bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fe‐mediated SET‐LRP of MMA and St in the presence of air
Authors: Wang Guoxiang , Lu Mang
Published: April 2012

In this work, well‐defined homopolymers of methyl methacrylate (PMMA) and styrene (PSt) were prepared via single‐electron‐transfer living radical polymerization using CCl4 as initiator and Fe(0)/N, N, N′,N′‐tetramethyl‐1,2‐ethanediamine as catalyst. The polymerization was conducted at 25 °C in N,N‐dimethylformamide in the presence of air. It proceeded in a ‘living’ manner, as indicated by the first‐order kinetics behavior, and the linear increase of the number‐average molecular weight (Mn, GPC) with conversion was close to the theoretical Mn, theory. Solvent and additives have a profound effect on the polymerization. In addition, the PMMA and PSt obtained remained of low dispersity. The chain‐end functionality of the obtained homopolymer of PMMA was characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance. A block copolymer of P(MMA‐block‐St) was achieved by using the obtained PMMA as macroinitiator. The living characteristics were further demonstrated by chain extension experiments. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
A new approach for the preparation of chitosan from γ‐irradiation of prawn shell: effects of radiation on the characteristics of chitosan
Authors: Rashid Taslim Ur , Rahman Mohammed Mizanur , Kabir Shahriar , Shamsuddin Sayed M , Khan Mubarak A
Published: April 2012

Chitosan is a biodegradable polymer composed of randomly distributed β‐(1,4)‐linked D‐glucosamine (deacetylated unit) and N‐acetyl‐D‐glucosamine (acetylated unit). It is produced commercially by deacetylation of chitin, which is the structural element in the exoskeleton of crustaceans (such as crabs and shrimps) and the cell walls of fungi. In the work reported, we developed a facile technique for the preparation of chitosan by irradiating prawn shell at various intensities from 2 to 50 kGy. It was observed that γ‐irradiation of prawn shell increased the degree of deacetylation (DD) of chitin at a relatively low alkali concentration during the deacetylation process. Among the various irradiation doses applied to prawn shell, a dose of 50 kGy and 4 h heating in 50% NaOH solution yielded 84.56% DD while the chitosan obtained from non‐irradiated prawn shell with the same reaction conditions had only 74.70% DD. In order to evaluate the effect of γ‐irradiation on the various physicochemical, thermomechanical and morphological properties, the chitosan samples were again irradiated (2–100 kGy) with γ‐radiation. Molecular weight, DD, thermal properties with differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis, particle morphology by scanning electron microscopy, water binding capacity (WBC), fat binding capacity (FBC) and antimicrobial activity were determined and the effects of various γ‐radiation doses were assessed. The DD, WBC, FBC and antimicrobial activity of the chitosan were found to improve on irradiation. It was obvious that irradiation caused a decrease of molecular weight from 187 128 to 64 972 g mol−1 after applying a radiation dose of 100 kGy which occurred due to the chain scission of chitosan molecules at glycosidic linkages. The decrease of molecular weight increased the water solubility of the chitosan, the extent of which was explored for biomedical applications. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
End‐group composition of poly(3‐hexylthiophene)s prepared by in situ quenching of the grignard metathesis polymerization: Influence of additives and reaction conditions
Authors: Kochemba W. Michael , Kilbey S. Michael , Pickel Deanna L.
Published: April 2012

The ability to prepare well‐defined semiconducting polymers is essential for understanding the link between structure and function in organic photovoltaic devices. A general, one‐pot method for altering the degree of functionality of end‐functionalized poly(3‐hexylthiophene)s (P3HT) prepared by Grignard metathesis (GRIM) polymerization has been developed. In the absence of additives, the degree of functionality of end‐functional P3HTs prepared by quenching of the GRIM polymerization with a Grignard reagent is dependent on the Grignard reagent utilized. In this study, additives such as styrene and 1‐pentene are shown to alter the end‐group composition of tolyl‐functionalized P3HTs as determined by Matrix‐assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time‐of‐flight Mass Spectrometry. In particular, when quenching the GRIM polymerization with tolylmagnesium bromide, a modest decrease in the difunctional product is observed, and the yield of the monofunctional product increases significantly. Temperature and lithium chloride (LiCl) addition also play impactful roles. Monofunctional P3HT is found to be the major product (72% abundance) when the functionalization is done in the presence of LiCl and styrene at 0 °C, whereas in the absence of additives the monofunctional product is present at only 11% abundance. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012
Nitrodeiodination of Polyiodopyrazoles
Authors: Ravi Pasupala , Koti Reddy Chaganti , Saikia Ananta , Mohan Gore Girish , Kanti Sikder Arun , Prakash Tewari Surya
Published: April 2012

Polynitropyrazoles such as 3,4‐dinitro‐1H‐pyrazole (9), 3,4,5‐trinitro‐1H‐pyrazole (10), 1‐methyl‐3,4‐dinitropyrazole (8) and 1‐methyl‐3,4,5‐trinitropyrazole (3) have been synthesized in good yields adopting iodination route for the first time.
Burning Rate – Pressure Relationship of NG‐PE‐PCP‐based High Energy Propellants
Authors: Pande Shrikant M. , Sadavarte Vaibhav S. , Bhowmik Debdas , Gaikwad Dashrath D. , Singh Raja V. , Singh Haridwar
Published: April 2012

