bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Early echocardiographic predictor of heart failure in cerebral arteriovenous malformations
Authors: Thankavel Poonam P. , Ramaciotti Claudio
Published: April 2016

Neonatal congestive heart failure in cerebral arteriovenous malformations carries a high risk of mortality. Severe heart failure leading to end-organ dysfunction may be a contraindication to early intervention. Although echocardiographic markers of haemodynamic instability exist, an objective echocardiographic predictor of severe heart failure is not available. We present a ratio of antegrade to retrograde flow in the aortic arch that objectively identifies those at the highest risk of mortality. This measurement can be easily obtained and has prognostic value at presentation, before clinical deterioration. Outcomes remain poor even when early intervention is offered, which may reflect irreversible neurological abnormalities.
Rare associations of tetralogy of Fallot with anomalous left coronary artery from pulmonary artery and totally anomalous pulmonary venous connection
Authors: Sen Supratim , Rao Suresh G. , Kulkarni Snehal
Published: April 2016

We describe the cases of two patients with tetralogy of Fallot, aged 4 years and 8 months, who were incidentally detected to have concomitant anomalous left coronary artery from pulmonary artery and total anomalous pulmonary venous connection, respectively, on preoperative imaging. They underwent surgical correction with good mid-term outcomes. In this study, we discuss the embryological basis, physiological effects, and review the literature of these two unusual associations. Awareness of these rare associations will avoid missed diagnoses and consequent surgical surprises.
Psychosocial needs of children undergoing an invasive procedure for a CHD and their parents
Authors: Levert Eveline M. , Helbing Willem A. , Dulfer Karolijn , van Domburg Ron T. , Utens Elisabeth M. W. J.
Published: April 2016

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate the psychosocial needs of both parents of children with CHD (aged 0–18 years) and patients themselves (aged 8–18 years) in the week before cardiac surgery or a catheter intervention.

Patients

Eligible participants included all consecutive patients (0–18 years) scheduled to undergo cardiac surgery or a catheter intervention in our hospital between March, 2012 and July, 2013. Psychosocial needs were assessed using a disease-specific questionnaire designed for this study, consisting of a 83-item parent version and a 59-item child version (for children ⩾8 years), each covering five domains: physical/medical, emotional, social, educational/occupational, and health behaviour; two items assessed fromwhomand in whatformatpsychosocial care was preferred. Quality of life was also assessed.

Interventions

If parents/patients reported a need for psychosocial care, referral to adequate mental health-care professionals was arranged.

Results

More than 40% of participatingparentsand >50% of participatingchildrenreported a need for psychosocial care on each of the five domains. Needs for psychosocial care forparents themselveswere highest for those with children aged 0–12 years. Parents and patients report clear preferences when asked fromwhomand in whatformatthey would like to receive psychosocial care. Quality of life was relatively high for both parents and patients. Psychosocial care interventions in our hospital increased significantly after the implementation of this study.

Conclusions

Results show that psychosocial care is rated as (very) important by both parents and children during an extremely stressful period of their life.
Brief Sojourn in your Native Land
Authors: Williams Michael
Published: April 2016

The title of this paper is taken from a testimonial signed by a number of Gundagai residents on the departure for China in 1903 of Mark Loong after sixteen years in the district. That the notion of a person ‘sojourning’ in China is a contradiction of the prevailing ‘sojourner’ concept usually held about early Chinese migrants in Australia is the result the failure of Australian-Chinese research to fully appreciate the significance of family and district links between Australia and China and their impact upon the motivation, organisation and settlement patterns of Chinese people in Australia before the middle of the twentieth century. Without such an appreciation most research into Australian-Chinese history has focused only on those who established families in Australia or who ran successful businesses. This paper will focus on describing some features of these family and districts links with regard to that generation who arrived after the gold rushes of the 1850s to 1870s but before the Immigration Restriction Act 1901, who originated in one south China district, Zhongshan, and who lived primarily in one Australian city, Sydney. These restraints are partly due to reliance on sources such as the administrative files of the Immigration Restriction Act which begin only in 1901, and partly to the fact that this research represents a first step in the investigation of the significance of district of origin and the people of Zhongshan district in Sydney are the first to be investigated.
OPTIMAL ENDOGENOUS GROWTH WITH NATURAL RESOURCES: THEORY AND EVIDENCE
Authors: Nguyen Manh-Hung , Nguyen-Van Phu
Published: April 2016

This paper considers an optimal endogenous growth model where the production function is assumed to exhibit increasing returns to scale and two types of resource (renewable and nonrenewable) are imperfect substitutes. Natural resources, labor, and physical capital are used in the final goods sector and in the accumulation of knowledge. Based on results in the calculus of variations, a direct proof of the existence of an optimal solution is provided. Analytical solutions for the planner case, balanced growth paths, and steady states are found for a specific CRRA utility and Cobb–Douglas production function. It is possible to have long-run growth where both energy resources are used simultaneously along the equilibrium path. As the law of motion of the technological change is not concave, reflecting the increasing returns to scale, so that the Arrow–Mangasarian sufficiency conditions do not apply, we provide a sufficient condition directly. Transitional dynamics to the steady state from the theoretical model are used to derive three convergence equations of output intensity growth rate, exhaustible resource growth rate, and renewable resource growth rate, which are tested based on OECD data on production and energy consumption.
JOB TURNOVER, TREND GROWTH, AND THE LONG-RUN PHILLIPS CURVE
Authors: Snower Dennis J. , Tesfaselassie Mewael F.
Published: April 2016

