bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The influence of different circular hole perforations on interlaminar shear strength of a novel fiber metal laminates
Authors: Özgür Bora Mustafa , Çoban Onur , Sinmazçelik Tamer , Cürgül İsmail
Published: September 2014

This study characterizes surface treated classic type fiber metal laminates (FMLs) interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) based on a glass mat reinforced polyphenylene sulphide composite and an aluminum alloy. The effect of concentration of γ‐glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane surface treatment on ILSS of adhesive bonding between aluminum sheet and composite laminates has been investigated. After determining the silane concentration, novel FML material is manufactured using a compression moulding process which involves aluminum sheets with different circular hole perforations (Array type A and B) with two circular hole diameters (ϕ3 and ϕ5 mm) and two total hole area/closed area: 0.05 and 0.06) to develop mechanical interlocking between aluminum layers and composite laminates. Tensile tests are performed to investigate the effect of different circular hole perforations on ILSS properties of FMLs. Test results show that ILSS is improved with increasing the circular hole diameter and decreased with the number of holes as correlated with undrilled FMLs. Failure modes, damage initiation, and progression of FMLs with different open hole perforations are determined with optical microscope. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:963–973, 2016. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers
Nanoparticle Chemistry and Functionalization Differentially Regulates Dendritic Cell–Nanoparticle Interactions and Triggers Dendritic Cell Maturation
Authors: Goodman Jonathan T. , Vela Ramirez Julia E. , Boggiatto Paola M. , Roychoudhury Rajarshi , Pohl Nicola L. B. , Wannemuehler Michael J. , Narasimhan Balaji
Published: September 2014

Biodegradable polyanhydride nanoparticles have been used as vaccine adjuvants and delivery vehicles. Upon parenteral administration, the surface characteristics of these nanoparticles may be modified by serum protein adsorption, likely affecting how the particles interact with antigen presenting cells. These studies investigated the role of the differential adsorption of serum proteins onto carbohydrate‐functionalized and non‐functionalized polyanhydride nanoparticles of different chemistries on interactions with dendritic cells (DCs). Di‐mannose (a carboxymethyl‐modified disaccharide of 1,2‐α‐linked‐d‐mannopyranoside) or glycolic acid was covalently linked to nanoparticles synthesized using copolymers of 1,6‐bis(p‐carboxyphenoxy)hexane (CPH) and sebacic acid (SA) and 1,8‐bis(p‐carboxyphenoxy)‐3,6‐dioxaoctane (CPTEG) and CPH. Serum protein adsorption to CPH:SA nanoparticles enhanced particle internalization, but did not enhance uptake of CPTEG:CPH nanoparticles. When DCs were cultured with nanoparticles, the surface expression of MHC II, CD86, and CD206 was enhanced and mediated by both polymer chemistry and functionalization. Cytokine secretion by DCs was differentially modulated by both polymer chemistry and functionalization. The amount and profile of serum proteins adsorbed indicated that polymer hydrophobicity and functionalization enhanced protein adsorption. Overall polymer chemistry, functionalization, and serum protein adsorption influenced nanoparticle interactions with DCs and elucidating the complex relationships between these parameters and dendritic cell maturation will enable rational design of targeted vaccines and immunotherapies.
EM for regularized zero‐inflated regression models with applications to postoperative morbidity after cardiac surgery in children
Authors: Wang Zhu , Ma Shuangge , Wang Ching‐Yun , Zappitelli Michael , Devarajan Prasad , Parikh Chirag
Published: September 2014

This paper proposes a new statistical approach for predicting postoperative morbidity such as intensive care unit length of stay and number of complications after cardiac surgery in children. In a recent multi‐center study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, 311 children undergoing cardiac surgery were enrolled. Morbidity data are count data in which the observations take only nonnegative integer values. Often, the number of zeros in the sample cannot be accommodated properly by a simple model, thus requiring a more complex model such as the zero‐inflated Poisson regression model. We are interested in identifying important risk factors for postoperative morbidity among many candidate predictors. There is only limited methodological work on variable selection for the zero‐inflated regression models. In this paper, we consider regularized zero‐inflated Poisson models through penalized likelihood function and develop a new expectation–maximization algorithm for numerical optimization. Simulation studies show that the proposed method has better performance than some competing methods. Using the proposed methods, we analyzed the postoperative morbidity, which improved the model fitting and identified important clinical and biomarker risk factors. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Insights into the U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein complex superfamily
Authors: Guiro J , O'Reilly D
Published: September 2014

The 164 bp U1 small nuclear (sn) RNA is one of the most abundant noncoding (nc) RNA in human cells, estimated to be in the region of 106 copies/cell. Although best known for its role in pre‐messenger RNA (mRNA) splicing events, research over the past 20 years has revealed diverse functions of this ncRNA in mammalian cell types. Excellent reviews exist detailing the role of U1 snRNA in pre‐mRNA splicing events. This review highlights what is currently known regarding the additional roles, snRNP composition, expression profiles, and the genomic organization of this ncRNA. WIREs RNA 2015, 6:79–92. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1257

This article is categorized under:

RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein–RNA Interactions: Functional Implications

RNA Processing > Splicing Mechanisms
Just What the Doctor Ordered? Investigating the Impact of Health Service Quality on Consumer Misbehaviour
Authors: Greer Dominique A. , Russell-Bennett Rebekah , Tombs Alastair , Drennan Judy
Published: September 2014