Nitramines are known to produce lower burning rates and higher pressure exponent (η) values. Studies on the burning rate and combustion behavior of advanced high‐energy NG/PE‐PCP/HMX/AP/Al based solid propellant processed by slurry cast route were carried out using varying percentages of HMX and AP. It was observed that propellant compositions containing only AP and Al loaded (total solids 75 %) in NG plasticized PE‐PCP binder produce comparatively lower pressure exponent (η) values similar to AP‐Al filled HTPB based composite propellants. However, energetic propellants containing high level of nitramine (40–60 %) produce high pressure exponent (0.8–0.9) values in the same pressure range. Incorporation of fine particle size AP (ca. 6 μm) and change in its concentration in the propellant composition reduces η value marginally and influences the burning rate. However, such compositions have higher friction sensitivity.
Simulation of the oxidation pathway on Si(100) using high‐resolution EELS
Authors: Hogan Conor , Caramella Lucia , Onida Giovanni
Published: April 2012

We compute high‐resolution electron energy loss spectra (HREELS) of possible structural motifs that form during the dynamic oxidation process on Si(100), including the important metastable precursor silanone and an adjacent‐dimer bridge (ADB) structure that may seed oxide formation. Spectroscopic fingerprints of single site, silanone, and “seed” structures are identified and related to changes in the surface bandstructure of the clean surface. Incorporation of oxygen into the silicon lattice through adsorption and dissociation of water is also examined. Results are compared to available HREELS spectra and surface optical data, which are closely related. Our simulations confirm that HREELS offers complementary evidence to surface optical spectroscopy, and show that its high sensitivity allows it to distinguish between energetically and structurally similar oxidation models.
Multimode Peierls distortion in triangular lattice
Authors: Miyoshi Kenta , Terai Akira
Published: April 2012

We have studied the multimode Peierls states in the electron–lattice system on a triangular lattice with a three‐quarter‐filled electronic band. Below the transition temperature, we have found many stable states of nearly same free‐energy. Focusing our attention on the lowest free‐energy state, we have found that the Peierls order parameter continuously increases from zero just below the transition temperature. When the temperature is raised from the region lower than the critical temperature, multiple phonon modes are simultaneously softened at the same temperature as when the temperature is lowered from the region higher that the critical temperature. These results tell us that the transition is of the second order. The non‐softened modes are also found to condense due to nonlinear coupling between the non‐softened modes and the softened modes. The degeneracy of the phonon modes observed at the higher temperature region is partially lifted at the lower temperature region.
Polarized–unpolarized ground state of small polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Authors: San‐Fabiín E. , Moscardó F.
Published: April 2012

Do polyacenes, circumacenes, periacenes, nanographenes, and graphene nanoribbons show a spin polarized ground state? In this work, we present monodeterminantal (Hartree–Fock (HF) and density functional theory (DFT) types), and multideterminantal calculations (Møller–Plesset and Coupled Cluster), for several families of unsaturated organic molecules (n‐Acenes, n‐Periacenes and n‐Circumacenes). All HF calculations and many DFT show a spin‐polarized (antiferromagnetic) ground state, in agreement with previous calculations. Nevertheless, the multideterminantal calculations, carried out with perturbative and variational wavefunctions, show that the more stable state is obtained starting from the unpolarized HF wavefunction. The trend of the stabilization of wavefunctions (polarized or unpolarized) with respect to exchange and correlation potentials, and to the number of benzene rings, has been analyzed. A study of the spin (〈Ŝ2〉) and the spin density on the carbon atoms has also been carried out. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Secondary ion mass spectrometry of powdered explosive compounds for forensic evidence analysis
Authors: Téllez Helena , Vadillo José M. , Laserna José J.
Published: April 2012

RATIONALE

Residual quantities of explosives deposited on, or absorbed in, nearby surfaces can be of forensic value in post‐blast analysis. As secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) may be a suitable analytical approach for the screening of such residues, its performance was evaluated.

METHODS

The analyses were carried out in a SIMS instrument fitted with a quadrupole analyzer. The sample was sputtered at a 45º incidence angle with a 100 µm primary Ar+ beam (3 keV, 500 nA). Surface sample compensation was performed with low‐energy electrons (500 eV, 0.75 mA).

RESULTS

TNT, RDX, PETN and cloratite were deposited in powdered form on double‐sided tape and introduced into the mass spectrometer, without further handling, for SIMS analysis. The analysis conditions including compensation were optimized. A mixture of energetic compounds commonly used for explosive preparation was also analyzed, proving the potential of SIMS in forensic analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated the possibility of detecting explosives by SIMS making use of a simple sampling procedure consisting of sticking the sample in powdered form (compatible with the collection performed in forensic post‐blast analysis) onto double‐sided tape without handling or preparation. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dynamic cylindrical free‐form deformation for interactive simulation of tool–tissue interaction
Authors: Ahn Woojin , Lee Doo Yong
Published: April 2012

Background

Dynamic lattice‐based free‐form deformation (FFD) allows efficient simulation of global deformation of complex geometric objects. However, directly imposing a number of position constraints due to contact with a tool is non‐trivial since it is an over‐determined problem.

