bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reduced insulin clearance and lower insulin-degrading enzyme expression in the liver might contribute to the thrifty phenotype of protein-restricted mice
Authors: Rezende Luiz F. , Camargo Rafael L. , Branco Renato C. S. , Cappelli Ana P. G. , Boschero Antonio C. , Carneiro Everardo M.
Published: July 2014

Nutrient restriction during the early stages of life usually leads to alterations in glucose homeostasis, mainly insulin secretion and sensitivity, increasing the risk of metabolic disorders in adulthood. Despite growing evidence regarding the importance of insulin clearance during glucose homeostasis in health and disease, no information exists about this process in malnourished animals. Thus, in the present study, we aimed to determine the effect of a nutrient-restricted diet on insulin clearance using a model in which 30-d-old C57BL/6 mice were exposed to a protein-restricted diet for 14 weeks. After this period, we evaluated many metabolic variables and extracted pancreatic islet, liver, gastrocnemius muscle (GCK) and white adipose tissue samples from the control (normal-protein diet) and restricted (low-protein diet, LP) mice. Insulin concentrations were determined using RIA and protein expression and phosphorylation by Western blot analysis. The LP mice exhibited lower body weight, glycaemia, and insulinaemia, increased glucose tolerance and altered insulin dynamics after the glucose challenge. The improved glucose tolerance could partially be explained by an increase in insulin sensitivity through the phosphorylation of the insulin receptor/protein kinase B and AMP-activated protein kinase/acetyl-CoA carboxylase in the liver, whereas the changes in insulin dynamics could be attributed to reduced insulin secretion coupled with reduced insulin clearance and lower insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) expression in the liver and GCK. In summary, protein-restricted mice not only produce and secrete less insulin, but also remove and degrade less insulin. This phenomenon has the double benefit of sparing insulin while prolonging and potentiating its effects, probably due to the lower expression of IDE in the liver, possibly with long-term consequences.
On the Equivariant Implicit Function Theorem with Low Regularity and Applications to Geometric Variational Problems
Authors: Bettiol Renato G. , Piccione Paolo , Siciliano Gaetano
Published: July 2014

We prove an implicit function theorem for functions on infinite-dimensional Banach manifolds, invariant under the (local) action of a finite-dimensional Lie group. Motivated by some geometric variational problems, we consider group actions that are not necessarily differentiable everywhere, but only on some dense subset. Applications are discussed in the context of harmonic maps, closed (pseudo-) Riemannian geodesics and constant mean curvature hypersurfaces.
INTO THE DARK: POWER, LIGHT, AND NOCTURNAL LIFE IN 18TH-CENTURY ISTANBUL
Authors: Wishnitzer Avner
Published: July 2014

This article analyzes different traditions of nocturnal conviviality in 18th-century Istanbul and demonstrates their importance for social, political, and cultural life. The main argument is that the palace used the night to demonstrate its power in spectacles of light and to cultivate personal relations within the elite, both of which were crucial for a patrimonial government based on face-to-face interaction. Yet, it was exactly the reliance on such interaction that marked the limits of the palace's hold of the night. With the neighborhood gaze blinded by darkness, communal policing lost much of its effectiveness, leaving nocturnal social life largely concealed from the eyes of the authorities. Nighttime therefore offered opportunities for illicit modes of socialization and, at times, for subversive political action.
DAMES EMPLOYÉESAT THE SUEZ CANAL COMPANY: THE “EGYPTIANIZATION” OF FEMALE OFFICE WORKERS, 1941–56
Authors: Curli Barbara
Published: July 2014

The article is a case study of work organization at the Services d'Egypte of the Suez Canal Company from the outbreak of World War II to the company's nationalization in 1956. In this multinational and multicultural workplace, organizational hierarchies and division of labor were traditionally defined according to “national” identities, while maintaining a strict segregation betweeneuropéensandindigènes, to use the company's terminology. Starting in the 1930s, the company faced new measures of economic nationalism imposed by the Egyptian government, including required quotas of Egyptian personnel. These measures progressively redefined the political boundaries of the company's action in the management of its workforce. Using unpublished archival documents from the company's personnel files, this article analyzes the processes of feminization and Egyptianization of the company's office workers during World War II and the 1950s. The process was driven by a precise organizational strategy, based on both “racial” and “gender” criteria, which aimed to redefine the company's internal hierarchies and to keep management and decision making in the hands of the “Europeans,” while complying with the terms of the conventions of 1937 and 1949 that regulated the relationship between the company and the Egyptian government.
Modulational stability of electron plasma wave spectra
Authors: Pécseli H. L.
Published: July 2014

Analytical models for weakly nonlinear electron plasma waves are considered in order to obtain dynamic equations for the space-time evolution of their local power spectra. The model contains the wave kinetic equation as a limiting case for slow, long wavelength modulations. It is demonstrated that a finite spectral width in wavenumbers has a stabilizing effect on the modulational instability. The results invite a simple heuristic relation between the spectral width and the root-mean-square amplitude of stable stationary turbulent Langmuir wave spectra. A non-local average dispersion relation is derived as a limiting form by using the formalism developed for the spectral dynamics.
A network meta-analysis on comparative efficacy and all-cause discontinuation of antimanic treatments in acute bipolar mania
Authors: Yildiz A. , Nikodem M. , Vieta E. , Correll C. U. , Baldessarini R. J.
Published: July 2014

Background

Evidence synthesis methods enabling direct and indirect comparisons over the entire set of relevant clinical data produce quantitative point estimates for the treatments contrasts between competing interventions, and provide a hierarchical rank ordering between them. We aimed to provide evidence-based guidance on the efficacy and all-cause discontinuation of antimanic treatments.

