bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using an FPLC to promote active learning of the principles of protein structure and purification
Authors: Robinson Rebekah L. , Neely Amy E. , Mojadedi Wais , Threatt Katie N. , Davis Nicole Y. , Weiland Mitch H.
Published: May 2016

The concepts of protein purification are often taught in undergraduate biology and biochemistry lectures and reinforced during laboratory exercises; however, very few reported activities allow students to directly gain experience using modern protein purification instruments, such as Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography (FPLC). This laboratory exercise uses size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and ion exchange (IEX) chromatography to separate a mixture of four different proteins. Students use an SEC chromatogram and corresponding SDS‐PAGE gel to understand how protein conformations change under different conditions (i.e. native and non‐native). Students explore strategies to separate co‐eluting proteins by IEX chromatography. Using either cation or anion exchange, one protein is bound to the column while the other is collected in the flow‐through. In this exercise, undergraduate students gain hands‐on experience with experimental design, buffer and sample preparation, and implementation of instrumentation that is commonly used by experienced researchers while learning and applying the fundamental concepts of protein structure, protein purification, and SDS‐PAGE. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(1):60–68, 2017.
Integration of a zebrafish research project into a molecular biology course to support critical thinking and course content goals
Authors: Felzien Lisa K.
Published: May 2016

Engaging undergraduates in research is essential for teaching them to think like scientists, and it has become a desired component of classroom and laboratory instruction. Research projects that span an entire semester expose students to a variety of concepts and techniques and allow students to use experiments to learn scientific principles, understand why specific techniques are applicable, critically analyze varied data, and examine how experimentation leads to acquiring knowledge. To provide an experience with these features, a semester long research project was integrated into a combined lecture and laboratory course, Molecular Biology. The project utilized the zebrafish model to examine gene expression during embryonic development and required students to develop and test hypotheses about the timing of expression of previously uncharacterized genes. The main goals for the project were to provide opportunities for students to develop critical thinking skills required for conducting research and to support the content goals of the course. To determine whether these goals were met, student performance on the steps of the project and related pre‐test and post‐test questions was examined. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 44(6):565–573, 2016.
Congenital cataract associated with persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous and persistent tunica vasculosa lentis in a sambar deer (Rusa unicolor) – clinical, ultrasonographic, and histological findings
Authors: Somma André Tavares , Moura Christiane Montenegro Coimbra , Lange Rogério Ribas , Medeiros Renan Schiebel , Montiani‐Ferreira Fabiano
Published: May 2016

Key Clinical Message

Ultrasonography suggested the diagnosis of cataract associated with persistent fetal intraocular vasculature in a 26‐day‐old sambar deer. The deer was ill and died despite intense critical care. Globes were removed. Histological characteristics of persistent fetal vasculature and secondary cataract are reported expanding the knowledge of ophthalmic disorders in wild ungulates.
Statistical design, structural analysis, and in vitro susceptibility assay of antimicrobial peptoids to combat bacterial infections
Authors: Lin He , Yan Tingting , Wang Lei , Guo Fangfang , Ning Guansen , Xiong Meng
Published: May 2016

Antimicrobial peptoids (ampetoids) have been established as a new and attractive class of antibiotic agent to combat bacterial infections with high bioavailability, strong metabolic stability, and low in vivo toxicity. Here, we reported successful design of short ampetoids by integrating chemometrics/cheminformatics techniques and in vitro susceptibility test. In the procedure, a novel panel of natural and N‐substituted amino acid descriptors was derived by principal component analysis of hundreds of constitutional, topological, geometrical, and physicochemical properties, which was then used to characterize and model the statistical regression relationship between the structural feature and antibacterial activity of known antimicrobial peptides. The resulting best quantitative structure‐activity relationship predictor confirmed by Monte Carlo cross validation was employed to perform high‐throughput virtual screening against a combinatorial ampeptod library, from which five ampeptod candidates were identified and their antibacterial potencies against two clinical bacterial strains, that is, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC33591 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC27853, were measured using a standard microtiter broth dilution method. Consequently, three ampeptoids (IK‐Nssb‐NLys‐VRK‐Nssb‐NH2, KYW‐NHis‐N‐Nspe‐RLR‐NH2, and NLys‐L‐NLys‐W‐Nsmb‐IKRW‐NH2) were found to have high antibacterial activity with minimum inhibitory concentration <30 µg/lm against the two strains. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that two of the three potent ampeptoids can fold into a typical amphipathic helix that allows them to interact directly with and then destruct microbial membranes, while another is unstructured in water environment and possesses a hybrid sequence pattern mixing with hydrophobic and hydrophilic residues. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Direct Metal‐Free Entry to Aminocyclobutenes or Aminocyclobutenols from Ynamides: Synthetic Applications
Authors: Alcaide Benito , Almendros Pedro , Lázaro‐Milla Carlos
Published: May 2016

