bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anomalous dynamics of the extremely compressed magnetosphere during 21 January 2005 magnetic storm
Authors: Dmitriev A. V. , Suvorova A. V. , Chao J.‐K. , Wang C. B. , Rastaetter L. , Panasyuk M. I. , Lazutin L. L. , Kovtyukh A. S. , Veselovsky I. S. , Myagkova I. N.
Published: January 2014

The dayside magnetosphere and proton radiation belt were analyzed during unusual magnetic storm on 21 January 2005. We have found that from 1712 to 2400 UT, the subsolar magnetopause was continuously located inside geosynchronous orbit due to strong compression. The compression was extremely strong from 1846 to 2035 UT when the dense plasma of fast erupting filament produced the solar wind dynamic pressure that peaked up to > 100 nPa, and during the first time, the upstream solar wind was observed at geosynchronous orbit for almost 2 h. Under the extreme compression, the outer magnetosphere at L > 5 was pushed inward, and the outer radiation belt particles moved earthward, became adiabatically accelerated, and accumulated in the inner magnetosphere at L < 4 that produced the intensified ring current with an exceptionally long lifetime. The observations were compared with predictions of various empirical and first‐principles models. All the models failed to predict the magnetospheric dynamics under the extreme compression when the minimal magnetopause distance was estimated to be ~3 RE. The inconsistencies might result from distortions of plasma measurements by extreme heliospheric conditions consisting in very fast solar wind streams and intense fluxes of solar energetic particles. We speculated that anomalous dynamics of the magnetosphere could be well described by the models if the He abundance in the solar wind was assumed to be > 20%, which is well appropriate for erupting filaments and which is in agreement with the upper 27% threshold for the He/H ratio obtained from Cluster measurements.
Magnetosonic wave excitation by ion ring distributions in the Earth's inner magnetosphere
Authors: Ma Qianli , Li Wen , Chen Lunjin , Thorne Richard M. , Angelopoulos Vassilis
Published: January 2014

Combining Time History of Events and Macroscale Interaction during Substorms (THEMIS) wave and particle observations and a quantitative calculation of linear wave growth rate, we demonstrate that magnetosonic (MS) waves can be locally excited by ion ring distributions in the Earth's magnetosphere when the ion ring energy is comparable to the local Alfven energy. MS waves in association with ion ring distributions were observed by THEMIS A on 24 November 2010 in the afternoon sector, both outside the plasmapause where the wave spectrum varied with fLHR and inside the plasmapause where the wave frequency band remained nearly constant. Our plasma instability analysis in three different regions shows that higher and narrow frequency band MS waves are excited locally outside the plasmapause, and lower and broad frequency band MS waves are excited in the region where the density slightly increases. However, there is no evidence for wave excitation inside the plasmapause, and wave propagation from a distant source is needed to explain their existence. The simulation of the MS wave growth rate spectra during this event agrees reasonably well with the observed wave magnetic field power spectra. We also simulated a MS wave event on 19 October 2011 in the dusk sector and found that the ion ring distribution with an ion ring energy slightly higher than the local Alfven energy can excite the typical broad band MS waves outside the plasmapause.
Diurnal variation of the global electric circuit from clustered thunderstorms
Authors: Hutchins Michael L. , Holzworth Robert H. , Brundell James B.
Published: January 2014

The diurnal variation of the global electric circuit is investigated using the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN), which has been shown to identify nearly all thunderstorms (using WWLLN data from 2005). To create an estimate of global electric circuit activity, a clustering algorithm is applied to the WWLLN data set to identify global thunderstorms from 2010 to 2013. Annual, seasonal, and regional thunderstorm activity is investigated in this new WWLLN thunderstorm data set in order to estimate the source behavior of the global electric circuit. Through the clustering algorithm, the total number of active thunderstorms are counted every 30 min creating a measure of the global electric circuit source function. The thunderstorm clusters are compared to precipitation radar data from the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission satellite and with case studies of thunderstorm evolution. The clustering algorithm reveals an average of 660±70 thunderstorms active at any given time with a peak‐to‐peak variation of 36%. The highest number of thunderstorms occurs in November (720±90), and the lowest number occurs in January (610±80). Thunderstorm cluster and electrified storm cloud activity are combined with thunderstorm overflight current measurements to estimate the global electric circuit thunderstorm contribution current to be 1090±70 A with a variation of 24%. By utilizing the global coverage and high time resolution of WWLLN, the total active thunderstorm count and current is shown to be less than previous estimates based on compiled climatologies.
Rapid organic aerosol formation downwind of a highway: Measured and model results from the FEVER study
Authors: Stroud Craig A. , Liggio John , Zhang Jie , Gordon Mark , Staebler Ralf M. , Makar Paul A. , Zhang Junhua , Li Shao‐Meng , Mihele Cristian , Lu Gang , Wang Daniel K. , Wentzell Jeremy , Brook Jeffrey R. , Evans Greg J.
Published: January 2014