Method

We conducted a network meta-analysis within a Bayesian framework. We searched all standard literature databases without language restrictions up to 15 January 2014 to identify reports of short-term, randomized, blinded trials of putative antimanic drugs as monotherapy for adults with bipolar-I mania.

Results

Altogether, 14256 manic patients randomized to one of 18 active treatments or placebo provided 95 direct comparisons on 128 data points. For the primary outcome, standardized mean difference as Hedges’ g (standardized mean difference; SMD), the hierarchies indicated by surface under the cumulative ranking (SUCRA) probabilities were in agreement with the point estimates for all antimanic drugs identified as effective. For the 12 effective antimanic drugs on clinical use, SMDs against placebo ranged from 0.32 to 0.66 without superiority of one over another, except for risperidone v. aripiprazole and valproate. Aripiprazole, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, and valproate had less all-cause discontinuation rates than placebo. Sensitivity analysis by drug class indicated similar efficacy profiles for haloperidol, second-generation antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers.

Conclusions

Hierarchical rank ordering by comparative efficacy and risk of all-cause discontinuations should help to guide antimanic treatment choices by clinicians, healthcare policy makers, and guideline developers.
Childhood abuse and neglect in relation to the presence and persistence of psychotic and depressive symptomatology
Authors: van Dam D. S. , van Nierop M. , Viechtbauer W. , Velthorst E. , van Winkel R. ,   Genetic Risk and Outcome of Psychosis (GROUP) investigators, Bruggeman R. , Cahn W. , de Haan L. , Kahn R. S. , Meijer C. J. , Myin-Germeys I. , van Os J. , Wiersma D.
Published: July 2014

Background

The association between childhood trauma and psychotic and depressive symptomatology is well established. However, less is known about the specificity and course of these symptoms in relation to childhood trauma.

Method

In a large sample (n = 2765) of patients with psychosis (n = 1119), their siblings (n = 1057) and controls (n = 589), multivariate (mixed-effects) regression analyses with multiple outcomes were performed to examine the association between childhood trauma and psychotic and depressive symptomatology over a 3-year period.

Results

A dose–response relationship was found between childhood trauma and psychosis. Abuse was more strongly associated with positive symptoms than with negative symptoms whereas the strength of the associations between neglect and positive and negative symptoms was comparable. In patients, similar associations between childhood trauma and psychotic or depressive symptoms were found, and in siblings and controls, stronger associations were found between trauma and depressive symptomatology. Childhood trauma was not related to a differential course of symptoms over a 3-year time period.

Conclusions

In congruence with earlier work, our findings suggest that childhood trauma, and abuse in particular, is associated with (subthreshold) psychosis. However, childhood trauma does not seem to be associated with a differential course of symptoms, nor does it uniquely heighten the chance of developing (subthreshold) psychotic symptomatology. Our results indicate that trauma may instead contribute to a shared vulnerability for psychotic and depressive symptoms.
Personality and suicide risk: the impact of economic crisis in Japan
Authors: Tanji F. , Kakizaki M. , Sugawara Y. , Watanabe I. , Nakaya N. , Minami Y. , Fukao A. , Tsuji I.
Published: July 2014

Background

The interactive effect of personal factors and social factors upon suicide risk is unclear. We conducted prospective cohort study to investigate whether the impact of the economic crisis in 1997–1998 upon suicide risk differed according to Neuroticism and Psychoticism personality traits.

Methods

The Miyagi Cohort Study in Japan with a follow-up for 19 years from 1990 to 2008 has 29 432 subjects aged 40–64 years at baseline who completed a questionnaire about various health habits and the Japanese version of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire – Revised Short Form in 1990.

Results

The suicide mortality rate increased from 4.6 per 100 000 person-years before 1998 to 27.8 after 1998. Although both Neuroticism and Psychoticism were significantly associated with an increased risk of mortality during the whole period from 1990 to 2008, the impact of the economic crisis upon suicide risk differed between the Neuroticism and Psychoticism personality traits. Compared with the lowest category, the hazard ratios (HRs) for the highest Neuroticism increased from 0.66 before 1998 to 2.45 after 1998. On the other hand, the HRs for the highest Psychoticism decreased from 7.85 before 1998 to 2.05 after 1998.