Method

This paper extends the FFD to directly impose a number of position constraints for the objects to be embedded in (rounded) cylindrical lattice structures. The position constraints are applied by enabling each surface point to locally deform along the near‐normal direction to the surface.

Result

The computational time of the local deformation is independent of the number of constrained points other than finite element method. As a real‐time application, the proposed method is applied to colonoscopic polypectomy simulation running at over 60 Hz.

Conclusion

The proposed method allows efficient simulation of the global and local deformations of complex geometric objects while achieving accurate tool–tissue interaction in a realistic and robust manner. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Accounting for extrinsic variability in the estimation of stochastic rate constants
Authors: Koeppl Heinz , Zechner Christoph , Ganguly Arnab , Pelet Serge , Peter Matthias
Published: April 2012

Single‐cell recordings of transcriptional and post‐transcriptional processes reveal the inherent stochasticity of cellular events. However, to a large extent, the observed variability in isogenic cell populations is due to extrinsic factors, such as difference in expression capacity, cell volume and cell cycle stage—to name a few. Thus, such experimental data represents a convolution of effects from stochastic kinetics and extrinsic noise sources. Recent parameter inference schemes for single‐cell data just account for variability because of molecular noise. Here, we present a Bayesian inference scheme that deconvolutes the two sources of variability and enables us to obtain optimal estimates of stochastic rate constants of low copy‐number events and extract statistical information about cell‐to‐cell variability. In contrast to previous attempts, we model extrinsic noise by a variability in the abundance of mass‐conserved species, rather than a variability in kinetic parameters. We apply the scheme to a simple model of the osmostress‐induced transcriptional activation in budding yeast. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
“Shaking” and Learning
Authors: Loh Jason
Published: April 2012

View From the Chalkboard essays share readers' reflections on teaching experiences, advice for new teachers, and perspectives on current issues.
The Problem of Religious Freedom in Late Imperial Russia: The Case of Russian Baptists
Authors: Polunov Alexander
Published: April 2012

The paper deals with the development of the Baptist movements (Stundism and Pashkovism) in late Imperial Russia, their perception by the ecclesiastical and secular authorities, the measures undertaken by the Church and government in order to combat the Protestant sectarianism. Different approaches of the contemporaries to the religious dissent are being investigated. While the members of educated society, liberals and moderate conservatives viewed evangelical movements as a reflection of social changes in postreform Russia and a reaction to the shortcomings of the official Church, the ecclesiastical authorities treated the rise of evangelicalism as a result of the sectarians' “ignorance” and as a threat to the political and social order of Russia. When conservative tsar Alexander III ascended in 1881 to the throne, his former tutor and the Chief Procurator of the Holy Synod Constantine Pobedonostsev launched an energetic campaign against the heterodoxy based on a combination of repressive and educational measures. This campaign turned out to be a failure mostly due to passiveness of the official Church which was paralyzed by the strict control of the state. The position of the secular administration which was not eager to be drawn into religious struggle also hampered the attempts to combat the heterodoxy. Finally, the effective repressions against the sectarianism were paralyzed by the protests of the Senate, supreme juridical body of the Empire which had to overview the compliance with the law. Though the repressions against the Baptists were stopped in 1905, they made a negative impact on the Russia's development contributing to the sharpening of the social and political contradictions on the eve of revolution.
Relative intensities of recognition factors at two combining sites of Ralstonia solanacearum lectin (RSL) for accommodating lFucα1→, dManα1→ and Galβ1→3/4GlcNAc glycotopes
Authors: Wu Albert M. , Liu Jia-Hua , Herp Anthony , Sudakevitz Dvora , Gilboa-Garber Nechama
Published: April 2012

Owing to the weak reactivities of monomeric dManα1 and Galβ1→3/4GlcNAcβ (I
β/II
β) glycotopes with Ralstonia solanacearum lectin (RSL), their recognition roles were previously ignored. In this study, the interaction intensities of RSL toward four monomeric glycotopes lFucα1→, dManα1→ and I
β/II
β within two combining sites were established by both enzyme‐linked lectinosorbent and inhibition assays. It was found that high density of lFucα1→ complex enhanced the recognition intensities at lFucα1→ site, polyvalent dManα1→ was essential for binding at the dManα1→ site and polyvalent I
β/II
β was required at lFucα1→ site. The peculiar recognition systems of RSL are very different from other well known microbial lectins.
Pirh2 RING‐finger E3 ubiquitin ligase: Its role in tumorigenesis and cancer therapy
Authors: Jung Yong-Sam , Qian Yingjuan , Chen Xinbin
Published: April 2012

The ubiquitin‐dependent proteasome system plays a critical role in many cellular processes and pathogenesis of various human diseases, including cancer. Although there are a large number of E3 ubiquitin ligases, the majority are RING‐finger type E3s. Pirh2, a target of p53 transcription factor, contains a highly conserved C3H2C3 type RING domain. Importantly, Pirh2 was found to regulate a group of key factors dedicated to the DNA damage response, such as p53, p73, PolH, and c‐Myc. Interestingly, Pirh2 was upregulated or downregulated in different types of cancers. These suggest that Pirh2 is implicated in either promoting or suppressing tumor progression in a tissue‐dependent manner. This review will focus on the major findings in these studies and discuss the potential to explore Pirh2 as a cancer therapeutic target.
CRITICAL STUDY OF GOLDBERG'S RELYING ON OTHERS
Authors: Gerken Mikkel
Published: April 2012

