bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Power system needs – How grid codes should look ahead
Authors: Quitmann Eckard , Erdmann Eike
Published: December 2014

Grid codes are the key for the technical performance of any new installed generating plant. In order to successfully manage the transition towards a more sustainable power system (PS), the technical rules applied to all kinds of generation must be suitable still in years and decades from now. The challenge is to estimate today which technical feature will be crucial for the stable operation of the PS, in light of a generation mix that changes from centralised, relatively large power plants using synchronous generators connected to the transmission grid, towards a decentralised, mainly inverter‐based generation mix, that uses volatile renewable sources. This study is based on experiences in central Europe and several countries overseas. It does not refer to one specific market but attempts to learn from the past and give qualitative ideas how the technical system needs of today and the future should be addressed in any PS. A quantitative analysis of future PS needs is what the authors wish to encourage as a next step.
Distributed estimation scheme based on cooperative communication in wireless sensor networks
Authors: Peng Ren‐ming , Han Yu , Gao Qiang
Published: December 2014

In the distributed estimation of an unknown source in wireless sensor networks, the observations are transmitted through fading channels. Thus channel fading influences the estimation distortion significantly. Recently, cooperative communication has been proposed to combat channel fading by providing multiple independently fading paths. In this letter, the authors use cooperative communication to decrease estimation distortion. First, they propose a distributed estimation scheme with amplify‐and‐forward cooperation strategy. To minimise distortion, the optimal power allocation of the individual node transmission power is studied, in which the maximum number of active sensor nodes is limited so as to restrict slot overhead. The optimal solution and a sub‐optimal solution with less computation overhead are given. Numerical results show that, the proposed scheme could achieve a lower estimation distortion even in the case of using fewer slots, when compared with the conventional estimation scheme with non‐cooperative transmission. They also show that our scheme could achieve full estimation diversity.
Optimal topological balancing strategy for performance optimisation of consensus‐based clock synchronisation protocols in wireless sensor networks: a genetic algorithm‐based approach
Authors: Panigrahi Niranjan , Khilar Pabitra Mohan
Published: December 2014

Consensus‐based clock synchronisation (CCS) protocols have gained recent attention in wireless sensor networks. However, the well‐known and state‐of‐the‐art protocols are ‘all node based’, that is, every node iterates the consensus algorithm to reach to the synchronised state by exchanging synchronisation messages with the neighbours. This increases the congestion in the network because of extensive message exchanges and induces packet losses and delay in the network. Hence, it is desirable that a subset of connected sensors along with a balanced number of neighbouring sensors should be selected to form a logical topology which will serve as a virtual backbone for the CCS algorithm. This will minimise the overall message complexity and energy consumption in the network as well as balances and minimises delay for faster consensus convergence with optimal synchronisation error. This problem is claimed to be a generalisation of Load Balanced Connected Dominating Set problem which is recently proved to be NP‐complete. To make the problem tractable, a genetic algorithm‐based strategy is proposed to select the synchronising nodes to form an optimal logical topology.
Preparation of pitch‐based carbon materials using a template and an orthogonal array design for super capacitors
Authors: Zhong Cungui , Cao Qing , Xie Xiaoling , Gong Shilei , Zhou Chunmin , Wang Ying
Published: December 2014

Coal tar pitches (CTPs) are used as a supercapacitor precursor because they are of low cost and produce high carbon yields. In this reported work, a simple and feasible method for the fabrication of pitch‐based carbon electrode materials with high capacitance was established using nanosized oxides as a template and the potassium hydroxide (KOH) activation method. The preparation conditions were optimised using an orthogonal array design. The electrochemical performance of the electrode materials was examined by constructing a single electrode capacitor in 6 mol l−1KOH electrolyte; specific surface area was determined by N2 adsorption–desorption analysis and textural characterisation was conducted by transmission electron microscopy. Results showed that the synthetic carbon material possessed the highest iodine adsorption value of 2238 mg g−1 under optimum conditions (Al2O3 used as the template, an activation temperature of 700°C and a CTP/template mass ratio of 1:1), a high capacitance of 258 F g−1 at a current density of 0.5 A g−1 and good cycle stability.
An Equation of State for the Thermodynamic Properties of Cyclohexane
Authors: Zhou Yong , Liu Jun , Penoncello Steven G. , Lemmon Eric W.
Published: December 2014

An equation of state for cyclohexane has been developed using the Helmholtz energy as the fundamental property with independent variables of density and temperature. Multi-property fitting technology was used to fit the equation of state to data for pρT, heat capacities, sound speeds, virial coefficients, vapor pressures, and saturated densities. The equation of state was developed to conform to the Maxwell criteria for two-phase vapor-liquid equilibrium states, and is valid from the triple-point temperature to 700 K, with pressures up to 250 MPa and densities up to 10.3 mol dm−3. In general, the uncertainties (k = 2, indicating a level of confidence of 95%) in density for the equation of state are 0.1% (liquid and vapor) up to 500 K, and 0.2% above 500 K, with higher uncertainties within the critical region. Between 283 and 473 K with pressures lower than 30 MPa, the uncertainty is as low as 0.03% in density in the liquid phase. The uncertainties in the speed of sound are 0.2% between 283 and 323 K in the liquid, and 1% elsewhere. Other uncertainties are 0.05% in vapor pressure and 2% in heat capacities. The behavior of the equation of state is reasonable within the region of validity and at higher and lower temperatures and pressures. A detailed analysis has been performed in this article.
Microwave heating device for internal heating convection experiments, applied to Earth's mantle dynamics
Authors: Surducan E. , Surducan V. , Limare A. , Neamtu C. , Di Giuseppe E.
Published: December 2014