The Fast Evolution of Vehicle Emissions from Roadway (FEVER) study was undertaken to strategically measure pollutant gradients perpendicular to a major highway north of Toronto, Canada. A case study period was analyzed when there was an average perpendicular wind direction. Two independent, fast response measurements were used to infer rapid organic aerosol (OA) growth on a spatial scale from 34 m to 285 m at the same time as a decrease was observed in the mixing ratio of primary emitted species, such as CO2 and NOx. An integrated organic gas and particle sampler also showed that near the highway, the aerosol had a larger semivolatile fraction than lower volatile fraction, but over a relatively short distance downwind of the highway, the aerosol transformed to being more low volatile with the change being driven by both evaporation of semivolatile and production of lower volatile organic aerosol. A new 1‐D column Lagrangian atmospheric chemistry model was developed to help interpret the measured increase in the ∆OA/∆CO2 curve from 34 m to 285 m downwind of highway, where the ∆ refers to background‐corrected concentrations. The model was sensitive to the assumptions for semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs). Different combinations of SVOC emissions and background mixing ratios were able to yield similar model curves and reproduce the observations. Future measurements of total gas‐phase SVOC in equilibrium with aerosol both upwind and downwind of the highway would be helpful to constrain the model.
Validation of Aura Microwave Limb Sounder stratospheric water vapor measurements by the NOAA frost point hygrometer
Authors: Hurst Dale F. , Lambert Alyn , Read William G. , Davis Sean M. , Rosenlof Karen H. , Hall Emrys G. , Jordan Allen F. , Oltmans Samuel J.
Published: January 2014

Differences between stratospheric water vapor measurements by NOAA frost point hygrometers (FPHs) and the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) are evaluated for the period August 2004 through December 2012 at Boulder, Colorado, Hilo, Hawaii, and Lauder, New Zealand. Two groups of MLS profiles coincident with the FPH soundings at each site are identified using unique sets of spatiotemporal criteria. Before evaluating the differences between coincident FPH and MLS profiles, each FPH profile is convolved with the MLS averaging kernels for eight pressure levels from 100 to 26 hPa (~16 to 25 km) to reduce its vertical resolution to that of the MLS water vapor retrievals. The mean FPH − MLS differences at every pressure level (100 to 26 hPa) are well within the combined measurement uncertainties of the two instruments. However, the mean differences at 100 and 83 hPa are statistically significant and negative, ranging from −0.46 ± 0.22 ppmv (−10.3 ± 4.8%) to −0.10 ± 0.05 ppmv (−2.2 ± 1.2%). Mean differences at the six pressure levels from 68 to 26 hPa are on average 0.8% (0.04 ppmv), and only a few are statistically significant. The FPH − MLS differences at each site are examined for temporal trends using weighted linear regression analyses. The vast majority of trends determined here are not statistically significant, and most are smaller than the minimum trends detectable in this analysis. Except at 100 and 83 hPa, the average agreement between MLS retrievals and FPH measurements of stratospheric water vapor is better than 1%.
Changes in the frequencies of record‐breaking temperature events in China and its association with East Asian Winter Monsoon variability
Authors: Kuang Xueyuan , Zhang Yaocun , Huang Ying , Huang Danqing
Published: January 2014

The daily maximum and minimum temperatures observed at the 1897 meteorological stations of China over the past 60 years (1951–2010) are analyzed in this study to examine the interdecadal variation of frequency for record‐breaking event (RBE) of temperature in the context of global warming. The results indicate that the frequency of record‐breaking high temperature in the first decade of the 21st century is the highest in the three decades from the 1980s to the 2000s, implying a distinct warming trend. Meanwhile, frequencies of record‐breaking low temperature in the 1990s and the beginning of the 21st century are also significant. In particular, the RBEs of low temperature occurred over most of China in the 1990s but concentrated in northern China during the 2000s. To understand why the record low temperatures in northern China are repeatedly broken in the 2000s, the related East Asian Winter Monsoon (EAWM) variability is investigated. The empirical orthogonal function analysis of surface air temperature reveals that the northern mode of the EAWM variability, which is highly associated with the Arctic Oscillation (AO) activities at both interdecadal and interannual timescales, has been intensifying since late 1990s. Corresponding to the intensification of the northern mode of the EAWM variability and the negative phase of AO in the 2000s, the Siberian High and East Asian trough intensify while the polar‐front jet stream strengthens and the subtropical westerly jet stream abnormally shifts northward. As a result, anomalously strong cold air masses, originated from Siberia, intrude into East Asia but are blocked by the enhanced northward subtropical westerly jet and cannot reach low‐latitude area. Therefore, the extremely strong cold air masses are amassed in mid‐high latitudes of East Asia, resulting in RBEs of low temperature in this area.
My Year as a Jefferson Science Fellow
Authors: Toohey Darin W.
Published: January 2014

For 12 months in 2011–2012, I had the honor of serving as a Jefferson Science Fellow (JSF) in the U.S. Department of State. In a partnership with U.S. universities, 78 senior scientists, engineers, and professionals have now served as JSFs in the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID); 13 new fellows arrived in Washington, D. C., in August for the 2013–2014 term.
Kevin E. Trenberth Receives 2013 Climate Communication Prize: Response
Authors: Trenberth Kevin E.
Published: January 2014