The [2+2] cycloaddition of ynamides with the highly polarized reagent Tf2C=CH2 has been developed to regioselectively afford bis(triflyl)aminocyclobutenes in the absence of catalyst under mild conditions. Incidentally, with the ynamides bearing electron‐rich aromatic rings at the C‐terminal, an interesting reactivity switch was observed; a cyclization/hydroxylation sequence yielded 2‐amino‐3‐(triflyl)cyclobut‐2‐enols. Aminocyclobutene construction with addition of alcohols resulted in the formation of aminocyclobutenyl ethers through a cyclization/hydroalkoxylation process. Moreover, the utility of functionalized aminocyclobutenes as precursors for further elaboration was demonstrated with the preparation of α‐amino‐β,γ‐unsaturated ketones and 3‐(triflyl)buta‐1,3‐dien‐2‐amines through 4 π‐electrocyclic ring opening.
ChemInform Abstract: Characteristics of Slurry‐Coated Nickel Zirconia Cermet Anodes for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells.
Authors: KAWADA T. , SAKAI N. , YOKOKAWA H. , DOKIYA M. , MORI M. , IWATA T.
Published: May 2016

Several nickel and yttria stabilized zirconia cermet (Ni‐YSZ cermet) electrodes are prepared by the slurry coating method and their ac and dc polarization behavior in H2‐H2O atmosphere at 1273 K is studied.
ChemInform Abstract: Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of 2‐Styrylquinazolin‐4(3H)‐ones, a New Class of Antimitotic Anticancer Agents which Inhibit Tubulin Polymerization.
Authors: JIANG J. B. , HESSON D. P. , DUSAK B. A. , DEXTER D. L. , KANG G. J. , HAMEL E.
Published: May 2016

A series of 2‐styrylquinazolinones such as (III), (VI), and (IX) is synthesized by coupling anilines such as (I), (IV), and (VII) with the cinnamoyl chloride (IIb) followed by cyclization.
ChemInform Abstract: Catalytic Asymmetric [3 + 2]‐Cycloaddition for Stereodivergent Synthesis of Chiral Indolyl‐Pyrrolidines.
Authors: Arai Takayoshi , Tokumitsu Chihiro , Miyazaki Tomoya , Kuwano Satoru , Awata Atsuko
Published: May 2016

The asymmetric [3 + 2]‐cycloaddition of indolyl nitroalkene to iminoesters in the presence of nickel acetate and IAP ligand gives rise to pyrrolidines (III), whilst the copper‐catalyzed reaction in the presence of PBD ligand leads to endo‐products (VI).
ChemInform Abstract: Catalytic Cycloaddition of 2‐Hydroxy Ketones with 1,1‐Dicyanoalkenes.
Authors: Tsunoi Shinji , Seo Yuta , Takano Yugo , Suzuki Itaru , Shibata Ikuya
Published: May 2016

A series of 2‐amino‐4,5‐dihydrofuran‐3‐nitriles (III) is readily prepared by a tin‐catalyzed cycloaddition of 2‐hydroxyketones (I) with 1,1‐dicyanoalkenes (II) under microwave irradiation.
ChemInform Abstract: μ‐Nitrido Diiron Macrocyclic Platform: Particular Structure for Particular Catalysis
Authors: Afanasiev Pavel , Sorokin Alexander B.
Published: May 2016

Review: 38 refs.
Non‐muscle myosin‐IIA is critical for podocyte f‐actin organization, contractility, and attenuation of cell motility
Authors: Bondzie Philip A. , Chen Hui A. , Cao Mei Zhen , Tomolonis Julie A. , He Fangfang , Pollak Martin R. , Henderson Joel M.
Published: May 2016

Several glomerular pathologies resulting from podocyte injury are linked to genetic variation involving the MYH9 gene, which encodes the heavy chain of non‐muscle myosin‐IIA (NM‐IIA). However, the functional role of NM‐IIA has not been studied extensively in podocytes. We hypothesized that NM‐IIA is critical for maintenance of podocyte structure and mechanical function. To test this hypothesis, we studied murine podocytes in vitro subjected to blebbistatin inhibition of NM‐II activity, or RNA interference‐mediated, isoform‐specific ablation of Myh9 gene and protein (NM‐IIA) or its paralog Myh10 gene and protein (NM‐IIB). Using quantitative immunofluorescence microscopy, traction force microscopy, and attachment and “wound healing” assays, we found that NM‐IIA ablation altered podocyte actin cytoskeletal structure and focal adhesion distribution, decreased cell attachment and contractility, and increased cell motility. Blebbistatin treatment had similar effects. NM‐IIB ablation produced cells that exhibited poor attachment, but cytoskeletal structural organization, contractility and motility were maintained. These findings indicate that NM‐IIA is essential for maintenance of podocyte cytoskeletal structure and mechanical function in vitro, and NM‐IIB does not replace it in this role when NM‐IIA expression is altered. We conclude that critical podocyte functions may be affected by MYH9 mutations or disease‐associated haplotypes. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Increased transverse relaxivity in ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles used as MRI contrast agent for biomedical imaging
Authors: Mishra Sushanta Kumar , Kumar B. S. Hemanth , Khushu Subash , Tripathi Rajendra P. , Gangenahalli Gurudutta
Published: May 2016