This critical study of Sanford Goldberg's Relying on Others focuses on the book's central claim, the extendedness hypothesis, according to which the processes relevant for assessing the reliability of a hearer's testimonial belief include the cognitive processes involved in the production of the testimony.
Spaces of sections of Banach algebra bundles
Authors: Farjoun Emmanuel Dror , Schochet Claude L.
Published: April 2012

Suppose thatBis a G-Banach algebra over= ℝ or ℂXis a finite dimensional compact metric space, ζ :P → Xis a standard principalG-bundle, andAζ= Γ(X,P×GB) is the associated algebra of sections. We produce a spectral sequence which converges to π*(GLoAζ) with

A related spectral sequence converging toK*+1(Aζ) (the real or complex topologicalK-theory) allows us to conclude that ifBis Bott-stable, (i.e., if π*(GLoB) →K*+1(B) is an isomorphism for all * > 0) then so isAζ.
On the algebraic K-theory of formal power series
Authors: Lindenstrauss Ayelet , McCarthy Randy
Published: April 2012

In this paper we extend the computation of the the typical curves of algebraic K-theory done by Lars Hesselholt and Ib Madsen to general tensor algebras. The models used allow us to determine the stages of the Taylor tower of algebraic K-theory as a functor of augmented algebras, as defined by Tom Goodwillie, when evaluated on derived tensor algebras.

For R a discrete ring, and M a simplicial R-bimodule, we let R(M) denote the (derived) tensor algebra of M over R, and πR denote the ring of formal (derived) power series in M over R. We define a natural transformation of functors of simplicial R-bimodules Φ: which is closely related to Waldhausen's equivalence We show that Φ induces an equivalence on any finite stage of Goodwillie's Taylor towers of the functors at any simplicial bimodule. This is used to show that there is an equivalence of functors , and for connected bimodules, also an equivalence
Testing local-scale panmixia provides insights into the cryptic ecology, evolution, and epidemiology of metazoan animal parasites
Authors: GORTON MARY J. , KASL EMILY L. , DETWILER JILLIAN T. , CRISCIONE CHARLES D.
Published: April 2012

When every individual has an equal chance of mating with other individuals, the population is classified as panmictic. Amongst metazoan parasites of animals, local-scale panmixia can be disrupted due to not only non-random mating, but also non-random transmission among individual hosts of a single host population or non-random transmission among sympatric host species. Population genetics theory and analyses can be used to test the null hypothesis of panmixia and thus, allow one to draw inferences about parasite population dynamics that are difficult to observe directly. We provide an outline that addresses 3 tiered questions when testing parasite panmixia on local scales: is there greater than 1 parasite population/species, is there genetic subdivision amongst infrapopulations within a host population, and is there asexual reproduction or a non-random mating system? In this review, we highlight the evolutionary significance of non-panmixia on local scales and the genetic patterns that have been used to identify the different factors that may cause or explain deviations from panmixia on a local scale. We also discuss how tests of local-scale panmixia can provide a means to infer parasite population dynamics and epidemiology of medically relevant parasites.
Shampoo Dancing and Scars–(Dis)Embodiment in Afro-Contemporary Choreography in South Africa
Authors: Samuel Gerard M.
Published: April 2012

It could be argued that in no other colonised country were dancing bodies more destructively subjected to disempowerment and disembodied (Merleau-Ponty) than in Apartheid South Africa. This paper will review Mamela Nyamza, Celeste Botha, and Megan Erasmus's works to comment on choreographic choices that subvert power in South Africa. What is imposed in a transformation and libertory environment and by whom? The politics of movement discussion by Sylvia Glasser's (1991) “Is Dance a Political Movement?” will be extended, and Sherry Shapiro's (2009) writings appropriated to illustrate how hair sustains a normative position for the multiple users and recipients of contemporary dance. Can the scars of Apartheid be healed through Afro-contemporary dance choreography over time?
A fast mesoscale quadruped robot using piezocomposite actuators
Authors: Ho Thanhtam , Lee Sangyoon
Published: April 2012

This paper introduces the design, analysis, and experimental results of a fast mesoscale (12 cm length) quadruped mobile robot that employs unconventional actuators. Four legs of the robot are actuated by two pieces of piezocomposite actuator named LIPCA, which enables the robot to achieve the bounding gait with only one degree of freedom per leg. The forward locomotion is obtained by a creative idea in the design and the speed can be controlled by changing the frequency of actuators. The mechanism of power transfer has been improved in order to use the actuation power more efficiently. Two small RC-servo motors are added to control the locomotion direction. In addition, a small power supply and control circuit is developed that is fit for the robot. Our experiments show that the robot can locomote as fast as about two times its body length per second with the circuit board and a battery installed. The robot is also able to change the heading direction in a controlled way and is capable of continuous operation for 35 min.
Best Practice Guidelines on Surgical Response in Disasters and Humanitarian Emergencies: Report of the 2011 Humanitarian Action Summit Working Group on Surgical Issues within the Humanitarian Space
Authors: Chackungal Smita , Nickerson Jason W. , Knowlton Lisa M. , Black Lynn , Burkle Frederick M. , Casey Kathleen , Crandell David , Demey Didier , Di Giacomo Lillian , Dohlman Lena , Goldstein Joshua , Gosney James E. , Ikeda Keita , Linden Allison , Mullaly Catherine M. , O'Connell Colleen , Redmond Anthony D. , Richards Adam , Rufsvold Robert , Santos Ana L.R. , Skelton Terri , McQueen Kelly
Published: April 2012