I am delighted to be recognized with this prize. I want to first thank AGU and the prize committee and, especially, Nature's Own for establishing this prize in a field that has become contentious and highly political. It did not used to be this way. Following the media frenzy with the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, there was hope at the 2009 Conference of Parties meeting in Copenhagen that an international framework agreement on climate change might be achieved. It was not to be. Planned actions to address issues of climate change were undermined by huge funding of misinformation by vested interests. It was not helped by so‐called “climategate” in which many emails illegally hacked from a computer server at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom were released, cherry picked, distorted, and misused by climate change deniers. Minor errors in the IPCC report were blown out of all proportion and ineffectively addressed. I was caught up in all this, and one of my many emails went viral: the “travesty” quote in which I bemoaned the inability to close the global energy balance associated with short‐term climate variability but which was misinterpreted as saying there was no global warming. These examples highlight failures of communication.
John L. LaBrecque Receives 2013 Edward A. Flinn III Award: Response
Authors: LaBrecque John L.
Published: January 2014

Thank you, Jean Bernard Minster and those who supported my nomination for the Edward A. Flinn III Award. We owe so much to colleagues such as Bernard Minster who support NASA and Earth Science with unrelenting and unselfish service. I am also grateful to my parents, the people of Lewiston, Maine, and the National Defense Education Act (NDEA) of 1958 for nurturing my early interest in science with an education that ultimately led me to Columbia University and the Lamont‐Doherty Earth Observatory. Lamont for me was a scientific wonderland tended by scientists with global appetites for discovery and adventure. Marine geophysics, geomagnetism, and satellite altimetry of the oceans were creating a revolution of discovery, and Lamont was the center of this revolution. I owe so much to my mentor and dear friend, Walter C. Pitman III, who showed me that great science was accomplished through boundless curiosity, perseverance, and, most of all, humility.
Chelle L. Gentemann Receives 2013 Charles S. Falkenberg Award: Citation
Authors: Minnett Peter J.
Published: January 2014

Dr. Chelle Gentemann is a worthy recipient of the Charles S. Falkenberg Award. Through her leadership at both national and international levels, Chelle has contributed significantly to improving the accuracy, accessibility, and utility of satellite‐derived fields of sea surface temperature (SST) for a wide range of applications, including numerical weather forecasting, operational oceanography, and climate research.
Chelle L. Gentemann Receives 2013 Charles S. Falkenberg Award: Response
Authors: Gentemann Chelle L.
Published: January 2014

Receiving the 2013 Charles S. Falkenberg Award of the American Geophysical Union came completely as a surprise, wonderful but humbling. It is attributable to those who have made my work possible. Peter Minnett is first on the list. He is a great friend and colleague, an example for us all of how to conduct scientific research. Unstintingly generous with his time, resources, and ideas, he always puts scientific advancement ahead of personal gain. Eric Lindstrom, program manager for NASA's physical oceanography program, has been a role model on how to run large projects and still stay focused on scientific results. His support of this project from the beginning has been instrumental in its success. I also have been lucky enough to work with Frank Wentz, one of the smartest scientists I know. My husband, David White, has put up with much as I have focused on this work, as have our 3‐year‐old sons, Austin and Bennett. The rest of my family has given their support, love, and inspiration. I wish that my grandfather, who encouraged my interest in science, could be here to share this honor.
Iain Stewart Receives 2013 Athelstan Spilhaus Award: Response
Authors: Stewart Iain
Published: January 2014

It is really wonderful to receive this award and the recognition of AGU for my work. I've been a member of the Union since my Ph.D. days, 25 years or so ago, when I was working on earthquake faulting in Greece and Turkey. Its meetings were always the place that showcased geoscience at its most novel and exciting. It was the breadth of what was on offer that was so exhilarating. My doctoral studies had already opened up fairly wide vistas for me since my interest in Holocene earthquake activity also required an understanding of the Mediterranean's rich cultural history and the vagaries of millennial‐scale climate fluctuations. Later, my research would distract me into farther‐flung realms, such as volcanic faulting on Mount Etna, paleotsunamis along Aegean shores, even postglacial earthquakes in northern Scotland! Kindly colleagues would occasionally advise me to focus my efforts on a single substantive area of research, cautioning that my flighty research forays weren't conducive to climbing the academic ladder. I'm sure they were correct. Or would have been proved so if I hadn't been rescued by television.
Jaime Urrutia Fucugauchi Receives 2013 International Award: Citation
Authors: Lomnitz Cinna
Published: January 2014

Jaime Urrutia Fucugauchi was born in Chihuahua, Mexico. His surname Urrutia means “distant” in Basque, and Fucugauchi means roughly “Good luck—come in!” in Japanese. And Jaime, of course, is “James” in Spanish. Thus, Jaime was international from birth. There could hardly have been a better candidate for the AGU International Award.
Paul Voosen Receives 2013 David Perlman Award for Excellence in Science Journalism—News: Response
Authors: Voosen Paul
Published: January 2014

It is an honor and privilege to accept the David Perlman Award. Though I have never met Dave, he is a legend, and I can only hope to have a reporting career half as distinguished and a third as long as his own.
Systematic shifts in subducting slab behavior with depth
Authors: Schultz Colin
Published: January 2014