The paper reexamines the long-run Phillips curve in a New Keynesian model with job turnover and trend productivity growth. We show that an increase in money growth has substantial positive effects on steady state output, consumption, and employment in the presence of (i) observed job turnover rates and, if consumption smoothing is sufficiently strong, (ii) observed productive growth rates. Furthermore, we show that the optimal inflation rate is slightly under 2% for reasonable calibrations of job turnover and trend growth.
A NOTE ON THE LARGE-FIRM MATCHING MODEL: CAN A NONBINDING MINIMUM WAGE REDUCE WAGES AND EMPLOYMENT?
Authors: Bauducco Sofía , Janiak Alexandre
Published: April 2016

We show that, in the large-firm search model, employment may decrease even when the level of the introduced minimum wage lies below the equilibrium wage of the laissez-faire economy. Wages also decrease in the presence of the minimum wage. The argument is based on multiple equilibria and the idea that, in a large-firm context, the representative firm may choose to overemploy workers in order to renegotiate lower wages.
Interactive Experience and Identification as Predictors of	Attributing Responsibility in Video Games
Authors: Walter Nathan , Tsfati Yariv
Published: April 2016

Abstract. This study examines the effect of interactivity on the attribution of responsibility for the character’s actions in a violent video game. Through an experiment, we tested the hypothesis that identification with the main character in Grand Theft Auto IV mediates the effect of interactivity on attributions of responsibility for the main character’s antisocial behavior. Using the framework of the fundamental attribution error, we demonstrated that those who actually played the game, as opposed to those who simply watched someone else playing it, identified with the main character. In accordance with the theoretical expectation, those who played the game and came to identify with the main character attributed the responsibility for his actions to external factors such as “living in a violent society.” By contrast, those who did not interact with the game attributed responsibility for the character’s actions to his personality traits. These findings could be viewed as contrasting with psychological research suggesting that respondents should have distanced themselves from the violent protagonist rather than identifying with him, and with Iyengar’s (1991) expectation that more personalized episodic framing would be associated with attributing responsibility to the protagonist.
Seven Ways Climate Change Threatens U.S. Population's Health
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: April 2016

A report by the U.S. Global Change Research Program finds health risks from global warming tied to heat, air quality, vector-borne diseases, water issues, extreme weather, nutrition, and mental stress.
Synthetic glycolipid activators of natural killer T cells as immunotherapeutic agents
Authors: Carreño Leandro J , Saavedra‐Ávila Noemí A , Porcelli Steven A
Published: April 2016

Certain types of glycolipids have been found to have remarkable immunomodulatory properties as a result of their ability to activate specific T lymphocyte populations with an extremely wide range of immune effector properties. The most extensively studied glycolipid reactive T cells are known as invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells. The antigen receptors of these cells specifically recognize certain glycolipids, most notably glycosphingolipids with α‐anomeric monosaccharides, presented by the major histocompatibility complex class I‐like molecule CD1d. Once activated, iNKT cells can secrete a very diverse array of pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory cytokines to modulate innate and adaptive immune responses. Thus, glycolipid‐mediated activation of iNKT cells has been explored for immunotherapy in a variety of disease states, including cancer and a range of infections. In this review, we discuss the design of synthetic glycolipid activators for iNKT cells, their impact on adaptive immune responses and their use to modulate iNKT cell responses to improve immunity against infections and cancer. Current challenges in translating results from preclinical animal studies to humans are also discussed.
A new cell morphotype among methane oxidizers: a spiral-shaped obligately microaerophilic methanotroph from northern low-oxygen environments
Authors: Danilova Olga V , Suzina Natalia E , Van De Kamp Jodie , Svenning Mette M , Bodrossy Levente , Dedysh Svetlana N
Published: April 2016

Although representatives with spiral-shaped cells are described for many functional groups of bacteria, this cell morphotype has never been observed among methanotrophs. Here, we show that spiral-shaped methanotrophic bacteria do exist in nature but elude isolation by conventional approaches due to the preference for growth under micro-oxic conditions. The helical cell shape may enable rapid motility of these bacteria in water-saturated, heterogeneous environments with high microbial biofilm content, therefore offering an advantage of fast cell positioning under desired high methane/low oxygen conditions. The pmoA genes encoding a subunit of particulate methane monooxygenase from these methanotrophs form a new genus-level lineage within the family Methylococcaceae, type Ib methanotrophs. Application of a pmoA-based microarray detected these bacteria in a variety of high-latitude freshwater environments including wetlands and lake sediments. As revealed by the environmental pmoA distribution analysis, type Ib methanotrophs tend to live very near the methane source, where oxygen is scarce. The former perception of type Ib methanotrophs as being typical for thermal habitats appears to be incorrect because only a minor proportion of pmoA sequences from these bacteria originated from environments with elevated temperatures.
Phylogenomic analysis of Candidatus ‘Izimaplasma’ species: free-living representatives from a Tenericutes clade found in methane seeps
Authors: Skennerton Connor T , Haroon Mohamed F , Briegel Ariane , Shi Jian , Jensen Grant J , Tyson Gene W , Orphan Victoria J
Published: April 2016