The growth in demand and expenditure currently being experienced in the Australian health sector is also accompanied by a rise in dysfunctional customer behaviour, such as verbal abuse and physical violence, perpetrated against health service providers. While service failure and poor recovery are known to trigger consumer misbehaviour, this study investigates whether lower than expected perceived service quality generates cognitive and emotional appraisals that trigger two common forms of misbehaviour: refusal to participate and verbal abuse. Data were collected using a 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment administered via online written survey and analysed using path modelling. The findings indicate that perceptions of service encounter quality have an indirect effect on whether consumers refuse to participate in the service and/or verbally abuse the service provider through the mediating effect of anger.
A further assessment of decision-making in anorexia nervosa
Authors: Adoue C. , Jaussent I. , Olié E. , Beziat S. , Van den Eynde F. , Courtet P. , Guillaume S.
Published: September 2014

Objective:

Anorexia nervosa (AN) may be associated with impaired decision-making. Cognitive processes underlying this impairment remain unclear, mainly because previous assessments of this complex cognitive function were completed with a single test. Furthermore, clinical features such as mood status may impact this association. We aim to further explore the hypothesis of altered decision-making in AN.

Method:

Sixty-three adult women with AN and 49 female controls completed a clinical assessment and were assessed by three tasks related to decision-making [Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), Probabilistic Reversal Learning Task (PRLT)].

Results:

People with AN had poorer performance on the IGT and made less risky choices on the BART, whereas performances were not different on PRLT. Notably, AN patients with a current major depressive disorder showed similar performance to those with no current major depressive disorder.

Conclusion:

These results tend to confirm an impaired decision making-process in people with AN and suggest that various cognitive processes such as inhibition to risk-taking or intolerance of uncertainty may underlie this condition Furthermore, these impairments seem unrelated to the potential co-occurent major depressive disorders.
Smoothened (SMO) receptor mutations dictate resistance to vismodegib in basal cell carcinoma
Authors: Pricl Sabrina , Cortelazzi Barbara , Dal Col Valentina , Marson Domenico , Laurini Erik , Fermeglia Maurizio , Licitra Lisa , Pilotti Silvana , Bossi Paolo , Perrone Federica
Published: September 2014

Basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and a subset of medulloblastomas are characterized by loss‐of‐function mutations in the tumor suppressor gene, PTCH1. PTCH1 normally functions by repressing the activity of the Smoothened (SMO) receptor. Inactivating PTCH1 mutations result in constitutive Hedgehog pathway activity through uncontrolled SMO signaling. Targeting this pathway with vismodegib, a novel SMO inhibitor, results in impressive tumor regression in patients harboring genetic defects in this pathway. However, a secondary mutation in SMO has been reported in medulloblastoma patients following relapse on vismodegib to date. This mutation preserves pathway activity, but appears to confer resistance by interfering with drug binding.

Here we report for the first time on the molecular mechanisms of resistance to vismodegib in two BCC cases. The first case, showing progression after 2 months of continuous vismodegib (primary resistance), exhibited the new SMO G497W mutation. The second case, showing a complete clinical response after 5 months of treatment and a subsequent progression after 11 months on vismodegib (secondary resistance), exhibited a PTCH1 nonsense mutation in both the pre‐ and the post‐treatment specimens, and the SMO D473Y mutation in the post‐treatment specimens only. In silico analysis demonstrated that SMOG497W undergoes a conformational rearrangement resulting in a partial obstruction of the protein drug entry site, whereas the SMO D473Y mutation induces a direct effect on the binding site geometry leading to a total disruption of a stabilizing hydrogen bond network. Thus, the G497W and D473Y SMO mutations may represent two different mechanisms leading to primary and secondary resistance to vismodegib, respectively.
The spontaneous generation of inertia–gravity waves during frontogenesis forced by large strain: theory
Authors: Shakespeare Callum J. , Taylor J. R.
Published: September 2014

Density fronts are common features of ocean and atmosphere boundary layers. Field observations and numerical simulations have shown that the sharpening of frontal gradients, or frontogenesis, can spontaneously generate inertia–gravity waves (IGWs). Although significant progress has been made in describing frontogenesis using approximations such as quasi-geostrophy (Stone, J. Atmos. Sci., vol. 23, 1966, pp. 455–565, Williams & Plotkin J. Atmos. Sci., vol. 25, 1968, pp. 201–206) semi-geostrophy (Hoskins, Annu. Rev. Fluid Mech., vol. 14, 1982, pp. 131–151), these models omit waves. Here, we further develop the analytical model of Shakespeare & Taylor (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 736, 2013, pp. 366–413) to describe the spontaneous emission of IGWs from an initially geostrophically balanced front subjected to a time-varying horizontal strain. The model uses the idealised configuration of an infinitely long, straight front and uniform potential vorticity (PV) fluid, with a uniform imposed convergent strain across the front, similar to Hoskins & Bretherton (J. Atmos. Sci., vol. 29, 1972, pp. 11–37). Inertia–gravity waves are generated via two distinct mechanisms: acceleration of the large-scale flow and frontal collapse. Wave emission via frontal collapse is predicted to be exponentially small for small values of strain but significant for larger strains. Time-varying strain can also generate finite-amplitude waves by accelerating the cross-front flow and disrupting geostrophic balance. In both cases waves are trapped by the oncoming strain flow and can only propagate away from the frontal zone when the strain field weakens sufficiently, leading to wave emission that is strongly localised in both time and space.
Comparison of the digestive efficiency of extruded diets fed to ferrets (Mustela putorius furo), dogs (Canis familiaris) and cats (Felis catus)
Authors: Sá Fabiano C. , Silva Flavio L. , Gomes Márcia de O. S. , Brunetto Márcio A. , Bazolli Rodrigo S. , Giraldi Thiago , Carciofi Aulus C.
Published: September 2014