When tectonic plates collide, the less buoyant plate will, in some cases, be forced beneath the other. At such subduction zones the sinking tectonic plate, known as a slab, does not follow a simple path from the surface to the deeper mantle. Instead, new research by Fukao and Obayashi suggests that subducting slabs pass through four largely distinct stages as they penetrate toward the core. To systematically catalog the stages of slab subduction, the authors analyzed roughly 10 million observations of the subsurface that were part of a tomographic study that used primary seismic waves to detect the structure of slabs in subduction zones around the Pacific.
Reviewing progress in cloud parameterization
Authors: Balcerak Ernie
Published: January 2014

Clouds' effects on climate are significant and complex. Many cloud processes occur at small scales and are difficult to calculate in large‐scale models, so general circulation models typically use parameterizations to represent a range of cloud properties.
Pulsed electromagnetic fields protect the balance between adipogenesis and osteogenesis on steroid‐induced osteonecrosis of femoral head at the pre‐collapse stage in rats
Authors: Li Jian‐Ping , Chen Sen , Peng Hao , Zhou Jian‐Lin , Fang Hong‐Song
Published: January 2014

This study was designed to investigate the effects of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) on the balance of adipogenesis and osteogenesis on steroid‐induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (OFH) in rats. Forty‐two rats were divided into three groups: Steroid group (S, n = 16); Steroid + PEMF group (S + P, n = 16); and Control group (C, n = 10). For groups S and S + P, all rats were first intravenously given 10 µg/kg lipopolysaccharide on day 1, and then intramuscularly injected with 20 mg/kg methylprednisolone acetate on days 2, 3, and 4, with an interval of 24 h. After 4 weeks, the S + P group was treated with PEMF (4.5‐ms square pulse, repeated at 15 Hz, with a peak of 1.2 mT) for 4 h a day for the next 8 weeks. Group S was not exposed to PEMF. Group C was chosen as the control group, without steroid use and exposure to PEMF. After 8 weeks of treatment, the histological changes, and mRNA and protein expressions of PPAR‐γ2 and Runx2 were measured and analyzed. Compared with the S group, lower incidence of osteonecrosis (31% vs. 69%, P < 0.05) and empty osteocyte lacuna rate (36.16 ± 15.34 vs. 59.55 ± 21.70, P < 0.01) was observed in the S + P group. Furthermore, PEMF suppressed the expressions of PPAR‐γ2 and improved the expressions of Runx2 in the femoral head (P < 0.05). All data suggest that PEMF is an effective physiotherapy in the treatment of steroid‐induced ONFH, and the possible underlying mechanisms include protecting the balance between adipogenesis and osteogenesis. Bioelectromagnetics. 35:170–180, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
From the selfish gene to selfish metabolism: Revisiting the central dogma
Authors: de Lorenzo Víctor
Published: January 2014

The standard representation of the Central Dogma (CD) of Molecular Biology conspicuously ignores metabolism. However, both the metabolites and the biochemical fluxes behind any biological phenomenon are encrypted in the DNA sequence. Metabolism constrains and even changes the information flow when the DNA‐encoded instructions conflict with the homeostasis of the biochemical network. Inspection of adaptive virulence programs and emergence of xenobiotic‐biodegradation pathways in environmental bacteria suggest that their main evolutionary drive is the expansion of their metabolic networks towards new chemical landscapes rather than perpetuation and spreading of their DNA sequences. Faulty enzymatic reactions on suboptimal substrates often produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), a process that fosters DNA diversification and ultimately couples catabolism of the new chemicals to growth. All this calls for a revision of the CD in which metabolism (rather than DNA) has the leading role.
Kinetic analysis of deviation from the undifferentiated state in colonies of human induced pluripotent stem cells on feeder layers
Authors: Kim Mee‐Hae , Masuda Eri , Kino‐oka Masahiro
Published: January 2014

Understanding of the fundamental mechanisms that govern unintentional differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) provides key strategies to maintain their undifferentiated state during cell expansion. This study focused on deviation from the undifferentiated state in hiPSC colonies during culture with feeder cells. Deviated cells from the undifferentiated state of hiPSCs in cultures with SNL and MEF feeder cells were observed at the center and periphery of the colonies, respectively, accompanied by dramatic changes in the cell morphology from small to large flattened shapes. It was found that the deviation of undifferentiated hiPSCs in culture with SNL feeder cells caused deviated cells in the center of the colony through spontaneous occurrence in a colony size‐dependent manner, whereas the deviation of undifferentiated hiPSCs in culture with MEF feeder cells caused deviated cells in the periphery of the colonies through accidental events during migration in a colony size‐independent manner. Based on a kinetic analysis of time‐lapse images of single hiPSC colonies, the specific growth rate for replication of deviated cells from the undifferentiated state in culture with SNL feeder cells was 1.83 and 3.57 times higher than those of undifferentiated cells and transformation, respectively, meaning that the deviation of undifferentiated hiPSCs dramatically expanded through replication of deviated cells from the undifferentiated state and transformation once deviation from the undifferentiated state had occurred. In the case of MEF feeder cells, the specific growth rates for replication of deviated cells from the undifferentiated state was 3.12 times higher than that of undifferentiated cells, whereas the rate by transformation exhibited a negligible level compared with the rates of replication for undifferentiated cells and deviated cells from undifferentiated state, meaning that deviation of undifferentiated hiPSCs dramatically expanded only through replication of deviated cells from the undifferentiated state. These results suggest that once deviation has occurred in a colony, the deviated cells from undifferentiated state undertake dramatic invasion to occupy the colony. Maintenance of the undifferentiated state in subcultures inevitably requires vigilant care to remove any colonies that include deviated cells from the undifferentiated state. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2014;111: 1128–1138. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Stereoselective Determination of a Novel Chiral Insecticide, Sulfoxaflor, in Brown Rice, Cucumber and Apple by Normal‐Phase High‐Performance Liquid Chromatography
Authors: Chen Zenglong , Dong Fengshou , Xu Jun , Liu Xingang , Cheng Youpu , Liu Na , Tao Yan , Zheng Yongquan
Published: January 2014