Tenericutes are a unique class of bacteria that lack a cell wall and are typically parasites or commensals of eukaryotic hosts. Environmental 16S rDNA surveys have identified a number of tenericute clades in diverse environments, introducing the possibility that these Tenericutes may represent non-host-associated, free-living microorganisms. Metagenomic sequencing of deep-sea methane seep sediments resulted in the assembly of two genomes from a Tenericutes-affiliated clade currently known as ‘NB1-n’ (SILVA taxonomy) or ‘RF3’ (Greengenes taxonomy). Metabolic reconstruction revealed that, like cultured members of the Mollicutes, these ‘NB1-n’ representatives lack a tricarboxylic acid cycle and instead use anaerobic fermentation of simple sugars for substrate level phosphorylation. Notably, the genomes also contained a number of unique metabolic features including hydrogenases and a simplified electron transport chain containing an RNF complex, cytochrome bd oxidase and complex I. On the basis of the metabolic potential predicted from the annotated genomes, we devised an anaerobic enrichment media that stimulated the growth of these Tenericutes at 10 °C, resulting in a mixed culture where these organisms represented ~60% of the total cells by targeted fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Visual identification by FISH confirmed these organisms were not directly associated with Eukaryotes and electron cryomicroscopy of cells in the enrichment culture confirmed an ultrastructure consistent with the defining phenotypic property of Tenericutes, with a single membrane and no cell wall. On the basis of their unique gene content, phylogenetic placement and ultrastructure, we propose these organisms represent a novel class within the Tenericutes, and suggest the names Candidatus ‘Izimaplasma sp. HR1’ and Candidatus ‘Izimaplasma sp. HR2’ for the two genome representatives.
Hyphenated techniques of thermal analysis for dibenz[b,f][1,4]oxazepine
Authors: Xue Tian , Cui Qing-Zhong , Han Yong-He , Wang Shan , Mao Yong-Yang
Published: April 2016

The mechanism function of CR's thermal decomposition is described by the Zhuralev–Lesokin–Tempelman equation. In air atmosphere, the pyrolysis reaction takes place to produce 2-aminodiphenyl ether, while the oxidizing reaction takes place to produce 10,11-dihydrodibenz[b,f][1,4]oxazepin-11-one.
The crystal structure and luminescence properties of novel Ce3+ and Ce3+, Sm3+-activated Y4SiAlO8N phosphors for near-UV white LEDs
Authors: Hua Youjie , Li Xiaojun , Zhang Dawei , Ma Hongping , Deng Degang , Xu Shiqing
Published: April 2016

The band structure and CIE chromaticity coordinates of Y4SiAlO8N:0.01Ce3+,ySm3+ phosphors were studied.
Kinetic trapping through coalescence and the formation of patterned Ag–Cu nanoparticles
Authors: Grammatikopoulos Panagiotis , Kioseoglou Joseph , Galea Antony , Vernieres Jerome , Benelmekki Maria , Diaz Rosa E. , Sowwan Mukhles
Published: April 2016

In recent years, due to its inherent flexibility, magnetron-sputtering has been widely used to synthesise bi-metallic nanoparticles (NPs) via subsequent inert-gas cooling and gas-phase condensation of the sputtered atomic vapour.
Glucose-assisted transformation of Ni-doped-ZnO@carbon to a Ni-doped-ZnO@void@SiO2core–shell nanocomposite photocatalyst
Authors: Yin Qiaoqiao , Wu Wenjie , Qiao Ru , Ke Xiaoxia , Hu Yong , Li Zhengquan
Published: April 2016

Nanovoid core–shell structured Ni/ZnO@void@SiO2was obtained using the carbon layer of Ni/ZnO@C as a sacrificial template.
Advancements in the stability of perovskite solar cells: degradation mechanisms and improvement approaches
Authors: Li Bobo , Li Yafang , Zheng Chaoyue , Gao Deqing , Huang Wei
Published: April 2016

Recently, organic metal halide perovskites have emerged as one of the most promising photoactive materials in the field of photovoltaics.
Electrochemical behavior of eriocitrin and highly sensitive determination based on an electrochemically reduced graphene oxide modified glassy carbon electrode
Authors: Yao Shuyu , Cai Wanling , Liu Lin , Liao Xueqing , Tao Kaili , Feng Fang , Yang Gongjun
Published: April 2016

The electrochemical behavior of eriocitrin on the surface of electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (ERGO) was investigated in detail.
Pt(ii) coordination complexes as visible light photocatalysts for the oxidation of sulfides using batch and flow processes
Authors: Casado-Sánchez Antonio , Gómez-Ballesteros Rocío , Tato Francisco , Soriano Francisco J. , Pascual-Coca Gustavo , Cabrera Silvia , Alemán José
Published: April 2016

A new catalytic system for the photooxidation of sulfides based on Pt(ii) complexes is presented.
Mild access to planar-chiral ortho-condensed aromatic ferrocenes via gold(i)-catalyzed cycloisomerization of ortho-alkynylaryl ferrocenes
Authors: Urbano Antonio , Hernández-Torres Gloria , del Hoyo Ana M. , Martínez-Carrión Alicia , Carmen Carreño M.
Published: April 2016

An asymmetric gold(i)-catalyzed intramolecular hydroarylation of aquiral 2-alkynylaryl ferrocenes provides (Rp) planar-chiral ortho-condensed aromatic ferrocenes in high yield and enantioselectivity.
Assessing the formation of weak sodium complexes with negatively charged ligands
Authors: Berto S. , Chiavazza E. , Canepa P. , Prenesti E. , Daniele P. G.
Published: April 2016

The stability of sodium complexes with poly-carboxylic and polyamino-carboxylic acids is investigated with ion-selective electrode-Na+potentiometry, working at strictly constant ionic strength.
A DFT+U study on the contribution of 4f electrons to oxygen vacancy formation and migration in Ln-doped CeO2
Authors: Alaydrus M. , Sakaue M. , Kasai H.
Published: April 2016