Conclusions

The impact of the 1997–1998 economic crisis upon suicide risk differed according to personality. Suicide risk increased among these with higher Neuroticism after the economic crisis, but this was not the case for other personality subscales.
Consuming maps and producing space. Explaining regional variations in the reception and agency of mapmaking in the Low Countries during the medieval and early modern periods
Authors: DE KEYZER MAÏKA , JONGEPIER IASON , SOENS TIM
Published: July 2014

The acceptance of mapmaking in medieval and early modern Europe was neither a uniform nor a linear process. Comparing two neighbouring regions in the Low Countries, we explain the varying appetite for maps and mapmaking first by unravelling how people dealt with space before the introduction of modern mapmaking and, second, by identifying the actors that actively promoted its adoption. In regions where local elites had already been considering space as a commodity with a preference for clear-cut, geometric forms before the introduction of mapmaking, the latter was enthusiastically accepted and rapidly became instrumental in propagating this ‘modern’ concept of space. Other regions did not develop this appetite for mapmaking and continued to prefer different and more negotiable representations of space.
Traffic in corpses and the commodification of burial in Georgian London
Authors: BOULTON JEREMY
Published: July 2014

This article argues, using evidence from Georgian London, that historical demographers need to revisit the effects of two inter-related phenomena: the effects of burial fees on interment practices and the ebb and flow of a very considerable ‘traffic in corpses’. By the eighteenth century burial space in London was at a premium and there was an active market in the provision of suitable, and affordable, burial grounds. This article is based on the sextons' books of the Westminster parish of St Martin in the Fields. These books are very unusual in recording exported ‘certificate’ and ‘arrears’ burials. The ‘traffic in corpses’ revealed by this source is analysed in some detail and burial fees turn out to be of great importance in understanding local fluctuations in interment practices. A neighbouring parish, St Anne, Soho, was acting as a veritable ‘clandestine burial centre’ which interred non-parishioners for profit on a huge scale for most of the eighteenth century. The ‘commodification’ of burial, driven partly by considerations of cost, thus had a major impact on interment practices in the eighteenth-century metropolis. A key finding is that, due to this postmortem flow of corpses, the total number of recorded burials in any one parish may not necessarily have been driven by fluctuations in local mortality rates.
Profane Matrimony
Authors: Leckey Robert
Published: July 2014

Les débats récents concernant le mariage des couples de même sexe appellent à une réflexion plus large sur la rivalité entre les normes qui prétendent gouverner le mariage. Lors de ces débats, deux prétentions prirent l'avant-scène: l'une voulant que la loi suprême du mariage se trouve dans les traditions religieuses, et l'autre selon laquelle le mariage civil serait purement séculaire et trouverait sa loi suprême dans laCharte canadienne des droits et libertés. Cet article identifie certaines similarités au sein de ces deux prétentions. En particulier, chacune suppose erronément l'uniformité interne des communautés culturelles. Un examen de l'historique des amendements aux lois portant sur le mariage révèle qu'aucune de ces prétentions ne reflète fidèlement la tradition canadienne du droit du mariage. Les amendements aux lois concernant les degrés prohibés de liens de parenté et l'introduction de la loi fédérale sur le divorce illustrent le développement par le Parlement d'un mariage civil ou profane, par opposition consciente aux formes religieuses. Depuis les années 1880, les lois portant sur le mariage ont été modifiées périodiquement au motif que dans une société séculaire et plurielle, l'imposition de normes religieuses aux non-croyants est illégitime. Le Parlement ne s'est pas inspiré uniquement des normes explicites, dites autoritaires, mais a également considéré la pratique sociale comme une source de normes relatives au mariage. En somme, les réformes du passé révèlent une riche tradition de débat et de contestation, au cours de laquelle les Églises elles-mêmes n'ont pas constamment maintenu que les règles du mariage civil devraient être à l'image des règles religieuses. Contrairement aux prétentions des adeptes de la Charte, le mariage civil et le mariage religieux ne sont pas dénués de liens. Ils se situent au contraire dans une relation de tension et de différences qui requiert des ajustements constants.
A Cripple at a Rich Man's Gate: A Comparison of Disability, Employment and Anti-discrimination Law in the United States and Canada
Authors: Atkins C.G.K.
Published: July 2014

Cet article décrit l'histoire de l'équité en emploi et de la législation des droits humains, en ce qui concerne les personnes handicapées aux États-Unis et au Canada. Il compare les approches législatives et judiciaires des deux pays au problème d'accomplir l'égalité pour les citoyens handicapés dans les lieux de travail. En comparant, il aborde les aspects tant positifs que négatifs des deux juridictions. En conclusion, il suggère que le Canada intègre les approches «universelles» et «holistiques», incorporées dans les parties sur l'environnement de la ADA américaine, ainsi que dans les décisions judiciaires canadiennes, afin de créer une solution législative originale. Il suggère que les lois canadiennes qui priorisent l'égalité pour les handicapés devraient se rapprocher des lois portant sur la santé et la sécurité au travail, en exigeant que tous les employeurs respectent une norme d'accessibilité universelle à tous les lieux de travail, indépendamment de la présence ou du nombre d'employés handicapés.
The Legitimizing / Insulating Effect of Socio-Economic Rights
Authors: Pieterse Marius
Published: July 2014

Cet article tente d'élucider la manière dont les États peuvent utiliser leurs obligations issues des droits économiques et sociaux, afin de solidifier la légitimité constitutionnelle des lois qui ont pour but de promouvoir l'équité sociale. En prenant pour étude de cas l'Afrique du Sud, nous examinons de quelle manière ce pays a utilisé ses obligations constitutionnelles dans le but de faciliter l'accès aux soins de santé. Nous examinons également de quelle manière un État peut éviter que des lois favorisant les droits économiques et sociaux de ses citoyens puissent être conçues pour être à l'abri d'attaques judiciaires basées, en contrepartie, sur les droits civils et politiques d'acteurs privés, telles les compagnies pharmaceutiques.
Urban Security, from Nodes to Networks: On the Value of Connecting Disciplines
Authors: Dupont Benoît , Wood Jennifer
Published: July 2014