An effective high‐performance liquid chromatography method was developed for the stereoselective determination of a new sulfoximines insecticide, sulfoxaflor, in brown rice, cucumber and apple. Target compounds were extracted with acetonitrile and an aliquot cleaned with Cleanert PestiCarb/PSA (primary and secondary amine) cartridge. Five polysaccharide‐based columns were investigated on the separation of sulfoxaflor stereoisomers and the best was achieved on a ChromegaChiral CCA column with n‐hexane/ethanol/methanol (90:2:8, v/v/v) as mobile phase by UV detection at 220 nm at 20ºC. The resolutions of the four stereoisomers were 1.85, 1.54 and 3.08, and the elution order was identified by optical rotation and stereoisomers ratio. The mean recoveries of sulfoxaflor stereoisomers ranged from 77.1% to 99.3%, with relative standard deviations less than 8.9% at three concentration levels in all matrices. The limits of detection for all stereoisomers varied from 0.05 mg/kg to 0.07 mg/kg, while the limit of quantification did not exceed 0.22 mg/kg. The method was then successfully applied to determine the sulfoxaflor stereoisomers in authentic samples, confirming that it is convenient and reliable for stereoselective determination of sulfoxaflor stereoisomers in food. Chirality 26:114–120, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Preparation of P(MBA‐co‐MAA)/Zr(OH)4/P(EGDMA‐co‐MAA)/TiO2 Tetra‐layer Hybrid Microspheres and the Corresponding ZrO2/TiO2 Double‐shelled Hollow Microspheres
Authors: Qin Dianbin , Yu Jinhui , Bian Guomin , Qi Yonglin , Zhang Dongwei , Yang Xinlin
Published: January 2014

Double‐shelled zirconia/titania (ZrO2/TiO2) hollow microspheres were prepared by the selective removal of the polymer components via the calcination of the corresponding tetra‐layer poly(N,N′‐methylenebisacryl amide‐co‐methacrylic acid) (P(MBA‐co‐MAA))/Zr(OH)4/poly(ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate‐co‐methacrylic acid) (P(EGDMA‐co‐MAA))/TiO2 hybrid microspheres. These tetra‐layer microspheres were synthesized by the combination of the distillation copolymerization of N,N(‐methylenebisacryl amide‐co‐methacrylic acid (MBA) or ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) crosslinker and methacrylic acid (MAA) for the preparation of polymer core and third‐layer as well as the controlled sol‐gel hydrolysis of inorganic precursors for the construction of zirconium hydroxide (Zr(OH)4) and titania (TiO2) layers. The thicknesses of zirconia and titania shell‐layers were conveniently controlled via varying the feed of zirconium n‐butoxide (Zr(OBu)4) and titanium tetrabutoxide (TBOT) during the sol‐gel hydrolysis, while the sizes of polymer layers were tuned through a multi‐stage distillation precipitation copolymerization. The structure and morphology of the resultant microspheres were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X‐ray diffractometer (XRD), X‐ray photoelectronic spectroscopy (XPS), and thermogrametric analysis (TGA).
Pulmonary Drugs and Genes Delivery Systems for Lung Disease Treatment
Authors: Xu Caina , Tian Huayu , Chen Xuesi
Published: January 2014

Pulmonary drugs and genes delivery systems have become an attractive approach in the treatment of lung diseases with the advantages of minimal drug loss, precise quantization, high local drugs concentration and low side effects. However, special attention should be paid to the biological barriers of the lung. The delivery systems need to be designed carefully in order to overcome these biological barriers and maximize the drugs and genes deposition to the lungs. Pulmonary drugs and genes delivery systems can offer some encouraging results for delivering drugs and genes to the lungs. Specifically, some lipid‐based and polymer‐based delivery systems could control and sustain the release of drugs and genes with minimal or negligible toxicity. This review focuses on the latest development of pulmonary delivery of drugs and genes for the treatment of various lung diseases. The barriers to the lung, the delivery devices, the route of the administration and the delivery systems for drugs and genes pulmonary delivery are described. Based on the rapid development of clinical requirement, novel approaches using delivery systems for pulmonary delivery drugs and genes need to be constructed, which is believed to play an important role in the therapy of lung diseases in the future.
Novel Cyclopeptide Bolaamphiphile for Constructing Supramolecular Nanotubes
Authors: Qin Siyong , Wang Qingrong , Pei Yi , Peng Mengyun , Zhuo Renxi , Zhang Xianzheng
Published: January 2014