The digestive tract of ferrets is anatomically simple, with no caecum, ileocolic valve or external differentiation between the transition of ileum and colon. The species has a short large intestine that provides minor contributions to the digestive process. Aiming to better understand the digestibility efficiency of ferrets, the present study compared the digestibility of extruded diets with different amounts of macronutrients fed to dogs, cats and ferrets. Three formulations for cat maintenance were used (values in % of DM basis): high carbohydrate (HC; nitrogen-free extract (NFE) = 54 %, protein = 31 % and fat = 8 %); moderate carbohydrate (MC; NFE = 37 %, protein = 41 % and fat = 10 %); and low carbohydrate (LC; NFE = 19 %, protein = 46 % and fat = 23 %). Apparent total tract macronutrient digestibility was determined by the method of total collection of faeces. Results were compared by ANOVA, considering the diet and species effects and their interactions. Means were compared by the Tukey's test (P < 0·05). Dogs and cats presented similar food intakes, but ferrets consumed almost two times more food (g/kg body weight). Species × diet interactions were verified for apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD; P < 0·05). Ferrets presented lower DM digestibility than dogs and cats for all three diets (P < 0·05), lower NFE digestibility than dogs for the three diets and lower NFE digestibility than cats for the HC and LC diets (P < 0·05). For crude protein (CP), ferrets presented lower ATTD than dogs and cats (P < 0·05), whereas for fat, dogs and ferrets presented similar ATTD, and higher values than those presented by cats (P < 0·05). Kibble diets had a lower DM, CP and NFE digestibility when fed to ferrets compared with dogs and cats. Fat digestibility was similar between dogs and ferrets and higher than that for cats.
Long-term follow-up after weight management in obese cats
Authors: Deagle Gabrielle , Holden Shelley L. , Biourge Vincent , Morris Penelope J. , German Alexander J.
Published: September 2014

Feline obesity is a prevalent medical disease and the main therapeutic strategy is dietary energy restriction. However, at present there are no data regarding long-term outcome in this species. The purpose of the present study was to investigate if, as in other species, some cats regain weight following successful weight loss, and to identify any influencing factors in a cohort of client-owned cats with naturally occurring obesity. Twenty-six cats were included, all of which had successfully completed a weight management programme. After weight loss, cats were periodically monitored. The median duration of follow-up was 954 d (72–2162 d). Ten cats (39 %) maintained their completion weight (±5 %), four (15 %) lost >5 % additional weight and 12 (46 %) gained >5 % weight. Seven of the rebounding cats (58 %) regained over 50 % of their original weight lost. Older cats were less likely to regain weight than younger cats (P = 0·024); with an approximately linear negative association between the cat's age and the amount of weight regained (Kendall's τ = −0·340, P = 0·016). Furthermore, cats whose energy intake during weight loss was greater were also more likely to regain weight (P = 0·023). When the characteristics of weight regain in cats were compared with those from a similar cohort of dogs, cats that rebounded were more likely to regain >50 % of the weight they had lost. These results suggest that weight regain, after successful weight loss, is common in obese cats, and that young cats (<7 years of age) are most at risk.
Large, rapidly evolving gene families are at the forefront of host–parasite interactions inApicomplexa
Authors: REID ADAM J
Published: September 2014

TheApicomplexais a phylum of parasitic protozoa, which includes the malaria parasitePlasmodium, amongst other species that can devastate human and animal health. The past decade has seen the release of genome sequences for many of the most important apicomplexan species, providing an excellent basis for improving our understanding of their biology. One of the key features of each genome is a unique set of large, variant gene families. Although closely related species share the same families, even different types of malaria parasite have distinct families. In some species they tend to be found at the ends of chromosomes, which may facilitate aspects of gene expression regulation and generation of sequence diversity. In others they are scattered apparently randomly across chromosomes. For some families there is evidence they are involved in antigenic variation, immune regulation and immune evasion. For others there are no known functions. Even where function is unknown these families are most often predicted to be exposed to the host, contain much sequence diversity and evolve rapidly. Based on these properties it is clear that they are at the forefront of host–parasite interactions. In this review I compare and contrast the genomic context, gene structure, gene expression, protein localization and function of these families across different species.
Negotiating Barriers: Cross-Cultural Communication and the Portuguese Mercantile Community in Macau, 1550–1640
Authors: Gebhardt Jonathan
Published: September 2014