Synthesis of a contrast agent for biomedical imaging is of great interest where magnetic nanoparticles are concerned, because of the strong influence of particle size on transverse relaxivity. In the present study, biocompatible magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by co‐precipitation of Fe2+ and Fe3+ salts, followed by surface adsorption with reduced dextran. The synthesized nanoparticles were spherical in shape, and 12 ± 2 nm in size as measured using transmission electron microscopy; this was corroborated with results from X‐ray diffraction and dynamic light scattering studies. The nanoparticles exhibited superparamagnetic behavior, superior T2 relaxation rate and high relaxivities (r1 = 18.4 ± 0.3, r2 = 90.5 ± 0.8 s−1 mM−1, at 7 T). MR image analysis of animals before and after magnetic nanoparticle administration revealed that the signal intensity of tumor imaging, specific organ imaging and whole body imaging can be clearly distinguished, due to the strong relaxation properties of these nanoparticles. Very low concentrations (3.0 mg Fe/kg body weight) of iron oxides are sufficient for early detection of tumors, and also have a clear distinction in pre‐ and post‐enhancement of contrast in organs and body imaging. Many investigators have demonstrated high relaxivities of magnetic nanoparticles at superparamagnetic iron oxide level above 50 nm, but this investigation presents a satisfactory, ultrasmall, superparamagnetic and high transverse relaxivity negative contrast agent for diagnosis in pre‐clinical studies. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Retracted: Mathematical‐based modeling and prediction of the effect of external stimuli on human gait
Authors: Namazi Hamidreza , Kulish Vladimir V.
Published: May 2016

Human gait is defined as human locomotion that is achieved through the movement of limbs. Different limb movement patterns result in different gait patterns. Different internal and external stimuli can affect the human gait. During the years, scientists have worked on the analysis of the effect of external stimuli on human gait, but no work has been reported yet that suggests a mathematical model for analysis of this effect by linking to the nervous system. Considering the diffusion of external stimuli to the nervous system on one side and fractality of human gait on another side, in this research, for the first time, we develop a model for prediction of human gait using fractional diffusion equation. Using this model, we will predict the effect of auditory stimuli on human gait. The model developed in this research is useful not only for analysis of the effect of auditory stimuli on human gait but can be used also for analysis of different types of stimuli on subjects with healthy conditions or having some types of diseases. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Solution Synthesis, Surface Passivation, Optical Properties, Biomedical Applications, and Cytotoxicity of Silicon and Germanium Nanocrystals
Authors: McVey Benjamin F. P. , Prabakar Sujay , Gooding Justin J. , Tilley Richard D.
Published: May 2016

Silicon and germanium nanocrystals (NCs) are attractive materials owing to their unique size and surface‐dependent optical properties. The optical properties of silicon and germanium NCs make them highly suitable for a range of applications, including bioimaging, light‐emitting diodes, and solar cells. In this review, the solution synthesis, surface passivation, optical properties, biomedical applications, and cytotoxicity of silicon and germanium NCs are compared and contrasted. Over the last 10 years, synthetic protocols have improved considerably, with size control readily achieved. Investigations have begun into a range of silicon and germanium nanostructures, including doped, alloy, and metal–semiconductor hybrid NCs, which represent the next generation of silicon and germanium nanomaterials. Silicon and germanium NCs are actively researched for a wide array of biomedical applications, including, long‐term in vivo cellular imaging, fluorescent nanocarriers for drug delivery, and as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Cytotoxicity studies have shown the low toxicity of Si NCs, while demonstrating that Ge NCs are less toxic than CdSe NCs at similar concentrations, giving these materials a strong future in nanomedicine applications.
Cyclic Single‐Molecule Magnets: From Even‐Numbered Hexanuclear to Odd‐Numbered Heptanuclear Dysprosium Clusters
Authors: Tian Haiquan , Bao Song‐Song , Zheng Li‐Min
Published: May 2016

An ingenious self‐assembly method has been employed to achieve noncentered cyclic metal cages by integrating single and double pyrazinyl hydrazone ligands in the presence of an organo phosphonic acid. An even‐numbered hexanuclear and an odd‐numbered heptanuclear dysprosium(III) cluster, namely [Dy6(spch)6(O3PC10H7)2(pyra)2(MeOH)(H2O)]·8.5H2O [1, H2spch = (E)‐N′‐(2‐hydroxybenzylidene)pyrazine‐2‐carbohydrazide, pyra = pyrazine‐2‐carboxylate] and [Dy7(eddc)2(spch)2(O3PC10H7)4(OAc)5(MeOH)4]·4MeOH [2, H2eddc = (E,E)‐N′,N′′‐(ethane‐1,2‐diylidene)bis(pyrazine‐2‐carbohydrazide)] have been synthesized successfully. Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis revealed that compound 1 is composed of six identical [Dy2(spch)]4+ building blocks containing a single pyrazinyl hydrazone ligand of spch2– welded to each other to form a hexanuclear ring, whereas compound 2 possesses an enlarged skeleton with a heptanuclear ring made up of two [Dy3(eddc)]7+ and two [Dy2(spch)]4+ building blocks by virtue of the inclusion in the synthesis of double pyrazinyl hydrazone ligand eddc2–. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibit drastically distinct dynamic magnetic properties. Compound 1 shows a complex slow relaxation of the magnetization with two types of temperature dependence with energy barriers (Ueff) of 4.7 and 20.3 K and pre‐exponential factors (τ0) of 9.1 × 10–5 and 2.6 × 10–6 s for the low‐ and high‐temperature regimes, respectively, whereas compound 2 exhibits a two‐step relaxation process (Ueff(1): 45.1 K, τ0(1): 4.4 × 10–7 s; Ueff(2): 48.7, τ0(2): 2.7 × 10–8 s) in the out‐of‐phase alternating current signals.
Using Whole Exome Sequencing to Identify Candidate Genes With Rare Variants In Nonsyndromic Cleft Lip and Palate
Authors: Aylward Alana , Cai Yi , Lee Andrew , Blue Elizabeth , Rabinowitz Daniel , Haddad Joseph ,   the University of Washington Center for Mendelian Genomics
Published: May 2016

