesticating radicalism or radicalising domestic politics? A reply to Trimikliniotis
Authors: Ioakimidis Vasilios
Published: July 2018

Trimikliniotis’ (2018) analysis has captured the contradictions of a political system that has largely failed to grasp the fast pace of change in the structure, economics and ideology within Cypriot society. The response to this analysis focuses on three main issues: a) the urgent need for a pro-peace radical movement in Cyprus that meaningfully engages with a Marxist political economy; b) the dilemma facing AKEL between a bourgeoisie defined “credible and prudent” fiscal policy and the urgent need for the party to support the alienated working classes through the articulation and implementation of radical macroeconomic reforms; and c) A strategy for reconnecting politics and action in an organic way where the former feeds the latter and vice versa. The validity of a confident social movement approach is confirmed not through the macroeconomic orthodoxies of neoliberalism but the creation and implementation of a radical agenda that speaks to the needs, expectations and experiences of the working classes. The author suggests that a radical agenda only becomes meaningful when it allows the creation of organic alliances and moves beyond narrow ideas of ideological purity.
Re-imagining the left through an ecology of the commons: towards a post-capitalist commons transition
Authors: Bauwens Michel , Ramos Jose
Published: July 2018

Our main hypothesis in this paper is that in the current conjuncture, we are moving towards a ‘dominance’ of a ‘commons’ format for societal development. The commons format assumes a ‘third’ mode of development that indicates civil society and community as critical initiators and guardians of common value. The emerging commons model should be distinguished from both the regulation of capitalism by social-democracy, and state-centric Soviet types of socialism. Just as a full-fledged capitalist system could be seen as starting with the seed forms developed in the medieval city-states, so a future commons-centric society can be hypothesized from currently emerging commons-based seed forms. We believe that just as the revolutions bringing full-fledged capitalism were preceded by the development of capitalists and their seed forms, so a commons-based systemic change is necessarily the result of commoners developing their own seed forms. Therefore, the creation of a systemic ecology of the commons becomes an essential strategy for social change. The key approach for emancipation is no longer a redistribution of market value, or a state-centric appropriation of productive assets, but an interweaving of commons-based production and redistribution