The provision of surgery within humanitarian crises is complex, requiring coordination and cooperation among all stakeholders. During the 2011 Humanitarian Action Summit best practice guidelines were proposed to provide greater accountability and standardization in surgical humanitarian relief efforts. Surgical humanitarian relief planning should occur early and include team selection and preparation, appropriate disaster-specific anticipatory planning, needs assessment, and an awareness of local resources and limitations of cross-cultural project management. Accurate medical record keeping and timely follow-up is important for a transient surgical population. Integration with local health systems is essential and will help facilitate longer term surgical health system strengthening.
THE ROLE OF TWO INTEREST RATES IN THE INTERTEMPORAL CURRENT ACCOUNT MODEL
Authors: Rubaszek Michał
Published: April 2012

We analyze the role of the lending-deposit interest rate spread in the dynamics of the current account in developing countries. For that purpose, we extend the standard perfect-foresight intertemporal model of the current account for the existence of the interest rate spread and simulate the convergence path of developing economies. This model helps explain why in many cases it is optimal for a fast-growing, low-income country to run a balanced current account.
Panel Report onEC–IT Products
Authors: CONCONI PAOLA , HOWSE ROBERT
Published: April 2012

At the heart of the dispute onEC–IT Products1is the definition of information-technology (IT) products and the question of how to treat increasingly multifunctional high-tech goods. The dispute was triggered by various measures introduced by the European Union, resulting in the imposition of duties of up to 14% pertaining to the tariff treatment of certain multifunctional IT products. The complaining parties (the United States, along with Japan and Taiwan) argued that, by introducing these duties, the EU had violated the 1996 Information Technology Agreement (ITA). The WTO Panel Report, circulated on 16 August 2010, ruled in favor of the complaining parties, and ordered the EU to repeal the measures leading to the dutiable treatment of the products at stake. We argue that the Panel's ruling enhances the credibility of trade-policy liberalization in the high-tech sector, fostering the development of new technologies.
Commentary on the Appellate Body Report in Australia–Apples (DS367): judicial review in the face of uncertainty
Authors: SCHROPP SIMON A.B.
Published: April 2012

To justify certain sanitary and phytosanitary measures vis-à-vis New Zealand apple fruit, Australian authorities performed an import risk assessment that was riddled with scientific uncertainty. The quality and reliability of this assessment was the central bone of contention between the parties in the Australia–Apples dispute. In consequence, it featured prominently in the Appellate Body's discussion. In commenting on the Appellate Body Report, we are concerned with the standard of review of Members' decisions that are taken in situations of factual uncertainty. We discuss the elements in a Member's risk assessment that, in our view, should be considered ‘off limits’ for review by Panels if such assessment was performed in the presence of uncertain scientific facts, and how high degrees of uncertainty affect a Panel's ability to assess alleged less-trade-restrictive alternatives. Relying on findings from the disciplines of economics, decision analysis, and risk management, we introduce a basic framework for decisionmaking in conditions of uncertainty. We submit that certain types of decisions taken by the risk assessor cannot be subject to external review, since they necessarily contain subjective trade-offs on the part of the risk assessor. Applying our theoretical insights to the Apples case, we offer a series of recommendations concerning Panels' discretion to review Members' risk assessments and suggest concrete modifications to the standard of review currently applied by the Appellate Body.
Contribution and assessment of recycled menthol mint vermicompost on productivity and soil quality in mint and mint–rice–wheat rotation: A case study
Authors: Kalra Alok , Shukla Saket , Singh Rakshapal , Verma Rajesh Kumar , Chandra Mahesh , Singh Saudan , Tomar Virendra Kumar Singh , Krishna Alok , Zaim Mohammad , Ram Govind , Chand Sukhmal , Patra Dharani Dhar
Published: April 2012

Trials in farmers' field(s) were conducted to study the usefulness of vermicompost (VC) produced from distillation waste of menthol mint (Mentha arvensisL. cv. Kushal) using earthworms (Eisenia foetida) in reducing the inputs of chemical fertilizers and improving soil health in menthol mint-based cropping systems. Results of the first trial conducted on menthol mint (sole crop) in the fields of 45 farmers clearly indicated that 75% of the chemical fertilizer inputs can be reduced by supplementing the fields with 5tha−1of menthol mint VC leading to higher levels of profits to the farmers by significantly improving herb and oil yield (6.7 and 8.4%, respectively) compared to the full recommended dose of chemical fertilizers (NPK 75:60:60kgha−1). The second trial was conducted in the fields of six farmers adopting a menthol mint cropping system (mint–rice–wheat–mint) where significantly higher yields were recorded in plots supplemented with 5tha−1of menthol mint VC+25% of the recommended dose of chemical fertilizers; an increase of 5.6–7.2% in mint oil and 6.6% in wheat yield over the plots receiving the full recommended dose of chemical fertilizers (NPK 75:60:60kgha−1). However, in the case of rice, the highest grain yield was observed within plots receiving the full recommended dose of chemical fertilizers. Data obtained on soil properties clearly showed that apart from enhancing the yields of crops, the integration of VC with chemical fertilizers considerably improved the soil fertility/sustainability status in terms of organic carbon, available N, P and K.
Effects of hypoxia-induced intrauterine growth restriction on cardiac siderosis and oxidative stress
Authors: Rueda-Clausen C. F. , Morton J. S. , Oudit G. Y. , Kassiri Z. , Jiang Y. , Davidge S. T.
Published: April 2012