S'appuyant sur le cadre théorique de la gouvernance nodale, cet article cherche à établir l'utilité d'échanges plus approfondis entre diverses approches disciplinaires pour étudier la sécurité urbaine. Nous suggérons notamment la mise en œuvre d'une démarche analytique plus robuste incorporant des techniques quantitatives et qualitatives qui peuvent à la fois tenir compte des initiatives émanant de la base (les citoyens) et du sommet (les dirigeants politiques et les entrepreneurs). Bien que nous accordions une grande importance à la mesure de la nature et de la force des liens qui unissent les nœuds de gouvernance, nous suggérons aussi qu'une attention égale soit accordée à la description de leurs rationalités, et des savoirs et capacités différenciés qu'ils mobilisent. Nous explorons également un certain nombre de contributions transdisciplinaires qui pourraient enrichir considérablement ce projet, plus particulièrement en psychologie, en économie, dans le domaine du travail social et de la santé, ou encore en géographie et en urbanisme. Nous nous appuyons sur des projets de recherche que nous avons menés à Montréal, au Canada, et à Melbourne, en Australie.
Law, Culture and Civil Codification in a Mixed Legal System
Authors: Kedar Nir
Published: July 2014

Les comparativistes décrivent généralement les juridictions mixtes comme ayant été construites sur la double fondation du droit civil romano-germanique et de lacommon lawanglo-américaine. Cette description largement acceptée examine les juridictions mixtes à partir d'une perspective juridique formelle interne. Mon étude propose un nouveau prisme analytique pour examiner les juridictions mixtes: une perspective qui prend en considération l'interaction complexe entre le droit et la culture dans une juridiction mixte. L'étude de cas est la codification du droit privé dans la juridiction mixte qu'est Israël. Un code civil ne reflète pas la logique interne ou l'histoire du système juridique israélien, étant donné que celui-ci a été façonné principalement sur des idées anglo-saxonnes qui découragent généralement les codifications. Du point de vue culturel, par contre, le principe de la codification n'est pas entièrement étranger à la société israélienne, vu qu'un code civil est perçu comme un symbole d'indépendance juridique et de modernisation ancré dans la culture politique européenne qui est si bien connue par la plupart des Israéliens. L'histoire de la codification en Israël illustre qu'au-delà du mélange du droit civil et de lacommon lawen droit israélien, le système juridique israélien est également mixte dans le sens, qu'il contient un mélange entre le droit qui est principalement (bien que non exclusivement) influencé par la tradition anglo-saxonne, et la culture politique et juridique qui est surtout inspirée des idées propres à l'Europe continental et qui ont été importées en Israël par les immigrants juifs.
Rightsizing Regulation: The Competition Act, 1975–2005
Authors: Day Suzanne , Girard April , Snider Laureen , Watters Jordan
Published: July 2014

Cet article examine les changements au niveau de la réglementation des crimes commerciaux dans le domaine de la loi relative à la concurrence déloyale et aux pratiques commerciales trompeuses. L'auteur se penche, plus particulièrement, sur les politiques et les applications deLa Loi relative aux enquêtes sur les coalitionset de laLoi sur la concurrencede 1975 à 2005. Cette période fut marquée par des changements importants dans la régulation juridique: les discours, les pratiques et les politiques keynésiens de l'État providence furent remplacés par ceux de l'État régulateur néolibéral. Le Bureau de la concurrence fut un acteur clé dans cette transition par laquelle les politiques sur la concurrence devinrent un mécanisme essentiel de régulation primaire de l'État moderne. Cet article analyse les documents relatifs à l'application des lois, les rapports annuels ainsi que d'autres documents du Bureau de la concurrence afin de démontrer, d'une part, comment les priorités et les pratiques ont changé et, d'autre part, comment ces changements régulatoires sont liés au remplacement des politiques économiques keynésiennes par celles de l'Élat néolibéral.
The Implications of Demographic Change on the Future of Medicare: Racial and Gender Disparities in Longevity, Physical Stature, and Lifetime Medicare Expenditures
Authors: Yang Zhou , Huang Cheng
Published: July 2014

Medicare is the most important publicly financed insurance programme in the US, with an annual budget at $500 billion or higher. It covers the majority of the inpatient, outpatient and prescription drugs expenditures of the seniors from age sixty-five until death. Using nationally representative data of current Medicare beneficiaries, this study estimated the dynamic relationship among gender, race, body weight, height, longevity, and lifetime Medicare expenditure. Next, we projected the trajectories of the total financial influence of demographic and biological changes in retirees on Medicare in the future. We found the increasing proportion of African Americans will lead to disproportionately lower lifetime Medicare expenditures per capita, due to racial disparities in longevity and access to outpatient care, but expect such disparities to decrease in the future. We also found the financial burden of obesity could be magnified by the increasing obesity rates among the white population.
Long-range PCR in next-generation sequencing: comparison of six enzymes and evaluation on the MiSeq sequencer
Authors: Jia Haiying , Guo Yunfei , Zhao Weiwei , Wang Kai
Published: July 2014