As the Portuguese settlement of Macau came to occupy an important position in the emerging global commercial web, it became a crossroads where peoples from disparate parts of the world—in particular, Portuguese and Chinese—came together to engage in a profitable trade. Historians have often treated Macau as a prototypical example of cross-cultural interaction and hybridity: a point where East and West converged and blended; an “Intercultural City,” in the words of one scholar. Yet, the notion of Macau as a place of intermingling and blending obscures some of the ways in which Macau's inhabitants did not quite “come together.” Here, I focus on the asymmetry in linguistic communication that developed in Macau: members of Macau's Portuguese mercantile elite did not become fluent in any of the Chinese dialects, and did not learn how to read or write the Chinese script, while a number of the Chinese who came to live in Macau—whether as merchants, tradesmen, labourers, servants, or slaves—became proficient in Portuguese. Drawing from a range of sources in Portuguese and Chinese, I argue that this asymmetry developed for several reasons, including the difficulty of the Chinese language, the Chinese government's approach to foreign relations and maritime, and the political and economic power of the Portuguese within their Lusophone enclave. I also consider how the Portuguese reliance on others for assistance with cross-cultural communication—most notably, Jesuit missionaries and Chinesejurubaças(interpreters)—shaped the evolution of the multicultural community.
Air pollution and your brain: what do you need to know right now
Authors: Calderón-Garcidueñas Lilian , Calderón-Garcidueñas Ana , Torres-Jardón Ricardo , Avila-Ramírez José , Kulesza Randy J. , Angiulli Amedeo D.
Published: September 2014

Research links air pollution mostly to respiratory and cardiovascular disease. The effects of air pollution on the central nervous system (CNS) are not broadly recognized. Urban outdoor pollution is a global public health problem particularly severe in megacities and in underdeveloped countries, but large and small cities in the United States and the United Kingom are not spared. Fine and ultrafine particulate matter (UFPM) defined by aerodynamic diameter (<2.5-μm fine particles, PM2.5, and <100-nm UFPM) pose a special interest for the brain effects given the capability of very small particles to reach the brain. In adults, ambient pollution is associated to stroke and depression, whereas the emerging picture in children show significant systemic inflammation, immunodysregulation at systemic, intratechal and brain levels, neuroinflammation and brain oxidative stress, along with the main hallmarks of Alzheimer and Parkinson’s diseases: hyperphosphorilated tau, amyloid plaques and misfoldedα-synuclein. Animal models exposed to particulate matter components show markers of both neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Epidemiological, cognitive, behavioral and mechanistic studies into the association between air pollution exposures and the development of CNS damage particularly in children are of pressing importance for public health and quality of life. Primary health providers have to include a complete prenatal and postnatal environmental and occupational history to indoor and outdoor toxic hazards and measures should be taken to prevent or reduce further exposures.
Onlinesucht – Realität auch ohne offizielle Diagnose
Authors: Neuenschwander Martin
Published: September 2014

Digitale Medien sind mittlerweile unentbehrlich in Schule, Beruf, Familie und Freizeit und durchdringen unseren Alltag immer stärker. Dazu vermögen sie die Menschen aller Altersstufen zu faszinieren dank vielfältiger und immer neuer Nutzungsmöglichkeiten für Kommunikation, Unterhaltung und Spiel. Von großer Relevanz sind diesbezüglich insbesondere soziale Netzwerke und Onlinespiele, an denen sich täglich Millionen beteiligen. Der Großteil der Bevölkerung nutzt diese interaktiven Medien funktional, selbstbestimmt und genussvoll. Andererseits belegen empirische Studien, dass eine Minderheit von 1 % bis 6 % ein dysfunktionales, suchtartiges Verhalten zeigt, typischerweise bei der Onlinekommunikation, beim Computerspiel oder beim Konsum von erotisch-pornografischem Bildmaterial. Das Störungsbild „Onlinesucht“ ist zwar eine Realität, figuriert bisher aber nicht als offizielle Diagnose in den Klassifikationssystemen ICD-10 und DSM-5. Die Fachdiskussion über die nosologische Einordnung des Störungsbildes ist noch im Gang. Für die klinische Praxis existieren allerdings bereits jetzt valide diagnostische Hilfestellungen. Da das zur Verfügung stehende professionelle Beratungs- und Therapieangebot nur spärlich in Anspruch genommen wird, kommt der medizinischen Grundversorgung für die Früherkennung und Triage hinsichtlich adäquater Interventionen eine wichtige Bedeutung zu. Im deutschsprachigen Raum stehen verschiedene webbasierte Plattformen für Prävention, Beratung und Therapie zur Verfügung.
Computernutzung und -kompetenz von Kindern in Kindertageseinrichtungen
Authors: Aufenanger Stefan
Published: September 2014

Computer finden in Kindertageseinrichtung immer häufiger Anwendung. In öffentlichen Diskussionen wird dies häufig kritisiert, ohne dabei auf wissenschaftliche Studien zu rekurrieren. In einer wissenschaftlichen Begleitforschung eines pädagogischen Computerprojekts wurden Vorschulkinder in Kindertageseinrichtungen bezüglich ihrer Nutzungszeiten des Computers und ihrer Kompetenz im Umgang mit dem Computer untersucht. In einem Fall wurden einer kleinen Gruppe von Kinder Aufgaben am Computer gegeben und beobachtet, wie sie diese Aufgaben lösen. In dem anderen Fall wurde von Erzieherinnen über vier Wochen ein Tagebuch über Nutzungszeiten und Software geführt, um die durchschnittlichen Zeiten der Computernutzung und Präferenzen der Vorschulkinder zu erfassen.
The dual role of microbes in corrosion
Authors: Kip Nardy , van Veen Johannes A
Published: September 2014