We report the design, construction, and performances of a microwave (MW) heating device for laboratory experiments with non-contact, homogeneous internal heating. The device generates MW radiation at 2.47 GHz from a commercial magnetron supplied by a pulsed current inverter using proprietary, feedback based command and control hardware and software. Specially designed MW launchers direct the MW radiation into the sample through a MW homogenizer, devised to even the MW power distribution into the sample's volume. An adjustable MW circuit adapts the MW generator to the load (i.e., the sample) placed in the experiment chamber. Dedicated heatsinks maintain the MW circuits at constant temperature throughout the experiment. Openings for laser scanning for image acquisition with a CCD camera and for the cooling circuits are protected by special MW filters. The performances of the device are analyzed in terms of heating uniformity, long term output power stability, and load matching. The device is used for small scale experiments simulating Earth's mantle convection. The 30 × 30 × 5 cm3 convection tank is filled with a water‑based viscous fluid. A uniform and constant temperature is maintained at the upper boundary by an aluminum heat exchanger and adiabatic conditions apply at the tank base. We characterize the geometry of the convective regime as well as its bulk thermal evolution by measuring the velocity field by Particle Image Velocimetry and the temperature field by using Thermochromic Liquid Crystals.
Polyphosphonium-based ion bipolar junction transistors
Authors: Gabrielsson Erik O. , Tybrandt Klas , Berggren Magnus
Published: December 2014

Advancements in the field of electronics during the past few decades have inspired the use of transistors in a diversity of research fields, including biology and medicine. However, signals in living organisms are not only carried by electrons but also through fluxes of ions and biomolecules. Thus, in order to implement the transistor functionality to control biological signals, devices that can modulate currents of ions and biomolecules, i.e., ionic transistors and diodes, are needed. One successful approach for modulation of ionic currents is to use oppositely charged ion-selective membranes to form so called ion bipolar junction transistors (IBJTs). Unfortunately, overall IBJT device performance has been hindered due to the typical low mobility of ions, large geometries of the ion bipolar junction materials, and the possibility of electric field enhanced (EFE) water dissociation in the junction. Here, we introduce a novel polyphosphonium-based anion-selective material into npn-type IBJTs. The new material does not show EFE water dissociation and therefore allows for a reduction of junction length down to 2 μm, which significantly improves the switching performance of the ion transistor to 2 s. The presented improvement in speed as well the simplified design will be useful for future development of advanced iontronic circuits employing IBJTs, for example, addressable drug-delivery devices.
The structure of carbon monoxide adsorbed on the NaCl(100) surface—A combined LEED and DFT-D/vdW-DF study
Authors: Vogt Jochen , Vogt Birgit
Published: December 2014

The structure of the first layer CO adsorbed on NaCl(100) is investigated experimentally by means of quantitative low-energy electron diffraction at 25 K, and theoretically by means of density functional theory. Consistent with earlier helium atom diffraction results, the monolayer structure has p(2×1) symmetry with a glide-plane along the longer axis of the unit cell. The structure analysis confirms the binding of CO via the carbon end to the NaCl(100) surface. The vertical distance of carbon above Na+ is 2.58 ± 0.08 Å, in good agreement with geometry optimizations based on dispersion-corrected density functional theory, and 0.15 Å lower than predicted in calculations based on the nonlocal van der Waals density functional.
A microfluidic co-culture system to monitor tumor-stromal interactions on a chip
Authors: Menon Nishanth V. , Chuah Yon Jin , Cao Bin , Lim Mayasari , Kang Yuejun
Published: December 2014

The living cells are arranged in a complex natural environment wherein they interact with extracellular matrix and other neighboring cells. Cell-cell interactions, especially those between distinct phenotypes, have attracted particular interest due to the significant physiological relevance they can reveal for both fundamental and applied biomedical research. To study cell-cell interactions, it is necessary to develop co-culture systems, where different cell types can be cultured within the same confined space. Although the current advancement in lab-on-a-chip technology has allowed the creation of in vitro models to mimic the complexity of in vivo environment, it is still rather challenging to create such co-culture systems for easy control of different colonies of cells. In this paper, we have demonstrated a straightforward method for the development of an on-chip co-culture system. It involves a series of steps to selectively change the surface property for discriminative cell seeding and to induce cellular interaction in a co-culture region. Bone marrow stromal cells (HS5) and a liver tumor cell line (HuH7) have been used to demonstrate this co-culture model. The cell migration and cellular interaction have been analyzed using microscopy and biochemical assays. This co-culture system could be used as a disease model to obtain biological insight of pathological progression, as well as a tool to evaluate the efficacy of different drugs for pharmaceutical studies.
Structures of two intermediate phases between the B1 and B2 phases of PbS under high pressure
Authors: Li Yanchun , Lin Chuanlong , Xu Jian , Li Gong , Li Xiaodong , Liu Jing
Published: December 2014