A novel dicyclopeptide‐based bolaamphiphile was synthesized. The hydrophilic cyclopeptide fragments were linked to an alkyl chain 1,6‐bis(maleimido)hexane, which acted as a hydrophobic spacer. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation indicated that the cyclopeptide bolaamphiphile (CPB) self‐assembled into the nanotubes with a thickness of about 3 nm. Based on the optimized molecular conformation obtained via MM2 method, the length of CPB was demonstrated to be around 4 nm, implying that the nanotubes were single‐walled. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) and circular dichroism (CD) analysis showed that the cyclopeptides in CPB mainly acted as the hydrophilic headgroups, rather than providing the well‐ordered hydrogen bonding interaction responsible for β‐sheet conformation. To investigate the special self‐assembly behavior of CPB, the single cyclopeptide (CP) without the connection of the linker was synthesized. Further investigation indicated that the CP molecules can not form tubular structures but nanofibers.
Pharmacokinetic interactions between topiramate and diltiazem, hydrochlorothiazide, or propranolol
Authors: Manitpisitkul Prasarn , Curtin Christopher R. , Shalayda Kevin , Wang Shean‐Sheng , Ford Lisa , Heald Donald
Published: January 2014

Drug–drug interactions between topiramate and diltiazem, hydrochlorothiazide, or propranolol were evaluated along with safety/tolerability in three open‐label studies. Healthy participants (aged 18–45 years) received topiramate 75 mg every 12 hours (q12h) and diltiazem 240 mg/day (study 1); topiramate 96 mg q12h and hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg/day (study 2); topiramate 100 mg q12h and propranolol 40–80 mg q12h (study 3). The pharmacokinetic parameters for topiramate, diltiazem (and active metabolites, desacetyldiltiazem [DEA], N‐demethyl diltiazem [DEM]), hydrochlorothiazide, and propranolol (and its active metabolite) were assessed at steady state. Results showed no effect of diltiazem on topiramate pharmacokinetics. However, a modest reduction in systemic exposures of diltiazem and DEA (10–27%) occurred during coadministration with topiramate. Systemic exposure of DEM was unaffected. Furthermore, oral and renal clearance of topiramate decreased (22–30%) significantly (P < 0.05) during coadministration with hydrochlorothiazide, while systemic exposure increased by 27–29%. Topiramate had no effect on hydrochlorothiazide pharmacokinetics. The results demonstrated lack of pharmacokinetic interaction between topiramate and propranolol. Overall, no new safety concerns emerged when topiramate was coadministered with diltiazem, hydrochlorothiazide, or propranolol.
Robust stabilization design for large‐scale parameterized nonlinear switched systems
Authors: Chen Lanping , Han Zhengzhi , Ma Zhenghua
Published: January 2014

This paper is concerned with the robust stabilization problem for a large class of parameterized switched nonlinear systems interconnected with unmodeled dynamics and uncertain disturbance in cascade form. Adaptive approximation methods will be designed to address the unknown nonlinearities. Via the backstepping algorithm, we construct adaptive state‐feedback controller under certain conditions, which is robust against parametric uncertainties and enable the class of switched systems stabilized under arbitrary switchings in probability. The simulation results demonstrate that the asymptotic stability of system performance can be adjusted by choosing suitable design parameters. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A CD40/CD40L feedback loop drives the breakdown of CD8+T‐cell tolerance following depletion of suppressive CD4+ T cells
Authors: Muth Sabine , Schütze Kristian , Hain Tobias , Yagita Hideo , Schild Hansjörg , Probst Hans Christian
Published: January 2014

Dendritic cells (DCs) are the key APCs not only for the priming of naïve T cells, but also for the induction and maintenance of peripheral T‐cell tolerance. We have recently shown that cognate interactions between Foxp3+ Tregs and steady‐state DCs are crucial to maintain the tolerogenic potential of DCs. Using DIETER mice, which allow the induction of antigen presentation selectively on DCs without altering their maturation status, we show here that breakdown of CD8+ T‐cell tolerance, which ensues after depletion of suppressive CD4+ T cells, is driven by a positive feedback loop in which autoreactive CD8+ T cells activate DCs via CD40. These data identify ligation of CD40 on DCs as a stimulus that promotes autoreactive T‐cell priming when regulatory T‐cell suppression fails and suggest that feedback from autoreactive T cells to DCs may contribute to the well‐documented involvement of CD40 in many autoimmune diseases.
Microwave‐Assisted Synthesis of Tetrahydro‐β‐carbolines and β‐Carbolines
Authors: Eagon Scott , Anderson Marc O.
Published: January 2014