Corrosion is the result of a series of chemical, physical and (micro) biological processes leading to the deterioration of materials such as steel and stone. It is a world-wide problem with great societal and economic consequences. Current corrosion control strategies based on chemically produced products are under increasing pressure of stringent environmental regulations. Furthermore, they are rather inefficient. Therefore, there is an urgent need for environmentally friendly and sustainable corrosion control strategies. The mechanisms of microbially influenced corrosion and microbially influenced corrosion inhibition are not completely understood, because they cannot be linked to a single biochemical reaction or specific microbial species or groups. Corrosion is influenced by the complex processes of different microorganisms performing different electrochemical reactions and secreting proteins and metabolites that can have secondary effects. Information on the identity and role of microbial communities that are related to corrosion and corrosion inhibition in different materials and in different environments is scarce. As some microorganisms are able to both cause and inhibit corrosion, we pay particular interest to their potential role as corrosion-controlling agents. We show interesting interfaces in which scientists from different disciplines such as microbiology, engineering and art conservation can collaborate to find solutions to the problems caused by corrosion.
Arabidopsis cell expansion is controlled by a photothermal switch
Authors: Johansson Henrik , Jones Harriet J. , Foreman Julia , Hemsted Joseph R. , Stewart Kelly , Grima Ramon , Halliday Karen J.
Published: September 2014

In Arabidopsis, the seedling hypocotyl has emerged as an exemplar model system to study light and temperature control of cell expansion. Light sensitivity of this organ is epitomized in the fluence rate response where suppression of hypocotyl elongation increases incrementally with light intensity. This finely calibrated response is controlled by the photoreceptor, phytochrome B, through the deactivation and proteolytic destruction of phytochrome-interacting factors (PIFs). Here we show that this classical light response is strictly temperature dependent: a shift in temperature induces a dramatic reversal of response from inhibition to promotion of hypocotyl elongation by light. Applying an integrated experimental and mathematical modelling approach, we show how light and temperature coaction in the circuitry drives a molecular switch in PIF activity and control of cell expansion. This work provides a paradigm to understand the importance of signal convergence in evoking different or non-intuitive alterations in molecular signalling.
Coupled delivery of imatinib mesylate and doxorubicin with nanoscaled polymeric vectors for a sustained downregulation of BCR-ABL in chronic myeloid leukemia
Authors: Palamà Ilaria E. , Cortese Barbara , D'Amone Stefania , Arcadio Valentina , Gigli Giuseppe
Published: September 2014

Our couple delivery strategy allowed a sustained downregulation of BCR-ABL for long times in chronic myeloid leukemia, combining two types of polymeric nanoparticles for quick and slow release of IM and DOX.
I2-catalyzed oxidative C(sp3)–H/S–H coupling: utilizing alkanes and mercaptans as the nucleophiles
Authors: Yuan Jiwen , Ma Xu , Yi Hong , Liu Chao , Lei Aiwen
Published: September 2014

C(sp3)–S bond formation was achieved utilizing C(sp3)–H and S–H as the nucleophile. Methyl arenes, cycloalkanes and aliphatic ketones exhibited reactivity for this transformation. Mechanistic studies revealed that the C(sp3) radical and disulfide were the intermediates in the reaction.
Electrochemically dealloyed platinum with hierarchical pore structure as highly active catalytic coating
Authors: Kraehnert Ralph , Ortel Erik , Paul Benjamin , Eckhardt Bjoern , Kanis Michael , Liu Ran , Antoniou Antonia
Published: September 2014

Electrochemical dealloying of Pt–Si produces Pt films with hierarchical pore structure and superior performance in butadiene hydrogenation.
PdFe nanoparticles as selective catalysts for C–C cleavage in hydrogenolysis of vicinal diol units in biomass-derived chemicals
Authors: Liao Fenglin , Lo Tsz Woon Benedict , Sexton Douglas , Qu Jin , Wu Cheng-Tar , Tsang Shik Chi Edman
Published: September 2014

A series of supported PdFe bimetallic nanoparticles with variable compositions are successfully synthesized through a careful reduction of a PdO/FeOx complex with a tunable support structure, which are demonstrated to achieve ultraselective C–C bond cleavage over C–O bond of vicinal diols.
Simple and extremely efficient blue emitters based on mononuclear Cu(i)-halide complexes with delayed fluorescence
Authors: Ohara Hiroki , Kobayashi Atsushi , Kato Masako
Published: September 2014

Mononuclear Cu(i)-halide complexes with a ternary ligand system exhibit blue light emission based on delayed fluorescence with extremely high quantum yields, approaching 100% in the solid states.
Optical emission character of collinear dual pulse laser plasma with cylindrical cavity confinement
Authors: Su Xuejiao , Zhou Weidong , Qian Huiguo
Published: September 2014

A cylindrical cavity is used to confine the plasma of collinear DP-LIBS, and enhanced optical emission with improved RSD and S/N ratio are achieved.
Layered zinc hydroxide nanocones: synthesis, facile morphological and structural modification, and properties
Authors: Ma Wei , Ma Renzhi , Liang Jianbo , Wang Chengxiang , Liu Xiaohe , Zhou Kechao , Sasaki Takayoshi
Published: September 2014

Layered zinc hydroxide nanocones/nanoplates, and the corresponding calcined ZnO nanostructures, show promising and morphology-dependent properties.
Synthesis of thermal and oxidation dual responsive polymers for reactive oxygen species (ROS)-triggered drug release
Authors: Xiao Chunsheng , Ding Jianxun , Ma Lili , Yang Chenguang , Zhuang Xiuli , Chen Xuesi
Published: September 2014