The structural transitions of PbS were investigated at pressures up to 50 GPa using synchrotron powder and single crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods in diamond anvil cells. We found two intermediate phases between the B1 phase under atmospheric pressure and the B2 phase at 21.1 GPa, which is different to previous reports. The structures of these two intermediate phases were indexed as B27 and B33, respectively. Their structural parameters were investigated using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Our results provide a new insight into understanding the transition pathway between the B1 and B2 phases in PbS.
Ensiling characteristics of rice whole stillage inoculated with or without Amylomyces rouxii and evaluation of the feeding value for growing Japanese black steers
Authors: Ghlailat Badee , Liu Yongchao , Satoshi Hidaka
Published: December 2014

Rice whole stillage (RWS) is disposed to aerobic spoilage when stored for a prolonged period. The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the fermentation characteristics of ensiled RWS with wheat straw (WS) and wheat bran (WB) inoculated with Amylomyces rouxii, as well as to evaluate their impact on the metabolic profiles and the growth performance in Japanese black steers. Ensiled blends containing RWS, WS and WB were prepared either with A. rouxii inoculation (AS) or without (US). Fifteen silo bags were made for each blend; each bag had a width × height of 110 × 110 cm. The silos were analysed on Days 0, 7, 14, 28, 42 and 60 after ensiling. Notably, crude protein concentrations were found to be higher in the US treatment than in the AS treatment. In contrast, ash and acetic acid concentrations were elevated in the AS treatment compared with the US treatment. Lactic acid (LA) concentrations did not differ between the two treatments. Furthermore, the feeding efficacies of the prepared silages were evaluated as a feeding material for Japanese black steers. Control diets were composed of total mixed ration (TMR) and timothy hay, and the test diets were composed of TMR supplemented with either 1 kg/head.day US silage blend (USTMR) or 1 kg/head.day AS silage blend (ASTMR). Steers fed on the ASTMR diet exhibited a decrease in blood LA concentrations compared with the other groups. Moreover, growth performance revealed that daily gain and final bodyweight values were similar among treatments. Collectively, RWS can be effectively ensiled with or without A. rouxii and used as a feedstuff for maintaining an adequate growth rate of steers.
The effect of silage plant species, concentrate proportion and sugar beet pulp supplementation on the performance of growing and finishing crossbred bulls
Authors: Pesonen M. , Joki-Tokola E. , Huuskonen A.
Published: December 2014

A 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design was used to study the effects on animal performance of (1) the silage plant species, (2) the proportion of concentrate, and (3) the inclusion of molassed sugar beet pulp (SBP) in a barley-based concentrate. A feeding experiment was conducted using 32 crossbred bulls (Aberdeen Angus × Nordic Red dams sired by Hereford bulls) and lasting 359 days. The experimental silages were harvested from either pure timothy grass (Phleum pratense) or mixed timothy grass and red clover (Trifolium pratense) stands. The bulls were offered silage ad libitum. The two concentrate proportions were 330 and 660 g/kg diet DM. The concentrate used was either rolled barley or a mixture of rolled barley (700 g/kg DM) and SBP (300 g/kg DM). Concentrate proportion and silage plant species had no effect on total intake of the bulls (7.66 kg DM/day, on average) but SBP supplementation increased intake by 5% (P < 0.05). The dietary treatments had no effect on liveweight gain (1120 g/day) or carcass gain (705 g/day) of the bulls. The average carcass weight of the bulls was 405 kg. SBP supplementation increased carcass weight by 3% (P < 0.05) but it was not influenced by concentrate proportion or silage plant species. The dietary treatments had no effect (P > 0.05) on the dressing proportion or carcass conformation of the bulls. The carcass fat score was 13% higher in the bulls fed with pure grass silage compared with bulls fed the grass–red clover silage (P < 0.05), while the concentrate proportion and SBP supplementation had no effect on fat score.
Grazing alternative herbages in lactation increases the liveweight of both ewe lambs and their progeny at weaning
Authors: Corner-Thomas R. A. , Kemp P. D. , Morris S. T. , Kenyon P. R.
Published: December 2014

Breeding ewe lambs is a management tool that can be used to increase farm profit. However, there are potential negative impacts on the liveweight of progeny at weaning and the liveweight of the ewe lamb at the following breeding. A potential method of minimising these impacts is through the provision of quality herbages such as lucerne or a herb mix containing chicory, plantain, and red and white clover. The aim of this 2-year study was to examine the impact of offering ewe lambs either a traditional ryegrass and white clover pasture (Pasture), Herb-mix or Lucerne throughout the lambing period and in lactation. During lactation in both years of the study, ewe lambs offered the Herb-mix or Lucerne treatments were heavier (P < 0.05) than those offered Pasture. In addition, progeny of ewe lambs offered the Herb-mix or Lucerne treatment were also heavier (P < 0.05) in lactation than those born onto ryegrass white clover. Interestingly, in one of the 2 years, the ewes and their progeny on the Lucerne treatment were heavier (P < 0.05) in lactation than those in the Herb-mix treatment. Combined, these results indicated that offering either Herb-mix or Lucerne increases the performance of the young dam and her progeny above that found on a ryegrass and white clover sward.
Methane emissions of dairy cows cannot be predicted by the concentrations of C8:0 and total C18 fatty acids in milk
Authors: Williams S. R. O. , Moate P. J. , Deighton M. H. , Hannah M. C. , Wales W. J.
Published: December 2014