The variable occupancy of empty 4f orbitals is important typically for early Ln elements to produce the covalent interactions that essentially affect the formation and migration of oxygen vacancy.
Refolding effects of partially immiscible ammonium-based ionic liquids on the urea-induced unfolded lysozyme structure
Authors: Bisht Meena , Kumar Awanish , Venkatesu Pannuru
Published: April 2016

Refolding ability of partially-immiscible ammonium-based ionic liquids on the urea-induced unfolded lysozyme.
Phase controlled colour tuning of samarium and europium complexes and excellent photostability of their PVA encapsulated materials. Structural elucidation, photophysical parameters and the energy transfer mechanism in the Eu3+ complex by Sparkle/PM3 calculations
Authors: Dar Wakeel Ahmed , Iftikhar K.
Published: April 2016

Luminescence and photostability of new Sm and Eu complexes and those of their thin hybrid films have been investigated and discussed.
Ligand-centred oxidative chemistry in sterically hindered salen complexes: an interesting case with nickel
Authors: Thomas F.
Published: April 2016

Salen ligands are ubiquitous chelators, whose nickel complexes readily undergo a ligand-centred redox chemistry in non-coordinating solvents.
Does [TcF(CO)5] exist? The crystal and molecular structure of [Tc(CO)3(OH)0.49F0.51]4·[Tc(CO)5(BF4)]
Authors: Stepanova E. S. , Gurzhiy V. V. , Tyupina M. Yu. , Miroslavov A. E. , Sidorenko G. V. , Lumpov A. A.
Published: April 2016

An unusual adduct composed of the technetium tricarbonyl cubane and pentacarbonyl technetium complex was prepared for the first time.
Tandem thionation of biomass derived levulinic acid with Lawesson's reagent
Authors: Li Zheng , Tang Xing , Jiang Yetao , Zuo Miao , Wang Yangjun , Chen Wei , Zeng Xianhai , Sun Yong , Lin Lu
Published: April 2016

Tandem thionation of off-the-shelf and crude levulinic acid is performed with Lawesson's Reagent (LR) to generate biomass derived thiophenic compounds.
Characteristics of a resonant iris microwave-induced nitrogen plasma
Authors: Goncalves Daniel A. , McSweeney Tina , Donati George L.
Published: April 2016

Temperature, electron number density and robustness profiles of a N2plasma contribute for more sensitive and accurate MIP OES determinations.
Rare earth coordination dinuclear compounds constructed from 3,5-dicarboxypyrazolate and succinate intermetallic bridges
Authors: Lahoud Marcelo G. , Muniz Elaine C. , Arroyos Guilherme , Fávaro Marcelo A. , Davolos Marian R. , D'Vries Richard F. , Ellena Javier , Freitas Rafael S. , Arrighi Everton , Frem Regina C. G.
Published: April 2016

We describe the synthesis, spectroscopic characterization and photoluminescence studies of a new family of rare earth compounds of formula [RE2(dcpz)2(suc)(H2O)8]·(H2O)1.5.
A TiS2 nanosheet enhanced fluorescence polarization biosensor for ultra-sensitive detection of biomolecules
Authors: Li Xiang , Ding Xuelian , Li Yongfang , Wang Linsong , Fan Jing
Published: April 2016

A highly selective and sensitive amplified fluorescence polarization (FP) biosensor for detection of biomolecules was developed based on enzyme-assisted target-recycling signal amplification and TiS2 nanosheet.
A concise approach to the synthesis of the uniqueN-mannosyld-β-hydroxyenduracididine moiety in the mannopeptimycin series of natural products
Authors: Lin Cheng-Kun , Yun Wen-Yi , Lin Lin-Ting , Cheng Wei-Chieh
Published: April 2016

The asymmetric synthesis of the orthogonally protectedN-mannosyld-β-hydroxyenduracididine (N-Man-d-βhEnd) is described, starting from enantiopure silylated (S)-serinol.
Nanohydroxyapatite/cellulose nanocrystals/silk fibroin ternary scaffolds for rat calvarial defect regeneration
Authors: Chen Xiaoming , Zhou Runmei , Chen Bin , Chen Jianting
Published: April 2016

The purpose of this study was to design and characterise a novel biomimetic scaffold for the repair of critical size calvarial defects.
Iron and nickel co-doped cobalt hydroxide nanosheets with enhanced activity for oxygen evolution reaction
Authors: Zeng Guangfeng , Liao Mei , Zhou Caixia , Chen Xiaojuan , Wang Yujue , Xiao Dan
Published: April 2016

Herein, we have successfully synthesized iron and nickel co-doped cobalt hydroxide (Co–Ni–Fe511) nanosheets for the OER.
Synthesis of one-dimensional Bi2O2CO3–Bi(OHC2O4)·2H2O heterojunctions with excellent adsorptive and photocatalytic performance
Authors: Peng Yin , Wang Ke Ke , Yu Pian-Pian , Liu Ting , Xu An Wu
Published: April 2016

Novel one-dimensional Βi2O2CO3–Βi2(OHC2O4)·2H2O heterostructure photocatalyst exhibits outstanding photocatalytic activity for degrading high concentration RhB, MB and MO dyes, and excellent adsorptive capability to MO dye.
Structural evolution of NASICON-type Li1+xAlxGe2−x(PO4)3 using in situ synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction
Authors: Safanama Dorsasadat , Sharma Neeraj , Rao Rayavarapu Prasada , Brand Helen E. A. , Adams Stefan
Published: April 2016

In situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction study of the synthesis of solid-electrolyte Li1+xAlxGe2−x(PO4)3 (LAGP) from the precursor glass reveals that an initially crystallized dopant poor phase transforms into the Al-doped LAGP at 800 °C.
The synergetic effect of nano-structures and silicon-substitution on the properties of hydroxyapatite scaffolds for bone regeneration
Authors: Xia Lunguo , Zhang Na , Wang Xiuhui , Zhou Yuning , Mao Lixia , Liu Jiaqiang , Jiang Xinquan , Zhang Zhiyuan , Chang Jiang , Lin Kaili , Fang Bing
Published: April 2016

Control over the morphology and chemical composition of hydroxyapatite (HAp) bioceramic scaffolds is of great importance for their applications.
Highly (100)-oriented sandwich structure of (Na0.85K0.15)0.5Bi0.5TiO3composite films with outstanding pyroelectric properties
Authors: Chi Qingguo , Dong Jiufeng , Zhang Changhai , Wang Xuan , Lei Qingqaun
Published: April 2016

The sandwich structure of porous NKBT composite films with a 15 nm PLCT seed layer show high (100)-orientation and well-defined boundary.
Correction: Phenothiazine-based dyes for efficient dye-sensitized solar cells
Authors: Huang Zu-Sheng , Meier Herbert , Cao Derong
Published: April 2016

Correction for ‘Phenothiazine-based dyes for efficient dye-sensitized solar cells’ by Zu-Sheng Huang et al., J. Mater. Chem. C, 2016, 4, 2404–2426.
Membrane-associated Ras dimers are isoform-specific: K-Ras dimers differ from H-Ras dimers
Authors: Jang Hyunbum , Muratcioglu Serena , Gursoy Attila , Keskin Ozlem , Nussinov Ruth
Published: April 2016

Are the dimer structures of active Ras isoforms similar? This question is significant since Ras can activate its effectors as a monomer; however, as a dimer, it promotes Raf's activation and MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) cell signalling. In the present study, we model possible catalytic domain dimer interfaces of membrane-anchored GTP-bound K-Ras4B and H-Ras, and compare their conformations. The active helical dimers formed by the allosteric lobe are isoform-specific: K-Ras4B-GTP favours the α3 and α4 interface; H-Ras-GTP favours α4 and α5. Both isoforms also populate a stable β-sheet dimer interface formed by the effector lobe; a less stable β-sandwich interface is sustained by salt bridges of the β-sheet side chains. Raf's high-affinity β-sheet interaction is promoted by the active helical interface. Collectively, Ras isoforms’ dimer conformations are not uniform; instead, the isoform-specific dimers reflect the favoured interactions of the HVRs (hypervariable regions) with cell membrane microdomains, biasing the effector-binding site orientations, thus isoform binding selectivity.
Reduced arginine availability and nitric oxide synthesis in cancer is related to impaired endogenous arginine synthesis
Authors: Engelen Mariëlle P.K.J. , Safar Ahmed M. , Bartter Thaddeus , Koeman Fari , Deutz Nicolaas E.P.
Published: April 2016

Reduced plasma arginine (ARG) concentrations are found in various types of cancer. ARG and its product nitric oxide (NO) are important mediators in the immune function and the defense against tumour cells. It remains unclear whether the diminished systemic ARG availability in cancer is related to insufficient endogenous ARG synthesis, negatively affecting NO synthesis, and whether a dietary amino acid mixture is able to restore this. In 13 patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and 11 healthy controls, whole body ARG and CIT (citrulline) rates of appearance were measured by stable isotope methodology before and after intake of a mixture of amino acids as present in whey protein. The conversions of CIT to ARG (indicator of de novo ARG synthesis) and ARG to CIT (marker of NO synthesis), and ARG clearance (reflecting ARG disposal capacity) were calculated. Plasma isotopic enrichments and amino acid concentrations were measured by LC–MS/MS. Conversions of CIT to ARG and ARG to CIT (P<0.05), and CIT rate of appearance (P=0.07) were lower in NSCLC. ARG rate of appearance and clearance were comparable suggesting no enhanced systemic ARG production and disposal capacity in NSCLC. After intake of the mixture, ARG rate of appearance and concentration increased (P<0.001), and ARG to CIT conversion was restored in NSCLC. In conclusion, an impaired endogenous ARG synthesis plays a role in the reduced systemic ARG availability and NO synthesis in advanced NSCLC. Nutritional approaches may restore systemic ARG availability and NO synthesis in cancer, but the clinical implication remains unclear.
Comparison of Outcomes following Mitral Valve Repair versus Replacement for Chronic Ischemic Mitral Regurgitation: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Yun-dan Deng , Wen-jing Du , Xi-jun Xiao
Published: April 2016

Background The selection of mitral valve surgery, including mitral valve repair and mitral valve replacement, is still an important dilemma for patients with chronic ischemic mitral regurgitation. We carry out a meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of mitral valve repair versus replacement for ischemic mitral regurgitation.

Methods We searched PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science to identify studies from their inception to July 2015. A meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software (Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford, United Kingdom). A random-effect model was used and sensitivity analysis was performed on studies reporting on operation after 2000, high-quality studies, and those studies reporting on more than 150 patients.

Result A total of 2,324 patients were identified from 10 retrospective studies. Mitral valve repair was associated with a trend toward lower operative mortality (odds ratio [OR] = 0.45; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.31–0.65; p < 0.0001) and higher recurrence of mitral regurgitation (OR = 5.89; 95% CI: 3.34–10.39; p < 0.00001). Five-year survival rate was similar between the two groups (OR = 1.20; 95% CI: 0.88–1.65; p = 0.25). No differences in reoperation, the incidence of acute renal failure and acute respiratory failure, the length of ICU stay, and the length of hospital stay were found.