Long-range PCR remains a flexible, fast, efficient and cost-effective choice for sequencing candidate genomic regions in a small number of samples, especially when combined with next-generation sequencing (NGS) platforms. Several long-range DNA polymerases are advertised as being able to amplify up to 15 kb or longer genomic DNA. However, their real-world performance characteristics and their suitability for NGS remain unclear. We evaluated six long-range DNA polymerases (Invitrogen SequalPrep, Invitrogen AccuPrime, TaKaRa PrimeSTAR GXL, TaKaRa LA Taq Hot Start, KAPA Long Range HotStart and QIAGEN LongRange PCR Polymerase) to amplify three amplicons, with sizes of 12.9 kb, 9.7 kb and 5.8 kb, respectively. Subsequently, we used the PrimeSTAR enzyme to amplify entire BRCA1 (83.2 kb) and BRCA2 (84.2 kb) genes from nine subjects and sequenced them on an Illumina MiSeq sequencer. We found that the TaKaRa PrimeSTAR GXL DNA polymerase can amplify almost all amplicons with different sizes and Tm values under identical PCR conditions. Other enzymes require alteration of PCR conditions to obtain optimal performance. From the MiSeq run, we identified multiple intronic and exonic single-nucleotide variations (SNVs), including one mutation (c.5946delT in BRCA2) in a positive control. Our study provided useful results for sequencing research focused on large genomic regions.
Detecting Communities Based on Network Topology
Authors: Liu Wei , Pellegrini Matteo , Wang Xiaofan
Published: July 2014

Network methods have had profound influence in many domains and disciplines in the past decade. Community structure is a very important property of complex networks, but the accurate definition of a community remains an open problem. Here we defined community based on three properties and then propose a simple and novel framework to detect communities based on network topology. We analyzed 16 different types of networks and compared our partitions with Infomap, LPA, Fastgreedy and Walktrap, which are popular algorithms for community detection. Most of the partitions generated using our approach compare favorably to those generated by these other algorithms. Furthermore, we define overlapping nodes that combine community structure with shortest paths. We also analyzed the E. Coli. transcriptional regulatory network in detail and identified modules with strong functional coherence.
High surface area mesoporous CuO: a high-performance electrocatalyst for non-enzymatic glucose biosensing
Authors: Liu Sen , Wang Ziying , Wang Fengjiao , Yu Bo , Zhang Tong
Published: July 2014

High surface area mesoporous CuO has been successfully used to construct a biosensor for enzymatic glucose sensing.
Iridium(iii) catalyzed trifluoroacetoxylation of aromatic hydrocarbons
Authors: Bischof Steven M. , Hashiguchi Brian G. , Lokare Kapil S. , Gunsalus Niles , Yousufuddin Mohammed , Periana Roy A.
Published: July 2014

A tridentate, NNC-tb (where NNC-tb = 2-(pyridin-2-yl)benzo[h]quinoline) ligated IrIII complex (NNC-tb)Ir(Ph)(4-MePy)(TFA), 11 along with analogues are very active for CH activation as evidenced by rapid catalytic H/D exchange between benzene and trifluoroacetic acid – d1 (DTFA).
Robust optical oxygen sensors based on polymer-bound NIR-emitting platinum(ii)–benzoporphyrins
Authors: Hutter L. H. , Müller B. J. , Koren K. , Borisov S. M. , Klimant I.
Published: July 2014

New high performance optical oxygen sensing materials based on NIR-emitting indicators covalently bound to various polymers overcome main limitations of the conventional sensors.
Conserved structure and domain organization among bacterial Slc26 transporters
Authors: Compton Emma L. R. , Page Kimberly , Findlay Heather E. , Haertlein Michael , Moulin Martine , Zachariae Ulrich , Norman David G. , Gabel Frank , Javelle Arnaud
Published: July 2014

The Slc26 proteins are a ubiquitous superfamily of anion transporters conserved from bacteria to humans, among which four have been identified as human disease genes. Our functional knowledge of this protein family has increased but limited structural information is available. These proteins contain a transmembrane (TM) domain and a C-terminal cytoplasmic sulfate transporter and anti-sigma factor (STAS) domain. In a fundamental step towards understanding the structure/function relationships within the family we have used small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) on two distantly related bacterial homologues to show that there is a common, dimeric and structural architecture among Slc26A transporters. Pulsed electron–electron double resonance (PELDOR) spectroscopy supports the dimeric SANS-derived model. Using chimaeric/truncated proteins we have determined the domain organization: the STAS domains project away from the TM core and are essential for protein stability. We use the SANS-generated envelopes to assess a homology model of the TM core.
High‐directivity radiation based on the leaky mode of spoof surface plasmon polaritons
Authors: Wu Jin Jei , Shen Linfang , Hou Da Jun , Kao Yao‐Huang , Wu Chien‐Jang , Shen Jian Qi , Yang Tzong‐Jer
Published: July 2014

The guiding properties of spoof surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) in an array of hollowed‐out metallic blocks standing on a metallic surface are theoretically investigated in this study. For such spoof SPPs, there exists an additional guiding mode except for the fundamental mode and the former is closely related to hollowing out metal blocks. The dispersion band of this additional mode has a negative slope (corresponding to a group velocity) and it intersects the light line and then enters the radiation region as the frequency grows, which leads to a frequency steering pencil‐like radiation. The transmission and radiation properties of the additional mode of spoof SPPs are finally verified experimentally.
Probing interfacial dynamics and mechanics using submerged particle microrheology. II. Experiment
Authors: Boatwright Thomas , Dennin Michael , Shlomovitz Roie , Evans Arthur A. , Levine Alex J.
Published: July 2014