Methane (CH4) emissions from dairy cows are technically difficult and expensive to measure. Recently, some researchers have found correlations between the concentrations of specific fatty acids in milk fat and the CH4 emissions from cows that could obviate the need for direct measurement. In this research, data on individual cow CH4 emissions and concentration of caprylic acid (C8:0) and total C18 fatty acids in milk were collated from eight experiments involving 27 forage-based diets and 246 Holstein-Friesian dairy cows. Linear regressions between CH4 and both C8:0 and total C18 in milk were produced for published data and used to calculate 95% prediction regions for a new observation. The proportion of observed methane emissions from eight experiments that fell outside the 95% prediction region was 27.6% for the C8:0 model and 26.3% for the total C18 model. Neither model predicted CH4 emission well with Lin’s coefficient of concordance of less than 0.4 and the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient of approximately zero for both the C8:0 and total C18 models. In addition, general linear model analysis showed significant differences between experiments in their intercepts (P < 0.001) and slopes (P < 0.001). It is concluded that the relationships tested cannot be used to accurately predict CH4 emissions when cows are fed a wide range of diets.
Estimation of dry matter intake by n-alkanes in dairy cows fed TMR: effect of dosing technique and faecal collection time
Authors: Bani P. , Cappelli F. Piccioli , Minuti A. , Ficuciello V. , Lopreiato V. , Garnsworthy P. C. , Trevisi E.
Published: December 2014

Estimation of individual intakes in dairy cows would be beneficial to select animals according to efficiency of milk production. The n-alkanes technique has been used to estimate intake by dairy cows in free stall barns, limiting faecal samples to one or two per day, but diurnal variation in the ratio of dosed to natural alkanes in faeces represents a source of error. We aimed to adapt this technique to estimate feed intake on a large number of lactating dairy cows housed on commercial dairy farms. Using a change-over design, six lactating cows fed a TMR diet were given a dose of 0.5 g/day of C32 n-alkane administered once a day as a drench (DRE) or top fed (TP). Feed offered and refused were weighed daily. After the lead-in phases, faeces were collected at 0700 hours, 1400 hours and 1900 hours on the last 5 days of each dosing period. Dry matter intake (DMI) was estimated from C31, C33 and C32 concentrations in feeds and in faeces for each dosing system and sampling time. DMI estimated from C31 : C32 ratio was better correlated with measured individual DMI than estimates from C33 : C32 ratio. For DRE, the best correlation was for sampling at 1400 hours (R2 = 0.96, P < 0.001), but estimated DMI for the 1400 hours sampling was much higher than the actual DMI. For TP, the best correlation was for sampling at 0700 hours (R2 = 0.83, P < 0.001). Feeding C32 n-alkane and collecting faeces once a day at the same time (0700 hours) represents a valuable protocol to measure individual intake on a large number of animals.
Cerebral coherence between communicators marks the emergence of meaning
Authors: Stolk Arjen , Noordzij Matthijs L. , Verhagen Lennart , Volman Inge , Schoffelen Jan-Mathijs , Oostenveld Robert , Hagoort Peter , Toni Ivan
Published: December 2014

Significance

Building on recent electrophysiological evidence showing that novel communicative behavior relies on computations that operate over temporal scales independent from transient sensorimotor behavior, here we report that those computations occur simultaneously in pairs with a shared communicative history, but not in pairs without a shared history. This pair-specific interpersonal synchronization was driven by communicative episodes in which communicators needed to mutually adjust their conceptualizations of a signal’s use. That interpersonal cerebral synchronization was absent when communicators used stereotyped signals. These findings indicate that establishing mutual understanding is implemented through simultaneous in-phase coordination of cerebral activity across communicators, consistent with the notion that pair members temporally synchronize their conceptualizations of a signal’s use.
Rhetorical agency in ideological dispute
Authors: Engelbert Jiska
Published: December 2014

This article explores how non-elitist discourse of members of a political party can be considered as rhetorically well-equipped and ideologically powerful in legitimising a party’s controversial political narrative. By drawing on a well-known contentious political project – the New Labour ‘project’ of the UK’s Labour Party – the article proposes a way for party members’ discourse to be considered for this mode relatively autonomous rhetorical agency. Incorporating conceptualisations and methodologies of rhetorical and discursive psychology, the analysis of Labour Party members’ reflections on New Labour reveals how rhetorical power operates beyond the level of people consistently drawing on particular linguistic or grammatical repertoires. The article concludes that that rhetorical agency is not confined to those with sophisticated access to and knowledge of language’s workings and postulates that discourses of legitimisation may be as characteristic for their contradictions and inconsistencies as they are for their universal principles and grammar-like organisation.
“Making one’s path while walking with a clear head”
Authors: Sator Marlene , Graf Eva-Maria
Published: December 2014

This chapter looks at (re-)constructing clients’ knowledge in coaching which represents an endemic interactive feature of this helping profession that aims to solve clients’ business-related concerns by developing concrete solutions tor their problems. The professional norm of enabling help for self-help locates all relevant information in the clients’ territory of knowledge. A dilemma may arise for professionals when clients dis-align in the construction of a solution, given that concrete plans of actions are required but should be developed co-actively based on the clients’ own knowledge. The chapter tackles the interactive consequences of such dis-aligning forms in one coaching session between a coach in training and his client. Data excerpts, analyzed with the help of (applied) conversation analysis, illustrate the coach’s strategies when struggling with this professional dilemma and the client’s strategies to resist the professional’s attempts to non-directively keep her on track.
Between predicative and attributive possession in Bashkir
Authors: Ovsjannikova Maria , Say Sergey
Published: December 2014