We have previously shown that adult rat offspring born intrauterine growth restricted (IUGR) as a result of a prenatal hypoxic insult exhibit several cardiovascular characteristics that are compatible with common manifestations of chronic iron toxicity. As hypoxia is one of the major regulators of iron absorption and metabolism, we hypothesized that hypoxia-induced IUGR offspring will have long-term changes in their ability to regulate iron metabolism leading to myocardial iron deposition and induction of myocardial oxidative stress. Pregnant Sprague Dawley rats were randomized to control (n = 8) or maternal hypoxia (11.5% oxygen; n = 8) during the last 6 days of pregnancy. At birth, litters were reduced to eight pups (four male and four female). At 4 or 12 months of age, offspring were euthanatized and samples (blood and myocardium) were collected. In only the male offspring, IUGR and aging were associated with an increase in myocardial markers of oxidative stress such as oxidized/reduced glutathione ratio and malondialdehyde. Aged male IUGR offspring also exhibited interstitial myocardial remodeling characterized by myocyte loss and disrupted extracellular matrix.Contrary to our hypothesis, however, neither IUGR nor aging were associated with changes in any systemic or local markers of iron metabolism. Our results suggest that hypoxic insults leading to IUGR produce long-term effects on the levels of oxidative stress and connective tissue distribution in the myocardium of male but not female offspring.
Selflessness in Anorexia Nervosa as Reflected in the Rorschach Comprehensive System
Authors: Curiel-Levy Gili , Canetti Laura , Galili-Weisstub Esti , Milun Myrna , Gur Eitan , Bachar Eytan
Published: April 2012

This study examines the expression of selflessness – the tendency to ignore one’s own needs and serve others’ needs – in Rorschach protocols of women suffering from anorexia nervosa. The protocols of 35 women suffering from anorexia nervosa were compared to 30 protocols of a psychiatric comparison group. A multivariate analysis of variance over five variables (AG, PER, PHR, COP, and GHR) was significant: Anorexic patients showed higher characteristics of selflessness compared to the psychiatric comparison group. These findings contribute to the validation of the Rorschach technique and to the clinical observation of selflessness in anorexic patients, and they emphasize specific characteristics in the treatment of anorexia nervosa patients.
Importance of composition and hygroscopicity of BC particles to the effect of BC mitigation on cloud properties: Application to California conditions
Authors: Bahadur Ranjit , Russell Lynn M. , Jacobson Mark Z. , Prather Kimberly , Nenes Athanasios , Adams Peter , Seinfeld John H.
Published: April 2012

Black carbon (BC) has many effects on climate including the direct effect on atmospheric absorption, indirect and semi‐direct effects on clouds, snow effects, and others. While most of these are positive (warming), the first indirect effect is negative and quantifying its magnitude in addition to other BC feedbacks is important for supporting policies that mitigate BC. We use the detailed aerosol chemistry parcel model of Russell and Seinfeld (1998), observationally constrained by initial measured aerosol concentrations from five California sites, to provide simulated cloud drop number (CDN) concentrations against which two GCM calculations – one run at the global scale and one nested from the global‐to‐regional scale are compared. The GCM results reflect the combined effects of their emission inventories, advection schemes, and cloud parameterizations. BC‐type particles contributed between 16 and 20% of cloud droplets at all sites even in the presence of more hygroscopic particles. While this chemically detailed parcel model result is based on simplified cloud dynamics and does not consider semi‐direct or cloud absorption effects, the cloud drop number concentrations are similar to the simulations of both Chen et al. (2010b) and Jacobson (2010) for the average cloud conditions in California. Reducing BC particle concentration by 50% decreased the cloud droplet concentration by between 6% and 9% resulting in the formation of fewer, larger cloud droplets that correspond to a lower cloud albedo. This trend is similar to Chen et al. (2010b) and Jacobson (2010) when BC particles were modeled as hygroscopic. This reduction in CDN in California due to the decrease in activated BC particles supports the concern raised by Chen et al. (2010a) that the cloud albedo effect of BC particles has a cooling effect that partially offsets the direct forcing reduction if other warming effects of BC on clouds are unchanged. These results suggests that for regions like the California sites studied here, where BC mitigation targets fossil fuel sources, a critical aspect of the modeled reduction is the chemical composition and associated hygroscopicity of the BC particles removed as well as their relative contribution to the atmospheric particle concentrations.
A new global database of Mars impact craters ≥1 km: 1. Database creation, properties, and parameters
Authors: Robbins Stuart J. , Hynek Brian M.
Published: April 2012