Studies suggest that nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate (NSCLP) is polygenic with variable penetrance, presenting a challenge in identifying all causal genetic variants. Despite relatively high prevalence of NSCLP among Amerindian populations, no large whole exome sequencing (WES) studies have been completed in this population. Our goal was to identify candidate genes with rare genetic variants for NSCLP in a Honduran population using WES. WES was performed on two to four members of 27 multiplex Honduran families. Genetic variants with a minor allele frequency > 1% in reference databases were removed. Heterozygous variants consistent with dominant disease with incomplete penetrance were ascertained, and variants with predicted functional consequence were prioritized for analysis. Pedigree‐specificP‐values were calculated as the probability of all affected members in the pedigree being carriers, given that at least one is a carrier. Preliminary results identified 3,727 heterozygous rare variants; 1,282 were predicted to be functionally consequential. Twenty‐three genes had variants of interest in ≥3 families, where some genes had different variants in each family, giving a total of 50 variants. Variant validation via Sanger sequencing of the families and unrelated unaffected controls excluded variants that were sequencing errors or common variants not in databases, leaving four genes with candidate variants in ≥3 families. Of these, candidate variants in two genes consistently segregate with NSCLP as a dominant variant with incomplete penetrance: ACSS2 and PHYH. Rare variants found at the same gene in all affected individuals in several families are likely to be directly related to NSCLP.
Similarity and differentiation between the East China Sea Shelf Basin and Cenozoic basins in the northeast South China Sea
Authors: Zang Y. B. , Li S. Z. , Guo L. L. , Suo Y. H. , Somerville I. D. , Zhao S. J. , Hui G. G. , Zhang Y. , Zheng Q. L.
Published: May 2016

The East China Sea Shelf Basin (ECSSB), the Pearl River Mouth Basin (PRMB) and the Taixinan Basin (TXNB) in the northern continental margin of the South China Sea (SCS) are important oil‐ and gas‐bearing basins on the Western Pacific Continental Margin. During the Paleocene to Late Miocene, their strata can be compared, and the lithofacies were continuous from the TXNB, via the Taixi Basin (TXB) to the ECSSB. The lithologies mainly consist of interbedded shale, sandstone and mudstone layers. In addition, these basins have similar tectonic and sedimentation features. The three basins had similar marine‐terrigenous facies in the Paleocene and marine–lacustrine–fluvial facies during the Eocene and Late Miocene. The basins experienced several coeval tectonic movements and episodes, and they developed a series of NE‐ and NNE‐trending faults during the Paleocene and Eocene, which controlled the structure of the basins. During the Early Oligocene and Middle Miocene, they developed a series of NW‐ and WNW‐trending strike‐slip faults, reverse folds and flower‐like strike‐slip faults. However, there were obvious differences in sedimentary and tectonic evolution since the Late Miocene. The TXNB and TXB developed marine facies after the Late Miocene, while in the Quaternary, open marine facies replaced the Pliocene terrigenous facies in the ECSSB. Since the Late Miocene, the south of the ECSSB developed into a subsidence stage, and fault activity stopped. The TXB and TXNB developed some inverse structures and then developed into a thermal subsidence episode after the Dongsha Movement. Thus, this paper proposes that the ECSSB and the Cenozoic basins in the SCS were originally a unified basin and then subsequently separated into two basins as a result of the indentation of the Philippine Sea Plate (PSP) and the arc–continent collision between the Luzon Arc and the Eurasian Plate. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Continuous improvement, burnout and job engagement: a study in a Dutch nursing department
Authors: Benders Jos , Bleijerveld Hans , Schouteten Roel
Published: May 2016

Continuous improvement (CI) programs are potentially powerful means to improve the quality of care. The more positive nurses perceive these programs' effects, the better they may be expected to cooperate. Crucial to this perception is how nurses' quality of working life is affected. We studied this in a nursing department, using the job demands‐resources model. We found that two job demands improved, and none of the job resources. Job engagement did not change significantly, while the burnout risk decreased slightly. Overall, the nurses felt the impact to be small yet the changes were in a positive direction. CI can thus be used to improve nurses' working lives and, by restructuring the work processes, the quality of care. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Parental decision making in pediatric otoplasty: The role of shared decision making in parental decisional conflict and decisional regret
Authors: Hong Paul , Gorodzinsky Ayala Y. , Taylor Benjamin A. , Chorney Jill MacLaren
Published: May 2016

Objectives/Hypothesis

To date, there has been little research on shared decision making and decisional outcomes in pediatric surgery. The objectives of this study were to describe the level of decisional conflict and decisional regret experienced by parents considering otoplasty for their children, and to determine if they are related to perceptions of shared decision making.

Study Design

Prospective cohort clinical study.

Methods

Sixty‐five consecutive parents of children who underwent surgical consultation for otoplasty were prospectively enrolled. Participants completed the Demographic Form, the Decisional Conflict Scale, and the Shared Decision‐Making Questionnaire after the consultation visit. The consulting surgeons completed the physician version of the Shared Decision‐Making Questionnaire. Six months after surgery, parents completed the Decisional Regret Scale.