Bashkir employs the genitive strategy for predicative possessive construction (‘he has a car’ literally is ‘his car exists’). However, in predicative possessive constructions the genitival possessor shows syntactic properties that are mostly indicative of its clause-level status. Some other uses with genitival possessors (as in e.g. ‘his leg hurts’) show mixed behaviour with respect to various constituency-related tests. The distribution of these properties directly reflects the degree of the relevance of the possessor. This semantics-to-syntax link is reminiscent of the external vs. internal possessor contrasts in other languages, although normally these contrasts are also manifested morphologically. The fact that constituency tests do not converge on identical results calls into question the applicability of the traditional notion of constituency to Bashkir possessive constructions.
Areal features of copula sentences in Karaim as spoken in Lithuania
Authors: Csató Éva Ágnes
Published: December 2014

The paper deals with copula clauses in Karaim, a highly endangered Kipchak Turkic language spoken in Lithuania. Karaim has been dominated by the non-Turkic (Baltic and Slavic) languages of the area. Though Karaim has acquired many properties not typical of Turkic it has preserved its Turkic morphological inventory to the extent that typical Turkic categories are still marked by genuine Turkic formatives (Csató 2012, 2013). Notwithstanding this remarkable sustainability, the paper demonstrates how selective copying has in many cases changed morphosyntactic properties of the copula clauses. The contact-induced features are analyzed in the Code-Copying Model (Johanson 2002).
Inca Architecture from the Andes to the Adriatic: Pedro Sancho’s Description of Cuzco*
Authors: Schreffler Michael J.
Published: December 2014

In 1556, Giovanni Battista Ramusio facilitated the publication in Venice of a report by Pedro Sancho, official secretary to the conquistador Francisco Pizarro. Sancho’s text included a lengthy description of the architecture and plan of Cuzco, the capital of the Inca Empire, and was the first such description to appear in print. Previous scholarship has used it as a primary source for reconstructing the appearance of Inca Cuzco as seen by Sancho, Pizarro, and their cohort at the moment of their arrival there in 1533. The text, however, is also evidence for other kinds of historical information, for it demonstrates how habits of description engaged in the production of space. The impact of Sancho’s textual representation of Cuzco is evident in a contemporary reaction to it — a woodcut print that accompanied it when it was first published. Considered together, the text and image lay bare the ways in which modes of representation facilitated political, architectural, and urbanistic change in the sixteenth-century New World.
On regular 𝐺-gradings
Authors: Aljadeff Eli , David Ofir
Published: December 2014

Let

A
A

be an associative algebra over an algebraically closed field

F

\mathbb {F}

of characteristic zero and let

G
G

be a finite abelian group. Regev and Seeman introduced the notion of a regular

G
G

-grading on

A
A

, namely a grading

A
=

⨁

g
∈
G

A

g

A=\bigoplus _{g\in G}A_{g}

that satisfies the following two conditions:

(
1
)

(1)

for every integer

n
≥
1

n\geq 1

and every

n
n

-tuple

(

g

1

,

g

2

,
…
,

g

n

)
∈

G

n

(g_{1},g_{2},\dots ,g_{n})\in G^{n}

, there are elements,

a

i

∈

A

g

i

a_{i}\in A_{g_{i}}

,

i
=
1
,
…
,
n

i=1,\dots ,n

, such that

∏

1

n

a

i

≠
0

\prod _{1}^{n}a_{i}\neq 0

;

(
2
)

(2)

for every

g
,
h
∈
G

g,h\in G

and for every

a

g

∈

A

g

,

b

h

∈

A

h

a_{g}\in A_{g},b_{h}\in A_{h}

, we have

a

g

b

h

=

θ

g
,
h

b

h

a

g

a_{g}b_{h}=\theta _{g,h}b_{h}a_{g}

for some nonzero scalar

θ

g
,
h

\theta _{g,h}

. Then later, Bahturin and Regev conjectured that if the grading on

A
A

is regular and minimal, then the order of the group

G
G

is an invariant of the algebra. In this article we prove the conjecture by showing that

o
r
d
(
G
)

ord(G)

coincides with an invariant of

A
A

which appears in PI theory, namely

e
x
p
(
A
)

exp(A)

(the exponent of

A
A

). Moreover, we extend the whole theory to (finite) nonabelian groups and show that the above result holds also in that case.
Sendai virus recombinant vaccine expressing a secreted, unconstrained respiratory syncytial virus fusion protein protects against RSV in cotton rats
Authors: Zhan Xiaoyan , Slobod Karen S. , Jones Bart G. , Sealy Robert E. , Takimoto Toru , Boyd Kelli , Surman Sherri , Russell Charles J. , Portner Allen , Hurwitz Julia L.
Published: December 2014