Impact craters have been used as a standard metric for a plethora of planetary applications for many decades, including age‐dating, geologic mapping and stratigraphic relationships, as tracers for surface processes, and as locations for sampling lower crust and upper mantle material. Utilizing craters for these and other investigations is significantly aided by a uniform catalog of craters across the surface of interest. Consequently, catalogs of craters have been developed for decades for the Moon and other planets. We present a new global catalog of Martian craters statistically complete to diameters D ≥ 1 km. It contains 384,343 craters, and for each crater it lists detailed positional, interior morphologic, ejecta morphologic and morphometric data, and modification state information if it could be determined. In this paper, we detail how the database was created, the different fields assigned, and statistical uncertainties and checks. In our companion paper (Robbins and Hynek, 2012), we discuss the first broad science applications and results of this work.
Thermodynamics of an idealized hydrologic cycle
Authors: Konings Alexandra G. , Feng Xue , Molini Annalisa , Manzoni Stefano , Vico Giulia , Porporato Amilcare
Published: April 2012

The diurnal hydrologic cycle, a sequence of evapotranspiration, boundary layer growth, moist convection, and precipitation, is described in a thermodynamic framework, assuming an atmosphere composed solely of water. This idealized cycle is shown to be equivalent to an abbreviated version of the classical Rankine cycle where not all the water vapor is condensed. Energy and entropy fluxes of the processes involved in the cycle are quantified using the reversible approximation as a function of the quality of the liquid‐vapor mixture (the ratio of the residual background vapor and the total mass of water) and the different temperatures at which evaporation and condensation take place. The proposed framework allows quantitative estimates of the net work (which is used by the cycle to drive the atmospheric circulation and dissipated by various frictional forces and nonidealities) as well as of the thermodynamic efficiency of the cycle. Possible extensions of the idealized framework relating to the role of dry air and the inclusion of various irreversible processes are also discussed.
Remote sensing helps to assess natural hazards and environmental changes in Asia‐Pacific region
Authors: Thouret Jean‐Claud , Liew Soo Chin , Gupta Avijit
Published: April 2012

Conference on Remote Sensing, Natural Hazards, and Environmental Change; Singapore, 28–29 July 2011 Natural hazards and anthropogenic environmental changes, both significant in the Asia‐Pacific region, were the two themes of a conference organized by the National University of Singapore's Centre for Remote Imaging, Sensing and Processing (CRISP) and the Université Blaise Pascal's Laboratoire Magmas et Volcans. The application of satellite imagery at a wide range of resolutions, from 500 meters to 50 centimeters, was a unifying approach in many of the studies presented. The recent arrival of a new generation of satellites with extremely high resolution (50 centimeters) has improved scientists' ability to carry out detailed studies of natural hazards and environmental change.
Measuring mercury in coastal fog water
Authors: Balcerak Ernie
Published: April 2012

Mercury, a heavy metal neurotoxin, accumulates in sea life, in some cases reaching levels that make seafood unsafe for humans to eat. How mercury gets into aquatic organisms is debated, but part of the pathway could include mercury carried in precipitation, including rain, snow, and fog. The contribution of mercury in fog water in particular is not well known, especially in foggy coastal areas such as coastal California. To learn more,Weiss‐Penzias et al. measured total mercury and monomethyl mercury concentrations in fog water and rainwater samples taken from four locations around Monterey Bay, California, during spring and summer 2011. They found that the mean monomethyl mercury concentrations in their fog water samples were about 34 times higher than the mean concentrations in their rainwater samples. Therefore, the authors believe that fog is an important, previously unrecognized source of mercury to coastal ecosystems. They also explored potential sources of mercury, finding that biotically formed monomethyl mercury from oceanic upwelling may contribute to monomethyl mercury in fog. (Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2011GL050324, 2012)
Persistent regional carbon dioxide anomalies driven by land use
Authors: Schultz Colin
Published: April 2012

Researchers have traditionally used measurements from remote locations, such as Hawaii's Mauna Loa Observatory and other isolated stations, to determine atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations and estimate the strengths of various carbon sources and sinks. The prevailing wisdom was that attempts to measure regional differences in CO2 over land would end up with signals that were either so small that they were undetectable or that were dominated by high‐frequency variability due to atmospheric turbulence or weather. Measurements drawn from a moderately dense network of atmospheric gas composition sensors distributed across the upper midwestern United States, however, showed that large regional variations in tropospheric CO2 are readily observable. Drawing on measurements made at nine sensors spread over 400,000 square kilometers between 2007 and 2009, Miles et al. found that seasonal variations in atmospheric CO2 depend strongly on the type of ecosystem lying at the foot of each sensor tower.
Asian emissions contribute to western U.S. air pollution
Authors: Balcerak Ernie
Published: April 2012

As Asian countries develop, they are emitting more ozone precursors that pollute surface‐level air. Many studies have documented this pollution being carried by air currents to the western United States. To learn more about the mechanisms that transport air pollution across the ocean and determine the effects of Asian air pollution on air quality in the western United States, Lin et al. analyzed in situ and satellite measurements from May to June 2010 using a global high‐resolution climate chemistry model. They quantified the contribution of Asian pollution to surface ozone levels in densely populated regions such as the Los Angeles area and rural areas such as national parks. They found that Asian pollution contributes as much as 20% of total ozone during springtime pollution episodes in western U.S. surface air.
Efficiency of organic aerosols as cloud condensation nuclei
Authors: Balcerak Ernie
Published: April 2012