A microwave‐mediated Pictet–Spengler procedure utilizing 1,2‐dichloroethane (DCE) and trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) was developed to provide tetrahydro‐β‐carboline salts in high yields. Reactions are complete in 20 minutes or less and the product precipitates from solution in high yields and purity, negating the need for liquid–liquid extraction or column chromatography. This method tolerates a wide range of functionality and can be performed on milligram to gram scales. A subsequent microwave‐mediated aromatization of the synthesized tetrahydro‐β‐carbolines to β‐carbolines was also developed utilizing catalytic Pd/C. The aromatization is complete in 60 min or less with most substrates requiring minimal purification.
Formyl Substituent at C‐4 of Pyrazoles: A Temporary Protecting Group for Regioselective Palladium‐Catalyzed Direct Arylation at C‐5
Authors: Smari Imen , Youssef Chiraz , Yuan Kedong , Beladhria Anissa , Ben Ammar Hamed , Ben Hassine Bechir , Doucet Henri
Published: January 2014

Pyrazoles with an aldehyde function at C‐4 underwent a palladium‐catalyzed direct arylation reaction to provide a regioselective approach to 5‐aryl‐substituted pyrazoles. The reaction proceeds in moderate to high yields with a variety of aryl bromides in the presence of 2 mol‐% of Pd(OAc)2 as the catalyst. The use of an aldehyde function at C‐4 of the pyrazoles presents several advantages: (1) 4‐formylpyrazoles are easily prepared from hydrazine derivatives, ketones, and N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF), (2) the control of the regioselectivity of the arylation at C‐5 of the pyrazole, (3) the aldehyde substituent can easily be transformed into a wide variety of other substituents, and (4) the formyl group can be considered a temporary protecting group, as it can be removed by a straightforward reaction.
A Convenient Method for the Asymmetric Synthesis of Fluorinated α‐Amino Acids from Alcohols
Authors: Drouet Fleur , Noisier Anaïs F. M. , Harris Craig S. , Furkert Daniel P. , Brimble Margaret A.
Published: January 2014

Due to their numerous applications, fluorinated amino acids have recently attracted significant attention. The preparation of fluorine‐containing phenylalanines, heteroaryl alanines and aliphatic fluorinated amino acids using Mitsunobu–Tsunoda alkylation of a chiral nucleophilic glycine equivalent with readily available alcohol substrates is described. The reaction proceeds in high yields and with excellent diastereoselectivity. This method provides an efficient synthetic route to fluorinated amino acids for which asymmetric approaches are scarce.
A Quaternary Nitronyl Nitroxide α‐Amino Acid: Synthesis, Configurational and Conformational Assignments, and Physicochemical Properties
Authors: Wright Karen , d'Aboville Edouard , Scola Joseph , Margola Tommaso , Toffoletti Antonio , De Zotti Marta , Crisma Marco , Formaggio Fernando , Toniolo Claudio
Published: January 2014

To expand the presently extremely limited repertoire of known nitronyl nitroxide α‐amino acids, we report here the synthesis of a novel, conformationally constrained, quaternary, chiral residue, Aic(CN), and its subsequent conversion into a blue‐colored, imidazolinyl nitronyl nitroxide‐bearing α‐amino acid, Aic(NN). Deprotection and peptide coupling reactions were examined. The configurational assignment of Aic(NN) was achieved by X‐ray crystallographic analysis of an appropriate tripeptide. This latter investigation, accompanied by an IR absorption conformational analysis, strongly supports the view that the Aic(NN) residue is an efficient peptide turn former. Numerous spectroscopic and magnetic properties of its derivatives and the tripeptide are also described. Of particular relevance for future applications are its UV/Vis absorption, NMR, and EPR signatures.
Reconstruction of eroded and deposited sediment volumes of the embanked River Waal, the Netherlands, for the period ad 1631–present
Authors: Hobo Noortje , Makaske Bart , Wallinga Jakob , Middelkoop Hans
Published: January 2014

In the last few centuries humans have modified rivers, and rivers have responded with noticeable changes in sedimentary dynamics. The objective of this study is to assess these responses of the sedimentary dynamics. Therefore, we calculated a sediment budget for eroded and deposited sediment volumes in a ~12‐km long floodplain section of the largest semi‐natural embanked but still dynamic lower Rhine distributary, for ~50‐years time slices between ad 1631 and present. This is the period during which embanked floodplains were formed by downstream migration of meander bends between confining dykes. Our sediment budget involves a detailed reconstruction of vertical and lateral accretion rates and erosion rates of floodplain sediment. To do so, we developed a series of historical geomorphological maps, and lithogenetic cross‐sections. Based on the maps and cross‐sections, we divided the floodplain into building blocks representing channel bed and overbank sediment bodies. Chronostratigraphy within the blocks was estimated by interpretation of heavy metal profiles and from optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating results. Sediment budgets were hence calculated as a change of volume of each building block between time steps. The amount of lateral accretion initially increased, as a result of island and sand bar formation following embankment. From the eighteenth century onwards, there was a decrease of lateral processes in time, which is a result of straightening of the river by human activities, and a reduction of water and sediment supply due to the construction of a new upstream bifurcation. With straightening of the river, the floodplain area grew. Artificial fixation of the channel banks after ad 1872 prevented lateral activity. From then on, overbank deposition became the main process, leading to a continuous increase of floodplain elevation, and inherent decrease of flooding frequency and sediment accumulation rate. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
AUTOMATIC CALIBRATION OF A HYDROLOGIC MODEL FOR SIMULATING GROUNDWATER TABLE FLUCTUATIONS ON FARMS IN THE EVERGLADES AGRICULTURAL AREA OF SOUTH FLORIDA
Authors: Kwon Hoyoung , Grunwald Sabine , Beck Howard , Jung Yunchul
Published: January 2014