The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is responsible for as many as 199000 annual deaths worldwide. Currently, there is no standard treatment for RSV disease and no vaccine. Sendai virus (SeV) is an attractive pediatric vaccine candidate because it elicits robust and long-lasting virus-specific B cell and T cell activities in systemic and mucosal tissues. The virus serves as a gene delivery system as well as a Jennerian vaccine against its close cousin, human parainfluenza virus type 1. Here we describe the testing of a recombinant SeV (SeVRSV-Fs) that expresses an unconstrained, secreted RSV-F protein as a vaccine against RSV in cotton rats. After a single intranasal immunization of cotton rats with SeVRSV-Fs, RSV-specific binding and neutralizing antibodies were generated. These antibodies exhibited cross-reactivity with both RSV A and B isolates. RSV-F-specific IFN-γ-producing T cells were also activated. The SeVRSV-Fs vaccine conferred protection against RSV challenge without enhanced immunopathology. In total, results showed that an SeV recombinant that expresses RSV F in an unconstrained, soluble form can induce humoral and cellular immunity that protects against infection with RSV.
Therapeutic Efficacy of Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells in the Repair of Established Ventilator-induced Lung Injury in the Rat
Authors: Hayes Mairead , Masterson Claire , Devaney James , Barry Frank , Elliman Steve , O’Brien Timothy , O’Toole Daniel , Curley Gerard F. , Laffey John G.
Published: December 2014

AbstractAbstract

Rats with ventilator-induced lung injury who received human mesenchymal stromal cells had enhanced lung repair and improved oxygenation compared to rats who received vehicle or fibroblasts. Mesenchymal stromal cell treatment was also associated with improved lung compliance, decreased alveolar edema, and restored lung architecture. The mechanism for improvement appeared to be in part decreased inflammation and decreased alveolar cell neutrophil.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

Background:

Rodent mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) enhance repair after ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). We wished to determine the therapeutic potential of human MSCs (hMSCs) in repairing the rodent lung.

Methods:

In series 1, anesthetized rats underwent VILI (series 1A, n = 8 to 9 per group) or protective ventilation (series 1B, n = 4 per group). After VILI, they were randomized to intravenous administration of (1) vehicle (phosphate-buffered saline); (2) fibroblasts (1 × 107 cells/kg); or (3) human MSCs (1 × 107 cells/kg) and the effect on restoration of lung function and structure assessed. In series 2, the efficacy of hMSC doses of 1, 2, 5, and 10 million/kg was examined (n = 8 per group). Series 3 compared the efficacy of both intratracheal and intraperitoneal hMSC administration to intravascular delivery (n = 5–10 per group). Series 4 examined the efficacy of delayed hMSC administration (n = 8 per group).

Results:

Human MSC’s enhanced lung repair, restoring oxygenation (131 ± 19 vs. 103 ± 11 vs. 95 ± 11 mmHg, P = 0.004) compared to vehicle or fibroblast therapy, respectively. hMSCs improved lung compliance, reducing alveolar edema, and restoring lung architecture. hMSCs attenuated lung inflammation, decreasing alveolar cellular infiltration, and decreasing cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant-1 and interleukin-6 while increasing keratinocyte growth factor concentrations. The lowest effective hMSC dose was 2 × 106 hMSC/kg. Intraperitoneal hMSC delivery was less effective than intratracheal or intravenous hMSC. hMSCs enhanced lung repair when administered at later time points after VILI.

Conclusions:

hMSC therapy demonstrates therapeutic potential in enhancing recovery after VILI.
Almost 20 years of Neanderthal palaeogenetics: adaptation, admixture, diversity, demography and extinction
Authors: Sánchez-Quinto Federico , Lalueza-Fox Carles
Published: December 2014

Nearly two decades since the first retrieval of Neanderthal DNA, recent advances in next-generation sequencing technologies have allowed the generation of high-coverage genomes from two archaic hominins, a Neanderthal and a Denisovan, as well as a complete mitochondrial genome from remains which probably represent early members of the Neanderthal lineage. This genomic information, coupled with diversity exome data from several Neanderthal specimens is shedding new light on evolutionary processes such as the genetic basis of Neanderthal and modern human-specific adaptations—including morphological and behavioural traits—as well as the extent and nature of the admixture events between them. An emerging picture is that Neanderthals had a long-term small population size, lived in small and isolated groups and probably practised inbreeding at times. Deleterious genetic effects associated with these demographic factors could have played a role in their extinction. The analysis of DNA from further remains making use of new large-scale hybridization-capture-based methods as well as of new approaches to discriminate contaminant DNA sequences will provide genetic information in spatial and temporal scales that could help clarify the Neanderthal's—and our very own—evolutionary history.
Characterization of 17 strains belonging to the Mycobacterium simiae complex and description of Mycobacterium paraense sp. nov.
Authors: Fusco da Costa Ana R. , Fedrizzi Tarcisio , Lopes Maria L. , Pecorari Monica , Oliveira da Costa Wana L. , Giacobazzi Elisabetta , da Costa Bahia Jeann R. , De Sanctis Veronica , Batista Lima Karla V. , Bertorelli Roberto , Grottola Antonella , Fabio Anna , Mariottini Alessandro , Ferretti Pamela , Di Leva Francesca , Fregni Serpini Giulia , Tagliazucchi Sara , Rumpianesi Fabio , Jousson Olivier , Segata Nicola , Tortoli Enrico
Published: December 2014

Fourteen mycobacterial strains isolated from pulmonary samples of independent patients in the state of Pará (Brazil), and three strains isolated in Italy, were characterized using a polyphasic approach. Thorough genetic investigation, including whole-genome sequencing, demonstrated that the strains belong to the