A PEG-based main chain thermo-responsive polymer with oxidation-triggerable thioether groups: synthesis, characterization and its use for ROS-responsive drug release.
α-CH acidity of alkyl–B(C6F5)2 compounds – the role of stabilized borata-alkene formation in frustrated Lewis pair chemistry
Authors: Moquist Philip , Chen Guo-Qiang , Mück-Lichtenfeld Christian , Bussmann Kathrin , Daniliuc Constantin G. , Kehr Gerald , Erker Gerhard
Published: September 2014

Alkyl–B(C6F5)2 boranes are markedly α-CH-acidic. Using DFT we have calculated the pKa-values of a series of examples. Typically, (C6F5)2B–CH3 [pKa (calcd) = 18.3 in DMSO, 16.2 in dichloromethane] is almost as CH-acidic as cyclopentadiene.
Multimodal image matching via dual‐codebook‐based self‐similarity hypercube feature descriptor and voting strategy
Authors: Wang H. , Han D.K. , Ko H.
Published: September 2014

An effective feature descriptor is proposed for multimodal local‐image patch matching. The conventional self‐similarity hypercube (SSH) fails in multimodal image matching due to different intensities of multimodal images. To mitigate this problem, a dual‐codebook clustering is proposed for generating the descriptors. It is based on extracting a codebook, respectively, from visible and thermal images but sharing the same k‐means clustering index of the local features of visible and thermal image patches. The experimental results show that the proposed approach effectively solves the multimodal image quantisation problem. Moreover, a voting strategy based on the proposed similarity family function facilitates the multimodal image matching more robustly compared with the conventional state‐of‐the‐art methods.
Simple unequal error protection mechanism for multimedia traffic using the Alamouti structure with hierarchical modulation and signal space diversity
Authors: Quazi Tahmid , Xu Hongjun
Published: September 2014

Conventional hierarchical modulation (HM) only provides two levels of unequal error protection (UEP) for multimedia traffic transmission. An HM‐based scheme is proposed that provides multiple levels of UEP by exploiting the structure of the Alamouti scheme. A typical Alamouti scheme operates based on the assumptions that the modulation scheme used for the transmission at each antenna is the same and that the power in each antenna is equal. In the proposed system, these two operating assumptions are relaxed, in that the modulation schemes as well as the transmission powers for the two antennas are varied in order to propose a multiple level UEP mechanism for multimedia traffic. The concept is applied to a recently proposed system which uses the Alamouti space–time block code (STBC) structure with HM and signal space diversity (SSD), and it is shown via theoretical and simulation results how the simple UEP mechanism can accommodate the simultaneous transmission of multiple classes of multimedia traffic.
Lumbar Disk Herniation Surgery: Outcome and Predictors
Authors: Sedighi Mahsa , Haghnegahdar Ali
Published: September 2014

Study Design

A retrospective cohort study.

Objectives

To determine the outcome and any differences in the clinical results of three different surgical methods for lumbar disk herniation and to assess the effect of factors that could predict the outcome of surgery.

Methods

We evaluated 148 patients who had operations for lumbar disk herniation from March 2006 to March 2011 using three different surgical techniques (laminectomy, microscopically assisted percutaneous nucleotomy, and spinous process osteotomy) by using Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) Back Pain Evaluation Questionnaire, Resumption of Activities of Daily Living scale and changes of visual analog scale (VAS) for low back pain and radicular pain. Our study questionnaire addressed patient subjective satisfaction with the operation, residual complaints, and job resumption. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 16.0 (SPSS, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, United States). Statistical significance was set at 0.05. For statistical analysis, chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and repeated measure analysis were performed. For determining the confounding factors, univariate analysis by chi-square test was used and followed by logistic regression analysis.

Results

Ninety-four percent of our patients were satisfied with the results of their surgeries. VAS documented an overall 93.3% success rate for reduction of radicular pain. Laminectomy resulted in better outcome in terms of JOA Back Pain Evaluation Questionnaire. The outcome of surgery did not significantly differ by age, sex, level of education, preoperative VAS for back, preoperative VAS for radicular pain, return to previous job, or level of herniation.

Conclusion

Surgery for lumbar disk herniation is effective in reducing radicular pain (93.4%). All three surgical approaches resulted in significant decrease in preoperative radicular pain and low back pain, but intergroup variation in the outcome was not achieved. As indicated by JOA Back Pain Evaluation Questionnaire–Low Back Pain (JOABPQ-LBP) and lumbar function functional scores, laminectomy achieved significantly better outcome compared with other methods. It is worth mentioning that relief of radicular pain was associated with subjective satisfaction with the surgery among our study population. Predictive factors for ineffective surgical treatment for lumbar disk herniation were female sex and negative preoperative straight leg raising. Age, level of education, and preoperative VAS for low back pain were other factors that showed prediction power.
Response to “Comment on ‘Velocity boundary conditions at a tokamak resistive wall’” [Phys. Plasmas 21, 094701 (2014)]
Authors: Strauss H. R.
Published: September 2014

A response is given to “Comment on ‘Velocity boundary conditions at a tokamak resistive wall’ ” [Phys. Plasmas 21, 094701 (2014)].
Microspherical photonics: Sorting resonant photonic atoms by using light
Authors: Maslov Alexey V. , Astratov Vasily N.
Published: September 2014