Secondary organic aerosols—aerosols produced through chemical reactions in the atmosphere from volatile compounds—affect climate directly by reflecting sunlight and by acting as cloud condensation nuclei, promoting cloud formation. The efficiency with which different types of secondary organic aerosols act as cloud condensation nuclei is important to understanding their effects on climate. Secondary organic aerosols can be composed of many different compounds, making it difficult to model their efficiency as cloud condensation nuclei. Suda et al. present a new laboratory method of breaking the complex organic aerosol into subcomponents and measuring the corresponding cloud condensation nuclei efficiencies. They believe that their measured values will be useful for validating models of organic aerosols in the atmosphere. (Journal of Geophysical Research‐Atmospheres, doi:10.1029/2011JD016823, 2012)
Model describes New Zealand's complex tectonic environment
Authors: Schultz Colin
Published: April 2012

At the Hikurangi fault, off the eastern coast of New Zealand's North Island, the Pacific tectonic plate sinks beneath the Australian plate. Farther south, in the Marlborough Fault System, which cuts through the country's larger South Island, the interaction between the two slabs turns such that the plates grind edge‐on. From north to south, over a relatively short length of the plate boundary, the interaction switches from subduction to strike‐slip. Though the fault systems near each of New Zealand's major islands have been studied extensively, the intervening region that harbors the transition between the two modes of interaction is much less well understood. Exploring the subduction‐to‐strike‐slip transition region could help explain whether and, if so, how the fault systems that populate the country are connected and potentially improve estimates of seismic risk.
Geomagnetic data reveal unusual nature of recent solar minimum
Authors: Schultz Colin
Published: April 2012

Since the mid‐1800s, scientists have been systematically measuring changes in the Earth's magnetic field and the occurrence of geomagnetic activity. Such long‐term investigation has uncovered a number of cyclical changes, including a signal associated with 27‐day solar rotation. This is most clearly seen during the declining phase and minimum of each 11‐year solar cycle, when the Sun's magnetic dipole is sometimes tilted with respect to the Sun's rotational axis. With the Sun's rotation and the emission of solar wind along field lines from either end of the solar magnetic dipole, an outward propagating spiral‐like pattern is formed in the solar wind and the interplanetary magnetic field that can drive 27‐day, and occasionally 13.5‐day, recurrent geomagnetic activity. Recurrent geomagnetic activity can also be driven by isolated and semipersistent coronal holes, which can emit concentrated streams of solar wind.
Ménage à Trois: The Role of Neurotransmitters in the Energy Metabolism of Astrocytes, Glutamatergic, and GABAergic Neurons
Authors: Calvetti Daniela , Somersalo Erkki
Published: April 2012

This work is a computational study based on a new detailed metabolic network model comprising well-mixed compartments representing separate cytosol and mitochondria of astrocytes, glutamatergic and gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neurons, communicating through an extracellular space compartment and fed by arterial blood flow. Our steady-state analysis assumes statistical mass balance of both carbons and amino groups. The study is based on Bayesian flux balance analysis, which uses Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling techniques and provides a quantitative description of steady states when the two exchangers aspartate-glutamate carrier (AGC1) and oxoglutarate carrier (OGC) in the malate-aspartate shuttle in astrocyte are not in equilibrium, as recent studies suggest. It also highlights the importance of anaplerotic reactions, pyruvate carboxylase in astrocyte and malic enzyme in neurons, for neurotransmitter synthesis and recycling. The model is unbiased with respect to the glucose partitioning between cell types, and shows that determining the partitioning cannot be done by stoichiometric constraints alone. Furthermore, the intercellular lactate trafficking is found to depend directly on glucose partitioning, suggesting that a steady state may support different scenarios. At inhibitory steady state, characterized by high rate of GABA release, there is elevated oxidative activity in astrocyte, not in response to specific energetic needs.
A call for disruptive innovation in science publishing with a new open data-sharing platform for the life sciences
Authors: Cooper Donald
Published: April 2012

“A disruptive innovation is an innovation that helps create a new market and value network, and eventually goes on to disrupt an existing market and value network (over a few years or decades), displacing an earlier technology. The term is used in business and technology literature to describe innovations that improve a product or service in ways that the market does not expect.” -Wikipedia On April 3rd, 2012 Nature Precedings, Nature Publishing Group’s experiment in free pre-print publishing was shut down and no longer accepts submissions. According to the Nature Precedings website it was created in 2007 as “a place for researchers to share documents, including presentations, posters, white papers, technical papers, supplementary findings, and non-peer-reviewed manuscripts.” It was designed to “provide a rapid means for scientists to share preliminary findings, disseminate emerging results, solicit community feedback, and claim priority over discoveries.” It was designed in a way to “make such material easy to archive, share and cite.” Now that Nature Precedings is no more, a new disruptive open data-sharing platform (ODSP) for the life sciences is needed. Based, in part, by the model Nature Precedings established. Here I propose 5 qualities of an ideal ODSP and outline 10 benefits (see Table 1) to scientists for embracing such a potentially disruptive model.