A non-contact microrheological technique to probe the mechanics of the air/water interface is explored. Polystyrene spheres dissolved in water are trapped with an optical tweezer near the free surface of water, allowing the response functions of the particles to be measured as a function of the distance from the air/water interface. These measurements show that at the surface, the imaginary part of the response function increases by approximately 30% from the Stokes value measured in the bulk. As the particle is moved away from the surface via an optical trap, the response function returns to the bulk value. The method is tested by comparing the response function of particles near a rigid wall to the theory developed by Faxèn. A newly developed hydrodynamic theory is used to explain the results at the free interface through a calculation of the linear response function as a function of depth. These results show a range of sensitivity that can be utilized to study the microrheology of a Langmuir monolayer without distorting its structure.
Spin projection with double hybrid density functional theory
Authors: Thompson Lee M. , Hratchian Hrant P.
Published: July 2014

A spin projected double-hybrid density functional theory is presented that accounts for different scaling of opposite and same spin terms in the second order correction. This method is applied to three dissociation reactions which in the unprojected formalism exhibit significant spin contamination with higher spin states. This gives rise to a distorted potential surface and can lead to poor geometries and energies. The projected method presented is shown to improve the description of the potential over unprojected double hybrid density functional theory. Comparison is made with the reference states of the two double hybrid functionals considered here (B2PLYP and mPW2PLYP) in which the projected potential surface is degraded by an imbalance in the description of dynamic and static correlation.
Permutation invariant polynomial neural network approach to fitting potential energy surfaces. III. Molecule-surface interactions
Authors: Jiang Bin , Guo Hua
Published: July 2014

The permutation invariant polynomial-neural network (PIP-NN) method for constructing highly accurate potential energy surfaces (PESs) for gas phase molecules is extended to molecule-surface interaction PESs. The symmetry adaptation in the NN fitting of a PES is achieved by employing as the input symmetry functions that fulfill both the translational symmetry of the surface and permutation symmetry of the molecule. These symmetry functions are low-order PIPs of the primitive symmetry functions containing the surface periodic symmetry. It is stressed that permutationally invariant cross terms are needed to avoid oversymmetrization. The accuracy and efficiency are demonstrated in fitting both a model PES for the H2 + Cu(111) system and density functional theory points for the H2 + Ag(111) system.
Electron-phonon couplings and carrier mobility in graphynes sheet calculated using the Wannier-interpolation approach
Authors: Xi Jinyang , Wang Dong , Yi Yuanping , Shuai Zhigang
Published: July 2014

Electron-phonon couplings and charge transport properties of α- and γ-graphyne nanosheets were investigated from first-principles calculations by using the density-functional perturbation theory and the Boltzmann transport equation. Wannier function-based interpolation techniques were applied to obtain the ultra-dense electron-phonon coupling matrix elements. Due to the localization feature in Wannier space, the interpolation based on truncated space is found to be accurate. We demonstrated that the intrinsic electron-phonon scatterings in these two-dimensional carbon materials are dominated by low-energy longitudinal-acoustic phonon scatterings over a wide range of temperatures. In contrast, the high-frequency optical phonons play appreciable roles only at high temperature regimes. The electron mobilities of α- and γ-graphynes are predicted to be ∼104 cm2 V−1 s−1 at room temperature.
Magnetic moment enhancement and spin polarization switch of the manganese phthalocyanine molecule on an IrMn(100) surface
Authors: Sun X. , Wang B. , Pratt A. , Yamauchi Y.
Published: July 2014

The geometric, electronic, and magnetic structures of a manganese phthalocyanine (MnPc) molecule on an antiferromagnetic IrMn(100) surface are studied by density functional theory calculations. Two kinds of orientation of the adsorbed MnPc molecule are predicted to coexist due to molecular self-assembly on the surface—a top-site geometry with the Mn–N bonds aligned along the ⟨100⟩ direction, and a hollow-site orientation in which the Mn–N bonds are parallel to the ⟨110⟩ direction. The MnPc molecule is antiferromagnetically coupled to the substrate at the top site with a slight reduction in the magnetic moment of the Mn atom of the MnPc molecule (Mnmol). In contrast, the magnetic moment of the Mnmol is enhanced to 4.28 μB at the hollow site, a value larger than that in the free MnPc molecule (3.51 μB). Molecular distortion induced by adsorption is revealed to be responsible for the enhancement of the magnetic moment. Furthermore, the spin polarization of the Mnmol atom at around the Fermi level is found to change from negative to positive through an elongation of the Mn–N bonds of the MnPc. We propose that a reversible switch of the low/high magnetic moment and negative/positive spin polarization might be realized through some mechanical engineering methods.
Microstructure-based calculations and experimental results for sound absorbing porous layers of randomly packed rigid spherical beads
Authors: Zieliński Tomasz G.
Published: July 2014