Results

The median decisional conflict was 15.63; 21 (32.8%) parents scored 25 or above, a previously defined cutoff indicating clinically significant decisional conflict. Parent ratings of shared decision making and decisional conflict were significantly negatively correlated (P< 0.001); however, there was no significant correlation between physician ratings of shared decision making and parental decisional conflict. Significant decisional regret was reported in two (3.2%) participants. Decisional regret and parent and physician ratings of shared decision making were both significantly negatively correlated (P= 0.044 andP= 0.001, respectively). Decisional regret and decisional conflict scores were significantly positively correlated (P= 0.001). Parent and physician ratings of shared decision making were correlated (intraclass correlation = 0.625,P< 0.001).

Conclusion

Many parents experienced significant decisional conflict when making decisions about their child's elective surgical treatment. Fewer parents experienced significant decisional regret after the procedure. Parents who perceived themselves as being more involved in the decision making process reported less decisional conflict and decisional regret. Parents and physicians had varied perceptions of the degree of shared decision making. Future research should develop interventions to increase parents' involvement in decision making and explore the influence of significant decisional conflict and decisional regret on health outcomes.

Level of Evidence

2b.Laryngoscope, 126:S5–S13, 2016
Soft Sensors: Chemoinformatic Model for Efficient Control and Operation in Chemical Plants
Authors: Funatsu Kimito
Published: May 2016

Soft sensor is statistical model as an essential tool for controlling pharmaceutical, chemical and industrial plants. I introduce soft sensor, the roles, the applications, the problems and the research examples such as adaptive soft sensor, database monitoring and efficient process control. The use of soft sensor enables chemical industrial plants to be operated more effectively and stably.
Stability and Hopf bifurcation of a delayed Cohen–Grossberg neural network with diffusion
Authors: Tian Xiaohong , Xu Rui
Published: May 2016

In this paper, a delayed Cohen–Grossberg neural network with diffusion under homogeneous Neumann boundary conditions is investigated. By analyzing the corresponding characteristic equation, the local stability of the trivial uniform steady state and the existence of Hopf bifurcation at the trivial steady state are established, respectively. By using the normal form theory and the center manifold reduction of partial function differential equations, formulae are derived to determine the direction of bifurcations and the stability of bifurcating periodic solutions. Numerical simulations are carried out to illustrate the main results. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Design of miniaturized and ultrathin absorptive/transmissive radome with wideband absorbing property
Authors: Yi Bo , Liu Peiguo , Li Gaosheng , Dong Yanfei
Published: May 2016

In this article, a miniaturized and ultrathin absorptive/transmissive radome with wideband absorbing property was designed. The thickness of the designed radome was 5 mm and its effectiveness was verified by both synthetic experiments and measurement in the anechoic chamber. Furthermore, the oblique incidents were also evaluated for both the transmission coefficients and reflection coefficients. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:1870–1875, 2016
A temperature sensor based on a Brillouin optoelectronic oscillator
Authors: Zhu Y. H. , Jin X. F. , Zhang X. M. , Chi H. , Zheng S. L.
Published: May 2016

A temperature sensor based on a Brillouin optoelectronic oscillator (BOEO) is presented and demonstrated. In the BOEO loop, a phase modulated light is converted to a microwave signal duo to the asymmetric gain of the Stokes light and the anti‐Stokes light in the stimulated Brillouin scattering to sustain the oscillation. A section of single mode fiber is used as the Brillouin gain medium as well as the sensing element. In this structure, the oscillation frequency of the BOEO varies linearly with the temperature under test. The experimental results show that the temperature sensor features high sensitivity and high stability, thanks to the intrinsic narrow gain spectrum of the stimulated Brillouin scattering. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:1952–1955, 2016
A class‐C quadrature VCO using the varactor coupling technique
Authors: Jang Sheng‐Lyang , Lin Yan‐Cu , Lai Wen‐Cheng , Hsue Ching‐Wen , Juang Miin‐Horng
Published: May 2016

This letter presents a 2.1 GHz Class‐C quadrature voltage‐controlled oscillator (QVCO) working on coupling two identical Class‐C VCOs. The class‐C oscillator is used to achieve the performance of low phase noise. The QVCO uses a varactor ring to generate quadrature phase and it was implemented using the TSMC 0.18 μm CMOS 1P6M process. The output phase noise of the QVCO is −130.34 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset frequency from the output carrier frequency of 1.978 GHz; the quadrature phase error is 0.33° and the figure of merit is −190.61 dBc/Hz. Total power consumption is 3.9 mW. Tuning range is about 422 MHz (19%) between 1.978 and 2.4 GHz, while the control voltage was tuned from 0 V to 2 V. The die area is 0.528 × 1.168 mm2. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:1961–1964, 2016
A text‐meandered RFID tag implemented with conductive threads
Authors: Pham Nu , Chien Dao Ngoc , Chung Jae‐Young
Published: May 2016

We present a wearable RFID tag implemented on a fabric, comprising four alphabet texts embroidered by conductive threads. The tag is optimized to provide a conjugate match to the RFID chip impedance at the operation frequency, 910 MHz. Various tags with different stitching patterns and thread diameters are examined in simulation and a number of tags are measured using two‐port differential probe suitable for balanced tag structures. The measured results of tag impedance show good agreements to the simulation results with slight errors caused by imperfection in probe calibration. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:1978–1984, 2016
Compact multi‐mode UWB microstrip filter using meander resonator
Authors: Zhang Tianliang , Zhou Liguo , Yang Kai , Dang Wei , Hua Kezhao , Yang Changlin , Chen Peng
Published: May 2016