A method of sorting microspheres by resonant light forces in vacuum, air, or liquid is proposed. Based on a two-dimensional model, it is shown that the sorting can be realized by allowing spherical particles to traverse a focused beam. Under resonance with the whispering gallery modes, the particles acquire significant velocity along the beam direction. This opens a unique way of large-volume sorting of nearly identical photonic atoms with 1/Q accuracy, where Q is the resonance quality factor. This is an enabling technology for developing super-low-loss coupled-cavity structures and devices.
An ab initio study of the electronic structure of the boron oxide neutral (BO), cationic (BO+), and anionic (BO−) species
Authors: Magoulas Ilias , Kalemos Apostolos
Published: September 2014

The BO neutral, cationic, and anionic molecular species have been painstakingly studied through multireference configuration interaction and single reference coupled cluster methods employing basis sets of quintuple cardinality. Potential energy curves have been constructed for 38 (BO), 37 (BO+), and 12 (BO−) states and the usual molecular parameters have been extracted most of which are in very good agreement with the scarce experimental data. Numerous avoided crossings appear on more or less all of the studied states of the neutral and cationic species challenging the validity of the Born Oppenheimer approximation. Finally, all excited states of the anionic system lie above the ground state of the neutral BO system and are therefore resonances.
A cryogen-free ultralow-field superconducting quantum interference device magnetic resonance imaging system
Authors: Eom Byeong Ho , Penanen Konstantin , Hahn Inseob
Published: September 2014

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at microtesla fields using superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) detection has previously been demonstrated, and advantages have been noted. Although the ultralow-field SQUID MRI technique would not need the heavy superconducting magnet of conventional MRI systems, liquid helium required to cool the low-temperature detector still places a significant burden on its operation. We have built a prototype cryocooler-based SQUID MRI system that does not require a cryogen. The SQUID detector and the superconducting gradiometer were cooled down to 3.7 K and 4.3 K, respectively. We describe the prototype design, characterization, a phantom image, and areas of further improvements needed to bring the imaging performance to parity with conventional MRI systems.
Investigating the plasma parameters of an Ar/O2 discharge during the sputtering of Al targets in an inverted cylindrical magnetron
Authors: Mensah Samuel L. , Gordon Matt , Naseem Hameed H.
Published: September 2014

The plasma parameters and reaction kinetics in an inverted cylindrical magnetron chamber have been studied with an energy resolved mass spectrometer during the sputtering of aluminum targets in an Ar/O2 discharge. Mixtures of argon and oxygen were studied as a function of oxygen percentage (0%–90%) in the discharge. The plasma was powered at 4 kW and 40 kHz at a process pressure of 5 mTorr. Al+, Al, AlO, AlO+, O2+, O+, Al2O+, and Ar+ were among the species detected in the discharge. The deposition rate of the deposited thin film decreased with increasing oxygen percentage in the discharge and results indicated that the pure gamma-alumina was obtained when the percentage of oxygen was approximately 70%. The linear plot of energy distributions of the positively charged film forming species changed from a single peak to a bimodal distribution as the percentage of oxygen exceeds 65%. In a log plot, however, the distributions showed multiple peaks ranging from 2 eV to 78 eV. Fluctuations of about 1 eV in peak energies were observed.
CO and byproduct formation during CO2 reduction in dielectric barrier discharges
Authors: Brehmer F. , Welzel S. , van de Sanden M. C. M. , Engeln R.
Published: September 2014

The dissociation of CO2 and the formation of CO, O3, and O2 were studied in a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) at atmospheric pressure by means of ex-situ infrared absorption spectroscopy. CO mixing ratios of 0.1%–4.4% were determined for specific injected energies between 0.1 and 20 eV per molecule (0.3–70 kJ/l). A lower limit of the gas temperature of 320–480 K was estimated from the wall temperature of the quartz reactor as measured with an infrared camera. The formation of CO in the DBD could be described as function of the total number of transferred charges during the residence time of the gas in the active plasma zone. An almost stoichiometric CO:O2 ratio of 2:1 was observed along with a strongly temperature dependent O3 production up to 0.075%. Although the ideal range for an efficient CO2 dissociation in plasmas of 1 eV per molecule for the specific injected energy was covered, the energy efficiency remained below 5% for all conditions. The present results indicate a reaction mechanism which is initiated by electron impact processes followed by charge transfer reactions and non-negligible surface enhanced O and CO recombination. While electron-driven CO2 dissociation is relatively energy inefficient by itself, fast O recombination and the low gas temperatures inhibit the synergistic reuse of atomic oxygen in a secondary CO2 + O dissociation step.
Driven translocation of a polymer: Role of pore friction and crowding
Authors: Dubbeldam J. L. A. , Rostiashvili V. G. , Vilgis T. A.
Published: September 2014

Force-driven translocation of a macromolecule through a nanopore is investigated systematically by taking into account the monomer-pore friction as well as the “crowding” of monomers on the trans-side of the membrane which counterbalance the driving force acting in the pore. The problem is treated self-consistently, so that the resulting force in the pore and the dynamics on the cis and trans sides mutually influence each other. The set of governing differential-algebraic equations for the translocation dynamics is derived and solved numerically. The analysis of this solution shows that the crowding of monomers on the trans side hardly affects the dynamics, but the monomer-pore friction can substantially slow down the translocation process. Moreover, the translocation exponent α in the translocation time-vs.-chain length scaling law, τ ∝ Nα, becomes smaller for relatively small chain lengths as the monomer-pore friction coefficient increases. This is most noticeable for relatively strong forces. Our findings show that the variety of values for α reported in experiments and computer simulations, may be attributed to different pore frictions, whereas crowding effects can generally be neglected.
Influence of flavor oscillations on neutrino beam instabilities
Authors: Mendonça J. T. , Haas F. , Bret A.
Published: September 2014