M. simiae

complex, being most closely related to

Mycobacterium interjectum

. For 14 of the strains, evidence emerged supporting their inclusion in a previously unreported species of the genus

Mycobacterium

, for which the name Mycobacterium paraense sp. nov. is proposed (type strain, IEC26T = DSM 46749T = CCUG 66121T). The novel species is characterized by slow growth, unpigmented or pale yellow scotochromogenic colonies, and a HPLC mycolic acid profile different from other known mycobacteria. In different genetic regions, high sequence microheterogeneity was detected.
An alternative method for the calculation of joint probability distributions. Application to the expectation of the triplet invariant
Authors: Brosius J.
Published: December 2014

This paper presents a completely new method for the calculation of expectations (and thus joint probability distributions) of structure factors or phase invariants. As an example, a first approximation of the expectation of the triplet invariant (up to a constant) is given and acomplexnumber is obtained. Instead of considering the atomic vector positions or reciprocal vectors as the fundamental random variables, the method samples over all functions (distributions) with a given number of atoms and given Patterson function. The aim of this paper was to explore the feasibility of the method, so the easiest problem was chosen: the calculation of the expectation value of the triplet invariant inP1. Calculation of the jointprobabilitydistribution of the triplet is not performed here but will be done in the future.
Crystal structures of isoquinoline–3-chloro-2-nitrobenzoic acid (1/1) and isoquinolinium 4-chloro-2-nitrobenzoate
Authors: Gotoh Kazuma , Ishida Hiroyuki
Published: December 2014

In each of the title isomeric compounds, C9H7.3N·C7H3.7ClNO4, (I), and C9H8N·C7H3ClNO4, (II), of isoquinoline with 3-chloro-2-nitrobenzoic acid and 4-chloro-2-nitrobenzoic acid, the two components are linked by a short hydrogen bond between a base N atom and a carboxy O atom. In the hydrogen-bonded unit of (I), the H atom is disordered over two positions with N and O site occupancies of 0.30 (3) and 0.70 (3), respectively, while in (II), an acid–base interaction involving H-atom transfer occurs and the H atom is located at the N site. In the crystal of (I), the acid–base units are connected through C—H...O hydrogen bonds into a tape structure along theb-axis direction. Inversion-related adjacent tapes are further linked through π–π interactions [centroid–centroid distances = 3.6389 (7)–3.7501 (7) Å], forming a layer parallel to (001). In the crystal of (II), the acid–base units are connected through C—H...O hydrogen bonds into a ladder structure along thea-axis direction. The ladders are further linked by another C—H...O hydrogen bond into a layer parallel to (001).
Crystal structure ofO-isopropyl [bis(trimethylsilyl)amino](tert-butylamino)phosphinothioate
Authors: Kovalenko Oleksandr O. , Kinzhybalo Vasyl , Brusylovets Oleksii A. , Lis Tadeusz
Published: December 2014

[Bis(trimethylsilyl)amino](tert-butylimino)thiophosphorane reacts in benzene with isopropyl alcoholvia1,2-addition of aniPrO–H bond across the P=N bond, resulting in the title compound, C13H35N2OPSSi2. In the molecule, the P atom possesses a distorted tetrahedral environment involving two N atoms from (Me3Si)2N– andtBuNH– groups, one O atom from aniPrO group and one S atom, therefore the molecule has a stereocenter on the P atom but crystal symmetry leads to a racemate. In the crystal, a pair of enantiomers form a centrosymmetric dimerviaa pair of N—H...S hydrogen bonds.
Crystal structure of 4-(dimethylamino)pyridinium 4-aminobenzoate dihydrate
Authors: Thirunavukkarasu A. , Silambarasan A. , Kumar R. Mohan , Umarani P. R. , Chakkaravarthi G.
Published: December 2014

In the title hydrated molecular salt, C7H11N2+·C7H6NO2−·2H2O, the cation is protonated at the pyridine N atom and the dihedral angle between the benzene ring and the CO2−group in the anion is 8.5 (2)°. In the crystal, the cation forms an N—H...O hydrogen bond to the anion and the anion forms two N—H...O hydrogen bonds to adjacent water molecules. Both water molecules form two O—H...O hydrogen bonds to carboxylate O atoms. In combination, these hydrogen bonds generate a three-dimensional network and two weak C—H...π interactions are also observed.
Crystal structure of (E)-N-(3,4-dimethoxybenzylidene)morpholin-4-amine. Corrigendum
Authors: Çelikesir Sevim Türktekin , Akkurt Mehmet , Jarrahpour Aliasghar , Chermahini Mehdi Mohammadi , Büyükgüngör Orhan
Published: December 2014

The list of authors in the paper by Çelikesiret al.[Acta Cryst.(2014), E70, o935] is corrected.
Microbiome–metabolome analysis reveals unhealthy alterations in the composition and metabolism of ruminal microbiota with increasing dietary grain in a goat model
Authors: Mao Sheng‐Yong , Huo Wen‐Jie , Zhu Wei‐Yun
Published: December 2014