Conclusion Mitral valve repair was associated with lower operative mortality but a higher recurrence of mitral regurgitation compared with mitral valve replacement. Owing to the limited quantity and quality of the included studies, this conclusion still needs to be further confirmed by conducting more high-quality, multicenter randomized controlled trials with large sample size.
Perspective: Codesign for materials science: An optimal learning approach
Authors: Lookman Turab , Alexander Francis J. , Bishop Alan R.
Published: April 2016

A key element of materials discovery and design is to learn from available data and prior knowledge to guide the next experiments or calculations in order to focus in on materials with targeted properties. We suggest that the tight coupling and feedback between experiments, theory and informatics demands a codesign approach, very reminiscent of computational codesign involving software and hardware in computer science. This requires dealing with a constrained optimization problem in which uncertainties are used to adaptively explore and exploit the predictions of a surrogate model to search the vast high dimensional space where the desired material may be found.
Anomalous results observed in magnetization of bulk high temperature superconductors—A windfall for applications
Authors: Weinstein Roy , Parks Drew , Sawh Ravi-Persad , Carpenter Keith , Davey Kent
Published: April 2016

Recent experiments on pulsed-zero field cool magnetization of bulk high Jc YBCO (YBa2Cu3O7-δ) have shown unexpected results. For example, reproducible, non-destructive, rapid, giant field leaps (GFLs) to higher penetrated field are observed. The observations are inconsistent with the critical state model (CSM), in several aspects. Additional experiments have been pursued in an attempt to clarify the physics involved in the observed anomalies. Here, we present experimental results for the Jc dependence of the anomalous features. It is found that the sudden field increase in the GFL is a monotonically increasing function of Jc. The ratio of required pulsed field amplitude, BA,max, to obtain maximum trappable field, BT,max, which CSM predicts to be ≥2.0, gradually approaches 1.0 at high Jc. Tests using values of pulsed, applied field BA,max just below the GFL exhibit two additional anomalies: (i) At high Jc, the highest trapped field is up to ∼6 times lower than predicted by CSM, and (ii) the measured Lorentz force as a function of Jc deviates sharply from CSM predictions. The data rule out heating effects and pinning center geometry as possible physical causes of these anomalies. A speculative cause is considered.
Validity of the second Fick's law for modeling ion-exchange diffusion in non-crystalline viscoelastic media (glasses)
Authors: Tagantsev D. K. , Ivanenko D. V.
Published: April 2016

It is shown that, in general case, the diffusion equation (or the second Fick's law) does not provide an adequate description of ion-exchange transport phenomena in viscoelastic media, including glassy or any other non-crystalline media. In this connection the general phenomenological model of ion-exchange diffusion in viscoelastic media has been developed. A theoretical analysis of the model shows that, in the case of a linear dependence of medium density on the concentration of diffusing ions, the necessary and sufficient condition of the absolute validity of the diffusion equation in viscoelastic media is Φ ≫ 1, where Φ = τD/τR is the dimensionless value (or criterion of similarity), with τD = L2/D being the characteristic time of diffusion and τR = η/G being the characteristic time of stress relaxation, where L, D, η, and G are the characteristic length of diffusion, the diffusivity, the viscosity, and the shear modulus, respectively. The value of 1/Φ characterizes the accuracy which is provided if the second Fick's law is used in the simulation of ion-exchange diffusion in viscoelastic media. We have demonstrated the applicability of this criterion experimentally. Our experimental studies on ion-exchange diffusion in an oxide glass (typical viscoelastic media) have shown that under the condition the Φ > 105 the experimental concentration profiles are close to those predicted by the second Fick's law to within an accuracy of 1%.
Periodic envelopes of waves over non-uniform depth
Authors: Rajan Girish K. , Bayram Saziye , Henderson Diane M.
Published: April 2016

The envelope of narrow-banded, periodic, surface-gravity waves propagating in one dimension over water of finite, non-uniform depth may be modeled by the Djordjević and Redekopp [“On the development of packets of surface gravity waves moving over an uneven bottom,” Z. Angew. Math. Phys. 29, 950–962 (1978)] equation (DRE). Here we find five approximate solutions of the DRE that are in the form of Jacobi-elliptic functions and discuss them within the framework of ocean swell. We find that in all cases, the maximum envelope-amplitude decreases/increases when the wave group propagates on water of decreasing/increasing depth. In the limit of the elliptic modulus approaching one, three of the solutions reduce to the envelope soliton solution. In the limit of the elliptic modulus approaching zero, two of the solutions reduce to an envelope-amplitude that is uniform in an appropriate reference frame.
Quantization and anomalous structures in the conductance of Si/SiGe quantum point contacts
Authors: von Pock J. F. , Salloch D. , Qiao G. , Wieser U. , Hackbarth T. , Kunze U.
Published: April 2016