Acoustics of stiff porous media with open porosity can be very effectively modelled using the so-called Johnson-Champoux-Allard-Pride-Lafarge model for sound absorbing porous media with rigid frame. It is an advanced semi-phenomenological model with eight parameters, namely, the total porosity, the viscous permeability and its thermal analogue, the tortuosity, two characteristic lengths (one specific for viscous forces, the other for thermal effects), and finally, viscous and thermal tortuosities at the frequency limit of 0 Hz. Most of these parameters can be measured directly, however, to this end specific equipment is required different for various parameters. Moreover, some parameters are difficult to determine. This is one of several reasons for the so-called multiscale approach, where the parameters are computed from specific finite-element analyses based on some realistic geometric representations of the actual microstructure of porous material. Such approach is presented and validated for layers made up of loosely packed small identical rigid spheres. The sound absorption of such layers was measured experimentally in the impedance tube using the so-called two-microphone transfer function method. The layers are characterised by open porosity and semi-regular microstructure: the identical spheres are loosely packed by random pouring and mixing under the gravity force inside the impedance tubes of various size. Therefore, the regular sphere packings were used to generate Representative Volume Elements suitable for calculations at the micro-scale level. These packings involve only one, two, or four spheres so that the three-dimensional finite-element calculations specific for viscous, thermal, and tortuous effects are feasible. In the proposed geometric packings, the spheres were slightly shifted in order to achieve the correct value of total porosity which was precisely estimated for the layers tested experimentally. Finally, in this paper some results based on the self-consistent estimates are also provided.
Note: Heated flyer-plate impact system
Authors: Dolan D. H. , Seagle C. T. , Ao T. , Hacking R. G.
Published: July 2014

A technique for launching heated flyer plates was developed on a single-stage gas gun. This type of impact creates a well-posed mechanical state and a tunable thermal state, which is useful for calibrating dynamic temperature measurements. Proof-of-principle thermoreflectance measurements were performed using this technique. Since the target remains at room temperature until the moment of impact, heated flyers avoid differential expansion and annealing issues, allowing novel impact experiments to be performed.
90° magnetic coupling in a NiFe/FeMn/biased NiFe multilayer spin valve component investigated by polarized neutron reflectometry
Authors: Callori S. J. , Bertinshaw J. , Cortie D. L. , Cai J. W. , Le Brun A. P. , Zhu T. , Klose F.
Published: July 2014

We have observed 90° magnetic coupling in a NiFe/FeMn/biased NiFe multilayer system using polarized neutron reflectometry. Magnetometry results show magnetic switching for both the biased and free NiFe layers, the latter of which reverses at low applied fields. As these measurements are only capable of providing information about the total magnetization within a sample, polarized neutron reflectometry was used to investigate the reversal behavior of the NiFe layers individually. Both the non-spin-flip and spin-flip neutron reflectometry signals were tracked around the free NiFe layer hysteresis loop and were used to detail the evolution of the magnetization during reversal. At low magnetic fields near the free NiFe coercive field, a large spin-flip signal was observed, indicating magnetization aligned perpendicular to both the applied field and pinned layer.
Tuning ferroic states in La doped BiFeO3-PbTiO3 displacive multiferroic compounds
Authors: Cótica L. F. , Freitas V. F. , Protzek O. A. , Eiras J. A. , Garcia D. , Yokaichiya F. , Santos I. A. , Guo R. , Bhalla A. S.
Published: July 2014

In this manuscript, X-ray and high-resolution neutron powder diffraction investigations, associated with Rietveld refinements, magnetic hysteresis curves and a modeling of electron-density distributions around the ions, are used to describe the driving forces responsible for tuning the ferroic states in La doped (0.6)BiFeO3-(0.4)PbTiO3 compositions. The intrinsic relations between the ferroic orders and the structural arrangements (angles, distances and electron-density distributions around the ions) are revealed, helping in the understanding of some aspects comprising the ferroic properties of perovskite-based displacive multiferroic compounds.
Two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic studies of implosion modes of nested wire array z-pinches
Authors: Huang Jun , Ding Ning , Xue Chuang , Sun Shunkai
Published: July 2014

Implosion dynamics of nested wire arrays in (r, θ) geometry was studied with two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (2D MHD) simulations. Three different implosion modes are obtained by just changing the wire number of the outer array, when the other conditions, such as the initial radius, length, mass of each array, the wire number of the inner array, and the discharge voltage waveform, are fixed. Simulation results show that the effect of discrete wires, which cannot be described by the thin shell inductive model, will influence the distribution of current between the outer and inner arrays at the early stage, and the discrepancy between results from MHD and thin shell model increases with the interwire gap of the outer array.
Magnonic crystals-based tunable microwave phase shifters
Authors: Zhu Y. , Chi K. H. , Tsai C. S.
Published: July 2014

Tunable microwave phase shifters using magnetostatic backward volume waves in yttrium iron garnet/gadolinium gallium garnet thin film-based one-dimensional (1-D) and two-dimensional (2-D) magnonic crystals (MCs) are reported in this paper. Large differential phase shifts with small insertion loss variations were achieved in the passbands neighboring the bandgaps by tuning of the bias magnetic field. Large phase tuning rates up to 13.48 °/(Oe cm) and 25.9 °/(Oe cm) together with small insertion loss variations of 2.08 dB/cm and 0.97 dB/cm were demonstrated in the 1-D and 2-D MCs, respectively. An excellent agreement between the measured and the calculated results based on Walker's equation was obtained.
Highly constrained ferroelectric [BaTiO3](1−x)Λ/[BaZrO3]xΛ superlattices: X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Belhadi J. , El Marssi M. , Gagou Y. , Yuzyuk Yu. I. , El Mendili Y. , Raevski I. P. , Bouyanfif H. , Wolfman J.
Published: July 2014