We consider the collective neutrino plasma interactions and study the electron plasma instabilities produced by a nearly mono-energetic neutrino beam in a plasma. We describe the mutual interaction between neutrino flavor oscillations and electron plasma waves. We show that the neutrino flavor oscillations are not only perturbed by electron plasmas waves but also contribute to the dispersion relation and the growth rates of neutrino beam instabilities.
Thermal conductivity in nanostructured materials and analysis of local angle between heat fluxes
Authors: Fu B. , Tang G. H. , Bi C.
Published: September 2014

The phonon Boltzmann transport equation with the frequency-dependent model is solved numerically to study the thermal conductivity in nanoporous thin film and nanocomposite. Local angle between heat fluxes, defined as the angle between the directions of heat flux component qx and the local heat flux q, is introduced. At a fixed porosity or interface area, the thermal conductivity, local angle distribution, and the average angle of the two-dimensional nanoporous thin films with circular, hexagonal, square, and triangular pores are reported, and the thermal conductivity decreases with the increase in the interface area or porosity. Furthermore, the relationship between the thermal conductivity and average angle is also discussed for the three-dimensional nanoporous thin films with aligned or staggered pores, and silicon-germanium embedded and compacted nanocomposites. All the results show that the nanostructured material with a larger average angle between heat fluxes has a lower thermal conductivity.
Thermal analysis for observing conductive filaments in amorphous InGaZnO thin film resistive switching memory
Authors: Kado Keisuke , Uenuma Mutsunori , Sharma Kriti , Yamazaki Haruka , Urakawa Satoshi , Ishikawa Yasuaki , Uraoka Yukiharu
Published: September 2014

Local heat produced by an electrical path inside the memory was detected and imaged by the method “Thermal Analysis.” It turned out that the visualized heat spots were conductive filaments (CFs) formed between interlayers of Pt/amorphous InGaZnO (a-IGZO). By using the thermal analysis, the location of CFs and their surface temperature was detected. This method indicated that there was a lot of emitted heat when the memory cell was switched off. It is thought to be accumulated heat causing disruption of the CFs. With great range of measurement, it was found that some memory cells drive with a single CF and others drive with multiple CFs. For the formation of CFs, it is assumed that there are CFs formation sites such as oxygen-related defects, roughness of the layer of a-IGZO, and so on. This method “Thermal analysis” can contribute to detection of the CF's location, the number of CFs, and thermal activity inside the memory devices.
Excitonic localization in AlN-rich AlxGa1−xN/AlyGa1−yN multi-quantum-well grain boundaries
Authors: Ajia Idris A. , Edwards P. R. , Liu Z. , Yan J. C. , Martin R. W. , Roqan I. S.
Published: September 2014

AlGaN/AlGaN multi-quantum-wells (MQW) with AlN-rich grains have been grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. The grains are observed to have strong excitonic localization characteristics that are affected by their sizes. The tendency to confine excitons progressively intensifies with increasing grain boundary area. Photoluminescence results indicate that the MQW have a dominant effect on the peak energy of the near-bandedge emission at temperatures below 150 K, with the localization properties of the grains becoming evident beyond 150 K. Cathodoluminescence maps reveal that the grain boundary has no effect on the peak intensities of the AlGaN/AlGaN samples.
Microscopic mechanism for the effect of adding salt on electrospinning by molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Wang Bing-Bing , Wang Xiao-Dong , Wang Tian-Hu
Published: September 2014

Adding salts into polymer solution has been found to modulate the fiber structure and significantly improve the solution spinnability in electrospinning. However, the mechanisms have not been fully understood. This work adopted molecular dynamics method to investigate the dynamic behavior of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)/water droplet with or without dissolved NaCl salt under high-voltage electric field. Our simulation results agreed with the previous experimental reports well. We observed that some daughter droplets detach from the mother droplet due to the ions evaporation and hydration effect, which significantly accelerates the water evaporation and hence improves the solution spinnability. We also observed that some sodium ions are always coordinated with the ether oxygen group in the PEO chain. When these ions are accelerated by the electric field, the PEO chain segments follow the motion of the ions, inevitably stretching the chain and improving the fiber morphology.
Strain-assisted current-induced magnetization reversal in magnetic tunnel junctions: A micromagnetic study with phase-field microelasticity
Authors: Huang H. B. , Hu J. M. , Yang T. N. , Ma X. Q. , Chen L. Q.
Published: September 2014

Effect of substrate misfit strain on current-induced in-plane magnetization reversal in CoFeB-MgO based magnetic tunnel junctions is investigated by combining micromagnetic simulations with phase-field microelasticity theory. It is found that the critical current density for in-plane magnetization reversal decreases dramatically with an increasing substrate strain, since the effective elastic field can drag the magnetization to one of the four in-plane diagonal directions. A potential strain-assisted multilevel bit spin transfer magnetization switching device using substrate misfit strain is also proposed.