Quantum point contacts (QPCs) are fabricated on modulation-doped Si/SiGe heterostructures and ballistic transport is studied at low temperatures. We observe quantized conductance with subband separations up to 4 meV and anomalies in the first conductance plateau at 4e2/h. At a temperature of T = 22 mK in the linear transport regime, a weak anomalous kink structure arises close to 0.5(4e2/h), which develops into a distinct plateau-like structure as temperature is raised up to T = 4 K. Under magnetic field parallel to the wire up to B = 14 T, the anomaly evolves into the Zeeman spin-split level at 0.5(4e2/h), resembling the "0.7 anomaly" in GaAs/AlGaAs QPCs. Additionally, a zero-bias anomaly (ZBA) is observed in nonlinear transport spectroscopy. At T = 22 mK, a parallel magnetic field splits the ZBA peak up into two peaks. At B = 0, elevated temperatures lead to similar splitting, which differs from the behavior of ZBAs in GaAs/AlGaAs QPCs. Under finite dc bias, the differential resistance exhibits additional plateaus approximately at 0.8(4e2/h) and 0.2(4e2/h) known as "0.85 anomaly" and "0.25 anomaly" in GaAs/AlGaAs QPCs. Unlike the first regular plateau at 4e2/h, the 0.2(4e2/h) plateau is insensitive to dc bias voltage up to at least VDS = 80 mV, in-plane magnetic fields up to B = 15 T, and to elevated temperatures up to T = 25 K. We interpret this effect as due to pinching off one of the reservoirs close to the QPC. We do not see any indication of lifting of the valley degeneracy in our samples.
On the polar decomposition of right linear operators in quaternionic Hilbert spaces
Authors: G Ramesh , P Santhosh Kumar
Published: April 2016

In this article, we prove the existence of the polar decomposition of densely defined closed right linear operators in quaternionic Hilbert spaces: If T is a densely defined closed right linear operator in a quaternionic Hilbert space H, then there exists a partial isometry U0 such that T=U0T. In fact U0 is unique if N(U0) = N(T). In particular, if H is separable and U is a partial isometry with T=UT, then we prove that U = U0 if and only if either N(T) = {0} or R(T)⊥ = {0}.
Electrical resistance of single-crystal magnetite (Fe3O4) under quasi-hydrostatic pressures up to 100 GPa
Authors: Muramatsu Takaki , Gasparov Lev V. , Berger Helmuth , Hemley Russell J. , Struzhkin Viktor V.
Published: April 2016

The pressure dependence of electrical resistance of single-crystal magnetite (Fe3O4) was measured under quasi-hydrostatic conditions to 100 GPa using low-temperature, megabar diamond-anvil cell techniques in order to gain insight into the anomalous behavior of this material that has been reported over the years in different high-pressure experiments. The measurements under nearly hydrostatic pressure conditions allowed us to detect the clear Verwey transition and the high-pressure structural phase. The appearance of a metallic ground state after the suppression of the Verwey transition around 20 GPa and the concomitant enhancement of the electrical resistance caused by the structural transformation to the high-pressure phase form reentrant semiconducting-metallic-semiconducting behavior, although the appearance of the metallic phase is highly sensitive to stress conditions and details of the measurement technique.
The equation of state of 5-nitro-2,4-dihydro-1,2,4,-triazol-3-one determined via in-situ optical microscopy and interferometry measurements
Authors: Stavrou Elissaios , Zaug Joseph M. , Bastea Sorin , Crowhurst Jonathan C.
Published: April 2016

Quasi-hydrostatic high-pressure equations of state (EOS) are typically determined, for crystalline solids, by measuring unit-cell volumes using x-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. However, when characterizing low-symmetry materials with large unit cells, conventional XRD approaches may become problematic. To overcome this issue, we examined the utility of a “direct” approach toward determining high pressure material volume by measuring surface area and sample thickness using optical microscopy and interferometry (OMI), respectively. We have validated this experimental approach by comparing results obtained for 2,4,6-triamino-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene TATB with an EOS determined from synchrotron XRD measurements; and, a good match is observed. We have measured the high pressure EOS of 5-nitro-2,4-dihydro-1,2,4,-triazol-3-one (α-NTO) up to 28 GPa. No high-pressure XRD EOS data have been published on α-NTO, probably due to its complex crystal structure. The results of this study suggest that OMI is a reliable and versatile alternative for determining EOSs, especially when conventional methodologies are impractical.
Electromagnetic and thermal properties of three-dimensional printed multilayered nano-carbon/poly(lactic) acid structures
Authors: Paddubskaya A. , Valynets N. , Kuzhir P. , Batrakov K. , Maksimenko S. , Kotsilkova R. , Velichkova H. , Petrova I. , Biró I. , Kertész K. , Márk G. I. , Horváth Z. E. , Biró L. P.
Published: April 2016

A new type of light-weight material produced by 3D printing consisting of nano-carbon doped polymer layer followed by a dielectric polymer layer is proposed. We performed temperature dependent characterization and measured the electromagnetic (EM) response of the samples in the GHz and THz range. The temperature dependent structural characteristics, crystallization, and melting were observed to be strongly affected by the presence and the number of nano-carbon doped layers in the sandwich structure. The electromagnetic measurements show a great potential of such a type of periodic material for electromagnetic compatibility applications in microwave frequency range. Sandwich structures containing only two nano-carbon layers already become not transparent to the microwaves, giving an electromagnetic interference shielding efficiency at the level of 8–15 dB. A sandwich consisting of one nano-carbon doped and one polymer layer is opaque for THz radiation, because of 80% of absorption. These studies serve as a basis for design and realization of specific optimal geometries of meta-surface type with the 3D printing technique, in order to reach a high level of electromagnetic interference shielding performance for real world EM cloaking and EM ecology applications.
Epitaxial growth of antiphase boundary free GaAs layer on 300 mm Si(001) substrate by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition with high mobility
Authors: Alcotte R. , Martin M. , Moeyaert J. , Cipro R. , David S. , Bassani F. , Ducroquet F. , Bogumilowicz Y. , Sanchez E. , Ye Z. , Bao X. Y. , Pin J. B. , Baron T.
Published: April 2016