We report an x-ray diffraction (XRD) and a Raman-scattering investigation of ferroelectric/paraelectric superlattices [BaTiO3] (1−x)Λ/[BaZrO3]xΛ for which the composition varied, 0.15 ≤ x ≤ 0.85, while the superlattice (SL) modulation period Λ was kept constant at about 100 Å. The samples were epitaxially grown by pulsed laser deposition on MgO substrates buffered with La0.5Sr0.5CoO3. Based on the XRD analysis and on polarized Raman spectra, we have showed that the large strain in SLs induced ferroelectricity in BaZrO3 (BZ) for all SLs, a material that is paraelectric in the bulk form at any temperature and in the single film. The induced polar axis in BZ layers is perpendicular to the plane of substrate while BaTiO3 (BT) layers exhibit in-plane polar orientation. Raman spectroscopy revealed a lattice ordering in SLs due to the misfit strain generated by the large lattice mismatch between the alternating BZ and BT layers. This strain induced a huge upward frequency of the lowest E(1TO) soft mode from 60 cm−1 in the BT single film to 215 cm−1 in the SL with x = 0.85. These results show that in spite of relatively large periodicity of SLs, they are highly constrained and the variation of BZ ratio allowed modifying strains between layers. The temperature dependence of the Raman spectra for BT0.3Λ/BZ0.7Λ and BT0.7Λ/BZ0.3Λ samples revealed giant shift of the ferroelectric phase transition. The phase transition temperature was found to be upshifted by about 300 °C with respect to BT single crystal.
Carbon nanotube quantum dots on hexagonal boron nitride
Authors: Baumgartner A. , Abulizi G. , Watanabe K. , Taniguchi T. , Gramich J. , Schönenberger C.
Published: July 2014

We report the fabrication details and low-temperature characteristics of carbon nanotube (CNT) quantum dots on flakes of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) as substrate. We demonstrate that CNTs can be grown on hBN by standard chemical vapor deposition and that standard scanning electron microscopy imaging and lithography can be employed to fabricate nanoelectronic structures when using optimized parameters. This proof of concept paves the way to more complex devices on hBN, with more predictable and reproducible characteristics and electronic stability.
Terahertz intersubband absorption in non-polar m-plane AlGaN/GaN quantum wells
Authors: Edmunds C. , Shao J. , Shirazi-HD M. , Manfra M. J. , Malis O.
Published: July 2014

We demonstrate THz intersubband absorption (15.6–26.1 meV) in m-plane AlGaN/GaN quantum wells. We find a trend of decreasing peak energy with increasing quantum well width, in agreement with theoretical expectations. However, a blue-shift of the transition energy of up to 14 meV was observed relative to the calculated values. This blue-shift is shown to decrease with decreasing charge density and is, therefore, attributed to many-body effects. Furthermore, a ∼40% reduction in the linewidth (from roughly 8 to 5 meV) was obtained by reducing the total sheet density and inserting undoped AlGaN layers that separate the wavefunctions from the ionized impurities in the barriers.
The Size Illusion and Lightness Contrast Effect in Delboeuf-like Displays: Possible Evidence of Percept-Percept Coupling
Authors: Daneyko Olga , Zavagno Daniele , Stucchi Natale
Published: July 2014

We conducted two experiments to test the relationship between Delboeuf's size-contrast illusion and a concomitant lightness contrast effect that can be observed when achromatic disks are employed as targets. In experiment 1 participants were asked to adjust the diameter of a target (D1) surrounded by a small circular size-inducer (C1) to match in size a comparison target (D2) surrounded by a circular size-inducer (C2) either equal or greater in diameter than C1. Experiment 2 was similar to experiment 1, except that D1 and D2 were physically equal in size, and participants were asked to adjust the luminance of D1 to match D2 in lightness. Results confirm an effect of the difference in diameter between C1 and C2 on the magnitude of the size illusion but not on the magnitude of the lightness effect, the emergence of which is linked to the appearance of the size illusion. Results support a percept-percept coupling relationship.
A Novel Approach to the Functionalisation of Pristine Carbon Fibre Using Azomethine 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition
Authors: Servinis Linden , Gengenbach Thomas R. , Huson Mickey G. , Henderson Luke C. , Fox Bronwyn L.
Published: July 2014

We demonstrate the utilisation of an azomethine 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction with carbon fibre to graft complex molecules onto the fibre surface. In an effort to enhance the interfacial interaction of the fibre to the matrix, the functionalised fibres possessed a pendant amine that is able to interact with epoxy resins. Functionalisation was supported by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and the grafting process had no detrimental effects on tensile strength compared with the control (untreated) fibres. Also, microscopic roughness (as determined by atomic force microscopy) and fibre topography were unchanged after the described treatment process. This methodology complements existing methodology aimed at enhancing the surface of carbon fibres for advanced material applications while not compromising the desirable strength profile. Single-fibre fragmentation tests show a statistically significant decrease in fragment length compared with the control fibres in addition to transverse cracking within the curing resin, both of which indicate an enhanced interaction between fibre and resin.