The Shuffled Complex Evolution—Universal Algorithm (SCE‐UA) is an automatic calibration algorithm that has shown success in finding a globally optimum objective function with more efficiency than other methods. We incorporated the SCE‐UA into our novel modeling environment, utilizing an ontology‐based simulation (OntoSim‐Sugarcane) framework adapted to analyze groundwater table (WT) fluctuations and drainage practices on four farm basins in the Everglades Agricultural Area of south Florida.

Utilizing two water years (WY96–97) of farm WT fluctuations observed at a portion (<16 ha) of each farm basin, two parameters—lateral hydraulic conductivities of soil profile and vertical hydraulic conductivity of underlying limestone—were automatically calibrated. Regardless of farms, the best parameter sets that minimize the objective function of daily root mean square error could be found after 1500 simulation runs. The quality of matching simulated to observed values of farm WT were further assessed by the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (NSE). The NSE ranged from 0.38 to 0.75 (calibration period, WY96–97) and 0.10 to 0.76 (validation period, WY98–99) on all four farms. These results indicate that this coupling strengthens the capability of OntoSim‐Sugarcane to model hydrology by objectively finding the best parameter sets. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Metabolic response of Medicago sativa to severe nutrient imbalances and disturbances under field conditions
Authors: Fester Thomas , Merbach Ines , Schulz Elke , Härtig Claus
Published: January 2014

Our experiments were focused on the metabolic footprint of mineral‐nutrient availability under field conditions. While there are multiple factors potentially blurring such footprints, we hypothesized that physiological and metabolic adaptations of established plants are particularly important mechanisms under field conditions. To study respective differences between young and established plants and to study the impact of disturbances on the adaptive capacity of established plants, we analyzed Medicago sativa plants of different age from plots with marked differences in the levels of soil mineral nutrients established in a long‐term fertilization experiment. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was used to determine metabolite profiles of sink and source leaves of plants in an early state of development (“young plants”), just before the first harvest (“established plants”), and a short time after the second harvest (“regrowing plants”). Metabolite profiles from young plants were markedly responsive to soil mineral nutrients and resembled respective profiles from controlled conditions, demonstrating that overall variability of growth and sampling conditions had relatively little importance for the metabolite profiles recorded. In the case of established plants, however, we observed only little impact of availability of mineral nutrients on metabolite profiles. This low metabolic responsiveness of plants was partially lost after severe disturbances (removal of the plant shoot). Metabolite profiling, in summary, is able to detect a metabolic footprint of mineral‐nutrient availability in young plants under field conditions and may provide information about the ability of older plants to partially uncouple their metabolism from the environment. In addition, it is also possible to determine the impact of disturbances on this ability of the plant organism.
Tourism, Real Effective Exchange Rate and Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence for Croatia
Authors: Pavlic Ivana , Svilokos Tonci , Tolic Meri Suman
Published: January 2014

The aim of this paper is to examine the long‐run and short‐run relationship between tourism, real effective exchange rate and economic growth in Croatia. The econometric framework used for analysis is the Johansen Maximum Likelihood cointegration technique. For testing the stability of long‐run equilibrium relationship vector error correction model technique has been applied on a quarterly data set covering the period 1996–2013. The main findings of the paper confirm the stability of the long‐run equilibrium relationship between tourist arrivals (ARRIVAL), openness of the economy (OPEN) and real effective exchange rate as independent variable and gross domestic product (GDP) as dependent variable in Croatia. Furthermore, the results indicate short‐run causality between OPEN and GDP, as well as between real effective exchange rate and GDP. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evolution of iPP Relaxation Spectrum during Crystallization
Authors: Pantani Roberto , Speranza Vito , Titomanlio Giuseppe
Published: January 2014

The linear viscoelastic response, usually described through the moduli G′(ω) and G″(ω), is widely employed to investigate the material properties because it is strictly related to the microstructure of thermoplastics. In a semi‐crystalline polymeric material both the amount (degree of crystallinity) and the morphology of the crystalline phase strongly influence the polymer rheological behavior. In order to obtain information about the effect of crystallinity on the linear viscoelastic functions, the parameters of the linear multi‐mode Maxwell equation have been determined by fitting literature data of G′(ω) and G″(ω) collected at different crystallinity degrees. The analysis of the resulting spectra, at least in the considered frequency and crystallinity range, clearly shows that the relaxation times of all modes increase with crystallinity in the same way. On the other hand, the parameters Gi of faster modes do not depend upon the crystallinity, whereas the parameters Gi increase with crystallinity only for the slowest modes. These results are very relevant to the rheology evolution during solidification: it is not sufficient to analyze only one viscoelastic function during crystallization, the relaxation time for instance; also the moduli change, and their increase seems concentrated to the modes having the largest relaxation times.