Metal organic chemical vapor deposition of GaAs on standard nominal 300 mm Si(001) wafers was studied. Antiphase boundary (APB) free epitaxial GaAs films as thin as 150 nm were obtained. The APB-free films exhibit an improvement of the room temperature photoluminescence signal with an increase of the intensity of almost a factor 2.5. Hall effect measurements show an electron mobility enhancement from 200 to 2000 cm2/V s. The GaAs layers directly grown on industrial platform with no APBs are perfect candidates for being integrated as active layers for nanoelectronic as well as optoelectronic devices in a CMOS environment.
Optimal design and loss mechanism analysis of microwave absorbing unidirectional SiC fiber composites with broad absorption band and good polarization stability
Authors: Wan Guangchao , Jiang Jianjun , He Yun , Bie Shaowei
Published: April 2016

A microwave-absorbing unidirectional SiC fiber composite with wide absorption and good polarization stability was designed by genetic algorithm. The anisotropic nature of unidirectional fiber composites was considered in the design by characterizing tensor permittivity. This special composite is composed of two kinds of SiC fibers that separately exhibit relatively high conductivity and low conductivity. The electromagnetic loss mechanism of this composite was examined for polarizations that differ in the electric field of the incident wave, applied either in the direction of the fiber or in the transverse direction, perpendicular to the fibers. For both polarizations, the absorption band of our composite can reach 6 GHz and the lowest microwave reflectivity was about −20 dB over a range of 8–18 GHz. When the electric field is polarized parallel to fibers, strong coupling among the high-conductivity fibers can induce a strong current and thus efficiently dissipate the electromagnetic energy. When the electric field is polarized perpendicular to fibers, the electromagnetic loss mechanism in the composite resembles the electric energy loss in capacitors and currents in the transverse direction are obstructed by the fibers resulting in attenuation of the electromagnetic energy in the matrix.
Shock formation induced by poloidal flow and its effects on the edge stability in tokamaks
Authors: Seol J. , Shaing K. C. , Aydemir A. Y.
Published: April 2016

In the high confinement mode of tokamaks, magnitude of the radial electric field increases at the edge. Thus, the poloidal flow inside the transport barrier can be sonic when the edge pressure gradient is not steep enough to make the poloidal flow subsonic. When the poloidal Mach number is close to unity, a shock appears in the low field side and causes a large density perturbation. In this study, we describe a shock induced by the sonic poloidal plasma flow. Then, an entropy production across the shock is calculated. Finally, we introduce a simple model for Type III edge localized modes using the poloidal density variation driven by the sonic poloidal flow.
Experimental demonstration of laser imprint reduction using underdense foams
Authors: Delorme B. , Olazabal-Loumé M. , Casner A. , Nicolaï Ph. , Michel D. T. , Riazuelo G. , Borisenko N. , Breil J. , Fujioka S. , Grech M. , Orekhov A. , Seka W. , Sunahara A. , Froula D. H. , Goncharov V. , Tikhonchuk V. T.
Published: April 2016

Reducing the detrimental effect of the Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instability on the target performance is a critical challenge. In this purpose, the use of targets coated with low density foams is a promising approach to reduce the laser imprint. This article presents results of ablative RT instability growth measurements, performed on the OMEGA laser facility in direct-drive for plastic foils coated with underdense foams. The laser beam smoothing is explained by the parametric instabilities developing in the foam and reducing the laser imprint on the plastic (CH) foil. The initial perturbation pre-imposed by the means of a specific phase plate was shown to be smoothed using different foam characteristics. Numerical simulations of the laser beam smoothing in the foam and of the RT growth are performed with a suite of paraxial electromagnetic and radiation hydrodynamic codes. They confirmed the foam smoothing effect in the experimental conditions.
Morphological transitions in nanoscale patterns produced by concurrent ion sputtering and impurity co-deposition
Authors: Bradley R. Mark
Published: April 2016

We modify the theory of nanoscale patterns produced by ion bombardment with concurrent impurity deposition to take into account the effect that the near-surface impurities have on the collision cascades. As the impurity concentration is increased, the resulting theory successively yields a flat surface, a rippled surface with its wavevector along the projected direction of ion incidence, and a rippled surface with its wavevector rotated by 90°. Exactly the same morphological transitions were observed in recent experiments in which silicon was bombarded with an argon ion beam and gold was co-deposited [Moon et al., e-print arXiv:1601.02534].
High-pressure high-temperature phase diagram of gadolinium studied using a boron-doped heater anvil
Authors: Montgomery J. M. , Samudrala G. K. , Velisavljevic N. , Vohra Y. K.
Published: April 2016

A boron-doped designer heater anvil is used in conjunction with powder x-ray diffraction to collect structural information on a sample of quasi-hydrostatically loaded gadolinium metal up to pressures above 8 GPa and 600 K. The heater anvil consists of a natural diamond anvil that has been surface modified with a homoepitaxially grown chemical-vapor-deposited layer of conducting boron-doped diamond, and is used as a DC heating element. Internally insulating both diamond anvils with sapphire support seats allows for heating and cooling of the high-pressure area on the order of a few tens of seconds. This device is then used to scan the phase diagram of the sample by oscillating the temperature while continuously increasing the externally applied pressure and collecting in situ time-resolved powder diffraction images. In the pressure-temperature range covered in this experiment, the gadolinium sample is observed in its hcp, αSm, and dhcp phases. Under this temperature cycling, the hcp → αSm transition proceeds in discontinuous steps at points along the expected phase boundary. From these measurements (representing only one hour of synchrotron x-ray collection time), a single-experiment equation of state and phase diagram of each phase of gadolinium is presented for the range of 0–10 GPa and 300–650 K.