Currently, knowledge about the impact of high‐grain (HG) feeding on rumen microbiota and metabolome is limited. In this study, a combination of the 454 pyrosequencing strategy and the mass spectrometry‐based metabolomics technique was applied to investigate the effects of increased dietary grain (0%, 25% and 50% maize grain) on changes in whole ruminal microbiota and their metabolites using goat as a ruminant model. We observed a significant influence of HG feeding in shaping the ruminal bacterial community structure, diversity and composition, with an overall dominance of bacteria of the phylum Firmicutes along with a low abundance of Bacteriodetes in the HG group. High‐grain feeding increased the number of ciliate and methanogens, and decreased the density of anaerobic fungi and the richness of the archaeal community. The metabolomics analysis revealed that HG feeding increased the levels of several toxic, inflammatory and unnatural compounds, including endotoxin, tryptamine, tyramine, histamine and phenylacetate. Correlation analysis on the combined datasets revealed some potential relationships between ruminal metabolites and certain microbial species. Information about these relationships may prove useful in either direct (therapeutic) or indirect (dietary) interventions for ruminal disorders due to microbial compositional shifts, such as ruminal acidosis.
‘So agreeable and suitable a place’: The Character, Use and Provisioning of a Late Eighteenth‐Century Suburban Villa
Authors: Stobart Jon
Published: December 2014

Suburban villas were an increasingly prominent feature of eighteenth‐century Britain, but they remain largely unexplored outside a few well‐known examples. This article addresses this lacuna through a case study of Grove House in Kensington Gore, the property of the Hon. Mary Leigh. By examining the processes of furnishing and maintaining the house, the lifestyle of its owner and the ways in which it drew on and fed into metropolitan systems of supply, it challenges our understanding of the villa as a semi‐rural retreat and argues that, for some at least, it offered a gateway to London society and shopping.
Intranasal dexmedetomidine in combination with patient‐controlled sedation during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy: a randomised trial
Authors: CHEUNG C. W. , QIU Q. , LIU J. , CHU K. M. , IRWIN M. G.
Published: December 2014

Background

Sedation using intranasal dexmedetomidine is a convenient and well‐tolerated technique. This study evaluated the sedative efficacy of intranasal dexmedetomidine in combination with patient‐controlled sedation (PCS) for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.

Methods

In this double‐blind, randomised, controlled trial, 50 patients received either intranasal dexmedetomidine 1.5 μg/kg (dexmedetomidine group) or intranasal saline (placebo group) 1 h before the procedure. PCS with propofol and alfentanil was provided for rescue sedation. Additional sedative consumption, perioperative sedation scores using Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation (OAA/S) scale, recovery, vital signs, adverse events and patient satisfaction were assessed.

Results

Total consumption of PCS propofol and alfentanil was significantly less in the dexmedetomidine than placebo group with a mean difference of −13.8 mg propofol (95% confidence interval −27.3 to −0.3) and −34.5 μg alfentanil (95% confidence interval −68.2 to −0.7) at the completion of the procedure (P = 0.044). Weighted areas under the curve (AUCw) of OAA/S scores were significantly lower in the dexmedetomidine group before, during and after procedures (P < 0.001, P = 0.024 and P = 0.041 respectively). AUCw of heart rate and systolic blood pressure were also significantly lower during the procedure (P = 0.007 and P = 0.022 respectively) with dexmedetomidine. There was no difference in recovery, side effects or satisfaction.

Conclusion

Intranasal dexmedetomidine with PCS propofol and alfentanil confers deeper perioperative clinical sedation with significantly less use of additional sedatives during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.
Using an energetic cost–benefit approach to identify ecological traps: the case of the African wild dog
Authors: van der Meer E. , Rasmussen G. S. A. , Fritz H.
Published: December 2014

In a natural environment, there are high‐quality habitats that produce a surplus of animals (sources), facilitating migration into low‐quality habitats in which mortality exceeds natality (sinks). Human alterations can increase the attractiveness of a low‐quality habitat and/or decrease the suitability of a high‐quality habitat, herewith creating an ecological trap. In an ecological trap, animals prefer to stay in habitats where mortality exceeds natality, which can result in extirpation of a population. It is important to distinguish ecological traps from sinks; however, relative population densities do not necessarily give reliable information. In order to identify ecological traps and set appropriate conservation priorities, it is necessary to gain insight into the relationship between habitat preference, quality and suitability. In this study, we used African wild dog hunt data and energetic cost–benefit analysis to determine whether the preferred habitat outside Hwange National Park (HNP) serves as an ecological trap. This analysis enabled us to take several ecological factors into account while assessing habitat quality. Although outside HNP anthropogenic mortality exceeded natality, per capita energetic intake was higher. This indicates that the habitat outside HNP serves as an ecological trap where human alterations have decreased the suitability of the high quality habitat. In order to ensure the recovery of the African wild dog population, conservation efforts should therefore focus on improving the suitability of the habitat outside HNP. This study shows that an energetic cost–benefit analysis can assist with identifying ecological traps and setting conservation priorities. Moreover, in cases of social territorial species, the cost–benefit analysis may also help to identify ecological traps before source populations are depleted, thus increasing the likelihood of population recovery.
Eruptive disseminated Spitz naevus (EDSN) in a young girl of Indian origin
Authors: Sharma Niyati , Ho Stephanie , Bing Tan Kong , McCormack Chris , Scolyer Richard , Lee Joyce
Published: December 2014

Eruptive disseminated Spitz naevus (EDSN) is a rare entity and has never been documented in a South‐east Asian individual (of Indian origin) previously. We report an adolescent with this condition which, to our knowledge, has only been previously reported a few times.