In this paper, traditional microstrip resonator is meandered to construct a compact multi‐mode resonator (MMR). The meander resonator is very simple but convenient for ultra‐wide band (UWB) passband filter. And then, a UWB microstrip filter with six transmission poles in the passband is achieved by using only two resonators. The filter has an amplitude frequency response with a passband from 1.8 GHz to 4.7 GHz, the simulated return loss in passband is better than −20dB, and the measured one is better than −19dB. The tested insertion loss at center frequency is about 0.38 dB. Methods of adjusting the bandwidth of this new kind of UWB filter is also discussed in this paper. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:2026–2029, 2016
The functional features and interface design of wood/polypropylene composites based on microencapsulated wood particles via adopting in situ emulsion polymerization
Authors: Ye Xianzhu , Wang Hua , Wu Zhaofeng , Zhou Haifeng , Tian Xingyou
Published: May 2016

The interface design based on microencapsulated wood particle in wood‐polypropylene‐composites (WPCs) was reported viain situemulsion polymerization of butyl‐acrylate (BA)/methyl methacrylate (MMA). SEM images, FTIR spectra, and surface parameters proved microencapsulation efficiently. With compatible‐crosslinking network on wood surface, wood polypropylene composite was reinforced. For hydrophobic interface, by soaking for 72 h, water absorbance of wood–polypropylene composite decreased from 16.7 to 0.17 wt%. As well as flexural strength and tough parameters, tensile strength reached 37.39 MPa which was enhanced by about 83%. Viscoelastic properties showed microencapsulated effect enhanced the storage modulus of composites and the glass‐transition temperature (Tg) of polymer components. Ascribing to microencapsulated crosslinking interactions and weak chain‐motions, the melting enthalpy and initial decomposition temperature (Td) of wood–polypropylene composite were also improved. To wood (adopting 72.9 wt% rigid MMA)‐polypropylene composite, initialTdwas improved from 248 to 356°C. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:427–436, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers
From oxide to proton conduction: A quantum‐chemical perspective on the versatility of Sr2Fe1.5Mo0.5O6−δ‐based materials
Authors: Muñoz‐García Ana B. , Pavone Michele
Published: May 2016

Sr2Fe1.5Mo0.5O6−δ (SFMO) is a promising electrode material for solid oxide electrochemical cells. This perspective highlights the role of first‐principles investigations in unveiling SFMO structural, electronic, and defect properties. In particular, DFT + U provides a reliable and convenient tool for extensive studies on strongly correlated transition‐metal oxides, as SFMO and related systems. The SFMO excellent performances are ascribed to a mixed oxide ion‐electron conductor character. Crucial features are the easy formation of oxygen vacancies and the low oxide migration barrier heights. Aliovalent doping with K+ enables convenient hydration and effective proton transport in bulk SFMO. This opens a route toward new promising triple‐conductor oxides. Besides discussion of specific SFMO applications, our results help to uncover general perovskite‐oxide features and new design principles for oxide‐ and proton‐conducting solid oxide fuel cell electrodes. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Assessing the geomorphic recovery potential of rivers: forecasting future trajectories of adjustment for use in management
Authors: Fryirs Kirstie A. , Brierley Gary J.
Published: May 2016

In an era of river repair, the concept of recovery enhancement has become central to river management practice. However, until about the early 2000s there were no coherent geomorphic frameworks with which to forecast river recovery potential. While the practical uptake of such frameworks has been slow, and debates continue about what recovery means, some river management agencies in different parts of the world have applied related concepts within catchment scale, process‐based approaches to river management. Agencies that make use of recovery enhancement approaches have reframed the way that vision setting, planning, and prioritization are undertaken. In this study, we review river recovery as a principle. We then present, using examples, an updated version of the framework for assessing river recovery and river recovery potential that is embedded in the River Styles framework. Finally, we show how the application of this framework can be used to better inform river management practice. WIREs Water 2016, 3:727–748. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1158

This article is categorized under:

Water and Life > Conservation, Management, and Awareness

Engineering Water > Planning Water
Evolution of Cranial and Endocranial Profiles inHomoSpecies: a Study in 2D Geometric Morphometrics
Authors: Albessard L. , Grimaud-Hervé D. , Balzeau A.
Published: May 2016

Cranial anatomical features play a prominent part in the definition of extinctHomotaxa and in species identification in fossils. Thus, knowledge of cranial morphology considered within its geochronological framework is essential to the understanding of the evolution, chronology, and dispersal of the genusHomo. The brain is also a valuable object of study for research on human evolution, because of features such as its large size and a high encephalization quotient in someHomospecies, as well as the complexity of human cognition. However, the joint evolution of endo- and ectocranial anatomies is still little studied, and landmarks representing cerebral anatomy rather than inner cranial bone anatomy are still rarely used. This exploratory piece of research examines endo- and ectocranial profiles in samples representing 3Homotaxa:Homo sapiens(fossil and recent specimens),Homo erectus, andHomo neanderthalensis. We used 2D geometric morphometrics to analyze the shape of the endo- and ectocranial vaults, as well as the relationships between selected anatomical features such as the extension of lobes and bones. The shapes of the vaults were computed using both fixed landmarks and sliding semi-landmarks. The fixed landmarks used for the endocranium were chosen in order to represent cerebral anatomy, in that they are defined by the imprints left by brain structures on the inner bone surface of the skull, and not by bony structures such as the inferior side of cranial sutures. Among other results, we have shown or confirmed specific features in the shape of the endocranium inHomo sapiens, as well as a few differences in the patterns of interplay between lobes and bones. These data, and any further results obtained with larger samples, may provide new insights into the development of the endocranial anatomical pattern inHomo sapiensand of its variability.
Lo emocional como político: reseña del libro La política cultural de las emociones
Authors: Mancini Fiorella
Published: May 2016

Lo emocional como político: reseña del libro La política cultural de las emociones
Quantifying the Impact of Floods on Bacillary Dysentery in Dalian City, China, From 2004 to 2010
Authors: Xu Xin , Ding Guoyong , Zhang Ying , Liu Zhidong , Liu Qiyong , Jiang Baofa
Published: May 2016

Objective

Studies quantifying relationships between floods and diarrheal diseases have mainly been conducted in low-latitude regions. It’s therefore increasingly important to examine these relationships in midlatitude regions, where they may have significant public health implications. This study aimed to examine the association between floods and bacillary dysentery in the city of Dalian, China.

Methods

A generalized additive mixed model was applied to examine the association between floods and bacillary dysentery. The relative risk (RR) of flood impact on bacillary dysentery was estimated.

Results

A total of 18,976 cases of bacillary dysentery were reported in Dalian during the study period. Two weeks’ lagged effect was detected from the impact of floods on bacillary dysentery. The RR of flood impact on bacillary dysentery was 1.17 (95% CI: 1.03-1.33).

Conclusions

Floods have significantly increased the risk of bacillary dysentery in Dalian. More studies should focus on the association between floods and infectious diseases in different regions. Our findings have significant implications for managing the negative health impact of floods in the midlatitude region of China. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:190–195)
THE XINIAN: AN ANCIENT HISTORICAL TEXT FROM THE QINGHUA UNIVERSITY COLLECTION OF BAMBOO BOOKS
Authors: Milburn Olivia
Published: May 2016

The Xinian or Annalistic History is one of an important collection of ancient bamboo texts donated anonymously to Qinghua University in 2008. The Xinian covers events from the history of the Western Zhou dynasty (1045–771 b.c.e.), through the Spring and Autumn Period (771–475 b.c.e.) and into the Warring States era (475–221 b.c.e.). Since the first publication of this manuscript in 2011, it has been the subject of much research, though this has usually been focused on the sections which have important parallels within the transmitted tradition. This article proposes a new way of understanding the Xinian, as a compilation produced from at least five source texts, and provides a complete translation of the entire text. Furthermore, although the contents of the Xinian are frequently at variance with the transmitted tradition, in particular the account of events given in the Zuozhuan, in some instances it may prove the more reliable source. The Xinian also provides some information concerning the history of the early Warring States era that helps to explain events in this generally badly documented era.
Subclinical zinc deficiency impairs pancreatic digestive enzyme activity and digestive capacity of weaned piglets
Authors: Brugger Daniel , Windisch Wilhelm M.
Published: May 2016

This study investigated the effects of short-term subclinical Zn deficiency on exocrine pancreatic activity and changes in digestive capacity. A total of forty-eight weaned piglets were fedad libituma basal diet (maize and soyabean meal) with adequate Zn supply (88 mg Zn/kg diet) during a 2-week acclimatisation phase. Animals were then assigned to eight dietary treatment groups (n6) according to a complete randomised block design considering litter, live weight and sex. All pigs were fed restrictively (450 g diet/d) the basal diet but with varying ZnSO4.7H2O additions, resulting in 28·1, 33·6, 38·8, 42·7, 47·5, 58·2, 67·8 and 88·0 mg Zn/kg diet for a total experimental period of 8 d. Pancreatic Zn concentrations and pancreatic activities of trypsin, chymotrypsin, carboxypeptidase A and B, elastase andα-amylase exhibited a broken-line response to stepwise reduction in dietary Zn by declining beneath thresholds of 39·0, 58·0, 58·0, 41·2, 47·5, 57·7 and 58·0 mg Zn/kg diet, respectively. Furthermore, carboxypeptidase B andα-amylase activities were significantly lower in samples with reduced pancreatic Zn contents. Coefficients of faecal digestibility of DM, crude protein, total lipids and crude ash responded similarly to pancreatic enzyme activities by declining below dietary thresholds of 54·7, 45·0, 46·9 and 58·2 mg Zn/kg diet, respectively. In conclusion, (1) subclinical Zn deficiency impaired pancreatic exocrine enzymes, (2) this response was connected to pancreatic Zn metabolism and (3) the decline in catalytic activity impaired faecal digestibility already after 1 week of insufficient alimentary Zn supply and very early before clinical deficiency symptoms arise.
American Catholics and Emptiness
Authors: Seitz John
Published: May 2016

As I read Corrigan's book over the last few months, I encountered it on several occasions with an acute sense of displacement. The margins of my copy are filled with notes reflecting the strange feelings that come from reading a book about emptiness on the #1 train between 225th Street and 66th Street in New York. Each day, as my fellow subway riders and I jam aboard the increasingly-crowded train, we struggle to settle ourselves in acceptable spots; eventually and inevitably this means our bodies find an uneasy peace in a space directly touching those alongside us—legs bumping legs, shoulders touching shoulders, arms along arms. At some points along the journey, this fragile détente of human bodies is prone to crumble; would-be riders barrel aboard, leveraging themselves inside despite slamming subway doors, loud indecipherable admonitions over the P.A., and the muttered protests of those already occupying some portion of the space the newcomers need. For a few weeks I took this trip with Emptiness in tow and I marveled, huddling in my designated square feet and leaning over the book on my lap, as the men, women, and children of New York's west side struggled to find just enough emptiness to enable them to get to work.
The People, the Priests and the Protestants: Catholic Responses to Evangelical Missionaries in the Early Nineteenth-Century Scottish Highlands
Authors: Ritchie Elizabeth
Published: May 2016

From the 1810s into the 1830s evangelical missionaries worked among Scottish Highland Catholic communities with the co-operation and assistance of the people and their priests. The historiography of protestant-Catholic relations is dominated by conflict and that of nineteenth-century Scotland focuses on tension in the industrializing Lowlands. However, the key religious issue for Highland Catholics was the response to expansionist protestantism. The Edinburgh Society for the Support of Gaelic Schools (ESSGS) best epitomizes this movement. Letters from priests and the society's annual reports reveal how long-established rural Catholic communities reacted to missionary activity and how, building on the tense compromises of the eighteenth century, for a few decades evangelicals and Catholics co-operated effectively. The ESSGS learned to involve local priests, provide sympathetic teachers and modify the curriculum. Catholics drew on their experience as a disempowered minority by resisting passively rather than actively and by using the society's schools on their own terms. Many Catholic parents and clergy developed a modus vivendi with evangelicals through their common interest in educating children. The evidence of northwest Scotland demonstrates how a minority faith group and missionaries negotiated a satisfactory coexistence in a period of energetic evangelical activity across the British world.
True Church, National Church, Minority Church: Episcopacy and Authority in the Restored Church of Ireland
Authors: Sawyer Kathryn Rose
Published: May 2016

The Church of Ireland in the later seventeenth century faced many challenges. After two decades of war and effective suppression, the church in 1660 had to reestablish itself as the national church of the kingdom of Ireland in the face of opposition from both Catholics and Dissenters, who together made up nearly ninety percent of the island's population. While recent scholarship has illuminated Irish protestantism as a social group during this period, the theology of the established church remains unexamined in its historical context. This article considers the theological arguments used by members of the church hierarchy in sermons and tracts written between 1660 and 1689 as they argued that the Church of Ireland was both a true apostolic church and best suited for the security and salvation of the people of Ireland. Attention to these concerns shows that the social and political realities of being a minority church compelled Irish churchmen to focus on basic arguments for an episcopal national establishment. It suggests that this focus on first principles allowed the church a certain amount of ecclesiological flexibility that helped it survive later turbulence such as the non-jurors controversy of 1689–1690 fairly intact.
Occupation, retirement and cognitive functioning
Authors: KAJITANI SHINYA , SAKATA KEI , MCKENZIE COLIN
Published: May 2016

The purpose of this paper is to examine the causal impact of the duration of retirement on the cognitive functioning of male elderly workers in Japan using data from the National Survey of Japanese Elderly. We explore how the complexity of a worker's longest served job affects cognitive functioning after retirement. In particular, we investigate eight dimensions of the longest served job using information listed in the United States Dictionary of Occupational Titles, namely physical demands, mathematical development, reasoning development, language development, the job's relationship to data, the job's relationship to people, the job's relationship to things and the specific vocational preparation required. Our estimator takes account of the potential endogeneity of the duration of retirement and the left-censoring of the duration of retirement. Our empirical evidence suggests that the duration of retirement has a negative and significant impact on cognitive functioning. Moreover, among the eight dimensions of job characteristics, high complexity in the job's relation to data is found to be an important job characteristic in delaying the deterioration of cognitive functioning after retirement.
QIF-based GPS Long-baseline Ambiguity Resolution with the Aid of Atmospheric Delays Determined by PPP
Authors: Zhang Baocheng , Yuan Yunbin , Chai Yanju
Published: May 2016

The Global Positioning System (GPS) long-baseline set up has been widely employed to generate high-accuracy positioning, timing and atmospheric information. Bernese GPS software adopts two appropriate strategies for long-baseline Integer Ambiguity Resolution (IAR): Quasi Ionosphere-Free (QIF) and Wide-lane/Narrow-lane (WN). With the goal of reasonably shortening the time required for long-baseline IAR, we propose the Precise Point Positioning (PPP) method for estimating, on a per receiver basis, the Zenith Tropospheric Delays (ZTDs) and the Slant Ionospheric Delays (SIDs) from zero-differenced, uncombined GPS observables. We then reformulate these PPP-derived ZTDs and SIDs into two types of atmospheric constraints with proper uncertainties that could be readily assimilated into the process of IAR with the QIF. Our numerical tests based on five independent long-baselines (>1,000 kilometres) suggest that the empirical precision of PPP-derived ZTDs (SIDs) is always better than 2 (10) centimetres. The modified QIF would be able to correctly resolve at least 98% and 88% of the wide- and narrow-lane ambiguities for all the long-baselines relying on the very simple integer rounding method. However, under the same condition, the WN can only get the correct integers of 76·6% wide-lane ambiguities and 55·2% narrow-lane ones.